fable

Halo: Reach to go into multiplayer beta on May 3

SAN FRANCISCO--If Master Chief means something to you, then get ready. The Halo: Reach multiplayer beta will open up on May 3.

"Reach," as it's being called, is the latest iteration of the hugely popular Halo franchise for Microsoft's Xbox 360. The game is expected to ship sometime this fall, but before that, "millions" of Halo fans will get a chance to play the game and help its developer, Bungie, get the title ready for the masses.

Just this week, Halo: Reach entered private alpha, and on May 3, fans who already have Halo: ODST will be able to access the Reach multiplayer beta using their ODST discs.

For Microsoft and Bungie, Halo: Reach is a crucial title this year. The Xbox has been performing strongly over the last year, but Sony's PlayStation 3 has finally begun to make up some ground on it over the last few months. For Bungie, the game is an opportunity to take on the success of Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which has set records as the best-selling console game of all time.

According to Bungie creative director Marcus Lehto, Reach is a standalone prequel to the existing Halo series, offering fans of the hit franchise an entirely new story and new characters on a scale unlike what Bungie has done with the game before.

Lehto explained that Reach will have a much darker story line and will focus on a "key turning point in the Human-Covenant War." Halo: Reach takes place in 2552.

In the new game, the planet Reach is humankind's last line of defense against the Covenant. But the planet is also home to the Spartan program, the heart of the human military. The game focuses on one group of Spartans known as Noble Team, led by Carter 259. … Read more

Xbox 360 Elite bundle now includes better games

The high-end version of the Xbox 360 Elite will soon begin shipping with two of that platform's top titles bundled in at no extra cost. Halo 3 and Fable II will be included with the $400 console, replacing Lego Indiana Jones and Kung Fu Panda.

What's the impact? First off, most first time Xbox 360 buyers will be getting a far better deal: Halo 3 and Fable II are both 360 exclusives that garnered positive reviews when initially released (though Halo 3 is arguably the weakest entry in its series). Also interesting: instead of the family-friendly movie tie-in … Read more

Is 'GTA IV' really the game of the year?

Sunday night at the Spike Video Game Awards, Grand Theft Auto IV was awarded game of the year honors, beating out Gears of War 2, Fallout 3, Fable 2, Burnout Paradise, and a slew of other great games that didn't make the cut.

From a sales perspective, it's tough to argue with the logic--GTA IV set sales records earlier this year, selling 2.5 million copies in its first week and 5.04 million units since its release. Although the total units sold mark doesn't set any records, GTA IV obliterated every other known sales record and was met with considerable reviewer praise. I'd venture to say that it was the best Grand Theft Auto title in its storied history.

But does that make it the best game of the year?

To say GTA IV is the best game of 2008 isn't such an easy decision to make. If we purely base it off sales, then I guess it's impossible to pick any other game. But if we look at the value each game provides, I'm not so sure GTA IV deserves the top spot.… Read more

Why 'Fable II' is the game of the year

I may be going out on a limb here considering Little Big Planet, Far Cry 2, and countless other titles will be hitting store shelves over the the next few months, but I don't care. After playing through the world of Fable II and considering the impression it made on me, I can say, without a doubt, that Fable II is 2008's game of the year.

Now, I know that CNET's Dan Ackerman told us all last week that Dead Space should top the list for this year's best game, but I have to disagree.

But then again, Fable II is an acquired taste. It's not the kind of game that will make the world rejoice, but it's the kind of game that any person who enjoys a fantastic storyline, even better gameplay, and a living, breathing world, will enjoy. In other words, the Wii gamer--someone who only enjoys playing Wii Sports or Wii Fit--will probably look at Fable II as a relic of the past that holds little merit. But for the rest of us--those that love gaming and enjoy varying styles of gameplay--Fable II will sit atop our lists as one of the best games we've ever played.

Trust me. It's that good.… Read more

E3 2008: Trend alert--cooperative gameplay

Each year, the selection of games on display at E3 reveals what the hottest current trend in the video game industry is at the time--usually manifesting itself as an overused gameplay mechanic that every developer suddenly feels the need to shoehorn into their games.

This year's big buzzword is cooperative gameplay--meaning gamers play together, but are collaborating, rather than competing, to complete the game's goals. This often happens online, where gamers connect via Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network from remote locations.

We've seen several examples this week of the cooperative gameplay mechanic added to games that … Read more

Microsoft E3 2008 press conference wrap-up

The E3 conference opened Monday in Los Angeles with a press conference from Microsoft. Here are some highlights.

Microsoft showed off first-ever game play footage from the post-apocalyptic title Fallout 3 and announced that there will be downloadable content exclusive to Xbox Live. We saw real-time action from Resident Evil 5, shipping on March 13. We got a peek at the new co-op feature in the game, where players will be able to team up and make their way through together. Developer Square Enix also made announcements that included the release of four titles for Xbox 360 including Final Fantasy XIII.

As for console exclusives, we saw in-game action from Fable 2, shipping in October. Players will be able to seamlessly invite other friends who are also playing the game. Finally, we were blown away by the impressive game demo of Gears of War 2 shipping November 7. The game actually looks better than the original and will feature a five-player online co-op mode.

Microsoft will be releasing a new dashboard interface this fall that incorporates an avatar system--the Xbox answer to Nintendo Mii characters. The new feature allows you to join up with other friends to form a "party," a group of up to eight people where you can share multimedia items or start a game. A new mode called Primetime will actually incorporate real-life TV shows like 1 vs. 100 and allow Xbox Live members to play and watch these game shows and possibly even win real prizes.

Microsoft also announced… Read more

Microsoft shows off the 2008 Xbox games lineup

SAN FRANCISCO--If ever there was pressure, it falls on the shoulders of development teams trying to follow up a smash hit with a sequel.

That's the position that the folks at Epic Games find themselves in right now as they put the finishing touches on their forthcoming video game, Gears of War 2. And that's because the original Gears of War sold more than 5 million copies, becoming one of the most successful titles for Microsoft's next-generation video game console.

On Tuesday, Gears of War 2 was one of the featured games at the Microsoft Games Studio Spring Showcase … Read more