Dead Rising You Can Get Almost Anything at the Mall These Days, Even Zombie Holocausts Where You Must Use Lawnmowers to Survive

Free NAG supplement (not to be sold separately) THE ONLY RESOURCE YOU’LL NEED FOR EVERYTHING XBOX 360

October 2006 Issue 1

It’s a zombie holocaust and everyone’s invited

MEGA PREVIEW BROTHERS IN ARMS We’re on the highway to Hell

INSIDE! 360 LOCAL LAUNCH FOLLOWER OF FASHION SAINTS ROW 360 NEWS ESSENTIAL PERIPHERALS

DASHBOARD WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

THE BUZZ: News and 360 views from around the planet 10 FEATURE: 360 launches in South Africa It’s here, oh finally, it is here. We take a look at what’s available now that the Xbox 360 has come to sunny South Africa - just in time for summer. 14 FEATURE: Dedicated Follower of Fashion Make yourself feel pretty and follow the fashion. Even your 360 can get a new face.

22 PREVIEW: Brother’s in Arms: Hell’s Highway Operation Market Garden may sound like a nice stroll in the park, but in reality, it left 18,000 Allied soldiers dead.

28 PREVIEW: Dead Rising You can get almost anything at the mall these days, even zombie holocausts where you must use lawnmowers to survive.

32 PREVIEW: Saints Row Grand Theft Auto in everything but name, Saints Row may just unseat GTA from its throne.

36 HARDWARE: Peripherals for purchase and fun. 38 OPINION: The Class of 360 James Francis talks about Core vs. Premium, and whose dad would beat up whom.

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managing editor michael james [email protected] elcome! If you’ve reached us by purchasing +27 83 409 8220 editor miktar dracon an Xbox 360, well done and make yourself [email protected]

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contributors find one bundled with NAG every month from now on. matt handrahan james francis ryan king jon denton The Xbox 360 has hit South Africa - that much is group sales and marketing manager clear. The depth of the impact and its effects will len nery | [email protected] take a while to truly surface in any meaningful way, +27 84 594 9909 but that doesn’t stop people from speculating. The advertising sales jacqui jacobs | [email protected] presumption thus far points to a positive outcome. +27 82 778 8439 The Xbox 360 will carve out some territory for itself, dave gore | [email protected] +27 82 829 1392 and become a stern contender against the current cheryl bassett | [email protected] reigning (and mostly uncontested) console king. +27 72 322 9875 In the meantime, 360 Insider will be here to art director make sure you know what’s to know. We’ll keep chris bistline you in the loop regarding all things Xbox 360 in designer South Africa, along with international features, chris savides previews and more. It’s going to be a wild ride. junior designer emma gernetzky The Xbox 360 already has incredible international momentum from having left the starting gates so office assistant paul ndebele early, and that momentum is sure to carry over a 360 Insider little into our neck of the woods. What this means p o box 237 to you, the consumer, is that you can expect to see olivedale 2158 proper support from the retailers (if they’re smart), south africa as well as continued support and enthusiasm from tel +27 11 704 2679 fax +27 11 704 4120 Microsoft itself. internet So, hit that Ring of Light on your 360 and get www.nag.co.za ready. The fun’s about to start! printing print ability Miktar Dracon +27 11 236 3800 Editor distribution distributed free with NAG magazine

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6 10.2006

THE BUZZ NEWS AND 360 VIEWS FROM AROUND THE PLANET

RUMOUR CENTRAL NO GAMES DEVIL MAY CRY 4 PLANNED COMING TO 360? FOR HD DVD apcom’s zombielicious survival/horror/ This shift in strategy is currently pure here has been a lot of action sandbox Dead Rising has certainly speculation, though it is worth noting that speculation surrounding Cbecome one of the most anticipated titles Capcom is currently developing Lost Planet: Tthe DVD peripheral for the for the 360. Reports from Japanese analysts Extreme Conditions for the Xbox 360 as well as Xbox 360, though Microsoft was mention that the success of Dead Rising may Resident Evil 5 (which also has a PlayStation quick to speak out against the prompt Capcom to remove the PS3-exclusivity 3 incarnation). We’ll have more news on this notion of 360 games appearing for other titles, such as Devil May Cry 4. as/when it develops. on HD DVD. John Porcaro, group manager of online marketing ATTACK OF THE CLONES communications for Microsoft, announced: “I’m seeing lots of THIS IS NOT GEOMETRY WARS speculation about our upcoming HD DVD Player, he developers of the obscenely successful any pre-existing title. It is not trying to ‘pass itself and whether we have plans to Xbox Live Arcade release Geometry Wars: off’ as any other game. And it is because it is an publish HD DVD games. The TRetro Evolved have enacted a cease-and- original IP that it has won awards. Just because it answer is no. At this point, desist against Grid Wars. A free clone of (but not uses scoring, vector graphics, geometric shapes, we haven’t seen anything to exactly the same as) Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, a grid, or a particular control method, does not suggest that next-gen DVD Bizzard Creations feels that Grid Wars is taking away make it any less of an original IP, nor deem it to be formats offer a better game sales from its creation. In a recent press release, ‘open source’. What we are requesting is that if experience than current DVD. Bizzard Creations elaborated on its actions. anyone is inspired by the simplicity and elegance What we do know is that these “As a relatively small company, with our roots of our game, can they please use their talents to formats will bring added cost in ‘back bedroom’ coding, we have always originate their own ideas and not produce replicas to game developers, disc wholeheartedly supported the ‘indie’ games that simply imitate and could be passed off as, manufacturing, and could even development community. But in order for this and [be] confused with, the original.” result in added costs and longer industry and community to continue to survive, load times for the consumer, we feel originality must be allowed which would negatively impact to prevail. The fact is that Geometry the game experience.” Wars: Retro Evolved is our intellectual Sony, with its Blu-ray drive in property. The game was created as the PlayStation 3, obviously has an entirely original product, and as a other plans. package, bears no relevant similarity to

8 10.2006 POWER TO THE PEOPLE 360 DEVELOPMENT FOR EVERYONE nyone can develop games for way games are developed,” the Xbox 360, thanks to XNA said Chris Satchell, AGame Studio Express. Available general manager of the for free to anyone with Windows Game Developer Group at XP, the set of tools will allow anyone Microsoft. “By unlocking to develop for the next-generation retail Xbox 360 consoles for console. To develop, test and share community-created games, the games, however, you’ll have to we are ushering in a new join a ‘creator’s club’ at an annual era of cross-platform games subscription free of $99. based on the XNA platform. XNA Game Studio Express is an We are looking forward to integrated, seamless development the day when all the resulting environment based on Visual Studio talent-sharing and creativity Express and .NET. With it, you can also transform into a thriving develop Windows XP-based games. community of user-created “XNA Game Studio Express will games on [the] Xbox 360.” ignite innovation and accelerate You can find out more at prototyping, forever changing the msdn.microsoft.com/directx/xna. HIGH-DEF, IN THE CARDS SCHMIGH-DEF GAMERCARD ndre Vringnaud is the director of GENERATION technical strategy for Xbox Live. ARecently he posted on his blog, f you want to share your Xbox Live Gamercard, or “1,080p Meaningless this Generation”, and just impress people with your Gamescore, check out gave his thoughts on whether the PlayStation Iwww.glop.org/gamercard/. On the Website, you can 3’s 1,080p high-def is really worth it. select from a whole range of templates and get your own “There’s been a lot of interest in the PS3 Gamercard that you can place on your Website, blog or in due to its stated 1,080p output for both your forum signature. There have been many Gamercard games and movies (via Blu-ray). What’s generators before, but this particular Website has a nice FREE GAME interesting is that a lot of folks don’t realise range, look, and even includes various designs from other how meaningless 1,080p actually is in this Websites. So, go ahead, get a little vanity and choose a WITH LIVE VISION generation.” Gamercard that suits you. he upcoming EyeToy-like camera for “Let’s take games first. The PS3 has An Xbox Live Gamercard shows both your Gamescore the Xbox 360, called the Xbox Live roughly the same pixel-pushing capabilities (which is the total of your points gained through TVision, will come packaged with a as the Xbox 360. Don’t take my word for it; Achievements) and a list of your recently played games. It free ‘gesture’ game called Totemball. The it’ll be obvious soon enough over the next also shows your chosen avatar and name. Live Vision gives 360 owners access to year. Even if this weren’t the case, consider video chat while playing a game, in addition [that] we now live in a multi-platform to face-mapping functions for supporting development world, and that the current games such as Activision’s World Series sweet spot developers are targeting is of Poker. 720p, due to the extremely similar system In Totemball, developed by Strange specifications. Simply put, a developer who Flavour and Freeverse Studios, arm gestures is planning to release [its] game for both the from the player will help the onscreen totem Xbox 360 and the PS3 will aim for a common pole character you control to reach a goal attainable ground. In fact, I’ll stick my neck within a time limit. Freeverse previously out and predict that that you won’t see any worked on ‘gesture’ games for the 1,080’x’ games for the PS3 this year.” Macintosh, using the Apple iSight camera. You can find out more at the blog at While no official price has been announced http://ozymandias.com/archive/2006/08/14/ for South Africa yet, the Live Vision is listed Home-Theater-Magazine _ 3A00 _ -No- in the United States at an estimated $39.99 Difference-Between-1080i-and-1080p-for- (roughly R279). The Live Vision is expected Movies.aspx. to go on sale in September internationally.

