Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

[Cyros]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Sweet. Updated graphics or the original just spruced up?

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Sweet. Updated graphics or the original just spruced up?

I'm guessing updated, he said 1080p

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Nice to see PD on XBLA get confirmed. Hopefully there's XBL support.

[bigfnjoe96]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Anyone hear about Lost Planet 2 DEMO this week?

[goh]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

I like her new outfit. Doesn't look like an old lady anymore. Not sure if it's in game or just promo art but either way it's a big improvement.

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Quick look at Joy Ride:

<div class="gametrailers_embed_container>"<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="480" height="392"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=50577"/><param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=50577" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object><div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana; text-align: center; width: 480px; padding-top: 2px; padding-bottom: 2px; background-color: black; height: 32px;"><div><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com" title="GameTrailers.com">Video Games</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/11396.html" title="Joy Ride">Joy Ride</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/player/50577.html" title="E3 09: Developer Walkthrough">E3 09: Developer Walkthrough</a></div><div style="padding-top: 3px;"><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/platformlist/xb360/index.html" title="XBox 360">XBox 360</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/platformlist/ps3/index.html" title="PS3">Playstation 3</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/platformlist/wii/index.html" title="Wii">Nintendo Wii</a></div></div>

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Can't wait for Shadow Complex. Cliff says the game is over 10 hours long. This is a pretty significant title for XBLA.

<object classId="clsid<param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://e3.g4tv.com/lv3/38872" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" name="VideoPlayer" width="480" height="418" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" /></object><div style="margin:0;text-align:center;width:480px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;color:#FF9B00;"><a href="http://e3.g4tv.com/" style="color:#FF9B00;" target="_blank">Video Games</a> - <a href="http://e3.g4tv.com/e3" style="color:#FF9B00;" target="_blank">E3 2009</a> - <a href="http://e3.g4tv.com/e32009/index.html" style="color:#FF9B00;" target="_blank">E3 '09 Live</a></div>

[jmood88]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Is the voice actor from Uncharted and Prince of Persia playing the guy in Shadow Complex?

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Yep, that's Nolan North.

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

E3 2009: Trials HD Hands-On

Anyone who ever played Trials 2 on the PC will know there's something special about this title. It's sort of a puzzle game, sort of a racing game, and sort of a reflex-based game. Basically what you do is guide a dirt bike across a track, all set in a 2D plane. The trick is trying to control the pitch of the bike as you accelerate to climb across girders, logs, and ramps to try and reach the finish line, which can get way harder than you might think at first.

The initial stages with the less powerful types of bikes are fairly easy to get through. Just hit the throttle and jet forward, rumbling across the terrain until you hit the finish line and get your time. On better bikes, hitting the throttle too abruptly might scoot the machine right out from under you, though you can just hit the retry button to quickly start again at a check point. Expect to be doing this quite a bit in the later stages.

Instead of simply navigating small ramps and bumps, you'll eventually have to jump off ramps and do somersaults to land in the proper area to move forward. You'll need to bump into vertical girders to get them to tip over, then speed off at just the right moment to clear a chasm. Obstacles will fly at you as well, such as in situations where huge containers will drop from the roof of stages, potentially knocking you out if you're not careful.

Since it's a pretty preposterous setup, it's nice to see the game has a great sense of humor. It doesn't try to take itself seriously at all, adding giant rings of fire and explosions wherever possible, which can make for some particularly painful looking deaths. Missed that ramp? Well prepare to tumble several stories into a pit, and possibly explode at the bottom. Happy you managed to reach a finish line? Well congrats, now you explode. It's a bit of a strange feeling to see your biker, who you may have just spend a good deal of time trying to preserve while moving across a particularly difficult track, be rewarded with an explosive death or a board to the face, but it's all in good fun.

Surviving stages isn't just a matter of braking and accelerating at the proper times, but also controlling yourself in midair. Since you can adjust how your bike is oriented while flying across stages, which happens fairly often, you'll need to ensure you're oriented the right way to continue forward, otherwise you'll need to hit the B button again to restart at a nearby checkpoint. It's a style of gameplay that may occasionally be frustrating, but is ultimately satisfying once you finally get everything to go the right way.

