2009: The Year "Red Ring of Death" Died (Year End Articles)

It was the single biggest issue that could have destroyed Microsoft's hope of being a strong competitor in the gaming industry. In its early days, the Xbox 360 suffered from a number of technical problems that would render the console useless, many of the issues were identified by a series of red flashing lights on the face of the console, with the three red flashing lights" Red Ring of Death" (RROD) being the most infamous. The situation was so bad back in 2005 that the courts almost ordered a recall of the system. But I've noticed something happening, not many are complaining about Xbox 360's shoddy hardware anymore; in fact the internet is so silent about the issue you could hear a pin drop, and with research after research and poll after poll coming out in favor of Microsoft's console, one must wonder, did the RROD plague that almost destroyed the Xbox 360 die in 2009?

It certainly looks that way. Millions of Xbox 360 have died the RROD death since 2005 forcing Microsoft to extend its warranty to three years, with the company losing billions of dollars in the painstaking process. To its merit, the Redmond giant has made great strides forward in eliminating the issues altogether and Xbox 360 boss Aaron Greenberg now believes the hardware nightmare is now at the back of the company. But might Aaron Greenberg be right? Indeed research has proved he is.

Square Trade, the largest independent warranty provider in the world, recently released survey data which compared the malfunction rates for all three consoles and what they found was very interesting. In the survey, the Wii was found to be nine times more reliable than the Xbox 360 and four times more reliable than PS3, but with that being cleared, there's a big new reality that resulted from the survey. Square Trade's survey data shows that the introduction of the "Jasper" chipset introduced in late 2008, "has likely solved" the RROD problem.

Detailed below are some highlights of the study:

- Looking at the first two years of ownership, 2.7% of Wii owners reported a system failure to Square Trade, compared with 10% of PS3 owners and 23.7% of Xbox 360 owners.

- Excluding Red Ring of Death failures which are covered by Microsoft's 3-year warranty, 11.7% of Xbox 360 owners reported a failure.

- While the Red Ring of Death problem continued to be the major issue for Xbox 360s purchased through 2008, early indications point to the problem abating in 2009.

- The most common types of problems seen with the PS3 and Xbox 360 were disc errors and output issues. The Wii had more power and remote control issues than the other two systems.

The great news for Xbox 360 owners (I'm a proud owner myself) and Microsoft don't stop there, because according to Gamespot UK, Square Trade has since then found the first year failure rate of Xbox 360 dropped to below 4 pecent. "Looking at 500 units purchased in 2009, Square Trade found that less than one percent had suffered the Red Ring of Death," this according to Gamespot UK.

Now I can rest assured while playing some of the best exclusives on my Xbox 360 in 2010, including Mass Effect 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Alan Wake and Halo: Reach, I won't have to worry about RROD in the back of my head; neither will you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year gamers. Let's game on: PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii, let's game on.

In 6 days www.gamesthirst.com goes live! Join us for your chance to win a Ps3/Uncharted 2 Combo!

12/25/09 Ernice Gilbert

Endurance: Halo: Reach Proves Xbox 360 has it

Notice the image above? It's meant to display the lasting pull of the Xbox 360. Ever since the new Halo: Reach trailer was unveiled, the internet has been in an uproar. Some questioned the validity of the showing while believers were awestruck, and now the speculations run endless. But there's one thing that Bungie's biggest effort yet demonstrates: Xbox 360 has staying power and will stand next to PS3 for years to come; this must be reassuring to Microsoft.

Year after year, PS3 owners have been making the argument that eventually PS3 games will outperform that of it's nemesis the Xbox 360 by miles. And while by "miles" might be a stretch, PS3 exclusive games are definitely starting to look better than those of the 360. Or so we thought?

You see, Microsoft it seems knows how to counter whatever the competition sends their way and I applaud them for it. Many thought the Xbox 360 would go the way of the dinosaurs when the redesigned PS3 Slim was launched, but this past November the software giant proved that they still have a lot of tricks up their sleeves and the 360 managed to outsell the PS3 by over 100,000 units in the that month, throwing even some of the most seasoned analysts off their game.

