<?xml version="1.0"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd"><channel><title>Xbox 360 Fanboy</title><description>Xbox 360 Fanboy</description><image><url>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/feedlogo.gif</url><title>Xbox 360 Fanboy</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com</link></image><language>en-us</language><copyright>Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.</copyright><generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title>Goodbye GDC: Booze, games, and a lonely Zune</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/13/goodbye-gdc-booze-games-and-a-lonely-zune/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/13/goodbye-gdc-booze-games-and-a-lonely-zune/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/13/goodbye-gdc-booze-games-and-a-lonely-zune/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/fan-stuff/" rel="tag">Fan stuff</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><img width="425" vspace="4" hspace="0" height="319" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/xbox-stations.jpg" /><br />It's finally time to say goodbye to our <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tag/gdc07">GDC</a> coverage. As a fond farewell, we give you a handful of pictures of Microsoft's presence in the North Hall. It was really more interesting than the actual Microsoft booth, which was more oriented towards scheduling meetings and working with XNA. Microsoft basically owned the lobby of the North Hall, with lots of demo stations and some pumping music. Granted, the games on display weren't exactly the new hotness -- <em>Gears of War</em>, <em>Homecourt</em>, etc. -- but they sure looked nice on the HD displays.<p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/13/goodbye-gdc-booze-games-and-a-lonely-zune/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Goodbye GDC: Booze, games, and a lonely Zune</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/13/goodbye-gdc-booze-games-and-a-lonely-zune/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/849806/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/13/goodbye-gdc-booze-games-and-a-lonely-zune/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>gdc07</category><category>microsoft</category><category>north hall</category><category>NorthHall</category><dc:creator>Richard Mitchell</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 13 Mar 2007 12:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>GDC 07: Igarashi, "2D games will never die!"</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/12/gdc-07-igarashi-2d-games-will-never-die/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/12/gdc-07-igarashi-2d-games-will-never-die/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/12/gdc-07-igarashi-2d-games-will-never-die/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><img width="425" vspace="4" hspace="0" height="319" border="1" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/2dftw.jpg" alt="" /><br />Koji Igarashi, the producer of recent entries in the <em>Castlevania</em> series and assistant director of <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tag/sotn"><em>Symphony of the Night</em></a>, gave a presentation on 2D games at <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tag/gdc07">GDC</a> last week. Specifically, his presentation centered on the differences between developing 2D games and 3D games. Igarashi noted a few philosophical differences between 3D and 2D games, but also noted a few advantages that hadn't occurred to us. For instance, 2D games are easier to produce, faster to design, and faster to implement. Of course, all of this is generally cheaper than 3D production as well.<p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/12/gdc-07-igarashi-2d-games-will-never-die/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>GDC 07: Igarashi, "2D games will never die!"</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/12/gdc-07-igarashi-2d-games-will-never-die/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/849717/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/12/gdc-07-igarashi-2d-games-will-never-die/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>castlevania</category><category>gdc07</category><category>koji igarashi</category><category>KojiIgarashi</category><category>sotn</category><dc:creator>Richard Mitchell</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 12 Mar 2007 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>GDC: More Fable 2 feature goodness</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/12/gdc-more-fable-2-feature-goodness/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/12/gdc-more-fable-2-feature-goodness/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/12/gdc-more-fable-2-feature-goodness/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/fable-2/" rel="tag">Fable 2</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><img width="425" vspace="4" hspace="0" height="319" border="1" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/fable2-lantern.jpg" alt="" /><br />As we slowly recover from <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tag/gdc07">GDC</a> jet-lag, we thought it would be best to post some of the <em>other </em>features that Peter Molyneux confirmed for <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tag/fable2"><em>Fable 2</em></a>. After all, a <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/revolutionary-fable-2-feature-is-a-dog/">dog</a> can't be the <span style="font-style: italic;">only</span> new feature in <span style="font-style: italic;">Fable 2</span>. There really is quite a bit to consider, so we'll just dole out the info in bite sized bits via a handy bulleted list. Everyone likes lists.<br />
<ul>
    <li>Players can pick a male or female hero</li>
    <li>Players can choose to have protected or unprotected sex (and yes, there are STDs)</li>
    <li>Female heroes can get pregnant</li>
    <li>Players can have children</li>
    <li>The world responds to your "hero-ness"</li>
    <li>Two new character morphs (besides Good/Evil): cruelty/kindness and wealth/poverty</li>
    <li>Own every single piece of property</li>
    <li>Players can become king</li>
</ul>
