Facebook and Twitter apps coming for Xbox Live

A new feature for the Xbox Live Dashboard was announced at E3 recently where Microsoft took the stage to show off a full Facebook integration on the Xbox Live. With this new update you can do all kinds of the social cliche stuff, like link up your Facebook friends and Xbox Live friends, and upload and share photos, or can even update your status right from your console.

Apart from this, a Twitter integration was also announced. Everything you do from your PC to keep in touch with the world can now be done right from your console.

Microsoft later on however stated that the Twitter and Facebook integrations for Xbox 360 will be individual apps instead of being part of a general dashboard update.

One of Microsoft’s marketing people, James Halton said the company is aiming for a release date around Autumn, but didn’t specify beyond that. He did although mention that say "it will be before Christmas" so there you have it, Facebook and twitter addicts can start pouncing on their consoles before this fall.

Xbox Handheld Coming

Shortly before the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo, rumors surfaced that Microsoft was on the verge of announcing the ZuneX.

The ZuneX was purported to be a gaming handheld that integrated with Xbox Live Arcade and "ZuneX originals" and featured mobile-phone capabilities. That's a marked contrast from the current generation, which offers only a half-dozen games despite promises of titles that would be transferable from the Xbox 360.

The Xbox 360 may soon have a small, sleeker sibling.

With that rumor quickly marginalized as a phony by many industry watchers, Microsoft has now once again signaled that its portable gaming ambitions may extend beyond the struggling Zune. In an interview with gaming site Kikizo, Microsoft executive Shane Kim said that the Xbox brand is destined for the mobile platform.

"For us, it's a matter of focusing on 'when,' " said Kim, who transitioned from his role as head of Microsoft Game Studios to a strategic development position within the Interactive Entertainment and Devices division last year.

As for what's been holding up that "when," Kim said that the division has been focused on fleshing out the core Xbox 360 and Xbox Live experiences.

"If we chased after a mobile or handheld opportunity, we would not have the resources and ability to do things like instant-on 1080p HD, Facebook, Twitter, Project Natal," he said. "And so we've chosen to focus on the living room experience from a hardware standpoint, if you will, but we're building a service in Live that will...will extend to other platforms." [Emphasis in original.]

One other question facing the company is what form a mobile gaming device would take. "How do we enter into that market," pondered Kim. "Do we do our own device, do we create our own phone--that's a question for the company itself--do we continue to go down the Windows Mobile path, which is the path that we're on today, etcetera, etcetera."

Kim concluded by reemphasizing Microsoft's desire to be a player on all relevant platforms, whether that be consoles, desktops, or mobile devices.

This article was originally posted on GameSpot.com.

Bill Gates: Natal coming to Windows in the future

In an interview with CNet today, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates hinted Natal’s integration with Windows in the future. Project Natal is Microsoft’s project to integrate motion sensing capabilities into Xbox 360, similar to what has been done with the Wii but without the use of any controller. He stated that the Windows team have latched onto the idea of Natal and is working in collaboration with the Xbox team to research on how the concept can be used in the office environment.

I’d say a cool example of [what's going on in Microsoft research labs], that you’ll see is kind of stunning, in a little over a year, is this (depth-sensing) camera thing… Not just for games, but for media consumption as a whole… If they connect it up to Windows PCs for interacting in terms of meetings, and collaboration, and communication, you put the camera in now it’s a cool thing

The Microsoft chairman did not go into specifics, but hinted at possible examples of the concept’s utilization:

Well, I think the value is as great for if you’re in the home, as you want to manage your movies, music, home system type stuff, it’s very cool there. And I think there’s incredible value as we use that in the office connected to a Windows PC. So Microsoft research and the product groups have a lot going on there, because you can use the cost reduction that will take place over the years to say, “Why shouldn’t that be in most office environments?”

The fact that Microsoft is latching on to a potential opportunity to change the conventional way of interacting with computers is exciting. While Apple has been using multi-touch gestures as a productivity feature for Mac laptops for a while now, Microsoft is responding with numerous multi-touch display features that are integrated into Windows 7. Gates wording of the Windows team picking up on the idea suggests that Natal may play a role in next generation Windows. (story Link)

Max Payne 3 for PC, PS3, 360

For fans of Max Payne, it has been a long wait since 2003 when the last game in the franchise was released to critical acclaim. Talk of a sequel came in 2004, when Take-Two hinted that a follow-up would eventually arrive. Fast-forward to 2008, and Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick once again mentioned the franchise, teasing that another installment may be in the works but again providing no firm details.

