 |
| Preparing to depart :( |
In the mean time, it looks like I have my eyes set on pre-ordering the following during my next trip to GameStop.
FIFA 11
Call of Duty: Black Ops (Hardened Edition)
Kinect
Until next time,
прощание
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Parting ways with an old friend.
It will be a sad farewell for my trusty ol' Xbox 360 Pro. After 5 long years, a time away at the RROD intensive care treatment room, and hours upon hours of playing time later, it's time to let her go. Yes, sad times for all of us involved, but fear not, I will be looking forward to the Xbox 360 S 250GB and the wonderful world of Kinect.
In the mean time, it looks like I have my eyes set on pre-ordering the following during my next trip to GameStop.
FIFA 11
Call of Duty: Black Ops (Hardened Edition)
Kinect
Until next time,
прощание
In the mean time, it looks like I have my eyes set on pre-ordering the following during my next trip to GameStop.
FIFA 11
Call of Duty: Black Ops (Hardened Edition)
Kinect
Until next time,
прощание
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Call of Duty Black Ops Multiplayer Teaser Trailer!
There was a big buzz of excitement among gamers as the new Call of Duty Black Ops Multiplayer teaser trailer made it's way onto the official Call of Duty Black Ops website. While playing Modern Warfare Two, word of the trailer spread like a wild fire in every multiplayer lobby I joined. It looks like Treyarch will be adding a few new elements to the game such as new rewards for kill streaks, among which include a remote controlled RC car bomb and a spy camera which replaces the player's radar on the upper left hand portion of the HUD. It also looks like Black Ops will be taking a page out of Halo's book by adding a theater-like replay function that allows you to record, save, upload, and share gameplay footage with friends.
Without further ado ...
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
How to Install Xbox 360 games onto your Hard Drive
Through my time playing both on Live and browsing discussion boards, it seems that most casual Xbox 360 owners are not aware of the ability to install games onto their Xbox 360 hard drive. The benefits of installing a game onto the hard drive are immense. For those of you who have the room to spare, 60GB-250GB owners, installing games onto the hard drive is a must. 20GB owners may be able to allocate enough room to install one or two of the games they play the most.
Some games receive a significant performance boost, including smoother gameplay, faster loading, and less frame rate stuttering. The greater benefit though, applies to all games, as once a game has been installed onto the hard drive, the Xbox 360 will run at almost dashboard level quietness. The disc drive will no longer have to spin, which will save the system from generating extra heat from having to read the disc while playing, as well as save electricity and create a quieter gaming environment. Before you start hot swapping discs, remember that the actual game disc still needs to be inside of the Xbox 360 for the game to play.
To install a game onto the hard drive:
- Make sure the game disc you want to install is inside the Xbox 360 and has been recognized (readable).
- Go to the 'dashboard' on your Xbox 360.
- Make sure you are in the 'My Xbox' pane.
- Scroll to the right and press 'A' on the 'Game Library' menu.
- Highlight the game that is currently inside of your 360's disc drive and press 'A'.
- Choose the 'Install to hard drive' option and let the system do it's work. The installation should take about 5-10 minutes.
Once the installation has finished, you are good to go. Hope you enjoy the peace and quiet.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
New Xbox 360 Fall 2010 dashboard update coming soon! + Screenshots
Recent screenshots have surfaced on the internet from the French website Logic-Sunrise.com which show new possible images for an upcoming dashboard update for the Xbox 360. The new update is designed to integrate the Kinect accessory into the dashboard (although referred to as NATAL in these early developmental screenshots). Among the other changes are a vertical orientation between selectable items on the dashboard, a newer sleek theme that surrounds menu options and the guide button menu, plus added options to the system settings menu.
This new dashboard update will surely be a part of Microsoft's fall system update which should arrive before Kinect's launch date of November 4th.
This new dashboard update will surely be a part of Microsoft's fall system update which should arrive before Kinect's launch date of November 4th.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Xbox 360 S 250GB Console Bundle ... Reviewed!
