Rock Band 2 was officially announced today. IGN reports Harmonix is shooting for a September release on the 360, with other platforms seeing a release later on this year.

Details on the upcoming release mention that all existing Rock Band instruments will work with the sequel, and there will of course be newer upgraded versions for those who never picked up the original. Also worth noting is that all Rock Band DLC will be playable in Rock Band 2, providing backwards compatibility. Harmonix also stated we can expect to see more online interactivity with the new release.

Check out the full story at IGN here, then share your thoughts in our forums section.

-glitch-

Ninja Gaiden 2
Platforms: Xbox 360 – Developer/Publisher: Team Ninja/Microsoft Game Studios
Genre: Action - Single Player
Reviewed by: Glitch/teh_ace_playa (Thomas)

Introduction:

We all know Ninja Gaiden. Some of us love it, due to it’s incredible combat and challenging gameplay. Others of us tend to get too angry at the game’s skill requirement. The latest installment in the franchise still provides the player with the excellent combat and insane difficulty, but falls short on many other fronts. Most any gamer will be able to point out how severely unpolished this title is. Faults aside, this is still a solid title and fans of the series will be pleased.

Read the rest of both reviews here

-Thomas

It may have taken two years too long but Microsoft has finally provided the option to update the licenses of our DRM protected content. 

The process is fully explained at Major Nelson’s site , just be aware that you need a computer connected to the internet to use this tool. 

If you have any questions or comments, make sure to post them in our forums!

Thanks Reaver for the info.

More info after the jump.

(more…)

Here’s what was probably a long awaited title in some people’s books. Alex Kidd in Miracle World. A straight-up Sega classic, no doubt. Other than that hit on the VC, we have Burning Fight for the Neo Geo. On the WiiWare front, Gyrostarr is available today as well.

To Sum it up:

Alex Kidd in Miracle World -  Virtual Console -500 WiiPoints

Burning Fight - Virtual Console - 900 WiiPoints

Gyrostarr - WiiWare - 700 Wii Points

Discuss

VC Games List

WiiWare Games List

-Thomas

We haven’t really heard that much about the upcoming Wii FPS game from High Voltage Software, The Conduit, but recently Cubed3 have received a 15 page fact-sheet from them full of juicy information.

The fact-sheet contains information such as weapons, locations, characters (including humans and aliens) and a “Situation Report” which explains the game’s plot. So if you want to check out all of this information then be sure to take a look at the gallery of images below, and enjoy.

Discuss this in the forum

-Olly

Activition is releasing a new Guitar Hero 3 Track Pack for download next Thursday featuring the band Coldplay. The pack will include the band’s first big hit “Yellow” from their 2000 album Parachutes, along with “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face” from the multi-platinum 2002 A Rush of Blood to the Head, and rounding it out with their new single “Violet Hill” from the upcoming album Viva la Vida. No word yet on the cost, but we expect the same 500 MS points price point as previous track packs.

While Coldplay are not known for being a guitar heavy band, the pack includes some great songs from across the band’s catalogue. If you’re in the mood for something a little more toned down and relaxed to play with a friend, and you like Coldplay, check out the pack and let us know what you think here.

Source

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In case you didn’t feel like showing up to the UT3 party on the other platforms, the game is officially shipping for the Xbox 360 on July 7th. Estimates are the game will be on store shelves by the 9th and 10th. This is a global ship date, so no scouring around for info on your neck of the woods. 

The latest release of the game will come with five exclusive maps not found on other platforms, along with two new characters. Further, you’ll also get the previously-released DLC, and even further you’ll get a 2 minute Gears of War 2 multiplayer Video filled with as-of-yet unreleased footage. Oh yeah, and the game will also feature two-player splitscreen. It seems Epic is really jamming the value into this one.

To be honest, I’ve never been that into the Unreal games when I played them on PC. However the two-player splitscreen here wets my pallet. And I’m a self confessed sucker for exclusive content. This package sounds like a great deal on already established title.

Source

Discuss

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Electronic Arts has been hit with a lawsuit due to their exclusive deal with the NFL, AFL, and NCAA Football leagues. As readers may know, EA secured the exclusive deal back in December of 2004. Prior to the signing, competition with Take-Two Interactive had led EA to bring their MSRP on the Madden games down to $29.95. Once the deal was signed, Madden 2006 hit the shelves at a $49.95 price point; a jump of nearly %70.

“The plaintiffs have requested a class action and want restitution and damages for buyers of EA football game since August of 2005.” says the San Jose Business Journal.

Weather this suit will bear any real fruit for the plaintiffs, is up for speculation. We would love to hear your thoughts on the news in our forums section.  

Source

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To me, Frogger has always been sort of a fun family game. It’s one I cared enough to purchase on the Arcade when it released originally. However, Frogger 2 wasn’t quite the gem in the series, and I’d rather stick to the original, and maybe it’s poor 3D adaption. Commando 3 also looks to be a rather original game hitting the marketplace. Judging by the screens, it seems fairly reminiscent to the Assault Heroes series that we are all familiar with. Good, bad, or ugly, these games are out today, each of them retailing at 800 Microsoft Points.

Discuss

XBLA Games List

-Thomas 

Rumors have begun circulating yet again that Microsoft will soon be adding Blu-ray to the Xbox 360. Several sites recently have claimed insider knowledge and several of the home theater forums across the web are hosting hot debate between fanboys on both sides. As to the validity of these claims, Robbie Bach with Microsoft has squashed these rumors in an interview featured in Sunday’s edition of the San Francisco Chronicle.

“Our plan continues to focus on high-definition experiences. Xbox 360 has a great ability to deliver those through the Xbox Live (online download) service. It’s a great way to get the high-definition concept because it’s right there. There’s no additional media. There is nothing you need to purchase.

If you look at the Blu-ray player market, you haven’t seen the acceleration everybody expected (since the demise of HD DVD). It’s not as much about whether all the content is in a Blu-ray format or a HD DVD format. You have to look at how fundamentally compelling the difference is between a progressive scan DVD player and the picture that it can produce and what you get on a high-definition player. The reality is there is some difference, but most people look at it and say, “I am not going to pay extra for that.”

So there it is. As many Wii60 readers have said in a handful of threads over the last six months, Microsoft will focus on their IP Distributed media via Xbox Live.

The interview has much more to say about Microsoft’s plans for the future, which you can read here: Source

As always, we invite you to join the discussion and let us know what you think here.

-glitch-