Microsoft today released word that the Halo 3 franchise has topped off $300 million in sales since launch. MS have dubbed it the “fastest-selling video game ever and already one of the most successful entertainment properties in history.” This is hard to argue with as the boys at Bungie and MS really marketed it well and made sure everyone got a taste of the hype train. Kudos boys.

There is one part of the press release I don’t agree with, where MS states “Xbox 360 has the greatest lineup in the history of video games and is the only console where consumers can play all the year’s biggest blockbusters.” I think this is far too over zealous to state, the lineup is looking good, but the best in history, wow that is a tough call.

There have been some great lineups in the days of the NES, Xbox, PS1 and 2, which paved the way for what we have today in video games. MS has definitely the bankroll to show for their current success, which is also attributed to the fact that video gaming in the years of old was more of a underground cult, where gamers were a minority. Today video games have become a huge industry and I doubt we will diminish in size as all those kids that played the old consoles are now grown up and spending their hard earned money on games. I think their best in “history” is a bit over the top and minimalizes what the other older consoles have done to get games to this point.

It is impressive that about one third of all Xbox 360 owners have gotten a copy of Halo 3, I actually figured this statistic to be higher and will probably reach a lot more people during the holidays.

From the press releasse:

REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 4, 2007 — Interactive entertainment will never be the same, with the launch of one title that has changed the way the world thinks about video games. “Halo® 3” has captured the attention of consumers worldwide and has made history as one of the biggest entertainment launches of all time.
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An auto update for Madden 08 was posted today for the Xbox 360, with a PS3 patch coming shortly. Here’s what you can expect from this update:

Franchise: Editing a player causes his contract value to change

Franchise: Former user coaches do not fill their new team’s roster causing the game to stop simulating.

Franchise: The game crashes when simulating if the user releases all the HOF players from the Player Management Menu and then starts a franchise

Train for This Game: Certain Player Weapons Stat Points are not being recorded after Training.

Online: In Game: If the Client pulls connection at the end of game, prior to the Match Up screen, they will crash the Host.

Online: When the client ejects disk after the game clock has been reduced to 0:00 but before the opponent gets the match-up screen the Host will crash.

Yeah, I was expecting more. Maybe like tweaking the CPU defense to tune down the interceptions and fumbles.

More competition for Madden has come up from NaturalMotion. Their new game, Backbreaker, looks to revolutionize how players interact on the field.

Using the Euphoria engine, every tackle is different and players move exactly how they would in the real world.

“Backbreaker is the first football game with truly interactive tackles. By utilizing our motion synthesis engine, euphoria, players will never make the same tackle twice, giving them an intensely unique experience every time they play the game,” said NaturalMotion CEO Torsten Reil. “Backbreaker puts players in the middle of the gridiron by providing a pure, realistic football experience only possible on next-generation consoles.”

Well, the sure have tackling down right. Now if they can get the rest of the game to play well, this very well may put some pressure on Madden to actually make some more progress in the game.

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Madden 08 gets a demo on the Xbox 360. Boom! Now you can download the frustration and try it out before shelling out $60 for it. I personally like seeing demos before the games hit the street, this definitely helps your decision making process instead of getting one after the fact and already being caught up in the hype.

Content: Madden NFL 08 Demo
Price: Free
Availability: Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom and United States
Dash Text: [ESRB: E (Everyone)] Download the demo.
Size: 813.50 MB

In the many hours logged playing Madden, have you ever wondered how the players feel about their various rankings. This is a supposed letter from Ethan Albright, the Washington Redskins long snapper who is the lowest rated player in the game. Could this be fake, maybe, but I know that the side splitting humor is very real. Enjoy.

To: John Madden
CC: Electronic Arts Sports
From: Ethan Albright
Re: Being the worst rated player on Madden ‘07

Hi, John, my name is Ethan Albright. I play line for the Washington Redskins. You probably already knew that, so I’ll continue. I am writing in regards to the overall player rating of 53 that I have received in Madden NFL Football 2007. I feel that this is fucking bullshit and you should kiss my mother-fucking ass. Ahmed Carroll was rated a 78 and the Packers just cut his ass on a Tuesday morning after his performance in a Monday night game. That is pretty terrible. The worst part is that his overall rating was sniffing 80.

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One of our editors brought you a full review of the new Madden 08 game for the Xbox 360 and for the most part it was very positive and he went as far as to call it “the best football game to ever hit next gen” but this editor has a bit of a different opinion. I see it as a solid game, but not worth the purchase as it has not evolved enough from it’s other iterations.

Proof that this Madden is still the same game is the fact that one of my buddies and I sat down for the first time without looking at one instruction manual and played a full game without losing a step. The only thing I had to ask about was what the speed burst was now, aside from that all of those extras in there (which there are a ton) are not that necessary. By these I mean the mismatch crap, the possesin catches, the icons for players and all of those other “upgrades” really don’t add value. It was funny because we played the 360 version and my buddy doesn’t even have a 360 and actually still plays Madden on the original Xbox, but he played just fine.
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Is Madden 2008 the best football game to ever hit next gen? Despite a few flaws, yes, yes it is.

Presentation and Graphics: EA Sports has not changed their basic menu structure in the past few years and I see very little reason to do so. They are very simple to follow and Madden especially points out the many new features on this years installment and trust me, there are plenty. More on that later. The graphics run at 1080i and a sweet 60 frames per second. This is a HUGE difference from its PS3 counterpart which stutters at a mere 30 fps. The animations and capture videos are also top notch. The one thing I noticed was how polished the uniforms and helmets looked. Very shiny and detailed, especially the bright colored uniforms such as the San Diego Superchargers powder blues and white helmets. The stadiums looked improved and are extremely life like. You need to check out Seattle’s home field, Quest Field. Looks and feels like the acoustical monster it is in real life. There is only so much you can realistically expect from a football title. Plus with other games like BioShock out there, the graphics are very good but fall short of great. 4.5 of 5

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I am a football fan. There is no denying that, so I have been a little biased with my opinions of recent Madden games for next gen. I was never that upset with the past two installments but basically everyone outside of EA Sports disagreed with me. Well, this time, they got it right. Madden 2008 kicks some serious ass and here is why.

First, the Xbox 360 version runs at a smooth as a baby’s ass 60 fps and looks glorious on my 46′ LCD TV. The game runs at 1080i, which is still pretty impressive. The commentary is a little beat with the radio broadcast style from a no name announcer, but when my friends play, we just blast the classic rock station on Sirius so it doesn’t matter to me. The game really excels in the gameplay. This is not your little brother’s Madden. Forcing throws into double coverage or running with LT all game will lead to you one place: turnover country. Having 7-10 TO’s in a game is not out of the question. The defensive AI has finally caught up to the player. I would consider myself a very good Madden player and putting up 50 points on All Madden level got old real fast. I don’t foresee this happening.

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In case you thought EA made a game without lots of bugs, here’s some proof that the world hasn’t turned itself upside down.

Yeah, this guy is a bit angry.

If you weren’t lucky enough to go to Times Square for the Madden launch, here’s your chance to see Ozzy Osbourne rocking out at the event.

What really strikes me about this video is the fact that Xbox 360 is plastered EVERYWHERE with the EA logo. It’s almost like PS3 and Wii don’t exist. Peter Moore is sure to make that relationship even stronger. No wonder the Xbox 360 version is superior… Can anyone say payola?