Skeptics predicted that the Xbox 360 would follow in the footsteps of its predecessor the original Xbox, but clearly we see how wrong those skeptics were. Next winter, Microsoft will be releasing what they think will help strengthen the Xbox brand and give longevity to their current system, the Xbox 360 and it will. We won't know for sure how successful Project Natal will be, however we know there will be some kind of impact, one that will ultimately lend more time to the Redmond company aiding them to make a decent profit or at least cut even before they venture into the next effort.... another Xbox.

There are many more reasons why Xbox 360 will be around for quite some time, but now we want to look at what matters the most, which are the games and this one exclusive in particular has just added more life into Microsoft's box.

Halo: Reach - The trailer was revealed last Saturday at the 2009 VGAs and as already stated, the internet went bonkers. Some people were disappointed but most were elated and since then, the hype train left the station, and will come to peak when the title is launched late next year.

The graphics look amazing. Nothing like we've seen on the Xbox 360, which was accomplished on an in-game engine, no CG. Just when the gaming world thought that the Xbox 360 was losing steam in comparison to the PS3, Microsoft strikes again with their ace-in-the-whole - Halo: Reach.

The conclusion: PS3 and Xbox 360 will live in discomfort side-by-side until the seventh generation is out, and the eighth rolls in.

12/15/09 Ernice Gilbert

Xbox 360 Has Become A Force To Be Reckoned With

There are things that jump into our lives for seemingly seconds and then leave. What comes to mind quickly are the one hit wonders in the music industry, they come with much flare and flash, make you believe that they'd be around for a least a few years, and before you know it, like a shooting star that zaps across the evening sky with amazing speeds and and eye-blinding light, they're gone. And then there are those things that first you're skeptical about, you hesitantly place your gaze in their direction because you're not too sure what they're up to. Then overtime, they amaze you, surprise you and cunningly convince you that truly, they'll not only be around to stay, but intend on being the best at what they do, all while keeping the competition on their toes. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you a company that came on the scene and has changed the gaming industry forever. A company that many thought would not survive the wrath of Sony and the Playstation brand, but yet still has endured. A company who's motto seems to be "by any means necessary". Microsoft and the Xbox 360 have become a force to be reckoned with. Let's rewind back to the original Xbox shall we?

By the time the original Xbox came on the scene on November 15th, 2001, Sony's PS2 was already a mainstay in households across the globe, but especially overflowing in North America. PS2 had all the major exclusives, massive brand recognition, and no matter what Microsoft did, they just could not take hold of much market share. Although the Xbox was more powerful than PS2, that didn't mean much to gamers who trusted Sony's brand and saw no reason to give the competition a closer look. In fact, many argue that if if were not for Halo, the original Xbox would have been a ghost. The title sold approximately 8 million copies and ended up being the best selling title of the Xbox, indeed there was light at the end of the tunnel....

The Redmond giant was never able to crack Sony's experience-hardened armor; and overtime the PS2 went on to sell 140 million units globally and even to this day is selling like hot cakes. Over 2,000 games were released for the great console and it's deemed industry wide as by far the most successful piece of hardware to ever grace the gaming industry. Microsoft knew they had done little damage to Sony with the Xbox, but as stated earlier, the company saw light at the end of the tunnel.

So what's a company who's desperately trying to get a foothold in the gaming industry do, when everyone is anticipating its competitor's device? Get its console out before anyone else does, and try its best to gain a foothold. That's exactly what Microsoft did.

To much fanfare, Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 in November of 2005, one full year before the PS3 and Nintendo Wii, and although the company has paid a massive cost because of faulty hardware (RROD), the year's headstart allowed them to sell millions of consoles to excited customers while Sony looked on unafraid.

Unafraid, but worried; we're now closing 2009, and Microsoft is still in the lead by a few million units. The PS3 has lost weight both in body and price which led to the system being the best selling console globally for months. But the big surprise came this month in America, when the latest NPD results showed that the Xbox 360 which has been out a year before the PS3, and has yet to receive a face-lift, outsold the it by 100,000 units for the month of November, even after Sony has been delivering a stellar ad campaign effort. This is proof that if anything, Microsoft's Xbox 360 has been a success, a monstrous force to be reckoned with. And if all goes well, there's no stopping them.

