The next Xbox will be fully integrated into your TV via a cable box connection

April 11th, 2013, 13:13 Posted By: wraggster

The next Xbox will operate similarly to Google TV and overlay its features and UI on top of existing stations, suggests a report by The Verge citing several sources familiar with Microsoft.This makes sense given the glut of "always-online" rumours surrounding Microsoft's next console. The console will hook up to a cable box and The Verge's report noted that Microsoft is planning to go further than Google TV due to Microsoft's partnerships with content providers.The report also noted that the next generation version of Kinect will be able to detect multiple people better as well as eye movement. This will be used to pause the TV when people look away. This feature is said to be used in Google's TV plans outside of just games.Allegedly Microsoft is also planning to introduce its own low-cost "Xbox TV" set-top box, but not until next year, after its new console. This could be the previously rumoured "Yumo" project.We'll know more when Microsoft officially unveils its next console, most likely on 21st May.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...nection-report

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Durango: 'Always-online' not required, 360 BC provided via add-on - report

April 11th, 2013, 13:09 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft's next-generation Xbox, codenamed Durango, will not require an always-online internet connection and will work in tandem with a new Xbox 360 add-on for backwards compatibility.

That's according to

VGLeaks

, citing a source as saying that the console will have always-online functionality, but the lack of connection will not prevent users from playing local content, and it will also not prevent the use of second-hand games.This comes in direct contrast to previous controversial rumours which have suggested all content on the new console will be locked without a live connection to the internet.VGLeaks reports that those rumours are actually likely linked to the new 'reoriented' Xbox 360, which it says will be a small device pitched as a cheap - around $149 or lower - set-top media box with added 360 and XBLA game support to compete with Apple TV.Interestingly, the report claims this new Xbox 360 "is likely to not" have its own disc drive, and all content will need to be downloaded digitally. However, connecting it directly with Durango will allow users to play disc-based Xbox 360 games on their Durango console with the help of the add-on Xbox."Putting in an Xbox 360 disc into Durango will prompt the user to attach the supporting device that is sold separately. By separating the two devices and their functions it will ensure price competitiveness for both pieces of hardware," says the report.Multiple recent reports have claimed that Microsoft's original plan to unveil its next console at the end of April - as first reported by CVG - has been shifted to an event in May.VGLeaks corroborates, saying the delay was due to Microsoft "not having a physical set of devices to show" and "specification changes".

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...add-on-report/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Next-gen Kinect will detect eye movement - rumour

April 11th, 2013, 13:07 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft's next-generation Kinect sensor will be capable of detecting a user's eye movements, according to a new report.

Citing 'multiple sources familiar with the company's Xbox plans',

The Verge

reports that the new Kinect sensor will tie into the firm's focus on TV with the new console.It claims that the sensor will keep track of multiple users, and eye tracking will allow it to pause media content when a user looks away from the screen.The report says that TV will be a major focus of the next-generation console, which will apparently be capable of receiving a cable box signal via a HDMI input, and overlaying its own user interface.According to the report, the functionality will be available at launch, but extended support for additional cable services will be rolled out post-launch.This comes after reports earlier today which claimed that - contrary to previous rumour - the new Xbox will not require an always-on internet connection to load local games and content, and will provide backwards compatibility for retail Xbox 360 games via an add-on in the form of a new, small Xbox 360-capable set-top media device.Microsoft is widely tipped to be planning a next-gen Xbox reveal event in May.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...vement-rumour/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Adam Orth leaves Microsoft following public defense of 'always-online'

April 11th, 2013, 13:05 Posted By: wraggster

Adam Orth, the Microsoft creative director who last week defended 'always-online' on Twitter, has left the company.

