Microsoft - Page 152 of 239

How Stretching Your Thumbs Could Make Your Games Feel Better

The University of Utah News Center reported today that their engineers are hard at work developing a new video game peripheral that stretches the skin on your thumbs. But why, you ask me, would I want little red tactors located on the center of the controller’s joystick to awkwardly move my thumb skin around? Because…

By Tina Amini Published March 5, 2012

Xbox 360 Split-Screen Offers a New Way To Play Minecraft

Saying the word “change” in the same sentence as “Minecraft” can really set off a lot of alarms. Mojang’s open-world crafting phenomenon has been tweaked, rearranged, expanded, and adjusted many times since its rise to popularity in the fall of 2010. But with each new version number comes some grumbles and complaints—after all, the game…

By Kirk Hamilton Published March 5, 2012

Fable: Heroes Turns the RPG Series Into a… Brawling Party Game?

Seemingly jumping the gun ahead of next week’s Game Developers Conference, a listing on Xbox.com has appeared for a game called Fable Heroes Here’s the product description: Fable Heroes is a fresh spin on the beloved Fable franchise in which up to 4 players play both cooperatively and competitively in this hack-and-slash adventure. Work together…

By Luke Plunkett Published March 4, 2012

Leaked Promo Trailer Says Forza Horizon Arrives This Fall

There’s no gameplay in this trailer, it’s just a teaser for Forza Horizon, the next entry in the Xbox 360-exclusive driving title. But it does say the game will arrive this Fall, which I suppose is to be expected. Word has it the formal announcement will be made on Monday. If the trailer is taken…

By Owen Good Published March 3, 2012

Kotaku East

The Weekend Xbox Japan Conquered Akihabara

On a chilly afternoon this past weekend, well over 100 people waited in line in Akihabara to see Microsoft’s “Xbox 360 Kansyasai in Akiba” (Xbox 360 Festival of Thanks in Akihabara). The event was a joint effort between Microsoft and Capcom, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Japanese release of the original Xbox (February…

By Toshi Nakamura Published March 1, 2012

The New White Xbox 360 Looks Gorgeous

Disclaimer: I have a very soft spot for bright, white consumer electronics. From the PSX to the white DSi to those limited white original Xbox consoles, I think they look great. Which is why I think this new glossy white Xbox 360 S console looks great as well. It’s available as part of a Kinect…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 28, 2012

Kotaku East

Xbox Booth Babes Bundled Up with Scarfs and Sweaters

Say what you want about Xbox Japan—how it struggles and has a rough time—but one thing it does better than any other Japanese operation is dress its event companions. It’s not that Xbox event companions wear super revealing outfits, but rather, that they wear sensible outfits they feel comfortable in. That, as Xbox Japan told…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 27, 2012

Amazon France Outs 10th Anniversary Xbox 360 Bundle with Three Digital Downloads

France’s Amazon.com marketplace is listing a 10th Anniversary Bundle for the Xbox 360, commemorating (by a few months late) the 10th anniversary of the original system’s launch. It runs €280 and includes digital versions of three full games. So, don’t worry, this configuration also comes equipped with the 250 GB hard drive to store Gears…

By Owen Good Published February 25, 2012

Gamer’s Last Name Deemed Obscene by Xbox Live Cops [UPDATE]

A gamer says his handle has been censored by Xbox Live because it seems too much like a slang word — even though it’s his last name. Christopher Gooche uses his surname as his gamertag on Microsoft’s online service. He says he’s been using “Gooche” as a name since the days of the original Xbox…

By Jason Schreier Published February 23, 2012

More Gears of War 3 DLC Coming

A new set of downloadable content for Gears of War 3, Forces of Nature, will be out on March 27. It includes three new character skins, three new maps, two old maps, seven weapon skins and Gears of War 2’s Guardian Mode. Forces of Nature will cost 800 MSP. [GameTrailers]

