XBOX TIPS & Tricks

December 2006 - Posts
Dec 30

Major Nelson's List

Major nelson, director of programing for xbox live, recently published this list for the past years gaming titles. Here is what he had to say.

"Here are the top games for 2006, based on Xbox Live connectivity.
The following rankings are based on data collected from 1/1/06 – 12/29/06:"

 2006 Top Xbox 360 Titles (UUs)
1    Gears of War
2    Hexic HD
3    Call of Duty 2
4    Ghost Recon 3
5    Oblivion
6    PGR3
7    Perfect Dark Zero
8    Call Of Duty 3
9    UNO
10    EA SPORTS™ Fight Night Round 3
11    Saints Row
12    Geometry Wars Evolved
13    DEAD OR ALIVE 4
14    Texas Hold 'em
15    Madden NFL 07
16    DEAD RISING
17    Need for Speed™ Most Wanted
18    Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas
19    BFMC
20    Splinter Cell Double Agent

     2006 Top Arcade Titles (Purchased)
1    UNO
2    Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting
3    Geometry Wars Evolved
4    Marble Blast Ultra
5    PAC-MAN
6    DOOM
7    Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
8    GALAGA
9    Gauntlet
10    Frogger
11    Bankshot Billiards 2
12    SmashTV
13    Contra
14    Zuma
15    Texas Hold 'em
16    Bejeweled 2
17    Feeding Frenzy
18    Small Arms
19    Cloning Clyde
20    LUMINES LIVE!

     2006 Top Original Xbox Titles
1    Halo 2
2    Battlefield 2: MC
3    Star Wars: Battlfrnt 2
4    Madden NFL 2006
5    Counter-Strike
6    Splinter Cell Chaos
7    Forza Motorsport
8    Call of Duty 2
9    Ghost Recon 2
10    PGR 2
11    Rainbow Six 3
12    NFS Most Wanted
13    Ghost Recon 2: SS
14    Rainbow Six 3 BA
15    Ghost Recon AW
16    Far Cry Instincts
17    Madden NFL 07
18    Conker: Live Reloaded
19    Tony Hawk Am Wasteland
20    RS 4: Lockdown

Dec 27

Why do games cost so much?

Many people have been complaining about the $60 pricetag for next-gen console games. Forbes takes time to explain why. You can read their article here.

Art/Design $15

Programing and Engineering $12

Retail $ 12

Console owner fee $7

Marketing $4

Market Development Fund $3

Manufacturing Costs, Packaging $3

Licensing $3

Publisher Profit $1

Distributor: $1

Corporate Costs: $.20

Hardware Developement < $.03

Total: About $61 dollars

 

 

 

 

Dec 26

Christmas has come and gone..."It has?!"...so what next?

 

Well first of all Merry Christmas to everyone, and a happy New Year.

 

2006 has been a good year for gaming, the ‘next generation’ is finally here, Microsoft releasing there Xbox 360, Nintendo the Wii, and Sony (finally) the PS3. Some of the blockbuster games including Gears of War, Resistance: Fall of Man, and of course, Zelda.

 

  So as we stare down our twelve pint on New Years Eve, what is next in the marvellous world of gaming? Well I have compiled a list and some links that should point you in the right direction.

 

 

And that’s just the start of it! Now if that doesn’t wet your pants in excitement I don’t know what does.

 

Also, my brief overview of my christmas :

 

Rainbow Six Vegas : A solid shooter, very tactical and graphically impressive, but it is Multi player that has got me the most interested.

 

Cod 3....: Didn't manage to get it, due to my mum getting gears of war which I already got lol, oh well

 

HDTV!! : Makes them games look so much more prettier, especially gears of war

Dec 26

Christmas: My xbox 360 should be happy now.

I recieved many wonderfull presents, but the six I plan to discuss here are all Xbox 360 games.

Gow: Graphicly the most amazing game I have ever seen in my life. It is quite inovative and has raised the bar a lot.

Rainbow six Vegas: I havnt had much time to delve into this game however it graphics are impressive and it looks like a good Tactical Shooter.

