We’ve all seen these refer-a-friend deals where you get a friend to sign up for something and receive some sort of bonus but we’ve never seen it offered through Xbox Live. However, reports have just surfaced that say Microsoft has launched the system which will offer gamers free Microsoft Points and Xbox Live Gold access (among other things) for enticing their buddies to join up under their name. 5 friends per day is the limit which could potentially net you quite a bit of loot.
Below is a list of incentives and the like, courtesy of Joystiq:
Get your free member friend to go Gold and (1) you and your friend will each get 400 Microsoft Points or (2) 600 Microsoft Points, depending on the active offer.
Get your free member friend to go Gold and (3) you and your friend will get a multiplayer Xbox Live Arcade game of Microsoft’s choosing.
Get your free member friend to try Gold with a promotional token good for 1 month of Gold, and (4) if your friend redeems the token within 30 days, you’ll get 200 Microsoft Points.
If you’re looking to get down on this you better do so (somewhat) fast as our sources tell us it will only last until July 1st, 2011.
Crytek’s Crysis has long been regarded as one of the most graphically advanced games on the market. In fact, at the time of its release it was hard to find a PC that could run it in all of its glory. Flash forward some time and now Crysis 2‘s development is underway with a release date of March 2011. Quite obviously the game will feature superb visuals that will match if not eclipse the first title. However, Crysis 2 will also feature support for 3D – something that original game did not.
While the Crysis 2 3D experience will presumably be a great one, Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli has said the following:
“I’ll even claim it’s the same as Avatar’s status in 3D. James Cameron has seen Crysis 2, and he loved what he saw because his eyes are trained for 3D more than anyone else’s, and that makes me confident that we have a super-high-end 3D experience on all formats.”
As you’re sure to know Avatar was one of the highest grossing movies of all time being applauded again and again for it’s amazing 3D visuals. If Crytek is able to capture the same experience and replicate it into a game they may have quite the winner on their hands. That is, if anyone can actually afford a 3DTV.
If you haven’t heard of MineCraft you must have been living under a rock for quite some time as it is arguably the most hyped indie game of all time. The premise is simple, you’re plopped smack dab in the middle of a randomly generated open world where you’re tasked with surviving zombie attacks and, quite obviously, mining. Well we’ve reported to ou several times of MineCraft’s continued success but today is a huge milestone for both the game and Mojang Specifications (its developer). Today, MineCraft has passed 1 million units sold which is an absolutely amazing feat given the fact that it is offered through one outlet (minecraft.net) and has no major publisher to back it. Not to mention the fact that the game is only in its beta stage.
I think it goes without saying – if you haven’t checked out MineCraft yet you should definitely do so as soon as possible.
Sony has had their PSP portable gaming console on the market for some time with many wondering when they would finally get around to releasing a sequel. Well, if you’ve been paying attention you’ll know that rumors have begun circulating which say Sony will announcing the long awaited PSP2 on January 27th in Tokyo but this remains unconfirmed. Now, even more rumors have come our way that focus on the device’s hardware.
According to these rumors, Sony has been telling “licensees” (presumably game developers and the like) that the PSP2 is as powerful as their PlayStation 3 home video game console. As of now this seems like quite a stretch as the PS3 is largely considered the most technologically advanced home console on the market. Then again, Sony has been known to do some crazy things so I wouldn’t count this one out just yet.
Also included in this rumor is the fact that the PSP2 will in fact utilize physical media (something the PSP Go was criticized for leaving out) but that downloadable content will still play a big role for the console.
The Microsoft Kinect is quite arguably the most interesting of the three motion controllers on the market due to its physical controllerless design. However, while this point has made consumers take interest in the Kinect it’s not practical for all games, namely shooters that require precise aiming. Luckily the Kinect hacking community is on hand to remedy this as one YouTube user by the name of Demize2010 has managed to combine Nintendo’s Wiimote with Kinect to control games like Call of Duty, Max Payne and more. The results are pretty stunning which you can see in the above video.
Perhaps Microsoft will one day come out with a peripheral that works in conjunction with the Kinect to give us precision control while maintaining the innovative motion control provided by Kinect.
The guy behind this hack has a few other videos on his YouTube channel showing off this hack’s functionality which you can access here.
Sony and developer Evolution Studios have announced that the third installment in their MotorStorm franchise, MotorStorm Apocalypse will be out on April 12 on the PS3.
MotorStorm Apocalypse is an important title for Sony, given that it has full support for 3D from the get go, and will be one of the few, if not the only racing title that supports 3D on the PS3 in the near future (pending the 3D update of Gran Turismo 5).
The FEAR games have always been about scaring the hell out of the player, and it’s no different with FEAR 3. However, the collector’s edition might give you permanent nightmares with one of its special features: a pregnant Alma figurine that glows in the dark. There are some other things in the package, but these pale in comparison to the figurine.
Nintendo has slipped another bit of news regarding its 3DS, or rather, suggested a new feature to find its way to the console. According to Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata, during his latest “Iwata Asks” video segment on Nintendo,
“I think it will be fun if we’re able to include video recording capabilities with future updates.”
However, don’t expect the 3D video to be of any high quality on the DS, certainly don’t expect to shoot your 3D feature film on it. Via Nintendo.
There has been an onslaught of quality indie platform titles over the past year or two, launching new studios into the limelight. And the same can be said about Southend Interactive and their new game, Ilomilo, a 3D platformer with its own unique world and charm.
Ilomilo (officially titled “ilomilo”), is set in a kind of dream word that looks like a Little Big Planet level, but offers its own unique art style and atmosphere. The gameplay centers around two characters, ilo and milo, and the goal is relatively simple: they start of by being apart, and you must lead them together. You actually play as both characters, who start off at opposite side of the level, and it’s your job to have them find each other. You can switch between playing ilo and milo, and this brings a whole new level of puzzle gameplay we have rarely seen.
One aspect of the gameplay are the so called “magic carpets”, which turn everything upside down once you walk over them, meaning that you have to pay attention not only what’s on the ground, but what’s on the ceiling as well, in order to solve the puzzles. There are alos collectibles through out the game, and if collected, unlock new puzzles, levels and even a mini-game. There are 49 levels in total, and while the first dozen are quite easy, it quickly ups the ante and will require a lot of hard thinking and patience to solve the challenging ones.
Overall, we had great fun playing Ilomilo. Its wonderful art style and visuals make it feel special, and even the gameplay manages to stand out with new puzzles and and interesting core concept. On the sad note, multiplayer is kinda uninspiring, as two players can play on the same Xbox 360, but they don’t control both characters. This would have been ideal. Also, there’s no online multiplayer support — another feature which would’ve given the game more depth and replayability. The Good:
Innovative puzzles and gameplay
Great art style and atmosphere
Lots of levels The Bad:
Multiplayer could have been a lot better
Some puzzles are too difficult/frustrating
There has been an onslaught of quality indie platform titles over the past year or two, launching new studios into the limelight. And the same can be said about Southend Interactive and their new game, Ilomilo, a 3D platformer with its own unique world and charm.