Today, Take-Two and its Rockstar Games subsidiary have announced that Max Payne 3 is indeed in development and is penned for a winter 2009 release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The game is being developed by Rockstar Vancouver, the same outfit behind the controversial sandbox action adventure Bully. Finnish outfit Remedy, which developed the first two Max Payne titles, is currently developing Alan Wake, which will be published by Microsoft.

Rockstar Vancouver will apparently not be straying far from Remedy's original formula, however, as Max Payne 3 again sees the titular retired NYPD veteran battling internal demons as well as those that plague the city's streets.

(click to Large Size)

"We're starting a new chapter of Max's life with this game," commented Rockstar cofounder Sam Houser in a statement. "This is Max as we've never seen him before, a few years older, more world-weary and cynical than ever. We experience the downward spiral of his life after the events of Max Payne 2 and witness his last chance for salvation."

Rockstar did not delve into specific gameplay details, and did not mention the series' genre-defining "bullet time" slow-motion technique. The publisher merely noted that "the latest installment delivers more of the classic elements and hyperintense action that fans have come to love." (story Link)

playing Xbox 360 on a Big.

The  72 x 160-foot LED wall at the center of the new Cowboys Stadium is certainly impressive enough when it's showing game highlights or concert footage, but no giant screen ever truly earns its credentials until it's been put to some real use: playing video games. Thankfully, Jonas Brothers video director Steve Fatone somehow pulled himself away from concert preparations to do just that earlier this week, and apparently became the first person to ever play Xbox 360 on the display in the process. As you can see above and in the gallery below, the two certainly seem to be made for each other, although it looks like the controller can get a tad touchy if you stray too far while trying to play it. (story Link)

Windows 7 can stream media to Xbox 360 and PS3 out of the box

 

Starting from Windows 7 Release Candidate, anyone with an Xbox 360 or PS3 will be able to stream media to their consoles from the PC right out of the box. Previously, users had to install “special REG files” in order to do so. Hardcoreware was able to obtain an “advance copy” of Windows 7 RC and test its streaming capabilities with consoles. The Xbox 360 was able to stream video with both UPnP and the Windows Media Extender, while the PS3 could only stream through UPnP.

Four codecs were tested in total: AVCHD, MP4, MOV, and Xvid/DivX. The good news is that all codecs worked in both circumstances, with the exception of AVCHD and MP4 which did not work with an Xbox 360 and UPnP combination. There is still quite a bit of time for Microsoft to update the 360’s dashboard to make it more Windows 7 friendly. For the time being, appreciate Microsoft’s efforts in making your streaming experience with consoles much easier. (story Link)

Nokia N81 Cell Phone Is First US Phone With N-GAGE Platform

So I got this box in the mail that said N-GAGE on it. But the cell phone inside didn’t look like a taco. I was confused. I tried talking into the side of the slider — it worked just like a cell phone should. What''s this N-GAGE moniker for? Turns out, N-Gage is no longer the name of a specific phone—it’s a platform, meaning that in order to wear the storied (er, buried?) badge a handset must meet certain performance criteria when it comes to mobile gaming. And the phone in question, Nokia’s N81 8GB, is the first so-branded model to be released in the US. This handset has a 3D graphics accelerator, super-bright 16-million-color screen, and physical controls geared toward gaming. There are buttons on opposite ends of the device, mimicking the feel you get when you pick up say, an Xbox 360 controller. In the software department, the N81 runs the graying S60 operating system, and comes with a suite of demo games that cost about $10 to activate. Really? Come on guys, the new N-GAGE is supposed to keep us engaged not enraged.  —Joe Brown

WIRED 3G and Wi-Fi, which should be standard on every phone, thank you very much. Gaming controls work as advertised, with nary a mis-pressed button in several straphanger gaming sessions. 8 gigs is, like, plenty of memory. Sleek design and excellent build quality. Unlocked. Autofocus-free 2-megapizzle camera is paparazzi-fast.

TIRED Paparazzi-fast camera seems like it’s trying especially hard not to focus. Fancy piano-black screen is the opposite of antireflective. Topside button is built around the speaker, and squeaks if you move the phone around during a conversation (= always). Flat, nearly featureless keypad is impossible to use without looking down. Yo Nokia, why can’t you include at least one free game with my $630 phone? And where the @#$! is Snakes?! $629, nokia.com (story Link)

Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX Graphics Card

Unless “frag life” is tattooed across your stomach, it might be hard to justify dropping $500 on a video card. But if gaming is your religion, the purchase of Nvidia’s 8800 GTX is merely an act of contrition. Packed with an ungodly amount of horsepower, this card boasts a 575-MHz core processor with 768 MB of video memory and its memory speed maxes out at 900 MHz. When plugged into our testing rig, it cranked out an amazing 29 video frames per second in the ultra-graphically-intensive Oblivion: The Elder Scrolls IV with the resolution dialed up to 1920 x1200. Even our once hot-as-hell Nvidia 6800 Ultra couldn’t even come close to this performance; it only managed 3 frames per second at the same resolution.   —Bruce Gain

WIRED Virtually any game runs faster and clearer with sharper detail. Anti-aliasing features rid most games of jagged edges. Computationally intensive physics effects boost levels of realism for images of smoke, water, and shattered glass. DVI monitor support for dual displays with up to 2560 x1600 pixels. HDTV output.