NBA Live 07: At first it was bit confusing, but I now have the hang of it. It should be fun to play when my cousin and uncle visit, huge basketball fan and the ones who sent me this.

The BK 3 pack: Overall, these games are pretty good for a 4 dollar price tag. I was surprized a lot by how addicting they can be.

This all equals one Happy Xbox.

Dec 24

Crackdown faq

Publisher : Microsoft Game studios

Developed by: Real Time Studios
Genre: Action
Number of Players:  1-2
Release Date: February 20th
US: see above
Europe: TBD

Rated: RP (rating pending)

ESRB Content Descriptors: N/A

Includes: 16:9 Support, 720p Support, HDTV 1080i Support, Dolby Digital 5.1, Xbox Live, Memory Unit, Custom Soundtrack, and Downloadable Content 

 

 

Crackdown, due for release early in the new year,  has had many a gamer excited with it’s limitless storyline and free roaming cities. Developed exclusively for Microsoft Game studios and the Xbox 360.

 

You play as cyber cop, and aim to get rid of the crime syndicates dotted around the city, by any means necessary. You can use billboards, signs, cars, even people to bring down the evil doers. The game is from the imagination of Dave Jones, you may not recognize his name but you’ve almost definitely played one of his games, The Grand Theft Auto series and Lemmings titles among his repertoire.

 

Crackdown boasts a new kind of gameplay, unlike, in the maker’s description, any seen before. Your main objective to beat the game is to get rid of the crime syndicates, and you have multiple methods of doing this. Take out the weapons supplier and you will notice the mobs have rubbish pistols and knives. Eradicate the recruiter and numbers start to fall, the possibilities are endless.

 

Features

 

Brilliant Experience from a Legendary Game Designer: From Dave Jones, the creative mastermind behind “Grand Theft Auto” and “Lemmings” comes “Crackdown™,” an explosive masterpiece set to define open-world, free form gaming in the next-generation.

 

True Next-Generation Visuals: Harnessing the power of Xbox 360, Crackdown players enforce justice against the backdrop of a crime ridden metropolis, massive in scale, monstrous in scope and meticulous in detail. The unique presentation style employs a highly stylized rendering technique that turns the game into a living graphical novel.

 

Cooperative Gameplay – Double the Mayhem: From its initial concept, to final design, Real Time Worlds focused on delivering dynamic, engaging cooperative gameplay for double the carnage, action and intensity.

 

3-Dimensional Free Form Gameplay: For the first time ever, an urban playground has been created to encourage players to explore and exploit the full width, depth and height of a city. Players wage war on the syndicates by taking part in high-octane chases on foot and on wheels while using any appropriate route along, around, across, over, under or through the environment. Freedom abounds as it’s up to the player to determine how best to complete the non-linear objectives in a myriad of wild and creative ways.

 

Over-the-Top Action: All strategies and tactics are acceptable provided players reclaim the streets by unleashing the awesome abilities inside each Agent. As players develop and hone their gameplay skills, their Agent’s genetic tendencies will increase allowing players to realize their Agent’s full potential. Players will be able to run at dazzling speeds, take death-defying leaps, handle the most incredible weapons, perform impossible vehicular maneuvers, move massive objects and deliver bone-crushing blows.

 

Music as Environment: Over 100 licensed tracks, spanning a wide range of styles and genres, give audio identities to characters and locations in Crackdown. Coupled with a next-generation use of 5.1 surround sound, gamers will know just from the music and sound effects they hear which crime syndicate is headed their way.

 

The Environment is Your Weapon: Low on ammo? No problem. Thanks to an amazing amount of props and a deep physics system players can use whatever they can get their hands on as weapons – from trashcans, vehicles, even people – to clean the streets of crime. In Crackdown the actions you take last longer than when the player runs a block away too. If the player wants to stack up vehicles and then run away to corral vehicles toward an obstruction, the players ‘masterpiece’ will be there when they return as the game reacts to how the player plays. In Crackdown, players use the world as one huge chemistry set where the possibilities are endless and the outcomes are wild.

