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Digital Games Might Be Selling As Well As Retail Games
The sales figures for digital games are rarely disclosed. So we rarely get an idea of just how many of them are selling. A reveal by Microsoft Australia, however, shows they’re selling a lot. At a recent Xbox press event in Sydney, Microsoft Australia told Kotaku AU that the 360’s downloadable games aren’t just giving…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 4, 2009 -
Microsoft Starts Banning ODST Pirates, Not Players
Microsoft today began permanently banning gamers they describe as “illegitimate ODST players” from their Xbox Live online service. Earlier today Xbox Live Chief of Police Stephen Toulouse wrote on his Twitter page that he had seen some illegitimate ODST players, referring to Xbox 360’s upcoming Halo 3: ODST, online. “No early play for you,” he…
By Brian Crecente Published September 3, 2009 -
360 Games No Longer Have To Be In High Definition
Since the 360 launched in 2005, developers have had to work within a set of guidelines set down by Microsoft. One of those stipulated that games had to be running at a resolution of 1280×720 (720p). Not any more! Black Rock Studio’s (ATV, Split/Second) David Jefferies has, in his regular column on industry site Develop,…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 2, 2009 -
Xbox 360 Gets Price Drop In Japan
As expected, Microsoft announced a price drop for Japan. Are you excited yet? No? So, yeah, the Xbox 360‘s price tag has been cut for The Land of the Rising Sun. Pricing looks like this: • Xbox 360 Elite Previous Price: ¥39,800 (US$429) New Price: ¥29,800 ($321) • Xbox 360 Pro Previous Price: ¥29,800 ($321)…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 2, 2009 -
Report: 360 More Reliable, Repairs Less Frequent
According to data released by third-party warranty providers SquareTrade, since the mid-point of 2008 the Xbox 360‘s reliability has improved out of sight. Now, before we go any further, know this: we have our doubts when it comes to SquareTrade. A third-party warranty provider? Who nobody had ever heard of until they released some selective…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 2, 2009 -
Splinter Cell: Double Agent And GRAW Now Slightly On Demand
Two Tom Clancy titles are added to the Xbox 360 Games on Demand service, unless you don’t live in the UK or Europe (excluding Germany), in which case there’s just the one. The first Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter game is now available everywhere but Australia, New Zeeland, and Korea for the low price…
By Mike Fahey Published September 1, 2009 -
Red VS. Blue VS. Halo 3 ODST
The Red vs. Blue team from Rooster Teeth‘s machinima series take a look at the "normal soldiers" of Halo 3: ODST. Their reaction was pretty much the same reaction I have to a new Halo game. I think, “Hooray! I shall be at the same skill level as many other people for a short period…
By Mike Fahey Published September 1, 2009 -
Microsoft To Announce Xbox 360 Price Cut For Japan Tomorrow
While the Xbox 360 has already gotten a price reduction in the States, it hasn’t yet in Japan. That will change tomorrow when the company shaves the console’s price tag for the region. According to Microsoft Hong Kong, the Japanese arm of the company is holding a press conference in Tokyo tomorrow to announce the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 1, 2009 -
Shadow Complex Sets Xbox Live Sales Record
Chair Entertainment’s Shadow Complex is officially the most downloaded single-player title in Xbox Live Arcade history, with 200,000 copies purchased during its first week of release alone. We loved Shadow Complex, and so did you folks apparently, with stellar review scores and one-week sales so spectacular that Microsoft had to issue a celebratory press release.…
By Mike Fahey Published August 31, 2009 -
Oh Good, More Doritos Games For Xbox Live Arcade
Cheesy indie advergaming returns to the 360, as Doritos announces the return of the “Unlock Xbox” video game design competition, calling creators to capture the essence of the snack chip in video game form. Last year’s “Unlock Xbox” winner, Doritos Dash of Destruction, was downloaded nearly a million times, so while we endlessly poke fun…
By Mike Fahey Published August 31, 2009 -
