Following on from my celebrations of the PS3’s third birthday, I must raise a glass to the Xbox 360 who turned four yesterday. However, the achievements of the 360 are somewhat different to that of Sony’s now-gen beast. Microsoft was able to build on the success of Xbox Live from the original Xbox and launched with a credible online service that, after four years of tinkering, still bests Sony’s efforts. We may have to pay £40 for the privilege but it’s money well spent if stability, decent download speeds and other such niceties are what we’re after. Read on!

Other than a favourable online service, most of the 360’s success has come from the PS3’s failings. Such as the initial difficulty to program for the PS3 and being out a year early. Developers chose the 360 as the lead SKU meaning many cross platform games suffered when porting up to the PS3. What it meant for gamers was simple – Xbox 360 versions looked and ran better. With a year of sales under it’s belt, Microsoft’s little white wonder was already settled when Sony decided to finally launch it’s dip into HD and the difference in price made the 360 look all the more enticing – despite the inferior hardware.

Launch titles were plentiful (18 in the US, 16 elsewhere), but not necessarily a huge leap in video game advances. Take Perfect Dark Zero. This was the most successful first-party title yet played like an early Xbox title. Thankfully, Infinity Ward were able to lend their talents and gave early adopters Call of Duty 2 – my first Xbox 360 game. Graphics were sharp but apart from amazing particle effects (some of the best smoke in a video game) it was still very much a ‘quick we need to get this finished’ kind of launch title. What it did do well if not brilliantly was online play. Such a strong online presence helped solidify Xbox Live’s dominance. That and Halo 2. Yes, while Microsoft had all but killed the Xbox when releasing the 360, fans of Halo 2 still battled hard on their newer consoles. It’s the reason why we only able to have 100 friends on our 360’s. The older architecture of Halo 2 has forced the hand of Microsoft, making us be more selective as to who we accept as friends.

As of September 2009, 31 million 360’s have been sold but unfortunately, a startling percentage would have red-ringed. I’m lucky enough to only be on my second 360 but know people who’ve been through considerably more. So much so that Microsoft couldn’t ignore the problem any longer and increased the warranty from one year to three years. A good move on their part but something that should never need to happen in the first place. Another cock-up/masterpiece was the Core system. Unlike the Premium console, Core – which has been replaced by Arcade – came without a hard drive meaning the firmware powered backwards compatibility was simply unable to happen. Not to mention limiting the size of Xbox Live Arcade titles to only 50MB since they had to fit on a memory card for those Core owners. Thank heavens for the Arcade model with it’s 512MB hard drive and Microsoft’s initiative of selling refurbished 20GB hard drives to Arcade owners. This was mainly because the massive overhaul to the 360’s operating system going from the bladed dashboard to the New Xbox Experience late 2008. With the NXE came Avatars – a feature still yet to find its place for many 360 gamers.

With the demise of the HDDVD, Microsoft now fills it’s Xbox Live Marketplace with HD movies, ready to be rented and streamed onto our systems. It didn’t take long for Netfilx – streaming media company – to partner up with Microsoft and offer their services via the console.

After four years of red-ringing, foul-mouthed online players and leading in the HD gaming genre, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has been able to offer some fantastic ‘must-have’ titles. Halo 3 concluded the trilogy (for now) and satisfied most of the Halo fans who moved onto its online shenanigans. Cliff Bleszinski’s Gears of War looked beautiful and played even better with its stop-and-pop mechanics. Nothing new to video games but somehow perfected. Gears of War 2 in 2008 bettered the original and became a system seller in its own right. My personal favourite of first party (now third party) titles has to be Mass Effect. Glitchy as hell and arguably unfinished, it still won the hearts of like minded gamers who found the escapades of protagonist Shepard hard to ignore.

Despite being almost the same age the the console it replaced, the Xbox 360 looks to have a lot of life left in it. Next year will see the release Project Natal with its advanced motion capture abilities to either help or hinder upcoming titles and the long awaited Alan Wake is rumoured to have a launch date of around May. It has had a fair share of troubles and some lonely months at the start when games were thin on the ground but join me won’t you as I raise my carton of orange-juice aloft in celebration of the Xbox 360’s fourth year. Well done you.

The Gears of War developer believes that “Borderlands” deserves high praise for a well crafted game.

