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Tag: Xbox Live

  • Microsoft Turns Your Xbox into an Elections Hub

    Microsoft is getting into the Campaign 2012 coverage game in a big way. Today, they’ve announced the new Election 2012 on Xbox LIVE hub, which will bring live streaming coverage and a few other election goodies to the game console.

    If you’re a U.S.-based Xbox LIVE user, you’ll be able to watch and interact with three different presidential debates. The “interacting” part comes in the form of poll questions throughout the debates, as well as “other unique election events,” according to Microsoft.

    The hub will also feature live feeds straight from the Democratic & Republican National Conventions.

    Live debate and conventions streams aren’t the only draws to Microsofts new election hub. It will also feature original content, such as “Conversations with the Next Generation,” which takes us to youth town halls in Tampa and Charlotte, surrounding the two conventions. Microsoft has also partnered with Face the Facts USA to bring additional content designed to help voters “more accurately understand the major issues surrounding the election and the candidates involved.”

    Plus, the partnership with Rock the Vote will allow for voter registration information through the hub and actual voter registration via xbox.com/en-US/election2012.

    One (unsurprising) caveat to this: some of the programming will require an Xbox LIVE Gold membership to access.

    “Technology has been a transformative force in politics during recent years,” said Fred Humphries, vice president of government affairs at Microsoft.

    “The launch of the Election 2012 Hub on Xbox LIVE marks another exciting moment of change. This platform will innovate how some voters engage in the political process, and it provides greater access to valuable information such as the perspectives of youth at our town halls, newscasts and voter registrations. By bringing the elections directly into the home through this Xbox platform, we hope to encourage greater participation in the democratic process this fall.”

    Yesterday, YouTube launched their own elections hub. It also offers live convention and debates coverage, as well as additional original content.

    Xbox LIVE members should see the election hub by next Monday, August 27th.

  • Xbox Live Gets a New NBC News App

    Xbox Live Gets a New NBC News App

    A new Xbox Live update launching today is bringing a whole new variety of content on the game console.

    Joining popular content apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, YouTube, Amazon Instant video, and MLB.TV is NBC News, which will feature programming from NBC Universal’s slate of news programs (you may know many of them from MSNBC). This includes The Rachel Maddow Show, Rock Center with Brian Williams, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Meet the Press, Dateline, and many more.

    TechCrunch reports that the app will not have any full-length episodes at the start. It will also not feature any live streaming video. That means, for the time being, the app will only contain clips from the NBC News shows.

    A while back, NBC News content did exist on Xbox Live. It was featured on the Inside Xbox Channel for awhile and eventually was moved the the Video Marketplace section of the Xbox Live dashboard. It featured content from the Today Show, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, and more.

    The new app’s big draw is with its content from some of NBC News’ popular new nightly lineup (on MSNBC) like Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, and Lawrence O’Donnell.

    A giant Xbox Live update is coming soon, and it will finally bring Internet Explorer to the console (among other things). Microsoft opened up a public beta period for the 2012 update back in July. Apparently, it was so popular that they’ve opened up even more spots for early testers.

  • Be the First to Use Internet Explorer on Your Xbox by Signing Up for the Public Beta

    If you’ve been itching to browse the web directly from your Xbox 360 console, today may be your lucky day. The 2012 Xbox LIVE update public beta is now open and accepting registrations.

    Major Nelson just announced it on his blog, saying that numbers are limited.

    Numbers are limited, so sign up today. If you’re selected as a tester, an update will be pushed to your console once the public beta kicks off. The update will contain select dashboard features, including:

    • Internet Explorer for Xbox
    • Personalized dashboard recommendations
    • Enhanced category search and discovery features

    if you’re lucky enough to be selected as one of the testers, you’ll have to sign a non-disclosure agreement as well as fill out a short survey when the beta period ends. It’s a great way for Microsoft to get feedback from its loyal Xbox LIVE users, and good way for you to get access to the whole web on your console before everyone else.

    Microsoft announced that Internet Explorer was coming to Xbox LIVE back at E3 in June. It will launch with full Kinect and SmartGlass support and will require an Xbox LIVE Gold account.

    You can access the sign up here.

