xbox360
Latest
Bungie's leap forward with 'Destiny' isn't gameplay: it's social
"Waffles. Waffles with Swedish fish in them!" Destiny developer Bungie's community manager Eric Osborne is telling me about his crew's Halo LAN-party ritual. Lugging bulky CRT TVs everywhere ("You didn't have a 36-inch [Sony] Trinitron Wega?" he asks), snaking Ethernet cables around a possible stranger's house, sipping Mountain Dew in the kitchen between games of capture the flag, eating lots of cheap pizza. Or, in Osborne's case, breakfast food sprinkled with candy. "That was my experience!" It's easy for him to chuckle at how ridiculous his go-to game fuel sounds in retrospect. Back then, host advantage wasn't having non-lagging bullets -- it was knowing where the bathroom was and not having parents home. Times were a lot simpler.
Microsoft's next Xbox One update makes it act more like the 360
We weren't lying in our review when we said that the Xbox One felt like a work in progress. From the sounds of it, though, the system's next update will add features and functionality that frankly should have been in the box last fall. For starters, once the patch rolls out to everyone in October, double-tapping the Guide button on the Xbox One controller will act an awful lot like pressing the Guide button on the Xbox 360 controller does: it'll give options to bring up your friends list, achievements and messages. Finally! The update is also supposed to make recording video without Kinect voice controls a lot easier by letting you save the last 30 seconds of game-video by double-tapping the Guide and then hitting the X button.
Buy 'Destiny' on PS3 or Xbox 360 and upgrade to new-gen for free
The wait is almost over: Destiny, former Halo-developer Bungie's ambitious shooter, releases this coming Tuesday. If you're holding out on it because you don't have a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, though, there's no reason. Bungie has announced that should you purchase the game for PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, until next January 15th you're eligible for a free upgrade to a current-gen digital copy. That's as long as you within the console family you bought the game for originally. Meaning, if you buy the game for PS3 you'll get a download of it on PS4, gratis. Any extra content like season passes will carry over too -- just like your character's progress and gear.
'Doctor Who' is coming to 'Minecraft' on Xbox 360 next month
Simply put, Doctor Who and Minecraft are two worldwide sensations, each extremely popular in their own entertainment category. Thus, it just kind of makes sense to bring the two together. Thankfully for those of you who are into both, Microsoft and the BBC have partnered up to do exactly that, by way of digital downloadable content for Minecraft on the Xbox 360. Starting next month, players will have access to character packs from Doctor Who, including skins of The Doctor himself, his companions and his mad enemies -- all from throughout the show's entire history, not only from most recent seasons. No word yet on if this also applies to the upcoming Xbox One edition of Minecraft, but it wouldn't surprise us if that was the case.
Canadian cable giants launch a Netflix rival
Canucks don't have much choice for streaming video services. Netflix is the de facto pick, and its Canadian division's selection (historically smaller than in the US) isn't going to satisfy everyone. However, cable giants Rogers and Shaw think they have a better option for some viewers -- they've just unveiled Shomi, a mostly TV-focused service that might have a few aces up its sleeve. The offering blends automatic recommendations with handpicked selections; if you're looking for nothing but comic book adaptations or movies with dating disasters, you may have an easier time finding what you want. Shomi is also leaning heavily on exclusive deals for past seasons of big TV shows like Modern Family, New Girl and Sons of Anarchy, so it may be your best bet if you're looking for a Hulu Plus equivalent.
Xbox 360 HDD now comes in 500GB format, costs less than 320GB version
Been taking advantage of the Xbox 360's "Games with Gold" deal? You might be running out of hard drive space, and Microsoft knows it: it just updated the Xbox website with a teaser for a 500GB hard drive. At $110 it's still more expensive than PC storage, but it's oddly cheaper than the 320GB Xbox 360 HDD that's currently on the market. It's not clear if the new drive will serve as a replacement or if the price is merely a placeholder, but we'll never scoff at more storage space. Unfortunately, you can't order the new drive just yet -- the product page just says that pre-orders are "coming soon." [Image credit: yum9me, Flickr]
Creator of Xbox dashboard ads is sorry for all the Mountain Dew tiles
You know all those annoying ads cluttering the Xbox 360 and Xbox One dashboards? Well, one of their creators has issued an apology. Former Microsoft employee Allen Murray writes on Gamasutra just how his noble intent to get digital games noticed on the Xbox 360 got away from him, and, as he tells it, Redmond initially opposed the idea. Prior to joining the Xbox team Murray worked at Amazon, which he says gave him a keen insight into how tech can be used to enhance retail sales. His idea was to highlight titles like Hexic HD on the dashboard and allow users to purchase them directly from the dash almost effortlessly. So, with the encouragement of Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb, Murray pitched the idea to his bosses and was immediately shot down. Eventually the higher-ups relented and, clearly, the results speak for themselves. "If you hate the Mountain Dew ads, I truly am sorry," he says. Well, at least we have a target for our fist shaking now.
