DeadSpace Prequel “Ignition” Coming This Fall

The popular video game Dead Space 2 isn't due to hit store shelves until early next year but EA has announced that a downloadable prequel will be launching before the end of the year on both Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network. The prequel, dubbed Dead Space Ignition, will over up a very different experience compared to its retail counterpart. EA describes the game as a "comic adventure" that lets players experience the events leading up to Dead Space 2. The game is said to feature a "choose your own adventure" style narrative with multiple endings and three different arcade-style minigames. Additional content can also be unlocked such as new suits and furthermore players will have the ability to use these items in the sequel. Antony Johnston is the story writer (he previously wrote the comic book adaptations of the first game in the series).

Ignition also won't be the last Dead Space spin-off that will be seen either, as EA mentioned having other game extensions in the works in addition to Ignition as well, including a previously announced PSN version of Dead Space Extraction. "Dead Space Ignition is the first of many exciting game extensions we have planned for the launch of Dead Space 2," executive producer Steve Papoutsis said. "The interactive comic-style game will give Dead Space fans a unique perspective on the events leading up to Dead Space 2, but will also introduce the storyline to a brand-new audience of gamers." The prequel is set to hit both XBox Live and PSN this fall so keep an eye out.

Microsoft Predicted To Break $1B+ With Xbox Live Revenue

According to estimates made by analysts, Microsoft's Xbox Live premium gaming service is on the road to generate over $1 billion in revenue for the fiscal year that ended on June 30th. A lot of this revenue is coming from Xbox Live Gold members who offer up cash for additional content such as game add-ons, avatars, and movies. Microsoft was uncharacteristically forthcoming about its Xbox Live memberships and confirmed that over half of its Xbox Live members pay for the premium Gold service at an average price tag of $50 per year. Although it still holds the number two spot underneath Nintendo Wii in total console sales, this is all some pretty good news for Microsoft's gaming division. It bodes well for the upcoming launch of the Kinect motion controller which will hopefully attract a new crowd as well as entertain the old crowd of Xbox Live users.

Will Microsoft Kinect Let You Play Sitting Down?

Despite whether u have your a Nintendo Wii of your own, you have probably seen the commercials or know someone who has one and/or have experienced the gameplay yourself one way or another. With that in mind, we all know that Nintendo intended people to get off the couch and be more interactive with their games. With accessories such as Wii Fit and the games currently out, we all know where Nintendo and even Sony (with its Move) intend for their consumers. But what about Microsoft Kinect?

From what everyone has seen, Kinect, Microsoft's upcoming motion-based gaming peripheral, there are a lot of things going on. Many body movements such as kicking, leaning, slapping, and whatever other innovative ideas game developers think of including in their titles. But what about just sitting on the couch? We know it isn't Microsoft's main goal but obviously standing and moving around so frantically isn't something people would want to do for a long time. We'd expect to use the Kinect while we are still resting as well and Microsoft has even confirmed that the Kinect software fully allows people to sit on their favorite chair, couch, or whatever else they might be sitting on.

There is a catch though, basically it is upto the developers whether or not you'll get to play sitting down or not. The experience basically needs to be developed by those creating the game and it's design. Doesn't sound like people will be able to get away with something like Kinect Adventures while sitting down whereas people "cheat" while using Wii Fit and complain about it. As of right now, there are a few experiences that are designed with sitting in mind. These include navigating through the Xbox 360's Dashboard, or making your way through ESPN, Zune, and Video apps is also plenty capable of having you sit through the experience. The idea thus far is pretty great if you think about it. It has a little something for everyone basically which is exactly how it should be. What do you think of the whole ordeal? Would you rather play while sitting down or are you disappointed you can't play all games while doing that? Share your thoughts and comments below.

