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Relax, The Xbox 360 Probably Isn’t Going to be Banned
International Trade Commission judge David Shaw has recommended that the import and sale of Xbox 360 consoles in the US be halted immediately. Sounds drastic, I know, but maybe it’s not as bad as it sounds. Speaking with GI.biz, patent expert Florian Mueller says “I’ve never seen an ITC judge make any other recommendation than…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 24, 2012 -
This Man Wants to See the Xbox 360 Banned From Sale (And he Might Actually Succeed)
The Microsoft v Motorola court case that’s been bubbling away since 2010 seems to be heating up in all the wrong ways for the Xbox 360 manufacturer, with a judge involved recommending that the console’s US imports and sales be halted immediately. International Trade Commission judge David Shaw, pictured, has said he believes that the…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 23, 2012 -
Microsoft Does the Right Thing, Offers Full Refunds to Select Minecraft Gamers
Slammed with complaints over how it failed to warn gamers that the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft won’t run in splitscreen for all customers, Microsoft is revising its listing for the game and offering a refund to customers who paid for a game that didn’t work the way they expected it to. “We updated our…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 21, 2012 -
I Despise You, Xbox 360 Eject Button
Today I had to move my Xbox 360 console out of the way while I fooled with cables going through the back of my entertainment center. This happens frequently because of how I have to do video capture. As I grabbed the 360 and shifted it, I guess my thumb got within 5 millimeters of…
By Owen Good Published May 18, 2012 -
Halo 4 Will Have Weekly Multiplayer Episodes
Upcoming first-person shooter Halo 4 will have a whole bunch of multiplayer options, including a weekly episodic mode called “Spartan Ops,” publisher Microsoft said today. Spartan Ops is a series of episodes that will be released weekly and tell the story of the UNSC Infinity spaceship and its crew, Microsoft says. You’ll get weekly cinematics…
By Jason Schreier Published May 16, 2012 -
Halo 4 Action Figure Package Reveals New Enemy Types
Now that it’s being made by 343 Industries, we’ve been told to expect a lot of new stuff. And we’ve seen new multiplayer models and new looks for Cortana and Master Chief. So, Halo 4‘s not going to be the same old sci-fi first-person-shooter. Info about the new enemies has been tightly guarded but two…
By Evan Narcisse Published May 15, 2012 -
Which Microsoft Creation is More Despised: Clippy? Or Games For Windows Live?
Maybe I’m the only one keeping score every time this is noted, but Max Payne 3 is the latest game to say fuck no, we’re not using Games For Windows Live. A tweet Wednesday from Rockstar, as noticed by PC Gamer, says it straight up. Being not a PC gamer or a Windows user, I…
By Owen Good Published May 12, 2012 -
Rumor: Kinect-Controlled Web-Browsing Coming to the Xbox 360 with Internet Explorer
In yet another evolution of Xbox rumor, The Verge reports today that Microsoft’s game console will be adding full web-browsing functionality with a special version of their Internet Explorer software. The article claims that users won’t need to have the Kinect motion-sensing accessory to use the modified browser, but the software’s been tuned to work…
By Evan Narcisse Published May 10, 2012 -
Some Misled Xbox Minecraft Buyers Can’t Get Refunds
It appears that Microsoft will not give full refunds to people who purchased the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft, even when they can’t use the game’s biggest new feature. Yesterday, Kotaku reported that in order to use Minecraft‘s local multi-player mode, you need to have a high-definition television. In response to Kotaku‘s request for comment,…
By Jason Schreier Published May 10, 2012 -
Avengers: Battle for Earth Video Game Assembling on Xbox 360 and Wii U This Fall
Marvel’s just announced that their premiere superhero team will be hitting game consoles later this year, confirming recent rumors about such a game’s existence. Designed for use with Xbox 360’s Kinect camera and Wii U’s gestural inputs, Avengers: Battle for Earth will be a motion control game developed by the Ubisoft Quebec studio. Marvel says…
