http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2007/jul07/07-26ComicConXboxHDDVDPR.mspx?rss_fdn=Press%20Releases

The Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive is being cut from $199 to $179 and being offered with five free HD-DVDs during the months of August and September. See the text of the press release below.

SAN DIEGO — July 26, 2007 — Today at Comic-Con International 2007, Microsoft Corp. announced it will lower the price of the popular Xbox 360™ HD DVD Player from $199 to $179 ERP (United States only) starting Aug. 1, 2007, and will add five free HD DVD movies for anyone purchasing an Xbox 360 HD DVD Player between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30. In addition, Microsoft further solidified the Xbox 360 as the ultimate high-definition (HD) entertainment platform, with key announcements around the HD DVD launches of “300” from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group and “Heroes: Season 1” from Universal Studios.

To promote the HD DVD versions of “300” and “Heroes: Season 1,” Microsoft unveiled exclusive content for Xbox LIVE® Marketplace. Xbox LIVE will offer “300” on demand in HD starting Aug. 14, and is working with Warner Bros. at Comic-Con on a Bringing It Home campaign featuring “300” and other Warner Bros. properties. In advance of the street date for the “Heroes: Season 1” HD DVD boxed set, Xbox LIVE members will be able to download for free the show’s pilot episode in high definition for a limited time. Members will also be able to download trailers, teaser scenes and other promotional materials highlighting the “Heroes: Season 1” boxed set on HD DVD.

Already the most affordable high-definition player available, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player is the best solution for movie lovers seeking HD content in the highest possible resolution. The player’s price reduction to $179 (U.S. ERP) continues to set the bar for value, making the Xbox 360 platform the most affordable solution for consumers seeking the broadest, most compelling selection of next-generation gaming and HD video experiences.

“With the price reduction to $179, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player continues to be the most affordable way to enjoy high definition,” said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing, Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “From the beginning, we set out to offer Xbox 360 owners an unrivaled high-definition experience, with a choice of optical discs on the HD DVD format and digital downloads through Xbox LIVE Marketplace — both of which have a selection of the best content Hollywood has to offer. Today’s announcements around ‘300’ and ‘Heroes: Season 1’ are great examples of how we believe HD content can be offered to consumers.”

In addition to the price drop, Microsoft is extending Toshiba’s highly successful “Perfect Offer” of five free HD DVD discs to Xbox 360 consumers. Previously exclusive to Toshiba HD DVD Players, with the purchase of an Xbox 360 HD DVD Player at the new low price of $179 ERP, consumers can choose five HD DVD titles for free from a selection of 15 popular titles through a mail-in offer. With a retail value of over $140 (U.S.), this promotion makes the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player one of the most compelling offerings for consumers looking to make the leap into HD this holiday season.

Long story short, I like it.

A good way to describe this game would be to compare it to previous versions, namely Nascar ‘06 for the original Xbox. So far I would recommend sticking with the oval/tri-oval courses (which are, by far, the majority here), otherwise you might as well go buy Forza 2. If your up for some evenly matched, very tense racing though, this game is definitely the way to go.

Likes:

• Good graphics and special effects
• Improved sound effects and vocals
• Improved framerates and sense of speed (it feels faster)
• Great soundtrack. Appropriate, modern rock + country
• Superb user interface for the menus (very well done)
• XBL Functionality. Use of the EA servers feels integrated, not separate like past games.
• Attention to detail functionality wise i.e. my camera view preferences are saved even after turning off the console.
• Improved view from the rear view mirror
• Turn the camera left/right with the right joystick
• Bump drafting doesn’t spin out your teammates as easily
• Lots of options setup wise, as well as HUD and control
• Great looking crash damage
• Share car setups over XBL
• “Stats view” by pressing the blue X button during gameplay
• The fully customizable ESPN sports ticker at the bottom of the screen, I know this is in other games, but it’s still pretty damn cool.
• Full replays, that way arguments can be settled as to who spun out who in those wrecks.. trust me you’ll need it.
  

Dislikes:

• When people are talking during an online race, some text displays the name of who is speaking. This text is directly in the center of my view of the track and it makes me nearly wreck every time it pops up (I use roof view). Move this text please. I would like to personally stick a boot to the ass of the person who thought of this feature.
• No party system on Xbox live.
• Caution flags need to be tweaked. During a wreck, every now and then the caution flag will be thrown before the wreck has a chance to play itself out and cause the really cool crashes.
• Network jitter is less prevalent, however when there is some, sometimes the cars will jump around the track back and forth and dent the heck out of my car, slowing me down for the rest of the race. This also happens at times during cautions when the computer is in charge of your car. On occasion, during a caution where I didn’t even wreck, my car will be banged all to hell. This could be fixed by disabling damage during cautions.
• Network problems still persist. I was disconnected from a few games. I’m not sure if this has a correlation with the amount of people in one game or not. Further testing is required.
  

