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A TO Z ABOUT 360 XDTV: HOW TO PLAY YOUR IN HD MUST HAVE LAUNCH TITLES MADDEN NFL 06 THE ULTIMATE XBOX 360 CHECKLIST: DON’T LEAVE THE STORE WITHOUT THESE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EDITOR’S LETTER

By now, you’ve probably heard the buzz about ’s plans to jump-start the next-generation with the Xbox 360. When it arrives in North America, Japan and this November, the console will become the most powerful game system on the planet.

Hardcore early adopters and newer players will unite, all sharing an eagerness to experience gaming in a new way, imagined by different minds. Not by , Inside , or –but by Microsoft. The company that built is redefi ning THE GUIDE innovation and creativity with a fl exible hardware system that features online functionality, multimedia capabilities, music and social community aspects–all XBOX 360: THE SYSTEM 3 built into its core. You’ll be able to play 720p games in widescreen with Dolby 5.1 XBOX LIVE 7 surround sound and experience more polygons on screen, the richest texture work, XFACTOR: 10 MUST HAVE CHECKLIST FOR YOUR 360 and the biggest environments you’ve ever seen.

THE MUST HAVE LAUNCH TITLES What’s more, the launch line-up of more than 25 games led by Microsoft’s own 14 , 3, and : Elements of Power, is MADDEN NFL 06 MOST WANTED 15 only just a glimpse of what’s in store. Seriously. If you’re impressed by this line-up, 4 16 you ain’t seen nothing yet. So, sit back, relax and read, because it’s all in here. Allow us to introduce you to the Xbox 360 hardware, its online possibilities, the THE TITLES TO ROCK YOUR BOX launch line-up, the editors’ hot picks, and several other major guides that will help, GUN 17 instruct, and ensure that this holiday season it’s all about innovative, fun, and NBA 2K6 18 PETER JACKSON’S KING KONG 19 incredible 360 madness. TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 06 20 6 21 Douglass C. Perry COUPONS 22 Editor-in-Chief, IGN Xbox, Xbox 360 XDTV 24

OK TO PLAY? Parents—Take the time to check the ratings to determine if are “OK To Play? EVERYONE EVERYONE 10+ Titles rated E (Everyone) have content that Titles rated E 10+ (Everyone 10+) have content The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings are designed to may be suitable for ages 6 and older. Titles in that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles this category may contain minimal cartoon, in this category may contain minimal cartoon, provide information about video and computer game content, so you can fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of make informed purchase decisions. ESRB ratings have two parts: rating use of mild language. mild language. symbols suggest age appropriateness for the game, and content descrip- tors indicate elements in a game that may have triggered a particular rating and/or may be of interest or concern. To take full advantage of the ESRB rating system, it’s important to check both the rating symbol (on the front of the game box) and the content descriptors (on the back of the game box). TEEN MATURE Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may For a complete description of the ratings, go to the ESRB website be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. this category may contain violence, sugges- Titles in this category may contain intense vio- at www.esrb.com for additional information. tive themes, crude humor, minimal blood lence, blood and gore, sexual content, and/or and/or infrequent use of strong language. strong language.

© 2005 Best Buy XBOX 360 LAUNCH GUIDE 02 BEST BUY, the BEST BUY LOGO and its DESIGN, THOUSANDS OF POSSIBILITIES. GET YOURS., GEEK SQUAD and GEEKMOBILE are trademarks ofBest Buy Enterprise Services, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks or trade names are properties of their respective owners. THE SYSTEM

XBOX 360: The System

On May 12th 2005, an MTV Special offi cially unveiled the name, look, and Xbox 360 was designed with incredible fl exibility in mind. Anyone who owns controller of the Xbox 360, and offered gamers a few teasers of game-play a Media Center PC will have some serious fun with the two systems. Connect footage. A follow-up at the Microsoft’s press conference on May 16th the two together, and you can stream high defi nition TV and movies to the offered fans a second chance for their fi rst look at the highly anticipated Xbox 360. You can also talk to friends across the country through the Xbox system. Live headset while you watch TV.

