Here it is the first shots of Soul Calibur on XBLA in all its HD glory

I cant wait for Soul Calibur on XBLA as it is one of the best 3D fighter ever, now all we need is a firm release date and how may Microsoft points this going to cost .

©2008 Darren Emery

by Retrozoid

Our partners Oz 360 Gamer have details on the upcoming dashboard update, these are rumored BUT do seem more likely

I guess the key thing is Group Chat! and more detail on your gamercards are the better additions

Xbox Live

1. Option to delay sign-in to Xbox LIVE upon booting console (to allow user to set Online Status).
2. Option to promote Child Account from Family Settings.
3. Disallow Child Accounts [over 18] to override Family Settings by launching Privacy Settings through a title.
4. Option in Family Settings for Child Accounts to enable child-oriented/non-mature advertisements.
5. Introduce a group chat (4) for Private Chat and conferences through Video Chat.
6. Support to indicate media being watched to gamercard status (video content from Marketplace only).
7. Extend height for Bio field in Personal Profile, easier navigation through text.
8. More fields present in Personal Profile - recent achievements, interests, games, movies, links, custom section.
9. Compact Personal Profile for new fields (navigating to field will open it up).
10. Mandatory option to delete duplicate titles from gamercard (excludes Games for Windows - LIVE). User disconnected from Xbox LIVE when booting any title until action complete.
11. Option to remove payment information from gamertag.
12. New payment methods for international users.
13. Download History on Account Management better organized - games, genre, type, download date, miscellaneous.
14. Long descriptions of items on Marketplace can be scrolled using right stick.
15. Better organization of free content on Marketplace.
16. Option to ‘ping’ when testing connection.
17. Allow re-connection to Xbox LIVE if Ethernet cable is re-inserted whilst powered on.
18. New strip colors available to developers, staff gamercards.
19. New corner icon available to ambassadors.
20. Re-introduce Messages button for Inside Xbox updates only.
21. Option to store up to 10 messages permanently on server (excludes invites, status messages).
22. Increase character limit for text messages between friends only.
23. Option to disable invites from non-friends or all players.
24. Option to disable invites from titles not on gamercard (excludes demos).
25. Option to have smaller items moved up in Active Downloads.
26. Automatically re-connect to Xbox LIVE if disconnected unexpectedly (set intervals).
27. Option to download gamer picture (if available) from a gamercard being viewed.
28. Display random tips to replace static text on Xbox LIVE and Games blades.
29. New button on Marketplace for optional dashboard features - uses Storage Device memory.
30. Option to donate Microsoft Points to anybody with a Windows Live ID.
31. Option to purchase Membership for charities (includes benefits).
32. Integrate file-sharing for selected titles on Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows - LIVE.
33. Disable notifications to friends of user repeatedly signing into service (set period).
34. Option to see ’snippet’ of text message in notification.
35. Windows Live Mail integration - includes support for Xbox LIVE Vision.
36. Web feeds integration - text, images, audio. Includes support for specific item codes on Marketplace.
37. Option to display gamer picture or standard picture as display picture in Windows Live Messenger.
38. Support for headset, Xbox LIVE Vision in Windows Live Messenger.
39. Support for limited ‘winks’ that display on dashboard interface. Option to disable ‘winks’ and ‘nudges’ added.
40. Notifications separate from Windows Live Messenger to Xbox 360 notifications.
41. Disable multiple languages from being used in any Xbox LIVE editable fields.

