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Top 10 Xbox Live games
Based on time spent connected to Xbox Live, here are the Top 10 games for Microsoft's online service. Results taken from the week ending February 11, 2006: Halo 2 Call of Duty 2 Perfect Dark Zero DEAD OR ALIVE 4 PGR3 Need for Speed™ Most Wanted Battlefield 2: MC Madden NFL 06 Geometry Wars Evolved NBA 2K6 Staying consistent with previously released stats, "little games that could" still find spots on the list. Some three months after its launch release, Geometry Wars is on the list at number nine. Astounding.[Thanks, Drew]
Real friends, real relationships forged online
This article at 2old2play takes a look at how we form relationships with others online, questioning the assumption that "real life" friends are the only sort of friendships worth having. Getting to know and like people via Xbox Live and other services isn't the exclusive domain of the nerd, nor has it been for some time.While friendships formed online have been flourishing for years, the advent of easily available voice chat certainly makes it easy to feel close to those you play with on Xbox Live. Spending time together in the same place, even if it is a Halo 2 map, can lead to heart-to-heart conversations -- hanging out in the pregame lobby, or just wandering around a map with friends, brings Xbox Live close to feeling like a virtual world rather than a framework for FPS combat.
Impossibly high Gamerscore: 4,916,919
In my review for King Kong on the Xbox 360, I mentioned that it had earned a reputation for being "especially loose with its gamerscore points." I would like to amend that statement in light of recent developments. The bar has been so significantly shifted, that unless the game dishes out gamerscore points in multiples of 5000, it's chaste relative to one gamer's licentious copy of Condemned: Criminal Origins! Here's how you too can earn gamerscore points well into the millions: instead of playing several thousand games through, earning all 1000 gamerscore points contained therein, just bend the laws of mathematics to your singular, corrupted will, by earning a total 2550 of 50 achievements, and a total of 4915477 of 970 gamerscore points!Dondums' Penny Arcade avatar mocks us, his sterling 5 star reputation shames us, and his motto, "I like hugs," makes us feel empty inside. We don't need a hug, we need a strong drink.[Thanks, Tuan & everyone else that sent this in]Read on for some other pictures from Dondums' page on Xbox.com, captured here for posterity before the powers that be at Microsoft mend the error, or the world collapses onto itself.
Sony declares "full-on assault" on Xbox Live
According to a scan posted on the PlayStation forums, the March issue of PlayStation Magazine (PSM) reveals Sony's plans to deliver an online gaming experience that not only targets Microsoft's much lauded Live service, but surpasses it. The article reads:"Cast aside any doubts and start gazing skyward, because that's where Sony is aiming with plans that go far beyond simple leader boards and matchmaking -- or even the PS3, for that matter.""'It's very real,' one source tells us. 'They (Sony) are dead serious about it. They've declared, and I quote, a 'full-on assault' on the latest version of Xbox Live.'""They are committed to matching Xbox Live [on the 360] feature for feature and then some."This story, together with the recent survey Sony conducted, should remove any doubts about Sony's online ambitions. Is it possible that Sony could create a network the size and scale of Xbox Live in such a short time? It has cost Microsoft, the world's largest software company, billions and taken years just to lay the framework for the current Live service. Sony is known for their hyperbolic marketing: the PS2's Emotion Engine, the PSP as iPod-killer; it seems unlikely they could take the crown from Microsoft on their first try, but any attempt is a huge relief. It was beginning to look like Sony didn't think the Live service was a valuable addition to console gaming, or a serious competitor to their hegemony. Read on for some (barely) readable closeups from the image on the right. [Thanks, apoc06 & Draco][Update: corrected some grammatical errors.]
4 million pieces of HD content downloaded from Xbox Live
Ok, they may not have all been HD, there were probably some gamer tiles and a song here and there, but just going by the informal responses on Joystiq, those lucky enough to get hold of an Xbox 360 think digital distribution is a good, good thing. I've downloaded every trailer and demo posted so far, even the streaming instructions. Still, some remain unimpressed by the games and concerned about ongoing launch shortages that have caused Microsoft to adjust their projections, I guess the questions remains: Is the Xbox 360 ( & Xbox Live) next gen enough?
