DISCOVERY CHANNEL TO GIVE AWAY 2 MILLION XBOX LIVE MARKETPLACE POINTS

Just in case you weren't paying attention while reading that post about the new Gears of War maps coming on January 10th, the maps are being sponsored by The Discovery Channel (TDC) in honor of their new show Future Weapons. In addition to the maps, the good folks at TDC will be giving away 2 million Microsoft Points as part of the promotion.

Right now it looks like the points will be given away between January 13th and the 15th in one of the following two ways;

• "Method #1: To enter online, visit www.readyaimfuture.com between 4:00 P.M. Eastern Time (“ET”) and 11:59 P.M. ET on 1/13/06 and on 1/14/07 (“Promotion Entry Period 1”) and follow all online entry instructions to complete and submit the online entry. Online entrants subject to all notices posted online including but not limited to privacy policy. Limit: One online entry per person or email address.
• Method #2: To enter online, visit www.readyaimfuture.com after 10:01 P.M. Eastern Time (“ET”) on 1/15/07 (“Promotion Entry Period 2”) and follow all online entry instructions to complete and submit the online entry. Online entrants will be prompted to answer a question pertaining to the content of the Future Weapons premiere on Discovery Channel 1/15/07 9:00 PM Eastern Time (ET) to qualify for prize.  Online entrants subject to all notices posted online including but not limited to privacy policy. Limit: One online entry per person or email address." - Discovery Channel

For full details and contest rules, head on over to the Future Weapons Contest Page at this link. Don't worry, we'll be sure to remind you about this again the day before the contest.

GEARS OF WAR UPDATE INCOMING

In a post on the official Gears of War forums, Epic Games vice president Mark Rein announced that Gears of War will be receiving a gameplay update via Xbox Live prior to the launch of the 2 new multiplayer maps on January 10th. I've been in bed sick all day, so odds are the patch is already waiting for you the next time you log into the game. Here's what to expect;

• Fixed aspect ratio distortion when using VGA cable with 4:3 displays at resolutions higher than 640x480
• Fixed voice issue with new players joining Player Match games in progress
• Players can now get the Achievement for "Dish Best Served Cold" when using Troika turret to kill RAAM
• Fixed rare situation where host could loop countdown and never start match
• Fixed rare situation where players could get stuck after chainsawing in multiplayer
• Reduced Grenade Tag melee distance
• Enabled “Strict” NAT check on host to prevent possible connection issues
• Optimized server browser queries to return results more quickly and prevent scroll bars from hiding quality of service icons
• Reduced number of possible revives in Execution to match Warzone
• Removed host name from Ranked match server browser
• Disabled security cameras in Ranked matches
• Ranked matches now require balanced teams (3v3 or 4v4)
• Increased penalty for quitting a Ranked match to -50 points
• Added additional cheat detection code
• Additional housekeeping updates

As you can see, most of the updates are for the multiplayer end of the game and would seem to be aimed at patching some glitches and exploits. If you're interested in seeing the full post over at the official Gears forums, click here.

TWO NEW GEARS OF WAR MULTIPLAYER MAPS COMING JANUARY 10TH

As promised, the gang over at Epic Games will be making two new Gears of War multiplayer maps available for free via the Xbox Live Marketplace. The maps, "Raven Down" and "Old Bones" will be hitting the marketplace on January 10th and are being sponsored by The Discovery Channel. Let's hear what Gamerscore Blog has to say about them;

"New downloadable content for the Xbox 360 exclusive “Gears of War", is on the way. Sponsored by the Discovery Channel and available for free via Xbox Live Marketplace, the new content will be available for download beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 10. By now most of the current maps have been memorized, analyzed and brutalized, but this map pack will feature two new maps including one where players fight around a downed King Raven helicopter.

• Raven Down: A Raven Helicopter has gone down in the middle of a large scale battle with the omnipresent Locust Horde.  Gears have taken out the Seeder and gamers join Delta Forces moving into the crash site from all angles to search for survivors.
• Old Bones: In an attempt to eradicate any traces of human history and culture, the Locust Horde has emerged under Sera’s Capitaline Museums and has begun to destroy them brick by brick. Each gamer’s mission is to help the Delta Force recapture the museums before all remnants of humankind’s existence are obliterated.

