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World of Tanks delivers big Xbox 360 update
The Xbox 360 edition of World of Tanks has grown by leaps, bounds, and treads today with the sizable Rapid Fire update. This patch added two new maps to the game: Arctic Region and Erlenberg. In addition, Rapid Fire has introduced American autoloader tanks and a group of additional German tank destroyers. We've got the action-packed trailer for this update lurking right below the cut, so be careful!
Microsoft offering $75 credit if gamers upgrade to an Xbox One (update)
If you've pondered buying an Xbox One, but have felt a sense of loyalty to your Xbox 360, Microsoft is very keen to help you make the switch. As spotted by user BeforeU on NeoGAF, the company is running a new promotion that gifts its "very best customers" with a $75 promotional code if they buy an Xbox One or any Xbox One bundle. It appears that not everyone is eligible for the offer, with Microsoft only targeting a subset of Xbox 360 owners across the US ahead of its July 31st deadline. However, there's no word on whether the promotion will come to other countries. To find out if you qualify, turn on your Xbox 360 and make sure it's connected to Xbox Live. If you've been selected, you can order a (full-priced) console from any retailer and Microsoft will credit your Xbox account with $75, as long as you redeem your voucher code by October 15th. That'll cover you for at least one Xbox One game like Destiny, ensuring your game collection gets off to a good start. Update: Microsoft has confirmed that the deal is also running in the UK and Canada: "This short-term promotion is offered to select Xbox fans in the US, Canada and the UK. We are always looking for opportunities to bring promotions like this to our customers, but we have nothing further to share at this time."
Oculus to acquire Xbox 360 controller designer Carbon
Virtual reality company Oculus VR announced the acquisition of Carbon Design team this week. Carbon Design is best known as the designer of Microsoft's Xbox 360 controller, and will continue working from its studio in the Seattle area. Oculus said it has been working with Carbon "for nearly a year on multiple unannounced projects." Carbon also designed the transforming d-pad for the follow-up Xbox 360 controller that launched in November 2010 and contributed its mechanical engineering expertise to the Xbox 360 version of the Kinect. Carbon Design will become a "key component of the product engineering group" for Oculus, which itself was acquired by Facebook in March for $2 billion. Oculus continues to bring industry talent into the fold, such as former Valve VR head Atman Binstock in March, Steam pioneer Jason Holtman earlier this month and ID Software Co-Founder John Carmack in August 2013. [Image: Carbon Design]
Everything in Halo: The Master Chief Collection
When the franchise shepherds at 343 Industries say they're collecting all of Master Chief's Halo games to preserve his many accomplishments on Xbox One this year, it's tempting to dress the talk down to something practical. 343's general manager, Bonnie Ross, says "it is about his past, it is about his future," but what you hear is, "Okay, Halo 5 won't be out this year, and there has to be a Halo game for Xbox One like, yesterday, so how about these old ones?" Halo: The Master Chief Collection inspires cynical thoughts at first, but from what I've seen it's one of the most comprehensive and smartly organized efforts in the realm of remakes. Here's everything you get in the package, and it all runs at 1080p, 60 frames per second, and approximately 17 covenant deaths per minute:
Format Wars: Blu-ray vs. HD DVD
The format war. Over the last few decades it has played out across various forms of tech -- AC vs. DC, VHS vs. Beta -- usually with fierce battle lines drawn and millions, or even billions, of dollars at stake. Recently, none has burned so brightly as the battle of HD DVD vs. Blu-ray (read our blow-by-blow retrospective of the 2005-2007 battle here). And it brought all the classic elements: Sides were divided between titans of the industry, led by Sony pressing the Blu-ray side and Toshiba backing HD DVD, with the PS3 and Xbox 360 ready to serve as Trojan horses. As if the stakes weren't high enough already, the specter of an oncoming internet-streaming winter loomed like Game of Throne's army of White Walkers. So what really happened? Who won in the end? And, most importantly, was that victory actually worth it all?
Old console, new tricks: Getting the most out of your Xbox 360
Whether you're holding out for the Kinect-less Xbox One or you've already unpacked a new system, there's still plenty of life left in the Xbox 360. Microsoft will have its new system properly on track after another half dozen or so software updates, but until then, it's all about getting everything we can out of older hardware. Nearly nine years later, here's how to make sure your Xbox 360 is aging gracefully.