10.2006 9 FEATURE: 360 LOCAL LAUNCH

Meet the Family

10 10.2006

The 360 is here and it Family brought somesome friends!friends!

10.2006 11 FEATURE: 360 LOCAL LAUNCH

f you are reading this, you could only be one of four people: (1) a person who has a 360; (2) a person who will be buying a 360; (3) someone who is interested in buying a 360; (4) or someone who has stolen this magazine from one of the first three. In any case, Microsoft’s next-generation console, the Xbox 360, has now officially been launched in South Africa. The 360 has enjoyed unprecedented success since its international launch in November last year, which means South IAfrica can only benefit from the worldwide interest that has already been established. Local players in the South African gaming industry have taken to the 360 with gusto, giving us a wide range of titles and support, which is always a good thing. To celebrate the local liftoff, 360 Insider will be taking a look at what’s available for you to purchase and enjoy. What will be mentioned here, however, is by no means a complete catalogue of launch titles. Rather, it’s a look at some of the more specific and interesting titles for the 360 and who would enjoy them. For that, we’ll need the help of our fictional 360 family, the Waltons. Say hello to Mom, Pop, Gran, Gramps, Billy, Sarah, little Tommy and their loving dog, Scraps.

Mom Gran

Xbox Live Arcade Condemned: Criminal Origins The library of A gritty, edgy Silence of the Lambs- affordable casual style experience resides inside games available on Condemned - a horror game of Xbox Live Arcade psychological nature. First-person but keeps expanding, mostly devoid of guns, Condemned and now includes places emphasis on puzzle solving card games such and in-your-face melee combat. You as Uno, Texas have to search for fingerprints or Hold ‘em and Poker, along with retro other evidence, while watching your nostalgia such as Frogger, Street back. Enemies are cunning. They Fighter II and Gauntlet. Newer, fresher will hide and flee, popping out experiences such as the titillating from behind concealments. The lines of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved cerebral nature of the game keep the appeal broad. Classic casual means only the more refined games such as Astropop, Bejeweled 2 will appreciate it, though a and Zuma will easily consume hours of half-senile grandmother could existence, and there is even Bankshot also gain much enjoyment from Billiards 2 for Pop. Condemned.

Pop Racing 3 is still a solid, quality racing experience with lush visuals that beg Project Gotham Racing 3 the use of the Photo mode. Racing around London with the beautiful visuals, Bizzare Creations Test Drive Unlimited has imbued Project Gotham Racing 3 Over 1,600km of Hawaiian roads with never getting old, and if it does, and highways on the island of Oahu you can always go create your own tempt racers from around the world, routes through Los Angeles, New York and rightfully so. Test Drive Unlimited or Tokyo. Project Gotham Racing 3 not only lets you purchase a tropical continues the stalwart legacy of the getaway, a house of your choice, but Project Gotham series and moves it also exotic cars and new clothes. From up a notch. Aside from the Career there, you use your faithful GPS to find mode, there are several online options, races around the island, either offline or including the ability to watch the best online. You can form clubs to race with Project Gotham Racing 3 players from and drive a large variety of vehicles, around the world racing live. While including brands such as Alfa Romero, not as technical as the defiant racing Ducati, Ferrari and more - including simulators out there, Project Gotham motorbikes.

12 10.2006 Gramps Billy

Call of Duty 2 Dead or Alive 4 You don’t have to tell war- There are many reasons why one stories anymore, just fire up would play Dead or Alive 4, a fighting Call of Duty 2 and be there. game that involves busty broads and Spanning several theatres nimble ninja. The game is a technical of World War II, you play as achievement with striking visuals a soldier for the Red Army, and crisp imagery, as well as being the British Army or the an involved and complex fighter that United States Army. As a requires concentration and ability. first-person shooter, Call of Duty Dead or Alive 4 even includes a new 2 remains the pinnacle of action- character to the series, a female history, giving players the chance to Spartan super soldier, called ‘Spartan- see through their own eyes battles 458’, who arrives fresh from the Halo such as the Battle of Normandy, universe. Online, players can duke it out Pointe du Hoc and other key points of in round robin and purchase items from history. For multiplayer (on Xbox Live), the Zack shop such as new avatars Call of Duty 2 is fully-featured with to use online or different lobbies for Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, as well hosting multiplayer games. as other game modes. Ninety-Nine Nights Much like Dynasty Warriors, Ninety- Nine Nights involves tearing into large armies of enemies as a one-person Tommy equaliser. The story involves witnessing (and participating in) a fantasy war Lego Star Wars II: from the viewpoints of several different The Original Trilogy characters, while the game is mostly There are certain constants an extravaganza of enemies and in the universe, such as obscenely powerful attacks. There horses and the idea that ‘Star can be hundreds of enemies onscreen Wars + Lego = Awesome’. at one time to wade through, and Spanning the original Star each character you can choose has Wars trilogy this time a very different play style. The game (Lego Star Wars I spanned borrows heavily from Kingdom Under episodes 4 to 6), you can Fire, which was also developed by create your own Lego Star Phantagram for the original Xbox. Wars character by mixing multiple character parts together. The game is a fun ‘shoot Scraps stuff while running through the level’ style experience, bolstered 360 Wireless Controller by the cooperative mode where Ah, happy doggy Scraps likes anyone can pick up a controller and nothing more than chewing, join in. From there, it’s pure Wookie and the Wireless Controller and droid bliss. makes the perfect chewing toy. Scraps can run around as much as Sarah he likes, and he won’t pull the 360 off its Kameo: Elements of Power perch. Visually, Kameo is the pretty girl at the party. Lush, colourful visuals fill the screen, while the fantasy art style of the game remains warm and inviting. At heart, Kameo is a platformer with many interesting twists and turns, such as Kameo’s own ability to instantly change into one of several 360 Insider would like to thank the Elemental warriors, including a dragon. Each warrior has its own Waltons for helping us with this abilities, both to attack with article, especially the incontinent and to solve puzzles in a level. Kameo can also be played Scraps who left us many presents cooperatively on Xbox Live, in, out and around the office. and is one of the more fun and inventive games for the 360.

