Xbox 360 Games of the year 2007

In our opinion the Xbox 360 has been the console of year and with that in mind, we have put together our top five games of the year for 2007. If you are getting a Xbox 360 for Christmas, you should seriously look at these titles.

5. Half Life 2: Orange Box

Excellent value for money and plenty of hours gameplay, with Half Life 2 including Episode 1 and Episode 2, Portal and the amazing online Team Fortress 2.

Five brilliant games in one - its a must have on the 360

4. PGR4 - Project Gotham Racing 4

Whilst PGR3 was technically brilliant it was a bit too anal for a lot of gamers, the smallest error costing you the race and make the whole process frustrating. PGR4 comes back much stronger and puts the fun back into the series.

With a fantastic amount of cars to choose from, incredible graphics and fantastic gameplay, its a racers dream.

3. Halo 3

Truly fantastic - there isn't much you can say about this game. At first it feels familar and you wonder if it has moved on that much since Halo 2 but as you get further into the game you get blown away by the awesome graphics and sheer scale of the battles.

This must be one of those games that anyone who owns a Xbox 360 must have.

2. Call of Duty 4

Infinity Ward have come back with an absolute stormer with COD4 on the Xbox 360. The graphics are amazing, echoing the footage we are all used to watching on channels with Sky News. The game play is gripping and the multiplayer is best of class, hours and hours of fun. Only stayed off the no.1 spot cause the single player is just a little too short (but at least you'll complete it!)

1. BioShock

Some games don't live up to their hype which leaves a bad taste in your mouth. BioShock however delivers and delivers. Gripping from the offset this creepy FPS takes you to an amazing underwater world where you really can choose your destiny. The graphics are incredible, the story line is awesome and you just won't put this down. So good, you'll start again from the beginning and choose a different path!

No spoilers here but this one is an example of the sheer power of the Xbox 360 and happily the Gadgets, Gaming and Girls Blog winner of Xbox 360 Game of the Year. Enjoy it!

Gemma Atkinson pops out!

I don't need a lot of persuading to blog about the lovely Gemma Atkinson, of Hollyoaks fame in the UK and all round hot model featured in "lads mags" around the world.

If you thought Gemma had been quiet since leaving "I'm a Celebrity" you'd be wrong. The hot young lady has been doing some promotion for Ultimo, the lingerie brand and talking about her plans to launch a pop career.

Thisislondon reports her as saying ""There was a rumour it was going to be pop, but it's completely not going to be that. It's going to be something very ballady - soul and R'n'B. Something you can sing to."

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm we'll wait and see Gemma but if it fails at least you can fall back on main assets! I'd certainly like to!

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/showbiz/article-23427427-details/I'm+A+Celebrity's+Gemma+Atkinson+strips+off+to+promote+her+pop+career/article.do

Nintendo Wii calls on the Cockroaches

I've heard some far fetched stories but this one takes it to another level!

The Reg reports that the Nintendo Wii supposedly gives off a high pitched frequency that attracts Cockroaches!

According to the report the little creatures respond to air movements and ground vibrations by "feeling" them on their body and the Wii gives off the right impulses!

As I said, I don't believe a word of it and having had a Wii here for a year I can safely say that I've not seen one cockroach!

You can read up here...

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/12/14/wii_attracts_cockroaches/

Movies finally hit the UK Xbox 360

It's been a long time coming but finally Microsoft have released movie downloads for the Xbox 360 in the UK.

They are available for 250 marketplace points for the Standard Definition (480p Widescreen) version, which weighs in at approx 1.2Gb for the example I'm looking at (Ocean's Eleven) or 380 points for the High Definition (720p) version which is a whopping 5.1Gb. So if you are running the 20Gb hard drive you wouldn't want too many down at once!

You get 14 days after purchase to watch it but be careful, once you have hit the play button you only have 24 hours left to view it. Make sure that your broadband package isn't too restrictive about download limits - if you have a 2Gb cap then you should be thinking about changing your service to something that offers much larger downloads limits or even unlimited.

The list at the moment, whilst having a good selection of films, doesn't really set the world alight! Anyone with Sky HD in the UK would be better off choosing something from the Sky Box Office as they are much more up to date.

