thirdworldgamer

Games that used to be Playstation-exclusives that are now on Xbox 360:( Note: may not be a complete list) 1. Final Fantasy XIII (RPG) 2. Tales of Vesperia (Tales series) (RPG) 3. Grand Theft Auto IV (Sandbox) 4. Virtua Fighter 5 (360 alone has online play) (Fighting) 5. Devil May Cry 4 (Action) 6. Ace Combat 6 (Flight/Action) 7. Ridge Racer 6 (Arcade Racing) 8. Street Fighter IV (Fighting) 9. Tekken 6 (Fighting) 10. Soul Calibur 4 (Fighting) 11. Star Ocean 4 (RPG) 12. Fallout 3 (RPG) 13. Bioshock (FPS/RPG, already out in the market, PS3 version is delayed) 14. Lost Planet (360 first, superior textures) (Action) 15. Dead Rising (also on Wii, but the 360 has the definitive version in terms of graphics and gameplay) (Action) 16. The Last Remnant (RPG) 17. Guitar Hero Series (GH2, GH3, and Guitar Hero World Tour) 18. Resident Evil 5 (Third Person Shooter/Survival Horror) Some of the more noteworthy Xbox 360 Exclusive titles: 1. Alan Wake (Action) 2. Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (Flig...

Yup, Final Fantasy XIII is really happening on the Xbox 360. They've even set up a sub-forum for the game on Xbox.com: Final Fantasy XIII - Official Xbox.com Forums

The next issue of EGM is said to have an interview with Hironobu Sakaguchi while he was in Japan. From what has been written by the EGM staff this is a pretty substancial interview but mainly focuses on the origins of Final Fantasy. Later in the article, Nobuo Uematsu and Yoshitaka Amano are also mentioned. Ever since Sakaguchi broke away from Square Enix and formed Mistwalker, Nobuo Uematsu, who also left Square Enix and his is own 'Smile Please' studio, has worked with in for 2 of this biggest JRPG releases for the XBOX 360. Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey. Sakaguchi has worked with two extremely popular Japanese artists Akira Toriyama (Dragonball Z --- perhaps the most famous manga artist in the world today) for Blue Dragon and Takehiko Inoue (Slam Dunk and Vagabond) for Lost Odyssey. The transition from paper to actual game concept for both artists went surprsingly well...with a notable mention on my end for Blue Dragon which I believe is the best looking JRPG to date. With al...

I enjoyed watching this segment.

For those who follow the gaming industry, it should come as no surprise when you hear a budget for a certain game spans millions of dollars. For those who don’t really follow the industry, the amount poured into the game should be evident in the quality that you get once you are actually playing it. Many analysts are proclaiming to high heavens that gaming is the next big thing in entertainment. And I agree. Hollywood represents what I believe is passive entertainment which require little to no interaction with the viewer. You sit on your couch and watch as the next episode of ‘Heroes’ airs on your TV screen. While television networks are beginning to utilize modern communication mediums such as e-mail, internet chat and SMS messaging , the level of user interaction is still low. But what analysts fail to consider is, with gaming becoming the next big thing, greater problems in actual game development surface. Being a game developer is no easy task. It’s not the regular 9 to 5 job and ...

At the beginning of this month, both me and my wife received the honor of being Microsoft MVPs (Most Valuable Professional) for our efforts with the local Xbox gaming community. We are very grateful for receiving this honor, and we hope that this is one way to help bring further advancement to the local console gaming scene. Jay Paloma, MVP for Enterprise Security, recently conducted an interview with us which he posted on his blog, "Security is a State of Mind". Here's a link to the interview.

Right now they've got a LOT of surplus original US Rock Band Bundles (Xbox 360) for sale (literally, an avalanche of Rock Band Complete Set Bundles) at HMR in Pioneer, Mandaluyong City. Since they're 'surplus' (opened, used, but tested to be working), they cost far cheaper than getting a brand new Rock Band Bundle (currently priced at P5,500 for each bundle). I was just so surprised to see so many surplus Rock Band bundles all in one place. HMR has so many second-hand/surplus Rock Band Bundles right now that they are actually using one to demo the game! (the "other" local store that sells brand new Rock Band Bundles doesn't even let you test their brand new games....) Just a few notes before you buy: 1. These are US Version Rock Band Bundles (they only work on US, NTSC-U Xbox 360s), They're REGION LOCKED. So you have to have a US Xbox 360 to play the game, which is included with each bundle. 2. It's 'buy at your own risk' since these are c...

