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.

 

Microsoft have a site up to promote the Microsoft Intelli Mouse Explorer 3.0  http://www.ri53aga1n.com/ 

 

I don't have one of these in my mouse collection, but apparently a lot of gamers swear by them.  They are about $50NZ cheaper then the Habu and I'll probably ended up picking one up, not that I need another mouse (gaming or otherwise).

 

I love the audio on the site and am even tempted to grab the stencil and do some tagging outside some PC LANs (coloured hair spray for easy removal of course). 

 

Yeah, I'm sad.  But it is Sunday.

 

 

Another story on Chris Butcher appeared in the April issue of Massey University's Alumni mag.  Massey have just posted it online.

 

 

I meet Chris's parents at the Halo 2 launch party in 2004, very cool people.  Peter really liked my Xbox Live T shirt, if I'd had a jacket with me I probably would have given him the shirt.

 

 

I've spent a good chunk of the long weekend playing around with XNA Game Studio Express after I spotted this on the blog of my friend and fellow MVP Mykre.

 

That's right, the good people at Rare were involved in the launch of XNA GSE 1.0 in the UK and now they've made the samples from the launch events available to the public via the UK XNA Users Group.  I think its great to see 1st party (professional) developers getting involved with XNA like this and sharing their knowledge with the community.  If you're already using/learning/playing with XNA make sure you check these out (Knight In A Room is a particular favorite).

 

I'm aware of only two kiwi developers who are (publically) coding games using XNA, if you know of more I'd love to here about them.

 

 

The Asian Dynasties expansion pack was announced a couple of weeks back.  The fact that there was going to be one probably didn't surprise many, expansion packs have always been part of the Age series and IMO have been well worth the purchase.  The surprise comes with the news that The Asian Dynasties will be a collaboration with Big Huge Games (Rise of Nations, Rise of Legends and most recently Catan on XBLA).  This can only mean good things, both developers have a solid history with the RTS genre and I like the fact that it strengthens the relationship between Big Huge Games and Microsoft Games Studios.  While they aren't a 1st party studio, all of BHG's releases so far have been published by MGS (BHG announced in May the development of a multiplatform RPG to be published by THQ). 

 

Microsoft tend to back winners in the games space and I don't like seeing sucessful partnerships fade into the ether - Gas Powdered Games (Dungeon Seige) went on the produce Supreme Commander with THQ and Relic (Impossible Creatures) went on to produce a string of hits including the underrated Outfit for the Xbox 360 also published by THQ.  Around the same time as the Dynasties annoucement Sigil Games Online (Vanguard: Saga of Heroes) and Sony Online Entertainment jointly announced the acquisition of the former by the later.  This shouldn't have been a complete surprise (despite Brad McQuaid's feelings about SOE's handling of EverQuests online community) following the May 06 announcement that Sigil had parted ways with MGS and switched to SOE.  The details will probably never be know publically, but I suspect Brad didn't like the direction he was being headed in.  Vanguard was a flagship title for XNA and as such, I think Microsoft saw it as the 360's first cross-platform MMORPG, clearly Brad didn't.  One wonders if a "creative advisor" could stop Vanguard being ported to the Playstation 3 if Sony chose that path?

 

Any who, I'm looking forward to Asian Dynasties and a continuing partnership between Ensemble and Big Huge Games.  I'm confident the two will bring something "fresh and unique for gamers" and once it and Halo Wars are out then surely it must be time for one or both of these studios to bring us a cross-platform (Generals and Grunts) RTS.

 

 

 

 

There are only two TV programs I follow these days, Heroes and Jericho.  Both are coming to the end of the first season here (we are a couple of weeks behind the US).

 

Apparently CBS have cancelled Jericho and people aren't happy... link

 

24,000 pounds of nuts, that's a lot of peanut butter.  Fingers crossed it has an effect.

 

 

 

 

 

New Zealand online gaming team reigns supreme
after trans-Tasman clash

 

New Zealand gaming clan Online Gaming Addicts
are the Australasian Battlefield 2 champions

 

 

Auckland, New Zealand – May 23, 2007 – Top New Zealand online gaming team, Online Gaming Addicts (OGA), has won a major trans-Tasman tournament – the Telstra BigPond Game Arena Battlefield 2 10 v 10 Ladder Competition.

