Xbox Live Price Increase Coming

Microsoft has announced that they will be increasing the cost for a year of Xbox Live from $50 to $60 come November 1st.

Microsoft claims this price increase is due to inflation, but the increase will only affect Canada, Mexico, the UK and the United States. It's probably also no coincidence that November is the month Microsoft's Kinect controller will be released for Xbox.

Of course, thrifty shoppers can usually find a cheaper year long membership card on various sites on the internets. Right now, Amazon is selling year long membership cards for just under $40.

Editorial: Why Microsoft Points Don't Make Sense

Okay. Many complaints have been given about Microsoft Points for the Xbox Live marketplace. They help Microsoft avoid excess credit card transaction fees. You can only buy in batches. For some reason, 80 points equals approximately $1 US. But my main complaint - the bulk purchases don't follow typical bulk purchase mentality. Buying more in bulk actually costs you more!

I can buy 400 points for $4.99. 800 points costs $9.99. 1600 = $19.99 and so on up to 6000 points = $74.99.

These numbers make absolutely no sense. People don't typically buy the 24 pack of toilet paper because they're going to need that much toilet paper tonight(unless they are TPing some jerk's house). They buy it because bulk is cheaper and then you have it when you need it.

If I bought 6000 points at just 400 points each, it would only cost me $74.85.

Sure it's only $0.14 cheaper, but the point is that the bulk purchase should be the cheaper option!

Come on, Microsoft! Bulk should always be cheaper!

Launch Kinects Will Not Read Sign Language

Rumors have been floating around that the Xbox 360's upcoming Kinect will be able to read sign language, but Microsoft has officially denied such claims.

The rumors surfaced after someone found patents Microsoft had filed for a Kinect that could read sign language. Microsoft says they made add this into later models of the Kinect if they improve the camera resolution on them, but the launch Kinects will be unable to read sign language.

Microsoft dropped this feature in order to keep costs low and maintain their $150 price for the Kinect.

1 vs. 100 Beta

So I finally got to play the 1 vs. 100 Beta tonight. I played for the entire two hour long show. Overall, I like it.

It's a little confusing at first. There were over 100,000 people playing and at first I thought I was in the Mob. But I was actually in the Crowd (which is where most people play).

In the Crowd, you can have a party of four or the game will assign you into a party of four total. This way you have a little competition within your group and it's not too overwhelming.

I actually found most of the questions pretty easy, sometimes ridiculously so. I never got to be the One or the Mob tonight, but I hear it's based on weekly stats of how much you play, your response time and percent of correct answers. Playing the Extended Play shows during the week is supposed to help increase your chance of being the One or the Mob. It seemed to me that the One was usually in the Mob right before being chosen.

For the most part, only the One or the Mob can actually win prizes(although no prizes are being awarded during the Beta(even though it looks like they are because they need to test all that stuff too)). The Crowd plays for fun and prestige.

Once Beta is over, there are supposed to be restrictions - you can only be the One once per season, you can only be in the Mob once per episode.

If you are in the Mob, you get eliminated when you answer a question incorrectly. You still answer until the end of the game but you are ineligible for any prizes.

As the One, your prizes increase for every ten Mob members eliminated. You can then at certain points choose to walk away with your prize(microsoft points) or keep playing. If you answer a question wrong, the prize gets split amongst all remaining Mob members.

The top three players in the whole game (Crowd and Mob) also get prizes.

This game is free to play for all Xbox Live Gold Members.

Project Natal - The Next Big Thing?

Microsoft unveiled Project Natal at E3 this week. It is a set of motion sensor cameras used for the 360 to detect the gamer's movements, controlling actions in the game. There's a lot of excitement surrounding this innovation.

Personally, I think it's a good thing. I've been waiting for something like this ever since I first played a motion sensing boxing arcade game(MoCap Boxing) years ago. A few more arcade games came out using the same technology(I remember a cop game), but overall it didn't seem to take off like I had hoped it would.

I can tell you one thing - those games were tiring. The boxing game made you sweat and the cop game hurt my legs from crouching so much. But I really liked the games and didn't mind the physical toil(in fact it's a nice workout).

I don't know if Project Natal games will be as tiring. But I think that if the games are fun people will play them. We already know from Wii Fit that gamers will buy games that give them a workout. It's a little less sure if gamers will keep playing them.

Project Natal will be included in all Xbox 360 bundles in the near future and Microsoft will be selling Project Natal seperately as well for all of us who already have an Xbox 360.

3 Year Warranty Extended to E-74 Error

Microsoft's three year warranty for the Xbox 360 now includes Xboxes that die from the dreaded E-74 error as well as the Red Ring of Death. This was revealed somewhat quietly by Microsoft who has seen an increase in the number of E-74 errors reported. Owners who paid for a repair during their first three years for an E-74 error problem should receive a refund.

Xbox.com describes an E-74 error as a graphics hardware problem.

Sadly, this announcement comes a little too late for me. My first two Xbox 360s both died from E-74, not RROD.

My very first 360 got the E-74 error from time to time but a quick reboot would usually make it go away. Then one day the graphics went weird(after an update to Orange Box). It returned to normal, but it wasn't soon after that my 360 went E-74 for good. It would only go to that error screen.

This happened after my 360 was out of its one year warranty. Microsoft didn't recognize the E-74 as a serious problem then. In fact, the person I talked to on the phone didn't understand what an E-74 error was.

I decided not to send it in and pay for repairs. Instead, I went out and bought an Xbox Arcade system and used my old harddrive and controllers. (I also didn't want to wait for repairs which at the time were a bit longer.)

My Arcade system died from an E-74 error within the first six months. This one I sent in since it was still under its year long warranty.

I am glad to see Microsoft taking the E-74 error seriously.

Halo Wars: First Impressions

I've been looking forward to Halo Wars for a couple of years now and wasn't too happy as they consistently pushed it back further and further. But now the game is finally here and I have to say that this game is fun.

Campaign
For those of us who played the demo you really get a sense of how the campaign plays out. Right now I'm only on Mission 4 and it's starting to ramp up as far as difficulty (I'm playing Heroic difficulty). The first ACT was a breeze, but now I'm actually failing missions from the get go. The controls are simple enough, I do keep forgetting whether D-Pad Down takes me to my base of if it's D-Pad Left, I think it's D-Pad Left, but other than that it's been simplified for the console. I never played RTS games on the PC, unless you count Dune back in the mid-90's, so my ignorance is a blessing here. I think it plays fine, then again I think Command & Conquer plays fine on the 360 as well.

The scenarios that I have encountered so far have been pretty fun. There are small battles, large battles, and then scenes where I just destroy enemies with Scorpions.

The only really disappointing part is the graphics for the Elites. To me it looks like they are wearing a one piece swim suite and there is very little detail to some of the enemies and sometimes my allies. Also the cut scenes are really compressed poorly. I can see the compression artifacts big time.

I have yet to play Campaign in Co-op, but from what I hear from a friend, it is awesome. I really enjoy collecting the skulls, black boxes, and trying to meet the optional objectives, like kill 100 Grunts.

Multiplayer
I tried out 3v3 last night with some friends. We teamed up to go against strangers online and I have to say that it was tons of fun. We lost most of the matches before we finally figured out the strategy that everyone was using, so when we won it was great to know that it was through strategy and not luck.

I didn't think I would really enjoy the MP aspect of it, but I think I will be visiting this portion of the game more often than I thought. Teamwork is vital in surviving these game types and I hope to get better at it.

Everything about Halo Wars feels like Halo 3, from the look of the menus to the ranking system. HaloWars.com even has a stats section, though it's not as cool as Bungie.net's stats.

If you are a Halo fan, like myself, then you will definitely enjoy this, just for the fact that it is so familiar. I think that's what really draws me in. When I'm told to protect a Spartan, I know what that is immediately. Sure there are some new vehicles, but they are pretty easy to learn and I already know the other vehicles, so there is less to remember.

If you are a hardcore RTS fan, then this might be a little dumbed down from what I hear on the forums and podcast. So try the demo for sure to get a handle on how it plays.

Hopefully Microsoft will support this game for years to come because it has the potential to have long legs. I would like to see new maps and skins for vehicles as well as some new gametypes for MP.

Another cool feature the game has is a timeline for the Halo universe. Some of the dates are locked, which have to be unlocked through gameplay, but it really gives the players a nice sense of where this story starts and the other Halo stories begin.

Halo Wars Impressions

So, the Halo Wars demo came out on Xbox Live(at 1.4 GB) today. I've had some doubts about this game for a while now. One of my main problems is simply that RTS games don't hold my interest for long. But I booted up the Xbox and downloaded the demo anyway.

Halo Wars takes place 20 years before Halo. It's a time of great battles between the humans and the Covenant.

I played the Basic tutorial and the first two missions on campaign. I'm not sure how much more is included in the demo. That's just where I stopped.

It's not a bad game. It's fairly fun for an RTS, and the controls aren't bad. I did have a problem for a little while where I was selecting every unit on the map instead of just on my screen, but the game let me know what I was doing wrong with helpful little reminders in the left hand corner.

