Halo 3: matchmaking playlists changes for June

The developers from Bungie have released the weekly update which includes a list of the changes for the Halo 3 matchmaking playlists in June. Gamers will probably be very interested in the Double EXP Weekends line-up as well as the updated DLC maps.

Those who prefer playing other game modes will find that the tweaks made to Head to Head, MLG, and SWAT games help balance the game. Here's a list of all the changes the developers revealed:

Hardcore

Added Head to Head (Ranked)

• 1vs 1 hopper
• Relies primarily on Duels-style Slayer (indicator over the head of the person with the high score)
• Smaller maps customized in Forge
• Smaller maps customized in Forge

Updated MLG

• v5 map variants added
• Forge map “Amplified” added for Slayer and KotH
• Blackout replaces Guardian as Oddball map
• Legendary not required on this playlist

Updated SWAT

• ShWATguns variant added
• Shotty starts
• No shields, 150% damage resistance
• SWATball variant added
• SWAT style oddball
• 200 points to win
• SWAT 2 Flag variant added
• SWAT style Capture the Flag
• On The Pit and Snowbound
• Players can not return flags, returns after 15 seconds on its own
• 3 Flags to win

Ranked

Updated Team Slayer

• Decreased weighting on BR start game types

Updated Team Objective

• Increased weighting on symmetrical map/gametype combinations, Example: Multi Flag on The Pit
• Increased weighting on asymmetrical map/gametype combinations, Example: 1 Flag on High Ground

Updated Ranked Big Team

• Updated Ranked Big Team
• All restrictions are being removed
• Fixed bug from May Mid-Month update that made the playlist require Legendary (The June playlist will only require Heroic)
• If Ranked Big Team does not perform well this month, it may be retired in July

Social

• Updated Social Slayer
• Team Snipers “Score to Win” requirement increased to 50

DLC

• Updated DLC Slayer
• Reintegrated Heroic Maps

Updated DLC Objective

• Increased focus on asymmetrical games on Avalanche symmetrical games on Ghost Town
• Reintegrated Heroic maps
• Double EXP Weekends (In order of appearance)

Added Rockets

• Added Rockets

Updated Grifball Spring League

• Bug fixes from the May version so that Carrier Damage Resistance is correct
• Bug fix so forced player color is correct when carrying the bomb

Updated Team Snipers

• Score to Win requirements increased to 50 for slayer games

Added 3 Ball

• 4v4v4v4 Gametypes with 3 Oddball

[Via Bungie]

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Call of Duty 4 Map Packs

At this year's Games Developer Conference Activision has announced that new downloadable multiplayer maps for its smash-success shooter, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, are "on the way" to the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network. Thats the good news the bad news is that they're still not being specific about any details. Questions regarding release date, price and quantity went unanswered by the publisher.

Official Press Release from CharlieOscarDelta.com :


“Great news, Charlie Oscar Delta!

Activision and Infinity Ward report that new global conflicts are planned in the form of downloadable multiplayer maps for the award-winning Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. In development for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the upcoming downloadable content will thrust gamers into a hot zone of added combat across a variety of intense multiplayer locales.

“We’ve demonstrated our commitment to delivering the best multiplayer experience in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and that continues with our plans for new downloadable content,” explains Infinity Ward’s Community Manager, Robert Bowling aka Fourzerotwo. “We’re excited about the new maps, and the added gameplay variety, and we can’t wait to wrap things up and get online with everyone.”

The new downloadable content is scheduled for release this spring, and will be available on Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network.

Stay tuned to CharlieOscarDelta.com for more information and updates on Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare!”

I know it's not much but we'll keep you updated.

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Xbox 360 Exclusive "Lost Odyssey" Is Available In U.S. Stores

According to GameZone Microsoft yesterday announced that “Lost Odyssey,” the exciting next-gen RPG available exclusively on Xbox 360, is now available at U.S. retailers. Created by famed game producer Hironobu Sakaguchi of Mistwalker game studio in conjunction with Microsoft Game Studios, this new xbox 360 game title is available for an ESRP of $59.99 and rated “T” for Teen.

