Xtramalt's digital cave

Time to blow the dust off the digital cave and what better way to do it then with an announcement about a new mouse...

 

Microsoft’s new SideWinder X8 Mouse – gaming with no strings attached

First wireless SideWinder mouse features Microsoft BlueTrack Technology

 

AUCKLAND ¾ September 11, 2008 ¾ Microsoft Corp. today unleashed the SideWinder X8 Mouse, offering wireless freedom with wired performance with a 2.4GHz wireless connection that is designed for lag-free play. The latest SideWinder mouse features an innovative play-and-charge system to ensure a nonstop gaming experience — up to 30 hours of active gaming on a single charge — with no need to stop the game to change batteries.

 

The SideWinder X8 Mouse is a top performer thanks to Microsoft’s new, proprietary BlueTrack Technology that gives this mouse some of the best frame rate, speed and acceleration on the market and a tracking range from 250 to 4,000 dots per inch (dpi).

 

“We designed the Sidewinder X8 Mouse to perform to the highest gaming standards — with near-zero latency, uninterrupted gameplay and fantastic tracking courtesy of BlueTrack Technology,” said Danica Aitken, ANZ Product Marketing Manager, Internet Communications Hardware, Microsoft ANZ. “The X8 is a strong addition to the SideWinder gaming mouse and keyboard line-up, giving mainstream and hardcore gamers alike a choice of premium quality products across several price-points.”

 

Innovation for Gaming Performance

The SideWinder X8 Mouse is a wireless mouse that gives gamers the edge with the following features:

·         BlueTrack Technology Microsoft’s next generation tracking technology gaming with image processing of 13,000 frames per second, 75g maximum acceleration and 120 inches per second maximum speed.

·         2.4GHz wireless The device is built for lag-free play with virtually no latency.

·         Play and charge Get up to 30 hours of active gaming on a single charge, or use the play-and-charge cable for nonstop action. The winding cord management system offers easy charging — simply unwrap the cord from around the storage box and snap it onto the underside of the mouse.

 

Designed for Gaming:

Comfort continues to be one of the main needs of PC gamers and the SideWinder X8 Mouse features a unique, comfortable design that gamers will appreciate for extended sessions of play. Features include the following:

·         Scroll wheel with tilt. The mouse has better feel and response with detents for precise control.

·         Engineered for speed. The shape has been designed for quick, balanced and precise gaming actions.

·         Vertical side buttons. The top and bottom design makes locating side buttons easier and reduces unintentional activation.

 

The X8 also offers smart features to enhance the gaming experience, including an LCD screen on the mouse to quickly view dpi settings and macro-recording icons, and a Quick Launch button that provides one-touch access to Microsoft’s PC gaming features.²

 

Custom Tuning

Gamers also like to customise their gaming mouse to fit their needs, which is why the SideWinder X8 Mouse offers the following adjustable features:

·         DPI switching. Instantly switch sensitivity among high, medium and low with one click, ranging from 250 to 4,000 dpi.

·         Replaceable mouse feet. Choose from three materials for glide preference.

·         Seven programmable buttons. Customise five programmable main buttons, plus left and right tilt.

·         Macro record button. Easily record macros while in game with the dedicated button.

 

Pricing and Availability:

The SideWinder X8 Mouse will be widely available in March 2009 for a recommended retail price of $179.00³.

 

Be interesting to see what the PC gaming crowd make of this. 

 

AUCKLAND 27 September 2007 – Microsoft today announced that Halo 3 has become the biggest entertainment launch in history, garnering an estimated $228 million (US$170 million) in sales in the US alone in the first 24 hours. The Xbox 360 title beat previous records set by blockbuster movie releases such as Spider-Man 3 and novels such as Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows. 

Kiwi gamers have also demonstrated their love of the Halo franchise by purchasing the game in their thousands in what is believed to be the biggest launch in New Zealand gaming history.  

More than 10,000 copies of Halo 3 (including some 8,200 pre-orders) were sold in New Zealand on the first day of release, equating to more than $1 million.  

