GamingBrotherhood

Hitman: Absolution Dev Diary And "Instinct...

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:25:18 +0000

In his long absence, Agent 47 must have been flexing his mental muscles in preparation for Hitman: Absolution, because this new video highlights an ability he's never had before: Instinct Mode.

Both the aesthetics and implementation of the ability are similar to Batman's Detective Mode or Ezio's Eagle Sense, and the end result is a more heightened awareness for the assassin who was already nearly flawless in his execution.

Before series veterans cry foul, it's worth pointing out that the utilization of the ability is entirely optional. The developer stresses that their goal with Absolution is to allow the player to make their own choices as to how they go about the game.

Hitman: Absolution has been given the vague release date of "2012".

Tiger Woods Brings Assets For PGA TOUR '13

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:29:35 +0000

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 13 will include 22 professional golfers. As well as Tiger Woods himself, those confirmed so far include Bubba Watson and the two cover stars: Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler. The game will also come with 16 golf courses (21 if you purchase the Collector's Edition). The famous Augusta National Golf Club has already been announced, but Pebble Beach has emerged as the second confirmed course to feature in the game. EA has thrown in a handful of screenshots showing four of the holes on this course:

Hole #4

Hole #8

Hole #17

Hole #18

The newest instalment in the Tiger Woods franchise will also include a raft of new features, such as the ·Tiger Legacy Challenge mode. Players can relive the most memorable career accomplishments as the franchise's namesake grows from child prodigy into the golfing legend that we all know.

New online modes include online Country Clubs. Players can create their own country club into which they can invite their friends. Teaming up means that you'll get quicker access to those more exclusive golf courses. Alternatively, you can compete against other club members to try and earn the Club Championship.

This will also be the first game in the franchise to include Kinect integration, which EA confirms will feature full body tracking to "create the most advanced virtual golf swing to date". There will also be voice commands integrated into the game too.

Full details on all of the above new features will be revealed over the coming months. For now, I can show you the oddly titled 'announcement' trailer, despite the game being revealed back at E3 2011 and the first details emerging in October.

One of the new features that EA did want to preview today is the Total Swing Control mechanic. Players will have full control over their swing with a range of different adjustable factors creating the possibility of millions of different shots with just a single club:

Swing Tempo - For the 1st time in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR history, the tempo and speed of your swing is going to directly influence the power of your shot. Fast tempo will add more distance to shots. Slow tempo will result in less distance.

Shot Setup – Create all possible shot types from one shot setup. Drag your aiming marker forward and back to blend between full , ¾ , pitch, and chip shots. Create draw and fade shots by opening and closing your golfer’s stance. Affect the launch trajectory by moving the ball forward or backward in your stance to create flop and punch shots. The possibilities are endless, allowing any real shot to be created in the game.

Strike Meter – Using the all-new Strike Meter, place the sweet spot of the club precisely where you wish to hit the ball. While a center strike is the most common, you can use low and high strikes to alter power, spin and trajectory.
Swing Arc – The visualization of the golfer’s swing is shown in the form of an arc. Use this arc as a guide to execute your swing with the proper power, trajectory and shot shape.

All-New Animations – Utilizing the latest version of EA’s sophisticated ANT animation system, you’ll be able to see in real-time whether your golf swing is on or off plane through your golfer’s on-screen animations; allowing you to connect with your swing like never before!

If this sounds a little too overwhelming for you, the Lead Designer for the game, Mike DeVault, walks you through the feature mechanics in this new trailer:

Those who can't view the video can instead take a look at three of the game's golfers as they benefit from the new mechanic:

Rickie Fowler

Rory McIlroy

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 is due to be released on March 27th, 2012.

New Screens From Hitman: Absolution

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:52:48 +0000

Over the course of the Hitman franchise we have seen Agent 47 don the guise of many different occupations and characters. At one point or another he has claimed the identities of butchers, waiters, police officers, clowns -- heck, he's even been Santa Claus.

These new screens show a holier Hitman than ever. He's disguised as a man of faith, but the only thing he seems to believe in is the durability of his fiber wire.