TIRED 10.5-inch card is tough to cram into even the roomiest rigs. Requires a 450-watt power supply and a PCI-Express motherboard to function. This video card alone costs more than a Wii or Xbox 360. $599 (as tested), newegg.com (Story Link)

Logitech DiNovo Mini Remote Masters Your PC/ Home Entertainment Center

Schwag bags and hangovers aren't the only things we brought back from CES. We also got a stowaway in the form of Logitech's diNovo Mini. Cracking open its stylish, black clamshell revealed everything we've ever wanted in a keyboard/remote hybrid: A full QWERTY layout, dedicated media buttons, and a mini trackpad. Paired with its rechargeable lithium-ion battery and Bluetooth connectivity, the Mini should've been the Holy Grail for home theater PC controllers. Unfortunately, when it came to pairing that style with actual functionality, Logitech balances things ...poorly.

Logitech had the right idea in bringing the keyboard to the living room, and that's where the Mini truly shines. Although it feels more like a Blackberry than a traditional QWERTY, the Mini's rubberized keys were easy to navigate and responsive. Switching from movies to IMing was as simple as hitting the pause key, using the trackpad to navigate to the IM window, and then typing away. But at a little over six inches wide, you're not going to be clocking Mavis Beacon speeds. We found that the best strategy for hammering out URLs and short messages was using our thumbs.

When it came to web surfing and other tasks that relied heavily on the trackpad, we hit a few bumps. The good news is that the trackpad can be toggled into two modes: One for basic "up-down-left-right" movement, and another for traditional analog control. We had little trouble with the simple quad-directional interface, but that's probably because we only found it useful for navigating Media Center menus. However, the analog control was much more finicky, requiring a lot of sensitivity tweaks to pull off semi-advanced moves like clicking and dragging icons. Setbacks like these make it clear that the Mini is a niche home theater device first, and a mouse/keyboard replacement second. On top of its triple digit price point, it looks like we'll stick to walking across the room to press our buttons. —Terrence Russell

WIRED A quick fix for the home theater PC/remote conundrum. Decent battery life. Bluetooth dongle hides away in battery compartment. Easy setup. Orange and green backlit keys ensure easy usage in the dark. PS3 compatible.

TIRED At $150, it should control more — like maybe a game console. Trackpad wakes up slowly. Plastic housing feels flimsy and attracts fingerprints. Don't even think about high impact FPS action. Lack of IR capability limits use with other components.  No Apple or XBox 360 support? FAIL!  $150, logitech.com (story Link)

Most Anticipated Games of 2009

Behold the 11 games that we're looking forward to the most in 2009. Yes, 11. Because 2009 is going to be one louder.

In choosing the games that should make waves this year, Game|Life contributors Nate Ralph, Earnest Cavalli, Chris Baker and I made sure to select titles that we were personally excited about.

The types of games that pack the most appeal will naturally be different for each of us. For example, Nate is too young to remember Punch-Out!!, but when I get the Wii version of the game, I am going to tear open the shrink-wrap with my teeth.

We also tried to constrain this list to games that will actually come out this year. So no Alan Wake, no God of War III and certainly no Duke Nukem Forever.

With these factors in mind, we present the 11 most anticipated games of 2009. Time to sharpen your incisors.

Punch-Out!! (Wii)

This revival of Nintendo's classic puzzle-sports-rhythmic-punching game has been a very long time coming. The original is probably my favorite 8-bit game ever, and no boxing game has ever been as much fun. Probably because Punch-Out!! never had anything to do with boxing. It was about perfecting your twitch reactions while trying not to fall over laughing at the ridiculous ethnic stereotype cartoons that served as your opponents.

Punch-Out!! for Wii will continue that storied tradition: Watch the croissants fly from Glass Joe as he's knocked to the canvas. Will the addictive gameplay be as perfectly replicated? I hope and pray that it will. The game might go off the rails if it makes too much use of Wii waggle controls and feels too much like aWii Fit exercise minigame. But the return of Punch-Out!! is reason enough to get excited. — Chris Kohler

Infamous (PlayStation 3)

Fact: Sucker Punch makes excellent action games -- the Sly Cooper series was a great addition to Sony's PlayStation 2 lineup. Fact: Grand Theft Auto plus superpowers can equal an amazing experience — I don't think I need to remind anyone of Crackdown.

