Xbox 360 vs PlayStation 3

Apple 'hated videogames'

2011-09-07T23:04:00.000+01:00

Apple demonstrated little to no ambition in the games market before the success of iPhone and the App Store. The father of Xbox says it is because the company "hated videogames".

"The victory of games is utterly complete with Apple," Xbox creator Seamus Blackley has told Edge magazine.

"They resisted it as hard as they could, and they couldn't resist it. It's a total victory."

Games support for the Macintosh format has always lagged behind Windows, with Apple seemingly averse to promoting the Mac as a gaming platform out of fear that it would "tarnish" its brand.

The only time Apple made any significant play in the games market was its ill-fated Bandai collaboration called Pippin, a multimedia games console using Mac technology released in 1996.

But now Apple is a major player in the games industry whether it likes it or not, with over 70,000 games currently available for iOS devices such as the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

"They tried real hard to make the iPad about word processing and music, and the audience just doesn't want it," Blackley says. "It's beautiful.

"You don't need to have a games strategy anymore. You need to have a strategy so that your platform isn't disadvantaged in playing games, because gaming is going to be the number one activity on any platform. The highest calling of any digital device is to play a game."

Blackley says the rise of the App Store reminds him of the pioneering days of the video game arcade.

"That era and this era have everything in common," Blackley says. "A game had to succeed or fail for a completely casual audience, with no marketing, based on its attract mode or the first 30 seconds of play.

"If you won, you made 100 million dollars. If you didn't win, you went out of business.

"Those arcade guys understand exactly what's going on now: we're in the era of the new arcade. It's something I'm betting heavily on.

"What's even more fascinating is that 99 cents, with inflation, is pretty much the same as a quarter. It couldn't be more perfect."

www.motivationalmovies.net

Kinect for Xbox 360 Goes on Sale at 12:01 A.M. on November 4

2010-11-04T11:18:00.000+00:00

Kinect for Xbox 360 is now just hours away for some gamers. Microsoft’s innovative Natural User Interface sensor for Xbox 360 consoles is scheduled to become available at 12:01 A.M. on November 4 in North America.

Excitement is great around the launch of Kinect, with Larry Hryb, the Xbox Live Director of Programming at Microsoft Games Studios (aka Major Nelson) handing out fresh hot doughnuts to customers waiting in line at Toys R Us in Times Square to buy the new device.

Kinect for Xbox 360 brings NUI gaming to a whole other level. Gamers can use gestures and voice commands in order to play, with Kinect delivering what the Redmond company calls controller-free gaming and entertainment.

“We see the future being about computers and sensors learning how to respond to you, instead of you having to learn how to respond to them,” said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of Interactive Entertainment at Microsoft.

“With Kinect, you are the controller,” Mattrick added. “All you have to do is step in front of the sensor and it instantly recognizes you and tracks your movements with no experience required.”

No less than 17 games tailored to Kinect will also go on sale come November 4th, 2010, enabling customers to take advantage of the new gaming experience available on Xbox 360 consoles.

Prices for Kinect will start at $150 for just the Xbox 360 add-on. However, retailers worldwide will offer special bundles with prices as high as $400, as is the case for the 250 GB Kinect Bundle.

Bundles contain not only the Kinect sensor, but also the Xbox 360 console as well as games tailored to the new NUI add-on.

“It was just three years ago that we had a $30,000 prototype, and now this week we are launching Kinect with a full retail game for a great value at just $149,” Mattrick added.

“What we have accomplished in this short period of time is transformative and will change the way people experience games and entertainment.”

Microsoft has already sold 45 million Xbox 360 units worldwide, and in mthis regard, it has a lot of potential Kinect buyers.

It is an exciting time for our company and we are pleased to see the reaction and enthusiasm for Kinect from the media, consumers and our partners,” Mattrick said.

Update: availability correction.

Xbox 360 dashboard update now out

2010-11-01T14:06:00.002+00:00

The next time you turn on your Xbox 360, a major update will likely be available which brings with it a new dashboard (assuming you’re online, of course).

One major element this update includes is support for the upcoming Kinect motion controller, which is out on November 10th. It also sprinkles a fresh new look over the dashboard, making it a bit nippier to load and navigate as well.

Major Nelson (Larry Hryb) lists some of the other improvements on his blog, which include improved voice chat quality, a better designed virtual Qwerty keyboard, family settings, and the ability to sign out controllers in the sign-in user interface (a speedier method which will be particularly handy for Rock Band players).

Other major changes are the introduction of Zune Pass, the music streaming service along the lines of Spotify which costs £8.99 per month, and a revamp for the Sky Player.

The update is being rolled out gradually across all Xbox territories today, so if you haven’t received it yet, the download will be on its way imminently (in theory, anyway).

PS3 could catch Xbox 360 in two years

2010-10-29T16:18:00.002+01:00

The worldwide install base of PS3 is now just 5.4m units behind that of Xbox 360, according to the latest numbers from Sony and Microsoft.

Eurogamer reports that total PS3 console sales now stand at 39.2m units. Xbox 360 retains a narrow lead for the time being with sales of 44.6m units.

However, in the most recent quarter it was the PS3 that enjoyed the better sales, shifting 3.5m machines. In contrast Microsoft sold 2.8m units. If those sales rates were to remain consistent then the PS3 would overtake the Xbox 360 by this time in 2012.

The big if here, though, is the possible impact of the recently released PS3 Move motion controller and the upcoming launch of Xbox 360 Kinect.

Kinect is proving to be a pre-sales hit, and a number of surveys have predicted that the camera peripheral will outperform Move in the market.

And as Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg argues, Kinect has been designed to expand the market reach of Xbox 360 whereas, as the Microsoft exec argues at least, Move has been designed to sell to the existing userbase.

UPDATE: As pointed out by one of our readers, Sony's numbers seem to suggest that the total number of PS3s sold currently stands at 41.6m This would mean at current sales rates PS3 would catch Xbox 360 by the end of 2011.

Kinect predicted to rule Christmas in UK

2010-10-28T10:30:00.000+01:00

Microsoft Kinect is predicted to be this Christmas' most-wanted tech toy, according to a new industry report.

Market research outfit Ipsos says that Kinect will be the most popular gaming hardware in the UK in the run-up to Xmas 2010.

Ipsos claims that 13 per cent of Brits intend to buy a Kinect this Christmas, compared with only 11 per cent who are planning on investing in a PlayStation Move controller.

That said, Ipsos' research also adds that Kinect is perceived to have more "uniqueness" and "believability."

Kinect more believable than Move?

"Given a new usage experience, one might expect some level of scepticism among respondents for Kinect," reads Ipsos' report.

"Surprisingly, though, Kinect excels on both uniqueness and believability... PS Move is rather weak on both dimensions."

"While there are a lot of factors other than consumer appeal that influence demand, the underlying potential for Xbox Kinect looks very good."

Kinect is finally out in the UK on November 10. Not long now!

Kinect Sells Out, Xbox 360 Kinect Consoles Next?

2010-10-27T13:26:00.000+01:00

Earlier this week, Amazon sold out of the suddenly scarce Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect!

The Kinect is retailing for $149.99 and comes bundled with Kinect Adventures. As the base unit is sold out, it appears that the new Xbox 360 Kinect console bundles are also seeing some traction on the best seller charts. The Kinect bundles have surpased the base Xbox 360 console units as of this morning. Will these console bundles also be in short supply as well?

Check it out:
Amazon - Xbox 360 250GB Console with Kinect - $399.99
Amazon - Xbox 360 4GB Console with Kinect - $299.99

Last week, the device was featured (and given away) on Oprah. Perhaps all of the soccer mom's are ditching their Wii's in favor of the Kinect? Anyway, the 'Oprah effect' and hype is steadily gripping North America as Microsoft appears to have a holiday hit on it's hands...

The Xbox 360 Kinect is set to release on November 4, 2010.

THQ Announces Fantastic Pets(TM), First Augmented Reality Title on Kinect for Xbox 360

2010-10-25T13:10:00.000+01:00

Fantasy experience bridges real and virtual worlds in March 2011...

