"You liked the portal technology seen on PREY? Well, take it to the next level by adding the Gravity Gun and Havok physics of Half-Life 2 and you've got the next big thing in deathmatch multiplayer games.

We bring you the same teaser trailer that Valve Software, the award-winning studio behind the blockbuster franchises Half-Life and Counter-Strike, showed last week at the EA's Summer Showcase 06 event.

Portal is a new gametype that will ship with Half-Life 2: Episode 2, which includes all previously released Half-Life 2 content plus Team Fortress 2.

There's nothing else we can say, just watch the movie and go pre-order the game."

 

 

The video is crazy. There is so many possiblitys with that thing. Its mindblowing!

3D Realms president George Broussard announced last night that the Xbox 360 demo of Prey won't be available for download on time. Here is the official word, straight from the horse's mouth:

We do not want 360 people waiting up for the demo or having false expectations. The 360 demo will not appear on Marketplace tonight. [as per yesterday's night]

I'm still waiting for specifcs, but I'm being told that it's still in testing at Microsoft. From what I understand this isn't Microsoft's fault, and is more likely just an issue of timing.

I'm hesitant to give any estimates for a release, but I've been told it should be reasonably soon after the PC release, but could be as long as a few days.

The Xbox Live service and Xbox.com are back online with new cool features launching after the maintenance. Here is the official word:

In our unending quest to give our Xbox Live members more of what they are asking for, we hereby unveil the My Xbox Message Center. Exactly what you've been requesting!

Here's the story on the coolness that is Message Center.

There is now a new website were even your Xbox 360 can get into the blogging trend.

 

I recently set up my xbox to blog for me but it will take about 2 days for it to get enough info to write about me/it.

 

If you have a gamertag and want to check it out go to 360voice.com and sign up for it.

 

BTW I'm hoping that this last post will lead me out of hibernation. Ive been taking java in school and its been keeping me busy, also eager to leave my monitor somtimes.

Oblivion will be in stores in only 3 days!

 

If you want to check out some of the countdown videos teamxbox.com has them posted

Name: Estate Assault
Game Type: Strategic Victory
Overview:
•After a coordinated offensive - Allied Command has commandeered a French villa just across the river from the Axis HQ.
•Choose your side (Allies or Axis) and squad leader to play (3 from either side; 6 total) and lead your squad into battle to destroy the enemy’s HQ, while defending your own.
•Capture strategic points located throughout the map to earn Field Units (F.U.s) – that can be used on the fly to call in Destruction on Demand™ - air-dropped into the action at any time. Everything can be called in from tanks, jeeps and half-tracks to squad reinforcements, machine gun nests, anti-tank guns and even air-strikes on enemy positions.

 

So if you at home fire up your 360 and download it! (assuming you have one).

No its not a new GTA game its somthing that is well different so different that all I'm going to do is give you a link and let IGN explain!

It is now official Oblivion will be here on March 21

 

 

 

An official Xbox 360 magazine published in Hong Kong has revealed Microsoft's plans to release two new accesories in May. The first one is the Xbox Live Camera for Xbox 360, which supports built-in video chat and video messaging on Xbox Live and features up to VGA 640x480 video at 30 frames per second and takes 1.3-megapixel still photos. The camera includes a microphone that connects to the controller, so everyone in the room can chat online with their friends.

The other accesory is the Xbox 360 Quick Charge kit, an all-in-one solution for you to keep your wireless controllers fully charged. The kit includes the Quick Charger for two batteries, Play and Charge cable and the rechargable battery pack.

Here are a couple of images that show the two products:

 

 

Well Im undecided if i want a Web Cam yet, I prolly wont get the quick charge kit because the system I have now seems to be working fine.

"5. Will there be a demo in the Marketplace soon, so we can experience the beauty of this game for ourselves in high-definition?
Yes there is, we are putting something special together as we speak which will be out soon."

 

Expect the demo maybe a week before the game launches (releases march 9th).

 

 

 

 

Master Chief Dual-Wields His Way to Windows Vista

“Halo 2,” the award-winning sequel to the instant classic “Halo: Combat Evolved” to make its PC debut on the Windows Vista platform

”Halo 2,” the game that redefined first-person combat and multiplayer action for millions of gamers worldwide, is set to explode onto PCs exclusively for Windows Vista. ”Halo 2” for Windows Vista will be developed by a dedicated Microsoft Game Studios team in partnership with Bungie Studios.

Only for Windows Vista, “Halo 2″ will offer gamers both the single-player campaign and multiplayer experience of the original, as well as the additional maps offered in the “Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack.” Gamers will also have the exciting opportunity to build, create and customize their own multiplayer levels.

“Halo: Combat Evolved” and its sequel, “Halo 2,” have achieved phenomenal success on the Xbox video game platform as gamers around the world follow the saga of Master Chief in his battle against the Covenant forces. In 2003, the original “Halo” roared onto Windows PCs. In “Halo 2” for Windows Vista, the action picks up where the first game ended. Master Chief, with the help of a small group of marines, has destroyed the religious artifact and artificial world known as “Halo,” and is making his way back to Earth. There, he and the last surviving Earth forces will mount a titanic struggle against the marauding Covenant enemy. To date, the Halo franchise has sold more than 14.5 million games worldwide with over 600 million hours of multiplayer action logged across Microsoft’s Xbox Live online gaming service.

 

Majornelson.com

 

Well, looks like PC fans get to play the awsome Halo 2 multiplayer! (That is if you get a windows vista PC)

 

ALSO, i updated to a new HUXLEY video, this game looks like it will be  sweet!

