This Week in Xbox — 6/20

Intellisponse Leak Sparks Web Rumors

#1 — Game Show Channel

1Up.com reports that Microsoft plans to announce an upcoming game-show addition to the 360 dashboard. Called the SBG Channel, it would allow 360 owners to compete with friends in a variety of popular game shows such as Jeopardy! and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Other trivia, reality, puzzle, and sport games would also be available.

VERDICT: Way back in our July 2006 issue, we proposed a similar idea for Xbox Live Arcade, and it's good to see Microsoft finally leveraging Live to embrace the casual-gaming space this way. Hopefully, we'll see some humor with our trivia — i.e., a style that's more You Don't Know Jack than (the still-awesome) Wits & Wagers.

#2 — Microsoft Sings Karaoke

1Up.com reports that Microsoft is set to release a new karaoke game called "Lips." The game will come with 30 songs and two wireless microphones. In an effort to improve on the success of SingStar, Lips will also allow users to sing any song off an iPod or CD.

VERDICT: No point in copying something without improving on it. It’s nice to know that Microsoft is actually listening to what gamers want in their games.

#3 — Microsoft to Experiment With Avatars

With the success of Nintendo’s Miis, it was only a matter of time before it was emulated. 1Up.com reports that Microsoft intends to release a similar program but to simply call them "avatars." The avatars will be fully customizable, and you'll able to choose from a vast number of purchasable outfits.

VERDICT: It’s a fine idea, but what happens with all the gamer pics that everybody spent their money on? Hopefully, they'll still be incorporated in some way...maybe on T-shirts that the avatars wear?

Die Hard 5: The Gears of War

Shacknews.com reports that the movie adaptation of Gears of War hired Len Wiseman, the director of Live Free and Die Hard (aka Die Hard 4). His short directing résumé also includes Underworld and its sequel, Underworld Evolution.

Producer Wyck Godfrey also let it be known that he expects the movie to release sometime in 2010.

VERDICT: We're still crossing our fingers that it won’t be another DOOM-ed movie.

Microsoft Joins the Party

Our sister website Next Generation reports that Microsoft announced it would be participating in this year’s E For All Expo in Los Angeles, October 3–5. Last year was the inaugural year for the consumer-attended E For All, and both Sony and Microsoft sat out the event.

VERDICT: Microsoft's presence definitely bolsters this fledging show, which attracted 18,000 people last year and will presumably draw more in 2008. But will it be enough to give E For All the kind of status E3 used to have? We're not so sure, but we'll be watching this show closely and curiously.

Guitar Hero: World Tour Reveals New Guitar

If you ever had trouble reaching the dreaded orange button before, expect a steeper learning curve with the newest guitar in the Guitar Hero family. Next Generation reports that Activision revealed its new Guitar Hero: World Tour guitar to the world, and the changes are obvious.

A new bar on the guitar neck allows for "note altering, adding sustains and staccato to user-generated songs, and slap bass.” Whether these changes will be essential to learn for gameplay remains to be seen.

VERDICT: If you're a player who likes it simple (and shuns a real six-string), the new bar may seem intimidating. Us, though — we're intrigued by the opportunities it opens up. Bring on the slap-happy bass!