Twitter, Last.fm & Facebook on 360

Apparently I made it into the first wave in the update preview program on XBox Live. Thank you Microsoft, it's pretty sweet to have the opportunity to play with these new toys on the 360 a bit earlier than most. I've seen a lot of unneeded hate on various boards when it comes to this update. If you don't want it, don't use it. I have certainly noticed the new apps are quite unobtrusive and will in no way hamper your console experience. Now on to breaking down what I would consider the biggest features in this nifty little package.

Twitter

I dig it even though I don't really see myself using it a whole lot in the future. Not that I don't use Twitter, I just finding typing too much with a controller a bit cumbersome. However I think it will be very useful for the occasional shout out to find a fourth for some firefight. It also makes links useless, but with the 360 not having a web browser at all, that really shouldn't surprise anyone. It won't make me get rid of TweetDeck anytime soon, but still does as advertised and that's all I really expected of this one.

Facebook

It's a bit on the sluggish side, especially when going through a photo album. But overall I think the interface on it is more pleasant than Facebook itself. Not to take anything away from Facebook, it just seems a bit cleaner. I can see myself using this a bit more than I initially expected to. Also the ability to find Live friends on Facebook and vice-versa is quite handy and could help to flush out a fledgling friends list. I would also think it will get a bit smoother as future updates and tweaks are applied. I have no basis for that, but I wouldn't doubt that possibility in the slightest.

Last.fm

Personally I believe this to be the killer app in the update. I have used last.fm for quite some time on the PC, but damn is the interface really streamlined here. I even find myself marking tracks as loved where I rarely bothered to before. I really can't stress enough how good this is.

Zune Marketplace

I really haven't dove into this very deeply at all, though I'm looking forward to some streaming 1080p tomorrow. I'll check it out a bit later and hit you with some impressions afterwords.

Update: So after playing around with Zune Marketplace, I'm impressed. For one, it sure makes finding old content you have downloaded long ago and since deleted a cinch. The streaming quality surpasses Netflix in my opinion, and the ability to purchase as well as rent movies in 1080p is phenomenal. I think that Microsoft has done very well here. Anyone who complains about paying for a Live account now, you are certainly short sighted. If you think they could keep up this level of Dashboard innovation for free, you are sorely mistaken and certainly not a business major.


So far I'm fairly impressed. Having used all of these services on PC for a while, I think Microsoft has made these relevant on 360. They don't feel too gimmicky and fit in quite well. Twitter and Facebook can even serve gaming related purposes. In the cases of last.fm and the new video streaming on Zune marketplace, I think they have hit a sweet spot in the digital content delivery that they have really been striving for from the beginning.

The Potential Future of Digital Distribution

Recently at UC Berkeley's PLAY conference, Peter Moore, Kai Huang and Neil Young (not the singer, he's an iPhone game developer) discussed the future of digital distribution and it's place in gaming. They pretty much came to the consensus that retail boxed games will be a thing of the past in the next five to ten years. While I agree that digital distribution is inevitable, I don't agree with their time frame.

I have on several occasions downloaded titles that could just as easily have been purchased at retail. My most recent purchase was Battlefield: Bad Company. I chose the digital distribution route due to the fact it was convenient, and not having a boxed copy wasn't a must for me. That pretty much sums up how I see downloadable games at this point in time, convenience. It's nice to be able to download something on a whim at 2:00 in the morning, but with a game like Forza 3, I want the collector's edition in a retail box. I genuinely believe there are many like me at this point and were not going away anytime soon.

The average age of gamers at this point in time, depending on which outlet's research you believe, is somewhere between 25-30 years old. We have been buying retail copies of software forever, and are the largest demographic in gaming. There will be a small minority that is willing to forgo a case and manual, but an overwhelming majority that will not in my opinion. It will take the younger generation, who will have grown up with downloadable entertainment be it music, movies or games, to become adults spending their own money to fully embrace this as the primary option.

Ten years from now I will be 41 years old. I would predict at that time, I will still be a gamer. It's a platform for entertainment I grew up with as many in my age group did, and just like movies and television for our elders their enjoyment doesn't just go away. I would also like to be able to take a trip to a retailer, to pick up a title in a box, and have the satisfaction of opening it as I would assume many others still will. Digital distribution could potentially alienate a large chunk of the market.

Another thing to keep in mind in the equation is the retailers. They aren't going to want to give up the revenue that the physical media generates anytime soon. Microsoft for example with their Games on Demand service, really only offers older titles. That decision was primarily to combat the large market of used titles, and not to piss off big box retailers by cutting into big software titles sales. As easily as music is and has been available via iTunes and the like, CD's have not gone away. Yes CD sales are lower than they used to be fifteen years ago, but they still remain on retailer shelves as a viable option for consumption. In fact CD's are still preferable for many consumers.

Due to the size of the average major game release, digital distribution is still a relatively new option when compared to music. Also with bandwidth capping by many ISP's, this step to a fully digital solution to software purchasing is not practical. Comcast for instance has instituted a 250GB monthly cap. Between surfing the web, streaming Netflix and Hulu, and even downloading a few albums a month, adding what could potentially amount to 8-15GB per game in the near future, you could hit that cap with ease.

I just don't think between the infrastructure that is available at this point in time, alongside the desire for physical media by consumers like myself, drive trays aren't going the way of the Dodo anytime soon.

I apologize if this is a bit of incoherent babble, but it's almost 4am and I think I'm going to hit the sack now.

