Hasta La Gadget!

While there’s been a lot of controversy over various Xbox One features, the good news is that gamers will be able to use a single Xbox Live Gold membership across multiple accounts in a household. A membership can also be supported across the Xbox One and the Xbox 360, which means that a single membership can be used across multiple consoles as well.

Microsoft‘s Phil Harrison says that “anybody who has usage privilege on that machine can use it,” indicating that a Family Pack-style option could be making a comeback for the Xbox One. Microsoft discontinued the Xbox Live Gold Family Pack earlier this year, which came with multiple memberships at a slightly-discounted price.

For the Xbox One, it seems that a similar model will become available, although it’s not exactly confirmed how the new model will work, but we do know that you won’t need multiple memberships — one for each person. Microsoft’s Ben Kilgore says that Microsoft will still allow users to access their own friends list and such, saying that the company wants “you log in to get your stuff, and when he logs in to get his stuff. On that console, if you have Gold, he can use Gold as well.”

As for current Xbox Live Gold memberships, those will be compatible with the Xbox One, so if you have an Xbox 360 now and end up getting an Xbox One, your current membership will transfer over, as well as still remain active on your Xbox 360, allowing you to go back and forth between the two consoles.

Again, we’re not sure exactly how this model will work, but so far it sounds a lot better than the current Xbox Live membership model on the Xbox 360. We’re also not sure if Microsoft will change up the pricing structure for memberships, or if they’ll introduce a new tier system, but we should be hearing more about that later this year.

SOURCE: Polygon

Xbox One will allow multiple users on single Xbox Live membership is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft has unveiled the Xbox One, which the company is hoping will be the system in the center of all home entertainment for people everywhere.

It was unveiled in Redmond with a full press release distributed by the company. Here in Japan, we also received a Japanese version of the official company press release, and we are looking forward to the chance to get a closer look soon.

It combines gaming, viewing, sports, online functionality, photos, videos, etc., and is an aggressive roll-out by Microsoft in an area where many competitors are trying to gain dominance – being the control console for all household entertainment and digital activity.

Official Press Release:

REDMOND, Wash. — May 21, 2013 — A new vision for the future comes to life today as Microsoft Corp. unveils Xbox One , the all-in-one gaming and entertainment system created for today and the next generation. At Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., the company showcased how Xbox One puts you at the center of all your games, TV, movies, music, sports and Skype.

“Xbox One is designed to deliver a whole new generation of blockbuster games, television and entertainment in a powerful, all-in-one device,” said Don Mattrick, president, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Our unique, modern architecture brings simplicity to the living room and, for the first time ever, the ability to instantly switch across your games and entertainment.”

Introducing Xbox One

With Xbox One, games push the boundaries of realism, and TV obeys your commands.[1] Say “Xbox On” to launch your personalized Xbox One Home screen, discover what is popular on TV or see friends’ latest gaming achievements all using the most natural interface — your voice. The more you interact with Xbox One, the more it gets to know you and learns what you like. Some of the breakthrough Xbox One features that put you at the center of your living room entertainment include the following:

• TV on Xbox One.[1] Navigate and watch live TV from your cable, telco or satellite set-top box through your Xbox One. Microsoft is committed to bringing live TV through various solutions to all the markets where Xbox One will be available.[3]

• Home. Turn on your entertainment system with two powerful words, “Xbox On,” and a custom-tailored Home dashboard welcomes you with your favorite games, TV and entertainment.

• Snap. Do two things at once on the biggest screen in your home. Use Snap to jump into a multiplayer battle while watching your favorite movie, talk with friends on Skype while watching live TV, or track your fantasy team on TV as you watch the big game and more.

• Skype for Xbox One. Specially designed for Xbox One, talk with friends on your TV in stunning HD, or for the first time ever, hold group Skype calls on your TV.

• Trending.[1] Stay on top of what is hot on TV by discovering the entertainment that is popular among your friends, and see what is trending within the Xbox community.

• OneGuide.[1], [2] Find your favorite entertainment easily, searching by network or name, all with the sound of your voice and presented in a tailored program guide.

To create the most advanced Xbox system ever designed for games, TV and entertainment, Microsoft created a state-of-the-art gaming operating system and fused it with an equally amazing entertainment platform, so you will not have to switch inputs to watch TV or play a game. An eight-core, x86 processor and more than 5 billion transistors helps make lag and load times a thing of the past, so you can instantly jump between a game and your entertainment at lightning speed or run a host of apps right alongside your game with no loss in performance.Introducing Xbox One titles and exclusives

Gaming on Xbox One immerses gamers in cinematic worlds that look like real life, with characters that feel more human than ever before. AAA blockbuster titles unveiled for Xbox One include the following:

• “Forza Motorsport 5” from Turn 10 Studios is the latest edition of the highest-rated racing franchise of the past 10 years.[3] Built from the ground up to take advantage of Xbox One and the infinite power of the cloud, no game better delivers the sensation of being behind the wheel. “Forza Motorsport 5” sets a new bar for racing games and will be available exclusively for Xbox One at launch.