  • Xbox Live Finally Comes To The iPad

    Xbox Live Finally Comes To The iPad

    The coolest concept that Microsoft showed off at E3 2012 this year was SmartGlass, a technology that connects a mobile device to an Xbox 360. It offers extra content that can’t be shown on the television such as a map of Westeros when watching Game of Thrones on HBO Go. Microsoft will be supporting all tablets and operating systems with SmartGlass so it only makes sense to start getting everything compatible now.

    The first step to our Xbox SmartGlass future is the My Xbox Live app for smartphones. It connects with your Xbox Live account to display all your account information such as achievements, messages and recent activity. The app was first built for iPhone, Android and Windows Phones, but now it’s getting a native iPad app.

    Xbox Live Finally Comes To The iPad

    Now users can control media on their Xbox 360 with their iPad. Users can now play, pause, fast forward and rewind videos on Netflix and other media that’s available on the console. It’s also far more friendly to changing up how your avatar looks then on the tiny screen of the iPhone.

    Xbox Live Finally Comes To The iPad

    Users of the iPhone version will just get a few bug fixes. There are some complaints via the reviews that say the newest update breaks messaging on the iPhone version, but it seems to be a limited occurrence. You should be fine if you have iOS 4.3 or later.

    You can grab My Xbox Live for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch at the App Store. It’s free so you have no reason not to.

  • Microsoft to Announce a Nook Tablet?

    The speculation has been growing all weekend about what Microsoft will be announcing today. Last Thursday the company sent an email to press members requesting their presence in Los Angeles today. There was no word about what sort of product would be announced, or even what division would be making the announcement. “This will be a major Microsoft announcement – you will not want to miss it,” was the only hint.

    The most reliable rumors so far seem to pin the topic of the event to a tablet launch. That doesn’t answer the question, though, of why Microsoft is choosing Los Angeles as a venue rather than something closer to its Redmond, Washington headquarters.

    Now, TechCrunch is repeating the tablet rumor, but they’ve added some details. Citing “folks with knowledge of the situation,” they state that Microsoft and Barnes & Noble will be announcing a Kindle Fire-style tablet/e-reader. They also cite a different anonymous source as saying that the tablet will have Xbox LIVE streaming capabilities.

    Both of these things are certainly a possibility, of course. Back in April it was announced that Microsoft and Barnes & Noble were coming together to form a company called NewCo, which would develop a NOOK app for Windows 8. Speculation about a NOOK device running Windows 8 has been making the rounds since then. As for the Xbox LIVE rumor, it’s clear from Microsoft’s E3 press conference that the company is hoping to make the Xbox brand the center of its Windows 8 gaming strategy.

    If a Windows 8 Nook tablet streaming Xbox LIVE content is really today’s announcement, why didn’t the company debut it at E3 along with their SmartGlass technology? My guess is that the announcement will involve movie studios or record labels in some way. Perhaps the Zune brand will finally be put to rest with the debut of Xbox Music. Whatever the truth may be, we will all find out today when the Microsoft event starts at 6:30 EDT.

    (via TechCrunch)

  • Kinect-Powered Interactive NUads Coming To Xbox Live

    Are you ready for commercials on Xbox Live? No? What if I told you you could interact with them via the Kinect controller, would that change your mind? Still no? Look, I get it that you don’t want any kind of advertising when you’re playing with your game console, but since you can’t stop the inevitable from happening, aren’t ads that respond to Kinect commands better than the typical 30-second TV commercials that won’t stop appearing and interrupting a TV show?

    Look, I know it’s a hard sell, but you might as well embrace it, because the technology is here and these kinds of advertisements–NUads–are on the way. The good thing is, if you don’t like them, you can always wave them away, right? One hopes, anyway.

    These NUads offer a new kind of interactive technology, powered, of course, by vocal and movement commands from the Kinect. From Microsoft’s perspective, these interactive commercials will be a “game changer” for the typical 30-second TV commercial due the viewers ability to engage the advert directly, provided you consider a response to Kinect command engaging. A quote in Microsoft’s press release reveals the idea behind NUads, besides the collection of user data:

    “NUads marks the beginning of a new era for TV advertising. It delivers the one thing traditional TV advertising is missing — engagement,” said Ross Honey, general manager of Xbox LIVE Entertainment and Advertising. “We developed NUads to breathe new life into the standard 30-second spot. With NUads, brands can get real-time feedback from audiences, making TV advertising actionable for the first time.”

