Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, First Person Shooters, Online

Play-Asia’s got Call of Duty 3 for $48 (includes shipping — from Hong Kong). That retailer down the street? Oh, well, they’ve got it for $59.99. We think the choice is clear. Don’t you?

[Note: Call of Duty 3 is region-free.]

[Via 1UP]

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from Joystiq

PS3 news

Filed under: Culture, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

[Click image to enlarge]

What is next-gen, Cliff Bleszinski ponders in his developer’s note, a preface to the Gears of War instruction manual. Well CliffyB, we think you are.

This little personalized note sets a new precedent for the industry, where next-generation isn’t just about hardware upgrades and “soul,” as Bleszinski puts it. It’s about celebrity. In this next generation we will begin to see the rise of popular interest in the off-the-job undertakings of the game world’s celebs; a new gaming culture that builds up these personalities. We’re not far from a time when, for lack of blockbuster franchises, rising development costs will prompt publishers to sell their games using these freshly sculpted celebrities’ names — the games’ concepts being just footnotes. And then, wrought with betrayal and jealousy, we will strike down these primmed and pampered figures from their pedestals, greedily hastening their downfalls; and the industry with them.

So, if you find yourself in the line at the EBGames at Universal Citywalk this evening (4pm, PT), waiting to get Mr. Bleszinski’s signature emblazoned across your brand-new copy of Gears, just think: man, I’m so ‘next-gen’ right about now.

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from Joystiq

PS3 news

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Fighting, Rhythm, Exergaming

“Hey baby, can I buy you a drink?”
“I don’t think so.”
“You just performed a ten-hit combo … on my heart.“
“Oh dear lord.”
“I wanna put you in a counter hold of love.”
“Physical violence. I’m strongly considering it.”
“Do you kick high?”

The lead developer of the Dead or Alive series and the forthcoming ball jostling, highbrow-raising epic, Dead or Alive Xtreme 2, has been charged with sexual harassment. This one practically writes itself. In the interest of readability and undeniably smug tone, however, rest assured that a human being (more or less) has written all the text that follows. As if drinking on the job and speaking ill of competitors wasn’t enough to convince you that Tomonobu Itagaki was a complete failure at being a Japanese stereotype, you may now append “allegedly harasses female ex-employees” to the list (and then note how much better that is than “harasses ex-female employees”).

According to Japan’s ZakZak and Gamebrink, the Dead or Alive mastermind has been slapped with a 10 million yen ($85,000) sexual harassment charge by a woman claiming to have endured and dodged his wily hands for the duration of her employment between 2003 and September 2006. Itagaki has admitted to having the relationship (much to the chagrin of his wife and kids, no doubt) but insists that the supposed mammary molestation was completely consensual. The reports also imply that Itagaki has been demoted within Team Ninja, a move which could be interpreted as a slap on the wrist or a swift shove out of the spotlight.

It looks like the latter tactic hasn’t been very effective thus far.

[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from Joystiq

PS3 news

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Metareviews

Positive review scores; Epic’s Gears of War for the 360 is getting them in spades, and not just with the early birds. The game is being pitched as a tactical action/survival horror third-person shooter heavy on the co-operative side. Oh, and from what the reviews have implied, you’ve never seen better console graphics before. With a current average review of 95/100, here is some launch day praise for the game:

• DailyGame (90/100): “It’s not nearly as epic as we would have liked, but the gameplay provides some fantastic moments and introduces some new aspects to a mainstream shooter. The graphics and online co-op are simply phenomenal.”
• IGN (94/100): “There is a healthy learning curve to the cover system, but those who master it will find Epic’s twisting and turning and rolling an exciting change-up in the shooter genre, a blend of fast-arcade action and basic, tactical maneuvering. The Insane difficulty level gives Gears legs months after you’ve finished the relatively-short campaign, and even with a friend it is an impossible, irresistible challenge.”
• Game Informer (95/100): “This is one of the best co-op games I have played, especially when you crank the difficulty past Casual and up into the Hardcore and Insane levels. Working with your buddy to flank and outwit the enemy is a blast.”
• 1UP (100/100): “Each stage is memorable…They all combine for an unforgettable adventure through 36 hectic, desperate hours of a group of soldiers’ lives…A visual and visceral masterpiece.”

Good to see the game living up to the hype. Nice work Epic, and it should be interesting to see how well this golden title can keep eyes turned to the 360 in a post Wii and PS3 world later this month.

[Thanks to all who requested our copy and paste skills!]

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from Joystiq

PS3 news

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360

As rumored, Microsoft announced a new feature last night allowing high-definition movie and television downloads directly to your 360’s hard drive. Yeah, the same hard drive you already have … there’s no accompanying drive announcement. Of course, this introduced any number of questions regarding the viability of such a strategy; luckily, we recently had a chance to speak with Scott Henson, director of platform strategy for the Xbox 360, to get some more details on the service, due to launch on November 22nd.

