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Some off-brand batteries for Xbox 360 can save you lots of money in the long run. This one is one fifth the price of official Microsoft batteries, but is it worth even that price tag?
Could Microsoft be following in Nintendo's footsteps again? Rumors from Gamespot suggest that the "Xbox 720" may feature a tablet-based design, just like Wii U. More details and speculation in the full story on GameRabies.
"If we take the rumors of a 2013 launch seriously, that would put 2012 as the year Microsoft and Sony begin locking down their next-gen consoles.
So with that in mind, for any Sony or Microsoft designers and engineers reading, here is a list in no particular order of some of the changes other than just ‘more power’ I would personally like in the next wave of consoles."
A recent "deal" on the Bing Rewards program Holiday Calendar tries to lure people into paying an unnecessary premium for their Xbox LIVE Gold subscription per year.
The new Xbox LIVE dashboard went live earlier this week to some mixed opinions. Although it's clearly not perfect, the new dashboard is a lot easier to navigate and come with plenty of useful new features to justify this redesign.
"Are you looking to buy a new Xbox at one of the big sales this weekend? What about a recent AAA game at half price, or maybe an old hit that you never got around to. We looked through all of the retailers and online sales to find the best Xbox deals for Black Friday and are here with our recommendations on how you should spend your Xbucks this week."
The RealGamerNewz crew got together to lay down another show for the real gamers out there looking at the big picture of the game biz and asking the tough questions. With a bit of a nostalgic twist we take a look at the direction the industry is heading in and its potential impact on the future generations. We pitch the PlayStation 4 and The Next Xbox Experience Rumors and Facts and dissect what Sony and Microsoft may be brewing behind the scenes as well as the strategies they may be consider...
It looks like Microsoft wants to give shoppers plenty of time to plan ahead, as they've just announced their deals for Black Friday. Everything from games, Xbox Live subscriptions and consoles will see a slashed price for the biggest shopping day of the year. More details in the full article!
Black Friday is fast approaching but there are many awesome video game deals available now. Here are some of the best deals on Xbox 360 stuff from around the internet.
"“Straighteners, blah, blah, blah, Shoes, blah, blah, are you listening to me? blah, blah, blah, Your Tiny…” Sound familiar? Your girlfriend is talking to you about (insert girl talk regarding shoes or similar rubbish here) things and you want to play your story driven single player experience of a game, where every single line of dialogue counts towards the storyline. Assassins Creed, Mass Effect or even Halo: Reach can only be appreciated with this girlfriend mute feature. Hit your back butt..."
There are reports claiming that the big dashboard update for the Xbox 360 will be coming next week, just in time for the launch of Modern Warfare 3. Check out more of the details and a video showing off the Xbox/Windows Phone integration features in the full article.
Here are some of this week's best deals on Xbox 360 stuff from around the internet including some discounts on Gears of War 3 and several video game promotions at Toys "R" Us.
For those of you who think that 250GB of data storage is simply not enough, Microsoft has just the thing for you! A new 320GB HDD is set to be released for Xbox 360 later in October.
GamePodunk editor MarcusEstrad reports on Netflix agenda that might be good for gamers and viewers alike. While Netflixs is still going to be involved with videos there is another company that is going to be splitting the work load with Netflixs and it is Qwikster. Read on for more details.
Microsoft recently announced they will be holding an Xbox LIVE Free Gold weekend next month in order to help promote participation in their upcoming "Gaming and Giving for Good" Charity Event.
Gamers can save lots of money by waiting to buy games when they go on sale. Amazon recently updated their Xbox 360 clearance list and now have nearly 250 games at discounted prices.
Here are some of this week's best deals on Xbox 360 stuff from around the internet including current promotions at gohastings and astrogaming as well as a discount on newly released RPG Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
Game Podunk editor MarcusEstrada reports that GameStop is a successful gaming store in US and now they own a company named Spawn for streaming service. The intention of Spawn was to use it for PC and other internet-devices, but GameStop is willing to go a bit further and stream games into a console. Read on for more details.
Sony just confirmed a $50 PS3 price cut across all models. Analyst Michael Pachter predicts Microsoft will respond to this news with a similar price cut of their own on the Xbox 360.
Microsoft revealed some interesting facts about the Xbox LIVE service and community in the latest issue of their e-mail newsletter released earlier today.
"In an otherwise typical Microsoft hallway, a black curtain stretches across the doorway to a large room. The whiteboard next to it offers this ambiguous, if not curiosity-inducing, explanation: “Please do not disturb. Sensitive material behind curtain.”"
Xbox LIVE Gold members who are also enrolled in the Rewards program have a special opportunity to earn some free Microsoft Points during the month of August.
Josh Hernandez is the CEO of Tap.Me, a unique in-game advertising platform which makes ads more relevant to players and thus more profitable to developers and publishers.
You can save a ton of money on video games by buying smart. Here are some of this week's promotions and discounts on Xbox 360 stuff from around the internet including promotions from Best Buy, Amazon, and Gohastings.
Microsoft announced yesterday during its Partner Conference that there will be a new music application on Xbox 360 this fall.
CEO Steve Ballmer stated that the “Xbox Music” service will offer more than 11 million songs, all searchable with the voice recognition software used by Kinect.
Xbox LIVE Gold members who are also enrolled int he special rewards program who download two XBLa games costing 800 MSP or more will receive 200 Microsoft Points back on their purchase.
Microsoft's announcement of cloud storage for Xbox 360 is now a reality! The service allows players to access their gamertags from any console, and also access save data...
Despite Sony putting a large amount of effort into the 3D gaming market, Microsoft is still reluctant to embrace the tech fully, citing that they were unsure if the public...
The latest NPD data shows that the Xbox 360 leads the charge when it comes to online enabled games and digital currency sales via game cards. The 360 is selling twice...
An unnamed source reveals that Microsoft intends to debut the successor to the Xbox 360 at E3 2012. The source did not give any details on the potential launch date.
Microsoft announced earlier this month that the Xbox 360 has sold over 55 million units worldwide. If VGChartz numbers are to be believed, this puts the 360 ahead of the PS3 by only 5 million.
"With the 8 million Kinect games that were announced at E3, we're suddenly seeing a flood of titles that make the motion control peripheral finally seem legit. But it's hard to distinguish what's happening on Kinect. Is it still for babies? Are there titles for the core gamers? Are developers cramming Kinect support into titles? We break down a few of the titles we saw and look at where they fit in the three major prongs of Kinect: Casual, Hardcore, and Additive features."
It seems that sales for the Xbxo 360 in Japan have been extremely strong, with a recent report claiming 1.5 million units sold. The original Xbox had only sold 500,000...
In a recent interview, Phil Spencer, the President of Microsoft Game Studios stated that the recent PSN outage was not beneficial to Microsoft. The outage harms the...
Microsoft's direction in the industry has been heading downhill to less and less about the crowd that made them who they are in the game industry and more about making a quick buck. This year's E3 conference for them was the final straw, it's time for them to pack their bags and get out.
The Microsoft E3 2011 press conference is over. There were a slew of new announcements, confirmations, and demos. Here is a full list of everything exciting that happened in case you missed it:
Microsoft's Phil Spencer announced the lineup for this years Summer of Arcade event on XBLA today. This year's lineup has five games which will be released within a five week timespan.
Get all of your Microsoft Xbox 360 and Kinect news live in the liveblog from TheGamerXperience while the events roll out and the games are shown from third parties and exclusive projects.
With the Microsoft E3 press conference less than an hour away, the biggest announcements up their sleeve have allegedly already been spoiled on Xbox.com
Dedicated servers are a huge part of the first person shooter genre and online multiplayer gaming in general, so why is it that they are absent from the industry for the most part even on pay services like Xbox Live and the upcoming Call of Duty: Elite?
This podcast reveals the potential rumors being broadcast throughout the internet, and addresses the multimedia push from Microsoft as irrelevant by comparison to the stride of other companies. Their E3 show for 2011 is called into question and analysis is done on their overall strategic stance this year and in years' past.
Video games have had a long struggle to gain acceptance with the mainstream, and a recent report shows that the Xbox 360 console may be making some serious strides in this...
Word has reached theGamerBuzz that Microsoft has trademarked new items. No word yet on what this means for the country going forward, but we make some predictions. Check out the full story for all the details.
First rumors were reported today that a possible price cut could be coming to the Xbox 360 at E3 this coming year. Check out the full story for all the details and let us know what you think.
"Gamers often debate which consoles managed to impress the most during their time on the market. We’ve seen countless video game systems get bashed by some gamers, only to be praised by others. In the end, it’s all a matter of opinion."
Splitfish Gameware announced today a new mouse controller hybrid for the Xbox 360 called the FRAGFX SHARK 360. This new peripheral will give gamers the precision control of using a mouse but on console.
Microsoft is apparently ready to making a pretty big announcement regarding the ability for the Xbox 360 to display 3D games. Check out the full story for all the details on the rumor.
The new Xbox Live update is rolling out today! While not as groundbreaking as the update that introduced NXE (New Xbox Experience), this current update will still...
Reports are now coming in that Xbox Live has been under some type of hacking attacks. Could it be possibly that Nintendo may see problems like this in the near future? What should the Big 3 do about this growing epidemic?
Microsoft announced a new contest today called the "G33k Out" sweepstakes on their Facebook fan page where one lucky fan can win a trip to E3 among other prizes. Here's how to enter.
The world wide economic recession has affected every industry, including the video game industry. After months of sales falling off, the industry is roaring back with solid sales. CHeck out the full story for all the details.
"Ever since the Kinect’s surprisingly lucrative success, independent developers around the world have been writing programs to tap into the device and try to unlock its true potential.
Here are some of my favourite Kinect hacks so far:"
Microsoft announced some exciting news today for anyone who uses the very popular Skype service. Check out the post for all the details, as well as where your will now see Skype.
The newest Xbox Live update is on the way, and there are some pretty significant changes in store for us! In addition to support for a new, higher capacity disc format...
The Plantronics MX150 flexible boom headset can currently be purchased on Amazon for just a few dollars. It is said to work well with the Xbox 360 but is this alternative microphone even worth this paltry investment?
Microsoft is giving away a free 1,600 Microsoft Points card when you purchase eligible games directly from their store online. Here is a full list of all games eligible for this deal.
Microsoft has come out and spoken about the recent security issues plaguing the industry. Check out the full story to hear what they had to say about that and the most recent attack against Modern Warfare 2.
PlayStation Network has been entirely down for some time now, but it seems that there is some notifications from Microsoft as well as a status check on their official site that indicate issues with their matchmaking.
The Xbox 360 will finally be getting the much-anticipated Hulu Plus service. The service will also be having a special event to kick off the new introduction. Check out the full story for all the details.
There are some great looking FPS games that you can get from the XBLA, but which games have the best graphics. Here is a Top 5 list of some of the best looking FPS games that you can download. Check it out and see if your favorite XBLA FPS made the list.
"With so much focus on the PSN being down and what we all think we deserve in return, and how furious we all are that we can't play our games in the decently filled release window that the PSN outage fell during, it seems like we were quick to forget something."
The newly released XIM3 adapter from XIM Technologies allows Xbox 360 gamers to utilize a mouse and keyboard controls to an unrivaled level of precision.
Video games are seen as the cause of many issues facing teens these days. A new study has come out that shows evidence that gaming can in fact help those who are in need. Check out the full story for the details.
There has been a major issue in the video game industry as of late. It seems that every year we see a sequel instead of a new intellectual property. Check out the story to see what Ubisoft said of the matter.
It was recently reported that the PS3 had overtaken the Xbox 360 in worldwide sales. According to official statistics reported by Microsoft and Sony, however, that is not the case...yet.
The National Lacrosse League's new video game on the Xbox 360, NLL 11, will feature fighting, manual line changes, and a completely revamped game engine.
The Xbox 360 may have more sales in the United States, but worldwide sales figures show that the Playstation 3 is the king of consoles. Even the strong sales of the Kinect have not...
With Epic Games' tech demo that was showcased at GDC, lots of speculation about the next generation of gaming consoles has become very popular. TheGamerBuzz.com specualtes...
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences released four free videos on the Xbox LIVE marketplace yesterday including three speaker sessions from D.I.C.E. 2011 and a highlight show of the AIAA game awards.
Microsoft recently reduced the price on over 30 items in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace as part of a special sale called Extreme Shopping. Some of the deals are available today only so hurry!
It was reported yesterday that Microsoft was looking at adding a different disc format for its XBOX 360 console. Many have speculated that this would bring a blu-ray feature, but they were wrong. Check out the full story to see how this new format will affect you, the gamer, in the future.
The current video game generation has brought us some of the greatest moments in the industry's history. However, there are still moments that have us scratching our heads and wondering "How could this happen?" We take a look at the ten biggest flops to occur this generation.
Everyone likes to save money, and every likes a good deal, so here are the Xbox Live deals fo the week for 3/29/2011 - 4/4/2011! Happy spending everyone!
Microsoft has released invitations to a beta testing for a new disc system that they are trying out for the Xbox 360. Could it Blu Ray? Some sort of enhanced DVD drive?
Gamers can save money by buying smart. Here are some of this week's new promotions and discounts on Xbox 360 stuff from around the internet, including 50% off Bulletstorm and a video game blowout at buy.com.
We at theGamerBuzz always strive to further educate the video game masses. In this article we tell you what retail loyalty sites are and how they can help you save some money on your favorite hobby. Cheers!
The Kinect is seriously lacking in hardcore titles to convince their fan base to take the $150 plunge in the motion sensor industry. According to Microsoft, the future is bright. Check out the full story to see what they said. Cheers!
If you are looking for ways to get free Microsoft Points, be sure to stay away from the shady websites that use "point generators" as they could get you banned. Here is one legitimate way to earn hundreds if not thousands of free Microsoft Points straight from Microsoft themselves.
It's coming. Everyone knows it. The Xbox 720 or whatever it will be called has been rumored multiple times in the past few months. Check out the full story to find out everything that we the industry know so far. Cheers!
Microsoft recently asked for volunteers to help improve Xbox LIVE by running the new Xbox LIVE Labs application. This has left many users with questions such as "what are usage fees?" and "what data is being collected?" The National Xbox 360 Examiner answers these questions and sheds some light on the Labs program.
Gamers can save money by buying smart. Here are some of this week's new promotions and discounts on Xbox 360 stuff from around the internet, including some slightly lower prices on games that just came out.
NPD numbers have come out and it is no surprise that the Xbox 360 was the number one selling system of the month. However, there is some shocking news on how well another system sold. Check out the full story. Cheers!
For years, the Xbox 360 has touted the fact that no other service can really compare to it. However, that may no longer be the case. We attempt to tackle the issue of Xbox Live and determine if in fact it is worth the money. Cheers!
If you were planning on taking the plunge and purchasing an Xbox 360 in the coming weeks, you may want to hold off for a little. We have new information on when you might be able to pick up a slim model and what that price could be. Check out the full story for all the details. Cheers!
There has been a long debate in the fan boy war as to which controller is king. Today, theGamerBuzz tackles this debate. Check out the full story to find out which controller reigns supreme among all. Cheers!
By focusing on Kinect, Microsoft has let their lineup of core exclusives suffer greatly. How does the Xbox 360's lineup compare to the PlayStation 3's? Could this really be the year of the PS3?
Microsoft is holding their second Xbox LIVE free weekend since January. Starting today and ending on March 7th, Silver members can (most of) the benefits of a Gold membership.
Microsoft sent the first issue of personalized Xbox LIVE usage statistics to Xbox LIVE subscribers today. The newsletter will appear in the e-mail associated with your account and includes some very interesting monthly stats.
Gold subscribers who joined the Xbox LIVE Rewards program were emailed by Microsoft today with a passcode that could be redeemed for 100 free Microsoft Points and a discount on their next movie purchase. What's more, it also enters you into a "Red Carpet VIP" sweepstakes for some really cool prizes.
Microsoft held a pre-GDC press event earlier today in San Francisco with promises that gamers would be "really happy" with all the upcoming announcements. With no new core exclusives being revealed and barely anything new even being talked about, it ended up being a huge disappointment.
Gamers can save money by buying smart instead of paying retail. Here are some of this week's new promotions and discounts on Xbox 360 stuff from around the internet.
The Xbox 360 has a pitiful lineup when stacked up against the PlayStation 3 for 2011. It seems that there may be something special coming to the green box. Check out the full story. Cheers!
Microsoft just announced the full lineup and pricing details for their second annual "Xbox LIVE House Party," an event in which a new XBLA title is released every Wednesday for a month.
If you are an owner of Microsoft's latest gaming machine, then you may just have another reason to use it besides Halo. Check out the full story here. Cheers!
It's easy for gamers to save lots of money on games and accessories if they take advantage of deals instead of paying retail. Here are some new promotions, discounts, and pre-order bonuses on Xbox 360 stuff from around the internet.
After a bit of initial technical trouble, the Xbox LIVE Free Weekend is now working. All Silver accounts will be able to play online for free through January 31st. (Except in the UK where Microsoft had to cancel the event).
Microsoft today revealed several new sales figures for their Xbox 360 video game system in addition to the recently-released Kinect motion camera accessory.
"Looking back at days of old it's interesting to see where we started and how the evolution of consoles has changed from being dedicated videogame machines to the multimedia platforms we have today. Remember your first console or home computer, whether it was the Atari 2600 or the later generation Playstation, we all have a history of playing video games. Mine was the Commodore 64 a computer that would load games from audio cassette or floppy disks. In 1988 I would own my first cartridge based..."
Xbox 360 gamers were forced to download a new dashboard update yesterday before signing into Xbox LIVE. It took forever to download, but what did it do?
Gamers can end up saving a ton of money by simply taking a moment to find good deals online. Here are this week's promotions, discounts, and new pre-order bonuses from around the internet on Xbox 360 stuff.
The National Xbox 360 Examiner is live blogging his thoughts on the Microsoft CES keynote as the action unfolds. This live blog focuses on highlights and announcements as they relate to gaming and the Xbox 360.
With the amount of competition between the consoles becoming more and more fierce as the months go on, the decree over which console is better is becoming less and less important. With great titles coming out for all the consoles, both in the last year and the upcoming one, it becomes harder and harder to definitively tell someone which is best for them.
Luckily (or unluckily), IGN attempts to add fuel to the dying flames of the console war, bidding to give one of the consoles the title of...
A group of PS3 hackers recently sat down and had a conference. During this conference they went over the PS3, 360 and Wii's security holes and exploits. They deemed the PS3 an epic failure when it comes to security, stating that even the 360 is more secure. Perhaps people didn't notice just how bad the PS3's security really is because no one could figure out how to initially get in and get a foothold.
Which is funny because the PS3 has been more or less consistently hack free since launch ...
Everybody can use extra Microsoft Points. They can be used to download game add-ons, XBLA titles, themes, avatar stuff, and much more. In the spirit of the holiday season, we're giving away 1,200 of them. Entering to win is quick and easy.
Although the NPD Group stopped publishing monthly sales numbers for the video game industry, when a company is doing well they want people to know it. Both Microsoft and Nintendo have released their monthly hardware sales numbers for the month of November and you might be surprised at which one came out on top.
It is rare for gamers to find anything for free on Xbox LIVE these days but if you look hard enough, you CAN find several freebies. Some are better than others, but for a free price tag you really can't go wrong. Here are some currently available XBLA downloads offered for free.
"Ever wonder how your trophy collection might compare to your friends’ Xbox 360 gamerscores? Of course you have, you ego-driven PS3 playing bastard! Now you can throw your own weight into the ring and go toe-to-toe with your 360 brethren with this simple conversion site. Let the dick waving commence!"
Yesterday Major Nelson posted on his blog the upcoming Xbox LIVE Deals of the Week for December. The deals, each with their own unique theme, offer upwards of 50% off on several XBLA games, game add-ons, and avatar items.
Earlier today Microsoft announced a new December promotion where gamers who download two or more eligible Xbox Live Arcade games before December 20th will be credited with 400 free Microsoft Points. The list of eligible XBLA games includes several with Metascores in the 90's.
Examiner: Could gaming on Xbox LIVE ever be free if Silver members had an more advertisements to off-set lost subscription revenue? Would this motivate more gamers to get Xbox 360's? How would it affect current Gold memberships? To find out, I posted a poll on several gaming forums last month and added the answers from all of them together. The results are not what you'd expect.
In another Xbox 360 Black Friday deal, Microsoft is offering all Silver members the chance to upgrade to an Xbox LIVE Gold membership at a heavily discounted price.
Today's "Prelude to Black Friday" video game deals on Amazon are worth mentioning as several blockbuster Xbox 360 titles have been marked down to a mere $20 or less.
Microsoft is giving gamers who spend 1,600 points on eligible Microsoft Game Studios content the opportunity to earn 400 free Microsoft Points simply by downloading a gamer picture. The list of eligible content is pretty lenghty and includes game add-ons and many XBLA titles.
With Black Friday just around the corner, many retailers are starting to give out some really good savings on Xbox 360 stuff. Here are some deals currently available from around the internet this week.
Our final verdict on Microsoft's motion controller is finally here. Does the Kinect live up to the hype, or does it succumb to too many overdemands from the player? Find out in our review!
Industry analyst Michael Pachter never gets the credit he deserves. Back in February, he predicted that Kinect (then called Natal) would only cost about $50 to manufacturer. A recent technology teardown of the motion sensor shows he was right.
Yesterday VGChartz indirectly revealed the initial sales estimates for Kinect in the United States which were much lower than expected. Xbox product director Aaron Greenberg responded by flippantly dismissing them as completely false.
In a recent interview, Xbox and Entertainment Director Stephen McGill confirmed Microsoft had no plans on a new Xbox but will instead focus on supporting Kinect. This should not come as a surprise as executives have been echoing this sentiment for years.
Microsoft announced in yesterday's weekly e-mail newsletter that there will be a four day Xbox LIVE free Gold weekend a few weeks from now to celebrate the release of Call of Duty: Black ops.
Xbox is a brand name that was once thought of as for hardcore gamers. Over the last two years, Microsoft has been transforming the Xbox 360 into a casual machine in order to draw a wider audience of gamers. Ultimately culminating in the release of Kinect, has the Xbox 360 gone TOO casual?
"Critical Gamer writes: I got a 360 at release, and I loved it… to begin with. Three years, five RRoDs and two consoles later, I’d finally had enough. I had nothing against the console per se; my problem was with the fact that Microsoft had clearly rushed an unfinished, unacceptably unreliable product to market. Initially – many people choose to forget this – they even denied that there was a problem at all. The number of consoles crashing was “a small minority” that was no more than “normal” ..."
The new Xbox LIVE Fall Update has been released and with it a slew of new features and improvements. Unfortunately, some 360 users have reported experiencing some troubles after downloading the update. These problems range from Microsoft Points mysteriously disappearing from their accounts to Xbox Live Arcade Games not working anymore. Most of these troubles can be easily remedied, however.
Gamezone presents Xbox Live Indie Games Insider. Do you long for a fun indie game on the 360, but don't have time to waste on the hordes of bad ones. Gamezone is here to help by telling you about three games in which are buy, rent or pass. It will reveal, which indie games are worth your precious leftover ms points.
Microsoft has made many comments about their upcoming hardware in the next generation (should it ever see the day of light) indicating the possibility of an all download device. What does this mean for gamers?
ESPN's services have gone live on Xbox Live as of this morning's system update, and so far, they're bringing an awful lot of sports goodness to gold subscribers of the service. Find out what to expect inside!