Halo 3 Multiplayer & More

So to say I arrived at the party a wee bit late would be a gross understatement. Being a very PC centric ugly bag of mostly water (If you are a Trekker you'll get it, if not, what the hell are you doing here?), I had always dismissed Halo 3 multiplayer as a baby game. In some respects when compared to the likes of Counterstrike or the once thriving Quake III community, it easily could be considered such. However Halo 3 seems to have that something special like the aforementioned Counterstrike, a community that just won't die. This is with good reason.

It may not have the slow, tactical nerve-wracking pace of Ghost Recon. Or the wonderful mission set-up like a good old-school Rainbow Six game. But it does deliver an abundance of frenetic fun at a breakneck pace. Not to mention a plethora of game types that keeps it from getting too stale too quick, as so many shooters these days do. The matchmaking in it is probably the trump card though. Within seconds of putting the disc in, I can be in the middle of a hail of gunfire with minimal effort. There are no servers to worry about(none that you can see anyway), and always an abundance of players at all skill levels. At 1am PST, there were nearly 200,000 players online. This is 2 years after release.

That's just one other thing that makes this game so great. The player ranking system does a pretty damn good job of matching you up with players of similar skill. But I could blabber endlessly about this little gem of a game, and that's not really what I wanted to bring to the table this evening... er... morning as it were.

It's that time of year again. Yes that unspeakable retail mess that begins as soon as your done chowing down a dead bird, potentially some dead pig and almost certainly a few dead vegetables. That's right vegan ass clowns, vegetables are alive too so don't give me any of that "you're an animal killer" shit. Fuck you, you're a goddamn vegetable killer. Anyway, enough with that rant or I'll be here all night. Yes kids, the holiday season is upon us. Of course, according to Home Depot, it's been here since August. Seriously, who buys freaking Xmas decorations in August? And with this season comes a glut of titles for gamers to enjoy, or cringe at the thought of. Astro Boy anyone? Didn't think so.

I figured I would lay out a few upcoming (or potentially out already, but destined to be on someone's wish list.) bright spots on each platform, for that ass.

PC

Windows 7
I know it's not technically a game, but if you want to keep gaming in the future, you're going to need it. Also, it comes with Solitaire, and that's a mouse training tool... I mean game. *Cough, DirectX 11, Cough*


Dragon Age: Origins
It's the spiritual successor to the Baldurs Gate franchise. Due to my previous sentence, it shouldn't be allowed on any other platform and I refuse to acknowledge any other release. Bioware. RPG. PC. It's like the good parts of the 90's all over again. Buy it. I don't even have to play it to tell you that in good conscience.

Left 4 Dead 2
Don't ask me why, but I hate Valve games. Nor do I think zombies are 'cool'. But I'm sure this will be on little Timmy's Xmas list, so I suppose it should at least get a mention. Again though, I know it's multi-platform, but really, where else should a Valve game be played?

XBOX 360

Halo 3: ODST
If your a Halo freak, you probably already have this, due to the fact the maps that come with it are now a requirement for competitive multiplayer. Though I'm sure after the holidays, there will be many, many more sqeaky voiced eight year-olds to kill than there already are at this point.

Forza Motorsport 3
Certainly the one game I'm more anxious for than any other. The best physics engine in racing sims just got a whole hell of a lot better. Also, don't let the fact it's a sim scare you off, it is very friendly for newcomers with the robust assist system.

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City
Half of this has been available as DLC for the 360 for a good long while. If you dig GTA IV, and who doesn't, than you will want this. It combines The Lost and Damned DLC (think Sons of Anarchy the game) with The Ballad of Gay Tony DLC, all in one shiny *ahem* package. Microsoft didn't give Rockstar $5 million bones for nothing to keep it exclusive.

PS3

God of War PS2 Blu-Ray collection
So I understand this company called Sony has a system also. I have also heard this God of War is a good franchise. I couldn't tell you one way or the other. But they are releasing old games for their newest (not portable) system. Big holiday release huh?

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Again, this is supposedly a big deal. I hear it's like Tomb Raider, but better. Solid poop is better than liquid poop, but it's still poop. Yeah, I don't care for Tomb Raider either.

Wii

Mario, Metroid, Zelda, Punchout.


Multi-platform

Brutal Legend
Tim Schafer's new game. He also brought you the likes of The Seceret of Monkey Island, Full Throttle, Day of the Tentacle and Psychonauts. Oh sure, now I have your attention. It looks like an action game, and really, it starts that way, but it turns into a quasi RTS. Also, quite possibly the best game soundtrack ever.

Assassin's Creed 2
I dug the first one even though it was admittedly repetitive. This one is supposedly not as repetitive. That can only be better. Also, water will no longer be instant death. Thank god for swimming lessons.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Like, it's only like the biggest like game of the year. Yeah, I hate valley girl speak too, but I couldn't help it.

Fallout 3: GOTY
Oblivion meets guns and a color palette consiting of gray, grayer and grayest. One of my all-time favorite RPG's. This one comes with all the DLC that I payed an extra $10 a pop for because I'm impatient. So essentially what I ended up paying $110 for, you can get for $60. Dooo eeeeet!

DJ Hero
Some jackass somewhere will want this. I don't. I already have enough plastic peripheral shit cluttering up my gaming area, I don't need more.


Be forewarned, this is just the tip of the iceberg and only what I consider the highlights. The only gift giving advice I can give to a non-gamer shopping for a gamer is as follows: Don't, under any circumstances, get a gamer something they didn't ask for. You may think that Astro Boy case looks cool now, but when it comes hurling at your head at 98mph, don't say I didn't warn you.

