The Halo 3 Co-Op Story

Well, I guess I was wrong yesterday when I said that "There's not many exciting 360 news floating around that I can talk about at the moment. Maybe they're waiting for the new games too! ;)" Clearly I was mistaken as I awoke to find news on Halo 3. And pretty much all Halo 3 news is exciting! =D

First up, the Co-Op situation with Halo 3 was currently at the stage where it was all but confirmed that online co-op wouldn't be available. Well, now Bungie, makers of the Halo series (amongst others of course, but none that interest me!), have officially announced that online (and offline) co-op will be available in Halo 3. As I read this I was very excited. I loved the online co-op in Gears of War, and can only imagine combining that with the greatness of the Halo game series. That said, the announcement gets better when Bungie announce that the co-op mode will be 4 PLAYER!!! =D Now, that's friggin awesome! lol!

So you've Master Chief and the Arbiter (of course!)...so who are the other 2? 2 more Master Chiefs...2 more Arbiters...a Master Chief and an arbiter...or SOMETHING ELSE??????

Well, Bungie also announced 2 new characters to take the positions of "Player 3" and "Player 4" they are:

PLAYER 3 - Name: N’tho ‘Sraom
Affiliation: Fleet of Retribution/Special Warfare Group/Special Operations
History: N’tho ‘Sraom is the youngest member of his Special Operations unit and is one of a growing number of human sympathizers amongst the Sangheili youth. He is a fairly typical young male adult Sangheili—he began compulsory military service at the end of adolescence, and remains unmarried with no close, non-familial relationships outside of his martial order. N’tho Sraom refused to stand idly by while the Prophets replaced Sangheili units with Jiralhanae packs, and now bears deep resentment toward those Sangheili politicians who landed his kind in their current predicament.

Although N’tho ‘Sraom’s romanticized nationalism is emblematic of all Sangheili, he has developed a healthy respect for humanity—not for their physical abilities or martial prowess, but for their audacity and resolve.

PLAYER 4 - Name: Usze ‘Taham
Affiliation: Fleet of Retribution/Special Warfare Group/Fleet Security
History: Although Usze ‘Taham was born into a respected merchant family he was fathered by Toha ‘Sumai—one of the preeminent swordfighters of this age. Usze graduated with honors from the top War College in the Iruiru region of Yermo, Sanghelios (a distinction he shares with Rtas 'Vadum). Shortly after receiving his first post within the Covenant Navy he was offered a place on the Prophets’ Honor Guard but he declined citing “lack of practical experience”. In truth, he had no desire to be part of a largely ceremonial unit, and at the end of his third combat tour, Usze ‘Taham again refused the post—even though his superiors warned him such behavior could be misinterpreted as apostasy.

Since that time Usze has evaded countless punitive actions, at least two assassination attempts, and served with distinction for two additional tours before the Schism. Following the dissolution of the Covenant, he was approached by the Ascetics to become one of their liaisons within the Navy.

So there you go...4 player Halo 3 co-op goodness, both online and offline. So get ready to pull out that MASSIVE Plasma screen you've been dying to show off and get 3 of your....oh, wait a minute...one last thing. If you're doing local co-op, you're limited to 2 on one console! ;)

Well, for me it isn't a problem (and it's not because I don't have enough friends before you start with your petty remarks) =P If you and 3 friends want to go for the co-op but offline, you've got 2 options. Option 1 is to system link 2 consoles together, put 2 people on each console, and you can play 4 player. The other options have to involve xbox LIVE, but it does mean you can have 4 people over 2 consoles over LIVE. Or 2 people over 3 consoles for that matter...or 4 for that matter...but then that's just co-op over LIVE! =D

Anyway, I think you all get the picture and if you don't...here's one for you! =D



And if that's not enough Halo 3 news for one day...I've got more!

The folks over at IGN had a special box delivered today. What was in it? Nothing but Halo 3 Mountain Dew of course! ;) Yes, that's right! A soft drink of a video game...whatever next. Sorry, you don't believe me. Check this out:



Now you believe me? Thought so. Head over to the link above to read more. It's so strange I can't even type much about it, lol!

Ok, so that's it for another day! Soft drinks and co-op, what more can Bungie provide, lol! I'm now off to do 'my rounds' for the Order over at 360voice.com. If you haven't already checked 360voice out, you definitely should (well, if you own an xbox 360 connected to LIVE that is!) ;) and if you haven't checked out the Order, you should do that too! Oh, and click here to support me (and the Order of course)...you could also leave a comment if you're EXTRA nice! ;)

So, till next post,
Soupy

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So much to do...so little time =(

Hey there =)

OK, now I'm going to try to justify why I haven't posted in over a week, and give you a little insight into my life as of late. Please feel free to visit Google now, and search for something more interesting, lol! ;)

Well, as you know from the last post, I had food poisoning two weeks ago. So I spent the majority of last week trying to catch up on work I had missed. So, not only was I doing the work that I was to do when I was sick, but also the work I had to do anyway! In other words, twice the work, half the time. What's new though, eh?

So, I didn't get that much time to play my xbox...well, I did get quite a bit of time (as shown on my 360's blog) but not as much as I would've liked to.

Let me explain something first. I work for a company in a town around 15 or 20 miles from my house. This company has a customer in England, I live in Northern Ireland. I have been assigned to this company to complete 90 days in 6 months on-site. Now, fortunately I quite like the idea of this and so jumped at the chance to do so. So, this is where I currently stand. I travel to England, usually on the Monday morning, and return on the Thursday night. I spend 4 days and 3 nights there, and then another day working at the offices of the company I work for. All this seems good, except I'm without xbox! =( I have got an apartment over there and a car, so I'm pretty settled in. The only thing I needed (before last week) was a 360 to keep me company. I didn't want to leave my current one over there, and didn't want to travel back and forth with it either. So, I bought a new one and now I have 2! OK, so I hardly need 2 xbox 360's when some people don't even have one...but I do need it! I now travel with a few games and my hard disk drive from my original 360, and when I get to England, plug it in and it's just like having my xbox 360 with me! =D

I can't tell you how much I enjoy that I'm able to do that. The only downside turns out to be that I don't have broadband where I'm staying while over here....yet! ;) I'm hoping to get it in relatively soon. Then I'll be able to be on LIVE too. It'll be very very sweet!

Well, now I've explained how much I love my 360...but that doesn't justify a week of non-posting. I've already mentioned that I have an apartment over here. I can say this now, but couldn't have last week. The week has been spent sorting it all out so that the next 6 months will be more comfortable, when I'm away so much of them. I've been super busy with work as it is, what with being off, and people being on holiday so, to be honest, I've just been too busy to post! =( I've barely even stopped by here to make sure all is normal, lol! I'm sorry...but hopefully it will all be sorted out soon, and I can get back to regular, quality posts! =)

On a side note, I visited my local GAME store (chain of stores that sell video games in the UK) and when browsing the Xbox 360 chart I noticed a lack of new games, compared to the last time I'd looked. There doesn't seem to be many big new releases recently...but I can understand why! With the upcoming 'huge holiday line-up' (what holiday is it anyway? I never understood when that was mentioned at E3! Is it an American thing?) my pockets are going to be very empty from August right through to November! Bioshock, Halo 3, GTA IV, COD4: Modern Warfare but to name a few! These are all going to be games that I will buy and, as I said, I'll be left with not a lot of money after! =/

OK, I guess that's enough talk for now. Hopefully I'll get to post again in a couple of days. There's not many exciting 360 news floating around that I can talk about at the moment. Maybe they're waiting for the new games too! ;)

Oh, one last thing. On the aeroplane today I started to read the autobiography of Peter Kay. It's a really REALLY good book (US link) (UK Link) and I think it's the first book I've ever read that I actually lol'd (laughed out loud) at! ;) The embarrassing thing was that I was on the plane at the time...but it was worth it for the humour it gave me! I'm looking forward to reading it some more later on! =D

So, till next time,
Soupy

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I'm not dead...honest, lol! =)

Well, sorry for being away for so long guys and gals. I had food poisoning =( and before you ask...no, I don't know how I got it. I ate very similarly to a colleague on the day before and he was fine! I don't understand...but now I'm better and back at work! =D This is going to be a short post however...as being off has the added ability to make you work extra hard to catch-up...so I'm doing that now! In good news however, I bought a SECOND xbox 360 today! =D If you're thinking why I need a second one then it's because I'm away from home for 4 days a week for the next 6 months or so...and instead of travelling with my 360, I figured I could leave a second one where I'll be based and then I can play whether I'm home...or away! =D If you think it's a silly idea however.........tough, 'cause I like it! =D

Hopefully, I'll get caught up on this work over the next 2 days and be able to post again here relatively soon!