The price of Xbox LIVE Gold membership officially increases tomorrow. That means today is the last day for you to renew at the old price. If you want to save a few dollars, then renew your account for another year before the price change on November 1st.
Xbox.com will have a 'Massive Facelift' as reported by Microsoft's own Major Nelson. This article has his official words and will give you all the info you need.
Microsoft seems to be the video game King of promotions. Their most recent stunt includes a feature on the Oprah show. Guess it's plain to see who their target audience is.
Although the NPD no longer shares the hardware sales data, Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg was more than happy to reveal the sales results for the Xbox 360 during the month of September.
"Prior to the Xbox 360 Kinect launch on November 4th, Microsoft will issue a new update for the Dashboard on Xbox 360. The update will include new features such as ESPN, Zune Music, updates to Netflix and Zune Video Marketplace. Additional upgrades to the user experience of the dashboard have now been detailed by Microsoft."
We take a close look at the ESPN integration that will make its way into the Xbox 360 dashboard this fall. Expect some cool live programming, unique user interaction and plenty of awesome sports stuff. Hey, soccer's on!
"Earlier this morning we reported on a story from MCV that voice controls for the upcoming Xbox 360 peripheral, Kinect, would not be included when it is launched this November. Microsoft has since come out with a statement denying that voice controls won't be included while also clarifying where the story might have originated."
"Part of Microsoft's push for Kinect included the ability to use voice commands to control and navigate the Xbox 360 dashboard and interact with games. This feature was demoed frequently since Kinect was first introduced as Project Natal. Now comes the disappointing news from Microsoft that the voice commands will not be enabled at launch."
"A year and a half after Microsoft and Amazon teamed up to sell Xbox LIVE Arcade games through the online retailer, the partnership appears to be over. Amazon has revealed on their website that they are no longer selling Xbox LIVE Arcade games."
"The introduction of the Xbox 360 S (aka Slim) came not only with a new case design and updated internal hardware but also a change in hard drives. Instead of the caddy that holds a hard drive on the side, the updated console has a slot on the side to insert the hard drive. With the latest introduction of the hard drive less Xbox 360 S Arcade, Microsoft held off on selling the new hard drives separately until now."
GameZone reports first details on what may be a new promotion Microsoft is running with new Xbox 360 slim models or what might just be a big manufacturing error and what to watch out for with new Xbox 360 purchases.
With Sony's Playstation Move and Microsoft's Kinect motion controller add-on for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 respectively not far off of store shelves, John from All Age Gaming has a detailed look at the Pros and Cons of both the Move and Kinect, as well as the other motion controller in the market, the Wii and gives us his conclusion on which will win the motion controller battle.
"Amazon Germany just couldn't keep a secret. Microsoft's just announced that a shiny new Xbox 360 Arcade replacement -- with 4GB internal flash memory, a matte finish, and built-in 802.11n WiFi -- will be shipping August 3rd for $199.99. A stark difference in capacity to the current 250GB model, but at least it's cheaper. Looking ahead to November, the standalone Kindle, it's coming for (yeah, you guessed it) $149.99 with Kinect Adventures. Act surprised, Microsoft would really like you to. As..."
After the exciting E3 announcement of a re-designed Xbox 360 with better build quality and more features, it is now in stores for everyone to buy. For those who are wondering if they should take the plunge and upgrade their existing 360, All Age Gaming's Daniel Emmerson takes a detailed look at the new 360 and compares it to the 'old' version.
Xbox Evolved receives new details on what may possibly be the price point for Microsoft Kinect on Xbox 360 as told so by a Microsoft rep at a local Gamestop.
"Sony is pushing 3D on the PS3 hard with a recent update to the system that enabled 3D games and a future update that will enable 3D Blu-ray movies. The move is understandable because Sony is also in the business of selling 3D HDTVs. However, Microsoft is not in the business of selling TVs so they are taking a more laid back approach with the Xbox 360 and waiting to see how the market shapes up."
"E3 has come and gone yet again and as with every year we all get a little teary eyed when the final day is upon us - and who wouldn't? The marvelous spectacle that E3 has become is this close to becoming an American pastime. The vibrancy, sound, games and of course...the booth babes. But hey, we're gamers and what we really miss are the games that we got to sample that usually aren't due out for several months, if not longer."
Xbox Evolved reports on the the retail listing of Microsoft's Kinect for Xbox 360 on retail site, Amazon.com. Bringing news that pre-orders have begun, the price point is also mentioned as well.
With the magic of Photoshop and the use of an image originally provided by Microsoft during their E3 presentation, we can see exactly how much smaller the new 360 is. While it is indeed smaller, it's not quite worthy of a "slim" title, which Microsoft seems to have realized, as they haven't deemed it as such. However, for those that were skeptical that it was shorter at all, this should convince you otherwise.
See the picture attached to the article for the comparison.
"Microsoft held their E3 press conference yesterday and it was a mixed bag. The software giant tried to appeal to both the hardcore gaming crowd and the casual gaming crowd with the introduction of the motion-based camera controller, Kinect. We digested the press conference over night and look back at the good, the bad, the ugly, and what was missing in the Microsoft's E3 keynote presentation."
"The hard drive is hidden into the side of the console behind a door and can be easily removed and replaced and the WiiFi supports 802.11n. The case features a gloss black finish and includes a "Kinect ready" port that allows the motion control camera to be connected without the need for an additional power supply. Older Xbox 360s will require Kinect to be hooked up to one the Xbox 360 USB ports and to a power supply."
"Advertisements on an Italian gaming website may have given the game away ahead of some of Microsoft's big reveals for E3 this week. The advertisements appear to show what the the long rumored Xbox 360 "Slim" will look like and feature as well as reveal the official name for Project Natal."
"A little over a year ago, we were the first to break the news of a new Xbox 360 code name called ‘Xbox 360+’ scheduled for release with Natal. Now it seems the Xbox 360 is not the only thing that will get re-branded."
MattGruber receives a RROD Xbox 360 from his brother and decides to break that sucker open and show it who's boss. He provides you with some instructions for fixing an RROD Xbox 360 on your own and provides some crude jokes along the way.
"The recently revealed Xbox LIVE update for the Xbox 360 has launched today at approximately 11:20am GMT, offering gamers the opportunity to utilise USB storage devices, in conjunction with Xbox 360 proprietary accessories. Available now in most major territories, the update will begin when first connecting to Xbox LIVE via your Xbox 360 console."
"As the anticipation grows for the presentations at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Microsoft Game Studios has been promoting a number of video featuring celebrities and gaming icons getting their hands (or rather, bodies) on the highly-anticipated Project Natal. Set for release later this year, Project Natal is Microsoft’s key product for the Xbox 360 in 2010, and is expected to dominate the company’s E3 presentation this June.
"
"Xbox Evolved writes:
"Mad Catz Interactive today announced the launch of the Cyborg F.L.Y. 9 Wireless Flight Stick, the first licensed wireless flight stick for the Xbox 360 video game console. The F.L.Y. 9 will be released under the Mad Catz’ Cyborg premium gaming brand.""
"Rumor has it that Microsoft is planning on coming out with a new design for the current Xbox 360. This new version will be the same in functions as the original model, but will be presented in a much smaller size. The guys over at Kotaku have gotten hold of a picture which shows that for the first time, the console will include the CPU and the GPU on the same chip, thus reducing the size."
Some good deals this week from Best Buy and Toys R US on hardware. You can get the Xbox 360 Elite Spring Bundle for $299.99 with a $50 gift card or a Wii with Wii Sports Resort Free at Best Buy. Meanwhile, TRU is offering a $50 gift card and an Energizer Charge Station for the Xbox 360 Elite. Click through to see all the deals for this week.
"Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer recently commented on the possibility of new Xbox 360 form factors and the possibility of another hardware revision of the Xbox 360 for this year has been strong as well. Now, an image has surfaced that supposedly shows the internals of an Xbox 360 completely redesigned with both the GPU and CPU on a single chip."
"The NPD sales report for February is in and the Xbox 360 is the best selling hardware for the month. Finishing in second is the Nintendo Wii, with the PlayStation 3 in a distant third. Overall, the month was strong for all three home consoles and if things stay strong until summer, each system could be looking at a banner year.
Bioshock 2 for the Xbox 360 is the top-selling software title for the month, but Heavy Rain managed to make it into the Top 10 with sales breaking the 200,000 unit ..."
During a speech at the University of Washington, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer revealed that Microsoft is planning on unveiling different form factors for the venerable console
Xbox Evolved writes a new Editorial from Dameon White looking into Natal and the type of games the consumers can really expect to be pushed out. Mostly Casual games or some hardcore? That's what they try to speculate on.
"Natal's lag has been debated heavily since it debuted. Some say it's bad, others claim it isn't so bad. We decided to put it to the test... and after seeing the results we're not surprised that they didn't want to allow cameras into the latest public showing of Project Natal."
"Those of you who keep an ear to the streets when it comes to nerd-news may have heard about this little online dispute between an asshole of an Xbox Live moderator with the Gamertag “The Pro” and some random, whiny-ass child with nothing better to do. So this kid sent in a video he had recorded with his capture card that depicted The Pro threatening to ban an innocent victim for no apparent reason. Well there were some problems with the recording..."
"First, I think it might be prudent to state that I am not a Microsoft or Nintendo fanboy. I’m a PC guy, and I run Windows only because that’s what most games require. Bill Gates and Miyamoto, while they seem like cool guys who have certainly made it big by running their respective industry niches (and in the case of Gates, the industry as a whole), enjoy no real positive feelings from me. To me, the console wars always seem to be to be at best a silly but entertaining distraction and are usua..."
"Australia, February 15, 2010 - IGN has done a number of features over the last month or so looking back at gaming over the last decade, but now it's time to look forward. A fair way forward; to 2020. How will gaming change over the next ten years? Will motion controls become the norm? How important will 3D TVs become? How far along will digital distribution be? How about streaming content and gaming in the cloud? How will online gaming change? What about mobile? Will we all be playing jet-pa..."
Sony and Microsoft have both announced the total amount of users on their system. Playstation network has seen a %155 increase and has a total of 40 million users. Xbox Live is currently at 23 million users. Take note though, that many PS3 owners have multiple accounts for different regions.
A great episode of The Bender this week. Intern Elissa joins us again (and again, speaks on Final Fantasy). James gives us a taste of his Mass Effect 2 review, as does Richard with Bioshock 2. Mike hates on IGN. All this and so much more, enjoy!
Listen live/stream/download with - iTunes - Zune - or direct mp3 download
"Since even before the launch of the PS3, Sony fans were touting the system’s incredible processing power as several orders of magnitude beyond that of the Xbox 360. So far we haven’t seen much proof of that in terms of graphical performance, but much of that is due to the general downturn in exclusive titles- developing two separate versions of a game would be far less cost-effective. Having recently picked up Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 to play with my fiancée on the PS3 (she finds the 360 co..."
"seems to be a daunting console that really stands the chance of proving itself, at least for the time being, as future-proof. However, this doesn’t mean that eventually, Microsoft is going to decide that a new console is just what the gaming industry needs. When they finally do get around to it, one can only hope that they do what they can to once again get feedback from the gaming community as a whole. After all, no gamer likes to be told what they want and here’s hoping Microsoft takes the ..."
"Having first revolutionized the way people rent movies, (to ‘Netflix’ something is becoming as much a verb as to ‘Google’ it) the company is now aiming to change the way we watch, well frankly everything. The ultimate goal of Netflix is to have the entirety of video broadcast media viewable online at any time. Yes, that goal is a long ways off and it seems that at least two thirds of Netflix’s instant viewing library is devoted to bad horror movies and straight-to-video releases."
Right now at Amazon 1,600 Xbox 360 Live Point Card is selling for $17.99, while 4,000 Point Card is $44.99. That's savings of $2 and $5, respectively, compared to prices in other online stores.
"This is so hypocritical for a company that shares it's initials with multiple sclerosis. At least Sony and Nintendo, while not being the ambassadors of accessibility in gaming, have been smart enough to keep their names and abbreviations away from any similarities to debilitating diseases and maladies. Bill Gates is quoted as saying "Life is not fair; get used to it." Apparently we all know who he was talking to when he said that. What a bastard."
"As a thank you to the community, Microsoft began sending out free download codes to Xbox Live users last night to purchase a free "Ugly Sweater" from the Xbox Live Marketplace."
All Age Gaming's Phong Nguyen bring's us the 22nd AAG "The Week That Was". This week he discusses the PS3's motion controller, the PS3's latest firmware update, the New Super Mario Bros. Wii sales, a possible update to the 360's NXE and more!
"We’ve just announced that Pets are coming to the Xbox LIVE Avatar Marketplace. Tomorrow, the first shipment arrives and you’ll be able to choose from the following Pets at 240 points each:
Large Dog, Pug Dog, Dog in Bag, Cat, Siamese Cat, Long Haired Cat, Goldfish, Guinea Pig, Monkey, Bird, Snake and yes….a Pony."
"Microsoft is about to run an advent calendar-style (read: Christmas countdown) promotion where movies and games, depending on your location, will be discounted for one day only.
The news comes from Q Entertainment’s twitter account, which informs us Rez HD will be one of the discounted items. However, you need to be in Mexico, Portugal, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Singapore to take advantage of the deal.
Residents in other territories like North America, Canada, and Europe..."
When video game addiction goes too far with a loved one, sometimes you have to resort to drastic measures, or at least that's how this guy's girlfriend feels.
Nintendo's Super Guide feature made it's much anticipated debut recently in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. However, Microsoft are keen to not fall behind on this concept. They've filed a patent for a feature that allows players to access hints and tips from a database to help them through tough spots. Read on to find out more about how the patent would work.
With recent releases of Facebook and Twitter on consoles, many gamers are questioning if these social networking even belong consoles. The whole purpose of consoles and video games are to be suspended from reality, and social networking just grabs you and pulls you back. Well that is what Steve Boxer at CVG believes. What is your say on this new fad for social networks being available on almost every electronic device?
"Microsoft has revealed today that the Xbox 360 console has hit a milestone in retail success across Europe, Middle East and African territories. Originally launched in December 2005, the Xbox 360 videogame system has reportedly surpassed ten million unit sales in the aforementioned regions."
"Microsoft just revealed, via an interview with FastCompany, that the highly-anticipated Xbox 360 dashboard update will be in gamers hands this coming Tuesday - November 17th; included in the download is Twitter and Facebook. We have been using the update over the past couple weeks and our overall impressions of the integrated services and other updates are fairly positive."
After Microsoft did a mass ban of modded Xbox 360 consoles from the Xbox Live service, owners have flooded Craigslist in droves to get rid of their illegally modified consoles. Anyone in the market for a used 360 right now should adopt a "buyer beware" attitude.
"Microsoft has begun sending out emails inviting gamers into the Xbox Live Rewards pilot program. The program will run for the next six months and will be run by a group known as the Xbox Live Rewards Squad. From the sound of the email, the program will work very similarly to the rewards programs available through many credit cards.
In the introductory email, Microsoft is giving 100 free Microsoft Points to those who made it into the pilot program. The program itself appears to be broken i..."
Neoseeker continues to expand it's gaming horizons by taking the first steps in integrating the site further with gaming features at large. Xbox Live now has a dedicated community setup built into the site, tracking player stats and displaying them in user profiles! The site administration hope to expand this to PSN network tags, and to Steam in the future!
For a look at the new system, be sure to check out the source URLs!
"Sony sold over one million of its new PS3 in just 3 weeks after its release. Even with sales that massive, Greenberg remains confident that the Xbox 360 will outsell the PS3 for not only the calender year, but for this generation of consoles.
“What I can tell you is we remain confident that Xbox 360 will not only outsell PS3 for the full calendar year, but for this entire generation.”"
"Aaron Greenberg is at at it again, riling everyone who isn’t a Xbox 360 fanboy who believes the system will kill all-comers. This time it’s merely him expressing a simple belief that the Xbox 360 will outsell the PS3 both this calendar year and for the console generation as a whole. But as usual it’s the way he puts his message across. The man is a walking mouthpiece."
"Microsoft has today announced the release of the ultimate entertainment experience for petrol-heads and racing fanatics, the Xbox 360 Forza Motorsport 3 Super Elite Bundle. Exclusive to Xbox 360, Forza Motorsport 3 is the definitive racing game for everyone from hardcore tuners to anyone who’s ever dreamed of driving at full-throttle."
"Beginning with the game’s worldwide release on November 10, fans can arm themselves with the Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition Console, featuring an exclusive design inspired by the epic thriller, more storage space than ever before in a 250GB Hard Drive, two Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers, as well as an Xbox 360 Headset and a Standard Edition copy of Modern Warfare 2 for an estimated retail price of $399 (USD) and $599 (AUD) here in Australia."
"A new study by a University of Warwick researcher has demonstrated that researchers trying to model a range of processes could use the power and capabilities of a particular Xbox chip as a much cheaper alternative to other forms of parallel processing hardware."
"As a rare and highly collectable piece of The Beatles merchandise, the Xbox 360 console is receiving a lot of attention. The Xbox 360 console is equipped with a Hard-Disk Drive, though which model the unit is has not been specified. What has been specified, however, is that all proceeds will benefit the same cause as the Xbox 360 exclusive Downloadable Content (DLC), Doctors Without Borders."
"Xbox Live is great fun, don't get me wrong. It is an amazing social experience in which you can have an amazing time and meet some truly incredible people. I've made lifelong friends from all over the globe thanks to Xbox Live, and had some of the most memorable gaming experiences on Live, such as scoring that 43-3 on CoD4 or having some guy threaten to kill me over a game of Halo next time we were at a LAN together. I even became addicted to Achievements for a period of time, only slowing do..."
With the PS3 Slim now released, speculation turned to a slimmer version of the Xbox 360. Speaking with Kotaku, Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg has stated that Microsoft has no intention to release a "360 Slim." He says that the 360 hasn't reached the halfway point of its lifspan yet. Rather than reinventing the console, he states that their focus is on reinventing the way people use it.
Game development has sky rocketed since the launch of the current generation. Developers are finding it hard to break even. EA has spoken saying that game needs to sell about 1.1 million copies, just to break even. EA also said that because of of Microsoft and Sony trying to push the current consoles, they have exhausted themselves. Because of that we will be seeing the PS3.5 before the PS4 and the Xbox560 before the Xbox720
"With the news of the official restructuring of the Xbox 360 pricing strategy yesterday, it appears that retailers are beginning to take action with their existing stock. Electronic Theatre contacted a number of UK high street retailers today, both national chains and independent retailers, and discovered some quite shocking results."
"While it may be acceptable to increase the price of hardware based upon fluctuations in the value of currency in the worldwide economy, a price hike of £30 is a rather drastic increase. Indeed, this increase now places the Xbox 360 Arcade bundle at only £10 lower than the Xbox 360 Pro unit – which includes a 60GB Hard Disk Drive – which will remain at retail for at least a short time, while Microsoft’s phasing-out of the package continues."
"Microsoft has today confirmed that which the industry had been predicting for some time. While rumours of a price-cut for the Xbox 360 have been rumoured since the beginning of Summer, and further so since Sony’s revelation of the PlayStation 3, and it’s new lowered price-tag, it’s only today that the Xbox 360 will see a reduction in it’s European Recommended Retail Price (RRP)."
Microsoft have defended the Xbox 360 hardware issues after Game Informer's recent survey found a staggering 54.6% failure rate for the 360 amongst its 5000 participants. However, Microsoft have responded by saying that they are constantly striving to improve the 360's performance.
Walmart is supposedly dropping their price on the Xbox 360 Elite model by a hundred dollars. According to the catalog, customers can pick up a new Elite for $299 starting on August 30. There have been a lot of rumors about the Elite models receiving a price cut to compete with the PS3. Now that the PS3 Slim has been officially announced, this rumor seems to have substantial weight behind it.
"The PS3 Slim is about to hit retail and consumer interest is already pretty high, judging by Amazon. Although Microsoft has already made some internal changes to the Xbox 360 hardware (in an effort to prevent the dreaded "red ring of death" from happening too often), IndustryGamers thinks Microsoft would do well to introduce a slimmed down Xbox 360 with a sleeker design, quieter performance and most important of all, greater reliability."
"A 54% failure rate brings many questions to mind. How did Microsoft avoid recall of the system, why are we not seeing more class action suits, and most importantly and personally, why do I keep buying consoles that our almost guaranteed to die on me."
Game Informer recently conducted a survey of 5000 participants to see the hardware failure rates for the current-gen consoles. It'll come as no surprise to see the 360 in the lead with a 54.2% failure rate. The PS3 had 10.6%, while the Wii only had 6.8%. Before fanboys begin to bash the numbers, they've given other statistical information to justify the rates. And remember, the sample size was only 5000. However, the most interesting piece of information from the survey was that only 3.8% of ...
"Retailers have told Eurogamer that Microsoft will increase the price of the Arcade Xbox 360 bundle to £159.99 (from £129.99) starting 1st September. The five XBLA games will no longer be included in the bundle, either.
ShopTo boss Igor Cipolletta received confirmation from Microsoft this morning, as did a corroborating independent retail chain source.
We're also told that Microsoft will bump the price of individual Xbox 360 accessories by one or two pounds. Our independent retail source..."
"This exclusive partnership offers you the ability to instantly stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix to the television via Xbox 360. Xbox 360 will be the only game console to offer this movie-watching experience, available to Xbox LIVE Gold members who are also Netflix unlimited plan subscribers**, at no additional cost."
"With the latest news of the 360 Pro being discontinued along with the Arcade and Elite console’s likely dropping in price to $149 and $299, would Microsoft think about slimming the 360?
Here’s how it looks right now, the Wii has a console the size of a GPX DVD player and the PS3 will be slimming down to about half the size of an XBOX 360. The 360 isn’t as big as the PS3 currently is, but will look like a mammoth compared to the Slim PS3 and the Wii."
Some guy from Vimy, Alberta (Canada), calling himself "Dmorrill123," is currently selling an Xbox 360 on eBay for $1.1 million. What's so special about this 360, you ask? It's not even an Elite!
Ah, but it's been signed by former Alaska governor and McCain running mate Sarah Palin. You know her, right? Sort of? She's the lady who said all those really stupid things on camera and disgraced the Republican presidential campaign in 2008? Yeah, her.
This Dmorrill123 fellow is also aski...
Today Microsoft had announced that owners of the Xbox360 console can now purchase content and Microsoft points using there PayPal account. Along with the announcement, it was stated that all users of the console had to do was to log in and associate their PayPal information onto Xbox Live, and eventually having to give out credit card details. Also, players can link more than one PayPal account to their Gamertag.
In the slides for the company's CY2009 Q2 Financial Report, Activision Blizzard has given to use the hardware install bases for North America and Europe combined. Their data is as of June 30, 2009, and the data is courtesy of North American tracker NPD Group and European tracker Gfk-Charttrack.
North American and Europe Installed Base:
360: 27 million (June 2009 NPD LTD: 15.5m)
PS3: 16 million (June 2009 NPD LTD: 8m)
WII: 40 million (June 2009 NPD LTD: 20.5m)
Handhelds: 96 million
...
"T.S. Eliot once wrote, "This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper." While that may be interesting enough for your freshman Introduction to Poetry class, it hardly works as a video game premise, which would explain why Activision hasn't yet secured the rights to Call of Poetry: Modernism Warfare. On the other hand, video games need intense settings and outrageous set pieces, and there's nothing more intense or outrageous than the end of the world. For this week's top ten, w..."