 

The Microsoft-sponsored Kiwis defeated Australian team, Anarchy Krew ^ (Team aK) with a final score of 27-21.

 

Last night’s grand final is described as the biggest upset in the history of the Game Arena Battlefield 2 ladder. OGA’s smashing win ensured their number one ranking in the ladder against 75 teams registered in the competition. 

 

”We’re stoked with the win,” says OGA co-founder Russell Goulter. “We went into the match as underdogs and defeated Team Anarchy Krew, who were on a 13-0 winning streak and had never lost a round, let alone a match.

 

”It was the ultimate trans-Tasman showdown with a New Zealand vs Australia final. All of the Kiwi gaming teams were supporting OGA for the upset – and we delivered!”

 

Online Gaming Addicts are sponsored by Microsoft New Zealand and were chosen for their proven track record in Australia and New Zealand. The team includes members from across the country.

 

Danica Aitken, product marketing manager for Microsoft Hardware New Zealand, says, “We are thrilled with the result – OGA has done us proud.

 

“It’s great to see a Kiwi team defeating our cousins across the ditch – this result also helps put the NZ competitive gaming community on the map as a force to be reckoned with.”

 

The joint venture will see OGA utilise Microsoft’s high-end gaming gear such as the Habu mouse and Reclusa keyboard, and represent Microsoft at premier gaming events such as xLan 2007, the largest gaming tournament in New Zealand which attracts upwards of 700 competitors.

 

Together, Microsoft and OGA hope to promote competitive online gaming in New Zealand and help support and develop Kiwi gaming’s profile on the world stage.

 

<edit>  About OGA from the press release

About Online Gaming Addicts

The Online Gaming Addicts (OGA) Online Gaming Team www.ogaclan.com was formed in July 2004.  It was formed as a result of the fast growing online internet gaming trend where groups of computer gamers would gather and form a team to compete in competition events and competition ladders hosted by Internet Service Providers and Technology companies.

 

OGA is one of the largest, well known Online Gaming Teams in New Zealand.  OGA currently has 27 players in its team line up.  Team members are from all over New Zealand – Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Dunedin, Whangarei, Palmerston North, Hamilton and Oamaru. 

 

OGA prides itself in being a mature team and most players range between 20 and 30 years of age. Members and potential applicants must show they are team players with serious and mature attitudes

 

Check the ABC's... "Yes", the Digital Cave does still have a pulse even if its only me checking that the power is still on.  Since my new policy of avoiding just posting press releases came into effect I've been flat out with work and home and as time allows a huge amount of content of the Xbox Live Marketplace, hence the lack of comment here.

 

In the past couple of weeks Xbox Live gamers have had plenty of choices, New "old" GRAW 2 maps; a second map pack for Gears of War - hot on the heels of the Annex "title update" (the new name for an auto update that has more then just bug fixes); there was a title update and free and premium content for Crackdown (making it the third game to take advantage of the new standards for gamerscore and achievements); there was the Command and Conquer 3 demo, which I downloaded and didn't even play before deleting it to make way for the Forza Motorsport 2 demo and the Halo 3 beta and there are still great new arcade titles releasing every Wednesday night, including Catan which might just get my pick for Arcade GOTY (at the moment I'm torn between this and Jetpac Refuelled).

 

Traditionally a quite time of the year for game releases, the last fortnight or so has really proven the value of the Marketplace to me.  a taste of things to come (Forza and the Halo beta) and new content to freshen up some titles we've already got.

 

Unfortunately, I'm away from home (for work) for a couple of days over the next couple of weeks, but when I am about I'll make sometime to post here about what I've been playing and so on (XNA GSE got a refresh back in April and I haven't mentioned that yet).

 

 

 

Want to be the first-ever Xbox 360 Pac-Man^® World Champion?

Xbox announces the Pac-Man World Championship on Xbox LIVE Arcade
– one lucky Kiwi or Aussie gamer could be munching their way to New York City

 

 

AUCKLAND 20 April 2007 –  Microsoft Corp. and NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. have made video game history by announcing the first-ever Xbox 360™ Pac-Man World Championship.

