Gamernode: Latest Xbox 360 News

Microsoft squashes Xbox 360 Blu-ray rumors...again...

The idea of a Blu-ray equipped Xbox 360 just won't die. It seems like every week a new insider from Microsoft is leaking the same information, only to be squashed by the higher ups at Microsoft.

This week is no different with the latest speculation being that Microsoft was going to announce an Xbox 360 equipped with Blu Ray in order to take the steam away from Apple's WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference).

As Robbie Bach has said, "That is so far out that there isn't anything to talk about." As everyone knows now this rumor has been proven false and Bach nailed it. What is funny though is how people believed that Microsoft would announce a new Xbox 360 to counter Apple. Apple and Microsoft are not in direct competition when it comes to console games or consoles. There is no reason Micros...

• (4)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Rumor: Metal Gear Solid 1 coming to XBL Arcade

I guess it's only fitting that this rumor surfaces mere days before MGS4's release. According to Ripten's sources, the seminal MGS game is set to hit Xbox Live Arcade.

They say this due to a report coming in from a reliable individual noticing the game on a "certain pre-release network." They didn't say much more except that there are some problems in the conversion process.

I would assume so--the original MGS' filesize was over 1GB. It must be quite a painful process to shrink the game in order to meet XBLA's current file limit of 150MB.

Remember this story is a rumor right now. Ripten isn't exactly known for being the most reliable site but let's keep our fingers crossed anyway. I know I'd want to see this game hit XBLA. I haven't played a single MGS game and what better way to start than...

• (16)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Man pawns his friend's Xbox 360 while he's away

You can probably file this story in the "This is not your friend," bin. According to press-citizen.com, a man was arrested last week for allegedly pawning (not pwning) his roomie's Xbox 360 while his buddy was serving time in rehab.

A report filed with the Iowa City Police department stated that the Xbox 360 was pawned at Money and More for $230. The original value of the 360 was $453.59.

After the police questioned the man on the phone, he denied that he ever pawned the 360 but later agreed to turn himself in and plead not guilty. The charges, if they stick, would be considered forth-degree theft, which is a misdemeanor and punishable by up to a year in prison.

The accused man was convicted of prior fifth-degree theft incident in 2001.

Moral of story? The Xbox 360--don't leave home witho...

• (6)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

June 9th WiiWare/Virtual Console releases

Another Monday, another round of WiiWare and Virtual Console updates.

Whether Nintendo adds one game, ten games, or none at all, GamerNode will be here every Monday with the official details - titles, platforms, ratings, pricing, and even a taste of some corny marketing copy - keeping you up to date with everything from the online Wii scene.

Without further ado, the games:

My Pokémon Ranch (Nintendo, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Comic Mischief, 1,000 Wii Points): The Pokémon phenomenon debuts on WiiWare with My Pokémon Ranch, a game that lets you watch as Pokémon and Miis interact with each other for the first time. Enjoy the relaxing ranch life by viewing your ranch and its Pokémon, taking pictures and sending those pictures to your friends via the Wii Message Board. The more Pokémon ...

• (1)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Aces of the Galaxy "Not for Tourists" giveaway

Sierra Online and Artech Studios' Aces of the Galaxy hits Xbox Live Arcade today, and in honor of that, GamerNode wants to give you free stuff! We're going to hand out a free Xbox Live Arcade token for Assault Heroes 2, Boogie Bunnies, Commanders: Attack of the Genos, or Sea Life Safari to the most skilled (and fastest) Aces of the Galaxy players at GN.

Choose your own adventure in Aces of the Galaxy. A warp icon is hidden in each level, so you'll need to maneuver wisely to visit them all. The first three people to earn the "Alien Eradicator" achievement by earning 5 stars on all levels in Aces of the Galaxy will be awarded a free XBLA game code from Sierra Online's catalog of games.

Once you've completed this challenge and earned the Xbox achievement, send an email to contests {at} gamern...

• (2)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Ninja Gaiden II demo by the end of the week

Today was the official release date of Ninja Gaiden II, and while hordes of cheering fans will likely be heading out to their local videogame retailer to cash in on their preorders, some may still remain on the fence about the title before taking that $60 plunge.

Luckily for them, a demo version of the game will be available in the U.S. and Canada by the end of this week, although Major Nelson has been unable to provide the specific day and time. For all other regions (except India and Germany), the demo is already available for the low price of zero MS points.

If you have any reservations about this game, I would recommend trying out the demo. If it's anything like the first game it will prove to be worthy of a purchase.