Remember those price cut predictions from a reputable industry mole? Well, it seems like a part of his prediction might be coming true according to Kotaku. He had predicted that Microsoft will drop their support for the 360 Pro models in favor of the Elites. Kotaku's got their hands on photos of the new packaging for 360s which shows only two versions; the Arcade and the Elite.
If this is true, his PS3 predictions should certainly be watched carefully.
During the conference call following the release of their financial report, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello has said that the company will not disclose the publisher's plans for the HD consoles' motion systems. The earliest the company will talk about Natal and Sony's motion wand will be early to mid 2010.
You may or may not remember when Steve Ballmer was misinterpreted as saying there was new Xbox hardware about a month ago (original Grep post). Well now there is another "confirmation" of a new Xbox set coming from Ryan Geiss (of Geisswerks, Winamp visualization plug in programmer). He made a post that went unnoticed until now about the "Xbox 360+" .. .which of course really could just mean a new 360/Natal bundle.
"To me the Xbox signifies the end of an era in video games, as it was the last of the true gaming systems. Yes, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are both designed with gaming in mind, but you could make a reasonable, logical argument that both platforms are multimedia devices that just happen to also play games."
A great episode of The Bender awaits you. James will be buying a new system soon (he has had both a PS3 and Xbox 360, both have broke on him in the past). I ended up trying to show James the benefits of the Xbox 360, while Perry attempts to do the same for the PS3, and Allison swoops into talk about the Wii, but ends up saying pros/cons of the 360 and PS3. Plus we cover game news and the such. Enjoy!
Listen live/stream through iTunes or download the mp3 here.
Unlike that other infamous analyst, Jesse Divnich from EEDAR has written up an interesting blog post showing how high-profile DLC can have a serious negative impact on other retail games of the same genre. It might be fairly obvious that purchasing DLC will extend the lifespan of a game and will cause consumers to be less likely to pick up a similar new title. He mentions the advantages of creating DLC and discusses the window of time before developers should push out a new game after a DLC r...
The Japanese market has been dominated by the Nintendo DS and PSP. That trend did not change in the first half of 2009 as the two handheld systems once again dominated the Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 in terms of hardware sales in Japan so far in the year.
"The service is due to launch this Autumn, and rumours have already begun to suggest that a total replacement of Sky Set-Top Boxes may well be on the cards. With Xbox 360’s retailing for only slightly more than a standard Sky Set-Top Box, it’s not out of the question to suggest that both may be offered to new customers as perhaps standard and premium options, aside the current standard, Sky+ and Sky+HD boxes. Of course, it’s not too difficult to figure out the benefits for both parties should ..."
According to data from European sales tracker GfK Chart Track, Gamesindustry.biz is reporting the following lifetime numbers for each current hardware system in the UK:
Nintendo DS - 9.1m
Wii – 5.4m
Xbox 360 – 3.9m
PSP – 3.3m
PlayStation 3 – 2.2m
DSi – 0.3m
The total install base eclipses 24 million.
Within the last 12 months, each hardware system has sold this much:
Nintendo DS - 2.7m
Wii – 2.3m
Xbox 360 – 1.7m
PSP – 1.1m
PlayStation 3 – 900k
DSi – 0.3m (release...
With King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match recently hitting the XBLA, eager early adopters might be slightly confused and disappointed. For those who've already purchased the game, you might be aware that the entire game isn't in English with parts of the game, such as the win quotes, appearing in Japanese. So what's the reasoning behind this shenanigan? The answer's really quite simple; this version is actually a port of the Japanese arcade version. And now you know.
With the many upcoming features announced for the Dashboard, there might be one of them you don't want. According to Sean Alexander, the director for Microsoft's Advertising Business Group, ads will be implemented on the 360 through the use of Microsoft's Silverlight, which allows online advertising campaigns on multiple platforms. The Silverlight integration is set to appear sometime this year, but most probably with the next dashboard update. But hey, look on the bright side. At least you g...
After Microsoft's keynote at E3, one of the more anticipated services they announced was Last.fm compatibility. Some of the information of what Xbox LIVE members can expect from the service has been revealed thanks to Joystiq's efforts. The plans can change around by the time the service is released but this is what they're thinking of doing right now:
"The PlayStation brand has always been seen as pioneering in the UK. From the first system pushing 3D boundaries, to Dual Shock, to the PlayStation2’s DVD Playback capabilities to the sheer horsepower of the PLAYSTATION 3; whatever the brand may mean to gamers, these have been the unique selling points the system has been benefit to on the high street. For a brand that’s television coverage had previously been unrivalled in the videogames industry, the PlayStation’s success was thanks just as ..."
No, this isn't another one of Michael Pachter's inane predictions. This time these predictions are coming from a mole over at Ars Technica. Before you arbitrarily dismiss Nostradamus' predictions here, this person's been known to have been correct about the 360 price cut last year, the Resident Evil 5 360 bundle, and the PSP Go. He states that Sony will reveal a price cut for the PS3 simultaneously with the announcement of the PS3 Slim. As for Microsoft, he says that they will phase out the P...
Xbox LIVE front man Major Nelson posted via Twitter about some special Xbox 360 consoles in the office, made for Microsoft's new partners announced at this year's E3 -- Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, and Sky (UK and Ireland).
The Twitter colors don't look too bad either, given that it's several different shades and not just a solid blue. Take off that Twitter logo, and we've got ourselves a lovely new decal.
Again, these are NOT FOR SALE so don't start spreading unfounded rumors. Eyes only!
"In the aftermath of the Iranian election, the Iran governement has attempted to filter the content of electronic communication. Some web sites being blocked completely and Internet overall being slowed.
Initial exposure of the recent events have been taking place on services such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. However some could find alternative means of communicating to those outside the country.
Craig Labovitz of Arbor Networks Inc has written a detailed report on what specific..."
"The most recent statistics show the continued dominance of the current generation of consoles by the Xbox 360 (with a 21.1% usage minutes). The Wii and Playstation 3 come in third and fourth places with 17.6% and 10.5% respectively.
The statistics for the previous generation of consoles is not as kind to both Microsoft's Xbox consoles. Being used much less than the Playstation 2, which has a 21.6% showing, ranking the system the most played console for the month of April."
According to Major Nelson, the next dashboard update is set to improve on the NXE, which he jokingly dubbed NXE 2.0. The update promises a much faster dashboard with new features. The features included will be things like the Avatar Marketplace, the Games On Demand service, Twitter, and Facebook that Microsoft announced during E3. The update will be out sometime this year as they're trying to gear up for the holiday season.
He also provided the reasons behind the LIVE downtime last week. W...
To completely contradict Steve Ballmer and/or TGDaily's interpretation of Ballmer's words, Destructoid went to Aaron Greenberg of Microsoft to clarify Ballmer's words, in which he says that he probably meant "Natal" and not a whole new console. Go Dtoid for fact-checking a story before posting it :D
In news I could have never predicted would be happening when I woke up this morning, Microsoft's Steve Ballmer confirmed in Chicago that there will be new Xbox in 2010, hit up the quote to read all we know at the moment. Props to 1UP for posting a pretty way out there rumor that is now ending up to be reality.
"It’s been revealed today, in a not unprecedented move from the High Street and online retailer, that Argos has slashed the retail price of Xbox 360 storage devices, most notably the Xbox 360’s 120GB Hard-Disk Drive (HDD) accessory. Previously retailing for the already competitive price of £87.99, Argos has today lowered their price to only £67.99."
"There seems to be little notification on the systems themselves of the increase in capacity, with the Settings Menu within the Xbox 360 Dashboard being the only signifier so far. While remaining packaged, there is no noticeable difference between this and earlier models of the Xbox 360 Arcade hardware bundles. There is also no official comment regarding a European roll-out currently, though Electronic Theatre would suspect it will only a be short while until existing supplies at retail are di..."
"Grabbing it’s own headlines, it’s own games and perhaps even it’s own magazine, Project NATAL will be delivered alongside the Xbox 360 in an effort to revitalise the console midway through it’s life cycle, rather than become the standard bearer for Microsoft’s presence in the industry."
We are back from half the crew being at E3 to ... talk about E3. James and Perry tell a tale of almost getting killed while in L.A., we hit up the finer points of the three major conferences, talk about the best games, and take a little bit longer than usual to do so. Grab us on iTunes or download the mp3 directly. Enjoy!
"Microsoft has today released an interesting video intended to convey the unique appeal of the New Xbox Experience’s Avatars. In a typically modern marketing fashion, the colloquial delivery of the video will more than likely charm a large percentage of its intended audience."
During E3, OXM spoke to Patrick Soderlund, Senior VP of EA Games, who said they have maxed out the Xbox 360, while the PS3 still has a lot of room left. He further goes on to talk about how Natal has great possibilities, but loves the games coming from Sony.
"Project Natal’s Milo was the star of Microsoft’s E3 press conference this year. The Milo demo shown via a video by Peter Molyneux surprised the audience and many gamers around the globe by the promise of what the technology could offer. Molyneux did bring a select number of journalists to demo Milo and it was found to be mostly smoke and mirrors.
I commented the other day that I was extremely impressed with the Milo project in comparison to the other basic motion detection demos the old vi..."
Announced during their press conference, Microsoft are to team up with the minds behind Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm to bring all 3 of them to the Xbox 360 later this year.
At their E3 Media Briefing, Microsoft's Don Mattrick unveils a new device headed to the Xbox 360 console: Project Natal. It is a camera that takes advantage of the entire body as a controller. It will also be able to scan items, recognize faces and voices.
It's been confirmed folks... Metal Gear Solid: Rising the next of the Metal Gear Solid franchise will be on the XBOX360, whether or not it's exclusive or not is yet to be seen. All that is known is that it doesn't star Solid Snake in the role... but Raiden.
E3 2009 is set to be a lot bigger and better than last year's E3 and Kotaku was able to snap some pictures of what the lucky visitors will be able to see. I must say, it looks pretty impressive, especially the Final Fantasy XIII stairs.
"When is Sky Player for Xbox 360 arriving and how much will it cost?
In the autumn – expect a big marketing push from both companies and to see plenty of Ant or Dec's girlfriend Georgie Thompson. On pricing, neither company is prepared to talk – the Sky Player service sees people with multi-room get access to the channels they subscribe to; people with one box have to pay a multi-room rate to add a single Sky Player account for live channels, and people without Sky will have to pay the equi..."
"Looks like it’s the usual suspects this week.
Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (based on UU’s)
1 Halo 3
2 Call of Duty: WaW
3 Call of Duty 4
4 Gears of War 2
5 GTA IV
6 UFC 2009 Undisputed Demo
7 FIFA 09
8 UFC 2009 Undisputed
9 Left 4 Dead
10 Fallout 3
Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions purchased)
1 Castle Crashers
2 Peggle
3 Hasbro Family Game Night**
4 Worms
5 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1989 Classic Arcade
6 UNO
7 Star Trek: D•A•C
8 The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai
9 Gel
10 ..."
"With the recent trend of blockbuster games being packaged together (Game of the Year Bundle), it seemed that EPIC’s blockbuster ‘Gears of War‘ series was missing out on its very own package. Well fear not Gears of War fans (11 million of you, and counting), as Microsoft Australia have just announced a special ‘Gears of War’ bundle to be released on the 4th of June to participating retailers.
The limited edition ‘Gears of War’ bundle will include an Xbox 360 Pro console, accompanied by bot..."
"Just a few hours ago, I went to the one near my house and was quite surprised at what I saw. Apparently they had a installed a new vending machine less than a day ago which allows you to trade in your used PS2, PS3, X-Box, 360 and Wii games.
The machine looks extremely similiar to the Redbox DVD rental machines. When I went to use the machine, however, it still had more than a few bugs that need fixing. The first issue occurs right after you login. When logging in, you are asked to scan yo..."
"Gaming has a lot of "dirty words", and one I'd like to highlight today is "exclusive", a term personally I haven't seen explored from an editorial standpoint. In this Special, I'll go into the ups and downs of exclusives, non-exclusives, why anyone cares, and why developers go one way or another.
Even the most latent of gamers is probably aware of what "exclusive" refers to, but just in case, here's an explanation: due to a variety of reasons, a developer and publisher decide together thei..."
Electronic Theatre reports on the arrival of a new Xbox 360 Arcade Console Bundle, set to include SEGA Superstar Tennis at an additional cost of only £10.
"By popular demand, TikGames has created a free Title Update that allows groups of players to continue playing from game to game without needing to return to the lobby and restart their match. This feature can only be allowed in Player Matches. Also, players who win a round get to choose the first domino placed in the next round, allowing skilled players to control suits to suit themselves."
Whilst the battle between Microsoft and Sony is heating up in the gaming world, in the PC world it seems to be a completely different story, with Microsoft's latest advert telling people to choose a PC over a Mac... but not just any PC, a Sony Vaio... view the video below.
Anyone who has played a multiplayer game on Xbox Live has undoubtedly met one of these… stools. They are the bane of the online gaming world and need to be dealt with. America passed the Patriot Act, let’s put it to good use for once and track down these fools. The question is what do we do with them once we have them? What measure of pain should we inflict for their online crimes?
"You see, the core of Hasbro Family Game Night, the "game room," comes as a free download. Each of the six available games in the package (Battleship, Yahtzee, Boggle, Connect Four, Sorry!, Sorry! Sliders, and Scrabble, once all the games are released) cost 800 Microsoft space-bucks, or ten (failing) American dollars. As I looked at my TV and considered the prices, it became apparent to me that NONE of the games were really worth $10. Ten dead presidents for Connect Four? Nah. An entire Hamilt..."
Earlier this week, Nielsen Media Research had released console hardware usage statistics for 2008. Today, they have released a revised graph, showing the percentage of minutes each console commands through the calendar year. Most, if not all of the adjustments, came in the January 2009 area.
The revised statistics show that throughout most of 2009, the PS2 enjoyed a large lead in usage percentage, before losing most of it in January 2009. The Xbox 360 and whatever is in the 'Other' cate...
"While Wii may be selling faster than tickets to an all boy choir being sold at a Catholic parish, the games have received very little fanfare on the review front. Outside of the occasional mini-game compilation and first-party titles, Wii has struggled greatly in North America to establish any sort of strong sales figures for third-party games that measure up to the console's install base. Hardcore and casual third-party exclusive titles for the Wii fall very flat in comparison to the PLAYSTA..."
"...it’s really the principal of the thing. It’s not like I’m offline a lot, but shouldn’t I be entitled to play the game that I payed for if something, such as a thunderstorm, occurs?"
Here is a stereotype breaker. Nielsen co. did a study and discovered that PC gamers is mostly dominated by women that are 25 years or older. Talk about strange, but the other two are less of a shocker. Out of all three consoles, the Wii is the one with least activity and PS3 and Xbox 360 gamers hardly watch TV, mostly because they are busy playing.
Dylan Nelson of MSOT brings you reviews of the newest Xbox Live Community Games. 12 of them in fact. 11 mini-reviews, and the most deserving game received a full review. Ranging from camel riding to fish battles to fly swatting, don't miss the Community Games Round-Up to find out what you need to play.
During Ciruit Cities liquidation, many people gave back their PS3's and 360's. As a result the company had many consoles left, and CC sold them all to a facility, promising they where all in working condition. As it turned out, the consoles the facility received, half of them where broken. And even more interesting, a lot of them still had their credit card information on login ID on the system, some even contained home made porn. You can consider them lucky, or a really pissed off company.
"While the Xbox360 and Wii have a considerably lower price and larger install base than the PLAYSTATION3, the console isn’t all that far behind the competition. However, since 2006 Sony has been taken a good pummeling by the media (especially in North America) because of the high-price and gaudy promotional campaign for the third-generation PlayStation console. It’s still not uncommon for a lot of journalists and gamers alike to rant on Sony, claiming that their console is “dying” or “failing”..."
"Last week we discussed five easily implemented changes to Sony’s PS3 that could improve the system’s appeal to gamers and overall market position in 2009. This week we turn our uncompromising eye on the Xbox 360 to examine several simple improvements that could attract new customers and further cement Microsoft’s position in the gaming industry."
In a move that we see far too often from both Sony and Microsoft, Xbox 360 product management director Aaron Greenberg let's you all know that the PS3 is failing while the Xbox 360 is still rising. In this little talk with GamaSutra, he even goes as far as to say that if Lost & Damned were a retail release, "It would have outsold Killzone 2." Console wars, amusing stuff.
In an amusing and not well thought out move by the European Parliament, they desire a "red button" on consoles for parents to be able to push when they see something "morally objectionable" in front of their kid's eyes. James Walker believes this already existed with the reset button. I would take it a step further and go ahead and say that button is called the "Power Button"
"Selecting a "winner" for each console generation is somewhat of a nonsensical engagement. Before even beginning to assess the merits of your sources of sales figures, release dates, review scores and other such relevant texts, you have to consider exactly what qualities a "winner" would possess. Would it be the largest quantity of widely renowned videogame releases of a high quality? Or that which had increased its library from the previous-generation to the greatest extent? Perhaps the defin..."
Sometimes companies like to remodel their consoles after a few years. When the technology gets better and you are able to fit the same amount in a smaller, sleeker space, then why not do it! Well don't get to excited, this isn't official. Its a fan made concept for the Xbox 360 if it was smaller and sleeker. If only Microsoft can add the flying disc into the tray feature as well.
This is an amazing commercial for the Xbox 360. Showing off a futuristic spaceship creating the ultimate weapon. All this with superb animation and CGI.
Follow the link to watch the video.
Some people are good at photoshop, and there are others that are amazing. Mauro Ramalho created the extreme X campaign for the 360 launch on Brazil. Using amazing photoshop talent and creativity, he created these awesome prints. Check out the rest of his portfolio to see his other campaigns for products such as Sprite.
"Microsoft's online service costs $50 a year, if you don't find a card on sale, and Sony wants to show you what you could be buying with that money if you were online with your PS3. You have to give it to them: $50 on the PlayStation Network gets you some pretty great stuff.
"Rather than paying a $50 subscription fee that competitors charge for on-line services, PlayStation Network users could put that money towards a variety of content," the company claims. What could you get?"
Some talented man in Ohio built this Xbox 360 arcade cabinet, Xbox LIVE ready and all.
It has built in joysticks but is also compatible with any wireless controller, hosts a 60GB HD, wireless Internet, display & volume control, and a 27'' monitor.
The asking price is $2,250, which is actually pretty good, considering. However you'd have to drive to Ohio to get it..
"The following is a tribute to fanboys everywhere, regardless of any anger you may personally feel towards them. That Game Site has recently spent considerable time reflecting on the videogame industry and has realized that for all the problems fanboys cause they do a lot of good. It is about time someone pointed out the benefit they are to the business and gave them the proper 'thank you' they deserve."
"Around 90 seconds of downloading and your system will restart, before seemingly downloading another update lasting around 30 seconds. Again restarting, the system will boot normally, allowing you to once again sign-in to XboxLIVE!."
You know how people sometimes take things to far? These people did. An AV club in Wheat Ridge, CO took two dozen 360's and set them on fire, creating a massive bonfire in celebration of the upcoming game, Killzone 2. Sigh, with all that money spent on those 360's, they could have bought the game four dozen times.
Note: Article is a satirical piece about Killzone 2 fanboys.
Square Enix's iPhone/iPod Touch only title Crystal Defenders is exclusive no more: the company has revealed it will be bringing it to WiiWare, PlayStation Network (PSN) and Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA).
The game uses many character classes from the Final Fantasy Tactics universe. Japan is getting it January 27 on WiiWare (for 1,000 Wii Points), with the other versions, reportedly different somehow, not dated or priced yet.
"Microsoft has announced that according to NPD data, its Xbox 360 console outsold the PS3 by more than 2 to 1 in the holiday quarter in the US, helped by 1.4 million units sold in December 2008, a new record for the Xbox 360.
According to Microsoft, third-party game sales for Xbox 360 increased from $298 million in November to $504 million in December. Software highlights for 2008 included Gears of War 2, Call of Duty: World at War, Grand Theft Auto IV, Madden NFL 09, Left 4 Dead and Fable II."
The NPD Group has released their hardware and software numbers for the month of December, representing sales for the United States for the five week period of November 30th to January 3rd.
Notables this month:
Hardware numbers:
NDS: 3040.0k (608.0...
UK retailer GAME has released sales statistics for the past year for the five current console and portable hardware systems, giving 2008 year-to-date and lifetime-to-date totals for each system. The numbers are cited from and confirmed by European sales tracker Gfk Chart Track.
2008 Year-to-Date:
NDS: 3.4 million
WII: 2.9 million
360: 1.4 million
PS3: 1.0 million
PSP: 0.6 million
Lifetime-to-Date:
NDS: 8.8 million
WII: 4.9 million
360: 3.2 million
PSP: 3.2 million
PS3: 1.9 ...
"The problem comes when you go back and look at your list of achievements and see that there are some that are worth 30, 50, 100 or 150 points. Those are the ones you want. You probably also make the assumption if you dont look at the list that some tasks would be worth a lot. For example, you would think, that completing 50 horde waves would be worth 100 points or at least 50. Its not easy to do, and you need to have four or five players that work together and stick through all the waves. ..."
"A raid at a Staffordshire house has resulted in the apprehension of an unemployed man who operated an illegal chipping service on several websites all linked to Gumtree.com, a classified ads and community site. In an intelligence-led operation involving Staffordshire Trading Standards and investigators from ELSPA (the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association), the home of an unemployed 30 year-old man was raided this week."
"Ever since the debut of the Atari 2600 in 1977, if a console vendor's gaming instincts were not clean and strong, consumers would hesitate at the moment of truth. The consoles would not sell. And console makers died.
It's now clear that lesson was lost on Microsoft and Sony. Expect Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer to talk a lot about the Xbox 360 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Wednesday, and Sony Chief Howard Stringer to highlight the role of the PlayStation in tha..."
"Sales of videogames hit an all-time high in 2008, according to ELSPA (the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) which today revealed annual sales figures from GFK Chart-Track. Total sales of all videogame software and hardware amounted to £4.034 billion. There was a huge increase in games sales in 2008, with growth of 23 percent on figures for 2007. The market has now more than doubled over the last five years. The increasing popularity of videogames took total sales to £..."
"Despite a tough economy, the gaming industry held strong in 2008 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system recorded the biggest year in Xbox history, with more consoles, games and online entertainment experiences sold than any previous year. It was a year in which life-to-date unit sales of Xbox 360 systems climbed to 28 million consoles worldwide - expanding the product's lead over Sony PlayStation 3 to more than 8 million units."
"GfK-ChartTrack data shows that Xbox 360 was the fastest-growing console of 2008, with sales in the fourth quarter of 2008 over double that of the same period in 2007, spurred on by a mix of value, great games and entertainment, and the recently-launched New Xbox Experience."
In 2001, Sony partnered with Toshiba and IBM to create the Cell processor. Sony, Toshiba and IBM spent $400 million to design this processor. In late 2002, Microsoft also needed a chip for their then unnamed new gaming console and contacted IBM about it. In 2003, IBM showed Microsoft the specs of the in-development Cell processor. Microsoft quickly took the chance and contracted with IBM to have a chip like that built for them.
The result is what we know now as the XBOX 360 (or the red ring ...
"As always, all this clothing is free. It's automatically added to your Avatar's "wardrobe" when you connect to Xbox Live and is tagged with a "star" so you can find it easier. Your Avatars will definitely look sharp at their virtual New Years Party."
"Jasper", the latest model of the Xbox 360 -- speculated to all but eliminate the Red Ring of Death, as well as reported to host many new improvements -- has had its existence officially proven, and with the Pro version (the word up til now said this was Arcade-only).