10.2006 13

It’s sleek, it’s sexy and it’s better looking than the original Xbox… but is the 360 really less of a console and more of a fashion icon?

earing in mind that we’ve been gaming since we hit puberty, one thing we’ve come to accept is that Bgaming isn’t fashionable. Despite all attempts to make it so, gaming just isn’t ‘cool’. At least, it didn’t used to be. With the advent of consoles like the PlayStation though, companies like Sony have tried to make us believe that geek is the new chic by linking their machines to DJs, bands, celebrities and clothing, all in an effort to make it a brand rather than a console - the Coke of the gaming generation, if you will. Not surprisingly then, it didn’t take long for Microsoft to try doing the same thing, and with the original Xbox giving it a firm footing in the world of videogames, the next step was one not just of progress, but of style too. When the 360 was first revealed, we were all shocked at how different the design was compared to the original Xbox. It was sleek – even sexy – but the main point was that it had style, and definitely wasn’t your normal gaming ‘box’ that we’d become accustomed to. This premise of style has grown as we’ve got accustomed to the Xbox 360 brand and features like customisation have been announced. It was

10.2006 15 obvious from the word go that the 360 was really taken off, as expected if you look at designed to appeal to a much bigger market Designed to how in the last five years or so the mobile than the hardcore gamer. Concisely, it’s a phone customisation market has grown from home media centre with style. One that would appeal to a strength to strength. Just by checking out your not look out of place in a family’s living room local shopping mall on a Saturday, you’ll be or an uptown bachelor’s pad. bigger market than able to see that almost all ages and walks of “From the start we wanted to design a the hardcore gamer life like the idea of customising their phones. console that would be appealing worldwide By tapping into this market, Microsoft has and elevate the design aesthetic higher than allowed the 360 and the gaming experience has typically been seen in game console wouldn’t be such early adopters. Other users to become much more personalised. By design,” explains Don Conver, director of the may have used the Xbox 360 to show off their promoting and encouraging individuality Xbox Platform Experience, Microsoft. “With photos to their family, and this interaction has through Faceplates, Themes and Dashboard this in mind, we hired a variety of firms in then led to them trying some family games on configurations, users are beginning to feel Europe, Japan and the USA to do concept Xbox Live Arcade.” attached to their Xbox 360s and eager to share designs, which we refined over many months With the colourings to match, the 360 their experience with others. This constantly to get to what is the final design. As part of launched itself as a product for the iPod changing and organic gaming environment that design exercise, we hit upon the iconic generation, becoming more of an icon than a helps change the nature of the console itself, look we have today and were immediately product, a lifestyle brand over a gaming one. transcending a mere product and again drawn to it.” However, how successful has that concept helping to propel the 360 to iconic status. Of course, good old Microsoft didn’t want been? Do all the cool people own one or want to alienate its hardcore followers, but rather one? Has it climbed that brick wall separating Design For Live offer them added value with features that they the gamer from the fashionable type and then It doesn’t end there, though. Companies would enjoy, features that would also appeal smashed it down with a hefty sledgehammer? such as Joytech have a strong belief that to a more mainstream market. Neil Thompson, “Absolutely,” says Mark Stanley, senior Xbox Live will also help customisation to director of UK and Northern Europe Home vice president of marketing for peripherals grow even further in coming years. “The Entertainment Group, Microsoft, explains: manufacturer Intec. “All the hype that was true growth will come through Xbox Live,” “First and foremost, Xbox 360 will always given to this unit in the months leading to says Alex Verrey, PR and communications appeal to gamers. However, what we have launch elevated it from a simple next-gen manager, Joytech Europe. “The nature of the noticed is that because of all the additional gaming machine to ‘urban idol’ status.” console affords Microsoft the opportunity features, it is encouraging users who normally Indeed, the customisation concept has to update the system’s firmware at will with

16 10.2006 In the world of fashion, anything goes… or does it? Don’t get carried away now…

When it came to the idea of brand extension for the 360, Microsoft didn’t just give the thumbs up to a clothing range. Sunrise Identity, the company that runs the Xboxgearstore site for the big MS, will make almost anything 360 branded if a customer requests it. “There’s nothing we can’t do,” states Jackie Vanraaphorst, the company’s programs manager. “We’ve been known to do things like skateboards and surfboards, but we mainly get calls for products for corporate events. So, most of our orders are for straightforward 360 branded products like stickers, memory cards, journals…” “We don’t get that many odd requests really,” she continues. “Gamers are more interested in gaming merchandise rather than hardware. We also run the Bungie merchandising site, and that’s where we get them. That’s a really hardcore audience and they want to get their hands on anything Halo related.” So, fashion sells. Even so, how many new features and improvements. When the we saw that the new Xbox 360 had those of you want to play Frisbee with an Xbox Xbox 360 camera is introduced, gamers will awesome removable plates, we figured, why 360 branded ‘flying disk’ or carry around be able to capture their own photos and use not? We released our ‘White Heat’ faceplate your Xbox 360 water bottle? Oh, and their images in GamerCards whilst using the right around the same time that the 360 was what’s the point in a retractable badge camera to chat in real-time with other players. released, and we had a huge response. We pull? Anyone? Dashboard enhancements and themes will hope to keep customising them in the future, continue to flourish I believe, so that within a and continue to receive orders from all over few years the ability to change every nuance the world.” of the front-end interface may make it entirely Then, of course, there’s the modding possible for your gaming experience to not community. These people are loving the 360, only be tailored to your preferences, but and proudly show off their own designs all appear near unrecognisable from your best over the Web. However, if Microsoft doesn’t friend’s system.” condone this and modding your 360 voids your New ways to jazz up your console are warranty as well, what’s the appeal of opening HIP TO THE BEAT/ Lifestyle photo sets like these make us laugh. Apparently, we’re supposed to want to be like them. already appearing, and none of these came up a console worth as much as your kidney Of course! from the mind of a Microsoft designer. One and messing around with its insides? trend that’s growing all the time is to ‘bling’ “Because it’s all about individuality and out your machine, something that companies possessing something different,” explains like Crystal Icing and Bling my Thing excel in, Tom Nile, chief moderator on the Max Console covering everything from mobile phones to Website. “There will be ten million 360s that consoles in crystals. all look similar soon. We all want to be unique “The customisation market is huge!” and console modding is turning into a hobby, exclaims Gina Smith, president of Crystal just like people pimp out their cars.” CRAZY YANK/ This guy’s clearly American. You can Icing. “We receive so many requests for Scot Maki, who calls himself the ‘head tell from his ‘trendy’ clothes and ‘huge’ mouth. What’s this unique designs, whether they want their llamma’ (and yes, that’s how they spell it) at meant to say? name put on an item or their very own custom modding site Llamma.com continues: “We all design. Showing off your personal piece of strive to be unique and distinguish ourselves art is something people love and are proud in some way. Some do this in the clothes they to say they created, and it makes boring wear, the car they drive, or the way their hair is devices something colourful and fancy. When cut. When all consoles are identical, console

YOU SAID IT/ Why is he pulling that stupid face? He’s lucky we’re not our mothers, or we’d make a remark about the wind changing

