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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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July 31st, 2013, 01:14 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft has issued new details on how the Xbox One's "revolutionary" matchmaking system, called Smart Match, will work.
"Smart Match on Xbox One is completely reengineered for a new generation of gaming - using advanced algorithms to pair players based on skill, language, and now reputation," explains the firm.
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"The advanced party system goes far beyond the beacons of Xbox 360, which was limited to people you already knew. Helping you discover and connect easily with players is now central to the experience. In addition, for the first time, games will be able to share player stats with Xbox Live and each other; to learn, evolve, and provide you with the best possible matchmaking available," it adds.
The console's multi-tasking abilities will allow you to pass the time previously spent waiting on matchmaking processes by switching between apps on the fly, including letting you watch TV or browse the internet.
Microsoft says that, in the case of "digital games" only (which we assume means Xbox Live Arcade titles), you will be able to play one game while matchmaking in another.
 A simple on-screen prompt (pictured right) will alert you when matchmaking is complete and offer you an quick route back to the game in question.
New details on how the Xbox One's reputation-matching system works will be released tomorrow.
Microsoft has admitted today that it's "looking into" bundling headsets with Xbox One console in response to strong fan feedback.
The platform holder has previously said that the Kinect bundled with every Xbox One is intended to provide the console with out-of-the-box in-game chat capabilities in place of a headset which, as it stands, will be sold separately.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-match-system/
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July 31st, 2013, 00:38 Posted By: wraggster
Chris Morris notes that "the embankment Microsoft faces is a lot smaller than it was a short time ago"
[h=3]Microsoft[/h]microsoft.com
Coming out of E3, the momentum for the next generation was clearly on Sony's side. Microsoft, through a series of unpopular decisions and confusing, conflicting public statements, was quickly wearing down the goodwill it had built up with the Xbox 360 - at least among core gamers.
Within a week of the industry trade show's close, though, Microsoft started making changes - big ones - to win back the doubters, reversing its DRM and used game policies. Last week, those changes continued as the company changed its mind on indie game self-publishing. And with an estimated four months or so before the Xbox One hits shelves, who knows if Microsoft is finished?
There's still plenty of criticism from forum dwellers. But while it's easy to knock Microsoft for its early missteps, what a lot of people seem to be missing is that the company appears to be learning from its mistakes - and quickly. And that could help it stay on top in the years to come.
Learning from mistakes seems to be a common theme in the eighth generation of consoles. Sony has curried a lot of favor among gamers and developers for its decision to change the closed gate philosophy it has held for years, favoring partnerships, openness and accessibility instead with the PS4.
But because Microsoft's learning curve came later than Sony's, the company is being accused of simply playing catch-up to its competitor. That may be true, but since we're still very much in the pre-game for the next generation, it's not something that will have a lasting effect on the company.
"Leaders and followers don't mean much in the pre-launch days. What matters is post-launch execution"
Sony was forced to play catch-up this generation in the field of video streaming - after Xbox secured a deal with Netflix. But that hasn't stopped the console from becoming the top platform for Netflix streaming to television sets.
Put another way, leaders and followers don't mean much in the pre-launch days. What matters is post-launch execution.
There's also the possibility that Microsoft had at least some of these new policies planned long before they were announced. It's something that sounds ludicrous on the surface, I grant you, but I think back to something Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's chief marketing & strategy officer for the Xbox, told me at E3.
"As we get a chance to tell more of our story, more of the details will come out and things will start to self regulate," he said at the time. "We're going to be incredibly attentive to the ecosystem in the marketplace."
There will be a temptation for gamers - and the games media - to rush to call an early winner in the next generation, likely soon after the 2013 holiday season has ended. But a better barometer of how new systems are doing is a year or so post-launch, when supply constraints are less of a factor.
As Nintendo can testify, game sales are a critical factor in building an installed base in that period - and from what Sony and Microsoft have shown of their hands, Microsoft seems to be in a very strong position. The company has renewed its agreement with Activision for early access to Call of Duty DLC. Titanfall is coming next spring. And a new Halo installment is due in 2014 (almost certainly in November, if the company sticks to its usual mapping).
Sony's roadmap doesn't have those major milestones in place yet - and that could steer people to the Xbox One.
