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PAX 08 is a wrap!  The doors will be closing in about an hour, and the throngs of gamers who flooded into Seattle will all be heading back home (I think I’ll steer clear of the airport for a while!) 

Click HERE to check out 360 Rant Rave’s pictures from day 3 of PAX 08. 

Videos: (All videos are MOV files – R-Click and ‘Save Target As’)

-Afro Samurai gameplay (one more clip)

-Infinite Undiscovery gameplay

-Saints Row 2 gameplay

-Schizoid gameplay

-The Maw gameplay video 1

-The Maw gameplay video 2

-Gears Of War 2 gamplay presentation

That’s it for this year’s PAX coverage.  We’ll be back again next year.  Thanks to everyone who made PAX 08 such a blast.  The memories will last a lot longer than the expo.   

Game on!

I spent a lot of time at last year’s PAX with Chris Erickson (AVID X) from 360 Style.  Well, I ran into Chris again this year (at the TBS Pre-PAX party & again today), so I took a few minutes to see how he was enjoying the show.

To hear the interview with Chris, click HERE.  Also, don’t forget to check out Chris’ PAX 08 Blog, HERE. 

Game on!

When I attended the PAX 10 panel on Friday, I was (obviously) most interested in the two games that are slated to hit the Xbox Live Arcade (The Maw & Schizoid).  While Schizoid looks fun, I was a bit more interested in The Maw, especially after cheking out the playable demo in the exhibition hall. 

Today I got the opportunity to speak with Michael Wilford, CEO of Twisted Pixel and creator of The Maw.

Click HERE to hear the interview with Michael.  Also, be sure to check out 360 Rant Rave’s video clips of The Maw in action.

(MOV files – R-Click & ‘Save Target As’). 

-The Maw gameplay video 1

-The Maw gameplay video 2

To find out more about The Maw and see some screenshots, visit the official game site at whatisthemaw.com. 

Game on!

Today I had a few minutes to chat with Shawn Batiste, one of the developers for Harmonix’s upcoming Rock Band 2. 

To hear the interview with Shawn, click HERE. 

Game on!

I had the opportunity today to interview Christopher Von Huben with Tritton Technologies.  I wanted to find out more about their new AXPRO Audio Xtreme Pro Headsets.  These headsets provide true 5.1 audio (unlike some other gaming headsets that claim to offer 5.1, but only have one speaker per ear). 

Tritton’s AXPRO headset has 8 individual speakers, and seperate volume controls for front, left, right, etc.  They fit comfortably and include a plug-in microphone boom, for use for both gaming audio and chat while playing on Xbox Live. 

Click HERE to hear the interview with Chris, and find out more about Tritton’s newest headset (due out October 1st), desgined for use with the Xbox 360 and other consoles.  To find out more about Tritton and their full line of gaming headsets, check out Trittonusa.com. 

Game on!

It’s been a fun 2nd day at PAX 08.  I tried out a bunch more demos including Stoked, Left 4 Dead (Special 4-man multiplayer media only session), Afro Samurai, and Guitar Hero World Tour (again… lol.  I must admit I really like the GH World Tour drum kit.) 

I also had an appointment with EA today, to check out their upcoming titles and see what’s what.  Some of those games (such as Face Breaker), we already have demos for.  Most of the others have already been covered here on 360 Rant Rave (search the “EA” category). 

I got a  bunch more pictures & videos today for your viewing pleasure.  To see the photos from today, click HERE. 

Videos: (All videos are MOV files – R-Click & ‘Save Target As’ – Scuse the low quality. We’ll have better video hardware next year.)

-Afro Samurai gameplay video 1

-Afro Samurai gameplay video 2

-Left 4 Dead gameplay video 1

-Left 4 Dead gameplay video 2

-Stoked gameplay video

Now it’s time to head out for some dinner & find out where the hip after parties will be.  Tune in tomrorow for more coverage from the final day of PAX 08.

Game on!

I got a little face time today with Peter (Tony) Chiodo, Director of Product Development for Desitneer.  I asked him all about Destineer & Bongfish’s upcoming Xbox 360 exclusive title, Stoked. 

The game seems to be shaping up nicely.  The landings seem to be a bit too ‘forgiving’ right now, but Tony assured me that what I was playing was just an early demo build and they’re still working on tweaking it. Some of you may know I haven’t found a snowboarding game I’ve truly liked since the original Amped on the original Xbox.  I’m hoping Stoked will change all that.  I got a good first impression.  The controls are somewhat similar to Skate, so if you’ve played that game, you shouldn’t have much trouble adjusting to Stoked. 