    It’s odd that TV advertising is mentioned, because besides being the output device, the TV really serves no other purpose in relation to the Xbox or Xbox Live. It’s not the same as CBS pushing the latest Cialis ad copy to aging husbands who happen to be watching “the big game.” Furthermore, another reason to disagree with the “TV advertising” label is because the video for NUads distinctly says, “XBOX Live Advertising introduces NUads.”

    Aside from the output device, the modern television doesn’t come into play with Xbox Live, especially in relation to broadcasting commercials. Anyway, here’s a sneak peak of what Xbox Live users can expect to see soon:


    As indicated throughout, the Kinect will play a major role in the interactivity promised by NUads:

    Consumers can enter the poll with a simple wave of a hand or a voice command while viewing the commercial. Consumers get a real-time tally of the answers so they can see how other Xbox LIVE subscribers are voting, and advertisers get real-time feedback from consumers to help inform future campaigns.

    While the bold section emphasizes the Kinect, the last part of the quote should be of interest as well, especially for those of you who like to maintain an idea of privacy. Not only can advertisers get feedback based on user interaction, as Geeks Are Sexy points out, Microsoft has applied for a patent that can track a user’s mood based on facial expressions. Furthermore, based on this data, appropriate ads are given. Does this mean if you’re best girl just dumped you, ads for Match.com will be served to you?

    It sure sounds like it.

    Is this the kind of advertising you’d like to see in the future or is your privacy of more concern to you than get tailored advertising? Then there’s this line of thinking, courtesy of Reddit: “If XBOX wants to put advertisements on their dashboard, then users should not have to pay for XBOX Live.” What about real commercials in Xbox Live? Shouldn’t that remove the burden from the paying public as well?

    [Lead Image Courtesy]

  • My Xbox Live Comes To Android, Updated For iOS

    You may remember that Microsoft announced SmartGlass last week during its E3 press conference. The basic gist is that people will be able to use any smart device running any software including iOS and Android to get additional info on their game or movie. It’s a great concept and Microsoft may be making their first move into that area today.

    Joining the already in existence My Xbox Live App for iOS, Microsoft have now released the same app for Android. Could Microsoft be setting up the inevitable rollout of SmartGlass later this year?

    So what does My Xbox Live for Android bring to the table? Pretty much the same stuff from the iOS version. It allows you to track and compare your achievements with your Xbox Live friends, change your avatar, message your friends on Xbox Live and edit your live photo.

    My Xbox Live for Android requires an Android smartphone running 2.2 or higher and a WGVA screen resolution or higher. You can get it for your Android phone on Google Play.

    As an aside, I tested out My Xbox Live on my HTC Inspire 4G and it works flawlessly. It’s smooth and suffers no lag on my admittedly old phone. Even though my Xbox 360 has been broken for a year now, it still picks up on my Games for Windows Live games and all the achievements I have earned in them so far.

    Coinciding with the release of the Android app, Microsoft has updated the currently available iOS app to include more functionality on the iPhone. This functionality includes the ability to control content on the Xbox 360. Users will be able to use the iPhone as a remote control while playing back content like video and music.

    The My Xbox Live app for the iPad has been updated to include retina display support. Microsoft has also improved authentication making it easier to connect to Xbox Live with Apple’s tablet. You can grab the iOS download at the App Store.

    Of course, Major Nelson is quick to point out that these updates are not SmartGlass. You could make the argument that Microsoft is preparing for SmartGlass though, especially with the content control features that are in the updated iPhone app.

  • Xbox 360 Spring System Updates Begin Rolling Out

    Larry “Major Nelson” Hyrb, Xbox LIVE’s director of programming, has announced that the spring update for Xbox 360 operating system software is beginning to roll out. A “few” players will receive the update this week and everyone else will have it by next week. The announcement came via a tweet on Hyrb’s Twitter account.

    The inevitable Twitter flood of curiosity about what features the update will contain was enough to elicit a second response from Hyrb. Though vague, it does hint that the Xbox team at Microsoft is already setting the stage for the features it announced last week during the Microsoft E3 press conference. Check out the tweets below:

    Those “future enhancements” Hyrb mentions so casually are big features, including the Internet Explorer browser for Xbox 360, an expansion for Bing voice search using Kinect, and Microsoft SmartGlass integration, which Microsoft promises will turn the Xbox 360 into the entertainment hub around which all of our devices revolve and interact. Also, Microsoft has announced that it is killing the Zune brand, meaning that the Zune Marketplace on Xbox will soon get a revamp, and the new Xbox Music will partly take its place.

