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Microsoft will turn an Xbox Live sub into Game Pass Ultimate for $1
Microsoft has been pushing its Xbox Game Pass service recently, adding new features and confirming it will be expanding to PC. Bargain hunters have been in the know about a special offer for the service since it was announced at E3, but now, the company has begun promoting what it calls a "lifehack" that allows gamers to upgrade to an Ultimate subscription for just $1.
Xbox Live ID numbers let you choose a Gamertag that's already taken
As Microsoft makes Xbox Live an entertainment service that spreads across more platforms (including Switch, Android and iOS), it's also relaxing the naming scheme. Since it's been in operation since 2002, many commonly-requested aliases are already taken, but now users can grab pretty much any name they want, even if someone else already has it. Now, it will still let you create a new user name even if someone else has it, but it will auto-assign an ID number after it to make yours unique. Other services like Steam and Discord already use a similar setup, and it should mean an end to purging old, abandoned usernames or forcing them to expire so that new users can get a crack at them. Of course, if you've been around for a while, everyone will know you are the original CheeToMan247 given your lack of an add-on ID number.
Xbox chief outlines plans to curb toxic behavior
Xbox head Phil Spencer has laid out some measures to combat some of the more negative aspects that pervade gaming communities such as toxicity and abuse. He wrote in a blog post that "gaming is for everyone" and people everywhere, from all backgrounds and walks of life, "are welcome to play and welcome to all the fun and skill-building that comes with gaming."
UK investigates Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony over game service practices
Do you feel that game console giants hold you over a barrel by making you subscribe to a service to play online? You might have an ally in your corner. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority is investigating Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony to see if their online service practices violate consumer protection law. It wants to know whether their auto-renewal policies are fair, how easy it is to get a refund (or cancellation) and whether or not the terms of service grant these companies too much power.
Microsoft may combine Xbox Live and Game Pass into single subscription
Microsoft is reportedly getting ready to combine Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold into a single subscription. According to Twitter user @h0x0d, a well-known Microsoft leaker, the packaged plan will be called Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and will cost $14.99 per month. The combined subscription is expected to be unveiled alongside the rumored disc-less Xbox One later this month, per The Verge.
Xbox Live expands to mobile in Microsoft's big streaming push
If rumors are to be believed, we may see a Netflix for video games (that you'll actually want to use) as soon as this month. And like streaming video before it, the rise of on-demand gaming could mean coughing up for several services. But if anyone has a trump card it's Microsoft, and now it's preparing to use it. The company just announced that Xbox Live is coming to iOS and Android by way of a new software toolkit for developers.
Sony jumps into eSports with 'PlayStation Tournaments'
How good of an NBA 2K17 player do you think you really are? Well, you're about to find out because on Thursday, Sony announced that it is teaming up with the ESL gaming network and hosting a month-long digital basketball tournament.
Xbox Games with Gold in Feb: IDARB, Brothers, Sniper Elite V2
Heartstrings-tugger Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is one of three Games with Gold freebies for Xbox Live Gold subscribers next month. On Xbox 360 you can grab the Joystiq Top 10 of 2013 puzzle-platformer for zero centage between February 1-14. Then, after taking a deep breath, you can grab Sniper Elite V2 between February 15-28. As revealed last month, #IDARB's pixelated sportsball madness is also free through February for Gold members. The Xbox One eight-player side-scroller has a regular launch price of $15.
UK teen arrested over suspected involvement in Xbox Live, PSN DDoS attacks
An 18-year-old male was arrested as part of a larger investigation into the attacks which brought down the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live in 2014, according to a statement released earlier this week by the UK's South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU). Craig Jones, head of SEROCU's Cyber Crime Unit, attested to working with the FBI on the investigation, which also includes numerous "swatting" offenses. "This investigation is a good example of joint law enforcement cooperation in relation to a type of criminality that is not restricted by any geographical boundaries," Jones said. "We will continue to work closely with the FBI to identify those to who commit offences and hold them to account." The alleged cyber criminal was brought in under suspicion of unauthorized access to computer material contrary to section 1 of Computer Misuse Act 1990, unauthorized access with intent to commit further offences contrary to section 2 of Computer Misuse Act 1990 and threats to kill contrary to Section 16 of Offences against the person Act 1861. [Image: Microsoft/Sony]
UK police arrest man connected to Lizard Squad PlayStation and Xbox attacks
Ever since its Christmas Day attack that took PlayStation and Xbox Live servers down, the "Lizard Squad" has taunted authorities while simultaneously trying to market its takedown-for-hire DDoS service. Police apparently arrested a London-based man affiliated with the group before the turn of the year (although it was over claims of PayPal hacking), but UK authorities have today claimed that they've tracked down at least one member who was involved in the attacks. Officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) Cyber Crime Unit say that they have arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with a "the denial of service attack of Sony Playstation and Xbox systems in 2014 and swatting offences."