Source

Just as much fun as my first time!

by GrathiusXR:

©2009 Arthur Kotsopoulos

After IGN’s last successful Black Beta which featured Microsoft’s blockbuster game Gears of War 2 and Cliff Bleszinski himself there was a sense of hush hush with what was going to happen with our beloved Black Beta between then and now.

Nine months on and it has returned with a bang, featuring Wolfenstein, which is the sequel to the awesome First Person Shooter which released back on the PC/Original Xbox under the name Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

• Wolfenstien Black Beta July 09 – Sydney

The Black Beta was held at the Phoenix Bar on Oxford street, which is also where the Gears 2 Black Beta had been held. The bar is downstairs, compact and just the right size for 150+-odd alcoholic-savvy gamers who wish to get in some game and drink mixing.

With Naz, Patch and Cam, all very familiar faces of the IGN AU Crew, as well as the IGN Ambassadors, great hospitality was shown all throughout the night and there was always a sense that you could approach them at any time and have a great chat with them.

Great catch-up

Getting interviewed, taking photos or just having a chat/drink- the crew were great to catch up with.

With free cans of V everywhere fellow gamers were kept wide awake to enjoy the two levels that were on show from Wolfenstein. One level was the same shown behind closed doors at E3, but the other level took place outside in a town/graveyard setting.

Both levels offered a great chance to test out some of the nifty weapons available in Wolfenstein and kick some old fashioned Nazi butt! On top of that we got the chance to try out the nice medallion called the Veil that B.J. Blazkowicz yields with the ability to slow down time and see hidden doors within the wall.

Nazis…I hate those guys…

Other than getting to drink for free and play a game not yet released, the highlight of the Black Beta is always the raffle draw and competition.

Ten lucky gamers would walk away that night with a goody bag, filled with…the famous IGN Old School Gaming shirt, a free already released Activision game, a bottle opener, some stickers, a free slab of V and an awesome figurine of Alex Mercer from Prototype.

I know because I finally won a ticket after attending almost all of them and never getting close to winning!  Finally I got some luck and won.

Yes I’m rubbing it in!

What was even stranger was right before my ticket was called I told my good friend Adam Sutton who was next to me that I never win any of these.  Finally after so long I got the chance to get that awesome IGN OSG shirt that I have so longed for; thank you IGN AU!

But enough of my winnings and back to the Black Beta. After what seemed like ages, the three hours had passed and it was time for everyone to start exiting the building as yes most had to work the next day.

Some stayed back for a few last free drinks and get some last minute chats in with the IGN AU guys as well as a bit more Wolfenstein. I believe many walked in not familiar with how the game would work but walked out wanting to buy it.

I now know after seeing it at E3 behind closed doors and actually playing it after the Black Beta that I want it even more now as not only does it play well and feel familiar but it’s a sequel and yes I do want to know what happens next.

So, with a pleased expression on my face, I left the Black Beta already looking forward to the next one.

©2009 Arthur Kotsopoulos

Please share us around

1. War Machine, vindo do primeiro Gears;
2. Allfathers Garden, uma batalha com armas pesadas em uma localidade COG;
3. Highway, que acontece em Locust Hollow;
4. Memorial, cujos combates ocorrem na Tomb of the Unknowns;
5. Nowhere, em que o cenário é um antigo hotel de beira de estrada;
6. Way Station, com caminhos paralelos;
7. Sanctuary, baseado num mapa exclusivo para a versão de Gears of War para PC.

Rolou ontem á noite na Comic-Con em San Diego o painel – equivalente às conferencias da E3 – de Gears of War. Nele os fãs puderam ouvir diretamente de Cliff Bleszinski (criador da série), Rod Fergusson (diretor assistente de Gears 2), Chris Morgan (autor das HQ), Joshua Ortega (roteirista de Gears of War 2) e Len Wiseman (diretor do filme e que foi responsável pelos bons Anjos da Noite e Duro de Matar 4.0).

Os fãs puderam interagir e perguntar os “chefões” da adorada franquia de tiro sobre as novidades e acabaram ouvindo boas noticias. Confira o que rolou de mais importante abaixo.

- Gears of War 2 foi finalmente lançado no Japão. O game recebeu 38/40 da Famitsu.

- Uma nova personagem será introduzida nas HQs. Uma COG soldier feminina. Definitivamente mais bonita que os grandalhões da série.

