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Major Nelson unboxes the red Resident Evil 5 Xbox 360 bundle [update]
Here it is, folks. Major Nelson has done us the courtesy of producing the above unboxing video for the red Resident Evil 5 Xbox 360 console. New facts have emerged, as we now know the bundle features not only a gaming console, but also a headset, and a power supply. There's even a copy of Resident Evil 5 in there to enjoy. You'll be able to scare up one of your own next month, on Friday the 13th.Update: A few folks have brought it to our attention that the red Xbox 360 shown in Major's video is one of the newer, more reliable Jasper models. During the video, Major mentions the console includes a Jasper-sized 150 watt power supply and also shows the power plug-in. A plug-in that looks oh so similar to the special Jasper connector. We aren't sure if all RE5 Xbox 360s will feature Jasper chipsets, but we're nearly certain that the hardware in this video has Jasper innards. Take that knowledge for whatever it's worth.[Via Engadget]%Gallery-45781%
Red Xbox 360 Resident Evil Limited Edition "unboxed" by Major Nelson
Curious what's in that hot new red Xbox 360 Resident Evil Limited Edition box? Well, Major Nelson's got you covered -- he just posted up this quick video going over the contents. You're getting the red 360 with 120GB drive, a red controller, black headset, HDMI, component, and Ethernet cables, a download code for Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, RE 5, and... the standard Xbox power supply. Yeah! We'll hit you with a real unboxing when it all goes on sale -- which just happens to be Friday the 13th, our favorite day in March.
Xbox Live Top 10: Humanity survives another week
Today is a day to be proud, Xbox Live enthusiast. For one more week, you've managed to keep the menacing onslaught of undead Nazis at bay, allowing our children to sleep safely and our brains to remain snugly tucked away in our skulls. Humanity's silver-haired reporter, one Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, explains that Call of Duty: World at War was the top game played the week of January 19th on Xbox Live.He was also able to break down the data for people who used their Xbox for things other than fighting the good fight. Like lazing around and playing Xbox Live Arcade games. See the list of draft dodgers past the jump.
This Wednesday: Castle Crashers DLC hitting XBLA
We've got new Castle Crashers DLC coming to Xbox Live Arcade this week for 160 ($2), according to Major Major Major Major (Nelson). As of this writing, no other details were available on his site nor on the Behemoth's blog, but we suspect it's probably the new characters and weapons we heard about in September. Sure, it's not technically a new title, but we'll let them slide this time. After all, it could be worse. As for the week after, you've got The Maw.
Represent PlayStation in the Street Fighter IV challenge
The console wars have gotten real. The PlayStation.Blog is looking for a capable Street Fighter to take on Team Evil Xbox in a fight for console supremacy. CES, which begins this week, will play host to this intriguing event which pits Professor PlayStation's team of PS3 wizards versus Major Nelson's Xbox soldiers. Think you're ready to represent?If you're in the Las Vegas area this Saturday, you'll have a chance to represent PS3 gamers everywhere. Only 20 players can represent PlayStation in this truly extraordinary showdown. Shoot an email to iwannaplaystreetfighteriv@gmail.com with your name, PSN ID, and why you think you should have a chance to compete. You must be 18 years or older. Good luck. Make us proud.
Major Nelson reveals top 20 Xbox Live games and arcade downloads
Well, that was entirely unexpected. How, in a year chock-full of incredible Xbox Live-enabled releases, did Yaris manage to not only be the most downloaded XBLA title of 2008, but also place first on the annual Xbox Live activity charts? We could have sworn that those accomplishments would have gone to Castle Crashers and Halo 3, respectively! What's that? They did, but we thought we'd distort the truth because we haven't made a Yaris joke in a while? Oh, thank God.Yes, Major Nelson recently released the final Xbox Live statistics for 2008 -- Halo 3 dominated the overall Xbox Live activity chart (followed by CoD 4 and GTA IV), and Castle Crashers was the top downloaded XBLA title of the year (in front of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 and Braid). We've got both of the totally unsurprising lists posted after the jump, as well as the top Live titles from the original Xbox, the winner of which will straight-up blow your mind.
