Category: Xbox 360 (Page 29 of 31)

Bungie’s Done with Halo

It’s no secret that Bungie has been working on new IP for some time. According to the now independent developer, Halo: Reach will be the last Halo game, from Bungie anyway.

In a recent interview, Senior Designer Lars Bakken had this to say:

In terms of a platform for Halo games made by Bungie, yes. I can’t answer that question for Microsoft though. Whether they have something in the works or not, I don’t know if they’re actually ready to talk about it yet, but in terms of Bungie-produced Halo games, ODST and then Reach is probably all you’re going to get.

That’s it folks. No more Halo from Bungie. That doesn’t count out Microsoft’s new 343 division, which is said to be handling everything remotely related to the Halo franchise.

Xbox Division Sees a 66% Profit Loss

Xbox 360 logo.Microsoft’s Xbox Division may have shipped more units this year than last, but they certainly didn’t make more money. Not by percentage anyway.

This is the type of story that’s a little difficult to quantify, but I’ll do my best to make the mess of it all fairly clear. Yes, Microsoft’s Xbox division is reporting profits to be down some 66% from last year. Yes, they made $161 million less than last year. It’s all sort of difficult to place, though. The company sold 2.5 million more consoles this fiscal year, and Xbox Live subscriptions were up some 73% in June. So while dollar percentages may be down, and yes that’s likely due to some price reductions, it’s tough to say that Microsoft isn’t doing well.

Of course, no one’s doing well right now. The economy has had a taxing effect on our video game industry, but if you look at the full story, Microsoft is doing what I’ll call “okay.” All in all, not a bad quarter, Microsoft.

Plants vs. Zombies Confirmed for XBLA

Plants vs. Zombies.That’s right, folks. PopCap has officially confirmed the development of Plants vs. Zombies for Xbox Live Arcade. There’s still no word on release date, achievements, multiplayer modes, or anything of that nature. It’s definitely coming, though, in all of it’s zombie crunching glory.

For those of you who don’t know about the Plants vs. Zombies phenomenon, you may not want to get started. Chances you’ll get sucked in are nearly guaranteed, and from there, your productivity is only destined to plummet. Here’s a quick snapshot of PopCap’s “key features” for the game.

    * Play five game modes: Adventure, Mini-Games, Puzzle, Survival, plus the stress-free Zen Garden
    * Conquer all 50 levels of Adventure mode — through day, night, and fog, in a swimming pool and on the rooftop
    * Battle 26 types of zombies including pole-vaulters, snorkelers and “Zomboni” drivers
    * Earn 49 powerful perennials and collect coins to buy a pet snail, power-ups and more!
    * Open the Almanac to see all the plants and zombies, plus amusing “facts” and quotes
    * Browse Crazy Dave’s shop for special plants and tools to stem any zombie assault
    * Amazing graphics and soundtrack, plus a bonus music video
    * Infinite replayability: the game is never the same experience twice!

Check back for more news – we’ll let you know as soon as PopCap issues a release date.

Source: WorthPlaying

Ghostbusters Game Cost $15-20 Million to Produce

Marshmallow Man wants another movie.The Star-Telegram in Texas got to sit down with the development house for the new Ghostbusters game, Terminal Reality. The game, which released about a month ago to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the first movie, has apparently sold over a million copies. That’s pretty impressive for a non-franchise launch (games like Halo blow through the million mark). Perhaps more surprising, the game cost between $15M and $20M to make according to Terminal Reality.

No, that’s not huge for a blockbuster title, but is Ghostbusters a blockbuster? I remember when I first heard about the game I immediately dismissed it as another cheesy movie knock-off product. Apparently it’s a bit more than that, though there are a whole load of complaints about the PC and PS3 versions of the game. i

The most interesting part of this whole thing, though, is something Terminal Reality co-founder Mark Randel has heard. Apparently someone told him the success of the game has sparked interest in a third movie, one that would pick up where the second film left off. Yes, you read that correctly. A movie that picks up where this very game picks up. A new movie set off by a game that was made to commemorate the 25th anniversary of a movie that was made and a franchise that got revived by a game made to stand in as the third movie. It’s all very convoluted you see.

Could this possibly be true? I’ll say yes, though I’d be surprised if it was the game that really made the franchise interesting. Would a movie version of the game turn into another Hitman or Silent Hill film? Or is there more meat to Ghostbusters because it was a movie first and a game second?

Historical Battle Map Pack is Live for Halo Wars

New Halo Wars maps.Everyone’s favorite Major updated early this morning to let everyone know that the Halo Wars Historical Battle Map Pack is now live and ready for download. The DLC will run you 800 MS Points (can’t wait for them to do away with these things). The maps come with some familiar names – Blood River, Glacial Ravine, Barrens, and Memorial Basin. So that last one is a newish name.

Here’s the blurb from Nelson’s blog:

Expand your Halo Wars experience with the Historical Battle Map Pack Add-on. These four new maps highlight key turning points in the epic war between the UNSC and Covenant forces. The maps include: Blood River – battle a single opponent over a treacherous natural chokepoint; Barrens – engage your enemy in the midst of the Flood; Memorial Basin – two vs. two team play in one of the bloodiest battles in Halo history; and Glacial Ravine — three vs. three action as you fight to control a narrow corridor flanked by energy walls.

Got $5 sitting around? If so, you can go get yours right now.

Image: CVG

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