- Wiseman diz que adora os jogos, especialmente o tom e os visuais. Ele pretende ser muito fiel e provar que jogos não são para crianças e que seus filmes podem e devem ser levados a sério. Fergusson compara a evolução dos filmes baseados em quadrinhos nos últimos 10 anos e que os games estarão seguindo o mesmo caminho.

- Ainda não há definição de quem interpretará os personagens

- Não haverão acréscimo de novas armas via DLC em Gears of War 2 para não atrapalhar o balanceamento

- Armaduras dos COGs e dos Locust estarão chegando aos Avatares! Imagens abaixo.

[Direto do HardCore Gaming]

Cliff Bleszinski, designer de Gears of War, revelou através do podcast do Major Nelson que o DLC Dark Corners de seu game irá incluir conteúdo que foi retirado da sequência.

“É uma seção de 90 minutos que foi retirada de Gears of War 2, onde Marcus e Dom estão à caminho da terra natal dos Locust e eles usando uniforme Locust tem uma escolha, eles podem avançar detonando tudo o que estiver no caminho, estilo Rambo, ou podem usar uma abordagem mais stealth. Esta seria a pequena pitada de stealth no universo de Gears,” disse Bleszinski.

“Você ganha Achievements jogando de qualquer forma. É a primeira vez que nós fizemos qualquer tipo de DLC voltado ao single-player. Se trata de um tipo de teste para ver até onde as pessoas irão se aprofundar nele.”

No dia 28 deste mês sai na Xbox Live o Gears Of War 2: All Fronts Collection, que inclui todos os DLCs de Gears 2.

Fonte:HardCore Gaming

Através do podcast do Major Nelson, o designer de Gears of War Cliff Bleszinski revelou que o DLC Dark Corners de seu game irá incluir conteúdo que foi retirado da sequência.

“É uma seção de 90 minutos que foi retirada de Gears of War 2, onde Marcus e Dom estão à caminho da terra natal dos Locust e eles usando uniforme Locust tem uma escolha, eles podem avançar detonando tudo o que estiver no caminho, estilo Rambo, ou podem usar uma abordagem mais stealth. Esta seria a pequena pitada de stealth no universo de Gears,” disse Bleszinski.

“Você ganha Achievements jogando de qualquer forma. É a primeira vez que nós fizemos qualquer tipo de DLC voltado ao single-player. Se trata de um tipo de teste para ver até onde as pessoas irão se aprofundar nele.”

No dia 28 deste mês sai na Xbox Live o Gears Of War 2: All Fronts Collection, que inclui TODOS os DLCs de Gears 2, se quiser conferir Dark Corners não perca a chance.

Cliff Bleszinski revelou que haverá uma área reservada para o universo de Gears of War na Comic Con, que ocorrerá no fim desta semana. Junto dele teremos o produtor executivo Rod Fergusson, o escritor Josh Ortega, Josh Morgan (escritor do script do filme) e o diretor da adaptação cinematográfica Len Weisman.

“Nós apenas iremos sair, debater sobre a franquia e falar sobre o futuro.” Contou o artista conhecido como Cliff B ao Major Nelson.

“Existe um par de detalhes sobre o filme e planos futuros. Vai ser divertido, será grande e excitante,” disse.

O que quer que eles planejam anunciar nós divulgaremos aqui. Fique ligado.

Fonte: HardCore Gaming

Cliff Bleszinki revelou que haverá uma área reservada para o universo de Gears of War na Comic Con, que ocorrerá no fim desta semana. Junto dele teremos o produtor executivo Rod Fergusson, o escritor Josh Ortega, Josh Morgan (escritor do script do filme) e o diretor da adaptação cinematográfica Len Weisman.

“Nós apenas iremos sair, debater sobre a franquia e falar sobre o futuro.” Contou o artista conhecido como Cliff B ao Major Nelson.

“Existe um par de detalhes sobre o filme e planos futuros. Vai ser divertido, será grande e excitante,” ele disse.

O que quer que eles planejam anunciar nós divulgaremos aqui. Fique ligado.