Offering a highly interactive fantasy experience that erases the line between the virtual and real worlds, THQ today announced Fantastic Pets™ on Kinect™ for Xbox 360®, no controller required. The first augmented reality game for Kinect for Xbox 360, Fantastic Pets puts players on-screen where their movements and voice commands allow them to play side-by-side with a pet of their own creation. Developed by Blitz Games Studios, Fantastic Pets on Kinect for Xbox 360 is scheduled for release in March 2011.

“Fantastic Pets offers an incredibly high level of interactivity, creativity and originality,” said Martin Good, Executive Vice President, THQ Kids, Family, Casual Games, and Global Online Services. “As you discover your pet’s personality and become enmeshed within the world, Fantastic Pets becomes more like a personalized adventure and less like a game.”

Fantastic Pets brings a world of adventure into the living room. Players start with four domestic animals – dog, cat, horse and lizard – that can be morphed into imaginative creations from mystical unicorns to ferocious dragons. Kinect for Xbox 360 technology enables players to step inside the world and onto the screen where they can play and care for their pets. Voice recognition allows players to command their pet throughout mini-games and Talent Shows to reach the professional ranks of a Pet Trainer. Players can unlock news items and activities, in addition to taking pictures of themselves and their pet to share with family and friends.

Sony moves 2.5 million PS3 Moves – sold out in retailers

2010-10-22T13:05:00.001+01:00

Recently the head of Playstation Europe, Andrew House revealed that the company sold 1.5 million units in that territory alone. Analysts speculated that the device sold around 300k in America. However, it turns out that the device did significantly better than anticipated.

Famed video game industry analyst, Michael Pachter predicted that Sony sold around 300k Move units in the U.S. during its launch month. However, earlier today Sony sent out an email revealing that Playstation America managed to move a million units in that territory within 30 days.

Jack Tretton, CEO of SCEA stated:

"Retail demand is incredibly strong and we’re working hard to keep the product in stock. We believe consumers have already shown their preference for a precise, interactive game experience. We are on target to meet our end of year goals and expect sales to increase…"

A quick check across various retailers seems to indeed indicate that supply is limited with some retailers. In most cases the Move wand by itself was sold out. Sports Champion was also interestingly sold out at Walmart.

Michael Pachter admitted that PS3 Move sales have exceeded his expectations and has now predicted that Sony will move more than five million devices by the end of the fiscal year. House also stated that demand has been outstripping supply in Europe prompting SCEE to ramp up manufacturing for that territory.

Honestly, I am not sure if these sales figures are spectacular but its probably better than what Sony was expecting. I don’t see the device revolutionizing the PS3 like Microsoft is claiming with the Kinect, but it will most likely be a solid peripheral for the PS3 and an affordable stocking stuffer this holiday.

Xbox LIVE Silver becomes Xbox LIVE Free

2010-10-21T10:30:00.003+01:00

Xbox LIVE's Silver membership level has been re-branded Xbox LIVE Free, Xbox Europe's community manager Graeme Boyd has revealed.

Posting on Twitter, Boyd said: "Just been told that 'Xbox Live Silver Membership' will now officially be called 'Xbox Live Free Membership'. The times they are a-changin..."

The change is in name only, with previous functionality and services unchanged.

Xbox Kinect games line-up unveiled

2010-10-20T13:31:00.000+01:00

Microsoft Xbox has announced there will be 19 games ready to launch alongside its new Kinect add-on next month.

The hands-free, motion controller system will finally hit the shelves in the UK on 10 November, six days after America.

Covering sport, fitness, adventure and racing Xbox hopes the line up will persuade enough people it's worth £130.

But in a deliberate move the titles are very family friendly.

Bosses are hoping Kinect will help Xbox grow into the family orientated side of gaming.

It's a market dominated by the Nintendo Wii.

Microsoft's Chris Lewis says: "The line-up of games delivers an astonishing range of experiences and entertainment which can be enjoyed by everyone."
Strong Competition

Most of the games will be ready for launch day although two will follow a week later, while four will hit shelves two weeks after Kinect is released.

The public had their first chance to play Kinect at Gamescom in Cologne.

But Xbox won't have it all its own way.

Despite timing the launch of Kinect almost perfectly for the Christmas market, it's facing tough competition from Sony PlayStation's Move.

That was released in September, while next spring sees Nintendo launch its 3DS handheld console.

