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Xbox News is a site that brings you the very latest Original Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One news, the latest games and releases, Part of the
DCEmu Homebrew & Gaming Network.
THE LATEST NEWS BELOW
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October 31st, 2010, 00:07 Posted By: wraggster
There has been a 157 per cent year-on-year increase in the amount of time users spend watching movies and TV shows through Xbox Live, Microsoft has claimed.
According to a survey conducted for the platform holder by Knowledge Networks, 21 per cent of all American consumers now use game consoles to watch TV programmes and films through Netflix, Facebook, Twitter, Zune, Last.fm, ESPN and Hulu Plus apps.
Those figures will likely see a further jump with the new Xbox 360 dashboard update due next month, which adds further support for Zune and Kinect. You can check out all the changes for yourself from 4th November.
The survey went on to claim that 25 million Xbox Live members worldwide spend a total of one billion hours a month on the service – an average of 40 hours each.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-for-tv-movies
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October 31st, 2010, 00:01 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division, which includes the Xbox, Zune and Windows Phone 7 businesses, has reported an operating profit of $382 million (£239m) for its first financial quarter, up 46 per cent on the same period last year.
Revenues were up 27 per cent to $1.79 billion (£1.1bn) as the company shipped 2.8 million Xbox 360 units, up 38 per cent from the 2.1 million shipped in the first quarter of the 2010 financial year.
Halo Reach, the latest in the best-selling shooter franchise, has generated revenues of $350 million (£219m) since launch, said Microsoft.
The entire Microsoft business reported record first quarter results for the period ended September 30, with revenues up 25 per cent to $16.20 billion (£10.1bn). Profit was $5.41 billion (£3.3bn) and operating income $7.12 billion ($4.4bn).
"This was an exceptional quarter, combining solid enterprise growth and continued strong consumer demand for Office 2010, Windows 7, and Xbox 360 consoles and games," commented Peter Klein, chief financial officer at Microsoft.
"Our ability to grow revenue while continuing to control costs allowed us to deliver another quarter of year-over-year margin expansion."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-for-microsoft
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October 30th, 2010, 00:12 Posted By: wraggster
The global total of Xbox 360 consoles sold now stands at 44.6 million, Microsoft has announced. And the game-per-console attach rate has risen to 8.9.
Those figures arrive after an "exceptional" three month performance by the house that Bill Gates built - particularly the Entertainment and Devices Division.
From the start of July to the end of September, Microsoft sold 2.8 million Xbox 360s worldwide - 38 per cent more than during the same period last year.
Halo: Reach was singled out as the reason why. Bungie's swansong generated $350 million for Microsoft in just over two weeks (from launch - 14th September - up until the end of the month). Halo: Reach sales weren't mentioned.
The Xbox 360 platform raked in $409 million for Microsoft, accounting for nearly a quarter of the Entertainment and Devices Division's total $1.8 billion take (EDD also includes Zune and Windows Phone 7).
Expenses rose, too - most poignantly those for research and development, which was up $65 million over the three months. Dun dun dun, what could Microsoft be up to?
Also noted was "continued strong Xbox Live membership", although what this means in monetary terms wasn't specified.
As a whole, Bill Gates' empire made $16.2 billion from the start of July to the end of September. Very good, although not quite as good as Apple, which trumpeted a record $20 billion haul earlier this month.
The other contributors to Microsoft's total were Microsoft Business Division ($5.1 billion), Windows & Windows Live Division ($4.8 billion), Server and Tools ($4.0 billion) and Online Services Division ($0.5 billion).
Microsoft's next money report comes at the end of January. Numbers should be astronomic, if the imminent Kinect can live up to the hype Microsoft has built around it. There will also be the global launch of Windows Phone 7 - out now in Europe/Asia, out in US/Canada from 8th November - to consider.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...obal-360-count
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October 30th, 2010, 00:07 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft's chief of staff for its Interactive Entertainment Business Aaron Greenberg has hinted the company is prepared for a mixed media response to its initial Kinect titles.
"I don't know how reviewers will grade those games because they're so unique and so different to what the reviewers have played with controllers," he admitted to sister site Eurogamer.
"We'd love to see great reviews but I don't think you'll see the same type of correlation between reviews and actual sales of the game."
When asked if he was worried about a possible negative response, he claimed that "I'm not nervous. I know what the media thinks; we know they love Dance Central, we've heard they think it's the killer app. They're excited about Child of Eden. We've even had a lot of good feedback for Kinectimals from the core."