Microsoft Details Windows 8 Improvements To OEM's

Recently Microsoft announced that Windows 7 hit 150 million licenses, which translates to about 7 copies a second, but that doesn't mean the folks over at Microsoft aren't planning for the future. The software giant is already beginning to prep OEMs on Windows 8, at least according to leaked slides. It doesn't look as if they have any ideas pat planned for sure but there are some larger themes being discussed as of right now, for example improved start-up, wake-from-sleep times to be nearly instantaneous, the addition of higher-speed interconnects such as USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 3.0, hard drive, encryption, ambient light sensitivity, and facial recognition login and logout. The last seems to be the most interesting as it hints to a Microsoft Kinect - style user detection. As of right now, PC's from HP, Asus, and others can already do this so the possibility of some Kinect type of device for the PC is definitely possible. Something such as the gestural menu Microsoft displayed for the Xbox 360 can easily work for Media Player and IE. There currently are not any set dates for any of this and we can't imagine Microsoft will hop ship over to Windows 8 anytime soon, especially after announcing the success of Windows 7, but it's still nice to see good things for the future.

Check out the leaked slides below:

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New Xbox 360 Features Red Dot of Death

Microsoft claimed that this past week the new Xbox 360 shipping to stores no longer featured the dreaded three flashing lights also known as "red ring of death" (RROD), to alert owners that component failures required servicing. What they failed to mention was that the new $299 Xbox 360 "Slim" model, instead automatically shuts down and warns the user that the system needs to shut down to prevent damage from "insufficient ventilation." Instead of a flashing ring of red light, the new system just flashes a red dot at the center of the power button and informs the user that once the dot disappears, the system will be able to successfully turn on. The flashing red dot is now being referred to as the "red dot of death" (RDOD). An obvious way for the system to communicate with the user but what do you guys think? We wouldn't imagine too many people enjoying their game turning off randomly in the middle of their play but then again, not having to send your system in to Microsoft for several weeks is also a plus.

Share your thoughts and comments below And, stay tuned for more info by following us on Twitter and/or subscribing to our RSS feeds.

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New Xbox 360 Torn and Modded

Last Sunday (the day before E3 2010's keynote) a leaked italian commercial gave us a first peak of what was supposed to be the new Xbox 360. Then on Monday, Microsoft announced that there was a new Xbox 360 and in fact it was supposed to be released the very same day, giving the members at the conference a new 360 of their own. Solomods didn't hesitate at all and quickly did a tear down of the parts, the pros and the cons, and even modded their very own 360. Check out a video demonstration of their modded xbox below:

[E3 2010] All About Microsoft's Press Conference

The first keynote in this year’s E3 is over! Microsoft held it and they ended up revealing quite a bit of new information. There was the new Xbox 360 as well as information on both the Kinect and a line-up of games for it. The company also shared new features for Xbox Live, an exclusive deal with ESPN, and details on games that are coming up – including a previously unannounced exclusive from the company Crytek. If you missed the keynote, here is everything you need to know:

Microsoft Kinect

The biggest news released during the keynote was additional details on Kinect formerly known as Project Natal. The company demoed quite a bit of games, most of which were leaked yesterday. During the Kinectanimals demo, a girl was able to call over, pet, and play with a tiger cub and Microsoft mentioned that there will be over 40 animals available in the full game. Kinect Sports was shown off with two players racing in a hurdles event, controlling the action by running on the spot and jumping over hurdles. The game is said to offer sports like soccer, javelin, ping-pong, and boxing. Kinect Joy Ride was a cart racer, which you control by holding your hands in front of you as if you are holding a steering wheel. Kinect Adventures is an action game that features 20 different adventures including rafting and a platform game where you jump to avoid obstacles and collect powerups. Some third party games will also be supported, companies such as Ubisoft will be released a game called Yourshape: Fitness Evolved, which tracks the movement of your body to ensure you are doing the exercises properly and features activities like combat training and yoga.

Dance Central from Harmonix, will be a dance simulator in which players mimic the movies of on-screen characters. It features a mode that slows down the pace in order to help teach you the routine and will let players download additional songs after the release of the game. Turn 10 also informed the public that Forza 3 will be getting Kinect support next year and will allow you to control the game without a controller and explore your vehicles in greater detail. You can walk around the car and touch parts of it to learn additional information, on top of being able to get into the cockpit and look around. Information on how the update will be released has yet to be revealed.

