Microsoft Kinect Launches at $149 July 20, 2010
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The price for the highly anticipated Xbox 360 peripheral, the Microsoft Kinect has been announced, and it’s $149 US.
Formally known as Project Natal and first premiered at E3 2009, the Kinect is a motion capture camera peripheral, allowing players full body motion capture for gaming input, increasing the functionality of the Xbox 360.
The price is 50 dollars higher than the Playstation Move controller bundle of the Move Controller and Playstation Eye Toy, but gaming reviewers seem to forget that the second part of the Move controller (similar to the Wii’s nunchuck) is an extra 25.
Microsoft Kinect is coming November 4th, 2010. 15 launch titles will come out with the peripheral. It is only compatable with the Xbox 360.
Rock Band 3 Preorder Incentives Announced July 20, 2010
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Harmonix has announced that several retailers are offering goodies to people who preorder Rock Band 3.
GameStop Pre-order* Opportunity:
GameStop shoppers who reserve Rock Band 3 for PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 in advance receive three downloadable Rock Band songs at launch:
• Burning Down the House by Talking Heads
• My Own Summer by Deftones
• Blue Monday by New Order
Amazon Pre-order* Opportunity:
Amazon shoppers who reserve Rock Band 3 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii in advance will receive access to an exclusive in-game guitar. Additionally, for a limited time only, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners who pre-order Rock Band 3 in advance on Amazon will receive $10 off a future videogame purchase.
Wal-Mart Pre-order* Opportunity:
Walmart.com shoppers who reserve Rock Band 3 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii in advance will receive a $10 eGift card for a limited time.
Rock Band 3 has really impressed me with all the new gameplay possibilities that it offers, including the keyboard instrument, multi-person vocals, and the pro mode. By evolving the gameplay with every release they’re really offering their players a lot of incentive to buy the game at full retail price opposed to offering a song pack as DLC.
Rock Band 3 is coming for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii October 26th, 2010.
DC Universe Online Taking Beta Testers July 20, 2010
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Sony Online Entertainment is taking beta testers for the highly anticipated DC Universe Online, where you will be able to fight alongside the superheros of the DC Universe against supervillians and other rogues.
Beta tests are being accepted for both the PS3 and PC version of the game. You can sign up for the beta here.
The PC version will also get a Collector’s Edition, featuring issue #0 of DC Universe Online: Legends comic book.
Gran Turismo 5 Coming November 2nd, 2010 July 17, 2010
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Sony has announced that the most anticipated racer on the Playstation 3 finally has a release date.
This announcement ends one hell of an epic story about the development of the series on this console generation. Gran Turismo 5 has been anticipated since even before the release of the Playstation 3. Before the PS3’s release, there were two GT games in development at Sony, Gran Turismo 5 and Gran Turismo HD. HD was going to be released inexpensively and offer the player extra content in the form of DLC, allowing them to purchase extra cars and tracks. Gran Turismo 5 was expected to be a return to form of the classic series, a full priced game with all the cars and tracks released with the game.
Gran Turismo HD was cancelled before the PS3’s release, and it’s content consisting of one track and a dozen cars was released for free on the Playstation Network to the PS3’s early adopters. It was taken offline some time before the release of the Metal Gear Solid 4 80GB PS3 bundle, although anyone who downloaded a copy of the game before it was taken down is still able to re-download it.
Gran Turismo 5 on the other hand has been in a very long development. To tide gamers over, they actually released Gran Turismo 5 Prologue in 2007 and charged $39.99 for both the disc and downloadable version. It included only a few cars and a few tracks, and the Blu-Ray version contained an exclusive documentary on Gran Turismo.
A Collector’s Edition has also been announced to be released on the same day. It will retail for $99.99 US and will include a scale replica car, a custom key chain, codes for five downloadable cars, a 300 page book, and a numbered certificate of authenticity. More details about it can be found here.
Gran Turismo 5 will be coming November 2nd, 2010 exclusively for the Playstation 3.
Alan Wake DLC Achievements Posted July 16, 2010
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The achievements for the first DLC episode of Alan Wake have been posted to Xbox Live.
A Friend in Need – 25G
Special 1: Find someone to help you.
