Kinect is more than an Xbox 360 peripheral, it’s the future of Microsoft, or at least a very possible one. It’s the beginning of Microsoft’s plans for natural user interfaces, the step beyond the thing you’re staring at right now. More »
After years (and years) of waiting it’s no surprise to see the Xbox 360 finally sliding into the role of IPTV set-top box, but we couldn’t have seen Canada’s Telus being the first in North America to offer the option. It only switched customers over to the Microsoft Mediaroom platform (also used by AT&T’s U-Verse, where the feature should appear soon) powering its Optik TV package — currently only available in Alberta and B.C. — earlier this year, enabling this new multiroom setup. Of course, that means the Xbox 360 can’t be the only set-top box in the house — it just acts as a client to the main DVR for live TV watching, or to schedule and watch previously recorded programming. Subscribers owners can check the main website for access on their current Xbox 360 or grab a free new system by signing up for two years of internet access. Mediaroom 2.0 is expected to bring PCs and mobile devices into the fold at some point as well, but for now check out the Xbox 360 experience in our video demo after the break, as well as a press release with all the details.
Continue reading Telus turns Canadian Xbox 360s into IPTV boxes starting today
Telus turns Canadian Xbox 360s into IPTV boxes starting today originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Let’s face it: despite the new Xbox 360 being joyously quieter and more efficient, the previous model still manages to seduce some of us with its sexy curves. Speaking of which — according to Joystiq’s source, Best Buy’s going to kick off August by lowering the prices for the Splinter Cell: Conviction and Final Fantasy XIII previous-gen Xbox 360 bundles. For just $299 — $50 off the current price point (and $100 off the launch price) — you still get a copy of the corresponding game title, a 250GB HDD, and two wireless controllers. So that’s gaming sorted for the summer; now put that $50 towards some cooling aid and you’re good to go.
Update: and the new prices are live. Grab them while they’re hot.
Best Buy to slash prices for old Xbox 360 special edition bundles tomorrow? (Update: yes) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Let’s face it: despite the new Xbox 360 being joyously quieter and more efficient, the previous model still manages to seduce some of us with its sexy curves. Speaking of which — according to Joystiq’s source, Best Buy’s going to kick off August by lowering the prices for the Splinter Cell: Conviction and Final Fantasy XIII previous-gen Xbox 360 bundles. For just $299 — $50 off the current price point (and $100 off the launch price) — you still get a copy of the corresponding game title, a 250GB HDD, and two wireless controllers. So that’s gaming sorted for the summer; now put that $50 towards some cooling aid and you’re good to go.
Best Buy to slash prices for old Xbox 360 special edition bundles tomorrow? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
It seems like a no-brainer, but at this point Microsoft has yet to confirm a separate 250GB HDD for its new Xbox 360 consoles — and really, if you’re picking up the 4GB model next month, that might come in handy. Newer press shots show a different side of the packaging, however, and if you get a high-res snapshot, you can see that it’s touting the various accessories you can buy to enhance your new Xbox 360 4GB experience: wireless controllers, Kinect, and… a 250GB HDD. Now, it could very well be misleading advertising — such a disc drive already exists, but you have to buy the current slimmed-down model or Halo Reach special edition bundle to get it. Somehow, though, we get the feeling this HDD is destined to be wrapped in separate packaging all by its lonesome — Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg even insinuated as much not two weeks ago. Only question is, when and for how much?
New Xbox 360 4GB’s packaging shows off 250GB HDD upgrade option originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Once upon a time in 2007, there was a little-known game called Shadowrun, that let gamers on both Xbox 360 and PC destroy one another for sport. Such is the environment that Microsoft facilitated, but alas, it wasn’t for long, as the moment Shadowrun flopped the cross-platform feature was dropped, though it resurfaced once or twice in third-party titles as the years shot by. Outspoken HP exec Rahul Sood (of Voodoo fame) spins a slightly more complex yarn, however: he says Microsoft killed the project when it found that “mediocre” PC gamers could wipe the floors with the very best players on Xbox. Now, we’re not confirming his story, and there are plenty of other possible explanations if you follow the money, of course, but we can’t help but feel a hint of admiration for the longevity of gaming mouse and keyboard. Here’s hoping we can all leave our predilections at the door as developers pit Android vs. iPhone.
