Gamertag
Latest
Custom jacket featuring your gamertag ... sweetness
Being a Xbox MVP must be life, not only do you get a bunch of respect from the community, but you also get one sweet jacket from Microsoft. DeaconBlade over at Unscripted 360 received a special gift from Redmond, a custom Xbox 360 jacket featuring his very own gamertag lovingly detailed on the back. Are we jealous? Just a tad, but we know the big guys over at Microsoft are reading this and sending out our own custom jackets this very moment. Who are we kidding ... those MVPs get all the good stuff.
Microsoft admits uptick in Live account hacking, writes it off to social engineering
Everyone enjoys a good Xbox hack, but they're not so fun when the tables are turned and it's your Live account that's been commandeered by crooks -- who are supposedly draining your credit card while you're stuck on the sidelines with a duplicate, unusable Gamertag. While it's not surprising that hackers would hijack online accounts to snatch valuable personal info, the question being raised in forums and now in the media is how Microsoft has been dealing / plans to deal with these breaches. The company first admitted that "there have [recently] been reports of fraudulent activity and account theft taking place" on Live when contacted by CNET, and went on to say that it is "actively investigating all reports of fraudulent behavior and theft." However, Major Nelson is now reporting that Redmond has found "no evidence of any compromise of the security of the Xbox Live Network or Bungie.net," and is attributing all of the recent incidents to "malicious users...attempting to draw personal information from unsuspecting users." It's hard to imagine that the uptick in fraud revealed to CNET is due solely to an increase in gullible gamers, but unless Microsoft plans on tightening security, all you can really do is continue to exercise the usual precautions or cancel your account and get your MMO fix from Yahoo! Bingo.[Via Joystiq]
Some Xbox Live accounts hacked [update 1]
Over the weekend a group of hackers hijacked Windows Live IDs through Bungie.net and supposedly took over all accounts associated within those IDs. ZDNet.com compiled a list of sources who are confirming such hacks after a security researcher over at Digital Munition released a full disclosure report. ZDNet.com then received emails from Xbox Live members confirming that their accounts have been taken over and that everything from fraudulent charges on their account to password changes occurred. So far Microsoft has somewhat admitted to the problem, but hasn't been overly helpful. There has been no official word from Microsoft, but in a phone conversation with a Xbox Live Tech they said that "hackers have control of Xbox live and there is nothing we can do about it".Have you noticed anything screwy with your Xbox Live account or Windows Live ID? So far we haven't heard anything from the fanboy community, making us believe this is a much more isolated problem then ZDNet.com makes it appear. But we definitely think Microsoft needs to either come out and admit to the problem and tell us what happened or squash this over-zealous rumor. This whole hacking problem further begs the question; why can't hackers and gamers live in harmony?Update 1: This mystery has been solved![Via Digg]
The psychology behind you and your Gamertag
Playing on Xbox Live introduces you to a plethora of personalities, cultures, and interesting people. And unless you've been living under the 360's power brick, you know that on Xbox Live your online identity is your Gamertag. But what does your Gamertag really tell others about you? The guys over at Games Radar put on their scientific hats, because they were curious to what the sub-conscious meaning and hidden significance was behind a person's Gamertag. They took a sample of real Gamertags, broke them down into six categories, and received some insight from a professor of psychology. They came away with a few generalized meanings behind each category as they make logicial (psychology) sense. A person's Gamertag is (simply put) their chosen online identity, a label to which they wish to be called, and a label they consciously choose. So, sometimes their is hidden meaning behind a Gamertag and we can learn a little bit about a person just from it, even without even talking to them. But even after reading this article I have yet to learn what the hidden significance behind SuperDunners is ... I guess I'm just super.[Via Digg]
Lost Planet multiplayer patch March 9
Having failed to satisfy players with its preliminary efforts, Capcom has announced an upcoming Lost Planet multiplayer patch that promises to improve community building efforts. Icons will now single out the match's weakest links, making it easier for hosts to identify which players to boot; a flashing indicator will now clearly mark the game's chatterboxes, illuminating Gamertags you'll be adding to your mute list; and country flags will alert you to opportunities to settle age-old scores -- just make sure team kills are enabled. The Lost Planet global update is scheduled for March 9.Complete patch details follow...
Games for Windows Vista: how the new brand & OS will change PC gaming [update 1]
We recently sat down with Games for Windows (GFW) Marketing Director Kevin Unangst and PR Manager Michael Wolf for a brief pre-launch tour of gaming on Vista. Admittedly, the implementation hasn't changed much since we first previewed Vista nearly a year ago. Even so, from a GUI-perspective, Vista features a user-friendly central location for cataloging, accessing, and tweaking (settings, parental controls, updating, etc.) GFW-branded games -- non-GFW games won't necessarily be excluded, but they won't feature many of the required functionalities built into the branded titles.Games for Windows is still very much a vision. The first priority, a retail initiative, is currently underway. By employing marketing strategies used by console makers, namely platform-branding, Microsoft hopes that PC gaming (under the 'Games for Windows' banner) will become less intimidating to mainstream consumers -- no longer will the PC games isle be a cluttered mess of disparate titles. Computer Gaming World was also renamed as Games For Windows to help drive Microsoft's new brand. Aside from retail consolidation, this branding will ensure certain requirements are met by games' publishers. To earn the GFW brand, a title must comply with certain Microsoft-tested specifications, including widescreen support, compatibility with the Xbox 360 controller, parental control features, and simple installation. GFW games will also begin to carry a system rating, based on a 5-point scale. Vista will assess the value of your PC's gaming abilities and assign a rating (or "WinSAT"), say 4.5. You can then weigh that rating against a game's recommended rating (example: 5.0) and its required rating (example: 3.5) before purchasing. Update: The scale will begin at five points, but is designed to grow as newer technologies enter the market.
More evidence Live Anywhere reaching Zune?
Digging through the source code of Zune.net a curious mole stumbled upon an intriguing line of code that referenced the production domain: "gamercard.zune.net."Perhaps it's just lazy (copy/paste) coding, as a Generation Zune commenter points out -- Xbox.com's source has the same line of code, with "xbox" instead of "zune" -- but why wouldn't Zune feature Gamercard compatibility? That Zune will be part of the Live Anywhere network has been rumored before, and there's no good reason to believe it won't.We already know (see 2old2play) that MS Passport-associated Gamertag's will become your Zunetag. In fact, Microsoft has already reserved said Gamertags so that if you ever decide to go Zune, you're proper handle will be waiting. We're not convinced that Live Anywhere is a critical selling point for Zune, but tossing the feature in for Xbox Livies is a no-brainer.[Via Gamertag Radio]
Gamer auctioning XBL gamertag for PS3 [update 1]
Rance6, a gamer in Italy who has managed to stack up over 5000 hours of gaming and a gamerscore of more than 80,000 is auctioning off an Xbox 360 hard drive containing his identity, "ALL LIVE ARCADE INSIDE" (which isn't possible, since all of the XBLA games weren't released in Italy -- sounds more like an advertisement you'd see on a seedy adult bookstore), and more than 1GB worth of saved games. He claims to be the "1st IN THE WORLD," and he and his team of farmers must be proud. The Xbox 360 was released in Italy on December 1st, so even if Rance picked one up then, he's had just over ten months to build up those 5,000 hours. Our rusty math skills work this out to mean he's been gaming 16 hours a day to clock this. The poor guy must be really sleep deprived.Why is he parting with something so dear that represents so much of his time and effort? He ungrammatically states on the eBay auction page, "I am selling cause PS3 coming out."The auction ends on October 11th and is already up to $6,000. For that amount, Rance6 and co. should be able to buy a PlayStation 3 coated in gold, along with a copy of all the launch titles and a Wii to boot. We can't imagine that he hasn't killed every zombie, run every race, and settled the Geometry Wars once and for all on the 360, so more power to him as he changes consoles.[Thanks, Ethan][Update: clarified ALL LIVE ARCADE ARE BELONG TO US situation]
Vision video chat demo
Gamertag Radio got to check out the Vision Cameras video chat functionality at the Microsoft Games Unwrapped event in NYC. Not exactly earth shattering if you've used a webcam in the past 10 years, but still eagerly awaited. Unfortunately, the hot chick isn't included with the retail SKU, so you're stuck chatting with whoever is on your friends list. I hope there's an option for full-screen.
Xbox 360 making cameo in Transformers movie?
Before we get to this, let's agree to hold off on all Xbox 360 power supply Energon cube jokes, just for a little while, kay? Alright, here goes. Gamespot points us to entertainment website The Movie Reporter, who claim to have gotten their popcorn-greased mitts on the script for Michael Bay's upcoming, slow-mo explosion fest remake of Transformers. So we know it's got explosions, we know it's got slow-mo, what else does it have? The Movie Reporter's Robert Sanchez writes, "I almost forgot to mention one of the most stupid scenes in the script ... For reasons that I won't get into, we see an iPod, Xbox 360, and plasma screens sprout legs and transform just a bit."Hmmm, well, yeah. Just a bit? Like the 360 transforms into a 360-with-legs? If there's a PS3 in this movie, we can expect a whole new metric for measuring the console wars, and just going on the two console's colors, we're guessing the 360 is an Autobot. Just sayin'! Commence Energon cube jokes ... now!See also:Transformers web site launchedActivision grabs Transformers movie license[Via Engadget]
Chart your GamerScore
Here's a site that lets you graphically chart your GamerScore progress by simply entering your tag. Nice idea, but I suggest enhancing the visuals. That chart looks way too much like the ones I see at budget meetings.[Thanks Jim]
Add/delete XBL friends with a mouse click
Xbox.com now lets you manage your Xbox Live friends list from the web. You can send, receive, or decline a friend request through the website. And of course, you can dump existing friends too. Time for some quick n' easy spring cleaning...[Just playin' Major! You know we got mad love for you.]
Can I have my email address back? (Xbox 360 annoyance #010)
At some point following our gala 48-hour Xbox 360 gamathon, we got the idea to check some funny gamertags to see if they were available. For the sake of this example, let's say we picked "xXDr.UweBollXx" just to have some kicks and play with the free 30-day Xbox Live Gold membership. During the signup process the system requires a Microsoft .NET Passport account to link to the gamertag. The request (though having a slightly Big Brother feel) was understandable, so I entered in my 8-year old Hotmail account (which I've had since it was called HoTMaiL). Recently I undertook the task of transferring my original Xbox gamertag, "persnfrmporlok", to the 360. Here's where it gets ugly.During the transfer process I was again required to link my gamertag to a .NET Passport account, so I naturally punched in my trusty Hotmail address. I was informed that the account already had a gamertag linked to it and only one was allowed. No red flags yet; surely this could be solved simply. I would only need to switch the .NET Passport for "Uwe Boll" to a newly created address (let's call it uweiswonderful@hotmail.com) thus freeing my original Hotmail account to be linked to "persnfrmporlok." Now if only I could figure out how to do it...Right about now you should see where this story is going: I could not change the email address and needed to open a new .NET Passport account for my "persnfrmporlok" gamertag. After several calls to 1-800-4MY-XBOX I was told by a very helpful representative that the linking was "permanent." You see, Microsoft was "cracking down" on people switching email addresses, a practice that was previously allowed on the original Xbox. Cracking down? What does that mean? How could this be abused? The functionality is for our convenience, not for billing; they already have my credit card number, address, and real name! I can assure them that's a much better way of commucating with subscribers than a easily forgotten free webmail account. The sad truth is, despite my long history with that Hotmail account, the increasingly irrelevant Hotmail service is still the slowest, ugliest, and most spammed webmail account I have. For a console that trumpets loud and wide, "It's all about choice" the decision to remove this choice is inscrutable.Xbox 360 annoyances: 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008, 009Other Xbox 360 delights: 001, 002, 003, 004