So after two sneak peeks, the burning question remains: Will the Xbox 360 A parental control system allows parents to set the console to the appropri- be able to play original Xbox games? At the 2005 E3, Microsoft announced ate rating (everyone, teen, mature, etc.) so that their kids won’t be allowed that the Xbox 360 would be backwards compatible with many of the fi rst to play games that aren’t appropriate for their age group. Similar functions console’s “top selling games.” Backwards compatibility will require the use of will also be set up to block online chat rooms and for blocking out unsuitable a hard drive to store emulation code. The hard drive will be used to emulate content for DVD movies, if parents feel the need to do so. the Xbox hardware, and many Xbox games will require tweaks to the emula- tor code. The premium, or “Xbox 360” package ($399.99), is designed for the hard- core, HD-ready gamer, while the Xbox 360 Core System ($299.99) is a more As one emulator does not simply allow the playback of every original Xbox set-up. game, Microsoft is then forced to choose which titles to spend time on. It is almost guaranteed that the games will run from the start with an The premium package includes an Xbox 360, a detachable 20-GB hard-drive, emulator preloaded onto the hard drive. So the answer is yes, there will be a wireless controller, faceplate, headset, a component HD AV cable, an Ether- backwards compatibility with the original Xbox, but since the Xbox 360 does net cable, and for a limited time, a remote controller. not have the Xbox (in order to keep the price down), some games will not work on the Xbox 360 – at fi rst. Microsoft is working to use this emula- The Core 360 System is stripped down in comparison. It includes an Xbox tion style process to allow gamers to play not only the most popular games 360, one wired controller, a faceplate, and a standard AV cable. from the original Xbox, but also some of the best games. The $399 package is designed for the high-defi nition gaming era; the other is designed for a no-frills, current-generation set-up. Either way, Microsoft is giv- The reason that you won’t fi nd any controller ports on the actual Xbox 360 ing gamers a choice between a loaded up system for hardcore gamers and a itself is because the Xbox 360’s preferred controller type is wireless, and it basic one for gamers who just want the without a lot of the extras they supports up to four wireless players on one console. The system has three won’t need or use, but with the option to upgrade later. USB ports, two behind the door on the right/bottom of the system and one in the back, for hooking up wired controllers. You can also use a recharge kit to plug in a wireless controller to one of the USB ports to power rechargeable batteries.

XBOX 360 LAUNCH GUIDE 3

THE SYSTEM

Xbox 360 will have three processor cores, each running at 3.2 GHz. Long story short, by embedding the framebuffer RAM directly onto On top of that, each processor is capable of running two threads a the graphics chip, Xbox 360 will be able to perform post-processing piece, meaning that the console will be able to handle six instruc- features much more quickly, like anti-aliasing and motion blur. tions simultaneously. IBM is supplying the main processors while The Xbox 360 has 10MB of embedded DRAM. ATI will supply the graphics chip, which is based on ATI’s next-gen- eration graphics chip, putting it at least one generation beyond its 720p and 1080i are both supported out of the box and are the current X850 card for PCs. Basically, it’s fast as all hell. preferred gaming resolutions, though 480p and 480i will obviously be supported as well. The system will have 512MB of GDDR3 unifi ed system memory and 10MB of embedded DRAM for the framebuffer. The Xbox 360 Microsoft has mandated that every game support at least 720p makes use of a shared memory architecture. That means that with 1080i as an optionally supported resolution. As such, it’s also the system’s 512MB of RAM will be used for graphics and texture said that every game is to be designed with widescreen in mind, memory as well as sound, animation source and of course, the although gamers with a standard TV set will be able to switch back actual game code itself. to a 4:3 ratio if they prefer.

While the majority of the graphics data will be housed in the The Xbox 360 will support in-game 5.1 and Dolby Pro shared system RAM, such as textures and the like, the video Logic II. DD, DPLII and DTS output during DVD playback is also a framebuffer will use NEC’s dedicated embedded DRAM technology. given. Gamers will no longer need to buy a DVD playback kit to enjoy movies. The Xbox 360 is capable of playing DVD movies right out of the box.

SYSTEMSPECS

· 3.2 GHz PowerPC processor with 3 cores · 10MB embedded DRAM · ATI custom graphics chip · 12X DVD drive · 512MB GDDR3 Unifi ed System Memory · 20GB HDD

6 XBOX 360 LAUNCH GUIDE LIVE

Xbox LIVE How to Take the 360 Online & What You Need

Yes, you already know that every 360 game supports custom , but don’t be fooled into thinking that means it simply burns MP3s onto the 360’s hard drive. From the two USB ports on the front of the system (and one in the back), you can at- tach any portable MP3 player and stream music through the console. Don’t like your friend’s play list? Whip out your iPod, plug it in, and change the tunes.

