Project Natal Release Date and Price

January 18th, 2010

Project Natal Release Date and Price.

Project Natal Release Date and Price.

Late last year, Xbox-360.INFO wrote a post containing information on Project Natal, the future of gaming. At the time, Project Natal was a device not much was known about it, but now, that has changed. Microsoft has recently announced an approximate price and release date.

Eurogamer has reported, with information quoted from MCV, which states that Project Natal should be released around November 2010. They also reported that Microsoft plans on manufacturing 5 million units that will be up for sale on the launch date. Hopefully this will prevent the device from immediately selling out of most stores.

While the release date is nice to know, something even more interesting is the estimated cost. With a device like Project Natal, something never released to the public before, you would figure that the price would be extremely high, but Microsoft has chosen to take another path. The device is estimated to cost $50-$80, much cheaper then many accessories and around the cost of a normal game. This should give Project Natal an impulse buy concept, where everyone can get one.

So, what do you think? Release date too late? I personally think it is great if they can get the bugs worked out. The price? I think its great, I personally expected it to be twice as expensive as it will be, and I will be there on Project Natal Release date to buy it.

Xbox Failure Rate Higher then Other Systems

November 19th, 2009

Red Ring of Death...Unmotivation Style

Red Ring of Death...Unmotivation Style

Recently, Gameinformer Magazine took a survey of videogame or system failures. This survey measured which systems failed and how often, or what rate, they failed at. The results may or may not surprise you…

The results show that Wii has a failure rate of about 6%. The Playstation 3 came in with a rate of failure at around 10%. Now, Xbox fan boys, prepare to be let down. As we all know, the Xbox 360 is known for it’s infamous “red ring of death”, the problem that has caused the failures of so many systems. Due to the “rrod”, along with other smaller problems, the Xbox 360 was shown to have a failure rate over 54%. This is over 5x as much as the Playstation 3 and 9x as much as the Wii.

On a positive note, Microsoft is making large strides in the fight against the red ring of death. With a console replacement process that has improved considerably over the years and new motherboards powered by “Jasper” chips, the problem with the red ring of death is slowing.

On another note, if the survey had only been given to Xbox 360 owners that have owned a Xbox 360 for over 3 years, it is likely that the failure rates would have been higher then the 54%. The survey also gave another frequency, showing that only 4% of the owners of failed Xbox 360’s wouldn’t be buying a new system on account of the system failures.

Has your Xbox suffered a Red Ring of Death? Well, much more is known about the RROD today then was known 3 years ago. Today, it isn’t even neccesary to send your Xbox into Microsoft to have it fixed, it is a job you can do in your own home and start playing in an hour. A great guide for fixing your RROD can be found Here!

Microsoft Combining Xbox and Windows Mobile?

November 18th, 2009

A new system? The Xbox 360 is starting to look old.

A new system? The Xbox 360 is starting to look old.

Microsoft recently posted a job description, apparently looking for a veteran video game developer to help with their next project.

“The LIVE Engagement Team is looking for a LIVE Community Director to manage its LIVE community strategy and execution across a range of properties, from Xbox LIVE to Windows Mobile. This senior position will play a vital role in the community space as the LIVE Engagement team builds and program’s Microsoft’s next-generation, LIVE-enabled casual and social gaming platform across the Web, the console, mobile and beyond.”

Apparently, Microsoft would like to combine the Xbox with PC’s or possibly with Windows Mobile. This combination may boost not only the popularity of the Xbox, but also the PC and the ever decreasing Windows Mobile.

Cheap Xbox 360 on Craigslist

November 18th, 2009

Uh oh, hope you weren't modded.

Uh oh, hope you weren't modded.

Are you not a very serious gamer? Not much of an online player? Just a player not looking to pay a whole lot for their Xbox 360? Well if you fit one of the above, you may have just hit the jackpot.

Recently, Microsoft decided to ban up to 1 million players and their xbox’s from Xbox Live for altering, or modding, their Xbox 360’s to play illegal pirated version of games. Many of the owners of these Xboxs owned them only for online play, so now that they have lost that, they are putting their Xboxs on craigslist, cheap.

While a new Xbox 360, arcade version, the lowest of the lowest when it comes to Xbox’s, sells for around $200 with the bare minimum included, you may find a modded Xbox with multiple games on it on Craigslist for as low of a price as $100. Granted, the Xbox 360 Arcade may be able to play online while the modded system can’t, but other then that, there are very few differences in the two. Also, with the modded system, you will have to get used to the fact that you are playing pirated games, something that may not sit well with some people.

Searching New York’s Craigslist for “modded Xbox” results in about 87 listings. A search of “modded xbox” on the Bay Area’s Craigslist comes up with around 35 listings that were posted in the last three days. Many of these systems including games, movies, and other perks you may not find elsewhere.