Sucker Punch is billing Infamous as the ultimate superhero simulator, a game that lets you choose your path, saving the city or wreaking destruction. I'm really interested to see how the story plays out and how the open world environment is used — is it just window dressing for your destructive amusement, or will you really feel like the most powerful being in a living, breathing world? We know so little about howInfamous will play, but as it is likely to be Sony's marquee title for 2009, I imagine we will be hearing a lot about it. — Chris Kohler

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and the Damned (Xbox 360)

I'm sick of hanging out with Niko Bellic. I mean, I know he had a rough adolescence in Serbia and all, but that can only excuse so much murderous, sociopathic behavior. But man, oh man, I sure do miss kicking it in Liberty City. What a place! The sights, the sounds, the insane stunt jumps and plentiful rocket launchers! I'm itching for the chance to visit again, this time in the company of grizzled biker Johnny Klebitz.

The new Xbox 360 downloadable expansion to GTA IV offers a lengthy new narrative, and upgrades my favorite virtual metropolis with new weapons, missions, vehicles and multiplayer modes. What's that you say? Klebitz is probably a murderous sociopath just like Niko? Yeah, well ... as long as he doesn't have an annoying cousin that's always phoning him, I think I can put up with that. — Chris Baker

Resident Evil 5 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Until we zombie purists convince George Romero to open a game development studio, Capcom Entertainment is our best substitute in the pixelized fight against the undead. Metal Gear Solid 4-level visual polish, a nicely modified strain of the Resident Evil 4 control scheme, online co-operative multiplayer and the woefully underrepresented setting of the African Savannah all indicate that Resident Evil 5 almost has to be something special.

Honestly, I'm just giddy for a chance to pop off heavy munitions into the brains of some undead foes. At the end of a long workday, nothing is more satisfying than the wholesale slaughter of shambling hordes. — Earnest Cavalli

The Beatles Game (Multiplatform)

We don't know what it'll look like, how it'll play or even what it'll be called. But Harmonix's collaboration with The Beatles is the odds-on favorite to be the biggest thing to happen to videogames, and maybe even music, in 2009.

The creators of Guitar Hero and Rock Band have turned millions of gamers into faux rockers with plastic instruments, letting non-musicians experience the joy of jamming. And what better way to put on a show in your living room than with the legendary music of the greatest band of all time? Harmonix is forgoingRock Band 3 this year to concentrate its efforts on re-creating the Fab Four's music in interactive form. Even if this were just downloadable content for Rock Band, it would be one of the best things to happen this year. As a standalone game, it'll be unstoppable. (As long as Harmonix includes an option to sing the entire B side of Abbey Road without stopping, I'll be happy.) — Chris Kohler

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II (Windows)

For more than two decades, the tabletop game Warhammer 40,000 has captivated countless fans with relentless miniature figurine battles waged between hyper-religious superhuman space fascists, space Orks, space Elves and savage, genetically engineered insect-things that are also from space.

The transition to the real-time strategy genre on the PC went fairly well, but the onset of sequel-itis has left the original Dawn of War looking a bit tired. Fortunately, Relic Entertainment is bringing players back to the basics with Dawn of War II — namely, control of small, elite squads embroiled in close-quarters combat, with a number of traditional RPG mechanics rolled in. Dawn of War's gleefully excessive brutality and visual flair have been revamped, adding tantalizing levels of detail to the act of vigorously throttling enemy units before hurling them through the air like a large, wet sack. There will also be bits of traditional base-building and resource gathering on the multiplayer side of things, but confess: We're all really in it for jetpacks and chainsaw-swords. — Nate Ralph

BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)

I'm anticipating this game in the sense that I'm anxiously holding my breath. 2K says that BioShock can be its Star Wars, meaning that this episode could be as awesome as The Empire Strikes Back. But the original BioShock worked so well because it had such a unique story. Will a trip back into the world of Big Daddies and Little Sisters be as interesting this time around, now that we've already experienced it?

More worrisome than that: Will the fact that Ken Levine and 2K Boston are passing off development to the new 2K Marin studio in Northern California change things? Developing the BioShock sequel is a tall order for a rookie developer. The original's blend of intelligent political commentary and riveting human drama had me hooked, and I'd fall in love with a game that managed to recapture that feeling. I can't wait to find out if Sea of Dreams can pull it off. — Chris Kohler

Dark Void (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows)

Gears of War's cover system is getting a bit tired these days, so when I heard at E3 that Capcom's upcoming shooter Dark Void lifts it, I had to stop myself from yawning. But then the developer giving the demo twisted the camera angle to reveal that we weren't walking down some dark hallway blasting enemies — we were flying up the side of a tower, leaping from cover point to cover point courtesy of a veryRocketeer-ish jetpack.