The Kinect will be launching in the United States on November 4 with more than 15 games including a Sonic title. The Lucasarts’ light saber game will be launching sometime in 2011. The price wasn’t announced at the keynote but Gamestop has it listed for preorder at $149.99

Blockbuster Titles

As for the non-Kinect blockbuster titles, there were several titles on the show, including some of which we didn’t already know about. Call of Duty: Black Ops will be launching on November 9 and all of the map packs and add-ons that come after the game’s release will launch first on the 360. Hideo Kojima revealed Metal Gear Solid Rising, which features a “Cut at will” gameplay, where players can slice foes into pieces in action scenes that look reminiscent of Ninja Gaiden. A four-player co-op demo of Gears of War 3 was displayed to show off some of the new enemies found in the third iteration of the game. A new mode called “Beast” was also mentioned with more details expected in the near future. Bungie revealed that the upcoming Halo: Reach will feature space battles, letting you control spaceships for the first time in the series. A new partnership was announced with Crytek, the developers behind Crysis, and a 360-exclusive title was announced named Codename: Kingdom.

New Xbox Live Features

Microsoft plans to expand the Xbox Live service, making it available in every country where 360s are currently sold. XBL will also be coming to Windows Phone 7, letting you take your friends, avatars, and achievements wherever you go. The service will soon support Kinect, letting users video chat with their Microsoft Live Messenger friends. The Kinect will also track your movement an allow you to do things like watch film trailers with whoever you are chatting with. Microsoft also announced an exclusive partnership with ESPN, which will give Gold subscribers access to over 3,500 sporting events both live and on demand, most in HD, at no additional cost. This will include NBA, MLB, and soccer. Users will also have real-time access to polls and trivia while they are watching.

Conclusion

Microsoft has revealed both of the things expected, Kinect and the new version of Xbox 360 (the slimmer version) as well as new titles that are to come. We learned more about Kinect and the games that will come with it as well as how Microsoft plans to implement the features of their new device to make the 360 experience more enjoyable.

Stay tuned for more E3 2010 coverage by following us on Twitter and/or subscribing to our RSS feeds.

Italian Ad Leaks Possible Xbox 360 Slim

Two of the many rumored devices we have been looking forward to that were planned to be announced at E3 2010 this year were from Microsoft. Both of which have unfortunately been leaked early. First was the re-naming of Microsoft's ongoing Project Natal to Kinect. It seems that now the Xbox 360 Slim which was rumored to release earlier this year was leaked as well. An Italian site named Console Tribe ran an ad that released images of a differently designed and never seen before console that was definitely an Xbox 360. The ad also mentions how the model is compatible with "Kinect" and also invites the viewers to "live today." This seems like an ad that was supposed to go live tomorrow after Microsoft's official announcement of the device but seems like Apple wasn't the only major company having issues with leaks this year. The actual ad can be found below courtesy of Joystiq:

Microsoft Preview For Project Natal – Controller-Free Xbox 360 Gaming

Microsoft plans to reveal a new type of videogames this week, games that don’t require people to understand and utilize a complex controller with several buttons. Following the massive success of Nintendo’s Wii, Microsoft is introducing a technology, code-named Project Natal, that ditches the use of a controller altogether. The games will rely on a device the size of a stapler threat perches on top of a living room TV to recognize faces, obey voice commands, and track body movements. It won’t be necessary to mash buttons in different sequences to experience success in the game, no more buttons at all!

Although Microsoft doesn’t plan to reveal which games will launch with the device until Monday, last month it did show off four “tech demos” to a handful of testers. One can only assume that those games will come as part of the package. The lineup is expected to include: Living Statue, Obstacle Course, Ricochet, and River Rush.

Living Statue

This is Microsoft's social media strategy which lets players record their avatars singing, dancing, and singing karaoke-style, then allows them to email the video masterpiece to their friends. The company has had several ambitions for it's Xbox Live online game service, which has 23 million active users, and is hoping this attempt wil l encourage users to check into Xbox Live and make friends.