"We're just putting our shoes on to get to the start line of a long distance race"
Peter Moore
Don't discount the run the Xbox 360 has had at retail, either. Money wonks like myself are fond of the phrase "past performance is not indicative of future results". And it's certainly an accurate saying. At the same time, momentum is momentum. And Microsoft continues to have it. By identifying (and clearing) trouble spots before the Xbox One's launch, the company improves its chances of keeping that drive rolling.
Of course, there's still a $100 price difference between the two models - and that could be one of the toughest hurdles to clear for Microsoft. Third-party publishers were just as much caught by surprise at the price as consumers were - and weren't overjoyed by it.
And, of course, it was by offering a lower-priced product this generation that Microsoft was able to quickly get out in front of Sony. Now it finds itself in a reversed role.
But Microsoft has one thing working in its favor that Sony didn't seven years ago: Deep pocketed partners, including Comcast and AT&T. With the Xbox One's positioning as an all-inclusive entertainment device, many analysts expect the system to be subsidized by one or more of those partners - likely within the first year.
Peter Moore, chief operating officer at EA says: "We're just putting our shoes on to get to the start line of a long distance race."
The Xbox One is Microsoft's most important hardware launch of the past 10 years - and will likely be the most important of the next 10 as well. So performing well in that race is critical.
While the company may have made some mistakes in the pre-game, it has taken steps to correct those. The playing field may not be completely leveled, but the embankment Microsoft faces is a lot smaller than it was a short time ago.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...xt-console-war
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July 31st, 2013, 00:32 Posted By: wraggster
A retail listing has suggested Capcom is preparing a very enticing $60 release on consoles.
As spotted on the Canadian website of EB Games, the so-called Capcom Essentials release will apparently contain the following games – Resident Evil 6, Super Street Fighter IV, Dead Rising 2, Devil May Cry 4 and Mega Man 10.
As stated, it has a $60 RRP in Canada and is apparently due for release on October 8th for both PS3 and Xbox 360. Expect it to come on a number of discs on Xbox 360… and possibly even PS3?
MCV has contacted Capcom for comment.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/capco...ebsite/0119369
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July 30th, 2013, 15:25 Posted By: wraggster
 We explore Halo creator Bungie’s new universe, Destiny, in the new issue of Edge magazine.With exclusive access to the Seattle studio’s next blockbuster, we have the world’s first hands-on report on the openworld shooter, plus insight from Bungie creative lead Joe Staten, COO Pete Parsons, art director Chris Barrett, technical art director Ryan Ellis and technical director Chris Butcher.
http://www.edge-online.com/magazine/...e-multiplayer/
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July 30th, 2013, 01:42 Posted By: wraggster
GameStop's seasonal special, the Summer Playcation, is live now and offers double in-store credit for any system trade-in, and 30 percent extra in-store credit on games, smartphones, accessories, tablets or media players. These deals run through August 18, as does an existing deal that nets the customer any new game for $10 or less with the trade-in of two eligible games.
Keep in mind this is not the Summer Placation, where we imagine GameStop would insult your mom and then offer up all games and systems for free, along with some kind words* about your heritage.
http://www.gamestop.com/playcation
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July 30th, 2013, 01:36 Posted By: wraggster
The decision to split the Xbox One's 8GB of RAM into three separate parts is one that will result in a stable environment, innovation and multi-tasking, according to one of the system's main developers.
Xbox director of development Boyd Multerer recently spoke to OXM about the system's architecture and the reasons why roughly 3GB of the 8GB RAM is set aside for entertainment apps, system-wide Kinect features and communication tools.
"The next generation gamer is not necessarily the gamer I was when I was getting into gaming," Multerer told OXM.
"There are real differences, real changes that have happened since we began the last generation.
"There are phones, there are tablets, the whole way that people interact and that they live with devices has fundamentally changed. I walk around with a phone all time, everybody I know walks around with phones. The expectation of the next gen gamer is that these things are just there.
"It's a rapidly changing ecosystem of applications that sit on a rapidly changing ecosystem of devices - fundamentally different to the consoles of the past."
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Multerer explained that many of today's gamers are multitaskers, and that the aim was to provide the ability to multitask on one system so they don't have to switch TV inputs or use tables or phones instead.