Let's look at these more closely.<p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/12/gdc-more-fable-2-feature-goodness/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>GDC: More Fable 2 feature goodness</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/12/gdc-more-fable-2-feature-goodness/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/849177/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/12/gdc-more-fable-2-feature-goodness/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>fable</category><category>fable 2</category><category>Fable2</category><category>gdc07</category><category>liionhead studio</category><category>LiionheadStudio</category><category>lionhead</category><category>lionhead studios</category><category>LionheadStudios</category><category>molyneux</category><category>peter molyneux</category><category>PeterMolyneux</category><dc:creator>Richard Mitchell</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Games from XNA challenge ready for download</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/10/games-from-xna-challenge-ready-for-download/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/10/games-from-xna-challenge-ready-for-download/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/10/games-from-xna-challenge-ready-for-download/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><a href="http://creators.xna.com/forums/ShowThread.aspx?PostID=1292"><img alt="" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/dungeonquest3.jpg" align="top" vspace="4" border="0" /></a><br />Those four day <a href="http://creators.xna.com/forums/ShowThread.aspx?PostID=1292">XNA games</a> are finished and ready for your downloading pleasure. If you remember, Microsoft's held a four day <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/06/microsofts-four-day-xna-challenge/">XNA Challenge</a> at this year's GDC, pushing four development teams to the edge by requiring them to complete a XNA Studio Express game in four days. Sounds hard doesn't it? But all the teams did indeed finish as Microsoft is pleased to announce that all four games are free and available for download to play on your PC right now, if you have XNA Studio Express (it is also free). Be sure to read the game descriptions after the break, check out some <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gamerscore/sets/72157594578902903/">screenshots</a>, and download these four day masterpieces.<p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/10/games-from-xna-challenge-ready-for-download/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Games from XNA challenge ready for download</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://creators.xna.com/forums/ShowThread.aspx?PostID=1292>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/10/games-from-xna-challenge-ready-for-download/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/849979/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/10/games-from-xna-challenge-ready-for-download/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>gdc</category><category>gdc 07</category><category>Gdc07</category><category>xna</category><category>xna studio express</category><category>XnaStudioExpress</category><dc:creator>Dustin Burg</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 10 Mar 2007 15:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>GameTrailer's GDC video wrap-up</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/10/gametrailers-gdc-video-wrap-up/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/10/gametrailers-gdc-video-wrap-up/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/10/gametrailers-gdc-video-wrap-up/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/fable-2/" rel="tag">Fable 2</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/the-darkness/" rel="tag">The Darkness</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/gdc2k7.php?p=xb360"><img alt="" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/gdcmsft07.jpg" align="right" vspace="4" border="0" /></a>Our 2007 Game Developers Conference has come to an end, we've had a fun ride, but there is still more to see. And the nice folks over at <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/gdc2k7.php?p=xb360">GameTrailers</a> have their GDC section quarantined off and ready to showcase some of the best Xbox 360 media. You can sit back and watch a new <em><a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?id=3286">Portal</a></em> video, maybe some <em><a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?id=2799">Mercenaries 2</a></em>, a <em><a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?id=2669">Fable 2</a></em> dog demo, or <em><a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?id=1762">The Darkness</a></em>. It's every video they have to offer from GDC that is Xbox 360 related. And we definitely recommend watching the<em> Fable 2</em> dog demo, because it just might make you think differently about this new "revolutionary" feature. GDC may be over, but your video watching has just begun.<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.gametrailers.com/gdc2k7.php?p=xb360>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/10/gametrailers-gdc-video-wrap-up/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/849883/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/10/gametrailers-gdc-video-wrap-up/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>fable 2</category><category>Fable2</category><category>gdc</category><category>gdc 07</category><category>Gdc07</category><category>mercenaries 2</category><category>Mercenaries2</category><category>portal</category><category>the darkness</category><category>TheDarkness</category><dc:creator>Dustin Burg</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 10 Mar 2007 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>GDC 07: Sacred 2 hands on preview</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/gdc-07-sacred-2-hands-on-preview/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/gdc-07-sacred-2-hands-on-preview/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/gdc-07-sacred-2-hands-on-preview/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/seraphim_fight.jpg" /><br />The last day of <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tag/gdc">GDC</a> tends to be the slowest, so we understandably pleased to get a chance to play <em>Sacred 2: Fallen Angel</em> from <a href="http://www.ascaron.com">Ascaron Entertainment</a>. <em>Sacred 2</em> is an action RPG title in development for both the PC and Xbox 360. The game features co-operative gameplay for up to four players in an open world environment. The game plays more or less like most action RPGs, with the action seen from a distant third person perspective. Fans of games like <em>Baldur's Gate</em> and <em>Diablo</em> will have a pretty good idea of what to expect. We spoke with Ascaron's Heiko tom Felde to learn about what sets <em>Sacred 2</em> apart.