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Xbox 360 News
by Published on October 9th, 2011 18:48- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
The good news for everyone anyone using their Xbox 360 as a AT&T U-verse set-top box, is that it will be upgraded as a part of the new dashboard update coming this fall. that means support for the integrated search, new UI and control via voice or gestures with Kinect. The bad news? After the update, it will only work if you're also a subscriber to Xbox Live Gold. No problem if you were already shelling out in order to get your Gears 3 co-op on, but not so awesome if you weren't planning on buying the gaming package just to watch some TV. Giant Bomb has talked to Microsoft and of the new services, some, like the BBC, may be accessible without a paid-up Gold pass, but for HBO Go, Dailymotion and others you'll need to toss some cash Redmond's way. To ease the pain, AT&T is tossing a one-time $60 credit towards its users with the package -- still no word on whether or not you'll need to pay that installation fee for a new setup after the upgrade goes through.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/09/u...r-but-will-re/ ...by Published on October 8th, 2011 22:39- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
A report has claimed that Microsoft is preparing a universal, cross-platform Xbox gaming platform similar in design to OnLive for launch in 2012.
If true it would dismiss the ongoing whispers that Microsoft could snap-up the fledgling OnLive service and integrate into its own operations.
ElectronicTheatre suggests that the new network will be designed to take the Xbox brand to a host of new platforms and free it from the shackles of the Xbox 360 console itself.
The idea is that games purchased on one platform could then easily be taken with the consumer to another via a dedicated streaming service.
Indeed, the Xbox brand itself will enjoy a significant, console-free presence in Windows 8 and already forms part of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 offering.
And while the next iteration of the Xbox is widely believed to be building toward a 2012 reveal, it is logical to conclude that a company such as Microsoft could see a transformation of service as a more important evolution that simply an upgrade to its tech.
With Xbox 360 in its sixth year, a significant – but perhaps restrained by historical standards – hardware upgrade would be relatively cheap, freeing up the financial resource needed to invest in the kind of online infrastructure a brand as big as Xbox would need to succeed in the cloud arena.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/micro...e-rival/085946
...by Published on October 7th, 2011 23:13- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
Rudolf Kremers, the designer of the independent game Eufloria, claims it is "impossible" for people in his position to self-publish through Xbox Live Arcade.
Speaking to PSN Stores, Kremers discussed the importance of Sony's "Pub Fund" - a $20 million reserve of cash to help indies publish their games - in launching games like Eufloria on the PlayStation Network.
"We would never give up our IP. [Sony] did actually want it, they were making us an offer to publish it for us. But it meant that we would have to sell the IP to them in exchange," he said.
"We had to stand fast. We had to look at other ways, and that turned in to the self publishing route. We made that possible because Sony were happy to include us in the pub fund. One of the qualities of the pub fund is that it's a viable avenue for micro teams like ourselves - Microsoft don't have that any more."
Omni-Labs, Kremer's studio, was approached by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony about publishing Eufloria, but the PlayStation Network was the only service offer an affordable way to self-publish without relinquishing IP ownership and creative control.
"For Microsoft the cost would be prohibitive, as they had all sorts of mandatory features - multiplayer and the like. And of course you have to use their QA... The cost picture would be so prohibitive that self publishing would be impossible."
Earlier this week, 2D Boy's Ron Carmel questioned Microsoft's content policies for Xbox Live Arcade, and offered data to prove that the service is losing "star talent" to competing services like the PlayStation Network.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...for-small-devs
...by Published on October 6th, 2011 23:15- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
Not all of the 40 TV and entertainment providers who are bringing their content to Xbox 360 later this year will do so for free, and it appears that voice and gesture control using Kinect will also be restricted to Xbox Live Gold members.
Microsoft's press release contains a quote from Don Mattrick, president of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business, and his reference to "combining the world's leading TV and entertainment providers with the power of Kinect for Xbox 360" ends with an asterisk. That, the release explains, means: "Xbox Live Gold membership and/or other subscriptions/fees required."
It seems an odd move for a company that has built its new dashboard around Kinect and, at E3 in May, put great focus on the Xbox 360 motion sensor and the use of a voice-controlled, integrated search with Bing. We're waiting for confirmation from Microsoft that this is indeed the case.
Furthermore, while Microsoft's press release suggests that only one channel - France's Canal+ - will be restricted to Gold members, it appears others may follow and some may even require additional fees.
"With regard to Gold/Silver we will be releasing more information over the coming weeks," a Microsoft representative told us in an email. "Some will sit behind Gold, some Silver, and others will require additional subscriptions."
http://www.next-gen.biz/news/xbox-tv...s-be-gold-only
...by Published on October 6th, 2011 22:54- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
Microsoft has signed deals with a long list of media providers to bring a wealth of new content to the Xbox LIVE service across a number of different territories.
Listed on Larry Hryb's Major Nelson blog, the new deals bring both free and paid for content to the service from many of the world's most respected media organisations, including the BBC.
Previously, the BBC had been resisting inclusion in the service thanks to its terms of service, which stipulate that viewers should pay no fees above and beyond the licence fee.