The titles due for release are: Kinect Adventures; Kinectimals; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -part 1 The Videogame; Game Party;

Dance Central; Your Shape: Fitness Evolved; The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout; EA Sports Active 2; Zumba Fitness; Get Fit with Mel B;

DanceEvolution; Dance Paradise; Kinect Sports; MotionSports; Sports Island Freedom; Kinect Joy Ride; Fighters Uncaged; Sonic Free Riders; Crossboard 7

Kinect's $500m Marketing Blitz, Launch Titles

2010-10-19T11:24:00.001+01:00

Microsoft wasn't kidding when it said that Kinect's launch would be treated like that of a home console - the company has revealed to the New York Post that it is spending $500 million on "a major movie-style marketing blitz," while the peripheral's UK launch game tally is close to that of the Xbox 360's own in 2005.

19 games are being prepped for Kinect's 4th November release in the UK (17 titles will launch in North America), and include five fitness games, two dancing games and one movie tie-in. Alongside first-party titles like Kinect Adventures and Kinect Sports, Ubisoft's Motion Sports and THQ's The Biggest Loser will be on store shelves to carry the device.

Konami announced that it will be bringing Dance Masters and Crossboard 7 to Kinect, with Hudson's Sports Island Freedom arriving later in the month on the 25th November. While Major Nelson only lists the US launch titles, over here we get the added bonus of Get Fit With Mel B and Dance Paradise.

Microsoft aims to spend its colossal marketing dollars by slapping Kinect on TVs, cereal boxes, print and online media and soda cans. Hollywood director Steven Spielberg has even been involved in the planning of the campaign. It'll certainly be interesting to see whether all that marketing spend translates into sales...

Gran Turismo 5 delayed again

2010-10-14T11:20:00.001+01:00

In what will surely prove to be the least surprising piece of gaming news this week, Sony has announced that Gran Turismo 5 has been delayed again. The much-anticipated latest addition to the long-running simulation series was due to be launched on November 2 in the US with Japanese and UK debuts following the day after. However, the project has already been held back several times, with a previous Japanese launch date pencilled in for March 2010.

In a curt blogpost on the Official PlayStation site, SCEA producer Taku Imasaki states:

We sincerely apologize to GT fans for the delay, however, creator Kazunori Yamauchi and the team at Polyphony Digital want to make certain they are creating the perfect racing experience, and we are confident that this ambitious game will exceed expectations when it launches.

Imasaki promises that the release will be, "this holiday season", although fans will no doubt now be bracing themselves for further disappointment.

GT5 was originally announced at the E3 games event back in 2006 and had already been in development for two years before that. Last year, in an interview with AutoWeek, the game's creator Kazunori Yamauchi claimed that the game had cost $60m to develop; that figure will have certainly risen in the following 12 months.

So any takers on March 2011?

Force Unleashed 2 demo hits Live

2010-10-12T09:40:00.003+01:00

LucasArts has released a demo for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II via Xbox Live Marketplace.
The demo, which weights in at around 700Mb allows you to get a taster of the games brand new force powers. You can add the demo to your queue here. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II releases on October 29 for PS3, 360, PC, Wii and DS.

PlayStation Move Calibration Problems: Recalibrate to magnetic sensor

2010-10-09T14:27:00.000+01:00

I do not own the PlayStation Move yet, but after playing on my cousin’s for a few hours the other night I noticed that he had an issue with the calibration. However, he found that once he restarted his system everything was fine. (Read his hands-on review) There are times when this does not work, but there is another way around this problem.
Joshua Harris wrote on World Gamin Network about the problems that he had with calibrating his motion controller, when the game asks for you to point the controller towards the screen. He said that at this point it would fail every time, even though he followed the instructions carefully.
We are certain that Harris is not the only PS3 user to have the same issue, but he believes that he may have found a fix for this problem. Did you know that you could recalibrate PlayStation Move while in the PS3 menu?
The process is a simple one, which can be easily explained in the video below. Have you had issues trying to calibrate PlayStation Move?

First accessory for hands-free Kinect: the 'Game Boat' dinghy

2010-10-09T13:17:00.003+01:00

The hands-free, consumer friendly Xbox 360 Kinect controller is to receive its first accessory, according to manufacturers Atomic Accessories, in the form of a fully operational inflatable dinghy.

