Gamespot is reporting that Microsoft has announced that a public beta test of the multiplayer component of Halo 3 will be made available to Xbox Live subscribers sometime in the spring of 2007.

"Early this morning, Bungie's parent company Microsoft announced that next spring, it will stage an open beta test for the multiplayer aspects of Halo 3. "The Xbox Live multiplayer public beta, which is a prerelease version of the multiplayer experience of Halo 3, is scheduled for availability in spring 2007 exclusively on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system," - Gamespot

While many people were expecting something more immediate from Microsoft to further dampen the PlayStation 3 launch, I actually think this is a brilliant move. Microsoft knows they really don't have to do much right now to hurt Sony's launch, as Sony has done one hell of a job on that end themselves. The simple fact that anyone looking for a game console in the coming months isn't going to be able to obtain a PS3 is already a huge selling point for Microsoft and the Xbox 360. However, at some point in the spring of 2007, the PlayStation 3 will be readily available to the general public and at that point the battle will truly begin - and I'd be willing to bet that this Halo 3 beta test will begin just as soon as the PS3 supply issues get worked out.

In addition to the beta announcement, Microsoft also stated that next spring the company will also be releasing a new set of multiplayer maps for Halo 2 exclusively for use on the Xbox 360. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for the idea of new content for Halo 2, but it just strikes me as a bit of a smack in the face to those who only have the original Xbox. I guess that's how Microsoft decided to celebrate the original Xbox's 5th birthday (which was yesterday in case you missed it) - I can just see the party now.... "Happy Birthday, Xbox! we bought you a... oh wait, this present isn't for you."

Those looking for more information should check out the Gamespot article at this link.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:52 AM EST

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While they may have missed the movie's release by a few months, it looks like Electronic Arts will have Superman Returns: The Videogame ready in time for the film's DVD launch. To back that point up, EA has made a 905.42mb demo of the Xbox 360 version of the game available for download via the Xbox Live Marketplace;

"All of Superman’s powers will be in your hands when Superman Returns: The Videogame hits stores November 22nd. In the meantime, test your skills and experience the ultimate flying fix in a demo of the game, available on Xbox Live Marketplace on November 15.

You’ll be dropped right in the middle of Metropolis’ three Industrial Islands, where you’ll get to experience flying in a way you’ve never seen before in any other videogame. Soaring through the completely open-world environment, you can enjoy interacting directly with the people, traffic, and just about any other object around you, whether it’s on the ground or sitting on a rooftop. Exploration and experimentation are on the immediate agenda until you’re ready for more of a challenge.

The demo features five missions contained in two chapters, which give you a taste of the challenges you’ll face while constantly striving to save Metropolis. Each mission provides a unique challenge for Superman, as Metropolis gets attacked from the ground, from the air, and everywhere in between.

The demo culminates in a classic battle with Superman’s arch-nemesis, Metallo, who sends his robotic minions scurrying throughout the city trying to inflict as much damage as possible before you can put a stop to it.

Whether it’s battling atop the city’s skyline, or protecting individual citizens directly on the streets of Metropolis, Superman has his work cut out for him as he must constantly be in multiple places at the same time to protect the city he loves.

Will you be able to master Superman’s superpowers to save Metropolis from devastation?" - Superman Returns Xbox 360 demo announcement

From what I understand (and I could be wrong), Electronic Arts actually grasped the concept that you can't really hurt Superman and that the true challenge comes from protecting others. If this is in fact true, I applaud EA for finally seeing to it that the average grunt on the street can't beat up the Man of Steel.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:51 AM EST

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It's a little late, but the classic arcade shooter Defender is now available for purchase in the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Title: Defender
Developer: Midway Home Entertainment
Publisher: Midway Home Entertainment
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/15/06
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Xbox Live: Yes
HDTV Support: 720p
Full Game: 400 points ($5)
Demo?: Yes

Description as per Xbox.com

"The classic space shooter is back! Now for the first time you can play Defender on Xbox Live®. Protect the humans on the planet surface by destroying the invading alien abductors.

In the future, the galaxy is invaded by hostile alien forces. Attacking in countless swarms, the aliens decimate any planet they encounter. Those who survive the initial invasions are harvested and forced serve the alien invaders. Mankind's only hope lies in you, the Defender!