• “Call of Duty: Ghosts” is the next generation of “Call of Duty” and a stunning leap forward for the franchise. It delivers an all-new world, an all-new cast of characters and an all-new story, built on a new, next-generation engine. The next-generation technical innovations built to support the incredible gameplay advancements make this the most beautiful and immersive “Call of Duty” experience yet. Activision and Microsoft also announced the renewal of their close partnership that will see both the return of the “Call of Duty® Championship,” presented by Xbox, as well as all-new downloadable content debuting first and exclusively on the Xbox platform.

• “FIFA 14,” “Madden NFL 25,” “NBA LIVE 14,” and “EA SPORTS UFC” from EA SPORTS will change the way consumers experience and play sports games. Driven by the new EA SPORTS Ignite engine, these new EA SPORTS games will deliver massive innovations in human intelligence, true player motion and living worlds. Adding to its commitment to Xbox One, EA SPORTS also announced the promise of exclusive content to be revealed in the coming months.

• “Quantum Break” from Remedy Entertainment is a revolutionary entertainment experience from the creators of “Max Payne” and “Alan Wake” that blurs the line between gaming and TV by integrating drama and gameplay into one seamless, uniquely immersive experience. How you play the game impacts the show, and the show informs how you play the game.

In addition to the amazing lineup of games coming to Xbox One, Microsoft unveiled exclusive content partnerships with some of the top names in TV, sports and entertainment.

• “Halo” television series. Award-winning filmmaker, director and producer, Steven Spielberg will executive-produce an original “Halo” live-action television series with exclusive interactive Xbox One content, created in partnership with 343 Industries and Xbox Entertainment Studios.

• National Football League (NFL).[1] A multiyear, landmark partnership will deliver the ultimate interactive NFL television experiences for the next-generation Xbox One and leverage Microsoft devices and services to evolve both in-game and on the sideline. The NFL on Xbox will redefine broadcast experiences through innovations around Skype, Xbox SmartGlass and player-worn technology; add an all-new fantasy football solution for the biggest screen in the house; and create a personalized NFL destination only available on Xbox One.

Introducing a new generation of Xbox Live

Xbox One is built to amplify an all-new generation of Xbox Live that is more powerful, more personal and more intelligent. Unleashing the virtually unlimited power of the cloud makes everything more convenient and accessible, from allowing games to be installed in segments so that gameplay can start quickly to updates downloading in the background. Save and store your personalized profile, games and entertainment in the cloud to access them anytime, from any Xbox One console.[4] In addition, existing Xbox Live Gold Membership for Xbox 360 will seamlessly carry over to Xbox One.[5] Xbox Live takes you deeper into the games you love with all-new features.

• Smart Match. A new Smart Match matchmaking system virtually eliminates waiting in lobbies by estimating wait times and finding people you want to play with while you are enjoying other activities — reputation fundamentally matters and helps find best matches.

• Game DVR. A dedicated Game DVR captures and accesses your magic moments, all saved to the cloud. Along with sharing tools, you will have the most amazing bragging rights with Xbox Live.

• Living Games.[6] Dynamic, living worlds evolve and improve the more you play, and advanced artificial intelligence can learn to play like you, so friends can play against your shadow.

• Expanded achievements. A new and expanded achievements system captures video of your epic moments, continues to grow a game’s achievements over time and rewards you in new ways, and your Gamerscore carries over from Xbox 360.

• Xbox SmartGlass.[6] Xbox SmartGlass is natively part of the Xbox One platform, built in from the beginning with the ability to quickly render content directly onto your device, and now more devices can connect at one time for multiplayer and shared entertainment.

Introducing the Xbox One look and feel

New Xbox One hardware is sleek and modern and complements any décor. The console is shaped in the 16:9 aspect ratio and employs a horizontal orientation optimized for its high-speed Blu-ray™ disc player. It is molded in a deep and rich liquid black color and includes a distinctive beveled edge.

The completely redesigned, revolutionary 1080p Kinect is more precise, more responsive and more intuitive. Its unparalleled vision, motion and voice technology let you reach into games and entertainment like never before by dramatically expanding its field of view and fidelity. It works in nearly any lighting condition, recognizes precise motion control from a slight wrist rotation, and distinguishes your voice even in a noisy room using advanced noise isolation.

The class-leading Xbox controller is refreshed with more than 40 technical and design innovations. Updated directional pad, thumb stick and ergonomic fit immerse all gamers in ways that are uniquely Xbox, and precision and control have been dramatically increased with all new vibrating impulse triggers.[6] The Xbox One Wireless Controller is designed to work in concert with the new Kinect, allowing the two to be paired automatically to create seamless player syncing.

