by Xav de Matos, Aug 26, 2011 9:30am PDT
Though the upcoming Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary release is meant to add modern visuals to the classic 2001 original Xbox release, the game includes a number of new additions.
Chief among those are hidden 'Terminals,' which expand the Halo lore and offer a tease at 343 Industries' Halo 4. In an interview with 343's Frank O'Connor, he told Shacknews that Terminals in Anniversary change based on the game's difficulty.
Read more: Unlock the secrets of Halo 4 »
by Xav de Matos, Aug 26, 2011 8:45am PDT
During PAX 2011 'Day Zero,' Turn 10's Dan Greenawalt revealed a surprise addition to Forza 4's "Auto Vista" mode: Halo's famous Warthog.
Perhaps even bigger is the news that the Warthog model in Forza 4 is actually the version of the vehicle that will appear in Halo 4.
Read more: How to unlock it and can you drive it? »
by Steve Watts, Aug 16, 2011 2:30pm PDT
[Update: 8/17] We have corrections to issue regarding this story. The $99.99 Season Pass includes all of the content for the first six months, which amounts to 30% off the regular price if purchased separately. Also, development of Age of Empires Online has been taken over by Gas Powered Games. Shacknews regrets the errors.
[Original Story] Age of Empires Online will support a Season Pass system for premium content discounts, Microsoft announced at Gamescom today. The discounts only last for a limited time, though, so it probably won't see you all the way through the lifespan of the free-to-play strategy title.
Read more: Season Pass cost and time-table »
by Steve Watts, Jul 25, 2011 12:30pm PDT
by Andrew Yoon, Jul 22, 2011 7:00pm PDT
You've read Xav's E3 preview of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, right? But can you really trust his opinion? Microsoft released a new video walkthrough of the E3 demo for Comic Con attendees. Thankfully, you won't have to trek to San Diego. You can watch it right here, from the comfort of your home.
WATCH: Halo in HD »
by Steve Watts, May 26, 2011 4:45pm PDT
Do you like cars? Do you like retailer-specific pre-order bonuses? Well, one out of two is close enough. Today Turn 10 Studios announced the pre-order bonuses for Forza Motorsport 4, along with other extra incentives.
Each of the retailer-specific bonuses are cars. Amazon gets a Subaru Impreza WRX STI; Best Buy gets a BMW 1 Series M Coupe; GameStop gets an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde; Wal-Mart gets a MINI John Cooper Works Clubman; and Target gets a Honda CR-Z EX. These listings are for the US, but other regions will get the same incentives from different retailers. Read more »
by Xav de Matos, Apr 21, 2011 7:45am PDT
Citing the importance of giving customers as many choices as is found throughout the Fable franchise, Microsoft Game Studios and developer Lionhead have announced that the PC version of Fable 3 will be available on both the Games for Windows Live Marketplace and Steam at launch.
According to the announcement press release, Fable 3 will be available for pre-order starting today on both digital distribution platforms, each with a special bonus. GFWL pre-order customers will receive Fable: Lost Chapters--the franchise's first title, and only other PC release--for free. Steam pre-order customers will receive the "Rebel's Weapon & Tattoo Pack," which includes "four exclusive weapons and five exclusive tattoo sets." As of publishing, a product page for Fable 3 is only available on the GFW site. The game will also be available at retail. Read more »
by Alice O'Connor, Mar 03, 2011 5:45am PST
Stacking and Costume Quest developer Double Fine revealed its latest downloadable game during GDC 2011, an Xbox Live Arcade title named Trenched.
Described as a "tower defense shooter," Trenched will enlist players in the Mobile Trench Brigade and arm them with "a combination of mobile firepower and stationary defenses" to repel "the evil Monovision menace." Mobile trenches--mechs--can be customised, with Double Fine claiming there are "thousands of possible loadouts." Read more »
by Alice O'Connor, Aug 17, 2010 7:00am PDT
As well as unveiling Age of Empires Online, Microsoft has used the Gamescom 2010 event to announce another nod to its PC gaming history--a new flight simulator.
Developed internally at Microsoft Game Studios, Microsoft Flight is a PC exclusive described as being "inspired by" the long-running Microsoft Flight Simulator series. MS hopes it "will bring a new perspective to the long-standing genre, welcoming everyone, including long-time fans, to experience the magic of flight." Careful scrutiny of the teaser trailer teaches us that planes, sky, clouds, land and water are all quite likely to appear. Read more »
by Alice O'Connor, Aug 17, 2010 5:30am PDT
Ensemble's classic PC strategy series Age of Empires will return set in a persistent online world, Microsoft announced today, with a new entry developed by Robot Entertainment--a studio founded by Ensemble veterans.
Hitting in 2011, Age of Empires Online is an online-only affair with "free-to-play experiences," taking place in a persistent world where your capital city continue to grow even if you're offline. "Social Experiences" including co-op quests and PvP matches will be on offer. Read more »
by Alice O'Connor, Jul 08, 2010 8:04am PDT
The unknown original property in development at Age of Empires and Halo Wars veterans Robot Entertainment "has a lot in common with... Age of Empires," according to rumours floating around over at Kotaku, built upon "the core gameplay of Ensemble's old series." Read more »
by Brian Leahy, Mar 26, 2010 7:00pm PDT
Crackdown 2 is in full effect at PAX East 2010 and Ruffian Games and Microsoft Game Studios are celebrating with some new screenshots.
If you're more of a "show me the game in motion" type of person, Ruffian also has some video footage of some players enjoying a rousing game of "Rocket Tag": Read more »
by Brian Leahy, Mar 26, 2010 4:20pm PDT
Kotaku reports that a full sequel to Midway's arcade classic Hydro Thunder will be coming to Xbox Live Arcade this summer from developer Vector Unit.
Vector Unit was founded by Ralf Knoesel and Matt Small who both worked on Blood Wake, a boat combat game released in 2001 with the launch of the original Xbox. Here is Hydro Thunder Hurricane's first trailer: Read more »
by Alice O'Connor, Jun 04, 2009 8:26am PDT
Lionhead Studios founder Peter Molyneux has been appointed European creative director for Microsoft Game Studios, reports gamesindustry.biz.
The role entails creative guidance, aid and oversight at Microsoft's European games studios, including Rare and Lionhead itself.
"What you're not going to see is ten Peter Molyneux games," explained Molyneux. "The value of this role is for someone like myself going in and making those little tiny lights of an idea shine as brightly as possible." Read more »
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