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Microsoft's Don Mattrick talks Xbox One, calls backwards compatibility backwards
One of the more controversial bits of news to come out of yesterday's Xbox One reveal was the discovery that the newly christened console would not be able to play Xbox 360 games. Backwards compatibility has been a sore subject for some gamers but Microsoft's Don Mattrick says the company is looking forward, not back. "If you're backwards compatible," he told The Wall Street Journal, "you're really backwards." While the news was met with some chagrin, it's not terribly surprising. The Xbox One's architecture -- equipped with a new x86 CPU -- prevents it from being able to run games designed for the 360's eight year old Xenon processor. Additionally, Mattrick claims that players making use of backwards compatibility were a negligible percentage of their consumer base. While Mattrick's words are sure to stick in more than one craw, they reflect the reality of the market. With Nintendo struggling to juggle Wii games on the Wii U and Sony's Playstation 4 abandoning current gen PSN games, it looks like backwards compatibility is a thing of the past.
Xbox One pre-order notification is live: here's where to sign up (update: no more $10 credit)
How much? When? Where? Who cares? If you aren't exactly interested in knowing how much the impending Xbox One will cost you -- let alone when it'll actually hit your doorstep -- you can sign up to be notified of your opportunity to pre-order the console right now. To be clear, this isn't a sign-up for a pre-order. It's just a sign-up to be notified of pre-orders officially opening up. So really, what's to lose? Hit the source link below in order to share your email address, and you'll get a $10 Microsoft online store credit for your trouble. (Or, you can hit the Amazon link for those needing an excuse to make better use of their Prime subscription.) Update: Well, it was nice while it lasted. As spotted by Arlondiluthel, Microsoft's pre-order page now says "we're no longer giving out a $10 store credit, but you can still sign up to be notified of Xbox One availability."
Xbox One vs Xbox 360 vs PS4: fight!
The Xbox One has finally arrived to serve up all of your living room entertainment in one place. But before you ready to open your wallet for Microsoft's next-gen console, you'd probably like to how the new Xbox stacks up against the old, and how its hardware compares to the next-gen competition from Sony, right? Well, a chart with comparable specs aplenty awaits you after the break.
Xbox One controller vs. Xbox 360 controller, fight!
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is as useful a phrase as it is folksy, and though the Xbox One is a complete reinvention compared to the Xbox 360, the controller is in many ways little changed. It's a bit more rounded, a bit softer to the touch and features redesigned trigger buttons with their own discrete rumble controllers. The d-pad is revised, and the analog sticks have more texture. Also, the battery backpack is no longer quite as pronounced. In other words, we think it's going to be great. Check out our gallery of comparison shots in the gallery below! %Gallery-189013%
Xbox One isn't backwards compatible with Xbox 360 discs or Xbox Live Arcade, Gamerscore transfers
It's true: the Xbox One will not play your Xbox 360 game discs, nor will your Xbox Live Arcade games transfer (not to mention any other content that's dependent on the 360's hardware architecture, anyhow). That Gamerscore you've been earning, though? That's gonna transfer. As will your Xbox Live Gamertag. Sadly, due to the x86 architecture of the Xbox One, the PowerPC-based 360 titles simply won't run on the hardware. Microsoft's not super worried about consumer reaction, though, telling Engadget, "We care very much about the investment people have made in Xbox 360 and will continue to support it with a pipeline of new games and new apps well into the future," a Microsoft rep told us. That said, Xbox One is designed, "to play an entirely new generation of games -- games that are architected to take full advantage of state-of-the-art processors and the infinite power of the cloud." We got a glimpse at some of those new games this afternoon, but we expect to see much more at E3 in a few weeks.
Ubisoft working with Kaspersky Lab to make Watch Dogs' hacking more true to life
Upcoming third-person action game Watch Dogs is set in a near-future environment modeled on Chicago, a city that's overseen by computers that can be manipulated. And while the game has some instances of fantastical hacking perpetrated by main character Aiden Pearce, Ubisoft's creative team is also working with security firm Kaspersky Lab to bring an air of realism to the game's hacking themes. "They have really hardcore experts there on hacking. We send them some of our designs and we ask them [for] feedback on it, and it's interesting to see what gets back," Ubisoft Montreal senior producer Dominic Guay told our sister site, Joystiq. "Sometimes they say, 'Yeah, that's possible, but change that word,' or, 'That's not the way it works.'" Check out the full piece right here. Along with a new Assassin's Creed game, Ubisoft is bringing Watch Dogs to next-gen consoles this year (as well as current-gen and PC), leading its next-gen push.