By Evan Narcisse Published May 10, 2012 -
Here’s Hoping The Next Xbox Really Does Feature Squeeze-Controls
A report over at Engadget shows a patent filed by Microsoft for a device that uses “personalization using a hand-pressure signature.” The image in their patent filing is a chunky, lovable Xbox 360 controller that, going by the title, will be able to detect your identity based on your hand-pressure via a “presure sensitive surface.”…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 9, 2012 -
Xbox Minecraft Locks Some Players Out Of Its Biggest New Feature
Some people who bought the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft have found themselves unable to use one of its most important features. Unless they feel like buying new televisions. The console version of Minecraft, which launched today on Xbox Live Arcade, offers a unique mechanic that isn’t available on the computer: split-screen multiplayer. You can…
By Jason Schreier Published May 9, 2012 -
Rumor: Microsoft Prepping “Kinect Play Fit” Exercise Tracking and Heart-Rate Monitor
The Verge is reporting today that Microsoft will be adding new functionality to the Xbox 360 that tracks users’ physical activity across multiple Kinect games. The report also says that there will be a sensor accessory—codenamed Joule—that will track your heart rate while playing. Stats on your activity, measured against various fitness goals, will live…
By Evan Narcisse Published May 8, 2012 -
You Can Now Buy An Xbox 360 For $99 (If You Can Find A Microsoft Store)
The rumored $99 Xbox 360 bundle is now no longer a rumor. It’s live. You dish out $99 up front and commit to two years of Xbox Live Gold at $15/month, you get a 4GB Xbox 360 and a Kinect. (Oh and also you have to buy it at a Microsoft Store. Yes, there is…
By Jason Schreier Published May 7, 2012 -
German Court Orders Microsoft To Stop Selling Xbox 360s
Achtung! A Mannheim court ruled today that Microsoft can no longer sell its Xbox 360 and Windows 7 operating systems in Germany. According to the German judge, this is because Microsoft infringed upon a Motorola patent while using certain video compression software. But! A U.S. court has granted Microsoft a preliminary injunction while it appeals…
By Jason Schreier Published May 2, 2012 -
Report: Microsoft Might Launch $99 Xbox 360 With Monthly Payment Plan [UPDATE]
Microsoft may launch a $99 Xbox 360 package attached to a two-year $15 monthly subscription plan, according to a new report. The Verge says the bundle, which could ship as early as next week, will include a 4GB Xbox 360, Kinect, and an Xbox Live Gold subscription. You’ll have to dish out $99 upfront and…
By Jason Schreier Published May 2, 2012 -
Joy Ride Gets a Dis-Kinected Sequel
Kinect Joy Ride was a casual racing game released at launch with Kinect in 2010, and it didn’t wow critics. (“Joy Ride might be the equivalent of a new word for spaghetti,” wrote Stephen Totilo. “The old one’s fine.”) Gamers especially didn’t care for standing up as they approximate the steering-wheel controls, something they felt…
By Owen Good Published April 29, 2012 -
Dragon’s Lair, with Kinect Support, Arrives on Xbox Live in May
Announced back in March, the Xbox Live port of Dragon’s Lair was dated for May 18 by Microsoft yesterday. The game will feature Kinect support, allowing you to jump out of the way of the Lizard King and dodge the columns on the mechanical horse, if you so prefer. Digital Leisure is handling the port…
By Owen Good Published April 28, 2012 -
A Baylor Bear, Fighting as a Spartan
News and notes from around the world of sports video gaming: • In the picture above, the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, widely expected to be taken second when the NFL Draft kicks off in 90 minutes, enjoys a game of Halo 4 at a Microsoft-sponsored VIP event in New York yesterday. •…
By Owen Good Published April 26, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Foxconn Workers Use Suicide Threats as Bargaining Tool. Again.
In China, workers’ rights kind of suck! So when the folks who make your game consoles and electronics want to protest, they take to the roof and threaten to kill themselves. Lovely. Earlier this month in Shenzhen, while the world was watching how their iPads really got made, a group of approximately twenty Foxconn laborers…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 25, 2012