P.S. There is a ton of stuff that got pushed back into early 2010. So don't go wasting all of your money.

Is Nvidia Effectively Dead?

A bit earlier today I found this story. Obviously being on a site called "Semi Accurate" I'm a little hesitant to believe it outright, but I think many of us PC gamers have seen this coming. In the interest of full disclosure, I am running Nvidia chips in both my boxes. I have felt they put out a descent product ever since I picked up a GeForce 256. That was my 3DFX Voodoo 3 replacement, and it was a beast of a card at the time. Nvidia was also one of the most competent companies when it came to driver support, especially in Linux. The hardware was always pretty damn solid with nary a lockup due to a stock clocked card in my experiences. ATI on the other hand at the time was a finicky beast for me, especially when VIA chipsets were involved.

In recent history however, Nvidia had been getting very low yields with their GPU's. That helps keep prices very high in an industry that fosters already high priced products in the first place. Especially these days where SLI has become the norm for the hardcore system builder. A while back ATI had conceded the high end market to Nvidia to focus on mid level product, and in a time of economic decline, that turned out to be a strong strategy for them. I know they really haven't stuck to mid level performance lately, but I do believe that strategy helped them avoid a possible financial disaster long-term as a company. Meanwhile Nvidia continued headstrong into manufacturing hardcore hardware for the gaming elite. Which, while I consider myself one of these hardware junkies, I realize I am in a great minority, and Nvidia should have as well.

Low yields, high manufacturing costs and a six month product cycle just doesn't seem practical in this bear market. I don't really understand their logic, and perhaps never will. My biggest fear if they indeed do fail, is a stagnant GPU market. Technology will continue to get better as always, but will it be at a snails pace? Competition breeds innovation, and if this indeed comes true, ATI will own the high end market alone.

Toad Gets All the Bitches!

Or perhaps he doesn't...

Top 5 RPG's This Generation You Shouldn't Miss

Every once in a while, particularly when I can't think of anything pertinent to discuss, I feel the need for a list is in order. What better topic for a list than my absolute favorite genre, the RPG. There has been a wealth of RPG's released this generation. Some have been absolutely stellar, while others are steeped in mediocrity. This is my futile attempt to assist you in wading through the crap, and steer you towards fantastical adventures that will steal hundreds of hours of your time, and quite possibly your soul.

1. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (360,PS3,PC)

What could I possibly say about this game that hasn't already been said hundreds of times already. This is quite possibly the most quintessential western RPG ever created. The game world is yours to do as you wish. There is nothing you can't do and nowhere you can't go from the moment you step out of the sewers of the Imperial City prison. Odds are, if you are at all a fan of the genre, you have played this, and quite possibly are still playing this. Several have mentioned that is reminiscent of a large MMO, only single player. I think that statement alone sums it up nicely. Certainly anything associated with Todd Howard is a must buy at this point. If you have played it, and haven't downloaded the Shivering Isles, do yourself a favor and do so. You will not be disappointed.

2. The Witcher (PC, and provided a publisher decides to finally pick this up perhaps the 360 as well)

Simply put, this game is gorgeous, deep and huge, yet it remains very accessible to newcomers of RPG's. It is based on the book series of the same name by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. It could be considered linear only when compared to the likes of the Elder Scrolls series. Though one area that it certainly exceeds even that of TES IV: Oblivion, is in it's consequences. For almost every action, there is consequence. It truly realizes the promises that Peter Molyneaux made of Fable many years ago. This one would truly be worthy of a complete PC build strictly to play this game. So much care has gone into the making of this it's truly almost indescribable. For example, after the title was released, the developers were not happy with the voice work. What did they do about it you ask? They re-recorded every line of dialog in the game, of which there are thousands. Not only that, there have been several expansions made available for free for registered users. So much care has been taken with this title, it's almost impossible to believe it came from such a small indie developer in CD Projekt RED.

3. Mass Effect (360,PC)

The Bioware doctors have done it yet again. Yes their games are certainly on the linear side, but the story telling is impeccable. The folks at Bioware have always made wonderfully accessible yet fairly deep RPG's. Only they had almost always done it with a known IP, be it AD&D or Star Wars. This time they did it with an all original story and setting. It is a Sci-fi epic for the ages well worth the price of admission. It's not perfect in every aspect as the combat leaves a bit to be desired. But if you make it through this game once, you will be hard pressed to not want to do it again. If only for the fact, that for the first time in a game of this scale, the decisions you make will carry over into the sequel coming next year. That alone is one of the most intriguing prospects I have ever witnessed in the industry. I for one can't wait to see how they pull it off.

4. Fallout 3 (360,PS3,PC)

Todd Howard and Bethesda took the Oblivion engine and made yet another epic. This post-apocalyptic wasteland is your playground. It lacks the sheer mass of Oblivion, but makes up for it with a personalty that TES just doesn't posses. It's quite paradoxical. On one hand you are in a desolate, post-nuclear wasteland. On the other, it is filled with so much life and humorous charm, it's hard to put down once you pick it up. There is also a wealth of DLC available that ranges from exceptionally brilliant to a little spotty. But all in all, as a complete package in the GOTY version, would be well worth the time investment.