Next stop, Xbox 720.

12/12/09 Ernice Gilbert

Halo Reach will be the "biggest game of 2010 by far", says Keighley

Wow, big bragging words from Mr. Keighley, "biggest game of 2010" would mean, God of War III, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Final Fantasy XIII, Gran Turismo 5 and some of the other big name titles would have to make room for this new Halo iteration. His comments on the latest Major Nelson podcast relays his belief best:

"At the VGAs, we're actually going to be able to go down on the planet Reach and see this game for the first time," he said.

"It's all going to be in-game stuff. This is not CG, this is not live action, like all the kids on twitter are speculating. You're going to get a first glimpse of the world of Reach, which is phenomenal."

Now this is where the guy made the earth-shattering prediction: "I think it's going to be the biggest game of next year by far. Folks loved ODST and thought it was great, but when people see the huge leap forward Bungie's taking with Reach... Everyone I've talked to that's been on the team and seen it is incredibly excited about that game."

VGAs will be aired on December 12th. Serious talk folks, real serious talk.

12/07/09 Ernice Gilbert

Sony don't plan on banning MW2 "Javelin" glitch users

While Microsoft plans on banning XBL members who take advantage of the glitch dubbed "Javelin" in Modern Warfare 2, Sony has no plans to follow in its competitor's footsteps.

"I don't believe we're banning people for using the glitch," a Sony representative told CVG.

So you know what that means? PS3 users can cheat till they're convicted of sin, or at least till the glitch is fixed. Will be soon so....

12/04/09 Ernice Gilbert

Microsoft's biggest mistake this gen: Lack of first party studios, hence the lack of exclusives

"If you could have one do-over, what would it be?" That's the question asked to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer during his address at the executive club in Chicago. Mr. Ballmer then addressed the fact that there is never "just one do-over" but there is one mistake they made that was bigger than them all: "I would probably say I would start sooner on search." The crowd went dead silent. No noise, you could hear a pin drop. Ballmer had just acknowledged that his Company's nemesis, Google, had beaten them to the punch; it was almost like accepting defeat. But there's another BIG mistake that Microsoft made in their Xbox/Zune division, one that's seriously hurting their console while Sony's PS3 seems to be set for the distant future, and it's not RROD.

It's a problem that can't be solved overnight and has left the Redmond giant grasping for straws and spending big money buying third party timed exclusives. Hopefully they will learn their lessons this time so in the next generation the situation will be different, but for now Microsoft must suffer the consequences of not seriously investing in first party studios. Don't you know? Exclusives sell consoles, and exclusives will be what lead Sony to victory. Let's look into the past, then the future shall we?

If it was not for Halo, the original Xbox would have been a failure. That game made the Xbox what it was and the Xbox 360 what it is today. So one would think that Microsoft would have taken notice and invest in more first party studios in order to help bolster their exclusive roster. They did not.

Sony knows firsthand the importance of first party development studios, and they've invested heavily to make sure that when third parties decide to leave, they'll still be standing tall with great exclusive titles. In fact the President of SCEE David Reeves, said exclusives with publishers are 'a thing of the past' and his company plan on working internally to strengthen their lineup. And they had better; games like the Metal Gear Solid franchise, the Final Fantasy franchise, and Grand Theft Auto all made Sony's consoles the best of the best. But now all the aforementioned have gone multiplatform and if Sony did not prepare themselves, PS3 would be barren.

Who's to say that Gears of War will remain exclusive to the Xbox 360 forever? What about Mass Effect 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction? Just like Metal Gear: Rising and Final Fantasy XIII, there's always the possibility of these games going multiplat. Yet still MS has only 7, yes seven first party studios. Rareware being the most outstanding. Pathetic and salty.