Arctic Camouflage Xbox 360 is so three months ago
Now that most of the snow has melted, you won't be able to blend in with the Xbox 360 Arctic Camouflage controller, but maybe you can recall fond, wintertime memories while using it? The special edition is "coming soon" to blizzard-free stores, priced at $54.99. [Image: Microsoft]
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls comes to consoles in August
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls will be making its way to consoles in just a few short months, on August 19. The console edition of the popular expansion allows you to play with up to four players on one TV screen. The console release, called the Ultimate Evil Edition, includes all content in the Reaper of Souls expansion set as well as Acts I through IV of the original release. In addition, players that pre-order the Ultimate Evil Edition will receive a pair of Infernal Pauldrons, wearable at level 1 and providing some pretty cool bonuses as well as just looking sharp. The Ultimate Evil Edition will be available for PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360 consoles, with a suggested retail price of $59.99 USD for the PS4/Xbox One editions, and $39.99 for the PS3/Xbox 360 editions. Keep an eye out at your local retailers for more pre-order information, and get ready to storm Westmarch with your friends, from the comfort of your living room couch.
World of Tanks launches update 1.2 for the Xbox 360
If you like to get your World of Tanks fix on your console, we've got good news. The latest patch for the game's Xbox 360 edition has launched, and it brings with it new premium Soviet tanks along with all-new weather effects. Now you can experience the joy of firing your tank's main gun in the middle of a rainstorm as well as on a nice sunny day. Seven maps are in the rotation for weather variants at launch, with more planned for the future. Not enough for you? Well, the update also adds two new maps, Fisherman's Bay and Abbey, which should give you all sorts of new terrain to deal with. The American tank tree has also been expanded with seven new vehicles, one each for tiers IV through X. You can start enjoying the update today, and you can check out the patch release trailer just past the break. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
Titanfall nears 1 million sold in three weeks
Many looked at Titanfall as being the first tentpole game for the Xbox One, but how many people actually bought it? It turns out 925,000 units were sold through for the quarter, according to publisher Electronic Arts' latest earnings call. Unfortunately, Chief Operating Officer Peter Moore was citing NPD numbers and those don't include digital or world-wide sales, and thus copies bought via EA's Origin PC service or from the Xbox One's dashboard don't factor into that tally. The Xbox 360 version? It's "off to a great start," but Moore didn't go into specifics. Back in April, the NPD reported that the mech game was a top-seller for March and the second-best performing game for the Xbox One -- seeing hard numbers gives a better picture for how well gaming is doing on the new consoles. While Titanfall's numbers are impressive, it's worth remembering that Infamous: Second Son sold more than that on a single platform globally (Titanfall's numbers combined the PC and Xbox One sales) in nine days both physically and via digitally distributed copies.
Gadget Rewind 2005: Xbox 360
The current-gen console wars may be tilting in Sony's favor with its PlayStation 4, but once upon a very recent time (i.e., the previous console generation), Microsoft had a big early lead. When the company released its Xbox 360 back in 2005, the console had a considerable head start on the competition, beating Sony's PlayStation 3 launch by a full year. There were, however, intrinsic pitfalls in rushing the 360 out to market so fast; hardware problems Microsoft paid for dearly.
Xbox 360 spring sale discounts Batman games, Saints Row 4
Microsoft is cleaning out its digital shelves with a sizable sale on Xbox 360 games and add-ons this week. Ending April 21, the sale spans 11 games and hundreds of pieces of DLC. Five of the games feature popular DC comics superhero Batman in some capacity, such as 75 percent off both Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City through Games on Demand ($4.99 / £3.74 / 4.99 euros each). Additionally, Injustice: Gods Among us is half-off ($19.99 / £17.49 / 24.99 euros), Lego Batman 2 is 67 percent off ($6.59 / £4.94 / 6.59 euros) and XBLA game Gotham City Imposters is 75 percent off ($3.74 / £2.49 / 3.59 euros). All of the above deals are valid for those with a paid Xbox Live Gold subscription. Among the other games on sale for all Xbox Live users is Saints Row 4, which is half-off this week ($14.99 / £12.49 / 14.99 euros). Three other games are discounted through Games on Demand: Borderlands 2 is 65 percent off ($6.99 / £6.99 / 10.49 euros), Lego Marvel Super Heroes is 33 percent off ($33.49 / £30.14 / 43.54 euros) and Prototype 2 is 75 percent off ($9.99 / £4.99 / 7.49 euros). Lastly, XBLA games Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+ is half-off ($4.99 / £3.37 / 4.74 euros) and Assassin's Creed: Liberation HD is 33 percent off ($13.39 / £10.71 / 13.39 euros) for the week. [Image: Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment]
World of Tanks Xbox 360 gets Update 1.1
World of Tanks' console drivers have a reason to rejoice: Update 1.1 has arrived for the Xbox 360. The update has a slew of goodies for players to dig through, including recruitable crews for tanks, the map of Himmelsdorf, and five British vehicles. Crews earn experience through battles, level up, and add perks and abilities to the tank commander. We've got the new trailer for World of Tanks Xbox 360 Edition and its 1.1 update after the break.