5. Lost Odyssey (360)

I suppose I would be remiss if I didn't include at least one JRPG in this list. I enjoy the occasional JRPG. It's an itch that needs scratched at least twice a year. As long as I get this out before Final Fantasy XIII, I can keep the FF zealots off my back a bit. One thing they tend to forget however is that Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of FF, left Square Enix in 2004 and hasn't been involved in the series since. In my opinion this is truly the successor to the FF series. With Sakaguchi-san writing and Nobuo Uematsu composing, it doesn't get any more pure JRPG than this. Be forewarned however, if you don't like sappy convoluted plots with insanely long FMV sequences, JRPG's are not for you. This is turn-based old school JRPG gameplay at it's finest, including the ever annoying random battles.

It's Thinking

The industry today owes quite a bit to this wonderful little machine. You can read all about the history of the Dreamcast on gaming sites all over like Giant Bomb and GamesRadar. My personal experience tends to echo several of the sentiments of others, albeit with my own spin and personal experiences.

I had initially intended to do a happy birthday Dreamcast post last night, on it's ten year anniversary. I however got entirely too wrapped up in playing some Magic, HALO 3 and CoD 4 multiplayer on XBox Live. In retrospect, I find that to be the most appropriate way to have celebrated the Dreamcast's tenth birthday.

The Sega Dreamcast was the first system to have internet connectivity out of the box. It was only 56kbps to start, but it was there nevertheless. With web browsing capabilities and online gameplay, it was a revolution in the industry that many scoffed at during that particular time. I can still remember playing NFL2k1 over Seganet. The games were competitive, and in some respects, more fun than today. There were no headsets to listen to eight year old kids cuss you out, and apparently "Rage Quitting" had not been invented yet either. Eventually the 56k modem could be replaced by a network adapter. At the time, this was what inspired me to get broadband at home. Literally, I signed up for AT&T @Home due to the Dreamcast. So it begs the question, would the current generation of consoles be where they are today with connectivity, were it not for the Dreamcast? Impossible to answer, but fun to speculate.

It also revolutionized the industry graphically. I don't personally believe we have had as big of a jump graphically since that time. Some of you may not remember how atrocious looking the 32-Bit era actually was. Go and boot up a 3D PS1 or Sega Saturn game if you can. Today the graphics alone can render a good chunk of them unplayable. The jump was as big as the 8-Bit to 16-Bit jump a decade earlier. It was the first time textures were actually smooth and bit-mapped without looking like puke. Every upgrade since has seemed incremental, be it slightly higher resolution textures, bump-mapping, pixel shaders, anti-aliasing, anisotropic filtering or just some good old fashioned polygon pushing horsepower. I'm not saying your 360 or PS3 games look just like a Dreamcast game, but they sure don't look light-years ahead of them like the DC did compared to the 32 and 64-Bit systems of the time.

This was also a system that packed a wallop when it came to software. I still personally proclaim (along with many, many others) that the NFL2k series is still superior to Madden. We finally received Marvel vs. Capcom 2 on XBLA this year, but it's emulation still makes it inferior to the original Dreamcast version from nearly a decade ago. When has a launch title been as impressive as Soul Calibur? It introduced me to the Dead or Alive series with DoA2, and I still have my pre-order calendar believe it or not. SegaGT was the first sim-racer that ever got it hooks into me. Shenmue still haunts my dreams to this day on occasion. I absolutely adore that game. It had the first console MMO in Phantasy Star Online. Speed Devils was a jaw dropper. Sonic Adventure was an abomination, with some good bits thrown in that made it a classic. Ready 2 Rumble was probably considered the graphical showcase at launch due to it's character animation, and was pretty fun to boot.

If there was any one glaring weakness in my eyes, it would be the lack of depth with so many of Sega's own titles. Mostly because Sega was a huge arcade game maker, and so many of their arcade ports were exactly that, shallow arcade games for $50. I still loved every minute of them though, and perhaps that's what made it so special. Every time a big arcade hit came to a home console since the 8-Bit days, we were always promised an "Arcade Perfect" port, yet they never truly were. With the Dreamcast however, that dream was finally realized and sometimes even exceeded.

For those of you that owned one, you know exactly where I'm coming from. For those of you that didn't, to say your missing out on something pretty damn special would be an understatement.



ZDTV Gamespot TV's Dreamcast special:











My personal favorite Dreamcast game Speed Devils in action:

97.5 Brodeo Reunion @ PAX

Who is This Guy?

His name is Jeff. He's a Mormon, though I don't hold it against him. He is also a former Best Buy employee and a future husband. He is also the only man I have ever known ballsy enough to wear videogame related items with pride in public, most notably at work. He's a goofy and cool motherfucker, though now mullet-less, not even Kotaku can keep him down.

Sorry For Taking So Long

I really have no excuse for not posting. Then again, who am I posting for really? Myself I suppose. I'm not expressing that in a bad way. How can one get better at something without practice, regardless of how small the increments of progression. That's the whole point of maintaining this pointless blog, for myself.

On another note, a new legitimate post will be up on the 9th. Most likely late as usual. It seems to be time to wish a dear friend of mine a happy tenth. If you can't figure out what I'm getting at, well then you will just have to wait. Until then, goodnight folks...er, me.

I leave you with this.

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You*

*Only applicable to Mushroom Kingdom theaters near you

GamesCom

There have been quite a few announcements at GamesCom in Cologne this year. Some interesting, others not so much for me, but regardless it has been impressive enough to almost rival E3 announcements. Almost. I don't feel it possesses the panache and spectacle of E3, or the density, although it certainly has brought more to bear than was anticipated on my part.