GAMES FEATURED

• Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth­ (never-before-seen demo)
• Lost Planet 2
• Dark Void
• Tatsunoko VS Capcom Ultimate All-Stars
• Marvel vs. Capcom 2
• Resident Evil: The Dark Side Chronicles
• Fate/Unlimited Codes

BOOTH INFORMATION

• Find Capcom in Hall G in booth # 5113, Wednesday, July 22 – Sunday, July 26
• The 400 sq. ft. boxing ring is back featuring our hottest fighting titles of 2009/2010, all available for hands-on demos: Tatsunoko VS Capcom Ultimate All-Stars, Fate/Unlimited Codes and Marvel VS Capcom 2 . Expect heart-pounding tournaments for Tatsunoko VS Capcom Ultimate All-Stars and Marvel VS Capcom 2
• First appearance of the North American Ace Attorney Investigations : Miles Edgeworth­ demo

• Download up to 8 free Monster Hunter Freedom Unite quests

• Hourly signings by our Capcom producers from Japan, Udon artists, and other special guests including Bear McCreary- the hottest sci-fi composer around with both the Dark Void soundtrack and BattleStar Galactica soundtracks under his belt!
• Tchotch galore – Monster Hunter Freedom Unite t-shirts, Tatsunoko VS Capcom Ultimate All-Stars fighter towels, Spyborgs comics, Dark Void photo area & figurines, Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth DS tins & towels, Lost Planet 2 plushies and zombie-hot Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles T-shirts

PANEL INFORMATION

Capcom will be hosting four panels throughout the event, complete with full Q&A sessions:

• THURSDAY, JULY 23 – 3:15–4:15 CAPCOM 2009 Lineup – Join Capcom’s premiere producers as they present sneak peeks at the most anticipated games of the year featuring Jun Takeuchi ( Lost Planet 2), Morgan Gray ( Dark Void), Daryl Allison ( Spyborgs), Motohide Eshiro ( Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth), and Masachika Kawata ( Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles). Moderated by Capcom-Unity.com’s Seth Killian, see exclusive gameplay footage and behind-the-scenes making-of features followed by a Q&A session! Room 6BCF
• FRIDAY, JULY 24 – 2:30–3:30 CAPCOM Fighting Games – Capcom fighting fans unite as our game producters present first looks at the hottest new fighting games for the year featuring Rey Jiminez and John Diamonon ( Marvel vs. Capcom 2), Kazuhiro Tsuchiya ( Fate/Unlimited Codes), and Ryota Niitsuma ( Tatsunoko vs. Capcom). Moderated by Capcom-Unity.com’s and SFII Champion, Seth Killian, see exclusive gameplay footage and behind-the-scenes making-of features. Plus, we’ll pull a couple fans onstage for an impromptu Marvel vs. Capcom 2 tournament to show off your mad skillz and earn big Capcom prizes! All followed by a Q&A session! Room 5AB
• FRIDAY, JULY 24 – 5:00-6:00 LOST PLANET 2 – Capcom presents an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at one of the most anticipated games for the PS3 and Xbox 360 featuring premiere producer, Jun Takeuchi direct from Capcom Japan, joined by Frank Filice and Shawn Baxter of Capcom. Moderated by Capcom’s Francis Mao, see exclusive gameplay footage and making-of features. Plus, we’ll pull a couple fans onstage for an impromptu Akrid hunting session to win some exclusive Capcom prizes! All followed by a Q&A session! Room 2
• SATURDAY, JULY 25 – 10:00-11:00 How to Get a Job in the Video Game Industry – Capcom presents a comprehensive panel of video game industry insiders who will share their story of how they got into the business, what types of career opportunities are available, and most importantly – provide tips and leads to the audience for their own entry into the industry. Featuring Cliff Bleszinski, Lyle Hall, Mona Hamilton, Francis Mao, Ruben Langdon, Karen Dyer and Shana Bryant. Moderated by Christian Svensson. Includes an indepth Q&A session Room 2

CAPCOM STORE

• Street Fighter IV Mad Catz Fight Stick Tournament Edition – exclusive design just for Comic-Con
• Street Fighter IV Mad Catz Fight Pad – exclusive design just for Comic-Con
• Devil May Cry 4 Nero’s Red Queen Sword – Heavy and very cool. We have 10 total; 5 with the standard blade and 5 with a weathered blade. The weathered blade is exclusive to Comic-Con. They have red leather-wrapped handles and tons of detail.
• Dark Void “Will” statue – this incredibly detailed statue featuring Will from our upcoming Dark Void game, lights up with integrated lighting effects with the flick of a switch (batteries not included). He also comes in a mini version without the glowing goodness.
• SF20: The Art Of Street Fighter – what would Comic-Con be if we didn’t offer a new art book. Udon does us proud once again with amazing new hardcover. This oversized 320 page art book showcases artwork from the original  Street Fighter game up through  Street Fighter IV and all vs. crossovers. Includes artwork from legendary artists Akiman, CRMK Kinu Nishimura, Shinkiro, Ikeno, Edayan and more!

