Treit & True:
News and Updates, February 16, 2006
At A Glance
- Gaming news and updates for the week ending February 16.
The videogame industry is in a constant state of change; new games are announced, partnerships are formed, release dates are moved back or up, new peripherals are born, etc. These changes aren't slow moving or occasional either—they're constant. Every week brings new updates for Xbox® and Xbox 360™ fans, so here's a quick look at some of the more newsworthy items from this past week.
Dry Spell Over
Game releases have been nil for Xbox 360 since Dead or Alive® 4 hit store shelves in late December, but the wait is finally over. SEGA® and Pseudo Interactive's Full Auto™—the action racer lauded for its destructible environments—is now available. You can find full coverage on Full Auto here.
More importantly, Full Auto's release marks the beginning of a high volume of new releases for Xbox and Xbox 360. Coming in the next few weeks are:
Peter Moore on Xbox 360 Availability
In his recent address at the DICE Summit, Peter Moore, the Corporate Vice President for Microsoft®'s Interactive Entertainment Business unit, spoke to the availability of Xbox 360 in the coming weeks. In encouraging news, Mr. Moore assured fans of Xbox 360 that the shortage problems would become a non-issue within the next several weeks. Quoted in a report by Gamasutra, Peter Moore said "Within the next four to six weeks, anybody will be able to walk into a store and buy an Xbox 360."
Ubisoft's Gold Medalist
In a recent press release, Ubisoft announced that it has partnered with the newly crowned Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Shaun White (aka "the Flying Tomato") to release a snowboarding title for "current- and next-generation consoles."
Details on the game are scarce, but Shaun White was quoted in the press release as saying "I'm stoked to be working with Ubisoft to develop a video game that captures the thrill of snowboarding like no game has done before. I'm a huge fan of Ubisoft games like Prince of Persia®, so I'm excited to be able to combine what I love about snowboarding and gaming into an experience for everyone to enjoy."
The Outfit Demo
The upcoming Xbox 360 World War II action game The Outfit™ is coming to Xbox 360 owners sooner than expected in the form of a downloadable demo from the Xbox Live® Marketplace. The demo features a single level from the online multiplayer component, where you can get a great taste of what to expect from The Outfit when it releases just a few short weeks later. Expect the demo to be available about March 3.
These major stories are the highlights from this last week, but remember—there's always something new around the corner. Stay tuned for more regular updates to keep you up to snuff on what's happening in the world of Xbox and Xbox 360.
Article by Ryan Treit