    That’s all the news that is currently announced for the spring software update, but Hyrb did tweet out a link today for a brand-new Microsoft product: for 240 Microsoft Points, your Xbox avatar can, as seen in the picture above, become a former Skyrim adventurer.

    (Picture via xbox.com)

  • Subsidized Xbox 360 Coming to Best Buy and GameStop

    Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb, announced this morning that the subsidized $99 Xbox 360 will be coming to Best Buy and GameStop stores later this month. Hyrb, a member of the Xbox team at Microsoft and former host of the recently cancelled Major’s Minute Inside Xbox show, announced the expansion of the $99 Xbox program over on his blog. From the blog post:

    Today, I’m happy to announce that we’re expanding the pilot to all U.S. Best Buy stores and select GameStop locations later this month. This next phase of the pilot program will be limited in terms of both timing and the number of units available—we’re excited to forge new ground and explore a new retail model for Xbox 360, but also want to emphasize that this is a pilot period for the program.

    Microsoft announced the subsidized $99 Xbox 360 and Kinect bundle one month ago, and began selling the consoles in Microsoft Stores around the country. To purchase the bundle for $99, customers must commit to a subscription to Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE service for 2 years at a price of $15 per month. A normal subscription for Xbox LIVE is $60 for one year, making the normal price for the service $5 per month. Still, this deal might end up being cost effective for consumers who find it hard to save up hundreds of dollars at a time for a videogame console. Though Hyrb emphasizes that the bundle is only a pilot program, this could end up being the future of how video game consoles are bought.

  • Xbox LIVE’s “Inside Xbox” is Ending

    Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb, Xbox LIVE’s Director of Programming, has announced on his blog that the content broadcasted on Xbox LIVE under the moniker of “Inside Xbox” will no longer be produced. This includes shows such as Featured Video, Insider Moves, Xbox 101, and Major’s Minute.

    This change evidently only applies to Inside Xbox content for the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Hryb stated that Xbox LIVE for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa is currently “looking at its operating model for Inside Xbox,” but no news has been released as to whether it will continue there. Mexico and Japan will continue receiving Xbox LIVE first-party content produced in those countries, but they will not be released under the Inside Xbox banner.

    Hryb’s blog post seemed very sincere and a bit sad:

    We want to express our sincere appreciation to all of our viewers and fans of Inside Xbox, and remain committed to providing our members with access to high-quality news and information via the console, social media channels and Xbox.com. We will be leveraging third-party news and video content available through a variety of existing and future partners, and supplementing this content with select first-party offerings. However, day-to-day news content and weekly programming currently offered though Inside Xbox will cease production in the United States. This includes shows like Major’s Minute, Featured Videos and Insider Moves packaged under the Inside Xbox brand.

    Some of that third-party content Hryb mentioned will come from a new video game content app that IGN launched on Xbox LIVE just this week. It seems that both Microsoft and Sony don’t see much value in producing content for their consoles other than video games. The Inside Xbox cancellation comes just weeks after Sony made a similar announcement, canceling the first-party PlayStation Network show Qore.

    Microsoft seems to be shifting things around quite a bit lately, yet this news comes as a bit of a surprise. Much of the Inside Xbox content was made up of short clips from video games. I suppose the content simply wasn’t popular enough. What do you think? Will you miss Insider Moves and Major’s Minute? Check out what may be one of the last Major’s Minute episodes and then Leave a comment below and let us know how you feel.

  • Sex Offenders Kicked Off Xbox LIVE, WoW, PlayStation Network

    According to the office of the New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, online gaming platforms are prime territory for sexual predators to target underage kids. Just this month, a 19-year-old man pled guilty to charges of sexual abuse after he met a 12-year-old boy on Xbox LIVE, got friendly online over the next three months, then invited the boy over to his house. It’s that kind of crime that Operation: Game Over is out to prevent.

    “We must ensure online video game systems do not become a digital playground for dangerous predators. That means doing everything possible to block sex offenders from using gaming networks as a vehicle to prey on underage victims,” said Attorney General Schneiderman.