Lizard Squad hacker arrested for cyber-fraud
A form of justice may have come to bear on one of the members of Lizard Squad. Today, police in Britain have arrested 22-year-old Vinnie Omari, who has connections to the hacker group, for alleged cyber-fraud. The arrest is unrelated to some of the recent activities of Lizard Squad, which includes shutting down the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live over Christmas, DDoS attacks on Destiny this past September, and a bomb threat made on a plane carrying SOE President John Smedley last August. Omari was sought in connection to PayPal thefts from 2013 to 2014.
PSA: D4, MX vs. ATV now on Games with Gold
As the calendar flipped to January yesterday, Xbox Live Gold members are now able to download this month's free games on Xbox One and Xbox 360. As revealed in December, Xbox One owners with a premium Live subscription can now pick up Access Games' quirky adventure D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die free of charge. Subscribers get two games on Xbox 360 this month: Offroad racer MX vs ATV Alive and CD Projekt's The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. D4 will be available throughout the month while the two previous-generation games are on a split schedule. MX vs ATV Alive is free until January 15, then The Witcher 2 will be available to download at no cost on January 16 through the end of the month. Lastly, according to the Microsoft Store, last month's Xbox One game Worms Battlegrounds is still available to download for free. [Image: Microsoft]
Assassin's Creed prices cut during Xbox Live sale
Microsoft's "Countdown to 2015" sale continued today with deals on two games in Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series. Xbox One players can pick up Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, last year's pirate-themed entry in the series, at half off ($25). As for Xbox 360 owners, the Xbox Live Arcade version of Assassin's Creed Liberation HD is 75 percent off today ($5). The publisher's Countdown to 2015 sale began earlier this month and features a mess of other discounts. For instance, players can pick up episodes in Telltale's The Walking Dead series for $2.49 each, L.A. Noire for $7.49 and Fable 3 for $6.59 on Xbox 360. Alien: Isolation is down to $30 on Xbox One, alongside Destiny ($45), Diabo 3 ($40.19) and Sleeping Dogs' Definitive Edition ($30). Head over to the sale's site for a look at the full list of deals. [Image: Ubisoft]
Xbox Live and PlayStation Network both down due to an apparent attack
Merry Christmas, game fans: Both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network are down this morning, apparently due to a denial-of-service attack. The notorious hacking group Lizard Squad -- which already carried out earlier attacks on Microsoft and Sony -- has claimed responsibility on Twitter for these latest outages. While Lizard Squad's role in all of this remains unconfirmed, the group did threaten last week to take down Xbox Live and PSN, according to Business Insider. Regardless of who's behind this, the timing is obviously terrible: Plenty of people surely received one of the two consoles as Christmas presents today, while many more gamers would have happily spent the afternoon in front of the TV. In the meantime, both Sony and Microsoft have acknowledged the problem, with Sony issuing a tweet and Microsoft posting a message on its website: "We're working to address this as quickly as we possibly can," reads its status website. "Thanks for your patience, Xbox members." In an email, a Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment further or say when the company expects to restore service. We've also asked Sony to comment and will update this post if and when it does.
Countdown to 2015 Xbox sale starts: Dark Souls 2, Resident Evil, more
Microsoft kicked off its "Countdown to 2015" sale today on the Xbox Store, discounting a myriad of games with bigger price cuts for Xbox Live Gold members. This week's deals are good until December 22 and feature Lords of the Fallen at 40 percent off, Thief at 67 percent off, Wolfenstein: The New Order for half-price and The Evil Within at half-off as well for Xbox One, among a slew of other games. Microsoft also discounted The Crew/Assassin's Creed: Unity as well as The Crew/Far Cry 4 bundles by 25 percent for the week. Two Xbox One games are also on sale for today only: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its season pass are each 33 percent off and Lego: The Hobbit is 50 percent off. Among the many Xbox 360 games on sale this week, Dark Souls 2 is half-off, Tomb Raider is 67 percent off, Halo: Spartan Assault and Dance Central 3 are each 67 percent off and BioShock Infinite's price is slashed by 85 percent. A handful of games in the Resident Evil series are discounted this week as well, such as Resident Evil 5, Revelations and Code Veronica X by 67 percent each, Raccoon City by 75 percent and Resident Evil 6 by 50 percent. Lego: The Hobbit is also discounted by 67 percent on Xbox 360 for today only, and Lego Lord of the Rings is 75 percent off. The full list of this week's deals can be found after the break.