10.2006 17 Something this good-looking doesn’t just happen overnight…

The design for the Xbox 360, as we know it, didn’t just pop out of thin air. It came from an amalgamation of differently styled models. Roughly seven designs made it to the prototype stage, all coming from different firms across Europe, Japan and the States, and from there the final design was whittled away. Microsoft wanted to move away from the original Xbox design, instead creating a console that would look good in any entertainment centre of any room in any type of home. It had to look stylish, ageless and appeal to the mass market of home entertainment consumers, not just gaming types. “We looked at a selection of radically different design approaches, and once we found a general direction we liked, we worked to refine it over many months,” explains Don Conver, director of the Xbox Platform Experience at Microsoft. “Our goal was not really minimalist, but rather modding is an attractive platform for some in different markets. The 360’s hardware something simple and iconic that customisation. If gaming is important to you, and logo designs were aimed to create would be a suitable design aesthetic you may decide that some time spent making a fashionable lifestyle brand that would for many years. Our Xbox 360 design is your gaming machine unique is time well appeal to everyone and its advertising and a much more distilled expression than spent.” sponsorship decisions certainly mirror that. the original Xbox, but it’s also more Designs differ wildly, from original paint Working with companies like Adidas and Epic expressive, which runs counter to the jobs to adding LEDs and even windows. Daniel Records, sponsoring the World Cup as well spirit of modernism. Our fundamental Whitehouse, a full-time modder, created as sporting teams such as the American Le geometry – the console’s ‘inhale’ a water-cooled 360, which he believes is Mans race, are some things Microsoft is doing gesture – is also much more complex currently the only one in the world. “With to help get the brand better known to new than it looks. Within this, the details are my latest 360, I’ve created the world’s first audiences. very pure, which gives the design its and only all internal water-cooled 360,” he contemporary, ‘neo-modernist’ feel.” explains. “Various forums debated whether Console Coordinated this would be possible due to lack of space Around launch time, stylish products began within the 360, so I decided to pull off the to appear with 360 logos, and Microsoft even impossible and everything turned out great. brought out a clothing range. Although this Not only did I succeed, but I added a window, has been more of a success in the corporate lighting, and a very fancy paint job. My reasons field, the company still focused on new and behind doing this were because I wanted fashionable designs for its clothes, in order to to make something unique like all modders, appeal to fashion fans rather than gamers. but also because I’d heard about the 360’s “We have access to thousands of vendors overheating issues and decided water-cooling all the time, so we see the newest and would be a good idea and keep my console coolest things that come out in our industry,” alive for a lot longer.” explains Jackie Vanraaphorst, programs Of course, customisation and modding manager at Sunrise Identity, the vendor that are going to appeal to a wider audience, but runs Microsoft’s Xboxgearstore Website. it’s still quite a specific ‘demographic’ and “Xbox really wanted to try to capitalise on it’s obvious that Microsoft wanted to throw some of the newer and more unique apparel. the net even wider. Not surprisingly though, We have a really great team here with a lot it has already managed this through very of experience in this industry, so they know fashion-orientated marketing and by creating what’s cool and what’s not.” partnerships with other iconic companies This isn’t an easy job however, as Chris

18 10.2006 Mods And Rockers Rockstar and Eidos put on their glad rags

The 360 launched itself Well-known modding site Llamma. com has been so successful with as a product for the past modded consoles, that Rockstar commissioned the company to make iPod generation a one-off Rockstar branded Xbox 360 mod. With the logo on one side and a window on the other, this console was handmade by the team and then painted in silver and Rockstar’s well-known FACE THE FACTS/ Joytech offers a wide range of alternative 360 faceplates that you can use if you’re bored of the plain old white one bright orange. Although Rockstar hasn’t – Ryan’s got the tan army camo one. It looks good! Really! confirmed this, rumour has it that this snazzy piece of kit was being shown off behind closed doors at E3 this year. Eidos took things a step further recently. Promoting the launch of the Birch, creative director of gaming fashion options and pushing the 360 as a ‘lifestyle’ latest Tomb Raider game, the German label Joystick Junkies, can confirm. “Doing a brand, what exactly can we expect looking office contacted Berlin-based Bling merchandise range like that is always really towards the future? My Thing and commissioned some difficult,” he says. “People who aren’t gamers Microsoft is keeping its cards close to its Swarovski crystal-covered consoles. have to walk into a fashion store and go ‘Wow, chest. There are some concepts, however, Both a PS2 and a 360 were ‘blinged’ to that’s a great T-shirt!’. The main market is that could lead to a widening appeal of the the max - one with the logo and one with people who want a really nice T-shirt. It’s machine. With Project Gotham Racing 3 Lara’s face on it. got to stand up to all the major cool lifestyle there was Gotham TV where people could The bejewelled 360 is now worth brands that people are buying around the watch races without having to pick up a around €3,500 and has now made world.” pad and ‘become’ a gamer. Similarly, with a home for itself in the company’s Birch doesn’t think it’s going to create a Viva Piñata, out later this year, non-gamers Hamburg office, alongside the special huge buzz in the fashion world, but as brand will be part of the 360’s brand extension by edition PS2. extensions go, he thinks Microsoft has made watching the TV show or buying the toys a good attempt. “I think as a brand extension and other merchandise that are bound to it’s doing a nice job. I think it’s good that appear in stores. Microsoft is doing something different rather Furthermore, with the release of the HD than just corporate clothing, and it’s helping DVD drive, which, even if bought alongside a to make [gaming] much more acceptable,” he Premium 360, looks set to be much cheaper says. than the PlayStation 3 option, the 360 is going Of course, Microsoft’s whole range of to appeal to film fans just as much as gamers. Xbox 360 branded products was supported With the 360, Microsoft is looking at with suitable ‘lifestyle’ orientated new areas to spread its reach. It might not advertising that showed people from all have a sudden overnight boom of non- walks of life laughing together, wearing gamers rushing into stores, but this move the branded clothes and posing in a ‘hip towards fashion and lifestyle is helping and funky’ manner. From the buzz that more and more people become aware of was heard about this campaign, the range the platform. Even if people just pick one does have its appeal, but it hasn’t made up and check out its features, over time the big splash that was hoped for… yet, they’ll become more comfortable exploring at least. So, as Microsoft continues to everything it offers. Either way, the 360 is make the most of its 12-month lead on the making itself known as more than just a competition, offering new customisation games console.

10.2006 19

PREVIEW

Release date/ Q1 2007 BROTHERS IN ARMS: HELL’S HIGHWAY War is hell, especially on a highway to nowhere

pon finding out that the latest in Ubisoft’s excellent WWII Useries, Brothers In Arms, was to take place during Operation Market Garden, we thought it best to check a couple of facts. You see, as far as our hazy memories of school history lessons tell us, Market Garden, an attempt to secure the bridges over the main rivers of Holland, was a campaign the Allied forces lost. Now, Hollywood, EA and American teachers may tell us that the USA won the entire war on its own, but, as Market Garden proved, that is far from the truth. In fact, this Allied failure was the scene where over 30,000 soldiers on both sides lost their lives, and was eventually an exercise in futility. Not the usual videogame fare, is it?

NEED TO KNOW Publisher/ Ubisoft Developer/ Gearbox Genre/ FPS Players/ TBA Xbox Live/ Yes

Briefly The third iteration of the massively successful Brothers In Arms series, with improved graphics, multiple teams and much more.

IN THE PIE What you’ll find on the highway to Hell… Physics Bazookas Gung-ho patriotism Master Chief baiting