    And with that decree, the AG announced that his office, with the help of some high-profile companies, had successfully kicked 3,580 registered sex offenders off of various online gamine networks (or in some cases cut their communication abilities).

    Most of the gaming network top dogs participated in the operation:

    As a result of Operation:Game Over, 3,580 accounts of New York state sex offenders have been purged – or their communication privileges suspended – from the gaming platforms owned by Microsoft, Apple, Blizzard Entertainment, Electronic Arts, Warner Bros. and Disney Interactive Media Group.

    Apparently, Sony couldn’t give the AG’s office accurate numbers on how many offenders they kicked off at the time of the announcement, but they are definitely part of the operation.

    It wasn’t hard for the various companies to find the sex offenders. New York State law requires that all convicted sex offenders register much of their online data – including their email address, screen names, and any other “internet identifiers.” So basically, the state of New York handed Microsoft, Blizzard, Sony, etc. a list and said go to town.

    Microsoft fully supports Operation: Game Over, according to a statement from their counsel:

    At Microsoft, we continually evaluate ways to manage safety for our 40 million Xbox LIVE members and particularly for children on our service. Our partnership with the Office of the New York Attorney General helps further this cause. By leveraging the online identity information all registered sex offenders are required to provide, we are able to help reduce potentially harmful situations. We’re supportive of Attorney General Schneiderman’s efforts to make the Internet, including online gaming environments like Xbox LIVE, safer for everyone.

    As did America’s Most Wanted’s John Walsh (who also co-founded the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children):

    We know that sex offenders target and lure children and how they look at the online community as their private, perverted hunting ground. I commend New York State Attorney General Schneiderman’s efforts to make gaming platforms safer for kids. This initiative is a strong model for other states, and it’s also a great partnership with private sector companies who are demonstrating their commitment to children’s safety.

    According to statistics, there are 33,000 registered sex offenders in New York and about 745,000 nationwide. As a parent, do you worry about your child’s communication over networks like Xbox LIVE and PSN? Should other states follow suit with their own similar operations? Let us know in the comments.

  • Orcs Must Die! 2 Announcement Trailer Unveiled

    Robot Entertainment has unveiled a trailer for its sequel to their popular indie-game Orcs Must Die! The sequel, cleverly named Orcs Must Die! 2, will follow the formula of the original game. Players will defend a fortress against waves of orcs and other monsters using weapons, spells, and a variety of traps to massacre the interlopers. This time around, though, players will be able to team up with another player in co-op mode to more efficiently slaughter orcs.

    “In 2011, we implored players to kill the orcs,” said Robot Entertainment CEO Patrick Hudson, on the company’s blog. “As many as possible. Yet, only 3.4 billion orcs have been slaughtered to date. The only way we will get to a respectable orc death toll is by adding another killing machine and cooperative play. Bring a friend and destroy the orcs!”

    In addition to the War Mage players embodied in the first game, a new class, the Sorceress, will be on hand to lure orcs to their deaths using mind control and magic. The new game will feature a new campaign and, of course, new monsters to destroy with new defenses, traps, and magical trinkets. Also, the system to upgrade your fortress defenses had been redesigned, making it easier to spend ‘skulls’ and tailor your armory to your personal play style. Players who own the original Orcs Must Die on PC will get access to exclusive content in Orcs Must Die! 2.

    Though no definite release date was announced, you will be able to smash orcs with a friend sometime this summer. And if you simply can’t wait to get your hands on the new title you can head up to the Penny Arcade Expo East in Boston this weekend, where the game will be playable at the Robot Entertainment booth.

    Have a good tale to recount of how you’ve singlehandedly repelled thousands of orcs? Want to share your Steam I.D. so you can team up with me for some orc-murdering mayhem? Leave a comment below.

  • MLB.TV App Comes To Xbox LIVE Today

    Microsoft and Major League Baseball have announced that the MLB.TV app is available today on Xbox LIVE. The app allows you to watch live HD broadcasts of every out-of-market regular season game, as well as archived games and highlights from every game (in-market or out).

