XBOX360 USB Pro
Archive for the ‘XBOX Live Service’ Category
October 14th, 2010 | 
Author: From joystiq.com:
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It looks like our brilliant plan to stop playing Halo 2 (which was helped along by Microsoft’s removal of Live support for Xbox 1 games) worked! According to a deleted Facebook announcement from Xbox Germany, the friend list cap on Xbox Live is being boosted from a paltry 100 to a ridiculous 1,000.
Strangely, neither the embiggened friend list cap nor the “Finder tab” are present in our preview version of the upcoming Dashboard update.
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Full Story: joystiq.com
Posted in 
From arstechnica.com:
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Massive was Microsoft’s push into video game advertising and, since we live in an ad-filled world and games seek to mimic that reality, it seemed like a good fit. According to a report by Media Week however, the company has long been troubled, and will soon be shutting its doors.
The problem? Microsoft would rather advertise in Xbox Live, where it doesn’t have to split the profits with publishers. EA recently pulled its business from Massive in order to sell ads internally. It’s not that you will be seeing less advertising in games, it just seems as if those making large bets on in-game ads would simply rather keep larger cuts for themselves.
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Full Story: arstechnica.com
From xbox.com:
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Purchase at least 2400 Microsoft Points [30USD] worth of Xbox LIVE Arcade and/or Game add-on content between 12:01 A.M. Eastern Standard Time (EST) October 1 and 11:59 pm EST October 31, 2010 and receive 800 Microsoft Points [10USD] added automatically to your membership. Limit one gift per person. The free points will be deposited automatically into your Xbox LIVE account after the end of the promotion period. Please allow four weeks for delivery, on or around November 30, 2010.
Offer available Worldwide in all Xbox LIVE countries, excluding Japan, Italy, and France, while supplies last, is non-transferable, not redeemable for cash, and cannot be combined with any other offer.
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Full Story: xbox.com
From the MS press release (letter from Marc Whitten – corporate vice president of Xbox Live):
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Just three months ago at E3 2010, I shared with you the latest entertainment experiences coming to Xbox LIVE, including ESPN and Zune music. Today, I?m excited that tens of thousands of you will receive an advanced look at these new experiences through the Xbox LIVE Preview program.
What you?ll find is that we?re continuing to bring you amazing content to enjoy on Xbox LIVE, we?re making your entertainment social and interactive, and we?re continuing to refine and build on our best experiences.
With this update, we are adding 3,500 live and on-demand sporting events per year, including out of market games, from ESPN3.com and 11 million music tracks from Zune at launch in the US. We are also adding Netflix search to existing features like movie parties to ensure Xbox LIVE continues to be the best way to enjoy Netflix.
With ESPN on Xbox LIVE, available to members in the US, we?re building in interactive features that will let you keep up on the latest scores from around the sports world without leaving the game you?re watching, follow your favorite leagues, predict a winner and see how the rest of the community voted on a particular game. The social nature of our LIVE platform will let you voice chat with up to seven friends on the other coast while watching the big game as if they were sitting next to you in the stadium.
Last year, we delivered tens of thousands of videos instantly in up to 1080p HD to Xbox 360 for the first time, and this fall with the expansion of the Zune music experience on Xbox LIVE, members in the US, U.K., France, Italy and Spain can enjoy unlimited, instant streaming of millions of songs via a Zune Pass music subscription and see what their friends are listening to on the largest screen in the house. What?s better is that you?ll be able to enjoy Zune music and video across your Xbox 360 console, PC and, this holiday, Windows Phone 7.
Also included in this Xbox LIVE update is the launch of Netflix on Xbox LIVE in Canada, a refreshed Xbox LIVE dashboard and updated Xbox LIVE Family Settings so you can help choose the right play and viewing settings for your family.
But this is only the beginning. With the launch of Kinect for Xbox 360, I truly believe that the best of Xbox LIVE will become extraordinary. This amazing technology will allow you, your friends, and family to navigate ESPN, Zune, Sky Player, and Last.fm on Xbox LIVE with just the sound of your voice and the wave of your hand.
I?m also excited to confirm that Video Kinect will integrate with Windows Live Messenger at launch, so Xbox LIVE members can video chat with hundreds of millions of PC users around the world. Video Kinect will use Kinect to bring the people you care about right into your living room without a headset, and adjust automatically to capture everyone in the room.
Every year we?ve pushed ourselves to deliver the best games and entertainment, and I?m incredibly proud of my team, and what we?re delivering to Xbox LIVE this fall. Our goal is to continue innovating and delivering experiences that are meaningful to you. So you can enjoy the entertainment you want, with the people you care about, in a simple way. Keep playing, keep sharing, and keep pushing us.
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From the MS press release:
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Brands are jumping in to a new era of engaging and connecting with consumers. Microsoft Advertising today announced at Advertising Week 2010 that a full lineup of forward-thinking companies is bringing its brands to Kinect for Xbox 360, the new controller-free gaming and entertainment experience that responds to body movement and transforms how people play, entertain and connect with family members and friends. Chevrolet, Sprint and T-Mobile USA Inc. will each launch respective ad campaigns throughout the Kinect console experience, ?Kinect Sports,? ?Kinect Adventures? and ?Kinect Joy Ride? game titles.
?With Kinect for Xbox 360, we are removing the last barrier to interactive television ? the controller,? said Mark Kroese, general manager of the Interactive Entertainment Advertising Business Group at Microsoft. ?We have seen tremendous momentum from the advertising community, including big campaigns from Chevrolet, Sprint and T-Mobile. These visionary marketers are leading the entertainment revolution with ground-breaking campaigns that are highly engaging.?