The news come via

Game Informer

, who were tipped by an unnamed source that Orth had left the company. The website later confirmed his departure with the Microsoft headquarters switchboard. It's not clear whether Orth was dismissed or voluntarily resigned.Orth sparked internet-wide outrage last week when he vehemently defended 'always online' technology amid rumours the next Xbox console will require an internet connection."Every device now is 'always on'," Orth tweeted. "That's the world we live in. #dealwithit."Microsoft later distanced itself from Orth's comments. "This person is not a spokesperson for Microsoft, and his personal views are not reflective of those of the company."Of course, Microsoft didn't comment on the specifics of whether they intend to use the technology in their forthcoming console, which is rumoured to be unveiled on May 21.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...always-online/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Resident Evil Revelations DLC: season pass to include 4 add-ons

April 11th, 2013, 13:03 Posted By: wraggster

Capcom is planning at least four Resident Evil: Revelations DLC packs as part of a season pass for the HD remake.

That's according to a Steam

listing

for the game, which reads: "Fight the fear with more weapons and more characters! Expand your RAID mode experience with the Resident Evil Revelations Season Pass which includes 4 pieces of additional content. *Content will be revealed and available shortly after the game's release."The season pass is one of multiple rewards that unlock as more people pre-purchase the game on Steam. The first reward, which is already unlocked, is an art book and soundtrack, while the second is Lost Planet: Extreme Conditions. The season pass is the third.Capcom has confirmed a Resident Evil: Revelations release date of May 21 in the US and May 24 in the UK.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ude-4-add-ons/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Next Xbox rumors point to HDMI passthrough and cable TV integration

April 11th, 2013, 00:19 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Halo 3: ODST released as a single-player download

April 11th, 2013, 00:09 Posted By: wraggster

What do you have if you remove the multiplayer component of Halo 3: ODST? A tempting $14.99 Xbox Live Marketplace download.
Microsoft has repackaged its 2009 Xbox 360 shooter, stripping out its MP components (Halo 4 is available to cater for that) and leaving it as a single standalone adventure.
It’s currently available on the US arm of Xbox Live Marketplace for $14.99. It’s a 3.5GB download.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/halo-...wnload/0113857

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Xbox Live DLC release schedule: Black Ops 2, Injustice Gods Among Us

April 10th, 2013, 02:39 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft has published the Xbox Live Marketplace release schedule for the next few weeks.

It includes new DLC for

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

and the release of the

Injustice: Gods Among Us

season pass, plus sales on the likes of

Halo 4

add-ons and

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

.A list of upcoming Xbox Live Arcade titles, game add-ons, sale items and more follows:Xbox Live Arcade

• Motocross Madness, 10-Apr, 1200 MS Points
• God Mode, 19-Apr, 800 MS Points

Add-ons

• Call of Duty Black Ops II: Uprising, 16-Apr, 1200 MS Points
• Injustice: Gods Among Us Season Pass, 16-Apr, 1200 MS Points

Deal of the Week

• Prince of Persia Classic, 9-Apr to 15-Apr, 400 MS Points (50% off)
• Counterstrike GO, 9-Apr to 15-Apr, 600 MS Points (50% off)
• Real Steel, 9-Apr to 15-Apr, 320 MS Points (60% off)
• Battlefield 1943, 9-Apr to 15-Apr, 600 MS Points (50% off)
• Dungeon Defenders, 9-Apr to 15-Apr, 480 MS Points (60% off)
• Realms of Ancient War, 9-Apr to 15-Apr, 480 MS Points (60% off)
• Marvel vs. Capcom 2, 9-Apr to 15-Apr, 600 MS Points (50% off)
• Marvel vs. Capcom Origins, 9-Apr to 15-Apr, 600 MS Points (50% off)
• Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection, 9-Apr to 15-Apr, 400 MS Points (50% off)
• I Am Alive, 16-Apr to 22-Apr, 480 MS Points (60% off)
• Gotham City Impostors, 16-Apr to 22-Apr, 600 MS Points (50% off)
• Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, 16-Apr to 22-Apr, 200 MS Points (75% off)
• Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team, 16-Apr to 22-Apr, 320 MS Points (60% off)
• Lara Croft The Guardian of Light, 16-Apr to 22-Apr, 600 MS Points (50% off)
• Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit, 16-Apr to 22-Apr, 480 MS Points (60% off)
• Bionic Commando Rearmed, 16-Apr to 22-Apr, 320 MS Points (60% off)
• Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, 16-Apr to 22-Apr, 480 MS Points (60% off)
• Black Knight Sword, 16-Apr to 22-Apr, 400 MS Points (50% off)

