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Week of February 8, 2009
MS about Jan NPD: Xbox LIVE sees biggest month ever
>> From the MS press release:
[QUOTE]
January NPD results are in and Xbox 360 highlights include:
· Xbox 360 system sales hit 309,000, up 33 percent from a year earlier, as holiday momentum carries into 2009
· Xbox 360 claimed five of the top 10 titles in January, with more top-rated games available than on any other system
· Single biggest month ever for Xbox LIVE as record number of new members joined in January; exclusive game add-ons extend blockbuster experiences
Xbox 360 kicked off 2009 with a bang, posting record system sales for January of 309,000 units (January NPD data), a 33 percent jump from a year earlier. Sales were driven by Xbox 360's broad lineup of blockbuster video games, as well as Xbox LIVE, which saw more new members join than during any month in its history. The $199 Xbox 360 Arcade model also offers tremendous value for consumers looking to jump into next-generation interactive entertainment.
Games on Xbox 360
Xbox 360 games claimed five spots in the January top 10, including "Left 4 Dead," "Call of Duty: World at War," "Skate 2," "Lord of the Rings: Conquest," and "Gears of War 2" (January NPD data).
Sales of third-party games on Xbox 360 hit $139 million in January (January NPD data), with Xbox 360 generating more life-to-date sales at retail for third-party publishers than competing consoles. With 132 Xbox 360 titles rated 80 or higher on Metacritic, compared to 90 for PS3 and 42 for Wii (Metacritic data), it's no wonder that Xbox 360 owners lead the industry in game purchases, having bought an average of 8.1 games each.
Xbox LIVE Records Highest Member Growth in History
January was also a banner month for Xbox LIVE as more people joined than in any previous month in its history. A total of more than 17 million people are now active members of the industry-leading service, which features a vast selection of downloadable games, game add-ons, movies and TV shows of any device connected to the TV.
Consumers Get More Entertainment on Xbox LIVE
· More than 1 million Xbox LIVE members now enjoying Netflix's streaming video service
· Each household has watched an average of 16 movies over the service
· Xbox 360 is the only place to get the complete storylines for hit games like "Grand Theft Auto IV" and "Fallout 3"
· "Fable II Knothole Island" and "Fallout 3 Operation: Anchorage" were two of the top performers for game add-ons in the month of January
· The "Halo Wars" demo, released on February 5, set a day-one record for the most demo downloads on Xbox LIVE; with more than 2 million downloads in the first week, it was one of the top demo downloads of all time on the service
· "The Lost and Damned" arrives February 17 for the highest-rated game of all time, "Grand Theft Auto IV", only on Xbox LIVE
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(Friday 13 February 2009 19:00 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Halo Wars Demo on Xbox LIVE Sees Record Download Numbers
>> From the MS press release:
[QUOTE]
Anticipation around the upcoming release of "Halo Wars" is mounting. The demo, which was released on Xbox LIVE on Feb. 5, quickly set the day-one record for the most demo downloads on the service, and in just its first five days, has been downloaded by more than 2 million Xbox LIVE Gold members around the world.
The "Halo Wars" demo introduces players to the game's groundbreaking control scheme through two tutorials, gives a taste of the epic story with the first two campaign missions, and allows people to experience the intense, competitive action offered via one of the game's 14 Skirmish maps. The demo is now available to Xbox LIVE Silver members.
New "Halo Wars" content doesn't stop there, as the third video documentary in an exciting seven-part video series, titled "Strategy on Xbox" is available today. The team behind "Halo Wars" invites you to see how the game was conceived and how they "cracked" strategy games for the console. This latest episode also provides insider tips so players can fully realize the devastating potential of the UNSC and Covenant units at their command. Just released today, the newest episode of the "Halo Wars" video documentary series is available for download on Xbox LIVE Marketplace or can be viewed at Xbox.com/Halo.
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(Friday 13 February 2009 12:53 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
January NPD: 360 309.0K, PS3 203.2K, Wii 679.2K
>> Here are the NPD stats for January 2009:
* Wii - 679.2K
* Nintendo DS - 510.8K
* Xbox 360 - 309.0K
* PlayStation 3 - 203.2K
* PSP - 172.3K
* PlayStation 2 - 101.2K
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(Thursday 12 February 2009 22:15 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Jamcast Beta 1 - Streaming Media Server for 360 and XBMC
>> From the press release:
[QUOTE]
Software Development Solutions, Inc. is proud announce the first beta release of Jamcast, a Windows-based streaming media server for use with the Xbox 360 and XBMC.
Features in the Jamcast Beta 1 release include:
* Windows Media DRM playback support (Xbox 360 only)
* Virtual PC Audio Streaming: play whatever you hear on your PC to your Xbox
* Comprehensive audio codec support: MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, OGG, AAC, ALAC,
AIFF, SHN
* On-demand transcoding: all supported audio formats will play on your Xbox
* Real-time library sync keeps your catalog up-to-date without taxing your
PC
* Integrated podcast/OPML support
* Easy installation and intuitive configuration GUI
* Plug-in framework and SDK
* UPnP/DLNA compliant -- works with your other devices too!