Obstacle Course

This game is exactly as the name suggests. Players dodge, jump, and pull their way through a series of levels much like those found in a typical summer camp.

Ricochet

Ricochet is a game where players use their arms, legs, feet, and head to block a barrage of balls. Microsoft also demoed an earlier version of this game during last year's E3 expo. The newest version of this game allows two people to play simultaneously. It uses facial recognition software to recognize the people playing and pulls up their avatars on the screen. This feature also allows parents to control which games their children can play. If the console see's that the persona playing is associated with a profile with parent controls, it will restrict the types of games that can be played.

River Rush

This game allows players to indulge in the thrill of real-life rive rafting in their living room rug. Steering a virtual raft past waterfalls, rocks, and other obstacles. The graphics are similar to that found in snowboarding games with large visual cues that guide players to assure no one gets lost. The game is designed to allow anyone to jump in without having to read any manuals.

In addition to these four games, another dozen more Natal-licensed titles from game developers are expected to be unveiled Monday and Tuesday but Microsoft has forbidden publishers from saying anything about them until its own news conference Monday morning. As usual, stay tuned for this news as well as E3 2010 coverage by following us on Twitter and/or subscribing to our RSS feeds. In the mean time, check out a video from the All Things Digital conference which shows off some of Project Natal's features, which you can find below:

Gloves That Can Revolutionize A User's Interface

With both Microsoft and Sony set to reveal Natal and Move software lineups at E3, it’s a little crazy to think about the millions of dollars they have invested into their software and they would have just done fine with $1 Lycra gloves and a webcam. The gloves seen below are hideously colored on purpose. According to their designers at MIT, the 20 irregular shapes and 10 colors are read by a webcam and translated into unique commands via simple finger-based gestures.

The demo can be seen below:

For those of you who are totally against the color and design of these gloves, Francis MacDougall, CTO and co-founder of gesture-recognition company GestureTek, says the pattern could be changed to something a little less loud and still function properly. He mentioned using a “retro-reflective” material, stating that someone could make gloves with patterns that only a camera’s eyes could see. We personally thought the colors looked like half of the fun on these gloves but the technology alone will do.

Sandisk Announces "Official" XBox 360 USB Stick

You may remember some time ago we reported on external storage support gracing the Xbox 360, and now it seems that third party developers are getting in on the act.

SanDisk has just released two licensed Xbox 360 USB Flash drives, one being 8GB and other 16GB. These USB flash drives allows gamers to store their profiles, game saves, demos, downloaded games and other data from Xbox 360 console and use them whenever they want. These USB sticks are priced at $34.99 for 8GB and $69.99 for 16GB. Along with these USB drives, customers also get a one-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold.

Don’t be fooled by the ‘Offical’ element; any old USB stick you’ve got will be able to work with your faithful system. Just it won’t be ‘Licensed’ or ‘Official’.

Press Release:

SANDISK SHIPS LICENSED XBOX 360 USB FLASH DRIVE

Pre-configured USB Drive Delivers Best Experience On Xbox 360 Console

Milpitas, Calif., May 5, 2010 – SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), the global leader in flash memory cards, today announced that it is shipping the Xbox 360® USB Flash Drive by SanDisk for the Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming and entertainment console. The new drive makes it easier than ever for gamers to take their gamertags, saved game progress, map packs, Arcade game downloads and bonus content with them for fast and convenient access on another Xbox 360 console† .


The Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive by SanDisk delivers the best experience on the Xbox 360 console. Pre-configured for seamless plug and play action, the drive eliminates the need to format storage or download an initial software update for an Xbox 360 console. For gamers looking to get in on the fun or for those with existing accounts who want to extend their play, a one-month Xbox LIVE Gold membership is included with purchase of the drive†† .

“Xbox LIVE contains a world of content for gamers to explore and download, including full-length games, movies and music,” said Shuki Nir, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Retail, SanDisk. “The Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive by SanDisk is specifically engineered to deliver a great user experience and maximum compatibility with the console, offering gamers greater freedom and flexibility in how they store, manage and enjoy their favorite files.”


