Originally Published: November 2, 2010, on ClassicGameRoom.com
As a part of CGR Undertow, I reviewed FIFA 11 for the Xbox 360, featuring the “We are 11” system.
Tag Archive: microsoft
Originally Published: October 20, 2010, on ClassicGameRoom.com
As a part of CGR Undertow, I reviewed Fairytale Fights for the Xbox 360 from Playlogic.
Originally Published: July 7, 2010, on Lundberg.me, Examiner.com, Original-Gamer.com, PlayerAffinity.com, and ESPNNewYork.com
I know that E3 was three weeks ago, but with the craziness of the World Cup, NBA Free Agency, and the approaching MLB All-Star break, to say we’ve been a little busy here at ESPN would be an understatement. But in our spare time, my expert cameraman/editor Jared Bodden and I, have been toiling away trying to finish these videos to show you some of the great games we saw at E3 and bring you some exclusive interviews with the people behind those games.
One of the most difficult things in this process has been whittling down what we felt were the most worthwhile games to look at, so we broke it down into four videos. The first video is a compilation featuring online and DLC games with the following three videos being a summary of the rest of the best from each day. For the games that we had to cut for the sake of time, I apologize tremendously. I also wish we could have given every game we did feature their own special video.
On that note, without further ado, below is the culmination of my three days at the L.A. Convention Center for E3 2010. I hope you all enjoy.
The first video was my online/DLC game special that features looks at the new Deadliest Warrior game from Spike Games that comes out next Tuesday, DCU Online from Sony Online Entertainment, QuickHit.com and their brand new NFL license, and Blacklight: Tango Down from Ignition Entertainment.
Our first day at E3 was a special day overall and had us see some spectacular looking games for consoles. Our video of Day 1 features Tron and Epic Mickey from Disney Entertainment, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow from Konami, and Test Drive Unlimited 2 from Atari.
On the second day of E3, console games and their peripherals were well represented once more as we looked at Vanquish from SEGA, Shaun White Skateboarding and Ghost Recon: Future Solider from Ubisoft, WWE All-Stars from THQ, and the new Wii Exercise Bike from Big Ben Interactive.
On the last day of E3, we had a chance to look at some of the most hyped games for consoles and some sweet accessories when we looked at Call of Duty: Black Ops and Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions from Activision and some sweet products from Nyko and iGUGU.
Videos by Jared Bodden
-Ray Carsillo
Originally Published: June 15th, 2010, on PlayerAffinity.com and Examiner.com
I give my rundown and unique perspective on the Xbox 360 and Ubisoft pressers, and the Activision concert showing off DJ Hero 2, Tony Hawk Shred, and Call of Duty: Black Ops.
Originally Published: June 1, 2010, on Lundberg.me, Sportsrev.TV, and NationalLampoon.com
This week I reviewed Batman: Detective Comics #865 and UFC Undisputed 2010. My hot chick pick of the week this week is British model and reality TV star Sophie Reade.
Originally Published: May 28, 2010, on Examiner.com, PlayerAffinity.com, and ESPNNewYork.com
I still reminisce every now and then about the glorious springs of my youth when baseball season would start and once our local organized little leagues were finished, my friends and I would head down to the park and play stick ball on abandoned tennis courts, wiffle ball on side streets, or home run derby on empty diamonds. Something that’s going to make me reminisce a little bit more about those days is the latest entry into the Backyard Sports series, Backyard Sports: Sandlot Sluggers.
Before reading my full review of the game, be sure to check out my interview with the producer of Sandlot Sluggers, Roland Lesterlin.
The first thing you notice about Sandlot Sluggers is how great looking this game is, especially for the Xbox 360. The graphics are bright and colorful and the cut scenes for the story mode (more on that in a second) are done in stylized outlines and shadows that give it a unique and pleasing visual presence. There are a couple of glitches when you’re playing sometimes, but other than that the game is just plain pretty.
The audio is also very solid and rounds out the peripherals nicely. With cute commentary from the local old men who serve as the announcers for your games to the simple menu instrumentals, the game isn’t an audio revolution, but it works and is probably what you would expect from a game geared more towards teaching kids about sports and sportsmanship.