Hitman: Absolution is meant to be the most personal chapter in the series to date. We've learned a lot about Agent 47's targets, but we don't know all that much about the contract killer himself. Io Interactive looks to explore this theme when Hitman: Absolution releases sometime this year.

With that said, what is your favorite disguise in the series?

Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition Announced

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:09:20 +0000

The krowning achievement of every game is the announcement of the inevitable "Game of the Year" edition. Fortunately for lovers of kombat, the Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition is coming your way in a matter of weeks.

Included in said Komplete Edition will be all of the DLC characters (Freddy Kreuger, Rain, Kenshi, and Skarlet), the 15 Klassic Skins, the Mortal Kombat: Songs Inspired by the Warriors album, and the 1995 Mortal Kombat film which will be available through the Xbox LIVE Zune Marketplace.

I know what you’re all thinking:

Quote

OMG! When kan I exchange some kash for this krazy kollection?

Fortunately, you won’t have to wait long as the Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition will be hitting shelves in North America on February 28th. European gamers will need to wait a few more days until March 2nd.

Everybody Loves Free Games!

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:38:50 +0000

Who doesn't love free stuff? Well, Xbox has some hidden secrets. We've found some games on the Xbox Marketplace that happen to be free! No, these aren't glitched purchases that will risk your account standing, but rather games that are seriously offered up for free!

Here's the list of games that you can purchase on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Start the download there, and the next time you start up your Xbox, the downloads will start!

Doritos Crash Course
Harm's Way
NASCAR Unleashed
~~Yaris~~ - No longer available
Aegis Wing
Totemball
Doritos Dash of Destruction
Pinball FX2

So go ahead and rack up some free gamerscore and have some fun! You can thank us later

"Gun-Like" Avatar Items To Be Removed F...

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:57:03 +0000

According to a post on the Epic community forums, 'gun-like' items are set to disappear from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace as a result of a new policy instated by Microsoft.

If you already own the Lancer and/or the Hammerburst, you will be able to keep those items. Otherwise, you only have until the end of the month to get them, as they will be pulled on January 1st. There is no full list of items that will be pulled, but if it's gun-like and you want it, better get it while you still have the time.

You can pick up the Lancer here in the regular edition or here if you prefer gold weapons.You can also pick up either a regular or gold Hammerburst, if that's more to your liking. Each item costs 320 MSP.

Countdown To 2012 Deals

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 06:56:26 +0000

Every day from now until 2012, Xbox will be giving discounts on things from avatar items to DLC to Games on Demand. You can check out these discounts by following this link: http://marketplace.x...2012-daily-deal

Be sure to check it daily to see if there is anything you've wanted to get, but not wanted to pay full price for.

Also, Microsoft will be offering more deals on renewing your Xbox LIVE Gold membership this time of year. So keep checking your dashboard or Xbox.com for more information.

Xbox LIVE Deal Of The Week (12.13.11)

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:56:59 +0000

This week, Xbox brings you some new titles to get your hands on for a hefty discount. Why not take advantage of this week's deal and try out some new Arcade games?

Radiant Silvergun - ~~1,200MSP~~ 600MSP (50% Discount)
Hard Corps: Uprising - ~~1,200MSP~~ 600MSP (50% Discount)
Bangai-O HD - ~~800MSP~~ 400MSP (50% Discount)
Guwange - ~~800MSP~~ 400MSP (50% Discount)

Make Your Own Theme For Your Xbox 360 Dashboard...

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:14:35 +0000

Want to learn how to upload your own picture as your XBox 360 theme? Check out the video at the end of this article!

Below are the HD & SD templates to make your own picture.

Gray area is open for anything – it is the free for all image space. (Remember, the Dashboard menu is in the center so you may want to put your image more towards the outer and upper area. The menus are different sizes, that’s why I do not have a shaded area for these.)
Green Area – this is useless because the gray floor on the Dashboard covers this area. Better to just leave it blank or create a simulation of the “floor” area.
For the SD image:
Black area is off screen – XBox360 stretches the image if you only give the display area – it is basically a bleed so you don’t have an odd border or stretching effect to your image

To save: Click on the image to view the full size. Right click and save image as.