“SanDisk has a proven track record of creating high-quality storage solutions,” said Ilan Spillinger, Vice President, Xbox Hardware and Technology, Microsoft. “The Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive by SanDisk provides a great solution for gamers who need portable storage for their Xbox 360 content. It’s plug and play simple.”


Pricing and Availability


The Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive by SanDisk is available now on SanDisk.com and at major retailers. The drive is available in 8 gigabyte (GB)1 and 16GB capacities, carrying suggested retail prices of $34.99 and $69.99, respectively.

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Microsoft Enabling USB Mass Storage For Xbox 360

Microsoft Enabling USB Mass Storage For Xbox 360

Joystiq obtained leaked information in the form of a document that suggests that the Xbox 360 will support USB mass storage devices in the near future. The screenshots reveal support for externally connected devices that are well over the 512 MB capacity of Microsoft’s current Xbox 360 memory units which are pretty low in terms of memory and on the road to being obsolete. The document which is written by a senior software development engineer at Microsoft stats that due to “increased market penetration of high-capacity, high throughput USB mass storage devices, a 2010 Xbox 360 system update” will allow people to load and save game data from USB devices. According to the document, the USB mass storage device must at least have 1GB of free space and the system will do a compatibility check for this. “The system partition occupies 512 MB of space, and by default the consumer partition occupies the remainder of the device capacity, or 16 GB, whichever is smaller.” The update mentioned by the software engineer is said to release in Spring 2010.

Once the update is released, Xbox 360 owners will be able to down content from the marketplace and store them in the storage device. Microsoft mentioned that “USB storage devices may, however, have far greater memory capacity than Memory Units (at the date of writing, the largest Memory Unit is 512 MB), and may therefore support infeasible operations – such as installation of a full disc-based title.” Basically we’ll even be able to store disc-based games to the USB device; however it will require the disc to be in the tray for authentication, identical to the current functionality. They will surely be implementing some new protection for games otherwise piracy will reach an all-time high.

It should be clear that Microsoft is trying to pull out of the Memory Unit business and not entirely from the Xbox hard drive business. With an artificial cap of 16 GB – still 4GB shy of the 20 GB hard drive that shipped with the original Xbox Pro and a fraction of the size of the 120 GB hard drive that is currently shipping – USB storage support simply removes the requirement of Memory Units on Xbox 360 Arcade units and brings the 360 platform a feature that has been present on the Playstation 3 since the console’s launch in 2006.

With the talk of a new Xbox 360 Slim being released and plans to abandon Memory Units in the works, we’re guessing that the Memory Unit slots could be cut entirely from future versions of the console. So, do you think Microsoft is headed in the right direction with this plan of theirs? Share your thoughts and comments below.

Novell To Introduce XBox 360 Games To The iPhone

After Microsoft showed off the ability to port games from a PC to a console to a Windows Phone 7 Series mobile phone, the world took notice. Who wouldn’t want to port quality games to their mobile phones? Unfortunately, Microsoft has decided to limit this technology strictly to Windows Phone 7 phones due later this year just in time for the holiday season.

In this regard, Novell is picking up the slack for Microsoft, which has obviously dropped the ball with bringing its hugely popular Xbox games to the most in demand mobile platforms hungry for the titles that presently dominate the video game industry. The word is that tomorrow, Novell is going to show the world a "new technology" that will make it possible for Xbox 360 games to be morphed into iPhone apps for gameplay on the ubiquitous Apple handset. At present, the iPhone incarnation of these games will be introduced first. Novell says the Android version of the technology won't be ready for some time. Yet according to the company, the Android version of the technology is in early stages of development.

Novell is clearly aiming to fill a huge void in the mobile gaming arena. And it looks like Microsoft isn't about to get in the way. At the annual Game Developers Conference that took place in San Francisco last week, the iPhone took center stage as the future of mobile gaming devices. Novell is rightly capitalizing on demand that shows no signs of slowing any time soon. For Microsoft, however, this is an incredibly frustrating situation, as developers continue to turn their attention in great numbers to the iPhone app building business. Just last month it was reported that more developers are now working on iPhone games than they are games for the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP.