Learn how to stream HD to your 360 on Xbox Live Marketplace
Sure we could just tell you that streaming HDTV content wirelessly to your Xbox 360 is best achieved with an 802.11a connection, but some people need video evidence. (Oh wait, we've got that too!). For the unlucky few who have an Xbox 360 and have not yet found their way to HD Beat (thats HD Beatdown for all those who want to face me in DOA4), Microsoft posted a new video on the Xbox Live marketplace letting people learn about high def streaming.....in high definition. It's like a mobius strip we don't even want to get out of.The video is pretty well put together and should provide a good base for people who may have heard about the 360's multimedia capabilities but don't know where to start. Surprisingly it doesn't say anything about how to stream DivX to your Xbox 360, but perhaps the boys from Redmond decided some news is only for the privileged.
Hexic hacks don't affect Xbox Live
Larry Hryb (aka Major Nelson) of Microsoft did some digging and determined that our report of Hexic haxxoring was only partially correct. While it's true that the game has been extracted from kiosk disks used for European Xbox 360 kiosks, and while it's true that the game has been modified, and while it's even true that tinkerers have been able to make it appear as if they're winning achievements, the fact of the matter is that none of this has any effect on the Xbox Live leaderboards. An email from the Xbox Live Arcade team to the good Major stated: "While Hackers can play the game and trigger the achievement awarded animation as if is still there but they don't actually earn anything since they can't connect to Xbox Live." There you have it! Back to collecting black pearls the old fashioned way.
Expired Gold subscriptions causing problems
According to various posters on the official Xbox forums, people taking advantage of the free one-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold will run into some irritating problems when the service expires. Despite buying a 12-month gamecard and upgrading the account, when the trial period was over one poster found his account reverted to Silver status; others have found all the gamertags on their 360 changed to Silver when just one expired.Some were advised to try deleting their gamertags and then re-recovering them (losing all saved data in the process) to no avail, so we're waiting for word from Xbox on this issue. The best way to handle upgrading from a one-month trial to a full account seems to be to wait for the trial to expire, and then apply the 3 or 12 month subscription.[Thanks, Stephen]
Xbox Live connection problems? Here's a tip
If you've been having problems connecting to your friends on Xbox Live for games or chat, here's a tip that'll help you determine the source of the problem--and hopefully fix it. Go to the System blade, select Network Settings and then Test Xbox Live Connection. You'll be able to see what sort of NAT your system is behind, and if it's set to Moderate or Strict then you will only be able to connect to certain other users. To fix this, set your NAT to Open by opening the following ports on your router: 88 (UDP), 3074 (UDP), and 3074 (TCP). [Thanks, silvernome]
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
Temporary Live leaderboard reset
Eagle-eyed high-scorers may have noticed some jiggery-pokery going on with the Xbox Live leaderboards for various games over the last couple of days. Apparently, this is nothing to do with recent hacking successes, but it's certainly interesting to see how quickly the poor beleaguered Xbox Live team jumped on the issue, working through New Year's Day to get it sorted. We missed our chance to top the leaderboards temporarily; did you achieve any unexpected high ranks?
Xbox 360 hackers cheat at Hexic, make inroads into hacking the 360 [Update1]
The hacking community has been very busy this weekend. Accomplishments include: Successfully ripping Hexic off of a kiosk disc and executing it in a PC browser (it runs very slowly) Successfully modifying Hexic and running it on an Xbox 360 connected to Xbox Live Hacking Hexic to earn several of the achievements without doing any of the work Successfully running simple Flash applications that were never on the Xbox 360 (such as a clock application) Modifying certain aspects of the King Kong kiosk demo to create the simple program pictured here Speculation: Could this third item be behind the reset of the Xbox Live leaderboards? We hear people were earning some sick scores in Hexic before the reset (according to a blog post by Xbox Live's Larry Hyrb, the reset is a technical glitch having nothing to do with security issues.) These findings might make it possible to run a flash-based browser, flash-based media players, or even other flash games not available on Xbox Live Arcade There are many avenues of research that the hacking community is exploring. Given the history of past efforts by Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft to prevent modification (all to no avail), it seems inevitable that one or more of these seeds of opportunity will yield fruit How far away are we from a gamer points reset, given that some gamers have been able to cheat to obtain them? Will it become possible to cheat at other games? That's the surest way to sap the enjoyment from any game, as Halo players on Xbox Live who have been the victims of cheaters can attest. [Update1: linked to statement from Microsoft's Larry Hyrb regarding the leaderboard reset.]
