When it continued the Xbox 360's assurance to three years, Microsoft accepted the Xbox 360's abortion amount was unacceptable. However, admitting accoutrement both the "Red Ring of Death" and E74 errors, the aggregation has never accepted absolutely how generally its animate suffers from abstruse problems or accomplishment defects.

The Red Ring of Death is allegedly an all-too accustomed sight...

Now, Game Informer annual has conducted a analysis of 5,000 subscribers to acquisition out how generally consoles break out. The September affair of the Minnesota-based, GameStop-owned annual appearance the after-effects of the survey, which begin that a whopping 54.2 percent of Xbox 360 owners surveyed appear accepting the animate abort on them once. Apply that amount to the platform's 30 million-unit installed base, and the aftereffect is 15.72 actor bootless consoles.

Perhaps added damning, 41.2 percent of 360 owners had a additional accouterments malfunction--meaning that potentially 12.36 actor bodies accept had their consoles abort again. Some 36.4 percent of 360 owners appear accepting to shop for a additional console, against 13.4 percent of PS3 owners and 8.4 percent of Wii owners. Also, Game Informer begin that 69.9 percent of respondents said they had at atomic one acquaintance who had a Xbox 360 cease working. Nonetheless, alone 3.8 percent of respondents said that the 360's accouterments failures assertive them to not shop for a backup animate from Microsoft.

By comparison, 10.6 percent of PlayStation 3 owners appear a failure, with 14.7 percent advertisement a additional accouterments problem. The Wii was the best reliable, with a 6.8 percent abortion amount and an 11 percent accessory abortion rate. However, the Wii's low numbers may additionally be due to the actuality it's the atomic played of the three consoles. Some 41.4 percent of Wii owners said they played it for beneath than an hour per day on average. By contrast, 40.3 percent of Xbox 360 owners played for 3-5 hours per day, and 37.3 percent of PS3 owners played 3-5 hours per day.

Game Informer additionally asked respondents about their adventures with the three platform-holders' chump account departments. Again, Nintendo came out on top, with 56.1 percent of respondents adage they were "very satisfied" with their experiences. Sony was abutting abaft with a 51.1 percent achievement rate, followed by Microsoft with a 37.7 percent achievement rate.

CONSOLE FAILURE RATE

PlayStation 3 - 10.6 percent

Wii - 6.8 percent

Xbox 360 - 54.2 percent

SECOND CONSOLE FAILURE RATE

PlayStation 3 - 14.7 percent

Wii - 11 percent

Xbox 360 -41.2 percent

GAMERS WITH FRIENDS WHO HAVE HAD A CONSOLE FAILURE

PlayStation 3 - 12.4 percent

Wii - 6 percent

Xbox 360 - 69.9 percent

"VERY HELPUL" CUSTOMER SUPPORT RATING

Sony - 51.1 percent

Nintendo - 56.1 percent

Microsoft - 37.7 percent

No abruptness here. I had a slight clue that Nintendo’s Wii Sports Resort would be affairs like hotcakes, and the contempo amount of added than 500,000 awash proves that to be true. That’s a lot of Wii MotionPlus accessories and discs. It additionally could be acceptable for admirers of Zelda. A while aback at E3, Shigeru Miyamoto hinted that a fresh Legend of Zelda may abutment the borderline if abundant bodies bought it. Right now, it sounds as if that’s activity to be actual likely.

DOWNLOADING GAMES ON XBOX 360: On the Microsoft side, the Xbox 360 amend is accepting added aflame as we get afterpiece to its release. The better affection I’m attractive advanced to is the Amateur on Demand lineup. At atomic 21 amateur will be accessible for agenda administration and they accommodate Assassin’s Creed, Mass Effect, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Prey (ah, I bethink that game). I’m all for prettifying your avatar and added movies, but I’m added accelerate about downloading amateur I’ve missed. Attractive advanced to accepting the amend Aug. 11.

NEW FOOTBALL GAME: Lastly, EA had a appointment alarm afresh and they appear article Madden Arcade. It’s activity to be a downloadable appellation that’s said to be agnate to EA’s 3 on 3 NHL Arcade, according to ShackNews. It’s additionally advancing after this anniversary season.

Over the accomplished few months, abundant of the allocution in the video bold industry has amidst Sony and its accounted PlayStation 3 Slim. The product, if it exists, promises to be abate and, added importantly, cheaper.

I'll be the aboriginal to accept that I'm aflame about the achievability of the Abbreviate hitting abundance shelves. I've alleged on Sony assorted times to bead the amount of the PlayStation 3. I accept that it's the key to Sony blockage accordant during this bearing of bold consoles.

But as the PS3 Abbreviate kept us guessing, a abode hit the Web on Wednesday claiming that Microsoft ability be planning to canal the Xbox 360 Pro in favor of alms aloof two Xbox 360 models--the Arcade and the Elite. Great. But what about a refresh?

The Xbox 360 is a beast. It's huge. Its DVD drive is acutely loud. And its ability accumulation is both big and heavy.

The Xbox 360 is additionally not about as reliable as aggressive products. Back its release, we've been inundated with news afterwards news about the "red arena of death"--an affair that occurs aback three red rings about the Xbox 360's ability buttons alpha flashing, advertence that the animate is busted and will charge to be alien aback to Microsoft to accept it fixed.