Designed to complement whitewater rafting contained within Kinect's November 4 launch title Kinect Adventures, the Game Boat can accommodate up to two players in seated or standing positions, whether in the living room, at sea, or in the pool.

With product news breaking on specialist gaming websites such as Joystiq, Kotaku and CVG, experienced gamers reacted with incredulity, coming to terms with the otherwise standalone Kinect's hands-free system receiving its first after-market enhancement.

Kinect Adventures features 20 distinct mini-games, and the whitewater rapids of the River Rush section have become its most widely demonstrated feature. One or two players race downstream, leaning left or right to steer the in-game boat, and timing their jumps in order to reach bonus items.

Though the 150cm x 150cm blow-up bateau is labelled as 'Kinect compatible,' there are now concerns that its fully inflated prow could interfere with the Kinect camera's tracking of lower leg movements.

Still, let's not presume that it couldn't be put to good use by owners of other titles with watersport or seafaring connections: Sega Bass Fishing, Diddy Kong Racing, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Sid Meier's Pirates!, or perhaps even Larry Bond's Harpoon 3: Advanced Naval Warfare.

Those that remain determined to gain a competitive advantage in Kinect Adventures would be better served by an indoor trampoline, or a clinical psychiatrist.

Director Bay joins DVD format war

2007-08-23T18:22:00.000+01:00

Director Michael Bay briefly threatened to pull out of a sequel to Transformers after Paramount Pictures dropped the next generation Blu-ray DVD format.

"No Transformers 2 for me!" wrote the director on his personal website. "To deny people who have Blu-ray sucks!"

But his comments were replaced several hours later with an apology as Bay confessed: "I over-reacted."

On Monday, Paramount and DreamWorks said they were dropping Blu-ray in favour of the rival HD-DVD format.

The announcement means that blockbusters like Shrek the Third, and Bay's Transformers film, will not be released on Blu-ray.

Movies directed by Steven Spielberg, however, will continue to be released in both formats.

Format war

Electronics giant Sony, which owns Blu-ray, is locked in a battle for supremacy with Toshiba, which created HD-DVD.

Each format offers a higher quality of picture and sound than current DVDs.

Blu-ray discs have more storage space, which can mean a better image, while HD-DVD offers more interactive features.

The race for dominance is reminiscent of the format war between VHS and Betamax video tapes in the 1980s.

The Blu-ray camp has notched up some victories against its rival recently, including a vote of support from video rental company Blockbuster.

Prices of players on both sides have dropped recently - with dedicated HD-DVD players outselling Blu-ray in the US.

However, the fact that Sony's PlayStation 3 games console can play Blu-ray discs means more homes have Blu-ray players.

It is believed that Hollywood studios could ultimately decide the fate of the two formats, but the fact that Sony is itself a movie studio has complicated the matter.

Warner Brothers is now the only company to release films in both formats, meaning that Spider-Man 3 will be a Blu-ray exclusive, while The Bourne Ultimatum will only be available on HD-DVD.

Famous supporters

Aside from Bay, several film-makers have voiced their support for different formats.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who is responsible for Pirates of the Caribbean series, said Blu-Ray "far surpasses any other format".

A spokesperson for Dreamworks Pictures told film trade paper Variety that Steven Spielberg was also "a supporter of Blu-ray", although he added: "He is not exclusive to either format".

Bay, whose previous film credits include Bad Boys, Pearl Harbour and Armageddon, wrote on his website that he had been converted to HD-DVD after watching war epic 300.

He explained his original comments were written late at night after friends had complained they would not be able to watch Transformers on Blu-ray.

"As a director, I'm all about people seeing films in the best quality possible, and I saw and heard first-hand people upset about a corporate decision," he wrote.

"I heard where Paramount is coming from, and the future of HD, and players that will be close to the $200 (£100) mark which is the magic number. I like what I heard," he said.

"So I think I might be back on to do Transformers 2!"

PlayStation to record digital TV

2007-08-23T00:05:00.000+01:00

PlayStation 3 (PS3) users in Europe will soon be able to record and playback digital TV on their console.