Just about a month ago, Microsoft made a big splash in the water by releasing the new, redesigned, 'slim' version of the Xbox 360. The new console, dubbed the Xbox 360 S, is sold with WiFi compatibility built in and includes a 250GB hard drive. The Xbox 360 S also takes on a new appearance, sporting a sleeker form factor that includes a slight redesign of the physical appearance system itself, while maintaining the same basic shape of the original Xbox 360.
Many current 360 owners will ask themselves, "Is it time for an upgrade?"... "Is it worth it to upgrade?"... "Yes, no, maybe so...".
First off, considering how the new Xbox 360 S sizes up against the original Xbox 360, there is really not much of a true physical difference. While it's definitely no Playstation 2 turned slim transformation, the new Xbox 360 S manages to cut about an inch and a half of height, a sliver of width, and actually increase a third of an inch in depth. Microsoft also decided to cut down the weight from 7.7 pounds on the original to 6.3 pounds on the new redesigned Xbox 360 S. The actual physical resemblance between the two systems is very clear, although the newer 360 S takes on a slimming and more futuristic look.
The Xbox 360 S sports all of the same cable connections as on the original system, while also adding an optical audio jack, a dedicated kinect port, and a redesigned hard drive bay. With memory cards entering the final waning days of their lives on the 360, Microsoft decided to ditch the mem-card ports in place of two extra USB sockets. Interactive buttons on the front of the system, such as the DVD tray eject button have been made capacitive (touch sensitive). Overall, the system does make slight improvements physically speaking, although there is nothing that really goes as far as to stand out.
The most useful addition to the 360 S is the built in 802.11n WiFi connection, which allows for downloading and online gaming on par with a direct Ethernet connection. The hardware, although slightly updated, does not make any noticable improvements on processing speed (loading or installing games). Fortunately, the 360 S redeems itself by acting as a more efficient incarnation of it's older brother. Tests have shown that the redesigned system uses a third less power when playing and installing games or watching DVDs, and close to nothing when sitting idle at the dashboard. The 360 S is also stealthy quiet compared to even the newer Xbox 360 Elite systems, it hardly makes a whisper when playing games that have been installed onto the hard drive. Unfortunately, it still manages to act as a makeshift space heater when left on for long periods of intense gaming.
So is the new Xbox 360 S truly worth getting? For first time Xbox 360 buyers, the answer would be a definite yes. With many new games coming out this fall that are sure to make a splash, as well as the built in Kinect compatibility, it is hard to overlook such a powerful system. For current 360 owners looking to upgrade, the question is a bit more debatable. Most Xbox 360 owners will be satisfied with their 120GB hard drives for now, and a system redesign alone doesn't hold much weight in the eyes of most casual gamers. Sure it may be quieter and use less power, but those perks alone are most likely not enough for the current 360 owner to make the splash, unless you are own a Xbox 360 arcade or 20GB Pro and are looking to make the step up, or just have deep pockets.
Fortunately, for those current owners who are interested, there is are ways to get the 360 S for less. A 'old' 20GB system complete with cables and a game or two (something you don't really play anymore) can be sold for $150 on eBay. You can even try asking if any of your friends are interested in the system, possibly through a social networking site, or even post it on craigslist (to avoid eBay's fees). Couple that nice return with an online retailer who is running a free shipping promotion and you pick up the Xbox 360 S for $299 flat. Not too shabby I'd say, but I'll be sticking with my trusty 120GB system for now, but I can't say I don't see a possible upgrade in the near future.
 |
| The New Xbox 360 S |
Many current 360 owners will ask themselves, "Is it time for an upgrade?"... "Is it worth it to upgrade?"... "Yes, no, maybe so...".