From/De: Xbox Press

Highly Anticipated New Game from Epic Games and Microsoft Game Studios to Be Released Exclusively For Xbox LIVE Arcade on August 19th

Cary, NC – July 16, 2009 – Epic Games, Inc., creators of the award-winning Unreal and Gears of War video game franchises and the industry leading Unreal Engine, and Microsoft Game Studios today announced the original new story for the forthcoming Shadow Complex video game has been created by Peter David, one of the most prolific and best-known comic book writers of all time. The renowned author’s vast credits include an award-winning twelve-year run on The Incredible Hulk and other popular titles such as Supergirl, Aquaman, Spider-Man, Star Trek, and Wolverine, among many others.

Published by Microsoft Game Studios and developed by Epic’s Chair Entertainment studio, Shadow Complex will be released exclusively for Xbox LIVE Arcade on August 19 and cost 1200 Microsoft Points ($15).

In support of his work on the game, Peter David will be in attendance for the Shadow Complex autograph signing at San Diego Comic-Con, July 24-27 at the San Diego Convention Center. The signing will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 25 at the Xbox 360 booth, Hall G #5225. Joining Peter David will be Shadow Complex creators Donald Mustard and Cliff Bleszinski from Epic Games.

David created an original new story for Shadow Complex that runs parallel to the events in Orson Scott Card’s best-selling novel, Empire. The game delves further into the hollows of government conspiracy, dark politics, military upheaval, and the sinister plan of a rogue paramilitary group called the Restoration.

Winner of several “Best of E3″ awards, Shadow Complex combines the best of classic side-scroller design with modern, cutting-edge gameplay and incredible high-definition graphics powered by Unreal Engine 3. Players collect power-ups, discover new abilities and evolve their character into a super-powered engine of destruction as they thwart legions of enemies throughout the massive, dynamic game world.

About Epic Games

Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in its “Unreal” series, including “Unreal Tournament 3” for PC, PLAYSTATION®3 and Xbox 360®. Epic’s breakthrough game, “Gears of War,” won over 30 Game of the Year awards, and the sales of “Gears of War” and “Gears of War 2” have eclipsed 11 million units. Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 is the three-time consecutive winner of Game Developer magazine’s Best Engine Front Line Award and is this year’s Hall of Fame inductee. Unreal Engine 3 has also been recognized as the number one game engine by Develop magazine. Additional information about Epic can be obtained through the Epic Games Web site at www.epicgames.com.

Epic, Epic Games, Gears of War, Gears of War 2, Unreal, Unreal Engine, and Unreal Tournament are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

The forthcoming Gears Of War 2 DLC, ominously entitled Dark Corners, is due to flomp onto Xbox Live on July 28. Costing 1600 MP, it features seven new multiplayer maps, an entirely fresh campaign chapter (‘Road To Ruin’) and a raft of achievements.

I really enjoyed GOW2, despite a pretty meh final level and end of game boss. There is something hugely appealing about the fact that it is so unrepentantly violent, and the storyline is engaging, if a little functional at times. The multiplayer, when the lobby decides to work, is as hectic and vicious as you would want it to, though I most often get my glutei maximi handed to me in a sling by the college stoners who sit on it all day in America. It’s open season when a noob like me goes on.

Just before the release of GOW2, I spoke briefly with Cliff Bleszinski, main cheese at Epic Games. For a man who spends his time dreaming up inventive new ways of killing and maiming people, he’s a pretty nice and well-adjusted guy.

THE FRAG AND BONE MAN: CLIFF BLESZINSKI TALKS GEARS OF WAR 2

Shotguns. Rocket launchers. Chainsaws. Severed limbs. The smell of napalm. No, it’s not a night out with Jeremy Clarkson. It’s a night in with Gears Of War, the hugely successful, über-violent multiplayer shooter. When it launched on the Xbox 360 two years ago, Gears didn’t so much raise the bar as snap it in two over its knee with a manly grunt – and then stomp it into iddy liddle bits.

