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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.
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.
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.
Xbox One without Kinect is great for consumers, terrible for Kinect game developers
Sure, a $100 price drop on the Xbox One is great for us. First things first, it's less money to fork over for a new game console. Second, no Kinect, which means no all-seeing eye judging our tawdry lifestyle. But what if you're a Kinect game developer? What if you're, say, a member of the studio with the most successful third-party game franchise for Kinect, and you're in the middle of making an exclusive Disney game for it? Oh, great. Super great. - johntdrake (@johntdrake) May 13, 2014
Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and other services will be open to all on Xbox One, Xbox 360
In a move that bucks the standard set by Microsoft itself back in 2005, both the Xbox One and Xbox 360 will drop the requirement for an Xbox Live paid membership to access services like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube. Microsoft announced this morning that its prices and structure are being streamlined, and coming in line with those offered by Sony. When the "new generation" of Xbox Live rolls out in early June that means not only cheaper hardware, but also abandoning the need to have an Xbox Live Gold subscription for access to apps and streaming media. It's a move that certainly makes sense given that sales of the Xbox One are several million units behind the Play Station 4.
Variety: Microsoft finds a co-op partner in Showtime for Halo TV series
It's been almost a year since Microsoft first announced its live-action Halo TV series, but the amount we know about it hasn't exactly changed that much. That stops now, as we've learned that Redmond and premium network Showtime are deep in talks to tag-team distribution, according to a recent Variety report. Apparently, the program is scheduled to debut first on the cable channel and then become available on the Xbox platform with "enhanced interactivity" of some sort. A deal with a pair of showrunners is also close to being locked, as Variety tells it, which indicates that at least some progress has been made toward moving into production. With this not surfacing during Microsoft's original-programming focused event earlier this week, though, it's possible that we could hear new details (or maybe even see some video evidence) of the Spielberg-produced drama come E3.
Game values your PS3 and five games at £100 in console upgrade promotion
A long bank holiday weekend is the perfect excuse to spend a little bit more time than you would normally in front of your TV, controller in hand. If the impending opportunity to do just that has you mulling an investment in one of Microsoft or Sony's newest consoles, then retailer Game is happy to nudge you in that direction with a trade-in promotion that takes at least £100 of the console asking prices. From today (May 2nd) until next Thursday (May 8th), bringing a 250GB or 320GB PS3 slim and five games into a Game store will allow you to leave with a PS4 for £250 (£100 off the regular price). Similarly, you can swap a 250GB Xbox 360 slim, five games and £270 for an Xbox One plus Titanfall (a £110 saving). As attractive as those discounted prices are, however, we'd have trouble letting go of a console and five games for a fraction of their purchase price. It's a convenient way of stepping up a generation, sure, but it's Game who's getting the better end of the deal. We're not saying you'll get massively improved offers for the same gear elsewhere, but is nostalgia worth nothing to you monsters?
The director behind Alien and Blade Runner is producing a Halo project
That's right, folks: the man behind sci-fi classics like Alien and Blade Runner, Ridley Scott, is executive producing a Halo-based "digital feature" (read: short film) for release "later this year." The project is headed by Microsoft's in-house Halo studio, 343 Industries, and Scott Free Productions -- Sergio Mimica-Gezzan was tapped for directing duties. This is a pretty different project from the other Halo show in the works; that one's helmed by Steven Spielberg and is live action, whereas this sounds more like the digital Halo work we've seen in the past. Color us seriously surprised if this doesn't arrive alongside the release of a new Halo game; one of those is even planned for 2014! How about that!
Xbox Entertainment Studios has at least 12 projects in production, committed to half
There's a lot to know about Microsoft's push into original programming with Xbox Entertainment Studios. Why now? Why carry Xbox branding? Will XES content only run in certain regions? Is it free to all Xbox Live members, or only Xbox Live Gold? Will XES content also head to other digital video services, like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant and elsewhere? What about other Microsoft platforms, like Windows Phone and Windows 8? How will interactivity with the content work? Much of that information is still up in the air, according to XES president Nancy Tellem (former president of CBS Television Studios, among other accolades) and executive producer Jordan Levin. The duo walked us through Xbox Entertainment Studios' first projects last week, and left us with more questions than answers. Here's the high level: There are at least 12 projects in the works, and Microsoft's only "committed" to half (full list below the break). That means that six are paid for and in production, while the other six are in various stages of creation and may never make it to our eyeballs. The first, a multi-camera, multi-stage, interactive version of Bonnaroo, premieres this June.
