Dead Island Riptide Zombie Bait Edition

January 15th, 2013, 23:40 Posted By: wraggster

Deep Silver has lifted the lid on a new edition of the upcoming Dead Island Riptide – and it’s a little risqué to say the least.
It’s called the Dead Island Riptide Zombie Bait Edition and comes with a 31cm tall “resin statue, which is Dead Island’s grotesque take on an iconic Roman marble torso sculpture”.
Or in other words, a model of some tits on a mutilated female torso.
Deep Silver says that the SKU will have a strictly limited production run. It's available only on Xbox 360.
“Dead Island Riptide is one of the most anticipated releases of the year and is set to build on the original’s reputation for OTT action, dark humour and brutal zombie bashing,” Deep Silver’s sales and marketing director Paul Nicholls stated.
“We wanted to provide a unique collector’s edition that was utterly ‘Dead Island’ and would make a striking conversation piece on any discerning zombie gamer’s mantel.”
With the industry’s attitude and representation of gender very much one of the hot issues of 2012, the reaction to the announcement is understandably likely to anger the more proactive parts of the games community.
Dead Island Riptide will be released on April 26^th.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/dead-...daries/0109324

Join In and Discuss Here

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

DashLaunch v3.06 has been released

January 15th, 2013, 00:13 Posted By: wraggster

With fixes for bugs reported in previous version. cOz has released a new 'minor' version of DashLaunch, featuring a few bug fixes reported in 3.05.

The new v3.06 brings some fixes for hddalive and to the power/guide boot time when fakeanim is not used.

V3.06
- fix power/guide boot time paths when fakeanim is not used (thanks mass3n!)
- fix hddalive task being scheduled as a title task and not surviving title changes (thanks moulder!)

http://team-xecuter.com/dashlaunch-v...en-released-2/

Join In and Discuss Here

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

Xbox 360, not Wii, to win this console generation

January 14th, 2013, 23:02 Posted By: wraggster

For as much talk as there was about the Wii in its early life, and the gangbuster sales the platform enjoyed for years, you might think that Nintendo's console is easily the winner of the current console generation. That may not be true in the end, at least not in the US, according to a new report from DFC Intelligence.
While Nintendo transitioned to the Wii U this past holiday season, Microsoft's focus still remains on the Xbox 360, and the 360 would appear to have a good deal of life left in it still. "Amazingly Microsoft didn't have to do much exaggerating as in its seventh full year on the market the Xbox 360 had a stellar performance. For its generation, the Xbox 360, not the Wii, will end up as the number one selling console system in the US," said DFC.
The research firm is forecasting that Xbox 360 will have sold over 46 million units in the US by 2017, while the Wii is estimated at just over 42 million. Sony's PS3, meanwhile, trails behind at 33.5 million.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ole-generation

Join In and Discuss Here

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

$400 price point for next PlayStation, Xbox consoles

January 14th, 2013, 23:01 Posted By: wraggster

Having spent CES "with a number of companies involved in video game development and distribution", Baird Equity Research has suggested that new console hardware will retail for $350-$400 in the US.
While not a huge difference from Xbox 360's top end launch price of $399 for the 20GB unit in 2005, it's a significantly lower price than the two PlayStation 3 models that launched at $499 and $599 a year later.

In a note to investors Baird's Colin Sebastian brought together various rumours about the new consoles that have been floating around the games business over the past year, and the assumption that both Sony and Microsoft will reveal their new consoles just prior to E3 in June.
"Given the fragile state of the console game market, we expect the E3 trade show in June will take on added significance, most likely providing the industry with the first public opportunity to examine next-generation hardware," he wrote.
"Our checks suggest that next-generation console hardware will be largely built from 'off the shelf' high-end PC components, along with hybrid physical/digital distribution models, enhanced voice controls and motion sensing (Kinect integration with every Xbox), and broad multi-media capabilities," he detailed.
"Moreover, a PC-based architecture (Intel chips in the case of Xbox) should have a number of advantages over custom-developed silicon: for one, the learning curve for software developers will be shorter than completely new technology. Second, the cost of production and retail price points should be lower than prior console launches.
"Third, it will be easier to build online services around PC chip architecture, including flexible business models (free-to-play, subscriptions) and multi-media (over the top) content offerings. For Microsoft, this design will also allow for more integration with Windows 8 and Windows Mobile devices," he added.
Sebastian expects an October launch for the new Sony console and a November launch for the next Xbox, although he warned through his "field checks" there "may be early production issues with Sony's PS4."
On the subject of Nintendo, Sebastian suggested the company may struggle to expand it's latest Wii U console beyond its loyal users, stating: "We remain concerned that Nintendo's innovative Wii-U console will lack broad appeal beyond the core Nintendo fan base.

