xbox-one-launch
Latest
Microsoft pulls offline USB updating instructions for Xbox One [Update: Microsoft responds]
Microsoft pulled its support page that instructed users how to update their Xbox One systems offline using a USB drive. We've included an image of the cached support page above, which is no longer available to view. The Xbox Support page instructed Xbox One owners with a two gigabyte USB stick to download one of two compressed update files to their computers, then unzip them to the root of the USB drive. The process then had owners holding the bind and eject buttons while turning their consoles on, releasing the two buttons once they hear two start-up tones. According to the now-unavailable support page, that last step told the Xbox One to search for an update from a USB drive, a procedure that isn't part of the system's initial booting process. We've contacted Microsoft for comment. Update: A Microsoft spokesperson tells Joystiq that "the site was not an alternative way to take the Day One update and customers still need to connect to Xbox Live for the update. Because of the complexity of this customer support process we've actually removed the page and we will work with customers directly to make sure they have a smooth experience."
Watch the Xbox One makes waves on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
In this, the Great Console Wars of The Year of Luigi, we'll let you decide which system came up trumps in the battle of the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon demos. For its part the other night, Microsoft went with a brief demo of the Xbox One's personalized user interface, followed by some beard-enhancing scanning ahead of a spot of jet-skiing in Kinect Sports Rivals. As Microsoft's Blain Howard noted, that Sports Rivals jet-skiing game is a temporary freebie for early adopters. As long as you download the Preseason trial before November 30, you'll be able to make some motion-controlled waves until March 2014.
Ryse: Son of Rome review: Tedious maximus
We'll be rolling out Xbox One review coverage all the way through launch on November 22. Read all of our news and reviews right here! Ryse: Son of Rome is, graphically, a stunning game. It's a real marvel to watch gorgeous locales get flooded with hordes of barbarians jostling toward our hero, Marius Titus, who fights them off with expert swordplay and brutal executions. At first, the experience definitely has the power to enrapture. But then, a few minutes go by and the seams start to show – and split. Combat never changes, offering all of its tricks up front. Execution animations repeat again and again, despite your ability to unlock new ones as the game progresses. The same enemy types appear ad nauseam, pitting Marius against a world-record series of twins, triplets and so on. If Crytek's Xbox One action game is to be believed, the history books have it all wrong. The reason for Rome's fall wasn't decadence, economic problems or social division; it was sheer boredom.
YouTube app arrives in time for Xbox One launch
YouTube will be available on Xbox One at the console's launch this Friday, November 22. You'll be able to download the app for free just as soon as you get that day one update out of the way first. The YouTube app on Xbox One will fully incorporate gesture and voice commands. You can use motion to scroll through pages and select videos, while the green phrases in the image above are voice shortcuts – simply say "YouTube" followed by the appropriate phrase for the preferred action. The Xbox One will be available in 13 different markets on Friday. Feel free to check out the Xbox One launch event page for our latest coverage and be sure to read our in-progress Xbox One review for our thoughts on Microsoft's next-generation console.
Updating an Xbox One with a USB stick is a three-step process
Much like the PS4, prospective Xbox One owners can download the system's day-one update early to a USB stick. The process is listed on Microsoft's support page as an "emergency offline update" procedure, and boils down to a few simple steps. Those looking to update their systems offline will need a USB stick with at least two gigabytes of space on it, and will need to format it as NTFS on their computers. After checking their OS version on their Xbox One consoles, they can then download one of two compressed files to their computer from the Xbox support page, unzip them and copy the contents to the root of the USB stick. Given that the system isn't out yet and players can't check for their OS version, those looking to get a head start on the process will need to account for that missing nugget of information. After setting up their USB stick, the next step is to power off and unplug your Xbox One, plug the power cord back in after 30 seconds then hold the bind and eject buttons while turning the system on. The console will emit two power-up tones after 10-15 seconds, at which point owners can release the two buttons and wait for the system to automatically restart, completing the update process. Microsoft says the button combination forces the console to search for a USB drive update, which isn't the default chain of operations when the Xbox One normally boots up. Check out our living review of the Xbox One for more about the console ahead of its launch on Friday. [Thanks, Dylan!]
Forza Motorsport 5 review: Cloud strife
We'll be rolling out Xbox One review coverage all the way through launch on November 22. Read all of our news and reviews right here! I slide through the Bernese alps in an immaculate Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, colored to match the mountain's bright white blanket. I've never driven this car, on this road, in my life, but I have glided home on a highway late at night, just content with the motion, the guiding curvature of the road, the world hurtling by. This is something similar, I think, but with much better scenery. And with that scenery comes a certain serenity at last. I glance in my rear-view mirror and - oh no. No, no no no. It's him. He's found me amongst the frosty peaks of Europe. Behind me is a simulated driver in a demon-red Ferrari, bearing the name "XrayAlfaVictor." It's the name of the internet servant, the "Drivatar," belonging to my coworker Xav. His Drivatar is here to kill me.