    The app includes an impressive array of viewing options. A mini guide at the bottom of the screen allows you to watch one game and keep up with other games being played at the same time. The mini guide also lets you to switch quickly and easily between games. The app also includes split screen viewing so that you can watch two games at once. Viewing options for each screen vary, so you can have two live games going, or a live game and a recap, or a live game and an archive game, or whatever combination of live game, archive game, and recap you choose.

    MLB.TV for Xbox's Live Scoreboard

    MLB.TV for Xbox's Split-screen Viewing

    You can also choose your favorite teams, so that they are displayed first on the schedule screen and the mini guide. The app also has DVR functionality, letting you pause and rewind at will. What’s more, the app is Kinect compatible, meaning that you can navigate the app using gestures and voice commands.

    The MLB.TV app is free, however an Xbox LIVE Gold membership is required. Watching live games also requires an MLB.TV Premium subscription, which will set you back $124.99 for the whole season, or $24.99 per month. You can still use the app if you’re not an MLB.TV subscriber, but you’ll be limited to checking scores and watching recaps, archive games, and the free game of the day (which may or may not involve a team you’re interested in watching).

    It’s worth emphasizing that the MLB.TV service (whether you watch it on Xbox, your iPhone, Roku, or whatever) only gets you out-of-market games. If you live inside the broadcast area for your local team, their games will be blacked out. That also goes for games broadcast nationally on ESPN, FOX, TBS, etc. Even if you don’t have the cable channel on which your team’s games are broadcast, if you’re in the area, you’re blacked out. If, on the other hand, you live outside your team’s home market (case in point: I’m a Red Sox fan living in Kentucky), then MLB.TV is pretty awesome, and while there are MLB.TV apps/channels on a variety of platforms, the Xbox LIVE version appears to be one of the more feature-rich examples.

    Are you glad to be getting MLB.TV on your Xbox? Are you an MLB.TV subscriber? Tell us what you think in the comments.

  • BBC iPlayer Comes To Xbox 360 In The UK

    BBC iPlayer Comes To Xbox 360 In The UK

    The BBC has made their popular iPlayer service available on the Xbox 360 starting today. iPlayer will allow Xbox LIVE users to access a variety of BBC content on their consoles. iPlayer also supports Kinect, meaning that viewers will be able to control iPlayer with their voice and with hand gestures.

    iPlayer is available for free today for Xbox LIVE users. It is only available in the UK, however, so if you’re an American looking for your Top Gear fix, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Today’s launch makes the BBC the first British content provider to be available on all three consoles.

    iPlayer is the BBC’s video-on-demand service. It allows British viewers to watch live episodes of a most of the BBC’s shows, as well as catch up on recent episodes. It also includes archives of some of the BBC’s most popular shows. It is available on a number of platforms, including streaming set-top boxes like the Roku, a variety of smart TVs, some Blu-ray players, and mobile platforms including iOS and Android.

    iPlayer is also available in several countries around the world. For British viewers the service is covered by the annual television license fee. Viewers outside the UK are required to pay a subscription fee. American viewers will have to continue making do with BBC America for the foreseeable future, as iPlayer is not presently available on any US platform.

  • The Walking Dead: The Game Gets A Teaser Trailer

    We wake up today to find that “The Walking Dead: The Game” Gets A Teaser Trailer. The trailer doesn’t really give anything away as to what the game is going to be like or how it is going to play. All I can tell is that it will be episodic like “Back to the Future” or “Jurassic Park.” The game is set to be released on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, PC, Mac and iOS. The first episode will arrive in April with the next four to follow “regularly.”

    @telltalegames
    Telltale Games    See the 1st chilling teaser trailer for our game based on @RobertKirkman‘s #TheWalkingDead! Debut trailer comes Monday! http://t.co/x8AicPyv 16 hours ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @cooper_jim
    James Cooper    Whoever thought the teaser trailer for the Walking Dead game was a good idea is an idiot. 1 hour ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

  • Xbox Live Enforcement Says Gamer’s Last Name Is Offensive

    Xbox Live can be a pretty nasty place sometimes, but at least Microsoft keeps the offensive usernames out of the public view. That could be a problem, however, as some names are those offensive terms.

    Kotaku is reporting that a young man named Christopher Gooche used his last name in his gamertag on Xbox Live. He’s been using it since 2004 when he was playing on the original Xbox.