I beat the two missions without too much problem. My hero did go down during one fierce battle, but then he later got back up when I had another unit stand near him for a while. I earned Silver on the first mission and Bronze on the second.

Is it put together well? Seems to be. I don't have to worry about peons or workers or what have you to collect my resources. I simply build Supply Pads and supplies are shipped to me. There are also crates of supplies scattered around the map that my troops can pick up. They don't even have to bring the supplies back to my base. They just pick them up and they appear in my coffers. So that's nice(although die-hard RTS players may dislike this).

Apparently there are also skulls hidden on some of the levels, but I didn't find any.

I do, for the most part, like that when you group your troops together they all travel at the same speed(which would be the speed of your slowest unit). This, of course, is annoying since it slows down some of your troops, but it's good for combat because I don't have to worry that my Warthogs are way ahead of my Scorpion or Infantry. The only time I really don't like this is when I'm running away from enemies. (Although even when fleeing, the Warthog's gunner still shoots at the enemies.)

And pretty much every unit has a secondary attack. Warthogs can run over enemies. Infantry can throw grenades.

Will it do well? Hmmm.... I don't think it will. I know that some game executives think that simply putting the name Halo on anything will make it sell. But Halo 1-3 are first person shooter games. They may have helped revolutionize or revitalize the FPS, but they were still first person shooters.

Most FPS gamers aren't RTS gamers and vice versa. When I was playing the Halo Wars demo, it actually made me want to play Halo 3 so that I could get in there and shoot some Covenant instead of just clicking on units and letting my troops battle.

I also have problems really distinguishing what the various Covenant troops are. I know there were Grunts, Elites, Jackals, Hunters, Ghosts and ... those Covenant transport ships. But most of them look pretty much the same from way up high. There were a number of times when I'd have Hunters on me, but I'd be concentrating on the Grunts.

In the end, this game may sell because of the Halo name. But I don't think it will truly be popular.

Rumors: Crackdown 2

Edge has some interesting information about a new Microsoft game developer team being created in Scotland. Apparently the team is made of members who created Crackdown, the sandbox game where you play as a supercop.

For now it is all speculation that the team will be working on Crackdown 2. It stands to reason that Crackdown will have a sequel since the first one was well received after players realized the game was tons of fun and not just a source to get the Halo 3 beta. And since Realtime Worlds is busy working on APB, which should be awesome, there is a need for another team to work on the sequel in order to get it out sooner.

I'm hoping this rumor is true because I love Crackdown. I would like to see them improve it by fixing the driving controls and maybe come up with some cool fighting combos, so I can really beat the crap out of people. I say steal the grab and throw mechanic from Saints Row II.

Free Avatar

Microsoft released an interesting little toy on xbox.com - Free Your Avatar. It allows anyone to make various pictures with Xbox Live avatars.

You type in someone's gamertag and it pulls up their avatar. You then drag the avatar into the picture where you can move it around and/or resize it. You can even drag in multiple avatars. You can also add in a background and a line of text.

But you can only add one line of text(in black or white). If you want to add other lines, you'll have to do it with a picture editor after exporting the image.



The weird thing about it is that you can use anyone's avatar. So you can make pictures with griefers and people you have problems with on Xbox Live.

Gears 2 Combustible Map Pack Available Tomorrow

It had been rumored before, but it was just confirmed on Spike TV's Video Game Awards - a new Gears of War 2 map pack will be available for download on Xbox Live tomorrow(technically midnight PST).

The Combustible Map Pack will include three new maps for use in multiplayer.

Flood is a map filled with imulsion which rises throughout your game, causing the safe areas to shift. Fuel Station takes place around a gas station. Gold Rush seems to have a lot of high ground/low ground.

No official word about the price of these maps, but rumor prices it at 800 Microsoft points.

GTA IV DLC Release Date Confirmed

Microsoft has confirmed the rumors that the new DLC "The Lost and Damned" for Grand Theft Auto IV will be available on the Xbox Live marketplace beginning February 17th.

This addition will allow players to play the character of Johnny Klebitz, a member of the motorcycle gang The Lost. It will also introduce new multiplayer modes, vehicles, weapons and music.

No official word yet on the price for this DLC, but I wouldn't expect it to be cheap.

The DLC will be exclusive(at least for a time) to the Xbox 360. DLC is expected for the PS3 in the future, but it may not be the same. Microsoft paid to get the first DLC for GTA IV.

Ensemble Studios to Close

Microsoft Studios has announced that they are closing Ensemble Studios after the release of Halo Wars. Some of the staff of Ensemble Studios have already announced that they will be forming their own game company. And Microsoft has promised to try to place many of the staff who do not move on to the new company.

The newly formed company will still be working with Microsoft and will be responsible for any Halo Wars updates or patches.