Why Activision is spending $500 million on Destiny
Yes, it's true: Activision is spending half a billion dollars on Bungie's Destiny. Yes, that's true despite Bungie's statement that, "the budget for Destiny, including associated marketing costs and pizza Wednesdays, is nowhere near 500 million dollars." And that's because, when Activision head Bobby Kotick revealed that gargantuan number earlier this year, he was speaking to the entire franchise, not just this September's game. "That number has been widely misinterpreted as a production number for the first game," Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg explained in an interview today at Gamescom. "That number is an all-inclusive number that's several years worth of investment, including marketing and several games, and a lot of up front investment in things like engines and tools that will be able to be used for years to come."
'Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare' proves that games are better with jetpacks and lasers
It's easy to get cynical about game franchises that release every year, but from the looks of it, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is shaking things up quite a bit. For starters, developer Sledgehammer Games' first effort brings jetpacks and frickin' lasers to the online battlefield. Joystiq recently got some hands-on time with the title's multiplayer suite, and, based on the video below, came away pretty impressed. One of editor-in-chief Ludwig Kietzmann's biggest takeaways is that the aforementioned jetpack, specifically, makes it a little easier to live longer and thus dole out more pain. And no, don't worry, you're forgiven if you come away thinking that Advanced Warfare looks more than a little like Titanfall. Well, without the titans, that is -- there's a sort of Volcano / Dante's Peak thing going on here.
Game to start selling digital game and DLC codes for the Xbox One and 360
Retailer Game is finally back on stable ground after a few turbulent years its brother-in-arms Gamestation wasn't lucky enough to survive. No doubt last year's console launches begat a healthy cash injection, but beyond the obvious products that keep tills ringing, Game's never shied away from trying new things. After adding Steam vouchers, tablets and Android consoles to its stores, it'll also begin selling digital game and DLC download codes for the Xbox One and 360 from August 15th. Game already sells codes for PlayStation Network titles and DLC, and last month also began stocking full PS Vita game codes. It may seem counterintuitive to visit a shop for something you can purchase direct on-console, but it works for those who want to keep their card details offline, or can only pay with pocket money. And it's not like they take up much shelf space, either.
Verizon's FiOS Xbox apps now let you watch 'The Walking Dead,' er, live
Verizon's FiOS app has been leading the way on the Xbox One live-TV front, and now it's getting a handful more channels in its stable. If you're a subscriber, you now have access to the likes of AMC HD, Showtime, Encore, Bloomberg TV and ten others. As Verizon tells it, this brings the total channel count to 88 across both the Xbox 360 and its younger brother, the Xbox One. Whether you're going to use them to keep up with the exploits of the Ricktatorship or Homeland, however, is up to you.
The 'Destiny' beta is now open to everyone
Let's say you wanted to give Bungie's latest shooter, Destiny, a go before the game comes out in September, but the idea of pre-ordering video games goes against the very core of your being. Well, Bungie's just announced that it's opening the floodgates on the test-phase for the game and is letting everyone get in on the fun. At 7 p.m. Eastern / 4 p.m. Pacific, you'll be able to head to the digital marketplace on your gaming platform of choice (PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One) and grab the multi-gigabyte file for yourself and see what everyone's been raving about. And remember, on Saturday at 5 p.m. Eastern, 2 p.m. Pacific, Bungie is promising a special reward for whoever is playing, and that it'll carry over to the game's final version come September.
Final 'Halo 3' Easter egg is actually a birthday wish
Okay, so you're probably wondering why we're talking about Halo 3 almost seven years after it originally released. That's natural, it's essentially a lifetime in the world of tech and video games. Well, here's the deal: Halo 3's developers at Bungie were super-keen on tucking all manner of secrets away within the game and apparently the final one has only just been found. As Beyond Entertainment tells it, a few members of the Halo YouTube community have been following the breadcrumb trail of clues that Bungie's been leaving for the past few years, and this Easter egg is a bit more personal than monkey people hidden in the game's opening jungle level. In fact, it's a birthday message for former senior-engineer Adrien Perez's wife.
