A new supposedly ‘leaked’ image suggests that the next Xbox will be named the Xbox Infinity. The image appeared on Reddit with The International Business Times claiming the console name is confirmed
“sources have now revealed the console will be named Infinity and that development kits are already in the hands of studios.”
It wasn’t long ago that the rumor mill was reporting that the new console would be named Xbox Fusion and Fusible, who specialize in reporting on domain acquisitions, discovered a number of domains registered by Microsoft suggesting Fusion may be more likely:
However with just over a week until the official console reveal, it won’t be long till we know for sure.
God Mode released onto XBLA yesterday for 800 MSP. The game which is being described as a third-person shooter with RPG elements, is said to combine non-linear gameplay, fast and frantic shooting, hordes of on-screen enemies, customizable characters, and online multiplayer and co-op modes for up to four players. God Mode was developed by Old School Games and published by Atlus.
Xbox LIVE Gold has been unlocked today in the U.S., Latin America, Japan and Canda. All Xbox owners in these regions will now have access to online multiplayer gaming, Video Kinect, and the entire catalog of entertainment apps available, right through until 1pm ET/10am PT Monday, April 22. To celebrate, Call of Duty Black Ops II, Far Cry 3 and Assassin’s Creed 3 will be giving out double XP all weekend and Borderlands 2 players can unlock a special Golden Key Code: KTW3T-ZXXS5-JBSJF-5FJT3-6TB9X. There will also be a number of EA Sports tournaments to take part in, in association with Virgin Gaming. For more information, head over to Xbox.com.
Source: Major Nelson
The jig is almost up, Monaco: What’s Yours is Mine is set to steal its way on to XBLA next Wednesday and to set us up for launch date, a new trailer has been published. The co-operative heist game from Pocketwatch Games, has been doing the rounds at conventions for a while now and even won the IGF Grand Prize in 2010. Now XBLA fans will be able to assemble their own crack team of thieves and attempt to execute the perfect crime in single player or with up to four friends in local or online co-op when the game releases April 24 for 1200 MSP.
Following on from some of the negative XBLA press that has recently hit the headlines, Ska Studios’ James Silva has decided to set the record straight on his experiences with Microsoft. In a recent blog post Silva revealed “Working with Microsoft is great. I have heard a few stories that contradict my experience, and I know quite a few people who are happier on platforms other than XBLA, and that’s fine for them. XBLA is a closed, carefully curated platform with its own set of fairly rigid standards and protocols. For me, it was just a matter of “do the work, release the game,” and that’s exactly what we did.”
The Lead Developer of XBLA hits The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai and its sequel Vampire Smile, and the upcoming Charlie Murder, also expressed his dismay at the negative publicity XBLA has been receiving, “Reinforcing the ‘Microsoft is bad for indies’ narrative doesn’t hurt Microsoft, it hurts indies…As a consumer, would you think twice about buying a game from a ‘failed platform?’ Would you hesitate at buying an indie game from a company that “screws indies?” But that’s the current narrative, and while it sucks for Microsoft, it sucks a lot more for indie developers who are publishing on XBLA.”
The news makes a welcome change to fans of the platform after hearing a number of high profile indie developers, including Braid’s Jonathan Blow and Brian Provinciano, the developer of Retro City Rampage, stating that were considering moving away from XBLA or consoles altogether. To read the full blog post, head over to Ska-Studios.com
Source: Ska Studios
It seems that the development of action-RPG The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing is coming along nicely and indie studios Neocore Games have recently published a new gameplay trailer demonstrating their Rage and PowerUp system. The new gameplay mechanic is said to grant players the ability to boost and tailor their skills for a short duration of time right in the heat of the battle. Players gain Rage by defeating enemies which they can then channel into either one of their three active PowerUps or into a combination of all three. The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing is set to release on XBLA later this year.
Motocross Madness finally got a release date. The game was officially announced by Microsoft for XBLA back in June 2012 and while it now seems to have dropped the “Avatar” prefix, will still allow players to take their Xbox Avatars free-riding across massive environments, from the deserts of Egypt to the snows of Iceland this April 10. Players will be able to drift, trick and turbo boost their way across 9 expansive off-road tracks in single player events, ghost challenges and 8-player online multiplayer races as well as 2-player offline competitive and co-operative modes. The game is also thought to utilize the Avatar Famestar program but no pricing details have been revealed as yet.
Source: PlayXBLA
Title Update 9 is now available for Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition. Along with a bunch of add-ons and fixes including climbable vines, tweaks to crafting recipes and the ability for sheep to re-grow their wool, the update also brings with it The End, a new area where players can take on the Ender Dragon monster and hordes of Endermen enemies. For the full list of updates hit the jump.
Continue reading “The End comes to Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition” »
Switchblade Monkeys, a new indie development team comprised of former staff from big name developers such as Blizzard, Hasbro and Radical have announced their first release, Secret Ponchos, a multiplayer combat game that pits players against each other in intense Wild West battles. Players will be able to engage in one-on-one duels, western style gang fights, or enter the fray with Free-For-All mode. Players will also be able create and customize their own outlaw and upgrade both their abilities and appearance as they gain reputation points. The game has not yet been confirmed for XBLA but the developers are aiming for a console release. In the meantime check out the teaser trailer while our intrepid XBLA Fans team at this years PAX East get the full details.
Coffee Stain Studios have released a new gameplay trailer for their upcoming title Sanctum 2. The new video provides gamers with a first look at the cooperative play in action for the new tower defense-first-person shooter hybrid game. Three new playable characters with unique weapons and abilities have also been revealed, Sweet Autumn, Haigen Bagge, and SiMo will now join Skye Autumn in futuristic combat battling waves of enemies such as lightning fast brood mothers and hulking walker pups. While no firm release date or pricing has been announced, expect to catch Sanctum 2 on XBLA this spring.