I figured I would put up some videos regarding said announcements, and give a little input along the way.

Alan Wake gameplay footage

I'm certainly not looking as forward to this as most as I'm not a survival horror fan. However seeing it in action finally is a thing of beauty, considering it originally debuted at E3 2005. I wish Remedy well on this one.

Diablo III footage

Love it or hate it, Diablo III is coming. As with any Blizzard game, I will get it, play it for a week, and never touch it again. Somehow, I'm okay with that.

Fable III teaser

Probably my most anticipated announcement. Ever since Theme Park, I will always buy what Peter Molyneux is selling, no matter how much he over-promises and under-delivers.

Dirt 2 trailer

I'm not a fan of rally racing, although unlike drift "racing", the first one to cross the finish line wins. That makes it real racing and therefore the sport gets my respect. Not my money though, Forza 3 has already won that bid in the racing genre this year.

Tony Hawk Ride vid

I haven't been a Tony Hawk fan since Tony Hawk 2. I personally think it will fail miserably. We already have enough peripherals, at least I do between the PC, Wii and Guitar Hero/Rock Band on the 360. If I get another one, it will be a Hori stick, not a crappy fake skateboard.

Dragon Age: Origins trailer

Bioware. RPG. Any questions?

Tekken 6 trailer

I have never been a Tekken fan. But I am a fighter fan, so I must have it by default.

Castlevania Lord of Shadows extended trailer

It's Castlevania hopefully done well for the first time in years. My fingers are crossed, I'm guessing yours are also.
So there you have it, some of the highlights and low-lights from GamesCom thus far. Thanks to Kotaku, Joystiq and 1up for making their videos embeddable. If you want to see more from GamesCom, Check out these sites:

Kotaku

Joystiq

1up

Giant Bomb

GamesRadar

Rock, Paper, Shotgun

Trust me, there is a lot more out there from the show, these are some great sites to get you started. As always, it's late, I am tired, so that's all you get for today kiddies. Perhaps some more nuggets will come your way tomorrow.

Last minute edit: I completely forgot about this, amongst others as well. But I am especially excited about this. Dante's Divine Comedy and I have had a long sordid history together, and finally seeing it in my favorite medium for entertainment could be impeccably awesome, or an abysmal failure. I'm hoping for the former.

As usual, I apologize for the large gap between the text and Giant Bomb video. I can't seem to find what needs to be changed in their default HTML for the vid, hence why I rarely embed their stuff.

How Did I Miss This?

With the onslaught of info coming out of E3 earlier this year, I suppose I can forgive myself for missing this gem. Of course, it will be a terribly abysmal experience, but as an avid House fan it is still one I wont miss. It's like when I was a kid and the original TMNT game for the NES came out. It was horrendous, but I still played and loved every minute of it because it was the f''ing Turtles baby. In my thirties, House is my Ninja Turtles.





Sorry, but any excuse to post some House on here, is a good excuse.


Don't forget the 2-hour premier on Sept. 21st!!!

XBox Live! Update Info

Here is the info straight from the Microsoft press release for your perusal.

____________________________________________________________________

Updated August 11, 2009

One of the amazing things about the Xbox LIVE experience is that it’s always getting better. The latest Xbox LIVE Update truly cranks it up a notch – with features that improve your entertainment experience and give you new ways to express your individuality and connect with friends. With this update, you can download full Xbox 360® games and play them without a disc, and you and your friends will be able to party watch movies online through Netflix! Dress up your avatar to impress with premium props and branded apparel from fashion labels. And this update allows every piece of game content on Marketplace to be rated, so add your personal ratings and see what others think is cool. But that’s just the beginning. Check out all of the new features of the Xbox LIVE Update below.

Games on Demand
Enjoy the convenience of finding and buying new games right from the comfort of your own living room. Download a wide selection of full Xbox 360 games over Xbox LIVE. Games on Demand is now available for purchase on Xbox LIVE as part of the latest Xbox LIVE Update. You will be able to browse and purchase games through the Xbox LIVE Marketplace on the Web starting August 13.

• Shop- Games on Demand are found in the Game Marketplace and include a large library of favorite titles right from the start. More titles are added every Tuesday, so check back whenever you’re in the mood for a great new game.
• Purchase - Purchase full games using Microsoft points or a credit card. Games are downloaded directly to your console (hard drive required), and your purchase history is stored by Xbox LIVE, meaning you can delete games and re-download them again if you run out of space.
• Playing and Sharing - As with other LIVE content, your game license is linked to your Xbox LIVE account. Download your purchased games to any console you are logged into with your Gamertag, and anyone else can play on the console that your game was originally downloaded to. No physical disc is required to play these games!
• Find Manuals - Game manuals can be viewed, downloaded, or printed from Xbox.com. Just locate your game in Web Marketplace and select “See Game Manual”.

Avatars

Avatars have seen lots of love! Check out the new Marketplace and Avatar Props. The Avatar Marketplace is now available on Xbox LIVE as part of the latest Xbox LIVE Update. You will be able to browse and purchase Avatar apparel through the Xbox LIVE Marketplace on the Web starting August 13.

• Avatar Props - Equip your avatar with animated items they can interact with and carry around.
• Avatar Marketplace - Reflect your sense of style with the new Avatar Marketplace. Download and purchase premium items, including branded apparel from your favorite fashion labels and Xbox 360 games.

Netflix*
Now you can watch movies with your friends and find new movies to add to your Instant Queue without leaving your seat.

