Microsoft has put its foot down and cut off a reported 600,000 XBOX Live users.
The reason is based around users modifying, or chipping, their console in order to play pirated copies of games. Microsoft has stated that this action by users violates the XBOX Live terms of use.
The 600,000 could even rise to the 1 million mark as the crackdown takes place.
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Microsoft has announced a new series of features coming to its Games for Windows – LIVE service.
Anti-Piracy Solution: Zero-day piracy protection and server-side authentication help prevent game piracy before street date, and protect publishers and consumers by requiring authentication for online play.
In-Game Marketplace: New Marketplace APIs let developers create unique in-game store fronts and experiences surrounding the sale of additional content, providing developers and publishers with new revenue streams, and consumers with a seamless gaming experience.
Roaming: PC gamers can now save their personal settings back to their Games for Windows – LIVE account in the cloud, providing access to their settings on any compatible and connected Windows PC.
These details were announced at GDC 2009 being held in San Francisco, USA, this week.
After much musing on this here blog a few weeks ago, further details have emerged regarding Bungie’s unanounced project: it’s Halo.
The game was due to be revealed at E3, but the announcement was pulled by Microsoft at the last minute - to much uproar and conflicting reasons for why.
However, Microsoft man Don Mattrick has confirmed, in probably the most botched game hype reveal this year, that the game is in fact a Halo title.
This brings the total number of Halo projects up to three: Bungie’s project, Halo Wars (Ensemble developed RTS), and Peter Jackson’s game.
So, Halo 4, or something else entirely? My money’s on the former.
It’s been a while since I put anything up here on the blog. However after playing the Too Human demo last night for the first time I thought I should.
It’s great, saw it there, a massive 1.3GB of demo and was just curious, anyway after a bit of a download, played it. It’s a great mix of RPG and hack and slash, but with some super VR type “alternate world” thing going on too. You can transverse between the alt World and the gameworld, opening doors between the two, very cool…try it to see what I mean. Can’t wait for the real deal…
A lot of attention on Microsoft at E3 this week, the firm has announced that it plans to re-design XBOX Live, with an emphasis on building communities and shaping the XBOX 360 to be at centre of home entertainment.
In the latest Bungie podcast the developer has hinted at a new game announcement to be made at Microsoft’s E3 press conference.
Brian: Isn’t there something going on on July 14th or something like that?
Luke: Yeah, around then.
Brian: Somehow that’s sticking in my head for some reason. Guess we’ll have to see.
Luke: Yep, we’ll just have to be patient. Who could say?
If I were you, I’d take Kotaku’s word on this one - the full podcast is an hour and a half long.
So, Halo 4, or something fresh? The grape vine would have it that Bungie has well and truly moved on from Master Chief, so eyes peeled next week.
This story concerns Microsoft and its strict controlling of gamer tags on its online service - it’s been running for a few days, but has now reached amusing enough levels to be bloggable.
Things kicked off last Wednesday when Consumerist reader Grant ‘I’m the only gay on Xbox Live’ wrote to say that his gamer tag ‘thegayergamer’ had been banned for being offensive. Now, clearly had he been prefixed said tag with the letters ‘UR’ he may have been venturing into hot water, but it’s plain that simply being gay and proud is not cause for banning.
Soon after, Microsoft crony Stephen Toulouse - who you can’t help but feel has been caught in the middle of a larger social dispute that has lead to him receiving legions of gay hate mail - posted on his own blog the justification for the move.
Essentially, Microsoft doesn’t allow anything that can be interpreted as sexual in nature - ‘themostlyheterosexualredbloodedmalegamer’ would have been removed just as quickly. You can kinda see the reasoning - a black out on all of these sticky issues keeps Microsoft safe - but it still seems like a step that shouldn’t be necessary.
Things took a turn for the funny today, when Kotaku reported that Welshy Richard had also found himself in the sin bin. His tag? RichardGaywood.
Which is funnier, the story, or his surname?
8Bit Joystick is reporting that the joypad (codenamed Newton) rumoured to revolve around Wiimote-copying motion sensing functionality is indeed in development at Microsoft. They also helpfully point out it’s named after some guy who invented gravity, so give yourselves a pat on the back for not being as ignorant as the 8Bit audience in needing to have that pointed out to them.
Word has it Microsoft has licensed technology from the same company Nintendo did in developing for the Wii, and that the controller will be out for Christmas 2008.
The good news is Rock Band is finally confirmed for a Euro release, and it’s just around the corner: May 23rd. It will launch with all US DLC available, and will keep pace with future releases. It’s also got some exclusive tracks from bands like Blur, Oasis and Muse (Hysteria, result!!).