Microsoft reportedly developed set-top box prototypes
Rumors have been circulating for some time that Microsoft is prepping a streaming media box. The Xbox may have many of the same functions, but it's still primarily a gaming console. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that there are prototypes of a simpler, cheaper set-top device designed exclusively for consuming media floating around Redmond. Obviously, this would provide Microsoft a path to living rooms at a price that's much easier for consumers to swallow than the $199 Xbox 360. But, just as important, it could also offer a way to keep the Xbox brand separate and primarily gaming-focused. On the other hand, if a Roku competitor with Xbox branding were to hit shelves for $99, it would further broaden the scope of Microsoft's entertainment division. That wouldn't be terribly surprising, since some of the prototypes are reportedly designed to work with Kinect. Whether or not these devices will ever see the light of day is still anyone's guess, but it could provide a cheap way to get that Heroes reboot into people's living rooms.
Washington court rules Motorola can get millions, not billions, from Microsoft for its patents
Among the many patent cases currently ongoing between Motorola and Microsoft is one in US District Court in the state of Washington concerning standards-essential WiFi and h.264 patents. AllThingsD reports that while Motorola was requesting billions in royalties for the technology it owns, Judge James Robart -- who invalidated a number of its patent claims a few months ago -- ruled it's entitled to around $1.8 million per year. The reason given? There are so many patents that are part of the h.264 standard, that if every patent were licensed at the amount Motorola sought, those fees would be more than the current cost of the Xbox 360. And, Judge Robart found that Motorola hadn't proven its patents were more valuable than those of other companies included in the same pool. All 207 pages of the decision are available beyond the source link if need more info on the hows and whys of today's decision. ATD also has quotes from each company, and while Microsoft called it a good decision for consumers, Motorola chose to acknowledge the decision, but didn't hint at any reaction or future moves.
The CW app brings full episodes streaming to Xbox 360 a day after they air
The latest entertainment app to launch for the Xbox 360 comes from The CW (the relationship has now come full circle), bringing shows like Arrow, Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries to the console. Special to this offering is that it will stream full episodes the day after they air on network TV, and will not require users to verify a cable or satellite subscription. Xbox Live Gold is required, so it's not an entirely free pass to stream away. Still, for fans of the shows it's another way to watch and this Friday's Vampire Diaries episode will feature some exclusive second screen content available via SmartGlass. Not into The CW's teen-centric offerings? Beyond the just-launched Pizza Hut app, XBL Silver sports fans can enjoy a free weekend (25th - 28th) of access to ESPN, MLB.tv, UFC (the 7 pre-fight stories), NHL GameCenter and NBA Game Time. There's also the Hockey Night in Canada app, and an update for Hulu Plus that lets parents search for kids shows based on age group.
Pizza Hut app comes to Xbox 360, unstoppable force meets immovable gamer
Let's be frank: many dedicated console gamers among us have at least briefly dreamed of ordering food without having to lift our hands from the controller. That's about to be more than a fleeting fantasy for Xbox 360 owners, as Microsoft is launching a Pizza Hut app today for those permanently lodged in the living room. The release puts all of the delivery menu a quick hop away on the Dashboard, including custom orders. Buyers can tempt their friends through Facebook, and there's even Kinect support for greasy-handed customers who'd rather not touch the gamepad (or a napkin, apparently) when requesting a second serving. Microsoft stresses that the Pizza Hut partnership isn't the start of a broad trend toward ordering real products through an Xbox, which is just as well -- our arteries can only take so much inactivity at once.
Xbox SmartGlass now available on Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets
Amazon's just updated its Appstore today with a much welcome offering for avid gamers: Xbox SmartGlass. Microsoft's app-based second screen solution has been available on iOS and Android since late last fall, but despite sharing a kernel with Google's OS, hadn't been made dispensable to Kindle Fire / Fire HD owners until now. The app's been configured to scale natively on Amazon's refreshed tablet line, letting users navigate their Xbox 360 remotely, push and pull streaming content, as well as access achievements, messaging and Xbox Music. So if it's the living room of the future you're after, you might want to hit up the source and make that free download your own.
