The folks at EA sure aren’t wasting any time with the media train for their next entry into the Need for Speed series. There’s a theme available in the Xbox Live Marketplace for Need for Speed: ProStreet. It’s available for 150 Microsoft Points. I grabbed an image from the actual XLM placement for effect. I wonder if any of these ladies are potential cover girls for the new game.
Ok. I haven’t seen much press on what happened this week for console gamers around the world. What am I talking about? Games for Windows - Live is upon us! The PC equivalent to Xbox Live is born with the release of Shadowrun and Halo 2 for Vista. Console owners will now be up against PC players via the Games for Windows - Live initiative.
Here’s a reminder of what to expect if you’re a PC gamer.
Silver Membership Features - Free
• Single gamertag
• Common gamer profile
• Common gamerscore
• Single player achievements
• Private chat via text and voice
• Common friends list and online presence
• PC only multiplayer including browsing a list of active PC games
Gold Membership Features - $49.95
• All Silver membership features
• Multiplayer matchmaking with friends
• TrueSkill™ matchmaking
• Multiplayer achievements
• Cross-platform gameplay (play games versus Xbox Live console gamers)
If you’ve signed up for GFW - Live, send me some feedback on how it is etc. I want to know.
I feel the need…the need for some more speed. EA is hoping the rest of the world does too as they announce another entry into the Need for Speed franchise dubbed ‘Pro Street’. It’s slated to hit the Xbox 360 and other consoles this November so get ready to burn some more rubber.
“Need for Speed ProStreet accelerates street racing culture by providing the ultimate stage for the pursuit of street racing supremacy,” said Executive Producer, Larry LaPierre. “This is a game about building the ultimate performance-tuned battle machine, taking it to multi-disciplinary showdowns all over the world and pitting your skills and reputation against the very best street racers.”
I’ve really enjoyed the last few NFS titles so I’m ready to see more from this one. Will it change enough to warrant a purchase? Customizing? Online? These are the questions I want to know. Stand by for more.
Here’s some video footage of the GSB Road Tour event from Dallas and a fancy photo of me shredding guitar in Guitar Hero 2. (that’s me on the right) I had my rocker shirt on that day. It totally fit the part. Thanks for the photo Chris! Pay no attention to my Ricky Bobby speak during the GH2 footage. “You’re about to witness destruction here.” “Winning’s what I do.” “It is an alien guitar.” lol
Check out the video footage below.
“And in our finest hour, we shall prevail.”
I’m not sure if that’s an actual quote but I needed something cool to lead into the fact that Midway’s Hour of Victory has a demo in the Xbox Live Marketplace available for download now. Get to it soldiers!
Screenshots: Hour of Victory
In a few short hours, Mad Tracks will be available to download from the Xbox Live Arcade! I had a chance to play this title at the GSB Road Tour and it was a lot of fun. It was fun even beyond me getting schooled by other players there namely Soufizzy.
Players can race through 15 challenges consisting of nine mini-games and six different races behind the wheel of one of 12 sleek compact cars. Mad Tracks, from Load Inc., features 12 power-ups to keep engines revved up and players in the fast lane ahead of the competition.
Whether it’s in the kitchen, living room, ballroom or open road, players can opt to burn rubber just about anywhere, and share the lanes with up to three other drivers in frantic multiplayer racing action over Xbox LIVE. Be sure to buckle up for both Championship and Arcade modes, as Mad Tracks offers a high-definition, 3D racing experience to remember.
When: Wednesday, May 30, at 9:00 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. Pacific Time)
How much: 800 Microsoft Points
Xbox.com and Trixie are at it again with another excellent contest. This one really hit home after last night’s GSB Road Tour when I had my own little shadow with me. If you know any Xbox Dads out there who you think really share their love for Xbox gaming with their kids, then sit down and write a small 250 word essay about them.