"Following a somewhat lackluster launch and holiday selling season, Nintendo will need to bring to market major first-party releases (Zelda) and retain the support of key third-party developers to reduce market share losses. In a negative scenario, Nintendo will be forced to prematurely lower the Wii-U price, and over the course of this cycle, we expect consideration will be given to extending first party franchises to other platforms."
2013 will be another tough year for the games industry, he predicted, with anticipation for next-gen consoles negatively impacting sales of current platforms - although he pointed to GTA V, new releases in the Skylanders, Call of Duty, Battlefield franchises and Bungie's Destiny as hits during the year.
"We expect that 2013 will also be remembered as the year that tablet games go mainstream," he added, stating that more companies will create big screen Android apps for Smart TVs.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-xbox-consoles

Join In and Discuss Here

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

Next Xbox and PS4 to be unveiled near GDC

January 14th, 2013, 22:45 Posted By: wraggster

Sony and Microsoft are both preparing to unveil the PS4 and next Xbox at ‘Apple-style press conferences’ near GDC, according to a report.
Game Informer claims, as spotted byVideogamer, that the hardware reveals will take place near the Game Developers Conference in late March, in line with a number of other reports citing a pre-E3 next-gen console reveal for both console giants.

While the PS4 and next Xbox announcements may come before E3, it is expected the event will still be home to a number of game reveals.
“We hear that both Sony and Microsoft are targeting special Apple-style press conferences to unveil their platforms near the Game Developers Conference in late March,” read the report.
“E3 in June may be the industry's biggest event, but both companies want to give their systems their own limelight. That doesn't mean E3 won't be without its surprises. Next-gen games will be announced at the convention in preparation for the systems' release at the end of the year.”

http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...-claims-report

Join In and Discuss Here

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

'Arkham Universe,' 14 more Batman domains registered

January 13th, 2013, 22:35 Posted By: wraggster

Join In and Discuss Here

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

Resident Evil: Revelations Unveiled Edition' for 360

January 13th, 2013, 18:58 Posted By: wraggster

Back in November, Korean ratings board GRB posted listings for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Resident Evil: Revelations; a port that Capcom has yet to officially announce in any capacity. Now, purported achievements for the 360 version have surfaced, listing the game's full title as Resident Evil: Revelations Unveiled Edition.

The achievements themselves reveal little, beyond the fact that both Campaign and Raid modes will make the jump from handheld to console, should this all shake out. As intrigued as we are, the idea of a 3DS to console port brings upmany questions, though the fact that the word "revelations" is spelled correctlyis promising. We've reached out to Capcom for comment.

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/12/ac...veiled-editio/

Join In and Discuss Here

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

Cross-platform turn-based strategy game Skulls of the Shogun out this month

January 13th, 2013, 18:55 Posted By: wraggster

Cross-platform turn-based strategy game Skulls of the Shogun launches worldwide on 30th January, indie developer 17-BIT has announced.It goes live on that day for Xbox Live Arcade, Windows 8, Windows Surface and Windows Phone.The Xbox 360 version costs 1200 Microsoft Points from Xbox Live Marketplace. The Windows 8/Surface version costs $15 from the Microsoft Store and the Windows Phone version is sold for $7 from the Windows Phone Marketplace. That's a lot of virtual shops.Skulls of the Shogun has a 15-hour single-player campaign and four-player local and online multiplayer. What's unique about it is you can play with others asynchronously, whatever device they're using. The cross-platform feature is called Skulls Anywhere."After three-and-a-half years, Skulls of the Shogun is finally ready to be released," said delighted 17-BIT founder and CEO Jake Kazdal."We're ecstatic we could bring Skulls to all four of Microsoft's platforms, and bring them all together with cross-platform functionality. We appreciate the excitement and patience by all the Skulls of the Shogun fans, and we here at 17-BIT believe the wait will be well worth it."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...out-this-month