The cardinal of appear RROD instances has abandoned in contempo months, but it has larboard Microsoft with a atramentous eye from which it has yet to recover.

So as Sony improves its accouterments offerings, I anticipate that it's bright that Microsoft needs to do the same. It needs a abbreviate Xbox 360.

Why it's necessary

I anticipate that a abbreviate Xbox 360 would advice break about all of Microsoft's problems. It would potentially fit accurately into absolute home amphitheater set-ups. If it lived up to its name, the Abbreviate would additionally canal the ability brick. Its fresh ability accumulation would be abate and abundant added manageable. Those two updates abandoned would accomplish abounding accepted Xbox 360 owners happy.

But it goes above that. A abbreviate Xbox 360 can be Microsoft's "do-over." It will abode the issues the animate has experienced, like that clumsily loud DVD drive. It will additionally fix the Xbox 360's abortion issues that aloof don't assume to go away. Added importantly, it could abode one of the console's better shortcomings: a abridgement of an HD drive.

Yes, I accept that a abbreviate Xbox 360 should affection a Blu-ray drive. I apperceive that it would be like giving money to the enemy, architecture advocate Sony, but accustomed Blu-ray's acceleration in acceptance this year, I don't anticipate that Microsoft has abundant of a choice. Until alive HD agreeable has accomplished analytical accumulation and entered millions of homes, Blu-ray is still the leading, next-gen home ball format.

Although we can currently admission alive agreeable through the Xbox 360, it's not enough. A Blu-ray drive allows Microsoft to bulwark off Sony's amount argument, which states that because the PlayStation 3 has a Blu-ray drive, it's account its $400 amount tag. It's a accurate argument. It's additionally an altercation to which Microsoft, after a Blu-ray drive in its Xbox 360, doesn't accept an answer. That's unacceptable.

Looking ahead

At this point, I accept no agnosticism that Sony will be absolution the PS3 Abbreviate ancient in the abreast future. It makes absolute faculty for the company, back it's aggravating badly to achieve absent bazaar share.

Microsoft should chase suit. The Xbox 360 is a abundant console. I get pleasure arena amateur on it. But it's not perfect. It's in atrocious charge of a refresh. And a abbreviate Xbox 360 ability aloof be the way to accomplish added consumers happy. Added importantly, it could advice Microsoft bulwark off Sony's acceleration in the bazaar if a PS3 Abbreviate is released.

Do you accept any appearance and fixes you would like to see in a redesigned Xbox 360? Let us apperceive in the comments below.

Eidos Interactive has appear that a playable audience of Batman: Arkham Asylum will be accessible for download on Xbox LIVE in the advancing days.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is one of this month’s best advancing releases, with admirers of the accessible bold cat-and-mouse with aside animation as the abutting affiliate in the Aphotic Knight’s bequest makes its way to the Xbox 360.

Featuring what the developers accept alleged a “FreeFlow” action system, gamers will booty on the crimson of the Caped Crusader as they dive, glide, and combo-punch their way through the aphotic corridors of the abominable Arkham Asylum. Additionally featured in the bold is a fresh artisan dubbed “Invisible Predator”, which allows the amateur the different acquaintance of stalking the adversary from advantageous angle credibility and strategically selecting their targets and bang paths.

The villain agency in Batman: Arkham Asylum is a actual who’s who of the best abominable associates of DC lore, including Harley Quinn, Bane, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, and of course, The Joker. The best contempo affiliate of this accumulation of baddies has been accepted aloof recently, and it seems Scarecrow will additionally be authoritative an actualization in the game.

For a added abundant attending at the features, as able-bodied as some in-game video footage, analysis out the best contempo commodity on the bold by beat here.

The audience is appointed for common absolution on August 7th, 2009.

The abounding bold is set for a US absolution on August 25th, 2009.

For example, addition on the Cheap Ass Gamer forums appear that Left 4 Dead went from 4GB to 3.7GB. That’s a accumulation of 26 percent!

Then there’s NHL 09, which went from 5.7GB to 5.0GB.

And Rock Band 2 goes from 6.3GB to 4.6GB.

You absolutely accept to broadcast through bulletin lath afterwards bulletin lath to get a account going.

Why is this happening? There’s no official reason, of course, but bodies anticipate it’s because the fresh rips do abroad with abundant of the copy abstracts on the disc.

Now, how advantageous it absolutely is to install the amateur to your adamantine drive, I don’t know. You’re talking a amount of alone a few abnormal of amount time, so…

"Mothership Zeta begins with the amateur actuality abducted and captivated bound aboard a huge Alien ability aerial aerial aloft the Earth. The amateur will accept to escape the craft; forth the way they’ll accommodated added captives, accept to break difficult puzzles and defended fresh high-tech ammunition to apply adjoin their captors."

If you accept bought Fallout 3 and all the DLC episodes...."Operation: Anchorage", "The Pitt" , "Broken Steel", "Point Lookout" and "Mothership Zeta", this becomes about a 100 hour game, not to acknowledgment a $110 dollar game. But in all honesty, I would say that Fallout 3 deserves to be a adversary for one of the greatest amateur of all time...

Get your bliss cutting little blooming men this accessible Monday August 3rd for $10 dollars (800 Microsoft points).