Advertising campaigns will commence with the much-anticipated North America launch of Kinect on Nov. 4:
* Chevrolet. As announced in June, Chevrolet is the first automaker to launch a multiscreen ad campaign that allows consumers to test-drive Chevrolet vehicles in ?Kinect Joy Ride,? the first controller-free racing game from Microsoft Game Studios. When Kinect for Xbox 360 launches this fall, consumers will have the opportunity to take the test-drive concept to a new level by driving the Chevrolet Volt in ?Kinect Joy Ride.? Also, after viewing the video advertisement in-dash on Xbox LIVE or on the Web, consumers will be able to unlock and download Chevrolet Cruze, Camaro and Corvette cars to drive in the game. Chevrolet will then kick off the new year with an ad campaign in the Kinect Hub showcasing the same vehicles.
* Sprint. As a longstanding and pioneering Xbox LIVE advertiser, Sprint understands the value of connecting with the Xbox community. This fall, Sprint is sponsoring the launch of ?Kinect Adventures? with a co-branded retail experience on Xbox LIVE and a sponsored contest in which ?Kinect Adventures? players have the chance to get their pictures featured on Xbox LIVE. Consumers attending New York Comic Con can play ?Kinect Adventures? at the Sprint booth.
* T-Mobile. Another Xbox advertising pioneer, T-Mobile is taking advantage of the immersive user experience in ?Kinect Sports? with fixed product placement throughout the games including volleyball net signage, custom bowling balls and foam fingers held by the arena audience. T-Mobile is further supporting the game title through a sponsorship on the Xbox 360 console. Xbox members can visit a website on the dashboard to access exclusive video content and participate in the first launch weekend Play & Win contest with prizes including Family Gold memberships. Also, during the holidays T-Mobile will support ?Kinect Sports? Play & Win programs with two Xbox Family Game Nights in November and January.
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From techradar.com:
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It has been confirmed that Sky Player on the Xbox 360 will indeed work with Kinect ? Microsoft’s new-fangled motion controller ? when it launches in the UK.
Microsoft has always been adamant that Kinect is not just about gaming, but an entirely new way to control everything on your console, which includes services like Sky Player.
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Full Story: techradar.com
From majornelson.com:
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I am happy to announce that we?re doing an Xbox 360 System Update Preview program for our next release, and the opportunity to sign up is now available. The Preview Program will give you the chance to check out ESPN on Xbox LIVE, Zune music, Netflix search, the new Xbox LIVE dashboard, and new updates to Zune video and Family Settings on your Xbox 360*. Much like we did last year, you?ll need to visit the Microsoft Connect site from this link and sign in with your Windows LIVE ID that is connected to your Xbox LIVE Gamertag. Once you complete the survey that is presented to you, the Connect site will notify you immediately if you?ve been accepted. A couple of points before you head off to register:
* We?re looking for multiple thousands of participants, so your chances of making it in are good.
* This is not for Kinect. You will not be receiving a Kinect sensor if you are chosen to participate.
* This opportunity is open to all Xbox LIVE Members in regions where Xbox LIVE is available.
* To avoid any problems, read the survey carefully and double check all the information your provide.
* While both Xbox LIVE Gold and Silver members can sign up, Priority will be given to Gold members in the selection process.
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News-Source: majornelson.com
The (beta) Kinect Xbox360 dashboard v2.0.12416.0 with avatars has been leaked on the internet.
If you want to install this on your Xbox360, keep in mind it will disable your Xbox Live access until the dashboard is officially released. MS will only give LIVE access with this new dash if you are actually a beta-tester, anyone else will be refused access. And of course don’t run this update on a jtag’able 360.
How to install:
1.) Extract the contents of 20124160_BETA.rar
2.) Put the $SystemUpdate folder in the root of a CD or USB Stick (Must be FAT or Fat32 formatted)
3.) Insert the CD or USB Stick into your Xbox 360 console.
4.) You will be automatically prompted to update with a USB stick, with a CD / DVD it should say Mixed Media Disc, power down the 360 and power it on again. You should be ask to update before the 360 boots to the dashboard.
5.) Once the update is complete your Xbox 360 will restart then boot up to the new dashboard. Enjoy!
News-Source: digiex.net
From businessinsider.com:
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Now that Xbox is a profitable, established brand, why not spin it out as its own company, where it has to fend for itself and it can innovate without worrying about the bureaucracy of a massive parent corporation?
We put the question to one of Xbox’s founders, Kevin Bachus. His response: Xbox is a really good fit for Microsoft, now more than ever, as tech companies start fighting for the living room, and expanding their mobile gaming on smartphones.
Today, Xbox has earned its own spot in the world of gaming. It doesn’t need Microsoft to gain consumer trust.
But, in a slightly ironic twist, Microsoft needs Xbox more than ever before.
While Xbox might look like an odd duck from the outside, it’s quickly becoming an integral part of the business. Spinning it out now, when it’s about to be more important than ever makes no sense.
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Full Story: businessinsider.com
From computerandvideogames.com:
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Valve boss Gabe Newell has called his company’s assumptions over Xbox Live “such a train wreck”.
When asked if its mistake on Xbox Live was to assume Microsoft would let Valve update its games more often, Newell said:
“We thought that there would be something that would emerge, because we figured it was a sort of untenable… Oh yeah, we understand that these are the rules now, but it’s such a train wreck that something will have to change.”
Microsoft has a notoriously closed approach to its online service compared to PSN, with developers allowed as little as one free title update (though there are exceptions) and limitations on the amount of free game content they can release.
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Full Story: computerandvideogames.com
