Living LIVE News Report 12.19.11
Posted by Trace Aber on 12.19.2011
News and thoughts on the new trailer for Resident Evil: Raccoon City, the design of the Xbox 360 dashboard, all the new apps that have been added to Live, Anarchy Reigns getting delayed, the next Dirt's moving in a new direction and more!
REPLY POSTED
EVERY time they tweak the 360 dashboard it gets worse. WTF?
Posted By: armchair theologian (Guest) on December 12, 2011 at 02:31 AM
I actually like the new Dashboard. Since I have a metric fuckton of XBLA and Indie games, the old dashboard took forever to load up my games list. Now it's ready in seconds. I call that progress.
Posted By: ZHDarkstar (Guest) on December 12, 2011 at 09:07 AM
I think the initial problems with the dashboard disappear as people get used to the changes, as I've found the new look much easier to navigate than I initially found it to be. Kind of like Facebook redesigns, actually. Just not nearly as often. I have also noticed the decrease load up times, which is always nice.
And Indie games are easy to find. Bumper two (maybe three?) times to get to Games. Go right to get off featured and onto games and there you go - it's on the main rotating tab. I can't figure out how anyone can take 17 presses to get there, unless they're deliberately not using the bumpers.
Posted By: lol (Guest) on December 12, 2011 at 11:45 AM
The 17 button presses did not include bumpers. Yes, there are quicker ways to get there, but the main idea is that the indie games are still tucked away. Microsoft seems to go back and forth when it comes to their feelings on the indie games channel, and right now it seems like they're not too fond of them. 17 button presses or not, they deserve more exposure and, most importantly, a better system for looking through the selections.
Kinect still feels to me like...I dunno....my Rock Band drum set. For a little while it's cool and everyone wants to try it out...but when then novelty is worn off, it just sits in the corner. Haven't seen anything on the Kinect yet that makes me want it for anything more than that initial "Hey, look what I can do! Neat!" appeal.
As for the new dashboard, I hated it until I started playing with it and figured out it's a lot quicker to access the features I use a lot. Im sold, personally.
Posted By: El Wrob (Guest) on December 12, 2011 at 11:46 AM
I'm with you on Kinect. I imagine it's pretty cool for a weekend, but then I'd be done with it. Though considering how awful the manual search controls are for the apps I might buy a Kinect just to save time. And yeah, the dashboard is better overall, for sure.
I'm just nitpicking here, but "Solid" is no longer a part of the new Metal Gear's name - it's just "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance".That being said, it looks awesome!
Posted By: Guest#6851 (Guest) on December 12, 2011 at 11:51 AM
You're right. Force of habit, I suppose.
I've seen the trailers of Metal Gear Rising and Mass Effect 3, and I'm very excited. Can't wait to play both.
Posted By: Guest#5495 (Guest) on December 12, 2011 at 01:22 PM
Rising looks fun, but Mass Effect 3 is something I CANNOT wait for. Thankfully I have Skyrim to hold me over.
Metal Gear Rising looks whack. It seems to be a poor Devil May Cry imitator. Just release Guns of the Patriots on Xbox and I will be happy.
I am pissed that MSFT said they would reinvent the living room and streaming TV but the whole Fios thing was a sham. You can use the app only if you are already a Fios subscriber, but you need it installed at your house. I thought that MSFT would work out an agreement to let you subscribe via your console and bypass the whole installation process.
I only have one cable company, Time Warner, available to me. I thought I would be able to leverage my Xbox to add other options but not really. I would gladly subscribe to Fios if I could get a true subscription via the Xbox, but that isn't the case.
Posted By: Wii60 (Guest) on December 16, 2011 at 11:21 AM
Time Warner is the only company I got to choose from as well, but who knows – maybe they'll hop on board soon enough. I'm trying to be patient on this situation, because in all honesty it's not that difficult to switch to my cable box. Microsoft is in the process of reinventing the living room, but as you've pointed out – they have a long way to go.
A Slew of New Apps Arrive on the Xbox 360
In Microsoft's never ending attempt to make the 360 an all-in-one device, over the last week we saw a bunch of new apps added to the Live service, depending on your region. Some of the new apps include iHeartRadio, which allows users to listen to more than 800 American radio stations, TMZ for the latest on entertainment gossip, and perhaps the biggest – YouTube, which is feature in 24 countries globally.
This update also included the Verizon FiOS TV app, which allows subscribers of the service to watch television through their Xbox. I'm not one of those subscribers (and I've honestly never heard of it prior to when it was announced by Microsoft), so if any readers have it please let me know how it works for you. The YouTube app is pretty nice, though I haven't found a way to keep a list of things videos I enjoy watching the most. I'm also not a fan of the way searches are done throughout apps now, and the straight line of letters might be the worst input method I've ever seen. A complete list, and small description, can be found below.
-blinkbox (UK): blinkbox gives access to a wide range of movies online. With more than 10,000 movies titles movie fans can watch their favorite films immediately with no additional subscription required.
-iHeartRadio (U.S.): Listen to more than 800 of the nation's most popular live broadcast radio stations from 150 U.S. cities or create your own Custom Stations with the New iHeartRadio.
-MSN (Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Mexico, US and UK): MSN brings you the latest breaking news, sports, celebrity gossip and more from around the globe. MSNBC content is available in the U.S. version of the app only.
-MUZU.TV (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and UK): MUZU.TV the music video site, offers nearly 80,000 music videos at your command. Brand new releases from the world's biggest artists, great music videos from every decade, up and coming bands and the latest music news and interviews.