Xbox One will launch in markets around the world later this year. Visit the new Xbox Wire blog at http://news.xbox.com for in-depth features on the new system, including photos and videos from the unveiling event and new and rotating content from Xbox. More details about Xbox One and blockbuster games will be explored at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June.

About Xbox

Xbox is Microsoft’s premier entertainment brand for the TV, phone, PC and tablet. In living rooms or on the go, Xbox is home to the best and broadest games, as well as one of the world’s largest libraries of movies, TV, music, and sports. Your favorite games, TV and entertainment come to life in new ways through the power of Kinect, Xbox SmartGlass, and Xbox Live, the world’s premier social entertainment network. More information about Xbox can be found online at http://www.xbox.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Features and requirements are under development and may change prior to release. Available features and content may vary by country. Broadband Internet (ISP fees apply) and advanced TV hardware required. Games and media content sold separately. Xbox Live Gold Membership, paid subscription and other requirements apply for some Xbox Live features.

1 Live TV with Kinect navigation, Live TV with OneGuide, Trending, and NFL on Xbox available in U.S. at launch; anticipating global scale over time.

2 Kinect voice functionality only available in supported locales and languages.

3 At launch, Live TV will require a supported receiver device with HDMI output (sold separately).

4 Subject to geographical content restrictions.

5 Some Xbox Live content and features available on Xbox 360, including avatar content and some apps, are not available with Xbox Live on Xbox One.

6 In supported games.

Out with the old, and in with the new, or so the saying goes. The thing is, if something is not broken, why bother to introduce a fix? After all, one does not simply reinvent the wheel, but perhaps the […]

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The CW TV network has become the latest TV network to bring its selection of shows to Xbox LIVE. The TV network has been struggling for some time to attract viewers to its TV series, so hopefully its collaboration with Xbox LIVE will help. With the new CW TV app, viewers will be able to catch the latest episodes of the CW’s TV series a day after they air on live television.

Viewers will be have access to all of the CW’s current TV series, including Arrow, Beauty and the Beast, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, Nikita, and more. The app is compatible with Xbox’s SmartGlass feature, which recently became available for the Amazon Kindle Fire, so that users can access extra content while watching an episode, such as episode summaries or plot overviews. The CW app is also compatible with the Kinect, allowing you to control it via your hands or your voice.

The CW is one of the under-performers in the land of free television. While other networks like ABC and Fox are able to get well over 10 million viewers for their most popular TV shows, the CW’s most popular TV shows are only able to grab about 2-3 million viewers each week. That’s not to say that the CW only has bad TV shows (I personally think Nikita and Arrow are pretty great shows), it just needs more exposure.

Through its collaboration with Netflix, and its app becoming available through Xbox LIVE, it may be able to get more people to view its offering of TV shows, and perhaps even convert some of them to loyal followers. The CW recently cancelled several TV shows this year, including Cult, 90210, Gossip Girl, and Emily Owens M.D. due to their lack of viewers, and several more shows are still awaiting their fate. Maybe also releasing an app for the PlayStation Network would be a good move for the network as well.

The CW attempts to secure more TV viewers with Xbox LIVE is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Larry Hryb, the Director of Programming for Xbox Live, stated today that Xbox SmartGlass now supports Amazon’s selection of Kindle Fire tablets. It’s coming in about half a year late, seeing as the app was released for regular Android devices way back in October of last year. With the Xbox SmartGlass app now available in the Amazon App Store, owners of the affordable Kindle Fire can enjoy an extension of the Xbox Live experience with their tablets.

Before you can install Xbox Smartglass onto your Kindle Fire, you have to make sure that your device is at least running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Smartglass brings the second-screen option to your Kindle Fire, allowing you to control your music and video through your tablet, type using your tablet’s keyboard, view second-screen options for movies/TV shows you’re watching, and interact with extra content provided by certain games. You are also able to track achievements, customize your avatar, browse the internet, and much more.

An example of the usefulness of Smartglass would be if you’re watching a movie. On your tablet, you can pause,play, fast forward your movie and more. But not only that, on the side panel, there will also be a description box providing you with relevant information regarding the media playing on your Xbox 360, including episode summaries, the TV show storyline, and much more.

With certain games, like Skyrim, your Kindle Fire will serve as a companion that will help you as you navigate throughout the game’s fantasy maps. You can use your Kindle Fire as a map to make sure you’re never lost in the game’s massive world. You can download Xbox SmartGlass for your Kindle Fire from Amazon’s App Store. The functionality of the app should be the same as the app for Android.

Xbox SmartGlass brings support for the Kindle Fire is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.