I have precious little spare time in between playing "The Orange Box" right now so I'll keep it short and sweet...

 

 

Experience the new high-definition, next generation sights and sounds of Beautiful Katamari as the Prince takes on a new high-rolling adventure, with his famous cousins in tow, to save the Katamari universe once again after the King of All Cosmos has a very un-royal and unfortunate accident.

 

 

 

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lion (PSP) This PSP port of the classic PlayStation 1-era strategy RPG adds new classes and animated movies to help explain the insanely convoluted story in this otherwise amazing game.

 

 

Half-Life 2: Orange Box (PC, X360) -- After over a year of intense waiting, the Half-Life episodic saga finally continues. The amazing Orange Box collection brings both console and PC gamers the full, original Half-Life 2, Episodes 1 and 2, Portal, and the frantic online action of Team Fortress 2, all for the price of a single game.

 

  

Microsoft announced the bundles, packaging the Xbox 360 Premium and Elite SKUs with Forza Motorsport 2 and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. The Premium and Elite will go for their regular prices of $349.99 and $449.99, respectively. Though no release date is given for the bundles, they have been promised to be in stores by the end of October.

The Conan demo is approximately 15-minutes and will release on October 23. 

 

 

In the Simpsons demo gamers must defend Springfield using Homer and Bart from the nefarious Kang and Kodos.  The Simpsons Game releases on October 30.

Ear Force X3 for Xbox 360!

Overview Pump up the volume with TBS-2065 Ear Force X3 Wireless Headphones for Xbox 360™ without disturbing friends, family or neighbors. Now you can freely move around as you play and hear every nuance of the game - from an opponent sneaking up behind you to your teammate’s voice right next to you. These headphones let you trash talk online while blocking out distractions. With its microphone monitoring system, you can hear your voice as well so you can avoid talking loud unnecessarily. Additionally, the automatic shut-off feature means you'll never have to worry about forgetting to shut off the headphones to conserve battery power. When you're done playing, just put the headphones down and they'll automatically shut off after a few minutes of silence. The X3 transmitter communicates with the headphones via a wireless infrared (IR) light beam to assure high-fidelity and reliable operation. Unlike radio frequency (RF) communication, audio transmission via IR is much less sensitive to interference from microwave ovens, cell phones, wireless networks, wireless phones and other RF devices found around the home. The TBS-2065 Ear Force X3 Wireless Headphones include almost everything you need for an amazing gaming experience.

Highlights Move around freely as you play and hear every nuance of the game Equipped with microphone monitoring Features automatic shut-off Allows you to communicate via Xbox Live Dynamic talkback expander automatically adjusts Xbox® Live chat levels during loud moments Offers separate volume controls for the game and chat audio levels Bass-boost improves gaming experience by enhancing deep-bass sound effects Includes Ear Force X3 Transmitter, Xbox Live talkback cable, Six Foot Splitter Cable, Suction Cup, Velcro Tabs, AAA Batteries and DC Power Adapter

A *NEW* 3 pack of exclusive tracks for the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II are now available.  The tracks are: Trivium's "Detonation," Atreyu's "Ex's And Oh's," and Protest the Hero's "Bury the Hatchet.  The pack costs 500 Microsoft points ($6.25).

I'm not gonna waste time blabbing!  Download this demo now!  It's awesome....  I can't even describe it with justice.  The graphics, while dark at times, are incredible.  Especially the rain effect grab you and pull you in right from the start.  The control scheme is pulled off with ease for a squad based shooter and it reminded me alot of the controls in Star Wars: Republic Commando.  Each character is different and useful in there own way for specific situations during gameplay.  There are even some cool pulse pounding "context sensitive" moments where you will need to press certain buttons quick enough to pull off moves.  I can't wait for this game to come out and I can't wait to play the demo again!  Go Download it NOW!!!  Read more about Jericho Here.

 

After a somewhat short hiatus due to life and work taking away from gaming and relaxation, I'm back.  Just in time to give up sleep for the one and only Halo 3, yes indeed!  I'll be back to blog more in between chapters and multi-player sessions.