Moments later, the protagonist leaped off the side of the tower, cutting a beeline toward a wildly maneuvering metal disc. Try as it might, the disc couldn't get out of his path, and when he alighted on top of the frame, a familiar sequence of button presses popped up just as they might in God of War. Triangle, X, Square and the craft's pilot had been beaten soundly and thrown from the disc — only to have his ride hijacked, Grand Theft Auto-style, by our hero. Three minutes of gameplay and Dark Void had cemented itself in my mind as the sleeper hit of 2009. — Earnest Cavalli

StarCraft II (Windows, Mac)

Let's review: The original StarCraft, released in March of 1998, was one of the deepest, best balanced, most addictive real-time strategy games ever made. It had three richly varied races, an actual story and near-limitless potential for strategic variations. Now, Blizzard Entertainment — a developer that has never released a bad game — is finishing up a sequel with gorgeous graphics, new unit types and abilities, and improved online matchmaking.

What's not to anticipate about StarCraft II? I mean, except for the fact that I'll be losing my job and my friends and getting scurvy because the game will end up devouring every waking moment of my life. Some people are griping because Blizzard has already announced plans to hold back some content for expansion packs. But come on, do you really think you won't get your money's worth? People are still playing the original, 11 years later. — Chris Baker

Killzone 2 (PlayStation 3)

With a name like Killzone, you'd be forgiven for dismissing this first-person shooter as yet another hypermasculine, shades-of-gray gorefest. Don't get me wrong — there'll be plenty of blood sprays and vulgar übermenschen, but Guerrilla Games' next stab at the good-guys-versus-space-Nazis formula promises to deliver much more.

The run-and-gun mantra of console shooters past has given way to a focus on tactical supremacy, with a snappy cover system giving you time to plan your next move. The slower pace should let us really appreciate the eerily hypnotic reloading animations and the stunningly realized crackle and pop of machine-gun fire. Right up until those brutally clever baddies either flank your position, or blow chunks out of whatever it is you were hiding behind. Good looks and brains to match. Where do I enlist? — Nate Ralph (full Story)

Blu-Ray, Cut Prices Or You’re Toast

Paul Sweeting at ContentAgenda argues that Blu-ray needs to stop pretending it’s a revolutionary new format like DVD and start acting like what it is…a minor quality improvement that consumers won’t pay any more for.

The first order of Blu-ray business for 2009 is an adjustment in strategic planning around the format, by both hardware makers and the studios, some of which will happen naturally but some of which will be forced on the industry.

First and foremost, the PlayStation 3 Trojan Horse strategy has been a bust. For a number of reasons (some related to Blu-ray, some not) the PS3 has fallen into a distant third in the game-console sweepstakes, behind the Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii. (story Link)

Top 10 Beat‘em up Games of All Time

The "Beat‘em up" genre has a long and varied history in the video game timeline. Once an overpopulated and overcrowded genre, Beat‘em ups are now a skeleton of what they once were, and the few games that are released on today’s home consoles typically don’t live up to their ancestor’s glory (I’m looking at you, Final Fight: Streetwise). Regardless of the current status, this genre holds some of the most memorable games and characters ever created.
The following list is a top ten of the best Beat‘em ups to date. This list was tougher than Abobo to create. Initially, I had over 20 candidates for the list before I even sat down to think about more! Eventually the list dwindled, however, and after some epic cuts, saves, and garbage cans filled with health-replenishing gourmet food, here are the top ten Beat‘em up games:

#10 - Golden Axe II (Sega Genesis)
Golden Axe II was one of those games you loved to play, yet hated in almost every way. It was overly difficult, it took forever to beat, and the basic moves you had were weak compared to what the varied assortment of enemy grunts couldn’t do. Regardless, none of that stopped the game from being addictive. The different magic attacks you could use, the wildlife you could ride, and an alarming amount of elf kicking are just a few of the things that made this game special. Oh, and because it was a sequel, everyone got a sweet-looking headband.

#09 - Castle Crashers (Xbox Live)
Castle Crashers is the newest banger to the brawl, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s any less entertaining. Up to four players can play simultaneously, bashing bad guys, using spells, weapons, and collectible animal companions that each have their own unique ability. Players could also engage in an eating contest, and even fight each other to the death. Unfortunately, a faulty online experience and save-erasing bugs (kiss your level 30’s and hidden characters goodbye if you put your hard drive on another system) keep this game from going any further down the list. While they did eventually release a patch for this (several months later), it’s essentially like them closing the stable gate long after the horse has bolted. In this case, the horse represents consumer interest. (story Link)

Console Wars: Who Won ‘08?

