halo

With Justin's return from his sojourn into the great outdoors, The 404 crew is complete again to bring you another awesome show, replete with "GI Joe" and "District 9" reviews, optical gaming, and a surprise appearance by Motherboard!

After getting mauled by a bear in Yosemite (where's the app for THAT?), I'm back, and much to Jeff, Wilson, and everyone else's dismay SO ARE THE GLASSES! That's right suckers, a little Krazy Glue goes a long way, but I'm not sure how long these things will last, so please continue to e-mail us submissions for the contest to choose my next frames. I'm not gonna lie, I've missed the show dearly and it's great to be back!

The first half of today's show has a lot of movie talk, starting with us talking all sorts of garbage on the new "G.I. Joe" movie. The movie won't be prescreened to critics, and we suspect it has something to do with the trailer receiving so much backlash from justifiably angry fans of the original television series. Jeff also gives us his take on the trailer for "District 9", the new science fiction movie based on the short film Alive in Joburg. Go check that out and let "G.I. Joe" go the way of the buffalo!

The second half just gets nuts, that's all I'll say. OK, well, without giving too much away, it all starts with the Get It Guy, a fake Australian accent, and a very steamy call from SadaCori in the chatroom (a must listen!), but then we get a surprise knock from Motherboard herself, who has something very special to show us...something that NOBODY HAS SEEN BEFORE, so be sure to check out the video for all the details. After that, we dredge up a claim about racism in Resident Evil 5 and it all devolves from there. Trust us, it's the last time you'll hear about it!

As always, feel free to leave us a voicemail at 1-866-404-CNET or get in touch with us on Twitter or at the404[at]cnet[dot]com!

As first outlined at the E3 video game industry trade show in June, Microsoft is readying an update to the dashboard software that runs on Xbox 360 game consoles, as well as the Xbox Live online service.

While it's not as radical a change as the fall 2008 dashboard update that added avatars and Netflix streaming, there are a lot of improvements to current features, as well as a few new ones. The dashboard update will be available for 360 owners on August 11th, but we were able to download an early version for a test drive.

Included were … Read more

A few years back in 2003, when the new Matrix movies were debuting, Warner Bros. also released a straight-to-video compilation of animated short stories based in the Matrix universe called "The Animatrix."

Each segment was produced by a different Japanese anime studio, and there were actually some pretty cool takes on the Matrix that emerged from this project. More recently, WB did the same thing with "Batman: Gotham Knight."

Now, WB is teaming up with Microsoft to do the same thing with the Halo universe. This fall they plan to release "Halo: Legends," a … Read more

One of the biggest decisions when choosing a video game system has to be the exclusive games. Console manufacturers go to enormous lengths to tie up deals with developers and their publishers in order to claim one console's superiority over another.

Numerous titles and franchises are only available on Xbox 360 including Gears of War, Halo, and Forza MotorSport.

Now that E3 2009 has come and gone, let's take a look at some more 360-only titles that are scheduled for release in the coming months.

Stay tuned for our PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii exclusives slideshows, both coming … Read more

Yesterday was the first time that I've ever seen Jeff doing actual work at his cube, so I relent for once and let him and Wilson talk about E3 2009. Video games, video games, video games on today's show, specifically about the new XBox 360 Project Natal, Halo sequels, new Metal Gear Solid, the Beatles: Rock Band, and even Facebook and Twitter! Wake me up when it's over.

Yesterday's Microsoft press conference at E3 2009 unveiled some pretty exciting video game news, even for an antigamer such as myself. First up is the new Project Natal, the company's new motion-sensing bar for the XBox 360 that allows the gamer to control gameplay with motion, sound, and even 3D movement. As exciting as it sounds, unfortunately Microsoft didn't mention a release date, so we definitely won't see it in stores for Christmas 2009, which Jeff and Wilson think is a bit of a tease.

Aside from a few big game announcements, the big release news comes by way of everyone's favorite British gentlemen, with Beatles: Rock Band. Paul, Ringo, and even a few surprise visitors were there to kick off the game, and although Jeff is decidedly negative about the rise of plastic gaming, the game looks pretty cool. Check out the slideshow for pictures of Christopher "McLovin" Mintz-Plasse and Dhani Harrison taking a crack at the game.

Later on in the show, we announce the FINALISTS for our 404 logo competition. We received over 150 submissions and while they were all fantastic, we can only choose one for the official logo, so be sure to check out the final slideshow above and vote for your favorite in the comments section! Also, don't forget that even if your entry doesn't win the grand prize, we'll still use it for our mosaic/quilt/poster/sticker/shirt/etc...Thanks one million times over and again to everyone that submitted--you guys rule!

While Bungie has teased ODST for quite some time, the company has announced that the Halo 3 prequel side story will debut exclusively on the Xbox 360 this September.

Developer Bungie is continuing the Halo universe with Reach, set to release in 2010. This teaser-trailer premiered at the Microsoft E3 2009 press conference.

The Microsoft press conference at E3 2009 offered a detailed glimpse into the Xbox 360's video game line up for the rest of 2009 and into 2010 as well. Things started off with a giant Beatles Rock Band introduction climaxing with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr appearing on stage.

Tony Hawk then helped show off the new skateboard controller to be used with Tony Hawk Ride, a new game that abandons the conventional control scheme. Players can use the board to kick, turn, and do grab tricks.

Next, Infinity Ward premiered a snow-covered level of the highly anticipated Modern Warfare 2 (see: Call of Duty) with dazzling graphics and intense action game play.

A very brief combat scene from Final Fantasy XIII was on display, officially removing console exclusivity from the Sony PlayStation 3. This debut wrapped up the multiplatform games that are going to be available for the Xbox 360. In a refreshing change of pace, it was announced that all games shown off from here on out will be available exclusively on the Xbox 360.

Kicking off these titles was the DLC (downloadable content) game Shadow Complex from developer Epic Games (Gears of War)--an action/exploration game very much in the vein of the original Metroid and Castlevania series.

Joy Ride will allow you to race as your Xbox Live Avatar with friends online. The free DLC title looks a lot like a Mario Kart inspired racer where you'll be able to purchase additional tracks for use with friends as well.

The follow up to the open world over-the-top crime-fighting title Crackdown has gotten a sequel in the form of Crackdown 2. Zombie apocalypse fans will be happy to hear that Left4Dead 2 will see the light of day this November.… Read more