"They're sitting watching a movie and they're texting all the time," he said. "I just didn't do that! It's not part of my life, right. But it's part of theirs. They don't even think about it, of course they're connected to their friends. Of course they're using services, of course they're being social. They're going through these large experiences and they're constantly multitasking."
It's important to make this section of RAM completely separate, Multerer said, because making it flexible could have resulted in problems. Games could crash if another app pushes the demand beyond 8GB, so limits were set on each segment.
"We have to be extremely careful and offer up a very predictable environment to the game developers to get the best games on your console," he said.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...is-beneficial/
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July 29th, 2013, 22:11 Posted By: wraggster
One of the most successful and creative games of recent times has become the bizarre target of the US media.
As expertly rounded up by Kotaku, this video shows the efforts gone to by the US media to identify Minecraft as the current evil polluting the minds of poor, innocent, young Americans.
The tagline? Calling the game Minecrack. Because likening a hugely innovative and creative product that consumers want to play because it’s brilliant to a highly addictive dopamine-releasing tropane alkaloid is perfectly valid.
MCV’s favourite line from the video collection has to be: “I don’t know what this is but apparently Minecraft is a video game. They keep coming up with new ones all the time.” Note too the subtle disapproving shake of the head by the co-anchor at this nerve-shattering revelation.
Be sure to check it out.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/us-me...ecrack/0119301
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July 28th, 2013, 22:05 Posted By: wraggster
 Xbox 360 developers may be able to self-publish their games on Xbox Live Arcade starting this August, according to a recent update from The Pinball Arcade developer FarSight Studios. Microsoft, however, maintains that there have been no official changes to the Xbox 360's publishing situation: "We have not announced any changes to our publishing policy for Xbox 360," a representative told Joystiq.
Meanwhile: "Microsoft has just announced that indie developers (like FarSight) can now self-publish on Xbox Live Arcade instead of being required to find publishers for their games," FarSight's announcement reads. "Microsoft has stated that the new program will open in August- we will do everything we can to get The Pinball Arcade (and all of the new Table Packs) back on the Xbox 360 as quickly as possible."
Microsoft announced earlier this week that indie developers will be able toself-publish on the Xbox One, but no mention was made of the Xbox 360 or the existing Xbox Live Arcade. The Microsoft representative we spoke to said that the company will be "sharing more about self-publishing on Xbox One at Gamescom."
http://www.joystiq.com/2013/07/27/ru...d-to-xbox-360/
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July 28th, 2013, 22:03 Posted By: wraggster
Sora and friends have accumulated enemies in numerical entries and spinoffs to the Kingdom Hearts series for the past decade. Kingdom Hearts 3 will be their first original console outing since 2005, but it won't end of the franchise, a L.A. Times interview with Series Director Tetsuya Nomura reveals.
"In Kingdom Hearts 3, the battles that the characters have been fighting for the past 10 years will come to a conclusion," Nomura said. "But the series will continue. Only the particular enemy they have been fighting for the past 10 years will come to an end."
Nomura said that while everything is still open to change, his team is currently using Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance's combat as a guide forKingdom Hearts 3.
When asked, Nomura did not elaborate on whether Pixar or Star Wars characters have a chance of making it in the game. Kingdom Hearts 3 will release on the Xbox One and PS4 at an unspecified date.
http://www.joystiq.com/2013/07/28/ki...ries-will-con/
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July 28th, 2013, 01:14 Posted By: wraggster
Minecraft creator Markus Persson says the ability to use 'any Xbox One' for game development is 'a wonderful idea'.
Speaking with Edge, Persson commented, "I think it's a wonderful idea to have the actual box be the dev kits."
 He went on, "This makes it easier for both the developer and for Microsoft, and presumably they could make it a lot cheaper since they'd only sell unlock codes.
"I realize there are other factors at play here, though, like a perceived need to make sure only 'legitimate' developers get access to it, so a monetary barrier might still be in place," noted Persson.
In yet another surprising revision of Xbox One policy, Microsoft announced Wednesday that it will not only allow indie developers to self-publish on Xbox One, but that every Xbox One console can be used for development (although not at launch).