-Rogers On Demand (Canada): Rogers On Demand provides select TV shows and movies to everyone for FREE. Rogers customers can also catch up on their favorite premium programming anytime, from anywhere in Canada.
-SBS ON DEMAND (Australia): SBS ON DEMAND is a catch up TV service that lets you watch full episodes, of your favorite SBS television programs.
-TMZ (Canada, U.S.): Your all-access pass to the latest TMZ entertainment stories and breaking news videos everyone is talking about!
-RTVE (Spain): Complete episodes from series, news programs, documentaries and the best Spanish audiovisual content from RTVE.
-Verizon FiOS TV (U.S.): Get Verizon FiOS TV with 26 live channels like MTV, Spike, Food Network, Comedy Central, HBO, CNN and Nickelodeon – with more to come. Plus with Kinect, change channels with your voice.
-YouTube (Available in 24 countries globally): From your favorite web original video to gaming tips, a universe of compelling content is available through YouTube on Xbox LIVE.
Pretty impressive start to the "Future of TV," as it's nice to have another music app outside of Last.Fm, which while awesome was getting old. For those readers outside of the US, how are you liking the new apps, and most importantly – what could be done to better them?
The Next Dirt Game to Feature Less Simulation, More Arcade-like Experience
While some people choose Gran Turismo or Forza as their racing franchise of choice, quite a few fans have opted for the underdog, Dirt. Unfortunately for those fans who enjoy the more realistic simulation, Dirt Showdown isn't going to live up to their expectations when it releases in May.
Above: Outrage!
According to a description from GameSpot, the game will be a combination of the extreme-sports environment of Dirt 2 with some Gymkhana events (Dirt 3) thrown in to create a more destruction-derby type like game. Considering that many people were upset with Dirt 2's less than realistic simulation, Showdown doesn't look to be a popular title among the purists. But perhaps that's why they aren't titling it Dirt 4, which Codemasters promises will have the simulation that everyone loves and desires.
Showdown will feature pyrotechnics, rabid crowds, and arena-based tracks in an arcade setting. You'll be focusing on performing death-defying stunts, smashing objects, and earning points. There's also standard races and demolition events, in both single player and multiplayer, online and offline. You'll even be able to challenge your friends to your own unique challenges.
The game sounds pretty fun to me, and it's looking like it's going to be a downloadable title, so people shouldn't be getting up in arms over this announcement. Codemasters wanted to try something different, and I see nothing wrong with that.
Anarchy Reigns Delayed
Upcoming Platinum Games title Anarchy Reigns was supposed to release in January, but Sega has announced that the title has been delayed until July 3, 2012. .The multiplayer beat-em-up was once scheduled to come out this fall, but was pushed back to January.
"Anarchy Reigns brings a new take to the brawler genre and we've decided to take a little more time to deliver the full knockout punch," said Sega West senior marketing VP Gary Knight. "I can't reveal much now, but it's something to do with scale. Let's just say traditional one on one or two versus two fighters will be a thing of the past..."
By the sound of things, it seems like the game is being expanded upon, which is perhaps the best reason for a delay. But the biggest reason is probably due to Platinum Games recently taking over development of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, which I'm sure has a higher priority due to the Metal Gear name.
Admittedly, I haven't paid too much attention to Anarchy Reigns, but I respect any company that would rather take their time as opposed to rushing things, especially when they're working on another game at the same time.
The Digital Downloads Arcade Games
Sonic CD (400MP)
Joe Danger: Special Edition (800MP) Games on Demand
Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires ($29.99)
Alice: Madness Returns ($39.99)
Red Faction: Armageddon ($39.99) Demos
The Theater Final Fantasy XIII-2 Masters of Monsters Trailer
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!
No they don't, as 99% of them are garbage. For every Cthulu Saves the World there are 9 'massage' games.
It's a way for people to try their hand at game making, but it's populated by retards. They should be grateful they have a spot on the dashboard at all.
In any case, if they're smart they'll just use a unique name so people can use the Bing search to find it. Of course if they were smart they'd find ways to advertise their games on their own...
Posted By: lol (Guest) on December 19, 2011 at 11:04 AM
"...they deserve more exposure..."
No they don't, as 99% of them are garbage. For every Cthulu Saves the World there are 9 'massage' games.
It's a way for people to try their hand at game making, but it's populated by retards. They should be grateful they have a spot on the dashboard at all.
In any case, if they're smart they'll just use a unique name so people can use the Bing search to find it. Of course if they were smart they'd find ways to advertise their games on their own...
Posted By: lol (Guest) on December 19, 2011 at 11:04 AM
A faceless idiot bashing others for actually trying to do something
Posted By: Guest#0736 (Guest) on December 19, 2011 at 11:18 PM
So you're saying that 95+% of Indie games aren't garbage? Give me a break.
Posted By: lol (Guest) on December 21, 2011 at 01:01 PM
The biggest problem with all the video apps for the Xbox is that they all seem to work on the premise that the Xbox is tied to the 2nd tv in the house. Most people I know, this gameer included, hook up their Xbox to their main (or only) television. So why would I ever watch ESPN, Fios, or HBO through my Xbox when I simply just turn off the Xbox and watch it normally?!?
This model makes no sense in terms of how many people have their Xbox connected. What they need to do is allow me to subscribe to the full Fios service through my Xbox, or the same with HBO, and so on. Until then, it will still feel like a beta.
Posted By: Wii60 (Guest) on December 23, 2011 at 06:35 PM
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