Games

1. Option to delete titles from gamercard with 0 gamerscore and 0 achievements (excludes some titles that will be re-added to launch another title).
2. Organize My Games at the Games Library section better (includes disc-based titles) - sort by genre, platform (Games for Windows - LIVE), percentage completion.
3. Support to display friends leaderboards for disc-based titles.
4. Show dates of an achievement unlocked when comparing.
5. Preload Games Library upon dashboard bootup for faster access.
6. Game updates now shown as items in Memory, increased amount of updates on Storage Device.
7. Option to delete game updates, removed ‘cheat code’ as no longer needed.
8. Support for more titles to display banner when accessing guide in-game.
9. Option to re-introduce awarded gamer pictures from titles that do not have their own re-introduce feature (requires saved game).
10. Disable gamer pictures from being awarded from trials.
11. Support for titles to store installation data on Storage Device for faster loading.
12. Synchronization to achievements offline/online that were deleted and then re-added from developers

Media

1. Option to hold LT and RT for rewinding/fast-forwarding video content.
2. Option to delete individual music tracks from storage device.
3. Option to rip music CD at different quality.
4. Copy non-protected files (pictures, music, videos) from USB storage devices, CDs and computers to proprietary storage devices.
5. Support for menu, top-menu features on video content downloaded from Marketplace.
6. Section added for audio delivered through feeds (podcasts). Option to stream, download to Storage Device.
7. Support added for video titles/description to gamercard status.

Dashboard

1. Option to navigate quickly out of several menus back to respective blade home (applies to Games, Media, System).
2. New blade trim styles added.
3. Introduce expanded Inside Xbox as a portal to news, weather, entertainment, help and community features.
4. New sounds for various functions (notifications, blades, navigation).
5. Calibration options for display/sound.
6. Calibration options for motion sensor devices.
7. New effects for Xbox LIVE Vision and dashboard background.
8. Disable changing of Theme when on Memory to prevent ‘hanging’.
9. Preload recent, limited items upon dashboard bootup on Memory.
10. Faster loading of Themes section on guide.
11. Option to see what items will not work offline due to DRM license changing from Memory.
12. Option to automatically associate new DRM to items downloaded for free.
13. Indicate ‘charging’ status on guide when Play & Charge kit is connected.
14. Option to change text colors on guide to better contrast some backgrounds.
16. Language improvements.
18. Word censor updated for fields.
19. Privacy Settings/Family Settings updated for new features.
20. Voice, picture messages can be read at Xbox.com (Gold accounts).

©2008 Craig Green

by Retrozoid

It has now been announced that Banjo Kazooie’s next gen game will be called Nuts and Bolts. In San Francisco more details were unveiled about RARE’s game.

Slated for a November 2008 release, the game is going to be a bit different

To complete most missions Banjo will have to use a vehicle of some sort which will require you to build a custom built car using parts that are unlocked when you complete an objective.

As for levels there are ‘globes’ that each one will give you access to four more levels and they look amazing! You can still unlock jiggys and feathers and Gruntilda will be the main bad guy(yet again)

Cannot wait

©2008 Craig Green

Well here it is the game I have been waiting for Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise, the second Viva Pinata game from Rare.

Loads of news is all over the net about this title so here are some of the new features it will contain:

Rare has confirmed that offline cooperative play will feature the game.

Rare have also implemented a new game mode, whereby you can jump straight into the action with no long, drawn out tutorial.

Also the newly-revealed game will feature support for physical cards and Xbox 360’s Visions Camera. VP2 uses the Vision Camera in combination with physical cards a bit like Eye of Judgement on PS3. So it basically scans a small code on the card, when it’s being held up in front of the camera, and this can both insert custom designed pinatas, unlock buildings or abilities, change the weather and many other things.

So this will be a amazing leap from the first Viva Pinata game, what is a great causal game in my eyes.

©2008 Darren Emery

by Shuten Doji

The service launches on May 20 in Europe and here are the release line up and pricing and a few pics.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (Square Enix) - 1500 Wii Points

LostWinds (Frontier) - 1000 Wii Points

Pop (Nnooo) - 700 Wii Points

Dr. Mario & Germ Buster (Nintendo) - 1000 Wii Points

Star Soldier R (Hudson) - 800 Wii Points

TV Show King (Gameloft) - 1000 Wii Points

Toki Tori (Two Tribes)

Pirates: The Key Of Dreams (Oxygen)

Pricing is still to be revealed on Pirates: The Key Of Dreams and Toki Tori but there prices cant be far off

Personally I will be getting Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King even though it is the most expensive launch title at 1500 Wii Points, my friends in america say the game is amazing, even though it is very different to the usual Final Fantasy games.