Deals with Gold: PopCap puzzlers
This week's Deals with Gold features discounts on a handful of PopCap-developed games for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Xbox One owners can pick up third-person shooter Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare at 66 percent off ($13.59) as well as Peggle 2 at 60 percent off ($4.79). Garden Warfare is just $10.19 this week on Xbox 360 as well. Other Xbox 360 games are half-off this week, such as the original Peggle ($4.99) and its Peggle Nights expansion ($2.49) as well as Bejeweled 3 and Plants vs. Zombies ($7.49 each). Lastly, players can download both Zuma and Feeding Frenzy ($2.49 each) as well as their sequels Zuma's Revenge and Feeding Frenzy 2 ($4.99 each). The deals are good through Monday, December 15. [Image: PopCap Games]
Deals with Gold: Catherine, EA Sports UFC, Fallout
Deals with Gold isn't fooling around, as five Xbox One games and eight Xbox 360 games are discounted this week. Of the bunch, one game is on sale for both Xbox Live Gold and Silver members, as all Xbox One players can download EA Sports UFC for half-off. The other four Xbox One games on sale for Gold subscribers are Stick it to the Man, KickBeat Special Edition, Divekick and CastleStorm's Definitive Edition, each for 30 percent off their respective prices. As for Xbox 360 players with an Xbox Live paid subscription, both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are 67 percent off this week through Games on Demand as well as Catherine, which is 60 percent off. Serious Sam Double D XXL and Serious Sam 3: BFE as well as the latter's Jewel of the Nile DLC are 67 percent off on XBLA. Rounding out the group is Foul Play, Pool Nation and How to Survive, each discounted by, you guessed it, 67 percent. The deals are good through Monday, November 17. [Image: EA Sports]
Deals with Gold: Outlast, Rayman Legends, Dragon Age
This week's Deals with Gold on Xbox Live discounts three games and one add-on for Xbox One users. Players can download Rayman Legends at 40 percent off, Outlast for 25 percent off and Worms Battlegrounds at 40 percent off. Additionally, the Battlefield 4 Support Shortcut Kit is also 33 percent off this week for both Xbox One and Xbox 360 versions of the game. Xbox 360 players can save money on RPGs this week as well, with Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2 both 75 percent off. The sequel's Mark of the Assassin and The Exiled Prince DLC packs are both half-off, just in time for Dragon Age: Inquisition's launch on November 18. Lastly, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is 67 percent off and its Teeth of Naros and The Legend of Dead Kel add-ons are also half-off. This week's deals are good through Monday, October 20 for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. [Image: Ubisoft]
Pre-order Alien: Isolation digitally, watch it download in terror
Digital pre-orders for Creative Assembly's frightful first-person game Alien: Isolation are now available. Players can put money down in advance of the game's impending launch in one week on Steam, PSN and Xbox Live to pre-download the game and pick up its season pass. Xbox One players can pre-purchase the game's Nostromo Edition on Microsoft's store, which includes the full game as well as the "Crew Expendable" bonus content. PS4 and PS3 players can scoot over to PSN to pre-order either the Nostromo Edition or the Season Pass bundle, with individual passes available on launch day, October 7. Likewise, the Nostromo Edition as well as the Digital Deluxe Edition are available to pre-purchase on Steam, the latter of which also includes the game's season pass. The $30 season pass give players access to Alien: Isolation's survivor mode map packs. [Image: Sega]
Xbox One update adds Smartglass features, USB media playback
It's official, the Xbox One September update is poorly named, as it has already been released, days before September even begins. The update adds several new features, most notably the Media Player, which allows users to view and listen to media stored on a USB device. That includes pictures, music and movies. The player supports "dozens" of formats, according to Microsoft's Larry Hryb AKA Major Nelson. More formats will be added by the end of the year (including animated GIFs!), as will DLNA network playback. SmartGlass gains the ability to post updates to your activity feed and read threaded messages. More importantly, SmartGlass can now be used to record gameplay clips. The party system gets some love as well, in particular the ability to require invitations and boot unwanted players. Users with limited internet plans will also be happy to know that the update now allows you to track your bandwidth usage. Perhaps the last noteworthy addition is the ability to have your Xbox One boot directly to TV when turned on. Check out the video after the break for the full rundown of new features. [Image: Microsoft]