32% 25%

18% 25%

10.2006 23 PREVIEW

NO I IN TEAM

Brothers In Arms has never been every moment of conflict. Just two Of mortars about towing the line. The first in the years ago, people were in awe of the and bazookas series, released just last year, took facial expressions in Half-Life 2. Hell’s and men WWII FPS in a direction that Medal Of Highway makes them look robotic. Yes, as well as your Honor and Call Of Duty had previously None of this would matter, of normal squad of ignored. Not just a glorified duck course, if there wasn’t an extremely chaps, you now shoot, Brothers In Arms focused on solid game engine underneath all have access to the tactical and emotional reality of the high-definition fireworks, and heavy fire teams being in a squad of soldiers, namely fortunately, there is. As in Road To Hill such as mortars and the 101st Airborne, and asked players 30 and Earned In Blood, the circular bazookas - perfect to use not only their skills with a rifle, reticule for ordering troops is crucial for tearing a nice but also their brains. Outmanoeuvring for success, and can be flicked around hole in the armour of opponents, directing your team-mates the battlefield with ease. Your team- a panzer tank, or an to cover, using sweeping flanking mates are more intelligent than ever even bigger hole in DESTRUCTION DERBY tactics… these are the things that too, effortlessly using cover and always the face of an enemy. While you won’t be able to decimate all you define Brothers In Arms, and they’re set finding their way around obstacles. Lovely stuff. see, you’ll at least get to blow some stuff up to return in Gearbox’s retelling of the Every decision is vital to the survival Market Garden operation – Brothers In of your men, your side and, obviously, Arms: Hells Highway. yourself. When taking those first steps out onto the battlefield, the graphics Fighting for freedom immediately hit you. It almost seems It’s not just the Allies that have trite to mention the visuals when smartened up since Earned In Blood, previewing a game. This is Xbox 360 either. As expected, the enemy AI after all, and the games are expected has undergone an overhaul, now to look great, but Gearbox has really completely self-aware and emergent, raised the bar. Textures, decals, so each skirmish will play out like its physics, lighting, explosions, smoke own set-piece. There’s absolutely – aside from a tiny bit of HD ‘hyper- minimal scripting. The AI takes control detail’, it looks almost real. Especially of the enemy troops, so you could impressive is the expressions the literally replay the same section a characters display on their faces. Not hundred times and the enemy would only when they’re talking, but during never react in the same way. This is what next-generation gaming should be about: organic, immersive Your every experiences that give the player complete freedom of choice in how decision is vital to they approach each situation. We’re all for linearity in narrative, but there the survival should always be room to move within VERSION the linear guidelines. It just makes for a TESTED of your men far more entertaining time. 44 % COMPLETE

ARMY OF TWO/ They don’t call them brothers in arms for nothing. These two are actually brothers (this may or may not be true)

WEAPON OF CHOICE All of the game’s weaponry will once again be accurate to the era

WE ALL STAND TOGETHER The focus here is very much on the men rather than the action. It’s all about the emotion…

LOSER! I fought the battle… And the battle killed 18,000 people.

As we’ve already especially since the mentioned, Operation 101st tale is particularly Market Garden wasn’t bizarre. The division exactly the success was left for two that the Allied Forces days with no ammo planned it to be. The because of bad timing objectives (focusing and, even worse, one on clearing bridges of the bridges it was occupied by German supposed to take was forces) were never met, blown up just as the the whole thing fell attack began. Suffice way behind schedule, to say, the finished and the operation left product should be over 18,000 Allied pretty damn bleak… soldiers dead. How Gearbox puts that into the context of a game The moral of the story? should be interesting, The US doesn’t always win.

10.2006 25 PREVIEW

TALKING TO RANDY PITCHFORD Gearbox’s CEO talks about everything Hell’s Highway-related that you ever wanted to know: real bodies, advanced physics, oh, and war of course…

Hell’s Highway gives the player a paratrooper is all about. It’s about squad fighting ‘real’ body within the game world. and killing the enemy. Why has this taken such a long time for it to happen? Three teams are a lot to command. How will you stop it being too much Randy Pitchford: The idea is that the work for players? player character is no longer a floating camera with a picture of a gun bolted to it at the Randy Pitchford: The command system has bottom of the screen. The player character always been very elegant and easy to use, but HELP ME/ To be Moreover, choice is something is an actual character in the world. You can we’ve enhanced it with some new capabilities that honest, we don’t really that Gearbox is focusing a lot of its know what’s going see your own shadow, your own body and allow the player to coordinate sneak attacks, or on here, but when energy on for Hell’s Highway. Whereas your hands and feet. You can look down at group teams together to make it easier for them everything goes blurry, in previous Brothers In Arms games your chest and see how many grenades you to manoeuvre together over distances. We are you’re normally hurt, or you only had control over your fixed have left. When you jump over a wall, if you always very careful to ensure that it’s very clear and drunk. Probably both squad, Hell’s Highway now allows you look down, you can see your hand on the intuitive, and yes, although a player will have more to switch between different types of wall and your legs swing over. There are tons choices, they will not feel overwhelmed in any way. troops depending on the situation. You of examples of where the first-person actor have access to bazooka teams (perfect really puts you in the world. It’s great. It really How will the advanced physics of the for enemy tanks, or if you just fancy enhances your overall immersion. game affect the actual gameplay? making an almighty mess), and mortar teams for distanced attacks, pinning How are you addressing criticism of Randy Pitchford: Soft cover, like wooden an enemy in position so you can use a the previous games being too linear doors and fences and woodsheds, can be strike team to move in and eliminate. with Hell’s Highway? destroyed – torn apart by fire. This adds a huge The possibilities aren’t quite endless, tactical element to the game, as a player will but they’re far greater than before. Randy Pitchford: This chapter of the now need to carefully decide where to place his / Picture the scene. You’re held up in game is really exciting for us! The addition of her men and will no longer be able to hide behind a shelled-out cottage as two German new units really gives the player a far more some cover waiting for the enemy to make a tanks patrol the grimy Eindhoven diverse experience. Depending on the enemy mistake. Engagements will be brutal and you will streets. There’s no way your team they face, they will now be able to choose need to react quickly to keep your men alive! can get past without a miracle, so among many different ways of approaching you switch to your bazooka team the situation. The animation really looks who have taken up position, on The maps are far bigger than before. A typical amazing… their own accord, up high on an Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway mission area adjacent building. You order them to is at least four times the size of a mission area Randy Pitchford: We are still working fire at one of the tanks before taking in Brothers In Arms 1 or 2. on this, but you are right, it is amazing what cover, which not only halves The scope of the combat is larger as well. the team has already succeeded in doing. enemy numbers, but There are more Allies and enemies involved Animations are an important part of how also provides ample than ever before. The whole sense of scale characters become more real, and distraction for the and scope is strongly multiplied over the Brothers In Arms has always wanted initial team to speed previous Brothers In Arms games. It’s you to feel like the men who fight past the tank fortunate that we have the next-generation with you are in fact your brothers. unseen. However, technology to support the demands of the We are really working to ensure you’re not just historical operation. As the leader of a recon that all the characters in the going to leave it team, Baker gets a jeep this time around. game have a personality.

Will the player get to control the car This is the third game or will it be similar to the way tanks in the series. WWII is operated in the ﬁ rst two games (i.e., far from over. How will you can mount a turret, but the driving the series continue? is done by someone else who needs orders from you)? Randy Pitchford: Sgt. Matt Baker’s story doesn’t end in Holland during Operation The paratroopers were infantry, so they got Market Garden. We intend to follow around on foot. However, when Baker becomes through, but that is a different story. For part of a Recon unit, he gets a jeep. Therefore, the moment, we are really focused the recon guys can get around in jeeps. Still, on making Brothers in Arms: Hell’s driving around isn’t what being a 101st Airborne Highway the best game possible.

