Category: Xbox 360

Xbox 360 Fall 2012 Dashboard Update Available

Microsoft has started rolling out the Fall 2012 Xbox 360 dashboard update. The revision carries a number of new features. One anticipated feature that won’t be included is SmartGlass integration, which will be available when Windows 8 launches on October 26, 2012. As for what you can experience today, here’s the laundry list from Major Nelson:

Refreshed Xbox 360 Dashboard. We’ve updated the UI with a few things, including an updated layout with more tiles, a combined TV & Movies channel and, in the US, a Sports destination.
Internet Explorer for Xbox. With Internet Explorer on Xbox, you can easily find and view internet content on the biggest screen in the house, including HTML5 videos.
Recommendations and Ratings. Recommendations will allow you to discover new favorites, generated based on a number of variables including the content you previously viewed, what your friends are consuming and what is most relevant and popular with our Xbox community. You can now rate content yourself and also see Rotten Tomatoes ratings.
Pinning. Pinning lets you personalize the dashboard by saving your favorite movies, TV shows, games, music, videos and websites right to the home screen. It’s as easy as opening an app or a favorite movie and clicking “pin.”
Xbox Video. Formerly called Zune Video Marketplace, Xbox Video offers hundreds of thousands of TV shows and movies for buying or renting in instant HD streaming.
Recent. Previously called Quick Play, the Recent view gives you a list of movies, games, apps or other types of content that you most recently accessed on the console.
Enhanced Search. The last Xbox LIVE update brought Bing voice search to Xbox so you could use voice to search for movies, TV shows, actors, directors and artists. This year we added genre search to the list, so now you can search for action, comedy, romance, drama or sci-fi. Bing voice search now includes results for video across the Web, including YouTube.
International Expansion of Voice Search. We’ve expanded our Kinect voice search capabilities to 9 new countries — Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Ireland.

Like you, I’m terribly excited to speak to my Xbox 360 in Canadian, eh?

After you’ve downloaded the update, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. When you have a chance, please let me know what new features tickle your fancy…and also the ones that tickle the fancy of other people in your household. Personally, I try not to tickle fancies unless…oh never never mind.

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This Week’s Videogame Releases

It’s a pretty solid week for new games. Leading the way is Doom III BFG, edition. If you don’t know much about this rerelease then be sure to watch Justin’s interview above. James Bond fans will want to get ready for the upcoming Skyfall with 007 Legends. Any Vita owners out there looking for Halloween frights? If so then Silent Hill: Book of Memories will scare you good. Looking for a quirky Japanese RPG with a distinct art style? Mugen Souls is just what the doctor ordered. Lastly, if you’re a PlayStation Plus member then be sure to take advantage of early access to The Unfinished Swan. It’s such a beautiful and unique game.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

Microsoft Tightens Rules For Gameplay Video Posting

[Update: 9:01AM PT] Have you amassed a large YouTube following and earned some sweet ad dollars by posting clips of your dazzling Halo runs? If so then prepare to have your revenue stream shut off because it seems that Microsoft isn’t down with having people profit from posting clips of its games. Digital Trends has found a clause in the company’s updated “game content usage rules” that restricts gamers from earning money from posting videos of Microsoft games. Check it out:

Microsoft grants you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use and display Game Content and to create derivative works based upon Game Content, strictly for your noncommercial and personal use.

While this doesn’t stop people from creating and posting well-edited and clever videos of Microsoft games, it does prevent them from making money on such clips. It’s a curious move. Certainly there will be some outspoken gamers — particularly in the large Halo community — that will scream at the large corporation “mistreating” its fans. Microsoft also gets free marketing from people that put together slick clips of its games. While I understand that the company wants to control and protect its properties, this seems like a bad move on several levels.

What do you think of Microsoft’s new restrictions on gameplay videos?

Update: Here’ s part of a post from the Halo forums that clarifies the new rules. According to a company rep, nothing has really changed:

The majority of everything the community makes currently is fine, as long as they are not basically running a big Halo-based business or using Halo as if the IP was its own property. That actually isn’t a change to our policy, simply a clarification and update of the dry legal language, and as we’ve mentioned, even that “new” language was actually updated months ago. We don’t have squads of lawyers waiting in the wings to go after folks making machinima, or showing off their skills in Halo. Basically it’s business as usual.