Amazon freeing up more Xbox One Day One consoles this morning [update: Xbox Gone]
Amazon re-opens Xbox One Day One pre-orders in the US this morning, and those consoles are guaranteed to arrive at launch on Friday, November 22. The extra stock is sure to go within minutes, so if you're interested then hit this link at 8AM ET/5AM PT sharp. The Xbox One has flitted in and out of stock at Amazon since selling out its initial allocation in July, after which the retailer couldn't guarantee consoles to be received by launch. Supplies of the Day One edition have long been gobbled up at other major retailers too. The Day One edition comes with a few exclusive extras, including a special controller with a chrome D-pad, a Day One achievement code, and commemorative packaging. Update: Yup, that was quick. Amazon's Day One Xbox One's are Xbox Gone.
Windows Phone devices get SmartGlass for Xbox One early
Windows Phone users can now download the new Xbox One SmartGlass app ahead of the system's launch on Friday. The free app will allow players to navigate their console and browse the web on the big screen using their mobile devices, as well as check on their friends lists and achievements once they have their next-gen console set up. As was previously revealed in September, up to 16 people can connect to a single Xbox One system using SmartGlass, and developers can also offer help documentation for their games through the app and use it to handle matchmaking for online multiplayer modes. Some games will include special SmartGlass features, such as defensive playcalling assistance in Madden NFL 25. The SmartGlass companion app is free, and will eventually roll to iOS and Android.
Xbox One SmartGlass app now available on Android and iOS
Microsoft has made its standalone SmartGlass app for Xbox One available ahead of the console's launch this Friday, November 22. Whether you're on an iPhone or Android device, you can pre-load the app starting right now. The Xbox SmartGlass app, a free download, mingles with the Xbox One in a variety of ways. You can navigate your Xbox One console, search for content and pin it, browse the web on your TV using your device, get game help, message friends and watch video clips. We'll be covering the Xbox One extensively up until launch. For our latest coverage, keep an eye on our Xbox One launch page – and be sure to pop back at 12am Eastern tonight (9PM Pacific, 5AM UK) for our full console review.
Assassin's Creed 4 updated to 1080p on PS4; drops anchor on PC, Xbox One today
The piratical, bloody adventures of Edward Kenway can now be found on the PC and Xbox One. As we stated in our review, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is "a vibrant historical adventure, drawn from bold characters and edge-of-your-seat sailing." It offers a massive variety of things to do, from hunting iguanas with a sword to swinging from one ship to another like Errol Flynn. Obviously, there's quite a bit of high seas assassination as well. Three versions of the game are now available on PC: the Standard Edition, the Gold Edition and the UPlay Gold Edition. That first incarnation includes only the game, while the latter two offer players access to the game's Season Pass and a host of exclusive downloadable content. The Xbox One game only offers two variations, the Standard and Limited Editions, though the latter offers far more booty than any other version of the game. If those extras aren't enough to satisfy your rum-swilling, plank-walking tendencies, McFarlane Toys has revealed plans to launch a 1,000-piece set of Edward Kenway statues. The images on the company's site look stunningly detailed, but you'll have to shell out $295 for that level of craftsmanship. In related news, a patch has just been released for the PlayStation 4 version of Assassin's Creed 4 which allows it to display its already-attractive graphics in full 1080p resolution. Like all PlayStation 4 game updates, this patch will be automatically downloaded to your system.
Xbox One can't Twitch, but it can DVR
Microsoft hopes to dry the tears of those Xbox One fans saddened by the loss of at-launch Twitch streaming options by highlighting what the new console can do: specifically, digital video recording. Dubbed "Game DVR," the feature is exactly what its name suggests. Players can choose to capture either the last 30 seconds of play, the last five minutes or the next five. Once a clip has been created, players can move it to the system's Upload Studio, which offers editing tools including the ability to record voiceovers for your footage and picture-in-picture functionality. After you've completed your cinematic masterpiece, the Upload Studio can save the video or you can choose to upload it, either to only your Xbox Live friends or to the public. According to Microsoft, if you opt to save your footage, the clip will be stored as a 720p MP4 file in your cloud-based SkyDrive folder. Though not explicitly stated, the involvement of SkyDrive means that GameDVR will require an Xbox Live Gold account. Update: Earlier this post stated that the Game DVR feature would record the last thirty seconds of gameplay or the next five minutes, when it's actually the last 30 seconds, last five minutes or next five minutes. We apologize for any confusion.
Joystiq Streams: Remembering the Xbox 360 launch lineup [Watch the replay!]
Update: The live show has ended. Watch part one of the replay above. Part two can be found after the break! The Xbox One launches this week and so we're taking a well-timed look back at the launch of Xbox 360, just as we did with the PS3 last week. Join Dave and Xav as they play through a whole mess of Xbox 360 games, starting at 1pm ET. On Friday, the Xbox 360 turns eight years old, so naturally the only way to celebrate its rich legacy is to stream some of its early games. We'll be checking out Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo, Condemned: Criminal Origins and Peter Jackson's King Kong. We're also going to play some Too Human because reasons. So join us, either on our Twitch channel or through this very post!