Be social, join Major Nelson's VGA live chat event
With all the excitement surrounding tonight's Spike TV Video Game Awards, we know you'll be a good fanboy and watch the show either on TV or via the award show's live stream. And instead of watching all by your lonesome, we recommend jumping over to Major Nelson's site and joining the live chat event. The VGA live chat (accessible here or through your favorite IRC client) will promptly kick off at 9:00PM eastern over on MajorNelson.com. You'll be among your community peers which means you can discuss, speculate and express your fanboyism while watching the VGA news unfold. We'll be hanging out in the chat session and we've also learned that Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb will be stopping by sometime during the VGA airing. It's socialization, it's awards, and it's just fun.
Xbox Experience now available to all who signed up, Netflix HD streams too
Microsoft's new Xbox Experience dashboard doesn't officially launch until Wednesday the 19th. But if you signed up for the preview (and who didn't?) with a valid console ID then it's available now according to Major Nelson. What's more, Netflix has confirmed its Xbox 360 launch details: more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes and 300 streaming HD titles. Remember, streaming is free for Netflix members who are also Xbox Live Gold members. The HD video streams will be limited to SD audio, however -- multi-channel audio is in the works as are additional HD titles. Now get outta here kid, NXE awaits.[Via Joystiq]Read -- Major NelsonRead -- Netflix
Major Nelson acknowledges Xbox Live connectivity issues
As many chainsaw duelists likely already know, Xbox Live performance hasn't been exemplary over the past 24 hours. Players are reporting frequent disconnection from Microsoft's soon-to-be-updated online service, prompting the ever-watchful Xbox Live Director of Programming, Major Nelson, to issue a statement which discloses that engineers are working to "determine the root cause of this issue."We imagine the "root cause" has something to do with the bajillion people who are simultaneously trying to play Gears of War 2 -- though it could somehow be related to the upcoming launch of the New Xbox Experience. Speaking of which, we certainly hope whatever issues that are plaguing the service are hashed out by next Wednesday, as we're not certain that Microsoft took out "pitchfork-wielding rioter" insurance on their Redmond-based headquarters.
Joystiq at the Gears of War 2 launchapalooza
This is an extremely hard post to finish. Not because the Los Angeles Gears of War 2 launch party sucked (it didn't), not because we didn't get enough photos (took plenty), and not because we didn't get good interviews (CliffyB Cliff Bleszkinski and John DiMaggio, the voice of Marcus Fenix AND Bender, and others ... coming to you very soon). No, it's because we got the game, came home and slid it into the 360, and thought, "Hey, it'll be fun to try this Horde mode out!" Now it's 9:15 am, and it feels like one of those days where you wake up and realize you have a chemistry test in two hours that you didn't study for at all.%Gallery-36372%
New Xbox Experience beta signups open
As he hinted about earlier this week, Major Nelson has updated his blog with details on how to sign up for a chance to download the New Xbox Experience prior to its official Nov. 19 launch. It's called the "Xbox 360 Fall 2008 Preview Program," and, in order to participate, you must sign into Microsoft Connect with a valid Windows Live ID and complete a brief survey.As Major Nelson points out, filling out the survey won't guarantee you early access to the NXE. He says that several thousand participants will be chosen, however, and that your chances are best if you're an Xbox Live Gold member (although Silver members can still apply). Those who are selected can expect to be contacted via the email address they provide within a week.[Thanks, Cody]
Major Nelson teases early NXE access for some
Major Nelson's latest podcast hints that at least some Xbox loyalists will get to test drive navigate the New Xbox Experience before the general public (at least those with enough storage space) gets its hands on it Nov. 19. Speaking about the NXE during his show, the good Major said, "You want to get your hands on it and I don't blame you, because you'll enjoy it. In fact, if you want to get your hands on it, let me just say this: keep an eye on my blog next week. If you want to get your hands on it early, that's all I'm going to say."F5 keys at the ready! [Via GamePlay Unlimited]
Major Nelson awarding a select few the NXE prior to its official release [update]
Update: Just to be clear, Major Nelson says to visit his website NEXT WEEK for the NXE giveaway surprise. So, don't be disappointed if there is no NXE handout this week.Thanks to the handy transcription of GamePlay Unlimited, we now know that Major Nelson will be giving a few lucky 360 fanboys the chance to download the New Xbox Experience prior to its official release on November 19th. Word comes from his latest podcast, where Major and E have a brief discussion regarding a listener receiving the NXE before anyone else. E inquires about the possibility of a MajorNelson.com visitor winning the chance to download the NXE early, to which Major answers, "that's pretty much what I'm saying." We don't know how or when, but we guess a few lucky MajorNelson.com visitors will be getting the NXE before it releases to the masses, allowing them to get a head start on their Avatar customization.[Via Evil Avatar]