Indie developers have expressed mixed reactions to the news, some optimistic of at least the opportunity to release their creations on the new platform, others cautious of Microsoft's willingness to offer indie titles sufficient exposure on the Xbox Live Marketplace.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-says-persson/
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July 28th, 2013, 00:43 Posted By: wraggster
Already locked down your Xbox One Day One Edition order? Now's your chance to also reserve its initial batch of accessories (including that mono Chat Headset, whichisn't included with the console). The Wireless Controller ($60), Play and Charge Kit ($25) and Chat Headset ($25) for the Xbox One have all popped up for pre-order at theMicrosoft Store. The One's gamepad rings up at five bones more than the 360 variant, but it's also available as a $75 bundle with the Play and Charge Kit (roughly 10 dollars in savings). Joystiq notes that Gamestop and Amazon are also options, albeit only for the controller itself. If you plan to reserve any of the accessories, we'd suggest taking Microsoft's Dec 31st arrival date as a loose estimate -- the One releases in November and Amazon is pegging the controller for November 27th.
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/...oryID.64724300
http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-One-Wirel...words=xbox+one
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July 26th, 2013, 23:53 Posted By: wraggster
Codemasters has announced the release date for this year's Formula One video game.
F1 2013 will be released for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on October 4th in the UK, a little later than the series' usual September launch.
As previously reported, Codemasters is releasing two versions of this year's game: the standard F1 2013 and the Classic Edition, which features historic drivers, cars and tracks rom the 1980s and 1990s.
The Classic Edition content will be made available as optional DLC for F1 2013 buyers.
Namco Bandai is handling the game's distribution in the UK.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/f1-20...ctober/0119237
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July 26th, 2013, 18:51 Posted By: wraggster
 Mojang boss Markus ‘Notch’ Persson has welcomed Microsoft’s move to turn every Xbox One into a devkit, describing it as a “wonderful idea”.Microsoft confirmed earlier this week that it will allow developers to publish their own titles on Xbox One, while also revealing that every Xbox One can be used for development.“I think it’s a wonderful idea to have the actual box be the dev kits,” Notch told us. “This makes it easier for both the developer and for Microsoft, and presumably they could make it a lot cheaper since they’d only sell unlock codes. I realize there are other factors at play here, though, like a perceived need to make sure only ‘legitimate’ developers get access to it, so a monetary barrier might still be in place.”Notch’s optimism tallies with the other developers we’ve spoken to on this subject – you can read their thoughts here.
http://www.edge-online.com/news/deve...ea-says-notch/
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July 26th, 2013, 01:19 Posted By: wraggster
Rare's Kinect sensor showpiece, Kinect Sports Rivals, will miss the Xbox One's launch window, Microsoft confirmed today.
Kinect Sports Rivals was originally slated for release in November, offering up a collection of minigames that require the Xbox One's bundled Kinect peripheral. A representative from Microsoft told Polygon that the delay was necessary in order to give developer Rare enough time to polish up its work before launch.
Kinect Sports Rivals is now set for release during spring of next year.
http://www.joystiq.com/2013/07/25/ki...h-on-xbox-one/
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July 26th, 2013, 01:02 Posted By: wraggster
Konami has confirmed a PES 2014 release date of September 24 for North, Central and South America.
The announcement caters specifically to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game. Previously announced PC and PSP versions went unmentioned.
 A UK release date is also yet to be confirmed, although its US release would indicate a September 27 date east of the Atlantic.
According to the official blurb:Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 brings a complete overhaul to the PES franchise by introducing a new engine powered by Kojima Production's renowned FOX Engine. Utilizing the FOX Engine at its core gives PES 2014 a more fluid soccer experience by enhancing many of the in-game mechanics, such as collision detection, player models, rendered grass on the field and the thousands in attendance in the stands.
Konami's PR campaign for PES 2014 has focused heavily on the technical aspects of the game - an interesting tactic considering the game is not coming to next-generation consoles.
A recent PES 2014 gameplay trailer claimed the Xbox 360 and PS3 game will feature 'next-gen equivalent visual quality', while talking up its effects, animations, physics and core gameplay improvements powered by the new 'Fluidity' engine.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ate-confirmed/
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July 26th, 2013, 00:35 Posted By: wraggster
It would possibly be the biggest U-turn of all, but chances of a Kinect-free Xbox One release have been dismissed by Microsoft.
