It seems the April issue of Official Xbox Magazine has some information about the highly anticipated XBLA release Ikaruga. Specifically, it sounds like the game will be coming out very soon, as the magazine notes the game is already available with a graphic that reads "Out Now." It doesn't get much clearer than that. Unfortunately, given the nature of magazine lead times (people get April issues in March, etc.) it's hard to say exactly when Ikaruga will show up, but it's probably safe to say it should be out before the end of April. Oh, and for what it's worth, OXM gave Ikaruga a 9 out of 10, so things are looking up.
Update: Upon closer inspection, the review appears to be in the UK Official Xbox Magazine.
Official Xbox Magazine got its grubby little hands on 3 exclusive tracks for Rock Band. The tracks will be offered on the disc bundled with the February issue of the magazine, set to be in subscribers hands "soon" and available on store shelves January 15th. The three tracks to be included are:
"Sprøde" by Freezepop
"Rock Rebellion" by Bang Camaro
"Shake" by Count Zero (warning: Myspace link)
It's definitely an interesting collection of tracks. The article on OXM Online doesn't mention whether or not these are master tracks, but given that the Freezepop and Bang Camaro tracks available with the retail version are master tracks, we're betting these are too.
OXM started a new monthly feature in their magazine where they do reviews of various brands of HDTVs seeing that tons of gamers are in the market for new sets. And their monthly feature has been going fine until recently, when they contacted Sony to get a Bravia HDTV for a review in their next issue. Let's just say Sony didn't want any part of the review.
Upon giving the Sony Bravia folks a ring, OXM was taken aback to hear that they refused to send them a Bravia to review due to OXM's affiliation with the Xbox 360 platform. They're probably scared that a magazine with "Xbox" in their name would be biased towards a Sony brand TV. Funny thing is, OXM's Dan Amrich owns a Bravia set and loves it to death. Snap! So, OXM didn't get a Bravia HDTV and thus no review will get published. We guess Sony Bravia doesn't want Xbox 360 fanboys to purchase their televisions. Sucks for them.
A few of our readers have pointed out that OXM Online has relaunched successfully on Monday. The site includes a blog, previews, reviews, and even the nifty video feature embedded above. All in all, the website does everything it's supposed to do, although apparently some of the stories are less than fresh. We imagine that will be rectified as new items are added (like this review of Kane & Lynch for instance). Our only question is how much content the OXM folks will be willing to post when they're trying to sell magazines. We expect a relationship similar to the one between 1UP and EGM, in which there will be print exclusive content and web content that expands upon it. Welcome back to the web OXM. Let's be friends, mkay?
After being saddled with a dastardly "under construction" message over a year, the Official Xbox Magazine website is finally set to launch on Monday, November 12. The website will come with all the features you've come to expect from similar sites, including blogs, web-only content, contests, and info on upcoming issues of the magazine and what to expect on the demo discs. It's been a long time coming; here's hoping the folks at OXM can turn the website into a worthwhile resource. This reminds us though, what happened to OXM Digital, the content that was planned for XBLM? Perhaps we should look into that.
Anywho, the information was revealed by OXM's Dan Amrich in a cipher he posted on the Xbox.com forums. You can find said post and the following brouhaha by clicking the "read" link below.
So, let's say you want to play the Beautiful Katamari demo. Perhaps you've heard that, like other demos, said demo is only available in the latest issue of Official Xbox Magazine. "But print is dead!" you say, "I get all of my infoz from ze intarwebz!" In such an assertion, we would agree there are valid points. There are some people who just don't buy gaming magazines anymore. With the advent of Xbox Live Marketplace and ever vigilant news blogs like this one, many just don't see the value in magazines. Now, every once in a while, OXM scores an exclusive demo, which leaves internet-only types out in the dust. It looks like the folks from OXM have come to a similar realization, as they have announced the creation of OXMDigital, which will be available each month on Marketplace.
Posted Jul 24th 2007 12:00PM by Dustin Burg
Filed under: News
If you're dying to get to roll a Katamari on your Xbox 360, you just might have to plop down a few bucks and pick up the September issue of OXM. We just learned that a Beautiful Katamari demo is included on the demo disc in the latest issue of OXM, but we aren't totally sure what it entails. We also aren't sure why the Beautiful Katamari demo hasn't been caringly placed on the XBLM for everyone to enjoy, but we're thinking the King of All Cosmos has something to do with it. Neverless, we can guarantee that Beautiful Katamari is playable in OXM, so use such information as you deem fit.
Over on Beyond Unreal, Death Booger mentions that August's OXM demo disc features a look at a few of the multiplayer maps that'll ship with Unreal Tournament 3. Among the pretty in-game videos are a few details about UT3 including confirmation that the game will ship with three to four dozen multiplayer maps. And, if our math is correct, that works out to be around 36 to 48 multiplayer maps on launch day and on the disc! The maps will of course vary in size, player count, etc., but the shear amount of variety should satisfy any Unreal enthusiast. Here's to hoping the "dozens" remarks holds true when the game ships as that would seriously put Shadowrun's nine maps to shame.