Minecraft on Xbox One will transfer saves from Xbox 360
Due to a lack of backwards compatibility, upgrading to new-gen systems like the Xbox One and PS4 has meant mostly leaving your old games and the progress made in them behind, but not in this case. Phil Spencer, the new leader over at Xbox, announced tonight that Minecraft on Xbox One will be able to transfer saves from its Xbox 360 version, so whatever you've already built will come with you. He didn't drop any other details on exactly how the move will work, but mentioned it is the product of cooperation between Microsoft and the game's developer, Mojang, while promising more news soon. Big enough news to make up the current sales gap between Microsoft and Sony's consoles? Probably not -- especially since Mojang's Owen Hill says the plan is to enable save transfers between PS3 and PS4 as well -- but it's a nice feature to have and we'll be interested to see what it means for other games -- someone get Rockstar on the phone about that inevitable GTA V port.
One of Activision's top moneymakers gets a new entry in Skylanders: Trap Team
Like taxes, iPhones and, well, Madden, you can count on a new Skylanders game every year. If you're unfamiliar with the franchise, that may just be a symptom of not being around kids -- the toy / video game series is a dominant force in the kids gaming market, sharing responsibility with biggies like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft for bringing in 80 percent of Activision's earnings in 2013. Each new entry in the game series comes with a new physical device for reading toy figurines; when said figurines are placed on the device (called a "portal"), they're transported into the game world and playable in-game. Between the figures ($5 - $7 apiece, on average) and the games (anywhere from $7 to $60), it's easy to understand why the franchise is so profitable. Thankfully, the franchise is also lauded by most critics as a pretty decent game, too. The next entry, Skylanders: Trap Team, arrives this October and it's the largest game in the franchise to date.
Game of Thrones' season premiere is free to watch on Xbox this week
If you missed out on Game of Thrones' season 4 premiere when it first aired -- say, because of the HBO Go meltdown -- you're in for a treat this week. HBO is giving all Xbox users free access to the episode between April 8th and April 14th, whether or not they're subscribers to the premium TV service. Some cable and satellite providers are also offering gratis access through their on-demand platforms and websites. This isn't purely an act of generosity, as you might imagine. Besides giving HBO a chance to advertise a show à la Silicon Valley, the free content could steer some of the many people pirating Game of Thrones toward legitimate sources. Time Warner's CEO has argued that piracy promotes HBO's series -- his company may see a chance to replicate that buzz through official channels.
Microsoft's working on Xbox 360 emulation for Xbox One, but 'there aren't currently any plans' to make it
Xbox-related news from Microsoft's Build conference last week wasn't just relegated to Kinect for Windows, it would seem. Redmond is having a hard time bringing the Xbox 360's considerable catalog of games to the Xbox One via hardware emulation. Last week an audience member asked lead partner developer Frank Savage if there were plans to bring an Xbox 360 emulator, as spotted by Kotaku's Australia wing, to its new console. Savage said there are, but "we're not done thinking them through yet, unfortunately." He went on to say that emulating the last-gen console's PowerPC architecture on the Xbox One's x86-based platform is actually pretty hard to do. We reached out to Microsoft for confirmation and were told, as Savage said, nothing has been assembled yet. "It is super challenging to emulate two completely different architectures, and there aren't currently any plans to build this," the Redmond spokesperson said. Just like that, our dreams of playing Red Dead Redemption with the Xbox One's controller have (temporarily) been dashed.
Microsoft cleared to exhume E.T. from landfill for original documentary (update: now with a start date!)
Microsoft's been given the go-ahead to dig through a New Mexico landfill in the hunt for dumped copies of Atari 2600 title E.T., local media reports. Not without aim, of course, but so Xbox Entertainment Studios can collect crucial material for its first original documentary, which'll look into the alleged mass burial of unsold copies of the game. Released in late 1982 when the video game industry, including Atari, was struggling, E.T. was universally panned and a commercial flop. With millions of cartridges returned by retailers, gaming lore has it that Atari quietly shipped off this useless inventory, among other unwanted paraphernalia, to a landfill site. Opinions are mixed and evidence inconclusive as to whether this actually took place, though, hence a documentary to get to the bottom of it. As much as we'd almost prefer the mystery to remain one, let's hope Microsoft come across something or there mightn't be a documentary at all. Update: Phys.org reports that the excavation's start date is set for April 26 of this year. That's soon!