How G4 TV ruined the live E3 coverage on TV

G4TV ruined E3! They said that this year was the first year of E3 live coverage on TV. I was pumped to be able to watch on my TV. For the past 2 years I have been watching on sites like GameSpot.com, which really wasn’t all that bad. Unfortunately for everyone that watched live on TV, G4TV was doing the coverage.

Four times in the middle of a live keynote they go into 4-5 minute commercials. What?!?! We missed 95% of the BioShock demo video, great job guys! How about no commercials when you are “covering” a live keynote event? But it gets worse! At the very end of the show, Microsoft/Bungie start showing off a kick ass Halo 3 video. Everyone has been waiting for this. It’s from the campaign.

Around the middle of the video, they cut from the live video feed into a camera shot of the huge screen that everyone attending the event is watching on. They start to pan out and some douche starts talking over the trailer. What the fuck!! You can hear someone telling him to shut up in the background.. and that’s it. They cut straight to a commercial, never showing the ending of the Halo 3 campaign trailer.

Holy shit! If I had known I would have watched online, or read a blog.

Don’t bother watching the G4 TV coverage of Nintendo’s and Sony’s keynotes on TV in the afternoon. Save yourself the frustration and watch online, or just read the blogs and wait for the videos to be released.

Hopefully next year someone more responsible will be able to cover this event. It’s quite obvious G4TV was not prepared. If your cable/satellite provider doesn’t offer G4TV, consider yourself lucky.

Update:

Here is the video - Watch as G4TV ruins the Halo 3 video:

3 Red Lights of Death - The bricked XBox 360

It amazes me what companies can get away with these days. My XBOX 360 finally broke after 1.5 years. Now normally I wouldn’t be this upset about it, I’ve had electronics break before - sometimes they’ve just had enough.

Here’s my problem with this issue. Microsoft knows that there is a problem with the first Gen. XBOX 360s. They know this because nearly all the repairs they’ve had to do were for the same issue. Of course I am talking about the 3 red lights of death. It’s a problem that occurs so often, that Microsoft had to change their warranty from 90 days to 1 year.

So now my XBOX 360 is 1 1/2 years old and it has been bricked by the evil red lights. Microsoft knows the problem is theirs with the hardware, but since it’s past the first year I am going to get screwed out of $100. Sure they are now nice enough to cover shipping, where as before they’d make the consumer pay for shipping back the broken product, which Microsoft put out on the market in the first place.

Hey Microsoft - why don’t you just take care of all the fist Gen. 360s that have the same hardware issue. Why screw people that were lucky (or unlucky in my case) enough to not have this problem occur before the first year past.

Coincidentally enough, my 360 broke just in-time for the Elite.

Worms on Xbox Live Arcade - Wednesday, March 7 (800 points)

I just got a press release saying that “Invertebrates Invade! “Worms” Now Available on Xbox Live Arcade.” However it seems that maybe this email was sent prematurely, or is just worded in a confusing way, as the email clearly states the game will be released on Wednesday, March 7 at 0800 GMT (1 a.m. PST). The XBLA game will be 800 points.

Here is the full press release:

Invertebrates Invade! “Worms” Now Available on Xbox Live Arcade

Worms have evolved and are taking no prisoners! Team17 Software Ltd. brings its popular “Worms” franchise to Xbox Live® Arcade, delivering the first turn-based strategy game to the platform. “Worms” will be available for download on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360™ beginning Wednesday, March 7 at 0800 GMT (1 a.m. PST).

“Worms” is a cleverly balanced turn-based strategy game in which teams of heavily armed worms battle across bizarre, randomly generated landscapes for supremacy. Each team takes turns picking off opposing team members using crazy weapons, tools and other utilities along with whatever foul strategies they can devise. The simple and cute appearance belies the deep strategy of a game that is easy to play but difficult to master.

“Worms” will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft® Points.

