The extended maintenance has given me the opportunity to push OSG in a new direction, and focus specifically on the content that I love to write, reviews & articles. As such, Old School Gamer now closely resembles the gaming blog that I originally envisioned, when I first set up Confessions of an Old School Gamer in 2008.

If you’re looking to catch up on the latest Xbox 360 news, then I suggest visiting XboxLiveAddicts; where I’m currently a guest writer for their news section.

Stay tuned to Old School Gamer for more reviews & articles, a number of which will go live during this week.

As I will no longer be covering every piece of information that surfaces, it means that I’ll be able to dedicate more time to writing original and engaging content.  While I would love to continue providing up to date information on all things Xbox 360, it’s simply no longer a possibility.

As a result of this decision OSG will be shut down for a period of two weeks, starting tomorrow, to allow for much needed site maintenance.

I hope that you, OSG’s avid readers, continue to visit the site on a regular basis throughout this transition.

In preparation for their interview Gaming Angels opened the floor for community submitted questions, and I was happy to discover that one of mine was selected: -

While working on the original PRINCE OF PERSIA game, did you ever think it would turn into a franchise? Or did you intend for it to be a “one shot” game?

You know, back in the 1980’s when I was programming the first Prince of Persia game on the Apple II, I don’t think I could have imagined it would still be around 20 years later, much less that it would turn into a giant Jerry Bruckheimer film with these epic production values. That’s really more than a dream come true.

Many thanks to Naomi for selecting one of my questions for her interview, which you can read in full here.

This week is dedicated solely to New Super Mario Bros. WII, however includes a generous helping of out-takes from the series so far.

If streaming isn’t your thing, then you’ll be happy to learn that CO-OP Season 3 Episode 7  is also available for download, here.

Don’t forget, you can also subscribe to CO-OP via iTunes (Small, Large, HD).

The first pack, Battle of Forli, is scheduled to launch in January. The second DLC pack, Bonfire of the Vanities, will be available in February.

Speaking on Medal of Honor, Sean Decker (VP and General Manager of EALA), had this to say: -

EA has always been an advocate for telling the soldiers’ story. The new Medal of Honor follows that tradition. We felt it was important to tell the story of today’s war and today’s elite soldiers via today’s most relevant medium – videogames. [...] We are so proud to bring together two powerhouse development teams to make this game a reality; EA Los Angeles and EA DICE. Medal of Honor promises to be an unforgettable entry in the modern shooter genre.

Pets are expected to cost 240 MS points each.

Don’t have any MS points? Remeber the Final Fantasy XII twitter competion? If you’ve taken part, you’ll be able to claim your FREE Chocobo Avatar Pet soon. Don’t worry, you can still register to claim your free Chocobo Avatar Pet.

Official blurb: -

For the first time ever, Infinity Ward’s 2003 award-winning game that launched a franchise comes to consoles in Call of Duty Classic. Relive the original Call of Duty experience in high definition, including online multiplayer on Xbox LIVE with Leaderboard support.

• Legendary franchise: Play the winner of more than 80 Game of the Year Awards and 50 Editor’s Choice Awards.
• Battlefield action: Experience the cinematic intensity of World War II’s biggest conflicts including D-Day, Stalingrad, and the Battle of Berlin. Play through 24 epic single-player missions across four interconnected campaigns.
• Online multiplayer: Take your game online with multiplayer on Xbox LIVE, including Leaderboard support.

Purchase this XBLA title now.

Reminder: “Deal of the Week” is only available to Gold Xbox LIVE subscribers. If you are a silver subscriber Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will still cost 400 MS points.

Further details have yet to be announced, however Ubisoft have confirmed that Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands will debut on conoles sometime in May of next year (2010).