After “Emergence Day”, when thousands of the malformed Locust Horde burrowed out of the ground and laid waste to civilisation, war criminal Marcus Fenix and his squad of tough-nut soldiers fought to protect the last dregs of mankind. So far, so Starship Troopers, but to say that Gears reinvented gaming is no overstatement: players worldwide burnt off their retinas gawking at the gorgeous visuals, and seared their fingerprints blowing lumps out of Locust scum. It may have been as subtle as a cruise missile, but the ability to curb-stomp an opponent’s skull, pistol-whip them into submission, or simply frag them with your boomstick ensured that Gears became one of the fastest selling titles in videogame history.

As any player worth their gamer points will know, Epic Games are… ahem… gearing up for a fresh tour of duty on the planet Sera. Before the greatly anticipated sequel drops next month, we spoke to lead designer Cliff Bleszinski about what exactly gamers can expect this time around…

As Gears was and still is incredibly popular with the gaming community, were you ever conscious of just how much is riding on Gears 2?

There’s a huge amount of pressure. The videogame industry has had a tremendous amount of growth over the last ten years and has become an increasingly hit-driven business. With a title this big you’d better make sure everything is in order and the game is a blast or you might as well pack it up and go home! We feel confident that we’ve built a pretty special experience and we’re proud of it.

Since the very first trailer leaked, it was evident that it would be bigger, longer and much more epic in scope than its predecessor.

We simply wanted to ratchet up the experience in every department. The war against the Locust truly feels like an all out conflict this time around and with the character Dom searching for his wife the story is also more personal.

It’s been reported that Gears 2 will feature a deeper, more engrossing campaign storyline. Can you tell us anything about it? How does it connect with the timeline of the first game?

It takes place six months after the events of the original game and winter is coming on fast. Entire cities are sinking and Jacinto, humanity’s last safe spot, is threatened. In order to put a stop to the threat the humans of Sera need to take the fight to where the Locust live and breed and deal with them on their own turf.

Cliff enjoys a quiet moment of reflection.

Some of the setpieces look absolutely stunning. Riding in the Centaur Tank, for example, or escaping from a Brumak creature through a dilapidated building whilst surfing on collapsing floors.

Gears 2 is packed to the brim with these kinds of moments. Yes, the shooting action is excellent but it’s also fun to have different ways of moving throughout the environment while tearing things up. We believe that a game should be filled with memorable moments start to finish and Gears 2 is overflowing with them.

Are there going to be more Boss Fights?

Absolutely. We’ve got some truly nasty foes for Marcus and Delta squad to deal with this time around.

For those who haven’t seen this yet, can you tell us about the new multiplayer modes?

Wingman: Five teams of two in a “last man standing” setup attempt to take each other down. Submission is like “Capture the Flag” but the flag is an actual character with a gun. Knock him down and drag him to a capture point to score! Guardian is an update on the old Assassination mode whereas the leader actually acts as the source of a team’s reinforcements. Take out the leader to stop respawns and clean up the other team to win.

Fans will no doubt be looking forward to the multiple available executions in this one. Tell us about some of the more gnarly ones.

Players who take a foe hostage can dispatch of the human shield by hitting X to break the neck of the poor soul. The torquebow is our explosive arrow launcher with a bladed edge. Players can place the blade on the necks of their foes, leverage their boot on the back of the enemy’s head and pop the head off in one seamless motion. When that doesn’t work you can always just kick your foe over and punch them in the face.

The first Gears really pushed multiplayer online gaming forwards. Do you expect the next instalment to do the same?

With the addition of new modes, maps, and an easy to use party system we feel that Gears 2 will be a great streamlined multiplayer experience. We hope that players will enjoy the campaign with a friend and then jump right into the versus experience. Hopefully they’ll spend hundreds, if not thousands of hours fighting on Xbox LIVE.

Is it true that players will get to ride a Brumak?

Players will not only be able to ride a Brumak they’ll be able to ride a Reaver, the large flying squid-like creatures that threaten him often in the campaign.

Is it true that Gears 2 has a “War Journal” and more Cog Tags? Are these connected to unlockables?

