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World of Tanks launches worldwide on the Xbox 360
Are you ready to blow up tanks on your Xbox 360? Probably; there have been roughly two million games released for the console based almost entirely around blowing up tanks. But are you ready to do so in World of Tanks? Because the game has launched on the console worldwide, complete with special Founder's Packs. The packs contain tanks, currency, ammo, and crews, but will be available for purchase only until February 28th. Before you run downstairs to fire up your console, keep in mind that you won't be able to play the game for free; an Xbox Live Gold subscription is required for continued play. All Xbox Live accounts do get a free trial of the game for seven days, however, so you can decide if it's worth subscribing to the service. You can also take a look at the gallery below to get a glance at what the game will look like on the TV. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
World of Tanks rolls onto Xbox 360 February 12th
Grab your controllers tank drivers, World of Tanks: XBox 360 Edition will launch globally next week on February 12th. Players who currently have an Xbox Live Gold account can download and play the game for free; Xbox Live account holders will get a seven-day timed trial to the game. Developed by Wargaming West (formerly Day 1 Studios), the game will start off with over 100 tanks from the US, Germany, and the UK, and features revamped controls for the console as well as a new user interface. [Source: Wargaming press release]
GoPro to launch extreme sports channel on Xbox One and 360
GoPro is about to unleash its unique brand of action sport videos on Xbox Live for both the Xbox One and 360. We asked GoPro if it had further details on when the channels would be available, but apparently that date hasn't been confirmed yet. All we do know is that the channel will come to 360 first, before making the hop over to its younger brother. If you fly Virgin America, you can actually get the channel right now, but that's perhaps a little less convenient than shouting "Xbox on" when you need an instant adrenaline fix. Missed our CES stage interview with GoPro creative director Brad Schmidt? You can catch it in full here.
Perfect World putting new resources toward console development
Perfect World Entertainment, the mega-publisher behind games like Neverwinter, Torchlight II, RaiderZ, and Star Trek Online, has just announced that it is launching a new in-house division dedicated to console development. According to general manager of publishing Andrew Brown, investing in console development offers Perfect World a way to "better connect with players." The console division will be dedicated to bringing new and existing PWE titles to consoles. Brown seemed optimistic about expanding into the console world, explaining, "You can expect Perfect World to be a major player in the console marketplace." No specific games were named for release. [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
Free for All: MMORPGs for your new console
Consoles and MMOs do not have the stand-offish relationship that they used to have. In fact, there are so many different MMOs to choose from on consoles that it's seriously tempting to pick up one of the new ones -- the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 -- even though I wasn't planning on it for a long, long time. I enjoy using a controller with MMOs so much that I plan on covering the subject more in the future. So let's get to the list of MMOs that are currently on consoles or that will be coming out on consoles in the near(ish) future. Massively's own Mike Foster put together a fantastic list last summer, but I thought I would update and pass it on. After all, the new consoles are officially here... so be sure to reference the list when you need a new MMO to play on your shiny new console!
Cast a silhouette from the light of this Contrast trailer
There's something lurking in the shadows of this Contrast trailer, and it smells like secrets. Well, and a fire-breathing shadow dragon, but we're not sure how to best describe that scent. Contrast is on Steam, Xbox Live Marketplace, PS3 and is currently free for PS4 owners with PlayStation Plus.
State of Decay's first expansion coming Black Friday
The zombie-riffic survival game State of Decay, just recently available to PC players in the Steam library, is getting its first ever DLC expansion in time for a Black Friday shopping spree. Undead Labs has announced that Breakdown will go on sale November 29th for $6.99 on both Steam and XBLA. Players who purchase the expansion can expect more difficulty along with new achievements and new weapons as they dive into new playable survivors. This expansion also promises less story and more survival; sounds a little bit like Black Friday, no? Check out the action in the new Breakdown trailer below.
