Microsoft's X06- Xbox 360 games.

[silent_shadow900]

The two big things I got out of it were Halo Wars and the Marvel MMO. Oh yeah, Gears of War and Mass Effect STILL look awesome. Bioshock looks awesome too.

First, Halo Wars (http://halowars.com/).
http://download.microsoft.com/download/c/0/6/c06aa736-d4df-43dc-bee2-63cd7bb24849/HW_800x600_4.jpg

Some background info: Originally, the first Halo was going to be an RTS for the Mac. One of Bungie's early good games (I hear) was an RTS called Myth. But here's the deal: Bungie isn't working on Halo Wars. Halo Wars is being developed by Ensemble studios, the makers of "Age of Empires." The other thing that has me worried is this: It is only going to be on the Xbox 360. The people at Bungie.net has this to say about it:

"There are definitely a lot of people concerned as well. Their concerns run the gamut from the very concept of an RTS on a console to more in-depth concerns about the gameplay such as resource management. Obviously it's too early to address the latter, as we haven't really addressed gameplay other than to state that it's an RTS. The RTS on a console concern is a valid one, though it's reminiscent of the reaction to FPSes on consoles. People didn't really think it was possible to enjoy an FPS on a console, but after Rare kicked some major butt in that category that belief was dismissed."

Let's see if they can do it. The trailer was obviously a cut-scene, so we'll have to wait and see what's up.

As a kind of sidenote, Peter Jackson is working on his own Halo game, and is establishing Wingnut Interactive. Everything else about it is shrouded in mystery.



So, some other big news: Marvel is teaming up with the City of Heroes guys and Microsoft game studios to make a Marvel MMO, which will be on the 360 and I think the PC. This is actually pretty funny, because Marvel sued the City of Heroes guys over the use of their characters. If it's a lot like City of Heroes though, I don't think I want to play it.

[comradelazyman]

This is what the exec. said about the game.

"It's for the Germans. We think this genre of game is perfectly suited to Germany, northern and eastern Europe. It illustrates our desire to release games that are appropriate for gamers in all markets."

[silent_shadow900]

This is what the exec. said about the game.

"It's for the Germans. We think this genre of game is perfectly suited to Germany, northern and eastern Europe. It illustrates our desire to release games that are appropriate for gamers in all markets."

Hahaha, what the **** is that about? You can't be talking about Halo, are you?

[comradelazyman]

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/microsoft/halo-wars-its-for-the-germans-204360.php

I know it's really random what he says.

[bigmikeherrmann]

i got a feeling it aint gonna be so hot

[harlo]

Holy mother of grapefruit! I just downloaded the Bioshock teaser. Amazing looking. It's one of those ones that tells you nothing about what the game is like, but man that rocked. I'm assuming it's a FPS but as cool as it looked I'd just as soon see a movie like that.

I thought a lot of the trailers from these events were quite impressive. I'd been losing a little hope for the future of the 360 but now I'm satisfied and more.

Tops for me have from the early looks would be:

Bioshock
Stranglehold
Lost Odysey
Alan Wake
Fable 2

[toastmstrgeneral]

Ensemble studios can make a solid RTS, if they're making it then it will be good. They've got the resume with age of empires, age of mythology, etc. I've logged quite a few hours with AOE3 and it's one of the best RTS games out there right now and takes the whole genre further with the addition of the home cities and the experience drop offs. I'm more excited that the game is being developed by ensemble than the fact it's the halo franchise. It does worry me about being and xbox exclusive, because rts just doesn't work on the console, battle for middle earth came close, but you still need the multiple keys for quickly changing between squads.

Other than that, I agree with the bioshock trailer being the best thing to come out of the whole thing. I have no clue what the game is about but damn do i want to play it. I was cringing at the screen with some of the things going on and really found myself immersed into the action on screen. I'm not sure if a game trailer has ever really done that for me, so I was thoroughly impressed.

[mormonrage]

Jade Raymond's on-stage demo of Assassin's Creed was so thoroughly bonerizing that my keyboard required cleanup.