Again, sorry...but these things happen!

Oh, and over at 360Voice (THE site that allows your 360 to tell you how it REALLY feels)...andyg (also of andyg) has started "The Order of the Nelson" You may not understand it but I like the idea and am a proud member, lol! Check out here for my blog and to help support "The Order of the Nelson" =D

Hasta la vista,
Soupy ;)

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2 days late...my excuse, E3!!

Well, it's finally upon us. E3 is here and got off to a great start with the Microsoft briefing. OK, so I didn't actually see the briefing. I mean, I should have considering it was shown on TV and online from a number of different sites including the offical xbox site! But alas, I live in the UK where we don't get gaming TV channels...yet, and where our time zone means that the briefing starts at 4am...so excuse me if I'm a little off with some of these details, but I'm having to read them online from various sources =( I can feel this is going to be a big post already!

Here's my summary of the Microsoft briefing (the whole briefing is in videos below):

• The show opened with a band called Corporeal.
  Corporeal are announced as 5 Halo fans. Apparently they've videos on YouTube and things like that. Check them out if you want.


• Peter Moore arrives on stage. Welcomes people.


• Rock Band makes it's appearance
  Well, Rock Band is Guitar Hero...with more instruments, lol! It looks fun, I mean, I loved Guitar Hero to pieces! But I can't sing for love nor money, so I'm afraid I probably won't buy it, lol! Guitar Hero 3 appeals to me more.


• NEW game - Viva Piñata: Party Animals
  OK, a new game with the Viva Piñata animals. Basically a set of mini-games featuring the ones we all know and love =/ Don't get me wrong, I actually liked Viva Piñata, but this sounds pretty lame


• Mass Effect Trailer
  Now this is awesome! Mass Effect is awesome! I'm really looking forward to this one. It looks so good! =D


• Xbox 360 Numbers/Figures/Stats
  Ok, Peter Moore announced some facts and figures...if you're interested these include: "Xbox 360 has the largest installed base with 5.6 million units in the US. ... We're outselling PS3 by nearly two to one.", "Since November, Xbox 360 third party games have cracked the top 10 list 18 times. Number of Wii and PS3 titles in the charts in the third-party top selling sales charts: zero, nil.", "Half of all consumer spending in this generation is on the Xbox 360. The top five games of the last gen were all Halo and Grand Theft Auto or Madden.", "Since the launch of the Wii and the PS3 in November, Xbox 360 has sold more games at retail than both of these consoles combined"


• Jeff Bell appears on stage


• He announces the NEW game Scene It!
  So they're bringing a 360 version of the movie/TV clip DVD game, Scene It. He mentioned "Four controllers and the game are included for the price of one Xbox 360 game." That's pretty good...I guess. I don't own this board game, nor have I actually played it, but I did want to at one stage...and kind of still do. Maybe this will make me buy it. The 360 version of course, I mean, what's the point in games if they're not on a console ;)


• Naruto: Rise of a Ninja feature
  Well, I'd never heard of this game, but I don't think I'm interested, if I'm honest. A lot of people are though, it just doesn't seem my type of game. I guess I could be dramatically surprised by a demo though. I'll hold my tongue until then.


• Reggie Bush now appears, to join Jeff


• EA Sports games, specifically Madden 08
  So this was basically the announcement of all EA Sports games running at 60FPS. This has been running around the internet the past week or so and I guess it's a good thing. Especially when you hear the PS3 will only be running at 30FPS =D hehe! 360 FTW...again! Sorry about that, anywhoo...So Reggie Bush appears. I don't know who he is, I'm not American or into American Football, but apparently he's a player in the NFL. Anyway, he comes on and demonstrates Madden 2008 (while horribly beating Jeff) =D


• Xbox Live Figures
  Basically Jeff announced that Xbox LIVE is now at 7-million members..that is one new Live member every 8 seconds. Pretty impressive PSN, eh? ;) lol! I need to stop with the fanboy stuff!


• XBLA (Xbox Live Arcade) feature
  Basically a bunch of new games coming to XBLA: Bomberman Live!, Undertow, Hexic 2, Sonic the Hedgehog, War World, Sensible World of Soccer, Every Extend Extra Extreme, Geon, Wing Commander Arena, Feeding Frenzy 2, Track and Field, Spyglass Board Games, Golden Axe, Space Giraffe, Super Puzzle Fighter II HD Turbo Remix, Marathon: Durandal, Poker Smash, Switchball, Tetris Splash, Puzzle Quest. Some pretty good ones in there...specifically the 3 I blogged about previously, lol! ;) Sonic and Golden Axe are this week's releases, by the way...if you haven't already got them that is, lol!


• Video Marketplace Figures and Announcements
  Two thousand hours of entertainment has been provided by Video Marketplace in the last year, 500, of those hours, in HD. $125 million has been spent on this content. That's quite impressive in my opinion! There's also been a partnership between Microsoft and Disney. Meaning, Disney movie titles are coming to Xbox Live...and not only are they coming, they came the very night of the briefing (Tuesday). So they're there...now!! =D Which sucks for me being in the UK and not having Video Marketplace...or does it?? Next announcement: VIDEO MARKETPLACE IN CANADA AND EUROPE BY THE END OF THE YEAR!! Sorry for the CAPS and bold but I'm excited, lol! Ever since the launch of Video Marketplace I've wanted it. Now we're finally getting it! Yaaay! Oh, and Elite is coming to Europe on Aug. 24. No price as of yet. To be honest, I'm not fussed. I'm happy with my video output from my regular 360 for now, and the only bit I am hyped about is the larger hard drive. I'll definately be getting one of those =D


• Shane Kim appears on stage


• Project Gotham Racing 4 feature
  I played (and own) Project Gotham 3. I think nearly everybody got it with their 360 in some sort of package, lol! But I did enjoy it, though I'm not a great fan of racing games, so I didn't enjoy it THAT much! PGR4 looks set to be amazing! Even better than all the improved graphics and what-not is the fact that you can race motorcycles! Against cars, lol! Honda, Suzuki, Ducati, and more, according to the PGR team. Dynamic weather effects were shown off. There's fog in Shanghai. You can share photos and videos online when the game comes this September. Oh, it'll be sweet! =D


• Alan Wake, Too Human, Fable 2 and Halo Wars small feature
  Apparently these games show how Microsoft has "given game creators the resources to shoot for the stars, take risks, and go for things other creators can only dream of." Yeah, whatever! =/


• Lost Odyssey trailer
  This game looks OK, I guess. Nothing too big that makes me want it bad. Again, it's only my opinion though


• Games for Windows announcements
  Personally, I don't care for PC gaming (except when Spore comes out, then I'll be all over it!), so these announcements don't usually phase me. Except for one little thing...basically Gears of War is coming to PC (well, I already knew that!) but they mentioned new features such as new content, a game editor, and "some very big surprises are in store." Now, a game editor...hmmm?? Interesting. New content...it's actually 5 new chapters apparently. I'm just curious if that's an extra act...or 2?? Or are they going to put in one extra chapter per act? CliffyB also comes out to demonstrate it. And it looks quite good! Though he did show how to defeat the boss...that's just bad PR (as Andy pointed out somewhere!) Anyway, it got me thinking. Will us faithful 360 users see any of this new content. I certainly hope so, via some DLC would be nice! =D They also announced a lot of other new games coming to Vista, and the fact nearly 10 million gamers have moved to Vista (why do none of them play Shadowrun, lol!) Anyway, here's the new games: Crysis, Hellgate: London, Conan: Hyborian Advenures, Thrillville: Off the Rails, the Bee Movie Game, Age of Empires 3: The Asian Dynasties, Stranglehold, Bioshock, Universe at War: Earth Assault, Blacksite: Area 51, World in Conflict, Lost Planet, Kane and Lynch: Dead Men, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, Zoo Tycoon 2: Exctinct Animals, Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights, Viva Pinata, Spider-Man Friend or Foe. I'm noticing some of these are on 360 also...a good move for Microsoft if you ask me! =D


• Peter Moore comes back on stage


• Call of Duty 4 Video, Demo and Announcements =)
  This is it. The one I've been waiting for. I'm looking so forward to this game it's actually unbelievable. It better not be a let down! =( Anyway, they showed a video, then played through a demo, then they announced...wait for it...a Call of Duty 4 MULTI-PLAYER BETA will be running for Xbox 360!! =D Oh yeah, I can't wait for this. Keep an eye on the official site for more details!


