Xbox 360

Halo: Reach Release Date

For anyone that has played the Halo: Reach beta you’ll be interested to know that 2.7 million people took part in the beta, which made it the largest video game beta ever.  You will also be even more interested to know that a date has finally been given for Reach, September 14.  It will ship with three different copies; the standard, limited, and legendary version (legendary being $150).  For all you Halo fanatics out there you better make sure you pre-order your legendary copy now, since it will come with a ten-inch-tall, hand-painted Noble Team statue as well as many more extras.

Alan Wake’s Second DLC called “The Writer”?

With Alan Wake’s first piece of DLC, “The Signal”, arriving on July 27, it seems Remedy have jumped the gun with the second episode.

A quick peek into the game’s special features reveals a listing for “The Signal” as well as a second episode called “The Writer”. The description reveals Wake is “in strange circumstances; now fully aware of the thing that opposes him, he must survive one increasingly nightmarish situation after another.”

Xbox Deals of the Week- 5/24-5/30

With a new week comes a new Deal of the Week on Xbox Live. This week, it’s more of a “Deal’s of the Week” thing, as not one, not two, but three games have had their prices slashed (for one week only of course). That is it! I am considering picking up Lazy Raiders as I’ve heard some nice things about it but for the rest of them, I have no advice. Madballs sounds terrible from just the name and Band of Bugs doesn’t look horrible. If that Avatar Wave Snowball Fight thing is similar to the free snowball game that was released on Xbox Live for a limited time a while ago, it’s not even worth navigating through the clunky Indie game menu to find.

Also, there are some avatar props (Props for your avatar… Not props from the game/movie Avatar) that have received price slashes but why would you want them?

Gears of War 3 Leaked Images

Those of you itching for some more Gears of War 3 teasers, fear not! Epic has heard your cries and leaked out some images.  Some of the pictures are of random scenery or combat, as well as a look at the cast of characters, including one that hasn’t been seen in either past games or the trailer that was shown not too long ago.  The graphics look top notch in these screenshots and I can’t wait to see the game in action.  Make sure to check back for more news and hopefully some real information.

Final Thoughts on the Halo: Reach Beta

The Halo: Reach Beta has finally ended its near two-week stint on Thursday, which is a day after Bungie originally planned. The beta introduced a slew of new mechanics to make it feel fresh and exciting, but fortunately it retained everything that made Halo what it is known for today. Having said that, there are still issues I have with the game that go far beyond the glitches and minor issues one would expect to come with a beta.

For the record, I’m a very avid Halo player. I’ve been playing since the first Halo, and I became a “General” in Halo 3 a little over a year ago. I also enjoy playing some of the non-serious games created in Forge such as Jenga, Duck Hunt, and Sumo Wrestling. I’m saying this in hope that my credentials may align with some of people who didn’t get the chance to play the Beta. Keep in mind I am giving my opinion on everything. (If you need a basic summary of most of the goods in the Beta, click here

More games on demand that you shouldn’t buy

While I think “Games on Demand” could be a great service, I’m still not a fan of it as it only releases older games. Granted, it may okay if it chose the correct old games and occasionally brought out some newer, budget titles as well. This week, Major Nelson announced a few new titles being released this week.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed- $29.99 (I do not recommend)
Top Spin 3- $19.99 (Never played too much of it but I enjoy tennis and the time I spent with Top Spin 3 was definitely fun)
Too Human- ????

Cirque du Natal

E3 is just a month away, and most of us (and probably you) can’t wait! In only a month everything we know will be reset, and the industry we all love so mush will be at its yearly peak. There will be news, there will be announcements, and there will be things we will see that will change the face of what we know about gaming. Yes, E3 is a magical time. Hopefully this year we can get good looks at some of the great games, and hardware coming out in the coming months.