In addition to a number of race challenges are 12 special stages which add more craziness. In one you'll ride down a rail in a gigantic wire sphere, and in another you'll pull a wagon filled with bombs. Hit a bump and, well, you can expect more explosions.

Trials HD seems like it could be a really great experience for Xbox 360 gamers, and is definitely something you should be keeping an eye on. Oh and it's also got a level editor and global leaderboards. Look for it this summer.

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Joystiq Hands-on: Joy Ride

For those that don't care why this game is important to Microsoft, let's say this: Joy Ride reminds us of the Rush series. We started out in the game's free-roaming stunt mode -- which also serves as the lobby on Xbox Live. The game controls very simply, easily allowing players to perform stunts, drift into powerslides and fire off precious turbo boosts. Before long we were boosting up half-pipe ramps and pulling off tricks with ease. The game also lets your Avatar perform tricks, like hanging from the side of the car during long jumps. These Avatar tricks were mapped to a single button for the E3 demo, but we were told these would be performed via a more complex combo system in the final game.

We also participated in a race mode that took place on a more linear track. The track -- again, like the Rush series -- had lots of shortcuts open to those with sharp eyes and good reflexes. Right now, there aren't any combat items or power-ups like you would find in a typical kart racer, so winning will depend on your ability to navigate corners and spot shortcuts. Again though, Joy Ride is still in pre-alpha. There's a lot of play testing left to be done, so combat items could make it into the game if BigPark decides it adds to the experience.

Graphically, the game is perfectly adequate, especially for a downloadable title. It's colorful and there are lots of customization options for the vehicles. Combine these options with Avatar support and it's unlikely you'll encounter another identical player. This gives the game a very personal touch and is pretty far removed from the licensed characters seen in similar racers.

There is still an unknown hanging in the air though, and that's how much all these customization options are going to cost. Joy Ride itself will be free, and BigPark assured us that players will still have plenty of options included with the base game, but we know that there will modifications for the vehicles that will come at a price. BigPark isn't sure about how the game will be monetized, but it's something to think about. While there will be premium tracks for download, it's important to note that if only one person in a group has payed for a premium track, all of the players in the group can still race on it, which is a nice touch.

All in all, we're sure that the combining the addictive qualities of Rush with microtransactions was a very attractive proposition for Microsoft, but the important thing is that the Joy Ride is actually fun to play. Even if you never pay for a single hubcap or spoiler or track, there's a fun, free game underneath. It's hard to argue with that.

[Stumbleweed]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Has anything about how Last.FM will actually work been released? Will the music be streamable into games similar to the external MP3 player functionality (Guide Button --> Music Library), or is it just a "Last.FM interface" similar to what we have with Netflix where it's a separate thing? Hopefully we can stream the songs within games, because that's really needed since so many non-Windows Media Center people have problems with the Media Connect capabilities...

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Perfect Dark XBLA Details and Screens

Agent Joanna Dark hit the ground running in Perfect Dark, an epic tale of galactic conspiracies in 2023 America. Now this classic shooter is coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade, rendered in greater definition and detail and sporting a silkier framerate than ever before. Fire up your Farsight and prepare for assignment-- the Dark returns this winter.

• CLassic action: Play the original full game beautifully restored and back in full HD, 1080p at 60 frames per second! All the original game features are included plus new Xbox LIVE ones.

• Players: 1-4
  
• Players Co-op: 1-2
  
• Multiplayer Versus
  
• Xbox LIVE Multiplayer
  
• Leaderboards

Perfect Dark N64/Perfect Dark XBLA

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

For those that don't remember Perfect Dark's multiplayer. Some of this stuff is even beyond what we see in shooters these days.

The game includes a co-operative mode in which two players, or one player and up to three computer-controlled players, tackle the missions together. If two humans play, the game uses a split screen display, with the option to split horizontally or vertically. Only one human player is required to survive the mission, although all the objectives must still be completed. Finally, there is a "Counter Op" mode, in which one player plays the missions as Joanna while the other takes over the role of an enemy — including their weaponry and low health — and attempts to stop her. The Counter Op player takes control of another enemy if they are killed, and cannot cause the mission to fail directly by, for example, killing Joanna's allies before she meets them.

