Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Microsoft Announces Xbox E3 Line-Up, Xbox Live Details.

Posted by simoniker on from the ghoulie-grabbing dept.

Thanks to Shacknews for pointing to the brand-new Microsoft E3 press release that accompanies their press conference this evening. Highlights include the announcement of three Rare titles exclusively for Xbox, including Grabbed By The Ghoulies (!) and Conker:Live And Uncut, confirmation of Halo 2, Counterstrike, Project Gotham Racing 2, and a new Crimson Skies game for Xbox, plus the full info on the Xbox Live expansions, including XSN Sports and Music Mixer.

21 comments

  1. As if BFD wasn't bad enough... by GTRacer · · Score: 1
    ...Now I have to break down and buy an Xbox for the sequel? Well, I've been looking for an excuse to get one anyway and with the expected price drop, maybe...

    Of course, I have to explain this to my wife, who I just convinced our son needs a GCN and Zelda: WW! She did like BFD's 'Matrix' scene, however. Maybe there's gaming hope yet!

    GTRacer
    - Time for another multi-system switch

    --
    Defending IP by destroying access to it? That makes sense, RIAA/MPAA. Go to the corner until you can play nice!
    1. Re:As if BFD wasn't bad enough... by PeeweeJD · · Score: 1

      get it dude. you wont be disappointed. I have a cube and an xbox as well.

      I cannot wait until halo 2 comes out.

  2. Why go to Shacknews? by Torgo's+Pizza · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...when you can go straight to The Beast to read the press release from the source. It's at least formatted better.

    1. Re:Why go to Shacknews? by simoniker · · Score: 1

      Thanks, much appreciated - I actually updated the story to point to the official source, and still credited Shacknews for the original tip. :)

  3. X Box Lineup only by Torgo's+Pizza · · Score: 1

    Oh, I should also mention that the headline is slightly misleading. The press release is only for the X Box and not their PC lineup.

  4. hrm by rhuntley12 · · Score: 1

    Well a conkers sequel should be cool, I've only heard great things about it, not many adult humor games out there.
    Perfect dark should get great too.

    Console drop in price should be great, going to pick me one up and turn it into a media center, that will also play lan games;)

    MMMmmm unlimited porn and movies in living room, without having to switch cd's

    1. Re:hrm by zonker · · Score: 0

      it's a shame that nintendo didn't retain the rights to perfect dark, conker and a few others...

      --

      Large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

  5. First Conker and Ghoulies Vids from E3 by Reedo · · Score: 1

    Conker Video: http://www.gamerfeed.com/index.php?story=3097

    Grabbed by the Ghoulies Videos:
    http://www.gamerfeed.com/index.php?story=3099

    While you can't really determine much from those short videos, it sure looks like Rare has some interesting stuff on their hands.

  6. Console FPS's by jxa00++ · · Score: 2, Interesting

    One advantage the xbox seems to have in the console wars is the dominance of the 'console FPS' game genre. Halo, Red Faction, Serious Sam, RTCW and now CS. Seems good option for those sick of the latest Radeon/GForce costing more than the rest of your system combined.

    Though have to insert obligatory remark about WASD/mouse control advantage here.

  7. #include by wizbit · · Score: 1

    Too bad the real news here is that EA has declined to sign with Microsoft, signing instead with Sony. MMORPGs are great, and Microsoft does have Sega for some above-average sports titles, but nothing beats EA when it comes to turning out hit sports games.

    A conference was recently held in Japan by Sega to discuss areas where EA didn't dominate the sports market. One conclusion: swimming.

    You get the idea. Xbox Live won't fail on the lack of an offering from EA, but it certainly doesn't help their chances, either.

    1. Re:#include by WildBeast · · Score: 1

      I can't even play there sports games online with my PC. I needed to purchase a subscription and it was laggy as hell so I gave up on playing there games online. I started purchasing Sega's sports title this year and I'll never go back.

    2. Re:#include by wizbit · · Score: 1

      Sega's great, don't get me wrong. I have nhl2k2 for my dreamcast and still play it every day with my roommate. (playoffs, man.) But what I really meant concerning EA was moving a product. Sega has produced few winners over the past year; EA has Tiger Woods PGA Tour and Madden NFL 2003. EA has sold more copies of their games worldwide and MS would really benefit from that kind of popularity for a budding online service.

      EA currently runs their own online gaming experience, and I'm told it does indeed suck. That's not really the point, though; EA was looking to have its games snatched up by a bigger retailer's online gaming infrastructure in an exclusive deal. Microsoft blew a huge opportunity here IMHO by not going all-out for a commitment from EA for the next generation of online console games.

    3. Re:#include by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Too bad the real news here is that EA has declined to sign with Microsoft"

      Now I'll only get to play finished games.

