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• Silly PSN, clean your disc and retry later

  by Beau King July 3rd 2008 9:56 AM EDT1 Comments

  
  

  Hardy fanboys have their own place on this earth; places where I try not venture to. Nonetheless, I stand in defense of my console when push comes to shove. Today is one which the gloves come out.

  Normally when the competition faces issues with firmware updates or game releases not a peep will come from this direction. Therefore, when it was announced that Sony pulled the 2.4 firmware update that will supposedly bring PSN up to and beyond Live mere hours upon release I felt some sympathy. Xbox Live has suffered its fair share of update dilemmas as well.

  Soon after the sympathy manifested itself into a wry smile upon reading a recent comment by PSN head honcho Eric Lempel concerning the competitors’ UI. He basically jabs at the search functionality of the current systems in the market. Admittedly the Dashboard is at fault here, but at least ours works; amirite? It’s harder than it looks to integrate all the bells and whistles into such a complex system. I suggest Eric focus on those Blu-Ray firmware improvements more for now and wait ‘til the spring update to benchmark.

• A $39.99 Banjo-Kazooie 3?

  by Beau King July 3rd 2008 8:08 AM EDT2 Comments

  
  Contrary to the recent talk of Xbox360’s fleeting share and influence in the console war things are actually quite well. Much is still in store for the system. In terms of titles and exclusives, Microsoft is sitting pretty. Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Fallout 3, a list of JRPG’s and more are scheduled for release. There are actually so many big hitters coming out that MS may feel the need to take a different approach when it comes to the rest of the list.

  Surprisingly GameStop has leaked a price point for Bajo Kazooie 3 and Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise that hovers at $39.99. This could be really good news for us near impoverished types, but begs the question of why. These are by no means B-listers. Nevertheless, it’s not final and MS is making sure that point is clear.

• Proposed dashboard updates

  by Beau King July 2nd 2008 8:41 AM EDT1 Comments

  The Xbox360 Dashboard, one of the reasons our beloved platform stays superior to the competition. Since its inception in ’05 the dashboard has gone through a few updates and maintenance tweaks. Nonetheless, it has basically kept its same look. A look that to many may seem outdated.

  Most of us will complain that it is so, but not do anything about it. One gamer however actually took the time to analyze and rearrange aspects of the dashboard to increase appearance and usability. Mik of platformnation has some pretty neat ideas that Microsoft may want to look at. I only disagree with the ad space allotment he gave, which is no way going to be approved by the giant.

  In lieu of Mik’s efforts kotaku is also reporting a rumor of a dashboard update complete with an updated look. Apparently the new dashboard may have a minority report type feel to it that will port us into a more 3D experience. This experience is to be controlled by the alleged mii-mote or some derivation allowing the user to fluidly glide through the system.

  Until that lil’ piggy flies by my window I’ll have to remain skeptical about either coming into fruition. Both ideas are fun to juggle through the mind though.

• Who is Heading to Rock Band?

  by Ryan Ladota July 1st 2008 12:22 PM EDT0 Comments

  Well Rock Band fans, you can add yet another band to the sup...depository of songs on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Harmonix has announced that The Who will have songs off their "Live at Leeds" album released for Rock Band. These songs are just the beginning. Harmonix also expects more than a dozen other songs to be added to the Rock Band catalog on July 15th. "Amazing Journey," "Baba O'Reily" and "Sea & Sand" can all be yours for $1.99 per track or $19.99 for the whole album.

• Battlefield: Bad Company giveaway

  by Beau King July 1st 2008 7:46 AM EDT0 Comments

  
  The best things in life are free, sho 'nuff. Even better is when they're given away in a contest style format. Double win. Therefore, if our review of BFBC didn't create enough of a spark to get you out to the nearest Best Buy, we present another option. Planet Battlefield is literaly giving away copies of the newest title. The only catch is having to sign up for a free account and then backtracking to submit a query.
  
  Beware however, you can only submit once. Also, only 5 copies exist. Nonetheless, if you win that's $60 less bucks or around $25 trade-in at GameStop.
  

• Soulcalibur hits XBLA tomorrow

  by Mustafa Unal July 1st 2008 2:26 AM EDT0 Comments

  Well, I’ve picked up a HORI fighting stick for my 360 just to play titles like this and the Xbox Original Guilty Gear X2, so you can tell I’m looking forward to this classic. Soulcalibur will be available tomorrow for 800 Microsoft points, or Wednesday 2nd of July in case your time zone is different from mine, which it probably is.
  
  Be sure to give the trial a go if you’ve never taken this old beauty out for a spin before, though I imagine the majority of gamers will be those of us who want to relive our old Dreamcast days. There's also some new DLC for Wits & Wagers tomorrow, but I really don't give a shit.

• Xbox 360 sheds another $50

  by Beau King June 30th 2008 8:12 AM EDT1 Comments

  Michael Pachter is a highly touted analyst for the gaming industry for reasons unknown. Every month he looks into the crystal ball and makes some prediction as to which console will be victor. His best moments come as common sense analyses my grandmother could make. His latest is that high console prices make for slow sales. Thanks pal.

  Coincidentally however, he announces this just in time for news of another price cut by Microsoft higher-ups. Apparently a “major retailer” confirms a cut of $50 dollars taking the 20GB system down to $299. This basically enables some buyers to actually buy a game with purchase of their system. Even then, the reduction probably isn’t enough to stimulate sales all that much.

• Rock Band 2: oh no really?

  by Beau King June 30th 2008 7:47 AM EDT2 Comments