Click HERE to donwload the interview (MP3).  Enjoy. 

Game on!

Developed in conjunction with world-renowned snowboarding movie creator Absinthe Films, Stoked captures the pioneering spirit of professional back country riders.  Exhilarating snowboarding experiences are born from dynamic backcountry conditions. The riders who brave and master these conditions are the stuff of legend in Absinthe videos and on the pages of snowboarding magazines. The look and style of these riders are emulated across the world. In Stoked, it’s your turn to become a legendary rider and wow the world on the Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network by becoming an absolute snowboarding phenomenon.

Features:
Five Gigantic Real-World Mountains: Leave worn-out resorts behind and travel the world in search of the ultimate back country location. Explore five world-renowned summits.

Discover new drop points by helicopter, bail out and experience more than 45 square-miles of open terrain on each peak.

Dynamic Weather and Environments: Every day the snow and weather conditions change on each of the mountains featured in the game thanks to a dynamic weather and time of day system. Snow accumulates on mountain surfaces, changing the riding experience, opening new paths, and building new trickable features and challenges.

Different weather conditions offer different experiences and riding challenges. Choose where, when, and in what conditions you’d like to ride!

Seamless Multiplayer: Invite your friends to ride with you in instant drop-in multiplayer! While riding together you can select custom helicopter drop points, create competitive or cooperative challenges, or call out tricks for members of your posse to pull off as you snap their photos. When you’re ready to get serious, go up against other boarders on Xbox LIVE in sponsored events to build your fame.

Style Crafting: As you develop your style, the animation system will adapt to how you play, and the other riders on the mountain will emulate your moves! But doing tricks isn’t the only way to convey a sense of style. Thirty of the industry’s top gear manufacturers, clothing brands, and international magazines have joined forces with Destineer and Absinthe to help you build your career. As your legend grows so will your stylistic choices.
Real Riders, Real Pros, Real Sponsors: Stoked features some of the most influential professional riders and names in the sport: Travis Rice, Nicolas Mueller, Wolle Nyvelt, Annie Boulanger, Romain de Marchi, Tadashi Fuse, Gigi Ruef, and Bjorn Leines. An impressive line up of 30 authentic sponsors also appear in Stoked including but not limited to:
Burton, Dragon, Arcus, Von Zipper, Eleven, 686, Billabong, DaKine, Electric, LibTech, Nitro, Northwave, Oakley, Quiksilver, Ride, Hart, Rome, Salomon, TechNine, Vans, Volcom, Anon, Nikita, Raiden, Red, Roxy, Sodalicious and VonZipper!

Stoked is scheduled for release this November from Destineer and developer Bongfish GmbH.  For more details go to: www.gettingstoked.com and www.absinthe-films.com.

Screenshots:

Game on!

One of the brightest jewels in Microsoft’s crown at this year’s PAX is the highly anticipated Gears of War 2.  I got to see a presentation earlier today, showing one of the single-player levels in the game. 

The demo was played for us by Pete Hayes from Epic.  He was a 3D modeler for Gears of War and GoW 2.  He gets to take the concept art and model that into the characters/enemies you’ll face in the game – not a bad way to make a living. 

Pete took us through a level with plenty of enemies to take out, and culminated in a battle with a Brumak and a harrowing escape from a burning building. 

In Gears of War 2 players continue as Marcus Fenix, a reluctant war hero and leader of Delta Squad, six months after the events of “Gears of War.” The last cities on Sera are sinking, swallowed by a new Locust threat from below. A massive counterattack is humanity’s last hope for survival.

“Gears of War 2” blends a best-in-class third-person shooter with unsurpassed high-definition visuals, all layered on top of an engaging story of survival, loss and retribution.

“Gears of War 2” is developed by Epic Games exclusively for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system.

Features:

• Unparalleled gameplay. “Gears of War 2” takes the award-winning gameplay of the original and improves upon it in every way. The genre-defining cover system is further refined, making the “stop and pop” gameplay more intuitive. Dynamic cover is given new meaning as downed opponents can be picked up and used as shields. The intimate violence of the battlefield is heightened when combatants engage in chainsaw duels. Destructible environments and vicious new finishing moves add to the over-the-top experience.

• Jaw-dropping visuals. “Gears of War 2” continues to raise the graphics bar through its breathtaking visual effects, made possible through advances in Unreal Engine 3.

• Engaging experience that pulls you in and won’t let go. “Gears of War 2” takes deep and immersive storytelling in video games to greater heights. Players connect with humanity’s battle for survival on a personal level as they move through a story that introduces new characters and sheds light on the histories of familiar ones.

