Living LIVE News Report 06.27.11
Posted by Trace Aber on 06.27.2011
News and thoughts on the loyalty rewards for Gears of War 3, Microsoft's taken on the Playstation Network attacks, DLC updates for Fallout: New Vegas and Call of Duty: Black Ops, pre-order bonuses for Skyrim and more!
Welcome everyone to another issue of the Living LIVE News Report, and as always, I'm your host for the evening, Trace Aber.
Microsoft Protecting Data, Not Looking to Benefit from the PSN Hack
Even though most of the dust has settled from the PSN attacks (though Japan is still without service), it doesn't mean that the attacks will stop. There will always be security threats and people out there trying to make a name for themselves by…hacking a computer. I don't get it either, but hey, whatever. In an interview with Industry Gamers, Dennis Durkin, COO and CFO of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business, the first thing he mentioned was that Microsoft was not interested in kicking Sony while they were down.
"It's bad for the industry that this has happened to Sony. It's very, very bad. It's very damaging. So we don't wish that upon anybody and you've seen we've been actually pretty quiet on the subject because we don't want to appear to even be looking to be taking advantage of somebody else's situation like that. That's just not in our DNA," he said.
"Over time, all of the bets Microsoft is making are about cloud bets. We want customers to feel confident about the quality of service they're getting, the reliability they're getting, the security of the data that they have and the security of the private information that they have. As a company, you can look back 8, 9 years ago, when Bill Gates wrote his Trustworthy Computing Memo that basically said, 'We need to change the way we architect our products and it has to be designed into the way we architect our products and services.' So it's in our DNA, across the company. This is not just an IEB thing."
Durkin continued, talking about the great lengths the company has gone to in order to secure the Xbox LIVE network. It has been an ongoing process for years, and they're not planning on stopping anytime soon either. Durkin also mentioned the importance of consumers doing their part to protect their identity as well. "We also think it should send an important message to consumers about them taking control of their passwords and control of their information. A lot of those hackers put out a lot of those email addresses and passwords. It turns out a lot of people use the same password for multiple sites on the internet, so it's just a warning to people to make sure that you're diligent and that you use different passwords on different sites because now there are people out there who know what the password is for a certain email address and they can just go try a bunch of other services and just walk right in the front door. So it is the consumer's responsibility also to do a number of things to try to protect their data," he said.
He brings up a lot of good points about taking personal responsibility for the things you can control, and it's something I've been practicing for years. The Sony hacks really seem to have opened people's eyes about how fragile these networks are, despite the importance of the data they hold.
I don't think Durkin was just doing good PR when he talked about not wanting to attack Sony, either. It doesn't just hurt Sony – it hurts everybody and trying to make it worse for them only makes it worse for everybody else. Even though this business is highly competitive, sometimes you don't have to be a dick. Sometimes, it's alright to be nice.
Loyal Gears of War Fans Get Exclusive Content in Gears 3
A few months ago it was announced that certain pieces of content for Gears of War 3 would be unlocked by completing specific objectives in previous Gears games. Not much else was said on the topic, and some were afraid that it might lead to a competitive edge in multiplayer games. Fortunately (or not, depending on your view), that doesn't seem to be the case, as Epic has announced those special unlockables. Rod Fergusson, executive producer, recently described the content:
"It's mostly around weapon skins in terms of tying into historical stuff. Two of the ones...I guess we haven't announced this but we have to announce it eventually, right? Two of the weapon skins are based on historical weapon skins, so if you want the gold lancer and the gold hammerburst in 'Gears 3,' you get them by owning the gold hammerburst and the gold lancer in 'Gears 2,' so those skins transfer over."
Players can also unlock chrome skins, which don't do much other than look cool. Fergusson said these will be unlocked through achievements earned in prior Gears games. According to Fergusson, the chrome skins are a "thank you to people who played our games in the past."
It turns out that in trying to do something like this that achievements were the easier way to track the unlocks. "Generally whenever we do unlocks, we do it based on achievements. That's why I've been trying to tell people about the level 100 thing. No, it's not about getting level 100 [in 'Gears of War 2' multiplayer] , it's about Veteran Gear. Get that achievement and that'll get you something. I don't care if you're level 100, you have to have the Veteran Gear achievement."
This is the kind of positive fan-service that I admire. Sure, the skins are purely cosmetic, but it is a way to stand out and say, "Hey, I LOVE this franchise." Plus, it gives new players a reason to check out the previous games while they wait for September, when Gears 3 comes out.
Also, if you're a fan of both Gears of War and Wal-Mart you might be interested in the Game Center on Tour promotion, which is a travelling truck filled with demos of Kinect and 360 games before they're released. It started yesterday, and will be going on throughout the summer. You can check out the full tour schedule by clicking here.
Skarlet's Fatality (DLC Character for Mortal Kombat
Random News and Notes
Bethesda has announced that Brink's first downloadable content, titled Agents of Change, will be released for free in early July. Hurry up and get it quick though, because after two weeks you'll be charged to download it. The DLC features two new environments, five new abilities, two outfits, and two weapon attachments.
Bethesda confirmed that the latest Fallout: New Vegas DLC, Old World Blues, would be coming out for all platforms come July 19. No price point has been set, but it's safe to assume it'll be 800MP.
Bethesda also announced that anybody who will be preordering Skyrim will "automatically receive a premium quality world map with their copy as a no-extra-cost-to-you bonus." The map is made of a "high-grade material that has a feel similar to burlap, and will be available in North America and Europe." This is awesome news, as I preordered the game as soon as it was announced. Nothing says cool like a cloth map!
Just a reminder that the Annihilation map pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops releases this Tuesday, June 28 for 1200MP. In addition to the four multiplayer and new zombie map, five new achievements will be available as well.
Ms. ‘Splosion Man, the sequel to 2009's hit platformer ‘Splosion Man, will be released on XBLA July 13, including 50 new single player and multiplayer levels.
Microsoft, according to a rumor from Develop, is currently on the hunt for a studio willing to "to discuss possible free-to-play game deals," while it builds an operating system for the 360 that incorporates a microtransaction service. There were rumors of Microsoft looking into this a few months ago, with the hopes that something along these lines will come to fruition by 2012.
The Digital Downloads Arcade
Lucha Fury (800MP)
Trenched (1200MP)
Games on Demand
Destroy All Humans: Path of the Furon ($39.99)
Tropico 3 ($19.99)
Tron: Evolution ($39.99)
Signing Out
That does it for me this week. Be sure to check back next week as we discuss all of the latest Xbox 360 news, including releases, rumors and reviews! Also, don't forget to bookmark 411Mania! And a note to all of the Indie Game developers out there – if you have an upcoming title that's going to be released soon drop me a line at traceaber@gmail.com and let me know. I'll write a full review of your game to be posted on 411Mania.com, which is a great way to get your game promoted!
That picture you always used at the bottom, the guy on the far left...wow. He is hot. Is he involved with anyone. I could do things to make him feel gooooooooood. Any chance with him? Do I have any chance at all?
Posted By: Ser Drake (Guest) on June 27, 2011 at 03:25 AM
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