Posted Jun 27th 2007 2:45PM by Dustin Burg
Filed under: News
A fresh and visceral look at Condemned 2: Bloodshot is hitting newsstands soon as new details and gory images await in the August issue of OXM. Not only does OXM show off some new twisted screenshots like the one above, but they also talk specifics.
Condemned 2 takes place years after the original where our forensic hero Ethan Thomas has since left investigative work behind and now wanders the streets, drinking his sorrows away and battling his inner demons. But Thomas is forced back into the investigator role again when his partner mysteriously disappears. Condemned 2 promises a new hand to hand combat system, disturbing visuals, 30+ weapons, and a multiplayer element that's still under wraps. Condemned 2: Bloodshot is slated for a Spring 2008 release, so hopefully SEGA can stay away from the ESRB for a little while longer, because we're sure they could find something AO worthy in their current mood.
Posted May 30th 2007 11:30AM by Dustin Burg
Filed under: News
In the latest issue of the Official Xbox Magazine Epic discusses everything Unreal Tournament 3 and says that the game will look graphically better than Gears of War. Epic says that the Unreal Engine 3 has been tweaked and improved for use on the 360 since Gears launched and they're taking full advantage of its capabilities. Lead designer Steven Polge's even goes as far as to say that UT3, "it's Gears on crack. Cover is for wimps!". OXM also confirmed the game's vehicle count, talks about the control scheme, and confirmed that UT3 will include four player campaign co-op over Xbox Live. But we're just excited to see how much prettier UT3 can actually get, because Gears already set the bar quite high.
According to Planet Xbox 360, the latest Official Xbox Magazine dishes out what its editors believe to be the top 5 games being secretly made for the Xbox 360. More or less the list is a wish list of games that most of us would like to see make an appearance on our beloved console. Many of them have been rumored for quite some time, but it's a nice list nevertheless. Check it out after the break.
Yes, we are a little slow on reporting this, but better late than never right? Gamertag Radio found out that in the April issue of Official Xbox Magazine you'll be pleased to find that the Chapter 2 content for GRAW will be included on the demo disc. True, the magazine does cost $10, but if you're a regular subscriber or are a religious purchaser, then all the better. If you remember, the Chapter 2 content was originally released to on the XBLM for a whopping 1200 Microsoft Points, but was recently discounted to a more reasonable 600 Points. So, if you play GRAW, buy the April issue of OXM, haven't purchased the Chapter 2 content, and won't be purchasing GRAW 2 ... then it'll be like Christmas all over again, but in March.
[Via Joystiq, Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
Long ago, before the invention of the internets, people were forced to get all of their videogame information from magazines. These magazines were basically books, which, for the record, are several pieces of paper bound together containing sequential information. These "mag-uh-zeens" are still around, and occasionally they are still useful, too. For example, this month's Official Xbox Magazine declares that the fall dashboard update should be available right now. We've checked, and it isn't, but this should mean it's coming sooner rather than later. Rest assured, we will let you know the moment that it's online.
You read the headline, there's a demo of F.E.A.R. available on Marketplace right now. Our more astute readers will no doubt notice that this demo is exactly the same as the demo available some time ago in OXM. Giving it another go this morning, X360F wonders whether or not F.E.A.R. can stand out among upcoming blockbusters like Gears of War and Rainbow Six: Vegas. Also, it may just be us, but why does this game require such a monster PC to run? There are plenty of particle effects and the textures are all very high res, but the geometry just doesn't look that impressive -- again, see Gears of War and Rainbow Six.
Still, if you haven't picked up the demo through OXM, you just can't beat the price (hint: it's free).
Over on Beyond Unreal, Death Booger mentions that August's OXM demo disc features a look at a few of the multiplayer maps that'll ship with Unreal Tournament 3. Among the pretty in-game videos are a few details about UT3 including confirmation that the game will ship with three to four dozen multiplayer maps. And, if our math is correct, that works out to be around 36 to 48 multiplayer maps on launch day and on the disc! The maps will of course vary in size, player count, etc., but the shear amount of variety should satisfy any Unreal enthusiast. Here's to hoping the "dozens" remarks holds true when the game ships as that would seriously put Shadowrun's nine maps to shame.
Yes, we are a little slow on reporting this, but better late than never right? Gamertag Radio found out that in the April issue of Official Xbox Magazine you'll be pleased to find that the Chapter 2 content for GRAW will be included on the demo disc. True, the magazine does cost $10, but if you're a regular subscriber or are a religious purchaser, then all the better. If you remember, the Chapter 2 content was originally released to on the XBLM for a whopping 1200 Microsoft Points, but was recently discounted to a more reasonable 600 Points. So, if you play GRAW, buy the April issue of OXM, haven't purchased the Chapter 2 content, and won't be purchasing GRAW 2 ... then it'll be like Christmas all over again, but in March.
