Alien Hominid Invading Xbox Live Arcade This Wednesday

Alien Hominid, originally developed as a flash based game on the PC in 2002, has seen US releases on the Playstation 2 and GameCube in 2004 and now makes its way to the Xbox 360 in the form of Alien Hominid HD. In line with previous Xbox Live Arcade releases, the game is set to release this Wednesday at 1 A.M. PST.

For its release on the Xbox Live Arcade, the game will feature high-definition graphics, online and offline multiplayer support for up to four players in the minigames and up to two can play co operatively through the main game.

Alien Hominid HD will be priced at 800 Microsoft Points ($10) and is rated T for teen by the ESRB.

PRESS RELEASE: European Playstation 3 First Party Software Pricing Announced

London, 26 February 2007 – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced pricing details for its first party title launch line-up, to accompany the 23rd March 2007 launch of PLAYSTATION®3.

Providing details of the prices to be charged for first party software available on both disc and through the PLAYSTATION®Network1, SCEE confirmed that its five disc based launch titles, including the highly acclaimed Motorstorm™ and Resistance: Fall of Man™ will be priced at an RRP of €59.99 (£39.99, AUD 99.95, NZ 109.95).

In addition to the disc based games SCEE also announced that exclusive and innovative experiences developed especially for download from the PLAYSTATION®Network such as BlastFactor, flOw and Super Rub a Dub, together with iconic gaming brands such as Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection will be made available for an introductory period at prices which range from €2.99 to €9.99 depending on the specific title.

Other first party content available on the PLAYSTATION®Network such as game items and premium video content will be priced on an easy to understand sliding scale of charges starting as low as €0.99 and increasing depending on the scope of the product. This could range from a new SingStar track to a premium pack for MotorStorm, which would include a new track, additional vehicles, liveries and multiplayer modes.

In announcing these prices, David Reeves, President and CEO of SCEE said, “Not only will it be completely free to register on the PLAYSTATION®Network with no subscription fees and access to many free demos, but with these competitive prices for additional content we are able to offer the consumer both top quality games on Blu-ray discs and a whole range of downloadable content from the PLAYSTATION®Network. With over 30 first and third party disc and network games available at launch, we are confident that this will be one of the most successful launches of all time.”

New Downloadable Content and a Patch on the Way for Gears of War

Since its release on November 7th 2006, Gears of War has become the most played game on Xbox Live, dethroning the mighty Halo 2 for the first time since its release. Players have been chainsawing each other to bits and stomping each other’s heads in all over the ten maps included with Gears of War. Later this week, they’ll have two new places to shoot at each other and blow each other apart. Microsoft has just announced that there will be two new multiplayer maps available on Xbox Live.

Epic games recently mentioned that free downloadable content was on the way for Gears of War and this week, they will deliver on their promise. This Wednesday, two new multiplayer maps will be available on the Xbox Live Marketplace. No specific time was mentioned for the release of the downloads, but we speculate that it will be released at 1 AM Pacific Time, concurrent with the times recent Wednesday releases have been posted.

Brief descriptions, as well as a few screenshots of the two maps have been released by Microsoft. Raven Down takes place at the crash site of a Raven helicopter and Old Bones sees players battling for supremacy across several Museums.

The two maps are sponsored by the Discovery Channel, which will soon be launching a contest, giving away 2 million Microsoft Points in 400 point increments for use in the Xbox Live Marketplace. Full details regarding the promotion have not yet been released but will soon be posted on the website www.readyaim.com.

Full details regarding problems the patch will address will be available at the Gears of War forums. For more information regarding the game read our official review.

January Rumor Mill

The new year has just begun and already a number of juicy rumors have been swirling around. The rumor about the Xbox 360 Version 2 (Zephyr) was just the tip of the iceberg. As always, I am required to state that this list of rumors should be taken with a grain of salt.

Playstation 3:

Lair will have online play.
Metal Gear Solid 4 will be released by the end of 2007.
White Knight Story demo due out in March.
A Final Fantasy VII remake is planned for the Playstation 3.
An old Playstation One franchise will be resurrected for the Playstation 3.
Coded Arms has been cancelled for the Playstation 3.

Xbox 360:

Banjo-Threeie release will see the release of Banjo and Kazooie for the Xbox Live Arcade.
New Conker game in the works.
Halo 3 will be out by 2007.
Lost Odyssey will be simultaneously released worldwide on its release date.
Perfect Dark is in the works for the Xbox Live Arcade
Devil May Cry 4 will see an Xbox 360 release.
Tekken 6 might come to 360.

Wii:

Some games will be updated with online play and new features, including: Excite Truck, Call of Duty 3, and Wario Ware Smooth Moves.
Metroid Prime 3 will be the first game to feature online play for the Wii.
The next Wii system update will include a section for game demos and the activation of the News Channel.
Star Fox is in development by Nintendo for the Wii.
A new Kid Icarus game is in development.
Virtual Console games might be updated.
NIGHTS Sequel is in the works for the Wii.
Kingdom Hearts 3 will be released on the Wii.
Fire Emblem Wii will have 2 parts: One being the original Fire Emblem.
From Software is developing a first person action game for Wii.
Swords of Legendia is a spin off of Tales series.

Nintendo DS:

Phoenix Wright 3 is in the works for DS.
Pokemon Diamond/Pearl will be released alongside Pokemon Battle Revolution.
Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass will be released in March.

Playstation Portable:

Sly Cooper: Portable Theft is in the works for the PSP.
Capcom is working on a new IP for the PSP.
A sequel for Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops in the works.

Second Version of the Xbox 360 revealed? (Codename: Zephyr)

There is a rumor floating around the internet today that there is an updated version of the Xbox 360 in development, codenamed “Zephyr” that includes an HDMI port and a much bigger 120 gigabyte Hard Drive. The Xbox 360 was recently updated to provide 1080p output through VGA and component cables but the question lingering on everyone’s mind was whether the Xbox 360 could output a digital signal (and more importantly support HDMI output) for use on televisions that do not support 1080p via analog signals. For a while, there was much speculation that Microsoft would release an HDMI cable for the Xbox 360, but based on the rumor, they have just decided to throw in an HDMI port instead. This is not the first time this has been rumored, according to another rumor that surfaced a few months ago, the HDMI equipped Xbox 360 was already in development.

The rumored 120 gigabyte hard drive is a much needed add on, as Xbox 360 users are finding themselves short on space after downloading the many demos and high definition movies and television shows available on the Xbox Live Marketplace. It is unknown whether or not the larger hard drive will come bundled with the new console or will be sold separately. The price of this new console (if this rumor is in fact, true) is still up in the air but I guess it will come in at $399 and the current Xbox 360 console will receive a price drop. When will this console be available for purchase? That is also unknown, but from what I hear, “soon”.

As for my personal take, this does not sit too well. I get the feeling that Microsoft is milking the extra buck out of current Xbox 360 owners who have 1080p televisions that only accept 1080p signals through HDMI. These people have only two options if they want to enjoy their Xbox 360 in the full 1080p resolution, they can buy a new television that can support 1080p through VGA or Component inputs, or buying the updated Xbox 360. Although this is not the first time a hardware manufacturer has revised their hardware (see Sony’s slim line Playstation 2 and Nintendo’s DS Lite), I would rather not have to buy a new version of something I already have to get the best experience. But, I do understand that this is only a rumor and should be taken with a grain of salt until an official announcement is made.