Greenberg also reasserted recent Microsoft claims that "this will be the largest launch we've ever had as a business," even feeling that "We'll definitely sell more sensors than the Wii sold when it launched or the Xbox 360 sold when it launched."
There was no budging from earlier sales projections either. "We feel safe we'll do three million this holiday, which puts us in pretty high territory for even a consumer electronics product."
The chief of staff also batted away questions about the need for a new Xbox, claiming Kinect would rejuvenate the 360. "I think we're five years in and we safely feel like there's at least another five years left in this generation."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...es-correlation
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October 29th, 2010, 00:58 Posted By: wraggster
Monday Night Combat, one of the highlights of Xbox Live's Summer of Arcade, is set for a free batch of DLC, developer Uber Entertainment has revealed.
The questionably-titled Spunky Cola Special pack adds a new Crossfire Arena, a new Blitz Arena and a new Blitz Mode. No word on what that entails other than that it will see you facing "the deadly, the intense, the incredibly frantic Super Sudden Death Blitz!"
The DLC, fully detailed on the developer's blog, also includes a number of new customisation options for private games.
Expect the new content to land some time in November.
The tower defense/shooter hybrid muscled its way onto Xbox Live Arcade in August, securing a well-deserved 9/10 from Eurogamer's Simon Parkin.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-gets-free-dlc
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October 29th, 2010, 00:54 Posted By: wraggster
Market research outfit Ipsos has named Kinect as the most likely hardware success story over the Christmas period.
Based on its own metrics and surveys, 13 per cent of respondents were intending to purchase a Kinect kit, and 11 per cent a PlayStation Move.
However, its results put it that Kinect had more "uniqueness" and "believability." The latter - covering consumer faith in the device working as promised - saw Kinect score 44 per cent against Move's 29 per cent.
"Given a new usage experience, one might expect some level of skepticism among respondents for Kinect," said Ipsos. "Surprisingly, though, Kinect excels on both uniqueness and believability... PS Move is rather weak on both dimensions."
"While there are a lot of factors other than consumer appeal that influence demand, the underlying potential for Xbox Kinect looks very good."
Kinect launches next week.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...istmas-success
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October 29th, 2010, 00:49 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft has issued its earnings report for Q1 of its fiscal year 2011, and things are looking good for its gaming division. The company reported revenue of $16.20 billion for the period, which ended on September 30. This amounts to a 25 percent increase over Q1 FY 2010 overall.
When it comes to Xbox 360, the console was cited as a top performer, alongside Windows 7 and Office 2010. In fact, Microsoft reports that sales are up 38 percent overall, compared with the same quarter last year, "outselling every competing console in the U.S. for each of the past four months," it gloats.
Diving into the numbers, Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division (home to Xbox, Zune, and Windows Phone 7) benefited from a 33 percent rise in revenue from Xbox 360 sales over Q1 FY 2010, to the tune of $409 million. Shipments of the console to retailers totaled 2.8 million units for the quarter, up from 2.1 million during the same period last year.
Revenue from software sales also increased, bolstered by (what else?) Halo: Reach. The Bungie title generated a whopping $350 million for Microsoft in the quarter -- a number made more impressive by the fact that, having launched September 14, that revenue resulted from only 17 days of the game's sales. No wonder Microsoft is considering releasing Halo games on a more frequent basis.
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/28/mi...-360-consoles/
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October 29th, 2010, 00:48 Posted By: wraggster
Following this week's announcement that Xbox manager Scott Henson is taking over as the head of Rare, the newly appointed exec is defending his studio's mission to the media. Speaking with Eurogamer, Henson re-established Kinect as "a key part of the studio's future," adding that it won't exclusively be working on 360 motion games, "but it will be the centerpiece of our strategy for sure."
He also teased further support for Rare's back catalog. When asked about revisiting the titles -- and even the possibility of adding Kinect functionality -- Henson explains, "You can look at what we're doing with Xbox Live Arcade and you can see how we've taken those classics and refreshed them and brought them to the service. We'll continue to look at those kinds of opportunities. Don't just think about packaged goods in terms of opportunities and Rare and how we bring those things to life." Unfortunately, Henson was less talkative on the subject of Killer Instinct, only offering "I know Killer Instinct is very high in the fan list and one we need to continue to keep our eye on."