Join In and Discuss Here

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

UK university to investigate whether Kinect can help stroke victims

January 13th, 2013, 18:54 Posted By: wraggster

A UK university will spend 18 months developing a Kinect-powered prototype it hopes will be used to help stroke victims.Nottingham Trent University has been awarded a £347,000 grant to build a prototype system which uses Kinect to give real-time feedback to patients and clinicians.The idea is to create a system that detects and tracks asymmetries on either side of a patient's face, including mouth corner, eyelids and cheeks, while they perform facial exercises.As this is happening the information will be shown on a TV or monitor to give feedback via an avatar of the patient.Dr Philip Breedon, reader in smart technologies Nottingham Trent University's School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment and lead academic on the project, said the system will lead the patient through exercises and indicate the degree of success, with the information sent electronically to a clinician so they can track the patient's progress.The traditional method of doing this involves giving the patient a series of exercises on printed paper, which limits the ability to assess improvements and performance.Dr Breedon said: "It is hoped that improved rehabilitation will be achieved through two methods; firstly by the patient themselves getting real-time feedback on position and magnitude of asymmetries on the face, along with their changes over time, thus showing where to concentrate their efforts."Secondly, the therapist will get to see data produced whenever the patient exercises. This increased data should help improve diagnosis and planned recovery."It is crucial that a non-technical person should be able to use the system without difficulty; so much emphasis will be placed on designing an intuitive and user friendly experience."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...stroke-victims

Join In and Discuss Here

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

The big game releases in Jan and Feb 2013

January 13th, 2013, 18:52 Posted By: wraggster

Now the Christmas rush of big releases is over and the traditionally quiet period has begun, it's easy to forget which games are scheduled for the next couple of months.
That's why CVG has put together a handy list of release dates for the games confirmed to be heading to the UK and US during January and February.
A disclaimer - these dates are correct at the time of compiling the list. Naturally, they can change.
We've also highlighted some of the most promising games coming soon to each platform. Any of these little beauties take your fancy, or will your January and February be spent with catching up on your backlog instead?
[h=3]Xbox 360 game release dates[/h]

• Anarchy Reigns (Sega) - 11 Jan (UK), 8 Jan (US)
• DmC Devil May Cry (Capcom) - 15 Jan (UK), 15 Jan (US)
• Serious Sam Double D: XXL (XBLA) (Mommy's Best Games) - 23 Jan (UK), 23 Jan (US)
• The Cave (XBLA) (Double Fine) - 23 Jan (UK), 23 Jan (US)
• Power Rangers Super Samurai (Namco Bandai) - 25 Jan (UK), out now (US)
• Terraria (XBLA) (Re-Logic) - 29 Jan (UK), 29 Jan (US)
• Omerta: City Of Gangsters (Kalypso) - 1 Feb (UK), 12 Feb (US)
• Fist Of The North Star: Ken's Rage 2 (Tecmo Koei) - 1 Feb (UK), 5 Feb (US)
• Hitman: HD Trilogy (Square Enix) - 1 Feb (UK), 29 Jan (US)
• Dead Space 3 (EA) - 8 Feb (UK), 5 Feb (US)
• Aliens: Colonial Marines (Sega) - 12 Feb (UK), 12 Feb (US)
• DARK (Kalypso) - 15 Feb (UK), 26 Mar (US)
• Metal Gear Rising: Revenegance (Konami) - 22 Feb (UK), 19 Feb (US)
• Crysis 3 (EA) - 22 Feb (UK), 19 Feb (US)
• History Legends Of War (PQube) - 22 Feb (UK), out now (US)
• Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds (XBLA) (Division2) - 27 Feb (UK), 27 Feb (US)

Join In and Discuss Here

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

Microsoft: Xbox Live ads a success, more investment on the way

January 13th, 2013, 12:40 Posted By: wraggster

Advertisements on the Xbox Live dashboard won't be going away anytime soon, as Microsoft has revealed plans to invest further into the space.
Gamespot reports the first wave of 'natural user-interface ads', or just NUads, deployed in Q4 2012 were “highly successful,” in the words of Microsoft.
According to the firm, 37 per cent of Xbox Live users engaged in some way with NUads when prompted with a vote option. Of the 37 per cent, 71 per cent actually voted in a poll.
"These results show that NUads is a real breakthrough in TV advertising, and you can expect more investment from us when it comes to this new ad format and video advertising in general," said Microsoft general manager of Xbox Live entertainment and advertising Ross Honey.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/micro...he-way/0109172