Special Sales

• Kinect Central: Babel Rising, 9-Apr to 15-Apr, 320 MS Points (60% off)
• Halo 4 Add-on Sale, 12-Apr, 160 MS Points (up to 25% off)
• Kinect Central: Fruit Ninja Kinect, 16-Apr to 22-Apr, 320 MS Points (60% off)

Games on Demand

• Halo 3: ODST, 9-Apr
• Hulk Hogan's Main Event, 9-Apr
• Power Rangers Super Samurai, 9-Apr
• X-Men: The Official Game, 16-Apr
• Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard, 16-Apr

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...gods-among-us/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Halo 3: ODST 'Campaign Edition' ditches MP for digital release

April 10th, 2013, 02:38 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft has repackaged Halo 3: ODST into a single-player-only offering for digital download.

'Halo 3: ODST Campaign Edition' was released via Xbox Live Marketplace today, downloadable now for $14.99 and requiring 3.47GB of hard drive space.As the overview confirms, the Campaign Edition "includes only the Campaign and Firefight modes," and it "does not include the Halo 3 competitive multiplayer functionality or maps" which came with the original retail version of the game on a separate disc.We gave the 2009-released title a 9.0 score in our review, praising it for its darker tone and new, more thoughtful story-driven pace, along with the brilliant Firefight mode.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...gital-release/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Xbox always-online: Maybe it's not so terrible

April 10th, 2013, 02:24 Posted By: wraggster

Chris Morris explains that having a big company like Microsoft step up could make always-online more palatable for next-gen
[h=3]Microsoft[/h]microsoft.com


Will the next Xbox continue the reign of success Microsoft has seen this generation or will it stumble Sony-style, losing momentum at a critical junction for console systems? The answer could lie in a single feature.
Kotaku recently reignited the rumor about the next Xbox requiring a constant connection to the Internet - and Microsoft Studios' creative director did nothing to put out that growing brushfire with his Twitter fiasco last week.
Will the next generation Xbox require an 'always-on' connection? There's nothing to base that on right now except for rumors and the echo chamber of the Internet. But, for the sake of argument alone, let's say that is an upcoming feature. Is it as bad as it seems?
Certainly, the recent history of mandatory Internet connections hasn't been a good one. Anyone who purchased Diablo III, SimCity, Defiance or, for that matter, any recent World of Warcraft expansion has lived the same story: Eager to play, they inserted their game disc - only to be unable to log onto the servers. It's a nightmare scenario for pretty much everyone involved - player, developer and PR/community person who has to do clean up work afterward.
What's staggering about this all-too-familiar scenario is its regularity. The video game industry has had the chance to prepare for these sorts of launches time and time again, yet constantly drops the ball.
"If we cannot provide the level of service appropriate and we continuously disappoint, we create continued ill will from customers"
Christian Svensson on failed always-online attempts

