U-Verse dropping Xbox 360 receiver support after December 31st

AT&T U-Verse on an Xbox 360

We hope you weren’t bent on using the Xbox 360 as a U-Verse TV receiver. AT&T is now telling customers that it will drop IPTV support for Microsoft’s older console after December 31st, leaving viewers with little choice but to use a conventional set-top box. Subscribers will get a $99 credit in return for their troubles, the provider says. We’ve reached out to AT&T for more details regarding the move, but there are no signs of an official Xbox One substitute on the horizon.

[Thanks, Chuck]

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Source: AT&T

Xbox 360 tops NPD console charts one last time before next-gen begins

October NPDs show Xbox 360 over PS3 one more time before the next generation begins

How do you close out a console generation? By reclaiming your crown. According to NPD’s October figures, Microsoft is back on top: The Xbox 360 is once again the best-selling home console. It’s hardly surprising — Microsoft has dominated home console sales for years, losing out to the PlayStation 3 for the first time in ages just last month. It almost wouldn’t be notable, save for the fact that this month’s numbers are the last NPD figures before the industry moves on. The PlayStation 4 launches at midnight tonight, and the Xbox One will be available in just a few days. You can almost see the anticipation in the numbers. Hardware sales totaled $171.7 million for the month, 8 percent less than the same period last year and over $10 million less than the previous month. Business as usual, really. Care to take stab at who will take the cake in generation eight’s first NPD report? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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Source: Joystiq

Bungie to offer Destiny beta access as early pre-order perk

Destiny

We’ve all seen the demo, but none of us have actually played Destiny, Bungie and publisher Activision’s forthcoming first-person-shooter / MMO-like effort. But starting today, Destiny‘s persistent open world will begin opening up… to gamers that buy in early, that is. A limited amount of pre-orders placed now at select retailers will garner gamers beta access to Destiny, which is scheduled to launch early next year on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. If you happened to jump the gun and plunk down for a copy before today, don’t worry, as your order automatically reserves you a spot for the beta. Depending on your method of purchase, redemption codes will either be emailed directly or printed out at the time of purchase, so hold off on trashing those receipts. You can find the full details of the program and a new trailer just after the break.

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Source: Destiny Beta

Grand Theft Auto Online update arrives, brings multiplayer to Los Santos

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If you’re already looking for a more worthy Grand Theft Auto 5 adversary than a computer can generate, here’s the dirt: you can now play it online. Whether your battleground of choice is PlayStation Network or Xbox Live, only a “small title update” should be required to get online. Of course, that is assuming the game’s servers can handle the load. With over 16.5 million copies already in circulation Day 1 connectivity could land somewhere near the Sim City end of the scale, and Rockstar’s Social Club backend has already experienced some strain loading up pictures and stats from the single player edition. Assuming everything goes to plan however, players should be creating their avatars, forming online crime syndicates and visiting each other’s houses.

The Content Creator tool that will let players design their own heists is one of the features scheduled to launch later this fall, for more details on what is available right away, check out this blog post. Access appears to be open on both PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, although we’re already seeing reports of connection issues and “Rockstar cloud servers are not available right now” on both sides.

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Source: Rockstar

Xbox Live Rewards revamped with loyalty ‘punchcards’ and local currency payouts

Xbox Live Rewards revamped with loyalty 'punchcards' and local currency payouts

As part of its march toward the Xbox One’s arrival, Microsoft has relaunched the Xbox Live Rewards service — and it looked to your coffee shop for inspiration. Just as your local barista punches a tab toward that next free coffee, completing Redmond’s MyPunchcards will net you Rewards Credits. Complete the current cards by Halloween and you’ll get 5,000 credits ($5) for buying five map packs and 3,000 credits ($3) for renting five movies or TV episodes. As before, you’re rewarded for re-upping your Xbox Live Gold subscription and referring friends, and each time you amass 5,000 Credits, they’re converted to your local currency and deposited to your wallet. What’s more, if you’re impatient and have at least 1,000 credits in the bank, you can request an early payout. So much for saving for a rainy day.

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Via: Joystiq

Source: Xbox Live Rewards

Microsoft rebrands Xbox Live Marketplace to Xbox Game Store

DNP Microsoft rebrands Xbox Live Marketplace to Xbox Games Store, tktk

Microsoft seems intent on sanding away the Xbox brand’s rough edges before launching the One this November. Following the recent switch from its arcane points system to local currency for digital purchases, Redmond has subtly changed up where you’ll spend that money. What we used to know as the Xbox Live Marketplace is now the Xbox Game Store. It’s clean, simple and we’re pretty sure Sean Parker would approve. Oddly, in the US the web storefront reads “Xbox Games,” but it says “Xbox Game Store” in the UK. Whatever — as long as we can buy real-world presidents for Saint’s Row 4, we’re not too worried about the name of the store.

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Source: Joystiq, Xbox

EA’s Peter Moore clarifies stance on online games, says not every title will require your console to be online

While discussing the finer points of EA’s plans for this year (and those new consoles), EA’s Peter Moore explained to Engadget that the games maker doesn’t ship a game that is offline. It seems some people took this and ran (and ran) with it. So much in fact, that Moore has decided to officially respond, detailing that while its games catalog connects through online multiplayer, stat sharing, achievements or can even be delivered to consoles and devices by the internet, the company will continue to include single-player and offline modes that can be played without any need for a data connection — not every EA game will require your console to be online. We’ve embedded the aforementioned interview from Gamescom after the break. If only Mr. Moore still had the chance to respond with a YouTube video of his own

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Source: EA

New Xbox 360 update bids farewell to points, welcomes local currency

Goodbye, Microsoft Points. Hello, local currency. A new Xbox 360 update, debuting today, has finally made official the long-awaited switch from Microsoft’s own virtual currency, allowing you to spend your hard-earned pennies on Xbox Live content. If you’ve still got Microsoft Points laying around, never fear. As we’ve previously reported, existing point balances will be converted to their equivalent cash value. According to the company’s FAQ, prices are now listed in whatever your local currency happens to be, plus tax. It’s worth noting that purchases made with converted money will not be taxed for the time being, and said currency is good until June 1, 2015. For more details, check out Microsoft’s breakdown of the switch at the source link below.

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Via: Polygon

Source: Xbox

Xbox at Gamescom 2013: a focus on games big and small

The launch of a new game console is a fairly unique event in this industry. Unlike a smartphone or tablet, you don’t see a new one released every year, or even every five years, and you likely don’t have to worry about it feeling outdated a few months after you buy one. This year, we’re getting two, with Microsoft and Sony jockeying for position to be the choice of gamers this holiday season. We saw that sparring at E3 earlier this summer, and it was again on display at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, where Sony made news with a release date for the PlayStation 4, among other things.

We didn’t get a date for the Xbox One from Microsoft, but the company did have plenty of other things to announce and show off. Read on for a recap — or a refresher, as the case may be.

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Start a FIFA 14 season on current-gen consoles and continue it easily on next-gen systems

Start your FIFA 14 season on currentgen consoles and continue it easily when the next gen arrives

During EA’s press event at Gamescom 2013 in Cologne, the outfit revealed that FIFA 14 seasons that start on current-gen systems will easily be transported over to next-gen consoles when they arrive this fall. Saved seasons, FIFA Ultimate Teams, Virtual Pro and EA Sports Football Club info can all be carried to the shiny new Xbox One and PS4 as soon as that pre-order arrives or you’ll able to nab one off the shelves. You’ll be able to step foot on the pitch soon as the title launches around the globe next month.

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