Xbox360 Game News
Mar
A recap of the best games due to hit Japanese shelves next week, courtesy of Famitsu magazine’s review pages:
- Yakuza 4 (9/10/10/9, 38 points): We haven’t gotten Yakuza 3 quite yet, but the sequel’s already out in Japan, and it’s apparently a scorcher.
Everybody loved the new game’s multi-viewpoint storyline to bits. “The heroes are packed with personality,” one wrote. “Each one has different moves, and it’s fun to try exercising all of them during the fights. The story has tons of exciting developments for all four characters, and the way they all tie in together in the final chapter is incredibly hot.” Another reviewer called it a shame that series hero Kazuma Kiryu “doesn’t get much face time,” but “getting the story from four perspectives is fresh and lets you experience the town of Kamurocho in a whole new way.”
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Mar
A recap of the best games due to hit Japanese shelves next week, courtesy of Famitsu magazine’s review pages:
- Yakuza 4 (9/10/10/9, 38 points): We haven’t gotten Yakuza 3 quite yet, but the sequel’s already out in Japan, and it’s apparently a scorcher.
Everybody loved the new game’s multi-viewpoint storyline to bits. “The heroes are packed with personality,” one wrote. “Each one has different moves, and it’s fun to try exercising all of them during the fights. The story has tons of exciting developments for all four characters, and the way they all tie in together in the final chapter is incredibly hot.” Another reviewer called it a shame that series hero Kazuma Kiryu “doesn’t get much face time,” but “getting the story from four perspectives is fresh and lets you experience the town of Kamurocho in a whole new way.”
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Mar
Square Enix has shipped over five million units of Final Fantasy XIII globally, according to a report from Adriasang. This includes three months of availability in Japan, during which the company apparently shipped about two million units. The other three million were sent out this week for the North American and European releases. Square also boasted that the Final Fantasy series as a whole has shipped over 96 million units.
Of course, we should note that this is units shipped, not sold. We won’t really know the sales numbers until next month’s NPD data comes in. But it’s fair to assume Square will be putting at least a few million units into the U.S. retail chains during the month of March, and the Final Fantasy name should have no problem selling most of them. Check out our review and details from the launch party for the anticipated RPG.
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Mar
We wouldn’t fault you for getting a little sick of the default maps in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and neither would Infinity Ward, apparently. The developer began teasing new multiplayer levels today by posting Twitter links to Mapathy.com — a clever little site dedicated to spreading awareness of the intense ennui that accompanies months and months of playing on the same maps.
According to the site, a person suffering from Mapathy “no longer derives pleasure from blowing up people hiding in the cockpit or on top of the crane,” and it continues, “More than 20 million people may be at risk for Mapathy.” Assuming you haven’t already jumped ship to Bad Company 2, those symptoms probably sound all too familiar.
Like pretty much every other imaginary ailment with a marketing budget, however, there is a cure for Mapathy: new maps. And according to the teaser site, that cure is headed for Xbox Live on March 30. Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling assures us that PlayStation 3 and PC users will eventually get their hands on the DLC as well, but that announcement is coming at a later date.
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Mar
The Electronic Software Ratings Board has issued a Teen rating for Lips: I (Heart) the 80s, and inadvertently also announced Lips: I (Heart) the 80s in the process.
This will be the fourth installment of iNiS’s karaoke party game for the Xbox 360, following the original Lips (pictured), Lips: Number One Hits, and Lips: Party Classics. The ESRB rating (picked up on by IGN, via Joystiq) explains what the title makes rather obvious: “This is a karaoke music game in which players sing along with music videos of various styles and genres from the 1980s.” The description also reveals at least two songs that will be included by quoting lyrics from them: The Police’s “Roxanne” and Rick James’ “Super Freak.”
If the game is already rated, that likely means Microsoft will make Lips: I (Heart) the 80s official pretty soon — perhaps with an announcement at GDC next week.
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Mar
Another Xbox 360 Elite bundle has popped up on Amazon, and it’s a good one. Starting next week, you’ll be able to pick up an Elite bundled with Halo 3 ODST and Forza 3.
Both games are signature exclusives and should keep you busy for quite a while. It will be launching alongside the Final Fantasy XIII Elite bundle, which will be retailing at $399.99.