The Warehouse Limited reported Halo 3 to be the biggest gaming launch in its 25-year history. The Harvey Norman chain experienced record pre-sale results, and Dick Smith Electronics reported their pre-order sales were triple that of the game’s phenomenally successful predecessor Halo 2. 

Microsoft New Zealand Entertainment and Devices business director Frazer Scott says, “New Zealand was the first country in the world to receive Halo 3 when it was launched worldwide at 12.01am on Tuesday 25 September.  

“Retailers across the country opened their doors at midnight to meet demand from fans – gamers were not going to risk missing out on Halo 3 and wanted to get their hands on it as soon as it hit the shelves.” 

Debby Stewart, buyer for Dick Smith Electronics, says, “We’ve never seen anything like it. Our day-one stocks were nearly completely sold out, and Halo 3 has broken DSE day-one launch records for any gaming title.”

More Halo stats

One million gamers connected to the Xbox LIVE online gaming service in the first day, making it the most active day in Xbox LIVE history. Halo 2 logged 690,000 multiplayer games on day one – Halo 3 logged 2.4 million games on day one. There were 2.5 million campaign levels played around the world in the first 24 hours. 

Halo 3 first set records in May this year, when gamers got a chance to experience an early beta version of the game online via Xbox LIVE. More than 820,000 unique participants racked up more than 12 million hours of online gameplay in its short test period – equivalent to more than 1,400 years of continuous play by one person.  

The Halo 3 beta became the single most downloaded content on the service and surpassed the Halo 2 record of the highest total number of people playing concurrently on one title over Xbox LIVE. Throughout its 26-day test period, more than 350 terabytes of data was downloaded from Xbox LIVE, equivalent to more than 82 million digital music downloads from the Internet.* 

Halo and Halo 2 have sold nearly 15 million copies worldwide (Xbox and PC versions). It’s expected that by the end of the year fans will have spent more than $1.35 billion (US$1 billion) on the Halo franchise. The Halo 2 release on November 9, 2004, set entertainment history by generating $167 million (US$125 million) in US sales in its first 24 hours.

 

 

Something for those who like numbers.

 

The Numbers

·         “Halo®” and “Halo 2” have sold more than 14.8 million copies worldwide (Xbox® and PC versions). It’s expected that by the end of the year fans will have spent more than $1 billion on the “Halo” franchise.

·         The “Halo 2” release on Nov. 9, 2004, set entertainment history by generating $125 million in U.S. sales in its first 24 hours. The launch of “Halo 3” on Sept. 25, 2007, is expected to once again set entertainment sales records by selling more in the U.S. on day one than any movie in history (the current record is held by “Spider-Man 3” at $151 million) and selling more in its first week than any album.

·         “Halo 3” is the most anticipated game in video game history, and pre-sell numbers showcase the excitement, reaching 1 million in the United States alone in late July, two months before the launch.

·         More than 10,000 retail stores across the United States will be open at midnight on Sept. 25 to ensure that fans receive “Halo 3” hot off the shelves. Managers at workplaces worldwide expect a higher than usual number of absentees in the days following the launch.

 

The Xbox LIVE Numbers

·         The “Halo 3” multiplayer beta, which ran for three weeks in May 2007, attracted more than 820,000 unique participants from 25 countries around the world and became the biggest console beta of all time.

·         Participants in the multiplayer beta logged more than 12 million hours of online gameplay. That’s the equivalent of 1,400 years of continuous play by a single person. They downloaded more than 350 terabytes of data, equivalent to more than 82 million digital song downloads with an average size of 4 MB.

·         Of the 7 million members on Xbox LIVE®, the largest social network on TV, more than 5.5 million have played “Halo 2.”

·         Nearly three years after the release of “Halo 2,” more than 300,000 unique gamers continue to log on to Xbox LIVE every day to play it.

 

The Facts

·         Master Chief, the hero character of the “Halo” franchise, is one of the most recognizable characters in video games.  He recently joined heroes of television and film as the first videogame character to be immortalized in Madame Tussauds’ 250-year history.

