Written by EDFACTOR
Monday, 22 January 2007
This is pretty awesome. If you don't have the Xbox remote control, you can use a DirecTV Universal Remote to navigate through the Dashboard and to play DVDs and whatnot in 4 easy steps.

1) Switch the DirecTV remote to AV-1. Point the remote away from your receiver. Press and hold the select and mute buttons until the light above the AV-1 switch blinks twice.

2) Press 991, then press 2. Now press Power.

3) Press Ch. Up 35-40 times, pausing between each press. The light above AV-1 should go on every time you press it.

4) When your Xbox 360 turns on, immediately press Select.

Article From : HERE

Stumble It!

January 22, 2007 After you've heard about Lost Planet selling one million copies since its initial release less than a month ago (only a week if you're outside Japan), you're probably wondering if this figure is more to do with the lack of any Christmas blockbusters for the Xbox 360, or because it's a great game in its own right. Our Games Editor has the lowdown after spending a bit too much quality time with the game.

The Story
In the future, humans decide it's a good idea to colonise a frozen planet infested with nasty, hostile insects ranging in size from big to absolutely massive. In the process, they determine the insects are storing thermal energy (T-ENG) in their bodies, and that this energy source is the key to their survival, and develop Vital Suits (VS) to aid their battle. Think MechWarrior/Virtual On...

There's no question it's a premise with potential, however the progression of the story throughout the game is decidedly B-grade, shoestringing the missions together in a manner that barely justifies the action. Your team (comprising of the is-he-evil-or-not scientist, token cute girl and sickeningly cliched hacker kid) decide to risk your life more than once for the sake of investigating a heat signature, at a stage in the game it's obvious that heat signature is a massive insect. It's pretty painful stuff, and does little for the experience aside from providing two key game mechanics, in that you constantly have to top up on T-ENG to stay alive, and provide fuel to the Vital Suits you'll also be needing to stay alive.

Presentation
The first thing that will sell you on Lost Planet is the amazing graphical detail. Crisp textures, incredibly detailed models, beautiful expansive environments, and realistic explosions and (somewhat overused) smoke effects put Lost Planet on par technically with Gears of War, albeit in a drastically different art style. This is a real testament to the power the 360 has under the bonnet, and Capcom doing a damn fine job harnessing it.

Unlike Capcom's Dead Rising, you'll be able to read in-game text on a Standard Definition TV without a microscope (we at gizmag don't look down on late-adopters of HD technology), but needless to say, everything steps up a notch in beauty when running through a computer monitor or HDTV.

Game Mechanics
This game is arcade shooting done 2007 style. You're constantly outnumbered, and underpowered, and the only way to survive is to kill everything that moves, and collect the T-ENG their dead bodies spew forth to stay alive. An unfortunate thorn in the side of this arcade feel is the relatively slow movement of your character. You will grow accustomed to it, but it detracts greatly from the feel of the game.

This article has been borrowed from and continued at: GIZMAG

Stumble It!

Screenshots: Two worlds (Xbox)

Source:

Stumble It!

SouthPeak Interactive is looking to make a one-two punch on Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion with their release of Two Worlds, an exciting new RPG that's akin only in genre. The title's release date, when originally announced, was slated as TBA, so a more precise Q1/early Q2 2007 launch date should give followers of Two Worlds some solid confirmation and peace of mind that's it's actually coming. We look forward to getting our hands on a review copy when it ships, so keep it right here for more info.

Press Release:
SouthPeak Interactive, a leading independent videogame publisher, today announced that its massive, open-ended role-playing game, Two Worlds, will be released this spring for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.
Developed by Las Vegas-based TopWare Interactive and Reality Pump Studios, Two Worlds is an evolution of the role-playing genre. Combining unlimited character development and fierce, spectacular combat, Two Worlds brings a new kind of gameplay experience where players are encouraged to experiment with the world, test the results of good and evil deeds and find the most satisfying way to face challenges. Never before has an RPG given gamers such an unprecedented level of freedom to change the world and shape the story within it – for the first time, choices made in an RPG game are actually meaningful.

Expanding the depth of gameplay even further, Two Worlds online multiplayer action allows up to 8 people to adventure together online via Xbox Live® online entertainment network. Gather with your friends and battle cooperatively, exchange equipment, or simply attack them and see who’s left standing.

“Two Worlds is quickly shaping up to be an experience that sets the benchmark of what a role-playing experience can be,” said Katie Morgan, Executive Vice President of SouthPeak Interactive. “We couldn’t be more excited to be bringing this gargantuan title to both Windows and Xbox 360 gamers.”

Gabe Boker - 01/19/2007

Two Worlds Screen Shots: here

Stumble It!

'Sonic the Hedgehog' for the Xbox 360 lacks spontaneity, excitement

More than a decade ago, "Sonic the Hedgehog" was a video game icon, producing hit after speedy hit for Sega.

