Microsoft - Page 232 of 239

Microsoft: 75% Of Parents Think Gaming Is Beneficial

Microsoft’s second annual Play Smart, Play Safe campaign survey results are in, with UK parents overwhelmingly agreeing that video games have a beneficial effect on their children and families. Microsoft’s Play Smart, Play Safe study polled children and parents in the UK on different aspects of the parent/child gaming experience. While the poll did reveal…

By Mike Fahey Published March 5, 2009

The New Xbox Experience Will Soon Be Mandatory

Most people are more than happy with the improvements the New Xbox Experience brought to the Xbox 360‘s user interface. Those unhappy, well, tough: it’s about to become compulsory. Up til now, those who didn’t like the looks of the NXE could, in theory, keep their consoles off Xbox Live and keep rockin’ the blades…

By Luke Plunkett Published March 4, 2009

Why Did Only Xbox 360 Resident Evil 5 Go On Sale First?

The above picture was taken at major Japanese retailer Bic Camera on March 4. Resident Evil 5 does not go on sale on March 4 in Japan, but on March 5. While street dates are commonly broken in North America or places like Dubai, it much less common in Japan. What is bothering some Japanese…

By Brian Ashcraft Published March 4, 2009

Xbox Live Gold Membership Price Dropped (Temporarily)

Price conscious tipsters have been asking us “Did Microsoft just drop the annual fee for Xbox Live Gold membership?” Despite cheaper subscription rates showing on Xbox.com, Microsoft says the drop is “for a limited time.” “We are currently running a promotion in-dash that gives Silver members a special opportunity to upgrade to the full benefits…

By Michael McWhertor Published March 4, 2009

Batman: Arkham Asylum Does Games For Windows Live

The official Games For Windows website proudly announces that the PC version of Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Asylum will be a Games for Windows Live title. This means Games for Windows Live players of Batman: Arkham Asylum will be able to earn Gamerscore points by unlocking achievements, and really that’s about it. There’s Live connectivity, but…

By Mike Fahey Published March 4, 2009

Netflix Outside Of The US? Yeah, Probably Not…

Is Netflix on 360 any good? Not being American, I wouldn’t know! One day, though, I’d like to see the service offered outside of North America. But that doesn’t sound likely. In an interview with Eurogamer, Xbox UK boss Neil Thompson has said: Netflix is a great deal in the US, and we’re looking at…

By Luke Plunkett Published March 4, 2009

Have Microsoft Stopped Sending Out Boxes For 360 Repairs?

It’s been standard practice for a while now that, if your 360 broke, Microsoft would send you a box, so you could send your console back in. But a Consumerist report today claims otherwise. They cite the story of reader Zach, who says: My Xbox red-ringed for the second time this weekend. Which is almost…

By Luke Plunkett Published March 3, 2009

Msoft: I Doubt We’ve Seen the Last of Master Chief

Speaking to USA Today, Halo franchise development director Frank O’Connor hints that we may have more Master Chief in store for us in the future. “I doubt we have seen the last of Master Chief,” O’Connor told the paper. The bulk of the article is about upcoming Halo 3: ODST, which O’Connor says is significantly…

By Brian Crecente Published March 3, 2009

Why Capcom Bet 360, And Not PS3 Or Wii

Sure, these days Capcom are true multiplatform developers, but for a while they, they were leaning 360. Dead Rising, Lost Planet, both were originally 360-only. So why did a Japanese developer make that call? Capcom talisman Keiji Inafune – the creator of Mega Man, Onimusha and Dead Rising – explains that, despite a lot of…

By Luke Plunkett Published March 3, 2009

Europe Gets Red 360 Controller In Time For Resident Evil 5

Microsoft cleverly ties-in existing product to a major game release, timing the European debut of the red Xbox 360 controller to coincide with the release of Resident Evil 5. In a clever bit of release scheduling magic, the same limited-edition red Xbox 360 controller and play and charge kit that has been sitting on North…