A Friend Indeed – 50G
Special 1: Follow the signal to its conclusion.
Fast and Furious – 25G
Special 1: Make it through the final battle in less than 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Words Will Never Harm You – 25G
Special 1: Trigger all of the furnaces in the basement.
Run-On Sentence – 50G
Special 1: Complete the episode without reloading the game or restarting a checkpoint.
License Revoked – 20G
Special 1: Complete the episode without using a single vehicle.
Tick Tock – 30G
Special 1: Discover 10 hidden alarm clocks.
Cardboard Companions – 25G
Special 1: Discover all of the cardboard standees.
That makes for 9 achievements total and a possible 250 achievement points.
Alan Wake’s first DLC is coming July 22nd for free with included game code, 560ms points otherwise.
Dead Rising 2 Zombrex Edition Announced July 16, 2010
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Capcom has announced there will be a Dead Rising 2 Collector’s Edition, dubbed the Dead Rising 2 Zombrex Edition.
The Zombrex Edition will include tons of medicinal goodies, playing into a lot of the promotion done for the game up until this point (where press members were given “innoculations” while shotguns were always at the ready just in case). Things like a syringe, a medicine pad and a safety info card will be included in the game, as well as a “making of” video. They really seem to be intent on reminding the players that this zombie virus was medically created, and up to this point can only be medically delayed, not sure if there’s a cure yet.
The Xbox 360 version will include the entire live action Dead Rising Sun film made as a promotion for the game’s release. The PS3 version will come with an exclusive dynamic theme.
The ZE will be avalible for Xbox 360 and PS3 September 28th, 2010. It will retail for $79.99 US.
November Xbox 360 Update Will Upgrade Interface July 15, 2010
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Screenshots have leaked onto the web which have been confirmed by Microsoft as genuine that have depicted a new interface for the Xbox 360, scheduled for release alongside the November update.
The new menu options include support for the Xbox Live Family Plan, where you can have four Xbox Live accounts running for 100 a year (half the price of 4 separate accounts), giving parents greater control over their children’s Xbox Live accounts.
I don’t agree with putting restrictions into hardware use for any reason, or for that any use of console lockouts or v-chips based on rating as I consider that age discrimination, but I’m not a parent and I know that gaming parents do appreciate having this kind of technology available to them.
1 Vs 100 Will Not Continue July 15, 2010
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Microsoft has officially announced that they are not continuing their widely popular Xbox Live Arcade game 1 vs 100, effectively terminating the game’s future.
This has devastated the internet today, as the game was extremely popular and very highly reviewed. However, while the game was only available to Xbox Live Gold Members the game was free, and it was likely Microsoft wasn’t making enough money off of it to justify continuing support. This is also disappointing because the game was one of the few to support the Live Avatars.
Hopefully Microsoft will offer another game to take it’s place in the gaming primetime slot for gold members, but no game has been announced.
Comic-Con 2010 Starts July 22nd July 14, 2010
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I’m sure many people will think Its odd I’m mentioning a convention about comics on a gaming website, but over the past few years Comic-Con has become more of a convention for everything rather than just comics. Movies and video games have been previewed at the convention, and this one’s looking to be huge.
Microsoft has announced Gears of War 3, Halo Reach and Kinect are scheduled to appear. They are the biggest Xbox 360 releases of the next 12 months.
Comic-Con will start July 22nd this year. If anything new is posted up I’ll try to comment on it here.
Some Halo Reach Achievements Announced July 10, 2010
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Bungie has announced that Halo Reach will have 49 achievements, 23 Campaign, 7 Firefight, 4 Multiplayer, 6 Training and 9 Player Experience. Some of the Training Achievements can be earned in both Campaign and Firefight. and here are some of them.
There will also be special achievements for each campaign mission, similar to Halo 3 ODST and Halo Wars achievements, there will be certain achievements only accessible from one level.
The game will also have full support for Halo Waypoint, which will enable extra functionality such as new multiplayer armor. The Waypoint achievements will be stackable alongside your Halo 3 and Halo 3 ODST awards, enabling further unlocks.
Halo Reach will be released September 14th, 2010 for the Xbox 360.
