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Win Real Prizes in 1 vs. 100 Live Starting July 10th

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:22:02 +0000

Chris Cashman just announced it tonight during 1 vs. 100 Live. Skill-based prizes will start being awarded Friday, July 10th. The game is still considered to be in Beta, but Microsoft is going to start giving away prizes. Great news!

Just to clarify. Skill-based prizes are only awarded during 1 vs. 100 Live shows on Friday and Saturday. You can win prizes as the One by eliminating all 100 members of the Mob or by quitting and taking the prize. Or if you're in the Mob you can win by answering questions correctly until the One loses. The top three players in the crowd will also win an XBLA game.

A few other announcements tonight were that there will be a Community Written episode of Extended play four days a week. And there will be Videogame Trivia every Monday in Extended play. The current sweepstakes (which you earn entries for in Extended Play) is coming to a close on Sunday, July 12th, but a new one will start on Monday, July 13th.

For more information on 1 vs. 100 Live on Xbox Live, check out our FAQ.

Prototype Review (X360)

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:31:22 +0000

Activision and Radical Entertainment�s Prototype is like the ultimate superhero (maybe super villain is more appropriate) sandbox game. Pretty much every super ability we have seen in a sandbox game over the last few years has been crammed into Prototype to ensure that you can literally do anything you want. And that is a good thing because it makes Prototype one of the best pick up and play goof off games we have seen in a while. Find out all of the details right here in our full review.

Prototype Review (X360)

Image � Activision

Kodu Programming Tool Now Available on Xbox Live

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:47:53 +0000

Microsoft's ambitious visual game programming tool "Kodu" is available for download now in the Community Games section of the Xbox Live Marketplace for 400 MS Points ($5).

What Is It? It is essentially a game that lets you create games (rather like Sony's Little Big Planet, but at the same time completely different). It lets you create 3D game worlds with any terrain you want, and then populate that world with items and objects and characters. Anything that you put in the world can be adjusted with custom physics and other instructions to really make a full, complete experience. And the best part? You can do anything and everything with just your controller. No programming skills required here.

Now, it doesn't quite let you make fully custom games (you're limited to the preset character and item choices and you won't be able to do everything you might want) but for $5 it is pretty darn robust. After spending some time with it I'm sure people are going to be able to make some pretty nice things with Kodu, so it is definitely something to keep your eye on.

Check out the official Kodu website here.

FAQ: Why Won't Original Xbox Games Work On My Xbox 360?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:05:53 +0000

Every once in a while we get a panicked e-mail from a reader who just got an Xbox 360 that won't play original Xbox games. Until now, the solution to this problem hasn't really been clear, but we think we have it figured out. It all has to do with the 360 hard drive and who you buy it from. Find out more here.

FAQ: Why Won't Original Xbox Games Work On My Xbox 360?

Guitar Hero: Smash Hits Review (X360)

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:11:54 +0000

In theory, a greatest hits edition of Guitar Hero that lets you play classic songs with the gameplay tweaks of World Tour is a great idea. Really, it still is a good idea. But the execution here in Guitar Hero: Smash Hits leaves a lot to be desired. Sound issues, charting issues, and just an overall �slightly off� feeling to the gameplay spoil what should have been a glorious homecoming for longtime GH fans. Find out all of the details right here.

Guitar Hero: Smash Hits Review (X360)

Image � Activision

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 Review (X360)

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:29:03 +0000

A mere 9 months after Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 was released and Tiger 10 is already on store shelves. Usually this quick turn around is a bad thing (and Tiger 10 does have a few more glitches and issues because of it), but since Tiger 09 was such a great game to build off of Tiburon has been able to tweak and tune and generally improve the experience in pretty much every area. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is simply a great game of golf. Find out all of the details right here.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 Review (X360)

Image � EA

Fallout 3 DLC #4 "Point Lookout" Mini-Review

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:31:19 +0000

The fourth Fallout 3 DLC, Point Lookout, came out this week. Is it worth the 800MS point asking price? Find out right here.

Point Lookout starts with a message that a boat has docked on the Potomac River and a marker appears on your map. When you get to the marker, you will be able to purchase a ticket to ride the boat to Point Lookout, Maryland. Why would you want to do that? Unlike the other DLC, there isn't really a pressing reason to go other than just to see what is there. Sometimes, though, just killing time and seeing something new is good enough reason to do anything.

