Xbox 360 Rumours / News of the Day

[Segitz]

It used to be the biggest in the world (looking at visitor numbers). THQ isn't coming either... that's quite a sad statement indeed.

[solidsnakejej]

THQ isn't going to any show any time soon, Microsoft won't be at either gamescom or TGS likely because of a lack of games for the 360. SEGA is in the same situation as THQ.

[Raitei]

http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/16/30...doc-leak-rumor

Over a year old, but some very interesting concepts, more about the features than the specs.

[Segitz]

Gaffers think i's real, so does B3D... doesn't look too impressive, though. And very confusing, too.

[Raitei]

[Update] Kotaku has spoken to sources who would be familiar with Microsoft's plans for the Xbox 360's successor and they say that while some features and information in the document ring true, at best this document represents an outdated plan. None of our sources, however, was able to rule out the possibility that this whole document is an elaborate hoax.

[solidsnakejej]

Lionhead:"Every single game is on-rails"

Lionhead Studios creative director Gary Carr has said that “every single game is on-rails” while defending the decision to keep the same control scheme that drew so much criticism towards Fable: The Journey at E3 2011.

Nobody gives a quote quite like Molyneux, but his Lionhead replacement and Fable: The Journey creative director Gary Carr is doing his very best to emulate the Brit, claiming that “every single game is on-rails”, because you’re always pressing buttons in a certain order to get a result.

“It’s interesting you say that,” said Carr when asked about people’s preconceptions of on-rails games by CVG. “Every single game is on-rails. I can score a fantastic goal on FIFA if I press certain buttons in the right order at the right time, that’s the rails bit.

“Peter’s [post-E3] on-rails rant, if we should call it that, was him trying to hit back at the criticisms saying that it wasn’t on-rails. I think, if we had done this again, we would have just said, yeah, it’s on rails.

“The truth is, we were actually close to killing that E3 demo, but some of the team tried to revive it. We did come back from E3 [2011] with some people saying, we’re doing something wrong here. We need to change course. Ultimately, the decision was, keep the faith. On-rails is actually necessary to make the game work really well. We are building a story-based game, a well-crafted world, a powerful narrative, a beautiful looking game. All our money is going into that. We are not messing with alternative control schemes any more.”

The sting of that E3 showing still seems to be hurting Lionhead, and there’s certainly very little excitement surrounding the upcoming Fable game – largely because of the fact that, yes, it is a Kinect game on-rails. Carr’s argument that every game is essentially on-rails may be technically correct (in a very, very loose sense), but it really sounds as though he’s clutching at straws to justify the decision, and that the studio clearly lost confidence in at some point along the line, even if they eventually decided to stick with it.

http://beefjack.com/news/fable-the-j...e-is-on-rails/

[Segitz]

Gary Carr is a fucking idiot.

[masteratt]

I can kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiind of (note the lot of i's in there) understand the "all games are on rails" bit, especially with most AAA games this gen but the example he gave threw his whole argument out the window. What a stupid example to use.

And the rest is just....blurgh. Makes me think it's some kind of spoof article it's that bad. And this guy is the creative director...May god help us all.

[frosty]

Even with QTE's, the vast majority of games allow you freedom of movement for the vast majority of the time. Freedom of movement is not "on rails". That's about the dumbest justification for their failure of a game that he could have possibly given.

Sure, I may kill a boss in GOW3 by pressing buttons at a given time, but it's my freedom of movement that decided whether or not that boss was able to hit me, and my freedom to choose exactly when to hit and block that decided whether or not I defeated it. It's my movements that allowed me to explore each environment and find each secret. I didn't have my hand held as I was escorted from room to room, standing in a static position as baddies came at me, unable to go where I wanted when I wanted.

[Segitz]

If he had brought up... say the first 2/3s of Final Fantasy XIII, I'd be "more or less" content... but as 'ratt said... Fifa? Really? Makes me wonder if he ever played other games before, like his own (Black & White for example, not sure if he personally was working on that, though, but it's Lionhead).

[D3adcell]

If he had brought up... say the first 2/3s of Final Fantasy XIII, I'd be "more or less" content... but as 'ratt said... Fifa? Really? Makes me wonder if he ever played other games before, like his own (Black & White for example, not sure if he personally was working on that, though, but it's Lionhead).

GTA is on rails. My cars run in to those hookers, not by my will, but because the game forces it upon me at any given moment. I have no control over the movement of that car. However if I press the right buttons at the right time, that car will kill more than just hookers.

[masteratt]

FW Preview out. My brother is in. The IE works great. Smooth and fast, tabbing could be better but best thing is you can watch HD YouTube videos...but only if you go to video via google search for some weird reason. Going to YT and clicking a vid doesn't work. URL from the seaerch click and the YT click is exactly the same as well so I don't know what the heck is going on there. Somehow the google search plays the vid in HTML5 while going through YT wants Flash.

I am assuming they can fix that (so any requests from 360 returns the HTML5 version of the video) OR it's on purpose so people 'have to' use the YT app. Though if YT works on the browser not sure why they'd want to push the app....Anyway.

Downside is I was personally disappointed with the "Pin to home" feature. I was hoping it'll have a 'pinned' bar at the top and the menu populates with the boxes for the things you've pinned but it just puts them in a "Pinned items" menu under 'home' and you go in there to see all your pinned stuff. Kind of like your own version of Quick Launch. Meh.

[Segitz]

If the browser supports cookies (and it most likely does), you can "force" HTML5 video on Youtube going to this page. I am not sure though if you have to have an account.

[masteratt]

Forza Horizon and Halo 4 really show a side of 360 we haven't seen before I think. I haven't even seen Halo4 personally but even from web vids it looks superb and the environments in Horizon Demo was stunning as well.

Lush, crisp, clean, great viewing distance, LOD, stunning lighting.

Finally some devs are bothering to push 360.


Too bad I don't want either game lol...My brother is getting both though so I'll give them a play.

[AC!D]

Not interested in Forza but the launch trailer and those forward unto dawn webisodes for Halo 4 are outstanding. I just wish i didn't need gold to experience the full game.

As for pushing 360 im with you. Reach and this game are what i expected years ago when i played my first Halo game which was Halo 3. God that game left me cold on the franchise.

[Segitz]

So... anyone watched the Fable Quicklook by Giantbomb? (regurtitating the previous post by Carr about it being on rails or not)

It's so fucking on rails, it's barely a game. Bah^^ At least Forza and Halo seem to be a good games this Xmas... it's rather bland (besides Xcom and maybe ever so slightly RE6).

[AC!D]

The day Giant bomb scored Resident Evil 6 a 4/10 and then on the same day gave Fable Kinect a 6/10 was the same day i stopped listening or caring about Giant Bomb.

[Segitz]

That is actually a valid criticism... didn't see the Fable review. But... as I said, I can see where they are coming from with their RE rating... finished Leon an hour ago...

[AC!D]

Agree to disagree. I had no problem with zombies attacking me and i certainly didn't have any problems with invincible frames if they lunged before i attacked. The melee system would have broken the game otherwise. I certainly didn't take issue with the controls that i found to be infinitely better.

What Giant Bomb describe as poor controls and loosing it's identity apply a hundred fold to whay MS have done with the Fable franchise. Hypocrites.

[Segitz]

It's even funnier, when you see it's even the same reviewer^^ But since I don't give a crap about reviews anymore (I've barely read any of them in a while, anywhere), I couldn't care less.