Hey there, I'm back from a lenghty and unjustified ban (kidding, I love you too naznatips). I thought given all the Xbox 360 news that happened while I was gone I would do a week (or rather a fortnight) in review for the console. First off, full props to BengaBenga for the "week-in-review" idea, I hope he doesn't mind me making a 360-specific one. I won't do them every week, just weeks when specific events or announcements concerning the console occur.

Edit: Release Dates:

Too Human: August 19

Alan Wake: 2009

New Game announcements:

Velvet Assassin (360 console-exclusive): An action-stealth game set in WWII. It would be interesting to know whether Microsoft bought exclusivity to join Splinter Cell: Conviction in countering MGS4, or if the developers have their own reasons. To far out to know if it'll be good, but certainly an interesting premise:

http://www.gamingbits.com/content/view/4065/2/

Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise (360 exclusive): If you liked the first solid game, this one looks even better, but at the end of the day it will need to be your cup of tea.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=18626

Fable 2, Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts and Gears of War 2:

Fable 2:

A bunch of new screens for this game, a new short trailer, and most importantly, an announcement from Microsoft that the game will be ten times larger than the mulit-million selling original. Even accounting for PR BS, the title is likely to be significantly larger than the original (one European website actually claimed the title is 20 times the size of the original). This is very important as one of the two major complaints about the original was it's relatively short 14 hour length. The other complaint was that Peter Molyneux hyped features that didn't make it into the game. Fortunately, every announced feature has actually be seen by the gaming media, and it is that media, and not Molyneux, that are hyping the sequel.

http://vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=26579&start=-0

Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts:

I don't want to harp on to long about the hypocracy and negativity that this site saw from much (not all) of its Nintendo fans when this game was revealed, other than to say that it was a very poor show. The title will be taking a new direction. Rather than focusing on Banjo and Kazooie's physical moves, an innovative vehicle construction and use mechanic will be applied instead of more traditional platforming techniques. Much has been made of Rare's fall from grace (despite the company's games receiving similar average scores on the 360 that they did on the N64) but it should be noted that the team that made the original Banjo's is largely in-tact for Nuts and Bolts. Many VGC BK fans simply said that they wanted a traditional platformer in BK3, and they are understandably disappointed. However, some were so obviously enraged that this title would be on the Xbox 360 that they chastised it's innovation as having ruined the game, in contrast to their praise of gravity-defying mechanics in SMG as being "revolutionary." As an old BK fan, I think the title looks amazing, and the VAST majority of the gaming media that have gone hands on with the title agree with me. The first page of a Google News search revealed the following, unanimously positive previews:

http://www.shacknews.com/featuredarticle.x?id=861

http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox360/games/previews/184328.shtml

http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1969/BanjoKazooie-Nuts-and-Bolts/p1/

http://au.xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/banjo-kazooie-3/873838p2.html

Gears of War 2:

WOW! Epic have shown off the first in-game footage of the second installment in the Gear's franchise. There is a slight graphical improvement over what is still one of the best looking console games in existence, but what was most impressive was the scale of the battles, new gameplay mechanics and the framerate's fluidity. Interviews with Epic staff have indicated that the title will contain substantially more story development than the first, and that it will be longer. There is significantly improved variation to close quarters combat with new execution styles, no god mode during chainsawing, and more chainsaw-murdering techniques available.

"[The Unreal Engine has] never stopped evolving. The character lighting is vastly improved, the environment is chippable and the tress get knocked down as physics objects."

http://www.gamezine.co.uk/news/game-types/shooter/gears-war-2-five-times-bigger--$1223367.htm

The in-game footage can be found here:

http://games.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1942/Gears-of-War-2/

Rumours:

The major rumours this week centered around the possible announcement of an "X-mote" motion sensing device, an audio capture device code-named "Lips" and a new action game (presumably) called "Ninja Blade." Given nothing was said about them at Microsoft Gamer's Day, assume that they will either be shown off at or between now and E3, or that they are non-existant.

Edit 2: Microsoft victorious in NPD

Whilst suffering a humiliatingly large defeat to the Wii, the Xbox 360 trounced the PS3 in April hardware sales according to NPD. With this I think it is safe to say that GTA, a franchise previously dominated by Playstation, gave an enormous boost to the Xbox 360's prospects whilst doing nothing for the PS3. (I thought of you DMeisterJ, when I made this edit )

Starcraft was missed:

Numerous people commented that the forums were lacking in proper debate and that the Xbox 360 fanbase seemed to have halved in my absense (which could well be the case given the lack of 360 fans on VGC). But the biggest gems were the two threads below. SpartanFX was a prominent player in both of them (he misses me a lot) and in the second one, naznatips proved that whilst he may ban me at the drop of a hat, he's still got my back. Thanks buddy

http://vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=26468

http://www.vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=26803

Quote of the week:

OkeyDokey left this gem on my wall:

Good summary, I personally like the look of BK 3

I agree. I think it will be amazing. Though we have seen that excellent previews can turn into a horrible game (Lair), I don't think that will happen this time. I think BK3 has as much chance as any other title of being AAA this year. There is no valid reason to think the original Banjo team will stuff up the third installment.

I'm just disappointed at the double-standard some people apply to things like innovation on a Microsoft console.

All three games will please current 360 owners and will attract more 360 owners. A 360 price cut in October/November 2008 to the tune of $50US would significantly help the 360 Xmas sales.

I don't get why people want a remake of the old games (essentially) but then complain that all they do is remake games, and all the games are the same, when this is a really new idea (and it is not grey!)

I wish you could have commented on the Banjo stuff, that was getting ridiculous.
But yeah it's been a good week, Viva Pinata 2, Gears 2, Banjo 3 look killer so far.

 That being said, KZ2's greys are beautiful

360 line up ROCKS!!!!