"As an industry, we needed [SimCity] to get it right," says Christian Svensson, Senior Vice President at Capcom Entertainment. "We needed Blizzard to get it right. And there are reasons that needed to happen for the sanctity of our revenue streams. ... Network based service models are crucial to our business moving forward. If we cannot provide the level of service appropriate and we continuously disappoint, we create continued ill will from customers. Even when there's a huge value to consumers ... every single time, it's going to be viewed with skepticism and waiting for people to get burnt."
While that logjam created by a big launch is one of the most-cited problems with the always-on model, it's not an insurmountable one.
"It's a money question," says Chris Early, VP of digital publishing at Ubisoft. "If you backed it up with Amazon servers, you could launch any game that we make today - completely digitally. There's enough server space and bandwidth to do that."
Of course, those servers cost money - and publishers aren't in a financial position to overestimate and miss, especially with investors watching them so closely these days. (Investors, it's worth noting, didn't seem to care about SimCity's problems. EA stock didn't suffer during the launch woes.)
Microsoft is in a slightly different position. It has the ability to make that gamble - and having launched a few big games of its own without incident, it has some expectations of what to look out for. Halo 4 and any recent Call of Duty debuted without any major hiccups in the multiplayer component - and expanding capacity to handle the single player element wouldn't be too challenging for the company.
Consider also that, even if the new Xbox does require a constant Internet connection, Microsoft will have plenty of time to study trends before it reaches a significant roadblock. The system will be supply constrained at launch, meaning roadblocks won't be a problem. Additionally, there's unlikely to be a game that has the same level of anticipation as a SimCity or Diablo, since it's economically infeasible for publishers. (That's why the holiday after a system's launch is typically much more exciting for players - the installed base has reached a point that publishers can fully devote resources to it.)
That gives Microsoft a chance to learn, like Valve did with Steam, and be ready.
"We face [as an industry], I think, the same problems as when people started to think about 'I have a home phone and I have this new cellular phone.' And who sat at home and used their cellular phone? Nobody did - because it was unreliable," says Early. "When you were home you picked up the phone. ... Now, some amount of time later, when the appropriate amount of investment has been made in the infrastructure, a lot of people don't have hard lines any more."
"Any potential cries of forum dwellers are unlikely to match the level of volume Microsoft's marketing machine will make during the ramp up to the new system"

The more troubling problem - and the one that seemingly doesn't have an answer right now - is what happens when someone's Internet goes out for more than a few minutes? Or, conversely, what about the people who live in rural areas, where Internet speeds are well below the national average?
While that audience makes up a minority of the potential buyers, their defenders are vocal - and could prove sufficiently loud to affect sales, though likely not on the scale they'd like to imagine.
Why's that? Well, despite the tempest in a teapot that was the SimCity or Diablo III launches, look at the sales numbers of both games. EA topped its expectations and Blizzard moved more than 12 million copies. Even with all the outrage that accompanied both of those games, they were massive successes. And any potential cries of forum dwellers are unlikely to match the level of volume Microsoft's marketing machine will make during the ramp up to the new system.
Of course, even if Microsoft launches with this feature, it can always switch course fairly easily. Should it sniff a consumer pushback that's growing beyond its ability to contain and control, it can easily fall back to the position Sony has established - pushing the choice (and, thus, the blame) back onto the publishers, while quietly offering them all the support they need.
To some, that might seem a victory, but when it comes to big titles, they're likely to see that always-on connection just the same.
That's not a roundabout way of saying "deal with it". (We've all seen the effects of that ludicrously condescending hashtag.) However, always-on DRM is unlikely to go away anytime soon. It's invasive and annoying for some consumers, but many, many more don't really care too much about it. Additionally, it helps publishers protect their IP - and regulate things like cheating much more easily.
It's a problem that's slowly getting better, as publishers try to work it out themselves. Maybe - just maybe - having a central player like Microsoft stepping in could speed up that learning process and make it palatable.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ot-so-terrible

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Microtransactions could be headed to Halo 4

April 10th, 2013, 02:21 Posted By: wraggster

Halo 4’s executive producer has said that Microsoft is considering the introduction of microtransactions in the game.
The news comes as the last piece of DLC included in the game’s Season Pass – the Castle map pack – is released worldwide.
"I think Halo certainly has the potential for those kinds of things," Dan Ayoub told Digital Spy of the small microtransactions now available to players of Gears of War: Judgment.
"We don't have too much to talk about in terms of our plans down that line, but it's certainly something... we've seen the fans of Gears are enjoying, and if it's something we think our community is going to enjoy, it's something we'll seriously talk about.
"Obviously our commitment is always that we're going to make sure there's something for people to do on Halo, whether it's playlists, or new maps or new content, something like that.
"We can't say too much about the specifics we're planning, but what we can say is we don't take that commitment lightly, and people should keep their eyes open for cool stuff."
Microtransactions were introduced to Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 last month.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/micro...halo-4/0113805

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Hackers Swipe Unreleased Game From Ubisoft