Join In and Discuss Here

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

Xbox is not ditching the High Street

January 13th, 2013, 12:35 Posted By: wraggster

There is just one Microsoft-published game on the release schedule.
Gears of War: Judgment launches on March 22nd and when MCV asked a rep yesterday if that was it, we were pointed to the array of Xbox Live Arcade titles on the way.
It's not exactly the answer GAME or Tesco was hoping for.
Perhaps its unsurprising that Microsoft is being increasingly wooed by non-physical product. It's most successful game last year was Minecraft on Xbox Live Arcade, while titles such as Trials Evolution were big sellers.
And then there was the rhetoric from Phil Harrison - Microsoft's new European studios chief – during the reveal of Microsoft's new UK studio: Lift London. A studio dedicated to building games in the cloud and not creating physical product.
"I wanted to create from scratch a 21st century studio. Not a studio that would make retail products," he said.
And then added: "We're Moving from being the maker of packaged products to the operator of connected services.”
Then Lift Studio's new boss, Rare veteran Lee Schuneman, took to the podium and said: "We are also here to create new IP in new business models. Europe is our main focus. We are here to deliver entertainment as a service, when, where and how you want it. We are going beyond the box, onto tablets, mobile and TVs.
"With its massive up-front-design and development costs, the traditional retail games release model as we know it is…"
And we expected the next words to be 'dying' or 'going away' or 'no longer viable'
But in fact what he said was:
"Changing."
Microsoft, much like its neighbours over at Sony and Nintendo are not ignorant to the benefits of the High Street. As an overall business, with the launch of Windows 8, Surface and its new array of mobile phones, retail has become even more important to the giant than ever before.
Then there's those persistent rumours that Microsoft could be set to launch its own range of shops globally.
Whenever Microsoft has a new digital offering, whether that's a new dashboard or a new Xbox Live Arcade game, it's tried to involved the High Street. Sometimes through new hardware configurations or points cards. In fact, Xbox Live subs, points cards and download cards were amongst last year's top selling accessories in the UK.
In reality, Microsoft's vision of gaming in the cloud is nothing new. And it's 'connected services' dream can be seen with Halo 4, with its regular release of episodic 'Spec Ops' missions. An initiative Harrison has mentioned in both his speech yesterday and his talk during London Games Conference in November.
“Purchasing a product from retail on a disc is a great starting point, and 90 per cent of your content is on that disc,” said Harrison.
“By and large what you get on that disc is the extent of the product. What I would encourage you to think is that the disc is the start of a five-year relationship with the gamer, we will try to refine and extend the product over many years. It is not mutually exclusive. We don’t have to stop doing disc products to be cloud-centric.”
The challenge for the High Street is to make sure they can play a role in that five-year relationship.
And the good news is that Microsoft will want them involved, just as retail was involved in the launch of Xbox Live. You can guarantee that Xbox will be working with GAME and co to make sure its cloud-based gaming dream becomes a reality.
Microsoft's words regarding packaged media may sound concerning, but in many ways this is retail's best opportunity to work out what role they can play in the future of the games industry.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/don-t...street/0109179

Join In and Discuss Here

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

Xbox 360 gets limited edition Tomb Raider controller

January 12th, 2013, 23:13 Posted By: wraggster

Square Enix and Microsoft has teamed up to create a special joypad for the launch of the Tomb Raider reboot.
The Xbox 360 Tomb Raider Limited Edition Wireless Controller will be available when the game arrives on March 5th. It will retail for £39.99.
The controller was designed with help from Tomb Raider designers Crystal Dynamics to mimic the worn, weathered appearance of Lara's climbing axe and makeshift tourniquets.
It also features a customisable D-pad that can be changed from the typical 'plus'-style design to a 'disc'-style one, granted better control.
Consumers that buy the Tomb Raider wireless pad at GAME will also receive a download code for the Xbox 360 multiplayer character Scavenger Archer.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/xbox-...roller/0109181

Join In and Discuss Here

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

Xbox 360 racks up two years as US' best-selling console

January 12th, 2013, 23:12 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft's Xbox 360 has outperformed all other home consoles for 24 consecutive months in terms of US hardware sales.
And when you take handhelds into account, Xbox 360 has been the No.1 selling hardware for 17 months running.
The latest NPD data confirms that December sales of 1.4m units once again put Xbox 360 at the top of the console rankings. It also outsold all gaming handhelds.
Microsoft said that US consumers spent $1.27m on Xbox 360 hardware, software and accessories last month, according to VG247.
An NPD spokesperson said: "2012 culminates a year where Xbox 360 dominated hardware sales. Despite year-over-year declines versus last December, this was the 17th month were the Xbox 360 held the top hardware position."
Xbox 360 also benefitted from some of the best-selling titles, with its SKU of Call of Duty: Black Ops II outselling all other games in December.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/xbox-...onsole/0109187