 

From April 25 to May 9, Kiwi fans of one of the most beloved games of all time will have the opportunity to become the Pac-Man World Champion by playing the game via Xbox LIVE^® Arcade along with the Xbox LIVE online gaming community of more than six million members.

 

Drawn from the best players in the Xbox 360 regions of Australia/New Zealand, Asia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Europe and the United States, nine finalists will advance to the finals based upon the highest Xbox LIVE Arcade leaderboard scores and be flown to New York City for the finals on June 5. The winner will be crowned the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Champion by Toru Iwatani, the creator of Pac-Man.

 

Since launching in 1980 in Japan and in 1981 around the world, Pac-Man and its host of ghosts have become global pop culture icons. Pac Man played an instrumental role in establishing the video game industry in the ’80s, while the launch of Xbox LIVE in 2002 was a key factor behind the rapid growth in popularity of online gaming.

 

Today, Xbox LIVE Arcade is the premier online destination for digitally distributed, high-definition games – with more than 25 million downloads – offering Pac-Man fans across the globe a great opportunity to connect, compete and enjoy the fun through the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship.

 

Xbox NZ product marketing manager Tom Hunt says, “Pac-Man is the ultimate classic game that appeals to all ages – thousands of Kiwis will have a ‘Pac-Man heritage’.

 

“The Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship is a great incentive for fans old and new to start munching those power pills and fall in love with this iconic game all over again.”

 

He adds, “Pac-Man has been an extremely popular download on Xbox LIVE Arcade Marketplace and the competition for a spot in the Pac-Man World Championship will be hugely contested – I really want to see a Kiwi gamer representing us in the finals in the Big Apple.

 

“The tournament is open to all Xbox LIVE Silver members (Xbox LIVE Silver membership is complimentary with Xbox 360) and downloading Pac-Man from Xbox LIVE Arcade costs just 400 Microsoft Points – that’s less than $7 and you could be winging your way to New York!”

 

The Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Champion will gain a place in gaming history from being the first-ever Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Champion and The winner of the finals will also receive other great prizes, including 100,000 Microsoft^® Points for games, movies and other content available on Xbox LIVE, and a one-of-a-kind Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system featuring a design inspired by Pac-Man.

Participation information and timeline:

·             Gamers who want to start practicing can download Pac-Man for Xbox 360 (400 Microsoft Points) now from Xbox LIVE Arcade.

·             Starting April 25, 2007, at 12.01pm NZST, gamers can visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com to register and review full eligibility criteria, regulations and rules.

·             Also on April 25, 2007, at 12.01pm NZST, the worldwide competition will officially kick off on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

·             Previous leaderboard scores for Pac-Man will be deleted to provide a clean and fair slate for all gamers participating in the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship.

·             On May 10, 2007, at 11:59am NZST, the competition will officially close and nine finalists from the identified regions, based on the top leaderboard scores,* will advance to the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship final.

·             These nine finalists will then be announced before June 1, 2007.

·             On June 5^th finalists will compete for the title of Pac-Man World Champion in New York.

From April 25, 2007, Kiwi gamers can sign up for the Pac-Man World Championships at http://www.xboxlivetournament.com and proudly represent their country. Also on the site will be a complete list of participating countries and country-specific eligibility criteria, rules and regulations.

 

AUCKLAND, April 11, 2007 — Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios today confirmed the multiplayer beta of Halo^® 3 will debut to audiences worldwide via Xbox LIVE^® online game service on Thursday May 17 at 12am NZST and run through Thursday June 7 at 6.59pm NZST.

 

Coming exclusively to the Xbox 360™ console this spring, Halo 3 is the highly anticipated third chapter in the groundbreaking Halo trilogy from legendary developers Bungie. Halo 3 lets gamers experience Master Chief’s greatest battle as he launches an epic mission to stop the Covenant, destroy the impending Flood threat and ultimately save mankind.

 

Made possible through Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE gaming and entertainment network, which provides a robust online service for more than 6 million gamers worldwide, the multiplayer beta for Halo 3 will give anxious Xbox 360 gamers their first opportunity to get their hands on the new levels, weapons, vehicles and game types, as well as a chance to provide valuable data that Bungie will use in continued development.

