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Supreme Court will hear Microsoft's appeal in Xbox 360 case
Proving that the console wars are never truly over, today the Supreme Court of the United States announced (PDF) it would hear an argument relating to Microsoft's Xbox 360. At issue is whether or not Microsoft will have to face a class-action lawsuit brought by Xbox 360 owners over the console's tendency to scratch discs. In 2012 a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit claiming there weren't enough complaints for a class action, but in March 2015 that ruling was overturned.
November's Xbox One update boosts speed and social
Microsoft has revealed new details on the major update coming to Xbox One this November. The tile-based Xbone dashboard that we've grown accustomed to since the days of the 360 will be replaced with a sleeker and faster UI based on Windows 10 and geared heavily towards social interactions. The company initially revealed the update back at E3 in August. The new dashboard will reportedly "get you to popular gaming features up to 50 percent faster," according to a recent post by Mike Ybarra, Director of Program Management for Xbox.
Microsoft is closing its Xbox Live Indie Games program
After nine years, Microsoft has decided to call time on its Xbox Live Indie Games service. In an email to developers, the company says it has begun "the sunsetting process" for the program, which encourages anyone without a studio or dedicated business to create games for the Xbox 360, by locking down new signups ahead of a late-2017 shutdown. What does that mean for you? Well, developers have been told they have exactly a year to get their games ready for publishing. You'll then get an extra year after that to enjoy their projects (as well as the ones already published), before the indie store is closed forever. You will still be able to download and play the games you've bought in the past, though.
Xbox 360 update will make it just as social as the Xbox One
With Windows 10, Microsoft is all about the Xbox integration. Xbox 360 preview users can now see gaming activity from Windows 10, Xbox One and of course, their Xbox 360. The feeds show achievements, broadcasts, screenshots, text posts and GameDVR clips from you or people you follow. You can then share or comment on directly from the console, or create a new post. The Xbox One has had that feature since February, but as one Major Nelson commenter put it, at least Microsoft isn't forgetting its old warhorse completely. The feature has only rolled out to Xbox 360 preview program participants, but everyone else will likely see it with the next regular update.
Xbox 360 game-streaming is coming to Windows 10
As if backward compatibility for Xbox One wasn't enough, Microsoft's also going to let you stream those older games to Windows 10 PCs. In a private demo of the Xbox One's revamped interface, the company confirmed to Engadget that users will have access to its streaming functionality when the new features roll out this holiday season. (If you're a member of the Preview Program, though, you should already be able to play 360 games on a Win 10 machine.) Microsoft also revealed that Xbox 360 titles relying on the original Kinect, or any other hardware accessories, won't work with Xbox One. A company spokesperson said the team wanted to have backward compatibility from launch day, but it turned out to be a difficult task because of the different architecture between the two systems. For your sake, at least it's here now.
Xbox One 'Rainbow Six Siege' will come with both 'Vegas' games
To accompany today's news that Xbox One will soon be backwards compatible with Xbox 360 games, Ubisoft just announced that Rainbow Six: Vegas and Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 will be free for anyone that buys the latest game in the franchise, Rainbow Six: Siege. Although no one has explained exactly how this'll work, all Xbox 360 games will need to be downloaded (rather than played by disc), so you'd assume Seige will arrive with download codes for both titles. Ubi is the second developer to announce such a deal today, as Bethesda is giving away Fallout 3 with Xbox One copies of Fallout 4. Hopefully this becomes a trend of sorts -- it'd make a nice change from having to buy all those "definitive" editions, wouldn't it?
'Adventure Time' may finally be getting the game it deserves
The Adventure Time TV show has been a huge success, but the accompanying video games rarely offer the same level of quality. Developer Vicious Cycle is hoping to change that with Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations, a new 3D puzzler featuring the 12-year-old boy and magical dog. The game is being pitched as an "action-oriented twist" on the graphic adventure genre, which has been enjoying somewhat of a renaissance recently thanks to titles like Broken Age. In the new game, friends Finn and Jake are professional investigators, unravelling disappearances and other strange events in the crazy Land of Ooo. It's the most visually impressive Adventure Time game to date (which isn't saying much), and promises a healthy mix of puzzles and combat. If you're interested, it'll be landing on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, 3DS and PC this November.
