As the economy continues to flounder, it seems no one is immune from its bite. Sega of America and Microsoft are the latest video game maker to announce layoffs.
Sega has let 30 people go in an effort to streamline its operations and reduce costs. Sega has issued an official statement about the move: “Sega of America has grown at pace with the booming videogame industry, but at this time of economic recession, harsh retail landscape, and the reality of business challenges to profitability, we must take steps to reduce our cost structure and ensure long-term success."
Sega joins a long and ever-growing list of video game and related companies that have announced layoffs. Some of the more notable firms to slice their staff numbers have included Midway, EA, Funcom and Sony. Microsoft also announced it will let up to 5,000 go across many of its departments.
Although I don’t have a crystal ball to predict what will happen tomorrow, next week or next year, it is interesting to note that Nintendo has been largely quiet in this economic downturn. In fact, some industry writers and analysts say that company is actually experiencing somewhat of a boom.
In Canada alone, the Wii sold nearly 700,000 units without Christmas season sales. About 10.2 million consoles sold in America.
If Nintendo is any indication, the companies that will do well in this recession are those that are lean, mean and offer products that provide not only entertainment, but also value. While it’s hard to find good news in the recession, if anything, maybe a return to good old fashion value for money invested will be witnessed more in the gaming world and outside of it, as well.
As the next-generation console race leaves Sony’s PlayStation 3 in the dust the problem is not with the console, it’s with the price tag. With a starting price of $399, the console’s bells and whistles just haven’t been enough to move the PS3 off the shelves. This could change in April.
According to industry analyst Michael Pachter from Wedbush Morgan Securities, Sony is likely to drop the price of the console to a sweet $299. This would better position it against the Wii and the Xbox 360 in terms of investment.
“Once the PS3 is at a more affordable price point, we think that sales of that device will once again begin to grow,” Pachter is quoted as saying.
Pachter is convinced the price cut is necessary to make the PS3 more attractive in a market where consumers are forced to hang on to every penny they have. He also expects Microsoft to drop pricing on its Xbox 360 even more.
If Pachter is right, 2009 could shape up to be an interesting year for gamers who have yet to jump on the next-gen bandwagon.
The question is whether or not a PS3 price cut would come soon enough to balance out the financial losses Sony has faced, in part, due to the PS3. The console costs almost $450 to make, which means game sales would have to be extremely high to make up for the loss of another $100 in entry price.
Add to this the prediction that Microsoft will further slash the 360’s price and it might just turn out to be an even bigger hit for Sony. While it technically has the most impressive of the next-gen machines, players still want value. The 360 already offers this with its most recent price tag sweetening the deal. Put another cut out there and Sony could be very hard-pressed to compete.
Although a price cut would make the PS3 a whole lot more attractive, it just might be a case of a little too little and a little too late.
Regardless, it will be interesting to see how the Big 3 compete in a market where value and pricing suddenly matter a whole lot.
In the battle of next-gen consoles, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 scored two big points in the brilliance column in 2008 in my book. First, the company teamed up with Netflix via Xbox Live to deliver movies and TV shows directly to users’ television sets. Then it dropped the price on its arcade version to a sweet $199.
If you’re wondering why I’m just writing about all of this, it’s because of the point Microsoft didn’t score in the brilliance column. Our second Xbox pretty much bit the bullet of death in 2008. You know, that flashing red light of doom that so many complain about. Well, we got it again. This, of course, meant we couldn’t take part in the Netflix service via the Xbox until we picked up a new console. This we did for Christmas after the price drop.
Now, let me tell you, this service boosts the Xbox’s functionality to a whole new level. Not only can you play games, chat with friends, watch disk-based movies, but now you can instantly watch tons of Netflix selections right away.
Having fallen behind on “Heroes,” we’ve been catching up on that thanks to the new service. So far, I have to say I’m impressed. The set up is fairly easy to tackle and the video quality has been fantastic on our system. My only complaint is with Netflix itself. The watch instant selection – the one that Xbox users can access – does leave a lot to be desired. It is, however, getting better all the time.