The War Journal is your all-in-one place to find all of your achievements, screenshots, and collectables. Throughout the campaign we do have Cog Tags for players to find but we also have scraps of paper, letters, newspapers etc. that yield bits of information about the world. Players can not only unlock certain characters to play in the multiplayer but also yield Gears 1 soldiers if they have some Gears 1 achievements.

Gears 2 will no doubt sell by the truckload, but what are your expectations for how the game is received?

Sales are great, and they keep the lights on and food in our bellies, but at the end of the day we want to have some critical acclaim from the gaming press!

It is probably too early to tell, but do you have any ideas or plans for a Gears 3? Or any spin-offs or games outside the Gears Of War universe?

We always have ideas that are churning around but we can’t comment on any future products right now. I can confirm that we are working a book as well as a graphic novel, and the Gears Of War movie is coming along nicely.

Para aquellos que no se les haga conocido el nombre, se trata del nuevo titulo de Cliff “Dude” Bleszinski (Cliffy B. pa´los compas)… no sabes aún de qué habló?  Bueno, es cierto que debajo de las piedras y en las cavernas no hay internet.  Bueno pues del creador de la suculenta franquicia de Gears of War (y obsesionado con los sujetos con anabolicos) llega Shadow Complex, un titulo exclusivo para el Xbox Live Arcade.

Muchos lo recordaran cuando en pleno E3 durante la muestra, voitelas, que se les traba el personaje y resultó ser que les salió un bug e hicieron un oso.  Pero bueno, en el video podrán ver lo bien que pinta el juego ya no se traba y de una calidad sobresaliente para ser un juego descargable.  El gameplay me recuerda sin lugar a dudas a Contra y algo tiene también de los Metal slug.  Contando con la posibilidad de evolucionar esa misteriosa armadura y una buena variedad de armas.

Ve preparando tus tarjera de MS point ya que tendrá lugar el próximo 19 de agosto, a un precio de 1.200 MS Points.

Recuerde que lo leyó primero aquí en OverDrive… coff, coff.

O RG adverte: "Cuidado este cara é mau!!!"

A indústria dos videogames está cada vez mais unificada, no que se refere aos gêneros de jogos. Cliff Bleszinski, o famoso criador e produtor de Gears of War, disse que o futuro dos shooters está nos RPGs.

Mas não espere algo como Fallout 3 ou Mass Effect. Bleszinski se refere a outro tipo de jogo, um que é essencialmente FPS, mas com elementos de RPG, como a não-linearidade e evolução: BioShock.

“Eu tive uma conversa com Harvey Smith –- um dos Design-Líderes de Deus Ex — e disse para ele que o futuro dos shooters está nos  RPGs. Ele concordou completamente,” disse Bleszinski.

“Houve um momento em que a indústria amadureceu, e BioShock apareceu.”

Isso, é claro, não significa obrigatoriamente que Gears of War ficará mais parecido com o premiado jogo da 2K. Na verdade, ele permaneceu céptico quanto a isso.

“Depende da direção das coisas. Quero dizer, podia começar pelos comentários que fiz sobre o futuro dos shooters e a partir daí podemos ver onde vamos parar.”

Eu concordo com o Cliff, e acho sim que o futuro dos shooters estão sim nos RPGs, acho que se eles levarem mais em conta este ramo, vão ganhar muito dinheiro, iram se dar muito bem, e além disso vão fazer games brilhantes para nós.

A indústria dos videogames está cada vez mais unificada, no que se refere aos gêneros de jogos. Cliff Bleszinski, o famoso criador e produtor de Gears of War, disse que o futuro dos shooters está nos RPGs.

Mas não espere algo como Fallout 3 ou Mass Effect. Bleszinski se refere a outro tipo de jogo, um que é essencialmente FPS, mas com elementos de RPG, como a não-linearidade e evolução: BioShock.

“Eu tive uma conversa com Harvey Smith –- um dos Design-Líderes de Deus Ex — e disse para ele que o futuro dos shooters está nos  RPGs. Ele concordou completamente,” disse Bleszinski.

“Houve um momento em que a indústria amadureceu, e BioShock apareceu.”

Isso, é claro, não significa obrigatoriamente que Gears of War ficará mais parecido com o premiado jogo da 2K. Na verdade, ele permaneceu céptico quanto a isso.

“Depende da direção das coisas. Quero dizer, podia começar pelos comentários que fiz sobre o futuro dos shooters e a partir daí podemos ver onde vamos parar.”