Now, Sonic is running at breakneck speeds on the next-generation consoles.

Unfortunately, "Sonic the Hedgehog" for the Xbox 360 is rocketing the franchise in the wrong direction.

In fact, the only thing that this game gets right is Sonic's speed. When racing through the game's large environments, the blue hedgehog zips from place to place just as he always has.

So how did Sonic go so wrong?

The game design is the biggest culprit behind this fiasco. Sonic games should be all about zipping along in a blur and reacting quickly and dynamically to what appears. Instead, the game's coolest moments -- such as when the ground gives way under your feet -- all feel scripted with only one right way to escape.

The insertion of adventure elements -- such as when Sonic walks through city streets talking to people in search of power-ups and the next place to go -- slows the game even more.

It's nice to see all of Sonic's friends -- Tails and Knuckles and so forth -- make cameo appearances, but the townsfolk chitchat seems horribly out of place in a game meant to move along briskly.

The game's auto targeting, used for attacking enemies and finding safe ground to land on, is also horribly spotty.

Throw in some horrendously long loading times, a muddy story line and dialogue that will make you laugh in agony, and you have a train wreck of a video game. Not even fans of Sonic's classic adventures will be able to look past the stench this game leaves in its speed wake.

Stumble It!

—Gears of War® has gone triple platinum, reaching the three million units sold milestone in just 10 weeks on store shelves, ending 2006 as the top-selling game among all platforms during the month of December.

Expanding upon its reign as the fastest-selling title of 2006 and the fastest-selling original exclusive Xbox 360 ™ game of all time, Gears of War has captivated gamers across the globe with its action-packed single-player campaign, thrilling online modes and recently released multiplayer maps, Raven Down and Old Bones.
"Gears of War is tracking to be one of the best-selling video games of all time." —Jeff Bell, Corporate VP, Microsoft

The free downloadable maps were released less than two weeks ago via Xbox Live® Marketplace and sponsored by the Discovery Channel's "FutureWeapons" series. In that short time, the new maps have garnered an astounding 750,000 downloads. There have been more than 1.5 million total downloads of all Gears of War content currently available via Marketplace, including the maps, themes, and video walkthrough, by gamers who can't get enough of Delta Squad and the Locust Horde.

Another Blockbuster Hit
"Like blockbuster titles from Microsoft's Halo® franchise and the Grand Theft Auto and Zelda franchises, Gears of War is tracking to be one of the best-selling video games of all time and has established itself as the most successful new intellectual property (IP) of the next generation," said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing, Interactive Entertainment Business Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft Corp.

Gears of War continues to wow consumers and critics alike, garnering more than 20 nominations for Game of the Year. The game is a truly global phenomenon—the prestigious Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu recently gave Gears of War the coveted Platinum award. Gears of War joins Blue Dragon as the second Microsoft Game Studios title in the past two months to receive this high honor.

Not just a gaming sensation, the acclaimed Gears of War Mad World cinematic trailer was featured in Advertising Age's Book of Tens as one of the top creative concepts of 2006. With more than 2.4 million views of the trailer online, the campaign has inspired not only tremendous sales, but also a number of hilarious parody videos currently circulating around the Internet.

Gears of War
Gears of War, rated "M" for Mature, thrusts you into humankind's epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet. Blending the best of tactical action games with the best of survival horror titles, Gears of War features cinematic, beautifully rendered interactive environments with high-definition visuals.

Stumble It!

Xbox Linux project
The Xbox Linux Project, which shows Xbox owners how to install Linux on their game consoles in addition to the stripped-down Windows that runs the console, may have just hit one of its biggest hurdles yet. According to the Xbox Linux Project website, Microsoft has released an automatically downloading patch that plugs the hole in the console's system that allows users to install and run Linux. Apparently, the patch also deletes files off of the hard drive when it is installed, making at least one user lose file he saved on the hard drive via Linux.

The patch is automatically installed when users choose the "Xbox Live" option on the Dashboard--if they have already set up and are connected to an active Internet connection. The update downloads without any prior approval or warning, and can even be activated via an in-game connection to Xbox Live. It is also automatically downloaded and installed even if the user is not signed up for the Live service.

The Xbox may even be transmitting data, including its serial number, to Microsoft whenever an Internet connection is made--again whether or not the user has signed up for Xbox Live.

Stumble It!

GN's U.K. PS2 channel reports that Activision, who acquired RedOctane last year, has registered new music video game names, leading to suggest it plans to take the "Guitar Hero" franchise in a whole new direction.

Activision has registered trademarks with the US Patent and Trademark Office for two potential new games - Guitar Villain and Drum Villain.

Although these patents were filed towards the end of last year, they're not the only ones to suggest the series is branching out in new instrumental directions. In April 2006, Guitar Hero publisher RedOctane placed an applcation to trademark both Drum Hero and Keyboard Hero.

Hopefully we will learn more about RedOctane's plans for the franchise this year.

Stumble It!