Microsoft has accustomed the columnist a bound examination of some of the fresh appearance that will be advancing to the Xbox 360 dashboard, and while the Twitter and Last.fm functionality has yet to arrive, what is there credibility to a aflush approaching for the 360 as a media box... not to acknowledgment a added affable belvedere for advertising. Let's booty a attending at the changes advancing to the system.

Netflix is now browsable, after an added computer

One of the nicest additions to the account is the adeptness to browse the agreeable accessible via Netflix. Streaming Netflix agreeable on your 360 acclimated to crave a computer or laptop to ample your queue, but will anon be able browse movies anon from the system—a much-needed update.

You can additionally allotment agreeable with your accompany in a basic cine theater, breadth your Avatars watch the above blur or TV show, as continued as anybody has Netflix. I'm not abiding how abounding bodies appetite to see movies calm with your basic friends, but hey, it's there. Netflix is now additionally added adjustable to "changing arrangement conditions." You additionally accept the adeptness to see what your accompany are watching, or you can accept to adumbrate that information.

Netflix is abundant easier to use on the Xbox 360, and agreeable is additionally simple to acquisition and watch. If you admired the Netflix affection before, be able to abatement in love.

Rate games, active up your avatar

Combing through arcade amateur and agreeable acclimated to be article of a pain, but now you can bulk every game, every add-on, every arcade release, and additionally align amateur by rating. Right now Geometry Wars Evolved has 78 ratings, assuming four and a bisected stars. That's a bold account blockage out! Bankshot Billiards 2, on the added hand, shows 22 ratings with an boilerplate of two and a bisected stars... you may be safe absence that one.

While putting too abundant banal in user-controlled ratings may not be wise, they absolutely accord you addition abstracts point back browsing titles, and could advice to abstracted the acceptable being from the junk. With so abundant agreeable on Xbox Live, every little bit helps. The arrangement is additionally granular, acceptation that a bold is rated, as able-bodied as its add-on content. That way users can accelerate the bulletin that a assertive bold is great, but a $5 amend that adds bigger breasts to the NPCs is rather lame.

One annoying issue? Back you baddest "top rated" beneath Bold Add-Ons, it gives you the top rated games, not the content. I would accept admired to accept apparent what agreeable was top rated, but the arrangement allegedly isn't set up to allotment that array of information. For instance, I apperceive that Mass Effect is a awful rated game, but that shouldn't accomplish it jump to the top of the archive in Bold Add-ons back the Bring Down the Sky agreeable has aught ratings. Disappointing.

You can additionally now analysis out the broadcast abundance for accouterment and accessories for your Avatar, although there isn't abundant there to see yet. You can browse through branded accouterment from Halo 3 or Fable 2, or artlessly aces up some Steampunk duds. How does 80 Microsoft credibility for Black Boots sound? Or 160 credibility for a Halo Hoodie? The abstraction of absolute money for affected appurtenances is annihilation new, and with Microsoft application Avatars for added and added content, this array of for-pay add-ons may bolt on faster than abounding expect.

Indie games, Amateur on Demand, and added updates

Community Amateur accept now been rebranded as Independent Games, and with the above ratings, are now abundant easier to browse to acquisition acceptable games. The fresh name, akin with user ratings, should do abundant to accomplish this breadth of Xbox Live abundant added popular.

There is a aperture for Amateur on Demand, but we've been told the 360 amateur won't be accessible until a after examination afterpiece to August.

The blow of the updates may complete accustomed back taken individually, but as a accumulation they add abundant account to the system. Affair invites are now one-click affairs, and if you become broken you're automatically reinstated into the party. This now a brand assuming how continued you've been an Xbox Live subscriber, and you can get a feel for how abounding achievements you've becoming with fresh graphical information. Console settings accept additionally be re-organized to be easier to use.

The alone affair is that, at atomic in the examination body accustomed to the press, the admiration of the dashboard has been acutely compromised. The 360 runs slllloooowww at the moment, with common pauses and stutters amid windows. I'm abiding that's an affair with what may be amateurish code, but at the moment the arrangement can be frustratingly unresponsive.

Buying abounding amateur with absolute cash, not points, as able-bodied as Twitter, Last.fm, and Facebook functionality will be advancing in approaching updates, but so far we like what we see. If you'd like to booty the amend for a analysis drive yourself, assurance up for the testing program; Microsoft is acceptance a acceptable bulk of gamers to analyze the fresh options.

No, it's not Metal Gear Solid 4.

LOS ANGELES--As a bold developer, Metal Gear architect Hideo Kojima can usually be relied aloft to do article unexpected. So with rumors aerial that his PlayStation 3-exclusive Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots would be appear for the Xbox 360 at Microsoft's E3 2009 media briefing, the developer backward accurate to form.

Appearing onstage at the media briefing, Kojima told the admirers he was absolutely bringing the Metal Gear Solid alternation to the Xbox 360, but in an all-new game. Titled Metal Gear Solid Rising, Kojima's fresh activity won't brilliant Solid Snake. Instead, it will allegedly brilliant addition of the franchise's acclaimed faces. According to the tagline, "Lightning bolt action… Raiden is back!" Unfortunately, capacity about Metal Gear Solid Rising will accept to delay for addition day.

"I can't say added now," Kojima said, "but I can swear you that it will be a absolutely fresh experience."

For added from the show, analysis out GameSpot's complete advantage of E3 2009.

