*Sigh* Here we go again, the latest overblown news story to come out of the mass media regarding video games. This time it regards a pair of kids who were playing online (its unknown what game, as all the article says is: "while playing a game on X-Box Live, a video game that allows you to play against people anywhere in the world." Now whether of not "X-Box Live" is a video game in and of itself isn't really the issue here, the fact the the article mentions receiving pictures is. Because that setting can be disabled.
While the education of parents as to the extent of their own ability to filter their children's content is a problem, some of the statements made in the news article are downright silly. Things like: "Jennifer (the mother) now fears the safety of her children" do much more harm than good. So for all readers out there who could find a moment to educate those folks who aren't quite so up speed, it would benefit us all.
Update: Lies, all lies! As of Sunday evening Xbox Live is again dead. Come on Xbox Live engineers, get it together already!
If you've been gaming online for the past week you've probably experienced some craptacular Xbox Live service. Problems that run the gamut of absolutely no Xbox Live connection to spotty matchmaking and messaging. And Microsoft is the first to say that they apologize for the problems.
Major Nelson posted a little update confirming that Xbox Live has been having issues this past week, that their engineers have been working on a fix and says that "problems like this are not acceptable". We're nearly certain that an influx of new gamers going online post holiday put a lot of strain on Xbox Live, but one would think that Microsoft would have been ready. Though, it's good to hear that they're owning up to their mishap and were quick to get their tech team working on the problem. And you'll be happy to hear that, as of this posting, Xbox Live is up and running like normal. So, happy online gaming everybody.
Trying to log onto Xbox Live but keep getting random error messages? Well, you aren't alone, because Xbox Live is currently experiencing some technical difficulties that aren't allowing subscribers to log in. And that's a big bummer. The flakiness started Saturday evening and according to the Xbox Live status monitor over at Xbox.com the problems are widespread, but are being dealt with. So, expect Xbox Live to be down for a bit and know that even when it gets fixed that slowness and oddness will follow. For up to the minute information about this mini-crisis be sure to point your browser over to Major Nelson or the Xbox Live support page. We have faith in you Microsoft, we know you won't let Santa bring new Xbox 360s to boys and girls this holiday and not have Live up and running at full steam.
Posted Sep 20th 2007 5:45PM by Dustin Burg Filed under: News
It's that time again when Microsoft gives us the digits and we get to trudge through the facts, figures and numbers to learn about everything going down in Xbox 360 land. So, let's jump right in.
After giving the numbers a quick look over, we found the biggest and most informative fact to be that worldwide Microsoft has sold 11.6 million Xbox 360 consoles, which is in line with what we've already expected. Other interesting tidbits found within' the press release include little nuggets like a new members joins Xbox Live once very eight seconds, that the 360's 6.3 game attach rate is the highest in the industry and that US Xbox 360 owners have purchased 24.3 million games which is more than the 19.3 million games both the PS3 and Wii have sold combined. Finally, Microsoft also included three "top ten" charts showcasing the top Xbox 360 and XBLA games played over Xbox Live as well as the top downloaded demos off the XBLM. And it's no surprise to see Halo 2 and Gears of War topping that list, but seeing Aegis Wing up there is a tad puzzling.
Check out more facts and figures after the jump as well as the top ten lists which are posted after the break. Hopefully, after giving everything a read over, your craving for Xbox 360 facts will be satisfied. Bon appetit!
In a recent interview, Peter Molyneux stated that he believed Xbox Live will be "far more impactful" to video gaming than the Wii remote in the long term. As Xbox 360 Fanboys, we can certainly understand his sentiments, though current sales numbers might suggest otherwise. Still, it raises an interesting question. Both the Wii remote and Xbox Live have changed console gaming as we know it. Sure, there have been motion controls before, and there have been online games on consoles, but the Wii remote and Xbox Live represent the most successful iterations of both concepts. The question then is which will have the most impact on the industry, input or networking? Motion controls may bring more gamers into the fold with intuitive input, but networking brings those gamers together with online play and downloadable goodies.
Our instinct tells us the end result will be combining the two (Xbox ThWii-Sixty?) but, for the sake of discussion, why not share your thoughts on the importance of motion controls versus social networking in gaming.
Big rapper and grill connoisseur Paul Wall loves his Madden and challenges you to a few quarters of fun. As part of Xbox.com's Game with Fame, Paul Wall will be playing Madden '07 this Saturday, June 30th on Xbox Live from 7-9:00PM eastern. So, if you're up for some football fun or just want to put the rapper in his place, send a friend request to gamertag GWFPaulWall before Saturday night rolls around. Gaming, rapping, and talking about grills ... now that's what Xbox Live is all about.
This week's Live Top Ten let the dust settle from last week's onslaught of demos. The top three remained unchanged, with Guitar Hero II moving into fourth, pushing the Shadowrun demo down. One of the other demos from last week, Tenchu Z remains in the same spot, and the Arcade game, Prince of Persia actually moved up to eighth. Also, though its demo has been on the list for the past week, the retail version of Shadowrun has made it on the top ten list, and will hopefully continue to climb. Full breakdown of the list after the break.