Don’t get me wrong, the Wii is a fun little machine. The PS3 has incredible video quality. But, the Xbox 360 is the machine that’s irreplaceable in my house. Its overall appeal has only gotten better with and the bang for the buck is amazing.
Good job Microsoft!
The Netflix site has a bunch of information on how you can get the 360 setup working on your system.
Anyone who owns an Xbox 360 knows these machines can be hungry little devils. Bump, drop or otherwise jostle them while a disk is in the system and the damage that results is permanent. This has been blamed on the console’s incredibly high RPM speed of 7,500 versus the competition’s 4,000 and under.
To cover its butt, Microsoft unveiled the Disc Replacement Plan for Xbox 360 owners. The plan basically gives anyone with a damaged Microsoft created game disk and an Xbox 360 the ability to obtain new copies of games damaged by the machines. All told, Microsoft backs 12 different titles with this plan.
It’s nice that Microsoft is owning up to the problem, but it’s a weak solution. With the multitude of titles out there for the console, 12 games just doesn’t cut it. We’ve personally lost at least one game to this issue and know others who have experienced a similar fate.
While it’s great some games can be replaced, the plan is just a little too little and a little too late. I’m all for power in my gaming, but having to walk on eggshells while a disk is in the system is sometimes too much.
As the economic downturn continues to take its toll worldwide, Sony has joined the list of manufacturers that show the gaming industry isn’t bulletproof. That corporate giant has announced plans to shave its workforce by a whopping 8,000 people. It also intends to close quite a few of its manufacturing facilities to help it save an estimated $1.1 billion at next fiscal year’s end.
As Game Spot points out, the news is just the latest in a series of blows to the industry. Earlier, EA announced the reduction of 600 employees and a loss of $310 million. Other gaming and electronics industry companies have also faced the crunch, including Midway, Eidos and Samsung.
While Sony joins the conga line of companies impacted by the worldwide economic crisis, its news is particularly troublesome. When the giants suffer, you know it’s bad out there.
Although Sony’s announcement does highlight the severity of the global downturn, the entire situation can end up being good news for the industry. As more consumers tighten their wallets and demand quality over quantity, it could force those who want to survive to be even more creative and offer more bang for the buck.
While Sony is crying over sales, Microsoft is cheering its three-to-one sales victory over the PS3 on Black Friday. This, in my opinion, is largely due to the value the $199 Xbox 360 now offers gamers. The Wii also still seems to be more than holding its own.
It seems that sales, although down, are still coming. Consumers are demanding value for their money and they are turning to the products that deliver. The end result could be very troubling times for the industry as a whole, but it might just emerge leaner, meaner and even more intriguing for gamers.
On a side note, my heart goes out to those who have lost their jobs. This is a horrible time to be out of work. The human toll of the downturn should not be discounted, and it’s my fear we are only seeing the beginning.
On the heels of its best Friday ever, Microsoft has confirmed it will upgrade the capacity of its Xbox 360 Arcade model. The new machines will have 256MB of onboard memory. This means consumers won’t have to rely solely on sometimes awkward add on memory cards.
“We are constantly updating the console’s more than 1700 internal components. We can confirm that we are moving to internal memory for the Xbox 360 Arcade. The physical internal memory is the same size as the previous external memory units - 256MB,”
said a spokesperson for Microsoft.
With prices for the Arcade model now highly competitive with the Wii, this move could help Microsoft continue to enjoy brisk console sales – as long as Microsoft doesn’t up the pricing too much to compensate for the built-in memory.
Black Friday sales of the Xbox 360 broke records with U.S. retailers reporting sales that beat the console’s own records in previous years. The numbers have the 360 beating out the PlayStation 3 by a three-to-one ratio. Sales were up an estimated 25 percent over Black Friday 2007.