Download HD Template

Download SD Template

MW3 Title Update And Hotfix Notes

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:01:37 +0000

Today, Robert Bowling released information on Call of Duty forums about the Modern Warfare 3 Title Update and Hot Fix notes. There seems to be a few issues addressing the theater mode, address hitching, and lag fixes. Bowling also lists fixes that are in the process of being put together as well as ones that are in the discussion process.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Update History (All Platforms included)

TU1:
- Enabled Theater, Vault, Private Match options, Elite and Facebook functionality for Launch Day.
TU2:
- Fix for YouTube video upload on SD TVs. Matchmaking Improvements.
TU3:
- Theater Improvements (Fix to FF and RW in Theater), LAG improvements, Improvements to Hot Fix system.
TU4:
- Change to address hitching and lag in gameplay.
TU5:
- Further improvements for hitching and addressing lag in gameplay.
TU6:
- Additional improvements to address lag. Fix for Melee Jump. Clan Tag Validation (remove buttons from clan tags). Improve Host Migration logic. Prevent stat loss when player loses connection from server (internet pull / drop).

Hot Fix Updates (Released):
- No Recoil glitch
- Infinite Laptop killstreak glitch (Stealth Bomber Glitch)
- Map Exploits (Getting into trucks, under maps) Fix
- Prevent Slow-mo and Super Fast lobbies

Hot Fix Updates (Releasing Today 12/12/11):
- Fire rate normalization for Assault Rifles with undermounts
- FMG9 Re-balancing (Nerf)
- Akimbo FMG9 Re-balancing (Nerf)
- Fix for Shotgun’s with Extended Mags (Prevents them from shooting more pellets than intended)
- Type95 Re-balancing (Nerf) – Reduce hipspread.
- Fix for ACR with Red Dot / Shotgun
- Fix Type 95 bug related to dropping it.
- Fix map exploits on Dome

Re-balancing and Updates currently in Development and/or Discussion:
- Updates to the Spawn system
- Further “lag compensation” or “host advantage / disadvantage” updates plus ability for on-going hot fixes based on feedback.
- Default :30 Round Start timer for System Link only, while looking into adjustable timer for System Link games for Competitive Play.
- Options to allow System Link players to ‘unlock all’ for competitive play in System Link only.

I find it a positive when developers tell you what they’re doing and what they’re thinking about doing to a game. Hopefully these updates and fixes will improve the multiplayer experience for the community. What do you all think? Thumbs up? Or middle fingers up? What do YOU think needs improving?

Alan Wake's American Nightmare Trailer

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:00:16 +0000

There has been a lot of speculation about what is next from the team at Remedy when it comes to Alan Wake. The VGAs shed more light on the project, showing off gameplay, giving some plot details, and creating a few more questions for their XBLA release, which is now titled Alan Wake's American Nightmare.

According to Remedy, the release date for Alan Wake's American Nightmare has been set for first quarter 2012.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations Free DLC Contest

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:55:33 +0000

This coming Tuesday, December 13th, the first piece of DLC for Assassin's Creed: Revelations is scheduled to hit the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The "Ancestors Character Pack" brings with it four new multi-player achievements, and will cost 320MSP.

Ubisoft however, are giving you the chance to win the DLC for free in a weekend-long competition, simply by playing the game's multi-player.

To sign up, follow the instructions below (taken from the Assassin's Creed Facebook page):

Log in to Assassin's Network (using your Ubi.com/Uplay login) at the link below.
Choose the platform on which you play the most (Xbox 360, PS3 or PC)
Avoid the urge to post your platform of choice here in a fanboy rage (note, not all of you need this advice, you can skip to #4)
Click on Events and click JOIN!
PLAY AS MUCH MULTIPLAYER AS POSSIBLE!

What are you waiting for? Head over to assassinscreed.com/network and sign up now!

Hitman Absolution Trailer

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:50:38 +0000

The show has barely kicked off and we already have our first new trailer. Feast thine eyes as we have the newest video trailer from Hitman: Absolution. Agent 47 returns in the long-awaited next chapter of the Hitman franchise. Rather than tell you about it, just watch the trailer. When a release date is given, we will be sure to let you know.

