via Games Industry


An updated version of Bungie's first-person shooter Marathon: Durandal is to be released over Xbox Live Arcade later this summer.

The game was originally released in 1995 for the Apple Mac, and is currently in development at Totemball studio Freeverse.

During Microsoft's E3 Media & Business Summit presentation, Jeff Bell, VP of marketing said Microsoft intends to release a total of 100 XBLA games on the service before the end of the year. ...

via Games Industry


Phil Harrison has told GamesIndustry.biz that Sony intended to set expectations incredibly high with its controversial E3 2005 trailer for Killzone 2 - and plans to exceed them with the finished product.

"It's a very important game because the anticipation was set so high, which we were conscious of - it was not accidental," Harrison told gi.biz following a presentation of the game in Santa Monica.

"It was important to demonstrate clearly that we have a real-time playable game that exceeds the expectations that we set for it."

Harrison said that Killzone 2 conveyed "the technical capability of the platform and the creative capability of the platform", and paid tribute to developer Guerrilla Games' "incredible skill and talent".

Killzone 2 would, he said, "deliver their original vision" when it launched exclusively on PlayStation 3. "For many reasons, it's an important product for us," he concluded.

The game, whose first in-game screenshot generated enormous interest when it was unveiled today, casts the player into a non-stop war against the semi-human Helghast, with Guerrilla telling journalists that the demo shown on Tuesday evening drew upon virtually all of the PS3's many important capabilities - including Blu-ray discs, which it said were necessary for the game to offer visual detail in depth. ...

via Games Industry


Disney ABC has joined Microsoft's Xbox Live Video Marketplace, offering movies for online rental in the US.

Titles from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures and Miramax Films will all be offered over the high-definition service.

"We're always looking for more ways to let people experience our films," said Dan Cohen, executive vice president of pay television and interactive media for Disney-ABC Domestic Television.

"With the millions of Xbox 360 consoles in living rooms today with a direct, high-speed internet connection, Xbox Live really has become a terrific device for the delivery of digital entertainment content."

At the E3 Media & Business Summit, Microsoft revealed that the popular online service will be coming to Europe before the end of the year ...

via Games Industry


Peter Moore has unveiled a new Halo 3 Special Edition Xbox 360 at the company's pre-E3 conference, backed with a plethora of new software announcements.

Games took centre stage at the press briefing, with Xbox boss Peter Moore boasting that, "This is the first E3 briefing in which every demo you see will be coming this year."

Setting the scene, Moore stated that the Xbox 360 has the largest install base of the next-generation home consoles, with 5.6 million units sold in the US. "Xbox 360 is driving this industry," he said.

"We're in a tight race with Wii, and outselling PS3 two to one," said Moore. "Xbox 360 is selling more games than anyone else."

Game demo's, rolling footage and clips of some of the most highly-anticipated titles were on display, including Halo 3, Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty 4, and Project Gotham Racing 4.

The Halo 3 Special Edition console was left until last, with Moore declaring, "We're announcing a new console for the Halo nation." It is expected to go on sale around the same time as the release of Bungie's shooter, due September 25.

But first-party offerings weren't just about content for the dedicated 360 fan, Microsoft's VP of marketing Jeff Bell came on stage to talk about the company's focus on the family audience.

Central to this was a spin-off from Rare's Viva Piñata, and a collaboration with DVD boardgame company Screenlife.

Viva Piñata: Party Animals is a mini-game compilation in development at Krome Studios, while Screenlife's Scene It? movie trivia game will make the jump to 360, complete with a specially-tailored buzzer peripheral.

Blockbuster gaming brands were on full show at the event – Activision's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare may be a multiformat title, but Microsoft has managed to tie-up an exclusive online beta test for Xbox consumers.

Games for Windows will benefit from new titles, including Viva Piñata and top-seller Gears of War, complete with new content and features. Games for Windows Live technology will also now be built into Epic's leading Unreal Engine 3 middleware.

Another first-party title, BioWare's Mass Effect, has been dated for November in the US, while EA Sports have promised that every title in its portfolio will now run at twice previous speeds on the Xbox 360.

Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV was shown, with Microsoft claiming the footage was captured on a Xbox 360, and Moore referring to 360's exclusive episodic content by stating, "Where the GTA IV experience stops on other platforms, it continues on Xbox 360."

A brief trailer was shown for Capcom's Resident Evil 5, “The only game that won't launch this year,” said Moore, with an full trailer promised for July 26.

Microsoft has also revealed that the Xbox 360 Elite will be coming to Europe and Canada August 24, with the Xbox Live Video Marketplace set to launch in the regions before the end of the year.

The Xbox 360's Live service now boasts over 7 million users, and is expected to reach around 10 million in the next 12 months. ...

via Games Industry


Membership of Microsoft's Xbox Live service has grown to over seven million users, the company has revealed.

And Microsoft now intends to ramp up the number of users with the hope of attracting 10 million punters by this time next year.

"Last year we said Xbox Live would grow to six million members. I'm happy to announce we've eclipsed the seven million mark," said Jeff Bell, on stage at the company's pre-E3 conference at the Santa Monica High School.

Bell boasted that the service is attracting one new Live member every 8 seconds.

"Before next year's E3, we're forecasting we will cross the 10 million mark," he said.

With a total of 45 million game downloads to date, the format-holder has also promised a total of 100 Xbox Live Arcade titles by the end of the year.

New titles on show during a demo reel at the event in included War World from Ubisoft, Hexic 2, and Codemasters' Sensible World of Soccer. ...

via Games Industry


Microsoft has revealed that the Xbox 360 Elite will launch in Europe and Canada August 24.

Speaking at Microsoft's pre-E3 conference in Santa Monica, VP of marketing Jeff Bell also stated that the Video Marketplace service will arrive in Europe before the end of the year.

"We're committed to bringing Xbox 360 to the world," offered Bell.

According to Microsoft, so far USD 125 million has been spent on Video Marketplace content in North America. The service offers over 2000 hours of content, from 28 different studios.

New to the offering is a partnership with Disney, with content from the leading movie studio added to the US service from today. ...

via Games Industry


John Yamamoto, president and CEO of Square Enix's European and North American subsidiaries, has warned that gamers may still think PS3 is too expensive despite the recently announced price cut.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz at the E3 Media and Business Summit Yamamoto said, "We're watching the hardware trends closely and also the marketing strategy of the platform holders.

"I think USD 500 for PS3 is still a bit expensive for most gamers. Most of them think that price is still high."

Sony announced that the price of PS3 will come down in the US to USD 499 earlier this week, but has yet to say whether a similar move will be made in Europe.

When asked if he believes a European price cut is necessary Yamamoto replied, "Yes, because they started at USD 600 and EUR 600 - so maybe it would be better to come down to EUR 500."

His remarks come after Konami's Kazumi Kitaue questioned whether a USD 100 reduction will be enough to win support for PS3 - and hinted that Metal Gear Solid may no longer be a platform exclusive.

Yamamoto declined to comment on whether Square Enix might also considering taking the Final Fantasy series to other consoles. However, a Square Enix spokesperson said, "At previous E3s and other shows we've announced different Final Fantasies for different platforms, and I think that will continue." ...

via Joystiq




The official box art for the Japanese release of Forever Blue has just been unveiled. A few vague details were leaked earlier this month confirming the non-game will be exploration-based as you swim the ocean cataloging and photographing the sea life you encounter. With the little blue Wi-Fi logo, the box also confirms online multiplayer exploration. Although a North American or European release has not been mentioned, we're still filing this one under the "Japan gets all the cool boxes" category. ...

via Kotaku


Kotakuite Zhabin points out that the Playstation Store is currently down for "maintenance." While this typically wouldn't be really worth a post, the timing does lend itself to vast amounts of speculation. Could it be that they took the store down to pack it full of trailers, demos and screens from E3? Or maybe it's down tonight so they can prep some new Killzone 2 information, since the Killzone 2 event is this evening.

Personally, I'm holding out hope that it's down because they're preparing to unveil and roll-out a new store with downloadable movies, music and television for both the PS3 and PSP... I also still believe in Santa Clause, so don't listen to me. ...