Despite early predictions that 2008 would be the year Sony regained momentum in the bitter video game console wars, it turned out to be false hope. Industry leader Nintendo stayed ahead of the pack all year, thoroughly dominating both the home console and handheld hardware markets with their Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS systems, respectively.

According to NPD Group, Nintendo flat-out owned the all-important month of November by selling over 2 million Wiis, better than twice as much as the next closest competitor, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 (836,000). And at over 1.5 million DS systems sold, Nintendo tripled the output of Sony’s PSP (421,000). While those numbers weren’t nearly that high through most of 2008, the general order — Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony — held strong throughout.

But this was hardly a banner year for Nintendo in terms of software. The biggest games — Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii and of course Wii Fit — came relatively early in the year, and their biggest holiday release, Wii Music, has been labeled something of a dud. Miffed that the company was focusing too heavily on catering to its relatively new mass-market audience, the usually loyal Nintendo fans complained about a lack of core games. Meanwhile, Microsoft and Sony enjoyed a wealth of blockbuster games all year long, including top-sellers Grand Theft Auto IV and Fallout 3. So how did Nintendo compete, much less lead the way? (full Story)

Prince of Persia Unlock Extra Skins (PC, PS3 & Xbox 360 Versions)

Take the following steps to get the unlockable character skins in the new Prince of Persia on PC, PS3 & Xbox 360.

Effect on the game (followed by…) — The code or action needed to unlock it.
* The Prince of Persia Skin and Farrah Skin for Elika, both from The Sands of Time — Unlocked by entering the code “525858542? in “Skins Manager” under “Extras”.
* Jade’s Skin from Beyond Good And Evil — Unlocked by finishing the game once. Then activate it in “Skins Manager” under “Extras”.
* Altair’s Costume from Assassin’s Creed — Unlocked by syncing your Ubisoft.com account (link goes to signup page) to your PlayStation Network or Xbox Live account. Then activate it in “Skins Manager” under “Extras”.
* Classic Prince of Persia Skin — Received when pre-ordering the game from GameStop.
* Prototype Prince and Elika Skins — Unlocked by collecting all 1,001 Light Seeds (the last one is in the Temple’s tree at the end of the game). Then activating them in “Skins Manager” under “Extras”. Note: Shadowmask mentions this is only unlockable in the PC version. (story Link)

Is the PlayStation 3 Dying?

Fallout from the November sales data continues to mount for Sony and its PlayStation family. CNNMoney's Silicon Alley Insider column pulled no punches in its assessment of the numbers calling the PS3 "A sinking ship" in light of its sales declining 19 percent compared to what it did last year. While that's a bit melodramatic, it's hard to argue with their conclusion that the PS3 needs a price cut soon, and a substantive one at that. Ten year lifespan or not, it stands on the brink of falling behind the Xbox 360 by an insurmountable margin.

The article attributes the PS3's struggles to three key reasons: its higher price tag, no one caring that it plays Blu-Ray, and the lack of system selling software.

Acknowledging the price issue, the other two fall into a much more gray area. Blu-Ray shows more signs of life with each month that passes since it won the HD format war. Netflix announced at the beginning of December that it had seen a dramatic rise in Blu-ray renters, hitting its year-end target over a month early, and that's in spite of an extra fee they added for the format. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment president David Bishop also said in a recent interview with Home Media Magazine that Blu-ray sales are growing at a rate of 200 to 300 percent over last year's figures. (full Story)

What Not to Buy in 2008

by Lance Ulanoff

Powerful financial waves are buffeting the USS Economy in extraordinary and dangerous ways, making it clear that this will be a holiday buying season unlike any other. But if you think recession (some say depression) concerns are going to keep me from producing my fourth annual guidance report on what to buy, consider, and just plain avoid, you're sorely mistaken, my friends. Sure, the financial climate has me feeling crankier, but that only makes it easier to dismiss the bad and pointless products of the past 11 months. So let's get started with my latest attempt to help save you from yourself this holiday season.

Home Entertainment

Don't Buy: Expensive Blu-ray Player

Sorry folks, but I still think $250 is way too much to pay for a DVD player. I'll reconsider my position only if manufacturers come to their senses over the next two months and start selling Blu-ray players for $149 or less.

Maybe Buy: Toshiba XDE DVD Player

I know standard DVDs are yesterday's technology. But if you have a vast library of DVDs and your current player is seizing up, this upscaling, image-crisping DVD player can be had for a lot less than competing Blu-ray devices. And it'll make your current and vast libraries of DVDs look pretty darn good on your new HDTV.