    You wouldn’t think it to be a problem since it it his last name. Unfortunately, he was recently contacted by Xbox Live enforcement to change his gamertag. The reason? His last name was offensive.

    If you’re not aware, there’s only an “E” separating Christopher’s last name from a particular slang word that one does not want to repeat in polite company. I’m sure they’re pronounced differently, but somebody might not know and take offense to said name.

    While it’s not a huge deal, Christopher did tell Kotaku that it’s hard to change what you’ve used as an online persona for so long in a matter of minutes. I can sympathize as I’ve used the same online handle for everything for the past 10 years and recently I had to change mine as well. It’s annoying to say the least.

    Good on Christopher then that he’s appealing the decision. Surely Microsoft will listen to reason and not ban his gamertag just because some immature person might get a snicker out of it. Immature gamers are surely in the minority on Xbox Live, right?

  • Initial Windows 8 Games Revealed

    Initial Windows 8 Games Revealed

    It’s easy to forget that the Windows 8 consumer preview is going to be more than just a beta. Microsoft even has some games on tap to be available day one when the “beta” goes live.

    The Verge got the scoop on the games that will be available to buy for those who want to take part in the Windows 8 consume preview. The list of games are Hydro Thunder, Toy Soldiers, Reckless Racing, Angry Birds, Ilomilo, Rocket Riot, Full House Poker, Tentacles, Crash Course, Ms. Splosion Man and Wordament.

    As is obvious by the list, a lot of those games are also available on Xbox Live Arcade. It remains to be seen if Microsoft will be releasing Xbox Live Arcade games on Windows 8 on a regular basis.

    Classic Windows staples Pinball and Solitaire will come pre-installed with the consumer preview build. It remains to be seen if the best Windows pre-installed game, Mahjong, will be coming to Windows 8.

    Microsoft’s Windows Store will allow developers to submit free apps and games, but they can also charge anywhere between $1.49 and $999. Microsoft takes 30 percent of proceeds at first, but reduces it to 20 percent after an app reaches $25,000 in sales.

    Microsoft will launch the preview version of its Windows Store in late February, alongside the Windows 8 consumer preview.

    With this news, I know what everybody is wondering. Is Hydro Thunder going to be the great original arcade game or the decent Xbox Live Arcade sequel? We don’t know, but it’s an awesome choice either way. Here’s a video to reacquaint yourself with what may be the greatest arcade racer ever made in anticipation of its hopeful return to the Windows 8 store:

  • MegaUpload Inspires Indie Game

    MegaUpload Inspires Indie Game

    The strange case of MegaUpload has captured the nation, or at least the Internet. While we wait for the inevitable movie adaptation of the events, an intrepid developer has made a game based on the events.

    The game in question is called, “MegaUP: Upload if you can!” and was released January 25 on the Xbox Live Indie Games service. It comes from developer Bionic-Thumbs.

    For those wondering how somebody can take the closure of MegaUpload and turn it into a game, let the game’s description fill you in:

    In 2012 four men owners of a known uploader web were sent to prison by the government of freedom for a crime they didn’t commit. These men promptly escaped from prison.Today, still wanted by the government of freedom, they survive as uploaders of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire them.

    In what may be the greatest set-up for a game ever, you would expect an equally amazing game experience. Unfortunately, the game reeks of a one-week development cycle. It’s an obvious cash-in on recent events.

    That being said, I’m sure there is still some fun to be had in MegaUP if you can forgive its simplistic game design and use of the “run forward and jump over things” game mechanic popularized by Canabalt.

    The game is an oddity that should be appreciated more for being topical and poking fun at current events instead of a serious take on the matter. If you want to try out MegaUP, it’s available now on the Xbox Live Indie Games marketplace for 80 Microsoft Points ($1).

  • Nintendo Announces New Online Service

    Hear ye, hear ye, gentle Nintendo gamers, your days of suffering under the abysmal Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection will soon be at an end.

    Nintendo during their quarterly report yesterday announced their intention to create the Nintendo Network. IGN reported that Nintendo President Satoru Iwata was quick to distance their new online framework from their previous abomination.

    “Unlike Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which has been focused upon specific functionalities and concepts, we are aiming to establish a platform where various services available through the network for our consumers shall be connected via Nintendo Network service so that the company can make comprehensive proposals to consumers.”