<p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/gdc-07-sacred-2-hands-on-preview/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>GDC 07: Sacred 2 hands on preview</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/gdc-07-sacred-2-hands-on-preview/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/849563/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/gdc-07-sacred-2-hands-on-preview/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>ascaron</category><category>ascaron entertainment</category><category>AscaronEntertainment</category><category>gdc07</category><category>sacred 2</category><category>Sacred2</category><dc:creator>Richard Mitchell</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 09 Mar 2007 17:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Castle Crashers gets bumped into 2008</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/castle-crashers-gets-bumped-into-2008/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/castle-crashers-gets-bumped-into-2008/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/castle-crashers-gets-bumped-into-2008/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/xbox-live-arcade/" rel="tag">Xbox Live Arcade</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/09/castle-crashers-likely-due-2008-receiving-more-content/"><img alt="" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/castlecrashdelay.jpg" align="top" vspace="4" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/09/castle-crashers-likely-due-2008-receiving-more-content/">Joystiq</a> cornered The Behemoth's Dan Paladin after the GDC <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/gdc-awards-gears-takes-home-the-hardware/">awards</a> ceremony and asked about a release time-frame for <em>Castle Crashers</em>. To their (and our) dismay, Mr. Paladin stated that there was still "<em>about a year of development left</em>" on the XBLA title. Shocked, Joystiq then inquired to whether The Behemoth was going to take advantage of the 100MB bump in the XBLA <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/05/512mb-memory-card-and-exciting-xbla-news/">size limit</a> and were pleased to learn that <em>Castle Crashers</em> would benefit by adding additional features and content. So, we'll be seeing more <em>Castle Crashers</em> content, but will also have to suffer a longer wait. With a year or more of development nobody will be having any <em>Castle Crashers</em> fun until 2008 ... so you better make one hell of a game Mr. Paladin, because this hurts. This hurts a bunch.<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/09/castle-crashers-likely-due-2008-receiving-more-content/>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/castle-crashers-gets-bumped-into-2008/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/849483/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/castle-crashers-gets-bumped-into-2008/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>castle crashers</category><category>CastleCrashers</category><category>gdc</category><category>gdc 07</category><category>Gdc07</category><category>the behemoth</category><category>TheBehemoth</category><category>xbla</category><category>xbox live arcade</category><category>XboxLiveArcade</category><dc:creator>Dustin Burg</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Fancast Xtra -- BioWare interview with Greg Zeschuk</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/fancast-xtra-bioware-interview-with-greg-zeschuk/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/fancast-xtra-bioware-interview-with-greg-zeschuk/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/fancast-xtra-bioware-interview-with-greg-zeschuk/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/mass-effect/" rel="tag">Mass Effect</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/podcasts/" rel="tag">Podcasts</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><img height="329" alt="" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/bioware-gdc07.jpg" width="425" vspace="4" border="1" /><br />We got a chance to sit down with Dr. Greg Zeshuk, president of BioWare, to talk about <em>Mass Effect</em>. The interview was conducted by Joystiq's <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/bloggers/ludwig-kietzmann/">Ludwig Kietzmann</a>. We captured the audio, which you can download on MP3 (<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tag/fancast">Fancast</a> subscribers will receive the audio automatically). A breakdown of our discussion can be found after the break.<p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/fancast-xtra-bioware-interview-with-greg-zeschuk/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Fancast Xtra -- BioWare interview with Greg Zeschuk</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/podcasts/fancast-xtra-gdc07-bioware-interview.mp3>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/fancast-xtra-bioware-interview-with-greg-zeschuk/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/849055/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/fancast-xtra-bioware-interview-with-greg-zeschuk/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>bioware</category><category>fancast</category><category>greg zeschuk</category><category>GregZeschuk</category><category>mass effect</category><category>MassEffect</category><enclosure url="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/podcasts/fancast-xtra-gdc07-bioware-interview.mp3" length="9122611" type="Audio/MPEG" /><dc:creator>Richard Mitchell</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 09 Mar 2007 10:30:00 EST</pubDate><itunes:subtitle>Fancast Xtra: Mass Effect interview</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>Richard Mitchell, Ludwig Kietzmann</itunes:author><itunes:summary><![CDATA[We got a chance to sit down with Dr. Greg Zeshuk, president of BioWare, to talk about Mass Effect. The interview was conducted by Joystiq's Ludwig Kietzmann. We captured the audio, which you can download on MP3 (Fancast subscribers will receive the audio automatically). A breakdown of our discussion can be found after the break.