Sony has unveiled a TV tuner which plugs into the PS3 and turns it into a personal video recorder like Sky+.

The company has held a press conference at the Leipzig games show in which it highlighted key multimedia capabilities for the PS3 and handheld PSP.

More than 200,000 gamers are expected at the German show, playing some of the year's biggest games.

Games on display at the show will include Halo 3, Mass Effect, Super Mario Galaxy, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, Crysis, Warhammer Online and the new expansion pack for World of Warcraft, The Lich King.

Wireless internet

PlayTV for PS3 is a twin TV tuner that will launch in early 2008 in the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain with other countries to follow.

Recorded programmes can be streamed over a wireless internet connection to the portable PSP or transferred permanently to the handheld console via a USB cable.

In a statement, David Reeves, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, said PlayTV would extend the "broad entertainment credentials of PS3".

It is the first time a console has been given PVR capabilities. Gamers will have access to free channels that are delivered over digital terrestrial.

Rival Microsoft has touted its Xbox 360 as a platform for internet TV but no partner has yet come forward while its Xbox Live video download service has not launched outside the US.

Instant messaging

No price details for the PlayTV tuner were given.

Sony also used the conference to give more details of a video chat and instant messaging system for the PSP, called Go!Messenger, developed in conjunction with BT in the UK.

PSP users in Europe will be able to send messages, and video chat with each other once the software behind the tool is released in January.

Sony also unveiled a GPS add-on for the PSP, called Go!Explore, and said a UK video download service for the console, developed in conjunction with Sky and called Go!, would launch in the UK in January.

Price details for the new services were not given.

Sony will be hoping that the new multimedia functionality for its PlayStation 3 and PSP consoles will make them more attractive to both gamers and non-gamers.

Both machines lag behind sales of rival devices from Nintendo and Microsoft, such as the Wii, DS handheld console and Xbox 360.

Increase shipments

Sony said it aimed to increase shipments of the PS3 to 11 million units by 2008.

Unlike other major games conferences, Leipzig is open to the public and 200,000 gamers are expected to attend the four-day event to get their hands on the latest titles.

"This year we are expecting over 9,000 trade visitors and some 2,800 journalists from over 35 countries," said Josef Rahmen, managing director of the Leipziger Messe, in a statement.

The industry has gone on a charm offensive in recent years to improve the profile of games in Germany, which has a rigorous ratings and regulatory system.

The country is the third-biggest market for video games in Europe, behind the UK and France, with PC titles dominating the market.

No console invasion for World of Warcraft

2007-08-15T17:36:00.001+01:00

If you've ever been playing World of Warcraft and found yourself thinking "hey, this would be awesome if it were on a console" then you're not alone. Apparently, quite a few people want to see this as well, but it won't be happening any time soon.

Blizzard Poster/ Community Manager Drysc said that "we're [Blizzard] madly in love with the PC and Mac platforms, and there are no plans at this time to bring World of Warcraft to any other platforms." Based on that statement, it looks like we're going to have to stick with our regular setup of playing the game on our PCs and Macs.

This is sad news for those who were planning on playing the game on their couches Still, if you're really set on playing WoW in the living room, you could always move your PC there and hook it up to the PC. It might not be the easiest thing to do, but at least you'll be on the couch.

GTA IV Delay Till 04/04/2008

2007-08-13T16:02:00.001+01:00

The delay of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV video game for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 has fans and fanboys everywhere in an uproar. You can’t browse a video game website without running into something related to the delay. Whether it has to do with rumors of a refund regarding the exclusive downloadable content deal (which cost Microsoft 50 million) or as we are about to discuss, the many finger pointing articles being published across the web.