April 10th, 2013, 02:14 Posted By: wraggster

hypnosec writes with news that a group of Russian hackers have compromised the security of Ubisoft's digital distribution platform, uPlay, finding a way for users of the service to download any of its games for free. What makes this particularly notable is that the hackers found a copy of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, an unreleased spin-off ofFar Cry 3 that hasn't even been officially announced (except as part of an April Fool's joke. The hackers posted a half-hour of gameplay footage to YouTube, and Ubisoft took uPlay down to fix the security vulnerability. They say no user information was compromised.

http://games.slashdot.org/story/13/0...e-from-ubisoft

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Report: Next Xbox to use AMD

April 9th, 2013, 23:50 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft to ditch backwards-compatibility with next-gen console

Microsoft will be switching to an AMD manufactured combined CPU/GPU processor for its next console, claim sources.
These sources tell Bloomberg that Microsoft is planning a move to the x86 architecture currently used in PCs, making the new console incapable of running game disks formatted for the Xbox 360.

Sony's PS4 runs on similar hardware, with a combined x86 CPU/GPU. This chip is also manufactured by AMD.
Rumors circulated today that the next Xbox, codenamed Durango, would appear at aMay 21st event, and this seems to be corroborated by three sources who said Microsoft would either unveil the console at E3 in June or a separate event in May.
Two sources claimed an April unveiling was deemed unnecessary because the company didn't feel enough competitive pressure from Sony's PS4.

http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...box-to-use-AMD

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Activision pledges $2m to Call of Duty charity

April 9th, 2013, 23:44 Posted By: wraggster

Publisher has raised almost $3m for organisation in grants and scholarships since inception

Activision Blizzard has donated $2 million to the Call of Duty Endowment charity.
The non-profit organisation was set up in 2009 to help US army veterans find employment by offering career counselling, placement and training.

As well as the $2 million donated, Activision has raised a further $1.7 million for the charity from sales of limited edition dog tags, which went on sale in November last year.
The donation was presented by Xbox during the Call of Duty Championships, which took place between April 5th and 7th in LA.
"We are committed to our veterans," said Activision CEO Bobby Kotick,.

http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...f-Duty-charity

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Cxbx correctness-fixes Git (2013/04/08)

April 9th, 2013, 11:31 Posted By: wraggster

Via http://www.emucr.com/

Cxbx correctness-fixes Git (2013/04/08) is compiled. Cxbx correctness-fixes Git is a branch of Cxbx. Cxbx is an Xbox emulator for the Microsoft Windows operating system developed by a group of programmers led by a hacker named Caustik and written in the C++ programming language. Cxbx's goal is to convert a game from an Xbox executable to a native Windows executable.

Cxbx correctness-fixes Git Changelog:
* Additional documentation around SetRenderState_ShadowFunc
* Correct documentation string in XFreeSectionByHandle
* Add new section to XGetSectionHandleA lookup table
* Added special case to NtQueryVirtualMemory to handle Forza Motorsport bug -- backported from Dxbx, where issue was resolved by PatrickvL

http://www.sendspace.com/file/cx8b4x

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Bloomberg: Next Xbox features an AMD x86 chip

April 8th, 2013, 22:49 Posted By: wraggster

The Xbox 360 successor may not support Xbox 360 game discs, according to aBloomberg report. The issue arises from the as-yet-unannounced console's chip, which allegedly comes from AMD and, like the PlayStation 4, uses x86 architecture (like a PC). Resultantly, backwards compatibility would have to be handled on a software level through emulation, as game discs won't play (like with Microsof't last console). Today's report, which cites unidentified "people with knowledge of the matter," reflects earlier rumors of the next Xbox -- codenamed "Durango" and / or "Kryptos" -- containing AMD's "Jaguar" SoC. The chip design is intended for laptops and tablets, allowing the chipset to push the maximum amount of power without employing too much wattage.
Earlier this year, specs for the retail version of the next Xbox were said to be as follows: a 64-bit D3D11.x 800MHz GPU, an 8-core 1.6GHz 4MB L2 CPU, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB of on-board memory, USB 3.0, HDMI-out, and an optical drive for 50GB discs. It's unclear if the reported specs have changed since then, but we'll likely find out in the near future as Microsoft's expected to detail its next game console ahead of this year's E3 gaming conference in early June.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/08/b...g-durango-amd/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Report - Next Xbox priced at $500