Join In and Discuss Here

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

NPD: US physical videogame sales decline 22 per cent in 2012, Black Ops II biggest

January 12th, 2013, 23:07 Posted By: wraggster

Videogame hardware and physical software sales in the US continued to plummet year-on-year according to new figures published by market research and analysis group NPD.Boxed game sales were down 22 per cent at the end of 2012, dropping from 2011′s $9.1 billion to $7.09 billion. Hardware suffered a similarly drastic slide of 27 per cent, falling from $5.6 billion to $4 billion. Combined with accessories’ 8 per cent drop, total physical videogame-related sales fell 22 per cent year-on-year from $17 billion to $13.3 billion.Xbox 360 was the best-selling console for the year, shifting 1.4 million units. Nintendo’s newly launched Wii U, however, has reached 890,000 sales since its launch in November. Scroll to the bottom of this article for the top ten best-selling games.The overall decrease comes despite aggressive pricecuts across all current-generation hardware, the launch of the next generation in the form of Nintendo’s console, and no shortage of big-budget sequels. Assuming the current rate of descent stayed fixed, then, retail sales will have bottomed out entirely in four to five years.Retailers will be looking for Wii U’s momentum to build, but also to Microsoft and Sony – both are rumoured to be announcing new hardware this year. If that’s the case, and either or both companies also bring something to market ahead of Christmas 2013, it will offer physical retailers a lifeline.But 2013 won’t just be about the big three consoles. The current raft of in-development Android-based microconsoles are all due to arrive this year, and those which are successful will likely look for retail partners. The rise of Valve’s Steam Box concept, too, could see retailers traditionally focused on consoles broadening their remit in order to embrace a new generation of user-friendly PCs.This new generation of affordable, cheap-to-produce hardware could offer attractive margins, though the fact that software sales will be exclusively digital, and through bespoke online stores, will inevitably limit the potential for retailers.While NPD’s report will make uncomfortable reading for retailers, it also underlines the continued relevance of the market research group’s reports, if only to highlight the shifting focus of the market away from traditional channels. In July last year, however, EA Labels president Frank Gibeau criticised NPD for ignoring digital sales data – an omission he said made the group irrelevant in today’s changing industry.

Join In and Discuss Here

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

Halo 4 dev laments "missteps", will "do much better next time"

January 11th, 2013, 00:17 Posted By: wraggster

There were "a tonne" of elements 343 Industries wished had been improved while making Halo 4, Frank O'Connor has said - and he's pledged to "do better next time".But overall, O'Connor remains proud of what he called "the best" game in the series.In a retrospective post on the Halo Waypoint blog, he praised how the 343 had filled the "oversized shoes" left by series creator Bungie."We altered the engine. We expanded the universe. We innovated in storytelling, technology, and even marketing," O'Connor wrote. "It wasn't flawless by any stretch of the imagination, but by most objective criteria, it was a resounding success."So we know we have a lot to do. And we know we have a lot to learn. But we also know that we now have the capacity, the teamwork, the technology and the experience to do much better next time."343 Industries is currently working on Halo 4 DLC and, beyond that, a next-generation Xbox Halo game."There are a tonne of things we wish we'd done better [in Halo 4]," O'Connor continued. "Features that didn't make it into the final game. Glitches that emerged. Missteps made. DLC fiascos. Communication breakdowns.

"We now have the capacity, the teamwork, the technology and the experience to do much better next time."
Frank O'Connor, 343 Industries boss