Conclusion (click ‘read more’ for the conclusion):
It’s a blast to play. One of the best Nascar games I’ve personally played. There’s a few things that need to be ironed out, however I’m hoping EA releases some updates in the near future to satisfy that need. The handling is a bit sensitive when starting out, I recommend going to the settings menu and turning down the sensitivity if your going to use a standard controller. Things tend to get a bit squirly in the turns. It seems the racing wheel would help this a lot. The special effects are subtle, some camera shake here and there, some glinting sunlight off the cars, some rubber flying off the track, some motion blur. They all add up to a nice looking racing game. Not photo-realistic by any means though. The user interface is attractive and simple.

The racing is about as tense as it can get for any racing genre. You spend your time trying to slingshot past your opponents, all the while holding your line when someone is trying to pass you. Don’t hold your line, and both of you are toast, slamming into the wall. Compound this with the fact that people get quite angry if you wreck them and it’s as I said… tense. Most of the races people set up are about 10-20 laps, giving enough time for a lot of passing and a few caution flags. If your steady enough, you can bump draft a friend to the front of the pack and leave everyone else behind. I’m actually surprised that EA pulled this game off as well as they did considering that they’ve got exclusive licensing for any Nascar games. All-in-all, very fun.

I don’t know about a particular rating, but if I had to give it a thumbs up or down, it’s definitely a thumbs up if it’s your cup of tea.

XBL GT: Mikeulus

So we’re finally back with the listener show, the way Podtacular is meant to be. YOU are the one that makes the show! This Thursday night we’ll be talking to Dan Hsu, Editor in Chief at EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly Magazine). Dan is a huge Halo fan and EGM is known for some solid Halo coverage. What’s cool is that Dan knows Halo since it’s humble beginnings from the developer/media perspective.

So before we interview him, we thought we’d open up the floor to you. Got anything you’d like to ask Dan for Podtacular’s interview? Now’s your chance. It doesn’t necessarily have to be Halo-related although we’d prefer to steer it that way. So ask away! Just send in your questions by clicking submit news & tips on the right side of the page. Be sure to send in your gamertag so we can give you credit. If it’s good, we’ll deliver it to Dan for you! Hurry though, deadline is Thursday night at about 6pm EST.

I recently decided to give The Darkness a rent, and I’m very happy I did. Overall, I’m liking the game a lot. However, if you are looking for a dedicated shooter then this isn’t it. To me The Darkness is an RPG. Yes, you do your fair share of shooting, but just as often you’re exploring the New York subway system, talking to people, and playing with telephones and unlockable content. Similar to how Oblivion is an open world RPG that has fighting elements, I think The Darkness leans that way as a very linear RPG with heavy shooting elements. Click “read more” for the rest of the scoop.

Graphics are good, but not great. Character models look like early 360 titles; not what I expect for a mature console. Lighting is awesome, and the game even starts by popping up a gamma adjustment to get the brightness level just right on your display. Where The Darkness really shines is the campaign. The story is unique, gripping, and pretty gruesome. This is the most mature game I’ve played since Twisted Metal Black, and the two are probably tied for most disturbing content I’ve seen in a video game. There is one major plot twist that leaves you with a real WTF, and it’s pretty cool.

The game does a good job of teaching you the controls through the first few minutes of gameplay and then teaching newly acquired abilities as you progress. Using your Darkness powers is really interesting, and there’s no lack of ways to dispose of enemies. The voice of the Darkness talks to you from time to time, and every time you die, and it is creepy^2. Unlocking extras is a lot of fun for me. Take a look around the subway and city for phone numbers. Dial those numbers on a phone and you’ll slowly unlock hidden content. The game also plants “collectibles” around the game that ask you to dial a number, read a note, mail a letter, etc.

Weapon selection is short, but adequate. The dual pistols you receive at the beginning of the game are about as good as any weapon you’ll get. However, it’s much more fun to kill people with Darkness powers and then eat their hearts so they don’t get back up. I haven’t investigated multiplayer yet, and I really don’t intend to. I have read that multiplayer seems like an afterthought and I can understand that given the feel of the game. It just doesn’t feel like it would lend itself well to 4v4, ya know?

I give The Darkness 7/10, mostly because the campaign is awesome and I like the RPG dynamic. I’ll be able to finish it pretty easily during a five day rental, so I probably won’t buy. However, if I find some source of incredible replay value, I might purchase it to own.