• Party Watch - Catch a show with your friends! Bring your party into Netflix and watch a movie or TV show together. (Feature available with supported titles.)
• Find Content Faster - Browse through New Releases and other genre lists based on the types of shows you’ve previously watched, all from the comfort of your couch.
• Improved Playback Experience - Improvements have been made to ensure a better experience when adapting to changing network conditions.
• Improved Presence - Richer information is now displayed in the Friends channel and in the Guide showing what you and your friends are watching.

Parties**

Everyone loves to Party! Check out the new and improved party reconnections and streamlined party invites.

• Party Reconnections - If a user is disconnected from a party inadvertently, they will be automatically reconnected to the party without any user interaction.
• Streamlined Party Invites - Invites are now just a click away! Never again will you have to navigate through multiple screens to get all your friends together.

Account Management
Been an Xbox LIVE member for a while? Check out some of the new features we've added just for you.

• Gold Member Veterans - Been here long? Show it off! Anyone looking at your gamer card will now know how long you’ve been an Xbox LIVE Gold member. And who knows, there might be other perks for you, too. Thanks for sticking around!
• Subscription Notification - If your Xbox LIVE subscription is about to run out, you will now be notified when you sign into Xbox LIVE. No more surprises the next time you hop in to frag your friends.
• Fixing Invalid WLID's - If the Windows Live ID you provided has expired, you will now be prompted to update it the next time you sign into Xbox LIVE.

Account Recovery
Many changes have gone into the account recovery process to speed it up and to increase reliability.

Video Display Options
Various improvements have been made to make it easier for you to see your game in the highest resolution possible when using an HDMI connection.

• Display Discovery - Override audio and/or video formats independent of the display's capabilities.
• How It Works - By default, the console uses the information provided by the display (via its EDID) to determine the audio and video capabilities of the device. However, often the data is invalid or malformed, hence compatibility issues are encountered. When disabling display discovery, the EDID of the display is ignored, thereby enabling the audio and video settings to be overridden with the desired format regardless of display support.
• Who Should Use It? - The Display Discovery feature is available for DVI and HDMI connections in the Display settings section of System Settings in the dashboard. Please note that Display Discovery should only be disabled if audio and/or video related compatibility issues are encountered, otherwise, the output quality may be compromised.
• Monitor Support - Additional monitor resolutions are now available for HDMI connections.

User Ratings
User ratings help you find content that other people think is awesome!

• How It Works - Every piece of game content on Marketplace can now be rated using a 5-star system. Just open up the details on what you want to rate and choose the Rate button. Each time you press the Rate button, you add one star to your personal rating.
• Sort by Ratings - Find great games, demos, and more that you might have missed out on. Just visit Browse All in the Game Marketplace and click on “Top Rated” to see what everyone’s been talking about.

UI Improvements

Some parts of the dashboard have been slightly re-organized to make it easier to find the things you’re looking for.

• Indie Games - We listened to our community and have decided to rename Xbox LIVE Community Games to Xbox LIVE Indie Games. This new name better represents the independent spirit of these titles. User ratings are also available for Indie Games, allowing you to share your rating for a game and use ratings from others to find great new games.
• Achievement Browser - Launch a game directly from the Achievement browser making it even easier for you to max out your Gamerscore.
• Achievement Tracking - A new All Games view inside the Profile panel includes a summary of Achievements earned across all the games played, and shows off all your completed games.
• Achievements - Check out the changes to the Achievement browser while playing a game. It’s now much easier to read through all the achievements so you can rack up that Gamerscore.
• Streamlined Navigation - New entry points in the Dashboard for Active Downloads, Redeem Code, Auto Sign-In (via Profile), Create Profile, and Recover Gamertag are included, so that these features are easier to find.
• Voice Messages - When recording a voice message, a warning is now displayed if no audio is detected so you don’t accidentally send blank messages to your friends.
  

Console Settings
We’ve reorganized the Console Settings menu with fewer, more intuitive categories.

• Memory - Time stamps now appear in the Memory Area. This is particularly handy when managing saved games.
• Friends List Sorting - It’s now much easier to find your friends! Sort your friends list by Activity, Gamertag, or Online Status (default). Just press the Y button while you’re viewing the friends list in the Guide to change the sorting order.

New Experiences Coming
And we have new experiences coming all the time. This fall, Xbox LIVE will see the addition of the following new features as well:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Last.fm
• Zune Video

Stay connected to Xbox LIVE to ensure you are getting the best gaming and entertainment experience. Xbox LIVE is where games, movies and friends connect. Aside from all of the great additions mentioned above, you’ll find free game demos so you can try before you buy, and tons of free videos, trailers and more. Plus you’ll have access to Game Add-ons like new songs and adventures to extend the life of your favorite games. What’s more, thousands of downloadable HD movies and TV episodes are available with the press of a button. Connect to Xbox LIVE today. It's free.

*Xbox LIVE Gold membership and Netflix unlimited subscription required. See Netflix Terms of Use for details about Netflix service.

**Xbox LIVE Gold Membership required.
____________________________________________________________________

So there you have it. Everything we expected, and nothing we didn't.

You can find the original HERE.

Where Do You Want To Go Today?

Understanding what our government is, and where we are headed, is explained quite well in this video.





"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
-George Santayana

This is ringing evermore truly in today's society. There was once a point in time when a majority of society could name government officials, scientists, explorers and the like, for they were yesteryear's rock stars. The current system is broken. The basics need to be retaught. Government is supposed to be hard, something no one wants to do. Only then will things get done. Today sadly, only a handful of people even care, because what good is the pursuit of life, liberty, freedom and knowledge, if you don't know who has won American Idol or Dancing With the Stars? A lack of interest will only lead to a lack of freedom.