Both bundles will be launching March 9, but the Forza 3/Halo 3 ODST bundle will be going for $299.99. You can pre-order both of them now.
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Mar
Microsoft announced an update to their Xbox Live Code of Conduct today, which will allow users to “more freely express their race, nationality, religion and sexual orientation” in Gamertags and online profiles. “Under our previous policy, some of these expressions of self identification were not allowed in Gamertags or profiles to prevent the use of these terms as insults or slurs,” wrote XBL general manager Marc Whitten. “However we have since heard feedback from our customers that while the spirit of this approach was genuine, it inadvertently excluded a part of our Xbox Live community.”
Microsoft has been fielding criticism about the policy, particularly in regards to gay and lesbian Xbox users who have felt that they couldn’t express themselves. The story hit last year of a lesbian being suspended due to her name. Later in the year, the launch of The Ballad of Gay Tony brought the issue up again, making users wonder why a word was banned if it was in a game title.
Of course, the spirit of the policy was to prevent abuse, and Microsoft promises that hasn’t changed. Whitten says that Xbox Live will be policing for people abusing the terms more than ever, and promises “increased stringency and enforcement to prevent the misuse of these terms.” In other words, if you’re legitimately gay and want to express it on Xbox Live, go for it. If you want to use it as a pejorative, this isn’t free license to do so.
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Mar
Microsoft announced an update to their Xbox Live Code of Conduct today, which will allow users to “more freely express their race, nationality, religion and sexual orientation” in Gamertags and online profiles. “Under our previous policy, some of these expressions of self identification were not allowed in Gamertags or profiles to prevent the use of these terms as insults or slurs,” wrote XBL general manager Marc Whitten. “However we have since heard feedback from our customers that while the spirit of this approach was genuine, it inadvertently excluded a part of our Xbox Live community.”
Microsoft has been fielding criticism about the policy, particularly in regards to gay and lesbian Xbox users who have felt that they couldn’t express themselves. The story hit last year of a lesbian being suspended due to her name. Later in the year, the launch of The Ballad of Gay Tony brought the issue up again, making users wonder why a word was banned if it was in a game title.
Of course, the spirit of the policy was to prevent abuse, and Microsoft promises that hasn’t changed. Whitten says that Xbox Live will be policing for people abusing the terms more than ever, and promises “increased stringency and enforcement to prevent the misuse of these terms.” In other words, if you’re legitimately gay and want to express it on Xbox Live, go for it. If you want to use it as a pejorative, this isn’t free license to do so.
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Mar
Following today’s surprise title update on Xbox Live, Harmonix has finally launched the Rock Band Network Music Store for Rock Band 2. Fans can hit up the new storefront and choose from 105 user-created tracks by musicians like Jonathan Coulton, The Shins, Lacuna Coil, and many, many others.
The Rock Band Network Store also adds demo functionality for the new DLC, allowing players to download a brief, playable snippet of songs before buying — a feature that’s unfortunately still absent from the main Rock Band Music Store. Songs range anywhere from $1 (80 Microsoft points) to $3 (240 Microsoft points), though the vast majority seem to stick with the cheapest possible price point.
As for the future of the platform, Harmonix already has plans to expand the offerings with the over 300 artists currently working on Rock Band Network tracks. Included among the upcoming releases: The Smashing Pumpkins, Flight of the Conchords, Clutch, and hundreds more.
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Most gamers have long since moved on, but there are still a few brave Halo 2 players holding the line against the night over on the original Xbox. Microsoft is rewarding these few loyal fans with some free stuff, and a chance to join the Halo: Reach beta (via Kotaku).
Microsoft has served notice of the classic Xbox Live’s impending shutdown to Halo 2 players; but to ease the pain of the transition to the Xbox 360, they’re handing out free three-month Gold memberships as well as 400 Microsoft Points ($5.00). In addition, these players will be geting an invite to the Halo: Reach beta.
At the moment, the easiest way to get a code of your own is to pick up a copy of Halo 3: ODST. It will no longer be possible to play original Xbox games over Xbox Live starting April 15. The Halo Reach beta will be kicking off May 3.
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