"We entered into the Black Friday sales period with cautious optimism, knowing that dollar for dollar, Xbox 360 offers more social entertainment value than any other console on the market," said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft.
"Record Black Friday sales in the U.S., coupled with our existing global install base of 25 million and an online community of more than 14 million Xbox LIVE members, have laid the groundwork for continued global sales momentum in 2009."
With prices that now start at $199.99, the Xbox 360 is the most well-rounded console on the market for the price. Offering not only game play ability, but also access to Xbox LIVE and its games, movies and television shows and also high-def DVD play, the console provides serious bang for the buck. If Microsoft does it right and keeps pricing where it is or only asks for a minor increase for the onboard memory, it likely will be a hard machine to beat in sales.
It has cross-generational appeal. The price is right. The game play is fun. Still, there is something missing from Nintendo’s Wii that does help the competition edge it out with certain buyers. That something is a video delivery service, something at least one analyst thinks may soon be on the horizon.
Former Microsoft senior exec, Colin Dixon, who now works for The Diffusion Group, recently discussed the differences in consoles and content delivery.
"(Nintendo) Wii hasn't delivered any movie services, but once they do, and we expect them to do that, they will have a much broader set of content."
Evidence that Dixon’s prediction is correct is found in Japan where Nintendo plans to release a theater channel soon. No plans, however, have been discussed for a North American version – just yet.
Speculation as to what Nintendo will do for delivery of content ranges from besting Xbox Live with an even broader array of programming to turning the devices into cable delivery boxes to compete with local providers. There’s also hope in the gaming community a firmware release might enable DVD use.
No matter how you crack it, if Nintendo does add some sort of video delivery ability to the consoles, they’d go up immensely in perceived and actual value. I can tell you in our home, the PlayStation 3 doubles as a DVD/Blu-ray player and is used more for that than gaming. The Xbox 360 also gets a fair amount of use as a movie-viewing machine when programming on our local cable company’s on-demand channel is light.
It would be nice to see Nintendo enter this fray. I might never have to buy a DVD player again! My fingers are crossed.
If the presales for the Xbox 360 Elite are any indication, Microsoft might have a serious seller on its hands. Although its name sake is only the second bestselling next-gen console, this bigger and better version is kicking up some real interest.
Punch Jump is reporting the Elite, which features a 120GB hard drive and HDMI, has sold out on preorders via Amazon.com.
The preorders have put the Elite in the "No. 5 position in the best-selling products for Amazon's Computer & Video Games division on Thursday."
While that's not necessarily the No. 1 spot, it does look as if the Elite is garnering some serious attention. With the PS3 still floundering and the upcoming release of Halo 3 drawing closer (we all hope), the Elite might bring only good things to Microsoft.
When it came to video game conventions, the E3 used to be considered the Mack Daddy. Somewhat akin to Cannes for the movie industry, this elaborate showcase is now a shadow of its former self.
It was decided last year to shrink the event.
“Over the years, it has become clear that we need a more intimate program, including higher quality, more personal dialogue with the worldwide media, developers, retailers and other key industry audiences,” said Doug Lowenstein, ESA president at the time.
1UP has a full listing of this year's E3 exhibitors – all 33 of them. Last year's convention had more than 400, with all the pomp and circumstance of the Academy Awards.
Notables at this year's event, which has been moved to July from May, include Activision, Atari, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Capcom, Take-Two, Sony Online Entertainment and Vivendi Games. 1UP has a full listing, which is missing big names like NVIDIA and Blizzard along with the usual round up of indie creators, as 1UP points out.
I understand the idea behind the leaner, meaner conference. There's nothing wrong with getting back to the basics. But, still, it won't seem the same watching the action unfold without all the pomp, circumstance and unique moments.
A while back we reported about the unusual Xbox 360 mod that gaming guru Ben Heckendorn had managed to create. Looking sweet in an aluminum laptop case, the fully functional design was certainly a wower.