Daily Roundup: $200 Micro 3D printer, Xbox One now shares to YouTube, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
GoPro Channel with exclusive content launches on Xbox 360 tomorrow
Back in January, GoPro tipped us off that it was bringing a dedicated channel to Xbox 360 and Xbox One. At the time, we didn't really have much more info, other than it was a port of the company's existing offering that had been entertaining Virgin America customers since last fall. Today Tomorrow we get to see it for real. Well, that's if you're an Xbox 360 owner -- because as promised it's landing there first. If you're an Xbox Live Gold subscriber, then you're basically all set, ready to enjoy some of the exclusive content that GoPro is slinging onto the channel by means of launch celebration (teasers for which, are after the break). As well as viewing curated GoPro videos, users will also (handily) be able to purchase cameras and accessories without even putting down the controller, including the exact kit used in that particular video. While there's still no word on when it will land on the latest generations Xbox (other than "summer"), we're fairly confident you'll be able to view your fave triple cork videos on even more devices and platforms by the end of the year. Update: Looks like the curtain actually goes up tomorrow, not today! Just 24 more hours.
Dish teams up with Disney and ABC to offer app access to content
Starting today, Dish subscribers can tune into their favorite ABC, ABC Family, Disney Channel and ESPN shows on their computers, phones and tablets. Thanks to its recently renewed deal with the Walt Disney Company, customers can now access shows through each channel's respective app or website by signing in using their DISH account information. Some apps are also available on the Apple TV and Roku, and ESPN content can be accessed on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Dish rolled back some of its DVR tech (Hopper's ad skipping on Disney-owned ABC is disabled for three days) to wrangle an agreement that raises the possibility of ESPN on an internet-only streaming service -- here's hoping that was worth it. Image credit: Flickr/ Dave L
Titanfall delayed again on Xbox 360, now launching April 8th
If you're an Xbox 360 owner that hoped to get your hands on a copy of Titanfall before the end of the month, we have some bad news: you're going to need to wait a little longer. EA announced today that for the second time in just over a month, the launch date will be pushed back, this time until April 8th in North America and April 11th in Europe. EA says the delay will help developer Bluepoint Games make things "even better." The game was originally due to hit stores on March 11th, but was delayed by two weeks to "put the finishing touches" on the current-gen title. What those finishing touches were, we don't know, but given reports of graphical imperfections on the Xbox One, Bluepoint's decision to push back the launch to "get the last details right" could be the right one.
World of Tanks adds limited-time campaign for Xbox 360 players
Beginning March 18th through the 24th, World of Tanks will offer a brand new campaign that's only available for a limited time to players of the game's Xbox 360 version. Map Madness allows players to combine forces to cumulatively reach a tank destruction quota used to unlock three possible maps. The urban Lakeville map will be unlocked when 10 million cumulative tanks are destroyed, desert-based El Halluf is at 25 million, and the classic Prokhorovka that should be familiar to PC players is at 40 million. [Source: Wargaming press release]
Another Xbox Live sale: Ryse, Persona 4 Arena and more for cheap
We think Microsoft may have an addiction. On top of the Ultimate discounts on offer this week, Microsoft has announced an entirely different crop of cheap games, available through February 24. Two sales at the same time? Madness! If you want to take advantage of Microsoft's lapse in judgment, you can grab Ryse: Son of Rome for $40. We may even see more of this in the future, as Microsoft toys around with discount digital pricing on Xbox One. Ridge Racer Unbounded is on sale for $5 and all of its DLC can be acquired for pennies on the dollar. Persona 4 Arena, Angry Birds: Star Wars and more on Xbox 360 are cheap too so, if you're interested, pop on over to Major Nelson's website for the full list of markdowns. [Image: Microsoft Studios]
Must See HDTV for the week of February 17th: Winter Olympics, Daytona 500 and Strider
This is the final week of the Winter Olympics, with the closing ceremonies scheduled for Sunday night. Bob Costas is back (with less creepy demon-possessed eye infection stare) plus plenty of action including bobsled, short-track speed skating, hockey finals and of course, curling. Game of Thrones season three will hit the shelves on Blu-ray, so whether you're looking for a recap or just getting your first look in 1080p, now is the time. Racing fans can also look forward to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, while gamers can enjoy a remake of the classic game Strider on current and next-gen systems this week -- although honestly, many of us are just trying to finish off House of Cards before the spoilers become impossible to avoid or filter out. Usually we don't point out the late-night weekly shows, but tonight Jimmy Fallon takes over the Tonight Show chair from Jay Leno. Check after the break for trailers plus our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and gaming.