Some sites are entertaining the notion that the PS3 is the cause for the delay, with individuals such as industry analyst Michael Pachter stating that it is his belief Rockstar is struggling with development on the PS3 console. According to an interview with Gameindustry.biz, Pachter was quoted saying the following:

“We think it is likely that the Rockstar team had difficulty in building an exceptionally complicated game for the PS3, and failed to recognize how far away from completion the game truly was until recently,”

“We think it is also likely that Take-Two had a contractual commitment to Sony that it would not favor competitor Microsoft by launching the Xbox 360 version of GTA IV prior to launching the PS3 version, and believe that any delay of the PS3 version necessitated a delay of the Xbox 360 version,”

Food for thought? Sure, but far from a direct source and certainly unconfirmed. Rockstar has been developing GTA content for Sony since the PS1 so we aren’t buying this excuse. On to the next possibility …

Playstation 3 fanboys are outraged, screaming “it’s Microsoft’s fault” — and maybe it is. In a recent interview with GamePro.com, Microsoft Game Studios Corporate Vice President, Shane Kim was asked about a rumor that Grand Theft Auto IV would not be compatible with the Core system because the game may require a hard drive. Kim responded:

“No, we want to support all of the Xbox 360s, otherwise it becomes very confusing. We really want to avoid that as much as possible.”

GamePro then followed up by asking how the company (Microsoft) would respond if Rockstar demanded the use of hard drive to play the upcoming GTA IV. Kim responded:

“We get to make the call on who gets published on our platform … [inaudible] we’d push back on any publisher saying things like that.”

This was all the PS3 faithful needed to hear. They were now convinced that the finger should in fact be pointed towards Microsoft and not their beloved PlayStation 3. What do we think? Well, we believe that the blame may be Microsoft’s, however not for this reason. Which brings us to our next possibility …

There was a rumor floating around over two months ago that Rockstar may delay the October launch of GTA IV due to an announcement made in May that Microsoft would be releasing Halo 3 at the end of September. In a “note to investors” industry analyst Michael Pachter (now that name looks familiar) was quoted by GameDaily.com saying:

“We believe that it is possible that the company will choose to ‘throw in the towel’ on FY:07 by shifting the release date for Grand Theft Auto IV by a few weeks, increasing the losses incurred this year and improving the company’s prospects for FY:08,”

“We believe that a two-week delay would provide a reasonable gap between the launch of Halo 3 and the launch of GTA IV, and would actually help sales of both games,”

The rumor was denied by Rockstar, stating that the game was still on track for an October release. Fast forward a few months and Halo 3 is still slated for release on September 25th, however fans looking to take control of Niko Bellic on both the 360 and PS3 consoles will be forced to wait until Q2: 2008.

So where do we stand? It is our belief that the delay has nothing to do with a lack of hard drive in the 360 Core System or the supposed development issues on the PS3, instead we believe it has everything to do with the release of Halo 3.

That said, we guess you could say it is Microsoft’s fault indirectly — however, if this is in fact the reason for the delay, angered fans should be pointing their fingers directly at Take Two Interactive.

Special Edition Halo 3 Xbox

2007-08-12T19:26:00.001+01:00

OK, it’s coming to the US for sure but there’s no guarantee that us humble, second-class Europeans will get a chance to buy the Halo 3-themed Xbox 360 console – except maybe on eBay.

Microsoft has just confirmed that the lurid green console will land in September with a price tag of $399. Still, you really will have to be wearing your fanboy/collectors hat for this one since what you’re getting is essentially an Xbox 360 with the weenie 20GB hard disk drive, not the Elite version.

The biggest joke is that this special edition console, designed to cash in on the launch of one of the year’s biggest games, will not come bundled with a copy of the game. Jump now for the full specs.

Features

* Halo 3 Special Edition Console
* Halo 3 Special Edition Wireless Controller
* Halo 3 Special Edition 20GB Hard Drive
* Halo 3 Special Edition Wired Headset
* Halo 3 Special Edition Gamer Pics and Theme (Exclusive download via Xbox LIVE)
* Component HD AV Cable
* Ethernet Cable
* HDMI Port
* Play & Charge Kit
* Xbox LIVE Silver Membership
* One-month Lbox LIVE Gold Membership

*Halo 3 game not included--sold separately

PS3 Song

2007-08-11T10:39:00.001+01:00

Just to complement the 360 song here another side of the story, enjoy! :D

Xbox 360 Song

2007-08-11T00:48:00.001+01:00

I had to post this video it's rather amusing considering I'm on my second 360 and the fact that i don't know any one thats on their first!

Introduction

2007-08-09T01:17:00.000+01:00

Would just like to welcome every one to my new blog, The blog will be updated shorty with comparisons between the Xbox 360 and the PS3.