Netflix updates Xbox 360, PS3, Roku and Smart TV apps with unified interface
As much as we love Netflix, we've always found it a bit odd that the browsing experience is fragmented between platforms. Jumping between PS3, Xbox and Roku devices can be a jarring experience, each offering its own spin on the Netflix queue with an inconsistent distribution of the service's best features. Even Netflix is put off by the mixed ecosystem: which is why it's launching a new, unified television experience today. "About a year and half ago we took a step back to think about Netflix's television experience across devices," explains company director of innovation Chris Jaffe. "What we saw was a mismatch in how Netflix worked relative to how regular TV works, where you just turn it on and things are happening." Jaffe explained that compared to the active browsing experience of traditional channel surfing, Netflix seemed static. "We also looked at the devices and realized that while we've got a great experience on the PS3 and some smart TVs, we've got an Xbox 360 experience that's very different." Fixing these problems required the company to rethink its interface from the ground up. We met up with Netflix to see the results.
World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition welcomes all to open beta weekend
Listen up, tank commanders: If you have any hankering at all to try out the beta World of Tanks' Xbox 360 Edition, you better do so this weekend. Wargaming has kicked off an open beta weekend today that will continue through Sunday, November 10th, and it will be the last chance for anyone to get in on the beta as registrations will be closed afterward. To smooth the entry process, Wargaming will ensure that players don't have to sign up for a beta key but can simply download the client and boot up the game. To sweeten the entry process, the studio is giving a free premium USA T14 tier III heavy tank to beta testers and a premium USA Ram II tier V medium tank to those who fight at least five battles. World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition will also feature double XP during the beta weekend. [Source: Wargaming press release]
'Stiq Tips: Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag's brand new open sea and sailing system adds an exciting new element to the franchise's well-established structure, but it can be a bit confusing at first. In Black Flag, there's no lengthy three-hour tutorial to suffer through before you get started, you're just thrown into the world with nothing more than a tattered outfit – and you're not even a real assassin yet! Here's some help to assist in your evolution from rags to riches. One important thing to note right off the bat is that Assassin's Creed IV has built-in online social functions. You'll encounter things like "social chests," "social ships," and more bonuses that pop up when anyone on your friends list finds a similar bonus. By playing online, you'll earn much more cash than you would if you weren't connected to Xbox Live or PSN. You'll also unlock more social events for your friends in turn, so you can pat yourself on the back for that.
Diablo III tops 14 million sales across all platforms
Between the PC, the XBox 360, and the PlayStation 3 versions, in excess of 14 million copies of Diablo III have been sold since the game launched last year. Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime announced the figure during an inventor call last night. He added that recent praise about the action RPG is centered on changes to the loot system and the fact that the auction house was ditched on consoles. Morheim continued, "Players and critics alike have noted that these changes have resulted in a more fun and satisfying game experience. That reaction factored in our decision to remove the auction houses from the PC version of Diablo 3 effective next March, which players have also responded very positively to."
State of Decay comes to the PC courtesy of Steam
PC gamers feeling left out while watching their Xbox comrades playing State of Decay can wipe those tears away; the zombie survival title has arrived on Steam. State of Decay is available through the digital distribution platform for a straight-up $19.99. If you're curious about Undead Labs' maiden game, then check out our hands-on coverage. The game was a huge hit on the Xbox and hopefully will be followed by an MMO set in the same world. Undead is also preparing the first DLC for State of Decay called Breakdown that will come to both the PC and Xbox. [Thanks to Soren for the tip!]
PBS programming comes to the Xbox 360
If you aren't watching anything from PBS, you're missing out and now you have one less reason to ignore America's Public Broadcasting Service. Starting today, both local and national PBS programming is coming to the Xbox 360 -- if you have an active subscription to Xbox Live Gold. This includes both new and archive, full-episodes of shows like Frontline, Nova, American Experience and of course Downton Abbey -- the classic Triumph of the Nerds, isn't available, however. In addition to the full-length episodes, there are also clips from popular shows and web-original video from PBS Digital Studios. So if you missed League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis on Frontline a few weeks back, quit playing Madden 25 for a bit and learn why playing Xbox is safer than playing football.