Ensemble Studios is the company that brought gamers other RTS games like the Age of Empires series and Age of Mythology. Microsoft purchased Ensemble Studios in 2001.

Bungie Update Makes Individual Exp Per Playlist

So Bungie announced that their new update to the Halo 3 Matchmaking Playlist will include individual experience points and ranks per Playlist. So players will now see that some players are Generals in Lone Wolfs, but a Sgt in Team Slayer Social.

I think this is cool. I've noticed that some Generals and Brigadiers aren't that good in Big Team Social. This should give players a better understanding of how experienced a player is in certain game types rather than the broad ranking and experience system that is currently in place.

If Shane and I join up in Rocket Race, then we'll be Generals in no time. For those that don't know, we are pretty good at Rocket Race.

Also there will be some Banhammer updates since people are abusing the file share system. It's amazing how people figured out to upload nudy pictures to their Halo file share for others to enjoy.

XYBA Podcast Ep 20

XYBA Podcast Crew is Andy, Eric, Josh, and Marco. This is Marco's final episode. We talk about some E3 stuff and of course the usual topics. Guitrollers FTW!

0:00 - Opening with Andy, Eric, Josh, and Marco
0:55 - Games We're Playing :|: Civilization DS and 360, Wii Fit, Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law, Metal Gear Solid 4, and Rockband
19:05 - Gaming News :|: E3 stuff
36:07 - Rountable Discussion :|: New XBOX 360 Upcoming Updates
42:19 - Games We're Looking Forward to :|: Prototype, APB, Saints Row II, Infamous, Gears of War II, Fallout 3, Little Big Planet, Left 4 Dead, Rockband 2, Resistance 2, and Ghostbusters
1:01:05 - Rants :|: Corrupted files on Xbox harddrive
1:03:18 - Shoutouts :|: Good luck Marco



Download XYBA Podcast Ep 20

Xbox 360 Repairs: Day Twelve

My replacement Xbox 360 arrived from the Repair Center today around 1 pm. They had put it in a real box instead of the fake box I had created to send it off. I transferred over all of my licenses and everything seems to work fine.

I was glad to see that the 360 Arcade they sent to replace the one I sent in still had an HDMI output. It seems to make a slight hum that my old one didn't, but it's not really that noticeable.

And while transferring over my licenses, I figured out that I never had from my first one to my second so the licenses from both are now transferred onto my replacement. I don't think it makes that big of a difference since I was always using the same harddrive so everything was there anyway, but it's good if you need to re-download something.

Now it's time for some gaming!

Xbox 360 Repairs: Day Nine

At 4:17 am this morning, Xbox sent an e-mail saying they had shipped back my 360. Which is technically not true since UPS hasn't picked it up from the repair center yet (according to tracking).

I can tell that it's a replacement 360 by two things: 1) the fast turn around and 2) the new serial number. It's that second one which is the real giveaway.

But I'm looking forward to my 360 coming home. While it's been gone, I've bought three different games that I found on the cheap. So that should keep me occupied and provide a good test on the "new" system.

More Fables to Come

Fable 2 isn't due out on shelves until October, but creator Peter Molyneux is already discussing his plans for Fables 3-5.

Molyneux says that the Fable series is actually a big story arc that would encompass all five games. Of course, while it is great to have these plans, it might be better to wait and see how Fable 2 does first. I'm sure Lionhead and Microsoft wouldn't support any more Fable games without a good return on their investment.



Personally, I'm hoping that Fable 2 kicks ass. I enjoyed the first Fable even if it didn't live up to all of Molyneux's hype. I think some of the improvements in Fable 2 should silence some of his critics.

Xbox 360 Repairs: Day Eight

After two different delays from Hurricane Dolly, my Xbox 360 was finally delivered to the Repair Center this morning around 9:30 am. Microsoft e-mailed me about two hours later to inform me that they received it.

Now it's time for more waiting. From everything I hear they won't actually repair my Xbox and send it back, but simply send back one that's already been repaired. Hopefully soon since I already lost about four days due to weather.

Games for Windows Live Now Free

In a move that many had hoped would apply to Xbox Live, Microsoft announced today that Games for Windows Live would now be free for everyone.

Games for Windows Live is a lot like Xbox Live, just for Windows based computers. It includes achievements, matchmaking, voice chat and cross-platform play with the Xbox 360. Microsoft also announced that they would be opening up a Games for Windows Live Marketplace like the Xbox Live Marketplace.

I'm sure this is an attempt by Microsoft to bolster their failing Games for Windows line. Of course, this will also spur more Xbox gamers to demand Xbox Live to be free. They can be like Josh.