First off, considering how the new Xbox 360 S sizes up against the original Xbox 360, there is really not much of a true physical difference. While it's definitely no Playstation 2 turned slim transformation, the new Xbox 360 S manages to cut about an inch and a half of height, a sliver of width, and actually increase a third of an inch in depth. Microsoft also decided to cut down the weight from 7.7 pounds on the original to 6.3 pounds on the new redesigned Xbox 360 S. The actual physical resemblance between the two systems is very clear, although the newer 360 S takes on a slimming and more futuristic look.
The Xbox 360 S sports all of the same cable connections as on the original system, while also adding an optical audio jack, a dedicated kinect port, and a redesigned hard drive bay. With memory cards entering the final waning days of their lives on the 360, Microsoft decided to ditch the mem-card ports in place of two extra USB sockets. Interactive buttons on the front of the system, such as the DVD tray eject button have been made capacitive (touch sensitive). Overall, the system does make slight improvements physically speaking, although there is nothing that really goes as far as to stand out.
The most useful addition to the 360 S is the built in 802.11n WiFi connection, which allows for downloading and online gaming on par with a direct Ethernet connection. The hardware, although slightly updated, does not make any noticable improvements on processing speed (loading or installing games). Fortunately, the 360 S redeems itself by acting as a more efficient incarnation of it's older brother. Tests have shown that the redesigned system uses a third less power when playing and installing games or watching DVDs, and close to nothing when sitting idle at the dashboard. The 360 S is also stealthy quiet compared to even the newer Xbox 360 Elite systems, it hardly makes a whisper when playing games that have been installed onto the hard drive. Unfortunately, it still manages to act as a makeshift space heater when left on for long periods of intense gaming.
So is the new Xbox 360 S truly worth getting? For first time Xbox 360 buyers, the answer would be a definite yes. With many new games coming out this fall that are sure to make a splash, as well as the built in Kinect compatibility, it is hard to overlook such a powerful system. For current 360 owners looking to upgrade, the question is a bit more debatable. Most Xbox 360 owners will be satisfied with their 120GB hard drives for now, and a system redesign alone doesn't hold much weight in the eyes of most casual gamers. Sure it may be quieter and use less power, but those perks alone are most likely not enough for the current 360 owner to make the splash, unless you are own a Xbox 360 arcade or 20GB Pro and are looking to make the step up, or just have deep pockets.
 |
| Pick me! Pick me! |
Fortunately, for those current owners who are interested, there is are ways to get the 360 S for less. A 'old' 20GB system complete with cables and a game or two (something you don't really play anymore) can be sold for $150 on eBay. You can even try asking if any of your friends are interested in the system, possibly through a social networking site, or even post it on craigslist (to avoid eBay's fees). Couple that nice return with an online retailer who is running a free shipping promotion and you pick up the Xbox 360 S for $299 flat. Not too shabby I'd say, but I'll be sticking with my trusty 120GB system for now, but I can't say I don't see a possible upgrade in the near future.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Medal of Honor Beta for Xbox 360 is live!
Well folks, it looks like EA was finally able to get the Medal of Honor beta online for Xbox 360 users this past Friday. Gamers who had already pre-ordered the game through GameStop will have received a hard copy of the code upon checkout or through an email (for those who pre-ordered online).
When starting up the beta for the first time, you will notice two available game types, Team-Assault and Mission. The Team-Assault game mode is essentially a team death match with a few interesting differences. The winning team is decided by reaching an overall score total, which in this case is 1200 points. The scoring system gives a base of 10 points for each kill, plus an additional 5 for a head shot, melee, and or redemption or savior kill (of a teammate). These bonuses add up quickly, making it possible for a team to win the match while having less overall kills than their opponents. Many Battlefield Bad Company veterans will recognize the Mission game type as having great similarities to the Rush game mode on BFBC and BFBC2. Attackers try to destroy a certain objective in the map, if they are successful in doing so, a new objective will appear and players advance to a new point further along in the map. There are a total of five objectives to destroy in the Mission game type on the beta. Defenders must stop the attacking team from destroying the objective by withering away the opponents ticket count, which when reaches zero, equates to a victory.