Join In and Discuss Here

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

Xbox Live activity: Black Ops II on top; CastleMiner Z top indie

January 11th, 2013, 00:16 Posted By: wraggster

Sales results on Xbox Live remain unsurprising, with Black Ops II taking the top spot for the week beginning December 31, ahead of Minecraft and Halo 4.
Minecraft continues to dominate the Arcade charts, while CastleMiner Z is the best-selling indie game for the week.The full list:
Top LIVE titles
1. Call of Duty: Black Ops II
2. Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition
3. Halo 4
4. EA Sports FIFA Soccer 13
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
6. NBA 2K13
7. Skyrim
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops
9. Assassin's Creed III
10. Madden NFL 13
11. Far Cry 3
12. Battlefield 3
13. Modern Warfare 2
14. GTA IV
15. Borderlands 2
16. Gears of War 3
17. Halo: Reach
18. Forza Motorsport 4
19. Forza Horizon
20. EA SPORTS NHL 13
Top Arcade Titles
1. Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition
2. Trials Evolution
3. The Walking Dead
4. Castle Crashers
5. Trials HD
6. Retro City Rampage
7. Guardians of Middle-earth
8. Fruit Ninja Kinect
9. Sonic Adventure 2
10. Pinball FX2
11. Peggle
12. NBA JAM: On Fire Edition
13. Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection
14. Dungeon Defenders
15. Counter-Strike: GO
16. Plants vs. Zombies
17. Super Meat Boy
18. Fez
19. Magic 2013
20. REAL STEEL
Top Indie Games
1. CastleMiner Z
2. Murder Miners
3. Xenominer
4. CastleMiner
5. Avatar Laser Wars 2
6. Avatar Deathmatch
7. Total Miner: Forge
8. Shark Attack Deathmatch
9. Avatar Farm Online
10. The Impossible Game
11. Avatar Legends
12. White Noise: A tale of Horror
13. Block World
14. End of Days: Survivor
15. Paintball War
16. Avatar Laser Wars
17. The $1 Zombie Game
18. Miner Of Duty
19. Zombie Death Quota
20. Avatar Paintball
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...r-z-top-indie/

Join In and Discuss Here

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

Google ends one patent war with Microsoft over Xbox 360

January 11th, 2013, 00:11 Posted By: wraggster

Google has moved to drop two patent infringement claims made against Microsoft related to video compression and wi-fi technology used in the Xbox 360.
The patents in question were developed by Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility, which previously sought a ban on the sale of several Microsoft products for allegedly infringing on its innovations.In May 2012 Google won an injunction against Microsoft in Germany, allowing it to impose a sales ban on Xbox 360, Windows 7 system software, Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player. However, this was later blocked by a US appeals court.
In a separate but related, ongoing dispute in a US court, Google and Microsoft are trying to determine suitable royalty rates for the use of the patents, which the Xbox maker wants to licence.
Google is seeking a fee of $4bn (£2.5bn) annually, but Microsoft insists the patents are only worth a quarter of that sum because they're essential to the tech industry as a whole and should therefore be licensed on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...over-xbox-360/

Join In and Discuss Here

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

Future of Xbox is 'cloud centric', games on multiple devices - Harrison

January 11th, 2013, 00:10 Posted By: wraggster

The future of the Xbox brand is "cloud centric" rather than "device centric", according to Phil Harrison, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business.
Speaking today in London, the exec said that the future of Xbox will be games that are accessible on multiple devices.Harrison said that Windows 8 has extended the Xbox experience out of the living room, with an increase in the use of Xbox as a brand on supported platforms including PCs, laptops, tablets and mobiles.
"Increasingly, the games are going to sit on the cloud," Harrison said. "Instead of being device centric, they will be cloud centric.
"This vision is what influenced me to join Microsoft in the first place," he added.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ices-harrison/

Join In and Discuss Here

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

Microsoft offering 800 Points for trying Now TV

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

Microsoft and Sky are offering free Microsoft Points as an incentive to get more people to sign up for the latter's Now TV streaming video service.
If you sign up for a free 30-day trial throughNow TV's special Xbox site, you'll get 800 Microsoft Points added to your Xbox Live account.If you then decide to continue after those 30 days and pay £8.99 for another month's access, you'll be credited with another 1600 Points for a total of 2400 Points.
For those unfamiliar with it, Now TV is Sky's equivalent to Lovefilm and Netflix, offering streaming movies on demand through various Xbox 360, PC and iOS apps. While it's more expensive than its competitors (£8.99 for the first three months then £15 a month afterwards), that premium cost does mean many of its films are more recent, roughly in line with the Sky Movies selection.
You need to be a new Now TV member to take advantage of the offer, so if you've already tried it out you're out of luck. You can find all the details on Now TV's Xbox site - if nothing else it's worth doing the free trial to get your free 800 Points, as long as you remember to cancel before the 30 days run out. You'll need to watch at least 90 minutes' worth of video during that 30 days for it to count.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...trying-now-tv/

Join In and Discuss Here

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