The game looked ****ing incredible, too.

[tokenuser]

I am just pissed that X06 was in Barcelona last week, and I don't get there until Friday this week.

Whatever - I am still happy with my chipped Xbox (my first ever console - I was always a PC gamer) ... but the new PGR, and Elder Scrolls have me tempted ...

[satori]

seeing as Halo was originally supposed to be an RTS on the PC it would likely of been good if it weren't for the fact that they're going to throw it on a console... nothing really wrong with the console, if it weren't for the fact that there's no mouse...

[dromeonyourchest]

Does HaloWars look a lot like StarCraft or is it just me?

[harlo]

Would it be a problem if it was like StarCraft? I mean with the success of WoW I don't think we'll be seeing SC2 any time soon.

I forgot about Assassin's Creed. I'm not sure about the time period for the setting of the game, but a "Hitman" style game with Prince of Persia style moves is definatly bonerizing.

[mormonrage]

I think the time setting is something of a question mark. There's definitely some component that's more futuristic. Early trailers had some weird video noise thing interspersed with the period graphics, and in that demo, when she died, there was a sort of "futurey" screen that came up and Jade said "you're not supposed to see that yet" and turned it off.

[satori]

Does HaloWars look a lot like StarCraft or is it just me?

It's just you... It looks like an RTS, like so many that came before it, but with a solid back story is all. I'd be more interested if it were launched on the PC where it would play better. MS has it's agenda so we're back to the old RTS on a console. It's rarely done well.

[guano]

That Bioshock trailer was really badass, but it was a little misleading in terms of gameplay. At TGS Bioware showed a 15 min demo walkthrough which shows off a good sampling of the actual gameplay. http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=13290&type=mov&pl=game

I was very excited when I heard both Halo announcements, especially the one about Jackson making a game. I will eat up any branching of the Halo universe.

And, yes, Assassin's Creed does look amazing. Apparently the stuff we've seen (which takes place during the 3rd Crusade) when you play as Altiar is a VR representation of the recorded history of a present day person's ancestor being viewed by that person. So that’s why you see that computer interface when you die. I think the gameply will go beyond the ancient setting as well because I saw an interview with Raymond in which she said that you will uncover a conspiracy which has implications all the way up to today.

[mormonrage]

How does anyone have any idea what Halo Wars "looks like"? Do you mean, "does the trailer look like Starcraft?"

[dromeonyourchest]

I don't really know how else you can make a game that involves non single person war without doing the standard harvest minerals, build bases, create troops, and proceed to upgrade formula.

[mormonrage]

Doubt it will involve resource gathering. At least I hope it won't have that. Doesn't make sense for Halo Wars, IMO.

[bcool]

Doubt it will involve resource gathering. At least I hope it won't have that. Doesn't make sense for Halo Wars, IMO.

If they kept the myth thing going I think it could be pretty cool; they could have smaller scale battles with formations and all that. It'd probably fit better with console controls as well.

[mormonrage]

Or follow the current poster child for all things that rule in RTS, Company of Heroes, and focus on capturing and holding territories.

[guano]

A lot of the RTSs released recently have done away with resource gathering which paints a good picture for Halo Wars to be sans farming. Though I haven't played any of the new RTSs (just a couple demos) I would hate to see mining in a Halo game.

btw, anybody here read any of the Halo novels? The space fleet combat in them is awesome and I think would make for a badass space RTS, though there is no evidence Ensemble will take the combat off planet as of now.

[mormonrage]

Delish. I loved me some Homeworld.

[silent_shadow900]

A lot of the RTSs released recently have done away with resource gathering which paints a good picture for Halo Wars to be sans farming. Though I haven't played any of the new RTSs (just a couple demos) I would hate to see mining in a Halo game.

btw, anybody here read any of the Halo novels? The space fleet combat in them is awesome and I think would make for a badass space RTS, though there is no evidence Ensemble will take the combat off planet as of now.

I read them. My favorite one that wasn't Fall of Reach was actually The Flood. I love how William C. Dietz writes. Very nice and gritty. It actually made me want to read what I've already played.

