E308 - Microsoft Exclusives And News Rated
July 15th 2008 00:36
Microsoft have fired the first salvos at E3, announcing a raft of exclusive content and franchises won over from competitors (and a few 'borrowed' ideas). Will Sony and Nintendo be shaking in their boots, or have Microsoft fizzled out at E3? See the ratings for each exclusive announcement here, from GamerChip.
Portal Still Alive 9/10
A 2008 exclusive to the 360, Portal became many gamers favourite Orange Box inclusion. The follow up as an exclusive will excite a world of gamers.
Gears of War 2 9/10
Available worldwide on November 7, this Epic title will be just that, one of the major christmas releases for the 360. The fact that it is still exclusive keeps Xbox as a very attractive offering to new console buyers... let's see if the Halo franchise remains that way.
Fallout 3 10/10
Substantial downloadable content that will be exclusive to the Microsoft platforms. The must have title of this year and Microsoft have moved to secure another bite of the gaming audience. Sony have stated that exclusive first party titles are the way of the future, but Microsoft have moved in to secure exclusivity acoss the third party also. If you as a fan had to choose a platform for Fallout 3, you would now have to go for the 360 version.
Fable II 7/10
3D interface with Avatars 6/10
you will now have a graphical representation of your online persona, with the ability to modify your Avatar's clothes, hair, etcetera... Microsoft, you are not a Wii. Even with the added feature of the "Live Party", the battle lines over a sandbox for your navigation through your console have already been drawn. We don't want it, we don't need it.
Uno Rush, GW 2: Retro Evolved, Galaga Legions 7/10
Some great XBLA titles here. Not a deal breaker between consoles but have proven to be entertaining. Still nothing groundbreaking and definitely no great garage games announced. This is what we want from XBLA.
1 vs 100 5/10
This sounds a little cheesy. You can actually win real prizes through primetime games which will run on a TV style schedule alongside the regular prizeless home game. An interesting concept but I can't imagine it taking off with the gaming crowd. Ahead of it's time perhaps?
Netflix 8/10
Instantly watch the netflix library through your 360 at no additional cost (to the subscription?). A very cool feature is the ability to share movies through LIVE PARTY. It will be interesting to see how this works.
It's still unsure if this will be an exclusive, however the massive amount of content and the easy delivery system is an excellent addition. The new 60BG HDD version of the 360 has been announced in time but watch this space for a bigger version soon.
GTA IV Exclusive Downloadable Episode 9/10
Coming later this year, this was a massive scoop for Xbox last year. Although the wait time was probably too long, the PR surrounding it was priceless. Again, great vision to make a third party title into a semi exclusive. Sony will need to respond before Microsoft have this worked out to have the content available earlier or an offer at the point of purchase.
Viva Pinata 2 6/10
A great game that failed to ingnite the world. Kids kinda liked it, the rest of us had the hidden shame of spending a while in our gardens... Unlikely to take off on any bigger scale.
You're in the movies 9/10
This will give users the ability to create their own movies starring themselves and their friends. The potential for this is twofold, and will depend on whether its power is used for good or evil. The exporting support will also be critical, so if we are able to share the videos easily on our Facebook or Youtube pages, this could set off like wildfire.
Lips 7/10
Adds a few cool things to a game that has been missing from Xbox for way too long, such as letting you sing from your own music collection, whether that's from a Zune or iPod.
Emarrasingly you can also shake your booty and perform tambourine hits through the motion sensitive mics...
The Last Remnant, Resident Evil 5, Undiscovery, Star Ocean 8/10
A good collection of titles taken into the Xbox fold. Good work from Microsoft to secure these and give users more reason to go 360 over their competitors.
FINAL FANTASY XIII 10/10
The bombshell of possibly the whole E3 event. Sony fans have dreaded what looked to be the inevitable and is now a reality. To be released simultaneously on both platforms. As has been universally agreed upon in the media, titles sell consoles. How will Sony respond?
I will run through both Nintendo and Sony as they occur, so stay tuned for their reviews and wrap-up to compare the big news from the gaming industries heavyweights.
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