The biggest improvement to the series though comes with the brand new story mode (told you I’d get to it) that helps to deviate this game from your normal baseball sim. Playing the role of the new kid after fully customizing your look from the color of your glove to your head shape, it is up to you to unite the local kids into a team of superstars to take down Jimmy Knuckles and his squad of bullies who have pummeled all other teams into submission. Only by beating the teams of the eight other good kids can you recruit them onto your squad and gain access to Knuckles’ diamond behind the local school. Coupled with mini-games after every couple of victories to improve your squad’s equipment, the story mode is a great way to give life to the characters as well as to teach your little one the ins and outs of the game of baseball.
The gameplay is solid baseball action mixed in with the classic power-ups and special abilities you’ve come to expect from the Backyard Sports series. From booger balls that cover the screen and make it impossible to see the ball to icicle bats that freeze the first fielder to touch the ball, the new power-ups add a great element of randomness and a true sense of “it ain’t over till it’s over” to the game. And they might just help mom or dad keep them even with their little slugger.
Each field you play in also has its own unique qualities that add to the gameplay. From Pablo’s dog grabbing balls that go near his doghouse for ground rule doubles to balls bouncing into the playground’s sandbox for automatic triples, the field you play in adds to the unique strategies that can come into play.
There were a couple of negatives I saw to the gameplay as well though. The most obvious negative is the fact that a run doesn’t count if the final out is made on the base paths. The baseball rule is that if the run scores before the third out, the run counts. It was very irritating to get into rundowns trying to stretch a single into a double and then find out that the runner from third crossed home, but it never counted because I made the third out.
Speaking of running blunders, another glitch that drove me nuts was if I got caught stealing for the third out of an inning, the batter at the plate would be skipped over instead of leading off the next inning. This glitch baffled me and really made me think twice about when and whom I would run with. These glitches took away from the experience some and made me a little hesitant when it came to showing little kids this as a tool to teach them about baseball.
Another positive for the game though is the replay value. Along with the story mode, there are your typical season and playoff modes to continue taking on the local teams, and access to the mini-games including a baseball themed version of hot potato and a Simon-esque game of throwing the right pitch when it is called for. This should keep your little one popping this game back into their system for a while.
For what it is, Backyard Sports: Sandlot Sluggers is probably the best game yet released by the folks behind the Backyard Sports franchise. It probably won’t hold the attention of an older and more hardcore baseball fan for very long, but is perfect as an introduction into baseball and baseball video games for younger kids and for parents to relate to their children. Include simpler one-button modes for even younger kids and this game will definitely appeal to every pre-pubescent little leaguer out there.
Backyard Sports: Sandlot Sluggers is available now for Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo DS.
Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.
Graphics: 9.0: Bright colors, stylized graphics for cut scenes, and a minimal of glitches make this a beautiful looking game for kids.
Audio: 7.5: Nothing groundbreaking in the audio department, but nothing sub-par either. The announcers end up repeating themselves like in every other sport game ever, but aside from that the audio is solid.
Plot/Plot Development: 7.5: Predictable, but perfect for children as the story mode touts lessons of teamwork and understanding. Jimmy Knuckles never saw it coming.
Gameplay: 7.0: Good for the most part, but running glitches will really take away from the baseball experience for people who really know the game. The power-ups and unique stadiums though help to cover up some of those shortcomings with the unpredictability they inject into the game.
Replay Value: 8.0: Average replay value for a sports game gets bumped up due to the inclusion of a story mode. Coupled with mini-games and a season and playoffs mode and this game will keep your youngster entertained for a while.
Overall (not an average): 8.0: Due to some glitches and a lack of true mass appeal, I can’t give this game a perfect score, but for what it is and the audience it is targeted at, Backyard Sports: Sandlot Sluggers is a sure fire home run. Your little ones will love the characters and swinging for the fences in this family friendly baseball sim.
-Ray Carsillo
Originally Published: May 1, 2010, on Examiner.com
Last July I talked about how Bungie had announced that they were working on what they thought could be a groundbreaking new project and that Halo: Reach would be their final Halo title. In response to this, Microsoft formed 343 Industries to handle future Halo titles as the two parties decided to part amicably after Halo: Reach.
So nine months have passed and not a word of what was on the horizon for Bungie has surfaced. Everything has been about the new multiplayer for Reach (beta launches next week) and how it would usher in a new era of Xbox Live and that Halo would always be in the good hands of a Microsoft owned developer.