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/28/ra...udio-strategy/
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October 29th, 2010, 00:40 Posted By: wraggster
Our friends at Joystiq are reporting that receiving an early Kinect unit or a Kinect title is cause for caution and adult supervision, not celebration. Turns out if you attempt to play the game, the Xbox will offer you an update, and if you accept, you'll get pushed an early version of the new Dashboard that not only won't work with Kinect, but also won't let you sign into Xbox Live. Want to update again or revert? Sorry, smart guy, you're stuck. Of course, Microsoft will no doubt be rescuing you on or before November 4th, when Kinect is officially released to the public and it has to push the new Dashboard to everyone, but until then you'll probably be stuck trying to remember what game consoles did before they connected to the internet. We vaguely recall something about gathering stars...
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/28/a...ches-nausea-a/
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October 29th, 2010, 00:38 Posted By: wraggster
Shoot-'em-up fans rejoice - Cave's work is finally coming to Europe. Rising Star will publish Xbox 360 game Deathsmiles here early next year.
A horizontal shooter, Deathsmiles is based around witches on broomsticks rather than spaceships. Pick a lady and begin, blasting hordes of enemies that come from both sides of the screen with rapid-fire spells. That means you'll be shooting behind you as well as in front. Luckily, you'll have a bit of help: each witch will have a familiar (pet) that flies along with them.
Deathsmiles was released three years ago in Japanese arcades. The translation to console meant a few extra bits and bobs, such as a couple of extra modes designed specially for a pad and telly. There's also two-player co-op locally or online.
The European release has gained the Mega Black Label pack, which contains an extra playable character and a stage with difficulty level 999.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ming-to-europe
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October 29th, 2010, 00:38 Posted By: wraggster
The third F.E.A.R. game will jump out on UK shop shelves on Friday, 25th March 2011, Eurogamer can confirm.
Warner Bros. said earlier today that F.E.A.R. 3 will ship worldwide on Tuesday, 22nd March 2011.
Once upon a time, "winter 2010" was the plan. But in August this year F.E.A.R. 3 was shoved, without explanation, to "TBC 2011".
F.E.A.R. 3 adds co-op to the spooky shooter series. Remember that little girl Alma from the first game? You'll play F.E.A.R. 3 as her two sons: Point Man and Paxton Fettel. One concentrates on guns and time-slowing, the other on telekinetic weaponry.
Eurogamer quizzed F.E.A.R. 3 senior producer Dan Hay earlier this year about his new game.
F.E.A.R. 3 will be released on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...-3-date-nailed
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October 29th, 2010, 00:36 Posted By: wraggster
BioWare's upcoming fantasy role-playing game Dragon Age 2 will feature a downloadable content platform similar to Mass Effect 2's Cerberus Network.
It's all part of EA's Project Ten Dollar plan: those who buy the game brand new will gain access to bonus content those who buy second hand have to pay for.
"We will be doing that," executive producer Mark Darrah told Joystiq. "We haven't announced what's in it, but it'll definitely be something kind of in that Cerberus vein where there will be additional content."
Meanwhile, Darrah assured fans that DA2's DLC will be better than Dragon Age: Origins'.
"What we're doing with the DLC in Dragon Age 2 is making it larger; so it'll be bigger teams, more unique environments, more unique creatures - so that it gets the attention it deserves to get."
Earlier this month BioWare announced that those who pre-order Dragon Age 2 before 11th January will receive a free upgrade to the game's Signature Edition.
The Signature Edition includes a download code for an additional playable character, new missions, the game's soundtrack and an exclusive digital armoury.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...s-own-cerberus
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October 29th, 2010, 00:11 Posted By: wraggster
There were, in fact, two separate Xboxes being built at Microsoft before Bill Gates needed to decide which would get the green light.
And at the same time, in 2001, Micrsoft’s PR department was appealing to its employer to finally kill off the name Xbox – all while Bungie found itself on the brink of closure and looked for a buyer to save it.
These are just some of the stories and revelations that have come to light in a new Develop interview with Ed Fries – the former vice president of game publishing at Microsoft.
Fries, who left the company in 2004 and is now a board member at Mixamo, walks through the key moments of the Xbox’s two tumultuous years before launch.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...he-lid-on-Xbox
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October 28th, 2010, 12:58 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/...uFIssrTOqn.php
A new beta version [build 12606] of the Fall 2010 [alias 'Kinect'] dashboard has been leaked on the internet a few days ago and it seems like Microsoft added new protections to it. Several users seems to report problems booting certain games from recordable media on 360s with a modified DVD FW.