    4. Re:#include by AvantLegion · · Score: 1
      but nothing beats EA when it comes to turning out hit sports games.

      NFL2K3, IMO, played much better than Madden this year. Madden's running game continues to lack realism. 2K3 still has flaws of its own, but it was a great game. NFL2K3 also was picked as the superior product by as many publications as chose the reverse. So it's a pretty tight competition there.

      However, there's no question in the world that Sega's NHL2K3 was MILES beyond EA's NHL 2003 this year. And I was a diehard NHL 200x faithful until this year. NHL2K3 made NHL 2003 look like a joke. I hope EA really retaliates hard this year, because they always have a nice, polished product. I'm worried about NHL2K4, as the franchise has changed developers...

    5. Re:#include by Babbster · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Actually the "real news" as regards your EA Sports opinion is that it is "conventional wisdom" instead of fact, at least in terms of quality - I won't argue the sales numbers because clearly EA dominates there. NFL 2k3 and Madden are so close that it's hardly worth preferring one over the other (though I prefer 2k3), NBA 2k3 is rated as superior to EA's product, NHL 2k3 is better and World Series Baseball is just as good if not better.

      The EA Sports juggernaut rolls on over the competition NOT because of quality but because it's what people are used to. Say "video game football" and most people are going to think of Madden. Say video game sports and they're going to think of EA Sports (sometimes maybe 989 since Sony pumps the heck out of that name).

      Microsoft didn't make any kind of mistake in not wooing EA more. EA believes that they are going to get a huge payday out of online console play at some point - possibly with monthly fees, which they refuse to rule out - and they wanted money and concessions out of Xbox Live that just were not going to be forthcoming - for example, EA wants to disable online play of older sports games in order to "encourage" purchase of the sequels. In fact, Microsoft making any kind of special deal with EA for getting their sports franchises online would have been even more foolish considering that Microsoft (like Sony) is marketing their own set of sports games, all of which had a respectable debut. They aren't as polished as the Sega and EA franchises but they'll only improve.

      What it comes down to is this: If EA gave a damn about customer satisfaction, they would take the Sega route and simply enable online play on BOTH the PS2 and Xbox Live. Instead, they have decided to give their Xbox customers the finger. The Sega and Microsoft brands are going to get a huge bump out of this from Xbox Live users and a lot of those people may never buy an EA Sports game again.

    6. Re:#include by th3space · · Score: 1

      and not a single mention of the best EA franchise of them all...FIFA 200X...of course, no one really offers anything that comes even remotely close to featuring both key, recognizable players and solid gameplay. They're bested from a technological aspect by the Winning Eleven series, but that game lacks big-name clubs/leagues/players for the general consumer to be able to latch onto it for it's superior gameplay...which is too bad, because it's depth is just about on par with FIFA 200X's. Blah, EA sucks. And their 'soundtracks' are boring.

      --
      "How like you to drag your keyboard to a gun fight." - Aaron Bedard (BANE)
  8. much-needed Xbox Live improvements by AvantLegion · · Score: 3, Interesting
    The improvements for Xbox Live are a bit understated in the article, but they're gonna be big.

    A web-based stats database? Sure beats the "records get reset every month" stuff we get now. We've had stats on the Web for games like UT on PC, but a central stats database for every Xbox Live game? That's just downright cool. Not to mention the site will also have communicate-with-friends features.

    General lobbies will also be really nice.

    Some of the integration features, like alerts to your cell, or games that allow you to accept online challenges even when you're playing single-player, are the kind of features that don't mean much to the 90% that won't use them, but mean the world to the 10% that do. It's extra features like that - ones that don't get in the way if you don't want them - that make a nice, complete product.

    The Xbox should really be defined by Xbox Live. It's the best online console by a ridiculous margin. Hopefully people will get over the Microsoft bashing, Sony/Nintendo faithful chest-pounding, and take note that Microsoft is (*gasp*) truly innovating here! No other console, or PC for that matter, have the kind of complete online gaming service that Microsoft is making Xbox Live to be.

    1. Re:much-needed Xbox Live improvements by PeeweeJD · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Microsoft is (*gasp*) truly innovating here!

      I agree with you. Features like that is why I don't mind paying $50 for live. There is no way an unctonrolled network like sony has can have a central stats repository. (btw: did you guys know that ngusa.com is now run by microsoft?)

      One feature that I wish they would put into live is more control of the friends list (grouping friends into categories). It would also be nice if they would somehow show what live enabled games people on your friends list have.

      Having some non xbox way (pc, cell phone) to see when a bud is online will be great. there are many times on the weekend where I fire up my xbox just to see if someone is online that I want to play with/against.

  9. For people who don't know... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Goolies" is slang for testicles. "Grabbed by the Ghoulies", therefore, sounds painful.

  10. Conker Announcement by ShaoK · · Score: 1
    I enjoyed the N64 game immensely..i was pretty sad to hear they are making it primarily a shooter.

    The original had a multi-play option and all the games were great and well polished, however i thought where the game really shined was its single player.

    oh well, i guess i'll chalk up this loss to the 'it needs to have online play so it'll be good' column