Liveaware Online multiplayer including a more tactical approach to deathmatch No doubt some online co-op too – tag- 1 team soldiering! 3

ARM BAR

It’s all getting a bit too personal for our liking

There you intelligently, with no 1are. Just in one firing unless you 2 time for a quick tell them to – in stealth chat. It all seems fairly mode that is. This, if safe and innocuous. you ask us, has got to This war business isn’t be the best thing to do as bad as everybody when under heavy fire. says, is it? Seems all right to us… It only takes 3 a few minutes Uh-oh. of Brothers in Arms 2 Under fire. action for all hell to Time to get the break loose. This is men into position. business – pretty Cover will be used awful really, isn’t it? there though, are you? With the tank and entirely congruous. There’s no Ubisoft has high hopes for Highway. In facing the other way, why not creep up reason why this won’t be the first truly addition, when Ubisoft really gets behind behind it and lay an explosive charge on great shooter on the 360. one of its products, it tends to turn out its underbelly? The choice is yours, but pretty well. Prince Of Persia, Splinter we’d definitely recommend it! Don’t let us down Cell: Double Agent, Ghost Recon: Further upping the Brothers In Nevertheless, we need to see more Advanced Warfighter… the list really Arms ante is the inclusion of far more of Hell’s Highway before we’ll be does speak for itself. vehicles than in previous games. While entirely convinced. We need to see As long as Gearbox doesn’t fall into in the past, players spent time in a that those physics aren’t just for the trap that many other developers tank, now you’ll have access to military show and do have a genuine impact have fallen into, that of HD-defying jeeps (perfect for slicing through the on gameplay. We need to see more everything in sight but not making terrain and dishing out all manner of examples of the multiple team dynamic any worthwhile gameplay alterations, Nazi death), and another fascinating in action. If it turns out to be little more we’re sure that Hell’s Highway will be ingredient in the Hell’s Highway pie. than a gimmick, then it would be an another triple-A title to add to Ubisoft’s Quite how these jeeps will be used in opportunity wasted. Perhaps most list. Game of the Year 2007? Well, gameplay is not yet known, but we’re crucially of all, we need to see just how Master Chief may have something to definitely hoping for full ‘Halo style’ the developers are going to handle say about that. Jon Denton integration, so you can hop in and out the subject matter. As discussed, of a jeep at any time when the situation Operation Market Garden is not your requires it. typical WWII game fare. There’s every FACT: Sadly, 31,186 soldiers lost their lives during Still, as long as it’s more than a chance that the story could finish World War II’s Operation Market Garden. Not a pleasant time at all. boring ‘on-rails’ shooting section, we’ll in tragedy – brave for a mainstream be more than happy. Indeed, hopes videogame. As long as Gearbox doesn’t are high for a more seamless and bludgeon us with an over-patriotic HOW’S IT less disjointed experience than the ‘retelling of events’, then this could LOOKING? Hell’s previous games. For starters, level make for an extremely intriguing plot. Highway is loads between missions have been We’ll keep our fingers crossed. looking superb and completely eradicated, so it will play far There’s no point denying it, we’re very is the game Brothers In Arms more like Half-Life 2 – one continuous excited about Hell’s Highway. With the was always meant to be. The 360 stream of excellence. The developers pedigree of two excellent games behind is the machine to finally do the are focusing on pacing and game it, an incredibly strong showing at E3, franchise justice. length to ensure the Hell’s Highway and a steady stream of new information experience is simultaneously cinematic arriving almost daily, it’s plain to see that Thriller?

10.2006 27 PREVIEW

Release date/ 8 September 2006 NEED TO KNOW DEAD RISING Publisher/ Capcom Live and let die in this king of zombie games Developer/ Capcom Genre/ f there is anything better than guns to tickle the zombies as they bite Survival horror ramming a sickle into the side of a a huge chunk from Frank’s rugged face. Players/ 1 Izombie’s brain before yanking its Then again, pacifists should probably Xbox Live/ No head clean off its shoulder, we have play Dynasty Warriors 5. yet to see it. Out of all the games Weapons! That’s what Dead Rising Briefly available on the Xbox 360, there is is about. The comic book violence is Frank is a freelance nothing quite like it. The animation triggered by the huge array of weapons photographer as protagonist Frank yanks the sickle lying around you. Yet, it’s not all blood investigating a minor riot back out of the skull makes you feel and thunder. Okay, that’s a bit of a lie. in Colorado, but when he like a real beast of a man. The move It is mostly blood and thunder, but asks to be dropped off kills the zombie immediately as its you still have to judge the range of on the roof of a shopping headless corpse flops to the floor, your weapon, its capability, the overall MOBILE BEAVER/ Otis will give you updates mall… you know what and most importantly, it makes an danger and so forth. Swinging wildly at via your two-way radio. Fact of The Month: mobile happens next! incredibly satisfying squelch noise a zombie’s face with a plant pot might phones actually looked like this in the mid-nineties with a crunch of bone. It’s just… be great fun, but when you have to perfect. stand on his toes to do so, it’s probably “But that’s sick!” you might think. safer to throw the plant pot, and then IN THE PIE Perhaps you prefer slicing zombies run to find a better weapon. It’s not as Killing zombies with… in half with a katana then. How about stupid as you think, yet not demanding Spades hitting golf balls at their faces from a enough that you can’t cause mayhem Katana safe distance, or using plates as nose- with whatever comes to hand. Golf clubs breaking Frisbees? Plant pots, HD-TVs, Fruit guitars, skateboards, hockey sticks, footballs, nightsticks, rubbish bins, and 5% Strike a balance 5% chainsaws, everything that comes to SLEEP TIGHT/ These benches serve as save 5% hand doubles up as a weapon, even between weapons for points. You don’t have to hold an apple while doing so. We just thought it made Frank look cool zucchinis. This is the shopping mall, this is your playground, and this is the hitting and food for arsenal with which you fight. Pacifists 85% eating will moan. They could always use water

WEAPON OF CHOICE Sickles, lawnmowers and… 3 water guns? Guns can be thrown once they’re out of ammo, battle axes can be swung around in a crowd clearing spin attack, while Frank can also hop on skateboards, as well as use them as weapons! VERSION 1 TESTED % CLICK YOURSELF UNDER 95 COMPLETE Become a modern day As you rooftop for a huge Kevin Carter! 1hitch a ride PP bonus. There are (Look on Wikipedia) on a helicopter into different categories of Colorado, you watch as pictures to snap such a ‘riot’ unfolds on the as Drama, Brutality streets. A woman is Horror and Erotica. trapped on a Colorado The final, rooftop, and when she 3 sorry mess. spots you, she waves Dead Rising doesn’t for help. You can’t do shy away from gore that. However… and doesn’t hesitate to …you can throw buckets of claret 2 take pictures! about. Beat Jeff’s wife Oh dear. Snap the to death with a golf woman as she club to see what we tumbles off the mean (you’ll see). 2

Well equipped videogame form. It’s spruced up with Because Frank wears Magical the photography side missions and Videogame Pants, he can cram pretty is garnished with a storyline plucked much anything he wants down his straight from My First Videogame Plot. trousers. At any time, he can have all We’ll be damned if Romero doesn’t sit sorts of items stuffed down his pants. down with a pad and notice similarities A sledgehammer, a coat hanger, a to his 1978 opus. “Look, a rag-tag breadstick, a bottle of wine and a pistol bunch of survivors fighting zombies in a can all co-exist happily in the sweaty shopping mall!” he might say excitedly, loins of Frank’s Magical Videogame waving a wrinkly hand towards the Pants. It beats stuffing socks down screen and coughing slightly. there, we suppose. The idea? To strike Back to Dead Rising’s My First a clever balance between weapons for Videogame Plot and we’re introduced hitting and food for eating. When you to Frank, freelance photographer with get sandwiched between two groups a boxer’s nose, in the backseat of a of zombies and you only have a pie, chopper flying towards Colorado. In a it’s panic time. A lot of Dead Rising is brilliant, sweeping sequence taking in about inventory juggling and struggling the carnage as it unfolds around the last to survive, not to mention the magpie few survivors on Colorado’s streets, in you that simply has to investigate you control Frank’s camera and snap whenever a new item is flagged on the away at the mess below. A guy makes screen. Magpies don’t wear Magical his last stand on top of his car. The Videogame Pants, but you do, so petrol station explodes as fiery figures there’s plenty of chances to try out the stagger away and collapse. You get a weapons you find. sense of the chaos and confusion. Then And yes, there’s a plot. As has been Frank, like all freelance photographers mentioned approximately nine million who have never seen a zombie movie times, this is George Romero’s Dawn before might do, asks to land on the mall Of The Dead (nine million and one) in rooftop. “See you in 72 hours!” he says.