[via MajorNelson]

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Resident Evil 5 is 60% complete, says Capcom

According to producer Jun Takeuchi, the next installment in Capcom's survival horror franchise is more than halfway through the development cycle. At Capcom's Captivate 2008 event last week, he had this to say to members of the press:

"Right now, in the development process we're about 60 percent of the way through. We're figuring that the total play time in the game will be over 20 hours. As you can probably see from the trailer there's a lot of different content and materials in the game for you to enjoy."

The trailer he is referring to hit the internet last week, and certainly reveals many more aspects of the game than earlier clips did. We now know for certain that the game will take place somewhere in Africa, and that Chris will at least be in contact with a new leading lady, if not wo...

• (1)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Saints Row 2 delayed till October; PC release?

Previously holding an August 26th release date, THQ and Volition, Inc. confirmed that its upcoming openworld action sequel Saints Row 2 has been delayed till October 14th for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

According to a THQ representative, reasons for the delay were attributed to "marketing and issues and products quality." The representative also confirmed that they're working with a PC SKU but didn't comment further.

In related news, this product page on THQ's website notes that a PC edition of Saints Row 2 will be released in October, perhaps on the same date with its console brethren? The original Saints Row was only released for the Xbox 360 back in 2006.

[Via mcvuk.com]

• (2)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Cole Train alludes to November 16 Gears 2 release ...

Mark this as just a rumor for now, but Lester "Mighty Rasta" Speight, better known as the voice of Gears of War's "Cole Train," may have just unofficially announced the release date of Epic Games' upcoming Gears of War 2.

The charismatic actor was recently on hand at the Wizard World convention in Philadelphia, where he spoke at the TriForce panel about the company's life-sized Gears of War replica weapons. Members of the press questioned the panel about the sequel's release date, and while TriForce representatives refused to comment, Speight volunteered that they might consider asking him again on November 16.

This comment was overheard by David Hinkle from DS and Wii Fanboy, and while it was by no means an official statement, the date sounds very believable. Lead designer Cliff Bleszinsk...

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Gears of War 2 will have flamethrowers

Yes, Gears of War 2 is on its way, and if CliffyB delivers on his promise it will be more badass than anything the original Gears threw at us. While the environments are going to be grander, the enemies meaner, and the story more epic than ever before, the biggest selling point for some gamers is the new arsenal Marcus and crew are going to wield. Just how will we take out the new Locust and our rivals online?

How does a flamethrower sound? While it took Halo close to three iterations of the franchise before gamers finally got the chance to burn away their enemies on consoles, Gears is only doing it in two. With the brutality Gears is known for, we can only imagine how the flamethrower will handle.

[Via Xbox360 Fanboy]

• (6)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Still no date for next Splinter Cell

It's been a while since we last saw the gruff yet stealthy agent Sam Fisher, and it seems like it is going to stay that way for some time. While Ubisoft recently held their Paris games showcase, Ubidays, fans were disappointed to see that Sam Fisher was absent. Even more odd is that Splinter Cell: Conviction was on display in 2007 at various events. Has Ubisoft gone back to the drawing board? All indications point to yes.

Realistically, this isn't such a bad outcome. The last Splinter Cell, even though it had amazing multiplayer, lacked the spark of Sam Fisher's previous games. Playing both sides of the coin was cool, but ultimately fumbled in its execution. Splinter Cell: Conviction was a step even further away from what made Splinter Cell a stealth genre contender.

With a release window no...

• (2)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

New Resident Evil 5 trailer

If there's any game I'm looking forward to playing this console generation, it's Resident Evil 5. Utilizing the capabilities of the current generation of hardware, it is sure to build off of what was a nearly perfect gaming experience in Resedent Evil 4.

This newest trailer only augments my desire to play the game, although the overall brightness of the footage is somewhat disarming to a seasoned Residet Evil-er. It's almost more frightening to find yourself vulnerable in broad daylight. Anyway, that's enough out of me; take a look at this lengthy and revealing trailer:

• (14)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Microsoft confirms and details Gears re-issue

The buzz of a Gears of War re-issue has been floating around the interwebz for a few days now, but the speculation was confirmed yesterday when Microsoft issued an official press release detailing the package.

The new two-disc edition of Gears will arrive on June 4th for the Xbox 360 only, and will be priced at $39.99. It will include two multiplayer map packs, Gears of War and Gears of War 2 dashboard themes, and two collections of gamer pics, as well as a Gears 2 trailer. Unfortunately, the PC-exclusive Brumak level will NOT be coming to the 360, even with this special release.

Everyone put on your sad face.

"Gears of War" updated two-disc edition and price drop arrive in June

On June 4th, "Gears of War" will be offered at the new estimated retail price of $39.99 (Xbox 360) and $29.9...