Microsoft gives the Xbox 360 its own preview program
Microsoft has just launched a few new goodies for Xbox 360 owners after neglecting them following the Xbox One launch. First off, it's launching an Xbox 360 preview program, which "will work much like the Xbox One preview," according to Microsoft's Larry Hryb (Major Nelson). It will only be available to "select invitees" to start with, likely the most avid users. The first release will include a connectivity test to address "common network issues," with more changes coming later in the year. If you're in, you should see an email invitation soon.
The top tech gifts of holidays past
Remember the mad rush to secure a Teddy Ruxpin under the tree? Or how about how badly you begged your parents for the Nintendo DS as a year-end treat? As we head into another hectic, yet hopeful holiday season, we look back at some of the geeky gadgets and technological toys that stormed the charts (and stole young hearts) over the years.
Warface quitting the Xbox 360 in February
Warface has a sad face, at least on the Xbox 360. Crytek announced today that it is closing its free-to-play shooter on Microsoft's last-gen console. New players will no longer be allowed, but existing players may continue to shoot each other until the February 1st closing date. Warface isn't dead, apparently, as Crytek's statement alluded to a "vibrant community enjoying regular new content and co-op and versus action" on the PC.
Defiance goes free-to-play on Xbox 360 (finally)
Xbox 360 players are no longer excluded from the Defiance party, as the game went free-to-play on the console yesterday. Players will need an Xbox Live gold membership to install the game for free, and they can then enjoy all of the content up through the aftermath of Season 2. Trion Worlds gave a bunch of goodies to Defiance owners with the conversion, including a 30-day patron pass, four character slots, and 1,000 Arkforge. This switch has been a long time coming, especially when you consider that the sci-fi shooter MMO converted to F2P on the PC back in June and on the PlayStation 3 back in August.
World of Tanks 360 edition gets French tech tree
If you're an Xbox 360 World of Tanks player, you'll be glad to know that today's update adds the French tech tree, 28 new tanks, and two new maps to the game. The new content is technically free to download, but it does require an Xbox Live Gold subscription. We've embedded a new six-minute dev diary including French tank footage just past the break.
Plex brings its media streaming magic to Xbox
Plex has more than its share of fans thanks to its powerful and versatile streaming media capabilities. If you've got a video file (regardless of how you obtained it) there's a good chance Plex can play it. And play it anywhere -- on your Roku, on your tablet, you smartphone, and now on your Xbox. Starting tomorrow Plex Pass subscribers will be able to pull up their Plex library on their Xbox One. And soon enough Xbox 360 compatibility will be added as well. If you're not a subscriber you'll be able to buy the Xbox apps for a one time fee (how much remains to be seen, but probably around $4.99) after the preview period ends. This is also the first time that Plex has been available on a game console, at least as a native app. You could pull in video to your Xbox over DLNA, but this is much easier and cleaner. And yes, you can control your library with voice controls or gestures thanks to Kinect support.
PAX Prime 2014: Defiance defies barriers to play
If there's one message that Trion Worlds wants to get out about Defiance from PAX Prime this year, it's that the game is bursting with content and absolutely welcoming one and all to play. While we're still waiting for the conversion of the Xbox 360 version to free-to-play, PlayStation 3 and PC players can already jump into the game and experience the title for free. The team's been hard at work refining and fleshing out the game, so for people who might have only dabbled in it shortly after launch, it's almost a completely new world to explore. As season two of the TV show recently wrapped up, so will the current Aftermath storyline in the game. Both the show and the game dealt with the growing threat of cults, and the MMO will be packaging up the entire saga for players to revisit later in September. The devs also shared with me that they used the real-world setting of the Bay Area to unleash some pent-up hatred toward the San Francisco airport and its parking in one of the new areas. Good to know that MMOs can be both fun to play and therapeutic for its makers! Massively's on the ground in Seattle during the weekend of August 29th to September 1st, bringing you all the best news from PAX Prime 2014. Whether you're dying to know more about Warlords of Draenor, The Elder Scrolls Online, Landmark, or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!