By Mike Fahey Published March 2, 2009

The Halo Universe Expanded: Part One

In the first of a new series of videos dealing with the expansion of the Halo universe, members of Ensemble, and the gaming press talk Halo history. The Halo universe isn’t just Master Chief. I know, I know; that’s a hard fact for some fans to swallow. Between the novels, the first-person shooter trilogy, and…

By Mike Fahey Published March 2, 2009

US Xbox Service Ends A Calendar Day Before Japan’s

On March 3, Microsoft service repairs for the original Xbox ceases. The same happens for American users on March 2. While service repair ends, other technical support such as documents and content will be available to all customers. “If you have an original Xbox console that is in Warranty that requires a repair,” Microsoft stated,…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 27, 2009

Gamestop Hopes Halo Wars Is Worth A Midnight Launch

It’s not very often that a real-time strategy title earns a midnight launch, but toss the word Halo in there and GameStop sits up and listens. GameStop is inviting Halo fans to “bring out their inner Warthog” during Halo Wars midnight launch events, held at more than 2,000 locations across the U.S. this coming Monday,…

By Mike Fahey Published February 27, 2009

Lost & Damned Sets Xbox Live Record

Being both popular and, for a piece of downloadable content, expensive, would it surprise you to learn that Grand Theft Auto IV expansion Lost & damned has set a new Xbox Live revenue record? It shouldn’t. Because it has. According to Microsoft, the expansion has “eclipsed first-day revenue for all previous downloadable content on Xbox…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 27, 2009

Lost Planet 2’s Announcement Is Confusing

The announcement for Lost Planet 2 has been baffling! Here’s why: Rewind to last September when Capcom swore off console exclusives in its fiscal 2008 shareholder’s report: “All major titles launched during the next fiscal year or thereafter will be developed as multi-platform games.” Then in January, Mega-Man creator Keiji Inafune mentioned new Dead Rising…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 27, 2009

Microsoft’s Retail Stores Will Sell Games, Hardware

Microsoft are opening dedicated retail stores. Like Apple Stores, only for…Microsoft. And while early pictures of a “concept” store suggested as such, we’ve today received confirmation that they’ll be selling Microsoft games and hardware. A Microsoft spokesperson has told MCV that the stores – which will be opened “in a few major cities around the…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 26, 2009

Microsoft Looking To Change Xbox Live Sexual “Discrimination”

Been a bit of a fuss lately over Xbox Live and people’s sexual orientation. People being banned left and right for wearing said orientation on their sleeves (well, gamertag/profile). It’s a mess. But it’s a mess Microsoft are looking into, with Xbox Live Police Chief Stephen Toulouse saying: Expression of any sexual orientation (straight or…

By Luke Plunkett Published February 26, 2009

Lips Getting Better Scoring, Leaderboards, and Coldplay

March brings a slew of fixes, features, and fan favorites to the Xbox 360 karaoke game Lips, with an early March title update delivering improved scoring and international leaderboards, just in time for Coldplay. As a proud owner of Lips, I’ve often felt the game has given me far too much credit for my vibrato.…

By Mike Fahey Published February 26, 2009

Capcom Won’t Say Lost Planet 2 Is An Xbox 360 Exclusive

This morning, Capcom officially announced Lost Planet 2 for the Xbox 360 with a very carefully worded press release. There were the words “Xbox 360” and the term “exclusive,” but not the phrase “Xbox 360 exclusive.” Capcom simply stated the game was “being developed for the Xbox 360.” Yet, the company was reluctant to state…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 25, 2009

Xbox Live Sadly No Place For Lesbian Gamers

(Former) Xbox Live gamer Teresa found herself on the receiving end of a ban from the service for a surprising reason. She identified herself as a lesbian in her Live profile. That resulted in a ban from the service after her Xbox Live peers complained about her profile, according to a letter to the Consumerist.…

By Michael McWhertor Published February 25, 2009