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This Xbox 360 Sleeps with the Fishes. No, Really.
The Red Ring of Death claimed many original Xbox 360s. Some of them were fixed. Some of them were recycled. And this one ended up a saltwater aquarium with live corals, fish, crabs, snails, and shrimp. Spencer of Blue World Aquariums purchased and gutted a broken Xbox 360 for the purpose of turning it into…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 14, 2011 -
Microsoft’s Furry Kinect Mascots Take a Trip to Apple Land
Once the poster lovable wild animals for Microsoft’s motion-sensing Kinect peripheral, the Kinectimals now appear to be feline ambassadors of goodwill to the iPad and iPhone. How very odd. Released last month for the Windows Phone 7, Kinectimals for iOS devices retains all the functionality of that version, right down to the ability to transfer…
By Mike Fahey Published December 13, 2011 -
Indie Developers Unhappy with their Placement in the New Xbox Dashboard
If you count the directions keyed on the D-pad (or the left stick) it takes 17 button presses to reach the Indie Games section of the Xbox Live Marketplace under the new Xbox dashboard, which released this week. It takes only eight buttons to get to the Xbox Live Arcade and Games on Demand catalogs.…
By Owen Good Published December 10, 2011 -
Xbox Live is Free This Weekend in Europe [Corrected]
On the heels of the new dashboard rollout this week, Xbox Live’s Gold level services are free to all this weekend. In addition to multiplayer gaming, features like Video Kinect are also available to Silver (free) subscribers. The weekend includes free previews and discounts on downloadable films (like The Hangover) as well. Enjoy. [Correction] I…
By Owen Good Published December 9, 2011 -
Should You Buy Gears of War 3: RAAM’s Shadow? Yes.
RAAM’s Shadow is the second piece of downloadable content for Epic’s terrific action game Gears of War 3. It drops on December 13th, and is much more substantive than the last DLC, mainly in that it’s a prequel-style three-chapter adventure starring Michael Barrick (of the Gears comics) and Zeta team in place of series protagonist…
By Kirk Hamilton Published December 8, 2011 -
Xbox Verizon FiOS Viewing Will Be Weighed and Measured by Nielsen
Later this month Verizon will be launching 26 channels of live streaming cable content through the Xbox Live dashboard for users of its FiOS TV service, a brand new way to watch cable made possible in part by the support of North America’s ancient television audience measurement system. Measuring television audience size since the 1950s,…
By Mike Fahey Published December 8, 2011 -
Apple iPhone, iPad Get Official Xbox Live App
A surprise, official Xbox LIVE app just hit Apple’s iTunes I’ve spent a few minutes with My Xbox Live and so far it’s very slick, featuring full 3D avatars and plenty of content, though it is a tad bit slow at times. The app has three categories: Home, Social and Games. In Home you get…
By Brian Crecente Published December 7, 2011 -
Now Microsoft Wants to Stop You Taking Them to Court [Update]
It’s one of 2011’s more troubling, if less sexy developments: that of major publishers and platform holders finding ways to stop customers taking them to court if something goes wrong with their product or service. Sony was the first company to introduce a “no sue” clause as part of its terms of service in September,…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 7, 2011 -
Xbox Live Service Buckling Under Weight of Finally Welcomes New Dashboard [Update]
After a slight delay, the new Xbox Dashboard has begun rolling out to 360 owners around the world. Or, well, it would be, if Xbox Live wasn’t down for many of them. So be patient! Those of us at Kotaku still awake can’t connect to Xbox Live at all, and Microsoft’s support website carries a…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 7, 2011 -
Wear Your Xbox Live Avatar on Your Chest, Water Bottle, or Coffee Mug
Do it yourself clothing and crap company CafePress has teamed up with Microsoft to give Xbox Live users the ability to print and purchase stuff starring their own personalized avatar. Let’s go Voltron force! At least that’s what would be on my chest if I went ahead and ordered the snazzy t-shirt on the left…
By Mike Fahey Published December 6, 2011 -
You’ll Need to Wait a Little Longer for the “Future of TV” Xbox 360 Dashboard Update
The much-ballyhooed firmware upgrade that’s supposed to make Microsoft’s gaming console a hotspot for all sorts of TV content is facing unexpected delays, according to the company’s chief Xbox Live representative. The update was scheduled to start rolling out this morning but Larry “Major Nelson” Hyrb indicated on Twitter that it may not be live…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 6, 2011 -
Microsoft Teams Up With the Independent Games Festival
The Independent Games Festival has announced a multi-year partnership with Microsoft Games Studios. The partnership will involve a jury of indie game developers awarding an “XBLA Prize” (XBLA being Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade service), which will be given out at the IGF, a festival and awards ceremony that happens each March at the Game Developers…
By Kirk Hamilton Published December 5, 2011 -
Kinect Helps High School Duo Win $100,000 National Science Prize
Who says gaming can’t lead to a higher education? Ziyuan Liu and Cassee Cain of Oak Ridge High School in Oak Ridge are splitting a $100,000 college scholarship awarded in the Siemens Foundation’s annual high school science competition after creating a Kinect-powered application that uses Microsoft’s magical camera to analyze the way a person walks.…
By Mike Fahey Published December 5, 2011 -
Here’s the List of Partners That Microsoft Hopes Will Make the Xbox 360 the Future of TV
The new dashboard update hitting Xbox 360s this week represents yet another salvo in Microsoft’s bid to transform their gaming console into a powerhouse home entertainment hub. Of course, such an effort needs lots of ammunition and the Xbox folks have pacted with content partners all over the globe to enable TV viewing through Xbox…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 5, 2011 -
“Like Getting a Whole New Xbox”: New Xbox Live Dashboard Re-Invents TV Viewing, Interface, Search and Storage
The number-crunchers at Microsoft know the reasons you turn off your Xbox 360. It’s to surf videos on YouTube, to tune in a pay-per-view fight or to catch the new episode of a TV show you want to watch as soon as it airs. Being Microsoft, they don’t want you turning off their console. The…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 5, 2011 -
This Indie Xbox Shooter is Pretty (and Cheap!)
Orbitron: Revolution is, for an Xbox Live Indie game, gorgeous. The shmup, developed by Firebase Industries (and with music by Audio Antics, of Geometry Wars fame), is now out, and costs a ridiculous 240 MSP. Get on it
By Luke Plunkett Published December 2, 2011 -
Let the Xbox 720 Concepts Begin!
Now that rumours about the next Xbox console are flying thick and fast, those with an eye towards the future and a hand on their mouse are dreaming up concepts of what the next machine will look like. Here’s the first credible one I’ve seen in the wake of the recent rumours, which is the…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 28, 2011 -
Get an Xbox 360, Three Games, and 3-Month Xbox Live Card for $319
Starting Nov. 27, “Cyber Week” gets underway at Walmart. So before you rush out to the stores, you might want to look at the deals Walmart is offering. Namely, the Xbox 360 “Gamer Bundle”. According to Walmart, the bundle comes with a “choice of select game plus bonus Halo: Reach, Fable 3, and a 3-month…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 25, 2011