Today I found several articles just talking about this story....it's really a major story for the console business today. Here are links to all the articles I've found: 1UP: Q & A with Yoshinori Kitase Sony's Tretton: 'Disappointed' In Multiplatform FFXIII Through MS' 'Currying Favor' Sony 'Disappointed' On Final Fantasy XIII 360 Final Fantasy XIII Makes Japanese Xbox 360 Owners Feel "Abandoned" E3 2008: 1UP Interviews Microsoft's Shane Kim (talks at length about the effects of the Final Fantasy announcement on the console gaming industry) E3 2008: One More Final Fantasy XIII Interview Square Enix: Final Fantasy XIII Going Multi-Platform Is Game Changer For Biz

Posting this video for historical purposes. Here's Yoichi Wada giving a long talk about Square Enix's upcoming releases for the Xbox 360....he walks off stage seemingly done with his job....and then.... BOOM! EDIT: While surfing on NEOGAF, I found the page on the Microsoft Conference forum thread which has the reactions the moment before, during and after the announcement of Final Fantasy XIII for the Xbox 360. It's pretty funny, heh

My husband woke me up at around 5:30 am and before I could give a groggy reply he rambled on and on about Final Fantasy 13 coming to the XBOX 360. My eyes immediately shot open and I literally jumped out of bed to find out what the heck was going on. And lo and behold, there was Final Fantasy 13 announced for the XBOX 360. The night before we were both contemplating on staying up early in the morning to watch the MS E3 2008 Press Conference. For the last 3 years we have followed Microsoft’s E3 conferences ever since Jay Allard came on stage to talk about the ‘Soul of the System’ up to the point when Peter Moore showed off his Grand Theft Auto IV tattoo...and specially when Master Chief came on screen to finish the fight. I swear...as I saw the Halo 3 E3 announcement trailer for the first time at around 3 AM, when the ark was opening and that epic orchestral theme was playing...I had tears in my eyes! I'm such a fangirl ---and proud of it! We have always looked forward to Microsoft’...

Note: Earlier in Pinoyxbox I gave impressions on the Too Human demo and I wasn't really too thrilled with the controls. It's hard to believe that Microsoft/Silicon Knights put a lot into the game and it didn't immediately make sense to me. So I decided to give it one last shot, and after my third try, I finally figured it out. GUIDE ON HOW TO PLAY THE DEMO FOR TOO HUMAN: So I gave this game ONE MORE CHANCE and tried it for the THIRD TIME. My wife was convincing me to give it another shot, and on my third round I finally figured out how to play this game. Basically: 1. Let go/stop thinking of the camera. If your player's face is facing towards you, press LB. The camera 'Strategic' seems to be the best option. 2. Now, when you see a mob of monsters, press TOWARDS the enemy that you want to attack with the RIGHT THUMBSTICK. This will cause Baldur to rush towards that enemy target. For instance, if the enemy is north east, point the right thumbstick North East...

I'm still in shock at the news that Final Fantasy XIII is coming to the Xbox 360. Star Ocean 4 is coming to the Xbox 360. Lost Odyssey (Sakaguchi's latest, best epic JRPG yet) is on the 360. Infinite Undiscovery, Last Remnant, the list goes on and on and on. And there are western RPGs too for those inclined to more sandbox-like games. Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fable 2, Too Human....man, the list is never ending for Xbox 360 owners! There goes E3....E3 is finished thanks to that news about FFXIII. The Xbox 360 is the new Playstation 2. Period.