Bill Landon over on PDAToday has a photo of his new model up, shown to be the latest revision as run under Xbox 360 Fanboy's test. There's no guarantee you'll get one of these, now, but there's never been a better time to get...
"You can see video of Fireplace at XNA.com, and you can add the demo directly to your Xbox 360 download queue*. According to SniperED007, Fireplace will allow you to Enjoy the awesome ambiance of a crackling fireplace in your living room. With realistic smoldering embers and flickering flames it sets the perfect backdrop for a relaxing evening. The full version will cost you 400 points."
"The industry is continually finding ways to break out of the reliance of hard-copied media formats. And even though both Microsoft and Sony are vying to gain exclusives with their respective online services, Microsoft has taken things a step further for the sake of keeping the Xbox 360 alive in 2009."
"Today Ubisoft revealed that they're working on a first-person shooter for both Xbox 360 and PS3. CellFactor: Psychokinetic Wars will be available on PSN and Xbox Live in early 2009.
CellFactor is a "battle of technology vs. humanity" and puts a number of high-tech weapons and telekinetic powers at the disposal of players."
"Oh 2008, you provided me with so much. From penis shaped levels on LittleBigPlanet to penis shaped monsters in Spore. From over sized sweater monkeys in Soul Calibur IV to Snake's ED in Metal Gear Solid 4. And when I wasn't busy gawking at virtual sex organs, I played some great games too.
But sometimes, videogame industry, you made me into a curmudgeon. I tried to stay positive, but then you didn't let me rip off Batman's head with Scorpion or you released Home in the middle of December,..."
"A nice new section that we will be exploring in 2009 is family gaming. As well as looking at the games we as parents can share with our children, we will also explore issues relating to online behaviour and how to navigate the increasingly adult-focused game world with our children.
We believe that being involved in video games with your child is not only the bonding fun experience of playing together and relating to their interest, but also the best way to educate yourself to better unde..."
"Microsoft have announced 'Free your Avatar', an exciting new feature that allows you to export your avatar out of XboxLIVE! and share with friends and family, either via e-mail or on social networking sites, in an easy one step process..."
"Zavvi has reduced the price of the Xbox 360 Arcade SKU to £99.99, making it the lowest price point for the console since the system was launched.
The Premium 360 pack has also been reduced in price to £149.99, while the Elite gets cut to £199.99. These cuts are expected to last until Christmas Day."
A Missouri State student is truly the next generation detective after the heist of his Xbox 360 went so wrong. Arriving back to his dorm to find his Xbox 360 console stolen during his departure, he noticed his 360 controller was still there. He also noticed that the controller still connected to the console, which meant that is was within 30 feet of the device. Through the process of elimination, and running around all parts of the building he was able to track down his lost console. Sadly th...
We've seen this year have some awesome titles for all 3 consoles, especially PS3 getting some great sales. But apparently according to CNN PS3 is dying by the hands of 360 and can't compete.
Reasons are PS3 is too expensive, and it also being a blu-ray player and no one wants hi def movies, although that sounds extremely skeptical based off Blu-ray being the number 1 electronic this holiday season. The last reason is PS3 has no must buy titles, LBP generated Buzz but isn't a game changer an...
"Looking at the breakdown of scores, it's clear that while the PlayStation 3 only has three more exclusives than the Xbox 360, it has quality on its side, with four games scoring 9 or higher, compared to only one on Xbox 360. The Wii, meanwhile, comes in with two. All three systems have exclusive strengths and weaknesses, but if we had to call a winner - and we do - we'd give it to the PlayStation 3: Sony's system has the highest standard of exclusives, paired with plenty of variety."
"Games industry trade body ELSPA (the Entertainment Leisure & Software Publishers Association) today urged parents looking to purchase video and computer games for Christmas to always check the game's packaging for the PEGI (Pan European Game Information) age ratings and content descriptors. PEGI age ratings appear on game packaging and are intended to protect children and help the public make informed choices when buying games for children. ELSPA believes..."
Microsoft boasts a 3:1 sales advantage on their Xbox 360 console versus that of Sony's Playstation 3, citing U.S. retailer reports. Additionally, the 360 saw a 25% jump in hardware sales over Black Friday 2007.
An analyst from Macquarie Securities revealed Nintendo makes $6 on each Wii they sell -- and that's supposed to be a lot! Microsoft about breaks even, meanwhile, and Sony loses money on each PlayStation 3. Quite an industry we're in.
"The most reliable estimates at current predict the arrival of the Next-Generation machines some time within 2011-2012. However, many experts have also stated that Nintendos plan is likely to be radically different to that of the competition, and so a successor to Wii may well arrive earlier..."
"Speaking with dreisechzig.net, Microsoft Europe's Boris Schneider-Johne has said that - at least for the first few weeks of the NXE's life - there'll be regular clothing updates for your avatars. And, more importantly, that they'll be free. But after that? "It has not been announced". It's OK, Boris, we get what you mean. The shitty t-shirts and "grunge" hi-tops, they'll be free, but the Marcus Fenix scowl and Bomberman Zero outfit, they'll cost us. After all, we can't take our Microsoft Poin..."
"Virg's Xbox360 got the dread Red Ring of Death. He bought it in Feb '07, and it started failing this Nov '08. He figured it would be months before he would get it back and expected to have to pay somewhere. Much to his surprise, Sam's Club let him swap it out for a new one for free.
They even let him keep his hard drive from the first one so he wouldn't lose all his games. And when it turned out they only had cheaper bundles available, they refunded him the difference."
With 2008 coming to close, many are wondering - "What console had the best exclusives", of course the true answer to that is based on what kind of games you like, and in many cases, what console you own, however the method which SecondStoryGamer use isn't a bad one at all.
Taking the Metascore Ratings of the exclusive games, and then working out it's average. Note that all results are as at November 20th
With news that the New XBOX Experiance (NXE) is causing grief to hundreds of gamers around the world in the form of the re-emergence of the Red Ring of Death.
What makes it worse is the timing. With the console having been released three years ago, the extended warranty for many gamers runs out - that's right a couple days ago. With their console RRoD'ing this is incredibly bad timing.
"By now, most Xbox 360 owners have probably had the chance to spend time tinkering with the New Xbox Experience update. Its a radical reimagining of the consoles interface and has added a load of new features, including the oft-debated Avatars. But if youve only spent time customising your new character and ripping Gears of War 2 to the hard drive, then you might have missed some of the other less well-know features. Read on for five of our faves."
"As you can imagine, it's been an incredible day so far for the New Xbox Experience. It's great to see so much enthusiasm it sounds like you are having fun exploring NXE. With an update of this magnitude, reaching more than 14 million people around the globe, we are aware some of you may be experiencing a few hiccups along the way. The LIVE team is closely monitoring the LIVE service and Xbox.com and are aware of a few issues including what's happening with Marketplace. The team is actively wo..."
It's not everyday that mistakes such as this happen, but when it happens, you can be sure that the gaming community will be all over it, as is the case here. Whilst trying to advertise Windows Vista, Microsoft have unconsciously (we presume) advertised the PlayStation.
The error of course comes in the form of a leaflet published by Microsoft which tells people about playing games on Windows Vista... only the images they use is off kids playing (and seemingly having fun) playing on a PS2.
Microsoft's NXE, which was hyped as being the most important thing to happen to home entertainment since the advent of color television, is bringing untold amounts of strife to Xbox 360 owners worldwide.
While the most serious problem is (naturally) the Red Ring of Death, those who find themselves lucky enough to not have their consoles up and die are experiencing serious audio problems, incompatibility issues with their HDTVs and system lock-ups, amongst many, many other things.
"Xbox 360 owners worldwide are currently fiddling around with Microsoft's New Xbox Experience, creating avatars and generally feeling all life-styley.
We've been messing around with the redesigned dashboard for a few weeks now and have had plenty of time to jot down what we like - and dislike - about the console's new face. Without further ado then, here are our NXE loves and hates...."
"One of the UK's biggest girl bands, The Sugababes, are all set to push the button on the all-new XboxLIVE! Experience tomorrow night, with a very special performance in central London as they've never been seen before..."
"...a comment made by Microsoft's top dog, Shane Kim. It's getting to be about the time in a console's life cycle when rumors or a successor begin to swirl, and naturally Kim was asked about when we could expect to see Microsoft ditch the 360 in favor of another console.
So when will Microsoft stop selling the Xbox 360? According to Kim:
One day longer than the lifespan of the PlayStation 3""
"People going in depth on reviews and every little feature are taking the fun of discovery that you get when you get the update. So below, I will give you my thoughts on this New Xbox Exerience, deep thoughts that you make you re-think your whole stance on politics, religion, and etc. Seriously though, this is going to be a nice brief overview to give you a taste of what to expect before getting your update (tomorrow)."
"You can enter up to ten times, and you are automatically entered once you buy something off the game.
Now, if you dont win the 500K prize, you could also win the 50K, 10K or 5K prizes, so dont get completely discouraged.
The contest begins on Wednesday, November 19th and ends on Sunday, November 23rd. Makes me wish I had a 360."
"I think you're looking at the last generation of consoles. I don't think Sony or Microsoft is going to make another console. The problem is that great graphics, which is what used to differentiate a console, are a commodity. Everybody's got it. You can't buy a PC that doesn't have Xbox or Nintendo-quality graphics anymore."
The price of the Playstation 3 has come under fire many times, and this time is no different, as GamePlayer gone out against the Playstations 3's pricing point comparing it to the XBOX360 and taking a look at other comparable products.
Things looked at include the Arcade and Premium version of the XBOX360 and various other Blu-ray players on the market.
"I don't think the chart needs to be explained, you have the games, you have how much space they would take on your hard drive, and then how much time you'd be saving (not listed on the chart is how much relief you will be giving your poor disc drive). No longer do 360 fanboys have the fodder of "oh you PS3 people have to install games blah blah" .. in the end, if you have a big enough hard drive, you know you'll be installing these games soon enough."
Electronic Theatre hosts the brand new UK Launch Trailer for the New Xbox Experience, released by Microsoft earlier today. Includes Avatar and 1 Vs. 100 footage...
With Gears of War 2 having been leaked early onto the internet in a torrent form three weeks prior to the game releasing, Microsoft have finally started a crackdown by banning accounts who managed to get their hands on the leaked version of the game. Though it's not just those that got it early that are being banned, but also those that have recently acquired (downloaded the game illegally) the game...
Stefanie Shea, an Army wife, has been doing more than her share for her husband and his brothers in arms. She founded Fun For Our Troops, a non-profit organization that helps provide video games, mp3 players, and other great techno goodies to our troops stationed overseas.
The website is linked, as is the address if anyone wants to make a contribution or donation.
Happy Veteran's Day everyone! Semper Fi!
"While you would expect to see a bunch of computer-related deals from Dell, they are also offering an Xbox 360 Arcade with a bundled copy of Rock Band 2 for $199.
Or, to summarize: An Xbox 360 Arcade with a free copy of Rock Band 2. It's a good deal if you don't already own an Xbox 360, or are looking for a gift for your kids or friends.. it's also safer than going to the store on Black Friday, which is akin to suicide."
Video game ratings are regulated in the United States by the federal government. With the presidential elections in the US coming tomorrow, you could be seeing some changes in how the ratings system on video games is done. With Obama last playing Pong, and McCain never playing a game (nor can he even check his e-mail, check article for video), almost anything can happen.
"While Barack Obama has running mate Joe Biden, the Xbox 360 has Zune. The similarity? No one cares about either counter-part. John McCain has Sarah Palin running alongside him as a potential Vice President, while the PS3 has the PSP-3000 as its running mate. The similarity? The PSP-3000 is a sleek and sexy device with some fun titles, but theres some obvious issues when it comes to stability and functionality. Need I say more?"
"During the 2007 holiday season, the sudden influx of new Xbox 360 owners onto Xbox Live overwhelmed the servers and caused sporadic service outages. This left many gamers...perturbed. Well, Microsoft was angry too and they swear those sort of problems won't happen again."
"When I bought a 360, I fell in love with it. I played and played and played with achievements in mind, and did the craziest things. I killed 10 people while in the air off the back of a flaming warthog. I knew I was in trouble when I thought "Why would you play a game that didn't have achievements?" That was about the time I moved to PC gaming, which of late has given into this guilty pleasure (Im looking at you, Team Fortress 2 and Call of Duty 4)."
"The easiest entry into Xbox LIVE for Arcade
* Incredible value; includes a 60 GB Hard Drive, Headset, Ethernet cable, and a 3-month LIVE Gold subscription.
* 60 GB Hard Drive allows users the ability to download HD video content, XBLA games, and Xbox Originals.
* Rip your music to the Hard Drive and create custom playlists to use in-game and out.
* Enjoy online multiplayer gaming and other exclusives with the included 3-month LIVE Gold Subscription Card.
* Strategiz..."
Despite the PS3's overpricing, amazingly, it has conquered sales yet again in Q2 worldwide, states Eurogamer. The Playstation 3 shifted 2.4 million units whereas the 360 only managed 2.2, this is no indication as to how Q3's sales for both consoles may turn out.
It seems Microsoft are finally doing something about the terrible abuse that is hurled across XboxLIVE every day. It's so bad that many gamers, both old and young fear going online.
Some refuse to due to terrible past experiences. This new patent will allow Microsoft the censor the XboxLIVE in "real-Time" cutting out any delay or human involvement.
Check the story out with related links.
Matthew Gallant, of the site gangles, has typed up the history of the famous A and B buttons! Taking a look at Nintendo, Sega, Microsoft and Sony.
It starts from the revolution that was the NES controller with the break away from the joystick fad to the DS where the article's author was shocked to find it A and B instead of B and A. Though the basic functions have been kept the same, designs have changed. Sega and Microsoft consoles have been similar, also using the A and B theme. Yes Sony...
Microsoft is really trying to make the 360 a more attractive buy for people this holiday, now they will be bundling the 360 with extra games at no extra cost. The $299 Premium and $399 Elite will come with Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures, and Kung Fu Panda. And the $199 Arcade will came with Sega Superstars Tennis on top of the five Xbox Live Arcade titles that already come with it.
These holiday bundles will take effect later in the year, but take note that these bundles have ...
""Still waiting for Microsoft to officially admit the development of a slim Xbox 360 console? Just to make things clear: are you still wondering if Xbox Slim is myth or reality? Well, wonder no more, since the proof its here: it exists, its alive but its a bit different.""
In an interview that took place during the Toyko Game Show this year- Microsoft's GPM Aaron Greenberg denied the fact that Microsoft might integrate BluRay into the 360. Saying "We have no plans to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience" and knocking BluRay further when he said that "It's pretty clear it's not the next DVD."
"Games like Final Fantasy XIII and Tekken 6 once dead-on exclusives to the PlayStation brand have jumped shipped thanks to Namco and Square-Enix finding a second abode with Microsoft. And as it was stated in the article about the Xbox 360 saving the PS3 from decimating developers, the multiple platforms has afforded both Namco and Square-Enix a comfortable alternative for making back their hard-earned bucks..."
We've already got the date for the new XBOX Experience, and now be pleased to see some screenshots of the new XBOX experience.
Ben Heck brings us a one handed controller for the PS2, PS3, and PC - with a 360 version on the way. It might be a little unwieldly at first- but it is safe to assume that this controller is pretty bad ass.
Even better- Ben is going to offer up guides on how to hack and mod his controller mod in the upcoming few weeks - stay tuned for that!
Just when you thought Ben Heck couldn't go any further after he created the Xbox 360 Laptop, he has outdone himself again.
Lets take a 17" screen, an Xbox 360, and throw it all into a tough, durable, Pelican case.
A laptop fit for Jack Bauer himself. Bravo Ben.
Microsoft has revealed during the TGS 2008 that the New Xbox Experience, which is giving the dashboard a whole new look, will be coming out on November 19th, a little more than a month away.
Firstly the Wii got Mii's and then the XBOX360 got what many people have described to be "Mii Like Avatars" as part of the new dashboard experience. Whilst many can't deny the idea wasn't exactly their own, the same holds true for the Playstation 3 Trophies, and so whether or not it is their idea, it's the application of the idea that matters.
Many owners of the XBOX360 have considered the Avatars to be an "ill-advised attempt at Microsoft to capture the casuals", and this is what the auth...
With the Tokyo Game Show 2008 fast approaching, Microsoft have released the list of games that they will be showcasing which includes 23 playable games and 3 videos. Big-name games such as Star Ocean 4 and Fable 2 will be on hand at the event and can be played by those willing to wait in the queue for hours...
Be sure to check the full list of playable games at the source.
"Microsoft Corp's Xbox 360 outsold Sony's PlayStation 3 in Japan in September, beating the rival machine in monthly unit sales for the first time in Sony's home market, a game magazine publisher said.
Strong sales growth came after Microsoft cut prices for its game console last month.
Microsoft sold 53,547 units of the Xbox 360 in the four weeks to September 28, compared with 33,071 units of the PS3, data from Enterbrain showed on Friday."
"October 3, 2008 - Just about every weekday new content is released on Xbox Live Marketplace. There's so much to sort through, sometimes it's hard to know what's new and what's old. Each day, IGN brings you a list of the latest demos, in-game content, themes and gamer pics. Check back every weekday to see what's new on Marketplace.
Game: NBA 2K9
Content: NBA 2K9 Demo
Price: Free
Size: 547.71 MB
Dash Text: [ESRB: E (Everyone)] Relive the start of Game 6 in the 2008 NBA Finals with the of..."
"According to the Xbox 360 DVD Drive Database, it appears Xbox 360s outfitted with the much-anticipated Jasper chipset have finally started showing up in stores and at online retailers.
The key things to look for when buying a new Xbox 360 with the Jasper chipset is a manufacturing date (MFR) as early as 2008-08-06, Lot 8031 and up, and Team CSON. (You may have to bribe your local GameSpot salesperson to poke his or her finger through the serial number window of 360 box to inspect the manuf..."
"Welcome
By default, your Xbox 360 will start on this menu. Here you'll find "Online Entertainment," "Friends," "Express Yourself," where you can create and configure your avatar; and the "Nextflix" window.
Inside Xbox
This is Microsoft's channel that connects Xbox Live users to the community."
Gamestop may experience a drop in video game consoles soon if the word gets out... that a local store has been storing consoles in the bathroom.
That's right, one Gamestop was found to be storing their Xbox360's and PS3's in the store's bathroom facility. Is this the kind of treatment we'd want our console to go through before purchase?
Sadly the video that one customer had made was deleted, though the reasons are unknown the statement and picture (albeit blurry) are evidence enough for...
Yahtzee goes in depth about the nostalga of retro-gaming and how it is affecting and influencing the current gaming economy. Tackling Castle Crashers, Bionic Commando and more in traditional Yahtzee fashion.
"Microsoft revealed the outcome of their unofficial "Rock the Vote" poll Monday, and Barack Obama and Joe Biden have come out on top. The poll, announced in early September, tasked Xbox 360 owners with downloading Gamerpics that represented their choice of candidate. The "Obama \ Biden" Gamerpic took a 12% lead with 43% of the total, and "McCain \ Palin" finished at 31%. A large number of those polled didn't throw their hat into any particular ring, however, with "Undecided" at 13%, and "Other..."
"Ok boys and girls, Xbox LIVE is having a scheduled downtime on Monday, September 29 starting at 12:01am Pacific Time. It will be down for 24 hours as we prepare for the cool new stuff coming your way in the new Xbox experience.
Keep checking back for more information on the goodies we have in store for you this holiday.
*To clarify, Xbox LIVE will be down as will those sections on Xbox.com that rely on the service such as "My Xbox". Also, the forums will be viewable but you won't be abl..."
"Last week Microsoft made aggressive price cuts to its three Xbox 360 models, with the Arcade now retailing for just £129.99, and today the company has announced that six million Xbox 360 consoles have been sold across Europe to date.
Chris Lewis, Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business EMEA, said: "We're very excited that more consumers in Europe are joining the ever-growing Xbox 360 community. We're now the best-value next-gen console on the market with an entry-level ERP of £1..."
Microsoft knows that the Xbox 360 isn't the best selling console in Japan, which is true. It seems that Japan isn't as important to Microsoft as other regions are. However it seemed whenever they had released RPGs in that area, the Xbox 360 consoles had a short hike in sales. They are now saying, that if they want to do well in Japan, they will have to make a bunch of RPG games for release. Microsoft hasn't given up the fight just yet.
At the end of each DLC week, Videogamer gives their opinion on which system delivered the best content. This week, the PS3 got a NBA Live 09 demo, to go long with Rock Band songs.
Xbox Live got Destroy All Humans!, a Gears of War 2 trailer, and bikes added to Burnout Paradise. Last and least, the Wii only got three things: All VC games, with Sonic the Hedgehog leading the way.
So who won the DLC war? Hit the source to find out.
Today on the Xbox Live Marketplace three things have been released.
Mass Effect Theme - It is a theme from Mass Effect, and it will cost 150 Microsoft points.
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 Trailer - This is a trailer for Red Alert 3, and is free. It takes up 55.25 MB of space.
Frontlines: Fuel of War in Game Content - You can buy 4 new maps for 800 Microsoft points. It will take up 744.45 MB of space.
Earlier today Europe announced that there would be an Xbox 360 price cut in Europe, and they official drop in price today. Good news for all you gamers who were wanting to get a 360. The arcade is now 179.99 / £129.99, the normal 360 is 239.99 / £169.99, and the Elite is 299.99 / £229.99.
"KENOSHA, Wis. Two Kenosha boys of ages 14 and 15 are accused of beating an adult neighbor to death during a burglary that targeted a computer game device, among other items.
"It's pathetic," Police Chief John Morrissey said. "How can a 15-year-old and a 14-year-old boy murder somebody over an Xbox?"
Others could also be charged in the death of Capri Walker, 51, who was found dead at her Kenosha home about 6:30 a.m. Sunday, the chief said Wednesday.
Police have recommended charges ..."
Today on the Xbox Live Arcade you will be able to download a few things. One of them is Feeding Frenzy 2, which is available in every region for 800 Microsoft points. You will as well be able to play Domino Master, which is again available in every region and 800 Microsoft points. There is also some Rock Band Downloadable content, ranging from 80-160 Microsoft Points, and they are songs.
Ubisoft has announced the "Fly to Shanghai" Sweepstakes, where you and a lucky guest will be able to fly out to Shanghai, China and take a sneak peak at Tom Clancy's EndWar before it is released.
All you gotta do is register for the upcoming community, which can be found here. For more info on the sweepstakes, hit the source.
Microsoft released a commericial for the Xbox 360, showing people in a mall randomly starting shooting each other; but with pretend guns, and its really quite funny. However, it has been banned. Here is the video:
Part One of the interview published just a couple of hours ago, and now the second part of the interview is up. Read how Peter Moore went up against Sony firstly as part of Sega with the Dreamcast, and then as Microsoft with the XBOX.
Microsoft has today announced the UK will be receiving similar price cuts for its console as the rest of the world has recently been enjoying; further opening the Xbox 360's lead as the cheapest current generation console and making it more affordable even than the forthcoming PSP 3000.
In a theory thought up by the author of this article, the dashboard update for the Xbox 360 may come as soon as October 28. How did he arrive at such a specific date? Well, the first reason he states is the fact that Scene it? Box Office Smash will be released October 28, and since it's a Microsoft published which will use the avatar system, it might ship with the new dashboard update. Well, there is always the possibility of the game being pushed back if the dashboard isn't ready yet.
Reg...