• Classic and enhanced modes: Play this arcade classic the way it was back in the day, or play it with sound and visual enhancements for next-gen.
• Full Xbox Live support: Access leaderboards for single player, versus, co-op, and weekly stats, and earn 12 achievements for a total of 200 gamerpoints.
• Multiplayer mania: Test your skills against rivals or team up with your friends. Play on or offline in co-op or versus mode, combining your scores or matching them against each other for the win." - Xbox.com Defender page

Posted by nylatenite at 8:34 PM EST

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Yesterday we reported that Gamestop had announced that their launch shipment of PlayStation 3's had virtually been cut in half and that they would not be able to fulfill even the few pre-orders they had taken in store. At that time, we wondered if this meant that everyone was seeing these kind of cuts and that the rumor of a 200,000 unit launch could be true.

In an article published yesterday, Gamasutra reported that market analysis firm Lazard Capital Markets has estimated that Sony will only be delivering 150,000 - 200,000 PlayStation 3 units to the U.S. market, with a possible total number of 750,000 units by years end. I don't think I need to tell you just how much of a horror show that will be for those looking to score a PlayStation 3 any time soon. Here's my favorite line in the entire article;

"We expect Sony to deliver 150-200k units to stores in the United States for the launch; consumers without pre-orders may find it difficult to locate an available system. We estimate sales of approximately 750k PS3s domestically by year-end. We expect a more robust launch from Nintendo, with at least 1.2 million units sold in the U.S. and up to four million units shipped worldwide by year-end." - Colin Sebastian, Lazard Capital Markets

Consumers without pre-orders MAY find it difficult to locate an available system? That's got to be the understatement of the year. Those of you interested in the rest of the report, including how Lazard Capital Markets feels the PS3 shortage will affect other consoles, check out the Gamasutra article at this link.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:20 AM EST

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Okay look, I'm all for the comedy stylings of Sony, but can we get even one week where they don't shoot themselves in the foot? Gamespot is reporting that with just 2 days to go until the PlayStation 3 launches, it is rumored that up to 200 original PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games are not working properly on the console.

Sony has stated that they will be releasing software updates to fix some of the problems shortly following the systems launch, but after all their crowing about how the PlayStation 3 would have a huge edge on the Xbox 360 in that department, they just come off as looking a little unprepared. Here's to hoping Sony will take the whole issue of backwards compatibility updates more seriously than Microsoft apparently does.

For more information, check out the Gamespot article at this link.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:19 AM EST

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I'm sad to report that most internet news sites are reporting that Ziff Davis Media has decided that in response to declining ad revenues and circulation numbers along with the addition of Sony's online service's ability to provide content to gamers, the company will be shutting down the Official PlayStation Magazine following the January 2007 issue. Here's a copy of the full press release as printed over at Kotaku;

"Ziff Davis Game Group to Discontinue Publication of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14 -- Ziff Davis Game Group, the leading integrated media company focused on the video game sector, today announced that it will discontinue publication of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine after the January 2007 issue. The Game Group is laser-focused on continuing to expand its rapidly growing digital media presence and on further strengthening its multiplatform properties and powerful integrated network. As such, the Game Group has determined that Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, a property licensed from Sony Computer Entertainment America and limited to print, no longer fits its strategic vision.

"Ziff Davis has had a great run with Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine for the past nine years," said Scott McCarthy, President of Ziff Davis Game Group. "We are very proud of the magazine and its outstanding editorial team, and we're obviously sad to see it go. Unfortunately, given where we are taking the Game Group, it doesn't easily fit into our integrated media network or afford us digital media opportunities."

Mr. McCarthy continued, "In addition, it's a new world. The powerful online capabilities of the exciting PlayStation 3, coupled with ever- increasing broadband penetration in the U.S., allow for much more efficient distribution of game demos, videos, and trailers. With this next generation of game consoles, the days of having to bundle a disc with a magazine to distribute games-related content are over. And the disc has clearly been a major driver for consumer interest in premium-priced, platform-specific magazines in the past, when the magazine disc was the only way gamers could get such content."

Sony Computer Entertainment America will remain a key content and marketing partner for Ziff Davis Game Group, which will cover SCEA's PlayStation 3 and first-party games extensively across all of its media outlets, including EGM, 1UP.com, and GameVideos.com. The Game Group editorial team will also work closely with SCEA in the development of digital content for the PlayStation Network, accessible only through the PS3.

"We are as excited about the PlayStation 3 as the rest of the world, and gamers will be sure to see us reporting extensively on the platform -- and on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable -- across our various media assets," said John Davison, Senior Vice President and Editorial Director of Ziff Davis Game Group. "We enjoy working with SCEA and look forward to continuing our relationship for many years to come."

Ziff Davis Game Group's digital media presence has expanded greatly over the past year. The reach of the 1UP Network in the third quarter of 2006 was nearly six times larger than in the same quarter in 2005, and the Game Group has launched several new online properties including GameVideos.com, MyCheats.com, the 1UP Show video podcast, and the ESPN.com Video Games Channel in partnership with ESPN.

