Microsoft - Page 227 of 239

Explore Strategic Options In Halo Wars Today

Players looking to add a little more meat to their Halo Wars experience need look no further than Xbox Live Marketplace, where the Strategic options downloadable content is now available for purchase. Announced last month, the Strategic Options pack introduces three new single and multiplayer skirmish game types to help players play out the war…

By Mike Fahey Published May 19, 2009

Xbox Live Arcade This Week: Gel and Blazing Birds

It’s obscure game week on Xbox Live Arcade, with Wednesday seeing the release of Gastronaut Studio’s Gel: Set & Match and Vector 2 Games’ Blazing Birds. Gel: Set & Match is a puzzle game which features multicolored blocks that melt as you match them together, with an Action mode that adds a little side-scrolling to…

By Mike Fahey Published May 18, 2009

Cheater Gamercards Will Be Marked

Cheating is bad! Microsoft wants you to know it’s dead serious about discouraging users from doing underhanded things to beef up their Gamerscore. According to Xbox Live Policy and Enforcement enforcer Stephen Toulouse, Microsoft isn’t only resetting the Gamerscores of cheaters to zero, but also marking their Gamercards as cheaters. He explains, “It also puts…

By Brian Ashcraft Published May 18, 2009

J Allard Working On Motion-Controlled “Magic Wand” For Microsoft?

It never rains J. It pours. Fresh from his honorary nod at Boston University, Dr. Allard has now been spotted as one of the inventors of a revolutionary new Microsoft “magic wand”. In a patent that surfaced last week (but was submitted in 2007), J Allard is listed as one of five inventors on an…

By Luke Plunkett Published May 18, 2009

Is Microsoft Working on an Answer to the DS, PSP, iPhone?

Team Xbox is reporting that Microsoft is in the final design stages of a new digital entertainment handheld, one that would feature Live Anywhere and blur the lines between the Xbox 360 and Zune. Reached for comment today, Microsoft reiterated that they have been saying since January that they will have new hardware and software…

By Brian Crecente Published May 15, 2009

Xbox 360 Gets Crackdown Theme

If your Xbox 360 is looking a little drab – and you’re not adverse to spending money on tarting it up – then hey, this new Crackdown theme might be just the thing you’re into. It’ll be available for download tomorrow, and will cost you 240 MS Points (USD$3). A ridiculous price for a theme,…

By Luke Plunkett Published May 15, 2009

Microsoft Responds To April NPD Sales, Seems Pleased

April 2009 was down on April 2008, across the board. Cause for concern, yes? Not if you’re Microsoft, who are just pumped at the Xbox 360‘s “rate of growth” and “resilience”. The 175,000 Xbox 360s sold in April represents a drop of 7% from this time last year, leaving the company to try and focus…

By Luke Plunkett Published May 15, 2009

Some New Games For The 360’s Platinum Range

Microsoft today got around to officially announcing the 360’s redesigned “Platinum Hits” range, which we first saw a month ago. To kick things off, they also announced eight “new” games for the range. We say “new” because, well, not all of them are new to the Platinum Hits series. Indeed, most of the eight highlighted…

By Luke Plunkett Published May 14, 2009

Be Like Mike With New Xbox LIVE Avatar Shoes

Microsoft has released new shoes for your Avatar — and as usual they’re free. Besides the Air Jordan knock-offs, there are: Flip flops, socks and sandals, 1970s leather platforms, sunny day sandals and white 1960s go-go boots. Hrm, Jordan knock-offs or white socks with sandals. Choosing is hard. New shoes are now available for your…

By Brian Ashcraft Published May 13, 2009

Alan Wake Shows Signs of Life

Finnish developer Remedy began work on psychological thriller Alan Wake in 2005. It’s 2009, and some are starting to peg the title as vaporware. A new announcement indicates otherwise. Remedy has joined forces with Imagination Studios, who is supplying the Finnish dev with “motion-capture and animations” to enhance Alan Wake. Remedy exec Lasse Seppänen stated,…

