Section: Gaming News, Exclusives, Features, Consoles, Xbox-360

This Tuesday (November 17, 2009) Microsoft unleashed a new update for it’s Xbox 360 system.

The new update includes the ability to use a bigger screen, a clearer picture and accessibility from the comfort of your living room couch.

To access all this cool stuff, you need an Xbox live membership, and of course an Xbox 360 system. All these updates are available now, and you should see it right when you log onto your profile.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Facebook:

Almost everyone in the world is on Facebook; Now you can access it from your 360 console. Update your status, leave messages for your friends, play games and upload pictures, just like you would on your computer. You can also compare your Xbox Live and Facebook friends lists to see which of your friends are on Xbox Live .

• Zune:

Listen to music and watch videos right from your 360 with instant-on HD in 1080p and 5.1 channel surround sound. You don’t even have to wait for buffering or downloading, the video or song is there as quickly as a button push. You can also share your music with up to six friends through Avatar integration and voice chat.

• Twitter:

Along with telling people what you are doing every second of the day, you can also view friend profiles, trends and conversations, and search to see if anyone is tweeting about your favorite game.

• Last.fm:

This feature allows you to listen to your own personal radio station right on your 360. You can skip, ban, or love a song is it seems fit; create your perfect mix. There are even now “gamer stations” with game related and styled music, picked just for the gaming community.

Site [Xbox] Read [Stage Select]

Full Story ? | Written by Jessica Moen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Section: Gaming News, PCs, Genres, MMO, Updates

Who says print is dead? World of Warcraft, the game that has spawned an entire subculture of fans (and millions of happy subscribers/addicts) will soon be getting its very own print publication. According to GameDaily, the new mag will be a quarterly publication, available to fans for the rather steep price (for four issues!) of $39.95 per year.

However, the production sounds pretty fantastic. There will be no ads (so this puppy will be entirely subscription-based), and yes, you can only get it if you sign up and pay up. The very first issue will feature 148 pages (massive for a gaming-oriented publication), complete with a bonus “fifth anniversary perspective about the evolution of the game, it’s future, and top tips from top guild leaders”.

If you really, really love WoW (and I realize, that speaks to many folks), this sounds like the ultimate way to stay tapped in to the community. I personally love a good, well-produced print magazine (RIP, Electronic Gaming Monthly!), so I’m all in favor of resurrecting the format, especially for specialized audiences. In fact, this model only really makes sense for a loyal, premium-paying target (otherwise, gamers get their news, reviews and commentary almost exclusively online these days).

If you’re interested, mosey on over to the magazine’s official site and check it out.

Read [GameDaily] Site [WoW Magazine]

Full Story ? | Written by Danielle Riendeau for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Section: Reviews, Features, Lists, Mashups

Haven’t caught all of the Gamertell news this week?? Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• Five simple things Nintendo can do to improve the Wii
  ” Nintendo has found unprecedented success with the Wii. Yet, the system isn’t everything that it could, or should, be. It’s certainly a fine console, with quite a wide selection of quality games. But there are things that can, and should…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Wallace and Gromit: The Bogey Man for PC
  “Title: Wallace and Gromit: The Bogey Man Price: $8.95 System(s): PC Release Date: July 29, 2009 Publisher (Developer): Telltale Games ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for comic mischief and mild…” MORE ?
• Top 10 iPhone, iPod Touch games every gamer should try
  “In lieu of digging through most of garbage apps that make up the App Store landfill (I kid, I kid) this week, I decided it would be better to spend my time offering suggestions of gaming apps you’d actually want to try.? Sure, some of these apps are the…” MORE ?
• GamesCom 2009: Sony information explosion includes slim PS3, PSP minis and more
  “There has been a serious information explosion from Sony at GamesCom 2009 today, which rivals, and perhaps even puts to shame, the E3 2009 Sony press conference. After comparing the announcements, I’m definitely feeling more excited now. The main…” MORE ?
• Former LucasArts president trying his hand at politics
  ” The video game industry could gain a powerful Washington ally in Arizona’s 2010 Congressional election. Former LucasArts head Jim Ward, who resigned from the company in 2008, wants to be the next US representative from Arizona’s 5th MORE ?
• Persona 3 gets portable
  “Famitsu is amazing. Let’s hear a big round of applause for the magazine that revealed that a PSP port of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 is on the way. Not only that, but said port isn’t just your standard…” MORE ?
• Five PSP RPGs you missed the first time around
  ” There’s been a bit of a lull when it comes to PSP releases. Aside from releases from Atlus, NIS, Square Enix and XSEED, the system hasn’t seen a lot of action. This makes now an ideal time to take…” MORE ?
• Gotta catch ‘em all over again next spring in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver
  “The inevitable announcement has come. Nintendo has confirmed that it is planning to release the latest DS Pokemon games, Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, to North America and Europe in Spring 2010. The news came during the 2009 Pokemon World…” MORE ?
• Hardcore Wii Franchise #5: Fire Emblem
  ” I picked up my first Fire Emblem game—Radiant Dawn—during one of the WiiGaps soon after the system’s release (WiiGaps being those periods where nothing new of note has been released or will be in the immediate future). I didn’t like…” MORE ?
• Top 5 hardcore Wii franchises (for gamers ready to do more than bowl) – (updated)
  “Maybe you’re young and, when looking for your first gaming console, the Wii was the cheapest. Maybe you saw grandma and grandpa bowling at the retirement home and thought, “Hey, this is for me!” Maybe your mom prefers you play fewer games…” MORE ?

Full Story ? | Written by NEWS for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?