Point Lookout is mostly a big swamp full of savages and ghouls, but there is also a run down boardwalk, a couple of creepy mansions, a cathedral, and lighthouse to explore among a few other landmarks. The map is surprisingly large, and you are free to explore and do things however you want. Point Lookout plays more like the normal Fallout 3 game than The Pitt or Operation Anchorage which funneled you along in a set story. There are a bunch of side missions along with a larger story, but you are free to do them all at your own pace. I won't go into the story details, but I will say that Point Lookout has one of the best single moments out of anything Fallout 3 has offered so far. This moment is crazy and trippy and scary and just amazingly great. I also want to add that one of the side missions here directly ties into the Capital Wasteland and, more specifically, the spooky Dunwich Building, which is cool.

So is Point Lookout worth the 800 space bucks? Yes and no. The story is good. There are some great moments. I love how it ties into the Capital Wasteland. The map is big and interesting to explore. But the rewards are pretty awful. There are some new weapons and stuff, but nothing that you'll really want to use back in the Capital Wasteland. Without the great rewards that The Pitt and Operation Anchorage offered that made them worth playing through each time you started a new character, Point Overlook is more of a one and done affair. There are moments you might want to see again, but you could just as easily keep a save file before them so you can see them without playing through the other 4-5 hours worth of stuff. Or better yet, just watch that scene on YouTube and save yourself $10. Point Lookout is higher quality overall than the other two side-mission Fallout 3 DLCs, but unlike the others you'll only really need/want to do it once and that makes the $10/800MS point asking price tougher to swallow. It is good, but the value isn't really here. You'll have to make up a buy/no buy decision on your own based on that.

DLC #1 - Operation Anchorage Review
DLC #2 - The Pitt Review
DLC #3 - Broken Steel Review

1 vs. 100 Xbox Live Mini-Review, FAQ ,and Screenshot Gallery

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:38:50 +0000

What is the coolest thing on the Xbox 360 right now? 1 vs. 100 Live! This massively multiplayer game show on Xbox Live tests not only your trivia skills but your guts as well since one wrong answer could cost you dearly, but another correct answer could make you a hero.

1 vs. 100 is free to play for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, and while it is currently in Beta and you can't actually win anything yet, when it goes fully live you'll be able to win XBLA games and MS Points. Not bad for just sitting around and answering trivia questions.

The game is surprisingly slick and smooth and when the 1 vs. 100 Live show starts it looks and sounds and feels exactly like a real gameshow complete with cheesy graphics and music, a real host, and even commercials (gotta pay for it somehow, y'know).

If you haven't played it yet, you'll find several tabs on the Xbox 360 dashboard that link to the game and all you'll have to do is download the game (only around 40MB) and you'll be able to jump in and play. It is simple and easy and surprisingly fun and we highly recommend giving it a try.

We have a full FAQ on the game that should answer any questions you have as well as a screenshot gallery so you can see what all the fuss is about.

1 vs. 100 Xbox Live FAQ
1 vs. 100 Xbox Live Screenshot Gallery

2K And Bethesda Announce BioShock and Oblivion Bundle for Release on July 7th

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:44:05 +0000

2K Games and Bethesda today announced a new game bundle coming July 7th that will pair BioShock and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion in one package for the price of just $39.99. Why is this a big deal? Because you'll get the best game of 2006 and the best game of 2007 in one package for a pretty reasonable price. If you haven't already played them, this is a great opportunity to play some of the best games on the Xbox 360.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Review (X360)
BioShock Review (X360)

Image � 2K Games / Bethesda

Red Faction: Guerrilla Review (X360)

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:00:51 +0000

The Red Faction series is about 100% pure destruction and Guerrilla is no different. The perspective has switched from first to third-person and the linear levels are gone in favor of an open world, but the visceral thrill of blowing stuff up remains. And, really, that is all you need. Red Faction: Guerrilla is just plain crazy fun, and we recommend it. Find out all of the details in our full review.

Red Faction: Guerrilla Review (X360)

Image � THQ