One of the titles affected seems to be Fable III. The game boots fine from any media on the current dashboard on a 360 with modified FW, but fails to boot from recordable media on the leaked/12606 beta dashboard ["This disc is unreadable"] - while the retail disc will work just fine according to #FW@EFnet.
Right now it's unclear which games, DVD models and/or modified FWs are exactly affected.
we suggest you do NOT update if you have a modified FW until we know more about these issues.
JTAG users should of course not update at all (will lock-out old CB and make the JTAG hack impossible), they should wait for a new rebooter.
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October 28th, 2010, 12:57 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/...kyQdAbAFPN.php
Daniel Maher, Xbox LIVE Editor for the EMEA region, tweeted today that we won't see the Fall 2010 Xbox360 dashboard update today:Apologies to everyone who's contacted us about the new dash launching today - it's actually coming sometime in November. While Microsoft never officially confirmed a release date for the new dashboard there were growing rumours it would happen today. Not so it seems ... it's coming in 'November'.
Probably on or before Nov 4th as the Kinect will require the new dashboard to operate.
For those who missed the news yesterday, we highly recommend to NOT update your console whenever MS releases the new dashboard if you have a modified DVD FW until we know more about possible new protections.
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October 28th, 2010, 12:55 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/...EklmCPEdNz.php
mKo released the first beta of AvatarPatch to be used with homebrew 360s:
It's basically Avatar Patcher combined with organizing tool (like OrganiseLazouzzz).
Features:
-Files can be added with "add file" button or drag/drop.
-"Patch XUID(s)" changes xuid to entered one for every file added to list.
-"Organize" creates new folder structure (content/00...00/..) to programs path where all listed files are copied and appropriately located using mediaIDs.
-Program saves its settings (xuid/size/location) to registry.
To-Do (if i have time and motivation at the same time):
-drag/drop support for folders (now only files)
-ftp (pretty unlikely cause i have no idea what i'm doing)
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October 28th, 2010, 12:54 Posted By: wraggster
I've just spent the past 10 minutes fighting with the installation of the Zune 4.7 desktop software on one of my computers; the upgrade, which comes via Windows Update, worked smoothly on all of my other computers, but on this one computer, it kept failing. More irritatingly, the URL the Zune software installer gives me for more information isn't neither clickable, nor is it possible to copy and paste it. I attempted the first install, and when it failed, I rebooted my PC and tried again. It failed again. I rebooted again, and this time I went to Zune.net and downloaded the 4.7 software directly - and the install worked. A bit odd! I had hoped the Zune software had evolved beyond the point of random install failures, but it seems it still has a way to go yet.
http://www.zunethoughts.com/news/sho...-download.html
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October 28th, 2010, 02:19 Posted By: wraggster
Justin May, the man accused of attempting to steal Atomic Games' unreleased title Breach during PAX East, was placed on pre-trial probation in Boston Municipal Court yesterday. Suffolk County District Attorney Press Secretary Jake Wark informed Joystiq that the conditions of the probation are that May "stay in school, not reoffend, stay off of Xbox Live web sites, and forfeit his computer, which was seized at the time of his arrest." If May follows the conditions, his case will be dismissed after 18 months. If not, he'll be "put back on track for trial."
May was arrested last March when he attempted to steal Breach from the PAX East show floor. He then skipped bail and eventually agreed to show up for court in May, with the latest hearing set for yesterday. We've contacted Atomic Games for comment on the outcome.
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/27/br...ay-off-xbox-l/
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October 28th, 2010, 02:12 Posted By: wraggster
Anyone booting up Red Dead Redemption for some multiplayer this weekend will be privy to double XP, developer Rockstar has announced.
The move is to celebrate the launch of the Undead Nightmare DLC pack, which was released yesterday on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live.
The XP boost applies to the DLC's new modes – Undead Overrun and Land Grab – or any of the original competitive modes from Red Dead Redemption.
The offer starts at 6.00pm GMT on Friday and ends at 4.59am on Monday 1st November.
Rockstar also recently announced that all DLC for its ace free-roaming Western epic would be available on disc form from 26th November, titled Undead Nightmare.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...p-this-weekend
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