It seems Heckendorn wasn't satisfied with that version. He's been at it again. This time the laptop 360 is looking pretty in black and green with, as Heckendorn writes on his site, "60% less aluminum!”
Xbox 360 Elite, bah! Heckendorn's model might top it!
The fully functional 360 mod No. 2 seems to work in much the same way as the first, as in it is a working 360, with a keyboard built in. Honestly, it looks a whole lot more user friendly for those who like to take their 360s on the go than the actual Microsoft design.
Microsoft has announced plans to bring the Xbox Live network to the next level. Like the folks over at CBS, Microsoft wants to have some original content to offer gamers to view over its online platform.
To achieve this, the company has rolled out a content for would be television producers to create a pilot for the network. The winner gets $100,000 budget and a chance to win a six-episode commitment for Xbox Live.
"Not only can aspiring TV producers from across the globe try their hands at creating new TV shows, but because of Xbox Live Marketplace, they can now win a chance to have more than 6 million people worldwide see their work," Bill Nielsen, senior director of Xbox Live at Microsoft, has been quoted as saying. "This is an incredible opportunity for us to participate in the festival, and we are thrilled to be able to bring community-created TV content to the Xbox community for the first time."
Entries will be accepted until June 29. The rules can be found here.
According to Punch Jump, Xbox Live is currently the No. 1 platform for distribution of television and movies.
This news is very interesting for online TV fans and want-to-be producers alike. More original content on the net to join the likes of CBS's shows, such as "InTurn," come of the cartoon series online and so on is a very good indication of what the future holds for viewer. It just keeps getting better.
The folks over at Microsoft have a pretty good sense of humor. This Mother’s Day they’ve rolled out a contest where kids ages 13 and up can win themselves a brand new Xbox 360 Elite. They also get $100 in flowers for mom.
The idea is for kids to write an essay about their “gaming mom” that runs between 250 and 500 words. Kids are encouraged to keep the 360 and pass the flowers on to the lady who gave birth to them. Essays can be e-mailed in to xlmail@microsoft.com by May 6 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. “My Mom’s a Gamer” needs to be in the subject line along with a player’s gametag. Here’s what they’re looking for: “We'll be evaluating the essays for creativity and originality, appeal to Xbox.com readers, and ability to effectively show respect and admiration for his/her mother/female legal guardian.”
So, where do I see the humor?
As a “gaming mom” myself, I have to wonder how many entrants would actually think they would get away with keeping the console?
I mean, we’re talking an Elite here. Come on!
If only my oldest were 13!
On the upside, Moms that want to enter a contest themselves, can get in on our PS2 title giveaway.
Halo fans that have been waiting patiently – mostly – for word of when the game would go into all out multiplayer beta don’t have to wait any longer. The word has come down from on high.
Bungie has stated that multiplayer beta will open for Halo 3 via Xbox Live May 16 at 5 a.m. PDT and run through June 6.
The beta will be open to those who have picked up special copies of Crackdown and those who won a spot during regional promotions. Gamers with beta access only need to log onto the Xbox Live Gold account and download the title to play the beta. Fence sitters can still get in on the action, Frankie says.
“You can still enter the Beta by picking up a specially marked copy of Crackdown, which would ordinarily be a chore, but thankfully Crackdown is an awesome action game which might ironically distract you from the Beta I’m pimping here. Bungie is also giving out a few Friends and Family spots to valued community members, but those are few and far between, so it’s safer to assume you’re not getting in that way.”
While beta will be open to only a select few, it is still good news that shows progress is happening with the title. The highly anticipated game is expected to come out later this year.
Xbox 360 gamers that want a break from hard Halo shooting action will soon be able to take some time out to talk. Microsoft is prepared to deliver an IM service to the console.
The Windows Live Messenger software package for the 360 will be delivered with the Spring Update May 7. The new feature will enable users to chat with up to six people at the same time, using the 360 in place of a computer.