And then this bombshell dropped on the video game community. Amid lawsuits and walkouts, Activision reportedly inked a 10 year deal with Bungie, supposedly to allow the developer’s secret property a chance at reaching all three major consoles. A major part of the deal is supposed to include that Bungie also retains all rights to their creative properties, a tremendous sticking point that has led to many of Activision’s problems with their subsidiary Infinity Ward.
Bungie has promised Halo fans that this will not affect Halo: Reach in any way, shape, or form, but this move will allow them to stay focused on Halo: Reach for the most part while continuing to move forward with their new secret project that, according to the studio on Bungie.net “…another core team, led by our co-founder and Studio Creative Director, Jason Jones, has already begun laying the groundwork to bring our newest universe, stories, and characters to life…”.
The obvious question that comes to mind is: what is this secret project?! What would require Bungie to terminate, albeit peacefully, their exclusivity relationship with Microsoft that could turn the gaming industry on its head? And, maybe more importantly, when can we expect to see a demo or some screenshots? All I know is that if it reaches anywhere near the status of the Halo series, then no wonder Bungie would be trying to capitalize on it as much as possible.
Only time will tell how beneficial this relationship will be for all parties involved. Hopefully 343 Industries will be able to handle the heavy burden that has become producing quality content when you develop as a rabid a fan base as Halo has. Also, it will be interesting to see how this helps Activison’s public image as they stick this feather in their cap to help distract people from the Infinity Ward fiasco.
Originally Published: April 28, 2010, on Lundberg.me, PlayerAffinity.com, Original-Gamer.com, and Examiner.com
After News Corporation/Fox did not renew Peter Chernin’s contract last June, the veteran media industry executive continued on his own right where he left off. Starting with the formation of his own production company, Chernin has been working non-stop coming up with new ideas and properties and when you’re credited by many as the reason all of Fox’s cable networks are a success, your ideas usually carry a bit of weight with them.
One of these new ideas has been brought to light now as Chernin met with Microsoft executives a couple of weeks ago. The idea? An exclusive Xbox Live TV network.
Bloomberg News reported last week that in his meeting at Microsoft headquarters up in Washington, Chernin had suggested creating an entire TV network centered on the core of Xbox gamers. This 18-34 male demographic focused network would be distributed through Xbox Live. Chernin also discussed that it would likely cost users an extra $1-$2 per month ($12-$24 per year) to keep the station up and running and that he would co-own the rights with Microsoft.
With music, movies, and TV shows already being downloaded en masse by gamers online, an entire channel could be the next likely step in media evolution as we become more and more dependent on our game systems for various forms of content besides games. The big questions that immediately come to mind though are: what actual programming could we see on the channel and would Xbox Live users be willing to pay another $20 a year on top of the $60 they are already dropping on the online service?
In terms of content production, I have faith that Chernin already has several ideas for shows and programming, especially since his sons are writers for such shows as “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. Not to mention that it would not be hard to get distribution rights for shows like “Pure Pwnage” and that Microsoft already has their own shows like “The Guild” and “Red vs. Blue”. If anything, this would spark an even greater independent creative drive for the system.
The biggest problems would come from the price raise. Personally, raising my Xbox Live bill by 25% would not be something I would be thrilled about, but in the end would be something I end up paying for because the service is just too crucial to me enjoying the system. I know many gamers who would not bend so easily though. A possible solution could be having third party developers help to fit the bill, especially those that rely on online content as much as we rely on playing it. This could have other ramifications though like seeing the rise of software prices so this also seems unlikely.
With Microsoft and Chernin refusing to comment on the meeting at the moment, only time will tell if XBOX-TV will become a reality. Microsoft has always tried to be at the forefront of new and exciting media, but if isn’t cost effective for the consumer, this may be one idea that is never realized.
Originally Published: July 20, 2009, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com) and Examiner.com
When describing the Forza Motorsport online community, “hardcore” does not even come close to doing these folks justice.
Keeping that in mind, the Microsoft gaming gurus teamed up with Audi, one of the top of the line racing car manufacturers, and decided to reward their racing community as the launch date for the highly anticipated Forza Motorsport 3 nears.
Microsoft flew the top nine players in the Forza community, hailing from all over the United States, to New York City for one very special weekend that coincided with the Le Mans 24 hour race in France (that Audi just so happens to dominate most of the time).