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Resident Evil 5 online co-op details emerge

So what would be the biggest selling point of Resident Evil 5? Sure, it has the similar control set up of RE4, and undoubtedly some of the prettiest graphics to hit the Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.

But does a tweaked control system and HD visuals make it worth buying? Many, including myself, would say yes. Still, there is a part of all of us who hopes there will be more to RE5. Good thing these hopes came true.

How does online co-op sound? UK magazine Xbox 360 has recently thrown up a new preview of RE5 and the biggest highlight of the article is the ability for players to fight through hell together.

For those too ignorant to understand how cool this is, or for the others to pass it off as a feature that surely all games have, remember back to playing RE4 with friends watching. Remember th...

• (6)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Beyond Good & Evil 2 teaser trailer

Who would of thought; after years of outcry and badgering from the fans, Ubisoft turned on the green light for Beyond Good & Evil 2 with the release of this teaser trailer. Hopefully you don't mind Pey'J and his "snouty" business. Also celebrate the news by buying the first game off of Steam for only $9.99 if you don't own the game already.

• (8)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

XBLA getting bigger, file size follows

When the Xbox Live Arcade launched, Microsoft was pretty stingy with their file size limiting it to 50 megabytes. The reasoning for this seemed sound at the start, Microsoft wanted hard drive owners and memory unit owners to be able to store XBLA games. At the time the memory unit size was a meager 64 megs. Since those dark times, however, we have seen the introduction of 256 and the 512 megabyte cards.

Last year the file size was increased 150 megs due to the influx of larger games and Microsoft granting more 'hall passes' to developers. Now, it seems, the good people at Microsoft have decided to up the ante again. This time we're looking at a 350 megabyte file size for XBLA games.

It seems a combination of good and evil. On the one hand its kind of awesome that bigger developers are ...

• (6)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Reconstruction is Red vs Blue evolved!

This message is for fans of the popular web series Red vs Blue. You will be happy to know that yesterday's episode one, of their new series, went live. Called Red vs Blue: Reconstruction, it isn't much more than a regurgitation of information setting up this series proper.

From what we learned it seems to tie in to the original Red vs Blue series and the offshoot miniseries, staring Tex, from a few months ago. If you are completely confused by what I'm saying then you need to catch up. You can buy RvB DVD's or (the poor mans way) watch entire seasons in giant clips on Google video. While I recommend supporting the cause and paying for what you watch, you should also remember that no one will know if just did a search in Google.

I am a relatively new RvB fan coming to the party during t...

• (3)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Square Enix Unveils new franchise for Xbox 360

Let's admit that the Xbox 360 RPG scene still isn't the best. It's certainly better than it used to be, but it's still the one area where Microsoft's console is lacking the most. Square Enix, being clever, has decided to capitalize on this weakness by being one of the premiere providers for the RPG genre on the 360. They are specifically creating an RPG franchise unique to the Xbox 360. That franchise is called Infinite Undiscovery, and will be hitting stores on Sept 2nd.

Predictably, the game looks like it will go deep into the roots of the Japanese RPG genres of the past in terms of both story and gameplay. Infinite Undiscovery will tell the tale of a young boy who must save the world from an evil Dreadknight and his organization, the Order of Chains. It's not entirely original, but it ...

• (1)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Microsoft adding XNA games and increasing download...

Now that Microsoft is finally getting a little bit of competition from both the PlayStation Network and Nintendo's WiiWare, one might wonder what they plan to do to keep their edge. Game Xbox Live Arcade worldwide portfolio planner David Edery asserts that XNA-created content is next on Microsoft's plate, and will help the company "leapfrog the competition."

"I certainly think from an innovation perspective it's going to help us leapfrog the competition, effectively until they find a way to duplicate it, assuming they ever do.

To some extent it will certainly help us have more innovative content than either of them, just by definition. With all this random stuff coming from the community, every once in a while there's going to be a real gem in there that you just couldn't have found otherwi...

• (3)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Cliffy B says GoW2 will have 5 times more action

Cliff Bleszinski, aka Cliffy B, the lead designer for Gears of War 2, said that the game would be "larger," but didn't really go too deeply on the comments he made earlier this week. But in an interview with CVG, Bleszinski added a tad more elaboration for Gears fans.

He said Gears of War 2 would have five times more action than the first Gears.

"The character lighting is vastly improved, the environment is chippable and the tress get knocked down as physics objects. There's just so much sh*t going on, it's five times bigger this time. I think it shows the [Unreal Engine] got smoother."

The original Gears was no sloth in the action area and Cliffy is promising five times more in the new Gears? How did his development team do it?

"It's sheer hard work, a lot of practice, having artists that a...

• (6)
• 
• 
• 
• 
•