Sony on the other hand is loaded, hence the plethora of 'true' exclusives coming out for the system. Here's a list of first party Sony studios and their games:

U.S

Naughty Dog - Crash Bandicoot, Uncharted series, Jak & Daxter series

Santa Monica Studio - God of War series, Warhawk with Incognito Entertainment, Kinetica

San Diego Studio - NBA, MLB: The Show

Sony Bend - Syphon Filter, Resistance Retribution

Sony Online Entertainment - EverQuest

incognito Entertainment - Warhawk with Santa Monica, Twisted Metal series, Downhill Domination, Calling all Cars

Zipper Interactive - SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs series, MAG

Japan

Clap Hanz - Everybody's Golf, Everybody's Tennis

Japan Studio - Ape Escape, Siren, LocoRoco, Patapon

Team ICO - Shadow of the Colossus, Ico, The Last Guradian

Polyphony Digital - Gran Turismo

UK

London Studio - SingStar, Eyetoy,

Studio Cambridge - MediEvil, PlayTV

Studio Liverpool - Wipeout, F1

Evolution Studios - MotorStorm, World Rally Championship

Bigbig Studios - MotorStorm: Arctic Edge

Continental Europe

Guerrilla Games - Killzone series

Microsoft:

343 Industries - Future Halo titles

Rare Limited - Banjo-Kazooie series, Conka series, Perfect Dark series, Viva Pinata series

Lionhead Studios - Fable series, Black & White series

Turn 10 studios - Forza Motorsport series

Wingnut Interactive - No games yet

Xbox Live productions - Fable II Pub Games, South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!

BigPark - JoyRide

That's it for Microsoft. None in Japan.

And now to the future. If it's true that exclusive games sell consoles, then tell me how on God's earth will Microsoft compete with Sony in 2010 and beyond? They will try shock 'n' awe but will that strategy be enough to stall Sony's momentum? God of War III, MAG, Gran Turismo, Resistance 3, Killzone 3, Syphon Filter, Heavy Rain, Yakuza 3, Agent, Quantum Theory, White Knight Chronicles and The Last Guardian just to name a few. Microsoft has Alan Wake, Mass Effect 2 (which might be a timed exclusive), Halo Reach, Splinter Cell: Conviction, which is another title rumored to be only timed with Ubisoft saying that "there's always hope for Splinter Cell on PS3;" Crackdown 2, and Fable III.

Fair is fair, and as you already know, we are not biased here at Games Thirst. Microsoft made a big mistake in this the seventh generation of consoles and in many ways you can't blame them; after all, it's only their second generation in the business. The company is passionate about winning hearts and minds over to the Xbox family, but to achieve that goal, the software giant must build more first party studios. Until then, they're fighting a losing battle.

12/02/09 Ernice Gilbert

Microsoft says Thanksgiving was "biggest sales week of the year"

At Microsoft things were good for Xbox 360 this Thanksgiving. How good? Try the "biggest sales week of the year," this according to Director of Product Management for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Aaron Greenberg.

"Great #Black Friday results just in, biggest sales week of the year for #Xbox 360, more than 2xs previous week sales," Greenberg tweeted.

The boss man failed to produce any concrete numbers, however. Here's to hoping Microsoft makes plain what's not in the coming days.

12/01/09 Ernice Gilbert

Ubisoft working on 10 Project Natal titles, 4-5 PS Wand games

There will be no lack of games for Project Natal and Sony's "Wand" controller at launch, at least not from Ubisoft. That's what the company said in their first half of 09/10 results call.

Ten Project Natal games and Five for Sony's Wand. The announcement was made by Ubisoft president Yves Guillemot. He said that over 70 percent of the titles for both motion devices are new IPs. The games for Natal will be released six months ofter it's release.

Next year will be an interesting one. It'll be a sight to see how these motion controllers are received by gamers. I for one don't care too much about jumping up and down all over my house trying to play a game; so the only way I'll be getting the device is if Microsoft and Sony send them to GamesThirst. Other than that, I'll watch from the sidelines.

11/30/09 Ernice Gilbert

Xbox Live Can Be On Your Phone

The newest App for the iPhone is now available on the Apple Store, and its something that a few of you have hoped for. You can now check your Xbox live account, accept friend requests, and much more, while at work!

The App is called 360 Live, and is available for 1.99, but as Joystiq has noted, that the price will more than likely be dropped to free, so be patient young padawan.

Back in august of 2008, Microsoft had decreed that any Xbox live app must be released for free, so now were just waiting for them to remember their own words.