The UNTHINKABLE just happened. Square-Enix's Yoichi Wada just went on stage at the Microsoft Press Conference for E3...he goes in at the very end of the show, around 90 minutes in....and then he talks about Infinite Undiscovery, Star Ocean 4 and Last Remnant. He shakes hands with Don Mattrick and leaves the stage. And then... Well, the unthinkable happened. He goes back on stage, says Square-Enix has another BIG game announcement. A video plays back on screen to a stunned audience. It's Final Fantasy XIII. FINAL FANTASY XIII ANNOUNCED FOR THE XBOX 360! OMG!!!!! O_O News Link: http://e3.gamespot.com/story.html?sid=6193730&pid=950899&tag=topslot;action;1&tag=topslot;title;1 Microsoft E3 2008 Press Conference Full Video (FFXIII announcement is 90:00 minutes in): http://e3.g4tv.com/e32008/press_conf_detail.aspx?pressconference_key=1 Microsoft E3 2008 Press Conference Highlights: http://e3.g4tv.com/e32008/videos/26920/Microsoft_Press_Conference_Recap.html

Today marked the final day for the WCG 2008 Philippine tournaments, with many of the official games for the WCG having their final tournament matches. It continued to be quite a festive affair, with people from all walks of life enjoying the different tournament matches. The level of competition reached a whole new level...it seemed quite intense to me, with what sounded like trash talking occuring occasionally between rival factions on the PC gaming front. I guess with so much on the line, sometimes people can get quite emotional. Luckily, when the matches end, the players seemed to act like good sports...in the end it was all in the spirit of fun and competition :D Here's a link to a listing of all the winners for the World Cyber Games 2008 Philippine Finals. On the Xbox 360 front, Rafael and Luis had their final matches to determine who would go to Germany for the WCG Grand Final, and who would go to Singapore for the Asian Championship. After three intense games of Guitar Her...

Here are pics from Day 2 of the WCG 2008 Philippine Finals: The Finals for Guitar Hero III also took place this afternoon. Here are some pics of the players along with some PINOYXBOX members: From Left to right: PINOYXBOX members TyberAlyx, Mibulan, Colonel_Pogi, ScaR, Mocujack, Delz From Left to Right: PINOYXBOX members Mibulan, Mocujack, Delz, Scytherage, Wuffy (Rafael), ScaR, Colonel_Pogi, Jekbu, AisuSkye (at the back), TyberAlyx After several rounds of intense Guitar Hero III competition....ScaR (Luis Benesa) and Wuffy (Rafael Formoso) - emerged as the Philippine Champions for GUITAR HERO III! Both are Philippine champions already because it's already guaranteed that they're both going to two international championships, one for the WCG 2008 Asian Championship in Singapore and the other for the WCG 2008 Grand Finals in Germany. Colonel_Pogi (Ralph Pasion) and Mibulan (Marlowe Bulan), also both from Pinoyxbox, played very well in the final matches...as finalists th...

We're literally HOURS AWAY from the WCG 2008 GUITAR HERO III FINAL SHOWDOWN! Featuring FOUR of PINOYXBOX's Finest Guitar Hero III Champions! From Left to Right: Ralph Pasion (Colonel_Pogi), Luis Benesa (ScaR), Marlowe Bulan (Mibulan), and Rafael Formoso (Wuffy); these are the Pinoyxbox Guitar Hero III Champions, and the Philippines' Very Best! This guitar battle of EPIC PROPORTIONS will be held at the WCG Philippine Finals at the SM Mall of Asia at 1:00PM :) Be there to witness history in the making!

Here are some pictures from the first day of the World Cyber Games 2008 Philippine Finals: Regarding the Xbox 360 Guitar Hero III competition: After several matches of intense competition, it finally boils down to these guys. The FINAL FOUR. These are the FINALISTS for the XBOX 360 GUITAR HERO III Competition! From left to right: Rafael Formoso, Luis Benesa, Ralph Pasion, and Marlowe Bulan. They're all from PINOYXBOX and represent the very best of the Philippine Xbox 360 Community! The level of competitive play they demonstrated was completely out-of-this-world. I think they rank right up there with the very best from around the globe. They truly deserve to be the finalists. I wish them all the best of luck! Two will be chosen from these players to represent the country for the WCG Asian Championship in Singapore this August and the WCG Grand Finals in Cologne, Germany this November. The finals, which will determine which of these two will be chosen, will be held TOMORROW. Aw...