• Splinter Cell video
  I only recently purchased Splinter Cell: Double Agent and it's quite good. I only wish I could be better at it, lol! This game looks good...but I'll have to improve at my skills at these types of game before I would buy it!


• Grand Theft Auto IV trailer
  We all know (and love) the Grand Theft Auto series. Whether we started with the original GTA (like me!), GTA2, GTA3, GTA: Vice City, GTA: San Andreas or even GTA: Liberty City Stories or GTA: Vice City Stories, the whole series has, in my opinion, been one of the most popular series in modern day video games. OK, Final Fantasy may have more in the series and a bigger number of 'followers', but the GTA series has had all the publicity to go with it. It's been pretty successful anyway! So, I'm looking forward to GTA IV a lot! =D The graphics look superb and anything I've heard about it has been good. Definitely on my 'to buy' list! Oh, and Peter also mentions that all the GTA trailers to date have been provided using Xbox hardware. So what you see, is what you will get =)


• Resident Evil 5 announcement and trailer
  It's been announced! Resident Evil 5 will feature on the Xbox 360...in 2008. This is the only game from Microsoft's announcement (to my knowledge) that won't be released in 2007. But that doesn't matter, it's going to be awesome anyway! =D There will be a full trailer on XBL marketplace July 26. Watch that space!


• Assassin's Creed demo with Jade Raymond
  Another hugely anticipated game! For this one, I cannot wait. Everything about it looks so amazing! I want this game now, lol! It's a new play-through demo and it looks really really good. Assassin's Creed will be released November of this year.


• Peter Moore returns to stage (again)


• Halo 3 Video and Announcement
  Moore says: "I'm very pleased to present to you a unique partnership between Bungie Studios, Weta down in New Zealand, and director Neil Blomkamp. This live-action trailer gives you a chance to see what they've been working on, and a new chance to believe." The trailer looks quite good. Expectations are high though. Moore follows the trailer with an announcement about a new Halo 3 edition xbox 360 console. No-one is too impressed, lol! There's nothing special except the paint job really. I don't think it will do too well...plus it's actually quite a sickly colour, lol! After that a NEW Halo 3 single player video plays. I'm buying the game anyway, even if they changed it to 8-bit, lol! I don't need to be impressed further! =)


• Show over! The band from earlier returns to play

Now the videos:
I wish I could find HD versions of these, like GameTrailers normally provides, but I guess they're just too big as it is! Anyway, here you go!

Part 1 of the briefing


Part 2 of the briefing


Part 3 of the briefing


Part 4 of the briefing


Part 5 of the briefing


And finally, part 6 of the briefing


So there you have it! Microsoft's E3 2007 briefing, covered by me. OK, so it is 2 days late I guess but still...let me explain:

See, I was going to post 2 days ago with all the things that I expected and hoped I would get from Microsoft at E3, but by the time I finished getting all I wanted to say, Microsoft's E3 briefing had actually happened, lol! So I decided to pot about what happened, and it's basically what you see above except each section had it's own video or videos...then I found the entire briefing videos...and decided they would be better instead. So here we are, with possibly the longest post EVER in the history of blogging (lol, slight exaggeration) and it's only taken me 2 days to complete, lol!

Anyway, hope you enjoyed and hopefully I'll be back again soon!

Soupy

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Getting good (part 2)

Hey!

EDIT: Just wanted to throw this in when I seen it on Badboy's blog. The release date for Sensible World of Soccer was officially announced as August 29th 2007. It's quite a bit away but at least we know when it is instead of speculating! =)

Ok, a little more time today to post. As you can see from yesterday's post, I didn't quite have time to say all I wanted to, so I'll start straight into it today.

Another find frm the ESRB website shows that Bomberman Live has just been rated, meaning it should be on XBLA (Xbox Live Arcade) before we know it =) I remember playing this a lot a good few years back with friends. It was easily one of my favourite memories of multi-player games, "back in the day" =) It's the same kind of memories that SWOS (Sensible World of Soccer) brings back...which is why I'm so hyped up about these games coming to the 360 via Live Arcade! =)

Lastly, the fourth game I noticed on ESRB was Tetris Online. Now, I know that Tetris Evolution was out not so long ago on the 360, as a full retail game, but this time it looks like they might be bringing back more of the old-school flavour...which I'm looking forward to. By the way, the screen shot above isn't from the xbla version, it's from the original...I'm just being optimistic ;)

Well that's all for today I guess. Gotta get back to work but I'll try to update over the weekend, and if not, hopefully Monday! =)

With E3 coming soon there should be lots of new news (maybe too much) for me to blog about!

Have a good one!
Soupy

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I think I'm getting good at this =)

Hi again!

Well, the title is maybe bit misleading (if not a bit intriguing too?) but it's either that I'm getting better, or they are getting worse. That's right, on one of my (now-regular) visits to the ESRB website I notice a few new additions that they've rated. This usually means coming soon, and I like the thought of some of these! =)

First up, it's a game I haven't really heard of...EXIT. It was on the PSP and has now made it to XBLA (or will be shortly anyway). It looks like a fun puzzle game, and since I don't know much about it, here's a video
to maybe explain more than I can, lol!

EDIT: Again, it goes over the sidebar but I don't like what it does to the quality when I use GameTrailer's videos and resize them, so I'm leaving it as-is.

Second up, Sensible World Of Soccer. Now normally Badboy House would be blogging non-stop about this (and he has been), but I guess he only picks up on German ratings...and not the American ones! ;) Anyway, now that ESRB have rated it...surely it's on the way sooner. Can't wait for this one either! It will bring back some good memories for me and my Amiga 1200 =)

Ok, I've just realised the time and I'm getting a taxi to the airport in 5 minutes, lol! =/ I'll update this tomorrow with the rest of my finds! =)

Till then,
Soupy

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Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare info...and Guitar Hero 2 gets new DLC??

Hello again!

So, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. A while ago, I made a post about the reveal trailer for this game. Well, now there's more info, an FAQ and a new video all for you nice people =D

First, some basic info (courtesy of ugo.com):

• Release : Fall 2007


• Platform: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360


• Publisher: Activision


• Developer: Infinity Ward


• Genre: Multi-Centric Shooters


• Players: 1, Online Multiplayer

So, it's multi-platform and should be released later this year. I expected the multi-platform, to be in-line with the rest of the Series, and I'm excited that the release isn't too far off! =)

Now, an FAQ(again, courtesy of ugo.com):

1. So what's the story?
   
   For Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward opted against simply moving the theater of battle to modern-day Iraq, instead crafting a completely original story and a completely fictitious war for it to unfold within. This time there's a bad guy, and one you'll most likely get to look in the eyes before you put a bullet (or several hundred) through them. A Russian warlord named Zakhaev funds a bloody coup in an unnamed Middle Eastern country. His efforts are actually a brilliant act of misdirection meant to keep prying eyes away from his own rise to power in Russia, the ultimate goal being to restore the Soviet Union. Zakhaev's Middle Eastern contact is a man named Al-Asad. The men, along with two other close associates, are referred to collectively as "the Four Horsemen."
   
