The Full Circle: 360 News Report 10.30.09

Posted by Dan Owen on 10.30.2009

Microsoft has a new and improved way for you to have your Xbox 360 repaired that promises much quicker turnaround time! Plus, a new detail has been released about Modern Warfare 2 that could mean big things for the single player and co-op modes.




Welcome back to everyone's favorite Xbox 360 news column, The Full Circle. This week you're treated to the We-Don't-Believe-In-Fact-Checking edition of the column. "Why?" you might be wondering. Well, last week I reported that Epic Games was producing a Gears of War themed Snuggie, which I bashed. Well, I got an e-mail from the fine folks over at Epic Games informing me that this Snuggie was made as a joke and is not something that they are planning to mass produce. An editor's note was added to the column, but for those of you that didn't see it I thought I'd share the news with you. Of course, I stand by my original sentiments that there is nothing funny about Snuggies. This is just another testament to the journalistic excellence that permeates this column...


Headlines

New And Improved Method To Have Your Xbox 360 Repaired

With the release of Microsoft 7, new Microsoft Stores have been popping up. The first store, as we reported last week, opened up in Scottsdale, Arizona. People have begun making their over there, and gamers have something to be very happy about. If your 360 gets the dreaded Red Ring of Death you can take your console in to the store to have it repaired. If the problem is something as simple as a bad power supply they will take care of that in store. If it's something a bit more serious, such as some internal hardware failure, they'll send it off. However, there's a very positive catch, which is that as soon as the store receives your console for shipping they notify Microsoft's distribution center and a refurbished console is shipped to you right away. All of this results in a much faster turnaround no matter what is wrong with your console.

I think this is very good news for gamers. This is exactly what Microsoft should be doing with the opportunities afforded to them by having Microsoft-specific stores. Now, the bad news is that this Microsoft Store initiative is still in its infancy and not a lot of people are going to have one in their neighborhood, at least not for a while. However, that doesn't change the fact that it's a good step for Microsoft to be taking.




Activision Was Kept In The Dark On Modern Warfare 2

Modern Warfare 2 community manager Robert Bowling said this week that Infinity Ward only showed Activision the game once, late in the process. Bowling said that, with the franchise's popularity, they want to stay focused on the only opinion that matters, the fans'. Also on the MW2 front, a video leaked out onto the internet this week that showed someone playing an early copy of Modern Warfare 2 that may have given away the game's big secret. The video showed a player playing the game in third person view (it is important to note that this was offline, not online). However, the video has already been taken down by Activision, indicating that it may have shown something the company didn't want getting out early. UPDATE: Third Person Mode was confirmed by Bowling later in the week.

I really like the approach that Infinity Ward has taken in the production of this game. They've essentially told all of the big wigs who are going to want to simply capitalize on the first Modern Warfare game's success to make big bucks in order to make the game that they feel lives up to their vision of the franchise. Also interested in the possibility of the game being able to be played in third person. I'm not sure how I would feel about that feature, but as long as I can keep playing the game in the traditional first person view it won't be that big of a deal.




Beware Of The New Dashboard Update

The new Xbox Dashboard update began its trial phase a few days ago. Not surprisingly, the update immediately hit the internet for people to download who aren't in the beta testing group. This very same thing happened with the last big Dashboard update, with tons of people getting it before it was supposed to go live. Microsoft took note, however, and has put into place some security measures that will block your console from any and all Live features if you should happen to install a pirated version of the update, which is set to reach the public on November 17th.

My attitudes towards people who pirate games is probably pretty well known at this point, even though I am something of a hypocrite when it comes to other forms of entertainment. Bottom line, though, is to just be patient. Really, what do you stand to gain from having a Dashboard update early? I can sort of understand pirating a game, but not a simple Dashboard update.




Why Is Microsoft Blocking Third Party Memory Units?

Last week's column featured a story about a console update coming soon that would block the use of third party hard drives. Early in the week Microsoft explained why it has taken this stance, saying that it is primarily intended to curb cheating. A Microsoft spokesperson said that unauthorized memory units are often used for cheating, something that is apparently not as easy to do with a Microsoft hard drive. Another reason given was that third party hard drives also are not tested for compatibility with the 360 by Microsoft, which means the company cannot guarantee that the third party unit won't cause damage to your console. This ban, however, does not mean that non-Microsoft memory units will simply become unrecognizable for the 360. You will still be able to plug flash drives or other storage units into your 360 in order to watch movies or stream music. Gamers will just no longer be able to store gamer profiles or game data on third party drives.