Microsoft reportedly looking to revive 'Heroes' TV show on MSN/Xbox
It may not be remembered quite as well as Arrested Development, but it looks like Microsoft is aiming to bring back another big network TV show on a service that's decidedly outside the bounds of traditional TV. According to TV Line, that show is Heroes, which was cancelled by NBC in 2010 after a four-year run, and the video service is MSN (itself part of Microsoft's broader push into original programming for Xbox). While the talks for Heroes are still said to be preliminary, the revived show would apparently focus on new characters and stories, with some of the original cast only making cameos in the new series. Of course, this wouldn't be the first time that Heroes found its way onto an Xbox 360: the show was one of the few series to be released on HD DVD, and briefly found its way into some bundles with Microsoft's HD DVD player add-on for the console.
Flixster is now on the Xbox 360, UltraViolet library in-hand
Warner Bros.-owned social networking slash film service Flixster is now available on the Xbox 360, bringing with it the Rotten Tomatoes rating aggregation service and UltraViolet cloud integration. As Xbox 360 apps tend to be, Flixster costs nothing and only functions if you've got an Xbox Live account. Beyond simple controller or media remote input, Flixster's Xbox 360 app employs Kinect for gesture and voice-based navigation. Special for this platform is the ability to play back those UltraViolet-linked video files in HD; it's the first Flixster app to do so, although Vudu had that capability already. With today's app addition, the grand total of video service apps on the Xbox 360 is hovering just around a hojillion. Seriously, there are kind of a lot of different options, and we're hoping Microsoft's got a more cohesive strategy for the next version of the Xbox gaming console. The most recent rumors involve an HDMI-in port, allowing cable boxes to integrate with the console -- codenamed "Durango" and / or "Kryptos" -- but there's no mention of a NintendoTVii-esque service to tie disparate video services under a single software umbrella. The 360's Bing functionality aimed to solve that issue, but sadly never lived up to our expectations.
Next Xbox rumors point to HDMI passthrough and cable TV integration
While the world waits to find out the facts about Microsoft's next videogame console, new rumors have popped up suggesting what its plans to go all-in on the Xbox-as-media center concept entail. According to The Verge, multiple unnamed sources suggest the plan is to include an HDMI passthrough and guide overlay, similar to the method used by Google TV. There's no word on any possible IR blaster (or IR GamePad, Wii U-style) integration, but thanks to Microsoft's partnerships with cable TV providers, it's trying to provide integration that goes a "step further" than what we've seen so far. That includes Kinect control, with next generation hardware that can recognize when viewers have turned their heads away and pause video automatically, with additional features rolling out after launch. There's no confirmation of controversial always-on requirements for gaming, but it will apparently need to be logged on for streaming (of course) and controlling incoming TV signals. A collection of rumors posted on Kotaku includes references to an "XTV", and a LinkedIn post that connects tagging of video to the project, similar to Shazam or IntoNow's features. Also dug up on various job profiles are mentions of a "cloud-driven, voice-optimized experience" and the next generation of SmartGlass. Microsoft had great success with an evolving media approach to its console business with the Xbox 360 -- apps and original content are in, with Mediaroom and Media Center pushed to the side -- and even if these rumors are true, we wouldn't be surprised if what exists in a few years ends up changing just as much. Still, given the (lack of) response to Google's overlays and gesture control integrated by Samsung, LG and others, it will be interesting to see if a similar approach attached to an Xbox finds different results.