The same can be done with USB camera devices. In fact, it is possible to have a video chat with another Live member, stream music, and share a slide show online all at the same time. If pictures are on a disc, it is possible to copy them over to the hard drive. The USB ports also support keyboards, so online messaging without voice support is possible.

From the XBox Live menu, players can press the button to enter the system’s dashboard. From here you can access all attached media devices, game information, downloads, and system settings. One of the options under the Media menu is the Media Center Extender. The console is fully compatible with the latest version of Win- dows Media Center, so gamers with a can use 360 to stream music and high-defi nition movies from their PC.

The Xbox Live Marketplace is where gamers will fi nd all of their . This includes demos, high-defi nition trailers, skins, themes, images for gamercards, and their download history. Micro-transactions aren’t just a clever way to sell content—they also allow gamers to purchase items without the use of a credit card. Now, people can visit a local retailer, purchase a redeemable card, and change it into credits on Live. With this system, it is possible to package credits with games or give credits as prizes.

Games will most likely support 16-32 players, but expect this number to grow steadily. Future games being released on the XBox 360 will support online gaming in the range of 50-100 players at once, depending on what type of game you are playing. This may make way for huge online battles seen in games like EA’s Battlefi eld franchise released on the PC or even some of the more popular massively multiplayer online RPG titles.

This will be the same network, but it will be greatly advanced from the original Live structure. Online play has become a huge reason to own an XBox, and the company is hoping to carry this momentum over to the XBox 360. Actually, XBox Live is already in its third form: the last major update was when XBox 3.0 was rolled out in April of 2004. Now, the Live experience has been advanced past just competing with other players. The 360 allows gamers to stream their own music from MP3 devices, enter video chats, customize their interface, purchase games, watch movies, view slide- shows, and more. Need another reason to love the Xbox 360? All of that will be free.

XBOX 360 LAUNCH GUIDE 7

XFACTOR

Faceplates

If you’re tired of having an Xbox 360 that looks like every other Xbox 360 on the block, then you’ll want to customize your Xbox with original faceplates. Each faceplate features an original design that will help give your Xbox 360 a distinct look.

Choices are limited right now, but in the future Microsoft and perhaps other game companies may choose to package game-related face plates with their games, and third party accessory makers could provide offi cially licensed plates with your favorite sports team or music band. The possibilities are endless.

MUST HAVE CHECKLIST FOR YOUR 360 Wireless Controller

The is almost exactly the same size as the black Xbox S controller, but it’s much lighter, and designed to sit better in the palm of your hand. Plus, the industrial strength material it’s comprised of is super strong, and even feels expensive.

The main and most important thing about the design of the smooth-surfaced Xbox 360 controller is that unlike the Xbox 180 controller, it’s designed to fi t in your hand comfortably. It is thinner and less bulky underneath the central section. It’s also thinned out around the inside contours of the “handles,” so it’s crafted with comfort and usability in mind.

The black and white buttons, now moved into the shoulder positions, are also petite. The base of the controller subtly protrudes out like an outline and the shoulder buttons push out through them. The shoulder buttons feel and handle perfectly, and depress only a small fraction. The buttons don’t require the fi ngers to extend as far, making the feel of the controller, again, more streamlined, comfortable, and ergonomic. Those who saw the black and white buttons on the original as a chore will be a lot happier with the two shoulder buttons.

The circle of light, the button at the top center of the controller, isn’t just there to look pretty. It’s actually a button that lights up, and is split into four quadrants. In a four-person multiplayer game, the quadrants indicate player one through four, and the software replicates the circle design on screen for consistency. When a message comes up, you can press the circle of light button and decide to answer the message or put it off until later.

All in all, the Xbox 360 controller eliminates all of the issues of the large, phased-out Xbox controller and even the very likeable S controller, lightening it up, creating space for your hands, and forging a comfortable, sleek, and smooth feeling tool. It’s lightweight, very functional, and an example of erudite controller design. In short, if you plan on buying an Xbox 360, you’re going to love this controller.

