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Some Xbox 360s won't read discs; Microsoft to comp owners with a new system, year of XBL (Update)
There may have been a good reason for that wide beta test Microsoft ran to test out its new disc format for the Xbox 360. While it will allow for an extra 1GB of storage space for new games and (it hopes) stop piracy, apparently some consoles contain drives that cannot read the new XGD3 discs. The details can be seen in the email pictured above posted by Reddit user Avery Penn and were verified as real by the Xbox Support Twitter account, but now it's responding to inquiries by saying the replacements are in response to a previous update and not the upcoming one that has been in beta. Adding to the confusion, Microsoft Europe confirmed the initial report and points affected users towards the support page to get sorted out. One way or another, affected owners can expect to be mollified by getting their Xbox 360s replaced with new 250GB Xbox 360S models plus a free year of XBL for the trouble. We haven't gotten an official response about the plan yet but are still checking, so your plan to hoard old consoles and get free replacements en masse is probably equal parts premature and Seinfeldian genius. Update: Microsoft has responded, confirming that the earlier statement was incorrect and this is not related to the update being beta tested. If you're wondering how many people are in for a swap, all we could find out is that something less than 10,000 of the 50 million or so Xbox 360s sold worldwide are affected. Check after the break for the official word, but if you have one of the boxes and are connected to XBL you should expect to receive a notice in your email.
Xbox 360 spring update coming May 19?
If you've run out of beef jerky and had your free Hulu Plus trial go bust, you're certainly not alone. Don't get bored: more bits of new hotness are coming to your console, and they're coming soon. An internal document leaked to our good friends over at Joystiq looks to confirm that the big Xbox 360 spring update will hit on May 19th. However, it'll come in six "separate groups" to "ensure a high quality deployment," so you might not get it until the end of the month, and everyone will have to wait until May 27th to get Avatar Kinect. What else is new? Well, there'll be the slightly larger disc format and support for PayPal, opening the door to a bold new world of personal finance information able to be hacked from your console.
Microsoft's 'updated Xbox 360 disc format' to add an extra gigabyte?
As you'll recall from yesterday, there was one small detail that stood out in Microsoft's announcement of a new preview program for the Xbox 360 -- namely, word that the latest system update would bring with it an "updated Xbox 360 disc format." That naturally prompted plenty of speculation, and Eurogamer now says it has heard from a "highly placed development source" who has confirmed that the new disc format actually adds 1GB of storage space to Xbox 360 discs. As the site notes, the Xbox 360's current disc format tops out at just 6.8GB, which still leaves some room to play around with on a standard dual-layer DVD. That would also explain the free copy of Halo: Reach that Microsoft is giving out to everyone accepted into the preview program -- can't really test a new disc format without some new discs now, can you?
Latest Xbox Dashboard preview to test 'updated' disc format; testers get free Halo: Reach
Major Nelson has revealed on his blog that Microsoft is preparing to conduct another seasonal Xbox 360 Dashboard "preview program," this time to kick the tires of an "updated Xbox 360 disc format." For participating, testers will receive a copy of Halo: Reach in addition to "other possible rewards." Sign-ups are now open at Microsoft Connect, with Major Nelson saying that the company is "looking for multiple thousands of participants, so your chances of making it in are good." Unlike with last fall's update preview, there's no mention of this update prohibiting participants from playing online or voice chatting with Xbox Live members who aren't part of the beta program. The preview is restricted to US residents, though both Gold and "Free" Xbox Live members can sign up -- with Gold members given the priority come selection time. As for the new disc format: Since it will need to remain compatible with current 360 disc drives, the update is likely just related to copy protection -- in which case, the free copy of Reach probably uses it. We've contacted Microsoft for more details and will update as we get them.