However if you have a nice HD screen and an Xbox 360 but no other HD content this will be a welcome addition to your viewing pleasures and for that reason alone, I give Mircosoft the thumbs up for finally giving the UK some content.

Lets just hope they keep them coming and they get some newer releases!

The following films are available right now:

300
HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
ZODIAC
MATRIX, THE
MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, THE
MATRIX RELOADED, THE
OCEAN'S ELEVEN
PERFECT STORM, THE
SWORDFISH
THREE KINGS
TRAINING DAY
FUGITIVE, THE
RISKY BUSINESS
SPACE COWBOYS
EYES WIDE SHUT
ANALYZE THIS
DEMOLITION MAN
EXECUTIVE DECISION
LETHAL WEAPON 4
LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION
MARS ATTACKS!
CLASH OF THE TITANS
SUPERMAN III

And coming before January 7th 2008

TMNT
WE ARE MARSHALL
BATMAN & ROBIN
BATMAN FOREVER
BATMAN RETURNS
WILD WILD WEST
US MARSHALS
DEEP BLUE SEA
SPHERE
UNFORGIVEN
MAVERICK
CONTACT
CONSPIRACY THEORY
OUTBREAK
LAST BOY SCOUT
MISS CONGENIALITY
ANALYZE THAT

Sega Dreamcast Back? Are You Kidding?

You hear some crazy stuff on the grapevine but this has to be one of the craziest stories! Rumours go that Sega is going to make a come back with the Sega Dreamcast!

How did this all get started? Well it seems that Sega renewed some copyrights back in August and updated some of the features, to include such things as "floor pads" which might lead you to think that they are planning a comeback to rival the Wii, and maybe to deliver a "Wii Fit" type package!

I imagine its more that some of their back catalogue is going to be made available, maybe with updates to include new hardware than they are trying to protect. Who knows!

However its a nice story and I for one would welcome Sega back into to the melee. They say that they are "very happy being a platform agnostic company" and hey, I'd agree with that, but to survive in this market, they need to start producing some quality games and not relying on re-hashed hits.

A Sound Idea for the PS3

There is a good review of the Logic3 SoundStation3 PS3 speakers over at Reg Hardware (link below).

The bit that caught my eye and made me laugh was the opening paragraph.

"So, you’ve got your PS3 all set up, nicely wired into your widescreen LCD TV... and it’s sitting there gathering dust ‘cause there are very few decent games available for it yet. That’s the prognosis - the diagnosis is: treat yourself to an affordable set of speakers that will breathe life into your under-utilised games console."

Nether a truer word spoken in jest! My PS3 hasn't been getting a look in lately, I tend to turn it on and check to see if there are any good demo's online, then I shut it down and power up the Xbox 360.

In fairness to Sony I do remember similar times with the Xbox 360 during the first year, however these were largely confined to the summer period and there was a host of games out for the holiday period last year and this one. It is slightly concerning that there isn't a better crop of games for the PS3 this year, hopefully 2008 will see some quality.

If you are trying to make a decision on which console to go for, I'd seriously consider the Xbox 360 as it has an amazing back catalogue and defer your investment in a PS3 until next year.

However, if you already have a PS3 and need some good speakers that will look the part, whilst not breaking the bank, then the Logic3 SoundStation3 PS3 Speaker should keep you entertained whilst you wait for some decent games.

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/12/07/review_logic3_soundstation3_speakers/

First Impressions of Xbox 360 Fall Update

Just a quick update to tell you about my first impressions of the Xbox 360 Fall Update released today, December 4 2007. So far I am impressed!

The update took only seconds to download and install, much faster than PS3 updates take on the same connection, and the Xbox 360 screen loaded up. It seemed to pause on here for longer than usual before saying I had signed in, then it took me to the Xbox Live tab and showed me signing into Xbox Live as normal.

Sticking with this tab you can now go into Inside Xbox which at present has one update from AceyBongos (awful name) explaining that updates will be due every Thursday. I guess they are going for a Blog appeal with weekly updates (unlike us who post at least once a day!). Apart from this no real changes to notice to this tab.