[/QUOTE]
Official Site/Download: http://www.sdstechnologies.com/
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(Thursday 12 February 2009 20:11 EST) - (Category: Xbox_Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Aliens Vs Predator Xbox1 Port
>> SirLemonhead released a port of Aliens Vs Predator for Xbox1 on our forums:
[QUOTE]
This is an unofficial port of the PC version of Aliens Vs Predator to the Xbox. Fox Interactive / Rebellion have nothing to do with this so please do not contact them for support on this port.
This port is designed to be used with the Gold Edition of Aliens Vs Predator only. The original of Aliens Vs Predator will be supported soon hopefully.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: n/a, by SirLemonhead
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
Full Readme: xbins.org
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(Wednesday 11 February 2009 22:09 EST) - (Category: Xbox) - (Posted by::
)
Infectus2 and Lite-on Solution
>> From infectus.biz:
[QUOTE]
A nice tutorial is available online "HOW TO INSTALL INFECTUS2 ON MS28 SAMSUNG DRIVERS AND USE IT ON LITEON CONSOLES"
There are many people asking for a modchip dual firmware for Lite-On consoles, specially to go online with the original firmware and not with the hacked one.
The only solution is to install a MS28 driver with an Infectus2 dual firmware.
The installers are able to offer a modchip solution for all Lite-On users.
[/QUOTE]
Check out the tutorial: English | Italian
Official Site: infectus.biz
Buy Infectus2: divineo.com | gocybershopping.com
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(Wednesday 11 February 2009 20:09 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox 360 ads banned over small print
>> From computerandvideogames.com:
[QUOTE]
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an advert for Xbox 360's video download service, because it didn't clarifying the 14-day expiration of period of downloaded films.
Small print in the TV ad, which we're assuming is one of those lifestyle 'spinning head' ones, mentions that the service requires a £169.99 Xbox 360 with a hard drive, but fails to note that movies expire after 14 days and 24 hours once you've watched them.
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Full Story: computerandvideogames.com
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(Wednesday 11 February 2009 15:23 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Gentlemen, start your next-generation game console rumors
>> From venturebeat.com:
[QUOTE]
Demerjian [the Inquirer] says Intel has paid to secure a place for its new graphics chip, code-named Larrabee, in Sony's next-generation console. He says that Advanced Micro Devices has locked up a graphics chip deal to get into the Xbox 360's successor. And he thinks that, while not confirmed, AMD will also win the graphics chip for the Wii 2.
On Thursday, David Shippy, co-author of The Race for a New Game Machine, shared some interesting thoughts with me. Shippy was chief architect of the PowerPC core used in both Sony's Cell microprocessor and Microsoft's Waternoose processor in the Xbox 360. He believes the next consoles are going to combine both the CPU and the GPU in the same chip, right off the bat. Silicon process technology will move so far by that time that both Sony and Microsoft will likely have moved to combine the graphics chip and microprocessor into a single chip in the PS 3 and the Xbox 360. To make this happen, Sony has to get IBM and Nvidia to co-design a single chip for the PS 3, and Microsoft has to get AMD and IBM to do the same for the Xbox 360. This is likely in the contracts, but it's easier said than done.
This means that the companies that are likely to win the deals are the ones with both graphics and microprocessor technology -- AMD and Intel. By 2011, Intel will launch its 22-nanometer manufacturing process. That means it will be able to fit about four times more transistors, or basic electrical circuits, on a chip by that time than it can today. Hence, it be easier to do combo chips by 2012, for sure.
It is indeed going to be a tough road for Nvidia. But for two generations now, Nvidia has managed to get into a console. Why? One of the reasons is that some teams -- even at the giant IBM -- get stretched really thin if they try to serve all three masters at the same time, as Shippy pointed out in his book.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: venturebeat.com
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(Tuesday 10 February 2009 21:01 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox Live Multiplayer Goes Free For GTA IV Expansion Week
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
Celebrating the release of Grand Theft Auto IV's Xbox 360-exclusive episode, The Lost and Damned, Microsoft will make its Xbox Live multiplayer service -- usually reserved for Gold members -- available free when playing GTA IV or its expansion that week.
The limited and unprecedented promotion begins on February 17th, when The Lost and Damned releases through Xbox Live for $19.99, and ends five days later on February 22nd.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: gamasutra.com
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(Tuesday 10 February 2009 13:36 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Microsoft: We won't sacrifice original IP
>> From gamesindustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
As the overarching economic conditions continue to bite, much has been said about the plight of original IP - and that it's under threat as consumers spend on what they know best, and publishers look to reduce risks on unknown quantities.
But Microsoft has no intention of sacrificing its "focus on exciting IP" and will continue to invest in innovation in order to emerge from any ongoing recession in a "healthy" state.
That's according to EMEA VP for the corporation's Interactive Entertainment Business, Chris Lewis, speaking in the first part of an interview published on GamesIndustry.biz today.
"I think you'll see some [IP under threat], yes - but I also think, and I can only really speak with authority about our own games development work, be very confident we'll continue to innovate, and focus on exciting IP for the future," he said.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: gamesindustry.biz
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(Monday 09 February 2009 15:17 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
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