Check it out:

http://consolecreatures.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/halo-wars-briefing-interview/

Today we announced our release schedule for Xbox LIVE Arcade over the next month or so, and I must say - it's jam-packed with awesomeness.

From the Press Release:

July 30: “Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2” – The latest version of the wildly popular retro shooter offers screen-melting intensity and insane new features, including six action-packed gameplay modes, new enemies, scoring strategies and a diverse list of exciting Achievements. “Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2” is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB and will be available at 800 Microsoft Points.

August 6: “Braid” – From acclaimed developer Jonathan Blow, “Braid” is a mind-bending and artistic puzzle-platformer where the player manipulates the flow of time in strange and unusual ways.  “Braid”is rated E10+ for Everyone 10+ by the ESRB.

August 13: “Bionic Commando: Rearmed” – The classic 8-bit side-scroller reports back for duty in a stunning remake, complete with all-new HD graphics and features that put 2D gaming back on the map! “Bionic Commando: Rearmed” is rated M for Mature by the ESRB

August 20: “Galaga Legions” – The legend lives on with “Galaga Legions,” a reimagining of the classic arcade shooter. Featuring table-turning game dynamics and updated graphics, the game was created by the team behind the bestselling “PAC-MAN Championship Edition” from Namco Bandai Games. “Galaga Legions” is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

August 27: “Castle Crashers” – Award-winning studio The Behemoth brings red hot arcade adventure to Xbox LIVE Arcade with “Castle Crashers,” featuring hand-drawn characters and an array of weapons to choose from as you defend your kingdom and save the princess. “Castle Crashers” is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.

Corresponding with the line-up is the Summer of Arcade contest where you can win prizes by just playing each of these new releases:

Also from the release:

Play the trial or full version of the featured blockbuster Summer of Arcade game of the week and receive one entry into both the weekly prize drawing and Grand Prize drawings:

· Grand Prize (x1) – 100,000 Microsoft Points, 12 month Xbox LIVE Gold subscription and an Xbox 360 Elite console

· Runner-Up Prizes (x2) – 10,000 Microsoft points and a free 12 Month Xbox LIVE Gold subscription

· Weekly Prizes (x5) – 4000 Microsoft points

The “Summer of Arcade” sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom and the 50 United States or District of Columbia 17+.  No purchase necessary. Skill testing question required for Canadian residents.  Game ends September 2, 2008.  For details including free, alternate method of entry, see Official Rules at www.xbox.com/summerofarcade.

Notice what Cliff was playing Gears of War 2 with?

That's right.

I know it may have been difficult to concentrate given all the crazy news today.

Xbox.com coverage.

Only thing its missing is a beverage holder with straw.

Updated: 16 down, 22 to go

Myself and a couple of co-workers have taken it upon ourselves to rid our Gamerprofiles of all the shameful 0 Gamerscore games. Over the past few days I've made some pretty decent progress, here's how the list looks now:

I fear what trying to get an achievement in 99 Nights looks like. Argh.

In Time for the Holidays, Microsoft Reduces Price of Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel by $40

Microsoft is now giving holiday shoppers even more value by reducing the price of its incredibly popular Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel by $40 to just $99 CDN ERP. The newly priced Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel now comes bundled with a driver disc and a demo of the acclaimed “Forza Motorsport 2” including full force feedback support. With its sleek design and cutting edge technology, the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel immerses gamers in an unparalleled racing experience.  

The Wireless Racing Wheel is compatible with all of the most popular racing games on Xbox 360, including:

· Forza Motorsport 2

· Project Gotham Racing 4

· Project Gotham Racing 3

· Test Drive Unlimited

· Need for Speed Carbon

· DiRT

· Nascar 08

Check out the Halo 3 Celebrity Faceplate Auction with proceeds going to Children's Miracle Network. Unfortunately I think all the faceplates have been snapped up, but there are still 4, count them - 4 Limited Edition Halo 3 Customized Ibanez Guitars. These are bad-ass - "it's like a secondary weapon with six strings"!

The achievement that put me over the 25K milestone on Xbox LIVE's Fifth Anniversary:

Mass Effect

Medal of Exploration
Land on an uncharted world

50 - Acquired 15/11/2007

My 1000th achievement:

Assassin's Creed

The Punishment for Treason
You have found the traitor and have brought him before Al Mualim.

20 - Acquired 18/11/2007

After next week, my evenings will be spent in a frenzied disarray of confusion. Why you ask? For the following reasons:

So many games, so little time.

Fortunately, this hasn't happened to me yet.