©2008 Darren Emery

by Shuten Doji

Now in the count down to Rock Band getting a UK release I was in my local HMV and spotted Singstar on PS3 for only £24.99 with the microphones, and thought why not im not a Karaoke fan or have any intention of becoming one as I cant sing. But like I said why not ill try an conquer my fear of singing so when Rock Band lands I can make a complete fool of myself and not feel stupid about it

Karaoke a Japanese import that has grown men and ladies gathered around a TV screen, pretending to be Mariah Carey or Prince by following the bobbing dot bouncing over the chosen song’s lyrics. Now Sony’s London team, by combining some slick visuals, trendy graphic design, original music videos and effortless style has created videogame dynamite in SingStar on PS3.

This is achieved not by changing the core mechanics but rather by broadening the access to music of all tastes and genres. The PS3 hardware and its seamless network integration mean that no longer are you constrained by the tracks on the disc. Instead you now have access to an iTunes-style store allowing you to download each and every one of your favourite songs for 99p a song, personally I think there should be more Rock/Metal but thats me

Thirty are tracks included on the disc. The disc-based song selection provides a good mixture of pop and rock tunes to get started with including favourites from various genres such as Toxic by Britney Spears, Moving On Up from Primal Scream as well as music from The Killers, The Fratellis, Outkast and The Scissor Sisters.

But slip into the SingStore and these restrictions dissipate. Here you’re able to select songs from all across Europe and the rest of the world in a wide variety of styles and eras. You can browse by artist, song name or genre and you even get short previews of the song’s video (just like in iTunes) to help you decide if you want to download the song or not.

As if this weren’t enough the game also brings to the table a kind of online social networking application for singers dubbed ‘My SingStar Online’. Here every player is given a homepage which can be customised with a personal picture (either taken by the PSEye or a digital camera) and all of your high scores and stats are resented allowing friends and other users to compare and compete. You can even film yourself singing and post a 30 second video of the performance to your page a la Youtube and some of the stuff people have posted is funny as hell. Because of the online and updateable nature of the service one can only imagine how the area of the game will grow and develop as users begin to explore and play with its many features.

You can sing along to tunes in either solo, competitive or duet modes at various difficulties. The song marks you on your tonal accuracy for each phrase and, at the end of the piece, you’re given a score for your efforts. Sony has been wise to invest their efforts into functionality while leaving the core game and aesthetics mostly unchanged. The resulting package is one of evolution then rather than revolution I have been told by a strong Female source who loves the Singstar series. So Singstar on PS3 is a must buy for stag-dos, hen-nights or those long, lonely nights where you simply must croon into a microphone and trust me I sound like a cat getting strangled but im loving Singstar on PS3.

My score 85%

©2008 Darren Emery

WiiWare is now out in the USA as of today, you could say the service is somewhat like Nintendo’s version of Microsofts Xbox Live Arcade, the service will arrive in the UK 20th May. The channel offers 40Mb-ish games for various amounts of Wii Points, though we have a date for the UK service, pricing of games is still to be announced for the UK, but this announcement cant be far away (I hope).

Games out in the USA today for WiiWare are:

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Players are challenged to rebuild a kingdom, leading its young king on a path of discovery through an adventure bristling with mystery and intrigue.

LOSTWINDS: A fresh, enchanting platform adventure.

DEFEND YOUR CASTLE: Defend your Castle takes place on a grassy plain surrounded by invaders.

POP: Pop bubbles to score points and stop the timer from running out.

V.I.P. CASINO: Blackjack re-creates the casino experience, with fully animated players and a realistic Las Vegas dealer. Single players can increase their bankrolls, while multiple players can engage in a head-to-head mini-blackjack tournament.

TV SHOW KING: TV Show King transforms your living room into a real TV quiz show studio where you’ll face the challenge of answering more than 3,000 questions across six different categories.

©2008 Darren Emery