A dubious report crediting an “anonymous source familiar with the matter” at Inside Gaming yesterday said that Microsoft was planning on releasing a version of Xbox One without the Kinect camera some time in 2014.
The site claimed that two Kinect-free SKUs were planned, one of which would feature a smaller hard drive and presumably a lower asking price.
However, a Microsoft statement issued to Game Frontdenied any such claim.
“We have no plans to introduce an Xbox One without Kinect,” it read. “We believe in Kinect and the value it brings to both games and entertainment, and believe $499 is a great value for what consumers receive with their Xbox One.”
Of course, the rumours always sounded unlikely. Microsoft clearly retains huge faith in Kinect and while games such as Ryse have ditched their reliance on the camera the peripheral remains a central component to both the Xbox One’s usability and its media-centric UI.
The only thread on which such a rumour could hang would be Microsoft’s rumoured desire to lower the launch RRP of Xbox One.
Sony reportedly ditched its Kinect-like PlayStation Eye from its PS4 SKU to allow it to undercut Xbox One. Microsoft will obviously have to cut something from the Xbox One box if it wishes to lower the price without eroding margins, although the company hasn’t been afraid to take a hit on its hardware in the past.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/micro...ne-sku/0119139
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July 26th, 2013, 00:32 Posted By: wraggster
Saints Row: The Third may have broken records for THQ, but new publisher Deep Silver says Saints Row IV will do even better.
The firm is planning a ‘disruptive’ marketing campaign, featuring a new drink called Saints Flow and a music single.
“Saints Row The Third was a huge success in the UK with over 1m units sold across boxed and digital. But the potential of Saints Row IV is much greater than merely looking at what The Third achieved,” said UK marketing boss Mark Fisher.
Activity includes branding at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival, alongside the usual TV, online and print ads.
And Fisher says the IP has now reached new levels of mass-market awareness.
“Research indicates that 80 per cent of Saints Row The Third players intend to purchase Saints Row IV. That’s an incredibly positive insight into the titles sell-through potential.”
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/saint...cessor/0119140
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July 26th, 2013, 00:10 Posted By: wraggster
But Microsoft's indie policy changes show company is 'finally listening'
Microsoft’s U-turn on indie self-publishing is a positive sign but will not be the equivalent to what other platforms offer, says the creator of Retro City Rampage.
Yeseterday the firm revealed it would support self-publishing on the Xbox One, and that each console could also be used as a development kit - a move seen by many developers as a positive step.
Speaking to Engadget Brian Provinciano said he was happy that Microsoft was finally listening to developers, but felt yesterday’s policy changes likely sounded better now than they would when all the details are revealed next month at Gamescom.
He said the announcement was essentially creating an XBLIG 2.0, and that he felt it wouldn’t go as far as the PS4 for example, in which developers can tap into the system and take advantage of all the hardware’s power.
“I'm very happy to see this. After all of the developers have spoken out, they're finally listening,” said Provinciano.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...ival-offerings
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July 25th, 2013, 01:39 Posted By: wraggster
A picture of a white Xbox One development kit has been leaked to Reddit.
As spotted by Neowin, the unit in question is based around the same form factor and overall design of the console first revealed by Microsoft in May, and offers a peek at what a different colour retail model could look like in the future.
 http://www.computerandvideogames.com...v-kit-spotted/Apparently, the white dev kit is not the most recent version Microsoft has provided to game studios.
A developer reportedly confirmed to be working on an Xbox One game said on Reddit: "The zebra ones were also earlier devkits. We've gone though several revisions since the original alpha kit (giant server case) and the current one we have looks like the launch version."
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July 25th, 2013, 01:15 Posted By: wraggster
Take the $59.99 official price (before tax) for first-party Xbox One titles in the States, run it through your favorite currency convertor and you get something like £39. Add in Royal Baby taxes (aka VAT), incomplete globalization and whatever else, and it seems the final amount for UK buyers comes to £49.99 -- a price tag that has appeared on games like Dead Rising 3 and Forza Motorsport 5 over at Microsoft's UK web store. It's not a surprising figure, and not too dissimilar to current Xbox 360 RRPs either, but it still seems high in a world that has seen Steam's sales model bring prices down for PC gamers. Anyway, maybe it's better not to get into all that again.
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/...oryID.64545300
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