Beware Microsoft's domain squatting faux pas
If you're an Xbox Live subscriber interested in getting your hands on a Diamond Card, beware. It seems that a typo on the website, www.xboxlivediamond.com, encourages users to email a non-Microsoft address if they believe their gamertag has been signed up to the site by someone else. From Joystiq, which has the scoop: Step 3: Notice the error message that says: "We're Sorry!!! That GamerTag has already been registered" Notice the following instructions: "If you believe that someone else has registered with your GamerTag, please send an email to support@xboxdiamond.com." Step 4: Notice that xboxdiamond.com is registered with domain squatters. Oops! Hope nobody sent their Xbox Live account information (password, credit card information) to that email address! We further hope that whoever's receiving the deluge of emails isn't impersonating Microsoft and soliciting this information from Xbox Live customers. Since the domain was recently listed on eBay, who knows what the squatters are going to do with the deluge of mis-registered gamertag emails. We hope Microsoft fix this blunder quickly--it doesn't exactly instil faith in the Diamond Card service.
Xbox Live: Microsoft's bet
Today's Wall Street Journal has delved into the ins and outs of Microsoft's gamble to expand online gaming to every gamer with the Xbox 360. Aiming to entice at least 50% of customers online--a figure previously unheard of with Xbox Live, although Nintendo's wifi venture has approached it--Microsoft have spent an estimated $1 billion on the Live service. That's a lot of money to spend in order to get customers signed up and spending their own money in return--the question is whether the gamble will pay off. The WSJ have also put together a flashy comparison of the three next-gen offerings from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, for anyone who's been living under a rock for the last year. One of the key online differences is the lack of a planned centralised online service in Sony and Nintendo's lineup, but that's offset by the lack of service fees, so may see more absolute signups. It's going to be a tough battle, and online gaming will be the only clear winner.
A new demographic for Xbox Live Arcade
As you may have noticed, we at Xbox 360 Fanboy are fans of Xbox's own Major Nelson, and so we were naturally quite sad to hear he was ill over the Christmas period. However, every cloud has a silver lining, and Major's brief convalescence has brought with it an interesting lesson in demographics.Major blogs that "I pretty much spent a majority of my conscious time with the Xbox Live Arcade Games, since they were easy to jump in and out of as I nodded off under my prescriptive based consciousness." -- it seems that the quick-fix nature of the Live Arcade games is perfect for those feeling under the weather. Also, although most Live Arcade games do require some brainpower, they don't require full-on all-cylinders-firing citrus-sharp cognition, and are a lot easier to get to grips with if you're in a medication-induced stupor.So, next time your significant other, child or pet is ill, why not try distracting them with Live Arcade titles rather than daytime television?
Fanboy QuickTake: Hexic
Our friends over at Joystiq have already reviewed Hexic HD, the Xbox Live Arcade puzzle game that comes preloaded on the 360's hard drive. Posing the best value for money out of all arcade games (provided you have the hard drive), it's an excellent starter into the world of Xbox Live Arcade and the concept that the 360 can be used for things other than expensive store-bought games. The gameplay is deceptively simple. Rotate triplets of hexagons to form clusters of three or more of the same colour, which vanish from the board. New hexagons drop in to replace them, repeat ad infinitum. It's like a psychedelic episode of Blockbuster. There are three game modes: Marathon has a gradual difficulty increase and is the most fun, while Timed mode provides those adrenaline rushes, and Survival mode is for patient nitpickers who like their boards kept clean. There are no real changes from the PC version, but somehow playing it on an Xbox 360 makes it more fun.