11/30/09 Allen Stewart

Lastfm chief: Xbox is the absolute best platform for us to launch our product

Whether you love or hate Microsoft, there's one fact that everyone universally agree with: Xbox Live revolutionized the way we play games and connect online. Microsoft made it clear at launch that their new console was developed to evolve overtime, and they would provide software and services to their user base like no other company could.

About a year ago when the new Xbox experience was launched, what the company had in mind was even closer to being realised. They've teamed up with Facebook, Twitter, Sky, Netflix and other services that have added massive value to the network. Last.fm is also on Xbox Live, with 35 million users worldwide and a catalogue of over 6 million tracks, it's one of the leading music services changing the way music is consumed; and according to company Chief Digital Officer (CDO) Ryan Regan, there's no better partner they could have launched their product with.

"Something that has always been important to us is to allow our users to access last.fm where ever they want to view it and we thought doing that in the living room was going to be a big deal for us this year, and it was a real priority for us as a company," he said to eurogamerTV.

"And we have Xbox which is the absolute best platform for us to launch a product like this, we're interested in the same things.

Regan also spoke about the good experience they had pitching the service to Microsoft and that they [Microsoft] understood them better than their other partners.

"They really think about the interactive dimension in the living room a lot more clearly and I think a lot more deeply than other partners we've talked to about this," he added.

Last.fm also features exclusive services custom-made for the Xbox 360, including music channels dedicated to gamers.

Microsoft says Natal could replace remote controls

Gamers have long feared news like this, but then again, what's there to fear? Will we trade in our controls for a motion sensing device? If left to Microsoft, that answer would be yes.

According to Xbox Live general manager, Marc Whitten, we could soon see the death of the control in the not too distant future.

Speaking at a streaming media west show, he described the growing amount of 360 video applications as the "biggest surprise" of his work.

"With the flick of my wrist I can change a channel. With the power of my voice I can start a movie," he said.

"I don't believe we're in the golden age of television or the golden age of game console or the golden age of the internet; frankly, five years from now I know that you'll be able to tell the difference between those worlds."

So what say you? Giving up on controllers anytime soon?

Thanks GI.

11/27/09 Ernice Gilbert

According to MS, 2 million log into Facebook via Xbox 360

Microsoft has told CNET that since Facebook launched on the Xbox 360 over 2 million people havelogged into the social networking site through the console. Also, the software giant said that half a million Last.fm accounts were created in the first 24 hours of availability.

They haven't released any numbers concerning Twitter usage but said that twits have been sent from almost every market where Xbox Live is operational.

People really like there Facebook I guess. 2 million already? Wow. Get the full vibe up there.

11/24/09 Ernice Gilbert

Microsoft looking for lead on Gears of War and Shadow Complex

Looking for a job? Think you have what it takes to lead the Gears of War Franchise to new heights? Good, because Microsoft's waiting for you and 53 other talented people.

Most of the 54 new people will join either the Project Natal team or 343 industries, but what's most notable is the company's desire to hire a producer to lead "work with an experienced team at Microsoft Game Studios and the world class developers at Epic to drive the success of Gears of War and Shadow Complex in the highly competitive and fascinating world of interactive entertainment."

Does this means the Gears of War franchise will remain exclusive to the Xbox 360? Sure does sound that way. Rumors have been rampant about the game going multiplatform, more news as this story develop.

Thanks develop.

11/20/09 Ernice Gilbert

Microsoft has Sony sweating

In recent news, we were told by ironstarmovement that Sony has Microsoft sweating and they couldn't find much to congratulate the software giant for accomplishing. GamesThirst believes that their opinion couldn't be further from the truth; in fact their piece is so far fetched that one must wonder what was going through the author's mind when he wrote the article. In all honesty, it's Microsoft who has Sony sweating tears as they try to keep up with the unexpected rise of the Xbox 360 and all the services offered on the console. And we're not just blowing hot air, we've listed a few of the reasons why Sony's playing second fiddle to the software giant.

