Hasta La Gadget!

If you signed up the Xbox 360 preview program it’s time to start camping out by your mailbox and pestering your delivery person — the update discs are shipping. A few lucky gamers now have their sneak peak at the next Xbox Live update and free copy of Halo: Reach in hand, and one was kind enough to send us the shot above to prove it. The disc bears a serious warning though: do not try and install it on a non-preview approved system. Doing so will completely disable Xbox Live until the update is officially released, which may be months away. So, if your friend got a disc don’t even think about trying to mooch your way into the beta program. After all, what fun is playing Halo if you’re stuck trying to save Reach by yourself?

[Thanks, Adam]

Xbox 360 Update Preview discs are in the mail originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This article was written on March 26, 2008 by CyberNet.

I really believe that the Xbox 360 is such a strong gaming system because of the community that is built around the Xbox LIVE service. It gives you the opportunity to play games online with or against millions of other people. But understandably people have found ways to circumvent the system to collect an unreasonable number of achievements.

StripClubDj was previously number one in the world for having the highest Gamerscore, which increases as you earn more achievements. Out of the 196 games played there were over 137,000 points that could be earned. More than 122,000 of those points were racked up resulting in an 88% completion rate with most of the games being tagged as fully completed.

As it turns out, and as many expected, StripClubDj wasn’t playing fairly. Microsoft has issued a punishment to that user and any other members who they believe are cheating. This is what they’ll find on their account now:

• Their gamerscore reset to zero
• Be unable to regain all previously earned achievements
• Be labeled as a “cheater” for the community to view

Yep, the account has essentially been reset and labeled as a cheater. But to ensure the cheaters don’t try and recover the unfairly acquired achievement points Microsoft is making it impossible to regain past achievements. StripClubDj’s profile on Xbox.com, which you have to be a member to view, now looks like this:

So why would Microsoft go this route instead of just banning the user? Here’s their reasoning:

We believe in players reforming themselves, which is why gamerscore correction only applies to previously earned achievements.  This allows these players to earn achievements like other “fair” players without having to get banned from LIVE.  However, any user who violates the LIVE Terms of Use is subject to having their gamertag banned.

That’s one small step for gamers, and one giant kick in the butt for cheaters!

Xbox Gamerscore Cheating [via Major Nelson & Digg]

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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In all the Microkia hub-bub of late, as the best of Redmond and the pride of Tampere hold hands and blaze a trail to smartphone domination, the word “Zune” never once came up. This didn’t escape the notice of many, including MS guru Paul Thurrott and ZDNet‘s Mary-Jo Foley, who inquired to someone at Microsoft about just what’s going on — whether indeed the brand is indeed being killed off. This is the non-denial that came back:

We’re not ‘killing’ any of the Zune services/features in any way. Microsoft remains committed to providing a great music and video experience from Zune on platforms such as Xbox LIVE, Windows-based PCs, Zune devices and Windows Phone 7, as well as integration with Bing and MSN.

It’s unclear what exactly is happening, especially when it comes to dedicated Zune hardware and services like Zune Pass, but it certainly seems like “Zune” as a brand is on its last legs. Feel free to share your favorite memories below, and try not to cry, because our hearts… our hearts will go on.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Microsoft Zune is dying, long live Microsoft Zune?

Microsoft Zune is dying, long live Microsoft Zune? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s happened. Former Microsoft exec and current Nokia CEO Stephen Elop has married his future and his past in the holy matrimony of a “strategic alliance.” Windows Phone is becoming Nokia’s “principal smartphone strategy,” but there’s a lot more to this hookup — scope out the official press release just after the break. Microsoft’s Bing and adCenter will provide search and ad services across Nokia devices, while Nokia will look to innovate “on top of the platform” with things like its traditional strength in imaging. Ovi Maps will be a core part of Microsoft’s mapping services and will be integrated with Bing, while Nokia’s content store will be integrated into (read: assimilated by) Microsoft’s Marketplace. Xbox Live and Office will also, as is to be expected, feature on these brave new Microkia handsets. An open letter on Nokia’s Conversations site, penned jointly by Stephen Elop and Steve Ballmer, sets out the foregoing details along with the following statement of intent:

“There are other mobile ecosystems. We will disrupt them. There will be challenges. We will overcome them. Success requires speed. We will be swift. Together, we see the opportunity, and we have the will, the resources and the drive to succeed.”

Nokia and Microsoft enter strategic alliance on Windows Phone, Bing, Xbox Live and more originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 02:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This article was written on July 23, 2008 by CyberNet.

I’m sure that most of you have heard about Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE video game service that lets players compete against each other over an Internet connection. Similarly Microsoft also has a Games for Windows LIVE service that will let you play against other people on your PC, and starting today the service is being offered to consumers for free. Previously this costed $49.95 per year, unless you were already an Xbox LIVE subscriber.

Don’t worry, I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t even know about LIVE for Windows games. The fact is that the service hasn’t really taken off on Windows despite its overwhelming success on the Xbox. Heck, it’s been out for over a year and there are only 11 LIVE enabled games for Windows right now:

• Battlestations: Pacific
• The Club
• Fallout 3
• Gears of War for Windows
• Halo 2 for Windows Vista
• Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
• Lost Planet Extreme Condition – Colonies Edition
• Shadowrun
• Universe at War: Earth Assault
• Viva Piñata for Windows
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II

So why haven’t Windows game developers been taking advantage of the new technology? What I’ve heard is that they too had to pay in order to incorporate the LIVE service in their games, but that’s no longer a problem. Microsoft has decided to drop all costs for developers as well, which means Games for Windows LIVE is free for both consumers and developers!

This is a very intelligent decision by Microsoft. I have quite a few friends who have been thinking about switching to a Mac, but since they play lot of games on Windows they don’t want to deal with the hassle of switching between multiple operating systems. This is going to be yet another thing to keep the gaming community tied to Windows.

[image via Wikipedia]

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