Discovery Channel will be giving away an unprecedented 2 million Microsoft Points for use on Xbox Live Marketplace, in celebration of the Jan. 15 season premier of its popular “Future Weapons” series that explores the latest, most advanced and terrifying weapons technology that will dominate battlefields in the 21st century. Visit www.readyaimfuture.com to learn more about how you can participate" - Gamerscore Blog

While I'll admit I haven't played Gears online anywhere near as much as I'd like to, I'm certainly never one to turn my back on free stuff. For more information on the new maps, click here to head on over to Gamerscore Blog for all the details.

XBOX 360 BLITZ: THE LEAGUE DEMO NOW AVAILABLE IN MARKETPLACE

Major Nelson is reporting that a demo of Midway's Blitz: The League is now available in the Xbox Live Marketplace. The demo is currently only available to Xbox Live Gold subscribers in the United States and Canada, but should be made available to all Live subscribers in those territories sometime next week. Download size is 1.53gb.

MAME32 .111.2 RELEASED

Following in the footsteps of the command line version, MAME32 v.111.2, the Windows GUI port of MAME v.111 is also now available.

Check out the official MAME32 page here for more details and the download links.

MAME V.111U2 RELEASED

The latest "update" version of the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, version 1.11u2, is now available for download. This time around the update is focusing on a lot of behind the scenes changes, so unless you want to test the new version for the dev team, you should probably hold off on getting the update until the next full release .

The updated emulator files can be found at the official MAME page at Mamedev.org. You can Click here to see the full list of what's new in this update.

MICROSOFT KICKS OFF CES WITH KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Many, including myself, were hoping that Microsoft's keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) would clear up some of the confusion surrounding the whole HDMI equipped Xbox 360 issue. If you would consider the lack of any announcement regarding a new model of the Xbox 360 proof positive that the HDMI pictures are a hoax, then you'd have gotten your wish. If you didn't... well, then you're in the same boat as the rest of us - and it's getting crowded in here.

That's not to say Microsoft didn't have a ton of news to give the gamer crowd - we certainly did find out a lot about what we can expect from Microsoft in the coming months, so without any further delay, let me break down what gaming related news Microsoft dished out;

• Microsoft reached 10.4 million Xbox 360's sold as of December 31st, thus exceeding their sales projections by over 400,000 units.
• More importantly, Microsoft claims the majority of those users are new to the Xbox brand. (ie they were not owners of the original Xbox)
• Xbox Live now boasts over 5 million subscribers. As usual, Microsoft did not indicate if that number included free Xbox Live Silver memberships.
• The Xbox 360 is still setting records in regards to software and accessory attach rates. (Number of games and accessories sold per Xbox 360)
• Gears of War has now sold in excess of 2.7 million copies, making it a franchise to rival the Halo series. Microsoft also credits it with being a prime mover of Xbox 360 hardware.
• The Windows platform is now over 200 million units strong, and with an installed base of that size, Microsoft wants to continue the "Games for Windows" and "Windows Live" push they started at E3 2006.
• During the "Games for Windows" montage, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved was shown, indicating that the title may be coming to Windows.
• Halo 2, Uno and Shadowrun were all presented as games that will be cross platform playable between Windows Vista and the Xbox 360 this summer.
• According to Microsoft, HD-DVD movies are outselling Blu-Ray movies.
• While Microsoft plans on keeping the 360's main focus on games, they plan on making the Xbox 360 the center of your home entertainment system. Here's how;
  • They plan on expanding the current Xbox Live video service with more television and film partners.
  • They plan on adding IPTV functionality to the Xbox 360. What's IPTV you ask? Basically imagine it as a cable service for Windows or the Xbox 360 that allows users to watch both TV (and movies) along with DVR and On-Demand type services. Basically, think of it almost exactly as a cable service with some more options (such as shopping, etc) - it will be available via participating cable providers.