GAME FEATURES

· A mix of strategy and arcade action that, although simple to understand, contains real depth and massive replayability

· Turn-based multiplayer action for up to four players locally or over Xbox Live*

· An assortment of game options:

o Landscape on which to do battle

o Turn and round times

o Starting weapon arsenal for each team

· Three detailed tutorials to introduce the mechanics to first-time players

· Twenty increasingly difficult single-player challenges

· Three graphical themes for play

· A random landscape generator to ensure that no two landscapes are ever the same

· Twenty-two weapons and utilities to deploy against your enemies

· Many customizable elements, including what worms and teams are named, what worms say, and which gravestone they have when they die

· High-definition visuals and many graphical improvements throughout the game

· Twelve achievements

· Weekly, monthly and overall leaderboards

WHERE CAN I GET IT?

You can download “Worms” beginning Wednesday, March 7, at 0800 GMT/1 a.m. PST on Xbox Live Arcade.

“Worms” will be available for 800 Microsoft Points, and rated E10+, Mild Cartoon Violence.

More information is available at http://www.xbox.com/games/livearcade.

* Multiplayer gameplay over Xbox Live requires Xbox Live Gold Membership.

Amazon: XBOX 360 Core for $100

Thanksgiving day starting at 11am PST, Amazon will begin selling XBOX 360 Core systems for $100. That’s $200 off the retail price. So, grab an extra one for yourself or for an xmas present for someone else. There will be limited quantities according to Amazon, so don’t hesitate.

Microsoft Xbox 360 to digitally deliver TV shows and movies to Gamers

Microsoft Press Release:

Xbox 360 Teams With CBS, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures, Turner Broadcasting, UFC and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment to Digitally Deliver TV Shows and Movies to Gamers

Xbox 360 will become first gaming console to offer downloads of over 1,000 hours of TV shows such as “CSI,” “Robot Chicken” and “South Park,” and movies such as “V for Vendetta” and “Nacho Libre.”

REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 6, 2006 — Microsoft Corp. today announced agreements with CBS, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures, Turner Broadcasting System Inc. (TBS Inc.), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment to bring an initial lineup of over 1,000 hours of hit TV shows and movies to Xbox 360™ gamers in the U.S. by the end of the year. Furthermore, Xbox 360 will be the first gaming console to bring standard and high-definition TV shows and movies via digital distribution over the Internet directly to the consumer.

Beginning Nov. 22, on its first anniversary, Xbox 360 will be the first gaming console in history to provide high-definition TV shows and movies directly to gamers in their living rooms. Xbox 360 gamers will have access to the full-length TV shows as downloads to own and movies to rent via download from the Xbox Live® network, the worldwide leader in online distribution of high-definition gaming and entertainment content. This announcement also brings with it several additional “firsts”:

“This groundbreaking announcement is a win for everyone,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “It connects our partners with one of the most coveted audiences in entertainment today, and provides even greater value to our Xbox Live community, allowing them to enjoy the games and entertainment they want, when they want it.”

The initial lineup of TV shows available for download to own and feature films available for download to rent will include a growing catalog of popular hits. Examples of content that will be available on the network by the end of year include the following:

• “Robot Chicken” and “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” from Adult Swim
• “CSI,” “Survivor” and “Star Trek” from CBS
• Emmy and Peabody award-winning “South Park” and “Chappelle’s Show” from COMEDY CENTRAL
• “The Real World” and “Pimp My Ride” from MTV
• “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and ”SpongeBob SquarePants” from Nickelodeon
• “Skyland” and “The Nicktoons Network Animation Festival” from Nicktoons Network
• “M:i:III,” Nacho Libre” and “Jackass: The Movie” from Paramount Pictures
• “Carpocalypse” and “Raising the Roofs” from Spike TV
• “Race Rewind” provided by NASCAR.COM
• Select episodes of the original season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series and the “UFC: All Access” shows from the UFC
• “Breaking Bonaduce” and “Hogan Knows Best” from VH1
• “The Matrix,” “Superman Returns” and “Batman Forever” from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

Xbox 360 gamers can access Xbox Live Marketplace with a free Xbox Live Silver membership and a broadband connection. More information about the content available on Xbox Live Marketplace can be found at http://www.xbox.com/marketplaceentertainment.

Bungie is a tease

That’s right, we said it. Today Bungie posted about the latest Humpday Challenge, which just happened to be an internal challenge, and the first on Halo 3.

You WILL NOT find new Halo 3 material in this write-up, it’s just for fun. If you are let down to find no new Halo 3 information in this write-up, you’ll have only yourself to blame.

Check out the results, with no good Halo 3 info here..