'Doctor Who' is coming to 'Minecraft' on Xbox 360 next month
Simply put, Doctor Who and Minecraft are two worldwide sensations, each extremely popular in their own entertainment category. Thus, it just kind of makes sense to bring the two together. Thankfully for those of you who are into both, Microsoft and the BBC have partnered up to do exactly that, by way of digital downloadable content for Minecraft on the Xbox 360. Starting next month, players will have access to character packs from Doctor Who, including skins of The Doctor himself, his companions and his mad enemies -- all from throughout the show's entire history, not only from most recent seasons. No word yet on if this also applies to the upcoming Xbox One edition of Minecraft, but it wouldn't surprise us if that was the case.
12 minutes of upholding the law in Battlefield: Hardline's single-player
EA showed 12 minutes of Battlefield: Hardline's single player campaign at its Gamescom 2014 presentation, but you can watch the same demonstration in the above video. EA's snippet follows protagonist Nick Mendoza as he hunts down someone from his past, a motivation that aligns with story details we heard previously from San-Diego Comic Con. Since Hardline stars a cop, players don't have to default to shredding enemies and environments to bits with bullets and explosions: in the demo, Mendoza subdues threats with a taser and a "Freeze" mechanic, brandishing his badge and conducting proper arrests to eliminate the threat posed by some criminals.
Battlefield Hardline gets car, hostage multiplayer modes
Battlefield Hardline comes with two new multiplayer modes, Hotwire and Rescue, EA announced at its Gamescom press conference today. Guess which one involves cars and which is about a hostage situation? Hotwire has cops and criminals riding around in shiny, fast cars, attempting to capture and incapacitate marked vehicles. Rescue is an eSports mode where five police officers must save a hostage from a group of five bad guys. It emphasizes the planning phase and trap-laying, rather than the more spontaneous, explosive vibe of Ubisoft's hostage game, Rainbow Six: Siege.
The Crew rounds the bend, heads for Xbox 360
Ubisoft's team-oriented racer, The Crew, will burn rubber on the Xbox 360 on November 11, in addition to its previously-announced drifts on the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Development of the 360 version will be lead by Asobo Studio, with support coming from teams at Ivory Tower, Ubisoft Reflections and Ubisoft Shanghai. [Image: Ubisoft]
Red Steel Rain is coming down to World of Tanks on the Xbox 360
It seems incomprehensible, but World of Tanks on the Xbox 360 is about to get even tankier. I mean, the game already has a high concentration of tanks, but there will be even more tanks. It will be tanked up to the next level. How is this possible? Well, the Red Steel Rain update adds in 15 new vehicles, including the Soviet Artillery line, thus ensuring that you have an even wider variety of tanks to tank about with. Do you not need more tanks? That's all right. The update also includes two new maps with weather conditions as well as the new Platoon battle format. The former gives you more places for your tanks to do whatever tanks do (arrange decorative flower garlands), whilst the latter offers a chance for organized team play with pre-made groups, a mode that the developers will be watching closely to determine the optimal size. Red Steel Rain goes live on August 12th. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
Bungie explains no cross-platform play for Destiny
As most new video games are striving for a cross-platform multiplayer experience, Bungie decided against it with Destiny. Sure, the game can be played on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One consoles, but the studio feels that there are too many major disadvantages to allowing those consoles to battle against each other in the upcoming game. "I have a disadvantage sniping across the map because [my opponent with a next-gen console] is only two pixels on my screen and I'm four pixels on his," Bungie engineer Roger Wolfson told Digital Trends. "You see that in the world of PC gaming, where people are always racing to the best video card to give themselves the advantage." This is especially true when you consider the fact that the Xbox One version won't have 1080p resolution at the beta launch on July 23, but Bungie is still gunning for 1080p on all consoles for September's launch.