·         “Halo 3” will be released around the globe as follows:

• Sept. 25: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States
• Sept. 26: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom
• Sept. 27: Japan

·         Owing to its worldwide popularity, “Halo 3” will be available in 17 languages: English, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Danish, Finnish, French, Italian, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Slovak, Spanish (Iberian and Latin American), Swedish and Traditional Chinese.

·         “Halo 3” has more audio than 20 feature films combined, including the following:

• 39,000 lines of dialogue
• 13,000 sound effects
• Music totaling six hours of continuous play

·         The music of the “Halo” series has garnered numerous audio awards around the world, including the 2004 Console Game of the Year from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, the Game Developers Choice Awards and Rolling Stone magazine’s award for best game soundtrack.

·         Inspiration for the environments in “Halo 3”came from a variety of sources, such as French cathedrals Chartres, Metz and Reims; a Wallace Stevens poem titled “The Snow Man”; and the sketches and watercolors of artist David Roberts.

·         “Halo 3” development began in 2004, and the title took 120 full-time employees (double the number that developed “Halo 2”) and an army of contractors over 1 million person-hours to create. The Bungie Studios team spans a broad range of talent, including architects, engineers, journalists, artists and videographers.

·         The Bungie Studios team consumed more than 20,000 pounds of pizza, 24,000 gallons of soda and more than a half ton of bananas during the three years it took to develop “Halo 3.”

  

The Partners

·         The “Halo” franchise has spawned numerous licensed products such as action figures, soundtracks, graphic novels, collectible figurines, apparel, costumes and a comic book series. The licensed merchandise for “Halo” has brought in three times more revenue than all merchandise sold to date for the Harry Potter franchise.

·         “The Official Halo 2 Guide: Strategy Evolved” had day-one sell-through of 270,000 copies, the second-best launch day for Random House Inc. next to Bill Clinton’s “My Life.”

·         Bungie’s “Halo Graphic Novel” was one of Marvel Comic’s top-selling graphic novels in 2006 — amongst a field of “Amazing Spider-Man,” “X-Men” and a number of other Marvel properties.

·         Two of the four “Halo” novels made the New York Times’ best-seller list, and are the top-selling video game novels of all time.

·         Academy Award-winning director, screenwriter and producer Peter Jackson has partnered with Bungie Studios to extend the “Halo” franchise by co-writing, co-designing and co-producing an interactive entertainment experience exclusively for Xbox 360.

 

The Awards

The “Halo” franchise has received critical acclaim worldwide. “Halo,” “Halo 2” and “Halo 3” have received more than 235 awards from media and industry organizations in the United States alone.
 

 

Top Kiwi online gaming teams unite to form
new gaming super-team

AUCKLAND – 18 September 2007. Three of New Zealand’s top online gaming teams Parallax, NewTypE and Online Gaming Addicts come together to form a new gaming consortium, Team SideWinder – sponsored by Microsoft New Zealand. 

Set to take online gaming to a new level, Team SideWinder is the first company-sponsored gaming team to span multiple formats, games and genres in New Zealand.  

Team SideWinder co-founder Russell Goulter says, “Working with Microsoft and joining with teams Parallax and NewTypE ensures growth and expandability into all formats and games. “We’re aiming to become the biggest gaming team and community in NZ and having the backing of a corporate ‘parent’ like Microsoft will help us to achieve this goal.” 

The announcement coincides with Microsoft Hardware’s 25^th Anniversary, celebrating 25 years of design innovation as well as a new line-up of ground-breaking hardware products such as the SideWinder gaming mouse (available in November). 

Microsoft New Zealand CPXG product marketing manager Danica Aitken says, “We’re stoked about the new Team SideWinder gaming team. All three teams under the Team SideWinder umbrella are well-known in the Kiwi elite gaming community and we’re very happy to support such a dedicated group of gamers.” 