Dead Rising 3 launch trailer arrives in style
This trailer for Dead Rising 3 introduces players to its three core elements: zombies, protagonist Nick Ramos and weapons he uses to destroy said zombies. Our review says it's a vehicle to "discover and create new playthings to dismember the undead." The game launches Friday with the Xbox One.
White Xbox One charity auction raises $11,300
A black Xbox One costs $500, but a white Xbox One sets you back $11,300. No, Microsoft isn't going with an ambitiously priced second SKU, but the much nicer story of an eBay user stumping up the cash for the normally employee-only console, with proceeds going towards the Wounded Warrior Project. Microsoft's charity auction ended yesterday evening, after the bidding sat at $11,100 across a number of days. Then, with hours to go a new user snuck in to snatch up the limited edition console. He or she will receive their new, shiny white console when everyone else gets their boring black ones this Friday on November 22. There's at least one other member of the public due to receive a white Xbox One, but over in the UK. Another white Xbox One was auctioned over there earlier this month, raising £5,000 (around $8,000) for charity organization GamesAid, which is passing on the money to a number of small UK charities for children and young people.
Ryse: Son of Rome trailers take a tour of the empire
The Roman empire spanned a vast amount of land in its heyday. The empire stretched from Rome, Italy to York, England, over to the ... haunted swamps of the north? Okay, Ryse: Son of Rome may be taking some creative liberties with that last one.
Ubisoft expects 'double the console installed base of previous generations'
Tony Key, senior VP of marketing and sales at Ubisoft, recently said the publisher's "feeling is the installed base of these machines will be much faster to take hold than previous generations" in regards to the PS4 and Xbox One an interview with Games Industry International. "In the first couple of years, we expect double the installed based of previous generations," he added, referring to the number of systems sold over the same period of time. "The reason why is: The last cycle was longer, so there's a lot of pent up demand." Key isn't alone in believing that the new systems will continue to sell well, as Sony's Jack Tretton projected that three million PS4 consoles would be sold by the end of the year. The PS4 is off to a good start; the next-generation console sold one million units within its first 24 hours at retail. Key also spoke to the delay of Ubisoft's Watch Dogs to spring 2014 in the interview, saying that "Watch Dogs is designed to be a long-term brand for Ubisoft. We won't launch it until we know it's equaling the vision it can achieve." Update: Clarified language regarding Key's expectation for next-generation console sales.
Flashback to the Xbox 360 launch lineup in tomorrow's special Joystiq stream
Friday marks the Xbox 360's eighth birthday along with the release of the console's successor, the Xbox One. To celebrate (and we use that word loosely), Joystiq will flashback to the launch lineup of the Xbox 360 and see how far the system has come in a special stream tomorrow. As we did with the PlayStation 3 launch lineup stream, expect tears of joy and pain as we jump into the way-back machine to re-experience games like Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo, Condemned: Criminal Origins and Peter Jackson's King Kong. As an added bonus - as we did with PS3's Haze - we're throwing an infamous post-launch title into the mix: Silicon Knights' Too Human. The stream will go live on Tuesday, November 19 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time. If you want to participate in the live discussion, subscribe to Joystiq's Twitch channel.
LocoCycle review: Ay, caramba
We'll be rolling out Xbox One review coverage all the way through launch on November 22. Read all of our coverage right here! LocoCycle begins with a 10-minute live-action movie featuring hyperbolic world leaders in cheap costumes, surrounded by bad lighting and women in cocktail dresses, all attending a showcase from Big Arms, a fictional military manufacturer. The host of the event, a man drawing style inspiration from 'N Sync's Joey Fatone circa 1997, introduces IRIS and SPIKE, the game's two AI super-bikes, in a drawn-out, poorly acted melodrama that incites a mantra to repeat in my mind: "Oh my God, stop. Please, stop." As I watch the B-movie introduction to Lococyle, I wish the game would just start already. And then the game starts, and I take that last part back.
Dead Rising 3 review: Combo party
We'll be rolling out Xbox One review coverage all the way through launch on November 22. Read all of our coverage right here! There aren't too many problems that can't be solved with a blow torch and a few well-scrounged supplies. This is what I've learned from Dead Rising 3, which evolves the patchwork weapon-crafting mechanic introduced in Dead Rising 2 in some very natural and helpful ways. Now you can build custom weaponry and vehicles, often to great comical effect, anywhere you want in the game world of Los Perdidos. Dead Rising 3 doesn't greatly deviate from the series' sandbox formula, but rather chooses to dump loads of new toys and even more zombies into the play pit with you.
Killer Instinct review: Content breaker
We'll be rolling out Xbox One review coverage all the way through launch on November 22. Read all of our coverage right here! Killer Instinct isn't finished yet. It's an attempt to get players to buy into a promise that the full game is still on the way, that investing now will guarantee an experience on par with other fighting games – eventually. Right now, there's little else aside from training, survival and online modes. There isn't a story mode or an arcade mode, though the latter is promised for the future. There are only six fighters, with two more to come during the game's first season of content. As it stands, Killer Instinct is a streamlined fighter designed as a far-reaching modular experience, which highlights one of its key problems: a dearth of content.