By Luke Plunkett Published February 17, 2012

Here’s Why Master Chief’s Going to Look Different in Halo 4

343 Industries, you so sneaky. We’ve already noticed that the Microsoft division tasked with the future of all things Halo debuted the new look of the sci-fi shooter series’ hero at Toy Fair 2012. And the Chief’s new duds are quite different. Leaner, meaner and perhaps more aerodynamic. Since we’ve gotten a good look at…

By Evan Narcisse Published February 16, 2012

The Next Xbox is Code-Named…Durango

Kotaku has heard from multiple sources close to the project that the code-name for Microsoft’s next console is Durango. Yup. Durango Note this is a code-name. Like the Katana (Dreamcast), Dolphin (GameCube) and Revolution (Wii) before it, it’s not the name that will appear on the finished product when you finally get your hands on…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 15, 2012

Kotaku East

Korean Gyms Subjected to Kinect

Microsoft Korea joins World Gym Fitness Center in the Ilsan district to promote the Kinect throughout February. Members of the gym will be able to participate in the “Dance Time with Kinect” program, held twice every Tuesday. The promotion will use Dance Central 2, and during the last week of February, there will be a…

By Chi Lee Published February 15, 2012

Microsoft “Cares Deeply” About Hijacked Accounts, Asks For “Trust in Us”

Offering the company’s first detailed and dare I say it human response to a recent flood of hijacked Xbox Live accounts, Microsoft’s Alex Garden, General Manager of Xbox LIVE, has issued the following statement: (I’ve bolded what I think are the important bits!) Your Security is Important to Me Since today is Safer Internet Day,…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 7, 2012

Xbox Live’s Top Cop Turns in His Badge

Stephen Toulouse—known as StepTo to those listening to Major Nelson’s podcast, or unfortunate enough to feel the cold kiss of the Xbox Live banhammer—has given his two weeks notice to Microsoft. The director of Xbox Live Policy and Enforcement will leave Feb. 16, after 18 years with the company. On his personal blog, Toulouse calls…

By Owen Good Published February 3, 2012

Microsoft Exec Says No New Xbox In 2012

According to Xbox France’s Marketing Director Cedrick Delmas, there’ll be no new Microsoft console released in 2012 to compete with Nintendo’s Wii. “What is certain is that there will be nothing new in 2012” Delmas told Le Point. “If we had to counter Nintendo, we would have to be capable of releasing something immediately, and…

By Luke Plunkett Published January 31, 2012

Microsoft Moves to Seize Fake Halo 4 Beta’s Domain

Whether motivated by trolling or delusional wish fulfillment, some guy tossed up a page pretending to be a registration site for a Halo 4 multiplayer beta last week. 343 Industries, the game’s developer, quickly branded that as a fake, and the site was taken offline. That’s not good enough for Microsoft. The company has filed…

By Owen Good Published January 28, 2012

Do Apple, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo Really Care? Do We?

For Westerners, the conditions are shocking. Workers slave away for hours on end, pulling overtime, until their legs swell or they suffer from crippling disabilities. Our iPhones and game electronics are made by hand, probably because it’s cheaper to pay a worker in China to fit, solder, and polish products than it would be to…

By Brian Ashcraft Published January 26, 2012

Why an Xbox With Anti-Used Game Tech Makes Perfect Sense

So, we’ve heard from a source that the next Xbox may feature some kind of anti-used games technology. When you first read that, your first instinct was probably to think it’s either bullshit or the worst idea a video game company has ever had. It is, I believe, neither. In fact, if it ends up…

By Luke Plunkett Published January 25, 2012

Sources: The Next Xbox Will Play Blu-Ray, May Not Play Used Games (And Will Introduce Kinect 2)

Microsoft will upgrade its disc technology for its next Xbox from DVDs to Blu-Ray discs, catching up to rival Sony, games industry sources tell Kotaku Sony’s PlayStation 3 currently supports Blu-Ray, which can contain 25 or 50GB of data compared to DVD’s 9GB. But that disc detail could be far less impactful to the next…

By Stephen Totilo Published January 25, 2012