 

 

"Xbox.com: One of the coolest parts of the game is the hyper-intelligent NPCs. Mind describing a few characters we'll meet and just how smart they are?

Howard: I wish they weren't so smart, actually. We spent forever making them really smart, and probably the last few months making them dumber, because they like to go off and do things that really mess the world up. A few weeks ago there was an instance where a player dropped the "Skull of Corruption," an artifact that when used on an enemy makes an evil clone of that enemy. He was just testing and wanted to make sure the object used the physics correctly when dropped. So he drops it and an NPC runs up, grabs it, and shoots the player with it—creating an evil version of the player who starts killing everyone. It was hilarious."

 

 

"Xbox.com: The absolute coolest part about Oblivion in your opinion would be? And any specific neat touches gamers should look for?

Howard: Poisoned Apples are my new favorite. You get them from the assassin's guild and can slip them into taverns and watch people come to eat and drop dead."

 

Read the rest of the review here!

Well I havent updated the blog lately but they will come.

 

I should have some info on some games including:

 

The Project gotham racing demo is now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

 

It takes up a whole 1.25gigs so you might want to rid your hard drive of previous demos!

Highlighting key consumer products such as Xbox 360™ and offering the first broad demonstration of the consumer features of Windows Vista™, Microsoft Corp. Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates showed how the company is delivering on its vision for a digital lifestyle where devices, services and applications work together seamlessly. In his 10th annual keynote address at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Gates demonstrated how Microsoft® Windows Vista, Xbox 360, new mobile devices and the emerging wave of software-based services will deliver more connected and richly personalized experiences for consumers.

In his keynote, Gates said that the consumer electronics industry is poised to deliver a quantum leap forward in rich, interactive, high-definition experiences.

Calling all Xbox Live gamers! You're about to experience a whole new level in entertainment. Yes, we're talking about the launch of Xbox 360, but we're also talking about the brand new—and free—Xbox Live Diamond Card, an unprecedented merger of your entertainment activities, online and off. Never heard of it? Well, here's what you're in for:

Your own card: Did you sign up for a digital gamer card on Xbox.com? Of course you did. Now, how about a real, live, flash-it-to-your-friends card personalized with your gamertag? Ask no more! The Xbox Live Diamond Card is here.
That's not all: The card does much more. Xbox Live has partnered with your favorite stores, restaurants, and other retailers across the country for discounts and promotions exclusively for Xbox Live Diamond Card program members.*

Go here to check out some of the retailers: Xbox Live Diamond Retailers

It gets even better: Xbox Live isn't going to sit still, either. We'll continue to bring you new partners and more opportunities to use your Diamond Card. The best part: The Xbox Live Diamond Card is free! It's our big thank you to our most loyal Xbox Live subscribers.

The Details
Who's partnering with Xbox Live to bring you special Diamond card offers? How about Ticketmaster, Cambridge Soundworks, Timberland, McDonald's, and hundreds more? Thought that would get your attention.

Important!
In order to send you your card, Xbox Live needs your current mailing address. Make sure you update your profile with your current information.

 

 

Jason Langridge, Enterprise Mobility Solution Specialist at Microsoft UK division, has revealed that the software giant is working on a new feature that will allow Xbox 360 users to send instant messages using the MSN Messenger infrastructure, thereby reaching any device running the program, including cell phones.

"So on my device I sign in with my MSN account and it sets up Hotmail," explained Mr. Langridge to the BBC. "There is no service fee and you can do MSN messaging chats."

The alerts would be sent by Xbox 360 users over the Internet via Xbox Live and be received by a cell phone over the air as an instant message.

I have been a little slow on updates so I finally got around to it.

 

 

         The things that I'm enjoying is the Marketplace, the Xbox Live Arcade, Neon, and well pretty much every thing else! So far on the Marketplace I've downloaded around 10 trailers which would include PGR3, COD2, Lost planet (recently anounced game title). But the other trailers are movie trailers, they have the X-men 3 teaser and also the Mission Impossible: lll trailer.

         Another thing that stood out was Xbox live arcade. You can play the game before you decided to purchase it. Ive downloaded most of the game trials but have only purchased 2 of them. The games that I've bought were Geometry wars and Smash TV. (Here is some info about some of the arcade games) The great thing is that its somthing that the whole family can enjoy (yea sounds odd). This I'm dead serious about there has been times were my parents and I have sat down and played geomety wars. Each game varies in price, most games are 400pts (around 5$) and 800pts (around 10$) but there is one that is 1200pts (around 15$). Most of the games are worth their value (exept for the pricey pool game).

         Most know that the Windows Media Player visualizers are not graphically pretty nor is the Xbox (1) visualizer. Those media player visualizers are nothing compared to neon, ive sat down and listen to music and played with the visualizer for over a couple of hours. Neon lets you control certain elements of the visualizer, you can use up to 4 controllers at the same time to move around (like one could control movement the other can control rotation). 

         Some of the other cool features that Im going to mention are being able to play music off of my computer (doesn't require Windows media center all you need is Windows media connect). You can also add you own personal backgrounds and customize your blades and your guide button. (I created a background for my 360 if you want to check it out). Personal chat is also nifty, I could be playing Perfect dark zero and a friend of mine could be playing Call of duty 2. All I would do is go under my friends list click on his name and send him a invite to Private chat.

 

        

 

This system itself looks awsome but Im sure I didn't need to tell you that.