Games Galore » Microsoft Xbox Live

Microsoft: We did not ban 1 million Xbox Live members

Satan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:21:57 +0000

Microsoft: We did not ban 1 million Xbox Live members

Microsoft has stated that they did not ban as many as 1 million Xbox Live members for connecting to the service using a modded Xbox 360 gaming console.

A company representative said: “We didn’t release the number. I cannot explain to you why people would think it was a million people. It wasn’t a million people. These were people that were pirating software. We try to keep sanctity of life from a safety and anti-cheating perspective and we protect our partners…I think we do a really good job understanding what people are doing on the system. That applies to intellectual property and how we treat the community in terms of harassment. We are committed to making it better and better.”

Microsoft does not allow owners of modded gaming console to connect to the Xbox Live service.

Once a console is banned, it cannot be used to connect to the online services again. Gamer has to get himself a new unit to continue playing online.

Microsoft Xbox 360 social networking update releasing on November 17

Sukhdeep — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:47:36 +0000

Microsoft Xbox 360 social networking update releasing on November 17

Microsoft Xbox Live general manager, Marc Whitten has confirmed that the company would release the much talked about update to the Xbox 360 gaming console on November 17.

This update would add support for social networking services Facebook, Twitter, and Last.FM.

Gamers would get the ability to convert their Facebook friends to Xbox Live contacts for better integration.

Whitten said: “We look at things like Facebook and Twitter as amazing social experiences, but also entertainment. We didn’t want to copy and paste from the PC. It’s going to be great for current users, but it’s also great for new users who can see who is on Facebook and get their first 30 friends on Live.”

Microsoft might have banned 1 million Xbox Live players for modding their consoles

Sukhdeep — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:23:18 +0000

Microsoft might have banned 1 million Xbox Live players for modding their consoles

Industry sources are claiming that Microsoft has banned as many as 1 million gamers from their Xbox Live network.

These users have been banned for connecting to the network with modified consoles which are capable of running pirated game discs.

Microsoft forbids access to Xbox Live if you are using a modded console.

Sources say that this ban could have been enforced on such a large scale because of the upcoming launch of the new Call of Duty game.

Trials HD on Microsoft Xbox Live Arcade looks very nice

Sukhdeep — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:26:39 +0000

Trials HD on Microsoft Xbox Live Arcade looks very nice

Last.fm coming to Microsoft Xbox Live network

Satan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:58:03 +0000

Last.fm coming to Microsoft Xbox Live network

Microsoft had announced last month that they are soon going to bring Last.fm on their Xbox Live service.

Joystiq has posted some details on the new developments.

They had a word with Christina DeRosa who is a general manager at Microsoft.

She had this to say:

“Silver users will be able access what we’re considering a trial period of three hours a month, which comes with video advertising. Gold users will have unlimited ad-supported access, so they can use it 24 hours a day. There will also be a premium offering on a subscription basis from Last.fm, that will be commercial free and will also have more sophisticated personalization features, like Loved Tracks.”

Checkout: Last.fm on XBL: free to gold subscribers, 3 hours per month for others

Max Payne games now on Microsoft Xbox Live

Satan — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 06:24:27 +0000

Max Payne games now on Microsoft Xbox Live

Rockstar Games has announced that they are now offering both Max Payne 1 and 2 on the Microsoft Xbox Live service.

Both of these games are being offered as Xbox Originals and they are on sale for 1200 MS Points, or $15.

Max Payne 3 is scheduled to be launched later this year.

Incidentally, the original copies of the games can be acquired online for less money. That sounds like a better deal considering you also get them on physical media.

Checkout: Max Payne

Amazon Xbox Live store launched

Satan — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 19:58:48 +0000

Amazon Xbox Live store launched

US based online retailing giant Amazon continues to enhance their game retail services.

Amazon has now launched their own Xbox Live game store which allows the gamers to purchase titles using cash.

Till now, gamers had to buy Microsoft Points to purchase games from Xbox Live.

Amazon is currently offering around 100 titles.

This is surprisingly the first third party service that is selling Xbox Live games.

They are also offering the option to gamers to purchase Microsoft Points if they prefer that mode to buy games.

Microsoft spoke about the launch of this service: “With the overwhelming success of our existing Xbox LIVE Marketplace, it is clear that the 17 million active and engaged members of the Xbox LIVE community enjoy digital access to entertainment content. Now we’re happy to be extending our storefront to Amazon.com, a cutting-edge online retailer who is helping make digital distribution more mainstream.”

Checkout: Amazon Xbox Live Store

The Pitt is back on Xbox Live

Satan — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:11:52 +0000

The Pitt is back on Xbox Live

Bethesda has announced that they have made their title The Pitt available again on the Microsoft Xbox Live service.

It was earlier removed after the company received too many complaints about the problems in the original version.

The developers said that the new version is now clean and ready to be consumed.

Bethesda said in a blog post about this new development:

“The English version of The Pitt is now available for download on Xbox Live. If you downloaded the (corrupted) file that was originally available, you will need to delete it before downloading the new version.”

Checkout: The Pitt

Microsoft Xbox 360 had a smashing 2008

Sukhdeep — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:01:28 +0000

Microsoft Xbox 360 had a smashing 2008

US based software giant Microsoft has stated that they had a smash hit year in 2008.

The company sold more Xbox 360 than ever before.

Overall, Microsoft said that they have sold 28 million consoles since its launch three years ago.

However, it still fails to match the sales of Nintendo Wii which has become the winner of current generation console war.

But it still is a major victory as they managed to overcome the challenge posed by Sony PlayStation 3.

Microsoft added that its Xbox Live online community now numbers 17 million members.

It added: “For Xbox, 2008 will be remembered around the world as a pivotal growth year at retail and online — even in the face of tough economic conditions.”

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned coming to Xbox 360

Satan — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:25:36 +0000

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned coming to Xbox 360

Rockstar Games has now announced confirmed details about their upcoming downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV.

They have named this new update Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned.

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned would feature a new story and a new protagonist.

Rockstar is also adding new weapons, vehicles, music and multiplayer modes in this release.

Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games said: “Making these episodes has enabled us to expand the narrative and the experience of interacting with a game world in really innovative ways. We hope fans of the game enjoy the new way of experiencing life in Liberty City contained in this first episode.”

They did not however reveal the pricing of this downloadable content for the GTA 4.