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This Week’s Videogame Releases

This week is packed full of awesome games. Harvey Smith’s Dishonored has been getting fantastic reviews. I’ve been high on this game since E3 2012 and I’m jazzed by its critical reception. XCOM: Enemy Unknown has also been high on my list of 2012 games. This sci-fi strategy game has an old-school feel and stands out in today’s market — very sweet blend of retro gameplay with modern trappings. Pokemon Black and White Version 2 is out, ready to entertain millions of Pokemon trainers. Fable: The Journey brings one of Microsoft’s most popular franchises to the arm-flapping world of Kinect. Adding to the motion madness is Harry Potter for Kinect, which offers mainstream entertainment for muggles, witches, and wizards. Lastly, Code of Princess is a slick action-RPG that could be one of the sleeper hits of the year.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

Watch Debates on Xbox Live, Get Halo 4 Warrior Armor Avatar

Did you watch last night’s presidential debate through Xbox Live? If you’re a Halo fan then you should have, because you’ll have the chance to win the Halo 4 warrior armor avatar. In a clever marketing ploy, Microsoft is giving away the avatar to one of its most popular games to Xbox Live members that watch three out of the four debates through Xbox Live’s election 2012 hub. It’s a cool way to get young people interested in the election.

The offer is available to Xbox Live Gold members only. For full details, check out Major Nelson’s post on the promo.

What do you think of Microsoft using its most popular videogame franchise to get people to watch the presidential and vice presidential debates? Are you going to watch the future debates through Xbox Live to get some sweet Halo 4 duds for your dolly avatar?

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This Week’s Videogame Releases

A trio of interesting games hits store shelves this week. Leading the way is Resident Evil 6, which has been met with mixed reviews. Some critics are loving the game while others are kind of “meh” on it. It’s almost time for NBA basketball! To help you get ready for some NBA action, which by the way is fantastic, is NBA 2K13. The PlayStation Vita gets the next installment of one of the most underrated and under-appreciated games this console generation in New Little King’s Story. Hopefully Vita fans give this game some love.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

It’s a pretty loaded week for videogames! Fans of fighting and scantily-clad women will want to pick up Dead or Alive 5. If football is more your thing then FIFA 13 — available on pretty much every platform known to man — will do you good. Pro Evolution Soccer 13 doesn’t have the broad availability of its competitor, but many football fans I know think its the better series. Do you love birds and hate pigs? If so then Angry Birds Trilogy should be right up your alley. A few of my writer friends were surprised by The Testament of Sherlock Holmes. Wipeout 3 should satisfy fans of high-speed racing. I usually don’t include PC games on this list, but World of Warcraft: Mists of Panderia is simply too big to ignore.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

Dragon Age III: Inquisition Details Confirmed

BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah has written a blog post on Dragon Age III: Inquisition. Sadly, it has nothing to do with the lovely musical number from History of the World, Part I. Here’s some of what Darrah had to confirm:

  • The next game will be called Dragon Age III: Inquisition.
  • We won’t be talking about the story of the game today. Though you can make some guesses from the title.
  • This game is being made by a lot of the same team that has been working on Dragon Age since Dragon Age: Origins. It’s composed of both experienced BioWare veterans and talented new developers.
  • We are working on a new engine which we believe will allow us to deliver a more expansive world, better visuals, more reactivity to player choices, and more customization. At PAX East, we talked about armor and followers… Yeah, that kind of customization. We’ve started with Frostbite 2 from DICE as a foundation to accomplish this.

As a BioWare mark and a fan of the series, I can’t wait for Dragon Age III. While I understood the second installment’s shortcomings, I liked it quite a bit and felt that its criticisms were overblown. One area where the criticism is warranted is its graphics. The majority of BioWare games have had average, though not necessarily bad, graphics. Dragon Age was no exception. I’m looking forward to seeing what DICE’s Frostbite 2 engine (used in Battlefield 3) bring to the table.

The game is slated for a Q4 2013 release. Any of you psyched for Dragon Age III: Inquisition?

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This Week’s Videogame Releases

There’s not a lot out this week, but the quality should more than make up for the quantity. Borderlands 2 is set to pick up where the critically-acclaimed original left off. One of the most exciting and popular new franchises this console generation, Borderlands thrilled fans with RPG-infused action and a distinct art style. Fighting game aficionados will want to pick up the Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collector’s Set. In addition to the great games in the series, this bundle includes a documentary, soundtracks, an art book, and a statue of world warrior Ryu (it lights up!).

Any of you picking up new games this week?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

The traditional summer drought has come to a close! Leading this week’s new releases is Tekken Tag Tournament 2. Fighting game fans and tournament players alike are amped for another dose of Tekken action. If you prefer balling to bashing then check out NBA Baller Beats. This Xbox Kinect game uses a real basketball as a controller. Watch Justin play the game and get the skinny from the producer in the video above. Fans of traditional sports games will want to pick up NHL 13. If you’re LTTP on the latest Battlefield game then Battlefield 3 Premium Edition will bring you the game and all the DLC in one convenient package. Lastly, Nintendo’s lovable pink puff celebrates his 20th birthday with Kirby’s Dream Collection: Special Edition.

Any of you picking up new games this week?