Microsoft on the contrary has partnered with Nokia to port Silverlight, a .NET technology, to Symbian phones. But there has been no word about porting Xbox games to Symbian. Thankfully, the Mono team has taken up the slack where Microsoft decides it isn't going to play.

The iPhone app that Novell created is an open source derivative of an Indiana Jones games that Microsoft is showing off running on Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox. The game is built using Microsoft's XNA framework, which is based upon its .NET Framework.

Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 will run XNA 4.0 games, enabling developers of those games to reuse their investment and programming skills for Windows Phone handsets.

Novell is supporting XNA in its MonoTouch technology, which enables developers to translate .NET applications into native code on the iPhone. It has also done something similar for Android, but that solution is in its early stages of development (rumor is Microsoft may be porting Silverlight).

Interestingly, it seems that Microsoft is losing developer mind share as more and more apps are created specifically for Android and iPhone. What are your thoughts on this? Share your comments with us.

Steam Officially Coming to The Mac With Free Syncing

The word is out and it is official, no more teasing, Valve's digital distribution service, Steam is coming to the Mac OS X and bringing Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike, portal, and the Half-Life series (along with Source) with it this April. As a bonus to making Steam Mac compatible, the company also plans to make the Mac a "tier-1" platform, promising simultaneous releases of games for the Mac OS X, Windows, and Xbox 360. Portal 2 will be the first game that will be released (planned to be released later this year) that will release on Mac and Windows simultaneously. Another feature Valve has mentioned that any games supported by Steam can be played and saved on one, then continued on the other, which is something completely unexpected. Both the PC and the Mac version of any games will come bundled as one price as well so if you're one of those geeks who has both you won't have to drop any extra money. Valve's official announcement can be seen below:

VALVE TO DELIVER STEAM & SOURCE ON MAC

Leading Gaming Service Expands to Mac Platform

March 8, 2010 - Valve announced today it will bring Steam, Valve's gaming service, and Source, Valve's gaming engine, to the Mac.

Steam and Valve's library of games including Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike, Portal, and the Half-Life series will be available in April.

"As we transition from entertainment as a product to entertainment as a service, customers and developers need open, high-quality Internet clients," said Gabe Newell, President of Valve. "The Mac is a great platform for entertainment services."

"Our Steam partners, who are delivering over a thousand games to 25 million Steam clients, are very excited about adding support for the Mac," said Jason Holtman, Director of Business Development at Valve. "Steamworks for the Mac supports all of the Steamworks APIs, and we have added a new feature, called Steam Play, which allows customers who purchase the product for the Mac or Windows to play on the other platform free of charge. For example, Steam Play, in combination with the Steam Cloud, allows a gamer playing on their work PC to go home and pick up playing the same game at the same point on their home Mac. We expect most developers and publishers to take advantage of Steam Play."

"We looked at a variety of methods to get our games onto the Mac and in the end decided to go with native versions rather than emulation," said John Cook, Director of Steam Development. "The inclusion of WebKit into Steam, and of OpenGL into Source gives us a lot of flexibility in how we move these technologies forward. We are treating the Mac as a tier-1 platform so all of our future games will release simultaneously on Windows, Mac, and the Xbox 360. Updates for the Mac will be available simultaneously with the Windows updates. Furthermore, Mac and Windows players will be part of the same multiplayer universe, sharing servers, lobbies, and so forth. We fully support a heterogeneous mix of servers and clients. The first Mac Steam client will be the new generation currently in beta testing on Windows."

Portal 2 will be Valve's first simultaneous release for Mac and Windows. "Checking in code produces a PC build and Mac build at the same time, automatically, so the two platforms are perfectly in lock-step," said Josh Weier, Portal 2 Project Lead. "We're always playing a native version on the Mac right alongside the PC. This makes it very easy for us and for anyone using Source to do game development for the Mac.

These announcements are probably words Mac gamers have only dreamt about until now. This also allows other developers to easily create Mac-compatble versions of games without much additional effort, which should open up many doors for future gaming under Steam.