 

Starting May 17 (NZ), gamers who secured their admission to the multiplayer beta by purchasing a specially marked copy of Crackdown™ for Xbox 360 will be able to don their Spartan armour, download the beta on Xbox LIVE, and jump online using their Xbox LIVE Gold account* to battle other gamers from around the world.

 

When gamers gather online to play the multiplayer beta via Xbox LIVE in May, they will be treated to three richly detailed, action-oriented maps: Snowbound, High Ground and Valhalla, which represent a mixture of large- and medium-scale combat environments and are brand-new to Halo 3. Each map will test gamers’ mettle as they are placed behind the controls of new Halo 3 vehicles such as the agile Mongoose all-terrain vehicle, and armed with deadly weapons such as the new and improved Assault Rifle, the ferocious Brute Spiker, the devastating Spartan Laser and the treacherous new Spike Grenades. This is just a taste of what gamers will experience later this year when Halo 3 goes on sale.

 

“Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 changed the face of console gaming forever,” says Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios. “Gamers from around the world have logged more than 800 million hours on Xbox LIVE playing Halo 2, and years after its launch it remains the No. 1 title on our Xbox LIVE network. Bringing an early look at the multiplayer elements of Halo 3 to our passionate fan base is tremendously exciting for us.”

 

NZ Gamers interested in joining the multiplayer beta of Halo 3 can participate by purchasing the critically acclaimed Xbox 360 title Crackdown, which was launched in February. Crackdown sets players loose in a free-form, persistent city for action-packed crime fighting that requires a bigger, faster and stronger hero that evolves as a more efficient weapon through continued gameplay. Copies of Crackdown have been specially marked with a Halo 3 beta sticker prior to the beta period.  Starting May 17 (NZ) the game will act as a key for those gamers who have purchased a specially marked copy of Crackdown to download and participate in the Halo 3 multiplayer beta.

 

In addition, gamers who can’t wait for the multiplayer beta this May can get an even earlier look at Halo 3 with a new, behind-the-scenes video feature available at http://www.bungie.net and in high definition over Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Starting today, viewers can go behind the scenes at Bungie Studios to learn about the people, technology and process that are making Halo 3 an unforgettable multiplayer experience, and to get a taste of what to expect from the upcoming Halo 3 multiplayer beta. The latest multiplayer video documentary, titled Is Quisnam Protero Damno!, will offer a glimpse at how Halo 3 multiplayer maps are being designed, built and architected, and how these amazing spaces are converted into fun places in which to play. Gamers can also catch a glimpse of brand-new Halo 3 multiplayer levels in their early stages of evolution and construction.

 

This was actually yesterdays news and I've been trying to avoid just posting press release, but what the hey. 

Should be interesting, but I'm going to need to clear some space off my HDD before the 17th.  I've currently got only 182Mb of available space (234Mb if you count my memory unit).  Yes, I will be purchasing the 120Gb HDD as soon as its released in NZ.

 

 

Confirmed today by Microsoft's press release, the "Spring" 07 System Update for the Xbox 360 will intergrate your Xbox Live friends list and you Live Messenger contacts.  If you're like me and a good number of your friends are Xbox 360 owners then you'll find this new most pleasing.

 

Less pleasing is the leaked video footage of the new dash in action, apparently from GameSpot.  Don't they know what "embargo" means?  It's been said before and I guess its true - it is a complement or atleast positive that so many people seem interested in getting info on what's happening next with the Xbox 360.

 

Of the other listed features, the "richer Achievement notification" is the one I'm most happy about.  Yeah, I'm one of those people who hits the guide button (even in mutliplayer) everytime I get the notification, So this will be sweet - no more self inflicted interuptions.

 

More details on the update can be found here, roll on Spring.

 

 

Celebrities game for Make-A-Wish®

Customised Xbox 360 consoles signed by Russell Crowe, Peter Jackson, Shane Warne and The Wiggles go under the hammer for charity

 

SYDNEY 20 March 2007 – To celebrate the Xbox 360™ console’s first birthday in Australia, customised consoles signed by some of Australia’s biggest celebrity names such as Russell Crowe, Peter Jackson and Shane Warne are about to go under the virtual hammer on internet auction site eBay to raise cash for the Make-A-Wish foundation.