Just announced some new Xbox LIVE Arcade games:

• “N+”(Slick Entertainment and Metanet Software) – Play as an acrobatic ninja in this addictive action-puzzle platformer.  N+ features inadvertently homicidal robots, stylish graphics, a level editor and intense multiplayer awesomeness.
• “Screwjumper!” (THQ) – Players take the plunge in “Screwjumper!” and free-fall into the depths of the chaotic underworld as a Screwjumper, driving aliens back to their home world by destroying their precious mining equipment.
• “SHREK-N-ROLL™” (Activision) – Gamers join “Shrek®,” “Fiona,” “Donkey,” “Puss in Boots” and 20 other twisted fairy tale friends in this hilarious puzzle game designed for ogres of all ages.
• “SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam™” (Nickelodeon and THQ) – In this quick and fun game, players search the kitchen of the Krusty Krab, the Flying Dutchman’s ship and the Armoury of Atlantis for 99 pairs of underpants.
• “Switchball” (Sierra Online) – Based on real-world physics, “Switchball” is an intricate puzzle game set in a stunning 3-D world where players control an ever-changing ball along a narrow, winding course suspended in midair.
• “Undertow” (Chair Entertainment Group) – This fast-paced action-shooter sends gamers underwater as they battle up to 16 players for control of the oceans! Players race to upgrade their units as they engage in non-stop conquest-style battles through multiple levels of combat action with some of the most stunning graphics ever seen in an Xbox LIVE Arcade title.
• “Word Puzzle” (InterServ International) – The classic pen-and-paper word search game is brought to a new level of excitement on Xbox LIVE Arcade, complete with combos, high-score achievements and the ability to compete against others online.

Sinnix sent through the latest episode of his 360 Prophecy Comic and I must say, it's probably one of my favourites. Head to xbox.ca to check it out.

I'm currently on vacation from both the office and my Xbox. In one of my last Halo 3 sessions I began to play around with the Theatre and the file share - INCREDIBLE. Here are some shots of JunkInTheTrunk:

Pretty soon I'll need to be splitting my time between Halo 3, The Orange Box and FIFA 08. Damn.

Posts have been sparse lately - my apologies, things are still pretty busy. Hopefully this awesome news will get me back in gear. Major Nelson highlighted some crazy stats as well - 3.6 million hours of online gameplay in the first day?! WOW

Global Entertainment Phenomenon “Halo 3” Records More Than $300 Million in First-Week Sales Worldwide

Xbox 360 console sales more than doubled; nearly 3 million gamers play online via Xbox LIVE.

REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 4, 2007 — Interactive entertainment will never be the same, with the launch of one title that has changed the way the world thinks about video games. “Halo^® 3” has captured the attention of consumers worldwide and has made history as one of the biggest entertainment launches of all time.

Microsoft Corp. today announced that “Halo 3” has officially become a global phenomenon, garnering more than $300 million in sales in the first week alone. The critically acclaimed Xbox 360^® exclusive, which was released worldwide on Tuesday, Sept. 25, is the fastest-selling video game ever and already one of the most successful entertainment properties in history.

Initial reports from retailers worldwide show console sales have more than doubled compared with the weekly average before the launch of “Halo 3.” With games such as “Halo 3,” “Madden 08” (EA Sports), “Mass Effect” (Microsoft Game Studios) and “Rock Band” (Harmonix), Xbox 360 has the greatest lineup in the history of video games and is the only console where consumers can play all the year’s biggest blockbusters.

“‘Halo’ is truly a cultural phenomenon, and the launch of ‘Halo 3’ is an important milestone for Xbox 360 and for video games as entertainment and as an art form,” said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft. “‘Halo 3’ embodies our vision for the future of entertainment, where some of the world’s greatest creative minds will deliver a new generation of interactive storytelling.”

“Halo 3” is quickly staking its place as the most popular Xbox LIVE^® game in history with members gathering in record numbers to play on the world’s largest online gaming and entertainment network on TV. More than 2.7 million gamers have played “Halo 3” on Xbox LIVE in the first week, representing nearly one-third of the 7 million Xbox LIVE members worldwide. Within the first day of its launch, “Halo 3” players worldwide racked up more than 3.6 million hours of online gameplay, which increased more than elevenfold to 40 million hours by the end of the first week, representing more than 4,500 years of continuous gameplay. Since “Halo 3 launched,” gamers have unlocked nearly 30 million achievements. In its first week alone, “Halo 3” drove a record number of Xbox LIVE Gold Memberships as hundreds of thousands of new members gathered online with friends, family members and other gamers around the world to collectively compete and complete the game.

“Halo 3” is the conclusion to the epic trilogy and picks up where “Halo 2” left off, answering questions about the fates of the beloved protagonist Master Chief™ and his artificial intelligence sidekick Cortana as they struggle to save humankind from destruction at the hands of the alien coalition known as the Covenant. In addition to the rich storyline, “Halo 3” continues the franchise’s grand tradition of delivering innovative online multiplayer experiences via Xbox LIVE. The game’s online multiplayer and innovative four-player cooperative gameplay for Xbox LIVE Gold users, the much-talked-about Saved Films feature that enables players to capture and save their favorite moments on their hard drives, and Forge, an innovative map editor that enables myriad customization options, are just some of the new features gamers are experiencing.

Developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios, the “Halo” franchise is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and optimized for the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. “Halo 3” was released in 37 countries and 17 languages. To date, more than 20 million copies of the games in the “Halo” trilogy have been sold worldwide.