   The game's story actually begins in an SAS training warehouse, where Captain Price (a character featured in the first two games, who is probably no longer a captain when this one starts) teaches you the basics of combat. You see, the British SAS have kept close tabs on Zakhaev since his early days as an international arms dealer. The first mission proper begins as you and a three-man SAS team rappel from a helicopter down to a Russian ship in stormy waters at night. The U.S. storyline begins in the unnamed Middle Eastern nation as elite Marine recon forces are arriving to gather intel and, hopefully, derail hostilities before the battle becomes too heated. The two stories unfold parallel to one another, with the U.S. aggressively trying to keep the peace in the Middle East while the Brits, working undercover with Russian loyalists, try to gather incriminating intel on the Zakhaev. Little is known of how the story unfolds beyond that, but with the Americans and British already confirmed, it's probably a safe assumption that the Russian loyalists will comprise another playable faction as well.


2. Will there be any significant changes to the basic gameplay?
   
   Infinity Ward is back to helming the Call of Duty franchise after Treyarch's solid but rather underwhelming Call of Duty 3. One particular concrete fact which has emerged is that Treyarch's 'battle actions' are being done away with completely. That's right... no more button-pressing, joystick-twirling minigames will pop up when you set a C4 charge. Just place it onto whatever you want to make die, step back and watch those lovely, lovely next-gen fireworks.
   
   The developer is also working at creating a more immersive experience for the player, which first involves minimizing the intrusion of an on-screen HUD. The single player mini-map has been eliminated Weapon switching menus will also only show up on the screen for the briefest of moments before disappearing once the action has been completed. The elimination of the on-screen map could spell trouble for Call of Duty's open-ended missions, but there's always the possibility that a map or radar will be available as a hand-held toy for you to call up at any time (using the D-pad, perhaps).
   
   There will be other new features as well. Infinity Ward is carrying over the mechanic Treyarch introduced of picking up and throwing back nearby grenades. Explosions will also now cause shockwaves which can have an effect on the game's destructible environments. We don't know how destructible the environments will ultimately be, but the thought of ambushing an enemy unit by blasting a hole in the wall they're using for cover is a compelling one. It has been confirmed that weapon ballistics are being modelled after their real-life counterparts, meaning you'll be able to shoot through walls, floors and ceilings provided you have the proper ordnance.


3. What kinds of missions can we expect to fight our way through in the game?
   
   Call of Duty 4 will apparently mix things up by adding new types of missions and mission objectives previously unseen in the series. Some of these confirmed new objectives include stealth/spy missions in Russia (complete with camouflage), squad-based tactical engagements with helicopter support, on-rails vehicle gunner sequences (okay, that's not a new one), escort missions and even a back-story mission which flashes back 15 years. The inclusion of this flashback mission also further suggests that we'll see a more involved story this time around (in case that wasn't already apparent).


4. Are there any details on the multiplayer portion of the game?
   
   We know a little bit about Call of Duty 4's multiplayer component thus far. Infinity Ward is implementing an experience system for online play. Strong in-match performances are rewarded with unlocks which can include new cosmetic features, better weapons and the like. Another unlockable, referred to as 'perks,' will provide more than additional fire-power to support your character. Perks will improve abilities, firing accuracy with a particular weapon being just one example. In addition, players will be able to select their own equipment loadout before entering battle. Think that Desert Eagle is too loud? No problem... supplement your BAR with a silenced pistol instead. Some gameplay footage shown has also revealed a player calling in an airstrike, though how that will be implemented in multiplayer is still an unknown at this point. Perhaps these airstrikes will tie into the perks system.
   
   Another new element to the multiplayer portion of Call of Duty 4 is the introduction of challenges. Challenges, much like Xbox Achievements, will set specific goals for you to achieve in a given match. A successfully completed challenge offers more substantial rewards than Achievements do, in the form of an experience bonus. It has also been suggested that certain challenges will be tied to unique unlockables. Infinity Ward has also stated that they're working at making connecting with friends for online play an easier process, though no specific details have been offered concerning how they intend to do it.


5. When is the game going to be released?
   
   There's been no concrete release date announced for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, though some sources are suggesting the possibility of a Q3 2007 release.

So, while the Fall 2007 release isn't 'concrete', I'm still optimistic =) So far this is quite a long post, and there's still so much more to say!

Now, the fun part, a nice new video of the game (courtesy of gametrailers.com):

EDIT: I know the video is a little over the sidebar but it's worth it as it looks worse when I reduce the size! I'm not a design freak anyway ;)

OK, so shooting through walls! Frickin awesome!! =D lol! And that was clearly multi-player footage which is cool, I look forward to it even more now! =)

And finally, today I found this topic, posted on 15th June, where a member of the Official Guitar Hero forums, named rodth, who happens to be staff at Red Octane, states "While nothing's been formally announced, look for something to come down the pipeline around the July timeframe :)". He says this with regard to DLC (which you'll find out by reading the whole topic) Now, today is the 4th July (oh, Happy Independence Day (or maybe it's just called 4th July holiday now) to all you Americans!) which means we're in July...which means, DLC for Guitar Hero 2 this month? I certainly hope so! =) Now, the only other thing I notice is Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80s is released July 24th for the Playstation 2. Could it be that the DLC us 360 users will be able to receive, will in fact be some of (or all of) the songs from this game? I guess it would be kind of cool if that was the case, as it would mean we wouldn't miss out from there not being a 360 release of the game. But the only concern I have would be the pricing! The final list, as announced by gamespy, of songs in the game tally to 30. Each song in the existing song packs is currently around £1.40 each. That means £42 for every song in the new Rock the 80s game. Now, considering the game will be retailing around £30...I'm seeing a major difference, considering we're getting an add-on, and the PS2 owners will be getting a whole new game =( I just hope Red Octane deliver good DLC at a reasonable price this time. Some 360 exclusive DLC would be nice ;)

Well anyway, that's the end of my info blast and rant. Hopefully there'll be more exiting news in the world of 360 for me to talk about next time =)

Soupy

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Back...but not soon enough

Hello!

Finally, I make it back to my blog home, though I feel I've been away longer than I anticipated. Well, I don't want to bore you all with my holiday stories (unless you'd like to hear, in which case comment and ask, lol!) but basically I left Tuesday 20th June at 4am, spent 7 really good days in Magalluf, Mallorca...and returned around 7pm Tuesday 27th June. Now, I was without proper internet access until late Thursday 29th June, due to also moving house during this time. Now when I think about it, quite a stressful week one might say.

So now, back to reality. No more holidays, work as usual (if not busier) and the desire to play my 360 more than I get to is ever increasing! Though, I have a plan for that...so watch this space ;)

In actual news, that you may find exciting, I noticed that while I was gone the "Rainbow Six Vegas: Black Pack" was released. I do play R6V occasionally but not enough to warrant the purchase of the Red Pack, a while back, nor this new Black Pack...or so I was led to believe. In fact, while the Black Pack was released at 800 MS Points for a short period of time, it was later pulled without reason or excuse. This mysterious action was rather confusing to many, until it was all cleared up a few days ago.

Apparently, the Black Pack was intended to be released free later in the month...but for some reason was released early for 800 points. People are obviosuly very confused! But, the good news is that the Black Pack will go as planned, for free, on the 30th June (which was a few days ago by the way!). Those who did pay for it, during the short time it was up, will have their MS points refunded! =D

But the better news is that the previously released Red Pack, for 800 points, will also be made free from 6th July (that's this Friday). Now I'm even more glad I didn't buy it when it was released.

In my opinion, they should have made this clear at the start. For instance, when the Gears new map pack (Hidden Fronts, I believe it's called) was released, it was announced that it would later be made free. So I didn't think twice about it, I knew I would wait until it was free, I wasn't that desperate to have it. On the other hand, I bought the Crackdown premium DLC the day it was released, and would have done even if they'd mentioned it was being released for free at a later date. I just wanted it ASAP!

On a side note, I bought Pac-Man C.E. yesterday, as well as Prince of Persia Classic. Pac-Man C.E. is highly addictive and A LOT of fun to play. Prince of Persia brings back memories of the original on the Amiga 1200 for me, and it's also a lot of fun to play. I highly recommend both of them! =)

I also tried the Overlord demo yesterday. It was immense fun and I will definately be looking to buying this in the near future! =)

Well, that's all for now. I'll try to keep with my promise I made before holiday and post at least every other day.

So until later today, tomorrow, or the day after,
Soupy

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The last one for a while (probably) and I'm going back on what I said!