1) They follow every move Xbox Live make ~

There's no arguing that Sony's doing all it can to keep up with the juggernaut that's Xbox Live, and it's so blatant not even the most avid PS3 fan could deny it. Almost every feature PSN has, Xbox Live had it first; and there's no end in sight.

2) Live Get's Facebook and Twitter,

Sony follows and soon will add Facebook and Twitter. The Xbox Live community has been enjoying cross-game-chat for years now, and what do you know? Sony will soon implement the ability via a firmware update.

3) Microsoft is the only reason PS3 owners have a cheaper and slimmer console so early this generation;

and it's because the Xbox 360 was giving the PS3 a good whipping week after week, month after month and year after year at retail all over the world. Truth be told, it's only this past September the hardware giant got its grove back. And I believe Sony would have kept the price of the PS3 at $399 for much longer if sales of their flagship console were not being choked by the Xbox 360.

4) Everyone who keeps a close eye on the gaming industry knows that Microsoft has outdone Sony by miles in the advertising deparment,

but guess who's doing a better job these days? Sony. "It only does everything," is the theme of their new ad campaign and without a doubt, it's the best I've seen in years; hec it's the best of seen ever, and that's saying a lot. Once again PS3 owners can thank Microsoft for keeping the pressure on Sony, in fact I'm beginning to wonder should I have given this article another title, more specifically: "PS3 owners should thank Microsoft for their many blessing." Because the more I think of it, the clearer it becomes that the very same fanboys who bash Microsoft unforgivingly are the very same ones who should be thanking the company. Think about it.

5) Sony pumps out exclusive after exclusive to keep their base happy because Microsoft keeps stealing all the third party games which once called the Playstation home,

which is yet another reason for PS3 owners to be grateful. There's no doubt in my mind that Sony has outdone Microsoft when it comes to exclusive games, and they had to; for most of this generation, the Xbox 360 had been cheaper than the PS3 and almost all the games that were available on Sony's black box could also be found on Microsoft's system. Sony had to answer, and answer they did and the results produced massive hits like Uncharted 1&2, inFamous, Resistance 1&2 just to name a few.

To conclude, I would like to note that I'm neither a PS3 nor Xbox 360 fanboy. By now judging from the news and articles we bring, you should know we cater to all gamers. Search through the site for yourself and you'll find what I'm saying is all true. But the recent article that claimed Sony has Microsoft sweating is just far off cue, hence our reply.

Share your thoughts.

11.17.09 Ernice Gilbert

Evidence shows Microsoft's not truthful about Xbox 360 Europe hardware sales numbers

Fuzzy math has been the only explanation to the back and fourth between Microsoft and Sony concerning their Europe hardware sales claims; they've been all over the place. But Microsoft in particular has been biting its own lips.

On September 3rd, 2009, Microsoft told MCV that its next gen install base was 1 million ahead of Sony in Europe. However Sony announced that it had sold 10 million units in the PAL territories at GamesCom, that was a few days after Microsoft had revealed their numbers to MCV. Then came this:

"We're confident that we're actually 1 million units ahead," Xbox Europe Boss Chris Lewis contested, "we count install base differently to them."

"We count the number of units in the consumers hands. We are committed to continuing that momentum - not only in places like the UK, France and Germany. Continued growth in all parts of Europe is integral to winning [against the PS3] overall."

That's what Xbox Europe chief Chris Lewis said to MCV back on September 3rd. So Chris is actually claiming that at the time Sony announced they sold 10 million units in Europe, that the Xbox 360 had sold more than ten million, which puts him in contradiction with himself over the statement he made a few weeks earlier.

But that's not all, on November 12th, 2009, which was four days ago, the company came with yet another set of numbers. This time claiming that after four years they finally arrived at the 10 million units sold benchmark. But what's even worse is that They're not only talking about Europe, but the Middle East and Africa.

See the thing is if they're confident that they sold more than Sony back in August, which would be over 10 million, then what's the explanation given for their latest announcement? Is the software giant lying just to make itself look good? Or is Sony the ones skewing their numbers? Share your thougts.

11/16/09 Ernice Gilbert

MS: Xbox Live is 12 to 18 months ahead of PSN

The good folks at Microsoft have never been the type to keep quiet when it comes to sharing how they feel about their main rival in the gaming industry, Sony and the PS3. Yes, they're not afraid of speaking what to them is the truth at all.

