MTV Multiplayer › Xbox

by John Constantine

You’ve got to hand it to Microsoft. In the weeks leading up to E3, the discussion surrounding the house of X was focused on precisely what they didn’t have. Where was their fall line-up? Where were the exclusives that have defined the console? Microsoft had them and then some.

Opening your show with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr instead of closing with them is the probably the most impressive show of corporate confidence in history. With the reveal of Project Natal, Microsoft’s new hands-free controller-camera, the house of green showed that this was no mere act of baseless hubris. They came to play.
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Tags alan wake, e3, halo, microsoft, project natal

On January 17, gamers Desirai and John exchanged vows at their "Halo"-themed wedding with the ceremony officiated by a man dressed as Master Chief. Our own Multiplayer editor Stephen Totilo was there to witness the nuptials firsthand in Orlando, Florida. Here's his report filed at MTVNews.com, and take a look at the video to see what the special event was like.

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Microsoft Sends Loads of Wedding Gifts To 'Halo' Couple [video]
'Halo' Wedding Video Exclusive - Wedding Prep Finishing Touches

The image above is from a recently-released video game that I've been playing. The objects you see are crates. But every time I see them, I think I'm seeing original Xboxes. The released-in-2001 black-and-green Xboxes. Not 360s.

Am I hallucinating? Does anyone else see three of the original "Halo"-playing game console in the above image as well?

To find out what game these things are in, see below... Read more...

This week's Rhythm Game Track Finder Update brings your weekly "Rock Band" update, another two "Dance Dance Revolution" titles, as well as a surprise release for "Guitar Hero 3".

This past week, it was announced that Aerosmith will star in the next version of "Guitar Hero." To get the fans ready, Activision released a free (for a limited time) download of the rock classic "Dream On." "Guitar Hero 3" received the update, bringing it to a total of 94 playable songs. ("Guitar Hero: Aerosmith" wasn't added, but as soon as the soundtrack information is released, the Track Finder will be updated.)

We also added two very popular "Dance Dance" games in "Konamix" and "Ultramix." The latter of which was the first "Dance Dance" game to offer downloadable tracks via Xbox Live. Check out the list below for all of this week's updates.

Dance Dance Revolution Konamix (PS1) 53 Songs Added
Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix (Xbox) 76 Songs Added
Guitar Hero 3 (Xbox 360, PS3) 1 Song Added (Aerosmith's "Dream On")
Rock Band (Xbox 360, PS3) 3 Songs Added (Garbage's "Why Do You Love Me," Stone Temple Pilots' "Sex Type Thing," and Weezer's "El Scorcho" -- from the best Weezer album ever.)

As always, check trackfinder.mtv.com to search for your favorite songs and bands in the world’s biggest rhythm games.

After two weeks of updating the Rhythm Game Track Finder we continue to roll in the games you've been asking for. We are making some pretty good headway.

This week's update covers a couple of the "Karaoke Revolution" titles (as requested), as well as one of the most unique PS2 rhythm games "Mad Maestro!" We also present your weekly dose of "Rock Band" DLC. If there are any titles that you think are still missing, let us know, and we will do our best to get them added as quickly as possible.

So head over to trackfinder.mtv.com to find the following new content…

Karaoke Revolution Party (Gamecube, PS2, Xbox) 50 Songs Added
Karaoke Revolution Volume 3 (PS2) 37 Songs Added
Mad Maestro! (PS2) 34 Songs Added
Rock Band (Xbox 360, PS3) 6 songs added (Oasis’s "Wonderwall," "Don't Look Back In Anger," and "Live Forevever," as well as the OXM Xbox 360 exclusive songs Freezepop's "Sprode," Bang Camaro's "Rock Rebellion," and Count Zero's "Shake.")

The Track Finder will be updated regularly and we’ll be telling you about all new addition via Multiplayer. So keep checking every Monday.

This is the fourth in a series of posts about the games I played and/or finished for fun for the first time in 2007. For comparisons' sake, see my 2006 list. My previous post in the series was about the PS3 games I played.