LOS ANGELES--Last week, Valve offered a abrupt brain-teaser advertisement that it would be affair to the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo, sparking after-effects of belief as to what, exactly, the Half-Life 2 maker would accept on duke to show. As allotment of Microsoft's E3 columnist appointment today, the acknowledgment to that catechism alike back the administrator showed the aboriginal bivouac for Left 4 Dead 2.

According to the abrupt bivouac apparent amid a account of added amateur accession alone for Microsoft's platforms, Left 4 Dead 2 is accepted to access on the Xbox 360 and PC on November 17. The abrupt bivouac additionally showed survivors aggressive hordes zombies on a bridge, featuring the fresh chainsaw weapon.

As allotment of the 2009 Game Developers Appointment in March, Valve said that the PC and Xbox 360 editions of the Turtle Rock Studios-developed Left 4 Dead accept accumulated to advertise added than 2.5 actor units at retail worldwide. That cardinal does not accommodate sales through Valve's online administration belvedere Steam, a accomplishment that the administrator commonly keeps beneath its hat. However, Valve architect Gabe Newell appear in February that during a one-weekend-only half-off auction through Steam, Left 4 Dead sales skyrocketed 3,000 percent.

In summertime 1986, Highlander premiered in theaters. Some 22 years, four sequels, two television series, two activated series, and two amateur later, the authorization is now abiding to the bold world. Following months of leaks, today Eidos Interactive assuredly clearly appear that it will broadcast Highlander for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. The publisher's ancestor company, SCi Entertainment, acquired rights to the authorization in 2004.

In the fresh game, players accept the role of Owen MacLeod, who may--or may not be--a about of blur hero Conor MacLeod and TV hero Duncan MacLeod. Like his celluloid and video counterparts, MacLeod begins as an accustomed man--this time in Roman-occupied Gaul--who discovers he's abiding back he's briefly killed. After he rises again, the bold follows him through assorted eras as he squares off adjoin added sword-wielding immortals who annihilate anniversary added the alone way they can: beheading.

Highlander will additionally see MacLeod squaring off adjoin a fresh nemesis, not the Kurgan (pictured) from the aboriginal film. He'll additionally accept a coach immortal, Methos, who will alternation him to use his admiral (collectively alleged the Quickening) aloof as Sean Connery's appearance aboriginal did. These admiral will let MacLeod approach blaze and electricity through his body, conciliate opponents by absolution them jam their weapons into him, and escape by jumping from a abundant height--and surviving. Combat in the bold will focus on affray weapons, including such brand types as the claymore, katana, and accompanying gladius, and will accept decaying environments.

Highlander is actuality developed by French Widescreen Amateur (Dead to Rights) and will use the Unreal 3 Engine. It is actuality accounting by David Abramowitz, the appearance agent for the Highlander TV series. It is set for absolution ancient after this year.

We assuredly get our aboriginal attending at this massively multiplayer online bold in action.

E3 2009 is able-bodied underway at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and one of the best awful anticipated--and mysterious--games on affectation has assuredly appear itself. Star Wars: The Old Republic is actuality apparent in playable anatomy for the actual aboriginal time to the columnist actuality at E3, and the bold looks great. From what we can tell, it'll accept all the best elements of BioWare's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic single-player game, adapted with all the best appearance from BioWare's more-recent amateur back again (such as Mass Effect). And, of course, it'll accept online multiplayer for you and your 1, 000 abutting friends.

In the years arch up to and afterward Mass Effect's 2007 release, BioWare has generally discussed a abiding beck of downloadable agreeable for the game. "Post-release downloadable agreeable to Mass Effect is absolutely article that's actual important for BioWare," said cofounder Ray Muzyka in a video account on a benefit disc included with the Platinum Hits copy of Mass Effect. (See video below.) "It's this big toy box, this astronomic galaxy, with millions of stars and planets to explore."

However, to date, BioWare has explored absolutely one brilliant arrangement via the sole downloadable agreeable backpack for Mass Effect, Bring Down the Sky. It was appear in March 2008 as a paid add-on for Xbox 360 and again in July 2008 as a chargeless add-on for the PC copy of the game. The mission apropos one busy planet--or, added accurately, a behemothic asteroid aggressive to bang said planet afterwards terrorists from the Batarian chase annex behemothic engines added to it.

Soon, though, BioWare will bare the additional downloadable agreeable amend for Mass Effect--which will act as a mini-prequel to Mass Effect 2, due out in aboriginal 2010. The official Twitter pages for both BioWare and Mass Effect 2 are able fresh advice on the still-untitled amplification by Friday.

According to a cheep from BioWare staffer Chris "Evil Chris" Priestly, he is "getting the activity some account about the abutting ME1 DLC may be advancing this week. Keep your eyes peeled." No appraisement or absolution date advice has yet been revealed.

During the aforementioned video interview, Mass Effect activity administrator Casey Hudson and advance artist Preston Watamaniuk both declared the additional Mass Effect DLC in some detail. Said Hudson, "With things like Bring Down the Sky, we appetite to accomplish abiding there's consistently agreeable out there for [players] to be able to comedy through, so it affectionate of leads into Mass Effect 2. In particular, we affectionate of accept some agitative things we appetite to do in agreement of the news on how, through the story, the downloadable agreeable is activity to set up the sequel."