Ok, this could be the last post for a week! I'm leaving tomorrow morning at 4am to get a flight to sunny Magalluf for 7 days! I can't wait, to be honest, as I've been so busy lately with work, exams, and everything else that I do, and I need a week away from it all! I will be sad to miss out on gaming (it's kind of sad that I think that, but I really do enjoy playing my 360!) but will be happy to be on holiday. It's the first real holiday I've had away with friends and am really looking forward to it, as there's 9 of us going, lol! Should be awesome! =) I say this is the last post, but if I get bored later today, or I get internet access while away, I may post a quick entry, for all you keen readers out there! ;)

I want to spend the rest of this post talking about something I had complained about, but now want to take it back. Not so long ago, I posted about the 'major' announcement Microsoft were making and what a let down it was when it turned out to be
'Pac-Man: Championship Edition'. Now, I'm no big fan of Pac-Man, I certainly didn't buy the XBLA version, so I wasn't going to buy this either. And I complained here, there, and everywhere about the let down of the announcement. A few people (who shall remain nameless) had commented to me that it was actually quite good, and while not 'major announcement' worthy, it was still quite awesome. I stood by my anger in the let-down and remained stubborn on the issue...Pac-Man:CE would not be something I would like.

Well, curiousity since got the better of me and I downloaded the trial a few days ago. Due to being busy, I only got around to playing it yesterday...I was stunned. I instantly found myself drawn to this game and loved all 3 minutes of it, lol! I knew I had to buy it as soon as possible...but decided it could wait until I returned from holiday. All in all, I take back what I said, and encourage any of you out there with doubts of this game, to just try it. It's totally reversed my opinion on Pac-Man as the idea behind this is much better than the original, in my opinion! =)

So that's all I want to say. Take it easy over the next week, don't miss me too much, and I'll try not to miss you! ;)

Soupy

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Wouldn't want to break a promise!

Well, what a weekend! Have been so busy that I'm only posting out of not wanting to break the promise just days after making it, lol! I'm going away to Magalluf on Wednesday morning and this weekend was spent preparing for that, as well as the odd social event. Plus, I'm currently in the process of moving from one house to another...all that combined led to a wiped out weekend of busy-ness...and not a lot of 'internet time'. I'll post more tomorrow (if I get a chance) before heading off to relax and sun myself!

Adios (getting in the mood, lol!),
Soupy

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The latest, uhh, Halo accessories...

So then I see this:
...and to be honest, I'm pretty stoked about the whole thing! I've been thinking for a while I should get another controller, just so that if I have extra people round (that require more than the 2 wireless controllers I already have) then they'll be able to play. Now I'm holding off, as I can get that Halo 3 controller, and to make matters more awesome I get something free with it...

A figure...of Master Chief! =D

Ok, so I sound EXTRA geeky today maybe, but it's only because I'm such a Halo fanboy. When the Halo 3 Zune was announced, I was nearly throwing my iPod in the bin. Ok, not quite that extreme...but it was considered, lol! I've pretty sure I'm getting (haven't quite pre-ordered yet) the Halo 3 Legendary Edition just for the awesome helmet! Actually, on that, I found out today the helmet isn't life size! =O I mean, what's with that? Can anyone explain the point of getting a helmet that you can't wear, lol! ;) I expected it to have a built in wireless headset for Live and all! =) Ok, I didn't expect THAT, but it being life size would've been much cooler than getting an ornament! =(


Talking of headsets, they're also releasing this. Now, this is probably the most useful of all the accessories, to me anyway, as I have been thinking of buying a wireless headset for quite some time. This one obviously looks better than the standard Xbox 360 one, but it's something I don't have and could do with. I just hope they're going to improve on some of the aspects of the wireless headset that others found annoying! (Such as the random noise it sometimes generates, or the fact that people can't hear you, lol!) All-in-all though, I'll probably buy them both!

Oh, and before I forget, there's actually 2 designs on the wireless controller...here's the other:






Hope you enjoyed my view on these as much as I enjoy getting them! As far as I know they're out 4th September...but I'm not guaranteeing that! =)

Till next post,
Soupy

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In the spirit of the promise...

Ok!

So in the last post I promised more updates, today you're getting two posts in one day! Talk about a bargain! ;) I was considering holding off on this one until tomorrow, so that we'd have 2 posts in 2 days...but I couldn't let this lie any longer, I had to keep you up-to-date! =)

It was announced today that:

"...Gears of War will be getting a title update tomorrow, June 14th after 0200 0900 GMT. Inside the Title Update, you’ll find eight new Achievements for the "Annex" gametype and the "Hidden Fronts" Multiplayer Map Pack on Xbox LIVE.

In addition to adding new Achievements, worth a total of 250 points, Epic has improved the Roadie Run controls so players have greater control of their movement. The title update will also help squash multiplayer exploits and provide general housekeeping.

All I can say is woah, I've impressed by Epic! Now obviously I was impressed by them when they initially released Gears of War, but then I got annoyed at various aspects of the online multiplayer, as well as the fact that all the multiplayer achievements were ONLY attainable in Ranked matches, in which you couldn't play with friends and usually took around 10 minutes to start! But now I am impressed. I'm enjoying Annex matches and they're giving away the achievement points for free! =) Now, in fairness, technically they aren't all free yet as it implies that some will be for the 'Hidden Fronts' pack, which is paid for. But that will be free come 3rd September! So, I'm happy enough with that anyway! =) I'm looking forward to this but the main thing I need at the moment is to find some time to actually spend with my xbox in order to try these things out, lol!

It seems like I'm working more and more, getting involved with more and more things...and my gaming life suffers! But, all is not lost, I will make time for it, in the same way that I will post here at least every other day! =)

Till next time,
Soupy

EDIT: Updated release time for title update!

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FIFA 08 First Footage...and a promise to you, from me =)

Hey, ok first up today is FIFA 08. I only purchased FIFA 07 quite recently (8 May to be precise)...well I suppose it's a while back now, but the point is, I didn't buy it at launch. I wish I had! Ever since playing it I've loved it, it's great fun and, even though I'm not a big football fan, I really get into it! =)

So then I saw that there was footage of FIFA 08 about...and I had to see it!
So here it is also, for you lovely people (courtesy of GameTrailers.com)


EDIT: This seems to be acting kind of strange when I try to fit it in, but it's still viewable, right?
EDIT 2: I think I've fixed it now! =)

So, it seems to me that they've pretty much used an improved version of the players and the starting arena, to produce this, right?

I'm still excited, don't think I'm not...but I was maybe hoping to see some in-game action. Then I found the screenshots, (courtesy of CvG). Now, to me, these are a lot better than the video. You get to see different players, a bit of gameplay...my kind of screens! =)

So now my excitement has built up, I just have to wait for the release date (September 2007 apparently)...which interestingly enough coincides with Halo 3, the beta of which just stopped. I suppose I should give my view on it then, eh?

I loved the beta. There was nearly nothing wrong with it! My major gripe was the 'push-to-talk' feature, that has been with the Halo series. (well, Halo: CE didn't have Live functionality, so I guess it's just Halo 2) It gets annoying when you have to move your thumb from a movement stick to the d-pad, press it and then move it back, all during the game. Why can't it be like the majority of other games where, when you talk into your microphone, your team hears you. It should be the standard that developers have to keep. The number of times I was talking and realising my team-mates couldn't hear me was ridiculous! Instead, Bungie decided that the push-to-talk would be used for team-mates, and normal talking would be used for proximity. Now, I can see where they came to that conclusion from...in the REAL world, people nearby would hear you when you talk, and people on your team, would only hear you if they were nearby or you were using your radio...but Halo is NOT real world, lol! And it's not handy to press a button to speak. I hope they fix this before the game is released.

It seems that I got quite annoyed with this feature...but don't let this reflect on the rest of the game. It's freakin' awesome otherwise!!! =D

Ok, so now that I've talked about FIFA 08, and Halo 3...I have a promise to make...inspired by Badboy House, in a comment to this post. He stated that he comes by every day, and I don't update often enough. With demand like that, is there any other option but to oblige! So, I'm making a promise to update my blog every other day...with 2 minor exceptions:

1. I will try to update at weekends but they are the likely times I will be further from a computer and the internet, so it isn't always possible! I will, however, always be sure to blog on either a Friday or a Monday


2. If I go on holiday, in which case the said holiday will be detailed (no doubt) in a post before I go!

And on that note, I am going on holiday to Magalluf a week today (20th June) for a week (returning 27th June...for those with trouble adding, lol!) so don't expect any updates during then!