Take up arms and summon your courage to help the immortal Kaim and his friends discover secrets of the past in time to change an uncertain future. With the emotional story sequences written by award-winning Japanese novelist Kiyoshi Shigematsu, incredible cinematics inspired by renowned Japanese comic artist Takehiko Inoue and realistic graphics, “Lost Odyssey” is truly a work of next-gen RPG art.

To further enhance the traditional Japanese role-playing experience, Mistwalker adds new levels of skill and strategy with innovations like the Aim Ring battle system. The massive environments, memorable characters and epic storyline will engage gamers, immersing them in the volatile and exciting world of “Lost Odyssey.”

For more information on “Lost Odyssey” and all the latest news from the team at Mistwalker, visit www.xbox.com/lostodyssey.

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Rez HD Coming To XBLA

Q Entertainment has today announced that Rez HD is to be released on Xbox LIVE Arcade on January 30 priced 800 Microsoft Points.

Rez originally came out in early 2002 on the DreamCast and is now making its way onto the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. The game is set in a futuristic computer supernetwork called K-project. The system has been overwhelmed by information and is about to enter a shutdown, which will have catastrophic consequences. You take on the role of a hacker who logs into the machine, in an attempt to prevent the shutdown and eliminate the viruses that inhabit it. Rez HD's graphics are uniquely stylised with bright colours and lines. To complement this, the game features a fitting trance soundtrack.

There are also a couple of additions, above and beyond the audiovisual facelift. A host of new sound effects (cave, forest, underwater, hall and plate) and visuals (sepia, tile, blur, bloom and glare) have been added, as have a full set of Achievements and online leaderboards.

Trance Vibration also returns, with the option to set all controllers to receive the trance vibration signal from the Xbox 360.

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Undertow Free on Xbox LIVE Arcade Next Week

Xbox has anounced that Undertow,Developed by Chair Entertainment Group,will be the game provided for "compensation" by Microsoft for the Live outages during the holidays. Don't get me wrong Undertow is one of the highest-rated and one of the best looking games available on Arcade. But what if you already have it? What is Microsoft prepared to do for the gamers who own the game already, do they get nothing? I guess we'll have to wait and see what they'll think of next.


Now a little about Undertow, Undertow redefines aquatic based shooters through a mix of high-definition graphics, intuitive controls and multiple modes of game play action. The game features a full story driven-single player campaign, on and offline co-op, and multiplayer for 2-16 players over Xbox LIVE for Gold subscribers. Players battle for control of the oceans as one of three selectable races, each with four unique, upgradeable units.

"Undertow" is available worldwide (normally 800 Microsoft Points) and is rated E10+. The game will be available free of charge to Gold and Silver members world wide at the beginning of next Wednesday, 2:00 a.m. PST through Sunday, 11:59 p.m. PST.

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XBOX Live Compensation?

Thought the coast was clear, that Xbox Live had finally fixed it's problems, think again. There are ( even as I write this post) people out there who are still having the same problems with Xbox live that they were having last week. This is the message that came up on the official Xbox.com website.

Users may experience issues performing transactions dependent on Windows Live ID availability including but not limited to Xbox 360 account creation, renewal, recovery, and logging into or creating Windows Live ID accounts. We are aware of the issue and actively working toward a resolution. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Apparently things haven't been fixed as everyone was assured it would be. A good portion of the problems seem to be associated with the marketplace and trying to purchase content. Some gamers have reported losing Microsoft points, not being able to complete their transactions, in some cases causing achievements to disappear and not being able to connect to specific multi-player games such as Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4.
In light of these problems Xbox has said they will be compensating Xbox live users with a free game from the Live Marketplace. I have a question about this "token of our appreciation", will customers be able to choose the free game they want because what if the game that Microsoft is offering you've already purchased, what then? The least they could do is offer a selection of games to choose one from, I hope that's the rout they take. Please comment if you have any thoughts on the situation.