10 XBOX 360 LAUNCH GUIDE XFACTOR

MUST HAVE CHECKLIST FOR YOUR 360 Xbox Live

Microsoft has learned a lot since their fi rst venture into the console industry. This time around, Microsoft is offering silver and gold packages for gamers who want a little bit of choice in going online. Anybody with an connection can automatically connect on Xbox Live with Xbox Silver. With the free Silver package, gamers will be able to maintain their “friends” list, purchase things from the Xbox Live Marketplace, send and receive voice and text messages, create a gamer profi le, and even play Xbox Live trials on the weekends. They will also be able to receive auto updates to keep their games up to date. This means for games such as sports games, gamers can update rosters and some games may even let them download maps, all for free.

For those who want all that and more, there is the Gold package. Subscriptions can be renewed for $7.99 for one month, $19.99 for 3 months, or $49.95 for a full year. Gamers who are just starting out on Xbox Live will want to get 12-month value pack. It comes with a 12-month subscription, a headset for communicating or talking smack, 200 marketplace points, a free Xarcade game, and for a limited time, a $20 game rebate.

The best part about Xbox Live is that every game is required to be online enabled. This means gamers can always connect with friends no matter what game they are playing. Some games won’t have multiplayer modes, but Xbox Live promises to have more cooperative and multiplayer versus modes than ever before. Matchmaking has also been enhanced for online gaming. Now players can update their profi le and choose their gaming styles to match up fairly against someone just like them. They’ll be able to customize everything to their personal preferences and tastes with ease.

Wireless Network Adapter

The Xbox 360 is all about having a great setup with as few wires as possible. That’s why the Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter is the best bet for wireless gaming. The adapter frees up clutter with only one wire that connects to any USB port in the Xbox 360. It powers itself through the Xbox 360 so gamers won’t need to have an extra outlet freed up to jump into Xbox Live. The network adapter connects at speeds up to 54 Mbps with any broadband or connection for a lag-free online experience.

XBOX 360 LAUNCH GUIDE 11

NEW RELEASES

Originally slated to come out for the fi rst Xbox, Perfect Dark Zero has been reworked as a premiere Xbox 360 launch title. A prequel to a previous title on , the sci-fi story takes place in the year 2020 and is told with a perspective that switches from fi rst- to third-person. For example, when you come close to a wall, the screen switches to a cinematic view, enabling you to see your character, the corner you’re hiding behind, and the enemy you’re hiding from. The switch in perspective is instantaneous and very effective. When you fi re, the camera instantly zooms to an over- the shoulder perspective, giving you a better angle on your enemy.

Weapon-wise, the game returns the RCP 90 (seen in the original Perfect Dark), a pulse rifl e, a handgun, sniper rifl e, and many more. There are also three vehicles in the game—the jetpack, a motorcycle, and a hovercraft. Gadget-wise, you can throw out a sentry device coming from what calls a Laptop gun—a piece that looks like a sticky mine that attaches to a wall and starts fi ring once an enemy crosses an invisible line. Enemies can either blast Laptop guns to pieces or they can rewire them to reverse their actions, shooting at you instead.

As you play, you’ll note the enemy armor degrading over time, too—you’ll see their armor in tatters, falling off and broken.

All of the weapons have primary and secondary fi re, and the secondary fi re on each weapon is totally different. For instance, the pulse rifl e’s secondary fi re option is a cloak- ing device. The only way you can see a cloaked enemy is by using a specially acquired vision technology, or if the enemy happens to run through a dust cloud, in which case you’ll see his remarkably rendered mercurial silhouette.

You can hold four weapons simultaneously, and you have four slots to put them in. You can fi ll up all the slots with weapons, or if you like Halo’s excellent melee system, you can fi ll up only three. By doing so, the empty slot enables you to run up to unsuspecting enemies and steal their weapons right out of their hands, then kill them with it.

Fans of the original Perfect Dark who appreciated the attention to detail that Rare gave to its multiplayer mode on Nintendo 64 will love Perfect Dark Zero’s multiplayer features. The game is Xbox Live enabled and will feature online play for up to 32 players in a single arena. This isn’t going to be your average Xbox Live experience.