I think, for me, it will be quite hard to stick to this but I'm up for the challenge and I'll be able to look back in the near future and see how well I did! =)

With that said, there could be times where I update every day, or even more than once a day! But at least every other day will be a good start! =)

So, till next time (at least Friday!),
Soupy

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Hitler, Tomb Raider, Sonic, and Mario...

Hey,

After that title you're probably awaiting a joke...or a comparison...or thinking, why the gaming icons and Hitler, lol! Well I have found out interesting facts/rumours/humour about each of them and thought I'd share...all at the same time! =)

First up, Tomb Raider. Well when I originally heard about Tomb Raider: Anniversary edition I was very excited. It's basically a re-created version of the original Tomb Raider game except with improved graphics, possibly an improved game engine, and, probably most obvious, all the moves from the since-released games! Being a fan of the original Tomb Raider on the PSX made me want it so badly! Now, I was obviously expecting a xbox 360 release, seeing as Tomb Raider: Legend made it on the 360, and quite well at that! However, disappointment slowly sank in when I heard that it was being released on PS2 and PSP only! =( Don't get me wrong, I do have both of those consoles, lol! So I could play it if I really wanted to. But I haven't played my PSP in about 6 months, nor can I remember the last time I even had my PS2 plugged into an electrical socket! The 360 has dominated my gaming life and will undoubtedly continue to do so, so having it on THAT platform would have been the best solution, for me anyway. Alas, it was not to be...or so it seemed. I stumbled upon an interesting find on the internet, as you do, and it so happened it was the website of the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board). I found that you can search on their site for game ratings...even ones that haven't been released, but recently rated. So, while searching for tomb raider on xbox 360 I came across not 1, but 6 entries. The first was Tomb Raider: Legend, of course...but the other five were the following:

• Tomb Raider: Anniversary Peru


• Tomb Raider: Anniversary Lost City


• Tomb Raider: Anniversary Greece


• Tomb Raider: Anniversary Egypt


• Tomb Raider: Anniversary Croft Manor

Now, this is exciting to me, as they were all rated for the Xbox 360, according to the ESRB site...but what does this imply? Five different games? I think, these 5 'games' will be downloadable over XBLA! Of course, there's no confirmation of this as Eidos have yet to comment, but this would be awesome, if it was the case! I think it's pretty feasible, as if the game can be released on the PSP, surely it could be released under XBLA. Here's hoping anyway, but I intend to see some form of Tomb Raider: Anniversary edition on the 360 in the near future =)

Secondly...(I can tell this will be a long post already!)...I bring to you the possibility of "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" to the XBLA! Now, again, this is just rumour and assumption, but from the same place I saw the Tomb Raider editions mentioned (ESRB) I also noticed they have rated a game called "Sonic the Hedgehog 2". My initial thought was, "Oh awesome! I loved Sonic and it would make a great XBLA game!"...but then I remembered the disaster (in my opinion) that was "Sonic the Hedgehog" for the xbox 360. You know, the 3D one that when you played, it made you feel you were either on steroids or should be! I played the demo of that expecting a wonderful game...instead I got frustrated and down-right angry that they could take a game as awesome as Sonic and murder it, again, in my opinion! I was expecting a sort of platformer which ran at the same pace as the original Sonic, or else something similar to Crash Bandicoot (which I believe a new version IS coming to the 360) or the original Rayman games...instead I got Sonic the 180mph Hedgehog on an adrenaline rush! I didn't enjoy it one bit...and that what made me think, "I hope this 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2' on the ESRB site isn't a sequel to that game!" If it is...all hope is lost for Sonic on 360! I do hope, deep down, that to make up for the crap that was that 360 game, that they release the original "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" (it's the one with Tails and that makes it AWESOME!) on XBLA! For free would more than enough make up for the 3D game, but I'm willing to pay, lol! =)

Thirdly, a nice short bit of writing for me...in that we have Mario (possibly a Mexican Mario, lol!) in a way you've never seen him before...roll the clip:
(You most DEFINITELY need sound for this!!!)




Isn't that awesome...well, the first X minutes were anyway. After that I got bored as I don't understand that much Spanish! =)


And now, lastly, did you know that Hitler plays the 360? Well he does...and he mods it too! :0 Yes, here at my blog, I have exclusive (minus the loads of other places with this, lol!) footage from a German base proving that Hitler really did get screwed (rightly so, however!) by the Allies...again, roll the clip:
(Sound is not really required for this one but CAUTION: There is bad language in the subtitles of this clip, not sure what the actual German is however, lol!)




LMAO! I was laughing for ages when I seen that! Apparently it's from a film called Downfall, but I've never seen it. The creator made good work of the subtitles though...well thought out in my opinion! =)

Another sidenote...I've been away with work since Tuesday and am returning home tonight. I'm looking forward to gaming again, lol! Especially tomorrow...RuKaMiR, over at 360gl.com has arranged for a, what he calls, 'SoupyC Recognition Community Game Night!', to be played tomorrow. Here's the link about it and, if anyone here is interested, go over to 360gl and sign up to the site. Then say you'll be there. Details (time, etc) can be found in the link about it above. It's hopefully gonna be a lot of fun as the people at 360gl are a fantastic bunch! =)

Anyway, that's the end of this post! Comment as usual and I'll respond when I can! Hope you enjoyed my 3rd post in 3days! I enjoyed making them anyway! It's really fun this whole blogging thing. Also, thanks to Badboy House for placing me as one of his favorite blogs to read! I appreicate it...and on that note, if anyone wants to link to me, I'll happily link back. Just comment and let me know!

Hasta luega, (means "See you later" in Spanish...hope I got that right, lol!)
Soupy

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PC Shadowrun gamers have more going for them than Mouse and Keyboard

Ok, so I found this today, and to be honest, I was a tad annoyed! I mean, all the time, the PC fanboys are all (my mouse and keyboard would pwn your sorry controller ass) and then the xbox fanboys are all (yeah, well I bet my controller would be l33t compared to your sorry mouse and keyboard) and so it continued. Until Shadowrun...the first FPS (well, actually the first game) to offer xbox Live gamers to go head-to-head with PC gamers, in a true Mouse/Keyboard Vs. Controller battle to the death (...or respawn)

Everything was fine, people on both platforms enjoyed the game, the battle continued. Until Mr Geek Nerd-ner decided to program his gaming keyboard with all the combinations to unleash the vast powers that Shadowrun contains, while Mr Uber-Gamerscore browses the menus to find his powers. Thus, Geek Nerd-ner unleashes a flury of different magic and tech combinations that riddles Mr Uber-Gamerscore, long before he's even brought up the damn menu.

Now I know at lot of the Windows Live gamers have complained that the menu system is designed more with the xbox 360 in mind, but I still don't think programming macros into your keyboard is the answer. It's just cheating!

I for one will be sticking with my 360. (Mainly because I don't have a PC capable of most games and I LOVE my 360, lol!) However, I do hope that FASA come out with an update for the PC version that gives them a better menu system for selecting the magic and tech powers.

Till next time,
Soupy

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Huge Microsoft Announcement...possible FREE Halo 3....more like Huge Microsoft hype for nothing!

Hey.