The game play is essentially a hybrid between the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series and Battlefield: Bad Company 2. The game is produced by DICE and EA, using the frostbite engine, leaning closer to the Battlefield series in terms of game design and weapon feel, while maintaining a fast pace and rewarding "point streak" rewards give it a resemblance to Call of Duty. Bullet damage seems to resemble BFBC2 more closely than in the Call of Duty series. Head shots on the MOH are deadly, let me repeat that deadly, because chances are if you don't head shot the other player in a firefight, you will likely be seeing the respawn screen. Although the hit detection system is still a bit flawed, and it is frustrating to deal with the 'delayed deaths', the beta still does a good job of finding a niche in the balance between the two FPS games. The frostbite engine combined with DICE's game developers have led to the creation of 'Call of Duty sized maps" with BFBC2 style texture and environment design. The beta maps are relatively well designed, providing a good balance for both teams.
Users can choose between three pre-determined soldier classes, Rifleman, Special Ops, and Recon. Players start out with a limited ability to customize their equipment, but as they progress by earning points with the respective class, unlocks such as combat scopes, silencers, muzzle brakes, extended magazines, and open-tip ammunition become available. Players rank up their own skill level separately from kit classes. The player ranking system is based on a 'skill level' which changes depending on the dynamic performance of the player in ranked games. Posting a 40-5 kill death ratio in a lobby filled with lower leveled opponents (in comparison to your own) will only net you a 10 point bonus on your overall skill level. Yet placing mid table in a lobby filled with players way above you in terms of skill level can net you a large bonus.
For anyone who has yet to try out the beta, I highly recommend giving it a shot. It may not be the most ground-breaking FPS to hit the 360 scene, but it sure is a nice change of pace from the usual MW2 or Bad Company. For those who would like to catch a game with me before the beta runs it's course, my gamertag is listed in the right hand column of the page.
Until next time,
- BakEd
Amazon is running a good deal for those who order through their website, saving you some money by providing free shipping.
When starting up the beta for the first time, you will notice two available game types, Team-Assault and Mission. The Team-Assault game mode is essentially a team death match with a few interesting differences. The winning team is decided by reaching an overall score total, which in this case is 1200 points. The scoring system gives a base of 10 points for each kill, plus an additional 5 for a head shot, melee, and or redemption or savior kill (of a teammate). These bonuses add up quickly, making it possible for a team to win the match while having less overall kills than their opponents. Many Battlefield Bad Company veterans will recognize the Mission game type as having great similarities to the Rush game mode on BFBC and BFBC2. Attackers try to destroy a certain objective in the map, if they are successful in doing so, a new objective will appear and players advance to a new point further along in the map. There are a total of five objectives to destroy in the Mission game type on the beta. Defenders must stop the attacking team from destroying the objective by withering away the opponents ticket count, which when reaches zero, equates to a victory.
The game play is essentially a hybrid between the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series and Battlefield: Bad Company 2. The game is produced by DICE and EA, using the frostbite engine, leaning closer to the Battlefield series in terms of game design and weapon feel, while maintaining a fast pace and rewarding "point streak" rewards give it a resemblance to Call of Duty. Bullet damage seems to resemble BFBC2 more closely than in the Call of Duty series. Head shots on the MOH are deadly, let me repeat that deadly, because chances are if you don't head shot the other player in a firefight, you will likely be seeing the respawn screen. Although the hit detection system is still a bit flawed, and it is frustrating to deal with the 'delayed deaths', the beta still does a good job of finding a niche in the balance between the two FPS games. The frostbite engine combined with DICE's game developers have led to the creation of 'Call of Duty sized maps" with BFBC2 style texture and environment design. The beta maps are relatively well designed, providing a good balance for both teams.