"From September 30 in the US you'll be able to pick up a fancy, new RED Xbox controller for around $65 (£35). If that sounds a little step, it probably because the package includes the Play and Charge kit (that and the fact the pound is taking a kicking at the moment).
"The award-winning Xbox 360 Wireless Controller now comes in red, with newly designed black accents," says Microsoft. "Experience wireless gaming from up to 30 feet and enjoy nonstop play with the included Play and Charge cab..."
"Microsoft has rubbished rumours that an event will be held next week to announce a European price cut for the Xbox 360.
A picture of a supposed upcoming Woolworths catalog emerged last week, listing new 360 price points at £129, £169 and £229 for the Arcade, Core and Elite console respectively.
According to a report on site Gamer.tm these prices are real, and will be rolled out at a "European event" next week. Not so, says Microsoft UK.
"There is no European event next week," a compa..."
"The Xbox 360 is the worst for those hidden costs, although the others aren't exactly innocent either. When you consider this doesn't include what you actually bought it for - the games - it shows that this hobby is a costly thing indeed."
Last week an article was published noting the problems of the XBOX 360, and in the article, only one source was named, the source Robert Delaware. However, last wednesday he was fired, and the reason was the VentureBeat article. Reporting directly to a Microsoft Manager, he was told that he was being let go.
Weaker than projected numbers coming in from August have caused many Video Game Related futures to take a hit today. EA, ActivisionBlizzard, and THQ - big name companies were down around than 3%, while GameStop fell a whopping 5%.
The Wii was sporting low sales figures, as were all consoles. Only the Sony PSP managed to inch its way positive.
Blame the economy, blame the industry, blame the ESRB, but whomever you blame - it just goes to show that even the video game industry isn't a saf...
"An upcoming price cut could slash the price of the Xbox 360 Arcade console down to £129.99, a supposed insider at shop chain Woolworths has claimed.
A leaked pic from a supposed "upcoming catalogue" shows the new incredibly cheap Arcade asking price, along with new £169.99 and £229.99 price points for the Core and Elite console respectively.
The new price would make the Arcade SKU 49.99 cheaper than a Wii - and £170 cheaper than a 80GB PS3.
We spoke to staffers at Game and Game Sta..."
"Last Friday, Microsoft cut the price of all Xbox 360 editions, with the Xbox 360 Arcade selling for $199.99, the Premium Edition for $299.99 and the Xbox 360 Elite for $399.99. The price cuts were revealed well ahead of the official announcement through different ads and flyers."
As previously announced, Microsoft has launched their campaign earlier this week to allow users to register to vote and contribute to polls via Xbox Live. And you thought dealing with punk 12 year olds trash talking on Halo 3 was bad - just wait until it gets political.
Voting/Polling will be done by users downloading gamerpics of either candidate.
Also- by participating- you are entered in the running for a chance to win a Gibson Guitar.
Most current gen console games cost about $60, and that seems a lot for a game. Gamedaily did a survey on how people feel about the game prices, and it shows that consumers are still pretty hesitant about paying $60 for video games. 43% said that they would wait until the game prices go down, or get the used copies instead.
According to a product page on Hot Topic's official website, they have dropped the price of the Xbox 360 Halo 3 Limited Edition console down to $199 from $399. This is probably a attempt to just get rid of the ugly lookin' thing.
Btw, who knew they sold consoles? I sure didn't.
Wedbush Morgans Michael Pachter has released new figures for the amount of consoles sold in the US, and whilst Wii has sold double that of the other consoles, the second place went to PS3 that managed to sell a couple more thousand consoles than the XBOX360.
With higher sales in Japan and Europe, it seems that Sony are slowly but surely lowering the gap between the two consoles.
Everyone remembers when the Xbox 360 first launched. Tons of them broke down, and the buyers had to send them back. Dean Takahashi, a writer for VentureBeat, explains how all of those problems diminished almost all of the advantage that the 360 had by going first.
He points out that Microsoft knew that their next-gen system had flaws, and they thought they would go away, so they decided not to delay the launch of the system. In addition to that, Mircosoft didn't have their workers standin...
"September 5, 2008 - Just about every weekday new content is released on Xbox Live Marketplace. There's so much to sort through, sometimes it's hard to know what's new and what's old. Each day, IGN brings you a list of the latest demos, in-game content, themes and gamer pics. Check back every weekday to see what's new on Marketplace.
Gamer Pics
Game: N/A
Content: Righteous Kill Picture Pack
Price: Free
Dash Text: "There's nothing wrong with a little shooting - as long as the right peopl..."
Analyst Jesse Divnich says that Sony is in trouble this holiday season with the PS3, after the 360 got a recent price cut. The PS3 is the console with the highest price, and the smallest video game library. Meanwhile the Wii and DS are still largely outselling the other systems.
Japan's game and hardware sales from last week have been revealed, with Rhythm Tengoku Gold, a Ninteno DS game, coming first. One of the newest additions to the Japanese market, Afrika, came in second with 38,000 units sold. Rounding out the top five is J-League Winning Eleven 2008 Club Championship for the PS2, PSP Fate/Tiger Colosseum Upper for the PSP, and Wii Fit.
Over on the hardware side, the DS Lite sold the most, reaching over 56,000 units! Second was the PSP with 41k new owners, ...
"Following Xbox 360 March and July price cuts in Europe and Australia, respectively, comes more price reduction love for the Xbox 360 units in another region. No, not North America (at least not yet), but the consoles least profitable region, Japan.
All three Xbox 360 models are said to go down in price, with the Arcade dropping to JPY 19,800 ($183 or 125 EUR) from JPY 27,800 ($257 or 176 EUR), and the Premium and Elite systems expected to be slashed by 5,000-8,000 yen. This move will make..."
With the recent report that Square Enix is talking to Tecmo about taking them over and Activision merging with Blizzard, are the small developers slowly being put to a stop?
Gamer.Blorge sure thinks so, saying that the big dogs (EA, Square Enix, etc) have to take over the smaller devs in order for them to survive because of the cost to develop for the next gen systems. In the past, all they had do was make PS2 games, allowing them to survive with the PS2's huge fanbase.
If this trend k...
One thing unique to this generation of gaming is the fairly regular stream of new SKUs (models) of consoles. Sony has seven different versions of the PlayStation 3 (some are variations of variations), while the Xbox 360 has four, if I'm not mistaken (the Wii has a whopping one configuration).
Capcom and Gamecock think this is "just peachy", but Codemasters chief executive officer Rod Cousens says it's potentially confusing and excessive. What are your thoughts?
Last week in Japan Xbox 360 sales went up, with the release of the game Tales of Vesperia and 24,962 console sales, but this week the 360 has suffered at a mere 7,358 sales. Because of the drop in 360 sales this week, the PS3 beat the 360 at 11,393 sales from 9,673 sales. However the Wii is doing better then the two of them combined; it is at 53,036 sales this week from 38,506 last week. The DS has 78,666 sales this week, and the PSP has 64,413.
Rock the Vote and Microsoft today have announced that they are working together to let Xbox Live members to register to vote, talk about their opinions on the next two possible presidents, and participate in presidential polls.
Rock the Vote wants to help reach out to youth voters, and they want to register 2 millions voters by fall. They wanted to do it on the Xbox 360 because they know thats where many young possible voters would spend their time.
This is only available in America, an...
It's a rumor that appears to be very possible. We've all heard the rumors of Microsoft and their motion sensing controller, just as well as we've heard what they have to say about Nintendo's Wii. Xbox360Fanboy says they've heard another rumor, from a source said to be close to Microsoft, about a possible holiday arcade bundle that would include the motion sensing controller. Nothing of this sort was announced at E3, or any of the other recent game conventions, which tends to make this seem li...
Finally an improved d-pad for use while playing your favorite Xbox 360 games. Really though, does the d-pad need to function in the same way your dual analog sticks do? Why not. Eurogamer reported that a redesigned Xbox 360 controller recently made it's way onto the Games Convention floor. Other than an improved d-pad this redesigned controller doesn't seem to be sporting any other changes as of now, if you exclude the pastel green coating. What does this mean for North American gamers who ar...
"In a document for a House committee Microsoft has more or less admitted collecting data on its Web users. Redmond said that it began collecting data outside its own Web sites in 2006, when it launched a third-party ad network, and that activity accelerated after the acquisition of aQuantive in 2007.
Microsoft said that while it started by offering an "opt-out" option on all pages on which it serves ads starting in the Spring. Users were falling over themselves to sign up to give their da..."
Looking at the various iPhone applications available for gamers, especially those with a Xbox 360 and XboxLIVE.
Showing several applications and games you can use on your iPhone, and related services that are either available through Apple's iTunes Store or 3rd party developers. Some lists include extensive game listings and links connecting you to various apps
With Sony slowly gaining ground on Microsoft in terms of consoles sold, is Sony starting to hit Microsoft where it hurts - its weakspots? Well Arstechnica takes a look at just that.
The issues being looked at the include but are not limited to:
Official press release from Microsoft explaining the release of the 60 gig HDD Sku in Australia at the same RRP of just $499. Explaining the kit inclusions and also other SKU's available here in Australia The Press release gives full pricing for all 3 SKU's now available in Australia and it's release today across Australian stores.
After a leave of absence this year, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced that the British Academy Video Games Awards will be returning March of 2009. The award ceremony will be on March 10th at the London Hilton, Park Lane.
So far, there have been 13 categories revealed for the show. Some include Action & Adventure, Artistic Achievement, and their newest category: Handhelds. The goal of the awards is to "support, develop and promote the art forms of the moving imag...
Last year, the NPD group surveyed over 11,000 people about how much time they play and spend on games. After that, they would break it down. They took another survey earlier this year, this time asking 20,000 people ages 2 through 99 to talk about their purchases and gaming "from approximately November 2007 through January 2008."
According to the results, the 'young heavy' are the largest group, taking up 22% of the gaming population. Young Heavy gamers lean toward the handhelds, with at l...
"Back in the good old days, games developers were bespectacled, hairy monstrosities that kept themselves safely locked away in perpetually dark bedrooms, their only relationship in life being a loyal devotion to endless streams of code for the latest Commodore 64 hits. While Jeff Minter does his best to keep those days alive, it cannot be denied that the birth of the Internet gave rise to a new breed of game developer: One with a captive audience, an opportunity to say whatever he or she felt ..."
With the amazing software sales that are going on, 2008 is set to demolish 2007's record setting figures in the U.S. With this news, analysts are now raising their predictions for this year.
When analysts first predicted the software sales for 2008, they were very conservative. Colin Sebastian thought the sales would only go up 30% from last year, Michael Pachter and Jesse Divnich almost predicted the same percentage, with 43 and 44%. Evan Wilson has been the closest, predicting that sales...
GameWithABrain counts down the twenty-five biggest reasons why the gamers in this world can't get along with those who don't play video games at all, from explaining that Halo is not an official sport, the gaming controllers in itself, and that the fact that some gaming systems are just too expensive.
"'From the beginning of time, Xbox 360 and PS3 gamers have been dueling about whos console is the more graphically powerful. In these skirmishes, terms like CPU, GPU, and RAM have been thrown around, but now those folks on the PS3 side of the fray have another weapon in their arsenal: disc format.
You may think that disc size has absolutely nothing to do with graphical quality of games. It all has to do with the raw power of the consoles CPU, RAM, etc., you might say; the discs are just..."
A lot of people wanted to be able to track their Xbox Live friends through their iPhone or iPod Touch and now they can. Nicholas Pike has created an application called "iXboxLive", which allows you to view anyone's gamertag for $0.99.
Although it does crash and lags a bit, it does what is promised. It will display gamertag names, their Achivements for a specific game, and their overall Gamer Score. In addition, it shows what time they last got on Xbox Live and which game they were playing.
We've Fan(boy)s at each others throats regarding their console of choice, one of the most widely used arguments are the number of Exclusives a console has, and what they are. However, what many people are unaware of is exactly the number of exclusives their preferred console has and thats what qsf5.com have set about to list - a list of all Exclusives for each of the consoles that have been released in 2008.
GameTrailers have claimed they'll release some news regarding the DLC for the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV this Friday on GameTrailers TV. The PC edition is scheduled for release this November.
In addition to this they've also said they'll be interviewing Michael Hollick (voice of Niko Bellic) on the same day who may bring them this insight to the DLC (unless they already have it themselves).
I wonder what it will be - could it be a new island and missions?
"Grand Theft Auto IV will be released for PC on 21st November in Europe, Rockstar announced today.
Pleasantly, that's just a few days after the PC version arrives in North America on 18th November.
Rockstar founder Sam Houser says it "looks and plays beautifully on PC and we can't wait for people to play it".
A PC version of the game has been rumoured since before the PS3 and 360 versions were even released, but Rockstar has never previously confirmed it.
The most telling sighting ..."
"Ah, the ill-fated Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death, how we fear thy ways. After all, with a 16% failure rate, it could happen to anyone. For some of us, it already has. Multiple times. And as much as we love spending a half hour coaxing Microsofts customer service into sending us a coffin (the sad cardboard box used to mail back your deceased console) only to receive yet another broken replacement, sometimes its easier to just give up. Well then, the least that Microsoft could do is give us a fe..."
The Interscope Pack will include the tracks Tina by Flyleaf, Carcinogen Crush by AFI and Putting Holes In Happiness [Remix] by Nick Zinner from Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The Track Pack will be available to both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
Track Previews via Youtube: Tina, Carcinogen Crush and Putting Holes In Happiness.
Namco Bandai Games have announced that they are planning on releasing a Special Edition version of Tales of Vesperia for the Xbox 360 that will be priced at $69.99. The Special Edition will feature a Steelbook case as well as a 10th anniversary soundtrack CD.
This is yet to have a release date though it is stated to only be available in limited quantities.
According to the main image (->) it is speculated that the Xbox 360 version of Rock Band 2 will arrive in stores on September 14th whilst the Playstation 3 owners will have to wait over a month later at a date of October 19th.. whilst in addition the Nintendo Wii owners will have to wait an additional month on November 18th.
Square-Enix's/FFXIII's Director, Motomu Toriyama has said in a recent report that his team are currently not in the developing of the Xbox 360 port version of the game at the moment becuase the development kits needed are yet to arrive.
In addition to this he has said that his team are "fully concentrating on the PS3 version".
Discuss in the Final Fantasy XIII forum
In the recently weeks there has been speculation revolving around Valve's up and coming 360/PC title Left 4 Dead in the view that there was going to be a port version arriving to the Playstation 3 via EA.
However today it seems there has been an announcement from Valve's Doug Lombardi for which has ended all current reports on the idea of there being a Playstation 3 port as he has stated: "There is no PS3 version of Left 4 Dead currently in production"!
"This picture is confirmation of the earlier Ars Technica article from an informant stating that the Xbox 360 would drop it's price in September to $199.99 for the Core, $299.99 for the 60GB model, and $399.99 for the 120GB Elite model. This picture shows nearly irrefutable proof that those rumors are substantiated, and are set to happen in just over a month."
Peter Molyneux of Fable fame wrote for EDGE Online recently, admitting it is a lot harder to be innovative because of budgets costs, audiences that need to be reached, and a lot more. Although those things make it harder to innovate, Molyneux also points out that there is stills tons of innovation in video games, with an example being graphics and how much they have improved since a year ago.
"Ever notice something about Xbox LIVE? The people that are on it, they're mostly Americans. That's not necessarily a bad thing, is it? Of course not. So there's no need to get all bent out of shape when Europe Xbox exec Chris Lewis "the lion's share" of Xbox Live users are Americans. What's percentage of Xbox LIVE users are European? Says Lewis:
We don't normally break out the European element of our Live membership. I mean, I know what it is, but I don't want to get rapped on the knuc..."
"Im disgruntled with Sony, Ive been annoyed by Nintendo, but Microsoft is the only one of the big three that has truly pissed me off. My experience with my 360 has been more or less akin to that of being a beaten wife in denial. I'm currently on my 6th system and Im so freaked out that itll break again that I sent in a questionable claim to Xbox support just to have a box and shipping info prepared just in case it goes.
So heres a list of every wrong, perceived or real, that Microsoft ..."
Chris Satchell, chief technology officer of Microsoft's interactive business stated that The Playstation Network has nothing but only a "handful of titles" to their credit, and that their creativity is running thin. However, when talking about the 360 he states that "very rapidly we will see a huge amount of creativity pouring onto Xbox 360 and Xbox Live."
"When a demo is done properly, it can create a lot of buzz around an unheralded title. The early days saw Fight Night Round 3 stun 360 owners with its sharp visuals and crunching slow-mo knockout replays.
Later down the line Civilization Revolution, Lost Planet, Bioshock and Burnout Paradise all had stellar demos that did a great job of selling the game in question.
Sometimes it's too easy for developers to fall into a "here's the boss, now the demo ends" trap. Unfortunately, some develo..."
"Sure the service is good but how long can Microsoft get away with charging? The news that Games for Windows Live - essentially a PC version of Xbox Live - will now be available for free makes it increasingly difficult for Microsoft to justify charging a subscription to Xbox Live."
"We here at the Focus have openly embraced the "New Xbox Experience". I personally love the idea of a more modern Dashboard, but some of you non adopters loathe the change (some of you hate change period).
For you dissenting folk, there is no need to keep those feathers riled as Major Nelson affirms in his latest podcast that the same Dashboard we use today will in effect be there after the update. All the features seen today will be moved to the new guide level. A simple push of the same ..."
Scott Austin, the director of Digitally Distributed Games for the XBLA, told Joystiq that all of the demos of the games that they were currently viewing would be available on the XBLA in the next four to six weeks. Some of these games include Geometry Wars 2, Braid, and Galaga Legions.
At Microsoft's E3 2008 Press Conference, Microsoft revealed that there are now over 12 million users on Xbox Live, which is a big improvement from the 6 million they had last year. Microsoft also said that a new Xbox Live member is added about every five seconds! If that wasn't enough for you, since November '05, over one billion dollars has been spent on content coming from Xbox Live! Also, with the new contract Microsoft signed with NBC Universal, which allows Microsoft to offer shows from ...
Microsoft today revealed a newly designed Dashboard menu system for the Xbox 360. Aside from a fresh 3D look that incorporates the upcoming Avatar additions, gamers will also be treated to a host of new social and convenience features. The most notable of these are eight way party chat over Xbox Live and hard drive installs to speed up in-game load times. The party system will allow for sharing of pictures and will include functionality to move the entire group directly into a multiplayer gam...
Microsoft revealed a new part of their 360 OS intergration, a Avatar system. The system is already compatible with some games and every game made by Rare, as well as every game coming out in the future by them. You will be able to customize every part of your Avatar such as hair, arms, hands, etc and they are in full 3D. Avatars will be connected with every user profile and you will even be able to buy different things for your Avatar.
"Microsoft has confirmed that the 20GB Xbox 360 console has received a $50 price cut to $299, and taking its place in the $349 tier is a new 60GB console arriving early August. The Xbox 360 Arcade (i.e. no HDD) will continue to sell for $280 and the Elite (120GB) model will sell for $449.
We wouldn't blame if you if you felt this was old news: rumors of the 60GB model date back to mid-June and it seems like every major retailer confirmed the price cut in the last week. Now if only someone c..."
"
Just in case all of those retailer circulars from Best Buy, KMart, et al, wasn't enough proof of an Xbox 360 price drop coming on Sunday, here's one more tidbit of proof.
A GameStop employee has sent us cell pics of the internal announcement for the coming Xbox 360 Pro price drop announcement. They also included pics of the shelf art all of which will go on display on July 13, the day before E3 kicks off with Microsoft's press conference.
So, while still not official, it seem pretty..."
Lexx of NextGEN Gamers has put together a practical guide for maintaining your Xbox 360 and hopefully prolonging it's life. A must read for any 360 owner.
"GameStrata today announced the results of a survey of "video game enthusiasts" in North America. The study shows that between the ages of 18 48, the average gamer spends over $30,500 on game software and hardware.
"With forecasters estimating this year's sales will reach nearly $23 billion, it's clear that gaming is the fastest-growing sector in the entertainment industry," said Barry Dorf, COO of GameStrata. "The best part is that the trend doesn't show any signs of slowing. In spite o..."
A quick look at the rise of Indie game development. Thanks to the support of software such as the Microsoft XNA Game Studio - it is much easier for anyone with a little bit of programming knowledge and a good idea to push something forward. Who knows - it might even wind up on the front page of the Xbox Marketplace.
The May 2008 NPD numbers have been recently released, and by the looks of it, the numbers overall were below people's expectations, with hardware and software numbers decreasing since last month. Many thanks for sonycowboy at NeoGAF and the NPD Group for making the numbers available. The tracking period was a four week period, from May 4th to May 31st.
May only saw one major release: the ever-popular Wii Fit from Nintendo. The focus this month came on Grand Theft Auto IV, Mario Kart W...
"Microsoft's president of entertainment and devices, Robbie Bach, has debunked internet rumours that the company will announce a Blu-ray equipped Xbox 360 later on today.
Speculation mounted over the weekend that Microsoft was planning to upstage Apple at its Worldwide Developers Conference later on today by confirming that the 360 would see Blu-ray by Christmas.
However, when asked by the San Francisco Chronicle whether the next generation Xbox would have Blu-ray, Bach responded: "No. T..."
The video games sales are expected to be revealed this Thursday and Michael Pachter, a Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst, believes the Wii will triple the number of units the 360 sold, and that the PS3 will sell slightly less than what the Xbox 360 sold in May.
To read the other things Pachter had to say, click the source.
"It looks like Microsoft will be furthering their plans to get a bigger share of the Japanese gaming market this month with an event in Japan called the Xbox 360 RPG Premiere 2008.
As you can guess by the event's name, the RPG Premiere will play host to the announcement of at least one new RPG title for the Xbox 360. This game will most likely be Japan-only, but it's also likely that the unannounced game will be seeing a release outside of Japan.
Updates on RPG titles already in developm..."
Certainly my first thought when seeing the title for this article was "what? no way!", however the first few paragraphs make it clear that the article isn't saying that XBOX Live is going down the drain - far from it. It's talking more about the fact that entering any FPS game's lobby, rather than recieving a "What's up" or general chitter chatter, your greeted with screams of curses, racial slurs and many other things.
What are your opinions on this matter?
It shouldn't come as a surprise or shock to learn that the Playstation 3 loves Power... the Electrical kind that is, however you may be shocked to learn that the Playstation 3 uses five times as much energy as a refrigerator, which means those gamers that leave their Playstation 3 on for Folding@Home are looking at spending around $250 a year on extra electricity that they could have saved.
However don't think it's only the Playstation, the XBOX360 is no stranger to power either, and whil...
"Thats probably our fault for not explaining that better, he said. The reality is were not removing any games from the service, if you will. Theyll always be there for purchase. Think about a book on Amazon. Its not always going to be featured on the front page of the store."
"Where and when will these two games be revealed? According to our own Deep Throat, it'll happen at E3 in Los Angeles, probably during Microsoft's pre-event press conference on Monday, July 14.
Our source didn't specify whether the pair of games will be totally new titles, or just missing names from the 360 line-up (Halo Wars or Alan Wake would be fantastic additions to the 360 Christmas list).
One of the games could even utilise the heavily rumoured 360 motion controller, which is soun..."
"Analyst Michael Pachter expects a $50 price drop will be hitting both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 this holiday, but that it will still be hard for the industry to match last year's extraordinary holiday sales.
Speaking at the Electronic Gaming Summit this afternoon, Pachter said that he expects an overall slowdown in video game sales over the next three years.