According to Watamaniuk, the DLC itself will accommodate "something that we weren't able to cull off, we didn't anticipate we had the time and we didn't anticipate we'd do able-bodied enough, which was a action club, or an arena. So we're alive on that for our abutting downloadable agreeable piece, which we're acquisitive will be absolutely special."

"We capital to accord bodies article that's abundant added combat-oriented [and] a little bit lighter news affectionate of experience," Hudson said of the fresh add-on. "You can go to a affectionate of a casino-gaming action club amplitude station."

At this year's Leipzig Games Convention, 390 exhibitors from all over the apple will alight aloft the Leipziger Messe assemblage centermost to affectation their wares. Of those exhibitors, one will be actualization a fresh sci-fi first-person ballista blue-blooded They.

While the accessible relations close affliction They were active with absolutely who would be developing and publishing the game, they were hardly added aboveboard with the game's details. They takes abode in a "mysterious" near-future sci-fi universe. In They, players will allegedly be fabricated to "love" their weapons, and the bold appearance a "heavy acceptance of physics" in decaying environments. They will additionally affection a single-player attack and multiplayer modes.

They is projected to access on the PC and next-generation consoles in 2008 or 2009. Check aback during this year's Leipzig Games Convention--running August 22-26--for added on this abstruse shooter.

Speaking to CNBC, Guillemot said that he believes creating high degree amateur will amount on boilerplate $60 million, due to the added beforehand in technology apprenticed by the abstruse abeyant of the fresh consoles. "The abutting bearing is activity to be so able that arena a bold is activity to be the agnate of arena a CGI cine today," he said. Headcount is acceptable to be addition agency spiking costs, with Ubisoft adage in May that added than 450 bodies are alive on Assassin's Creed 2.

A cardinal of analysts, including Wedbush Morgan Securities' Michael Pachter, accept that the abutting annular of fresh consoles will access in 2013 at the earliest. However, Guillemot believes one agency that could beforehand that window is OnLive's on-demand game-streaming service.

"If somebody comes out with online--if OnLive manages to accomplish this work--we will accept a abutting bearing of systems eventually than currently planned," he said. Ubisoft, forth with Electronic Arts, Take-Two, Warner Bros. Interactive Studios, THQ, and several others, appear that they would abutment the account with fresh amateur back it launches after this year.

Having debuted the publisher's own Wii-based movement sensor during Ubisoft's E3 2009 columnist conference, Guillemot additionally bidding optimism over Microsoft's and Sony's fresh beachcomber of camera-based motion sensing.

"[Microsoft's Project Natal] is one step, but bound they will booty the added footfall [of absolution fresh consoles]--pushed by the environment," he said. "For us, the accepted machines are actual powerful, and we can do high-quality work. I'd like to break with this bearing as continued as possible, but my barter will appetite the best apparatus possible." Guillemot went on to acquaint CNBC that he expects the fresh motion-sensing technology to aggrandize the amount gaming admirers by 20 percent.

Lastly, Ubisoft's foremost controlling addressed the publisher's ambitions in the massively multiplayer online gaming space. According to Guillemot, Ubisoft was outbid by Atari for Star Trek Online developer Cryptic Studios aftermost year, but the administrator is still absorbed in establishing a ballast in the space.

"We apperceive it can be a adversity or a actual assisting business," he said. "It's a allotment of the business we appetite to be in...but we accept to accretion the best abode to invest." Notably, as allotment of Ubisoft's accretion of the Tom Clancy cast in March 2008, Guillemot said that the administrator was absorbed in adapting the aggressive authorization to a massively multiplayer online environment.

Assassin's Creed set the gaming apple on blaze back it appeared at the end of 2006, and admitting its actualization in one of the arch years for amateur in contempo memory, it anchored accomplished reviews, as able-bodied as sales. The bold put you in the average of the third cause as apache Altair, whose memories were attainable to his abreast brood Desmond. The bold boasted an arresting story, beauteous graphics, and memorable backdrops. These included the Holy Land, as able-bodied as the cities of Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus.

It's no surprise, then, that Ubisoft is prepping a sequel, and we were advantageous abundant to be arrive to accommodated the game's artistic administrator Patrice Desilets for a aboriginal look. He told us that you'll acknowledge Desmond anon afterwards the contest of the original, and admitting his role isn't bright yet, he will be added alternate than before. Lucy will additionally return, afresh played by Kristen Bell, with the Animus and the abominable Abstergo Industries featured in the abreast ambience as well.

As for the celebrated setting, Assassin's Creed 2 moves to the Italian Renaissance in 1486. It is set in Venice, Florence, and Tuscany. Again, you'll comedy as one of Desmond's ancestors, who is alleged Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Ezio is built-in into a blue-blooded family, but he anon becomes affected in a artifice adjoin his family, causing him to exact animus on the conspirators. Ezio's adventure will see him go up adjoin the able Grimaldi family, a forerunner to the modern-day Mafia. In accession to squaring up adjoin the Grimaldis, we apperceive that the Templars will afresh accomplish a return. One of the axial characters is Carno Grimaldi, who is one of the best able men in Venice. Although he's acutely able-bodied protected, it appears as if his arrogance may ultimately be his downfall.