By Brian Ashcraft Published May 13, 2009

Wall Street Journal Backs Xbox 360 Motion Control Camera Rumor

Microsoft is heavily rumored to not only be working on a motion control-enabled camera accessory for the Xbox 360, but to reveal said add-on at this year’s E3. That rumor has started to gain traction. The Wall Street Journal writes today that, yes, Microsoft is prepping the oft-rumored, spy-photographed camera add-on that was allegedly revealed…

By Michael McWhertor Published May 12, 2009

See The Future Right Now

Well… Some of it! Microsoft has released screens of the just out Fable II: See The Future DLC. There are new items, new dudes and new clothes. New dog skins, too! Ready to give you a big, sloppy kiss tomorrow with “See The Future” is released on XBLA.

By Brian Ashcraft Published May 11, 2009

Another Rushmore — Console Only

About a month back everyone argued the concept of a theoretical gaming Mt. Rushmore. A man who ran a store in Battle Creek, Mich., soon wrote me to say he’d commissioned just such a work. NewAge Arcade (a gaming store, but no longer operational) had this mural, depicting four characters singularly identifiable with each of…

By Owen Good Published May 10, 2009

Microsoft Head: Pay Attention To Next Month’s Xbox Announcement

Microsoft honcho and screamer Steve Ballmer gave a speech today in Dallas as a guest of the Dallas Regional Chamber to deliver a speech at the Dallas Convention Center. The topic: “The Role of Innovation in a Challenging Economy”. The game connection: During his speech, Ballmer is quotes as saying, “Pay attention to the stuff…

By Brian Ashcraft Published May 8, 2009

Microsoft Snatches Up BigPark

Microsoft Games Studios welcomes another new addition today as Microsoft agrees to acquire Vancouver-based developer BigPark. BigPark was formed in 2007 by a group of industry veterans formerly of Distinctive Software and Electronic Arts Canada. One of the founders was Don Mattrick, who went on to become the senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment…

By Mike Fahey Published May 7, 2009

Nintendo The Most Reputable Game Company Of Them All

Catering to a broader demographic pays off for Nintendo, ranked number six in the Reputation Institute’s 2009 list of the world’s most reputable companies. Where do Microsoft and Sony fall? The Reputation Institute releases an annual report which looks at how the public rates 1,000 companies in over 20 industry categories and more than 25…

By Mike Fahey Published May 7, 2009

Project Gotham Racing Devs Explain Last Days With “Corporate, Cocky” Microsoft

Bizarre Creations, the development team behind the renowned Project Gotham Racing series, used to make games for Microsoft. Now, they make games for Activision. Why the split? Speaking with Edge, the studio’s creative director Martyn Chudley has told of Bizarre’s final weeks with Microsoft, as development on Project Gotham Racing 4 (which I maintain is…

By Luke Plunkett Published May 6, 2009

New Gears 2 Content Striking Retail On All Fronts

Microsoft and Epic Games deliver seven new multiplayer maps to Gears of Wars 2 in July’s retail release of the Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection, finally answering the question “what is Dark Corners?” Back in March, rumors flew about a new batch of downloadable content for Gears of Wars 2 called Dark Corners,…

By Mike Fahey Published May 6, 2009

Marvel: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Slated For June Release

In its financial report, comic book giant Marvel dated the re-release of classic fighter Marvel vs. Capcom 2. That date is June 29. And that date is, if you check your calendars, a Monday. Marvel does note “scheduled release dates are subject to change” in its report, so that means just that: this release date…

By Brian Ashcraft Published May 5, 2009

Microsoft’s Rumored Motion Controller May Be The ZCam

Microsoft may finally be ready to make good on extended threats of a motion sensing controller for the Xbox 360 at this year’s E3, with a rumored camera accessory reportedly in the works. Last week, Engadget wrote that Microsoft’s long-rumored motion controller pursuits were real and that its solution was coming in the form of…

By Michael McWhertor Published May 5, 2009