A full list of the services is below. Single asterisks denote content which either requires a gold subscription or extra fees, double asterisks are pre-existing services.
- ABC iView - Australia
- AlloCiné - France, Germany, Spain, U.K.
- Antena 3 - Spain
- Astral Media's Disney XD - Canada
- AT&T** - U.S.
- BBC - U.K.
- blinkbox - U.K.
- Bravo - U.S.
- BSkyB** - U.K.
- Canal+* - France, Spain
- Channel 4 - U.K.
- Channel 5 - U.K.
- CinemaNow (Best Buy) - U.S.
- Comcast - U.S.
- Crackle - Australia, Canada, U.K., U.S.
- Dailymotion - Available in 32 markets
- EPIX - U.S.
- ESPN** - U.S.
- Facebook** - Available in all 35 Xbox LIVE markets
- FOXTEL** - Australia
- GolTV - Spain
- HBO GO - U.S.
- Hulu - Japan
- Hulu +**- U.S.
- iHeartRadio (Clear Channel) - U.S.
- Last.fm** - U.K., U.S.
- LOVEFiLM - Germany, U.K.
- Manga Entertainment - U.S.
- Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment/Real Sports - Canada
- Mediaset - Italy
- MSN with MSNBC.com - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, U.K.
- MUZU.TV - France, Germany, Italy, Spain, U.K.
- Netflix**- Canada, U.S.
- Rogers On Demand Online (RODO) - Canada
- RTVE - Spain
- SBS On Demand - Australia
- Syfy - U.S.
- Telefonica - Spain
- Televisa - Mexico
- "The Today Show" - U.S.
- TELUS** - Canada
- TMZ - U.S.
- Twitter** - Available in all 35 Xbox LIVE markets
- UFC - Canada, U.S.
- Verizon - U.S.
- VEVO - Canada, U.K., U.S.
- VimpelCom** - Russia
- Vodafone Portugal** - Portugal
- YouTube - Available in 22 markets
- ZDF - Germany
- Zune** - Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain
- http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...tners-for-live
by Published on October 6th, 2011 00:14- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
Has Xbox Live Arcade really peaked, as World of Goo creator Ron Carmel yesterday argued? No, analysts have told Eurogamer....
"But Microsoft should take a look at Ron Carmel's piece," declared Billy Pidgeon of M2 Research, "which eloquently makes the case (and backs it up with data) that XBLA has peaked for a specific group of independent developers who are responsible for high quality games that outsell the average XBLA game.
"Sony is acquiring more unique content for PSN, and in many cases it's exclusive content, which will cost Sony more but will clearly differentiate their online games store from XBLA and other competition."
"In terms of digital games delivered through a home console, Microsoft will continue to be the market leaders," stated Jesse Divnich of EEDAR.
"I am not disagreeing with Mr. Carmel, I believe some of his points are valid and any digital service provider has its own restrictions and hurdles. Not every game is the right fit for every service.
"We certainly are seeing some fracturing among developers, and Xbox Live and PSN are no longer the only option for game distribution."
"That doesn't sound right to me," said Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan, responding to Carmel's claim. "If anything, there are more titles than ever, but we haven't had a Braid or Limbo so far this year.
"As the 360 price comes down and the installed base continues to grow, there should be a significantly larger addressable market for XBLA games, so I think it continues to grow."
Ron Carmel surveyed 200 independent developers. His results, which he admitted weren't sacrosanct, showed dwindling support for Xbox Live Arcade. Part of this is due to laborious XBLA constraints. The other part can be attributed to the rise of PC, Mac, iOS and Android gaming. Billy Pidgeon said that "viable alternative marketplaces" are "good news for developers and gamers both". Whereas Xbox Live Arcade and PSN are "predictable", he said, other markets can be "risky".
"Indie games are like indie songs: most of them suck, but the ones that don't are unique and deserve to be bought, played, talked about, discovered and awarded."
Billy Pidgeon, analyst, M2 Research
Divnich said the investment in social and mobile gaming "is not necessarily at the cost of XBLA and PSN titles". There's greater flexibility there, but "the recipe for success is not as established".
"Of all the online games markets," added Pidgeon, "I think Steam may have the best offering for gaming enthusiasts so far. The PC is the ideal platform with the most reach, Steam's timed specials help games sell more but hedge price erosion, and it's a great experience for gamers who use it.
"Nintendo's online shops are getting better, but still have a long way to go. The App Store has got great reach, but the best games get lost in the crap and rapid price erosion is a given. Android download stores are the worst, with all the downsides of the App Store and none of the upside due to fragmentation."
Apple has made iOS an easy platform to develop and publish for. One of Ron Carmel's suggestions was for Microsoft to make every Xbox 360 a dev kit, and relax the submission process so that more content can get through. Xbox Live Indie Games already does this, to a degree.
"The Xbox Live Indie Games market seems a waste of a good opportunity," Pidgeon went on to say. "What should be a showcase for indie games is more like a swap meet.
"It's worthwhile to let anybody make a game with XNA, but there should be a 'top shelf' for the best independent games. Indie games are like indie songs: most of them suck, but the ones that don't are unique and deserve to be bought, played, talked about, discovered and awarded."