    The publisher plans to first introduce personal accounts for the Wii U. This will put their next console in line with the Xbox 360 and PS3 who have allowed the same functionality since launch. Online profiles will no longer tied to your system or individual software. Iwata said that they will be able to construct and offer the personal account system by combining a multitude of different services and content.

    In a more interesting direction, Nintendo also announced their plans to offer full titles over the service to both the Wii U and the 3DS. They aren’t saying when this program will start, because the 3DS is currently out and could support such full retail downloads, but they do have the framework in place to deliver such a system. Iwata said that they will have to consider retailer relations before they start offering games over digital channels. SD card limitations are also being taken into account.

    The Nintendo Network will also be obviously offering paid downloadable content. The first title to take advantage of this will be Square Enix’ Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, which allows players to purchase new songs. The title launches in Japan on February 16.

    “As a software maker, Nintendo believes that its packaged software should be sold to our consumers in a form so that the consumers will know in advance that they can enjoy playing the software they purchased just as it is,” Iwata said. “We believe that our consumers will be able to feel more secure if we offer our add-on content as an additional structure in which those who love the game will be able to enjoy it in a deeper way for a prolonged play time.”

    Nintendo ended the online network segment of the report by promising to achieve compatibility for all the games on their platform under their new Nintendo Network.

  • Microsoft Points May Be No More

    Microsoft Points May Be No More

    Do you hate Microsoft Points? … That’s what I thought. It’s a good thing then that they may soon be out.

    Inside Mobile Apps is reporting that a source close to Microsoft told them that the company may soon be phasing out it’s much maligned Microsoft Points system. The move would go into effect sometime this year and affect all three branches of Microsoft’s product families – Windows Phone, Zune and Xbox Live.

    When Microsoft was asked to comment, they gave the usual, “we do not comment on rumors or speculation” throwaway comment.

    With that being said, the source went on to say that mobile developers are being warned to plan their upcoming DLC and in-app purchases around the move to real money. Customers who have unspent Microsoft Points will have them converted into their region’s currency.

    For those who don’t know, Microsoft Points are Microsoft’s proprietary system of handling online transactions. They were first introduced with Xbox Live in 2005 and have been a staple of the platform ever since.

    The problem comes from the fact that unlike Nintendo’s point system, Microsoft Points don’t translate to actual currency in a way that makes sense. Eighty points equates to one dollar under Microsoft’s system. This led to a feeling that the company was cheating people out of money due to users spending $10 to buy 800 points for DLC that only costs 600 points. This led to 200 points that the user already paid for just sitting there with no purpose.

    This move would come as a welcome move to many users, myself included, who have felt the sting of 20 points sitting in their Xbox Live account for the past two years.

  • PayPal Service Coming To Xbox Live

    PayPal Service Coming To Xbox Live

    For those of you who would like an additional method of purchasing on your Xbox Live account, Microsoft has apparently heard your calling, and will address your needs when the next XBL update occurs. Currently, the next update is scheduled for the 19th of May.

    Currently, XBL subscribers use personal credit cards to buy points, which, in turn allows them to purchase items from the Xbox marketplace. Points can also be acquired through gift cards, but these are the primary methods for acquiring goods on XBL. That, however, is about to change once the latest dashboard update is in place. Thanks to a mailing received by Joystiq.com, courtesy of a member of the Microsoft team, it has been revealed that PayPal will be soon be available as a method of payment for XBL members.

    A screenshot of the mailing in question reveals the details:

    XBox Mail

    A post from GamePro.com reveals PayPal is already accepted by Microsoft billing, however, the once the dashboard update is complete, it should move this capability directly to the console.

    While the PayPal inclusion is the “only user facing feature” of the May 19th update — which will actually take place with six separate updates, going from May 19th to May 30th — the mailing also details upcoming support for the Xbox Game Disc Format (XGD3). According to text, XGD3 “allows for additional storage space on a game disc, and provides additional layers of copy protection.”

    Considering how the technological world works, it wouldn’t be a bit surprising if these “additional layers of copy protection” were already circumvented.

    Hackers-versus-copyright battles aside, the upcoming addition of PayPal to the XBL experience provides at least one option for subscribers: the ability to protecting personal credit card numbers just in case XBL is ever hacked. Granted, the PayPal information would be available, but one little change of the PayPal password eliminates this information from being useful.