For more on IPTV's features, check out the following two press releases over at Gamerscore Blog;

• Microsoft Unveils Wave of New Products and Services at CES - Gamerscore Blog
• Microsoft Integrates IPTV Software Platform With Xbox 360, Creating All-in-One Digital Entertainment Device - Gamerscore Blog

Finally, for the more hardcore members of my audience, here's the link for where MS will be posting the full video of the CES keynote address shortly. It's dry viewing for the most part and about an hour and fifteen minutes long, so plan accordingly;

• Microsoft at CES - Microsoft

THIS WEEK'S RELEASES: JANUARY 8TH - JANUARY 14TH

While it's another thin list this week, there is something to get excited about. Capcom's Lost Planet: Extreme Condition for the Xbox 360 should liven things up at retail when it hits towards the end of this week. If you haven't tried the single player and multiplayer demos in the Xbox Live Marketplace, head on over and grab them now so you can join in the excitement. Here's everything you can expect to see on store shelves this week;

• Lucinda Green's Equestrian Challenge - PC - 1/9/2007
  
• Arthur and the Invisibles - DS - 1/10/2007
  
• Arthur and the Invisibles - GBA - 1/10/2007
  
• Arthur and the Invisibles - PC - 1/10/2007
  
• Arthur and the Invisibles - PS2 - 1/10/2007
  
• Backyard Basketball 2007 - PC - 1/10/2007
  
• Heart of the Empire: Rome - PC - 1/10/2007
  
• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - 360 - 1/12/2007
  
• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Collector's Edition - 360 - 1/12/2007

Please keep in mind these are only estimated release dates and could change at any time.

HDMI EQUIPPED XBOX 360 ON THE WAY?

If you've been surfing the game sites across the 'net in the last few days, no doubt you've heard the rumors that pictures and video of a prototype Xbox 360 with a built in HDMI port have been leaked. We'll go into what I think of those rumors for a moment, but before I do that, I feel the need to state something for the record for those who aren't aware... The Xbox 360 is already capable of displaying games and movies at 1080p. Should this "v2" Xbox 360 be real, the only true difference would come to those who would either like to free up a slot on their TV or receiver by using the HDMI port or those with the add-on HD-DVD player who would be affected by the restrictions in movie resolution should the upcoming HDCP protection scheme be implemented on HD-DVD movies. In other words, if you have no plans on buying the HD-DVD drive, the only thing you would really be losing out on is a connection option.

Let me also take a moment to say that I'm in no way saying this is a hoax or a fake - I don't have enough information to go on - I'm just saying something smells fishy here. If I had to bet on it, I'd bet that this is a modded 360 that's been turned into a hoax. It should also be noted that this isn't the first time a HDMI port has been reported as appearing on a 360 motherboard.

That said, let's take a look at the evidence that's being presented on the internet. From what I've seen, there are two pictures and one video floating around. We'll start with the pictures that have been seen at Xbox-scene and Engadget.

Now then, unless by some coincidence two different prototypes were leaked at the same time, something fishy is going on here. Here are some things to note;

1. In picture two the supposed prototype has a almost completely smooth back - and while the "I/O" marking is still on the right, the "V/O" marking that’s above the vid ports on a normal 360 are missing - if MS was going to go through the trouble of putting the I/O marking on, why wouldn't the do the same for the video port?
2. There are other markings on the first picture that don't exist on the second - some lines around the changed port, a few dents and some weird mark to the right of the rear USB port - those suddenly vanish in the second "cleaner pic"
3. That second picture just looks a little too smooth. If I had to guess, I'd say that's a third party case - it's just a little too barren.
4. If you look very closely, the HDMI port doesn't seem to sit cleanly in place. (and if you look at the larger picture over at Xbox-Scene, you'll see it's scuffed to all hell too)

Looking at those differences, I can come to only two conclusions;

1. These are 2 different prototypes. .
2. Some Photoshop work has been done to combine a picture of an original Xbox 360 case and a modified Xbox 360 case. In other words, the first picture was originally one of the rear of a normal 360 that had parts of the second image (a modded Xbox 360) photoshopped onto it - it would explain why the picture is so dark. (To hide any obvious photoshop marks)

Xbox-Scene also has a few motherboard and chip shots, but I won't go to deep into them as they could easily be just a mock-up or photoshopped.

However, this doesn't explain away the video Xbox-Scene managed to get their hands on. Here's a look at that video;

While I'd be tempted to call the above video proof of something, there are some inconsistencies here too. The video starts off by showing someone inserting a HDMI/DVI adapter into the new HDMI port on the 360. They then connect a DVI cable to that adapter and run it to a DVI port on their TV. They make sure to show you that the cable running from the 360 is connected to the TV and that there are no other video devices connected to the TV. However, when they pan away from the TV, it goes completely off the screen - meaning that anything could have happened to that TV during that time. It should be noted the 360 in the video appears to be the one in image #2. Here are some things to consider;

1. Some TV's have inputs in different areas, so there's always a chance that there are other inputs on that TV with an Xbox 360 connected to it.
2. When the TV goes off-screen after the initial "proof" shots, who's to say that another normal Xbox wasn't connected to the television to provide for the 360 boot up images?
3. They even could have plugged another 360 into the used DVI slot using the 360 VGA cable and a VGA/DVI adapter. I can't make out what video mode comes up on that TV, but using the HDMI to DVI adapter could be an easy way to explain away the fact that the tv was running in DVI mode if that's what the box at the top left indicated. (Which it would do if they used a hidden 360 with a VGA cable and a DVI adapter)
4. Why doesn't the TV have a HDMI port? Either this is footage taken in a Microsoft lab, in which case I can't believe that they would be testing a HDMI equipped product without a HDMI equipped TV or the prototype is actually out in the "open" - which would lead to a question of why more pictures and videos haven't appeared yet.
5. The music that's been added to the video could have been done to either cover up whatever was originally said in the video or to cover the sounds made by some of the swaps I mentioned could have happened in filming the video.

The thing that I really wonder on this whole thing, especially given that video, is whether this was just a really great mod job that someone did to add a HDMI port to an existing Xbox 360 that was then changed to become an 360 HDMI version hoax. It would explain the 2 photos being different (pic two being the modded third party case, pic one being a photoshopped pic made for the hoax) and it would explain the music in the video. (Maybe the original video had voice over saying "look, we managed to put a HDMI port on a 360!")

Bottom line? Despite all the inconsistencies I've pointed out, I believe this 360 probably does exist and isn't just a photoshopped hoax. If someone asked me to put money on it, I'd bet this one was a modded 360. Don't take that as gospel though, it's just my guess and I've been proved wrong many times before - this one could easily go either way. If it is a new model of the 360, keep what I said about 1080p at the start of the article in mind before you freak out. Maybe we'll learn a bit more when the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off tomorrow.

For more information, check out the following stories;

• Exclusive: 360 HDMI Proof - HR Pictures and Video - HANA Scaler - Xbox Scene
• The second Xbox 360 revealed: codename Zephyr - Engadget
• Xbox 360 with HDMI Port - YouTube
• Xbox 360 Getting HDMI? - IGN (June 2006)

Still no video in the archives, so use the above links.

CHILD'S PLAY CHARITY COLLECTS OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS

The final numbers on the Child's Play 2006 charity drive are in, and I'm proud to say that this year gamers all over the world donated over one million dollars in toys, books and cash. That's a huge number when you stop and think about it - more importantly, those donations are going to bring a whole lot of much needed smiles to the faces of kids who really need something to smile about.

For those of you who want exact numbers, and I know you're out there, the final total was $1,024,400. Keep that number in mind the next time you have to hear some story about how gamers are lazy, unmotivated and anti-social so you can just respond "and how much money did you help raise for charity last year?" and then direct them to Child's Play's website. While that's not the point of why you should support Child's Play, it's certainly a nice side-benefit. If you donated this year, give yourself a pat on the back from me - and if you didn't, well... just keep it in mind for next year - I'm sure there was a solid reason for it.

For those looking for a bit more on the wrap up of the 2006 drive, head on over to the Child's Play website and click around for a bit. If you read some of the letters and e-mails they've received, I think you'll see just how much your help is appreciated.