• Expanded cooperative play. Team up with a friend to fight through the harrowing story of Delta Squad in the enhanced campaign mode, now featuring drop-in/drop-out gameplay, as well as individual player difficulty options. Or recruit four friends to battle in the new game mode “Horde,” where you’ll fight together to fend off a seemingly endless onslaught of Locust forces to attain the highest score.

• Fierce and varied competitive multiplayer action. “Gears of War 2” features eight distinct multiplayer modes,2 including the new Wingman, Guardian and Submission modes, where up to 10 players choose a side and pit their courage and battlefield mettle directly against others. In addition, multiplayer bots are available to sharpen your skills offline or to fill out your online private matches on Xbox LIVE.

• Party system and skill-based online matchmaking. New to “Gears of War 2” is a party system that allows players to form a full or partial team with friends and continue together from match to match without the need to reform after each game. “Gears of War 2” also supports a skill-based online matchmaking system, powered by TrueSkill, which groups players of similar skill level together in competitive multiplayer matches.

Artwork:

Screenshots:

Video:

Rendezvous Trailer 

Game on!

Halo Wars is a strategy game based on the legendary “Halo®” universe. In campaign mode, players will command the armies of the UNSC warship “Spirit of Fire,” consisting of familiar and new UNSC units in its initial encounters against the Covenant, an alien coalition threatening to obliterate mankind. “Halo Wars” will immerse gamers in an early period of the storied “Halo” universe, allowing them to experience events leading up to the first “Halo” title for Xbox®.

With the guidance of Serina, a spirited artificial intelligence (AI) persona, gamers will direct legions of UNSC soldiers, Warthogs, Scorpions and more, each group having its own strengths and uses in battle. Adventurous commanders can also call upon ancient Forerunner technology, if they are fortunate enough to find it hidden throughout the battlefield.

Covenant forces are also waiting for players to lead them into battle in multiplayer skirmishes via the New Xbox Experience. Call upon an arsenal of new and familiar Covenant units such as Grunts, Elites, Ghosts and even Scarabs to defeat foes on the battlefield. Strategic-minded players who react well under pressure will emerge victorious.

Created from the ground up for the Xbox 360 console and controller, “Halo Wars” is being developed by the veteran real-time strategy developer Ensemble Studios, the team responsible for the best-selling and critically acclaimed “Age of Empires®” franchise on the PC. “Halo Wars” can be played online through the New Xbox Experience® and the single-player campaign. Published by Microsoft Game Studios, “Halo Wars” is an exclusive title for the Xbox 360 video game system.

Features:

• New take on a legendary world. Set in the iconic “Halo” universe, “Halo Wars” predates the original first-person shooter “Halo.” Fans of the franchise will have the opportunity to experience the early battles between the UNSC and Covenant, the far-reaching conflict that has been diligently followed by the masses in the blockbuster “Halo” series.

Players join the crew onboard the “Spirit of Fire,” a Phoenix-class colony ship converted for UNSC military use and guided by the AI persona Serina. The “Halo Wars” story line follows the Spirit of Fire’s discovery of an ancient artifact during a journey to the planet Harvest, the first planet to be attacked by the Covenant.

• Strategic command of armies in large-scale combat. “Halo Wars” puts gamers in command of the battlefield over an arsenal of UNSC units and vehicles as they engage Covenant forces. They can counter and crush their opponent by tactically fielding the superior army. Players can also choose among Leaders that possess elite skills which can turn the tides of battle. Using various combinations of Leaders and units, players can create countless strategies tailored to their preferred playing styles and personalized strategies.

• Challenge friends to skirmishes using the New Xbox Experience. See who the superior commander is through multiplayer online skirmishes supporting up to 6 players with the New Xbox Experience. Players can choose to command either unique civilization, UNSC or Covenant, each with unique attributes and strategic characteristics. Ancient Forerunner technology can also be found to create unique units to gain an upper hand in battle.

• Groundbreaking strategy game for the Xbox 360. Since inception, “Halo Wars” was explicitly designed to cater to console gamers and bring to the Xbox 360 a genre that has typically been played on the PC. Gamers can easily command and manage powerful armies, effortlessly control troops and incredible machines, engage in epic battles and expand their empire using an intuitive user interface for the Xbox 360. “Halo Wars” represents the true next-generation experience, combining a masterful control scheme using the Xbox 360 controller with the award-winning strategic gameplay only Ensemble Studios can provide.

Artwork:

Screenshots:

Video:

Halo Wars Trailer

Game on!