I guess this sounds reasonable. I'm not completely sure how cheaters would have an easier time using a third party memory card over a Microsoft unit to cheat, but then again I don't really know too much about how that all works in the first place. This is kind of shitty news for people who have opted to by non-Microsoft storage units for their console since I believe that they were cheaper. People will say that this is simply Microsoft's way of getting you to give them even more of your money. Perhaps that is true, but it sounds like they have at least something of a reasonable justification for this move.


Microsoft To Introduce Two New Bundles

Microsoft will be releasing two new Xbox 360 bundles. The two new bundles center around a couple of summer blockbuster movies, Star Trek and Transformers 2. The Star Trek Bundle will include a 360 Elite, the movie on a Star Trek themed flash drive, 800 MS points to download "Star Trek PDLC" and an additional black wireless controller. The Transformers bundle will include a 360 Elite, Transformers 2 on a Bumblebee flashdrive, a copy of Transformers 2 The Game, and an extra black wireless controller. It's not known whether the bundles will include a 120 or 250 GB hard drive.

I'm not sure how interested I am in an Xbox 360 bundle themed around something that isn't the game. The Transformers 2 one is alright since it includes the game, but the Star Trek one has me a bit puzzled. I'd rather see bundles that are themed around big games that are coming out for the console, perhaps with a themed 360 design around the game. A movie just doesn't quite do it for me.

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Quick Hits

• The Xbox 360 version of Modern Warfare 2 is taking preorders at a 2 to 1 clip over the PS3 version.
  
  
• Speaking of MW2, one analyst expects the game to sell 17 to 18 million copies within its first year on the market.
  
  
• The manual for Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City might just contain a hint at the next game's city. A page in the manual said "Liberty City, It's Over! Next Stop: Seagull". Then there is a small picture that might contain mountains and some pine trees. My guess is that this hints at Seattle as being the next locale for the franchise, which would be very interesting. I read somewhere suggesting London, which would make more sense than Seattle, but mountains and pine trees would seem to me to be much more a symbol for Seattle. Plus, the name Seagull sounds an awful lot like Seattle, no?
  
  
• While it is no firm statement or anything, in a recent feature on FPS games Rare's head of development Mark Betteridge commented that Rare is at least thinking about the possibilities of making a FPS game for Natal.
  
  
• Microsoft's Neil Thompson commented that they believe that the social aspect of Live is a key part of the 360, and that as time goes on they intend to release more and more features that run in the social networking vein.
  
  
• The update that was just released for your Xbox has nothing to do with the Dashboard update coming soon. Rather, it adds support to the console for the new wireless network adapter.
  
  
• If you want a good laugh, check out this story about a trick EA played on a gamer. Bravo, EA, that was pretty slick what you pulled off there.
  
  
• With Microsoft launching its Sky Player feature, some have wondered if the 360 will soon be playing porn, something that the Sky network in the UK features. Microsoft's response in a word: "Unlikely".
  
  
• A trailer for the upcoming Modern Warfare 2 game showing gamers gunning down innocent civilians in the role of a terrorist has been confirmed to actually be in the game. As you can imagine, there are some out there who are upset about it, but I for one think it is an exceptional way to tell the story and make the gamer feel true hatred for the villain of the story.
  
  
• There is some kind of glitch in WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 that could potentially leave your wrestlers nude in the ring. Not sure how it works as THQ has gotten Youtube to pull the video, but I'm sure there are a fair few people out there who would find this info more than interesting.
  
  
• Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will have a limited edition come out that unlocks six things that "give players a tactical advantage on the battlefield." This sounds like EA might be opening up a can of worms they don't want to have to face. The limited edition will be sold at the same price as the regular game.

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Trailer Park

Speaking of Battlefield's limited edition, here is the release trailer for said limited edition's announcement.

Video Games | Battlefield: Bad Company 2 | Limited Edition Announcement Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

This section wouldn't be complete without the mention of Assassin's Creed, MW2, or Bioshock 2. This week we take a look at a new Bioshock 2 multiplayer trailer.

Video Games | BioShock 2 | Capture the Sister Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

One of my favorite comic book characters of all time, Cable, is headed to Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 as downloadable content. Below is a character trailer for the big man with a silver arm.

Video Games | Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 | Cable Character Vignette

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

With that, I leave you for now. Bit of a slow news week this week. I'll see you next week to discuss the impending release of Modern Warfare 2. Until then, have a safe Halloween, and if you're old enough to drink don't do anything too stupid. Heed my words, because I already know that I won't.