What's What in the Xbox 360 Fall Update

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:39:40 +0000

By now most of you have been prompted to download, successfully installed and been exploring the most recent dashboard update to your Xbox 360 console. We wanted to take this opportunity to share a little more information about the update and hopefully answer some initial questions that you may have.

Beacons
Have you ever been watching a video on your console waiting for friends to sign in so you can play on LIVE together? Ever not get an invite because they didn’t want to interrupt what you were watching? Now there is a solution with beacons on Xbox LIVE. Set a beacon for your favorite FPS and when your friends sign in to that game they’ll be notified that you want to play.

You can set a beacon directly from the dashboard by entering the guide, selecting “Beacons & Activity” and under the beacons (far left) tab choose “Set Beacon.” You will then be offered a list of your recently played games and apps to choose from. You can even add a customized message and share the beacon to Facebook to let all of your friends know. If you’re about to head home from school or the office and want to set a beacon you can even manage them right from Xbox.com. From your Social Home you can enter the Activity section and see your current beacons as well as set new ones.

Hubs
Hubs are how the available content is arranged and displayed to help you find what you’re looking for faster and easier. We believe that this will make for a much simpler and more intuitively navigable interface. It will also make using Kinect to fully experience the dashboard a very simple task—which we’ll show a bit later.

Cloud Saved Games
Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers can upload up to 514MB worth of game save data to the cloud and have it easily accessible anywhere they have a connection to Xbox LIVE. After the console is configured to enable Cloud Storage, which also enables background downloading, a new option will be available when choosing which storage device you want to use.

After you have finished playing and turn off your console you may notice that the power light in the middle of the button blinks slowly. Don’t worry; this is the background download function we mentioned earlier making sure that your data is being synced to the cloud again so it is up-to-date the next time you try to play it, even if it is on a different console.

[left]Bing
With Bing search available on your Xbox 360 console you can find your content quickly and easily, either by typing in your search or by using a simple Kinect voice command. Now you have one place to find all the games, videos and music you want from the Xbox 360 Marketplace and Zune Video & Music Marketplace, along with content from search enabled apps from our partners.

To search using Bing, use the voice command “Xbox. Bing. [Content you want to search for].” Be sure to speak with a clear, deliberate voice, pausing between each word.

[left]Roaming Profiles & Trusted Consoles
With the new dashboard update your Gamertag can now exist on multiple consoles but, of course, only one of those consoles can be signed in to LIVE using that Gamertag at a time. When you first sign in with your Gamertag it will ask for the password associated with your Windows Live ID (the email address you use to sign in to Xbox.com).

After it confirms that you have entered the proper password you will be met with a screen giving you the option to sign in and also the option to “Remember Password.” While the console will not actually remember your password, selecting that box will add that console to your list of “Trusted Consoles,” meaning you will not need to enter the password the next time you wish to sign in with your Gamertag on that console.

If at any time you would like to change whether a console is a Trusted Console you can make that change on the console as well as on Xbox.com. To make this change while on a console, go to the Settings Hub > Account tile > Your Information > Password at Sign In. From there you can select the specific console you are on or all other consoles other than the one you are currently signed in to. If you do not have access to the console the change can also be made on the Profile Protection page of Xbox.com by clicking the “Require Profile Download” button.

Navigating the New Dashboard
There are four great and simple ways to help you navigate all of the great new content on the Xbox 360 dashboard. When using the controller you can use the D-Pad or left joystick to move through the available tiles and hubs as we’ve all become used to. In addition to being able to highlight the hub names to move between them you can also use the LB & RB buttons to quickly jump between them while a tile is highlighted.

For those with a Kinect sensor you can also move around using both gestures and voice commands. With the wave of a hand Kinect will begin tracking your movements and, using the icon on screen as a guide, you can select an available tile or hover over the next hub’s edge for a second before swiping to pull that hub to the middle of your screen. By simply saying “Xbox, [Hub Name]” you can move between them with ease and even select a tile on your desired hub by then saying the phrase shown on it.

There are still a few places where you can’t use Kinect gesture or voice commands to navigate. If you see a controller icon on the top right of the tile, then you will want to use a controller to navigate after selecting that tile.

