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Square Enix Invades Steam
Adding to their ever-expanding list of publishers, Valve today announced a deal with Square Enix to bring their PC games to download service Steam. Beginning April 9, The Last Remnant will be available for purchase via Steam. After the action role-playing game hits the service Square will continue to add to its roster of games…
By Brian Crecente Published February 24, 2009 -
Official Picture of Red-Colored Xbox 360
Microsoft has released pictures of the Exclusive Red Xbox 360 Resident Evil Limited Edition Console, which was confirmed earlier tonight and mentioned officially by Microsoft earlier this month. The Xbox 360 Elite console is bundled with a red wireless controller, black Xbox 360 headset, 120GB hard drive, via-LIVE-downloadable-Resident-Evil-theme, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 24, 2009 -
Star Ocean 4 Makes Strong Japanese Sales Debut (For Xbox 360 Game)
Square Enix role-playing-game Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope has given Japanese companies another glimmer of hope for the Xbox 360. While the Xbox 360 has been successful abroad, the console traditionally has had difficulty cracking the Japanese market. Recently, Microsoft has made in-roads with consumers in The Land of the Rising Sun thanks to…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 24, 2009 -
Red Xbox 360 Pics Now On Xbox Live
While the appearance of the red Xbox 360 on Xbox Live doesn’t confirm the machine’s existence – we took care of that a while ago – it does end the wait for official pics. As you’d expect, the machine’s colour matches that of the existing red Xbox 360 controllers. As for what else comes in…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 24, 2009 -
Fired, Overpaid Microsoft Employees Get To Keep Money
Due to “an inadvertent administrative error,” some of the 1,400 individuals Microsoft laid off recently received overpayments in their severance packages. That is, until Microsoft asked for them back. Twenty-five of the 1,400 people let go received checks that were off about US$4,000 to $5,000. Microsoft sent out a letter to those who accidentally received…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 24, 2009 -
Microsoft: Windows 7 Great For Games
Do not fear Windows 7. Sure, the tests might show that Windows XP performs better, but Microsoft assures us all that the next version of their operation system will be “great for games”. So says Microsoft’s VP of the Interactive Entertainment Business for the EMEA region, Chris Lewis, speaking to GamesIndustry.biz about the future of…
By Mike Fahey Published February 23, 2009 -
Microsoft Overpaid Some Layoff Severances, Asks for It Back
“An inadvertent administrative error” meant that some of the 1,400 Microsoft laid off recently received overpayments in their severance packages. The company’s asked for the money back, making this a hat trick of HR Kops komedy. “We ask that you repay the overpayment and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to you,” says the letter, which…
By Owen Good Published February 22, 2009 -
Microsoft Bankrolling “Games for Learning” Project
Microsoft has put $1.5 million into a “Games for Learning Institute,” to study links between video games and learning, and how to enhance them. The research wants to analyze the reactions and processes of avid gamers to see whether games develop learning skills that transfer to the classroom. Already the project has lined up middle…
By Owen Good Published February 21, 2009 -
Xbox Live Hacker Attacks On The Rise
Are Xbox Live users taking out contracts against their opponents? Microsoft is investigating a rash of attacks on Xbox Live users by hackers using data flooding tools to kick them offline. It’s the same sort of attack that’s been targeting PC users for years. Hackers get a hold of the IP address players use to…
By Mike Fahey Published February 20, 2009 -
Microsoft Would Like You To Believe This Model Is A Halo Fan
Well done, Microsoft UK. Here we were, thinking that, come 2009, gaming – yes, even 360 gaming – was for everyone, when you go and shove a set of Halo Wars-covered tits in our face. It’s not that we’re complaining. After all, yes, Microsoft, they are a lovely pair. But, just like the Gears of…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 20, 2009 -
The Most Innovative Companies In Gaming
Business magazine Fast Company has released a list of the 10 most innovative companies in the gaming industry. Where do Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony rank? Well we can pretty much guess where Nintendo ranks on the list, can’t we? While Fast Company does note the fact that Nintendo hasn’t done well by the hardcore, it…
By Mike Fahey Published February 18, 2009 -
Red Xbox 360 Mentioned Officially By Microsoft
Whoops! In an official Halo Wars email sent to retailers and games press in New Zealand today, Microsoft make official mention of the rumoured red Xbox 360 Elite console. The email was to announce a deal whereby anyone buying a 360 console in NZ would, for a limited time, receive a free copy of Halo…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 18, 2009 -
Expiring Email Accounts Can Eat Your Xbox Gamertag
Microsoft is investigating a problem with expiring email addresses that is causing some Xbox Live users to abandon their Gamertags and start fresh, losing any progress they’ve accumulated over the past few years. It seems that certain Windows Live ID email addresses that you need to have in order to set up an Xbox Live…
By Mike Fahey Published February 18, 2009 -
Xbox 360 Saves The Date For E3 2009
First out the door for this year’s upcoming bigger, better, more fleshy E3 is Microsoft. We just received our official save the date for the Xbox 360 E3 2009 media briefing, set to take place Monday morning. It looks to be about the same time as last year’s E3 media briefing. I’d expect to start…
By Brian Crecente Published February 18, 2009 -
Microsoft Survey Probes Non-Gaming Achievements
Microsoft Game Studios sent out a survey on Achievements to its beta program invitees. There was an array of questions that included multiplayer achievements, user generated Achievements and what types of Achievements players liked. There was also a mention of displaying a player’s favorite Achievement on their Gamer card as well as non-gaming Achievements like…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 18, 2009 -
New Ensemble Studio Working on New Game
When Robot Entertainment said “hello, world” last week, it seemed likely that, being made up of an Ensemble co-founder and a bunch of Ensemble staff, they’d be taking over Ensemble’s work. Now it’s definite. A press release issued by the company today has confirmed that Robot will be continuing work on Halo Wars, supporting Age…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 18, 2009 -
“Worst Of Xbox 360 Hardware Failure Behind Us”
Three flashing red lights on the Xbox 360 represents “general system failure.” Nicknamed “The Red Ring of Death,” this system failure has plagued the Xbox 360 console for years. While Microsoft pegged a low percentage rate of system failure in the early moments of the Xbox 360’s launch, the numbers of customers suddenly experiencing the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 17, 2009 -
Microsoft To Buy Motion-Sensing Company
Here we go again. Fresh off speculation Microsoft were working on a motion-sensing controller for current generation hardware, seems the company is now in talks to buy a firm specialising in motion-sensing tech. Israeli site Haaretz reports that the makers of the Xbox console are in talks to buy locally-based company 3DV for $35 million.…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 17, 2009 -
Crap Economy Will Affect Microsoft
Times are hard. For you, for me and especially major international corporations like Xbox 360 maker Microsoft. While at a trade show in Barcelona, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer told Reuters, “Revenues in our industry, and in our company, will be affected by the economic conditions.” Will be? What was last January? A lark? To…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 17, 2009 -
Rare “Restructuring”, Job Losses A Possibility
In January, Microsoft started “reviewing” a few things. Cut some jobs, that sort of stuff. That “review” now shines its light on Rare, where belts are to be tightened, and jobs might be lost. In comments released to the British press today, the company stated a number of aims going forward that seemed a tad…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 17, 2009