Video: Creating an Xbox 360 Avatar
Xbox Live's Major Nelson has posted a new video, showing just how we'll go about creating tiny, polygonal and considerably more handsome versions of ourselves when the New Xbox Experience (that's fancy for "dashboard update") arrives this Fall. If you've been wondering how you'll outfit your Avatar with virtua-threads or which button elicits a burp (yes, really), peer past the break. Of course, if you're the impatient type and just want to get back to your space mareenz, you can skip the whole process by simply selecting a random Avatar. Just don't blame us if you wind up as Shane Kim.%Gallery-27601%
Castle Crashers remains top played XBLA title
For the third consecutive week The Behemoth's latest release, Castle Crashers, has remained the most played Xbox Live Arcade release. Still reeling from its online play hiccups, Castle Crashers has been singled out as one of the most successful releases to ever hit the service. Released nearly two years since it was announced, Castle Crashers was at the forefront of a price listing controversy that pegged the beat-em-up as the first 1800MS point Arcade release but was then confirmed at a slightly lower price of 1400MS 1200MS points.After stealing the top slot for the third time we wonder, are any upcoming releases tempting enough to take over? If you said Feeding Frenzy 2 congratulations. You're so wrong.Update: We need coffee, price of Castle Crashers is and always has been 1200MS points.%Gallery-27824%
Video of how Netflix works on Xbox 360
The announcement of Netflix for the Xbox 360 was certainly one of the major highlights of Microsoft's press conference. Inside Xbox has a video, featuring Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, walking through how Netflx will work on the New Xbox Experience. The standard definition movies seem to load and begin streaming instantly. This is a feature we imagine many Xbox Live members, who are also Netflix subscribers, will be taking full advantage of later this year.
New Xbox Experience gets clarified by the Major
Last week we tried to answer your questions regarding the New Xbox Experience, but you still have concerns. Valid ones at that. What's the deal with these Avatar things? They are so not 1337. Will we be forced to install games to the harddrive? But we don't want to lose one of our PS3 laughing points! Thanks to Major Nelson's latest podcast some of those concerns are cleared up.Addressing the two concerns above, Major assures Xbox 360 owners that they won't have to create an Avatar and that installing Xbox 360 titles will never be a requirement. Color us relieved so far. For more details and answers to your questions make sure to check out Major's latest episode.[via Joystiq] Gallery: New Xbox Experience
Major Nelson continues to clear up New Xbox Experience
Considering how much time we spend looking at Xbox Live waiting for someone, anyone to accept our Cloning Clyde game invite, it's understandable that we'd be pretty trepidatious about some of the planned big changes coming to the service. Thankfully, Xbox's Major Nelson is there to hold our heads to his audio bosom, stroke our hair and promise us that everything's going to be OK.His new podcast features all kinds of reassurances, chief among them: We won't have to create an avatar and transferring Xbox 360 games to the hard drive will never be required, something we were paranoid about. What other comforts will you discover inside? Only after a click here will you know for sure.%Gallery-27601%
Purchased themes will work with New Xbox Experience
Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has settled it. "It" being the question of whether Xbox 360 Dashboard themes downloaded (and even purchased) before the upcoming New Xbox Experience rolls out later this year will be rendered useless with the switch to a different UI. The answer's a welcome one: they'll work just fine with the new Apple TV-esque interface.To (literally) illustrate the point, Major Nelson uploaded images of the NXE with an existing theme applied to his flickr gallery. It isn't explicitly stated in the accompanying captions, but we'd venture a guess that the background image will change as you page through the new category "frames." With this mystery solved, you can now go back to complaining about all of the things you actually wasted money on.[Via X3F]
E308: Dashboard with themes, downloads and launch area
Major Nelson just added a trio of images to his flickr account outlining examples of how the new dashboard redesign will retrofit existing Xbox 360 themes, a more detailed download page for content on the Xbox Live Marketplace and an example of a game specific launch page. Microsoft has promised the new dashboard will still allow themes -- as seen in the image above -- and we anticipate the photo will change based on the area of the dashboard you visit.For images, and an analysis of the images for downloads and specific titles jump in.