April 8th, 2013, 22:16 Posted By: wraggster

Tech writer sets May 21 as reveal, says it will require an online connection
[h=3]Microsoft[/h]microsoft.com


Tech journalist Paul Thurrott has revealed some all important details about Microsoft's next console, currently known as Durango, setting a price and a release date for the highly anticipated machine.
"Durango is going to be expensive - $500, $300 with a subscription - that kind of thing," Thurrott told What The Tech's video podcast.
"Originally, they were going to announce this thing on April 24. Now they're going to announce it on May 21. We know there are events occurring this year where we're going to learn more about Durango. E3 is going to occur, Build is going to occur in San Francisco in June when they're going to talk about the developer story because it's a Windows 8 device. It's going to have the same, or basically the same, developer tools and developer APIs."
Those interested in the technical side of the console can check out GamesIndustry International's breakdown of its leaked specs here.
Thurrott also revealed that according to his notes, the console would require a constant internet connection, a topic that has fired up the gaming community recently, and that a cheaper, $99 Xbox 360 would also be released this year, and was codenamed Stingray.
Thurrott is well known for his reporting on Microsoft systems and runs Supersite For Windows, where he recently commented on the "always online" controversy.
"Folks, the next Xbox is going to require an always-on internet connection. I don't know the specifics of what that means," he wrote.
"This piece of information had been communicated to me, along with some other relevant tidbits, in January. It's true."
"Will Microsoft change this requirement in the wake of early outrage? Frankly I think we're too far along in the development process of the next Xbox, codenamed Durango, to make such a change. More to the point, I think that an always-on Xbox is directly in keeping with Microsoft's strategy for all next-generation platforms."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...iced-at-USD500

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Disc-less new Xbox SKU scrapped; Will be called just 'Xbox'; $99 360 also planned

April 8th, 2013, 22:09 Posted By: wraggster

Established technology blogger Paul Thurrott has made several claims about the new Xbox – and chief amongst them is the scrapping of a second disc-less SKU.
"We have talked for a while about this notion that there might be another version of the Xbox that was just aimed at entertainment – a non-gaming device,” he said on the What The Tech podcast, as subscribed by All Games Beta.
“That device was code-named 'Yumo' and they're not making it. They may make one in the future, but it's not happening this year.”
News of this disc-less console was first broken by MCV in March of last year.
Thurrott also made claims about the name of the new machine, as well as suggesting it will not be backwards compatible and that a new version of Xbox 360 is also on the way
"So the new Xbox that comes out this year will [called] just be the Xbox,” he added. “And I mentioned before they're also going to sell a new Xbox 360 code-named 'Stingray' that will be $99.
“And you might look at that as two things: backwards compatibility, obviously, suggesting – I don't actually know this for a fact, but based on the fact that they're making one – I don't think that the new Xbox will play 360 games. But that I don't actually know.
“But, the other one is that, $99, that's a real cool price. And so we know that the Xbox 360 does Netflix, Hulu Plus, yada yada yada, and you can make the argument that's kind of a low cost entertainment device, too.”
But what of the Xbox 720 itself? Yes, Thurrott has heard it WILL require a permanent internet connection.
"Durango is going to be expensive – you know $500, $300 for the subscription model, that kind of thing,” he added. “But you know, Blu-ray, blah blah blah, but the thing that interest me, going back and looking at some of the stuff I got a long time ago, it actually says 'must be internet-connected to use' in the notes. And that's all I have, but it does say that.”
He also claims that plans to reveal the machine in April have been scrapped.
"Originally, they were going to announce this thing in April 24th, now they're going to announce it May 21^st,” he said. “We know there are events occurring this year where we're going to learn more about Durango.”
Adding that a November release is on the cards, the blogger also lashed out at those who have been slating Microsoft’s plans online.
"So I think there's a lot information to come, but I look at all this stuff that I've seen about Durango and I think, 'it's all positive',” he argued. “I don't really see any bad news here at all. Like to me, everything I've seen about this is really positive.
“It's amazing to me that, based on like no information at all, everyone is like freaking out about everything. Aside from this online thing, by the way, the number one question I've gotten from people is, 'What does it look like?' Who gives a shit what it looks like?
"I've actually heard from, by the way not one or two people, several people who've said, 'based on what I've seen, Sony is going to blow them away.' Based on what you've seen? You've seen nothing. What are you talking about? No, but you've seen literally nothing from Microsoft.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/disc-...report/0113742