Xbox Live Succumbs To Beatlemania
Microsoft’s Xbox team of executives must be shrieking like teenage girls in the 60’s at the moment, what with the amount of Beatles-related cash-ins on the horizon for Xbox Live. With The Beatles: Rock Band due on September 9, Microsoft have announced a range of ways users can “relive the magic of Beatlemania”, which include:…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 28, 2009 -
250GB Xbox 360 Looking More Likely
One listing for a 250GB Xbox 360 could be an accident. A typo. But two in two days, on opposite ends of the planet, well, that’s something else. This is an ad from South African retailer BT Games, showing a “Super Elite” Xbox 360 that packs a 250GB HDD. Interesting. Certainly makes the German version…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 28, 2009 -
Cryptic: Microsoft’s Behavior Means No Champions This Year
Jack Emmert, the Cryptic chief creative officer, says Microsoft has a “baffling” issue with MMOs, and it’s holding up the console release of Champions Online. In a VG247 podcast, Emmert says Cryptic has a 360 version of the game “ready to go,” but it’s not likely to arrive this year. “It just takes time for…
By Owen Good Published August 28, 2009 -
A Reignited Console War Means A Happy Holiday For Gamers
The long-simmering war between the Playstation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 has boiled over in time for the holidays thanks to dual price drops that put all three consoles within $50 of each other. In a much anticipated move, Sony announced a new $300 model for their Playstation 3 in Cologne, Germany during the Gamescom…
By Brian Crecente Published August 28, 2009 -
Early Halo: ODST Players Won’t Be Banned (So Long As They Bought A Copy)
Let’s say, hypothetically speaking, you’re French. And somehow, your local game store was selling copies of Halo: ODST weeks before it was meant to be out. Then Microsoft threatens action. You’d think “action” meant “XBL bans”, right? Gladly, that’s not the case. Well, provided you bought the game, at any rate. Xbox Live Chief of…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 28, 2009 -
Fable II Gets A Game Of The Year Edition
Hot on the heels of a Gears of War 2 GOTY bundle comes the news that Fable II will also be repackaged, also in a “Game of the Year” edition. It’ll include both the game’s downloadable content packs (Knothole Island, See The Future), and while there’s no release date or US pricing available, we do…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 28, 2009 -
Twitter, Facebook On 360 Might Be For Gold Subscribers Only [Update]
Buried at the foot of the press release announcing Microsoft’s 360 price cuts this morning was this little nugget: “Xbox Live Gold Membership will be required for Twitter and Facebook when they are available”. Seems a strange move, what with both Facebook and Twitter being 100% free on both PCs and phones. In defence, a…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 28, 2009 -
Microsoft Taking Action Against Those Who Buy and Play Halo 3: ODST Early [Update]
Microsoft is investigating how copies of next month’s Halo 3: ODST went up for sale at a French retail store, officials told Kotaku. “We are investigating a very small breach in our distribution process around the early delivery of ‘Halo 3: ODST’ units,” a Microsoft spokesman told Kotaku. “We are also investigating Xbox LIVE accounts…
By Brian Crecente Published August 27, 2009 -
Xbox 360 Not Even At Halfway Point, No Slim Planned
There are no plans for a slimmed down version of the Xbox 360, Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg told Kotaku. “We feel like our system has done very well for us in the current form,” said Greenberg, director of product management for the Xbox 360. “We have no plans for a slim.” Instead of reinventing the outside…
By Brian Crecente Published August 27, 2009 -
Exchange Rates Make Microsoft’s 360 Price Hike A Little Iffy
Like the US, the 360 Elite is getting a hefty price cut in the UK. But unlike the US, the price of the Arcade 360 in the UK is about to go up. Hey, Microsoft, what’s the deal? Microsoft Europe’s Chris Lewis has told MCV “We are making modest increases on the Xbox 360 Arcade…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 27, 2009