Unlike Altair, Ezio isn't a absolutely accomplished apache back you aboriginal booty ascendancy of him. In fact, he's not an apache at all but artlessly allotment of a merchant family. However, throughout the advance of the game, you will advance Ezio to embrace the affairs of an assassin. Luckily, you're aided by one of the Renaissance's best admired minds: Leonardo da Vinci. The allegorical Italian polymath will comedy a key allotment in the story, and he's declared by artistic administrator Patrice Desilets as the game's acknowledgment to James Bond's Q. The artist created abounding able designs, and he'll accouter you with all sorts of advantageous accessories in the game. One of the best artistic licenses occurs about da Vinci's acclaimed aerial machine, which--it appears--he originally created for Ezio's use. We saw how he acclimated it to cross Venice from the air as he controlled distance by application the calefaction from afire platforms amphibian on the water.

Soaring aloft the adulterated burghal looked absurd and was a fresh way to appearance off Assassin's amazing vistas. The abashed guards aberration the accoutrement for a aerial devil and try to shoot you bottomward application arrows. We watched a audience of Ezio aerial through several areas of the city, including Venice's acclaimed Piazza San Marco square, but the ultimate aim is to accretion access to a heavily attentive abode in which one of your targets is located. Thankfully, landing on the rooftops reduces the accident of actuality spotted because there are alone a few guards. Ezio calmly took out a few adjacent snipers, blame one of them into the lagoon, and he afresh dived into one of the acclaimed haystacks that accomplish a acknowledgment from the aboriginal game.

Although assassinations abide at the amount of the sequel, the development aggregation has added a lot of fresh features. You'll still be able with a sword, throwing knives, and a hidden blade, but you'll now be able to apply bifold hidden blades. As apparent in the E3 trailer, you can additionally backing a hidden pistol up your sleeve. If that's not enough, you'll be able to conciliate foes and use their weapons adjoin them. If you're outgunned, Venice will activity affluence of ambuscade places, including the canals themselves. You can dive beeline into the water, but this is absolutely a aftermost resort because Ezio's underwater breath is limited.

Hiding places are beneath safe than in the Holy Land, too, and the batty guards will analysis ambuscade spots alike if you weren't spotted back demography cover. On the cast side, we're told that aggregate into the army will be added accustomed than before, and you won't accept to seek out a accumulation of monks like you did in the aboriginal game. There's additionally a greater akin of appearance progression. For example, you can now shop for weapons, armour, and alike appoint bodies to accomplish tasks or activity on your behalf. Ubisoft Montreal has taken on criticism about the repetitive missions in the aboriginal game, and appropriately there will now be added than 16 mission types in total.

Assassin's Creed 2 is landing on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC after this year. To see Ezio in action, analysis out the E3 bivouac and break in blow with all of GameSpot's E3 advantage at e3.gamespot.com

Perhaps one of the best advancing amateur advancing out this year, BioShock 2 is on affectation at E3 2009, and admitting it's not actuality in any playable form, we did get to see a bivouac of the single-player approach in activity and, surprisingly, a acceptable block of the multiplayer. First, the single-player approach in BioShock 2 takes abode 10 years afterwards the contest that transpired in the aboriginal game, which agency that Rapture has collapsed into a accompaniment of adulteration as the ocean continues to accost it and its inhabitants. The focus of the single-player mode, in agreement of its advance character, was to change it from the angle of an alien to that of a citizen of Rapture, and in accurate addition who plays an important role in the all-embracing framework of the city.

That fresh advance appearance is the aboriginal Big Daddy--the actual aboriginal to don the massive diving clothing in the burghal of Rapture. But he's altered from the single-purpose drones that roam about in the aboriginal game. He has regained his chargeless will, which additionally happens to accomplish him faster and added active than added Big Daddies. Additionally, he can use a array of weapons, alignment from the massive Big Daddy assignment and a captivate gun to all-new plasmids, which accept been tweaked to accomplish them alike added able in combat. But added importantly, the aboriginal Big Daddy can accomplish one accommodation that the others cannot: He can accept to assure the Little Sisters and abide to let them autumn Adam from collapsed splicers or he can autumn them and booty their Adam.

After we beheld a abrupt bivouac of BioShock's advance appearance in activity (which you can appearance above), assembly from Digital Extremes took to the advanced of the allowance to accord a added attending at the multiplayer basic in BioShock 2. Unlike the single-player campaign, BioShock 2's multiplayer basic takes abode a year afore the aboriginal game, during the civilian war that accomplished the atrophy of Rapture and Andrew Ryan's underwater utopia. What's absorbing is that there are absolutely two actual altered methods for jumping into a multiplayer game. There's a accepted card advantage and again there's Jacob Morris' (the advance appearance in multiplayer and a welder who may accept alike helped body Rapture) apartment, which is a beheld representation of all of the multiplayer options and advice presented in amazing Art Deco Rapture style. You alike accept your own bathysphere to barrage you into a multiplayer match.

The apartment, or safe house, is additionally breadth you can body loadouts for Jacob afore abutting a match. You can mix assertive types of weapons with assertive plasmids, so that you can anon admission those combinations afterwards accepting to go aback into a menu. (You can additionally baddest from your account of loadouts afterwards dying in a match.) And if you're apprehensive how a average welder gets admission to weapons and plasmids, a accumulation alleged Sinclair Solutions provides you with them because they accept a vested absorption in the aftereffect of Rapture's civilian war (you ability bethink that there was a bar in the aboriginal BioShock alleged Sinclair Spirits). But Sinclair's captivation doesn't end there. At the end of every match, the aggregation will appraise your achievement and potentially advance your ranking, which about grants you admission to added weapons and added plasmids. It's agnate to what was done in Modern Warfare, alone dressed in the BioShock universe, and should accomplish it easier to actualize matches for players of agnate skill.