14 XBOX 360 LAUNCH GUIDE NEW RELEASES

Taking a tour of Qwest Field, you can even fi nd any seat in the house, move the camera up to that seat, and then check out the view. The artists working on the game visited every stadium two times this year to capture every nuance, every banner, every speaker—everything from a power box on the side of a random wall to the interiors of the luxury suites. Even the scoreboards are accurate and working, as For anyone who wondered what EA would the double Qwest scoreboards displaying the offen- do with the exclusive NFL license, Madden sive and defensive statistics are updated throughout NFL ‘06 proves that they are serious about captur- the game. ing the spirit and excitement of NFL football. But Madden NFL ‘06 isn’t just another pretty game Because of the exclusive licensing deal, EA has to look at – there is a lot of substance to be found been granted unprecedented access to the NFL here. All of the new additions in the already released players, and they have actually used head-scan versions of Madden NFL ‘06 are included, such as technology for 150 of the top players in the league. the brand new QB vision. QB vision allows for quar- The results are simply unbelievable. From the scar terbacks with higher awareness to see more of the on Shaun Alexander’s chin to the scratches on his fi eld and, as a result, have a wider range of visibility neck to the cut of his hair to the red in the corner of and make more accurate passes. For example, 2004 his eyes, if you’ve seen Shaun Alexander in real life, MVP Peyton Manning has a larger QB vision cone you’ll be left dumbfounded by the resemblance. In than does rookie Alex Smith. Last year’s Madden fact, the of player detail is ten times that of the was about defense and the hit stick. This year they current generation, while the level of details in each improve the offensive passing system even further stadium is an amazing 50 times greater. with the addition of QB vision.

Need For Speed Most Wanted features straight racing and pursuit One new feature might change an expert ’s strategies up a bit: the Bul- races. You can play it any way you want, but eventually you’ll have let Time effect. By pressing a single button, you slow down time, enabling you to encounter either the straight races or the pursuits. Pure racing includes to skillfully navigate tough turns, harrying moments, or near-collisions with sprints, tolls races, and drag racing, while pursuits include variations of cop cops or giant semi trucks. Hit it, time slows down, and you can pass through chases, from point to point, time-based races, speed trap races, and more. narrowly placed , make extremely sharp turns to get a better angle on the Another new feature is the Pursuit Breaker, which is not to be mistaken apex, or get yourself out of a tough jam that seemed otherwise impossible. with NBA Street’s Breaker system. Here, it’s a cool trick in which you use destructible objects such as water towers to lay down barriers for cops. The There are at least 40 cars in NFS Most Wanted, including models from more you can trap or stop, the more points you earn. Porsche (including the new Camen S), Mazda (RX8), Toyota, Chevy (Corvette), Ford (Mustang, GT), Lamborghini, Cadillac, BMW (GT4), and Volkswagen, to But you can’t just do the same thing over and over—NFS Most Wanted name a few. The game will not include SUVs, and there won’t be any Ferraris features artifi cial intelligence that adapts to each individual player. If you in it either. continually face cop barricades and try to plow through on the right side, they’ll double up there to prevent it. They’ll lay down tack strips and try to In the original Need for Speed games back in the day, getting into a tough hammer you harder with more cops than before. They’ll send out helicop- cop chase was always a prerequisite. The thrill of the chase, dangerous ters and convoys of cops to hunt you down. You might ditch all the cops roads, numerous escape routes, and perhaps even outthinking—or, at least, by hiding in an alleyway, but alleyways don’t have roofs, and if the police narrowly out-running—the cops was, and still very much is, a great concept for chopper’s cone of vision interacts with your car, that army of cop cars will any videogame. You couldn’t do it in the Need for Speed Underground series, turn around and aim your way. but you’ll be able to do it now, and it is incredibly fun.

XBOX 360 LAUNCH GUIDE 15 NEW RELEASES

In simultaneous development for PC and You’ll use a radio headset in your ear like in Xbox 360, id’s Quake 4 gleans the single- 3, as you’re led through a series of objec- player aspects of Quake 2 and the multiplayer tives. Unlike , however, Quake 4 is ac- aspects from Quake 3 for an indoor/outdoor tion-heavy, not horror-infl uenced. Thus, you’ll see game built on the Doom 3 engine. Marines vs. more outside environments and pursue a more Strogg is the order of the day, with your own lead frenetic, military-style FPS experience. The graph- character getting Strogg-ifi ed in a brutal and gory ics are sharp and the sound is crisp and, on good must-see scene that changes the rest of the speakers with Dolby 5.1 support, it will shake game. You’ll engage in confl ict with all sorts of the foundations of your house. It promises a real Strogg— an alien race that merges organic mat- single-player campaign, and excellent multiplayer ter (eligible bodies, including yours) with their action on Xbox Live. There will be no shortage of own crude yet effi cient technology to make a both offl ine and online fragfests when Quake 4 wide range of freaky cybernetic attack creatures. hits Xbox 360.

