GamerNode: Latest Xbox 360 News

Insider source says DLC coming to Too Human

In one of this season's "you love it or hate it games," Too Human by Silicon Knights, is rumored to be in the stages of having some DLC for the game.

An insider source revealed to GameXtract that there will be new armor sets and a bank that will appear on the first floor of Aisler.

Some of the new armor will be available for purchase with Microsoft points through Xbox Live while others can be obtained through buying the from within the game. The bank's function is to allow gamers to store or share items. The source said that future DLC will add four player co-op.

Too Human has received an average rating of 69% in the press while users generally rate it in the 70s-80s. See GamerNode's review on the game here.

[via gamextract]

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Microsoft tester fired for blowing whistle on RRoD...

The RRoD, or Red Ring of Death, is known to many Xbox 360 owners. The status message of the red LEDs means the console is fried and the console must be shipped back for repairs.

Nothing new here, but what is new is what Microsoft did to one of its contract testers--they fired him for divulging information about how the 360 was ripe with problems, thus confirming that Microsoft knew all along about the occurrences of RRoD in its machine before and during its release.

Robert Delaware gave his story to VentureBeat about what he experienced during his time as a tester (2005-2007) for Microsoft. He was fired on Wednesday and now expects to be sued by VMC, the outside vendor that hired him to test Microsoft games. The VentureBeat article went into detail about Microsoft's problems with the manuf...

• (12)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Full Guitar Hero: World Tour track list

With the release of Rock Band 2 this weekend (and for some folks last Tuesday) it's time to re-enter Music Game Fever as EA and Activision prepare to compete for your hard-earned dollars this holiday season with Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour.

Boasting a full band for the first time in the franchise, the latest Guitar Hero will try to take a bite out of Rock Band's domination of the band genre for music games. (Is it a genre with two games in it?)

While we already know about the new features, song creation, new instruments, and all the other fun gameplay elements, what we don't know is if the songlist can compete with Rock Band 2. Until now.

Today, the full list of 86 tracks for Guitar Hero: World Tour has been released. Featuring a smattering of genres and decades, people will be...

• (8)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Full Mortal Kombat vs DC roster revealed

Today Midway has revealed the full list of characters for the upcoming Mortal Kombat vs DC game, aptly titled Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe. (Check out Eddie's hands-on here.) While most of the roster has been shown already, this marks the final day in their "reveal a few at a time!" campaign thus giving us the entire roster we get to play through when it finally comes out.

Representing the Mortal Kombat side: Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Sonya, Jax, Shang Tsung, Liu Kang, Raiden, Kitana, Kano, Baraka, Shao Khan.

Representing the DC Universe:  Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Catwoman, The Joker, Shazam, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Deathstroke, Lex Luthor, Darkseid.

While I'm glad to see people like Darkstroke and Shazam for DC, I'm still a little saddened at the lack of Green Arrow. Oh well, maybe he'...

• (9)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Ensemble Studios to close after Halo Wars

Microsoft will be shutting down Ensemble Studios following its completion of Halo Wars (early 2009) for the Xbox 360. Largely known for its RTS Age of Empires franchise, the studio was acquired by Microsoft in 2001.

According to Shacknews, the core Ensemble Studios team will form a separate new studio and continue support for Halo Wars and future projects with Microsoft Game Studios. Here's part of Microsoft's statement regarding the studio's closure:

"This was a fiscally-rooted decision that keeps MGS on its growth path. While the decision to dissolve Ensemble was not an easy one, Microsoft is working to place as many Ensemble employees who do not move to the newly formed studio into open positions within Microsoft as possible."

I found Age of Empires III and its two expansion packs to be ve...

• (3)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

360 120GB HDD heading for another price cut?

Two things that you'll usually hear complaints from in the Xbox 360 community concern the dreaded Red Ring of Death, and the high price of the add-on 120GB hard drive.

There can't be anything done for the RROD blues at the moment, but there is relief for the $180 priced drive.

Amazon is selling the 120 gig drive for only $149. That's still not exactly a bargain when off the shelf drives cost less than a hundred bucks, but a $30 price drop is better than none at all.

Microsoft has stated in the past that the expensive drive was due to proprietary features and software that needed to be loaded.

Since Microsoft has enacted price drops across the board for all of its Xbox 360 line, could another price drop for the 120GB drive be near?

• (3)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Dead Space to ship on October 14

Originally scheduled to ship on October 21, EA has just announced that they're pushing up Dead Space's release date. The sci-fi horror title will now ship October 14 on the Xbox 360 and PS3, a full week before the original date. (The PC version will still ship on the 21 - sorry PC gamers.) This marks the second time Dead Space's release has been pushed forward, as the game was first slated to release on Halloween.