 My system just died today on what may have been the hottest day in so cal all summer.    Hopefully Microsoft will get it repaired quickly and I'll be back in action soon.  I'm a bit weary though.... I've been on hold for almost 35 minutes now with tech support.   Not really feeling much support.

Also, FREE throwback maps for GRAW 2 and new Adult Swim themed gamer pics. 

Going beyond "run and gun corridors," "monster-closet AIs" and static worlds, BioShock creates a living, unique and unpredictable FPS experience. After your plane crashes into icy uncharted waters, you discover a rusted bathysphere and descend into Rapture, a city hidden beneath the sea. Constructed as an idealistic society for a hand picked group of scientists, artists and industrialists, the idealism is no more. Now the city is littered with corpses, wildly powerful guardians roam the corridors as little girls loot the dead, and genetically mutated citizens ambush you at every turn. Take control of your world by hacking mechanical devices, commandeering security turrets and crafting unique items critical to your very survival. Upgrade your weapons with ionic gels, explosives and toxins to customize them to the enemy and environment. Genetically modify your body through dozens of Plasmid Stations scattered throughout the city, empowering you with fantastic and often grotesque abilities. Explore a living world powered by Ecological A.I., where the inhabitants have interesting and consequential relationships with one another that impact your gameplay experience. Experience truly next generation graphics that vividly illustrate the forlorn art deco city, highlighted by the most detailed and realistic water effects ever developed in a video game. Make meaningful choices and mature decisions, ultimately culminating in the grand question: do you exploit the innocent survivors of Rapture...or save them?

 

 

 

A 1.3 GB playable demo is now available on XBL and it's well worth the 2 1/2 hours it took me to download!  Beware of the naysayers who quickly pass judgement and compare it to the likes of prey or condemned.  It's so much more and different.  Download it now and enjoy!

 

Check em' out!  click the link below.

 

Regarding Madden NFL 08.  Enough with the downloadable videos already!  Put a playable demo on the XBL Marketplace.....   It's driving me crazy.

 

 Microsoft has announced that this Wednesday's regular Xbox Live Arcade update will include a port of Konami's arcade sports classic Track & Field, also announcing forthcoming summer XBLA releases like Puzzle Quest and Space Giraffe.

Debuting August 8th for 400 Points ($5), Microsoft says the updated version of Track & Field will feature "the same button mashing game mechanic as the original," but will add Xbox Live multiplayer competitions for up to four players, as well as the standard leaderboard and Achievement additions.

The company has also said that August will also see the release of a port of Sega's Ecco the Dolphin, Hexic 2, the sequel to Carbonated's Alexey Pajitnov-designed pack-in puzzler, and Ubisoft's 3D mech battler War World.

Throughout the rest of the summer, Microsoft also promises the release of Eidos' Geon: Emotions, the XBLA version of D3's massively popular puzzler Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, Jeff Minter's psychadelic shooter Space Giraffe, a port of Sega's Streets of Rage 2 beat 'em up, and Capcom's Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.

 

Fueled by DOOM being a breakout hit on Xbox Live arcade, it has now been leaked that Quake Arena is coming as a digital download. 

 

 

Fatal Inertia is Koei's entry into the combat racing genre on the Xbox 360, and it's certainly like no other high-speed game available for the system. With a blend of high-speed racing, unique weapons, beautiful graphics, and some tricky course designs, the game hearkens back to older sci-fi racing games such as Wipeout while pushing the genre ahead with current-day technology.  The only question is, are the enough die-hard wipeout fans to fuel this game?

 

  

Fatal Inertia - Xbox 360 (actual gameplay footage)

Maybe or maybe but it does impress right now!  Xbox 360 has an unprecedented lineup of blockbuster titles available by holiday 2007, including these:

 

• Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (NAMCO BANDAI Games): Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation takes you up to the sky and into the heat of realistic air combat with next-generation audio and visual effects and online multiplayer action. Available this holiday, only on Xbox 360.
• Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft): Assassin's Creed is the next-generation game developed by Ubisoft that merges technology, game design, theme and emotions into a world where you assume the role of the main character, Altair, and have the power to throw your immediate environment into chaos and experience the art of a master assassin. Available this November.
• Beautiful Katamari (NAMCO BANDAI Games): Marking the debut of Namco's beloved ball-rolling puzzle game on a next-generation platform, Beautiful Katamari, the fourth installment of the Katamari series, features levels of quirkiness, cosmic animations, and musical stylings never seen before. Available this October.
• BioShock (2K Games): BioShock is the "genetically enhanced" first-person shooter set in the ruined undersea metropolis of Rapture. Available this August, only on Xbox 360 and Windows®.
• Blue Dragon™ (Mistwalker/Artoon Co. Ltd.): From famed game producer Hironobu Sakaguchi comes Blue Dragon, a unique, epic role-playing game. Available August 28, only on Xbox 360.
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision): The new action thriller from the award-winning team at Infinity Ward Inc., Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare delivers the most intense and cinematic action experience ever. The epic title also delivers an added depth of multiplayer action providing online fans an all-new community of persistent, addictive, and customizable gameplay. Available this fall.
• Dance Dance Revolution UNIVERSE™ 2 (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.): The series' encore performance on Xbox 360 delivers new gameplay options along with a mix of songs from the seventies, eighties, nineties and today as well as online play, downloadable music, enhanced graphics, and accessibility for players of all ages.
• Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar Games): Grand Theft Auto IV is the next chapter of the award-winning Grand Theft Auto franchise, available October 16. Grand Theft Auto IV will feature episodic content through Xbox LIVE exclusive to Xbox 360.
• Guitar Hero III™: Legends of Rock (RedOctane/Activision):Fire up the fret board, crank up the amp and get ready to rock out on the new wireless Les Paul guitar controllers. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock includes star-studded tracks by such legendary artists as Guns N' Roses, The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Muse, and Pearl Jam. Available this fall.
• Halo 3 (Bungie Studios):The epic saga continues with Halo 3, the hugely anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed Halo 2. Available September 25, only on Xbox 360.
• Madden NFL 08 (Electronic Arts Inc.): EA's unstoppable football franchise returns for the '08 season in Hall of Fame fashion, featuring new players, modes, rosters and rewards to create the ultimate touchdown for pigskin fans. Available this August.
• Mass Effect™ (BioWare Corp.):An epic science-fiction action and role-playing game, Mass Effect delivers an immersive, story-driven experience presented in a cinematic style with high production values. Available this holiday season, only on Xbox 360.
• Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (Ubisoft):Relive the hit anime and manga and experience Naruto's transformation from noisy ninja-academy dropout to respected ninja. Available in October, only on Xbox 360.
• Project Gotham Racing® 4 (Bizarre Creations Ltd.): Project Gotham Racing 4 redefines the acclaimed PGR franchise by delivering a unique, exciting racing experience complete with motorcycles and cars. Available this September, only on Xbox 360.
• Rock Band (MTV Games): Rock Band lets you perform music from the world's biggest rock artists with your friends as a virtual band. Available this holiday season.
• Scene It?® Lights, Camera, Action (Screenlife Games/WXP): Scene It?brings the fun of movie trivia to players of all ages with new TV and movie clips in high definition as well as five new puzzle challenges never before shown in a Scene It? game. It also ships with four new Xbox 360 Big Button Pads and will be available this holiday season, only on Xbox 360.
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction (Ubisoft):In the latest installment of Tom Clancy's coveted Splinter Cell franchise, experience an adrenaline rush of gameplay where hunted down as a fugitive, you have no choice other than using everything in your environment to survive. Available this holiday.
• Virtua Fighter™ 5 (SEGA):This new installment in the critically acclaimed series brings intense, arcade fighting action, an all-star cast of 17 fighters and, a next-generation first for the franchise, online two-player versus mode only on Xbox LIVE.
• Viva Piñata®: Party Animals (Krome Studios Pty. Ltd.): An exciting new party game based on the critically acclaimed Xbox 360 exclusive and hit animated TV series, Viva Piñata: Party Animals brings back the familiar piñata animals and invites you and your friends to compete in a host of mini-games against friends at home or over Xbox LIVE. Available this holiday season,only on Xbox 360.