Quickly, you’re introduced to the cast of charac- ters in a dropship interior. Small conversation amongst the crew indicates that your character, Matthew Kane, is acknowledged as a trouble- some character, and before you enter the Strogg atmosphere, heat-seeking missiles chase your ship down. The third one hits its target and sends the craft spiraling to the surface. The screen goes black, and a shows you waking, and then falling back into unconscious- ness a few times. When you fi nally wake up, you’re on a red planet fi lled with gunfi re and Strogg ships shooting everything in sight.

Kameo: Elements of Power is not a port of In development since 2002, Oblivion is is promising that Frame City Killer previous cancelled Nintendo 64 or Xbox versions. another leap forward in the role-playing will feature some of the most stunning It’s an entirely revamped game, complete with a slew genre, with freeform game-play and cutting-edge graphics and physics for its debut on Xbox 360. of graphic, audio, and gameplay enhancements and graphics that create the world under The Elder Bullets plowing through cars and bombs shattering changes. This ambitious title blends the heady thrills of Scrolls. Here, when the king and his sons are killed through windows are just the beginning of what exploration and puzzle-solving with the adrenaline by assassins, the gates to hell to open and players Namco is going to impress us with here. Frame of real-time 3D battles. must fi nd the rightful heir to the throne in order to City Killer offers players a dark and gritty storyline, save the land. thrilling car chases and a variety of ways for play- ers to achieve their goals.

16 XBOX 360 LAUNCH GUIDE NEW RELEASES

Developer Infi nity Ward has The Outfi t enables used professional consultants players to choose and interviewed WWII veterans to from three playable squad accurately portray the battles in leader personalities, each 2. This not only led to with their own specifi c skills visual tweaks and upgrades, but and abilities. With their squad also some major gameplay changes leaders, players will guide as well. Now the battle is presented two squads of battle-forged from more than one viewpoint. The soldiers on missions ranging developers wanted to stress that from reconnaissance-and- while the majority of WWII shooters rescue to search-and-destroy are presented from an American point across immensely destructible of view, a huge portion of the war battlefi elds. Players can switch was fought before America was even between squads at any time involved. The behavior of the opposi- and strategically use squads tion is what really sets COD2 apart separately, in tandem or as from the long line of military shooters one super-unit. The Outfi t is a that have preceded it. They fl ank, take straightforward cover, and keep their heads down with a few real time strategy after players miss with a pot shot. In elements thrown in for good COD2, you’ll be able to experience a measure. whole new sense of realism in your (not offi cial box art) gaming experience than ever before.

A Western shooter mixing Condemned is an fi rst- and third-person view- attempt at creating a points, this simplistically entitled different kind of psychological game is far from a simple shooter thriller, one that is very eerie, in chaps and a holster. Gun is an distinct, and potentially disrup- action-packed title set in the Wild tive to our safe and humble West of Montana during the late homes. In other words, it’s a 19th century and tells the story perfect late night, lights-off of Colton White as he sets out thriller. One of the coolest on a vengeful quest to unravel a concepts of Condemned is mystery. The game starts out with the ability to use your entire all hell breaking loose and never environment as a weapon. If looks back. There will not be any you can’t fi nd any additional lack of gun slinging action and all ammo lying around, break off out combat when all is said and a piece of something and use done in this Western adventure. it as a weapon. No games have realistically explored the minds or actions of serial killers as convincingly as Condemned.

XBOX 360 LAUNCH GUIDE 17 NEW RELEASES

For Xbox 360, EA is focusing The ball control system comes with for years. Team chemistry will truly You’ll be able to negotiate sponsorship on creating different weights improved player-ball physics too, so matter, as adding or subtracting players deals for your team with both real and fake and body movements for particular new techniques like ball shielding will have an effect on the rest of the companies. Certain sponsors offer bonuses characters, so heavier players will and jostling look and feel quite nice. team. Winning cures all ills, that’s true, or balloon payments with loyalty while other move with more force and heft than The on-the-fl y coaching enables but the thought here is that if you ruin companies simply aren’t going to waste their a light, speedy character. The fi rst you to switch your team tendencies good team chemistry, those wins will dollars on a second-rate team in a third-rate thing veterans of the franchise will in the middle of a game using the be hard to come by. In fact, the whole town—winning in FIFA won’t be enough. You’ll notice is that the “through pass” D-pad. Calling counter attacks and concept of money management is more get a crash course in sports team manage- button has been altered so that long passing attacks is also a snap prominent in FIFA 06. Changing ticket ment as you have to learn how to monetize you’re in control of the weight and now, since all you have to do is prices, hosting games against weak your team’s and put them on the velocity of your through pass. This toggle it off or on. competition, sponsorships, tournament path to greatness. makes the old strategy of rapid fi re payouts and other elements factor into through passing a little tougher The Manager Mode of FIFA 06 bor- your team’s fi nancial health—and you’re now that it’s not so automated. rows even more elements from Total responsible for all of it. Club Manager, the management-only simulator that PC fans have enjoyed