Showtime's Anytime TV service starts streaming on your Xbox 360
If you're hanging on to an Xbox 360, you now have an easy way to catch up on Nurse Jackie or Penny Dreadful without reaching for the DVR remote. Showtime Anytime has finally reached Microsoft's previous-generation game console, letting you stream both live and on-demand shows so long as you already get Showtime through a conventional TV provider. It won't please cord cutters any more than earlier Anytime releases because of that limitation, but it should be handy for a bedroom TV. And don't fret, Xbox One owners -- there's an app coming for the newer system later this year, so you won't be Showtime-free for much longer.
Sky Go streaming no longer free on consoles from July 29th
Sky has begun to inform Xbox 360 owners who watch TV on their console via the Sky Go app that come the end of July, they'll need to start paying for the privilege. Sky Go is free to anyone with a subscription to the satellite TV service, and allows you to use your smartphone, tablet, computer or console (for the next month, anyway) to watch TV when you're out of set-top box range. Sky Go Extra is a paid version that also lets you download content for offline viewing, as well as upping the number of devices you can use to four instead of two. It's this Extra tier that Xbox 360 users will need to pony up £5 per month for (after an introductory price of half that) if they wish to continue using Sky Go on their console after July 29th. This only affects the 360 currently, and ironically it comes just after Microsoft cut the requirement for a paid Xbox Live Gold account to use video streaming apps. With Sky Go coming to the PS3 and PS4 later this summer, however, it feels very much like Sky is making a calculated move to turn a free service into a paid one just before a bunch more people get access. Update: Sky has confirmed this applies to all consoles, so when the PS3/PS4 apps launch, they will also require a Sky Go Extra subscription. Company quote after the break.
Microsoft E3 2014 Xbox liveblog!
Microsoft's annual E3 press briefing on its Xbox business is, if nothing else, never a dull affair. Heck, last year, a car rose out of the stage! And one year, some of The Beatles showed up. What's gonna happen today? That's the question! We get the feeling that our friend the Master Chief will make an appearance in at least one Halo game announcement, the couch-sized men of the Gears of War universe are likely to show up, and we've got our fingers crossed for a hovercraft or some madness rising out of the stage this morning. We'll get started shortly after 9AM PT/12PM ET.
Xbox One getting Twitter, Vine, and HBO Go by year's end
There you were, using your Xbox One, thinking how much you'd like to watch a variety of six second video clips. Right? Maybe? Okay, maybe you were using your Xbox One, thinking how much you'd like to see a list of what's trending on Twitter? Alright, let's stop kidding ourselves: there's a high likelihood no one is doing those things, but Microsoft is answering the non-existent call regardless and adding both services to the Xbox One. Those are just two of the 45 new apps heading to Xbox One and Xbox 360, including the long-promised HBO Go app, Comedy Central, Watch ABC and more. Moreover, the "most popular experiences" are scheduled to launch "by the end of this holiday season." Head below for the full, lengthy list of new apps and a video showing off Twitter integration. Spoilers: it's pretty silly!
Forza Horizon 2 is the next exclusive racer on Xbox One and 360
Now that Forza Motorsport 5 is dishing out realistic driving, it's time for the Xbox-exclusive series to swing back to open-world arcade racing: meet Forza Horizon 2. While the announcement at IGN doesn't show much (unless you really like box shots), it promises a few big upgrades for both Xbox 360 and Xbox One gamers, including a weather system that hasn't been in previous Forza titles. You'll also get an adaptation of Forza 5's Drivatar technology that should deliver slightly more authentic (read: mistake-prone) AI opponents based on your friends. Naturally, Xbox One players will get a visual upgrade at the same time. You'll have to wait until the fall to give Horizon 2 a spin, but we suspect that Microsoft and developer Playground Games will have more to say about it at E3 next week.
Engadget Daily: Ads on your thermostat, eBay's password breach and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours – all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Old console, new tricks: Getting the most out of your Xbox 360
Whether you're holding out for the Kinect-less Xbox One or you've already unpacked a new system, there's still plenty of life left in the Xbox 360. Microsoft will have its new system properly on track after another half dozen or so software updates, but until then, it's all about getting everything we can out of older hardware. Nearly nine years later, here's how to make sure your Xbox 360 is aging gracefully.