Do Buy: Roku Netflix Player

This $99 set-top box will open up your living room to a whole library of video content and is way cheaper than a new Blu-ray player. The current Netflix on-demand selections are, admittedly, limited, but there are many great movies, with a decent number of newish ones in the mix. Plus, I expect that Netflix will eventually open up first-run films to this service.

Caveat: If you already own an Xbox 360, you'll be able to access the very same library of Netflix movies on demand. (One can only hope Sony will get around to adding Netflix functionality to the PS3.) In that case, maybe you just give yourself the gift of a Netflix account.

Video Cameras

Don't Buy: HD Camcorders

I've come to the difficult realization that most people are not videographers, and HD camcorders, with all their bells and whistles (and $500-plus price tags), are overkill for average consumers.

Maybe Buy: Digital Camera with HD Video-Capture Abilities

My wife never shot video until she got a digital camera with built-in video-capture abilities. Obviously, the transition to shooting in HD, when it's simply part of the camera you already own, is perfectly natural. The Samsung NV24HD, for example, is a decent 10-megapixel camera with built-in HD capabilities. Sure, it's only 720p, but for most people, that's probably high-def enough.

Do Buy: A YouTube Camcorder (aka Pocket Camcorder)

Digital cameras that shoot video are great, but to get that video off the camera, you'll likely have to remove the card and put it in your PC. Then you have to know what to do next. Or you can buy a Creative Vado, Flip Mino, or Kodak Zi6. For anywhere from $99 to $179, you can get an all-in-one device that lets you capture standard and high-def video and pretty much everything in between, depending on the model. Plus, you can effortlessly transfer the video from the device to a PC and then online to share with friends. I, for one, carry Creative's Vado. It's thinner and smaller than an iPod classic and, like most of these pocket video cams, comes equipped with a built-in USB dongle and software that can automatically upload your video to YouTube. No muss, no fuss, and you're capturing moments and sharing them with friends, family, and, if you choose, the world.

Cell Phones

Don't Buy: Palm Centro

Look, I loved my Palm Treo 700p when I got it in 2007, and I know Palm has sold a million Centros (basically, a stripped-down, value-priced Treo), but we have no idea where the Palm platform is going. Will there be an open-source version next year? Maybe, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Do you really want to be married to what could very well be a dying platform? (full story Link)

PRINCE OF PERSIA : PRODIGY

Ubisoft was created 2 game of Prince of Persia. The first one is Prince of Persia : The Two Thrones, and the second is Prince of Persia : Sands of Time, what i gonna say about that game… it was awesome game!!!. But silently Ubisoft preparing the new scence of adventure for The Prince at 2008!!! with the simple title “PRINCE OF PERSIA”, also common with Prince of Persia: Prodigy. As a developer of Prince of Persia Ubisoft Montreal give some different contents from the 2 last games that was created. (click to original size)

First, In the last 2 games you will play with the prince of the kingdom. But know…our Hero in Prince of Persia: Prodigy is an adventurer. He is the man who finding some gold, money and more about that can make him became a rich man. And with this job, he will famous and called with the name “Prince”. The story is begin when The Prince gonna enjoy his wealthy after he finish with his adventure, but he trap on the big sand storm. after the storm going down, The Prince see that he now in some beautiful land, it’s like fantasy dream…an he meet a girl was named as Elika. Elika bring The Prince in to the Tree of Live at the middle of the land. In there The Prince see awakening of God of Darkness AHRIMAN, that was prison on the Tree of Life, and use the power to close the land with the darkness. After it Elika open the identity of The Prince, and she found that the prince as a Ahuras that keeping the place of Ahriman was prisoned. Prince and Elika will do a great adventure to stop the bad evil of Ahriman, and to repair the land from the darkness.

The second, Ability of The Prince will more better then the last 2 games. He will have some agility and the good fighting so it will make him more powerful and become a great killer machine. The weapons that he wear are a sword and some gauntlet (like some clowed glove) . Beside for attack his enemy, the gauntlet can use for glid from the high place. Although The Prince cannot control the time, he have another great ability as good as the last 2 game.