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New Xbox Live Update Gets The Red Card

Since first being teased at Microsoft's X06 event two years ago in Barcelona, Spain,the game that inspired a generation, “Sensible World of Soccer,” and the true classic, “Tempest” arrives on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday, December 19th at 9:00 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. PST).

“Sensible World of Soccer” draws on the 96 / 97 original, often considered to be the best in the series. Like other redux Xbox Live Arcade games, Sensible World of Soccer will feature both a true-to-the-original version of the game as well as a revamped edition that includes updated visuals, retuned audio, and new gameplay features, such as challenging friends over Xbox LIVE, playing solo in Career mode or testing your managerial skills by leading a team to the Champions league! The game also features a helpful tutorial mode. But no sooner had Codemasters’ Sensible World of Soccer taken to the Xbox Live Arcade pitch Microsoft pulled Sensible Soccer from Xbox Live Marketplace hours after its release. Why you ask, it seems after a traumatic ride onto Xbox Live Arcade with an infamous delay the drama hasn't ended yet after a bug in the game that signed you out of Xbox Live and refused to let you sign back in until you manually returned to the dashboard.With an explosion of complaints on Codemasters forums and MajorNelson.com the game was given the red card and ejected. There has been no word on when to expect the title back, which leaves Microsoft's final Christmas Xbox Live Arcade update down to Tempest.

“Tempest” is an intense shooter game requiring skill and lightning quick reflexes. Players must harness their firepower to shoot and destroy enemy hordes in a desperate fight for survival across fluorescent geometric battlefields. “Tempest” contains both the original and enhanced gameplay modes. The game will be available worldwide, with the exceptions of Japan and Korea, for 400 Microsoft Points and is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

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Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack

The Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack is already up for grabs via the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. You can download the whole pack or just one map at a time. Each map goes for 800 Microsoft Points. The three maps are: Standoff, Rat's Nest, Foundry. The Heroic Map Pack is the first in a series of downloadable content from Bungie Studios. Here's a rundown of what you're prepping to download, in terms of individual features for every map.

Standoff – a symmetrical valley: its entrenched bases and fields of boulders are ideal for mid-sized objectives and Slayer game types.

Rat's Nest – vast, labyrinthine passages bring something new to the Halo multiplayer experience: an indoor vehicle paradise, strongly influenced by the Campaign mode, ideal for big team battles.

Foundry – the ultimate Forge map: players can edit every single object in this voluminous industrial warehouse, place stairways, walls, bridges and tunnels to create an entirely new play space and build almost any kind of map they can think of.

The Forge also allows players to edit and customize all three maps, while Halo 3’s matchmaking playlists ensure that ranked and social gameplay remains dynamic and competitive. Xbox LIVE's Major Nelson reports that Bungie Games' Frank O'Connor has posted this FAQ on the map pack. This will answer any questions you have regarding the Map Pack.

How to Purchase the Map Pack
To purchase and download the map pack, sign into Xbox LIVE on your Xbox 360 and then go to the Marketplace blade. Select "Game Store," then select "All Games." Scroll down to "Halo 3" (you can hold down the right trigger to scroll a page at a time) and select it. Finally, select the "Heroic Map Pack," then select "Confirm Download." The cost is 800 Microsoft Points. If you don't have points on your account, you can press the "X" button on your controller before selecting "Confirm Download" to purchase points.

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Black Friday Deals: Amazon.com Video Games

For those of you who may not know, Black Friday (so very appropriately named) is the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving, when stores feature gargantuan sales in an effort to get shoppers in and kick-start the Christmas shopping season.Here are some of the deals that may be useful to some of you guys.

Halo 3 Legendary for Xbox 360 $79.99 ( save $50 )
Bioshock for Xbox 360 $39.99 ( save $20 )
Gears of War for Xbox 360 $39.99 ( save $20 )
Amazon.com Exclusive!!! Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Limited Edition for 360 $19.99 ( save $40 )

PlayStation 3 SixAxis controller $19.99 ( save $30 )
Dirt for PS3 $29.99 ( save $30 )
Puzzle Quest for PSP $9.99 ( save $10 )

Gold Nintendo DS with Zelda $149.99
Pink Nintendo DS with Nintendogs $149.99
New York Times Crosswords for DS $9.99 ( half off )

World of Warcraft Battlechest for PC $19.99 ( save $20 )
World of Warcraft for PC $9.99 ( half off )

Select Wii Games $19.99

A ton more, many more than half off. Some of these offers are good thru "Cyber Monday", but most will sell out early on Friday.