Pachter expects the industry to see 19 percent growth in the U.S. and 20 percent in Europe this year, with his predicted pric..."
The NPD Group recently released their tracked sales numbers for April 2008, for the four week tracking period that ends on May 3rd, 2008. Many thanks to sonycowboy at NeoGAF and the NPD Group for the numbers.
April saw the release of two major games: Grand Theft Auto IV, which shattered industry records, and Mario Kart Wii, the latest installment in Nintendo's Mario Kart franchise. You would think that there would be strong sales all around for the three current generation consoles, but ...
"Consumerist,
I have had a bad morning. Last night when i tried to sign into my xbox live account "thegayergamer" I was told that it had to be changed. I figured that it was just from people reporting it as an offensive name being that the greater Xbox live community isn't exactly welcome to gay people, i spend a lot of time muting people on Halo3. I assumed that once i called Microsoft they would straighten things out.
I talked to a supervisor there, Roxy, who told me that she didn't pe..."
In this article they talk about the future of the Xbox 360, and how technological advancements could eventually shrink the Xbox 360 down to Wii size. In August, Microsoft will be releasing a new 65nm GPU, called Jasper, which will apparently put an end to the "Red Ring of Death." You might want to hold off a little longer on purchasing your 360 if you can.
"SEC filings have revealed that Electronic Arts borrowed $1 billion from Morgan Stanley and other lenders to help finance a possible acquisition of Take-Two.
"There's no news here," said EA VP of communications Jeff Brown. "This is just a process point on something we announced in February."
With $2.3 billion on hand in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, EA already has the funds available to do the deal as it currently stands. With the deal not contingent on financing, wh..."
"The days of Sony snowing the consumers and the press are over," says Aaron Greenberg
They say that Sony hasn't kept numerous promises. They talked about Killzone 2 at E3 three years ago, what it would look like, and now it will ship four years later. They will have Gears of War and Gears of War two release before they can get Killzone up.
Greenberg says that the Xbox 360 is leading this gaming generation, with a better game library, and a better online community.
"GTA fan hopes rose today with a report from qj.netsuggesting that GTA 2 was coming to XBLA and/or PSN at the end of May. This was due to a countdown clock found on Rockstar's site. We're sorry to report that this is not the case.
The clock is old and was counting to the release of GTA 2 on PlayStation One. Checking the source code for the site, the page is credited as being designed in 1999. The code includes a date correction for the 1900s, with a note stating, "apply correction for this ..."
An Asus subsiduary, Pegatron Technology, has reportedly recieved an order from Microsoft to build a Blu-ray equipped Xbox 360, set to ship before the holiday season. Pegatron says they plan on beginning production soon.
There have been rumors for a long time, with everything from Microsoft hinting they would support Blu-ray, to Sony saying Microsoft was feeling "Blu". This all comes after Blu-ray clearly won the High Definition format wars.
Pegatron also stated that the Xbox 360 Arcade ...
Harmonix and MTV Games have announced that they will be bringing the Smashing Pumpkins hit "Zero" along with 2 hits by Mother Hips, "Red Tandy and Time Sick Son of a Grizzly are those songs. These tracks will be arriving to the Xbox 360 on April 29th for 160 MS Points and to the Playstation 3 on May 1st for £1.99.
For a chance to preview these tracks, click on the relevant links above.
Thats right, Microsoft have come out and announced that they believe that they have sold over the 19 Million barrier for their Xbox 360 Consoles on a worldwide scale (though other figures have suggested it is less though this applies to the Wii overall sales as well) which keeps them close on the tails of the Nintendo Wii which is storming in front on sales.
Wedbush Morgan analyst Micheal Pachter as well as BMO Capital Markets' Edward Williams both believe that Grand Theft Auto IV will be more of a success for the Playstation 3 hardware sales then the Xbox 360's hardware sales as they believe people may be able to justify there reason to buy the Playstation 3 because of the heritage of Rockstar and the connection from GTA and Sony.
Konami have released 13 new screenshots for the up and coming title Silent Hill that is coming to both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. These screenshots give a great look into the characters details as well as the new look possible look at at a new character called Ellie though that is not confirmed.
For a chance to see the remaining screenshots, click here.
Electronic Art's have announced at the EA Studio Showcase that was held in London, that there is a Conquest Mode that is going to be offered for consumers through a Download for both the Playstation 3 gamers and Xbox 360 gamers.. and will cost nothing.
This may be a good guest-er by Electronic Art's but it could also be because of the poor feedback that they received from the "Weapon Charging Debacle".
Electronic Arts producer Amir Rahimi has claimed whilst speaking to Video Gamer on Tuesday that the up and coming Wii exclusive Jenga based explosive puzzle game Boom Blox has the possibility of becoming a multi platform and come to the Playstation 3, Playstation 2 and Xbox 360.
The game however at the moment is still set to arrive to the Nintendo Wii on May 6th.
What started off in a village hall with only a few people would came and have fun with video games. Now it has exploded to a huge event with 2000 gamers all meeting for a one big LAN party. And it has become more then just a LAN party, people stay in a hotel or outside camping. There are also 4x4 racing and paitball. Goes to show you what happens when a few dedicated people can do.
Electronic Arts have announced that Matt Ryan has finally been selected to be the Athlete Cover for the Playstation 3 version of the up and coming annual title NCAA Football 09. During the breakdown of potential PS3 Cover Athletes is was said that Matt was the main choice so this may come as no shock to anyone who was following it.
Matt Ryan will be joining Darrn McFadden who has been chosen for the Xbox 360 version and Sparty who has been chosen for the Nintendo Wii version. The Playstati...
Infinity Ward have pulled back their version 1.6 Patch Release for Call of Duty 4 because they have found some bug's/technical issues during there testing process. They did not say much on what the problems may have been but they did state that one problem was that the kill cam broke when playing with mods, among other things.
Well according to a Japanese Gaming Magazine this is what they currently believe is going to happen as they already claim this is under production by Capcom.
Nothing has been claimed on the matter in the view of Capcom though Capcom's producer Yoshinori Ono did claim in the past it was possible for the game to come over to the Nintendo Wii but then again he also said it was possible for it to come over to the Gameboy.
All we do know however is this game is still being planned for both ...
Dan Houser, the Rockstar founder has shot all possible speculations on there being a Grand Theft Auto Movie as during a interview with Varirty he claimed that they do not plan on making one as Rockstar never deemed the idea interesting and instead wish to protect the property of the game instead of milking as much as possible out of the franchise as it is the main asset of the company.
The Rockstar founder Sam Houser has claimed that there will be a difference between the graphics for the Playstation 3 version and Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV. He also goes onto claim that each version has there own feel and look towards the gameplay though at the same time they are both (to him) neck and neck with each other on which one will be the better.
Mark Rein of Epic Games, has told Eurogamer today that the Xbox 360 version of Unreal Tournament III could include a special Easter Egg related product of Gears of War 2 to get gamers drooling just that little bit more. He did not state much on what it would be but he did mention that you might have to keep a close eye on the Unreal Tournament 3 disc.
Silent Hill V is no longer be planned to be called Silent Hill V as Konami have decided to do a minor revamp on it and adding an extra word to it. This extra words being Homecoming, to make the new named title if you haven't guessed already, Silent Hill: Homecoming!
In addition to this Konami have claimed that the horror spoof, Silent Hill: Homecoming will come arriving to Europe at the end of September for both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
High Voltage Software is aiming to bring a new face to the Nintendo Wii's gaming format and hope that they can introduce the graphical qualities that both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 are achieving with there new engine, Quantun3. The main features that are being applied to this engine evolve the use of advanced graphical features, including better dynamic bump mapping, light effects, glossing and many, many more.
The first game they are going to be releasing for this Nintendo Wii with ...
According to figures released by The NPD Group, it states that the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 gamers are buying more games per year then the Nintendo Wii. To go into more detail these reports claimed that the Nintendo Wii gamers buy 3.7 games per years whilst the Xbox 360 gamers are in the lead on 4.7 per games whilst the Playstation 3 gamers follow on 4.6 games per gamer.
Well that's exactly what happened to Tiffany. She sent her 360 in for repairs and when they came to drop it off she was at work and she couldn't sign the papers to get it back, so it made it's way back to Microsoft. She then calls Microsoft again and customer service promises that they'll send the package to her work address the next time.
Then the craziness happened. Apparently, the suspicion came from the fact the owner requested two repair orders. The problem is, the said customer had s...
Rockstar have announced that for the up and coming phenomenon that is Grand Theft Auto IV, that you will no longer be able to listen to the Radio whilst walking around the streets through your Cellphone as once planned as they have removed this feature from the game, though have stated no reason why unfortunately.
Looks like the only method you are able to is retro style, and that is through the cars stereo.
PSP Blogger takes an interesting look at the future of handhelds and consoles. Will the high prices and growing complexity of consoles force the average gamer to turn to handhelds? Or will gamers stick to their beloved consoles, no matter how expensive or complex?
PSP Blogger believes that in the future, gamers will purchase a PSP or DS, rather then choosing between many different (and expensive) versions of the Xbox 360 and PS3. Handheld purchases are just so much easier.
Ever wondered what the top gaming characters with the munchies could be? Well GameGirl have posted up on there blog there Top 7 Gaming Characters with the Munchies (with the help of Tim-kun). The selection ranges from the old and the new with Crash Bandicoot, Donkey Kong and even a bit of King Dedede being involved. Follow the source to find out the full list.
Ubisoft and Gearbox have teamed up and released a 90 second non game play trailer and 5 new screenshots to showcase there up and coming title Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway that is coming to the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC in Auguest. For a sneaky peak at the trailer, just click on the video below, as for the screenshots. They can be found at the bottom of the article.
"What is art? It’s a fairly straightforward question, yet it encompasses a limitless amount of correct answers. Art is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as the conscious use of skill and creative imagination, especially in the production of aesthetic objects. What happens then, when the physical aspect is removed?
The other day, I asked my friend’s father, one of the most level-headed people I know, if he considered film to be a form of art. I was hit with a rapid response confirming that ye..."
In a Top Cow discussion panel in this weekends New York Comic-con function, it was "winked" about that the games new owners 2K Games were currently in the works of creating a sequel to the acclaimed title The Darkness. Nothing further was announced about the title but at least a small but not solid sign of it happening is better then nothing, right?
If there's one thing that can be said, it's that most polls are biased. You always seem to find sites such as PSPfanboy doing a poll where you can be sure that the readers have already got their mind set as to which console they prefer. However when the poll comes from a general Gaming site, where people from all walks of life gather... one thing can be said... the only bias in this is that it's a Poll for gamers.
Well, IGN conducted a survey of this sort, and it seems that amongst Gamers,...
The Playstation 3 & XBOX360 have just been been out for a a year (or two), and it can't be denied that Sony & Microsoft must be thinking about the next version even if it is a couple years away (or in some cases, maybe even a decade away).
So what are the dangers for the future-gen console when they eventually come out? Well GamePlayer took a look at just that, giving us a look at where the consoles need to head in comparison to where the PC is heading.
With 7 Consoles currently battling (somewhat) for a piece of the Gaming Market, it's always good to learn what games have come out top for each... and well, Video Games Blogger has brought us just that. A list of the top 5 games that have been sold in each of the regions and each of the consoles. I'll give you the top for the XBOX360 and PS3 (since they seem to be the more interesting ones), but be sure to check out the source for the sales for the other 5 systems.
Just to note, these sale...
In addition to the BAJA Debut Trailer that was posted up on GameGrep just under a week ago, this offers you a look into the New 15 Screenshot Batch that THQ have just offered to gamers which offers a bigger look into car and track details for what they will be offering us, though unfortunately these are not Gameplay graphics.
To see the further 9 Screenshots, click HERE
2K Games have officially confirmed that Mafia II will release for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 in extension to the PC which was decided when the game was first under discussion.
In addition to this, Mafia II is said to be in the May issue of the Official Playstation Magazine where it will reveal that the game will store over 50 vehicles as well as 10 square miles of unrestricted territory.
Activision's Guitar Hero III on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 will see the debut release of Def Leppard's new single "Nine Lives" one week before the official album release. It will however be part of a three track Def Leppard song pack which will also include Rock of Ages and Photograph.
This though will only be available on April 24th on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 for North America. Whilst the European Playstation 3 gamers having to wait until May 8th.
For a chance to listen to Nine...
Uk retailers "Shopto" has confirmed that there will be a GTA IV bundle package releasing for the Playstation 3 on April 29th and is expected to be £299. It is not however claimed what will be fully in the bundle though from the price you can assume it has the 40GB in it.
This has however not been confirmed by Sony yet though has been climed by Shopto to be coming soon.
In a news blog post, the BBC's technology news editor Darren Waters believes that by Nintendo claiming the right to stream there BBC iPlayer on the Wii is a massive blow for there rival company's. He also goes onto claim that this new addition of streaming there online shows onto the Wii kinda makes a mockery of what they (Playstation 3 and Xbox 360) stand for.. or well have claimed to and that would be "true multimedia machines" as Nintendo are the first to offer this service.
Infinity Ward have revealed that they have given the Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack DLC for the Playstation 3 to Sony and now it is up to them to certificate them for users in ready for a release. Though a release date has not been said they have claimed for it to appear at the same time as the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Game of the Year Edition comes available in stores which should be next week.
As previously posted, the "Complete" bundles of Rock Band will be retailing in Europe next month at a retail price of £180 ($360). This is £95 ($186) more than what American gamers already pay for the same equipment.
Today, though, whilst talking to Eurogamer, Harmonix's Rob Kay has come out and stated (in relation to why the European Gamers have to pay more) though VAT and the higher price of consumer electronics are not to blame though they had an impact, it is to actually do with how i...
Criterion Games have today announced that the 1.2 patch (aka: Bogart) for Burnout Paradise will be available to download on April 24. This update is said to be fixing problems that have been reported by users from the PS3 version crashing when a player is taken down to Enhancing the 360's streaming performance. They are also looking in adding new addition gaming features as well as fixing new bugs in the game.
Endless speculation seems to be surrounding the future of Bioshock 2 and whether or not it will be moving over to the Playstation 3 for the sequel (as well as staying on the 360). This article however, is further speculation off that and falls into the hands of 2K Games official website because on it they have been stating on the Job Pages that they are seeking someone with "experience developing for next-generation game consoles". Nothing to much to read from that but in addition to this hav...
Reports are currently claiming that the UK release bundle's for Rock Band are going to cost £95 more then in the United States for the Xbox 360.
Gamers in the US will be able to buy the complete bundle for $169 (£85) where as in the UK, EA has decided to split the bundles up and sell them individually so if you buy them all together it will come to around £179.98 ($360).
"THQ executive Jack Sorenson has branded the hardware battle between Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo as "totally irrelevant", arguing that the rewards offered by each represent a "win" for games publishers.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz last week at THQ's product showcase in San Francisco, the US publisher's head of worldwide studios said there was "too much of an emphasis on the sports aspect of who's winning and losing", and that his company was focusing on opportunities rather than installe..."
A survey by ChannelNews and SmartHouse conducted around 10 of Australia's main retail chains who operate over 2,000 stores reveal that the Xbox 360 is on a downward spiral with all new gamers more interested in the Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii.
The retailers have stated that since the RROD that occurred on the Xbox 360 in 2007, the consumers now look at the 360 and do not believe it to be a good value of money in comparison to the Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii.
They also claim that th...
According to the NPD Group's earlier report this week it's has now revealed to talk about the online gaming via the Next Generation console. And to no surprise to some the Xbox 360 gamers are making the most use of that with Playstation 3 and PC gamers following. No Nintendo Wii was mentioned strangely..
Though when MTV's Multiplayer contacted the NPD Group to find out further information on this they replied and stated that the Xbox 360 Gamers in percentage to all online gamers was at a s...
THQ have announced at their Gamers Day event in San Francisco that Saints Row 2 will be hitting the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 on August 26th for North America. It is however not known if this release date will be the same for the European gamers waiting for this to hit.
In anticipation to this release date though you should hope to hear more information about this game soon including news screenshots and gameplay.
The PSP might be making a comeback in Japan thanks to Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G. In the last week, it's sold over twice as many units as the DS at a solid 129,986 units. The PS2 also seems to be competing well with its successor, having sold just under one thousand units less than the PS3. Nintendo's still going strong in Japan, and the 360 is... Well, struggling as always.
In attempt to kill any speculation of the Playstation 3's exclusive title "Haze" moving over to either (or both) the Xbox 360 and PC format. Haze's script writer Rob Yescombe has come out and dismissed all that speculation and has thoroughly stated that the title is a Playstation 3 Exclusive demising all report even there own contradiction in previous months when Ubisoft had been reported to say that Haze was a PS3 exclusive just "for now".
Atari have released a up to date version of current release dates that they have scheduled for there up and coming titles. Such titles include Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit for the Xbox 360 Playstation 3. The new updated list is as followed;
We're all probably aware by now that DigiTimes claimed that Lite-On was developing Blu-Ray drives for the 360, which sparked speculation that a price war could be on the horizon. Microsoft, however, has said that Lite-On is not developing Blu-Ray drives for their console. However, they have not said that Blu-Ray isn't a possibility for the 360 in the future, but they're sticking with their cheap $20 DVD drives for now.
DigiTimes started up a very intriguing rumor yesterday about Microsoft eventually integrating Blu-Ray drives with Xbox 360 consoles. Now they've even gone on to predict a price war between the 360 and the PS3!
If this rumor proves to be true, Microsoft could slowly regain some ground in the console war... But if I were them, I'd be more focused with the high console failure rates before I started adding Blu-Ray in.
Wii 360 would like to play! Microsoft's chosen to imitate Nintendo Wii commercials with their latest (leaked) commercial for the Xbox 360 console that's set to launch later this month by having young, attractive people exaggerating their movements with the 360 controller. For those of you who can't wait to see it, here it is:
With all the jokes coming up, this one is a bit hard to believe. Digitimes says that an XBOX360 is being made by Lite on IT with an internal BluRay drive!
They say that Microsoft has decided to switch to BluRay because Toshiba has discontinued HD-DVD. But with Microsoft executives saying Non-disc media is the best, I believe all we can do is wait and see.
It further says that Lite-On has already started steady shipments of BD-ROM drives and BD burners.
Well according to a French retailer, YES!.
Why is it he come to this conclusion..? Well over the last week a few images have appeared over the Internet that shows the release schedule of the French retailer and on that schedule you can clearly see that GTA:IV is stated to be released on the Nintendo DS.
Maybe this may be a hoax but as Rockstar have previously released a Gameboy edition, anything is possible.
In an interview to That Video Game Blog, Sandy Duncan, the man who set up and ran the European Xbox business for Microsoft believes that this generation of gaming will be the last for home consoles users (including handheld's) and from this says it will die out in the next 5-10 years and this is mainly based on the costs of new hardware being incredibly high at the moment and the fact that they will keep on rising.
Gamers on the Sega Forum's have posted reports that in the first level of Condemned 2: Bloodshot for the Playstation 3 there are times when the audio has the tendency to drop or even be lost for a set time.
Sega have said to be investigating the cause to find a solution but for now suggest to gamers to use the standard AV cable, instead of the HDMI cable whilst they sort it out and release a patch.
"If you've hacked your Xbox 360 save files in order to falsely inflate your Gamerscore, standby to see your Xbox Live profile sullied for good. If you care at all about Microsoft's meta-scoring system that tracks player achievements in games and assigns them a summary number that cumulatively boasts player prowess, that's good news for the presumably honest majority who've been knocked down the leaderboards by your not-so-average hoodwinking prima donnas.
The director of programming for Xbo..."
To answer the question that has been buzzing around for the last few days, it appears that Microsoft are not worried by the high definition DVD situation with regards to the Xbox 360. Since only a relatively small number of people ever bought the HD DVD add-on, this doesn't seem to be a main, or even secondary concern for Microsoft.
Apparently Microsoft will be using 60GB hard drives from now on. It's possible this has been influenced in some way by HD DVD going under, as now the 360 has more or less lost that part of its package, they are possibly looking to add something in another area to make up for it, and more hard drive space wouldn't be a bad thing.
Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer said yesterday that the company will support Blu Ray, though they are denying that they're in talks with Sony about their Blu Ray drives. More on that topic will be sure to follow in the coming weeks. Really Microsoft were left with no choice but to support Blu Ray since it's now the de facto standard. Though what they'll do about Blu Ray and the 360 is a question that probably won't be answered for some time.
Sony has reportedly been talking with Microsoft about the possibility of supplying Blu Ray drives. Since Blu Ray has more or less won the format war against HD DVD now Sony probably have the upper hand in that regard. It's no surprise they're wanting to supply them to Microsoft as they will get revenue from it as well as giving them a larger amount of Blu Ray players out there in the market.
Well from the looks of the article it certainly seems to be the case. GamePlayer have looked over past interviews and information to break down the reasons as to why it seems that 2008 will see more RPG's released on the XBOX360.
From the fact that the (now-ex) Vice-President of Microsoft's XBOX division having drinks with FF series's co-founder (in 2004 mind you) resulted in Mistwalker, the company formed by the latter party after Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within tanked at the big screen...
"XBOX 360 CONSOLE PRICE DROP OFFERS EVEN BETTER VALUE TO CANADIAN GAMERS
Xbox Canada is now offering even greater value to Canadians by reducing the price of the Xbox 360 Elite, Xbox 360 and Xbox 360 Arcade consoles!
The Xbox 360 console, reduced from $399 to $349, offers Canadians the most comprehensive entertainment experience right out of the box. The console includes a hard drive, wireless controller, headset as well as HD component cable providing the ultimate high-definition gaming..."
"Ive been waiting for something like this for a long time now, as Im sure many others have.
Xbox Live Community Games is as exactly as it sounds, games created by the community for release on Xbox Live. Using a creator identity (much like gamertags), anybody can submit in their created games. After creating the game and writing a description for it, the game is submitted for Peer Review, to make sure no copyrights have been violated and to make sure it is appropriate for release. After a ..."
With the Game Developers Conference (GDC) currently taking place, a journalist for the BBC took note of a 360 kiosk that had what a lot of 360 owners have experienced; the fearful RRoD.
This doesn't make Microsoft look any better with the whole RRoD perspective on their console. The writer of the article even states "embarrassing for the company that its own stock of demo machines are still susceptible to the problem."
video after the jump.
Could a sequel to the popular online service by Microsoft be in the works? Well Games Industry certainly think so, and even more due to a job posting which alludes to a "next release" which will aim at "mainstream audiences".
Take a look below and at the source for the full job ad given by Microsoft. It could however simply be a misunderstanding on GI's part, and bad wording on Microsoft's part, or maybe they're simply looking to improve the service on Microsoft Live, taking into considera...
iSuppli's has predicted that this year Sony will sell about 10 million units, Nintendo Wii still leading with 12.2 and 360 with 7.5 units sold.
For their PS3 sales iSuppli backed their number by saying that games such as Metal Gear Solid 4, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII Versus, will likely cause the spike in sales.
And lets not forget about Little Big Planet which could definitely help boost some more sales.
However they do state that PS3 may not win over the casual cr...
It was no question 7+ months ago the 360 was plagued with an astounding failure rate of 33% from the infamous Red Ring of Death, the most in console history. But with the Falcon chips implemented it has gone down by half of what it was, 16%. While both Nintendo and Sony consoles was below 1% the least amount in history. However now it seems both those consoles are now at 3% failure rate.
There is no question with excessive amount of usage, any console can have break downs, such as Over-he...