Another thing that make this game different is abut the appearance/feature. All of the game looking is use like some illustration graphic. Different with the old game is use Full 3D, but now the developer choose to use the illustrative graphical style. Even looks like cel-shading graphic but the appearance is completely different with another game that use same technique, like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. (story Link)

GENRE : ACTION

PUBLISHER : UBISOFT

DEVELOPER : UBISOFT MONTREAL

RELEASE : NOVEMBER 2008

OFFICIAL WEBSITE : http://prince-of-persia.uk.ubi.com/

The "TIBERIUM" Game

Tiberium is a cancelled tactical first-person shooter video game title set in the Command & Conquer universe, that was in development by EA Los Angeles (EALA). Tiberium was initially revealed when shots of the January 2008 issue of Game Informer was leaked, but was officially announced by EA just a day after. Prior to the announcement, the game had been in production for two years. (click to original size)

In the first previews of the game by GameSpot and IGN, it was confirmed Tiberium uses a game engine based on Unreal Engine 3.

On January 18, 2008, a trailer of Tiberium was released on GameTrailers with a message of more to come on January 25. (See external links section). It would have been, to date, the only C&C game not to include "Command & Conquer" in its title.

Tiberium was cancelled on September 30, 2008 due to the game's failure to meet "quality standards set by the development team and the EA Games label".

Synopsis

In 2058, eleven years after the Third Tiberium War, a wasteland covers what was once the Mediterranean Sea. The player takes the role of Ricardo Vega (main character of the novel), a GDI Forward Battle commander recently pulled out of retirement, who is exploring the single complete Scrin Threshold Tower, called "Tower Omega" by the GDI and "Threshold 19" by the Scrin, in this area. The tower is believed to be a relic from the Third Tiberium War but turns out to be the base of another Scrin invasion.

Gameplay: Squad

The most important feature of the game would have been that the player controlled squads of units, as opposed to a single member. The producer claimed that controlling the squads would be very easy, and that the squad members would automatically find cover, such as behind a walker's legs. Squads were intended to be deployed at the beginning of each level, with reinforcements being sent as members were killed. The known squads and units prior to cancellation were the rifleman squad, the missile team, the Titan Battle Walker and the Orca VTOL Assault Craft. The number of squads able to be controlled in the console version of the game was four, via the directional buttons on the controller.

Weapons

In Tiberium, the player would have access to single weapon: a multi-purpose transforming "GD-10". The weapon was shown to include four firing modes, similar to that in Star Wars: Republic Commando or Jak 3. These modes included an anti-infantry rail gun carbine, grenade launcher, sniper rifle, and an anti-aircraft missile launcher. Ammunition status was to be displayed by a hologram on the weapon rather than via a heads-up display. (story Link)

Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X

In story of H.A.W.X is happening in 2012. In this time, the world is very depend on the private military companies (PMC) that create many of soldier of fortune, most of them don’t care about the law. This make competition between PMC, and make chaos into the world. Even one of the most influence in PMC do attack to the USA!! Their objective is to conquer that country, to spread their territory. To stop this bad action, the gamer whose in the HAWX (High Altitude Warfare Experimental) Squadron was created to destroy the basis of PMC in Brazil.

HAWX as an Ace Combat give something difference to us. Well, that not doubt if this game give some air action fighting, the one is different is about the plane. You can see in the other game that they use the reality of military data. In HAWX the planes is so cool, even there is have realistic plane but this game give some thing like sense of realism. You will see the cool fictive planes.

Ubisoft Romania prepare more than 50 planes that you can use in combat. Start on the plane in the war Vietnam until the new prototype is going to show in this game. Beside that to make this game more realistic, you will have a wingman. The wingman can help you to finish the missions, its like reality war. (story Link)

Platform : XBOX 360, PS 3, PC GAME

GENRE : FLIGHT-ACTION

PUBLISHER/DEVELOPER : UBISOFT

RELEASE : Q1 2009

OFFICIAL WEBSITE : http://hawxgame.uk.ubi.com/

Tomb Raider : Underworld

This time Crystal Dynamics as the developer of Tomb Raider : Underworld give some new story in this game. I’m sure you already know about Lara Croft, this woman was common as the adventurer girl in the Tomb Raider movie. The new game of Tomb Raider, will played in the deep of ocean. That’s why this game named as Tomb Raider:Underworld, the really place is in the Mediterranian.

The setting in the deep of ocean is not only great in story, but also great when you find the wild sea animal. Like the shark, the poison jelly fish and may be if you lucky you will find the pope. Of course when Lara in the sea she will use the dive clothes, and Lara will bring the grenades to protect her from the shark.

In this game Lara also can use two stuff of her hand. You can use one hand for the gun, and the other will use the flashlight. The another unique is Lara also have a camera, it can be used to get some picture, and that photos can uploaded to the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live (just for the console version) to share the secret with other player, that they cannot find it.

So, if you really wanna see some game that will make your adrenaline getting up…you need, oh no..you must play this game. (story Link)

Genre : action

Release : November,18 2008

Platform : PS 3, X BOX 360, PS 2, Wii, PC GAME