Additional Info

The ‘Companion App’ for your Windows Phone 7 device will allow users to sync their phone with their console for various uses, including being able to start a movie on their console while using their phone.
There is more information now shown in the Xbox LIVE connection test on the console—this is a great place to start if you’re experiencing any connectivity issues.
The Xbox LIVE status page on Xbox.com also has more information, including the statuses of the video marketplace and specific partner apps.
The best tip we have for you getting used to the new dashboard is to explore it. Check out all the new features, apps and functions that go along with the new experience. And if you have any questions about the new dashboard, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

Xbox.com Support Forums | XboxSupport on Twitter

Thank you for reading.

Source: Xbox.com Blog

This Week On Xbox LIVE (12.07.11)

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:33:41 +0000

How'd the new Dashboard transition treat you? Did you get booted off Xbox Live? Did it give you any errors? Regardless, everything seems to have smoothed over and it's time to start looking at what's available on Xbox Live this week.

Here's what's new:

Xbox LIVE Arcade
A classic family board game finds its way onto Xbox Live.

Apples to Apples (800 MP)

Demos
Get your spy on with this latest take on a classic triple digit agent.

GoldenEye 007: Reloaded

Discounts
Some ol' fashioned heroes get a discount alongside a catalog of Ubisoft titles. The hero discounts are for Gold Members only. Even more Ubisoft content is on sale than listed, so check for your favorite titles and add-ons.

Prince of Persia Classic (~~800MSP~~ 400MSP – 50% Off)
Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime (~~800MSP~~ 400MSP – 50% Off)
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (~~1,200MSP~~ 600MSP – 50% Off)
Voodoo Dice (~~400MSP~~ 200MSP – 50% Off)
Zeit² (~~800MSP~~ 400MSP – 50% Off)
Outland (~~800MSP~~ 400MSP – 50% Off)
Splinter Cell Conviction (~~$19.99~~ $14.99 – 25% Off)
Tom Clancy's HAWX 2 (~~$19.99~~ $14.99 – 25% Off)
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory (~~1,200MSP~~ 800MSP – 33% Off)

Downloadable Content
A new car pack hits Forza Motorsport 4 alongside some of the usual suspects.

Forza Motorsport 4 – December IGN Pack (560MSP)
Just Dance 3 – Multiple Tracks (240MSP Each)
Rock Band 3 – Multiple Tracks (160MSP Each)
Defense Grid: You Monster (400MSP Each)
Yoostar on MTV; Multiple Scenes (160MSP Each)
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine –Relics and Armor (80MSP Each)
Batman: Arkham City – Skins Pack (400MSP Each)
Otomedius Excellent – BGM Packs (440MSP Each)
Saints Row The Third – Multiple Packs (160MSP Each)

Games on Demand
Bioware's Dragon Age sequel now available for your downloading pleasure.

Avatar Items
This week brings some updates to classic collections as well as a look into The Darkness.

Battlefield 3 – Update 2
Burton Fall/Winter Collection 2012
NHL Update
Quiksilver Winter Collection
Sonic Generations
The Darkness II

GoldenEye 007: Reloaded Demo Released

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:32:17 +0000

Content: GoldenEye 007: Reloaded
Price: Free
Availability: Check availability in your Xbox LIVE region
Dash Text: Play through all the iconic movie moments re-imagined and updated for today’s gaming standards. Experience stunning visuals, a unique blend of action and stealth, and upgraded multiplayer. In the new MI6 Ops, test your 00 mettle in various agent skill challenges. Refined. Recharged. Reloaded.

Add the free trial to your Xbox 360 download queue

Like the demo? Purchase the full game

Microsoft Releases Official Xbox LIVE iOS App

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:19:06 +0000

Xbox LIVE has released the official Xbox LIVE app for iOS owners. This is a universal iOS app. This free app will allow you to stay connected to the Xbox LIVE community when you are away from your console. Some of the features include:

Read and send messages to friends
Manage your friends list, invite new friends
Read and Edit your full LIVE profile (name, bio, motto)
Change your avatar features/items with the avatar closet
View and compare your achievement progress with friends

You can download the free app here, and you can also see some screenshots of the app in action by going here.

Also, yesterday, Microsoft introduced the Xbox Companion for Windows Phone 7, which has even more features than the iOS app. You can see details and download that free app here.