Going into Marketplace is where the real improvements have been made. "Spotlight" gives you the latest downloads, which you can navigate left and right throwing different sub lists, e.g. What's Hot, Top Demos, Top Arcade, etc. It much clearer to navigate.

Back to Marketplace you have "New Arrivals" which again you go left and right to see Games, Arcarde, Xbox Originals, etc.

Then you have "Games Store" which gives you an up and down list that features Xbox Live Arcade, Xbox Originals, Game Demos, etc. Xbox Originals is a cool feature on this update, you click on it and makes the display black with green text and graphics in a like the original Xbox. Ah it makes you feel all retro and you almost miss it! There are 7 demo's showing in my region (UK) that include Halo, Crimson Skies, Fuzion Frenzy and Fable. All priced at 1200 credits and approx 2Gb downloads... download a few of these and you will wish you had the Elite or at least the 120Gb hard drive.

The last point I'll touch on for now cause I don't want to spoil all your surprises, is the Games tab. Now when you into "Games Library" you can click on My Games which allows you to flick left and right between All Games, Arcade, Demos, Recently Downloaded, etc. It is just a much better way of navigating and I'm really pleased they have done it like this.

I'm off to play but left me know your thoughts on the subject.

Wii Fit Parody

Ah the Nintendo Wii, you can't deny that those guys at Nintendo know how to shift hardware and games aimed at the whole family.

As I've previously blogged, the Wii Fit game will be coming to the US and Europe early next year. It could be a lot of fun or it could be another novelty that you buy, try once, enjoy it and then never use it again. We will see soon enough I guess.

Whilst flicking around YouTube I stumbled upon this Parody written and produced by those guys at Sarcasticgamer.com (which appears to be down at the moment?) and its a lot of fun. I'd seen this before my blog got going but felt it was right to post it now as its damn funny and topical.

Enjoy!

Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard

The guys from Gamerscoreblog walk you through the Xbox 360 Fall Update showing you all the new changes we can expect tomorrow, December 4.

The new update helps to keep you in touch with all that’s new on Xbox LIVE Marketplace – the Spotlight function points you to great new content and promos, while a New Arrivals area gives you easy access to all the freshest downloadable goodies on LIVE. Inside Xbox is another new feature that will keep you up to date with all the latest developments in the world of Xbox Live, and then there’s Xbox Originals. This exciting feature allows you to download a range of classic Xbox titles like Halo, Psychonauts and Burnout 3: Takedown and play them on your Xbox 360. Bring them on!

Choosing the right Apple iPod

Being holiday season you might be thinking about buying someone an new iPod or maybe asking for one yourself. However there is quite a selection on offer these days and choosing the right one can be tricky. This guide should help you on your way to audio heaven.

The iPod shuffle is your smallest and cheapest model on the market. This iPod comes with 1Gb of solid state storage, so no moving parts, which will fit upto 240 tracks on it. It really is tiny and has a clip on the back so you can secure it to your clothing. There is no display but as you only have a relatively small amount of storage this isn't too much of a problem. The controls are easy to use, the main play button is thumb sized which you click to play or click to pause. Leave it on pause for a couple of minutes and it will auto turn off to save battery power.

The shuffle feature can be switched on or off by a switch on the bottom, so you can either hear your tracks in album order or all mixed up. It comes with a small dock that connects to your PC or Mac by USB which is used to sync and charge your iPod shuffle. A small light on the iPod tells you when it is operational and when it needs charging. Battery life is approx 12 hours.

The Good - Small, leightweight, simple to use, cheap, nice clip to secure to clothing
The Bad - Lack of display can be annoying, shuffle and lock switch is very small

Ideal Present for... Sport types who enjoy the gym or running, people who enjoy a simple interface or younger children
Retail Price $79 (US) £49 (UK) Eur 79 (EU)

Next up is the new iPod nano which has moved on a long way from the previous model. It is now shorter but squarer than the previous nano to allow a 2 inch screen which now supports video. The nano comes as either a 4Gb or 8Gb model, like the shuffle this is solid state so no moving parts, the smaller giving you upto 1,000 songs or 3,500 photos or 4 hours of video or a mixture of all 3. The 8Gb doubles all these to 2,000 songs, 7,000 photos or 8 hours of video or a mix of all. The 8Gb is $50 more expensive than the 4Gb but I would recommend going for the larger if you can afford it. You'll be surprised how quickly you can fill 4Gb once you start adding your back catalogue of CD's! The screen is nice and clear but it is small, I don't think you would want to watch a whole movie on it but it's ideal for watching music videos or TV episodes, which you can download for a fee from iTunes. Battery life is pretty good with up to 24 hours of audio or 5 hours of video.