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>18:55</itunes:duration></item><item><title>GDC 07: CliffyB on designing Gears of War</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/gdc-07-cliffyb-on-designing-gears-of-war/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/gdc-07-cliffyb-on-designing-gears-of-war/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/gdc-07-cliffyb-on-designing-gears-of-war/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gears-of-war/" rel="tag">Gears of War</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><img width="425" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="319" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/cliffyb-gdc07-2.jpg" /><br />CliffyB hosted a panel at <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tag/gdc">GDC</a> to discuss the design process for <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/gdc-awards-gears-takes-home-the-hardware/"><em>Gears of War</em></a>. While the panel didn't exactly contain much in the way of news (apart from <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/gdc-cliffyb-wants-jazz-jackrabbit-on-xbla/"><em>Jazz Jackrabbit</em></a>), it was interesting to see the beginnings of <em>Gears of War</em> and see how it became the phenomenal success that it is today. Cliff shared some early design work from <em>Gears of War</em> and how it changed and evolved over time. For instance, the Locust were originally called Geist. However, the name was trademarked by Nintendo, so we wound up with the Locust we know today. Cliffy also discussed the inspirations for <em>Gears of War</em>, which was originally designed as an extension of the <em>Unreal </em>franchise. In fact, many of the original concepts for <span style="font-style: italic;">Gears of War</span> made it into <span style="font-style: italic;">Unreal Tournament 3</span>. He uses the phrase "Resident Killswitch" to describe the title's inspirations from both <em>Resident Evil</em> and <em>Killswitch</em>.<br /><br />A few more entertaining tidbits of information were revealed, too. For one, the cinematic Y button was actually created by accident. Epic originally decided to emulate the <span style="font-style: italic;">Halo</span> control scheme. After mapping the weapons to the D-pad, the team was left with an empty Y button. So, they had to figure out what to do with it. As Cliffy put it, one of his leads suggested that it become the "look at cool sh*t" button. And so, the "points of interest" function was born. Finally, Cliffy revealed that the infamous "roadie run" is <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> misleading. You see, the roadie run is, in fact, only <span style="font-style: italic;">1.2 times faster</span> than regular movement. The illusion of speed is created by the camera angle and the wobble effect.<br /><br />Just remember that next time you rush the torque bow.<p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/gdc-07-cliffyb-on-designing-gears-of-war/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>GDC 07: CliffyB on designing Gears of War</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/gdc-07-cliffyb-on-designing-gears-of-war/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/848629/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/09/gdc-07-cliffyb-on-designing-gears-of-war/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>cliffyb</category><category>gdc07</category><category>gears of war</category><category>GearsOfWar</category><category>gow</category><dc:creator>Richard Mitchell</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 09 Mar 2007 09:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Fancast Xtra -- Q&amp;A with Hironobu Sakaguchi</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/fancast-xtra-qanda-with-hironobu-sakaguchi/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/fancast-xtra-qanda-with-hironobu-sakaguchi/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/fancast-xtra-qanda-with-hironobu-sakaguchi/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/podcasts/" rel="tag">Podcasts</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/podcasts/fancast-xtra-gdc07-sakaguchi-interview.mp3"><img height="319" alt="" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/sakaguchi-gdc07.jpg" width="425" vspace="4" border="1" /></a><br />During our preview of <em><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/06/gdc-07-sakaguchi-part-one-blue-dragon/">Blue Dragon</a> </em>and <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-sakaguchi-part-2-lost-odyssey/"><em>Lost Odyssey</em></a> on Tuesday, we were lucky enough to score a little question and answer time with RPG luminary, Hironobu Sakaguchi (and his translator). We learned a few things about <em>Blue Dragon</em>, <em>Lost Odyssey</em>, and the differences between them. We learned about the downloadable content in store for <em>Blue Dragon</em>, too. We also got to ask him about what its like to have his own company now (Mistwalker), what's next after <em>Lost Odyssey</em>, the 360's performance in Japan, and Sakaguchi-san's love for <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/gdc-awards-gears-takes-home-the-hardware/"><em>Gears of War</em></a>.<br /><br />We captured all the audio and now present it for download on <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/podcasts/fancast-xtra-gdc07-sakaguchi-interview.mp3">MP3</a> (<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tag/fancast">Fancast</a> subscribers will get it automatically). As an added bonus, we also threw in a bit of the music from <em>Lost Odyssey</em>. Download and enjoy.<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/podcasts/fancast-xtra-gdc07-sakaguchi-interview.mp3>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/fancast-xtra-qanda-with-hironobu-sakaguchi/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/848225/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/fancast-xtra-qanda-with-hironobu-sakaguchi/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>blue dragon</category><category>BlueDragon</category><category>fancast</category><category>gdc07</category><category>lost odyssey</category><category>LostOdyssey</category><category>mistwalker</category><category>mistwalker studio</category><category>MistwalkerStudio</category><category>sakaguchi</category><enclosure url="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/podcasts/fancast-xtra-gdc07-sakaguchi-interview.mp3" length="9542041" type="Audio/MPEG" /><dc:creator>Richard Mitchell</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 08 Mar 2007 20:45:00 EST</pubDate><itunes:subtitle>Fancast Xtra: Q&amp;A with Hironobu Sakaguchi</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>Richard Mitchell</itunes:author><itunes:summary><![CDATA[During our preview of Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey on Tuesday, we were lucky enough to score a little question and answer time with RPG luminary, Hironobu Sakaguchi (and his translator). We learned a few things about Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, and the differences between them. We learned about the downloadable content in store for Blue Dragon, too. We also got to ask him about what its like to have his own company now (Mistwalker), what's next after Lost Odyssey, the 360's performance in Japan, and Sakaguchi-san's love for Gears of War.We captured all the audio and now present it for download on MP3 (Fancast subscribers will get it automatically). As an added bonus, we also threw in a bit of the music from Lost Odyssey. Download and enjoy.