HP’s Rahul Sood says Microsoft killed Xbox vs PC online gaming due to keyboard-mouse superiority originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
If you’re one of the thousands of Halo players who are looking forward to the release of Halo: Reach this September, you may want to consider the Limited Edition Halo: Reach-themed XBox 360 that Microsoft announced today. The limited edition XBox 360 bundle will come in glossy silver with designs from the game printed on the side, a 250GB hard drive, and two wireless controllers that feature artwork from the game. The bundle will also include a Halo: Reach-themed headset, a copy of the standard edition of Halo: Reach, and a token for an in-game armor set that you can redeem when you get into the game.
The limited edition Halo: Reach bundle is available for pre-order now while supplies last, and will be available on September 14th, the same day Halo: Reach hits store shelves. Since the standard edition of the game comes with the bundle, you won’t need to order the game separately – unless you’re a hardcore Halo fan and already pre-ordered the collector’s edition.
The Halo series is no stranger to special edition Xbox 360 hardware, so it should come as no surprise that the latest entry, Halo: Reach, is also privy to such treatment. What makes it special, however, is that it’s the first special edition based on the new model — 250GB HDD, built-in 802.11n WiFi, a silver (presumably matte, based on the picture) finish, and custom, Halo-inspired sounds. The $399 price tag also nets you two special edition wireless controllers and, naturally, a copy of the game itself. Look for this September 14th, and really, if you’re not into glossy black (and we feel ya, brother), this might be in your best interest to pick up.
New Xbox 360 250GB Limited Edition Halo: Reach bundle revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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This time last year, almost to the day, Microsoft saw its first annual sales decline in history. Things are looking much better now, with the company reporting a record $16.04 billion in revenue, a 22 percent year-over-year increase for its Q4 revenue ending June 30th. In fact, revenue is up across all divisions, with Windows and Windows Live seeing the biggest uptick (43.5 percent to $4.55 billion) followed by Entertainment and Devices (27.3 percent to $1.6 billion). Operating income, on the other hand, paints a different picture of E&D, showing a $172 million loss for this quarter (compared to $141 loss in Q4 last year), but looking over the entire fiscal year, the home of Xbox and Zune this year did $679 million in operating income — a sizable jump to the $108 million from 2009. The overall operating income for the company is $5.93 billion this quarter (net income $4.52 billion), a 49 percent increase over last Q4, and $20.36 billion for the year (18 percent compared with fiscal 2009).
We know you’re interested in comparisons, so we’ll just go ahead and break it down for ya: the gang in Redmond is still beating Apple in both revenue ($16.04 billion vs. $15.7 billion) and profit ($4.52 billion vs. $3.25), but that margin feels smaller than it used to. Enough to keep the rumored pressure off Ballmer? Frankly, we don’t even think biplanes could knock the man off the top of a tower, but Windows Phone 7 has a lot to prove, and fast. Microsoft is hosting a webcast of its report later today — usually much ado about nothing, as far as we’re concerned, but we’ll listen in and let ya know if anything interesting pops up.
Update: Some interesting Xbox 360 statistics. 1.5 million consoles were sold this last quarter. Xbox Live has 25 million members, and for the first time since its inception, the revenue from the Marketplace exceeded subscription revenue.
Microsoft reports $4.5b in profit, a record $16.04b in revenue originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Excited by some of the possibilities Kinect offers for non-casual games? Then it looks like you might have a bit of a wait in store. Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, Microsoft’s VP for Interactive Entertainment in Europe, Chris Lewis, went to some length to point out that Microsoft isn’t ignoring core gamers, but would only go as far as to say that non-casual, “hybrid” games that use both Kinect and a standard controller would likely become available “over the coming 18 months or so.” Not many more details beyond that, unfortunately, but Lewis did divulge a bit of UK news, saying that sales went up “1,000 percent week-over-week with an 84 per cent market share” following the release of the new, redesigned Xbox 360.
Microsoft says to expect non-casual, ‘hybrid’ Kinect games ‘over the coming 18 months’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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