The new service will work with the 360’s virtual keyboard, or gamers can plug in a USB keyboard to make it easier. Plus, Playfuls is reporting a new QWERTY text input device is coming this summer that will connect right to a controller to help with text and instant messaging.
Microsoft’s certainly doing its part to make certain the 360 offers a lot of the same perks as a computer, but I have to admit, I’m having a hard time picturing gamers being thrilled with IMs coming in as they fight it out online.
It seems Microsoft’s not above cutting its losses and running if HD-DVD doesn’t pan out. It might even support Blu-ray with its Xbox 360 if it had to.
That bit of information comes from the mouth of Xbox UK boss Neil Thompson.
“Whatever format wins it is highly likely we will offer a solution,” Thompson is quoted as saying. “The only debate is if you want to watch Blu-ray movies and pay the extra money for that feature. We prefer to offer the consumer choice.”
This, of course, isn’t to say the Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD battle is even close to being over. There’s still lots of time for either format to declare a victory or another one to emerge the winner. It's still my guess that downloads will be the winner in the long run, rendering actual in-hand disks a thing of the past, but I might be a few years ahead of my time.
At any rate, I have to admit, I remain rather impressed with how Microsoft has handled the 360 to date. The bells and whistles are add ons, not must haves, as is the case with Sony’s PS3. This just puts more power in the hands of consumers, which is a good thing.
It would sure be nice to pick up a brand new Xbox 360 in a slick black case that has all kinds of bells and whistles for $479.
According to reports in Kotaku, Game Informer magazine has confirmed the new 360 will roll out in April. The Elite edition will boast a 120 GB HDD and support HDMI. Some sites are saying the HDMI cable will be included, but an internal HD-DVD drive will not.
CVG has talked with Microsoft. They came back with this quote: “We don’t comment on rumour and speculation.”
Despite the Microsoft response, Game Informer is sticking by its story, even writing in to Kotaku to reiterate its accuracy.
With April just around the corner, it’s a hard call whether this is a joke or not, but the folks at Game Informer sound pretty firm on their stand. A new version of the 360 with more power for less than a PS3 would sure be nice.
Here’s hoping the rumors pan out. It's not uncommon for companies like Microsoft to refuse to comment on big news, only to turn around with an official press release a few weeks later.
The next-gen era has barely begun and Microsoft is already looking at what will follow.
Microsoft boss Peter Moore has let the cat out of the bag that the company is beginning to eye an Xbox 360 replacement. The target date for a release is 2012, according to Palgn.
The news isn’t really a shocker, but what is in fact is the date. If 2012 is the target, Microsoft’s being much kinder to gamers than tech companies generally are with their planned obsolescence of products. Think of the conga line of iPods that have hit the market in short succession, one better than the other. Or, consider Microsoft’s own XP and Vista versions.
It will be interesting to see what they cook up. With five years to go, it wouldn’t be surprising if Microsoft could get the next-next-gen 360 to play games and movies while doing dishes, too.
One of the last statements out of Sony on a PS4 had that roughly dated at 2010, but who knows what the next few years could bring.
It's all talk and rumor until the advertisements start rolling out.
- Two big announcements came out of the GDC in relation to the Xbox 360’s memory capacity. The first involves a much-needed boost in storage ability. The second centers around an increase in the size of games that can be put on Xbox Live.
A 512MB memory unit for the 360 will be made available on April 3 for a price of about $50. The unit will greatly increase the capacity for storage gamers have at their fingertips right now. To sweeten the deal, Microsoft intends to preload the unit with Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved by Bizarre Creations for a limited time.
This news alone has been long awaited and will no doubt be music to Xbox 360 gamers’ ears.
But, there’s more. The Xbox Live arcade game size limit has been increased from 50MB to 150MB, which gives developers a whole lot more room to play with in creating games.