The sponsorship enables the team to use the SideWinder brand and provides them with the best gaming gear Microsoft has to offer such as the SideWinder mouse, Reclusa keyboard and Habu mouse. The team will also represent Microsoft at premium gaming events such as xLAN 2008. 

Together, Microsoft and Team SideWinder hope to promote online gaming in New Zealand and help support an already strong and growing community. 

Mitch Gitelman posted this yesterday

 

http://forums.shadowrun.com/forums/thread/126659.aspx 

 

I guess the business reasons behind this move will never be know publically, but from this gamers point of view it just disappointing and sad.  FASA produced some great games before and after joining Microsoft.  Their Xbox games were easy to pick up, but hard to master and marked some important milestones in Xbox history.  Mechassault was one of the first titles available for Xbox Live and provided a great multiplayer experience; Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge was critically aclaimed and rightly so, it is still the best arcade flight combat game on Live bar none.  Last of all there was Shadowrun, the first cross-platform game for the Xbox 360 and Games for Windows - Live.  Another great Multiplayer experience, if you haven't got it already do your self a favor and pick it up.

 

Sad news indeed.  For me this is up there with the sale and eventual closure of Indie Bulit - I'm still crying about that one.

 

 

Yep, the Digital Cave has had a make-over.  We are now five weeks away from what is the biggest game launch this year - Halo 3.  Well that and the fact that I made a flying visit to Sydney last week to attend the Bungie Developers Tour make this theme doubly appropriate.

I left Auckland late Thursday afternoon and strong head winds over the Tasman meant I was slightly late to the event at the Hoyts Multiplex, Moore Park.  The Xbox AU team had booked the Directors Suite, where Bungie's Frank O'Conner and Lars Bakken were demoing Halo 3 to the Australian media and Xbox Community.  The 90 or so attendees had been split into two groups - Reds and Blues and I was a "blue" - the second group.  So the only thing I missed was a Heineken or two.  Before Frank and Lars started, one of the Xbox AU staff announced the release date for the Halo LE console - Sept 20th - and then it was onto what everyone had come to see.  First up Lars and Frank played some co-op on the Tsavo highway level of the campaign, which looked intense.  They were playing on Heroic difficulty, but Bungie seem to have packed a greater number of enemies into the single player game.  "packed" is probably the wrong word as the environments are large.  Next Lars demoed the saved film feature which has been vastly improved over what we had with the Halo 3 Multiplayer beta earlier this year.  You can save footage from anything - campaign, Live play, Forge - and then go anywhere in it.  The potential with this is huge, expect Youtube/Soapbox and other sites to be Flooded with Halo 3 vids from the 25th on.  Like the party system in Halo 2, I expect Halo 3s Theater to set new standards in gaming on the 360.  Imagine if the same options were available in a game like Forza 2 (screen shots will naturally be savable too - and you'll upload them to Bungie.net at twice the resolution they display on your 360).

The crowd got stuck into the Multiplayer, including "Narrows" - announced for the first time at the event, "Last Resort" (an updated Zanzibar) and Sandtrap (a large open map with plenty of vehicles).  A couple of NRL players showed up to play a charity match with Frankie (leading the Reds) for the Red Cross and Lars (leading the blues) for the Win a Wish Foundation.  The Blues won and $1000 went to the Win a Wish Foundation (quickly doubled to $2000 by Regional Manager David McLean).  The gaming continued as did Frankie and Lars press interviews.  They had been conducting interviews during the day at a room in the Hilton (the relaxation suite) which is where I headed as the event came to a close.

Friday morning I headed out to Microsoft HQ where Frankie and Lars were demoing Halo 3 to MS Australia staff through out the day.  Not surprisingly, they got to see more then what was shown to the Aussie press.  NDA prevents me from commenting further.  It was great hanging out with the Bungie guys and Krafty Kid and Pidgeo, We chatted in between showings and played plenty of Halo 3. 

Like millions of other I've been hanging out to "finish the fight" and September 25th can't come soon enough.  I really appreciate the chance to take a early look, big thanks to the Xbox ANZ team for making it possible.