"- November 2007: Kevin's XBOX 360 is replaced, causing his content to lose full functionality. He calls Microsoft.
- Microsoft keeps Kevin on the phone for an hour trying different methods of restoring functionality to his content. Nothing works. They say they will call him back in two weeks.
- They do not call him back, so he calls them. Microsoft makes him repeat the steps he tried the first time he called. They tell him they will call him back in two weeks.
- This cycle repeats twice mo..."
"The Nintendo Wii and its motion-sensing gameplay might be hogging the media limelight when it comes to helping prize the sedentary and rotund from their pits of inactivity, but UK-based Gamercize is hoping its GZ Pro-Sport will help Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sloths to rise up and shed a few pounds in the name of fun.
Whether Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners warmly embrace the GZ Pro-Sport remains to be seen however, not least because all of the products available through Gamercize com..."
"If you make a joystick longer, it adds leverage to that joystick, thus making it easier to move. Also, by adding length to the joystick, you add more travel distance to the outer tip of this joystick, explain the creative boffins at Kontrol Freek, who have previously created the Speed Freek attachment to assist race fans.
If you add some travel to the analog, you slow down the aiming slightly in the game, thus allowing you to aim more precisely and more accurately, they continue, More..."
Now before I begin, I'll let you all know that all the numbers contained within this article are from OFFICIAL sources, namely Microsoft and Sony themselves. So with the numbers and links courtesy of GameBlews.... here goes nothing:
In Jan 07, Microsoft said they sold 10.4m XBOX360 Consoles (skip to the 6:30 mark)
In Jan 08, Microsoft said they sold 17.7m XBOX360 Consoles (Confirmed by Major Nelson)
This gives a year on year sales figure for XBOX360 of 7.3m Consoles sold in 2007.
No...
"Conclusion: Logitech's DriveFX gaming wheel is an excellent choice for driving games on the Xbox 360. While not a true 'Force Feedback' wheel, it outshines that technology in it's counter-torsion effect. In addition, it is the sturdiest, most rugged wheel we have seen for the console at this time.
(Full review at source)"
That's right folks -- it's the Xbox 360 Elite laptop. I'm not even going to try and pretend to understand how an individual could go about creating this extreme of a mod to the Microsoft console -- needless to say that if there was one man who could do it, Ben is that guy. Luckily for us lay-people, he's included a graphic breakdown of just about every step on the road to a portable Xbox 360, replete will all the case cracking, innards opening, wire splaying photos you could possibly want or ...
After Microsoft decided to drop 360 Arcade price in Japan to get hold of unimpressed gamers, a gaming blog based in Holland is claiming that European Xbox 360 Arcade units will soon be receiving a retail price cut so that it would even be cheaper than a Nintendo Wii.
Original source (Unfortunately, it's not in English)
Babelfish translation of article
Electronic Arts have released there predictions on the up coming years total Hardware sales and believe whilst the Nintendo Wii will lead it with 12-14 million sales, The Playstation 3 will sell more hardware then the Xbox 360 by 3.5 million over North America and Europe. In other news they have also predicted the Handheld sector by predicting that the Nintendo DS will sell 8 million/ or 2-1 more units then the Playstation Portable over the following year.
Sounds like a successful year for...
"And, as the Game Developers Conference (Feb 18-22) heaves into view, its unsurprising to see the gaming community cranking up the rumour mills well-used churn meter with regard to exactly how the Redmond-based behemoth is planning to continue its software drive.
Today that responsibility falls to independent videogame print magazine XboxWorld 360 - which is directly affiliated with prominent online magazine CVG.
According to online scans taken from its provocatively-titled article T..."
"For our tests, we cleaved to the following criteria: We only used out-of-the box hardware -- that means no charger packs for 360 and Wii, which must be purchased separately. We played a wide variety of games on each console, including lengthy single-player adventures and shallow down loadable games, both online and off. We played for varying time intervals, from fifteen minutes to upwards of eight hours (Hello weekends!). We used Duracell CopperTops for 360 and Wii testing. And we deemed all ..."
"
Game developers are a dedicated bunch. When we made a request to talk with someone at Deadline Games regarding its work in progress, Faith and a .45, we shortly had Game Director Søren Lundgaard on the phone. The catch is that he lives on the other side of the world where the local time was pushing midnight. We offered to speak at a more convenient time but were brushed off -- working this late was normal. We're not complaining as the short phone conversation revealed a wealth of informat..."
Bill gates shares his thoughts about Microsoft in overall with Gizmodo. This long video is put on youtube so everyone can see. Remeber, it's looong. :D
Quotes from the interview
quote
Interviewer : What one product do you wish you could have polished more?
Bill : Ask me after we ship the next version of Windows. Then I'll be more open about it.
quoteBill : By 1995, maybe like 87 to 95, Microsoft had this honeymoon period. Like Google has now. Where almost everything we did, people thou...
Firstly lets deal with the bad news, namely, there was no "XBOX360 Ultimate" announced as rumoured previously. The good news however... although not great, was still 'good'.
It seems that both Disney and MGM have agreed to offer content on the Marketplace later this month. These contents will take the form of downloadable movies and tv shows including:
- Rocky
- Dances with Wolvew
- Agent Cody Banks
- Hannah Montana
A 17 year old boy asks his father to look at his Xbox 360 on a Friday night, I'm assuming that his 360 met the infamous Red Ring of Death. The father disagreed and then an argument began resulting the son in handing a rifle to the father and asking him to shoot him. The father surprisingly agreed upon this request and shot his own son. The rilfe was a .22 caliber, the bullet entered his skull and ended up behind his ear.
The son is now being treated at the hospital Lehigh Valley Hospital-...
Well two days ago there were hints that Microsoft was going to add motion sensing to the Xbox 360's controllers.
Speaking with Next-Gen, a Microsoft representative gave a stock reply: "Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation. And I have nothing further to share."
This could be taken either as confirmation or denying it, but this usually means the former.
"GAME OF THE YEAR
BioShock
STUDIO OF THE YEAR
Harmonix
BEST SHOOTER
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision/ Infinity Ward)
BEST RPG
Mass Effect (Microsoft Game Studios/ BioWare)
BEST MILITARY GAME
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision/ Infinity Ward)
BEST INDIVIDUAL SPORTS GAME
skate (Electronic Arts/ EA Black Box)
BEST HANDHELD GAME
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo/ Nintendo)
BEST GRA..."
Electronic Art's has released additional information about their up and coming title FIFA Streets 3 for the Nintendo DS by offering a new insight to a mini game that allows players to try out possible kick up skills in order to practice for training towards the big game. The Nintendo DS title will also be including a special African stage exclusively apart from the Playstation 3 and 360 version to try and bring sales in.
Midway have announced that a download for 10 level Map Pack and 21 all-new multi player character skins will become available for Stanglehold on both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. In addition to this the Xbox 360 product will offer a new achievements worth 250 points available. This product will be available soon for the North American customers.
"We like to hear people scream at us. Unfortunately, it has been a long while since anyone's actually done it. To compensate, the editors of all three IGN Editorial offices (US, UK, and Australia) got together and decided that it was time to revisit one of the most controversial topics in our business...
Our criteria for creating this list of our picks for the Top 100 Games of All Time are as follows:
-Eligible games had to have been released no later than December 31, 2006 (perspective ..."
Ever wanted the chance to buy a Nintendo Wii for $79, Xbox 360 for $139 or even the Playstation 3 for $139. Well here's your chance. Amazon.com have set up a vote promotion which asks for customers to vote for which console they would wish to have at this lowered price. 1000 random selected winners will be picked from the votes and will be contacted by email and be able to purchase the consoles from Amazon.com for these prices. Closing of the deal ends on the 22nd of November.
The runner-u...
The 5th annual Video Game Awards on Spike TV are almost here. And Kotaku has a list of all the nominees. The award show will be aired on Decembe 9th at pm on Spike TV.
Game of the year nominees are:
BioShock
Halo 3
Mass Effect
The Orange Box
Best PS3 Game
Heavenly Sword
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Warhawk
Best Wii Game
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Paper Mario
Best ...
"Usually trailing behind the Wii, the PlayStation 3, and the PlayStation 2, this week the underdog was on top. The latest figures from Media Create show that the Xbox 360 sold more units than Sony's PS3 in the Land of The Rising Sun for the week ending November 4."
Microsoft is adding a timer control so that parents can limit the time their children spend playing on the Xbox 360.
They claim that 90% of the parents placed a time constriction. I think this research was the 20 city bus tour that was mentioned in the article. I wonder if the percentage would drop because there isn't a Microsoft representative helping out the parents figure out how to use it.
It's not exactly something you'd want, but it seems that Microsoft want their NEXT-GEN Console to go the same way as the LAST-GEN Console. Granted the PS2 is a marvel in itself, being the all time highest selling console, and is still going strong with a new model being released soon, Microsoft are hoping the same type of achievement with their console.
Something they have to remember is that they could have even achieved that with the XBOX had they not retracted support for it, and stopp...
"Toshiba has rubbished reports that it is currently working with Microsoft on an Xbox 360 with a built-in HD DVD drive.
Rumours surfaced last week, but an unnamed Toshiba exec has now stated that Toshiba is not involved in any such hardware developments."
Electronic Arts have released a insite of there up and coming title for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, FIFA Streets 3.
The new screens offer you a look into the layouts of the streets pitches, including a detailed look at the Stars that are in the up and coming title including Ronaldinho, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney.
To view the demo, you will have to download it from here.
The Xbox 360 is getting a official price cut in Japan. Following the announcement that Sony made earlier this month, Microsoft will cut the 360's price by 13 percent, making the consoles price at a very low £149. In Japanese currency that is 34,800 yen. This official price cut will take place on November 1st, while Sony's Playstation 3's price cut in Japan will take place on the 11th November.
According to Famitsu's publisher Enterbain, the following statistics show how many units each co...
What better way to promote the 360 right before Christmas than to give away 100 games to a few lucky people. One of the winners has been posting up images of his very nice box of loot.
So, what does 100 XBOX 360 games look like? well, it's enough to fill up a futon and then some! It seems as though this lucky winner will be busy for a long long time. Sayonara free time, hello gaming spree!
A Halo 3 player simply gets owned while playing Halo 3 and then snaps. This results in the Xbox 360 ending up in his garden. This video also includes screens of the aftermath.
After Sony recently announcing that their interactive online Home service will be delayed till Spring 2008, Pocket-Lint decided to talk with one Microsoft executive at the Xbox games preview event. The question was "whether Home would pose a competitive challenge, when it eventually does launch?"
The executive answered with that "I think that Sony will struggle." The Microsoft executive talks about how Xbox Live was able to achieve such a high audience and why the PSN won't.
Yesterday, Aeropause.com carried a story about five ways to improve PS3 sales. Today they have a follow up article, this time focusing on five ways to stimulate demand for the 360. Their changes include:
1. Hard Drive Issue 1
2. Hard Drive Issue 2
3. Better Backwards Compatibility Schedule
4. Market the Connectivity of the Device
5. Allow for Game Development on the HD-DVD Attachment
It truely is an Unbiased trailer showing how the XBOX was defeated by PS3 after the two rival games (Halo 3 and Killzone 2) were released.
Created by Sony's Defence Force, the video yet once more fails to be clever or entertaining. Take a look at it yourself and give your opinions of the video:
Nick Williams who is a games analyst at GamerMetrics predicts that Xbox 360 titles that will come out at the same time of Halo 3 or just after it will lose out because of the release of Halo 3 in the next few months. He believes this because though Halo 3 will be increasing sales of the Xbox 360 title because of mass pre-orders for the game this will give Xbox 360 users less time to play other games because of such features and hype of the game, and this will of course give a negative impact ...
It was long time in the making, and it has finally happened. Square Enix had previously announced that they would be creating games for all three consoles, yet no exclusive XBOX360 game had been announced.... till now. Yesterday, Square-Enix, in a bombshell announcement revealed details of an upcoming game for the XBOX 360 titled Infinite Undiscovery.
Could this be the saviour that Microsoft were hoping for that would help boost sales in Japan? Well it certainly wasn't Blue Dragon.
We all have thought that the Nintendo Wii sales would be coming down in the next few months with less interest being shown in it but according to a online study which tested over 400,000 blogs and forums by BrandIntel states that more people plan on buying the Nintendo Wii over its Next Gen Rivals though it is a less powerful console and the reason for this, is because of the new audience they have tried to reach with casual gamers, that Sony and Microsoft have not covered.
Speculation is currently looming over what Microsoft will be offering at the Tokyo Games Show tomorrow for there Xbox 360. Rumours build up from a great line up of products with the likes off Konami's Winning Eleven, Microsoft Game Studio's Halo 3, Koei's Blade Storm and Square Enix's The Last Remnant including many more. But I guess we will find out tomorrow for sure.
In recent reports it has been shown that the Xbox 360 version of up and coming title Rock Band will only consist of wired bundles for the instruments and not wireless. Now it has been revealed that the Playstation 3 version of the game will offer Wireless bundle packs. The reason for this is because the wireless technology is too expensive to license on the 360, pushing the price-tag of the bundles too high. But as it does not cost as much for the Playstation 3 system, they will be offering W...
A recording of a Playstation 3 System in action in a UK Blockbuster shop shows the Xbox 360's top title Halo 3 being the trailer shown on the display monitor. A new marketing scheme by Sony that only hit one shop (^^) or just a general mistake by the Blockbuster boys? I'll leave you to cast your vote.
Microsoft, originally well-known for computers came into the console market with the original Xbox and quickly made a name for itself, rivalling competitors such as Nintendo, Sega and Sony. With the purchase of Bungie Coporation, Microsoft managed to start something of a cult with games such as Halo which have become Microsoft's killer ap.
Trailing behind Sony in consoles produced (who were on their second console), Microsoft got the head start on the next-generation market with the XBOX ...
Getting Banned these days is becoming a bragging right, but I don't think you'd be doing much bragging over the loss of your XBOX Live Account, just complaining... then again the reason for being banned is very much justified.
A Xbox Live member known as Scar somehow managed to get himself an illegal copy of the "Halo 3 Epsilon Beta" (he somehow managed to get it from a Microsoft employee). Cut things short, he played the game ONLINE on the STOLEN version, and managed to get found out (du...
"Microsoft had originally set a target of 15 million Xbox 360s by the middle of 2007, but dropped that target down to 12 million. Even with lowered expectations, the company was still unable to meet its goal, having only shipped 11,600,000 units by the end of June.
Plagued by red ring of death hardware issues, the Xbox 360 narrowly edged ahead of the PS3 in July sales, with NPD reporting retail sales of 170,000 units. However, Microsofts console unit sales lead over the PS3 fell from co..."
Consoles in this day and age, seem to follow a "Console Cycle"... well atleast Sony did with the Playstation trilogy... The cylce sees the introduction of a new generation machine every 5 to 6 years, however the production life of each machine is around 10 years.
Take for example the (original) Playstation which was released in Dec 1994. This was followed in Mar 2000 by the PS2, however it remained in production till Mar 2006 when Sony finally stopped making the machines. Which meant that...
"Okay, what happens when you like Linux, and decide to change your Xbox Live gamertag motto to "Linux rules"? Well, Microsoft black flags you, that's what. According to xbox-scene.com, Linux and Unix prompt the following response:
See the image below"
"Unique to the Halo 3 Xbox 360 Limited Edition:
- Halo 3 Special Edition Wireless Controller
- Halo 3 Special Edition 20GB Hard Drive
- Halo 3 Special Edition Wired Headset
- Halo 3 Special Edition Gamer Pics and Theme (Exclusive download via Xbox LIVE)
The Halo 3 LE Xbox 360 also includes an HDMI port, now standard in Premium as well as Elite Xbox 360s.
With the lack of a transfer kit in the box and the form of the free Xbox 360 data migration cable asking for an Elite Xbox 360 s..."
Microsoft has been bombarded with complaints and returned Xbox 360s after they had the dreaded Red Ring of Death, but some of them seem to have no problems at all and have been returned as a result of a misunderstanding. Originally, 3 of the 4 quadrants of the ring blink red when there is a hardware failure in an Xbox 360 console. However, all 4 quadrants blink red when the AV/component cable is pulled out of the console.
This makes me wonder if some of these people who claimed their syst...
This holiday season, there may be some new Xbox 360 bundles on retailer shelves, and they seem to be a sweet deal as well. From the first look, you get Forza 2 and Marvel: Ultimate Allaince for free. However, it is still unknown if these bundles will be priced at the recent slashed rates. Anyway, if this does end up being true, if you don't have a X360, this is a pretty nice deal and I wouldn't miss out on it.
You could say that some people have more money than sense when it comes to investing in the Xbox 360 and its 'most unreliable console in gaming history' label. But then, there's nothing like dedicated fanboys, blissfully ignorant consumers, and perfectly reasonable middle-of-the-road casual gamers to help keep a brand pushing onward. God bless 'em.
Well it seems the user Proelite, after watching Rush Hour 3 went to pay the local game store a visit to see if they had the premiums with HDMI. And some interesting things was said. According to the Gamestop Employee he states that "They're making the elites into premiums, and dropping the core" then says "and later they're releasing xbox ultimate." It seems The so called New xbox 360 Ultimate features HDMI, and a HD-DVD drive to compete with Blu-ray. The new Xbox will just make it More HD. A...
"As you walk into the local gamestop looking for something to buy sometimes you may ask yourself, Maybe I need something new. But as you walk through the sea of games and crying children you may notice a trend, everything is an FPS. Life goes on and you take it home wondering, Do I really need to kill the invaders as a space marine again? There ends your day and wondering.
Fpssource.net decided that its time to stop wondering and look at this problem with numbers and found that most gam..."
"Ars Technica claims a Microsoft representative told them at E3 in early July, "HDMI will probably be standard moving forward."
According to the source, Microsoft hopes to sell through its current inventory of machines with their newly lowered prices and then "soft launch" a new version of the Core and Premium models in late August or September.
The rumored hardware is said to include HDMI, smaller 65nm processor chips that run cooler, and quieter DVD drives.
"The new hardware will s..."
"We just received a rather well sourced rumor from Microsoft that they will be releasing 1st Party Cooling Devices. Its said that Microsoft is already developing and testing the new cooling products. No official word has been released about this, but in the past Xbox 360 has been plagued with faulty hardware due to the Xbox 360 overheating because of the weak cooling the console provides itself."
Today, X360 gamers who logged into their Xbox Live accounts were promoted to download a mandatory update, and with the hopes of new features, I'm certain that many people did so happily. Unfortunately your hope of getting new features will have to be broken and/or put on hold, as the update did nothing other than add support for the Guitar Hero III wireless guitar.
"I (like many others) am a proud owner of a Wii60. Us Wii60 owners feel that we've got gaming all covered. Our Xbox 360 gives us top-class hard core online gaming in high definition. Our Wii gives us really unique gaming experiences because the Wiimote is like nothing else. But, what if we could get the best of the Xbox 360 and the best of the Wii, together, in a single game? I was curious, and the end result is my creation that I call Xbox 360 Input Machine (or, "XIM" for short)."
""Every game will work with every Xbox 360 system," a Microsoft spokesman told GamePro when asked about the "Hard Drive Required" sticker. "But just like some games will require you to have a Memory Unit to save games, some games will require you to have a Hard Drive to experience them."
For example, gamers can't fully experience the critically acclaimed Oblivion without at least a memory card to save one's progress the representative explained. It is still unclear how a lack of hard drive ..."
Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade appelaed to many gamers when it was revealed over a year and a half ago as part of XBOX Live. And, for a while, it stayed appealing to gamers, however as the time has gone, and title after title has been added to Xbox Live Arcade (which is obviously a good thing) however along with that various practices followed by Microsoft have turned it into something far from appealing (though, I'm sure some still revere the service).
Fortunately, Microsoft can fix this pr...
Now I know for a fact that this article will most likely cause some flaming between systems (and so it will be monitored a bit more by moderators :p). However, the points made for EACH of the Next Gen consoles, are quite true, and should be taken with the stone to the heart. Here's the quick run-down on the points, but be sure to check the source for more details as to why they are bad:
Microsoft XBOX360
- Red Ring of Death
- Lack of rechargeable batteries
- Microsoft Points
- Lack of built-in wireles...
Had a problem with your XBOX360, and it's suddenly showing you the Red Ring of Death? Well Microsoft have launched a new website that will allow you to get your XBOX360 repaired much quicker than before, without having to listen to those at the Call Centers telling you how "it's your fault that your getting the red ring of death".
Just hop over to the new Service Site, and you'll be able to track your XBOX360 from the moment you send in your XBOX360 to them.
The downside however is tha...
"A semiconductor manufacturer in Singapore that created the Xbox 360 processor has told PC Advisor it is currently developing an improved CPU, most likely for use in Microsoft's console. Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing says it will produce a 45-nanometer processor for use in videogame consoles within the next 18 months. The company previously made 90nm and 65nm versions of the 360 processor, and based on its track record it's a good bet this latest chip is bound for the 360, as well"
It's true that the PS3 has been quickly increasing in sales while the Xbox 360 has been declining. It is a little odd that the 360 is declining in sales, which although aren't always on top, they usually remain strong. What could be causing this problem? Will this decline in sales continue until the holidays. Only time will tell, but I highly doubt it.
"Microsoft's Xbox 360 took top honors as the console with the most award-winning games at E3 this year according to the Game Critics Awards. Xbox 360 games took home 11 awards, followed by PS3 with eight, and Wii with just one.
EA's Rock Band won Best In Show ousting Bioshock, Call of Duty 4, Mass Effect and Fallout 3 for the honor. Sony's Little Big Planet won Best Original Game, while Microsoft's Mass Effect took home the Best Console Game prize and Sony's Killzone 2 earned a congeniality..."
Microsoft's taken yet another swipe at Sony, and this time it's Bill Gates that has carried out the low blow. During a recent Microsoft's investor chats, Bill Gates said
- "So we've always wanted to be a company that got the benefit of the scale, going back to the beginning where we said, hey we're not a one-product company. Many of our competitors were one-product companies. Now they're not one-product companies, but Sony's just in video games, Nokia's largely just in mobile phones, IBM's large...
It's widely expected that Microsoft is to officially cut the price of Xbox 360 over in the US shortly, but it's a move that won't be emulated in the UK. Much like the price drop of the PS3 in America, this also wouldn't be hitting our shores any time soon ...
With people generally buying Magazines for the Demo's, the Official XBOX Magazine is one of those bought, not for the articles, but for the Demo's. Whilst the articles themselves are good, they can usually found in advance FOR FREE on the internet thanks to a clever invention, known as the Scanner.
The OXM have realised that it isn't the content within the magazine that is always wanted, but the actual demo, and for that reason, in the September 2007's issue of the magazine, Francesca Reye...
"In what could be seen as a turn up for the books, web data tracker Hitwise reports that the Microsoft Xbox 360 has become the most searched for gaming console on the Internet based on a share of searches.
It is the first time that Microsoft's gaming powerhouse has surpassed the popularity of searches submitted for those seeking information on the Nintendo Wii since the latter was released in November 2006. Hitwise added that the statistics could be "a leading indicator predictive of future..."
"As soon as this item went for auction, I realized it would bring in a nice price, but I would have never imagined it going over $4000.00. Theres still about 23 hours left on the auction, so it could end up selling for much more. Id love to have this particular limited 360 myself, but Im not feeling generous enough to drop over 4 grand into a game system. I am a little surprised it would go this high opened as well. If youd like to keep an eye on the current bids, the link to the auction c..."