And just heard, Amazon.com will have a "healthy allotment" of Wii hardware available for sale Friday -that too is expected to sell out very quickly.

Source: Gottadeal.com

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Microsoft UK Offering Free XBLA Games

Microsoft announced it would reward Xbox 360™ console owners and one of their chosen friends with a selection of Xbox Live Arcade titles for free when they too join the Xbox 360 experience. To take advantage of this fantastic offer, all Xbox 360 owners have to do is persuade a friend to purchase an Xbox 360 console (which shouldn't be too hard considering the nice line up of games the xbox has to offer like Halo 3, Project Gotham Racing 4, Mass Effect, Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action and many more), then go here. Participants simply fill out the form together, then send off as instructed to both receive an incredible ten Xbox Live Arcade titles, including Every Extend Extra Extreme, Sonic The Hedgehog, Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting, Bomberman Live, Marble Blast Ultra, Spyglass Boardgames, 3D Mini Golf Adventures, Small Arms, Assault Heroes and Zuma Deluxe.

Terms and Conditions apply - please see http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/10gameseach/gameinformation.htm for further information.

Source:Addict 3d

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Original Xbox Live Halo 3 Incentive

If there happen to be any original Xbox Live members left that haven't made the switch to the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Gold, Microsoft is throwing some good bait out there for you. A free copy of Halo 3.
Here's the details from Microsoft:
"Current Paid Xbox LIVE Members on the original Xbox console (not Xbox 360), here's how to get your Halo 3 game:
Buy an Xbox 360 console between November 21 and December 21, 2007.
Convert your current paid Xbox LIVE account to an Xbox LIVE Gold subscription.
Register here between November 21 and December 21, 2007 with promotional code XBX7777, with your new console serial number, and a valid mailing address.
Look for your copy of Halo 3 in your mailbox!"

source:Gaming Bits

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Ghostbusters: The Game

I'ts for real this time,Ghostbusters the game is indeed in development. The game is being developed on the Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, and PC. A release window has not yet been revealed, nor has a publisher or developer yet been attached to the project.Dan Aykroyd will have a hand in the project, penning the script with fellow supernatural scientist Egon, aka Harold Ramis and are going far beyond just the typical licensed add-your-voice-to-the-game-you-had-nothing-to-do-with formula. This going to be the big blockbuster sequel we never got. Forgoing a theatrical release, the game will serve as a direct sequel to the first two Ghostbusters films, with Ramis, Aykroyd, and Bill Murray all signed on to reprise their roles.American games magazine Game Informer will have exclusive coverage in their December issue about the upcoming Ghostbusters videogame.The Zootfly game was cancelled and now we know why.

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Beowulf the Game

Beowulf is an action combat video game based on Paramount Pictures' and Shangri-La Entertainment's Beowulf, the upcoming feature film from Academy Award-winning director Robert Zemeckis. The Beowulf video game is being developed by the award-winning team that created the original Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter(r) in Ubisoft's Tiwak studio and is scheduled for worldwide release in conjunction with the movie's opening in November 2007.The Beowulf video game is an interactive experience that captures the spirit and artistic beauty of the film while offering an even deeper look into the epic tale of Beowulf. The video game features exclusive content that is unexplored by the film and even the classic tale, extending the adventure through 30 years of the Beowulf story. The roles of King Hrothgar, played by Anthony Hopkins, Beowulf, played by Ray Winstone, Wiglaf, played by Brendan Gleeson, and Wulfgar, played by Sebastien Roche, have been greatly expanded and adapted to the interactive realm to deliver amazing performances that can only be found in the game.

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