While going through the company's recent London Press release, I spotted what really alarmed me, It's true Live might ahead of PSN, although some would argue that the two online services are on par. But 12 to 18 months ahead is kind of far fetched to me.

In the second paragraph, Martin Olausson, Director of Digital Media Research at Strategy Analytics said "Xbox 360 continues to pull ahead of the competition when it comes to delivering on a complete home entertainment experience and we think that Xbox Live currently is about 12 to 18 months ahead of its main rival Playstation Network when it comes to offering service and content beyond traditional games."

"By introducing innovative services and content such as Natal, instant streaming of full 1080P HD video, and integrating social media features such as Twitter and Facebook, Xbox will likely attract a wider audience than its rivals and is in a great position to maximize sales in the next few year."

Um..... Thoughts?

Full thing is here.

11/14/09 Ernice Gilbert

Alan Wake will keep you awake in May 2010

Alan Wake has been in production for five years according to the developers of the game, and now, according to MCV you'll be playing the title in May of 2010. Finally it seems the wait is almost over.

According to the website's source, said title will receive a Hollywood-movie-style promotion and will be released globally late in the month.

The game's about a writer who's wife disappeared and he embarks on the frighteningly dangerous adventure to find her.

Xbox 360 fans have been anxiously awaiting Alan Wake and with good reason; the title looks very promising. According to Remedy which developed the game, they could've have released the title any time of their choosing, but they wanted to make sure that a title which has been in development for so long, delivers on all fronts. A sentiment I tend to agree with. If you're going to do something, then by all means do it good, great even. I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

11/14/09 Ernice Gilbert

1 Million Xbox Live accounts banned this week

Throughout this week, Microsoft managed to bring the rain down on 1 million Xbox Live players who they believed were using modded consoles to play pirated games online.

"The health of the video game business depends on customers paying for the genuine products and services they receive from manufacturers, retailers, and the third parties that support them," Microsoft said.

It is still not known how Microsoft managed to identify the modded accounts, but we feel sorry for the poor 360 owners who managed to get a pirated copy of Modern Warfare 2 only to have their accounts banned. Not really.

The accounts affected by this large-scale ban does not spread to the console however. Players are still able to play single player games, they just cannot use the service.

Review copies of Alan Wake may not contain an ending

The developers of the highly anticipated Alan Wake are being very secretive about the game's story. They are worried about potential spoiler leaks so much that they are in discussions with Microsoft on whether to leave the ending off the discs that are sent to reviewers prior to the game's release.

"I think we're going to be insanely careful about how much of the story we reveal," said Remedy Entertainment managing director Matias Myllyrinne. "We'll clearly discuss with some of our friends at Microsoft whether we even give the ending of the game for anybody's preview. I'd like to hold it back, [I] don't want anybody to spoil it for the audience. That's just my personal feeling."

It's understandable that they would go to such great lengths to hide the story considering how often spoilers erupt onto the net before a title is released. We can clearly see this as fact considering what has already been released for Modern Warfare 2.

11/02/09 Colton West

Xbox 360 has the best games out, says EU XBL boss

And there you were thinking your PS3 was second to none in the games department. A bold statement isn't it? The Xbox Live EU boss didn't tie his tongue either, the words came out clearly and confidently. Here's Jerry Johnson speaking to videogamer:

"I'll come back and say that Xbox has the best games out there. It's got the best first-person shooters out there. The exclusives we've had over the past years and what we had going into this holiday prove the point that this is still very much at its heart a gaming console," Johnson said.

"There's nothing we're going to change with that. You will start to see us though, do things that are broader marketing and start to expose some of the things that are broader than just first-person shooters."

"There's nothing we're going to change that's going to not focus on those customers more. In fact, not just this year but in the next year, we'll continue to do features that are targeted at the hardcore gamer. At the same time we're going to start to do some of the things that appeal to both the hardcore game and the broader user, and continue to do things and start to do more targeted more at the broader user specifically."

Get the full vibe here.

10/30/09 Ernice Gilbert