Microsoft Unveils Xbox's 2008 Lineup

Microsoft has announced which first-party games will grace the Xbox 360 in 2008.
by Larry_Chimp_Man

It's never too late to make plans. Well, at least Microsoft thinks so. It may be May, five months into the new year, but MS has come forward and announced their lineup of first-party titles they plan to release in the remaining seven months of 2008. The following list may not share any surprises but it does give a good look at what you'll probably be playing on your 360 in the near future.

GEARS OF WAR 2 (Epic Games)

The sequel to 2006's groundbreaking shooter, Gears of War 2 promises a plethora of new features as well as improvements upon the successes of the original. Gamers will once again join up with Marcus Fenix and his crew to fight a Locust horde that's more brutal and aggressive than ever. Gears of War 2 will feature a deeper and more engaging story, bigger and more intense boss battles, new weapons and characters, and improvements on one of the best co-op experiences ever.
Release Date: November

FABLE 2 (Lionhead Studios)

Fans of the first Fable should already be drooling over the thought of Fable 2. Peter Molyneux and his team at Lionhead Studios have been hard at work implementing a more dynamic game world as well as an immersive and cinematic storytelling experience for the sequel to 2005's hit RPG. Also promised is a deep co-op mode allowing gamers to team up, and level up, with their friends. Although, it hasn't yet been confirmed whether or not co-op will be available online over Xbox Live.
Release Date: October

NINJA GAIDEN II (Team Ninja)

The sequel to 2004's incredibly difficult Ninja Gaiden will feature an all-new gameplay engine as well as weapons and enemies not previously seen in the original game. Follow Ryu Hayabusa as he sets out to avenge his clan and stop the destruction of the human race.
Release Date: June 3rd

TOO HUMAN (Silicon Knights)

Too Human may look like your typical hack-and-slash action game at first glance but Microsoft and Silicon Knights feel as if the game has some potential. Mixing action elements with an RPG level-up system Too Human promises battles of epic proportions along with a solid variety of both close-quarters and long-range combat. Too Human will also feature a co-op mode so you can explore the futuristic take on Norse mythology with a friend.
Release Date: August 19th

BANJO-KAZOOIE: NUTS & BOLTS (Rare)

The third Banjo-Kazooie game is the first on a next-gen console and it's headed to the Xbox 360 in 2008. The game's premise is simple; collect items to build all sorts of vehicles and contraptions to beat the game however you choose. Gamers can address each situation according to their unique playstyle. Want to drive to your objective? Build a car. Want to fly? Find the parts you need to build a flying machine. Nuts & Bolts will also feature online multiplayer true to the style of the franchise.
Release Date: Winter 2008

That wraps up a pretty solid list of first-party titles Microsoft is releasing for the Xbox 360 in 2008. Which games are you most excited for? Post a comment and let us know what games you are awaiting in 2008, both for the Xbox 360 and other consoles.

And, as always, check back to MediaZEALOT for the latest video game news.

Cheers.

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Halo 3 Ghost Town Map Preview

Bungie has released the first images of one of their new maps.

Bungie plans to release a second map pack for Halo 3 this spring. The download will be titled the Legendary Map Pack and is a follow up to the Heroic Map Pack which was released on December 11th of last year. I wasn't a very big fan of the first map pack. Not necessarily because of the quality, they were decent maps, but just because I was on Halo overload and needed to get away from the game for a while. I haven't played it very much since.



Hopefully the Legendary Map Pack can fix all that. Bungie has released pictures of Ghost Town, one of the maps in the new pack, and it looks pretty cool. It features some wide-open areas for firefights as well as some ruined buildings for more confined battles. The map is an asymmetrical map geared for gametypes like CTF and One Bomb but should also work well for FFA and Slayer.



The Legendary Map Pack will hit Xbox Live Marketplace in the spring. I'm in no rush to download the new maps although I'll most likely give them a test run at some point. It's been too long since I played Halo 3, I just haven't felt the urge to pop the game back into my 360.