“The new size limit offers developers increased flexibility and continued opportunities for innovative game development, while also ensuring that the millions of gamers on Xbox LIVE can continue to easily access, download and play all Xbox LIVE Arcade games on Xbox 360,” Chris Early, product unit manager for Xbox LIVE Arcade and Microsoft Casual Games at Microsoft, has been quoted as saying. “If you take a look at current games like ‘Roboblitz’ and ‘Small Arms,’ it’s clear that our developers deliver amazing game experiences within a compact size limit. Our focus is on continuing to provide developers with an environment that allows for the creation of cost-efficient games and that nurtures an artistic and creative approach to game development.”
Both moves are very good ones on the part of Microsfot. The storage capacity boost was absolutely needed and the arcade game size increase will likely result in a lot more games being developed for Live play.
Epic Games and Microsoft Games Studios are no doubt celebrating their big win today. Their Gears of War title took home three awards during the GDC’s Game Developers Choice Awards.
Gears won in the best game category and also for technology and visual arts. The trio of honors is a very big deal considering the number of new titles that hit the streets last year.
Speaking of recent releases, Nintendo didn’t go home empty handed either. Wii Sports garnered honors in the game design and innovation categories and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was honored for the writing behind the project.
“A Game Developers Choice Award is like no other award presented in our industry, as it is the only prize that gives the community the chance to appreciate and honor individual developers," Jamil Moledina, executive director of the Game Developers Conference, has been quoted as saying. "By celebrating our visionaries by name, we give the audience and the public at large a chance to give credit where credit is due."
Indeed, with winners nominated by the creators themselves, this was very likely one difficult group to please.
Halo fans that just can’t seem to get enough of the Master Chief and company will have a new outlet to vent their addiction thanks to a deal announced between Corgi International and Microsoft.
According to the Master Replicas web site, the deal will bring to life the entire Halo franchise in 3-D merchandise. The line will roll out some time this year, featuring an array of replica collectibles and gift items.
Full details about the line are still being hammered out, but fans can count on seeing such things as vinyl statues. Corgi’s known for its plastic and die cast products, including one heck of a sweet Batman series.
Meanwhile, there’s still no release date for Halo 3, but it sounds like things are moving along over at Bungie. It’s only a matter of time before a date is announced. It’s my guess the collectibles line will coincide with the big Halo 3 release.
Wannabe game designers with a love for Microsoft’s XNA software might just find themselves $10,000 richer thanks to a contest announced at the Game Developer Conference.
Microsoft is rolling out its Dream Build Play contest for amateur game designers. Entrants must use the XNA software (a free version is available online) or Torque X and they must submit their creations by July 2.
The lucky winner will get an invitation to enter into an Xbox Live Arcade publishing contract, the 10 grand, an Alienware Aurora 7500 system, Windows Vista and a whole bunch of other perks, as well.
The winners of the contest will be announced during Seattle Game Fest ’07 in August.
Sounds like a great way for potential game designers to show what they’re made of. With the tools available for free, there’s nothing to lose.
If an interview with Microsoft's Peter Moore is any indication, the Xbox 360 might become the Wii-60 in the near future.
Moore not only makes it sound like the 360 will soon have a new, lighter lease on gaming, but he also is gracious enough to give credit where it’s due.
"From a first-party point of view, it's not just about E-rated games, it's going to be about the experience that, quite frankly, Nintendo has done a tremendous job in capturing, in bringing back fun - if you will - to the gaming platforms,” Moore has been quoted as saying.
"But we've got a few tricks up our sleeve as well to be able to do that. It's not something that we're going to be shy about, and it's not something that we're not painfully aware of that needs to be changed by this holiday. That has been the strategy all along, and we'll be making some more announcements in the coming month or two."