Nicholas Lovell from Gamesbrief, in a lengthy dissection of Ron Carmel's piece, accused Microsoft of "artificially trying to restrict consumers to a limited number of choices, similar to a retail store". Whereas Carmel had hope Microsoft could turn it around, Lovell isn't so sure.
"Ron is relatively upbeat about the future, if Microsoft adopts some of his ten-point plan. I am less so," Lovell wrote. "I think that the company is stuck trying to recreate the limitations of the physical distribution market, rather than embracing the opportunities created by the digital market.
"I was going to say that I hope that I am wrong, but I'm not sure that's entirely true. The sooner the world becomes more open, the better."
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...eaked-analysts
by Published on October 5th, 2011 23:49- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
We've seen a lot of custom Xbox 360s before, but never one that looked like it was in so much pain. The Official Tomb Raider Blog is currently running a contest to give the Xbox, featuring a bruised and battered Lara Croft, away -- and it's clear that it could use a good home. And just look at that Xbox controller! Poor little guy must have fractured a handle.
Winning isn't quite as easy as filling out a form, as the blog is asking folks to answer trivia questions, which can only be found via Twitter, Facebook and during the last five minutes of Crystal Habit, the Crystal Dynamics podcast. Once you have the answers, you can enter the contest here.
Do it quickly, because someone needs to get that mistreated console away from those monsters.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/05/to...uld-use-a-hug/ ...by Published on October 5th, 2011 23:39- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
Xbox 360 owners will soon be impervious to physical assault thanks to the latest entry in Ubisoft's Coach series.
My Self Defence Coach will be exclusive to Kinect and arrives in the UK on November 11th. The game follows the success of the publisher's My Fitness Coach series, but focuses on teaching players how to protect themselves.
Exercises are split into different fitness workouts and self defence drills across four primary categories: technique, stamina, composure and reflexes. All self defence techniques are taught by an experienced, real-life self defence coach.
Fitness routines have been inspired by kickboxing and martial arts. There will also be a collection of mini-games to help users improve their reflexes, and a Tai Chi workout to instruct them in keeping calm and composed during stressful situations.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/kinec...defence/085864
...by Published on October 5th, 2011 23:24- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
BBC content, Channel 4's on demand service, Channel 5 and LoveFilm are amongst the biggest services now coming to Xbox 360.
The services are due to be rolled out over the next three months and will take the number of TV and entertainment providers available on Xbox Live to over 40.
Some of these services are free and do not require an Xbox Live Gold membership to be used. Many have also been adapted to use Xbox' unique selling points, such as Kinect.
"Today’s announcement is a major step toward realising our vision to bring you all the entertainment you want, shared with the people you care about, made easy,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft.
“Combining the world’s leading TV and entertainment providers with the power of Kinect for Xbox 360 and the intelligence of Bing voice search will make TV and entertainment more personal, social and effortless.”
New services due for the UK include:
AlloCiné
BBC
blinkbox
Channel 4
Channel 5
Crackle
Dailymotion
Lovefilm
MSN
Muzu.TV
VEVO
YouTube
"This is an exciting and important deal for our customers and is the next move in LoveFilm's strategy of helping as many homes as possible connect to our service," says LoveFilm CEO Simon Calver.
"We want to be the first choice for UK and German customers to get the best entertainment. Xbox LIVE already has a large consumer base of all ages - all of whom will now be able to connect with our great content, whether TV series', exclusive digital films or DVDs, Blu-rays and games by post, all for one simple price.
"We are pleased to announce this partnership as both parties really focus on giving customers exciting and innovative services. We are proud to be a part of Microsoft's expansion into the entertainment space and confident it will help fuel our ambition to become Europe's largest membership entertainment service."
Sarah Milton, Head of VoD at Channel 4, said: “Continuing our strategy of making content available, on demand, where our viewers most want to watch it, we’re delighted to be able to offer 4oD on Xbox 360 – Britain’s best-selling console in 2011."
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/xbox-...annel-5/085876
...by Published on October 5th, 2011 22:37- Categories:
- Xbox 360 News
Just as the rumors indicated, Microsoft is bringing video from a number of providers beyond the ones it initially announced to the Xbox 360 in its fall update, including big guns like Verizon and Comcast. While Verizon is promising "a selection" of its live TV channels on the Xbox 360 as expected, Comcast is only bringing its Xfinity TV video on-demand offerings (no AnyPlay powered live TV -- yet) to subscribers when it launches "in the coming months." Other notable providers include Lovefilm (UK, Germany), BBC TV (UK), HBO Go, and Syfy. As promised during E3, the services integrated with Xbox will offer support for search across all available video, as well as support for Kinect voice and gesture controls. The universal search is looking good since it pulls together various services into one UI (as we discussed on our podcast yesterday), but the reality is content providers and geographical limits on what services you can pick from are still throwing up walls between users and content. Check after the break for PR detailing what you'll be able to access and where, as well as a video intro to all the tasty new TV services.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/05/m...he-us-and-int/ ...- Search DCEmu
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