New RSS feed

As you may have noticed, I’ve recently added a new RSS feed for our headlines over at XE. My reason for doing this is twofold.

First, I want to make sure that I’m doing everything possible to help increase the readership at XE. Our spot on the interweb is currently a great source for Xbox 360 news and our plans for the very near future will only make it better.

Secondly, I’ve fallen into a bad habit of posting strictly news here at the blog which was never my intent. Now, with the RSS headline feed, I can feel comfortable that readers will have access to the latest console news and I can refocus my attention on delivering community related content along with my own personal insight and opinions.

So please, use the new feed and visit us over at XE. While you’re there, join our outstanding forum and help us spread the word!

Two new classics coming to Arcade this Wednesday

Both Rez HD and Chessmaster Live will be headed to Xbox LIVE Marketplace this Arcade Wednesday. I’ve posted up the details over at XE.

I’ve found a new home

After nearly 2 years with Totally360, the time has come for a change. The decision to leave was not an easy one, but sometimes a change for changes’ sake is a good thing. I had a great time during my stay and made a bunch of outstanding friends. Most importantly, I will always be appreciative of the opportunity that the site’s owner Neil Vaughan gave me.

I’ve accepted an invitation, extended by my good friend Ross McClymont, to join XboxElite.co.uk as their U.S. Editor. I’m very excited about joining their team and helping the continuing effort to evolve XE into a truly global gaming site.

I invite you all to come by and check us out. While you’re there, be sure to join the XE forums and say “hi”.

Rock Band drum kit and wireless Fender Strat on their way

Harmonix, MTV Games and EA announced yesterday that the first official standalone peripherals for Rock Band will begin arriving on retail shelves next month.

The Rock Band Drum Kit, priced at $79.99, is scheduled for release on February 12th while the long-awaited Rock Band Wireless Fender Stratocaster Guitar Controler will arrive on April 1st with a $59.99 price tag.

New tracks for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock available now

Activision released the brand new Classic Rock Track Pack for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock featuring master recordings from some several-decades-old rock icons.

Boston’s “Piece of Mind,” Foreigner’s “Juke Box Hero” and Journey’s “Any Way You Want It” are all included in the download, priced at 500 Microsoft Points. Point your browser to http://www.guitarhero.com for more details.

Oh, and while you’re at it, be sure to sign up for the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock – Rock Your Party Weekend
taking place Superbowl weekend, February 1-3, 2008. The three day event will feature a Play & Win Sweepstakes where a variety of prizes including Microsoft points, Guitar Hero Gear and an Xbox 360 wireless guitar faceplate signed by Slash will all be up for grabs. In addition to these great prizes, one lucky Grand Prize winner will receive the Ultimate Home Gaming Center, which includes an LG 50″ 1080p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV, an Xbox 360 Elite and a BoomChair – Wi-FX Wireless Gaming Chair. Sweet!!

Wondering how you can toss your pick in the ring? It’s simple. Download the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock GamerPics from Xbox LIVE Marketplace for automatic entry or visit http://www.xbox.com/rockyourparty and register your Gamertag. Good luck (and Go Pats!!)

Devil May Cry 4 demo coming tomorrow

Devil May Cry fans, your wait is nearly over! Capcom has officially announced that the long awaited demo for Devil May Cry 4 will hit Xbox LIVE Marketplace tomorrow, January 24th. Here’s the description of what the demo will contain:

The demo introduces gamers to the gothic-inspired supernatural world of Devil May Cry 4, new protagonist Nero and the awesome power of his Devil Bringer. The demo consists of a sampling of sections from the full game, chosen to showcase Devil May Cry 4’s varied locales, allowing gamers to familiarize themselves with Nero’s unique abilities. Players will receive instruction on the various new actions that the Devil Bringer bestows, such as the ability to slam creatures to the ground, cover great distances in a single bound or even grab enemies while on the ground or in the air and pull them towards Nero to continue an attack combo. The Exceed system allows Nero to “rev up” his sword as if it were a motorcycle throttle and unleash devastating attacks. Players will need to master all these techniques before the end-of-demo showdown with the mighty Berial.