 

Co-Operative play

 

One of Crackdowns most appealing features is the ability to team up with someone on your friends list and co-op play. Stuck and need a good driver? Then just get your friend in and get past it easily. This is certainly an exciting prospect for me and look forward to it. 

 

I will update with achievements as they come, thankyou

Dec 24

Worried about your system dying? (M$ Steps up to the plate)

Microsoft will be backing the system. Not only are the extending all warenties, but the are refunding all repair costs. Read the full article here.
Dec 22

Ever wonder how santa does all he does? Its simple, He is a Jedi

Santa is now a playable charector in Lego Stars wars 2. You can unlock him by preforming the following steps.

Step 1: At the Mos Eisley Cantina, enter the following two codes:

CL4U5H ( Santa hat and red clothes)

TYH319 ( white beard Extra)

Step 2: Use the Character Customizer and create the proper costume: human head, the appropriate red clothing and cap. He can wield the weapon of your choice. I would choose a christams themed light saber: either red or green. The color of his lightsaber will decide his Force powers, will he be are naughty or nice?

Step 3: In the Extras menu, activate Disguise 3.

Step 4: Enter the character-based level of your choice in Free Play.

Step 5: See the awesomeness that is Santa the Jedi Master.

Dec 22

Burger King Sells over 2 Million games (Poor Europe)

Yes you read the title correctly; Burger king has sold over 2 million copies of their games featuring the king in less than four weeks. These promotional items seem to be a favorite among gamers. Of course at about 4 bucks a pop, it’s not that surprising. These games include pocket bike racer, sneak king and big bumpin’ all of which are rated “E” But what I found extremely funny was the fact that these games were created by Blitz Games: one of Europe’s largest independent game developers, but they cant be played In Europe because they are region locked to North America.

Dec 21

TimeShift FAQ (Looks like an interesting game.)

Studio: Sierra Entertainment

Developed by: Saber Interactive
Genre: Shooter
Number of Players:  1-16
Release Date: 2007
US: TBD
Europe: TBD

Rated: M

ESRB Content Descriptors: Strong Language, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
Also Available On: PC.

Includes: 16:9 Support, 720p Support, Dolby Digital 5.1, Xbox Live, Memory Unit, Custom Soundtrack, Downloadable Content 
 

 Set in the near future, TimeShift from Saber Interactive will take the first-person genre to an entirely different dimension marked by erratic time and unrelenting action. The unprecedented technology behind TimeShift will allow gamers, for the first time, the ability to slow, stop and reverse the flow of time while remaining completely unaffected. Set in an engrossing storyline, gamers must learn to master this new skill while navigating through the new universe and ultimately complete the adventure. Using Saber Interactive’s proprietary Saber3D Engine, the story will progress through virtual environments of cinematic quality, and the game’s sophisticated AI will challenge gamers to think creatively on how to use their new powers.

 

Plot overview: Players take on the role of Colonel Michael Swift, a renowned and recently retired test pilot, who has accepted an offer from the US Government to test out two of the most significant inventions of the century. Armed with a time-control device called the Quantum Suit and a time machine called the Chronomicon, Swift is briefly sent back in time to plant an experimental probe. Upon his return to the present, a major shift has occurred.

The world he left has changed beyond all recognition. And his intimate knowledge of the true time stream has made him an enemy of the state. Swift is both on the run and on a mission to set time straight once again.

 
Features –

  • Time control elements never before seen in any game – players can slow, stop and reverse the flow of time, affecting the world and enemies around them while moving freely through frozen worlds.

 

  • Time shifting obstacles will challenge the players to think in four dimensions in order to overcome difficult scenarios and defeat challenging enemies.

 

 

  • Next-generation graphics technology in the Saber3D engine, including normal mapping for amazing high-detailed textures and characters as well as parallax lighting and scorchmarks, which allows the environment to come alive with detail.

 

  • Deep storyline involving time travel and betrayal, featuring an alternate time stream.

 

  • A wide array of unique weapons, vehicles, and operable gun turrets.

 

  • More than 30 combat missions, spanning outdoor, urban, aerial and indoor environments, each featuring unique time shifting elements and challenges.