10.2006 29 PREVIEW

AWESOME/ You can wear a Servbot mask! “Why does everyone think that’s so great?” said one onlooker. Oh dear! CUT! Headwear equals comedy You can dress up in There’s different attire as you traipse through the no real horror in shopping mall, putting on casual clothes, this particular sharp business suits shopping mall, or skin-tight Speedos. The best of all is when but there’s a huge you visit the ground floor toyshop. You can emphasis on even stick a Servbot head on your head, survival which gets dirtied up nicely with the zombie blood splashing on Servbot’s smile.

From there, you take your first, chomping on your neck. There’s a tentative steps into the mall, meet the central ‘safe’ room where you can go first survivors and watch as a poodle to advance the plot, talk to survivors somehow unleashes an army of and save the game. It makes sense, but zombies in the mall (you’ll see, it makes it also means when you step into the sense). This is what is known as the mall, the only way to save is to make poop hitting the fan, as you scramble the long trek back to the safe room in for safety while zombies scramble for one piece. When there are thousands flesh. There are no weapons at this of zombies between you and the lift point, so it’s all fat fists and flailing that takes you back to the air ducts and arms as you bolt for the safety of the the safe room, it makes things tense. stairs. At this point, you’re hit with the There’s no real horror in this particular freewheeling sense of fun unique to shopping mall, but there’s a huge videogames. Remember the scene in emphasis on survival. George Romero’s Dawn Of The Dead (nine million and two) where Peter and Prepare yourself Roger run rampant through the mall, You can’t just run the gauntlet either. killing zombies with huge grins on their Barge through the masses of brain- faces? Dead Rising is that scene, blown dead without something to defend up and spread over the course of a yourself, and you’ll be grabbed, videogame. pulled about and eaten. So take We’ve mentioned the need to juggle a decoy! There are survivors weapons, but what makes it even throughout the mall, and elderly more important than we realised is the janitor Otis will give you updates saving system, which isn’t unforgiving, on where to find survivors. You but doesn’t really give you a safety net can follow Otis’s directions, or if Plan A fails, Plan B fails to materialise you can find some survivors and a hastily improvised Plan C is yourself, such as the teenagers the only thing stopping zombie teeth who have boarded themselves up

CALM DOWN Clunk friends over the head with errant golf club swings and they’ll soon defect and start fighting back. Just like real life! Hooray!

PEE PEE PP tracks Frank’s progress throughout the game, adding a gentle RPG whiff to the overpowering stench of zombie blood. Only a delicate whiff, mind

THICKER THAN WATER Carelessly swing a baseball bat around your head like a stripper swings her knickers, and you’ll be collecting more blood than the National Blood Service

near the fountain. When you find them, are the fellow survivors who aren’t was up to speed, Jeff would have they stupidly attack you, thinking you interested in surviving, but only in survived. Regardless, Dead Rising are a zombie. A few wise words with killing. Then there are the boss battles is going to be brilliant. There’s no the chainsaw later and they’re behaving as well… way it can’t be anything but brilliant. again. It’s never straightforward with All Dead Rising needs now is With a plot threaded through the survivors; some need piggyback slight AI sharpening for your human game for the casual zombie slayer, rides, some refuse to leave without companions, a gentle kick of hot females for the chauvinist, and partners, some are slow runners, persuasion where lines of code fail sheer carnage for the plug-in-and- some insist on having a weapon. them. We couldn’t get Jeff to climb play-for-five-minutes gamer, who You would think that they’d be a simple step so we could shove his just wants to unload frustration after happy just being with a man fat behind into the ventilation shaft a hard day at work, Dead Rising has wearing Magical Videogame where he could scramble to safety. it all. Ryan King Pants. Therefore, we beat him to death Even when you think you’ve with a golf club instead. Admittedly, CARE BEAR/ seen it all, there are cool that’s slightly stronger than a ‘gentle FACT: The myth of zombies came from Haitian Stylish headgear makes for folklore, where voodoo sorcerers known as ‘bokor’ touches to surprise you. fancy zombie killing kick of persuasion’, but if the AI Having left the teenagers at would resurrect the dead. Haitians believed this, and thus the zombie was born. the fountain at the hands of the zombies so you could use the distraction as a HOW’S IT getaway, they actually shot LOOKING? It has never themselves rather than looked like face a hellish afterlife as anything less than shuffling zombies. When a stellar triple-A title, and with nighttime arrives, the Dead Rising within biting distance zombies come out in of the finish line, it’s still looking force - complete with absolutely stunning. hellish red eyes. Worse than that Thriller?

10.2006 31 PREVIEW

Release date/ September 2006 CHEAP SHOT/ This portly guy seems to have had one too many burgers from Steers NEED TO KNOW SAINTS ROW Publisher/ THQ Developer/ Volition THQ unveils Saints Row’s multiplayer Genre/ Action Players/ 12 mode and it looks solid Xbox Live/ Yes rand Theft Auto clone - there, looking gangster we could manage, we’ve said it. We know it’s we were treated to three multiplayer Briefly Gobvious and we’re aware it has modes, the first being a conventional Open-world gangster been said before, but in order to say all-against-all deathmatch. Set in a japery abounds in THQ’s anything original about Saints Row, we large sandy arena ringed by seats and epic next-gen offering, must first purge our souls of all such speckled with various items of cover, without resembling lazy criticism. With that unpleasant the playing area was uncomfortably any other game business out of the way, we’re happy exposed. Coupled with the fiddly whatsoever… to admit that the more we see of Saints aiming (another trait that Saints Row Row the more we like it. The game has shares with GTA), gaining control of advanced in leaps and bounds since its the situation virtually demanded some unveiling at E3 2005, and plagiarism or up-close combat, and after stumbling no plagiarism; this is looking like a highly upon an electric car and an Uzi tucked IN THE PIE polished and ambitious product. away behind some crates, this suddenly The Saints are all about… With so much energy being ploughed seemed like a rather good idea. Beating into spotting the similarities, most The second mode was an interesting Burning people have lost sight of what’s really take on Capture the Flag, with all the Liveaware Shooting important: what Saints Row is adding players dropped into a section of the Group deathmatch for up to 12 players Pimp Hats to the open-world format. An in-depth Catch The Pimp team battle session with the final code will no doubt Hunt The Medallion 1% reveal a host of new features, but for The challenge 33% now, we’ll have to make do with Saints 33% Row’s multiplayer function, unveiled by of Catch The Pimp THQ at a recent event. proved to be most After using the game’s character 33% creator to create the most inappropriate- rewarding

WHILE YOU WAIT 1 Pre-show carnage While we waited for others to join, our character was dropped 3 into a lobby area, which took the form of a warehouse packed with potential cover in the form of crates, boxes and barrels. Each character was already armed, allowing us to shoot things, jump up and down, run VERSION around in circles and be TESTED excitable. % 90 THE JOY OF DEATH COMPLETE New approaches to murder, mayhem and fraud

