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[PhatSaqs]

http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200510/N05.1007.1906.32390.htm

Good stuff.

Microsoft is pimping Perfect Dark Zero as the big game of the Xbox 360 launch, and what I played of the game was good, but not Halo 2 AAA quality good. For a game that’s been in development for over six years I would expect a lot more – especially from a developer with such heritage as Rare.

Perfect Dark Zero still has its number of problems. The rag doll physics seem completely dull, and enemies more or less slouch over when they are shot. Also, in our round table discussion with Rare, they stated that the AI was intelligent and would react to when an enemy nearby was shot. This rang false when I sat on the rooftop of a building and picked off four enemies that were shooting at one of my teammates. These enemies were a few feet from each other and I went down the line picking each of them off with headshots, and neither of the remaining enemies seemed to flinch as their mates hit the floor.

Fortunately, there’s still some time for the team to keep polishing the game. Perfect Dark Zero right now seems good, but as I said not AAA Halo 2 good that Microsoft is saying it is. Hopefully in the next remaining weeks the company can pull it together and fix the flaws that make it just an above average first person shooter.

Other third party standouts were Sega’s Condemned: Criminal Origins, Activision’s Call of Duty 2, Capcom’s Dead Rising, and 2K’s NBA 2K6 and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Third party games like Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06, GUN, Peter Jackson’s King Kong, and Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland looked just a bit better than their Xbox counterparts. King Kong already looks brilliant on Xbox, and Tony Hawk runs in 720p, so the true need for an upgrade doesn’t seem that overwhelming. Some of the games like THQ’s Saint’s Row, 2K’s Top Spin 2, and Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter were a little too early to even be shown to the press.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a definitive day one launch list outside of the first party Microsoft games like Kameo: Elements of Power, Perfect Dark Zero, Project Gotham Racing 3, as well as the five Electronic Arts titles, and Tecmo’s Dead Or Alive 4. Microsoft told us we should have an official launch list in the next week or so. But what does that leave for the beginning of 2006? Shane Kim stated that N3: Ninety-Nine Nights would be heading stateside, so hopefully that will be hitting sometime in the beginning of 2006.

As far as third party, there are a lot of games slipping from day one launch into later in the launch window. Microsoft’s definition of launch window is seemingly from November 22 until sometime in February and March because our sources say that titles like Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Saint’s Row, The Outfit, and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter will not be seeing the light of day on the Xbox 360 until 2006.

At the end of the day, X05 was a great chance to see how the Xbox 360 titles were faring, but it wasn’t as solid as I was hoping. There’s going to be a number of great titles at launch, but not the big stand out Halo title that the company could use to really hype the debut of the system. There’s still some time for polishing, but that time is short especially if companies are trying to hit day one launch. Those expecting some major leap in graphics and gameplay from last generation to this generation will have to wait a bit. The only game that really looks like a next generation title to me at this point is Kameo: Elements of Power

 

[Dezcom]

Good find.

As far as third party, there are a lot of games slipping from day one launch into later in the launch window. Microsoft’s definition of launch window is seemingly from November 22 until sometime in February and March because our sources say that titles like Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Saint’s Row, The Outfit, and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter will not be seeing the light of day on the Xbox 360 until 2006.

That source better be lying about Oblivion. :|

 

[Agent Icebeezy]

Oblivion was confirmed twice on the X05 floor, that it'll be there for launch

 

[DreamMachine]

Good find.



That source better be lying about Oblivion. :|

In the gamespot interview the developer said day one launch title so i don't know where gameinformer got it's info from...

 

[AniHawk]

titles like Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Saint’s Row, The Outfit, and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter will not be seeing the light of day on the Xbox 360 until 2006.

FULFILL THE PROPHECY

 

[Ryudo]

FULFILL THE PROPHECY

Looks like somebody needs a hug ?

 

[AniHawk]

Looks like somebody needs a hug ?

Pfft, Xbox 360 fans don't have any lower to go. Nothing but UP.

Now watch as 80% of the launch window titles are delayed well into 2006.

 

[Ryudo]

Maybe i am just dumb, plain and slow. But what does that mean ?

 

[Particle Physicist]

dont worry guys . microsoft just extended the launch window into the first quarter of 2006. its all good.

 

[raYne]

dont worry guys . microsoft just extended the launch window into the first quarter of 2006. its all good.

Eh, the window always included the early part of next year.

Random Gamespot article quote from August.

We're still tracking 24 to 40 Xbox 360 games for release before the end of the calendar year. I think you'll see that all the titles we got excited about at E3 are still firmly in that launch window [90 days from the release of the Xbox 360].

 

[Gahiggidy]

*Oh my.*

Still can't believe Microsoft would rely on Rare to deliver the bulk of thier first party games for launch. They obviously can't afford a delay in those two Rare titles, so they are in quite a pickle!

 

[Synth_floyd]

Oblivion should come out whenever it's ready. I hope MS doesn't make Bethesda rush it.

 

[Ironclad]

Also, in our round table discussion with Rare, they stated that the AI was intelligent and would react to when an enemy nearby was shot. This rang false when I sat on the rooftop of a building and picked off four enemies that were shooting at one of my teammates. These enemies were a few feet from each other and I went down the line picking each of them off with headshots, and neither of the remaining enemies seemed to flinch as their mates hit the floor.

My comments about the enemies not being aware of their environment was vaild. Hell, I was only complaining about a small thing like the barrels behind them. This is even worse.

 

[Speevy]

I call BS on the Oblivion thing. Of course, I'm not the extremely credible Game Informer.

 

[Speevy]

*Oh my.*

Still can't believe Microsoft would rely on Rare to deliver the bulk of thier first party games for launch. They obviously can't afford a delay in those two Rare titles, so they are in quite a pickle!

If you want to entertain someone, walk into any retailer and show customers a picture of the Revolution.

 

[AniHawk]

If you want to entertain someone, walk into any retailer and show customers a picture of the Revolution.

Oh speevy, speevy, speevy. Don't tell me you can't see the sexiness in the Revolution design.

 

[Speevy]

Oh speevy, speevy, speevy. Don't tell me you can't see the sexiness in the Revolution design.

Coolest design of the three. I'm just trying to figure out why Gahiggidy keeps trolling the 360.

 

[Gahiggidy]

What are Microsoft's other 1st/2nd Party developers? Really surprised they only have these three for launch.

 

[AniHawk]

Coolest design of the three. I'm just trying to figure out why Gahiggidy keeps trolling the 360.

You're still taking Gahiggidy seriously?