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Xbox engineering team member Nat Brown claims to have named the system, and he's proud of his work but these days he's cursing the name, saying that the last five years of brand activity have been "painful to watch." While Br... more
Former VP of Windows sales at Microsoft Joachim Kempin spoke with IGN about Microsoft's entrance into the videogame console market, prior to committing to the Xbox, saying: "There were three companies at that point in time, I... more
GameStop, North America's most powerful games retailer, has addressed rumors of the "Next Xbox" shutting out the used game market. The seller of secondhand games believes Microsoft's next system will hurt if it introduces cod... more
More rumors are surfacing surrounding Microsoft's next generation Xbox system, fittingly nicknamed Next Xbox. Once again, the new gossip spells gloom and doom for fans of used games, suggesting Next Xbox will demand an always... more
Metacritic has just published its annual publisher power rankings, taking each publisher's games for 2012, and seeing who came out on top. Of course, all of the usual suspects are here, including Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, an... more
We had a chance to take the launch line-up of Xbox games on Windows 8 for a spin this past week. These games are available for play on any Windows 8 or Windows RT device, including laptops and tablets. I played them all ... more
Those in the know have seen this day approaching for quite some time, but Microsoft has made it official. XNA Game Studio is effectively done. A leaked internal email revealed the company is prepared to retire the development... more
BIT.TRIP Presents: Runner 2, Future Legend of Rhythm Alien is now out of the developer's hands, as the certification process has begun for all three major publishers. Alex Neuse of Gaijin Games notes on the Runner 2 blog that... more
If you don't have an Xbox Live Gold account, you're used to...well...not being able to access basically anything on your console. But you're in luck, as this weekend, Microsoft will allow you the honor and privilege of using ... more
Skulls of the Shogun is now out for Xbox Live Arcade, Windows Phone, and Windows 8! With the release comes a launch trailer, and I'm going to just go ahead and say that this is the first best trailer of 2013. Check out our o... more
The Xbox Live Arcade, after nine long years, still doesn't have a whole lot of classic style strategy RPGs. Discounting tower defense, there's Band of Bugs, Greed Gorp, and a scant few others. Enter Skulls of the Shogun: a ne... more
There is a question every journalist must ask before posting a piece of news: Who does this hurt, and who does this help? We don't often ask that question, however, because we aren't game journalists -- we're game reporters, ... more
Sony has made a lot of mistakes over the years, and I've cheerily called the publisher out on many of them. For all its hubris, however, and for all its missteps, the PlayStation brand owner is prone to having some really qui... more
For those of us so embedded in gaming and the surrounding culture, it can be difficult to imagine what a governmental ban on game consoles would look like in practice. Gamers living in China don't have to imagine, however -- ... more
It doesn't take a well-versed gamer like yourself to guess what the top Xbox 360 games for 2012 were (based on unique users per day connected to Xbox Live playing full games). Any bro off the street would easily knock out the... more
Remember that guy who said Microsoft's Xbox division cannot be sustained by the company? Well, here comes another analyst with the same suggestion, going so far as to believe rival Sony could acquire the brand. Them's some da... more
The Xbox Live Arcade, after nine long years, still doesn't have a whole lot of classic style strategy RPGs. Discounting tower defense, there's Band of Bugs, Greed Gorp, and a scant few others. Enter Skulls of the Shogun: a ne... more
The Dance Central franchise took me by surprise. In the very early stages of Kinect, I was extremely skeptical of the tech -- to be blunt, I didn't really believe in it. After testing the first entry at E3, however, I w... more
The fatal flaw of Kinect games is that they are built on a foundation of lies. You are the controller -- except most games control much of the action themselves to make up for the lack of input. It's more immersive -- except ... more
Minecraft's success simply cannot be denied, whether you're one of its many loyal fans or highly vocal detractors. The blocky world and lack of objectives may be deceptively simple, but its honest freedom, as well as hidden d... more
Games are growing up. There is a very real movement to mine greater emotional depth from interactive entertainment, to produce clever narratives and explore engaging themes. We're seeing games that strive for a level of matur... more
Though I do desperately hope to one day see a full-on resurgence of aerial combat games, I've never been a die-hard fan of flight sims. I wholeheartedly respect the people who make them and the ensuing audience that appreciat... more
The team at Hello Games got an opportunity that I wish more studios, particularly those smaller companies with limited budgets, would get: an honest-to-goodness second chance. Not to say that Joe Danger was a bad game in need... more
Outside of Tropico 3 and 4, NinjaBee's Keflings games are perhaps the best examples of how to bring strategy to the console's control schemes. There are plenty of PC games that allow you to build a sprawling economy with litt... more
Do you remember that strange U-shaped wireless wheel at E3? Microsoft calls it the Xbox 360 Wireless Speed Wheel. Even though I first thought it looked like a Wii accessory, I found out then that it's actually quite a bit mor... more
Love it or loathe it, Gears of War has come to define what this generation of gaming is all about. Whether one extols the virtues of competitive gaming and the Xbox Live model that had Gears at its vanguard, or bemoans the sl... more
There were few things that were as awkward -- and at the same time quite endearing -- as Microsoft’s on-stage demo for Frontier Developments’ Kinectimals. In front of a crowd of weary industry journalists and vete... more
Two teams of cartoon-like class-based combatants compete in multiplayer arenas with a range of quirky skills and ludicrous weapons. Sound familiar? Of course it does! Monday Night Combat looks and sounds as derivative&nb...; more