CVG thinks this means a motion-sensing controller is indeed on its way. And, Moore’s comments certainly give that idea credence. "It's actually not games. It's more experiential than that. And again, since the day I saw Iwata-san pull the Nunchuk controller out from under his podium a few years ago at TGS, I've always realized that was the right thing for Nintendo ... to be successful in this next generation.”
It sounds like some great things could be on the horizon for the Xbox 360. Here’s hoping Microsoft just adds on the Wii sort of fun without losing sight of the fact it already has a console a lot of serious gamers love.
Now, if they manage to tap into the fun Wii offers while keeping the intense action titles on the drawing board and the graphics high, Microsoft will be on to something big.
Xbox 360 gamers looking to expand their video game library without forking over a lot of cash might want to hold out until next month. Next month’s Platinum Hits additions are nothing to sneeze at.
According to IT News Online, the North American platinum titles for release March 16 include such games as Call of Duty 2, Fight Night Round 3, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and Top Spin 2.
The pricing on these games will fall in at $29.99, which is a heck of a lot better than the $59.99 most titles set gamers back.
The program was designed to heighten the appeal of the Xbox 360 by offering solid titles at seriously discounted prices. Jeff Bell, a Microsoft VP, has been quoted as saying, “Platinum Hits not only lets gamers enjoy a broad portfolio of titles at an amazing price, it also ensures that existing and new gamers alike can get the most from their Xbox 360 by owning a great library of blockbuster hits.”
However it’s cracked, it’s a good program for 360 gamers and one heck of a money savings. The program’s pretty darn popular, too. Since its launch last fall, the Platinum Hits titles have accounted for more than 16.3 million games sold worldwide.
As Sony slowly lets the cat out of the bag about a potential movie and television download service for the PlayStation 3, things over on Xbox Live Marketplace are starting to really shape up.
The Microsoft site's entry into the television and movie arena has really come a long way since launch, offering a fair amount of titles in both the television and the movie arenas.
The Top 10 list for Movies has some pretty good flicks listed, including “Crank,” “Superman Returns” and “See No Evil.”
On the television side, Comedy Central is a big contributor with “Stand Up” and “South Park” both in the Top 10. “CSI,” “Supernatural” and a host of other shows round out the offerings.
Microsoft’s partners in the download effort include such big-name players as WB, Paramount, NBC and Spike TV.
While this isn’t exactly “gaming news,” it is interesting to watch this service grow and round out. The downloads for both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 make the consoles more well-rounded, useable and easier to financially justify. We’ve barely used a regular DVD player since the 360 and PS3 made their way into our home.
The Xbox 360 has come under the gun in Britain when the BBC’s “Watchdog” program has questioned the quality of the machine.
It seems the show, which investigates consumer complaints, received about 250 of them from owners of 360s that broke down after the warranty expired.
According to Team Xbox, the show focused in on the “ring of death” red light error.
“The Xbox 360 was a global phenomenon when it was launched in the UK in December 2005. The world's richest man and Microsoft boss Bill Gates called it the Ferrari of home entertainment. But we've had nearly 250 complaints from people who think it's more of a clapped-out old banger.
Worse still, you've been telling us that some of the problems with your faulty Xbox 360 consoles occur when the one-year warranty has run out. That means you have to fork out to get it fixed.”
It seems those gamers were told they’d have to pay about £80 (or USD$160) to get them fixed.
Microsoft responded to the complaint, saying there is “no systemic issue.”
There is a known issue, however, with the initial batch of Xbox consoles that hit the market. An extension in the warranty was granted as a result of early complaints.
Ours went down a few weeks after purchase, but fortunately it was during the warranty period, so it was fixed rather quickly and at no charge. Our second 360 has had no similar problem (knock on wood).
There’s another sneak peek of the upcoming Halo 3 release that’s made its way on to the Internet. This time, it’s a video that shows some of the weapons.
Appearing on YouTube thanks to a guy named Bip Chizzle, the video gives a pretty good indication of the arsenal players will get to enjoy. It appears as if the M6D pistol will make its way into the latest rendition of Halo, along the clip might have a few less rounds.