Father’s Day is almost upon us and this contest is aimed at those fathers who game with their kids. It doesn’t have to be in the family. You can nominate a friend who is an Xbox Dad, a brother, a boyfriend etc. If you think they’re Xbox Dad of the Year material, then do them a favor with a quick essay to Trixie. You can win yourself some great prizes to enjoy. Check out more details on the Xbox Dad of the Year contest.
Well the folks at Gamerscoreblog finally hit Dallas to wrap up their road tour for 2007. It was being held at the Hotel ZaZa in the Crouching Tiger Suite. (no joke) I just got back from the event and I had a really fun time with the crew as well as those who showed up. I want to thank Tony and Chris for a great evening even though you guys didn’t save me any pizza. I skipped lunch just waiting for the chance to pig out with you guys and all I got were salsa chips. I must say though that I saw the best packaged water on the planet. (see screenshots)
Screenshots: GSB Road Tour - Dallas
I managed to get some audio and video of the event. I’ll get that together soon for you all to see and hear. I know throughout each event people have been commenting on The Darkness and I’ll have to echo what you’ve all heard. The game is really amazing. That’s all I can say about it. I will say though that Shadowrun left me impressed. It looks 100% better than what I played in the Shadowrun Beta. It’s almost two different games with the polish it has now. You’ll surely hear stories about the way I rocked out to Guitar Hero II. I didn’t win any head to head matches (especially against Mr. Expert Chris Paladino) but I did get better. Tonight was my first time playing GH2 and I really enjoyed it.
Mad Tracks is going to be an Xbox Live Arcade hit. Soufizzy was on the game nearly the entire night so I’m sure he can agree. I didn’t get any time in with Track & Field but judging from the laughter and roars from those playing it, I expect good things with that title as well when it hits XBLA. Undertow should be another hit too. I can’t say anything about it except that it looked amazing for an XBLA title.
I hope this isn’t the last time we have an event like this in Dallas because it brought a lot of people out that don’t normally have a chance to experience things like this. (it was even fun for my daughter) Some of the people there didn’t even have Xbox 360s but went away from the event dead set on buying one. It was a great event for the community. I’m glad to have been a part of it and I want to thank the team again for the invitation. I’ll have more on this in the coming days. Thanks again to Soufizzy, TXPaladin, RuKaMiR, GameSkills, willieb 52, NASCARVinny, MiyamotoMusashi and everyone else who made the trip!
Since the announcement of the next-gen consoles, the talk of the town has been all about a handful of features. Horsepower tends to be high on that list, along with particle effects and how much geometry developers allow on-screen. While those are valid topics to be concerned with, one thing that hasn’t received anywhere near as much press time is the part of gaming that effectively controls our experience.
The interface.
Sure, you’ve heard developers talk about how their engine brings unparalleled realism to gamers around the globe - at this point in the console wars, it’s almost expected. I’d venture to say that if a developer doesn’t say that at least once describing their engine, they might end up fired. Yes, that was a joke, but I wouldn’t have brought up the topic without valid reason…
Think about it for a second. How many times have you seen an interface in a video game that leaves you speechless? Chances are that it doesn’t happen that often. Don’t get me wrong - there’s nothing wrong with interfaces the way they are, so don’t take it as my complaining - it’s just that when hearing about how much the rest of the experience is being touched with things that were previously impossible, why hasn’t the interface issue ever been considered as a part of that whole?
I know many of you have been wondering what’s next after the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta? What can Xbox 360 owners look forward to playing as the wait for September 25th begins? Here’s my rundown of titles that you can look forward to and some that you can head out to play right now (or again).
Forza Motorsport 2 - May 29
Racing fans around the globe have been eagerly anticipating the release of this sequel. It’s the Xbox 360’s premiere simulation racer so you know the goodies are packed within. Try playing it with the 360 wireless wheel for maximum experience.
Shadowrun PC/Xbox 360 - May 29
Hey you asked for something to do while you wait and this is a very viable option. If only for the PC to Xbox 360 play, Shadowrun is worth a test drive. The multiplayer has as good a chance as any game to be great especially considering it’s the only option available.
... pens are numero uno any day of the year