This accurate audience was of the Chargeless for Fall mode, and it supports up to 10 players like the added multiplayer modes. The map is the Kashmir Restaurant, an breadth from the aboriginal game. Digital Extremes credibility out that because the bold takes abode aloof one year afore the original, it makes faculty to use some of the aforementioned areas, but they've been reimagined to accomplish them added counterbalanced for multiplayer. During the aboriginal account of the match, we acquisition out that plasmids additionally accept two altered types of attacks: a quick blaze and a allegation fire. Obviously, the quick blaze lets you shoot added quickly, but it's beneath powerful. Conversely, a allegation advance is abundant added able and extends its damage, but it additionally leaves you accessible to advance from added players because it takes a few abnormal to charge. Of course, either affectionate of advance still costs Eve, which is why you appointment can the Circus of Value automat machines broadcast about anniversary map. Digital Extremes doesn't appetite to breach the breeze of the action, so all you accept to do is airing up to it and get your Eve replenished. Similarly, the hacking of turrets (which is abnormally advantageous in multiplayer because they can advice blow up some kills) is additionally awfully easier than it was in BioShock. All you accept to do is airing up to the turret, drudge it, delay a few abnormal for a barometer to fill, and it's yours.

But admitting you may be active hacking some turrets, addition amateur ability be analytic for article else: the diving clothing for the Big Daddy. Yes, it's accessible to comedy as the Big Daddy in BioShock 2 multiplayer by award the diving clothing in the map, but he doesn't absolutely activity the aforementioned way as the Big Daddy in the single-player game. These are the slow, banausic sort, but what they abridgement in speed, they accomplish up for in animal backbone and endurance, and they're abundantly difficult to booty bottomward if you're on your own. On the cast ancillary of that, if you become the Big Daddy again affairs are that you'll additionally be the fresh focal point of the bout as added players appear to booty you down, and you won't accept plasmid admiral to advice you, either.

The activity in the multiplayer approach looks appealing hectic, and aback the Big Daddy shows up, it aloof gets crazy. But what absolutely strikes us best about BioShock 2's multiplayer mode, at this point, is aloof how abundant accomplishment Digital Extremes and 2K accept put into authoritative it an absorbing allotment of the BioShock universe, and the actuality that it's aloof not a multiplayer adaptation of the single-player game. There's an absolute anecdotal advised about the multiplayer, answer why all of these bodies are angry and how you accept admission to weapons and plasmids. It makes us absorbed to see added facets of the multiplayer, including the added modes, Survival of the Fittest and a team-based bout alleged Civilian War. BioShock 2 is appointed for absolution in November, but analysis aback for added advantage on the bold in the abreast future.

In March 2008, a abrupt abruptness was alone on gamers attractive advanced to Borderlands, the aggressive open-world, postapocalyptic driving/shooting bold from developer Gearbox Software. As allotment of a blah balance report, Take-Two Interactive--which is publishing the bold beneath its 2K Games label--announced that the bold had been pushed aback to ancient during the company's 2009 budgetary year.

Now, GameSpot has accepted that the bold will accomplish its above barrage window--but alone just. During a examination affair today, Gearbox agents biographer Mikey Neumann said that the bold will "ship this October." Take-Two's 2009 budgetary year--which Red Dead Redemption and Mafia II were aloof pushed out of--ends on October 31.

Described as an RPS (role-playing shooter) by Gearbox, Borderlands is a sci-fi activity RPG that combines active and on-foot action. Set on the abandoned and adverse apple of Pandora, the bold sees groups of abundance seekers--known as "Vault Hunters""--who abrade the charcoal of a burst acculturation for added than 500,000 different weapons. Using action vehicles, the battling bands action anniversary added in an attack to defended the ultimate prize: an absolute conflicting artifact.

Check aback after today for GameSpot's hands-on examination of Gearbox, beeline from the Electronic Entertainment Expo appearance floor. The aboriginal bivouac for the game, which shows off its revamped, semi-cel-shaded graphics, is below.

Big Loss!!

More than 600 workers pink-slipped afterwards 30% acquirement decline; Saints Row 2 ships added than 2.6 million, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 acme 4 million.

Anyone acquisitive that the Bataan Death March of black game-publisher earning letters would end anon saw their prayers go disregarded this week. The day afterwards Electronic Arts appear a $641 actor accident for the division concluded December 31, 2008, THQ angry in its banking numbers for the aforementioned period.

The three months saw the Saints Row 2 administrator ache a net accident of $191.8 actor ($2.86 per share), way bottomward from the $15.5 actor accumulation ($0.23 cents per share) that it appear during the aforementioned aeon in 2007. Overall, THQ's October-December acquirement fell 30 percent year-on-year from $509.6 actor (2007) to $357.3 actor (2008).

As a aftereffect of its banking shortfall, THQ affairs to lay off 24 percent of its common workforce, or 600 people. The advertisement comes three months afterwards THQ bankrupt bristles centralized studios and automated addition two. Aloof 10 canicule later, it appear that it was accent aback its absolution agenda to aloof one or two amateur for the hardcore bazaar anniversary year.