"The Official Xbox Magazine is branching off onto Xbox Live, and will be offering its wares in digital form for 200 points an issue (USD$2.50). Smart move. People don't read mags anymore, people don't buy mags for demos anymore, so for Microsoft it's a handy way to get official editorial content and reviews back out to a userbase that's neglecting their traditional methods."
from August 1, Microsoft will be dropping the price of their Xbox 360 HD-DVD add-ons from $199 to $179. They will also be offering five free HD-DVDs from a selection of 15 titles through mail, with the purchase of the player.
This appears to be Microsoft's effort to keep up with the PS3's Blu Ray technology. Microsoft's offer will last all the way till the end of September.
According to Steve Carlie, his system which he bought in November 2005 has ruined several of his games. Also in his lawsuits he accuses Microsoft for violated the Washington state Consumer Protection Act.
Bloggers also stated that the scratching is due to movement of the console while the disc is in the machine. However, others have said the disc was scratched while their system was stationary.
If Microsoft attempts to recall all console widespread, it will hit them with a big financial ...
"So if you've tried to download anything recently through your 360, you've already discovered that something is amiss in the world of Xbox Live. Several people have reported getting the error message "Can't retrieve information from Xbox Live. Please try again later. Status code: 807b01f7" when trying to download content. The problem seems to be specific to the Marketplace though, multiplayer and friends lists seem to still be working fine.
Probably just some server hiccups, but we'll keep..."
Games Radar has tallied up the stats of the first half of the 2007 year to see who's winning the console war in 2007 alone. Using stats from Janruary to June, this is what they came up with. The DS is dominating with 2.7 million sales and the Wii is not far behind with 2.1 million. The Xbox 360 and PSP are tied at 1.3 million each and the PS3 trails far behind with 763,000 sales.
They also got the top 10 game sales for the first half of the year and 6 of the top 10 are for Nintendo, the P...
""...whereas our competition takes a bunch of old content and catalogs content from previous generations and offers that in a download fashion, our development organization are making games specifically for PS3," said Peter Dille. "When you download them, they're in 1080p, and they're showing off what's going on with Cell and the PlayStation 3 technology."
Oh, dont you just love a bit of corporate handbag action?"
"Data from research firm Media Create shows that sales of Sony PlayStation 3's console rocketed past the X-Box 360, outselling the competition by a ratio of Approximately 5:1.
It seems like things are going normal for the PlayStation 3 and all the Sony consoles in general with Japanese Sales."
"To capitalize on this already inherent system capability, Buffalo will be releasing the Buffalo Wi-Fi Gamer device in the US next month, and the company stopped by our office to show how it works. This wireless adapter, about the size of a pack of cards, doesn't need a PC at all - it simply plugs into an available port on an existing LAN. Once connected, you just press the "connect" button on the unit, then the AOSS function on the DS, PSP, PS3 and Wii, and after about 45 seconds of syncing u..."
It hasn't been long since Microsoft extended the warranty on all XBOX 360's by three years for the Three Red Lights problem, Microsoft today announced that the Entertainment and Devices Division (EDD) is currently in the red by $1.89 billion.
This is not surprising as the cost of the extension was estimated to be around $1.06 billion as well as a reduction in the number of XBOX360's sold. During the fiscal year 2007 (ending June 07), Microsoft had managed to ship 6.6 million consoles, 1.6...
Microsoft as all would expect are having a bit of trouble selling in Japan, new market and the games don't appeal to the Japanese market, well not all of them and they got the Wii and Playstation 3 against them. But yet, Microsft plan on not giving up on Japan, though they say they do not think they have won in this Generation of Consoles. Both Jeff Bell and Shane Kim say though they are disappointed about the sales they have had in Japan so far but hope that Lost Oddyssey will help boost up ...
Electronics Arts sure is welcoming Peter Moore well. They're giving him an annual salary of $550,000 and also offering a big bonus of $1.5 billion. Moore is a lucky guy.
Regarding the $1.5 million bonus, the filing stated that even though he will earn the one-time bonus after working a good two years at EA, he will actually get the bonus within 30 days of starting. However, if he voluntarily leaves EA before the two years is complete, he will have to repay EA the full amount.
Among th...
This isn't something that happens everyday, but todays the day where it seems to have happened. Peter Moore, a big name in the gaming industry, and the Corporate Vice President of IEB (Interactive Entertainment Business) is resigning from Microsoft for personal reasons.
- Peter Moore, who currently serves as corporate vice president of IEB, has decided to move his family back to the Bay Area for personal reasons and has secured another opportunity in the video games industry.
I really appreciate Microsoft's extended 3-year warranty as much as the next 360 owner, but this is ridiculous. Seems like there's been a rise in sales for the console over in Australia, so much sold to say that every EB Games were sold out of 360's, most likely due to the warranty.
Problem is, they were asked to be recalled recently, not being specific on what the problem was...if it was the design fault, RRoD, or something different. Since EB Games appearantly sold them all, it will tak...
It's a mistake that people would dread to make, especially if your supposed to be a retailer for games. Unfortunately for Sears, they made the mistake. Aparantly the XBOX 360 isn't a Microsoft Console, but a Sega console as you can see from the image below (incase they correct it) or the product page itself.
They're not just selling you a Microsoft Sega XBOX 360 Controller, but they are also selling you a Sega Xbox360 Live 12 Month Gold Card. And thats not ALL the Sega products they sell f...
Sony's Senior Vice President, Peter Dille sat down with Gamasutra for an interview and said that HD-DVD will be dead in months and that the 360 cannot hold up to a 10 year life-cycle. He said the first Xbox was a goner in the first 4 or 5 years when they stopped making games for it. He allegedly says that Sony will stand behind the PS3 for 10 years like releasing God of War II in the 7th year for PS2.
This E3 has differently been interesting, It has practically turned into a free for all with every company trying to wow the journalists more than the others. Here is a overview if how a observant spectator sees E3
Confirming that which we already knew, Microsoft has finally revealed that the matte black and technically tweaked Xbox 360 Elite will indeed arrive in Europe on August 24.
Pricing of the European Elite remains a mystery, but current suggestions indicate that Euro gamers may be subjected to yet more undeserved financial hardship courtesy of Microsoft when the 120GB monster launches on August 24. A figure of 449 is presently being banded about, which is $150 USD more than the $479 USD it's...
You all know of Halo, but did you know that Bungie did another FPS trilogy before it called Marathon? The first in the Marathon trilogy was released for the Macintosh in 1994, and introduced many concepts frequently used in videogames today (like dual-wielding). Microsoft announced during its E3 conference that it is coming to the Xbox Live Arcade!
Fresh news from the first E3 Press Conference by Microsoft, and the news is that the Walt Disney Studios to Offer Movie Rentals On Demand Through Xbox LIVE Starting Now.
Beginning today, consumers of all ages will have access to a growing catalog of new and classic movies from The Walt Disney Studios including titles from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures and Miramax Films, on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, the leading high-definition-video download service. Xbox 360 o...
With previous reports about the XBOX 360 Scratching Discs, yet another report has recently been uncovered by arstechnica.com.
It seems that a man from Florida has filed a federal lawsuit against Microsoft accusing them of creating a defective piece of software which scratches the discs and asks for $5 million in damages.
Brouwer complains that Microsoft have not anywhere stated not to move the XBOX360 with a disc inside it, which many of us have done for more than one or another reason...
Microsoft has countered Sony's Price cut with a project called Falcon.
This will feature "The said internal electronics will be composed of an IBM microprocessor and an AMD/ATI graphics chip that are manufactured in a 65-nanometer production process. We've already talked about this one before. Basically, these chips are similar to the 90-nanometer ones but are smaller and more efficient.
Takahashi added that this will ultimately solve the console's problems with overheating. Quite intere...
"In a note to investors today, Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter stated that Microsoft will announce an Xbox 360 price cut at the start of tomorrow's E3 Media & Business Summit in Santa Monica.
Pachter claims the price cut will affect all three Xbox 360 models, with the $299 USD Core pack dropping to $249 USD; the $399 USD Premium pack dropping to $349 USD; and the recently released $479 USD 120GB Elite model dropping to $399 USD.
If true, it's likely Microsoft's pricing ..."
"My Xbox 360 died. And so, I called 1-800-4-MY-XBOX today
While I was on the phone, the rep
informed me that my surge protector had probably caused both of my 360 deaths
The explanation
The Xbox 360 is highly sensitive to reductions in power, and even the slightest cut in power can cause things like the fans and even the DVD laser to malfunction. Surge protectors can cause this, and probably 90% of the consoles they see have all failed in 6-12 months of being plugged into a surge protec..."
Whilst suffering a $1.05 billion blow to their annual profits by extending the warranty on the XBOX 360's to three years with regards to the infamous Three Red Lights problem, it seems they are about to suffer another blow.
This time it's with respect to their sales target. Hoping to have sold 12 million consoles by June 30th, they have fallen short by 400,00 consoles, only reaching over 11.6 million units. However the units of consoles sold itself, is quite high, and appears to be ahead o...
Microsoft has extended the warranty for the Xbox 360 to a full 3 years. They still refuse to admit any design flaws in the Xbox 360, but have decided to extend the warranty period from one year to three. In fact, Microsoft continues to claim that the majority of 360 owners have not had any issues. Please note this extended warranty only covers the Red Ring of Death.
"Microsoft's Japanese representatives have revealed today that the Elite version of the Xbox 360 will be released in the region on October 11. The 120GB hard drive-equipped version of the firm's next-generation console will retail for 47,800 Yen ($390 USD), almost $90 USD cheaper than the cost of the machine in North America."
According to Famitsu's Japanese game sales report for the month of June, the DS console product line continues to take top honors in Japan, netting sales of over 500,000 units for its fifthteen consecutive month. Second place on the June hardware sales chart also went to Nintendo for the Wii. Nintendo's hardware sales are believed to be a major factor in increasing Japanese game industry sales by 25 percent but the company's competitors, not to mention a 7.5 percent growth in game sales, al...
"In a move that may baffle many, Sony has yet to announce any plans for the PS3 for E3 compared to what Microsoft has for the Xbox 360 to bring E3 home.
Last year Microsoft did a great job on Xbox Live with the Xbox 360 as they brought the latest game demos, trailers, etc all from the show floor and piped them directly into the homes of Xbox 360 games and the Xbox Live service to enjoy.
So now the question comes up, with Microsoft getting ready to do it all over again for the second year..."
For the second year running, fans around the world thirsting for a sneak preview of the upcoming Xbox 360 games and entertainment line-up can get together with friends to experience the E3 Media & Business Summit (E3) the biggest video game industry event of the year in high definition from the comfort of their own homes.
From Tuesday 10th July until Friday 13th July, Microsoft Corp. is bringing E3 home to owners of the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system through its second ...
A "hot" case mod for the 360. It won't cool your 360 but it will make it just as cool by letting you know just how hot it is inside. Temperature sensors sample the cases' oh so warm air and depending on how hot (or cold) it is will produce a different color glow emitted from colored LED's. A numeric LED display is also included in the mod to show you the exact number in celcius.
A recent study of gaming households conducted by The Diffusion Group, a Texas-based research firm, concludes that North American gamers are still primarly using next-gen game consoles for gaming. In other words, despite the price gamers are paying for the multimedia playback features in consoles like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, few are actually making use of them. Approximately 13 percent of the 2000 US households surveyed by The Diffusion Group that own these consoles admitted to using...
"Micromart, a UK-based console repair specialist, has ceased to offer repairs on Xbox 360 consoles suffering from the much-discussed Three Red Lights of Death.
The latest update on the company's website reads: "Micromart has now withdrawn from offering a Repair Service for the dreaded 3 Red Lights fault.
"This problem is endemic on the Xbox 360 console and the volume has made this repair non-viable."
This further emphasises the alarming unreliability of the 360, although Microsoft ref..."
Immersion originally sued both Microsoft and Sony over use of its patented rumble technology in Xbox and PlayStation 2 controller pads. However, it later came to light that Microsoft had settled its differences via a significant dollar payout, as well as buying a large stake in the company.
"Talismoon has just released the second generation in its "Tiltboard" controller series. From what GamerSquad can gather, clever chip-board wizardry added inside the Xbox 360 controller is able to recognize which way the pad is being twisted and turned, much like the PS3's SIXAXIS controller."
San Jose Mercury News reporter Dean Takahashi had a chance to press Todd Holmdahl, Microsoft's corporate vice president of Gaming and Xbox Products Group, over the production issues surrounding the Xbox 360 console. As expected, a key point of their interview was the now notorious 360 hardware failures. It's still not an issue Microsoft is quite ready to address, if Holmdahl's apprehension in disclosing the actual return rate of console hardware is any indication. Indeed, Holmdahl remained...
"The transcript from an internal Take-2 conference call that was undertaken on June 11th has found its way onto the internet and it includes a rather interesting quote from the companys Chief Financial Officer, Lainie Goldstein. It reads as follows:
The first 25 (million) is for the first episodic content package thats supposed to go out and that is in March of 08. Thats why it moved into current because its in the next 12 months. The second 25 (million) will be for the second episodic..."
For the month of May, Nintendo once again held the North American video game industry sales in the palm of its hand. According to the May sales figures released by NPD, Nintendo's DS remained the top selling console at 423,000 units. The Wii manged to take second place with sales of 338,000 consoles. Sony's PlayStation Portable meanwhile managed to the beat the rest of its next-generation brethren with sales of 221,120 units compared to the 154,900 Xbox 360s and 81,600 PlayStation 3 consol...
While the Wii is enjoying success as a console which breaks the mold (and the ice), Sega US' vice president of marketing fears it will only be a matter of time before developers run out of steam on the Wii. Sega's Scott Steinberg explains in an interview with Reuters that while the scope of the Wii is refreshing, the console as it stands is simply underpowered. At the same time, Steinberg believes the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 could enjoy renewed support over the next few years as those ve...
Inquisitive Xbox 360 owners in the UK have discovered the most recent batch of consoles serviced for repairs have returned with additional cooling installed for the console's GPU (graphics processing unit). Photos and anecdotal evidence of the new heatsink have already been floating around, suggesting Microsoft is adopting new measures to prevent further heating issues which have plagued the Xbox 360 console since its launch.
Microsoft itself has yet to officially address and confirm thes...
Nyko Technologies®, a premier peripherals manufacturer, today announced that they have shipped new versions of the Intercooler EX and Charge Station specifically designed for the Xbox 360 Elite.
Nyko's Intercooler EX, the latest version of the company's incredibly popular cooling system for the Xbox 360, improves upon the original by adding a variety of new, user demanded features, including support for the wireless adapter. In addition to providing a superior cooling solution that improve...
"Weve seen the coverage from Bloomberg reporting a price drop by this holiday, and since I havent heard anything about a price drop, I thought Id go right to the source. I asked David Hufford to clarify, and he sent me an email, and told me I could share it.
David writes (my emphasis and links):
Some are getting really spun up about the Bloomberg story and inaccurately reading tea leaves that dont exist. I spoke to Bloomberg nearly two months ago and we were talking about NPD dat..."
"Peter Moore has been speaking of Microsofts need to revamp its marketing strategies in a bid to widen the Xbox 360s target demographic. Leading analyst expects a price drop before Christmas.
Microsoft has made clear its intentions to widen its line-up of family friendly titles and redesign retail displays as a means of appealing to an audience not traditionally associated with Xbox.
In a move that has strong echoes of Nintendos marketing strategies, Microsoft hopes to extend the..."
Lions Gate Entertainment reveals that revenues in the video-on-demand market grew by around 50 percent from last year, and part of this growth is attributed to the inroads the distributor has made in services like the Xbox Live Video Marketplace. While its digital revenue base was admittedly small to begin with, Lions Gate has nonetheless expressed interest in continuing to leverage digital distribution for its film titles.
Wow. These consoles are smoking hot! We all know that there have been some ugly looking consoles made but most of the time these consoles get remade eventually. This list goes over the top ten best looking consoles. Definitely worth checking out. I just love the Panasonic Q GameCube.
"Although reports of the Xbox 360 scratching discs have been floating around for a while, the story really got legs a couple months ago when a Dutch TV show called Kassa aired a segment claiming to prove that the 360 damages media. Although Microsoft promised to look into the problem, apparently that's not good enough for Meglena Kuneva, the European Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, who has given Redmond exactly one week to detail how it's handled the bad DVD drive situation in the Netherlan..."
"As you can probably tell from the image above, this sort of project wouldn't be safe in the hands of a wiring novice. Wii-FTW forum admin Sir CRX hacked his Wiimote and Xbox controller to accept bluetooth commands, sending them to his 360 console. The mod doesn't yet incorporate any of the remote's "waggle" functions and only supports four of its buttons, but Sir CRX has hinted that there will be updates and a possible tutorial coming soon. Head past the post break for video of the cross-cons..."
"Microsoft decided to keep quiet about Xbox 360 failure issues, but even UK retailers have their mouth zipped regarding the matter. Technology Guardian asked UK retailer giant Game but couldn't get anything on the "commercially sensitive" matter.
On the other hand, our gaming mates out there in the UK are still experiencing hardware problems. Some claim that they're on their 6th or 7th consoles, while others just downright don't want anything more from Microsoft when it comes to gaming syst..."
Microsoft recently implemented a dashboard update which effectively banned Xbox 360 consoles featuring any sort of firmware modification from accessing Xbox Live. However, the modding community demonstrates its craftiness and have since released a new firmware hack which allows the consoles to sidestep Xbox Live's anti-piracy measures. The catch is that consoles already barred from accessing Xbox Live (because of the firmware mod detection) remain out of luck, even with the newest hack.
With the release of the Halo 3 beta, Microsoft has finally come around to putting its foot down on Xbox 360 console hacks. The company is officially banning modified Xbox 360 consoles from accessing Xbox Live, though user accounts themselves are not effected. "Modified" in this case would refer to the Xbox 360 DVD-ROM firmware hacks which has been floating around the intertubes for a while now, allowing consoles to play backup/illegitimate copies of Xbox 360 games. Even newer versions of t...
"In the current issue of Game Informer magazine, Square Enix unveiled its newest game, The Last Remnant, which was later revealed to be for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. The company went on to announce a first for them, in that this title will be their first game released simultaneously in North America and Japan.
The game will be the first title from Square Enix utilizing the recently licensed Unreal Engine 3 and is currently on schedule for release at some point during 2008. The ga..."
Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, responsible for products like its Xbox 360 console and Zune portable media player, has been hit with a string operating losses since its inception over five years ago. However, division President Robbie Bach believes the tide may finally turn starting next year. In an interview with eWeek, Bach explains that while his division will continue to deal with associated costs of business and manufacturing/production, it is also poised to begin reapi...
A member scanned in a page from his local news paper which reported on a man who tried to hold up a Blockbuster video and video game rental store demanding a PS3. However, the store in fact did not have any PS3's so the man had to settle on what they did have; an XBOX 360. To go along with his 360 he also took a handful of games with him to complete the package.
John Davison, an editor for 1up has had his 360 assassinated by his PS3. He blogs about his setup which is just an average wooden shelved unit with glass doors. He has his PS3 and 360 both inside and with the doors closed.
The accident happened when his sons were playing 360 one morning. The youngest had the PS3 controller and was "pretend" playing while his brother actually played. Unknowingly the smaller child turned on the PS3. While this was going on the glass door was still closed and...
360 owners (core, pro, and elite versions only) are eligible to receive a free transfer cable for their systems. All you need to do is print out a PDF, fill out the information and wait. This is a limited time offer so it would be best to act fast. The link to the PDF is at the very bottom of the source's article.
"Bullet Marsh: In this Kryll-infested swamp, an old generator still powers the area lights. A few stray bullets could easily knock out the generator, leaving combatants to fend for themselves against the Kryll.
Garden: This overgrown and crumbling conservatory still has a working fertilization and pesticide system. This system can pose a serious hazard to anyone who ventures into the greenhouse without first venting the air.
Process: Teams must fight for control of this subterranean Imul..."
You might have seen a similar auction like this for the Nintendo Wii. Now you can get an Xbox 360 with a Halo 3 design on it, autographed by all of the people at Bungie to help raise money for the Make-A-Wish foundation. The 360 is also sold with a Crackdown, but it is going for well over $1000. There is still over a week left, so we'll see how high this console sells for.
The Xenon CPU utilized in Microsoft's Xbox 360 is already scheduled for a CMOS process technology upgrade from 90 nanometers to 65 nanometers, meaning fabs should begin producing smaller, more energy efficient versions of the console's processor. The Commercial Times reveals that the CPU won't be the only thing getting a die shrink; major fab Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is reportedly gearing up to prepare 65 nanometer version of the Xenos GPU for the Xbox 360 as well.
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"Unfortunately, while Microsoft's operating system demand was robust, revenue at its entertainment and devices division sagged like a perforated, unheated hot-air balloon during the quarter. The sector, which incorporates the company's Xbox 360, Games for Windows, Microsoft Game Studios, and Zune businesses, saw quarterly revenue slide 21 percent to just $929 million.
Speaking to the Associated Press, Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell said that the entertainment and devices di..."
Engadget did a test of the Elite versus the Classic version of the console. After reading the article I must say it was rather disappointing. How is this Elite? it does not seem very "Elite" to me. Unless by "Elite" Microsoft means because it's black and sports a larger hard drive. However, I don't call that Elite and it does not justify the larger price tag.
Engadget found out that the audio was the exact same. Temperature wise and noise output were also the same. With the Elite you can t...
"If the thought of waiting for the 120GB, HDMI-enabled Xbox 360 Elite to arrive in stores proves unbearable to you, consider how quickly time flies when you're spending money. Cast your view on this third SKU, now available on eBay, seemingly thanks to Target's inability to honor the April 29th street date. The eBay seller (and possible Subaru Impreza driver) has kicked off the bid at an amusing $600 and promises to ship the black box "IMMEDIATELY." IMMEDIATELY after the auction ends next week..."
"Microsoft announced this morning that two more games would be making their ways to the Xbox Live Arcade on the Xbox 360. Both games will be made available for download on Wednesday, April 18 at 2 a.m. Pacific Time.
Fans of classic-shooting action should be pleased to hear that Konami is bringing its coin-op tube-shooter Gyruss to XBLA. In Gyruss, gamers are charged with flying a space cruiser from Neptune to Earth, all while battling enemy ships, satellites, laser-beam generators, and aste..."
"It's crystal clear that Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii leave Sony's PS3 in a trail of smoke and dust more and more with every day that passes. But who's winning when there are only two consoles to be mentioned: the Wii, or the 360? I found this article today on Gamespot saying that Microsoft might have just mugged their own sales figures. How? By stuffing the retail channel.
Here's how it goes. A company like Microsoft has a fiscal year to end. As the end of that fiscal year appro..."
"- Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
"Capcom will maintain the integrity of the popular game by utilizing the original game code while upgrading the graphics with new artwork and high resolution 1080p images. Again, all of the art, from character animation to stage backgrounds, will be completely redrawn by Udon Entertainment, the company responsible for the official US Street Fighter series of comics. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix will include both online and offline competitio..."
Microsoft has announced it's latest update for the XBOX 360 Dashboard. This new update will allow streaming of videos using Windows Media Connect. The types allowed include MPEG4 and WMV at a stream rate of up 15MBps.
And thats not all. The release also includes the addition of an new controller that includes a keyboard which will allow you to use Windows Live Messenger to chat with other users around the world through your 360.
![Box shot of Xbox 360 [North America]](http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvWGJveF8zNjA=/xbox_360_frontcover_small_nupCycwgoMaZNZ0.png)