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Week of April 13, 2008
Talismoon New Chrome Xbox 360 Full Controller Shell
>> Talismoon released a new Evolve360 Full Controller Shell:
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Another evolution has occured within the Evolve line of Xbox controller faceplates! Our new line of Xbox 360 controllers now have new unique features and better durability.
A new version of an old favorite, the new version Silver Chrome Controller fits both wired and wireless versions of the OEM controller.
New highlights include:
* Matching top and bottom controller faceplates give your controller a more consistent look
* Removable bits allow the same bottom controller plate to be used for wired and wireless controllers
* New chrome plating technology is 10x more durable than the last generation of Evolve Controller Covers
* Larger, further clarified instructions included in every kit, as well as the tools needed for disassembling the wired or wireless controller.
* Improved package design is cleaner and takes up less space.
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Official Site: http://talismoon.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
XNA boss defends Xbox Live Arcade
>> From eurogamer.net:
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Microsoft XNA general manager Chris Satchell has rejected the suggestion that Xbox Live Arcade has lost the initiative when it comes to supporting independent games.
"I think we still get an amazing amount of interest. Normally we have way more interest than we kind of have publishing slots to put things in," Satchell told Eurogamer, when asked whether PS3 and Wii were starting to steal XBLA's thunder.
"And when you think about the community and what we're doing with distribution on XNA Game Studio, nobody is going to have that combo. I don't think anybody has got that level of innovation integrated the way we have."
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Full Story: eurogamer.net
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft: We've Won the Core Gamer
>> From next-gen.biz:
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Xbox 360 group product manager Aaron Greenberg told Next-Gen in a phone interview Thursday following the release of March's NPD sales figures, "I think the battle for the core user is sort of over, if you will. We're heading now well beyond 20 million in console sales."
"I feel we've secured that core buyer, and that gives us quite a bit of an advantage versus PS3, which is late to the game and still at a price disadvantage relative to the Xbox."
Greenberg said Microsoft is forecasting Xbox 360's installed base in the US to be two- to three-times that of the PS3 by the end of 2008.
In addition, he said in the US and in EMEA territories, the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV has had more pre-orders than the PS3 version by a 2:1 margin. That game launches on April 29.
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Full Story: next-gen.biz
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
UK: Price cut fails to push Xbox 360 past PS3
>> From reghardware.co.uk:
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Microsoft this week claimed to have more doubled the Xbox 360's European sales thanks to its recent price cut, but that still hasn't been sufficient to put it ahead of the PlayStation 3 or the Wii in the UK.
However, a Sony spokesman today hit back at the company's arch rival, telling Register Hardware that the PS3 has outsold the Microsoft console every week for the last 15 weeks.
"Even this [price cut] hasn't been enough to put them ahead of UK PS3 sales," he said.
UK console sales monitor Chart Track confirmed that for the past 15 weeks the PS3 has largely kept ahead of the Xbox 360. However, a spokesman admitted that the two machines' units have been "extremely close" in some weeks.
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Full Story: reghardware.co.uk
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox 360 System update now available (no new features)
>> From majornelson.com (FYI: MS owned blog):
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A few minutes ago, the team released a system update for the Xbox 360 over Xbox LIVE. Sometime over the next few hours when you sign in to Xbox LIVE you'll recieve a prompt to accept this mandatory update. This update contains code to 'prepare for future growth of the service.' There are no other changes or enhancements in this update...in other words no new features. The next obvious question you'll have is about the Spring update. At this point we have nothing to announce, and the moment there is information to share I will do so.
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
EEDAR on NPD: 360/PS3 Price Cuts In Sight
>> From gamasutra.com:
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Consumers might be seeing price cuts for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 in the coming months, claimed analyst Jesse Divnich of research firm EEDAR in a report sent to Gamasutra following today's NPD sales figures for March.
Divnich pointed to the lower-than-expected sales of Xbox 360 and PS3 as evidence that the systems might be plateauing. "These hardware results would indicate that both systems have likely saturated their potential market at their current price points," he wrote. "If we do not see any price cuts in the coming weeks, we can likely expect some hardware cuts once GTA IV loses some steam (before July) or if the GTA IV release significantly drives hardware sales for one console over the other."