Cheers.

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Fable 2 Co-Op Details and Video

Lionhead Studios once again promises to push the envelope.

Yesterday at the Games Developers Conference 2008 in San Francisco Lionhead Studios announced a key feature to their upcoming sequel to 2004's Fable. Lionhead's leader Peter Molyneux revealed the game will feature a simple yet dynamic form of co-op play. The concept is that at any minute you can plug a second controller into your Xbox 360 while playing Fable 2 and have a friend join in on the adventure. You can share experience points with him however you choose and everything he earns or accomplishes will then tie directly back into his save file. So, for example, if you and your buddy complete a quest and earn a ton of cash you're individual characters will have done the same. You can then pick up the single-player experience where you last left co-op play.



This is all good news, right? Sadly not. Molyneux was coy about co-op being a part of online play and didn't mention whether or not it would be possible over Xbox Live. One can assume that there will be online co-op but nothing has been revealed as of yet.

Molyneux had more for GDC than just an announcement. The egotistical creator also showed off a co-op demo for Fable 2. The video previews the new co-op system as well as character emoting, the game HUD, and more footage of virtual dog behavior. It all looks pretty cool, check it out below.

Part 1:


Part 2:


Fable 2 is looking like it will be everything the first game promised and more, hopefully it can live up to the hype. I've been craving a good RPG since Oblivion came out years ago and hopefully Fable 2 can fill that void when it hits the shelves. A release date has not yet been announced but one can speculate it will arrive during the summer later this year.

Cheers.

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Gears of War 2 in November

The sequel to 2006's infamous third-person shooter is due out in November.

Gears of War was awesome. The game delivered a great video game experience but also packed a mean cinematic visual style that didn't hold anything back. During their keynote at the Game Developers Conference earlier today Microsoft announced that the Gears of War sequel will have a street date in November this year. The game will be released exclusively for the Xbox 360, no plans for a PC port have been revealed at this time. Along with the release date announcement the game's lead designer, Cliff Bleszinski, showcased the game's first teaser trailer at GDC. Check it out below or go download it in high-resolution on Xbox Live Marketplace.



This looks sweet so far. If Epic Games can build on everything that made the first Gears of War great the sequel will be a great accomplishment. The only complaint I had with the first game was a marginally short single-player campaign. Hopefully Gears of War 2 will feature a longer single-player experience. I also hope Epic Games is able to deliver on their now-promised release date. The game studio has a knack for missing deadlines and one can only hope that won't be the case with this release.



Check back to MediaZEALOT as we'll be keeping tabs on the game leading up to its November release.

UPDATE: Epic Games also showcased a tech demo to their new and improved Unreal Engine III at GDC 2008. Check out the video below to see what you can expect to see in Gears of War 2.



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Full Gears of War Action Figure Line-Up Revealed

Images of the fourth figure in NECA's Gears of War Series 1 line are finally released.

Today NECA Toys released images of the fourth figure in their first series of Gears of War figures. The previously unseen figure is a Locust Sniper and should go along well with the already unveiled Marcus Fenix, Augustus Cole, and Locust Drone figures. The action-figure line hits stores in April.

These figures look superb and NECA continues to snap up many of the great available film and video game licenses available. I'm more of a McFarlane fan myself but if NECA keeps getting all the good toy lines I may have to switch over.



NECA isn't stopping with just figures with their Gears of War license, the toy company is also planning to release messenger bags, zippos, hats, and keychains based on the top-selling Xbox 360 game.

Click HERE to visit the official NECA Gears of War site to see more detailed views of the figures and merchandise in the line.

Cheers.

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VIDEO GAMES: First Mass Effect DLC Announced

Bioware's galactic RPG will see new content come March 10th.