One of the most anticipated games of the year, Dead Space takes place aboard an immense mining ship, the USG Ishimura. It has come into contact with alien life in a distance star system, and when communications with earth are suddenly cut off, engineer Isaac Clarke is sent to repair them. Obviously, things don't go as planned and he finds himself thrust into the middle of a livin...

• (3)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Halo 3 Mythic's new achievements

Just before PAX, pictures leaked of a behind-closed-doors Bungie room with a screen showing the title "Halo 3 Mythic." Apparently an online-only menu, almost nothing is known about the game. Was it the cancelled E3 announcement? Is it just a work-in-progress placeholder? Is it a surprise collaboration between Bungie and EA Mythic? The title is shrouded in so much mystery people aren't even sure if it's real, and Bungie's claim that it's "Nothing worth notice" doesn't do much to dissuade thoughts of possibility from running rampant.

While not much is officially known about the add-on/expansion/whatever-it's-officially-called yet, thanks to people at PAX who happened to check their Dashboard at Bungie's booth we do know that "Mythic" will add an additional 30 achievements to the game. Based o...

• (1)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Realtime Worlds cracks down on Crackdown DLC

Many gamers who purchased Crackdown also paid for the DLC that was offered not too long after the game was released. In the DLC package were new weapons, cars, new gameplay features, and new cop abilities.

Since then, fans have been clamoring for more DLC, but Realtime Worlds, the developer of Crackdown, says there won't be anymore.

Chris Dye, community manager at Realtime Worlds said:

"Unfortunately from a Realtime Worlds perspective there will not be any additional DLC for Crackdown; the company has moved onto our next Project, APB, and is 100% committed to that and other projects yet to be announced, and as such we are not in a position to work on any new Crackdown content."

Perhaps they can't work on any DLC at the moment because of time commitments, but that doesn't necessarily mean the...

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Far Cry 2 map editor is outrageous. NO limits

Two of a gamer's most sought after feelings are likely to be the ability to feel like God and the ability to destroy without moral or legal ramifications. Well, now it seems Far Cry 2 will fill both of these desires with its fabulous map editor.

When the words "map editor" are uttered, many gamers think of something akin to Halo 3's Forge, where gamers can "make there own levels" by moving around spawn points and weapons, nothing more. For the guys at Ubisoft, however, this just wasn't enough. So, they are giving gamers full control of their levels, giving tools that, before, were only available to level designers.

The map editor feature was demonstrated in a video where God like powers are shown off from raising mountains, carving river paths, and placing houses and vegetation to control...

• (5)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

GTA IV DLC to have 15 hours of gameplay

A story which appeared yesterday on RPG-TV described an insider source from Microsoft indicating that the upcoming DLC for Grand Theft Auto would have 15 hours of gameplay.

The story was pulled today with no explanation as to why. Microsoft and Rockstar Games have been very tight lipped about the DLC for GTA IV, and the story leaked by RPG-TV may have crossed the line as far as keeping any news of the downloadable content under embargo

The other possibility is that the story was just a rumor and the powers that be may have yanked the article.

At the moment, Microsoft and Rockstar have remained silent on the story. But if the rumor is true, a 15 hour addition to the storyline may be very good news for GTA IV fans who felt that the game ended rather abrutly and needed more fleshing out.

Regardl...

• (1)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Rumor: $199 motion controller Xbox 360 plus games

The term "Wii60" has been a running joke for several years in the gaming community. The term was coined in 2006 when Microsoft and Nintendo suggested that gamers could buy both of its systems for the price of the newly launched PS3, which retailed for an astounding $599.

But now, Microsoft may actually be introducing a real-life version of the Wii60, according to a rumor by  Xbox360fanboy. A marketing department insider at Microsoft says that the Xbox 360 Arcade bundle will be dropping in price to only $199. The price point is aimed directly at the Wii's relatively low price of $250.

The new Arcade version will sport the usual 360 without the hard drive, include a 512 memory card, preloaded game pack and a new motion controller. Motion controller? We thought that was the domain of the Wii. B...

• (1)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

TF2 updates coming to 360 (but you'll have to pay)...

As fans of TF2 know, one of the reasons the game has stayed great is the constant updating. New guns, food groups, and more keep the game fun,f resh, and (depending on your sense of humor) hilarious.

But what about the 360 owners of The Orange Box? Unfortunately, right now they're missing out. Fortunately, they won't have to miss out forever, as Valve's Doug Lombardi has revealed that eventually the company is going to bring the Team Fortress 2 updates to the Xbox 360. (No word on PS3 yet, sorry guys.)

Due to Microsoft's pricing structure, Valve won't be allowed to release the update for free. To try and make the pain of paying for free updates easier, Valve's waiting to package a big group of them together for the lowest price they'll be allowed to get away with, which will hopefully be n...

