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We’re happy to announce that we’re lowering the price of the popular Xbox 360 HD DVD player from $179 to $129 (estimated retail price) in the U.S. and Canada, effective immediately.
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Source: gamerscoreblog.com
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TeamXbox.com can confirm that Microsoft has been researching alternative input technologies for the last two years, including vision-based recognition such as the one used on Xbox Live Vision, as well as motion sensing technologies similar to those seen in the Microsoft Freestyle Pro and the PlayStation 3 SIXAXIS.
Particularly, Microsoft has looked at ways to improve the right analog stick input and you’ll hear more about those efforts soon.
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Source: teamxbox.com
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New XNA Game Studio 2.0 From Microsoft Enables Creation of Online Multiplayer Games Using LIVE
Microsoft Corp. today marked the next step in its initiative to democratize game development and unleash the creativity of the community with the release of the XNA Game Studio 2.0, the next generation of the popular game development platform for Xbox 360 and Windows. The new version builds upon XNA Game Studio Express, released one year ago, and includes the ability to create online, cross-platform multiplayer games for Xbox 360 and Windows using Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows — LIVE, respectively. XNA Game Studio 2.0 adds more than 15 new features and is available for download from http://creators.xna.com.
“When building XNA Game Studio 2.0, we wanted to offer everyone the opportunity to utilize the rich gaming environment of LIVE used by AAA developers for titles such as ‘Halo 3′ and ‘Gears of War,’” said Chris Satchell, general manager of the XNA organization at Microsoft. “We accomplished our goal with this new toolset, and, best of all, it remains highly accessible to students, hobbyists and pros alike.”
Many of LIVE’s best features are supported by XNA Game Studio 2.0 with minimal to no coding necessary to activate them — features like matchmaking, which uses LIVE to find the best games for you to play based on your location and internet connection. Additionally, XNA Game Studio 2.0 fully supports game development with all versions of the Microsoft Visual Studio product line.
XNA Creators Club Academic Trial Memberships Now Free to Qualified Students and Faculty
Since its release last December, XNA Game Studio has been an incredible success, with 750,000 downloads, adoption by more than 300 universities worldwide and at least nine textbooks on the tools in development. In subjects from computer science to fine arts, introductory courses to graduate and research projects — XNA Game Studio is helping faculty members and students explore the boundaries of applied gaming technology in education. Along with XNA Game Studio 2.0, Microsoft will also provide a free academic trial membership in the XNA Creators Club beginning in January, allowing faculty members and students to use XNA Game Studio 2.0 and Xbox 360 for instructional purposes.
Time to Dream-Build-Play Again
From more than 4,500 entrants from around the world, four community games were awarded Xbox LIVE Arcade publishing contracts in this year’s Dream-Build-Play game development competition. Microsoft will once again challenge aspiring game developers to create their dream games for a chance to win more coveted publishing contracts. This week Microsoft kicks off registration for Dream-Build-Play 2008 with the Silicon Minds Warm-Up Challenge. Registration begins on Dec. 14 and winners will be announced at the Game Developers Conference where details of the main challenge will be announced. Run in partnership with Microsoft Research’s Machine Learning Group in Cambridge, England; Rare Ltd.; and Lionhead Studios, prizes for the Warm-Up Challenge will include the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interview for an internship with one of those organizations.
“Artificial intelligence is so important to the games we make at Lionhead Studios, and we are very excited to see what the community can come up with in this Warm-Up Challenge to Dream-Build-Play 2008,” said Peter Molyneux, managing director at Lionhead Studios. “We are always on the lookout for the best talent and believe that XNA Game Studio 2.0 will be a great platform for contestants to showcase their skills on.” More information about Dream-Build-Play 2008 is available at http://www.dreambuildplay.com.
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Official Site and Download: http://creators.xna.com
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Atari just announced that 3 more classics are making their way to Xbox Live Arcade this holiday season. The games are Battlezone, Tempest and Warlords. I don’t know about you, but I’m sooo looking forward to playing Battlezone on my HDTV. All 3 games will feature updated graphics, sound and feature new modes.
“Atari and Stainless are thrilled to bring the Atari Classic and Evolved games to Xbox LIVE Arcade,” said Robert Lindsley, Executive Producer, Atari, Inc. “Players can now get the best of both worlds; nostalgic fun with the original Classics and new gaming experiences with the Evolved versions featuring contemporary graphics and music, all while unlocking Achievements and boosting their Gamerscores.”
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As promised, Microsoft is bringing some early gifts to your Xbox 360 just prior to the holiday season. Beginning at 0200 a.m. PST on Dec. 4, the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update will be available for all connected Xbox 360 consoles free of charge, bringing an array of new features and enhancements to the leading gaming and entertainment system.
Among the key new enhancements are the previously announced Xbox Originals game download service, Family Timer parental control feature, and expanded social networking experiences. Xbox 360 owners can also look forward to enhanced navigation, profile and video features and Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits.
This free update will be digitally distributed over Xbox LIVE to the more than 8 million Xbox LIVE members worldwide (Xbox LIVE Silver and Gold) with no disc or hard drive required. Gamers without an Xbox LIVE account can easily sign up for the free network by connecting their console to a broadband internet connection. New features and enhancements include:
MORE DOWNLOAD OPTIONS:
* Xbox Originals - With this new service, announced on Nov. 13, consumers can download-to-own full original Xbox games that were previously only available at retail. The digital shelves will always be stocked with classic titles, such as “Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex” “Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge,” “Halo,” “Fable,” “Fuzion Frenzy,” “Psychonauts,” and more as the catalogue grows over time, at 1200 Microsoft Points per game.
* Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits - On Xbox LIVE Arcade, the Arcade Hits program kicks off where some of the best selling Xbox LIVE Arcade games will become available at permanently reduced prices, making it easier than ever for everyone to build a library of downloadable games! The first games to become Arcade Hits will be “Bankshot Billiards 2″ and “Lumines LIVE,” which will be available for 800 Microsoft Points each, and “Marble Blast Ultra,” “Small Arms” and “Zuma Deluxe,” which will be available for 400 Microsoft Points each. With free trial downloads for every game and over 100 games to choose from, Xbox LIVE Arcade offers something for every member of the family.
NEW WAYS TO KEEP UP TO DATE AND CONNECTED:
* Inside Xbox - A new direct feed brings current news straight from Xbox.com into the Xbox LIVE Dashboard providing members an easy, predictable entry point where they can discover what’s new in: game releases, events, and Xbox LIVE Marketplace offers.
* Enhanced online profile - Members interested in sharing a few more details about themselves will have the option to go beyond their motto and further personalize their profile with an expanded bio. The extended bios will be visible to “Friends Only” or the entire Xbox LIVE community.
* Expanded Friends List access - A quick and easy way for gamers to expand their personal community on Xbox LIVE, members will be able to see the Friends Lists of other Xbox LIVE members, boosting their social networking experience on the service.
ENHANCED OVERALL EXPERIENCE AND CONTROL:
* Enhanced Parental Controls - Family Timer, a strong and flexible new addition to the Xbox 360 Family Settings, enables parents to set the amount of time their Xbox 360 can be used on a per-day or per-week basis by their children or other members of the household.
* New video features - The convenience of full-screen movie previews and enhanced video codec support further expand the options when it comes to the Xbox 360 entertainment experience.
* Easy-to-use navigation features - With several noteworthy changes in the Xbox LIVE Dashboard, from the new Game Store button to the Video Store button to enhanced visuals and descriptions in the video library, Xbox LIVE members can find what they want, when they want it.
These features are just some of the new enhancements Xbox 360 owners can expect as part of the Fall Dashboard Update. On December 4th a list of all the new features and improvements will be posted at: http://www.xbox.com/live.
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Still haven’t played Electronic Arts and Valve Corporation’s The Orange Box (Microsoft Xbox 360, PC)? Half-life 2: Episode 1 and Episode 2, Team Fortress 2, and Portal in one package weren’t enough to make you buy one? If you’ve got an Xbox 360 but still too hesitant to get this first-person shooter bundle, a demo is coming to Xbox Live to give you a taste of what’s waiting.
Publisher EA just announced that a demo of The Orange Box is coming this November 22 in North America. To be exact, a demo of Half Life: Episode 2 will be available from XBL as a Thanksgiving present.
Since its early October release, The Orange Box has received universal praise. Even after topping sales charts, it seems EA wants more people to know about the giant FPS collection. The demo that will soon be on XBL should help you decide if The Orange Box is worth the purchase, so keep those eyes peeled!
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Source: QJ.net
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Microsoft today announced the first downloadable content for Halo 3, and the first three all new multiplayer maps will become available on Dec. 11 and is simply titled, the Heroic Map Pack. The three maps - Standoff, Rat’s Nest, and Foundry will cost gamers 800 Microsoft Points. However, these maps will become free in Spring 2008 when Microsoft says they’ll
be releasing the next batch of downloadable maps.
Bungie says Standoff is perfect for mid-sized objective and Slayer game types, Rat’s Nest’s indoor environments are set for big team battles and indoor vehicle battles. Finally Foundry is said to be “the ultimate forge map” where players will have the ability to modify where stairs, walls, bridges, and tunnels appear. That being said, all three maps will be able to be configured and tweaked in the forge.
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Source: GameInformer
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GameDaily BIZ has received the latest monthly Famitsu marketing data service report for the period covering October 1 - 28. Although software sales fell by over 14 percent, hardware sales climbed 30 percent, resulting in overall industry growth of 2.2 percent.
The notable hardware news is that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has finally surpassed that of the original Xbox - within two years to boot. Through October 28 in Japan, the Xbox 360 has sold 474,000 units, exceeding the original Xbox total of 473,000 units. Famitsu said this was fueled partially by the arrival of the Xbox 360 Elite model (120GB, HDMI-enabled) on October 11. That said, Xbox 360 sold just 18,717 during October.
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Full Story: gamedaily.com
Sport your love of the Xbox 360 with this original 360 power button t-shirt design:
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It’s almost two years to the day since Microsoft launched the Xbox 360. So you would expect its successor to be well on its way towards fruition. But Microsoft has dropped only a few subtle hints about what form it could take, and hasn’t provided any details.
The most significant statement so far has been about timeframe. Supposedly, the next generation Xbox will arrive next decade, possibly 2011 or 2012.
So here’s the bottom line for the Xbox in 2011, based on current trends and what we know is happening over the next few years. Check back here in 2011 to see if we were right!
* CPU/GPU - Integrated chip with 16 x 5GHz processor cores, 32 x 2GHz graphics cores
* Memory - 8GB GDDR8
* Media - Dual-format HD-DVD/Blu-ray drive for backwards compatibility and movies
* Storage - 4TB hard disk for online game (and movie) delivery
* Built-in camera - for gesture-based control
* Built-in microphone - for voice-recognised control
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Full Story: tech.co.uk
I just got word that Halo, and a few other original Xbox titles, will come as downloadable content in the Fall update on December 4. The games will apparently go for 1,200 MS points. Here are the games:
