Max Payne 1 & 2 now on Xbox Live

Heads up, 360 gamers. You can now find Rockstar’s Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne on Xbox Live. Each game costs 1,200 Microsoft points, or $15 in non-spacebucks.

There seems to be a bit of a discussion at Major Nelson’s Tree House, or whatever he calls his Internet Web site, about whether it’s wiser to buy the Xbox 360-ified Max Payne games at $15 a pop, or buy the actual, boxed copies from eBay for less. That way, you have the game, manual, and the sense of physical ownership that some people cling to.

Of course, not everyone still has a working Xbox1 (I do, but I’m silly), and playing the game on Xbox1 won’t net you any Achievements. Decisions!

I enjoyed Max Payne when it first came out. I never played Max Payne 2, so maybe I’ll give it a go this time around? We’ll see. I’m busy doing stupid quests in Fallout 3, and Banjo-Tooie comes out on Wednesday. I also just bought Fallout and Fallout 2 from Good Old Games. So clearly I’m very busy, and making the most of my college degree.

[via CrunchGear]

Manifesto Of The Red Ring Of Death: How Not To Launch A Console

If you wanted to know the ins and outs of why the famous "Red Ring of Death" that has plagued the Xbox 360, you might want to check this article out. It certainly is a long read but if you own a 360, you owe it to yourself to go through it.

After I read it I wasn't sure if I should praise the engineers who had to pick up this mess, or shake my head for a disaster that could've been averted. Let this be a lesson to everyone that sometimes, going cheap can cost you in the long run.

In Microsoft's case, the cost was huge!!!

[via Crunchgear]

Dad Nails Xbox To Tree, Looks Like A Moron

One of the things about “over reacting” is that the person who thinks they’re in the right tends to look like an ass. Case in point is this jag who thought he would teach his 3 boys a lesson about bad behavior while playing their Xbox, by nailing it to a tree. Check the quote:

“My husband had repeatedly warned our 3 boys about their behavior while playing the XBOX. Tuesday, after I arrived home from work, our oldest son told me to look in the backyard at "Dad's artwork". Well, I wasn't surprised to see the XBOX proudly displayed on the nearest tree... way to go Honey!!!!!”

Now I’m all about discipline, and perhaps the kids needed some ass kicking. But I’m not sure what you’re really teaching your boys when you nail a game console to a tree. Because let’s face it, he just shortened the time for those kids to ask him to buy an Xbox 360.

[ireport via Gizmodo]

Kid Brakes Vacuum To Get Out Of Chores, Mom Sells Xbox And Pwnd MySpace Account

Photo courtesy of Gizmodo
I love stories like this!!!

A 13-year old kid was told by his mom to do his chores instead of playing Xbox 360. The kid thought he would get out of it by intentionally braking the vacuum cleaner.

Mom wasn't having it!!!

She's selling his 360 on Craig's list along with all of his games, which are some good ones too! To add to it, she found out that he was also looking at porn by checking the cookies on the computer. Gizmodo got a chance to speak with the mom, and here's what she said:
"My 13 year old managed to break the vacuum....thinking it would release him from that duty. He also has a list of other chores that were TYPED up for him to do Friday afternoon....one thing on the list was done...mind you these are simple things...empty the trash, clean your room, etc. Then I go thru the cookies on his computer and find out he has been checking out porn sites. Now there is a password so he can't even get on and his my-space page has a picture of snoopy on it now. Apparently I'm the meanest mom in the world, were his words. I'm a single mom. I can't let them walk over me or I might never get up."

Mom's got some geek cred. I love it!!!

[Craigslist via Gizmodo]

Xbox 360 Wiimote Coming This Year, Code Name: Newton

Well it looks like Microsoft is jumping on the Wii bandwagon with their own version of the Wiimote. Microsoft confirmed that they're in development of a Xbox 360 motion sensitive controller similar to the Wii controller, with a code name of Newton. The 360mote will have a LED sensor bar (like the Wii), but will one up the Wii by having a built in microphone. Jesus Diaz from Gizmodo did a great mock up job, base on MTV's sketch.

No release date has been announced, but it's rumored for late '08.

[8bitjoystick via Gizmodo]

Microsoft Drops Price On HD DVD Add-On

Talk about inventory clearance!

Microsoft was kind enough to drop the price on their Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on to $49.99, but they're still obviously discontinuing the unit. You would think Microsoft would be giving these away in light of recent events, but the liquidation sale is on. So if you're looking for an HD DVD player on the cheap (even though you won't have many movies), here it is.