I'm so retro that in 2007 I still played some PlayStation 2 and Xbox games. Who can turn their back on old classics from yesteryear?

In fact, the ludicrously high quality of PS2 games I played in 2007 was another reminder of how wonderful the late part of a console's lifespan can be.

My PS2 Games I Played For Fun 2007 Playlist
(Games I finished are in italics)

1) "Bully "

Like "Resistance: Fall of Man," this is a special-case game on my list: I started it in 2006, but finished it in 2007. Given the "Manhunt 2" madness that happened since I finished this game, it really feels like "Bully" came from a more innocent time. Really, there's nothing more scandalous here than the ability to throw your schoolmates into their lockers or give them wedgies.

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Sputtering, coughing, sloooowly progressing, the MTV Multiplayer Mini-Game Interview Series somehow manages to reach the far reaches of Edmonton today, with a quick interview about card-playing.

Space-age card-playing in the BioWare-developed "Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic," that is. Pazaak.

Who comes up with these things? And why? And how do they make sure the game doesn't get dull? Sure this interview topic is a tad dated, but, hey, this is the one you readers asked for.

BioWare's Preston Watamaniuk, assistant lead designer on "KOTOR" and lead designer of "Mass Effect" recently explained things to me over e-mail.

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Nintendo announced this morning that "Pokemon Snap" is now available on the Wii's Virtual Console system. I plan to buy the game. It will be the second -- possibly third -- time I've bought "Pokemon Snap."

Earlier in the year, when "Sin & Punishment" was released on the Virtual Console, I bought it too -- my second time owning that game.

And back when I got the Wii and downloaded "The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time"? Let's see, how many that was:

1. The Nintendo 64 original
2. The "Ocarina of Time" Master Quest GameCube disc that was a pre-order for "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker"
3. The "Zelda" compilation GameCube disc (though, if memory serves this wasn't really bought, but traded-in for)
4. The Wii virtual console edition

There you go. I bought that game four times. And it's not even my favorite game or anything. I just like having an accessible version. (My reason for having multiple "Pokemon Snap"s, however, is that I keep meaning to play it, I keep never getting around to it, and I keep trying to make it easily accessible to myself.)

I've bought "Yoshi's Island" twice, on the SNES and GBA. I bought "Halo" twice, because I lost my first disc -- and I'm considering buying it a third time through the new Xbox Live Originals program, just because I like the idea of having lots of games available on my hard drive (which reminds me, I guess I've now bought "Psychonauts" twice).

So I'm wondering: which game have you bought the most?

[UPDATE/ CLARIFICATION -- Which game have you bought the most, across any format the game has been released in?]

I bet there are a lot of you out there who keep buying "Super Mario Brothers." Or "Pac-Man." Again and again, on your Atari, your cell phone and so on. Admit it.

Remake this.

In my GameFile column today at MTVNews.com I ran an interview I did last week with Morgan Gray, a senior producer at Crystal Dynamics.

He had been in New York last week to talk about "Tomb Raider: Anniversary" for the Wii.

That's all well and good, but I wanted to talk to him about re-makes.

"Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes" ... "Metroid: Zero Mission" ... "Final Fantasy III" on the DS ... "Resident Evil" on GameCube.

And now a re-make of the first "Tomb Raider." Do we need them? (Gray says they're essential.) And if we get them, what should developers keep from the originals and what should they chuck?

There's much to consider, including how faithfully a developer should stick to what was in the original vs. what people remember vs. what you think the ESRB will let you get away with in this day and age (no more Lara impalements, Gray told me.)

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Gilbert Arenas wasn't just nice enough to pass judgment on our Multiplayer blog when I sat down with him last Thursday. He was also kind enough to talk about some video game-themed sneakers he's backing, why "NBA Live 08" is worth buying this year, why "Halo 2" might be better than "Halo 3," and a whole lot more.

Think celebrities don't know their games? Watch the two videos in this post (one is after the jump!) or just check Arenas' "Halo 3" stats.