Battlefield 4 beta feedback spurs bug fixes and balance tweaks
The Battlefield 4 beta served two purposes: It hyped up fans for the game's launch later this month by offering a small taste of what's to come in multiplayer and it gave EA crucial preliminary data for last-minute tweaks on the eve of release. In a missive on the Battlefield blog, developer DICE has detailed some of the persistent issues from the beta: On PC, players encountered inconsistent frame rates, loading screen issues and spontaneously high CPU usage; on Xbox 360 and PS3, known problems included limited control schemes and empty servers populating throughout the server browser; and across all platforms, elevators were mysteriously catapulting players far off into the sky. While that last one sounds hilarious, it certainly wasn't intentional. Some of the more granular changes to infantry and vehicles, for example, can be seen in the full patch notes over on the Battlefield blog. DICE assures all of the above issues, including more, are being worked on for Battlefield 4's launch on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 on October 29. Xbox One and PS4 versions of Battlefield 4 will be available alongside those consoles' respective launches.
Earn free tanks during World of Tanks: Xbox 360 beta event weekend
World of Tanks is sounding the siren's call for the Xbox 360 edition, tossing out special rewards for those who participate in the beta this weekend. There are three events occurring simultaneously on the beta server from Saturday, October 12th, through Sunday, October 13th, and all of them dangle goodies for participants. Players can earn an M22 Locust Tier III premium tank by completing 50 matches in this time span, and a Ram II Tier V premium tank will be given to everyone who engages this weekend as long as 10,000 players log in simultaneously. Wargaming is also handing out XP bonuses for the first win on ever tank a player owns and 2,500 gold for use during the beta process. An Xbox Live Gold account is needed to join in with this beta. [Source: Wargaming press release]
gdgt's best deals for October 7th: Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch, Gateway 17-inch Laptop
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our friends at sister site gdgt track price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's top deals are both laptops. For power users, specifically in creative fields, it's tough to top the Apple MacBook Pro. And those looking for a powerful, low-cost device to handle home entertainment needs should look at Gateway's 17-inch, quad-core beast. Hoping to keep track of price dips on the products you desire? Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list -- every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
Konami issues apology for Xbox 360 Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 online issues
Konami has issued an apology to owners of the Xbox 360 version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 for errors related to the game's online features. Some users report being unable to download a required data pack to activate online multiplayer, and instead have been greeted with an error message claiming the "download file is broken." Konami Digital Entertainment President Shinji Hirano said the publisher "would like to apologize to any users who have been unable to enjoy PES 2014 online and would like to reassure fans we'll be fixing the issue as quickly as possible." An update on Konami's European support page for the particular online problem noted that the publisher is "still in discussions with Microsoft trying to understand what might be causing this," and recommended that players attempt to download and install data pack 1.00, as "some players have reported intermittent success" in doing so. Konami added that it plans to update its support page on Monday with more information.
Save $50 on new Xbox 360, get $50 gift card
A number of retailers are offering Xbox 360 bundles for $50 off. Among those participating in the deal are GameStop and Walmart, while picking up a new Xbox 360 from Target, Best Buy or Amazon will net you an additional $50 gift card on top of saving $50 on select bundles. The $200 Kinect-less 4 GB Xbox 360 is not included in the deal, but the Nike+ Kinect Training bundle is, along with other packages that include games such as Darksiders 2 and Batman: Arkham City. The sale is for a limited time, though no end date is listed at any of the retailers.
A glimpse of World of Tanks on the Xbox 360
Last week, Wargaming showcased its latest beta of World of Warplanes alongside its flagship World of Tanks for the Xbox 360 at a Promenade event in San Francisco. Promenade events are aimed at generating a high degree of buzz and consumer interest for emerging innovative products. One aspect worth watching will be Wargaming's dedication to e-sports, which the studio outlined during the Wargaming.net League competitions on Twitch.
gdgt's best deals for September 18th: Klipsch Image E1 In-Ear Headphones, Jabra Wave Bluetooth Headset
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our friends at sister site gdgt track price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today we have not one but two headsets going for half their regular prices. The Klipsch Image E1 In-Ear Headphones are good for listening to media on the go, while the Jabra Wave Bluetooth Headset offers a less conspicuous design than most other earpieces we've seen. Also, in especially timely news, it's worth noting that Sprint is offering new customers the iPhone 5c for free and the iPhone 5s for $99.99. Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
