Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Xbox LIVE membership soars past eight million mark, Microsoft unveils new download service for full Xbox games direct to your living room.
Microsoft Corp. will celebrate the fifth anniversary of Xbox LIVE. In addition, the company notes that the latest membership figures show more than eight-million members are now actively engaged in the largest social entertainment network on TV. Xbox LIVE has grown from a small community of gamers in two countries, playing a handful of games online with their friends, to a worldwide social entertainment network offering online access to gaming, music and video entertainment. As friends across 26 countries and nine languages have connected on Xbox LIVE, it is their feedback and active participation that has guided the service to become what Wired magazine recently called "The king of the online arena." As a gesture of thanks to the community, all eight-million members will have the opportunity to download a free Xbox LIVE Arcade game, between 08:01 a.m. on 15th November 15 and 7:59 a.m. on 17th November. In addition to this, every active Gold member who joined the service at launch will receive 500 MS Points for free.
Starting on 4th December, all Xbox LIVE members will receive a free system update with a host of new features and enhancements. Included in this update will be the launch of the "Xbox Originals," which, for the first time ever, will enable consumers to download and own full Xbox games such as Halo, Psychonauts, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge and Fable among others directly to their Xbox 360. This new service will launch with an array of blockbuster titles spanning the most popular genres from action-adventure to classic role-playing games.
With no disc necessary, and at just 1200 Microsoft Points per game, Xbox LIVE members can easily rediscover these hit titles, or check out a game they missed the first time around. This launch line-up is only the beginning as Xbox 360 owners can expect to see a growing catalogue of Xbox games for download to own over the coming year.
"In just five short years Xbox LIVE has revolutionised the way friends and family have fun in the living room across the world," said Mike Newey, EMEA Group Product Marketing Manager, Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division. "Xbox LIVE truly is the place for hanging out with friends and now they can enjoy full downloadable Xbox games on demand."
For more information about the downloadable games available on Xbox LIVE, the evolution of Xbox LIVE or the "Xbox LIVE is 5IVE" member rewards, visit http://www.Xbox.com.
Posted by
Al on 11/14 at 04:09 PM
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Monday, October 29, 2007
Despite loosing Fox and Universal, Peter Jackson and Microsoft are still moving forward
Kotaku.com reported today that while major buzz about the Halo movie had all but ceased, Peter Jackson is still working with WETA Digital and WETA Workshop on the production of the movie, with plans to continue.
Specifics of what exactly Jackson was working on, or how the movie would be able to see the light of day without the backing of any major motion-picture companies were not touched on, but it does appear as though Peter Jackson is dedicated to this film, and seemingly intends to see it all the way through.
You can read the full article here: http://kotaku.com/gaming/hollywood/peter-jackson-still-fighting-for-halo-movie-316326.php
Posted by
Apollo on 10/29 at 05:40 PM
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Saturday, October 20, 2007
Gamers become the new blood of GCHQ?
Beginning next month, UK intelligence agencies are placing ads in a series of espionage adventures--including Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent--in the hope of attracting new recruits, reports The Times.
Government Communications Headquarters, which is responsible for surveillance intelligence work, is hoping that virtual spying might give gamers a taste for the real thing.
A spokesperson for GCHQ said, "We find increasingly we have to use less conventional means of attracting people...to go beyond glossy brochures and milk-round stalls."
GCHQ is not the only intelligence agency to resort to unconventional means to nab recruits. Recently MI5 has been advertising in places, such as The Guardian newspaper, Cosmopolitan women's magazine, and the sides of London buses. However, this is the first time an intelligence agency is known to have used video games as a recruiting ground
Posted by
~Lightning~ on 10/20 at 04:11 AM
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Friday, October 19, 2007
Rumors abound, there may be an HD-DVD Xbox in the not-too-distant future
SmartHouse today reported that a "Unnamed Toshiba official" reported that Toshiba and Microsoft were working in unison to develop a new Xbox (no reference was given as to it being an Xbox 360, just simply a "new Xbox") with a built-in HD-DVD drive and other such features would debut either in late 2008 or at Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 2009.
According to the report, this new Xbox would include some of the following features:
- Built-in HD-DVD drive
- Larger hard-drive
- "Extensive wireless networking capability"
- 1080p playback
This article also goes on to mention that Microsoft and Toshiba had explored the possibility of "including a dual HD TV tuner, electronic program guide capability and a newly-standardized mp3 player docking port." Also the possibility of "open standard chassis system that allows an Xbox to be slotted into a HD TV screen over 40-inch. The open standard bays will allow hard drives to be upgraded and expanded similar to the way that users can upgrade the hard drive on a PC."
The article mentions the possibility of Toshiba also marketing a version of this new console under it's own brand name.
You can read the full article here: http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Gaming/Console/P4G5C3U2?page=1
Posted by
Apollo on 10/19 at 09:04 PM
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Wednesday, July 19, 2006
2K Sports announced new standard-setting features for NHL 2K7.
The top-rated hockey video game for four-straight years, NHL 2K7 introduces a completely new skating engine to give users the true on-ice movement of an NHL game. Additionally, Pro Control receives new enhancements to both offensive and defensive controls, giving hockey fans thrilling new ways to attack and defend on the ice. These new features elevate the realism of the sport, delivering the best hockey experience on any system.
"Year after year, we've been delivering new and innovative ways to play the exciting game of hockey," stated Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio. "The new skating engine in NHL 2K7 far surpasses anything we've ever produced and the advancements made in Pro Control add the excitement and control our fans have been craving."
Hundreds of new skating animations have been captured to bring an unprecedented level of high quality to all the skating movements in NHL 2K7. Hockey players in NHL 2K7 will glide, turn, stop, and adjust their movement on the ice with astounding realism. Not only will skating look much more natural, players will also experience the true momentum of skating whenever players dig into the ice to accelerate or carve the ice to make sudden stops. The new skating engine adds both remarkable visual excitement and an entertaining gameplay challenge to all hockey fans. In addition to the numerous new skating animations, several new checking, passing, and shooting animations have been added, making all the action in NHL 2K7 flow with amazing detail.
New gameplay enhancements have been added to Pro Control , giving users offensive and defensive tools to utilize on the ice. While on offense, players now have the ability to execute drop passes, allowing users to setup new screen plays and create new scoring opportunities to catch the goalie off-guard. Pressure Control brings a tactical element to defensive hockey as players now can instruct teammates to defend opposing players while on the ice. Varying degrees of pressure can be selected - whether it's telling your teammate to shadow a selected opponent or deliver a big check - allowing players new defensive options on the fly. Pro Control in NHL 2K7 will deliver the offensive and defensive options hockey fans have been asking for, truly delivering the next generation of hockey.
NHL 2K7 --featuring 2006 Hart Memorial Trophy recipient, Joe Thornton on the cover-- will be available for the Xbox 360 and Xbox video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. More features will be detailed at a later time. NHL 2K7 for Xbox 360, Xbox and PlayStation 2 are slated to release in September 2006, with the PlayStation 3 coming this holiday season.
Posted by
Al on 07/19 at 01:19 PM
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