[guano]

I read them. My favorite one that wasn't Fall of Reach was actually The Flood. I love how William C. Dietz writes. Very nice and gritty. It actually made me want to read what I've already played.

I felt kind of the opposite. The gameplay parts were a chore to read through and looked like he was copying out of a thesaurus half the time. I did like how he fleshed out the events in the game, though, and showed the Covie side of the fight.

I love the stuff Eric Nylund wrote. I think he did a great service to the Halo universe.

[dromeonyourchest]

Flood = Zerg
Aliens = Protos
Humans = Terrans

....any questions?

[guano]

Flood = Zerg
Aliens = Protos
Humans = Terrans

....any questions?

The game takes place before the Flood are discovered by either the Humans or the Covenant.

[dromeonyourchest]

The game takes place before the Flood are discovered by either the Humans or the Covenant.

You win this round Trebeck. HAARRR HARRR HARRR HARRR

[bigmikeherrmann]

anyone else download and think the demo to sonic sucks ass

[bigwhiteryan]

anyone else download and think the demo to sonic sucks ass

Yes I did. And yes it does.

How many times did I fall to my death? Too many to count. The camera in that game is complete shit, 90% of the time I was just jamming on the spin button, not knowing where I'd end up.

Made me miss the 2D Sonic. This one is not on my wishlist.

Army of Two looks fun, though.

[satansmagichat]

Anyone else tired of Halo? Seriously, and RTS? It's like the Opposite approach they tried to take with StarCraft Ghost (which fortunately was never released, because it looked awful.)

Frankly, I liked the presentation of Gears of Wars. Yeah, I know. We've all heard about this before, but it looks damned fun. Anyone play Winback for N64? Looks like similar gameplay, but of course so much more improved. If I get a 360, this is the game that I will buy with it.

[toastmstrgeneral]

Yeah, i'm quite tired of Halo also, I'm so close to just tossin the game so when someone wants to play it I can say sorry, don't have it. It was fun to bein with, but damn, it's 2 years later and there are other games out there.

RTS on the other hand I will never get tired of, because that there is my game type and there is a just a handful of studios and franchises I stick to and know are good. Each rendition adds a little something new to further the game and keeps me going. The new Command & Conquer is the #1 game I'm looking forward, with rise of legends or the aoe expansion which is so close i can taste.

[guano]

Anyone else tired of Halo? Seriously, and RTS? It's like the Opposite approach they tried to take with StarCraft Ghost (which fortunately was never released, because it looked awful.)

Frankly, I liked the presentation of Gears of Wars. Yeah, I know. We've all heard about this before, but it looks damned fun. Anyone play Winback for N64? Looks like similar gameplay, but of course so much more improved. If I get a 360, this is the game that I will buy with it.

I'll probably never get tired of Halo. Yeah, I rented Winback once. It was really fun, though as you progressed it got really hard and a little repetative. Gears is going to kick ass.

[harlo]

Anyone else tired of Halo? Seriously, and RTS? It's like the Opposite approach they tried to take with StarCraft Ghost (which fortunately was never released, because it looked awful.)

Frankly, I liked the presentation of Gears of Wars. Yeah, I know. We've all heard about this before, but it looks damned fun. Anyone play Winback for N64? Looks like similar gameplay, but of course so much more improved. If I get a 360, this is the game that I will buy with it.


I was never not tired of Halo. Coming from the PC gamer realm I was never that impressed with Halo to begin with. It was fun the first go round and better with co-op, but nothing to really write home about.

Concerning SC:Ghost though. I went to Blizzcon so I got to play the most polished version available to the public and it was far from horrible. Far far better than Halo IMO. The only thing I kept questioning while playing was why they were going for the old gen of systems. The use of vehicles and classes was far better executed even it the early form then most games I've seen that get released. The only issue they needed to work out was how powerful the Zerg were. I think they won something like 90% of the matches that happened at the con.

[dromeonyourchest]

Halo just has the game physics nailed down solid. Thats what makes the multiplayer so great. Single player is doo doo in my opinion.