Aim that an accident and 1rocket claim the insurance launcher at the money. It’s better elevated train tracks than stealing as you and let rip. The track get to run someone will collapse to the over. ground, along with, if your timing is good, Some a train. Handy for 3 missions getting out of a tight will require you situation. to have a certain level of respect. Should You can gain this in 2 you find sub-games, one of yourself short of which involves killing crack money, you pimps and stealing can collaborate with their girls. They call one of your burnout it Snatch, but we’d 2 friends to stage call it Pimp Whack. city littered with gold medallions, foil the escape. Our one criticism was already entertaining game. We doubt and tasked with collecting as many that with an even number on each that Saints Row will become an as possible and carrying them to a side, it was difficult for the defending essential Live experience. The controls drop-point. Simple stuff, were it not team to cover both exits without being were too fiddly and the accuracy too for seven angry enemies all with caps outnumbered by the enemy, but this only unforgiving, but it’s one more reason to ready to be popped into the nearest placed greater emphasis on skill, and the fork out some cash, and another step ass. The buildings and multiple routes challenge proved to be most rewarding. towards shaking off the shadow of its presented by a cityscape introduced a With several more modes promised THE HUMANITY/ predecessor. Matt Handrahan We don’t know whether to much-appreciated tactical element to for the finished game, the multiplayer admire the fire effects or the ensuing chaos, and despite initial mode is an extra dose of fun in an gag at the burning corpse FACT: Saint Dismas is the Patron Saint of criminals. He confusion as to what we were supposed was crucified alongside Jesus and was the only criminal to be doing, it was roundly agreed as to ask for his blessing. Wow! Xbox 360 gets religious! superior to the deathmatch. The best, however, was left until last, HOW’S IT with Catch The Pimp. The eight players LOOKING? Some will were split into two teams, and dropped never get past on opposite sides of a building. One its similarities to a person was named as the pimp and certain Rockstar classic, but this is had to be escorted by his/her allies to a professional job with few cracks. one of two exits, while the opposing Open your mind and it could be team had to kill the pimp. It was the highly rewarding. most compelling scenario by far, with Thriller? real tactical consideration needed to

10.2006 33

HARDWARE PERIPHERALS AND OTHER COOL STUFF

WIRELESS HEADSET There were some complaints about the current headset that comes with the 360 (if you get/got a Premium with it), so Microsoft has responded by announcing the Wireless Headset. This headset enables wireless voice chat without the little cable running from the controller to the headset. In fact, reports indicate that the Wireless Headset will connect directly to the Xbox 360. No mention has been made yet if the Wireless Headset will work with the upcoming Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows. The Gaming Receiver is a USB device that lets you use Xbox 360 wireless accessories (especially the wireless Xbox 360 Controller) on any Windows-based computer.

FACEPLATES - VARIOUS The Xbox 360 is customisable both inside and out. You can change the dashboard themes and even use your own images as backdrops, while on the outside you can replace the faceplate with one of your choice. Faceplates are made by a variety of vendors and come in any colour or pattern available. In South Africa, faceplates may not take off as they did overseas, but time will tell. The faceplate pops off by pulling at the bottom (the side with the Ring of Light) and a new one snaps onto the front. If you are handy with a printer and scissors, you can even design your own faceplate if you purchase a clear faceplate. With free software found at http://www.nyko. com/nyko/products/?i=69, you can design and print out your own faceplate backing, which you wedge in between a clear faceplate and the 360 itself. Faceplates are purely aesthetic - that little touch to make the 360 yours.

36 10.2006 VGA CABLE Cannot afford an HD-compatible TV? The official VGA Cable lets you plug your 360 into a standard PC monitor (wonderful for LCD monitors). The VGA Cable outputs HD resolutions up to 1,280 x 1,024. The cable is over two meters long, shielded, and can also output Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. WIRELESS NETWORK ADAPTER Cables are fine and dandy, but XPLODER why not complement the wireless controllers by making the network MEDIA CENTER wireless as well. The Wireless If there is any kind of crack Network Adapter plugs into one or niche left exposed on of the USB ports on your 360 LOGITECH DRIVEFX a console, Blaze is there and acts as a wireless network with a product in hand. The card, letting you connect to any AXIAL FEEDBACK WHEEL Xploder Media Center is wireless router or network, and The DriveFX attaches to a surface using a dual-point clamp such a piece of software, saving you the heartache of system, keeping it sturdily in place. The steering wheel turns bridging a few gaps left in tripping over a network cable and 200 degrees, with a fair amount of force feedback provided Microsoft’s console, as long landing on your dog. by an external power supply. Rubber grips on the hold as you have Windows Media positions of the wheel maintain a comfortable ride, while at Center XP installed on your PLAY & CHARGE KIT the back of the unit a plug for the Xbox Live Headset keeps PC. Wireless controllers need to have you in voice-communication while driving. On the face of The main gambit of Media their batteries recharged - usually the wheel resides all the 360 buttons, including the Guide Center is that it removes right in the middle of a bossfight. button. The construction of the wheel is solid, using a ‘solid the file type limitation of the The Play & Charge Kit comes with mould’ technique to make the entire unit one sturdy lump. Xbox 360’s movie-playing a rechargeable battery pack and a The foot pedals connect to the wheel and the entire setup capabilities. Media Center connection cable that attaches to seems ideal for Project Gotham Racing 3, although the dead adds support to play DivX, the 360. This charges the battery zone on the wheel cannot be calibrated. Xvid, MPEG-1 and 2, as well pack while you play, and when it’s as AVI. You run the Movie full, you can just detach the cable Stream application on your for freedom. PC, and select the movie you wish to play via your networked 360. The included software ULTIMATE CARE KIT also includes MP3 music While not as exciting as something that lets you cheat or play management, allowing movies on your 360, the Ultimate Care Kit is still rather useful. you to rip your CDs to MP3 It contains a variety of things that can help troubleshoot as well easily, complete with online as clean and maintain your 360, along with its discs. Album, Artist and Track Inside the kit you get one multifunctional DVD, repair Name auto-complete. From polymer, a repair sponge and some cleaning cloth. The DVD there, the music can be itself has a laser lens cleaner on it that removes dirt and streamed via network to the grime from the laser lens inside the 360. This kit can actually Xbox 360. also be used with a PlayStation 2 and a regular DVD player. Included with the kit is an The DVD can also run a sound test and a video test. Several Ethernet X-Link Cable, three screensavers have also been included, viz a fireplace, an meters long and perfect aquarium and fireworks. for purchasers of the Core The DVD repair involves using the polymer to fill in system who didn’t get a scratches, smoothing them out using the included sponge, network cable. cloth and etc.

10.2006 37 THE CLASS OF 360 THE ART OF PURCHASE CORE OR PREMIUM?

By James Francis

o you’ve decided to get an Xbox 360. It’s definitely a great machine to own, and thanks Sto a later launch, South Africans have a nice selection of games to choose from when they pick up the console. There’s also the excitement of playing against friends, playing online and playing on a crystal-clear HD television. However, Microsoft decided to release two products instead of one. There are two options in the Xbox 360 family: the Core and Premium units. At the grassroots level, these machines are the same. There is no difference between the Core and Premium in terms of performance or which games they can play. The difference is in what you get in addition. The biggest difference between the two is that the Premium ships with a hard drive. The deal is sweetened with the wireless controller and headset, which are pretty awesome, but the main catch is the 20GB of storage. While no 360 game requires the use of the hard drive yet [except for save games], there’s little doubt that this trend will change in the next year or so. It’s just too useful not to use. There’s already a practical limitation in getting a Core unit. Live, the Xbox’s online service and the cornerstone of Microsoft’s console strategy, requires a hard drive. So, if you own a Core without a hard drive, you can’t join online games. Getting online with a 360 is as easy as connecting the console to your broadband modem and setting up the network addresses. Playing online will cost you $24.99 a year – less than R200! But you need the hard drive, especially if you plan to download the demos that are frequently released online. So why go online? You never needed to with a PlayStation 2. True, but how often did you wish you had someone to have a quick game against? When it’s your game, you are usually the best at it, and friends often become unfortunate casualties of your skills. But on Live you can find a ten year old who’ll burn doughnuts around you in PGR3 while chatting to his friend about school over the headset. Core gives you some room. The good news is that the hard drive can be bought as an accessory, which also suggests that larger models might appear on the market at some point. If you don’t want a wireless controller or the headset (and skip on a month free on Live), buying a Core unit and supplying it with a hard drive and another wired controller is only slightly more expensive than a Premium unit, and less expensive than a Premium unit with two wireless controllers. At the very least, you’ll need to get a memory card, and we all know that buying a second controller is inevitable. We personally love the wireless controller, but if finances are tight, starting humbly is not a bad deal.

38 10.2006