The folks over at Talk Xbox point out the weapon animations in the video are likely placeholders.
Halo is perhaps the hottest Microsoft franchise for its Xbox and Xbox 360. Gears of War and a few others have made real head way recently, but Halo’s the signature series.
A firm release date for Halo 3 hasn’t been unveiled, but the game is moving forward in its alpha testing and new tweaks like the A-Hole Button are being implemented. It sounds like the third entry will be one of the best in the series.
As the economy continues to flounder, it seems no one is immune from its bite. Sega of America and Microsoft are the latest video game maker to announce layoffs. 
As the next-generation console race leaves Sony’s PlayStation 3 in the dust the problem is not with the console, it’s with the price tag. With a starting price of $399, the console’s bells and whistles just haven’t been enough to move the PS3 off the shelves. This could change in April.
In the battle of next-gen consoles, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 scored two big points in the brilliance column in 2008 in my book. First, the company teamed up with Netflix via Xbox Live to deliver movies and TV shows directly to users’ television sets. 
As the economic downturn continues to take its toll worldwide, Sony has joined the list of manufacturers that show the gaming industry isn’t bulletproof. That corporate giant has announced plans to shave its workforce by a whopping 8,000 people. It also intends to close quite a few of its manufacturing facilities to help it save an estimated $1.1 billion at next fiscal year’s end.
It has cross-generational appeal. The price is right. The game play is fun. Still, there is something missing from Nintendo’s Wii that does help the competition edge it out with certain buyers. That something is a video delivery service, something at least one analyst thinks may soon be on the horizon.
If the presales for the Xbox 360 Elite are any indication, Microsoft might have a serious seller on its hands. Although its name sake is only the second bestselling next-gen console, this bigger and better version is kicking up some real interest.
When it came to video game conventions, the E3 used to be considered the Mack Daddy. Somewhat akin to Cannes for the movie industry, this elaborate showcase is now a shadow of its former self.
A while back we reported about the unusual Xbox 360 mod that gaming guru Ben 
Microsoft has announced plans to bring the Xbox Live network to the next level. Like the folks over at CBS, Microsoft wants to have some original content to offer gamers to view over its online platform.
Halo fans that have been waiting patiently – mostly – for word of when the game would go into all out multiplayer beta don’t have to wait any longer. The word has come down from on high.
Xbox 360 gamers that want a break from hard Halo shooting action will soon be able to take some time out to talk. Microsoft is prepared to deliver an IM service to the console.
It seems Microsoft’s not above cutting its losses and running if HD-DVD doesn’t pan out. It might even support Blu-ray with its Xbox 360 if it had to.
It would sure be nice to pick up a brand new Xbox 360 in a slick black case that has all kinds of bells and whistles for $479.
The next-gen era has barely begun and Microsoft is already looking at what will follow.
Two big announcements came out of the GDC in relation to the Xbox 360’s memory capacity. The first involves a much-needed boost in storage ability. The second centers around an increase in the size of games that can be put on Xbox Live.
Epic Games and Microsoft Games Studios are no doubt celebrating their big win today. Their Gears of War title took home three awards during the GDC’s Game Developers Choice Awards.
Wannabe game designers with a love for Microsoft’s XNA software might just find themselves $10,000 richer thanks to a contest announced at the Game Developer Conference.
If an interview with Microsoft's Peter Moore is any indication, the Xbox 360 might become the Wii-60 in the near future.
Xbox 360 gamers looking to expand their video game library without forking over a lot of cash might want to hold out until next month. Next month’s Platinum Hits additions are nothing to sneeze at.
As Sony slowly lets the cat out of the bag about a potential movie and television download service for the PlayStation 3, things over on Xbox Live Marketplace are starting to really shape up.
The Xbox 360 has come under the gun in Britain when the BBC’s “Watchdog” program has questioned the quality of the machine.