The Combat Simulator is Perfect Dark's multiplayer mode. A game can be played with up to four human players and eight computer-controlled players. Again a split-screen is used if more than one human is playing. If three or four humans play, the screen is divided into quarters, with one quarter left blank if necessary.

Players enter the game unarmed and with a certain amount of health. Weapons and ammunition are scattered around the level in preset positions. Once a player is killed, they are regenerated elsewhere in the level, once again unarmed. The overall objective of the game is determined by the scenario being played, of which there are six:

• Combat — The traditional deathmatch mode. This can be played in teams.
• Capture the Case — Perfect Dark's equivalent of Capture the Flag.
• Hold the Briefcase — Players must take a briefcase and survive with it for as long as possible. One point is received for every set number of seconds the case is held. If the player with the briefcase is killed, they drop the briefcase and it can be picked up by anyone else.
• King of the Hill — One area in the level is "the hill". Points are awarded for locating this region and staying there for a set number of seconds. Having been "captured" in this way, the hill moves to a new location, or if a certain game setting was set, the hill remains in the same spot while the timer resets.
• Hacker Central — Players must locate a data uplink and use it to hack a computer system; both items are randomly placed in the level. The data uplink is moved to a new location when the player carrying it is killed. When hacking the computer system, the player cannot use weapons, and cannot move from the terminal without breaking the link.
• Pop a Cap — Similar to "Assassination" type multiplayer games. One player is labeled as the target, and the other players go after him. If the target kills his hunters, he receives a point bonus. If the hunters kill the target, they receive a point, but they then become the targeted player. The term pop a cap is used in this game in reference to the slang term "pop a cap", which usually means to fire a gun or to participate in gun-wielding activity.

Aspects of each game can be customised, such as the chosen arena, the weapons available, and the winning conditions. Players can be grouped into teams or compete individually. In a team game, the players can optionally be shown coloured according to their team. Each game can be customised to a greater degree than was possible in GoldenEye 007's widely acclaimed multiplayer mode. For example, the earlier game only allowed players to specify a pre-set class of weapons, such as "Automatics", but in Perfect Dark, players can individually select the weapons to be included and where each should be located. Shields may be placed in any of the weapon slots or omitted entirely; GoldenEye 007's body armour was fixed in one position for each level.

Computer controlled bots, called "Simulants", can be included in the multiplayer game. The appearance, team affiliation, skill level and playing characteristics of each Simulant can be individually customised. For example, the VengeSim always pursues the player that killed it last, the FistSim will not fire guns but will attack with punches and thrown weapons, while the PeaceSim does not fight at all but merely tries to disarm the other players. Simulants can perform super-human feats on the highest difficulty settings, such as moving faster than the player can. During team matches, a human player can issue specific orders to the Simulants on their team, such as "Defend the Base".

The Combat Simulator includes thirty "Challenges", pre-set games against Simulants which may be tackled by one or more players. The Challenges cover a variety of game types, weapon arrangements and level setups. As a player completes them, additional features — including new weapons, player models and bot difficulties — are unlocked in the Combat Simulator.

At the end of the match, the overall results are shown, alongside information about the individual players' performance. Color-coded "medals" are awarded to the winners in several categories: Accuracy, Head Shots, KillMaster (for achieving the most kills) and Survivor (for suffering the fewest deaths). The game also acknowledges, often humorously, other aspects of performance by awarding messages such as "Best Protected" (for people who frequently use body armour) and "Mostly Harmless" (for particularly ineffective players).

Players can keep track of their performance by creating and saving multiplayer profiles. Each profile contains a ranking, ranging from "Beginner: 21" to "Perfect: 1", which is determined based on the accumulation of certain statistics such as number of kills, time played and ammunition used. The number of medals earned is also counted. (See Combat Simulator milestones.)

[Behindshadows]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

My wired headset stopped working...The controller isn't recognizing it.

I thought it was the controller, so I opened up my new controller and it still doesn't work.

So I figured it was the headset, so I got a new headset, and the still doesn't recognize when the controller is plugged in! Somewhere in my system settings, something is off that shouldn't be.

Can someone help me with that!