News Roundup: 09-22-2006

Here it comes: That blessed holiday time-frame that sees the release of all those blockbuster titles, and with its rapid approach, a flood of important news and release information is upon us. Here are the highlights from last week:

Not too big, not too small: Just right.

The Peripherals Are Coming
At E3, Peter Moore gushed over a glut of high-profile peripherals for Xbox 360™: there was the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset, the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, the HD DVD Player, and the Xbox Live® Vision Camera, which was just released last Wednesday.

Though the Xbox Live Vision Camera shipped quietly to retailers, its potential impact on Xbox 360 gaming is vast. Even the simplest functions, like video chat, offer something that no consumer has had available before on such a large scale. Add to that the functionality of adding pics to your Gamer Profile, or the infinite possibilities offered by using the camera for gesture gaming, and it is a powerful addition to any Xbox 360 collection. Get full details on Xbox Live Vision Camera from our intrepid hardware reporter, Elle. http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/personality/elle/20060915-xboxlivevision.htm

Tokyo Game Show Buzz
The Tokyo Game Show may have been centered on the Japanese market, but that doesn't mean that its revelations won't affect you. Right now, you can log onto Xbox Live Marketplace content ripped straight from the show, including trailers for Valve's Half-Life 2: Episode 2, information on Team Fortress 2, a montage of game highlights for Windows Vista, and much, much more.

Of course, there were several very exciting items announced at the TGS press conference as well. Three items in particular should be of note to North American gamers.

• 1080p a reality: Xbox 360 ushered in the age of high-definition console gaming with full support for 480p, 720p, and 1080i HDTV resolutions. With the advent of new HDTVs supporting 1080p, Peter Moore announced that we are taking things one step further by enabling 1080p, currently the highest possible hi-def resolution for games and HD DVD movies, via a software update this fall.

Games and movies in 1080p … yes!

• HD DVD release: The North American release of the HD DVD player is confirmed for mid-November, likely preceding the Japanese release of November 22. The estimated retail price of the HD DVD unit will be $199.99.
• RPG Sonata: Namco Bandai announced a brand new RPG, Eternal Sonata, for Xbox 360 at the Tokyo Game Show. Though it likely won't be available until late 2007 in North America, the basic description of it taking place while a famous composer is dying and flitting between the real world and the afterlife is surreal enough to pique many a gamer's interest.

Now that he's at retail, do you dare refuse him?

Between the preceding news items and the avalanche of games that are shipping, like The Godfather™: The Game, World Series of Poker®: Tournament of Champions, NBA 2K7, NBA Live 07, it's a good time to be an Xbox 360 owner. Now, it's time to just sit back and enjoy the ride that will take us all the way through the New Year.

Article by Ryan Treit