Ok, so yesterday GamerTagRadio post this, saying that Microsoft were making a huge announcement that "will go down in video-game history". Of course EVERYONE who's anyone is excited about this and anticipates 24-hours later...then this arrives! =( I mean, come on! An Xbox Live Arcade release of new levels in a 'new' pac-man is hardly "video-game history"...my friend created some new pac-man levels as a demo game for a university project! Seriously...don't EVER hype me up like that again! I was expecting Halo 3 to be free or something, lol! Ok, not quite THAT big (though it would be freakin' awesome!!!) But at least a video of new motion-sensing controllers for the 360 or something. Now, don't get me wrong here...I don't particularly want to see the 360 steal the innovation of the Wii and try to make money, but there are rumours going around. In my opinion, you want awesome gaming...360, you want motion-sensing innovation and a little gaming...Wii, you want poor use of motion-sensing and mediocre gaming...PS3! I don't joke either...I will consider a PS3 for one thing only...MGS4...and thanks to relativly fresh rumours, I won't need a PS3 for that! =)

So, in conclusion, Microsoft claim 'HUGE' announcement, turns out it's Pac-Man re-vamped, everybody's let down, PS3 sucks...oh wait, that's not new news, lol! =)

Till next 'huge' announcement...well, until next time I feel like it really,
Soupy

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A few fun 'YouTube Does Gaming' clips

Ok, here are some of the funniest videos I have ever seen on YouTube with regards to gaming...enjoy! I've embedded them below but the links are at the bottom if you'd rather just watch them on YouTube:

The funniest double kill in Halo 2 EVER!
Just watch...and laugh! I doubt this could be repeated on purpose, lol!



Super Mario Bros Frustration Parts 1, 2 and 3
Around 23 minutes for all 3, but worth it. A really messed up version of Super Mario being played by a very funny guy! I don't know who he is but if he ever reads this...I salute your sir! =)

WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE IS USED THROUGHOUT THESE 3 VIDEOS!!!




I decided to post these after this forum thread over at 360gl. For anyone who's reading this and not a member, why not? It's such an awesome 360 community site! If you want more details, just ask me or check it out for yourself.

Enjoe the vids anyway,
Soupy

Links:

• The funniest double kill in Halo 2 EVER!


• Super Mario Bros Frustration Part 1


• Super Mario Bros Frustration Part 2


• Super Mario Bros Frustration Part 3

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Mad Tracks XBLA game out today!

Title says it all but if you want more info, check it out here. This game looks like it might remind me of Micro Machines which I loved as a gaming kid. A totally awesome game if ever there was one. Now, currently I'm out of the country, but as soon as I'm back I'm in on this action!

Cost: 800 Microsoft Points

Got your own thoughts on this game, comment me up! =)

Soupy

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Brand-New Grand Theft Auto IV Screens

These are quite awesome! 17 new images from Rockstar's ambitious sequel, Grand Theft Auto IV. Check them out here!

Soupy

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Call of Duty 4 Reveal Trailer....awesome!

Hey

So when browsing the Xbox Live Marketplace today I noticed that there was a Call of Duty 4 trailer for download. I thought well lets try it, another WW2 shooter won't do me any harm. Boy was I wrong, but in a good way! =)
It's basically Call of Duty (which I love) set nowadays...I think! No longer is it WW2 but we get a modern war game under the amazing Call of Duty series! Enough talk, check out the video here.

Note: You may have to register to see this, sorry! =( If this is the case, and anyone knows where you can see it without registering, let me know!

Till next post,
Soupy

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Rumor: Metal Gear Solid 4 On 360, 6 months to a year after PS3?

Ok, posting from Digg now...I'm quite excited about this though! =)

"In the latest EGM LIVE, Shane Bettenhausen one of the EGM editors who last week was on the Kojima podcast talks more in-depth on MGS4. How it will prob be coming in March, and more or less confirms there is a deal in place that MGS4 will come to the 360. It will be announced after the PS3 version is out and odds are it may come out 6-months later."




read more | digg story

Soupy

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Blogger or Digg screwing with my blog??

I noticed, since I put the digg links in that they seemed to be working fine, that was, while I was logged into blogger. I visited my blog today while not logged in and the first post, instead of being the digg button, was Major Nelson's feed gadget from the sidebar, and on the post below it was my Google Adsense gadget!?! Every post below those seemed fine but I don't understand how it happened! If you do notice anything strange, then please comment and let me know, as I can't tell if this is just on my browser on my machine, or is everyone seeing it this strange?

I knew there'd be a downside to widgetizing (I really like that word, lol!)

Soupy

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Digg now featured! =) (Do you 'Digg' the new features, lol!)

Firstly, sorry for that terrible joke! =(

Ok, so now I've got Digg integrated with the blog, feel free to digg away at some posts. Digg seems like a really good idea, and if you start to notice some 'unusual' posts appearing it's because I've been able to setup Digg to blog (here) about diggs that I find interesting and want to appear on my blog. It's a pretty cool setup to be honest! =)

Anyway, hope you enjoy it as much as I'm about to enjoy my Chicken Kiev, lol!

Soupy

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First there was twitter, then a poll...now digg!

Hey.

Ok, so I've been playing around with the whole 'Net 2.0' thing for a while and have decided to just widget-ize my blog, lol! I tried to sign up for digg today and when I tried 'SoupyC' as a username it was taken! Grrr!! So I ended up going for my old usual username, 'SoupyC87' as it was available. So over the next while you might see some random posts, or other wee 'digg' features appearing over my blog as I work out how to do it.

In other news...it's my birthday tomorrow! Yayy! =) I'm 20 on the 22nd and it's a shame I'll no longer be a teenager *sniffle* lol! But who's to stop me acting like one ;) And with that in mind I decided to email my favourite night spot in Belfast, The Box to see if they'd let me get on the guest list. Well, being as nice as they are, they're letting me, and friends, on the guest list, but also, free into the VIP section! Should be fun this Thursday night!

Ok, enough of that...in other other news, I've decided today that I'm gonna try and develop SOMETHING for the 360voice API, just so I can get the badge, lol! I think it'll be a good experience for me at the same time as earning something that I can be (remotely) proud of, lol!

As a last note, before I go play some Halo 3 beta (friggin awesome!!!!!) and maybe some Test Drive Unlimited, thanks to all who voted in my poll in the last post. I was pleased with it and have decided to possibly integrate a weekly, or monthly, poll into the sidebar of the blog, so that I can get a bit more functionality here. (It's the widgetization craze that's got me hooked, lol!) I'll post about the poll, and then update the sidebar to feature it. This means that each poll should be able to be kept in history (forever in theory) but only the latest poll displayed in the sidebar. I think it's a good idea, but as always, if you have your own opinion on anything, comment! =)

Till next post,

Soupy

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Which is easier? (POLL)

I thought this would be quite interesting to see after I have been talking about this with some people, and even talked, to some extent, about it to my girlfriend. Obviously, this won't affect MY actions, but I just want to see what others think. Feel free to comment below, maybe on why you chose what you did?

Soupy

EDIT: Maybe I shouldn't have used the word easier. As some have pointed out, of course it's easier to be single...no nagging, hassle, etc. Maybe the question should've been, what's easier to attain and also the most BENEFICIAL. My point is, is it easier to try and get your girl to game, or are you better to get another girl who likes to game...or is it better to just game alone without and not have a girlfriend.

Hope that clears it up a bit better =)

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Crackdown DLC =) (Again but more exciting!)

OK, so the Crackdown DLC was released the day after teamxbox had their exclusive preview! I got it as soon as I could and it's totally awesome! All I expected and more! lol!

The good thing about being in the UK is that we seem to get marketplace stuff a few hours before everyone else so when I was playing I done a few of the new races. Was awesome being number 2 on the world leaderboard, I almost took a picture, lol! I'm sure it won't last long though =(

I'm worried as I've heard reports that some people have had their game reset due to the new update. I'm hoping it doesn't happen to me!

I got one of the new achievements earlier. It involved harpooning 5 gang members to one car...was very funny! But then I got in the car and when I drove they were attached. Looked great! ;) But when I got the achievement, I saw the new achievement unlocked popup, along with achievement name and gamerscore value. It's so handy!

Anyway, gonna get some lunch then maybe play a bit more Crackdown! =)

Soupy

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Crackdown DLC =)

Just a quick post today about this link. Yes, that's right, the Crackdown DLC has been put on show for an exclusive at teamXbox.com. Now I don't know about you, but I LOVE Crackdown. And this is big news for me, who's been waiting quite impatiently for this. Not only are we getting the final 100G's (Woot!) but also an extra 250 if you're willing to shell out for them. Though I will say this, I would shell out for the premium content, with or without the extra achievements. You'll know what I mean if you checked out that link but seriously, it looks awesome!