We had a chance to take the launch line-up of Xbox games on Windows 8 for a spin this past week. These games are available for play on any Windows 8 or Windows RT device, including laptops and tablets. I played them all ... more
There is nary a racing series that exudes car culture and unbridled love for all things auto as much as Forza. This love for real world and digital racing is what sets Forza ahead of the pack, so I was curious when Forza Hori... more
With a mostly sorry launch lineup, Kinect's first-year appeal came almost entirely from Dance Central. Since then, it too often feels like this series is solely providing the legs for Microsoft's motion platform. Less than a ... more
Lionhead Studios is no stranger to making spin-offs for Fable. The first was an Xbox Live Arcade tie-in with Fable II called Pub Games, which was a collection of mini-games that appeared in the game and would allow you to car... more
While all eyes might be on the upcoming South Park RPG, fans of the series have something else to look forward to this year with upcoming Xbox Live Arcade exclusive South Park: Tenorman’s Revenge. At Microsoft&rsquo...; more
By now, most of us know about the long and challenging path that Remedy traveled in order to see the fruition of the original Alan Wake. Spanning five years of development, the psychological action thriller was not only o... more
As we all know, there are dozens of new games coming out this year. I'm not just talking about the big blockbusters for us grown ups. There is also a large group of gamers that happens to be a bit younger and some of you migh... more
The Forza series has been a driving simulation staple on Microsoft consoles for years now, offering players an experience that has often rivaled Sony's Gran Turismo series in terms of graphical finesse, car handling simulatio... more
The current Xbox 360 dashboard is kind of a clusterf*ck. Netflix, Hulu, and ESPN integration are great (as I use them pretty much daily), but a redesign is clearly needed. You can point the finger at Microsoft for its stat... more
We've heard all about Gears of War's multiplayer. Most of the fans have played it extensively thanks to the beta. That's all fine and dandy, but I'm a big supporter of the campaign mode and that's definitely what I wanted to ... more
Epic Games' promised revision for its popular Horde Mode as part of Gears of War 3 was revealed at an event this evening at E3. An event where Ice-T's Body Count will be performing. An event that I left almost immediately aft... more
I got some hands-on time with the newly announced Kinect fun Labs. Today they wanted to show off two technologies they're working on for Kinect: People Scanning and Object Capture. They let me make a bobblehead o... more
Gears of War 3's online beta launched for a select few people this past week, and Destructoid was there in full force to scratch one grub and screw up our active reloads. Oh, and fail to run into Ice-T, much to our chagrin.&n...; more
Twisted Pixel is easily one of my favorite studios these days. With titles like 'Splosion Man and Comic Jumper, what they’re currently doing with videogames reminds me a lot of what Nickelodeon and MTV were doing with c... more
This fall, Xbox Live is getting yet another overhaul along with the launch of its motion controller/camera, Kinect. In many ways, it's a visual update, with what I feel is a cleaner aesthetic. Functionally, the features you'... more
I have a Windows Phone now, so it's my duty to post about Windows Phone games on Destructoid until I'm "over" it and go back to looking at stuff on Steam. Until that time, you can enjoy trailers such as the one above. It's f... more
As Microsoft promised, we'll be getting free post-launch episodes for Halo 4's Spartan Ops in the coming weeks (maybe months?). Episode 2 is arriving this Monday, and to precede that we have some amazing CGI work. I have a f... more
You know what's a weird thing? Opening up pre-orders on a specified day. I remember when the name of a title was known, you could just roll up in any old game store and put down a pre-order. Now you have to wait until "parti... more
Deadlight has gotten a fair few Destructoid editors hot under the collar, and it's hardly surprising -- the game looks great! One benefit of the zombie saturation in pop culture is that games are trying to find unique ways t... more
Deadlight, which our own Dale North calls, "The prettiest zombie game ever," has a new trailer out, showcasing the gameplay of this atmospheric sidescroller. What's to say? It looks absolutely terrific, and I can see why Dale's so hyped for it. Of course, I want to get my hands on it personally before declaring it thoroughly spermworthy, but I love what I see. What do you reckon? more
There's a new trailer for Bloodforge, a game that was revealed a while ago but has been pretty dark since. The footage contains some gameplay, lots of story, and more shouting than you ever could need. AAAAAAH! LOOK AT MY MU... more
Watch the above video to see a man who thinks he's Jack Black doing "funny" things in the name of Star Wars Kinect. I think this guy is supposed to be famous or something. I don't know who he is. I don't actually care, eithe... more
By now, most of us know about the long and challenging path that Remedy traveled in order to see the fruition of the original Alan Wake. Spanning five years of development, the psychological action thriller was not only o... more
So the original Halo is getting remade. I don't know how to feel about this. Too soon pops to mind. And the multiplayer looks like it's just Halo: Reach. I really need to get my hands on this ASAP as I have a ton of question... more
Oh yes, now you're showing me the shit I wanna see, Epic! This is the official "reveal" trailer for Gears of War 3's campaign mode. Some people (fools) like to think Gears doesn't have a campaign worth noting. I say it... more
Much has been made of Gears of War 3's vast multiplayer options, to the point where you might forget that the game has a narrative campaign. Epic Games has reminded us all of this fact today, teasing the game's campaign mode... more
The lads at Epic have released a new video diary for Gears of War 3, doing very little to dampen my excitement for the game. In it, they discuss the new Team Deathmatch mode, in which players share a pool of limited respawns... more
This is the kind of stuff that does not interest me in the slightest about Kinect. I've been hopeful that the technology will deliver some really amazing game experiences in the future, but we're a good ways off from that. T... more
Celebrate Skulls of the Shogun's release with MURDER