Billium's Belated Review: Ghostbusters (XBox 360)

I recently received a few 360 titles for my birthday and Ghostbusters was most certainly first on my list to dive into. I have been a fan of the franchise since childhood. From the movies and cartoon spin-offs to the toys (I still have my proton pack and ghost trap) and all the horrid abominations that were referred to as "video games". Especially the Commie 64 version that plagued my nightmares, until recently that is.

Ghostbusters for the 360 and a virtually identical PS3 version, felt like a labor of love by the programmers as I played through. With the entire cast, minus Moranis and Weaver that is, reprising their respective roles, it was like a fanboys wet dream. It was voiced exceptionally well by video game standards with one minor exception. Don't get me wrong, I love Alyssa Milano, but she does not belong here. This is coming from someone who had a three year long Charmed addiction, and grew up watching Who's the Boss. She can't act. On the screen she has some very redeeming assets, but in digital form, not so much.

From a gameplay perspective, capturing ghosts was wonderfully fun. From crossing the streams to slamming a ghost into the trap, it felt very faithful to the source material. The controlls were also spot on and intuitive, and never hindered me whatsoever. The puzzle elements were not at all difficult, but they didn't seem squeezed in just to add gameplay either like some titles. Wandering around the firehouse is enjoyable to anyone familiar with the series. With nice little touches like Slimer displayed in a containment unit and the Vigo painting and his little quips. Everything really falls into place in that aspect. It is also an easy game to nitpick however.

The story is a bit uneven as are later level designs. The first few levels are pure fan service while later levels are a bit bland and unimaginative, which is disappointing considering where they could have taken it. Also, some of the dialog comes off a bit too cheesy. Though this may have a bit to do with Aykroid and Ramis penning a majority of the script. It's not bad, it just really oozes an 80's sensability.

All in all, if you are even moderately a fan of the Ghostbusters, it is certainly worth a playthrough, or three in my case. If not, there is still fun to be had if you're willing to look past a few blemishes in an otherwise wonderful title. I will certainly come back for more.

And now for something completely different:

Mario and Peach Sex Tape + Games Slipping to 2010

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Video Games - E3 2009 - X-Play

360 Dashboard Update Coming on Aug. 11

There will be yet another dashboard update on August 11th. If you are not illiterate you probably noticed that in the headline. The best feature in my opinion will be "Games on Demand". This will allow you to download full Xbox 360 titles directly to your HDD. 30 games will be available at launch including Mass Effect, Bioshock, Assassin's Creed, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga and Sonic the Hedgehog. If you haven't already upgraded to the 120GB HDD, and you intend on using the service, now would be the time.

Group-based Netflix streaming has also been confirmed for this update, for the real MST3K experience, which is good considering this feature was supposed to launch with the NXE initially. Also, you will be able to update your queue from the 360 without the need for a PC.

There will also be Avatar clothing and accessories available for sale on the marketplace. Yes! You will now be able to waste your money on clothing. I am oh so excited. Though I do know a few douche-bags who will probably invest in HALO apparel. In fact, I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find half my friends Avatars looking identical to one another.

This is the first step in all the updates announced at E3 with Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm coming this fall to Xbox360 along with full 1080p streaming video on the marketplace.

As with every update it brings with it the possibility of bricking your system, so be careful out there and use protection. If you do get the RRoD, some possible fixes can be found HERE.

EDIT: Joystiq lists all the new features HERE.

A Microsoft Handheld Gaming Device

Kikizo recently interviewed Microsoft's corporate VP Shane Kim wherein the prospect of a portable system was alluded to. This has raised rumors of a M$ handheld spreading like wildfire all over the internet yet again. This rumor has come up almost every six months since the launch of the original Xbox like clockwork. I personally can't see it even being remotely successful if they did decide to do so.

In a market completely dominated by Nintendo with the DS and the Sony PSP barely hanging on, I don't see it being a good business decision. Microsoft is not a company known for making bad (provided you discount BOB and Vista) business decisions. To date Nintendo has sold over 106 million units with the DS, and it still shows no signs of slowing down. Sony has sold a paltry 48 million PSP's by comparison. To put these numbers in perspective there have been 51 million Wii's sold, 31 million 360's and 22 million PS3's. Although there is a large market for portables, M$ would be quite the late comer and have to do something really special to stand out.

The only thing that I can see up Microsoft's sleeve is Live and it's associated services. Both of it's competitors are capable of wireless online gaming, but if the console world is any indication, nobody does it better than M$. That is about all I think that could potentially put them in the hunt should they decide to enter the fray. Though they would also be forced to skew to a younger clientele as that's the largest audience for these devices, which again, is dominated by Nintendo.

Gordon Freeman calls C2C AM

The Art of Teabagging

WTF!?!

Video Games from MUSCLEBEAVER on Vimeo.

Little Annoyances

Why must I specify a file name for a save? What's wrong with save001, save002, save003 etc.? Was the development team for (insert any desired game name with said affliction here) so pressed for time they couldn't handle this type of advanced automation? I seriously have to scoot my lazy ass forward, grab the keyboard and type "hkgvmhvknbcbj" to save my game? really?