The Game Group is also aggressively integrating its print and online media properties wherever possible. For example, its flagship multiplatform magazine EGM, the leader among videogame magazines, is now closely aligned with 1UP.com in terms of visual design, content, and its games rating system." - Ziff Davis Media press release

Allow me to say that I really am sad to see OPM go down the tubes. Besides the loss of demo discs, I give them all the credit in the world because despite being the "official" PlayStation magazine, they were generally not afraid to say what they actually thought about the entire situation involving the PlayStation 3 rather than just towing the company line. R.I.P. OPM, I hope your crew finds their place in the industry as soon as possible.

There was no word on how Ziff Davis publications will handle any subscriptions that are slated to go past January 2007's issue. Those of you looking for more information can check out these articles at Kotaku, Gamasutra and Gamespot. While you're at it, why not head on over to OPM"s 1up.com page and show them some love?

Posted by nylatenite at 1:18 AM EST

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While I certainly harbor some ill will towards Electronic Arts for the way they tend to treat their customers, I still have to say that Army of Two (PS3 & 360) remains high on my want list. While I certainly don't buy the company line that Army of Two is going to be the cat's ass and then some, it's managing to keep my attention - and that's saying quite a bit. Let's take a look at the latest trailer for the game, shall we?

Army of Two is slated to be released sometime in 2007 on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles.

Still no love for video files here in the archives, so use this link to check out the trailer. 

Posted by nylatenite at 1:41 AM EST

Updated: Tuesday, 14 November 2006 1:42 AM EST

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Apparently half of the people out there who are interested in purchasing a PlayStation 3 aren't interested in actually learning anything about it beforehand - or at least that's what the results of the latest survey from analyst firm Compete would seem to suggest. Gamasutra is reporting that in their October 2006 survey, Compete found that a whopping 48 percent of people interested in purchasing a PlayStation 3 believed that the price was going to be lower than $300. They further found that when those same consumers were informed of the console's actual price, 59% of them felt that the system was overpriced. Welcome to the party, folks.

I'm inclined to believe the above results based on conversations I have with non-gamers on a daily basis who are interested in the PS3 because of past experiences with the PlayStation line of consoles, though in those cases when they hear the price, they have all stated it's too expensive and said there's no way they'd spend that kind of money on a game system.

Regardless, it is interesting to note how something that seems like such common knowledge to the gaming community is actually a little known fact outside of it - especially given the popularity of the PlayStation name. I wonder how those same people are going to react when they hear about the shortages. If you want to read more about Compete's report, head over to the Gamasutra article at this link.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:36 AM EST

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I came across this one while surfing Kotaku earlier last night. Apparently MicroCenter is offering a $100 mail in rebate on the purchase of either model of the Xbox 360. My advice to you is this; if you're looking to pick up an Xbox 360 (and with Gears of War out there, who isn't?) and you have a MicroCenter near you, you'd be an absolute fool not to at least swing by and check if they have any in stock. That hundred bucks could easily be used for another wireless controller, a play & charge kit or even a game... like Gears of War.

Check out the Kotaku story here for more details on the offer - as far as I can see, there's nothing else you have to buy to qualify for the rebate.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:35 AM EST

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Well, I think with the cuts Sony made to the number of consoles in the Japanese launch, everyone saw this one coming a mile away. Gamestop has announced that they have received their final shipment numbers from Sony and have found that they cannot cover even the meager number of PlayStation 3 pre-orders they accepted back in October. Word is that each Gamestop will be calling the few people on their pre-order list in the next day or so to let them know the status of their orders. Those that are scheduled to get a console at launch will be given the option of getting a free game or movie worth up to $19.99 if they're willing to wait for the second shipment of systems - which Gamestop advises should arrive well before Christmas. (Of course, last year that means December 23rd in reference to the Xbox 360 I pre-ordered back in May of that year). Those that aren't scheduled to get one at launch will simply be advised that their systems should be in before Christmas.

After finding out about this, I quickly checked my phone and found that my local Gamestop had indeed tried to contact me, but did not choose to leave a message. I guess I'll find out sometime tomorrow whether or not mt pre-order is among the ones slated for the 17th. You know, I've got to wonder - if Gamestop only took about 8 pre-orders per store and Sony can't even meet that demand, what does it say about the number of units that are actually going on sale on the 17th... could that "North American launch numbers cut from 400,00 to 200,000" launch unit rumor be true?

Finally, for those of you who managed to get a pre-order in at Toys R Us, things are still looking good for you right now. Toys R Us has so far maintained that they will be able to honor all of their pre-orders.

Posted by nylatenite at 1:34 AM EST

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