 

The campaign, called Konsoles for Kids, kicks off this week with the first round of consoles up for grabs on eBay from March 23. The star studded array of Xbox 360 consoles will be auctioned off on a weekly basis with some of the first available including Oscar winner Russell Crowe and racing legends Mark Skaife and Craig Lowndes.

 

The consoles will be air-brushed with a portrait image of the celebrity by renowned artist Wayne Harrison.  The lucky winners of each auction will receive the customised console, which will also be signed by the celebrity.

 

The block-buster line-up participating celebrities include:

• Award winning movie maker Peter Jackson
• Oscar winner Russell Crowe
• Legendary kids entertainers The Wiggles, featuring the all-new Yellow Wiggle
• Sporting greats Shane Warne, Sonny Bill Williams and Andrew Johns
• Motorsport legends Mark Skaife and Craig Lowndes
• Australia’s favourite face Megan Gale
• WBA Super-Middleweight world champion Anthony Mundine
• Bungie studios, the makers of upcoming Xbox 360 blockbuster game Halo^® 3

 

In addition to the money that is raised on eBay, Microsoft Australia has pledged to donate $1000 to Make-A-Wish for every customised Xbox 360 console that goes under the virtual hammer.

 

David McLean, Regional Director, Xbox Australia and New Zealand, is hoping the celebrity pull of the Konsoles for Kids campaign will have gamers clambering for their piece of the Xbox 360 birthday action.  “We are ecstatic to be able to support a great charity like Make-A-Wish and, at the same time, celebrating the fruits of our very successful year in Australia.”

 

“We have no idea how high the bidding will go for each console, but we are aiming to raise $30,000 from the campaign and I am pretty confident that all the consoles will generate a fair amount. Our pledge to donate $1000 for every console auctioned will alone raise some much needed funds for Make-A-Wish.”

 

Sandy Brattstrom, CEO of Make-A-Wish says “Make-A-Wish Foundation of Australia is proud to be associated with Xbox.  The money raised will go a long way towards making many more spectacular wishes come true for children with life threatening illnesses.”

 

To get involved and place your bid, go to www.xbox.com.au/charityauction.

 

- ends -

 

Three editions of one of 2007’s most anticipated games are coming this spring;
 first details of bonus content and collectibles announced

 

AUCKLAND 20 March 2007 – Microsoft^® Game Studios and Bungie Studios today confirmed the release of three editions of one of this year’s most anticipated video games Halo^® 3. New Zealand gamers will be able to choose between three versions of Halo 3: Standard, Limited, and the ultimate collector’s item – the Legendary Edition.

 

The Legendary Edition ($199.95 RRP) will be released in limited quantities and arrive in a highly collectible Spartan helmet case that no hardcore Halo fan should be without! Included in the Legendary Edition are two bonus discs packed full of extra content.

 

The first disc provides exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage and videos and includes a high-definition* ‘Making Of Halo 3’ documentary that showcases the Bungie team and its effort to create the most anticipated title in the industry’s history.

 

And never before seen on a video game, the disc will also include an AV calibration tool. Custom designed by the Halo 3 graphics and audio team, this tool will make the most of fans’ high definition home theatres, for the ultimate Halo 3 and Xbox 360™ audio and video performance.

 

The second bonus disc, an exclusive to the Legendary Edition, includes completely re-mastered cinematic material from Halo^®: Combat Evolved and Halo^® 2, complete with developer commentaries, to provide a refresher course on the thrilling Halo story so far. This disc will also include a feature documenting a day in the life at Bungie and exclusive content from the creative minds of machinima artists Red vs. Blue and This Spartan Life.

 

Fans who purchase the Legendary Edition also receive an illuminating collection of original Halo 3 storyboard art from artist Lee Wilson, depicting key moments and pivotal scenes from Halo’s epic cinematic production.