Users can choose between three pre-determined soldier classes, Rifleman, Special Ops, and Recon. Players start out with a limited ability to customize their equipment, but as they progress by earning points with the respective class, unlocks such as combat scopes, silencers, muzzle brakes, extended magazines, and open-tip ammunition become available. Players rank up their own skill level separately from kit classes. The player ranking system is based on a 'skill level' which changes depending on the dynamic performance of the player in ranked games. Posting a 40-5 kill death ratio in a lobby filled with lower leveled opponents (in comparison to your own) will only net you a 10 point bonus on your overall skill level. Yet placing mid table in a lobby filled with players way above you in terms of skill level can net you a large bonus.
For anyone who has yet to try out the beta, I highly recommend giving it a shot. It may not be the most ground-breaking FPS to hit the 360 scene, but it sure is a nice change of pace from the usual MW2 or Bad Company. For those who would like to catch a game with me before the beta runs it's course, my gamertag is listed in the right hand column of the page.
Until next time,
- BakEd
Amazon is running a good deal for those who order through their website, saving you some money by providing free shipping.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Fifa 10 Double Champs Achievement Guide
So I've been playing EA's Fifa 10 for a while and I decided to go for achievements. I'm currently managing Arsenal, in my 2nd season. I play all of my games manually, usually winning most of not all. For those who like to simulate the fixtures, in an essence giving you a true manager mode experience, it may be a bit more difficult to unlock the 'Double Champs' achievement, especially when managing in a top level league such as the English Premier League.
For those of you achievement moguls who don't feel like sweating out two long seasons, I'd suggest this as an easy way to unlock the achievement for winning the league title twice in a row. Go to 'Team Management' in the main menu and select 'Transfers'. Select a team from a first tier league that has low ranked teams overall (such as the MLS) and transfer players into a team in that division (this will be your manager mode team). Spend about five minutes transferring over top players from notable teams to fill your roster with at least 7 top players in every position, and two goal keepers.
For example you can use:
GK:
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
Julio Cesar (Inter Milan)
DEF:
Dani Alves (Barcelona)
Carles Puyol (Barcelona)
Maicon (Inter)
John Terry (Chelsea)
Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)
Philip Lahm (Bayern Munich)
Sergio Ramos (Real madrid)
MID:
Kaka (Real Madrid)
Michael Essien (Chelsea)
Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona)
Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan)
Diego (Juventus)
Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)
FWD:
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Robin van Persie (Arsenal)
Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
You may have to transfer out players that are currently on the team along the way to make sure the roster is not completely filled up. Next, once you have your team stacked with top players such as the ones mentioned above, transfer out all the other players that were on the team.
Now save your rosters and go to 'New Manager Mode' and select the team you transferred all your players to. Turn off auto save to make the process go by quicker, and just simulate every game. You should be winning almost every game. Once you have the money you can upgrade your teams fitness level as teams in these leagues usually have a poor fitness staff, leading to the tiring of your players. After playing through the league for two seasons you should easily unlock the 'Double Champs' achievement, not to mention likely 'The Treble' and 'Established' achievements aswell.
'Double Champs' 10G | Win consecutive League titles in any top tier League in Manager Mode
For those of you achievement moguls who don't feel like sweating out two long seasons, I'd suggest this as an easy way to unlock the achievement for winning the league title twice in a row. Go to 'Team Management' in the main menu and select 'Transfers'. Select a team from a first tier league that has low ranked teams overall (such as the MLS) and transfer players into a team in that division (this will be your manager mode team). Spend about five minutes transferring over top players from notable teams to fill your roster with at least 7 top players in every position, and two goal keepers.
For example you can use:
GK:
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
Julio Cesar (Inter Milan)
DEF:
Dani Alves (Barcelona)
Carles Puyol (Barcelona)
Maicon (Inter)
John Terry (Chelsea)
Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)
Philip Lahm (Bayern Munich)
Sergio Ramos (Real madrid)
MID:
Kaka (Real Madrid)
Michael Essien (Chelsea)
Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona)
Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan)
Diego (Juventus)
Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)
FWD:
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Robin van Persie (Arsenal)
Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
You may have to transfer out players that are currently on the team along the way to make sure the roster is not completely filled up. Next, once you have your team stacked with top players such as the ones mentioned above, transfer out all the other players that were on the team.