Anyway, was just a quick update, now back to work! =(

SoupyC

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Weather (pun intended) to choose 360 or outdoors

Well I thought it's about time I actually made another post. Though, I'm not sure what to write about! I'm sure if I just continue to type, it'll come to me, lol! Today is May Day, a lovely bank holiday in which the Belfast Marathon takes place. I took part in it last year, but not the full marathon, just the fun run. And to make it more fun, I dressed as Big Bird, lol! I even got on the news because of it...though I won't let you know where that video is! ;) This year, I'm not taking part and instead have decided to relax today, as everything else just seems to be so busy, I think I need a day off.

This week's been kinda mad! I've been out in town 3 nights and each one has been a mad one. As well as pulling an all nighter this week, and being out in the sun A LOT. It's very rarely we get the sun in Northern Ireland so I decided to make the most of it. They said that last week was the hottest week for this time of year in 300 years! I didn't even know they recorded the temperature 300 years ago, and when I questioned that they said that they started recording the temperature in Northern Ireland 300 years ago so they can't tell if it's been hotter before that! Anyway, it sure felt hot to me. I even got a little burnt, but luckily when i burn, it goes to tan shortly after! =) All this sun and madness of this week has got me thinking of Magalluf. I can't wait to go now...only 6 weeks and 2 days to go! Should be really good fun, me and 8 other guys in the sun! Even that sounds slightly homosexual, it's not...at all! =)

Also, due to all the nice weather and the enjoyment I was getting out of it, this happened! =( Yes that's right...after 50 consecutive days of playing my 360, I forgot to play one day and my streak has gone. As you can see from the comment on that page, I was rather annoyed =( That's the thing though. I shouldn't be annoyed at losing a 50 day streak of playing, I should be annoyed that I had a 50 day streak in the first place! lol! Now, don't get me wrong...I love my 360! But ever since joining 360Voice I have been over-playing my 360, just so that it can write about me, I can get badges, I can have an awesome streak...it's a little sad, but I like it! =) Plus, there's a great community of people there and if I'd never joined 360Voice, I never would've joined 360gl. I know I maybe don't participate there as much as I'd like to, but that community is truly awesome! There are some great people there and I really look forward to the Halo 3 Beta nights they're preparing. If you wanna check out the people that run 360gl, they are Mr and Mrs Achievement. Their links are in the section to the right (that I added today) but they are truly the kind of people that make the community of 360 owners FAR supperior to that of the Playstation 3. I used to think the people who hated the original Xbox's and then the 360's, and wouldn't leave their precious Playstation, were just Sony fanboys...now I'm proud to call myself an Xbox fanboy...and wouldn't change to the dark side for anything in the world (except maybe MGS4...but my optimism is still hoping for a 360 release, lol! Don't let me down Hideo!)

As I come to the end of my post, I should keep you up-to-date on a few things. My car is STILL in for repairs...apparently this part is harder to find than a leprechaun! Which reminds me of a funny story I heard this week...maybe you'll hear it one day, lol! In other news, I've been doing a lot of java for a uni project due in on Wednesday. Gonna finish it up this afternoon/evening hopefully! Also, me and a friend are looking for a house for next year. Hopefully, a nice two bedroom close to where we are now. Going to view a few on Tuesday so hopefully that will turn out well. And finally, the weather that has been oh so good has let me down as I hear the rain hitting my window! =( Oh well, at least I had no official plans to go outside, lol!

Till next time,
Soupy

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Antwone Fisher and why my wrist hurts =(

So yesterday I watched another Denzel Washington film. This time it was 'Antwone Fisher'. A great true story of an American man and his life. I really enjoyed the film as not only did Denzel
star in it, he also directed it (what can't this guy do, lol!) But I think that if you haven't seen this, it's worth seeing sometime if you get the chance.

See, I currently subscribe to LoveFilm, which is a UK based online movie rental company. I personally think it's great...but maybe that's just because I really enjoy watching films. I pay £12.99 a month and have as many DVDs as I want sent to my door. I have 2 at home at once and as soon as I send one back, I receive another within a couple of days. They have a great selection, and why I'm telling you this is not because I work for them, lol! It's just the reason why you might notice I'll often talk about films I've seen on this blog. If you're into movies though...I'd definitely think about joining them.

So why is my wrist sore? Well I'm currently playing a lot of Xbox 360 (nothing new there I guess) but I'm specifically playing Guitar Hero II and it's awesome! =D Can get quite tough but I can honestly say that it's becoming my favourite game on my 360. If you have a 360 I would suggest you get this. I will however make it clear that there is NO online play for this game =( Apparently they're saving that for Guitar Hero III which will be awesome...but let's get GH2 over with first, eh? I must say, when I started playing I didn't know many of the songs...now I know (and love) pretty much all them! Even put them all on my iPod, so I was ready to rock once my car is fixed!

On that note, currently they are looking for a part for my car. A cylinder head apparently! So if you happen to know where I can find a cheap cylinder head for a 2000 Rover 25 then let me know as apparently they're quite hard to come by =(

Also, tomorrow I will be back to uni for 3 weeks before being off again on study leave. I'm kind of looking forward to going back but the main thing I'm looking forward to tomorrow is booking my holiday! =D Me and some friends decided we'd take off on a week to Magalluf (When I click that link I notice the first site maybe doesn't give the best impression, lol!) Anyway, I'm looking forward to going as I've never been before. If anyone out there has, I'd love to hear what it's like! =)

Now...back to rocking out with Guitar Hero, lol!

Soupy

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Remember the Titans, Forget the TalkTalk

OK, so last night I did 3 things. Firstly, the normal 360 playing and general web surfing, so not much excitement there. But I also watched a movie, 'Remember the Titans', starring one of my favourite actors at the moment, Denzel Washington package. . Basically it's about American High School football in the 70's (for those who haven't seen it) and the racial tension involved at the time. A great film though! One not to be missed if you're into films, like me =)

So, the other excitement of last night was an HOUR LONG phone call (holding for roughly 55 minutes of it) onto my telephone and broadband provider in the UK TalkTalk. The one that 'claims' to give you free broadband when on their £20 a month landline. OK, so it would be a great deal if that was the case, but ever since the broadband went live they decided to set the broadband half up as a standalone account and have been charging £20 for the landline, and £30 for the broadband! What is that about?!? So you'd think after being on the phone for an hour it would be sorted....not a chance! :( Customer services tells me what the problem is (like I didn't already know!) and passes me onto sales to sort it out. Of course, sales says I already have an account and they can't edit my existing one...talk about a load of crap! By the time sales points me in the right direction the call centre closes and I get the 'Our opening hours are...' message. It's so frustrating! Though maybe I'm being too critical. I know many people who didn't have broadband and signed up to TalkTalk and got their landline and broadband package working perfectly first time...I just think it was because I already had broadband with someone else that they messed it up!

Hopefully I can get it sorted in the next few days anyway! Apart from current events, not really much coming up in the near future of any importance. My car is still getting fixed after a week of it being in. Hopefully it will be back to me too! And I'm back to uni next week so life should calm down a bit in general, which will be welcome...except for the upcoming exams, but it's all sweet! =)

Soupy

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My very first blog post! =)

Hey there!

Welcome to my very first ever blog post!

I decided to jump on the blog wagon after being fed up of sites like bebo, MySpace and even faceparty (if anyone remembers, or worse yet, still uses it!) I figure, why not let me decide what I want, rather than the corporate bigwigs of this new Net 2.0 regime. Ok, so it sounded better in my head but you know what I'm saying. I suppose I should list the sort of thing you can expect from this blog of mine.

Well here goes:

• Hopefully a bit of humour
• Quite possibly a portion of xbox news (sometimes just specific to my experience, sometimes general xbox info)
• Most likely a slice of computer/internet/software/anything-computer-related as it is both my education and my employment
• Absolutely a whole lotta love (though not the Led Zeppelin kind) more just me putting the effort into this and hopefully people getting something out of it!
• And finally, 100% ME....my life and all that's involved with that (basically could include anything under the sun so never quote this to me to query why I blog about a subject, lol!)

Well, I hope you enjoy reading and be sure to check back often, subscribe (using RSS or whatever) and comment, comment, comment...until your heart is content!

Soupy

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