 

The Limited Edition ($119.95 RRP) also includes a bounty of extras. Within a sleek metal collector’s case, gamers will receive the first bonus disc found in the Legendary Edition, as well as a special Halo fiction/art book. A must-have for Halo collectors and a source of invaluable and exclusive information, the piece is an elaborate and compelling guide to the species and factions that inhabit the worlds of the Halo universe. It includes never-before-seen art and story that expands and illustrates the depth of the Halo fiction.

 

And for those who crave nothing more than the highly anticipated third chapter to one of the greatest gaming trilogies of all time, the Standard Edition ($99.95) includes the Halo 3 game.

 

Halo 3 represents the third chapter in the Halo trilogy – an international award-winning action series that has grown into a global entertainment phenomenon, selling more than 14.7 million units worldwide, logging over 800 million hours of multiplayer action on Xbox LIVE^® and spawning action figures, books, a Marvel comic book series, apparel and more.

 

 

LIVE unites Xbox and PC gamers in one global online community

 Halo 2, Shadowrun and UNO bring LIVE to Games for Windows

 

AUCKLAND, 15 March 2007 – Microsoft Corp. today announced the extension of the Xbox LIVE^® online games and entertainment network to the Windows^® platform, bringing the online console game service and the most popular games platform in the world together.

 

The first Windows title to support LIVE arrives in May with Halo^® 2 for Windows Vista^TM, followed by Shadowrun in June and UNO releasing later in the year.

 

With the launch of Halo 2 for Windows Vista in May, Windows gamers will join more than six million members already in the LIVE community. LIVE members will have a single identity, a single gamertag, a single friends list and a single list of achievements attainable on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system and a Windows-based PC.

 

Then, launching in June, Shadowrun will for the first time connect Windows gamers with Xbox 360 players in cross-platform matches using a single service. Xbox 360 and Windows gamers with a LIVE Gold subscription will be able to challenge each other in online combat to decide what is mightier: the PC mouse and keyboard or the Xbox 360 controller.

 

UNO, releasing later in 2007, will also support cross-platform play between Windows and Xbox 360.

 

As a single, unified service, the pricing of the LIVE service across Xbox 360 and Games for Windows is identical. There is no cost associated with signing up for a Silver membership. Gold memberships will deliver the premium online network experience for $79.95 per year. Existing LIVE members can access their account and the full functionality of the service on both platforms at no additional cost. Current Xbox LIVE Gold members will automatically have access to Gold features on Games for Windows — LIVE titles.

 

Silver Membership Features

·         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

·         All Silver membership features

·         Multiplayer matchmaking with friends

·         TrueSkill™ matchmaking

·         Multiplayer achievements

·         Cross-platform gameplay

 

These games make up the first wave of titles to support the LIVE service for gaming:

 

·         Halo 2 for Windows Vista (Microsoft^® Game Studios). Release date: 17 May 2007. The highly anticipated title brings Master Chief to Windows Vista and is the first Games for Windows title to incorporate the LIVE service. Windows Vista gamers will be able to challenge each other in PC-to-PC multiplayer matches and earn achievements for the first time in the Halo franchise, as well as communicate via voice or text with other LIVE members. The visually enhanced classic includes an all-new Map Editor, which will allow for new content and greater game customisation. Halo 2 will be playable with mouse and keyboard or the Xbox 360 Controller for Windows.

·         Shadowrun (Microsoft Game Studios). Release date: June 2007. The intense first-person shooter will let gamers rewrite the rules of engagement as they vie for supremacy in an experience that rewards cleverness, cunning and split-second improvisation through a unique combination of modern weapons, ancient magic and advanced technology. The first title to connect both Windows Vista and Xbox 360 gamers in cross-platform competition will let up to 16 players battle online. Cross-platform play will require Gold level membership on the LIVE gaming and entertainment network.

·         UNO (Carbonated Games/Mattel Inc.). Release date: 2007. The classic party card game that’s a No. 1 hit on Xbox LIVE Arcade is also coming to Windows Vista. Gamers will be able to compete via LIVE against three other players on the Xbox 360 or Windows Vista platforms to match colors and symbols and be the first to play every single card in this award-winning game. For gameplay today, UNO is currently available on MSN^® Games, Messenger Games and Xbox LIVE Arcade.