Henson told us that the files would indeed be stored locally on the 360’s optional hard drive unit; there would not be an option to stream videos from your Windows computer (after all, there are already ways to do that). The files will (predictably) be in Microsoft’s proprietary WMV format, which has already proven to be a reliable delivery mechanism for HD content. Using this codec, they estimate a 22 minute high-definition television program (sans commercials) will weigh in at approximately 1GB, while the standard definition variant (which you will automatically own as well) will top out around 300MB. Due to bandwidth considerations, storage realities, and their insistence that 720p is the “sweet spot” for high-definition content, all Marketplace movies and television shows (like the existing trailers) will max out at 720p.

While you won’t be able to stream content to your ‘box, they have employed queuing technology to expedite the download wait. While a 22 minute television show may take as little as 30 minutes to download over a 6mb/s cable connection, you’ll be able to start watching the high-definition version after just 2 minutes, and the standard definition version immediately.

But what if you’re not sitting in front of the box, watching the download meter inch along? Henson said you’ll have two weeks to start that downloaded movie rental and, once you have, you’ll have 24 hours to finish it. Inside that 24 hour window, you’ll be allowed to watch the rental as many times as you like. The television shows are download to own, similar to the iTunes Store. If you get a new hard drive, you’ll be able to download them over again, as many times as you like. If you’re not sure which episode you want to download, there’s a text and video preview to refresh that failing memory.

Of course, several major components of this announcement are still unclear. Most notably, the cost (payable in Microsoft Points of course) and the future availability of a larger hard drive. Henson did advise that the cost of the SD television downloads would be commensurate with other offerings in the space (read: iTunes $2 television downloads) but that the HD downloads would command a premium (we’re similarly unsure of that price delta). Another unclear aspect is Zune integration. While the Fall update added the ability to watch movies stored on the Zune, you’ll be unable to move them the other way. When asked, Henson said this functionality “made sense,” but there were no plans to announce anything specific.

As a a strategic move, the decision to offer downloadable movies and television shows dovetails neatly with Microsoft’s strategy to weaken Blu-ray. If you believe that they want HD-DVD to fail, then this is a harbinger of a larger push to deliver content directly to consumers. With rumors still rumbling of DirecTV and IPTV integration, this may be the beginning of a format war much larger than Blu-ray versus HD-DVD. The question now is, will Sony offer a competitive service using their considerable Hollywood leverage (they do own a movie studio after all), and their HDD-equipped PS3s?

For more pics of the service, due to launch on November 22nd, check out Engadget.

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from Joystiq

PS3 news

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business

Sony criticized Microsoft’s HD movie and TV downloads announcement late yesterday reminding 360 Core owners of their inability to benefit from the additional content because they have no hard drive. Said a Sony spokesperson: “PlayStation 3’s content is designed for everyone to enjoy right out of the box, no matter which configuration you purchase. We would never segregate or shut out any of our consumers from our entertainment experience because they didn’t buy the top of the line system.”

Notable ways in which Sony “segregates” the consumer entertainment experience on the PS3:

• A $600 PS3 gets you 60GB to store entertainment. A $500 PS3 only gets you 20GB.
• A $600 PS3 supports additional memory slots. A $500 PS3 doesn’t.
• A $600 PS3 supports Wi-Fi networking. A $500 PS3 doesn’t.

Granted, all PS3s ship with at least some type of hard drive. We like that. But the Sony statement reads as if Xbox 360 Core owners don’t have a choice to pony up $100 bones for an added hard drive. On top of that, criticizing your competitor’s two SKU offering while offering two SKUs yourself seems a little backwards. Not “creepy” backwards, just regular type.

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from Joystiq

PS3 news

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, Video

G4tv and Gamespot have posted video reviews of Gears of War. The verdict? They both love it. Although, Morgan Webb says the game’s hardcore setting is “borderline impossible to play solo” while Gamespot’s Jeff Gerstmann says that hardcore isn’t too bad until later in the game. Who to believe? We’ll go with Gerstmann.

Gamespot’s review is much more in-depth and you’ll feel like you learned something by watching it; by comparison, who wants to listen to Morgan Webb obviously read something from a script over gameplay video … again? It’s just painful when she says “bitchcakes.”

Not only that, but the Gamespot video plays a helluva lot smoother on our computer than the G4 dreck. And can someone please slip Adam Sessler a note about his wardrobe? He dresses like he got knocked on the head and thinks he’s Carlos Santana.

Gamespot says, “games don’t typically look this good.” We hope he’s right.

[Thanks, Mactor]

Watch - X-Play’s Gears of War video review (multiplayer only)
Watch - Gamespot’s Gears of War video review

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from Joystiq

PS3 news

Filed under: Features, Mac, PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, Video

Last week’s Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update added support for the Windows Media Video (WMV) video codec. The feature was a welcomed gain for non-Media Center users who have been limited to photo and music sharing between their Windows PCs and Xbox 360s — and to anyone who’s longed to watch video files on 360 via a thumb drive or CD/DVD.