NBA Live 06 simply looks If you were a fan of NFL amazing, from the court to the 2K5, you’ll instantly rec- tats to the freckles on Tayshaun’s face. ognize some of the new features For the fi rst time in the series, you can in NBA 2K6. A VIP system tracks actually tell the different body types of tendencies, tactics and nuances of players beyond mere height. Now you gamers, enabling you to challenge can see the skinny build of Luke Rid- and practice against a computer nour and the muscles of Jerome James. version of your biggest rivals (or There are no more feet sliding, no more even some of the best online gamers skating on hardwood as the athletes across the country). The system helps run, jump, and hit the fl oor with the you practice your game and fi nd the fl uidity of their real-life NBA counterparts. breaking point of your opponent’s de- With the new artifi cial intelligence written fense. Another great feature dubbed from scratch, and the new presentation “The Crib,” allows gamers to buy and graphics system, EA hopes to make music, play mini-games, and pimp out every character more human. your NBA palace like a true superstar should. With online stat tracking, bud- dy list management, online leagues, and more, NBA 2K6 promises to deliver the best in basketball online play.

18 XBOX 360 LAUNCH GUIDE NEW RELEASES

Working very closely with Peter Jackson and Wingnut Films, ’s Playing as King Kong is an amazing thing. Visually, his modeling is impressive, Montpellier studio (Beyond Good & Evil, ) and its Montreal studio from his genuinely realistic body shape and form to this movement, on knuck- (Splinter Cell) are together creating a game that will refl ect the visual interpreta- les and feet, beating his chest, and bounding through the chasms while holding tion, character dynamics, and dramatic narrative of Jackson’s epic take on the his prize female human in hand. classic King Kong story. Kong has a few moves. He can throw a powerful roundhouse punch, and he Following the course of the movie, this action-adventure is both a fi rst-person packs a massive backhand to follow it up. He also has a two-handed ground shooter and a third-person action game. While on Skull Island you play in the punch that shakes the ground and unsettles your enemies. But the killer move fi rst-person perspective as Jack Driscoll, and through the course of the game is also the one that shows off his brutal strength like you’ve never seen before you’ll switch to King Kong, shown in a third-person perspective, then back to in any videogame or movie. Kong grapples a T-Rex down onto the ground. He Driscoll again. As Driscoll, you and a small band of friends are left adrift on the swings around to the T-Rex’s frontside and grabs the beast’s mouth, pulling land that time forgot, otherwise known as Skull Island. If you’ve seen the old each side with his burly arms. He then pulls the beast’s apart and drops King Kong movies, you know this is a fi ctitious island on which wild animals of it dead to the ground. In this amazing game, it’s incredible to see Kong’s power all kinds roam—velociraptors, T-Rexes, humungous millipedes and centipedes, and strength really shine. and, of course, giant apes—plus primitive tribal clans that pray to the giant beasts among which they live.

(not offi cial box art) One of the most noticeable things about Gone is the sense of realism in previous Full Auto is all about mass obliteration, DOA4 is that each level has more interac- Amped titles, replaced with easier controls and although you may not have time in tive elements that factor into nearly every and a whole lot of surrealism. The basics of Amped the middle of a race to stop and fi re a salvo match. The dojo’s walls come crashing down, remain intact: it’s giant, real mountains offer an insane of missiles at that taco stand at the end of the helipad and wrestling ring are surrounded number of goals to complete, and that’s about where the street, you can literally take out entire by electric fences, and passing cars in Vegas the similarities stop. The rest has been greatly revised city blocks building by building if you wish. To are deadly. The visuals are incredibly crisp and to be accessible to a wider audience. Although Amped help you in your quest to blow the crap out detailed: characters have multiple costumes has somewhat of a more arcade feel to it, there is of everything in site, you can outfi t your car and can even be given different hairstyles. But a sense of realism left to the game, but the fun has with an impressive load of weapons, including perhaps the biggest difference between DOA4 been pumped to an extreme. machine guns, side-fi ring shotguns, mines, and its predecessors is that this time there are missiles and grenade launchers. hardly any lulls between attacks, making the action quick and constant.