Microsoft has announced that, on March 10th, a new uncharted world will be released over Xbox Live as new content for Bioware's latest RPG Mass Effect. The download features a new alien race named the Batarians who have hijacked an asteroid and plan on using it to destroy a new colony planet named Terra Nova. For 400 Microsoft Points ($5) you can fly your crew to the asteroid planet and take out the threat. The mission, supposedly, clocks in at roughly 90 minutes.



I'm glad that downloadable content for Mass Effect is finally hitting the marketplace. I've been dying to pick up the game again but didn't feel the urge to play through it a third time. Hopefully this DLC is the first of many and that we'll see tons of new Mass Effect content in the near future.

The new content will feature 50 unlockable Gamerscore points.

Cheers.

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VIDEO GAMES: Halo 3 is Ready to Burn

Bungie has finally decided to provide fans with the weapon they've been begging for; the flamethrower.

The flamethrower was initially supposed to be a prime weapon in Halo: Combat Evolved. It didn't make the final cut.

Halo 2 rolled around and, once again, the flamethrower was rumoured to make an appearance. It was cut once again.

Now, after over eight years since the first glimpse of the portable fire-starter was seen by fans worldwide, it finally appears as if it will make the final build of Halo 3.



I never really jumped on the flamethrower craze. While it seems like a cool weapon, I'm a much bigger fan of guns that kill my opponents immediately (see shotgun) instead of slowly chipping away at their health as they burn to death. I'm sure it'll be a visual treat and work well for specific situations but I haven't been won over quite yet.

It also has to be mentioned that the flamethrower will be a "turret" weapon similar to the missile pod and the stationary turret. This means that whenever wielding the weapon your spartan will move slower and you'll view the action from a third-person viewpoint.

Check out the image above to see how the flamethrower would have looked in Halo: Combat Evolved and right-click HERE to download a 360 degree view of the weapon as it will be seen in Halo 3.

What do you guys think of the flamethrower finally making an appearance in the Halo universe? Post a comment and let me know.

Cheers.

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FILM: New Line Wins the Rights to Gears of War

Epic Games' top-teir shooter hopes to hit the silver screen with New Line Cinema.

Apparently New Line Cinema, led by Robert K. Shayne and Michael Lynne, have bought the rights to the best selling Xbox 360 title Gears of War. The production company, which won the rights to the Escape from New York remake earlier this month (read my casting scoop HERE), has hired Stuart Beattie to pen the script. Beattie's resume features all three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Derailed, and Collateral. He also wrote the screenplay for James Mangold's remake of 3:10 to Yuma, a film I'm really looking forward to seeing.

I like the idea of a Gears of War movie. I love the game, and the characters that are a large part of the property, and I think an all-out action epic film adaptation would completely rock. My one concern though is that New Line might try and turn the movie into an intellectual experience. Now, while I'm all for intelligent movies, Gears of War shouldn't be one. The video game is far from smart; dumbed down to the lowest notch and focused completely on action. The plot is flatter than the prairies, the characters don't develop, and everything is turned up to 11. The movie should be done similar to the recent 300, putting action ahead of everything save style. But hey, that's just my opinion.



New Line hasn't yet announced directing or casting choices, but I'll keep you posted as they occur. I just hope this video game adaptation doesn't attain the infinite hiatus status as the Halo movie did.

Cheers.

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VIDEO GAMES: Halo 3 in September?

Sources say the high-profile shooter will ship two months earlier than expected.

An annonymous source has told IGN that Bungie and Microsoft plan to ship Halo 3 in September hoping to beat the holiday rush. If this is accomplished the game would be able to establish a large market (like it doesn't have one already) at least two months before Sony or Nintendo would be able to return fire.

This is great news if true. I can't wait for the next Halo and the sooner it releases the better, as long as it isn't rushed. I have been yearning for the third installment of the series for ages and I can't wait to get it up and running on my 360.



Bungie is also putting out their Halo 3 beta this spring, giving gamers a chance to test out a portion of the game well-before it ships. I'll post my impressions of that experience as soon as I'm able to play it.

Cheers.

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