Now the bad news. EA and Microsoft are launching the game as a timed 360 exclusive, meaning there’s no set date for Playstation or Wii versions, and may not be for some time (as long as Microsoft can wrangle I imagine).
Tracks will cost 160 points to download - double what the yanks are paying.
Finally, compared to the $169 paid in the States for a guitar, drum kit, mic and game, the same kit will cost more than double over here: £129.99 / €169 for the peripherals, and a further 50 quid / 70 Euros for the game.
Fun.
Gamerush is reporting that Australian retailers (granted, not always at the forefront of industry trends) are stocking 360s only out of good faith to Microsoft.
“The Xbox 360 is dead. We are stocking it because of our relationship with Microsoft however all our energy and marketing is going into the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii unless Microsoft come up with something new or additional marketing dollars,” a Melbourne-based retailer said. “Halo 3 was big on the Xbox but that was about it.”
“They have tried discounting and value add offers and even that is not working. We are even thinking of dumping the console all together.”
EDIT: This claim has since been rebuked by Microsoft, who claim to have had no involvement with Xbox World 360, and that the rights to Goldeneye continue to reside with Nintendo.
Xbox World 360 seems to think it knows categorically that a Goldeneye revamp is indeed coming to XBLA, as has been rumoured for many months. It think it knows this because it seems to think it’s got the exclusive.
“Next Wednesday, in Xbox World 360, you’ll find the first ever shots and definitive hands-on details behind one of this year’s biggest stories.”
The mag went on to release two panels at a time, all twenty of which would, when put together, form a complete screenshot of the game in question.
What do you think? Does that look a little bit like a sexy version of Dam to you?
EB Games, one of the largest video game retailers in the world - and, bizarrely, nothing to do with Electronics Boutique UK, owner of GAME - is said to be arguing with Microsoft over AUD 10 million worth of faulty 360s.
The infamous ‘red rings of death’ issue which lead to thousands of 360s being recalled is said to have cost EB a hefty sum of money - a sum that Microsoft refuses to pay.
EB Games chief exec Steve Wilson has dismissed the rumour: “It’s 99% bullshit really. Even when we had the batch problem six months ago, we were talking about a couple of thousand units.”
Wilson’s words certainly imply the situation has been blown out of proportion. Crucially, however, he’s not denied that a pitched battle is raging between the publisher and retailer - just that it’s not as big as was suggested.
I’m torn.
As ever, Windows Vista was released in rubbish state, and hasn’t gotten an awful lot better - for games. We all know about the 5% - 25% drop in frame rates on Microsoft’s behemoth, and the controversy over various software support issues. Microsoft, rightly or wrongly, uses the first year or so of software life as a huge beta test, so if you’re an early adopter, you kinda need to be prepared for the worst.
On the flip side, software of this sort is a hard thing to get right, and it probably takes this sort of approach to achieve anything worthwhile. Like it or not, Microsoft does the operating system better than anyone else.
So what’s making me smile today? Two things:
1. There’s a games fix on the way that’s supposed to make games work.
2. It runs Anachronox.
Anachronox is a fantastic little RPG from ill-fated, Daikatana-producing Ion Storm, released in 2001 for Win 95, 98 and 2000. The bastard thing doesn’t run on XP, but somehow, despite Vista throwing a paddy at some 2000/XP titles from a last year, runs it straight away, without a hitch, no tampering required. And I love it.
If you never played Anachronox, and you’re running Vista and want something that actually plays nicely on it, Anachronox is available for digital download for £3.50. Today, I am happy.
Recent announcements from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony have shown the differing costs of launching a console:
Microsoft’s shares rose more than 10% yesterday after their quarterly results announcement showed strong results in the Vista and Office divisions, while sales of Halo 3 pushed the consumer division, which includes the Xbox 360, into profit.
Nintendo announced it has trebled its first-half profit driven by the success of the Wii and the DS and is now the third most valuable company in Japan after car-maker Toyota and financial services giant Mitsubishi UFJ. It surpassed Sony in market value earlier this year.
Sony, in contrast, admitted that PlayStation 3 sales targets of 11 million units might not be met, and that it had lost $848 million in the games unit in Q3 07. They expect to break even in the next six months and make a profit next year.
All of which is tough for Sony. Alongside troubles in its television unit, Sony’s games units is holding it back, with all of the issues of an expensive unit lacking must-have software going into the Christmas season. Nintendo, with a low-priced, low-spec machine, is currently trouncing its opposition and Microsoft is, perhaps surprisingly, emerging into a strong second place.
It’s too early to write Sony off, but amongst all of their corporate woes, turning around the games unit must be a really high priority.