Unfortunately, licensing fees and digital rights concerns have limited the patch to WMV-support only. Being Microsoft’s proprietary format, WMV is neither popular or oft-used, taking a backseat to preferred codecs like DivX and XviD. And so, we’re still left scrambling for a solution to getting our video content onto Xbox 360.

Windows Media Center users have enjoyed on-the-fly transcoding for some time, courtesy of Transcode 360. While the developer says he expects “someone to knock up a transcoding solution not too far down the line” for Windows Media Player 11 and Windows Media Connect (read: not Windows Media Center), he suggests that it won’t be him doing it.

So, until Microsoft adds support for more codecs or offers up an application capable of transcoding (to WMV) and streaming on-the-fly (okay, that will never happen), we’re forced to manually transcode our non-WMV files into WMVs and then, if we wish to stream, point our 360s at the WMV files (on our PCs). That’s the solution. Now, we’re gonna show you how it’s done:

Luckily, Happy Beggar has already taken care of most of the legwork. The site recently compared three (WMV-capable) transcoding applications: VLC, WinAvi 7.7, and Windows Media Encoder. The clear winner, in both speed and quality, was VLC, an open source media player that has a history of proven functionality. VLC is what we’ll use for this guide.

Step One: Download VLC (official website). Exctract the folder to the root of your hard disc drive (usually “C:”):

For clarity, rename folder as “vlc”:

Step Two: To make things even easier, Happy Beggar provides us with a supplemental batch file that optimizes transcoding (download here).

Step Three: Move/copy batch file into the folder where the videos you wish to transcode are contained:

Step Four: Drag and drop a video file onto the batch file:

Command Prompt will automatically launch (and execute batch script), followed by VLC; transcoding begins:

(Arrow: WMV is automatically added to the oringal file’s folder)
[Note: Transcoding times will vary. Happy Beggar was able to convert a typical 42-minute TV show (hour-long program with commercials removed) from XviD to WMV in 13 minutes; it took us just over twenty minutes for the same size file.]

Step Five: At this point, you can transer the newly created WMV file(s) to a thumbdrive or burn them onto a CD/DVD; or better, stream them from your PC (Windows XP required) to your Xbox 360. [For help establishing a connection between your PC and Xbox 360, see here.]

You could use Windows Media Player 11 (guide here) or TVersity (guide here) to tag your videos for sharing, but we’ve found the simpliest approach is to add your WMV files (as they’re created) to a folder (example: “My Videos” that has been set up to share with the Xbox 360.

To set up a folder for sharing, launch the Windows Media Connect application (under Network and Internet Connections) from the Control Panel:

Select the “Sharing” tab and add the folder you keep your WMV videos in:

• 1. Select “Sharing”
• 2. Click “Add…”
• 3. Locate folder (and rename, if desired)
• 4. Allow folder to be shared with Xbox 360
• 5. Click “OK” to add

Step Six: Now it’s time to fire up your Xbox 360 (first: make sure your PC is on and Windows Media Connect is enabled). Navigate to the Media Blade and select “Videos,” and then (1) select “Computer”; (2) select the video you wish to stream; (3) Select “Play”:


Voilà (on HD monitor):

On standard-def TV:

On 57-inch Projection HDTV:

[Note: video quality will vary and is dependant on several key factors: (1) quality of original video file; (2) transcoding settings (Happy Beggar batch file is designed to use optimal settings); (3) the display — we found that videos looked best on a 25-inch standard-def TV because the lower resolution muted most of the WMV’s imperfections (due to compression).]

While tedious, transcoding your video files to WMV is simple — and free. If you’re the type to catch up on TV’s latest hunched over your computer screen — or perhaps delve into other, more sordid, types of video — now you can consider moving that experience onto your Xbox 360. Enjoy.

[Thanks to Happy Beggar for its good work!]

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from Joystiq

PS3 news

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Business

On November 22, the anniversary of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft will be offering high-definition television shows and movies for download. The offerings span a large demographic, from CBS and Nascar to Adult Swim and MTV (yes, “Pimp My Ride” will be included). Movies include, Nacho Libre, Superman Returns, and the original Jackass: The Movie. The TV shows will be download to own, while the movies will only be rentals.

The move is impressive, though we can’t help but worry about the disk space — our tiny 20 GB HDD is not going to hold that much. The press release talks a lot about downloading, but what about streaming? Can we watch part of the program while we download it? And, most important of all, how much will these cost? We’ll kidnap our trusted sources and let you know what we get out of them. You can view the current list of upcoming titles here.

Microsoft is bringing HD-quality movies to the 360 without requiring the purchase of the external HD DVD drive. Will Sony follow suit or keep all HD cinema / television bound for Blu-ray?

[Thanks to every single person who sent this in!]

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from Joystiq

PS3 news