Now save your rosters and go to 'New Manager Mode' and select the team you transferred all your players to. Turn off auto save to make the process go by quicker, and just simulate every game. You should be winning almost every game. Once you have the money you can upgrade your teams fitness level as teams in these leagues usually have a poor fitness staff, leading to the tiring of your players. After playing through the league for two seasons you should easily unlock the 'Double Champs' achievement, not to mention likely 'The Treble' and 'Established' achievements aswell.
'Double Champs' 10G | Win consecutive League titles in any top tier League in Manager Mode
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Looking forward to 2010
So to a close comes a great year for gaming in 2009. The Xbox 360 has had some huge releases and brought about some really interesting stuff over the last twelve months. Modern Warfare 2 was a ton of fun, and I have been playing it at a near daily rate. I've also had a lot of fun playing Forza Motorsport 3, building my garage and tuning my cars. Lastly, FIFA 10 failed to disappoint, it's more often than not continually kept me sitting at my desk and playing 360 rather than actually watching live games on TV.
I will be getting my hands on Assassins Creed II and Borderlands very soon aswell. I can tell you I am eager to begin my ACII campaign and try out the multiplayer features on Borderlands. But for now it is a farewell, bringing a close to 2009. With 2010 will likely come the much anticipated release, or further development of Project NATAL for Xbox 360. x360n.com will have all the latest when any new information is available. Farewell for now...
I will be getting my hands on Assassins Creed II and Borderlands very soon aswell. I can tell you I am eager to begin my ACII campaign and try out the multiplayer features on Borderlands. But for now it is a farewell, bringing a close to 2009. With 2010 will likely come the much anticipated release, or further development of Project NATAL for Xbox 360. x360n.com will have all the latest when any new information is available. Farewell for now...
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition Xbox 360 (250GB)
There was a lot of buzz in the air regarding today's announcement from Microsoft regarding a new 250GB Limited Edition, Modern Warfare 2 Style Xbox 360 console. This new bundle is set to hit the shelves the same day as the game itself (November 10th) and will include two wireless controllers. The Xbox 360 console will have a Modern Warfare 2 themed design and will include all the accessories that come with a normal Elite. Plus the nice 250GB hard drive, which is surely a hint about what is the future of the Xbox 360 platform(DVR, Media Center, Downloaded Games).
Not much else to report on this week... Did I mention that rumors are already surfacing within hours of this MW2 Limited Edition Console announcement that Sony has already prepped an equivalent 250GB PS3 Slim bundle that will likely drop during the Holiday season.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
New Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Gameplay Trailer
Infinity Ward has released a sneak peak at their new multiplayer game mode for Modern Warfare 2. As shown in the trailer below, a new 'capture the flag' mode has been added to the game.
Among new features seen in the video were people running around in Riot Shields, an Air strike Perk at 4 kills, and a Predator missile Perk at 5 kills. The gameplay looks slightly refined and the graphics look better than on the previous Call of Duty 4 installment. Host migration has also been added, allowing for a new host to be chosen almost instantly if the current one leaves, allowing for fluid gameplay without the need to return to the lobby. Players can also throw knives to down opponents who are not within hand's reach.
Interesting stuff, be sure to check it out below. The retail version of Modern Warfare 2 will hit shelves on November 10th.
Among new features seen in the video were people running around in Riot Shields, an Air strike Perk at 4 kills, and a Predator missile Perk at 5 kills. The gameplay looks slightly refined and the graphics look better than on the previous Call of Duty 4 installment. Host migration has also been added, allowing for a new host to be chosen almost instantly if the current one leaves, allowing for fluid gameplay without the need to return to the lobby. Players can also throw knives to down opponents who are not within hand's reach.
Interesting stuff, be sure to check it out below. The retail version of Modern Warfare 2 will hit shelves on November 10th.
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