Once a PS exclusive, DMC4 marks the debut of the franchise on Xbox 360…and we can’t wait!!

Undertow for free this Arcade Wednesday

This Arcade Wednesday, the Xbox LIVE team will be offering up Undertow as a free download to all Xbox LIVE members worldwide as a way of saying “thank you” for supporting the service throughout the hiccups over the Christmas holiday.

One thing to note; the free download is available for a limited time beginning at 2:00 a.m. PST Wednesday, January 23 through 11:59 p.m. PST on Sunday, January 27 so be sure to grab it early. For more information on Undertow, visit http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/u/undertowxboxlivearcade/.

In addition to Undertow, some brand new content for Mutant Storm Empire will also be available beginning this Wednesday.

NPD figures declare Xbox 360 is the system of choice

Some very impressive sales numbers have just officially come through regarding console sales for 2007. Can you guess who came out on top?

According to NPD figures, Xbox 360 saw sales of $4.8 billion landing them ahead of both Wii at $3.5 billion and PlayStation 3 at $2.2 billion. Those figures add up to a total of more than $13.7 billion in total sales, of which 45% was spent on Xbox 360. But that’s not all…

According to NPD:

* Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for Xbox 360 was the leading game last month with 1.5 million copies sold, outselling the PS3 version nearly 3:1.

* Assassin’s Creed for Xbox 360 was the fourth best selling title, having sold 894,000 units. It outsold the PS3 version more than 2:1.

* Guitar Hero III outsold the PS3 nearly 2:1, having sold 625,000 copies.

* Rockband sold 463,000 units for the Xbox 360 platform, compared to 174,000 units for the PS3

*To date, 33 third party games on Xbox 360 hit the top 10 list across all consoles compared to five third party games on PS3, and four on Wii.

* Halo 3 was the sixth best selling title in December, selling another 742,000 units. In 2007, NPD projects that Halo 3 has sold 4.8 million units in the U.S. since its launch in September.

* Xbox 360 continues to lead in number of games sold per console, setting another record with an attach rate of 7.0 games per console.

These facts and figures should remove any doubt about Xbox 360 having won the un-official console war. Considering that the Microsoft console is only in its second generation – and was competing against two historic gaming icons in Sony and Nintendo – this feat becomes even more impressive.

Atari announces Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit

The first DBZ title for Xbox 360 is set to make its debut later this year. Entitled Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit, the game will feature some knock-out graphics along with online multiplayer battles.

Atari has said that the game is still in development for now, but they did send along a few screenshots which I’ve posted over at Totally360.com.

More DBZ info can be found over at http://www.atari.com/dragonballz/.

Rock Band going to Sundance Film Festival

If you’re planning on attending this year’s Sundance Film Festival (or if you find yourself in the general area of the event) be sure to swing by Harry-O’s Monkey Bar and play out your own rockstar fantasy.

From January 17th through January 26th (11 AM – 5PM, 7PM – 2AM) Harry-O’s will be transformed into the “Ray-Ban Rock Band Bar” featuring the awesome Harmonix/EA/MTV Games Rock Band where attendees will get a chance to show off their musical talents on stage for all to see.

Location:

Ray-Ban Rock Band Bar
Harry-O’s Monkey Bar
427 Main Street
Park City, Utah 84060

Fallout 3 developer diary updated

Bethesda has just updated their official Fallout 3 website with a new development team diary entry.The update, from lead designer Emil Pagliarulo, reveals several details on the technology-driven Brotherhood of Steel as well as some great new concept art from the game.

Be sure to swing by http://fallout.bethsoft.com/eng/vault/diaries_diary3-1.09.08.html for all the details.

New media added at Totally360.com

Just finished uploading some new screenshots for FIFA Street 3 and a new Developer Diary video for Battlefield: Bad Company over at Totally360.com.

Head over and check ’em out.