Why, in 2009, are videogame characters still incapable of walking up and down stairs properly. I can see the steps, and I can see my characters feet, why can't they make proper contact? Also, what do animators do all day? Because they obviously don't spend their time making the characters foot speed match the distance traveled in every game ever.

I also love spending more time in game menus than playing the actual game.

What is with all the really bad and overly annoying little puzzle bits in action games? Look assholes, I bought an action game, I want an action game, not fucking Pipe Dream you pricks!!

How about obnoxious load times for games that are obviously not even coming close to taxing hardware? CLEAN UP YOUR GODDAMN CODE!! Seriously, I would give anything to work in the industry as a game programmer. How about taking some pride in your work? If you hate your job so much, quit so someone hungry to make something great may come along to replace your sorry ass. Should Return to Castle Wolfenstein really take longer to load on current hardware than Left 4 Dead? No, no it shouldn't.

Oh, and how can anyone forgive games that wont even allow you to pause? What the hell is the point of that? "I'd love to help save that dying neighbor kid over there honey, but I can't pause this game and I have spent way too much time getting to this point." Natural selection I suppose.

As if not pausing isn't bad enough, how about games that only have save points about three hours apart? Seriously, WTF? WTF? WTF? WTF? We have the technology to save anywhere at anytime these days. It's not 1985 anymore and the average gamer is no longer eight years old. Some of us have shit to do and wouldn't like to play the last two and a half hours over because we got called into a work emergency. Any programmer that has done this intentionally I have two words for you: FUCK YOU!!!

*Rage Quit*

PC Gaming is not dead! (It's just sometimes broken.)

Wikipedia on Edgar Martinez:

"Martínez, Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, Stan Musial, Rogers Hornsby, Lou Gehrig, and Manny Ramirez are the only players in history with 300 home runs, 500 doubles, a career batting average higher than .300, a career on-base percentage higher than .400 and a career slugging percentage higher than .500."

Why isn't he in the Hall of Fame?

As a Mariner fan I can't help but randomly rant about such issues on occasion. Be forewarned, these issues may also include the Seahawks, Blazers and Redwings for future reference. There will almost certainly be the singular mention of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Right now seems like a good time, just to get it out of the way and off the table. They should have been called the Bombers. Tastless, yes. But it still stings.

Sorry about that. /Rant


I have been playing PC games a lot lately. I picked up The Witcher recently, and I really want to like it. I absolutely love to dig deep into a good RPG. I've put over 400 hours in Oblivion and well over 150 in Fallout 3. I played through Mass Effect 5 times. I have finished Lost Odyssey and I am also very close to finishing Blue Dragon, and that is just a list of Xbox 360 RPG's. The problem comes in when I try to play it.

It's made by a small developer, CD Projekt RED, that have done a great job of supporting the game since it's release. I tend to let quite a few things when that is the case. This game crashes after 30-45 minutes of play everytime without question. For me, that just puts it on a level of annoying that keeps me from wanting to start playing it again. Here's to hoping that 1.5 patch that is soon to be released will fix this issue amongst others. There stands to be a relatively good chance of that as well. We are talking about a company that has gone to the trouble already of re-recording the voice work for the game, due to complaints regarding the quality of the performance. They also give registered users an upgrade to the Enhanced Edition for free, which is a pretty cool thing to do. I'd like to play it, but I just can't.

So instead, I have been getting down on some Flight Sim X, Plants vs. Zombies, World of Goo and Spore mostly. I have also been messing around with a Simbin racer that feels pretty realistic and nice to drive. Flight Sim X has been getting the most attention, especially the Extra 300s. That is one enjoyable plane to fly, it's just a bit rough to land though. Plants vs. Zombies has really appealed to the OCD side of my gaming habbits, as I have purchased everything and have a 100' tree. Spore got addicting for a breif time, but quickly became tedious and World of Goo is relaxing. That's about the extent of my gaming lately, post-E3.

E3 Aftermath

E3 is finally all over and done with. I think I speak for many when I say thank god. It was a return to form of sorts, as E3 had not been what it once was the past couple of years. It certainly was information overload this year for sure though. I would personally have to say all three console manufacturers delivered good shows this year. You could certainly nitpick each a little, but overall, the future looks bright.

On the Microsoft and Sony fronts, I took away one glaring statement that went unsaid. With project Natal for MS and Sony's motion control, these consoles are going to be around for alot longer. The 360 has been out since '05 and PS3 since '06 respectively. Taking console history into account, I figured these machines had 2-3 years left in them at most. But there certainly is a large amount of R & D going on in those camps. Too much if they think the consoles half lives have been passed, it just wouldn't make good business sense if they did. I think they are here to stay until at least 2012, and the techno-junkie part of me finds that a little bittersweet.

The one worry I really have with some of what's coming out is all of the peripherals. Nintendo has been pretty successful in this arena, but they are an anomaly in my opinion. That's not a bad thing, they just have a much broader audience that seems to really click with that stuff. The Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises have also done well with peripherals, but again, they also appeal to a much more social and casual audience. Typically in this industry however, peripheral adoption rate usually pretty low. For example, I own a 360 camera, but out of all the 360 gamers I know, only two others do. Only time will tell, but I certainly hope this doesn't lead to unhappy stockholders in the long run. It would be excellent though if this really sparked a creative revolution in gaming, and not just more mini-game collections.

The games, oh the sweet, sweet games. There were so many games on display, it will be impossible to stay awake and list them all, so I'll give you some of my personal highlights. In fact, let's do it in video form!


























Whew! And that's just the stuff, that I can remember, I'm looking forward to. How about you?