The Good - Small, leightweight, has photos and video, range of colours, price
The Bad - Screen is small
Ideal Present for... Anyone who wants a small player with video, the girl about town, teenagers
Retail Price 4GB Model $149 (US) £99 (UK) Eur 149 (EU) / 8GB Model $199 (US) £129 (UK) Eur 199 (EU)

The iPod Classic is boasts the largest storage capacity thanks to its internal hard drive. The model comes as either 80Gb or 160Gb so there is plenty of storage for music, videos and photos.

The 80Gb will give you up to 20,000 songs, up to 25,000 photos, up to 100 hours of video, or some of each whilst the 160Gb will give you a whopping 40,000 songs, up to 25,000 photos, up to 200 hours of video, or a mixture of each. These are serious devices! The screen is larger at 2.5 inch and that extra .5 inch really does help when watching videos for longer periods of time. I use mine when travelling between the UK and US when the inflight movies do not take my fancy I know I have a whole library to watch in my pocket. Again if you can afford go for the larger one as the price per Gb is cheaper. Battery life is good with up to 40 hours of audio or 7 hours of video.

The Good - Loads of space for photos and video, excellent screen, good battery life.
The Bad - More expensive
Ideal Present for... The music and video hoarder, the techie who believes bigger is better, movie lovers.
Retail Price 80GB Model $249 (US) £159 (UK) Eur 249 (EU) / 160GB Model $349 (US) £229 (UK) Eur 349 (EU)

The iPod touch really does add the wow factor. Much like the iPhone but without the phone element, the touch has a lovely look and feel to it. The 3.5 inch multi-touch widescreen is very impressive. You use you fingers to scroll through your music, drag them apart to zoom out of photos and back in to zoom in. The touch has built in Wifi so you can connect to the internet via a wireless hotspot or at home if you have a wireless router. You can download tracks straight from iTunes whilst on the move! You can even watch YouTube videos on it. It's truly a fantastic device. The only reason why you would choose the classic over this is size. The touch comes in either 8Gb giving you up to 1,750 songs, up to 10,000 photos, up to 10 hours of video, or some of each whilst the 16Gb gives you 3,500 songs, up to 20,000 photos, up to 20 hours of video, or a mixture. For me, I'd have the 16Gb and live with losing the extra space. In reality, with any iPod, its easy to setup iTunes to only sync your playlists, so you can still hold all your content on your computers hard drive and just sync the music, video and photos you believe you need on your travels. Battery life is good enough with up to 22 hours of audio and up to 5 hours of video. A beautiful device and truly innovative.

The Good - Fantastic screen, innovative and functional interface, wifi, looks and style
The Bad - Most expensive iPod
Ideal Present for... The gadget lover, the professional on the move, anyone!
Retail Price 16GB Model $299 (US) £199 (UK) Eur 299 (EU) / 160GB Model $399 (US) £269 (UK) Eur 399 (EU)



I hope that guide helps you decide. Any comments or questions please ask.

DivX Support on Xbox 360

Wow, some thought it would never happen but it shows what a bit of competition from the PS3 can do.

It has been announced today that Microsoft will be releasing MPEG-4 Part 2 video codec support as used in the popular DivX and Xvid codecs.

In simple terms this should allow you to play videos with an .avi extension, as long as they have been encoded in either the simple or enhanced simple profile.

These formats are popular on the internet as they maintain a good quality image whilst keeping the file size to a managable size.

This has been reported officially today by Microsoft and will be included in their Fall Update which will be released on December 4. I'll test and update you all then!