"We delivered high-quality amateur to bazaar this anniversary season, but fell abbreviate of our acquirement and accumulation targets in this arduous environment," said Farrell in a statement. "We are demography awful targeted accomplishments with the cold of advance in amateur with the accomplished authorization abeyant and abiding to profitability. We accept accomplished on our ahead appear plan to abate our amount anatomy by $120 million. Given connected bread-and-butter weakness, we plan to abate costs by an added $100 million."

THQ's losses came admitting what looked like solid numbers for some of the anniversary releases to which Farrell referred. The abundantly accustomed WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 shipped--not sold--more than 4 actor units, followed by the better-regarded Saints Row 2 with 2.6 actor units. The alarmingly accepted de Blob alien some 700,000 units.

NBA 2K10 awning brilliant Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers were access in the aboriginal two amateur of the 2009 NBA Finals, alarming out the Orlando Magic in bold one and demography an overtime win in bold two. Orlando antipodal its fortunes in Tuesday night's bold three, however, as the Magic's big man Dwight Howard came animate with 21 credibility and 14 rebounds to advice lift the Magic accomplished the Lakers in a bound 108-104 contest.

With bold four of the NBA Finals angled off tonight, Howard is already arch off the day well, as EA today appear the Magic centermost as its awning amateur for NBA Live 10. In development at EA Canada, the publisher's anniversary able basketball simulation is accepted to access on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PSP. EA addendum that bounded awning athletes will be called for France, Germany, Spain, and Italy at a after date.

Having abutting the Magic aloft entering the NBA as the No. 1 abstract aces in 2004, Howard is a three-time All-Star and was called the 2009 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Howard additionally lent his acme to the 2008 US Basketball Men's Senior National Team, which absolved out of aftermost year's Olympic Amateur in Beijing, China, with a gold medal. The amiable centermost additionally best up the appellation "Superman" afterward his notable 2008 Slam Dunk Challenge appearance.

EA expects to acknowledge gameplay capacity for NBA Live 10 in the lead-up to the game's barrage in October.

Superman is in the house!

Earlier this year, Microsoft appear an addendum of the Xbox 360's assurance from 1 to 3 years for consoles afflicted by the abominable Red Ring of Death (RRoD) defect. Microsoft never accepted what absolutely acquired the RRoD, or how abounding consoles would ultimately be affected, but the affection are actual able-bodied known. Your animate will alpha to freeze/lock up, eventually followed by three red lights on the advanced of the system, afterwards which you'll either be able to animate the box for abbreviate periods of time or it becomes an big-ticket allotment of avant-garde art.

The present band-aid to RRoD is appealing simple; you alarm Microsoft's abutment hotline, you accord the adumbrative some advice about your Xbox 360 (he/she will again airing you through some analytic steps, annihilation too painful), and a few canicule after you'll acquisition an abandoned box at your doorstep. Toss in your Xbox 360, affix the pre-paid aircraft characterization (Microsoft alike provides band to allowance the box) and about a ages after you'll get a refurbed or cast fresh Xbox 360, as able-bodied as a 30-day canyon for Xbox Live. While you're after your animate for as abundant as a month, at atomic there's no bulk incurred; all-embracing Microsoft takes affliction of RRoD victims absolutely well.

Many accept estimated that the acumen for the RRoD problems is because of bare GPU cooling, consistent in fractures in the lead-free adhesive amid the dent and the motherboard. We haven't been able to affirm this suspicion but we accept been able to acquisition affirmation that Microsoft abandoned abounding suggestions to advance GPU cooling in the Xbox 360, although we're not abiding why.

Simply attractive at the Xbox 360's internals you see that there's article amiss with the cooling setup; the heatsink accoutrement the GPU, admitting wide, is almost ample abundant to air-conditioned a low end desktop cartoon card, abundant beneath the college powered GPU that's in the Xbox 360. If we accept that the Xbox 360's GPU is at atomic as able as the PS3's, the cooling requirements should be about similar; accustomed that the PS3 basically had a GeForce 7800 GTX beneath its hood, the cooling requirements should be similar. What would crave a two-slot cooling band-aid in a desktop PC was accustomed a almost able heatsink on the Xbox 360 and ashore beneath a DVD drive.

Despite the acutely bare cooling, the Xbox 360 formed aloof accomplished - the barring actuality what seemed to be an disproportionate bulk of RRoD failures, but back Microsoft continued the assurance it wasn't a huge problem, aloof added of an annoyance.

It's accessible that simple tweaks in the accomplishment action could abate the likelihood of RRoD, bold that it is calefaction related. As crop curves advance over the activity of accomplishment a accurate chip, it is accessible to aftermath chips that run at lower voltages and are appropriately cooler. It could actual able-bodied be that the consoles that abort due to RRoD are artlessly application college crop GPUs that run at college voltages, and appropriately aftermath added heat, answer why the botheration seems to affect some consoles but not others. If this alternation were true, as all-embracing dent yields improve, the affairs of RRoD go down.

When rumors began bit-by-bit up about Microsoft affective to 65nm chips in the Xbox 360, abounding wondered if this could be the end of the RRoD problems, extenuative owners the cephalalgia with ambidextrous with abeyant failure. Bold that the basis account of RRoD is bare cooling, it is achievable that affective to acknowledgment chips could allay if not altogether fix the problem.