Still, he cautioned against being too expectant of an adjustment. "It would be erroneous to start shouting price cuts as we are only a few weeks away from one of the big releases in gaming (GTA IV)," he admitted. "March's hardware results could very well be the 'calm before the storm. '"
As for why the systems performed as they did, Divnich points to a lack of high-profile flagship releases. "In terms of the continued battle between the PS3 and Xbox 360 we were not surprised that both consoles fell relatively close to each other as neither system offered any significant first party releases or new promotions to sway the trends," he said.
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Full Story: gamasutra.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft's Take on March 2008 NPD Numbers
>> From gamerscoreblog.com (FYI: MS owned blog):
[QUOTE]
Consumers continue to make the ultimate vote for Xbox 360 as the console of choice by investing $9.4 billion to date this lifecycle in the Xbox 360 experience, far outpacing that of other game consoles. (March NPD data)
Going into March, some key U.S. retailers were still experiencing the trickle down effect of Xbox 360 console shortages. By the end of March, supply issues had improved and we expect retailers to be fully stocked with Xbox 360 consoles in time for the "Grand Theft Auto IV" launch. According to NPD, 262,000 Xbox 360 consoles sold in March, reclaiming the #2 position in the next-gen console category.
In just two weeks, Xbox 360 will extend its industry lead with the year's most anticipated game launch, GTA IV. Launching April 29, GTA IV will be coming to Xbox 360 on day one. GTA IV will feature the first ever online multiplayer for the franchise and Xbox 360 is also the only place you can earn GTA IV Achievements and increase your gamerscore.
Starting this fall, only Xbox 360 owners will have access to exclusive GTA IV episodic content. Whether it's the results of online polls or data from pre-sells, consumers have made it clear that the benefits of Xbox LIVE and exclusive access to GTA IV episodic content are making Xbox 360 the chosen place to play GTA IV.
Xbox 360 drives industry growth with record attach rates
* March NPD data shows a new U.S. Xbox 360 software attach rate of 7.5, a record for any game console.
* In Europe, Xbox 360 continues to enjoy the highest software attach rate of any game console with more than 7.0 games sold per console (PS3: 3.8; Wii 3.5) after 27 months on the market..
* Xbox 360 sales in Europe have more than doubled in the wake of recent retail price changes, solidifying its leadership position as the number one next-generation console in EMEA, owning 42% of the market in terms of life-to-date revenue. (Microsoft estimates based on ChartTrack and Gfk data).
* Third party publishers find more success on Xbox 360. In March, Xbox 360 accounted for $220 million of all third party game sales this generation, or 49 percent of share. Third party publishers win on Xbox 360 more than any other platform. (March NPD data)
* Games for the Xbox 360 platform accounted for four of the top ten games for this generation. (March NPD data)
Xbox 360 most widely used system for online gaming
* Xbox 360 delivers social entertainment experiences to more than 10 million Xbox LIVE gamers around the globe. (Microsoft internal data)
* On April 2, NPD released a study called "Online Gaming 2008" which reported that 42 percent of people aged six to 44 play video games online. Their console of choice? Xbox 360. Half of online gamers prefer the Xbox 360 over other current-generation gaming consoles. ("Online Gaming 2008")
* Xbox LIVE now delivers 4,800 hours of TV and movie entertainment including family favorites like "Hannah Montana," "Lost," and "Superman III."(Microsoft internal data)
Xbox 360 is the gaming platform of choice--our great games and exploding online community will help keep it that way.
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox LIVE Scheduled Maintenance on Monday
>> From majornelson.com (FYI: MS owned blog):
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On Monday April 21st from 0200-1000 PT Xbox Live will be offline for maintenance. As a result, the 'My Xbox' section of Xbox.com will be unavailable, and the Xbox forums will be in read only mode (you won't be able to post.) The remainder of Xbox.com will be available.
Find out what time the maintenance will begin in your time zone
This is for maintenance, there are no new features on your that will appear on your Xbox 360 console or Xbox.com when the service comes back online. This is server maintenance only
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft Patents Wii Remote Killer Game Controller
>> From teamxbox.com:
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We are finally able to talk more about what we know after a patent application for a gyroscopic-based input device by Microsoft has been published on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Described as a "computer pointing device (generally a mouse but alternatively a game controller or remote control device) that may be worn on the hand and operated without needing to contact a (mousing) surface," this patent was filed back in 2006.
We were told that the motion sensing controller that Microsoft was researching had the functionality of both the Nintendo Wii Remote and the Nunchuk packed into a single device, with a shape that is neither that of a banana, nor a remote controller, but more like a "pistol grip." On top, it is supposed to have an analog stick (that could be replaced by a trackball) surrounded by the four action buttons.
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Full Story: teamxbox.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Official March NPD Numbers: Xbox 360 tops PS3
>> Here are the official NPD hardware numbers of the month of March:
* Wii: 721K
* Nintendo DS: 698K
* PSP: 297K
* Xbox360: 262k
* PS3: 257K
* PS2: 216K
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox 360 sales double in Europe
>> From eurogamer.net:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft has revealed that Xbox 360 sales have doubled in Europe since it cut the price of the console on 14th March. Well done self, it said.
The platform holder reckons its console is number one in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as it owns 42 per cent of the market in terms of life-to-date sales.
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Full Story: eurogamer.net
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Shane Kim On 360 Exclusives, Reliability, HD DVD, DRM issues and more
>> From gamedaily.com:
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Over the last few weeks we compiled your questions for Shane Kim, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Game Studios, and Kim was nice enough to turn them around in a timely manner.
* Any ideas what I should do with my HD DVD add on besides stare at it with deep regret and a feeling of disgust?
* While it is unfortunate that HD DVD was discontinued, there is still enjoyment to be had from your Xbox 360 HD DVD Player. You can take this as an opportunity to build out your movie collection! There are around 500 HD DVD movies to choose from and many at great deals, so there is a fair amount of content for HD DVD on the market. It also is a terrific DVD player and it allows you to have game discs and movie discs, whether HD DVD or DVD, within the console at one time. The HD DVD player also adds two additional USB ports to your console.
* What will the business model be for XNA games? How much will they cost and how do they forecast this competing with the games currently on XBLA?
* Right now we are really focused on a successful community games beta launch this spring where members of the XNA Creators Club will be able to create and test our community games pipeline. Later this summer we will provide full details on the business models for community games on Xbox LIVE, but I can tell you that we don't expect them to compete with XBLA games.
* What is Microsoft doing to remedy the DRM issues affecting those who have suffered the red ring of death? It's been over two months since I received my new console (unit #3) and I still cannot access content that was purchased with my original 360 while I'm offline. For people who do most of their gaming offline, it is extremely inconvenient. It has also caused me to hold off on future Live purchases for fear of going through this again should I suffer another hardware failure. It makes sense that if you've paid for DLC, you should be able to enjoy it online or off. When are we going to see a resolution?
* I can absolutely understand your frustration. Please know that we have taken major steps to address the hardware issues experienced by our customers so that they won't have to deal with this in the future. For people in your shoes, I think we have an amicable solution already in place. I recommend that you visit this for instructions. This process will only require you to connect to Xbox LIVE once to download the content again. Once you follow this process, you should be able to play previously downloaded content whether you are signed into Xbox LIVE or not. If for some reason this process does not work for you, please contact 1-800-4MY-XBOX.
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Full Story: gamedaily.com (2 pages)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Zune VideoX: Microsoft's iTunes killer?
>> From zdnet.com:
[QUOTE]
Zune Marketplace is no iTunes killer. But maybe Zune VideoX will (at least attempt to) be.
After recently hearing about Microsoft's grand entertainment-marketplace/service (codenamed eLive), now I'm getting word of yet another Microsoft entertainment marketplace, known currently as "Zune Video X" (for Video Experience).
Zune VideoX is not Zune Marketplace revisited, sources say. Instead, it is Microsoft's attempt to apply the lessons learned with the success of the Xbox Live Marketplace to the Zune market, said one source who asked not to be named. It would be a single hub where Zune users could buy and download music, videos, TV shows and more entertainment content.
Microsoft has been talking about building a unified entertainment marketplace for years. One such attempt was codenamed "Alexandria." Another is eLive, is supposedly a single, unified "entertainment marketplace" where consumers will be able to go to buy music, videogames, and other kinds of content that will work on Windows PCs, Xboxes, Zunes and Windows Mobile phones.
One of my sources believes eLive is dead and has been superseded by Zune VideoX.
"eLive was renamed and recrafted to Zune VideoX, and the eLive vision scaled down to focus on Zune," the source, who requested anonymity, said.
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Full Story: zdnet.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox360 Experimental Patches for Linux Kernel 2.6.24.3
>> New experimental patches have been released on free60.org for one of the latest linux kernel (2.6.24.3). This will allow the people running Linux on their Xbox 360 to upgrade to a newer kernel:
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Get the source for the Linux 2.6.24.3 Kernel from kernel.org (http://www.kernel.org/) and unpack it somewhere in your home directory.
cd
wget http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/linux-2.6.24.3.tar.bz2
tar -xvjf linux-2.6.24.3.tar.bz2
2. Download and apply the experimental Xenon patchset.
cd linux-2.6.24.3/
wget http://home.comcast.net/~ssmurf/linux-2.6.24.3-xenon.diff
patch -p1 < linux-2.6.24.3-xenon.diff
done
3. Configure the Kernel.
make ARCH=powerpc CROSS_COMPILE=powerpc64-unknown-linux-gnu- menuconfig
4. Build the Kernel by typing:
make ARCH=powerpc CROSS_COMPILE=powerpc64-unknown-linux-gnu- all
Or if you have ppu-gcc properly set-up: CROSS_COMPILE=ppu-
If everything goes well, you will end up with a file arch/powerpc/boot/zImage.xenon containing the kernel which can be loaded by the XeLL.
Remember, these patches are Experimental!
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Official Site: free60.org
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
XNA boss talks up Zune game concepts
>> From eurogamer.net:
[QUOTE]
XNA boss Chris Satchell has told Eurogamer that proof-of-concept game development for the handheld media device is progressing very nicely.
"That touchpad is great," said Satchell, who demonstrated a basic Zune shoot-'em-up called Zauri at GDC in February. "I'm used to mobile games and it's always terrible. Not the games, but the input. And so this sort of blew me away."
Another thing that excites Satchell at the moment is co-operative games played over Wi-Fi. "One of the things we talked about was the network play, and we've had people doing prototypes internally of multiplayer shoot-'em-ups both in versus and co-op," he said.
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Full Story: eurogamer.net
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Pachter: PS3 Outsold 360 in March
>> From next-gen.biz:
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PlayStation 3 outsold Xbox 360 for the third month in a row, but the Nintendo Wii overshot the combined sales of its rivals, according to Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter.
Ahead of March's NPD Group sales data, due to release this Thursday, Pachter forecast PS3 sales of 365,000 units, edging out sales of 310,000 for Xbox 360.
In a Monday investor note, Pachter predicted that Nintendo will come out on top for yet another month, with Wii sales of 700,000 during March's five-week retail period.
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Full Story: next-gen.biz
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Rumor: Microsoft Will Launch Own Retail Stores
>> From trustedreviews.com:
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It may not seem like something the general public has been crying out for, but Microsoft has apparently decided to begin opening its own retail stores.
Citing "our sources close to Microsoft", Fudzilla claims the Yahoo chaser desperately wants to establish a retail market presence to build interest and desirability around its products, much in the same way Apple has done so successfully.
A full catalogue of Microsoft only products will allegedly be stocked in these stores ranging from PC peripherals such as mice and webcams to its Zune MP3 player line, Xbox 360 games console, Windows Mobile based handsets and core software offerings.
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Full Story: trustedreviews.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
XLink Kai Updated to 7.3.1.3
>> Team XLink released a new version of XLink Kai(info). It is a global gaming network software that allows you to play system-link enabled games (on Xbox, Xbox360, PS3, PS2, PSP, ...) online for free:
[QUOTE]
We at Team XLink are delighted by the recent record setting increase in online player counts and are continuing to optimize our network and software to facilitate sustained growth.
In the past weeks, we have migrated our core services to a much faster server generously provided by MoxieColo. We have also updated our Orbital Code to access a separate back-end from our main page and forum--eliminating one single point of failure from our network operations.
More exciting, we are proud to present our latest update to the Kai Tunnelling system: Kai 7.3.1.3. Unlike previous updates, this will be a 'soft update' so we requests users uninstall their previous Kai installation and install the new version provided at the link below.
Among other features, this iteration of Kai boasts much faster performance, improved Vista support, and a streamlined update mechanism for improved security and stability. We have also added greater accessibility and usability options through enhanced support of Asian character sets (selectable via configuration) and user-selectable font resizing. Most importantly, however, this utilizes a retooled orbital selection mechanism which not only eases Kai network congestion but also makes connecting to Kai a faster and less cumbersome user experience.
Please take a moment to uninstall your current Kai installation and download / install the following: XLinkKai-7.3.1.3-win32.msi
This is the first step in a number of exciting updates we will be rolling out over the upcoming weeks.
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Official Site: http://teamxlink.co.uk
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