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a standalone, 80s action flick-inspired download coming Ma

April 8th, 2013, 19:42 Posted By: wraggster

Ubisoft’s Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a standalone Xbox Live download set for release on May 1^st.The listing on xbox.com suggests that it’ll tick off a series of 80s action flick clichés and star Michael Biehn, who played Kyle Reese in The Terminator and roles in other movies including Aliens, The Abyss and Navy Seals.“Welcome to an 80’s VHS vision of the future,” reads the blurb on xbox.com. “The year is 2007 and you are Sargent Rex Colt, a Mark IV Cyber Commando who’s fighting against a cyborg army gone rogue. Your mission: get the girl, kill the baddies, and save the world. Experience every cliché of a VHS era vision of a nuclear future, where cyborgs, blood dragons, mutants, and Michael Biehn collide. Playing Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon doesn’t require a copy of Far Cry 3.”

http://www.edge-online.com/news/far-...oming-may-1st/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

The long silence: why Microsoft needs to reveal its next Xbox, and quickly

April 8th, 2013, 19:41 Posted By: wraggster

Patrick Bach, executive producer, DICE
Can you talk about the two next-gen consoles?
“No.”–Amid a torrent of damaging rumour and speculation around its next console, someone, somewhere at Microsoft is calm. They insist that they won’t be rushed into revealing their plans for 360’s successor; that it’s all under control. We’ll show it off when we’re ready, they say. Having their hand forced by Sony’s PS4 event would be a sign of weakness. It’s good to keep people waiting. It builds anticipation.They’re wrong. The messaging that Microsoft usually seeks to control so tightly has taken on a life of its own in the last few months. Instead, our next Xbox story and a multitude of leaks and sources reported across the games media have filled that void – and the picture being built of the next Xbox in the minds of the games-playing public is a poisonous one.–Jade Raymond, managing director, Ubisoft Toronto
Do you think Microsoft need to get a move on and confirm their next console?
“Are they working on a new console?” [laughs]
This silence… is it frustrating?
“It’s funny because you know the last generation we were working on Assassin’s Creed 1 and I remember we were talking about it like three years before we got the consoles and everything. So I guess it’s a different approach this time, but in some ways it’s good because in games we’re always excited by the next tech. There’s still a lot of innovation happening on the current consoles and there’s a lot of innovation happening on different platforms, so it’s nice we’ve had a bit more time to focus on stuff that’s still coming out on the platforms that we currently have.”–What is the next Xbox? It’s a restrictive, always-on console bloated with DRM and flooded with ads. It doesn’t want you to play second-hand games on it. It’ll break the moment your internet connection has the slightest wobble. It’ll be a trojan horse – designed to seduce the games playing public into buying one before taking over their living rooms, pushing videogames into the background in favour of gaudy mainstream entertainment.The truth? 360’s successor will be Microsoft’s own connected entertainment hub – in and of itself, that’s no bad thing. Microsoft will never completely abandon the core games-playing audience it has built its Xbox business upon; the next console will be powerful, and play host to excellent, big-budget blockbuster releases. Its online services will mark a more aggressive push into the broader entertainment market. The next Xbox will be a formidable piece of hardware, and a worthy competitor to Sony’s PS4.–Suda 51, CEO, Grasshopper Manufacture
Will your next game be on next-gen consoles?
“We’re considering both. Naturally we are interested in developing games for the next-gen platforms. We are investigating the specs and all that right now.”
How much do you know about next-gen? We all know that these consoles are coming, but no-one seems able to talk about them.
“I’m not really sure how much I can talk about that. I do know certain information about it but I am under NDA so I can’t say exactly what it is.”

http://www.edge-online.com/features/...x-and-quickly/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here