Bloomberg: Next Xbox features an AMD x86 chip, making backwards compatibility difficult
The Xbox 360 successor may not support Xbox 360 game discs, according to a Bloomberg report. The issue arises from the as-yet-unannounced console's chip, which allegedly comes from AMD and, like the PlayStation 4, uses x86 architecture (like a PC). Resultantly, backwards compatibility would have to be handled on a software level through emulation, as game discs won't play (like with Microsoft's last console). Today's report, which cites unidentified "people with knowledge of the matter," reflects earlier rumors of the next Xbox -- codenamed "Durango" and / or "Kryptos" -- containing AMD's "Jaguar" SoC. The chip design is intended for laptops and tablets, allowing the chipset to push the maximum amount of power without employing too much wattage. Earlier this year, specs for the retail version of the next Xbox were said to be as follows: a 64-bit D3D11.x 800MHz GPU, an 8-core 1.6GHz 4MB L2 CPU, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB of on-board memory, USB 3.0, HDMI-out, and an optical drive for 50GB discs. It's unclear if the reported specs have changed since then, but we'll likely find out in the near future as Microsoft's expected to detail its next game console ahead of this year's E3 gaming conference in early June. [Image credit: Kotaku]
Microsoft adding more content to Xbox Live this week, including Toys R Us movies and a refreshed MLB.tv app
Mo apps, mo couch entertainment, right? Well, in order to boost the attributes of its mature gaming console and Xbox Live, Microsoft today announced it's bringing some additional content to the ever-evolving platform. To go along with the recent inclusion of Redbox Instant, Redmond this week -- and just in time for the new season, shall we say -- will welcome an MLB.tv app with a redesigned interface and other undisclosed features that, according to the company, should "make watching baseball on Xbox better than ever." What's more, Microsoft didn't just have MLB lovers in mind, and is also giving film buffs, both young and old, something to look forward to with a few new applications, such as IndieFlix, PopcornFlix and Toys R Us movies -- oh, and for those who fancy internet-based TV shows, there's a Revision3 app, to boot. As is often the case, the countries in which they can each be enjoyed will depend on where you live (and a Gold subscription, of course), so now may be a good time to peruse the PR after the break to find out which of these you can expect to see on your Dasboard.
Microsoft execs' Xbox Live accounts hacked, investigation still underway
Microsoft has just confirmed that a group of hackers have indeed accessed the Xbox Live accounts of several of its past and present "high-profile" employees. News of the breach was first reported by Ars Technica, which itself had been the victim of a DoS attack this last weekend, potentially linked to the same group. Evidence pointing to hacking collective Team Hype's alleged involvement surfaced when videos depicting its efforts were found online; videos that demonstrated the group's reported use of illegally obtained Social Security data to gain access to and sell off Xbox Live user accounts. According to Microsoft's recently issued statement, the company's working with authorities to "disable this current method" and cut off the possibility of future attacks. For now, it appears this security compromise is unrelated to a UK incident which saw Microsoft's Xbox Entertainment Award voting app temporarily expose user data. We'll update you as soon as we hear more.
Redbox Instant app for Xbox 360 goes live for Gold subscribers
We knew that Redbox Instant would be coming to Xbox 360, it was specifically betrayed by a leak way back in November and the company has been pretty up front about the planned support. Now the app is available through Xbox Live, delivering its streaming library to millions of Microsoft gamers. The $8 a month service just became available to the public during the last week. If you're curious, but not quite ready to add another subscription to your life, Xbox Live Gold customers can enjoy a free trial of 4,600 unlimited streaming titles (though the 4,000-plus movies available for purchase or rent will still set you back a few more bucks). To try it out yourself hit up the Xbox Live Marketplace, where you'll also find the newly launched GameTrailers app.
Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition gets a disc-based version, hits retail April 30th
Minecraft has already been plenty successful on the Xbox 360 as a downloadable game (and on other platforms, of course), but there will soon be another way for players to find their way into the world-building environment. Microsoft announced today that Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition will be available as a disc-based game at all the usual US retail outlets on April 30th, where it'll set you back $19.99. The game will be otherwise identical to the downloadable version, and come complete with all the features and content that will be included in the forthcoming ninth update to the game. Gamers in Australia, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan will have to wait a bit longer to get it, though, with release dates in those countries set for early June (other countries haven't been specified).
Guardians of Middle-Earth: A fun game doomed by its business model
The MOBA genre has exploded in recent years, with global giant League of Legends becoming the most actively played video game in the world and competitive tournaments getting more viewers than some televised sports. Today's MOBAs appeal to casual and competitive gamers alike, but until recently very few had crossed the console barrier. Released on PS3 and XBox 360 last December, Guardians of Middle-Earth took traditional DotA gameplay and made the quite experimental leap onto consoles. I'm not much of a console gamer (you can take my mouse and keyboard away when you pry them from my cold, dead hands), but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see how Guardians of Middle-Earth stacks up against its PC-based counterparts. Monolith Studios has done great things in adapting MOBA gameplay to a console control scheme and audience, and the core game really is a lot of fun to play. But in charging an initial purchase price for a game that relies on having a large community, publisher Warner Bros. may have accidentally consigned Guardians to the scrapheap. In this hands-on opinion piece, I explore Guardians of Middle-Earth and ask why it's already a ghost town just three months after launch.