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>19:55</itunes:duration></item><item><title>Revolutionary Fable 2 feature is a dog</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/revolutionary-fable-2-feature-is-a-dog/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/revolutionary-fable-2-feature-is-a-dog/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/revolutionary-fable-2-feature-is-a-dog/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/fable-2/" rel="tag">Fable 2</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><img width="425" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="319" border="1" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/molyneux-gdc-07.jpg" alt="" /><br />There's a reason Peter Molyneux is smiling in this picture. He was nervous to reveal the "revolutionary" new feature in <em>Fable 2</em>. Several people on his own team told him not to do it. In fairness, it's definitely a risky feature. No one in their right mind would call it revolutionary at first glance. Yes, the intertubes were right: <em>Fable 2</em>'s secret new feature is a dog. That's it. So, why is Peter smiling? He's smiling because he just convinced a room full of jaded journalists that a dog is revolutionary. Yup, it's a dog, but believe it or not, you will love it.<p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/revolutionary-fable-2-feature-is-a-dog/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Revolutionary Fable 2 feature is a dog</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/revolutionary-fable-2-feature-is-a-dog/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/848645/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/revolutionary-fable-2-feature-is-a-dog/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>fable 2</category><category>Fable2</category><category>gdc</category><category>gdc07</category><category>lionhead</category><category>lionhead studio</category><category>LionheadStudio</category><category>molyneux</category><category>peter molyneux</category><category>PeterMolyneux</category><dc:creator>Richard Mitchell</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 08 Mar 2007 18:15:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>A very early look at Schizoid</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/a-very-early-look-at-schizoid/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/a-very-early-look-at-schizoid/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/a-very-early-look-at-schizoid/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/xbox-live-arcade/" rel="tag">Xbox Live Arcade</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><a href="http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3157790"><img alt="" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/schizoid1.jpg" align="top" vspace="4" border="0" /></a><br />Among the news from GDC we learned that the first ever XNA created game <em>Schizoid</em> will be coming to the XBLA sometime later this year. <a href="http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3157790">1UP</a> posted some screenshots from the game and talked with a few people from Torpex's dev team to learn a little bit more about the gameplay. Per Microsoft, <em>Schizoid</em> is "<em>a co-op action game in which teamwork matters like never before, as gamers and their friend or AI ally protect each other from barrages of glowing enemies</em>". Presumably, the game is heavy on the co-op gameplay, where each player can only kill their corresponding color's enemies and protect their partner from the evil that they cannot kill. Think top down space shooter, with color coded gameplay, and a little bit of fl0w thrown in for good measure. Make the jump for a few more screenshots and some speculation goodness.<br /><br />[Via <a href="http://www.gamestooge.com/2007/03/08/first-look-at-schizoid/">Game Stooge</a>]<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3157790>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/a-very-early-look-at-schizoid/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/848741/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/a-very-early-look-at-schizoid/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>arcade</category><category>gdc</category><category>gdc 07</category><category>Gdc07</category><category>microsoft</category><category>schizoid</category><category>xbla</category><category>xbox live arcade</category><category>XboxLiveArcade</category><category>xna</category><category>xna studio express</category><category>XnaStudioExpress</category><dc:creator>Dustin Burg</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 08 Mar 2007 17:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>GDC: CliffyB wants Jazz Jackrabbit on XBLA</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/gdc-cliffyb-wants-jazz-jackrabbit-on-xbla/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/gdc-cliffyb-wants-jazz-jackrabbit-on-xbla/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/gdc-cliffyb-wants-jazz-jackrabbit-on-xbla/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gears-of-war/" rel="tag">Gears of War</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/cliffyb-gdc07.jpg" /><br />Speaking at <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tag/gdc07">GDC</a>, Cliff Bleszinski, the mad genius behind <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/gdc-awards-gears-takes-home-the-hardware/"><em>Gears of War</em></a>, noted that he'd like to see his classic platformer, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_Jackrabbit_%28computer_game%29"><em>Jazz Jackrabbit</em></a>, on Xbox Live Arcade. Cliffy noted that many people have told him the game would be good for Live arcade. "Honestly, I'd love to see it, too," said Bleszinski, but noted that Epic is too busy to take on the task themselves. "If anybody knows a person out there that can do it for us, more power to them," he said, stating that Epic was currently focusing on <em>Unreal Tournament 3</em> and a "potential sequel" to <em>Gears of War</em>. "Potential sequel," by the way, was said with tongue planted firmly in cheek.<br /><br />So, any developers out there want to take on <em>Jazz Jackrabbit</em>?<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/gdc-cliffyb-wants-jazz-jackrabbit-on-xbla/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/848618/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/gdc-cliffyb-wants-jazz-jackrabbit-on-xbla/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>arcade</category><category>cliffyb</category><category>epic</category><category>gdc07</category><category>live arcade</category><category>LiveArcade</category><category>xbla</category><category>xbox live arcade</category><category>XboxLiveArcade</category><dc:creator>Richard Mitchell</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 08 Mar 2007 14:15:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>GDC Awards: Gears takes home the hardware</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/gdc-awards-gears-takes-home-the-hardware/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/gdc-awards-gears-takes-home-the-hardware/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/gdc-awards-gears-takes-home-the-hardware/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gears-of-war/" rel="tag">Gears of War</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/news/6167061.html"><img alt="" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/02/gears-krunk.jpg" align="right" vspace="4" border="0" /></a>The GDC's Game Developer's Choice Awards were <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/news/6167061.html">announced</a> last night and our very own <em>Gears of War</em> came away with a handful of metal statuettes. <em>Gears</em> walked off stage with a few trophies for best in technology, visual arts, and of course game of the year. Gamespot reports that when Cliffy B went on stage to accept the game of the year trophy for <em>Gears </em>he, in all his Cliffy B glory, exclaimed "<em>holy sh**!</em>". We congratulate you Epic Games (again) for the numerous awards you've received for <em>Gears of War</em>. Though, you'll probably have to invest in a new trophy case pretty soon.<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6167061.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/gdc-awards-gears-takes-home-the-hardware/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/848551/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/gdc-awards-gears-takes-home-the-hardware/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>cliffy b</category><category>CliffyB</category><category>epic</category><category>epic games</category><category>EpicGames</category><category>game developers awards</category><category>GameDevelopersAwards</category><category>gdc</category><category>gdc 07</category><category>Gdc07</category><category>gears</category><category>gears of war</category><category>GearsOfWar</category><category>gow</category><dc:creator>Dustin Burg</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 08 Mar 2007 13:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Fancast Xtra: the Microsoft blogger's breakfast</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/fancast-xtra-the-microsoft-bloggers-breakfast/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/fancast-xtra-the-microsoft-bloggers-breakfast/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/fancast-xtra-the-microsoft-bloggers-breakfast/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/podcasts/" rel="tag">Podcasts</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/podcasts/fancast-xtra-gdc07-bloggers-breakfast.mp3"><img width="425" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="319" border="1" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/shanekim.jpg" alt="" /></a><br />Microsoft has made the blogger's breakfast something of a tradition at <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tag/gdc07">GDC</a>. <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a>'s Chris Grant attended last year, and this year I was proud to include myself in the same company. The blogger's breakfast is essentially a question and answer session for (you guessed it) bloggers. In attendance from Microsoft were Shane Kim, managing director of Microsoft Game Studios, and Chris Satchell, general manager of the Microsoft games group. In between bites of eggs and bacon, the two execs were bombarded with questions ranging from user created content and Xbox Live Arcade, to Peter Jackson and episodic content. We captured audio of the event for you all to hear. You can download the <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/podcasts/fancast-xtra-gdc07-bloggers-breakfast.mp3">MP3</a> by hitting the "read" link. Subscribers to the Fancast will receive the audio automatically. Download and enjoy, but keep in mind you'll have to tune out the sounds of furious keyboard tapping, clinking plates, and the crinkling plastic of bloggers trying to unwrap delicious maple syrup.<p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/fancast-xtra-the-microsoft-bloggers-breakfast/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Fancast Xtra: the Microsoft blogger's breakfast</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/podcasts/fancast-xtra-gdc07-bloggers-breakfast.mp3>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/fancast-xtra-the-microsoft-bloggers-breakfast/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/847766/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/08/fancast-xtra-the-microsoft-bloggers-breakfast/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>bloggers breakfast</category><category>BloggersBreakfast</category><category>chris satchell</category><category>ChrisSatchell</category><category>gdc07</category><category>shane kim</category><category>ShaneKim</category><enclosure url="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/podcasts/fancast-xtra-gdc07-bloggers-breakfast.mp3" length="26738688" type="Audio/MPEG" /><dc:creator>Richard Mitchell</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 08 Mar 2007 09:00:00 EST</pubDate><itunes:subtitle>Fancast Xtra: Microsoft blogger's breakfast</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>Richard Mitchell</itunes:author><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Microsoft has made the blogger's breakfast something of a tradition at GDC. Joystiq's Chris Grant attended last year, and this year I was proud to include myself in the same company. The blogger's breakfast is essentially a question and answer session for (you guessed it) bloggers. In attendance from Microsoft were Shane Kim, managing director of Microsoft Game Studios, and Chris Satchell, general manager of the Microsoft games group. In between bites of eggs and bacon, the two execs were bombarded with questions ranging from user created content and Xbox Live Arcade, to Peter Jackson and episodic content. We captured audio of the event for you all to hear. You can download the MP3 by hitting the "read" link. Subscribers to the Fancast will receive the audio automatically. Download and enjoy, but keep in mind you'll have to tune out the sounds of furious keyboard tapping, clinking plates, and the crinkling plastic of bloggers trying to unwrap delicious maple syrup.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>55:40</itunes:duration></item><item><title>GDC 07: Band of Bugs hands on</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-band-of-bugs-hands-on/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-band-of-bugs-hands-on/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-band-of-bugs-hands-on/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><img width="425" vspace="4" hspace="0" height="239" border="1" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/bandofbugs.jpg" alt="" /><br />Sitting right next to <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-castle-crashers-hands-on/"><em>Castle Crashers</em></a> was a game not nearly as publicized, <a href="http://www.ninjabee.com/about.html">NinjaBee's</a> <em>Band of Bugs</em>. We managed to wrangle a <em>Band of Bugs</em> interview a while back, and we were pleased to see the game at <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-castle-crashers-hands-on/">GDC</a> (<em>Band of Bugs</em> is part of the Independent Games Festival) and speak with Steve Taylor, president of <a href="http://www.wahoo.com/index.html">Wahoo Studios</a> (NinjaBee's parent company). We spent a lot of time looking at <em>Band of Bugs</em>. We got a chance to learn about the level editor and even got a little time to play the game itself. Read on for first hand impressions of this unique Xbox Live Arcade title.<p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-band-of-bugs-hands-on/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>GDC 07: Band of Bugs hands on</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-band-of-bugs-hands-on/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/847976/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-band-of-bugs-hands-on/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>arcade</category><category>band of bugs</category><category>BandOfBugs</category><category>gdc07</category><category>live arcade</category><category>LiveArcade</category><category>ninjabee</category><category>wahoo studios</category><category>WahooStudios</category><category>xbla</category><category>xbox live arcade</category><category>XboxLiveArcade</category><dc:creator>Richard Mitchell</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 07 Mar 2007 19:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Jackson's Halo project will be episodic</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/jacksons-halo-project-will-be-episodic/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/jacksons-halo-project-will-be-episodic/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/jacksons-halo-project-will-be-episodic/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/07/peter-jackson-working-on-episodic-halo-content/"><img alt="" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/peterjackson333.jpg" align="right" vspace="4" border="0" /></a>During Microsoft's annual Blogger Breakfast at GDC (which Richard will be writing about soon), our Joystiq blogging army received some interesting news. During the breakfast, Shane Kim <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/07/peter-jackson-working-on-episodic-halo-content/">revealed</a> that Peter Jackson is currently in the pre-production phases of two episodic games for the Xbox 360, with one being based on the (previously announced) <em>Halo</em> universe. When hearing the news, everyone jumped at the chance to pry more information from Shane's lips, but he refused stating "<em>I may have said too much already</em>". So there you have it folks, two episodic games coming from Peter Jackson. Anyone want to speculate to why Jackson chose to go with episodic content rather than a stand alone game? So many questions and so much waiting ...<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href=http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/07/peter-jackson-working-on-episodic-halo-content/>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/jacksons-halo-project-will-be-episodic/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/847952/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/jacksons-halo-project-will-be-episodic/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>gdc</category><category>gdc 07</category><category>Gdc07</category><category>halo</category><category>microsoft</category><category>peter jackson</category><category>PeterJackson</category><dc:creator>Dustin Burg</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 07 Mar 2007 19:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>GDC 07: Ross Erickson scoping for talent</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-ross-erickson-scoping-for-talent/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-ross-erickson-scoping-for-talent/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-ross-erickson-scoping-for-talent/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/rosserickson-gdc07.jpg" /><br />While we were waiting to play <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-castle-crashers-hands-on/"><em>Castle Crashers</em></a> -- always a crowd around that game -- we bumped into Ross Erickson, former portfolio manager for Xbox Live Arcade and <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/02/20/ross-erickson-leaves-ms-for-sierra-online/">newly appointed</a> vice president of acquisition for Sierra Online. While we were cruising the indie games looking for some play time with Live Arcade titles, Ross was looking for some new properties to snap up for Sierra Online. <br /><br />We asked him if he's enjoying his new position at Sierra and he told us that he's only officially been there for 10 days. Still, he says that it's essentially the same job he had before: scoping out attractive projects to publish in the digital distribution market. Ross informed us that Sierra Online is very serious about becoming a contender in this market, which is evident in the recent Vivendi (Sierra Online's parent company) <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/02/20/vivendi-games-buys-wanako-world-trembles/">acquisition</a> of Wanako. Wanako, as many readers will know, was behind the Live Arcade title, <em>Assault Heroes</em>. <br /><br />About his old position, Ross told us that he takes pride in what he accomplished with Microsoft. He informed us that he takes pleasure in knowing that his "fingerprints" will be on several future Live Arcade games, including plenty of games that have yet to be announced. <br /><br />Sierra Online's <em>3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures</em> is here at <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tag/gdc07">GDC</a>, and we'll be blessed with a hands on session later this week.<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-ross-erickson-scoping-for-talent/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/847977/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-ross-erickson-scoping-for-talent/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><dc:creator>Richard Mitchell</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 07 Mar 2007 18:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>GDC 07: Castle Crashers hands on</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-castle-crashers-hands-on/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-castle-crashers-hands-on/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-castle-crashers-hands-on/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/03/castlecrashers-gdc07.jpg" alt="" /><br />We heard the rumblings. We smelled the awesome. We <em>knew</em> that <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/02/21/new-castle-crashers-trailer/"><em>Castle Crashers</em></a> was <em>somewhere</em> at <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tag/gdc07">GDC</a>. It was just a matter of finding it. After what seemed like days of searching, we found the title in the Independent Games Festival pit, loaded up on an HD screen with some pumping speakers, <em>Castle Crashers</em> was ready and raring to go.<p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-castle-crashers-hands-on/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>GDC 07: Castle Crashers hands on</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-castle-crashers-hands-on/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/847950/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-castle-crashers-hands-on/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>arcade</category><category>behemoth</category><category>castle crashers</category><category>CastleCrashers</category><category>gdc07</category><category>live arcade</category><category>LiveArcade</category><category>the behemoth</category><category>TheBehemoth</category><category>xbla</category><category>xbox live arcade</category><category>XboxLiveArcade</category><dc:creator>Richard Mitchell</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 07 Mar 2007 18:05:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>GDC 07: a quick chat with Aaron Greenberg</title><link>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-a-quick-chat-with-aaron-greenberg/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-a-quick-chat-with-aaron-greenberg/</guid><comments>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-a-quick-chat-with-aaron-greenberg/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/category/gdc-07/" rel="tag">GDC '07</a></p><img width="225" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="264" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2006/10/greenburg.jpg" alt="" />After the Microsoft blogger's breakfast (which will be written up shortly) we caught up with Xbox Live's Aaron Greenberg (also known as <a href="http://live.xbox.com/en-US/profile/profile.aspx?pp=0&amp;GamerTag=BIGVIP">BIGVIP</a>) for a quick chat. Unfortunately, we lacked the presence of mind to shoot a candid photo, so we present you with this handsome stock photo instead. We can tell you, however, that he was wearing <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2006/12/19/aaron-greenberg-hip-hop-and-street-cred/">this shirt</a>. Along with Spencer from <a href="http://www.siliconera.com/">Siliconera</a>, we had a chance to ask Greenberg a few questions. When asked about specific Arcade releases, in this case <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/02/14/ikaruga-heads-to-live-arcade/"><em>Ikaruga</em></a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/02/27/raiden-iv-coming-to-xbox-360/"><em>Raiden IV</em></a>, and <em><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/06/every-extend-extra-extreme-arcade-bound/">Every Extend Extra Extreme.</a> </em>Greenberg said that it's rare for the team to concentrate on distant games. According to Greenberg, in the world of "internet time" he mainly focuses on games coming out within the next 6 to 8 weeks. In other words, don't expect <em>Ikaruga</em> anytime soon. He <em>did</em> mention that the XBLA games on display here at GDC -- <em>Minigolf Adventures</em>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tag/boomboomrocket"><em>Boom Boom Rocket</em></a>, <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/tag/jetpac"><em>Jetpack Refuelled</em></a>, etc -- will be released within a few months. We should get some hands on time with these games later this week.<br /><br />We asked about the possibility of seeing some RPGs on Xbox Live Arcade, and Greenberg said there was no reason we couldn't see them, citing <em>Castlevania</em> as an example of a deeper Arcade experience, though perhaps not a traditional RPG. <br /><br />When asked about the possibility of <em>Final DOOM</em> hitting the Arcade -- its ESRB entry was recently <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/01/04/rumor-xbla-is-doomed-again/">discovered</a> -- he noted that Id is definitely interested. Talking about <em>DOOM</em>'s <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2006/09/27/doom-possesses-xbox-live-arcade/">surprise launch</a> last year during X06, Greenberg said that their were more surprise launches involving famous franchises in the future. So, RPGs heading to Live Arcade ... surprise launches ... famous franchises. Anyone care to make some wild speculation?<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> </p><p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-a-quick-chat-with-aaron-greenberg/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/forward/847740/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/03/07/gdc-07-a-quick-chat-with-aaron-greenberg/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>aaron greenberg</category><category>AaronGreenberg</category><category>arcade</category><category>gdc 07</category><category>Gdc07</category><category>greenberg</category><category>live arcade</category><category>LiveArcade</category><category>xbox live arcade</category><category>XboxLiveArcade</category><dc:creator>Richard Mitchell</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 07 Mar 2007 14:30:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>