After being broken into three-man teams, these elite players competed on a never-before-seen Forza 3 demo for a chance to win a trip to France for Le Mans 2010.
The outlines of the competition had the teams facing off for three hours at a time, one driver for every 40 minutes with the first driver also taking the fourth shift, with the best overall times being electronically monitored by Microsoft experts. After a full 24 hours, the winning team would be decided with the conclusion of the competition tied in directly to the end of the Le Mans race overseas.
While these select few players were competing for the trip of a lifetime, I had a chance to hop on a Forza 3 demo myself in Microsoft’s special simulator pod to get some first hand impressions on the game. I was also able to catch up with one of the racers during an off-shift and Brian Lockhart of Turn 10, one of developers of the Forza Motorsport franchise.
Forza Motorsport 3 Preview with Ray Carsilllo
Video by Jared Bodden
Be sure to stay tuned for my second preview of Forza Motorsport 3 where I got to sit down with an extended demo for over an hour and truly put the framework of Forza Motorsport 3 through its paces.
-Ray Carsillo
Originally Published: July 17, 2009, on Examiner.com
Being an admitted geek, things like charts and numbers and tables always make me smile a little, especially when tracking things like video game software sales. It’s a great way to see how your favorite systems are doing and which third party developers are hot at the moment.
Being the Xbox 360 Examiner, I will focus on the Xbox games in terms of analysis, but will give the entire list of top 10 in terms of software sales in terms of both worldwide sales and United States sales.
The June month time period is measured from May 31st through to June 27th and further information can be found at http://www.vgchartz.com
Worldwide Sales:
1. Wii – Wii Fit – Nintendo – 745,576
2. Wii – Wii Sports – Nintendo – 691,255
3. Wii – EA Sports Active – Electronic Arts – 587,434
4. Xbox 360 – Prototype – Activision – 526,434
5. DS – Pokémon Platinum – Nintendo – 459,899
6. Xbox 360 – UFC 2009 Undisputed – THQ – 412,482
7. Xbox 360 – Red Faction: Guerilla – THQ – 382,115
8. Wii – Mario Kart Wii – Nintendo – 356,149
9. Wii – Wii Sports Resort – Nintendo – 349,411
10. PS3 – Prototype – Activision – 345,388
United States Sales:
1. Wii – Wii Fit – Nintendo – 387,170
2. Xbox 360 – Prototype – THQ – 358,515
3. Wii – Wii Sports – Nintendo – 339,350
4. Wii – EA Sports Active – Electronic Arts – 339,138
5. Xbox 360 – UFC 2009 Undisputed – THQ – 312,410
6. Xbox 360 – Fight Night Round 4 – Electronic Arts – 268,942
7. Xbox 360 – Red Faction: Guerilla – THQ – 237,754
8. Wii – Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 – Electronic Arts – 208,010
9. Xbox 360 – Ghostbusters: The Video Game – Atari – 188,923
10. PS3 – Prototype – Activision – 185,692
This short list provides countless amounts of information. First off, Nintendo’s worldwide dominance is still clearly evident with having not only six of the top 10 titles worldwide (5 Wii, 1 DS), but five of those six are all first party published, which means Nintendo is just raking in the profits on the worldwide market.
Xbox 360 is making a nice showing, though, by having three of the top 10. Microsoft has to be pleased considering its poor influence overseas, especially in Japan.
This poor overseas influence I speak of can be seen most clearly by comparing the United States list with the Worldwide list. Even though Nintendo and the Wii still have the top spot in the US, it’s a much closer deficit between one and two and on this list an Xbox 360 game is listed as number two.
Aside from having the second best selling game, Xbox 360 has five of the top 10 slots compared to four for the Wii showing that Xbox 360 is competing very well in the United States with the Wii right now and if Xbox 360 could take a larger chunk out of the worldwide market, which seems to be trending towards all these workout games, then it could make a case for the top spot that Nintendo has held since the Wii’s release.
A consistent sales trend showing a continued pattern towards workout games might make Microsoft want to push harder for Project NATAL to become a reality a little sooner than first planned. If a workout game is what the people want, then the tools and means to have a workout game is what the people should get.
In terms of total software sales in the United States for June, even though the Wii had three of the top five, Xbox 360 sold 92,876 more total software units in the top 10.
RayCarsilloWrites.com 