• (7)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Dyack: Too Human haters "just don't get it"

Silicon Knights' head honcho Denis Dyack never seems to be at a loss for words about any topic relating to the videogame industry. This is especially true of his team's latest game, Too Human, which is shaping up to be one big ball of controversy.

Already, the company is embroiled in a legal battle with Epic Games over the Too Human engine, and Dyack himself has started a small war with the NeoGAF message boards over the quality of the game.

His latest jab at select members of the gaming community came yesterday in an interview with The Official Xbox Magazine UK, when he explained that the people who don't like the game most likely just don't get its innovative gameplay and apparently complex themes. He said:

"I think we took for granted how innovative the game was. First of all, the demo got...

• (8)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Dad vs. Kids. Dad: 0, Kids: 0

A few months ago, a story was reported on GamerNode about a mom who had trouble with her son doing chores. Now, we have another situation with someone having a similar problem, but offering a decidedly different approach for the solution.

Ireport.com received a post from a mom that said she was having disciplinary problems with her three sons. Her husband had repeatedly warned his kids about unacceptable behavior while playing on the Xbox. We don't know how long this went on or what the kids were doing that was increasing dad's blood pressure, but he decided to take things into his own hands, literally.

Mom stated in the post:

"My husband had repeatedly warned our 3 boys about their behavior while playing the XBOX. Tuesday, after I arrived home from work, our oldest son told me to look in the...

• (16)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Gears of War 2 bundle offers Lancer rifle too!

Now look, we're all adults here. Ok, well sort of. Let's admit it, who has pretended to hold the Gears of War Lancer rifle in their hands while making the chainsaw sound as you slice through your friends or imaginary enemies? I see those hands. You can put them down now.

To fulfill your dreams, you can get the Gears of War 2 bundle. But wait, there's more! If you go over to the Amazon.com site and look up the Gears of War 2 bundle, not only will you get your eager little hands on a pre-order for the game, you'll also get a life-sized Lancer rifle replica that works!

Well, it doesn't shoot bullets, but it does have sound effects and vibrates when you pull the trigger. It also has side handles that fold in and out and slides back and forth. The Lancer is 36" long and about 10" tall. The rifle ...

• (11)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Infinite Undiscovery gameplay video

At E3 I had the chance to play a new Square Enix game that looked beautiful, but being an rpg that was trimmed down to just a few minutes of show floor gameplay, failed to leave a lasting impression on me. The fact that no photos or video could be taken at that time didn't help, either. 

That game is called Infinite Undiscovery, and it is coming exclusively to the Xbox 360 on September 1st from tri-Ace. Those are the folks behind the Valkyrie Profile and Star Ocean series, so least there is still hope that the game will be a little more impressive in the long run. Take a look at this gameplay clip:

• (3)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Castle Crashers price announced. It'll be cheaper

One of our staff writers, who will remain nameless, (I'm talking about you, Creighton) has had his skivvies in a knot since he first heard that Castle Crashers was going to be released.

The game has been delayed numerous times and wasn't expected to hit XBLA until next year. But it seems that the developer of the game shifted into high gear and the title will finally be in everyone's hot little hands by August of 2008. 

But the Dark Side was spreading rumors around that his beloved game would cost a wallet jarring 1800 Microsoft points to download it from Xbox Live Arcade. The rumors have been proven to be false as Castle Crashers' Dan Paladin said on the official website:

Hello everyone on the internet!

The price for Castle Crashers will be 1,200 Microsoft points. This month's only online mul...

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Gears of War 2 to have language and blood filters

Remember Gears of War? Remember how bloody and vulgar it is? Well the sequel will have just as much of that "mature" content, but this time will come equipped with optional filters to block it, as well.

The game has already received an M rating from the ESRB for "Blood and Gore," "Intense Violence," and "Strong Language," but Microsoft has told the gaming press that the included filters will let Xbox 360 users "turn the blood into sparks," "take out all the swear words," or both.

Honestly, what's the point of a violence filter? The game is violent, no matter what spews from the severed appendages of Marcus Fenix's slain enemies. Be it blood, green ooze, sparks, or butterflies--body parts are still getting blasted, torn, and sawed off all over the place. 

Regardless of that, hopefully this mak...

• (2)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Accessorize your Xbox 360 avatar... for a price?

Microsoft's recently announced Xbox 360 Avatars may very well be another moneymaker for the company, allowing 360 owners to purchase and download "accessories" for them. The Mii-like characters will be released alongside the new 360 dashboard update coming at the end of the year.

When questioned about additional Avatar customization and accessories, Microsoft's games corporate VP John Schappert responded:

"That may be in the future. In the near term, we want to launch these with great customization and a great library of accessories this fall. I think there is a lot more we can do with them. You will see us continue to add experiences that make use of the avatar. Our goal is not to create a sterile environment where you move furniture around. It's about how can we make our gaming experiences...

• (3)
• 
• 
• 
• 
•