Here are links to Square-Enix's E3 Lineup! Hey, is Final Fantasy XIII in there? Click any of the links below and find out! :D Links (note: they all point to the same press release from Square-Enix, just providing multiple sources): http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/square-enix-s-e3-line-up-the-last-remnant--song-summoner--the-unsung-heroes--chrono-trigger--dragon-quest--chapters-of-the-chosen--ffiv-ds--star-ocean--exit-ds--legend-of-kage-2 http://www.wonderwallweb.com/story-1239-Square-Enix-Line-Up-for-E3.html http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=326253

This trailer doesn't show game footage, it's entirely animated...however, there's one interesting tidbit at the very end. It's quite lengthy but it's very much worth watching.... http://www.capcom.co.jp/sf4/trailer/trailer6.html An article related to it (it's in Japanese, though). http://www.capcom-fc.com/sf4/2008/07/post_43.html

Above is an image of Dan Hsu/1UP's review of Gears of War way back from 2006. Reading it now, in retrospect, you get to realize how unreliable video game reviews are these days. Despite all the negative comments in that review (even going so far as to calling Gears' multiplayer as 'broken') the game is still one of the most popular games on the Xbox 360. It's still hanging on in Major Nelson's Top 10 games on Xbox Live: http://majornelson.com/archive/2008/07/02/live-activity-for-week-of-june-23rd.aspx "Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (based on UU’s) 1 Call of Duty 4 2 Halo 3 3 GTA IV 4 Battlefield: Bad Company Demo 5 Guitar Hero III 6 Gears of War 7 Rock Band 8 Battlefield: Bad Company 9 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas 2 10 FIFA 08 " Not bad for a game with "broken multiplayer" and supposedly imprecise gameplay mechanics with the melee combat....And later on it turns out that the 'imprecise, hard to control' chainsaw is everyone's f...

jddaez of Pinoyxbox designed this really cool T-shirt for Pinoyxbox members. This shirt is available only for a limited time, so if you want one, order one today via AMD2000's forum thread here :D Front: Back: Close up of the design: What can I say? That design is just so full of WIN. ^_^

The Philippine Finals for the World Cyber Games 2008 is almost here! It will take place on July 10-13 at the SM Mall of Asia Activity Area. It's been said that this is the largest mall in Asia. I've been there. It's very easy to get lost in there! Here's a map posted from the WCG Philippines web site: The finals for the Guitar Hero III competition will take place at this event. The best players from around the Philippines will compete for two player slots - one slot for the World Cyber Games event to be held this November in Cologne, Germany, while another slot is for the WCG Asian Championship to be held in Singapore from August 7-10 at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. My understanding is that the first placer will be sent to Germany while the second place winner will be sent to Singapore. Since I won the local tournament for Virtua Fighter 5, I will be able to cover the Asian Championship in Singapore and post updates here on the ...

Every so often I drop by Fanfiction.Net to read up on fan made stories of popular media characters. Sometimes I am at a complete and utter awe after I finish reading a 20 chapter story for certain anime/game and I'm telling myself...'That's how the story should have been! That's how it should have played out!'. And now talented individuals have a chance to do that with the XBOX 360. For me a JRPG has always been driven by two things: plot and character. Graphics is a plus point but I don't really care about that. I can still play 2D tile based JRPGs and still enjoy it! Come to think of it, the 2D JRPGs are still around today being sold in handhelds such as the GBA, Nintendo DS and the PSP! I was always wishing that one of these days these JRPG makers can just sell their games using XBOX Live. Is the next Hironobu Sakaguchi lurking in our midsts? If the established Japanese development houses can't do it then the indie developers who share a similar passion f...

...so we both haven't been blogging so much lately. Here's what's been keeping me occupied: - Two major work-related projects involving Visual C# / Java programming : Made some major breakthroughs with both of them for the past few days. Maybe in the future I'll share what they are.... - Virtua Fighter 5 practice (both online/offline). We recently picked up the Hori Fighting Stick so I've been spending a lot of time getting used to the new controls. I've been following the gaming news and it seems the biggest, recent news is the announcement of Diablo III. The good news is that Diablo III actually does exist. I thought that there wouldn't be a third game in the series, and I speculated the next game would have been yet another MMORPG like World of Warcraft. The bad news is...well, from what I've read on NEOGAF, the release date for Diablo III is well into 2010. This was posted by an insider who had earlier proven his credibility by being the first person...