Microsoft

Report: Machinarium/Microsoft Deal Breaks Down Over Exclusive Issue [Updated]

The studio responsible for last year’s indie adventure/puzzle hit Machinarium says six months of talks with Microsoft ended with no progress on bringing the Indie game to the Xbox 360, because Microsoft doesn’t want to support games that aren’t Microsoft exclusives. Update: The original source of this report now says: “When asked about their plans…

Gears Of War 3, Coming April 2011

Somebody at Microsoft appears to have flicked a switch a little early, with an advertisement appearing on the Xbox 360 dashboard tonight for Gears of War 3. There’s the trademark Gears of War logo, and a tagline that reads “The epic story concludes April 2011”. The ad appears to have jumped the proverbial gun, with…

Microsoft Hasn’t Given Up On The Halo Movie

Once upon a time, Microsoft was going to make a big budget Hollywood version of the Halo franchise. Until it spectacularly fell apart. That doesn’t mean it won’t ever happen, says the company. Back in 2005, a film version of Halo was first penned by Alex Garland, writer of The Beach novel and 28 Days…

Modern Warfare 2 Map Pack Pricing Doesn’t Bother 2.5 Million Xbox 360 Owners

Activision and Microsoft are exploding with joy over the performance of the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 “Stimulus Package” map pack, proclaiming today that the downloadable add-on “shattered Xbox LIVE records” to the tune of 2.5 million sold. One million of those purchases and downloads occurred within the first 24 hours, according to…

Alan Wake’s Release Date…Pushed Up!

Microsoft slipped us word this morning that Alan Wake’s European release date has been changed. Thing is, it’s been changed for the better The game was originally due for release towards the end of the week of May 20, but for some reason, it’s now been pushed up to Friday, May 14. A whole week…

Halo Reach’s Gun Porn (And Vehicle Porn, Too)

Halo creators Bungie love guns. Love big, bulky space vehicles,too. Love ’em so much they’ve released a ton of renders showing how both will appear in the upcoming Halo: Reach. Alongside those mechanical moneyshots we’ve also included some older shots of the game’s cast of Spartans, Covenant and cannon fodder Marines. Halo Reach’s beta kicks…

Xbox Live Gets Double Impact, Half Price Deals In April

Microsoft has laid out a good portion of the Xbox Live Marketplace release schedule for April, ensuring that no one will buy a copy of The Maw or Borderlands: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned this week. That’s because both of those downloadable goodies will drop to half price later this month, priced at just…

Second Out of the E3 Press Conference Gate: Sony!

Last week Microsoft surprised many of us with news that one of their twin E3 press conferences would be on the Sunday before the half-week show. Today Sony tells us when they’ll be dropping their big news. Sony’s official Save the Date for their press conference tells us that they will be taking over the…

Xbox 360 Consoles Now Have USB Memory Support

The calendar says April 6, and that means, as promised, your Xbox 360 consoles now have a little upgrade waiting for you: the ability to save data to removable USB memory drives. While Microsoft’s own first-party USB sticks, due next month, are pricey, it’s important to remember that you don’t need to use them. You…

Games, And Their Impact On The Environment

A great report over on GamePro today takes a look at the environmental impact of the video game industry. Those yearning for a brighter future (and can take solace in incremental improvements), you’ll like what you see. From better power management features in consoles and handhelds to a reduction in the carbon footprint of the…

Day-One Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package Buyers Get Seven Days Back

Several readers sent us tips this morning indicating that Microsoft gifted them seven additional days of Xbox Live Gold for purchasing the Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package on day one. Julian sent us a picture, however, so Julian wins. What does Julian win? Well, credit, for one, along with the seven days’ worth of Xbox…

Microsoft: Browsing Web on TV a ‘Poor Experience,’ on PS3 It’s ‘a Nightmare’

In a recent interview Microsoft’s director of product management was asked why there was no browser on the Xbox 360, and if one will ever be made available. Don’t bet on it anytime soon. According to an interview with Inside-Games, translated by Sankaku Complex, Aaron Greenberg said: We really believe that the web browsing experience…

Dr. Ed Roberts, ‘Father of the PC’, Dies at 68

In 1975, Popular Electronics featured on its January cover a computer kit built for home enthusiasts, touted to cost at least $1,000 less than anything else. It was the Altair 8800. Its creator, Dr. Ed Roberts, died Thursday. Roberts’ creation is widely credited with kicking off the microcomputing boom of the latter quarter of the…

Would You Like A Gold-Dipped Xbox 360?

From the folks who gave the world the gold-dipped PS3 comes the gold-dipped…Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 and its controller have been plated with 24kt gold. King Midas is pleased. For those who might be in the market for a golden Xbox 360, know that the jeweler’s 24kt PS3 starts at US$4,999. Ballin’. Comparison shots…

Gears of War Designer Won’t Carry Plastic Weapon On Talk Show

When game designer Cliff Bleszinski revealed Gears of War 2, he did it by ripping through a barrier with a Lancer chainsaw weapon at the 2008 Game Developers Conference. How about when he debuts his new game on Jimmy Fallon? “I shall not say ‘bigger better blah blah’ or carry any weaponry,” Bleszinski tweeted about…

Microsoft Going After British Control Pad Company

Microsoft is taking a British peripheral manufacturer to court, alleging that the company – Datel – has “illegally copied” the publisher’s own Xbox 360 control pad designs. The case centres around two of Datel’s third-party Xbox 360 control pads, the TurboFire and WildFire, which Microsoft claim infringe upon a “number” of patents governing its own,…

Why Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 DLC Launched Broken

When the Modern Warfare 2 “Stimulus Pack” downloadable content launched, it did not work. Surely there had to be a reason for that. Turns out, there is. Issues included: Multiplayer lobbies not working, images for maps not showing up and no option to play private matches. According to Xbox LIVE Operations Manager Eric Neustadter, the…

Why No Alan Wake On PC?

Supernatural thriller Alan Wake is being released on the Xbox 360, but once upon a time, it was also a PC game. That PC version is no more. Why? Well, the two teams responsible can’t seem to agree. Last month, publishers Microsoft released a statement saying the game was only coming to the 360 because…

Former BBC Talk Show Host Confirms Fable III Role

Jonathan Ross, an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services in broadcasting, first mentioned role-playing game Fable III in May 2009. He said he “got asked” to do voice in Fable III. What was his answer? Via Twitter, Ross tweeted hours ago, “Gotta go. Am doing Fable3 today! What larks, Pip!” This…

Alan Wake Motion Capture Expert Calls Heavy Rain “Visually Uneven”

PS3 exclusive Heavy Rain looks fantastic. Mark Carson, head of mo-cap specialist CaptiveMotion, told website VG247 that while the psychological thriller is “beautiful”, it is also “visually uneven”. Here’s the quote: “It’s beautiful and brilliant but visually uneven at points, which unfortunately is the nature of the industry because of the scope, budgets and time-frames…