Record week-one sales come on the heels of the previously announced $170 million in sales in the U.S. within the first 24 hours of the game’s release, which marked not just the biggest video game launch, but the biggest entertainment launch in history. The Xbox 360 title beat previous U.S. sales records set by blockbuster openings for entertainment events such as the release of “Spider-Man 3” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” In addition, more than 1.7 million copies of “Halo 3” were pre-ordered in the United States, making it the fastest pre-selling game in history, surpassing the previous record-setting pre-sales of “Halo 2.”

It's official - we launched Halo 3 this morning at 12:00. Everyone was on hand at Best Buy - Bay & Dundas in Toronto for 1 of our 3 launch events. Here are a couple photos to whet your appetite, I'll post more photos (including Montreal and Vancouver at some point) and a recap later today - the highlight of the night most likely - the fan who made his own Master Chief costume complete with TTC Pass taped on the front and Canadian Flag taped on the back!

Tomorrow at midnight, over 500 retail stores in Canada will be opening their doors to begin selling one of the most anticipated video games in the history of the industry - Halo 3. Today, review are starting to roll in and as of right now it's sitting at a whopping 97 (Metacritic)- putting it already at the top Xbox 360 games to-date. Where will it land? I'm sure we'll have to wait until Tuesday for most of the other reviews to roll in. 

Believe

If you've seen the television advertisement, you may be interested in taking a look at several other videos related to the spot. Two more were actually released today:

Launch Night

In Canada there will be 3 official midnight madness launch parties (in addition to the hundreds of other stores opening):

• Vancouver – Future Shop – Broadway
• Montreal – Microplay / Le SuperClub Vidéotron - Mont-Royal Avenue, corner of de Lanaudiere Street
• Toronto – Best Buy – Bay & Dundas

Swing by to join in on the launch night festivities before you get your copy of the game.

Also, make sure you check out our other Halo-related activities taking place like: Raise a Flag - head to EB Games to pick up your Halo 3 Car Flag, proceeds going to support Children's Miracle Network, Campus Halo Ambassadors, and the soon to be announced... 33 Days of Halo 3 Only on Xbox LIVE (brought to you by MTV LIVE, and Volvo).

Hopefully I'll see you at Bay & Dundas, or online with your copy of Halo 3 at 12:01 am on Tuesday :)

I'm still in Ottawa, so I apologize for the scarcity of posts lately. Yesterday we launched our Canadian Halo 3 Hub complete with video from the Believe campaign, Canadian Launch  Events and Promos, and more. Check it out at - www.xbox.com/believe. You can also check out the latest 360Prophecy Comic, the first part (of a 3 part series) from Sinnix.

Only 6 days left...

Just announced yesterday, Ninja Gaiden 2 - the true sequel to the hit Xbox game Ninja Gaiden will be an Xbox 360 Exclusive and is being published by Microsoft. Check out some of these screens and video. Nuts. This is why ninjas are better than pirates.

Yesterday was our annual X'0 event held in downtown Toronto. The day started (for me at least) bright and early at 8am - with bringing some fancy new Xbox 360 Accessories down the venue. Doors opened to the media at 10 am and I must admit the venue looked incredible - the number and depth of the Xbox 360 title line up this holiday is very very exciting. Those games in attendance were:

• Devil May Cry 4
• NHL 2K8
• NBA 2K8
• Bee Movie
• Tony Hawk 9
• Call of Duty IV
• Guitar Hero III
• Spiderman Superheroes Unite
• Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
• Turok
• Army of Two
• Burnout Paradise
• Rock Band
• The Simpsons
• Half-Life 2
• NHL 08
• FIFA 08
• Rock Band
• NBA Live 08
• Need For Speed Pro Street
• Eidos
• Kayne & Lynch
• Thrillville
• Lego Star Wars
• Age of Conan (Games for Windows)
• Sega Rally Revolution
• Golden Compass
• Virtua Fighter 5
• The Club
• Viking
• Universe at War (Games for Windows)
• Stranglehold
• Blacksite: Area 51
• Eternal Sonata
• Ace Combat 6
• Beautiful Katamari
• Dynesty Warriors: GUNDAM
• Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
• Avatar: The Burning Earth
• Stuntman: Ignition
• WWE 08
• Conan
• Naruto
• Blazing Angels
• TimeShift
• Crash of the Titans
• Fear Files
• World in Conflict (Games for Windows)
• Empire Earth 3 (Games for Windows)
• Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom
• Halo 3
• Viva Piñata: Party Animals
• Blue Dragon
• Scene It?
• PGR 4
• Gears of War PC
• Viva Piñata PC
• Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals
• Flight Simulator X: Acceleration
• Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties

I think one of the coolest things at the event were the PGR4 branded Ferrari, Porshe, and Aerial cars that people got to take rides in. Let's see, a 400 horsepower Ferrari versus my 140 horsepower Hyundai - not quite possible to compare :) I've posted some photos over to the right and will post a proper event recap after I've had some time to re-coop. Everyone knows there's a lot to recap :)