What happens when you put silly subtitles over dramatic foreign footage? Absolute hilarity, that's what. Now combine this already potent combination with making fun of Adolf Hitler and it's even funnier. Combine that with the Xbox 360's superior online capabilities and you have got yourself some comedy gold. Come on, Microsoft? How could you ban Hitler? He had 2000 MS Points! What the hell can he do with them now? Then again, we suppose that's what happens when you play with a modified console (who would have thought that Hitler was a 1337 h4xx0r?). At this rate, Hitler may have to do the unthinkable: settle for a PS3.
We pity the customer support representative who has to take Hitler's call.
Warning: This video is decidedly NSFW, as it contains both foul language and, erm, Hitler.
While it may not be as exciting as, say, a downloadable expansion, there is new Catancontent available on Xbox Live Arcade. It's not particularly exciting though, as it won't significantly alter your game at all. First, there is a picture pack available that will set you back 100 MS Points. Somewhat more interesting, you can download the Mayfair skin, which will give your gameboard the appearance of the original Mayfair Games version. The Mayfair skin will set you back 100 points as well.
Anyone planning on downloading this content, or will you save your money for an expansion?
Hour of Victory, Midway's next entry into the often neglected WWII genre, will be receiving a demo next week on Xbox Live Marketplace. The demo will arrive next Wednesday, giving eager gamers a chance to try the game before it assaults retail on June 22. While it's true that the WWII genre is somewhat saturated at this point, Hour of Victory attempts to stand out from the rest of the crowd by offering a character switching gimmick. There are three characters in the game, boasting different specialties and presumably different personalities (sort of like a hairier, sweatier Charlie's Angels). There is the stealthy spy type capable of stealth kills and other forms of sneakery, the out-and-out soldier eager for a brawl, and the sniper, who, um, snipes things. To get an idea what you'll be in for when the demo drops, check out a trailer for Hour of Victory after the break.
So, earlier today we gave you a guide on how to be an A-hole, which is all good and weel. While, on the other hand, the guys over at Penny Arcade told their account of running into someone who was just downright creepy. To their credit, they did show a good idea on a feature that should be added to a future dash update when filing a complaint just doesn't cut. So, make the jump, have a laugh, and maybe shed a tear for those who run into people like this daily. That all being said, if this really weirded you out, don't worry, we got something lined up for you that'll brighten your day.
It's springtime again, which can mean only one thing. No, not the impending arrival of young couples making out behind the bushes at the park, it's time for Xbox 360 Spring update rumors. Clan support has been a rumored addition for a while now, and there are even some alleged pictures of it in action (see above). Before we define this a little further, let's just get this out of the way: clan support is not part of the upcoming spring update. This was confirmed by Major Nelson himself during our latest Xbox 360 Fancast.
Now for clarification's sake, it's perfectly possible for any given game to have clan support. As such, screens like the one above may be legitimate. However, Major Nelson informed us that Microsoft has no plans to integrate clan support into the 360 itself. In other words, there are no plans to add universal clan support that spans multiple games. Clan support is offered by Microsoft, but it is up to developers to implement it into individual titles.
So, there you go, no clan support in the spring update. Of course, that doesn't stop us from speculating about other features.
Gone since last night, Xbox Live is still down for maintenance. All we can say is that Microsoft better hurry up and finish maintaining, damn it! We've got important people to frag. Major Nelson, paragon of wisdom that he is, has assured us that the maintenance should be fixed by 1400 Pacific Time. After some research, we've discovered that 1400 is code for 2:00PM. In other words, we've got a few hours to go. Stay strong fanboys, stay strong.
Giving plenty of advanced notice, Major Nelson wanted to let everyone know that there is scheduled Xbox Live maintenance coming next week. On Tuesday, March 27th from 3:00AM EST to 5:00PM EST (that's 14 hours) Xbox Live, Xbox.com, and the Xbox Forums will be down and unavailable. Major is also making it clear that this is only internal maintenance and no new dashboard update will be released during this time. Though, we can expect a new dash update later this Spring. Come next Tuesday you'll have plenty of time to clean your room, wax your car, stare at the ceiling or complete a few tasks that Xbox.com recommends. We're scared ... hold us.
Our good friend Major Nelson sent us an update on the whole Xbox Live / Windows Live ID hacking fiasco that hit the news wire today. According to Major, there is "no evidence of any compromise of the security of the Xbox Live Network or Bungie.net" but there has been a "few isolated incidents where malicious users have been attempting to draw personal information from unsuspecting users". So, the accounts that were seemingly "hacked" were probably due information gained from phishing schemes rather than an actual network hack. We knew those hackers weren't the real deal ... dirty monkeys. Please take the time to get learned and don't give out your account information, because you can never be too cautious. Play safe kids!
Trying to log onto Xbox Live but keep getting random error messages? Well, you aren't alone, because Xbox Live is currently experiencing some technical difficulties that aren't allowing subscribers to log in. And that's a big bummer. The flakiness started Saturday evening and according to the Xbox Live status monitor over at 