Joystiq's massive Xbox 360 launch weekend blowout: the aftermath
There's a strong possibility that many of you out there were cryogenically frozen in antarctic glaciers over the weekend, so we won't fault you if you missed out on our 48-hour Xbox 360 playathon. Just bought a 360 and wondering what games are worth your while? On the ropes about whether or not the console is for you? Or do you just want a peek at some hardcore uncensored unboxing action? Whatever it is you're looking for, chances are we've got you covered. And for more in-depth game and console coverage, check out James' hands-on Xbox 360 experience from last month's New York press event. The Setup Unpacking the Xbox 360; hot unboxing action Our sweet test setup Our sweet speaker setup Our sweet screen setup Fuel for a 48-hour gaming fiesta Blockbuster & Hollywood Video: 350 what? The Hardware Joystiq, PGR3 and faceplate. PGR3 and faceplate, Joystiq Invasion of the Xbox 360 faceplates Xbox 360 controller range: Can you hear me now? Side-by-side of Xbox 360 remotes Titlefight: 480p v. 720p for the championship! Parasitic Play-and-Charge controllers get juice from Windows, but Windows gets nothing in return Xbox 360 heat concerns are no concern Xbox 360 fan noise ranked The Services Visualize this: Xbox 360's visualizer taken for a spin Game trailers available on Xbox Live Live: best way to download game trailers Best and worst trailers from Xbox Live Marketplace Gaming trailers are insulting to gamers 360 plays videos, but controls are lacking MP3s streamed to Xbox 360 via laptop Xbox Live arcade titles added: free to try, $5 to $15 to buy Our first Xbox Live friend: you like us, you really like us Joystiq Guide: iPod on the Xbox 360 The Games 3 copies of Kameo = MS wants us to play it 2K on the 360: NBA 2K6, Amped 3, & NHL 2K6 Joyswag caption contest: win a copy of Kameo Joystiq review: Geometry Wars demo Joystiq review: Bankshot Billiards 2 demo Joystiq review: Gauntlet demo Joystiq review: Hexic HD Are we perverse? There's nothing retro about this experience! Joystiq review: Joust demo, thy game is over Joystiq review: Bejeweled 2 Deluxe demo Kameo's in the house, er... 360 tray Super-frustrating boss fight in Kameo Joystiq is better than GameSpot And the best Xbox 360 launch title is... Them's a lotta links! And while we're still recovering from a full weekend of hectic gaming, great fun was had by all, and we can hardly wait for our 48-hour Revolution blowout to roll around... You listening, Nintendo? And if that's still not enough reading material to quench your thirst for Xbox 360 coverage, check out the newest member of the Joystiq family, Xbox 360 Fanboy. Response has already been overwhelming, and it's all thanks to you guys!
Joystiq review: Hexic HD
Hexic HD is a single-player puzzle game that comes installed on the Xbox 360's hard drive when you buy/win/obtain the $399 system (at least in its current incarnation). Unlike the other Live Arcade games being made available in the Marketplace so far, you don't need to spend any Microsoft points to get the full version as it's fully unlocked from the get-go. Features include Xbox Live-enabled leaderboards, and game modes such as Marathon, Timed, and Survival. Ambient music ebbs and recedes in a mostly acceptable ways, though the total volume can swing quite a bit from soft to loud if you're trying to hit that late-night volume sweet spot at home. Hexic looks like your typical puzzle game from its shiny and brightly colored panels, but the way you play it is mainly by rotating trios of hexagons around central axes in a hexagonal grid to strategically remove clusters of tiles from the board. As the official Microsoft site for the game says, you must use "bonus pieces and starflowers to boost your score and discover new ways to play. But watch out for bombs--clear them before they explode or it's game over."
360 marathon results in sleepy bloggers
We knew that playing games was hard work, but who knew that system crashes would apply to our writers, too? Check out Vlad in his nightly best above, and then Chris next to one of his speakers after the jump. Lest you worry that the marathon fell apart due to human frailty, understand that this blogger dutifully kept at Hexic HD through thick and thin while some folks took their power naps. Expect more posts as the weekend marches on!
21 Xbox Live Arcade games at launch, 35 games by summer 2006
Microsoft has announced the list of titles expected to be available during the holiday season for Xbox Live arcade. Not all of these will be available from launch day, but all of them are expected within the next few months. We're particularly excited to play Joust. If there's an Xbox Live matchup feature for Joust, there's hope yet that 30-somethings will find at least one game where we can still hold our weight against whippersnappers with better reflexes and more free time. Robotron 2084 is in there too! Here's the list of titles:
