Friends of Friends Coming to Xbox Live

Microsoft has announced a new feature that will be included in their December 4th Fall Update: Friends of Friends. This feature will allow Xbox Live members to browse their friends' friends lists.

Microsoft says that this feature was inspired from websites like Myspace and Facebook. In such social websites, users are able to find other people they know by browsing their friends' friends lists.

I don't think it will work as well on Xbox Live, though. You can't see as much personal info on Xbox Live. So I could scan Josh's friends list and see his Xbox Live friends, but that doesn't mean I would recognize them.

(And for those that scan my friends list. I just cleaned it out the other day. I'm down to pretty much only people I know from real life. Sorry to those who did not survive the Friends List Purge of 2007, but I got tired of constantly getting notices that so and so was online when I never play with so and so.)

Xbox "Fall" Dashboard Update

I say "Fall" since it will actually be released December 4th. I've been collecting some information on the update, but now a whole list of the new features has been leaked. Take these statements with a grain of salt. Right now they look legit, but it could all be fake.

I'm only posting some of the more important or interesting updates(IMHO).

* New Xbox Live Arcade blade - where you can download, play and learn about Xbox Live Arcade
* New clan support - will be able to launch clan games direct from dashboard, can “fold” friends into new clan category in friends list
* New option in Games tab - beta and others, will be launcher for MMO and multiplayer betas
* New option in Marketplace Games tab, search by letter, can be inputted via text pad or console
* Themes can now be animated and may now have sound effects
* New estimated timer for downloads, informing how long download will expect to take
* Filter friends list, will be able to filter friends via games
* New screensaver settings - when away from Xbox 360, screensaver will play for optional time, before screen goes dark
* IPTV Functionality - support for TiVo like PVR options. Will be able to record TV direct. Options include source by channel, director, actor and distributor
* Console will now recognise low Hard Drive space, will inform you immediately if can’t download current item, will automatically download next available that is able.
* Xvid support

There's also this one: "Brand new “web based adver-games” flash games which aren’t downloaded, but are playable bite sized games, accessed via new Xbox Live Arcade Blade"

What is that? Those flash games where I punch George Bush in the face or fight a sumo wrestler? Why would I want that?

Microsoft is also putting some old Xbox classics in a downloadable format for 1200 Microsoft Points(about $15). They include "Halo," "Psychonauts," "Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge" and "Fable," among others.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like these games have been improved. There is no online for Halo. There's no achievements. And I'm sure all the other games will be exactly the same as they were on Xbox. Why no achievements? Even Burger King games have achievements! And why no online for Halo? You used to be able to play the original Halo online if you hooked the Xbox up to a computer that had a program that tricked the Xbox into thinking it was system linked instead of online.

There's also rumors that the update will make the Xbox 360 and DivX video 100% compatible.

Orange Box Update Broke My Orange Box

This morning when I woke up I scanned the gaming news and saw that Valve had put out an Orange Box update. The update primarily had to do with Team Fortress 2. They were trying to fix some of the lag and balance issues. I booted up my system and got the update. Then I tried to continue my Half-Life 2 campaign. That's when disaster struck.

At first, everything seemed fine. The update downloaded, the game restarted. The opening menu was same as it ever was. I loaded up Half-Life 2 from the first menu.


The graphics were all messed up. At first, I thought my 360 might have locked or broke. But the menu looks fine and you can choose any of the options. I decided to try and load my game to see if it was just a minor glitch.


Nope. The game is messed up, graphically. It still sounds fine and I can run around, shoot people, etc. It just looks like crap.

I also checked Portal, the Episodes and Team Fortress 2. All had the same problems. I've searched the forums and haven't found other people experiencing the same problems, but the patch was just released last night so we'll see if it negatively affects other gamers as well.

Halo 3 ARG Updates

http://206.16.223.65 now takes you to a new page with "Server 5" rotating around. If you click on certain parts of the server it opens up a StarImage1 file and Slide_Ref070107 file. Also Halo3.com now has one of the 5 server silhouettes filled in with an actual image. The BNet forums are going crazy with post about theories and new discoveries. What does this all mean? That I stayed up late to see a flash video that displayed the following text:

"THIS IS MY FINAL ENTRY, AND I AM LEFT WITH ONE HOPE
THAT ONE DAY, SOMEONE, ANYONE IS AROUND TO WITNESS THIS WARNING
{//}
KNOW THAT A THOUSAND OTHER PLANS WERE TRIED AND FAILED
{//}
KNOW THAT ENERGETIC AND TENACIOUS AS LIFE IS
IT HAS AN ANTITHESIS JUST AS POWERFUL
IT IS THAT THING THAT WE MUST OBLITERATE"

Edit: Also clicking around on it will bring up an Array Recorder Data text file and a Log Transcript text file(which contains the above transmission).

LOTR Online Update Details

The first in a "long line" of free updates for Lord of the Rings Online will be released June 13th.

This update is titled "Book 9: Shores of Evendim" and will feature a number of things:

• Evendim - A new area 100 miles north of the Shire in northern Eriador. Highlights of the area are the Lake of the Twilight and the abandoned lakeshore city of Annúminas, once the ancient capital of Arnor and famed amongst the Free People.
  
• Music System Enhancements - The addition of new percussion instruments and the adaptation of the ABC music notation system
  
• New Armor - Seven sets of epic armor with stacking bonuses
  
• New Monsters - Nine new monsters
  
• New Quests - Over 100 new quests with new NPCs and monsters. Ents will also be introduced.
  
• New Raid - Team up with up to 23 other characters to fight the dragon Thorog in the Misty Mountains
  

Get Your Hands Around This Thing

This isn't Photoshopped. This is for real. With the new Xbox Live updates coming in early May, the Xbox team has created an Xbox 360 controller with a keyboard built in. Why? The May dashboard update includes the ability to use Windows Live Messenger. So now while your playing games you can IM your friends who are surfing the web and they can IM you as well.

You could get a USB keyboard to do this as well, but who doesn't like typing with their thumbs. Users with Blackberry experience will have the upper hand on these things. I think I will get one so when Halo 3 comes out and Eric comes over to play I can hear him bitch about how stupid the Xbox controllers are. This time I'll agree with him.

Other features coming to the update:

• Achievement Descriptions - So no more going to the other screen to view the achievement you just got
• Marketplace Has its Own Blade
• Arcade Update - Allows easier viewing and joining of the XLA games your friends are playing
• Auto Shutdown for Auto Downloads - Great for people who worry about the 360 being on all night
• Faster Access to Free Downloads