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From GameBizDaily:

 

<table style="MARGIN: 0px 13px 13px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="499"> <tbody> <tr> <td class="gy12"><strong class="gy18">X06: X360 HD DVD $199 in November, Peter Jackson Forms Studio at MGS, & MS Goes Exclusive Crazy[/b]

<strong class="biz_b12">At Microsoft's X06 event in Barcelona, the company has revealed the price and timeframe for the external Xbox 360 HD DVD player. A number of other exciting games announcements were made as well, including Peter Jackson's new game studio partnership with MS, exclusive Halo content and episodic GTA content, and more![/b]

</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="gy12">The flood of Microsoft news is coming in now from the X06 event held in Barcelona. The company finally unveiled that its Xbox 360 HD DVD player will retail for an estimated price of $199 in North America (€199.99/£129.99) and will hit store shelves in North America, the U.K., France and Germany in "mid-November." A more exact date has not yet been specified. The HD DVD player will come bundled with Universal Pictures' Peter Jackson-directed King Kong on HD DVD (just for a limited time, though) and the Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote.

 

 

"The Xbox 360 HD DVD Player is the best high-definition movie experience and value on the market," Microsoft's Peter Moore said. "The reviews, the word of mouth and the consumer response have all been crystal clear -- HD DVD is the format of choice. We're not forcing movie technology on game players but are instead letting them choose how to personalize their experiences. If they want HD DVD, there's no better value out there."

 

Peter Jackson was apparently the keyword of the day at X06, as Microsoft also unveiled a "landmark partnership" with the Academy Award-winning writer/director/producer and screenwriter Fran Walsh to create two new interactive entertainment series exclusively for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. For the first series, Jackson and Walsh will collaborate with Bungie Studios to create a new chapter in the Halo universe. Jackson, as you may recall, is also producing the upcoming Halo movie. The second series, according to MS, "will be an entirely original property targeted at bringing new audiences into the captivating world of interactive entertainment."

 

And that's not all for Jackson, who apparently really does have a great appreciation for the video game medium. Both Jackson and Walsh are partnering with Microsoft Game Studios to establish a new game development studio, Wingnut Interactive.

 

"Microsoft has built an amazing living canvas with Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, which allows the storytellers of our time to express themselves in a new medium. They have fundamentally changed how people think about games," Jackson said. "My vision, together with Microsoft Game Studios, is to push the boundaries of game development and the future of interactive entertainment. From a movie-maker's point of view, it is clear to me that the Xbox 360 platform is the stage where storytellers can work their craft in the same way they do today with movies and books but taking it further with interactivity."

 

Microsoft also made a number of important game announcements at X06. The company announced that Age of Empires creators Ensemble Studios will be creating Halo Wars exclusively for 360; the game is an all-new real-time strategy title based on the Halo universe.

 

Continuing with exclusive game news, Microsoft also revealed that Take-Two plans on offering Xbox 360 gamers exclusive episodic GTA content. Two downloadable episodes to complement Grand Theft Auto IV are in the works. Each will provide "hours of entirely new gameplay" and will become available on Xbox Live "just months after the release of the title."

 

And it doesn't stop there. Microsoft also scored an exclusive in the Splinter Cell universe. Ubisoft's next Splinter Cell title following Double Agent will be console exclusive to the 360. Also exclusive to the Xbox 360 and Windows platforms will be 2K Games' BioShock.

 

As for Microsoft Game Studios specifically, they unveiled Project Gotham Racing 4, a new Banjo-Kazooie from Rare, and a massively multiplayer online game Marvel Universe Online for Xbox 360 and Windows Vista, which is being developed by City of Heroes creators Cryptic Studios.

 

On the Xbox Live Arcade front, MS announced that id Software's Doom is available for download today on Arcade and that Sensible World of Soccer from Codemasters is coming soon.

 

"Xbox 360 is changing the way developers are telling stories today -- from the industry's most beloved franchises to exciting new properties," said Moore. "We are inspiring the imaginations of the entertainment industry's best and most creative talent to take their franchises in exciting directions, while also spinning new tales for everyone."

</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

Wow, am I reading a gaming anouncment or a political advertisement. Hard to tell with all of the self indulged ego boosting.

Oh its a love fest, no doubt.

Yeah, but I'm going to allow it.

Self-love ftw!

The trailer for Halo Wars is damned nice though.

Posted By Kanluwen on 09/28/2006 10:13 PM
Yeah, but I'm going to allow it.

Self-love ftw!

The trailer for Halo Wars is damned nice though.

No link? Shame on you!

It's interesting that Halo will finally be getting back to its original roots as a RTS. . .unfortunately not by Bungie though.   : (

 

 

Posted By yakface on 09/29/2006 12:20 AM

It's interesting that Halo will finally be getting back to its original roots as a RTS. . .unfortunately not by Bungie though.   : (

 

To be honest, I'd rather see it made by the folks who are on deck to make it:  The team from "Age of Empires".  Those games rocked.  Bungie has little (any?) RTS experience.  Not that they wouldn't do a great job but...

 

Also, the Halo Wars trailer, along with a CRAP LOAD of other cool stuff is up on X-box Live.  Check out Game Videos, then "Bringing It Home".   I also recommend the "montage" video. Little bit of everything in that, including some brief Gears of War gameplay.

"Bringing it Home" is all the footage and videos from Tokyo.  There's some pretty cool stuff in there.  Midway looks pretty nice, I hope it plays well. 

Oooh, right. More download stuff. Do I have to stop watching my movies to get it?

The new "Active Downloads" feature on the 360 is pretty cool, you can que up like 7 downloads and the work while you're doing other things (gaming, watching movies, music, etc.)

The downloading will pause if you play an online game, so as not to soak up bandwidth, then it will start again when you finish.

It was poorly worded sarcasm Russ Sorry

Wasn't Halo originally started as a RTS concept, then moved into FPS? I seem to remember watching an Icons on G4 to that effect...

Bungie did do RTS at one time

Yeah Russ, shame on you. Bungie pumped out two fantastic Myth games. I have no doubt that were they to do a Halo RTS it would be phenomenal.

But I'm excited about it anyway, don't get me wrong. Too bad I'm not a huge RTS fan, but I'll certainly buy and enjoy it anyway.


And sutekh,

Just like I said in my first reply, indeed Halo's first iteration was a RTS before being converted into a third-person adventure game and finally into a FPS.

How could i forget the Myth games!

Ok, well, to be honest, I never really got into the Myth games. Couldn't see what all the hullalabaloo was about there. Must be a personal taste thing.

The guys from AOE being involved really does excite me, because the AOE series did a great job at making the RTS genre about more than throwing waves of infantry at an opponent.

Should be fun to watch.