[Xbox via Gizmodo]

Microsoft digs doing the 'ostrich thing'

"We do not believe the recent reports about HD DVD will have any material impact on the Xbox 360 platform or our position in the marketplace," the company said. "We will wait until we hear from Toshiba before announcing any specific plans around the Xbox 360 HD DVD player." [MSNBC.com]

Well, that's a nice try. But I'll give it a failing grade. If Microsoft continues with no platform changes, it will be a nearly Xbox-only platform, which means further development will be expensive compared to the number of units on the market (which should keep dropping like a stone?).

Waiting for Toshiba? Why? What? If the future is this clearly blue, why the waffling? Or is there something else in the wind?

December Update Officially Bans Xbox Modders

I don't know anyone who's brave enough to have done this to their Xbox 360 system (considering all the hardware issues that it already has), but if you've modded your console to play burned games, you might not want to download the December update. The December update officially bans modded Xboxers, so you will not be playing Halo 3, or Call of Duty 4 on-line..... Ever!!!

That's a steep price to pay to play burned games kids.

[Crunchgear]

Free Software To Unlock Your Gadgets

Lifehacker.com is giving you the option (for free) to get more from your gadgets than you've ever gotten before. Lifehacker has come up with some pretty cool software to get your ipod, Xbox, router, or iphone unlocked and rock'in.

Check it out.

lifehacker.com

Wii Closing In On Xbox 360 Sales

The Nintendo Wii is on the Xbox 360's ass, so far as sales is concerned. The is very impressive considering that the 360 had a year head star on the Wii.

According to VGChartz.com, a new video game comparison site put up a pretty cool comparison graphic (see above). The Xbox 360 comes in at 10.32 million consoles sold, followed by the Wii at 10.10 million, and the PS3 bringing up the rear at 4.11 million.

What I'm curious about is if the price drop of the Xbox 360 along with the release of Halo 3, will give the console a boost in sales that might widen the gap a little. I know that young and old people are buying the Wii, but the real gamers are buying the Xbox 360, and the lack of HD on the Wii cannot be overlooked. I know that most gamers don't care about HD, but to ignore it completely I think will be a mistake on Nintendo's part down the line.

Total world Wii sales close in on Xbox 360 [Reg Hardware via Crunchgear]

EA Says Nintendo Wii Is Only As Powerful As The Original Xbox: Doesn't slow sales

Usually it is the PS3 or Microsoft that is doing the 'doggin' of the Wii, now EA has joined in with their opinion. One of EA’s developers said that the Wii is only as powerful as the original Xbox. Check the quote.

It’s about as powerful as the original Xbox. The video hardware unfortunately is not as powerful…. Overall though it’s pretty much what the original Xbox was.

It’s clear that the developer wasn’t really 'baggin' on the Wii here, but rather just making a well-informed observation. But I'm sure that it will not be taken like that.

Read the article after the jump. [GameIndustry.biz]

The Wii is really just a GameCube 1.5

We all know that the Wii is the least powerful of the 'next gen' games systems. But Microsoft's Robbie Bach tears it a new one, by calling it a glorified 'GameCube'.

Says Bach:
"…the video graphics on it aren’t very strong; the box itself is kind of underpowered; it doesn’t play DVDs; there are a lot of down-line components [that] aren’t actually that interesting. … They don’t have the graphics horsepower that even Xbox 1 had. So it makes sort of the comparison set a little bit difficult.”

Wow!!!! That's kinda harsh.
But he may have a point!

Newsweek’s Level Up went to technical experts to discover if what Bach was saying is true. In a nutshell, the Wii essentially is a GameCube with a new controller and improved memory clock speed.

Read the 'Level Up' article for a really, in-depth look at the guts of the Wii after the jump.

Xbox 360 Elite details

For all of you gamers out there. Here are all the details for the new Xbox 360 Elite that is hitting the streets. From our friends at Engadget.

• The Elite will be limited quantities only; that may be as much or as little as a couple hundred thousand.
• The case, controller, and Live headset will all be black. It will have all new packaging.
• Elite will cost $479, and will be a 3rd SKU; it will be sold alongside Premium and Core packs.
• Eventually Elite hardware (in white plastics) will take the role of the Xbox Premium. That is to say, after the Elite is launched and sold out, future Xbox Premiums will have 120GB / HDMI.
• We do not yet know exactly when 120GB / HDMI will become the standard for Premium, but it is loosely estimated to be late summer or fall.
• Elite models run cooler than normal 360s, but they are not yet confirmed to have 65nm chips.
• Prices may remain the same with the 120GB / HDMI hardware upgrade in the Premium Xbox, but we may still see a price cut on the line when 65nm chips start shipping.
• The HD DVD drive will not be internal or bundled -- Microsoft never did or nor does not currently have plans to put an HD DVD drive in the 360.
• There are no current plans to integrate WiFi into the Elite or future Premiums (although that can always change).

Looking forward to seeing this thing in the wild soon!!!