Microsoft annouced today that the Xbox Live service will be discontinued for original Xbox consoles and all original Xbox games (even those playable on the Xbox 360), as of April 15, 2010.

From MajorNelson.com:

“On April 15, 2010 Microsoft will discontinue Xbox LIVE service for original Xbox consoles and games, including Xbox 1 games playable on Xbox 360. Our first step in this process will be to turn off auto-renewals for those members who only use Xbox LIVE on a v1 Xbox. While I can’t comment on the specifics, this change will allow us to continue evolving the LIVE service with new features and experiences that fully harness the power of Xbox 360 and the Xbox LIVE community. We did not make this decision lightly, but after careful consideration and review we realize that this decision will allow us unprecedented flexibility for future features.“

While I understand some of the limitations imposed by keeping all original Xbox games active on Live (the 100 friend limit on the friend’s list, for example), I’m sure this decision will not go over well with some gamers.  Particularly, those who still prefer Halo 2’s multiplayer over Halo 3’s. 

For further details about this change, you can read a letter with more details from Marc Whitten - Xbox Live General Manager, HERE. 

Game on!

So almost a full year after Bethesda announced the next Fallout title we get a lovely little teaser trailer for Fallout:New Vegas and a Twitter/Facebook contest to win signed posters. I for one can’t wait for this not-a-sequel to hit the shelves. Tons of hours were spent playing Fallout 3 and I expect nothing less from New Vegas!

Check out the teaser trailer here.

Contest details here.

The Rock Band Network will also feature tunes you might have heard before, from Billy Idol to Creed and Evanescence.  If that’s a bit too mainstream, more obscure labels the likes of Sub Pop intend to bring contributions from The Shins, Flight of the Conchords, and more.  Add established names like these to untapped homegrown talent and you’ve got quite a playlist for Rock Band and Rock Band 2.

But the road to stardom isn’t easy.

Harmonix reports that you’ll be spending about 40 hours just to shove one of your own tracks into the limelight.  That’s right, fine-tuning your song for the Rock Band Network should cost a whole week’s worth of 9-5 shifts.  Hard work indeed.  This number is an estimate, naturally, as it might take even longer running the gauntlet of PC programs that create, encode, and chart your imminent hit single.

This might scare off a few of the daydreamers out there, but there will be a lot of customization out there for the truly dedicated.  Avatar animations, pyrotechnics, and even the crowd’s cheers can all be tweaked according to the user’s whim.  You control the song as well as the venue.

If you’ve got the next chart topper just waiting to be discovered, this is your lucky break.  Warm up your rah-rah-ah-ah-ahs and your roma-roma-mas, clear your work week, and jump on the Rock Bandwagon.  What’s forty hours of sweat when you can win your fifteen minutes of fame?

Introduction
Bayonetta has been likened to God of War, Ninja Gaiden, Spawn, and even Sonic the Hedgehog. The titular heroine herself has conjured déja-vu in reviewers when compared to (of all people) Sarah Palin. Despite the comparisons and contrasts that will forever accompany the latest big action release, Bayonetta remains a fast-paced and over-the-top title that you simply have to play to believe.
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Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dyin’ time’s here! The first expansion to the roleplaying shooter Borderlands introduced the Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, a healthy helping of Halloween leftovers that debuted closer to Thanksgiving. The ample serving of new enemies, new locations, and new storyline was enough for one or more bounty hunters to tackle. The new content, however, is geared a bit more towards group play.
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Controversial Dante’s Inferno looks to be a big title when it ships on February 9th, though it has to compete with the return to Rapture in Bioshock 2, a long-awaited title that shares the same ship date.  The tactical genre has an early showing in the year with Splinter Cell: Conviction popping into stores in the last week of February.  If you want more pewpew and less skulking, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ships on March 2nd.

Roleplaying games will have a big showing in March, as the month sees the release of both Final Fantasy XIII and Resonance of Fate.  Expect to see lots of gamers hibernating during this month.  Speaking of FFXIII, have you who participated in the event picked up yourfree chocobo yet? 

While that’s just a brief look at the first three months of 2010, there’s so much more out there.  Super Street Fighter IV is set for an April release, Left 4 Dead 2 will receive its first DLC entitled “The Passing”, a setting that amongst other feats unites the Survivors from both titles in the series.  Xbox LIVE might add comics to its growing repertoire of multimedia facets.  And what of Natal?  What indeed.

Rest assured there will be plenty to look forward to in this year, many shiny new toys that will vie for your attention and your wallet.  May your Achievements be many, may your ring stay green, and may your Gamerscore be copious.

Keep an eye out for such features this holiday season.

Much like the movie industry rearranges releases in order to avoid stiff competition, Capcom proves that the video game industry displays similar tactics.  Don’t be surprised if Capcom sends out most of its heavy hitters a little later than expected.  Sadly, the waiting game is all-too-familiar to gamers.

1887s Balanced
Public “private” Match fix
Infinite Ammo fix
Prestige Hack on PS3 fix
Texture Hack on PC fix (eliminates any edits to IWD files also)

According to Mr. Bowling the patch should hit at 2 a.m. That gives players like the author plenty of time to rack up more deaths and blame them on those dirty exploiters.

If Santa didn’t quite know what to get you and instead opted to stock your stuffing with a Wal-Mart gift card, don’t fret.  The retail giant will be offering the typical Xbox 360 Elite package, complete with a headset, composite A/V cable, Xbox LIVE free trial, Netflix free trial, 120 gig hard drive, Lego Batman and Pure, as well as a bonus $50 gift card.  This bargain takes effect online and in stores starting on December 26th.

So you’ll be getting another gift card.  Just think of it as a free game or two.  If you stretch your dollar, you might even get more than that! 

Don’t be so hard on St. Nick; the guy delivers presents all over the world, so he can’t get it right all the time.