 

  • Online multiplayer options that allow up to 16 players to use time based weaponry against other human adversaries.




Weapons in TimeShift:

 Air mines

Clutch Grenade

Ceiling turrets

Echo Rifle

Frog mines

Gearmaster

Knuckleduster

KP- Hellrazer

Krossbow

M74 Blood Hound

MagCannon

Stalker Rifle

Static Weapons

Surge Gun

Swarm Grenade

 

Vehicles:

 

Bomber

Destroyer

Kopter

Panzer

Trike

Warship

Dec 20

Halo 3 Video documentary

A video documentary made by Bungie will be made available 2am PST today, this is the first in a series of shows that aim to explain the new features and the game play in Halo 3.

A few snippets of information:

• There are no finished graphics in the documentary, and everything you see is a work in progress.

• This will be available initially only on Xbox Live Marketplace.

• They will make another, non-marketplace version available relatively soon.

• It runs for seven minutes. (Coincidence??!!!!!!!)

This episode is about the main enemy in Halo 3, (now that the elites have formed a sort of alliance with the humans) the Brutes.

This is a work in progress and therefore will be nothing like the finished version,
Dec 20

Whats an Achievement????

Looking back over my past few posts, I realized I have been alluding to something I never explained: Achievements. In my opinion this was one of Microsoft’s more ingenious designs with the Xbox 360. Every Xbox 360 game you play, with a few exceptions of course, comes standard with 1000 gamer points that can be gained through unlocking achievements. These achievements span most aspects of the game and could contain everything from a simple 30 yard pass in madden to 10,000 kills in gears of war. Overall, it challenges the gamer to complete these goals and compete with friends. Also because many achievements are online multiplayer ones, I believe it has help boost live memberships.

 

Here is an example page contain the achievements I have unlocked.

Dec 19

Konkins: The guy behind the name.

This is my first post on here for Game reviews and will be posting many more in the coming days.  I wanted to let you know how this guy really is.  First off, I am a XBOX 360 junkie.  What that basiclly means, is that I like to play just about anything I can get my hands on.  I may not own the games long, but I love to play anything.  You will often see me playing Gear of War or Call of Duty 3 right now. I work from home, so I am always either on XBL or on my computer monitoring things.  I am part of the worlds best clan, that I will not name here....if you want to know just pm and ask.  I hope that my future reviews are good for you and help you choose the games you really like.  ALSO....I never mind people telling me I'm wrong, I will listen to what you say then tell you, you are wrong!!  lol  j/k.

 

PEACE!!!

Dec 19

New to Xbox Live; Need some Help with something; We are here to help.

Here at steeplemedia we are looking to bring the most recent gaming news and helpful tricks and tips at one easy place. We are interested in hearing what you are interested in hearing. Any games you think deserve a look at? Interested in a specific genre of games. Need help with any specific task? We want to make this your place for gaming info. We are looking foward to bringing in more reviews on new games.

If your ever playing and looking for a few good games add these players to your friends list, though I suggest sending a message on how you got their name.

Master Toppo

Cain141

Timw001

Konkins

Dec 18

My 360 has a voice, does yours?

Ever wonder what you friends have been up to? Now you can know with the help of the innovative site: www.360voice.com. It creates a daily computer generated blog entry based on the previous day’s events. With this you can keep track of what games they are hooked on, their gamerscore, and even reputation change. It also allows you compare your self to other gamers in multiple categories, to who has the most achievements, the most completed games, or even just who plays the most. You can view my voice here, and Master Toppo’s voice here.

Dec 17

The Xbox 360: It’s more than just shooters.

Bullets passing by your face can result in hectic chaotic atmosphere to say the least. While the 360’s main focus may seem to be shooters, considering most the games that come to mind when you think Xbox are this genre: Halo, Gears of War, Rainbow Six Vegas, Graw, Battlefront, Lost Planet, The call of duty series. Some of the most original and unique games get lost in the firefight. Viva Piñata is one of these games. It allows one to create life, not to destroy it. In this game you play the role of the gardener cultivating life on Piñata Island which is full of hidden secrets. This game will appeal to both young and old and offers a very enjoyable experience.

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