XBOX 360 LAUNCH GUIDE 19 NEW RELEASES

Like many other titles, the Tony Hawk series You can expect the same high fl ying tricks and col- will now take place in a free roaming environ- lection-based game-play that this series is known ment set in the LA area. The basis for American for. Not only that, but Xbox 360 owners will get is close to genius, and it’s something something that they’ve been long waiting for in a fans have been hoping to see for years. Once you’ve Tony Hawk game: online play. Xbox players can now unlocked all of the various sections of the city, revel in the all-night glory that is Tony Hawk online, ’s seventh game in the series enables you challenging their friends, talking crap, and goofi ng to skate through the entirety of Los Angeles from around while connected. one end to the other without a single loadtime, cutscene, or anything else to stop you from feeding your Tony Hawk skating addiction to its fullest. That means you could potentially skate for dozens or square miles without stopping once.

Tiger Woods changed his swing in real life. In fact, he changed it so the ball with a high trajectory or dramatically, that he actually called up EA Sports and wanted to do a lead it from left to right to hit just new session so that the game would refl ect his new stroke. the right spot on the green. If you That’s why in Tiger Woods 06, not only will you see Tiger swinging like the don’t want to use both sticks, you new Tiger, but gamers will have to fi nd their stroke all over again with the can still swing away with the Swing new dual analog swing. Stick to hit the ball straight down the course, but advanced players will want more, and That’s right, both sticks are now used in the swing. There is a Swing Stick that’s what the Impact Stick promises to provide. In step with other next- (left analog default) that you swing back and forth just like previous games generation sports titles, the next Tiger Woods will combine incredible realism to hit the ball with power, but now if you want to put some touch on the ball, with fi ne-tuned gameplay. Expect to see beautiful, highly detailed back- a certain trajectory or spin, you have to do it with the right , now grounds and graphics (right down to every single blade of grass), lots called the Impact Stick. This way, you can manipulate the controls to smack of new features and modes, and one good-looking Tiger Woods model.

20 XBOX 360 LAUNCH GUIDE NEW RELEASES

Test Drive Unlimited challenges players to experience the fastest cars and bikes on more than 1,000 miles of diverse Hawaiian roads. Taking place in a persistent online world where gamers can customize their outfi ts, avatars, and rides, this game is set on the Hawaiian island of Oahu – with roadway realistically re-created from satellite imagery. The game features real-world exotic and dream cars, 150 cars and 50 brand names, in addition to new playable licensed motorcycles. A free-roaming arcade racer, : Unlimited mixes customization, real world cars, and online functionality to set a new path in massively multiplayer rac- ing games.

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Project Gotham Racing 3 zooms onto the Xbox 360, expanding many of the Project Gotham Racing features that gamers have grown to love. All of the 80+ licensed cars (including Ferrari, Dodge and Lamborghini) will go at least 170 miles per hour, so don’t expect any granny-mobiles here. Racers defi ne and create individually customized gameplay, and can race each other — online or offl ine. The In Ridge Racer 6, the classic Namco game also sports realistic, detailed interiors franchise returns with more speed, and dashboards that animate as they would in excitement and gameplay variety than ever real life. If the player shifts gears, the driver will before. The online compatibility of Xbox Live work the clutch and gear shift. Project Gotham gives players a chance to compete using the Racing 3 creates the ultimate roster of the hot- Worldwide Online Multiplayer Battles, a match- test supercars in existence, introduces them ing system enabling players across the globe to the high-defi nition era, and drops them into to go head-to-head. Highly competitive racers a completely new gaming world, where style can upload their scores on a persistent leader rules the road. board or download other competitors’ ghost data to improve their skills. Namco will also oc- Gamers drive with style and daring to earn kdos casionally provide downloadable content such in front of large crowds, and win badges to as new cars via Xbox Live’s marketplace. Ridge reward their skills in all areas of the game. The Racer 6 is an action-packed good time that Project Gotham Racing franchise is designed dares players to enter a world of high-defi ni- by , a long-established inde- tion, high-speed racing. pendent games developer, based in Liverpool, England.

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