One listing, labeled “banned/modded” Xbox 360, included 20 gigabyte hard drive, 20 High Definition movies, and 13 games including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Madden 2010, NBA 2K10, and others. It also reads, “Everything works perfectly, the 360 was treated better than I treat most people.” This seller didn’t aim to trick people though, they included details such as “since the console is banned, you will not be able to connect to the Xbox Live service. Therefore, this posting is for those of you who don’t care if you can play online or not.”

The bans will not stop many gamers though, including Kevin, a 29 year old from Manhattan.”I logged in, tried to play a game online, and it said I had been banned from the service for violating the terms of service,” Kevin, who wouldn’t give his last name, said. “I cursed, put my controller down, cursed Microsoft, and then bought another Xbox.” The Xbox he bought was from Craigslist, from a seller not as honest as the previous listing I had written about. Kevin bought a system listed as unmodified, but when he attempted to log onto Xbox Live, he realized this was a lie, as this system had been banned too.

On a positive note, it seems to only be the modded systems that have been banned, as most banned user’s gamertags are still intact.

Microsfot released a statement to CNET News, suggesting that players who buy used Xboxes should beware that the company doesn’t necessarily stand behind the consoles.

“If you purchase a modified console second-hand, the warranty is not transferable and the purchaser assumes the risk for any previous modifications,” the Microsoft statement said. “If you purchase a console that has been previously banned, you will not be able to connect to (Xbox) Live.”

“Well, the holidays are around the corner,” Kevin said. “They know what they’re doing when it comes to making money.”

Are you interested in creating and playing backups or pirated versions of games on your Xbox 360 games? Check out the best program, Game Copy Wizard, I use it, and it rocks. Quite simple.

1 Million Xbox Live Bans

November 18th, 2009

Xbox Live, the current leader of Online System gaming

Xbox Live, the current leader of Online System gaming

[We have all wished for it before, or at least, I have. Cheaper, or better yet, free, video games. This article won't be talking about those shady free online retailers that offer video games for filling out six years of surveys and referring your friends, I am talking about pirating the video games and the action taken by Microsoft.

In a report released by InformationWeek, it has been said that Microsoft has banned almost 1 million players from Xbox Live due to game piracy. These players were those who have altered, or modded, their Xbox 360's to play pirated games such as Call of Duty World at War or Halo ODST which they downloaded freely off of the internet.

The major spur in bans may be due to Activision, developer of Call of Duty, pushing Microsoft towards this. Activision recently released their latest Call of Duty, which pirated version of began appearing on the internet before the game was released in most areas.

"Xbox 360 consoles are equipped with digital rights management technologies designed to detect pirated software," InformationWeek wrote, "but some players have successfully 'modded,' or modified, their machines to circumvent DRM protections."

Were you banned? Don't fret, your system isn't entirely useless. It will still be allowed to play offline games, and there is a slim chance Microsoft will allow these Xbox's back onto Xbox Live. Whether it is temporary or permanent is unknown at this time, we can't do anything but wait around to see.

Also, on the Xbox 360 Support Page, the Xbox Live Director of Programming, Larry Hryb, (who is also known as Major Nelson), discussed the circumstances that have lead many players to being banned.

"Players who find their Gamertags banned from Xbox Live have wound up in that situation due to violations of the Xbox Live Terms of Use," Larry Hryb stated. "The Xbox Live team monitors players for not just cheating, but also for things like threats, racism, profanity, and just being an all around poor sport and ruining the game for others."

"When a Gamertag comes up as violating our policies for online behavior, the person who owns that Gamertag is punished by being banned from the service. Keep in mind, this isn't just a ban on a particular game. This is a ban on the Xbox Live service as a whole, so you won't be able to go online at all during your ban. Initially, you may be banned for a day, a week, or depending on severity, permanently! Kiss that $50 goodbye."

Microsoft recently released a statement saying "commitment to combat piracy and support safer and more secure gameplay for the more than 20 million members of the Xbox Live community remains a top priority. All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and modifying their Xbox 360 console violates the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty and result in a ban from Xbox Live. We can assure you that if an Xbox Live member follows the Xbox Live terms of use, purchased a retail copy of Modern Warfare 2 and played the game on an unmodified Xbox 360, no action will be taken."

Project Natal Price Information

November 18th, 2009

Project Natal, Changing Video Games

Project Natal, Changing Video Games


According to British magazine, MCV, Microsofts prodigy project, Project Natal, is set to release at a price as low as $50. MCV states that Microsoft would release an initial 5 million units to the public in 2010. The low price has been said to be one of Microsoft’s marketing tactics to make Project Natal an impulse buy for shoppers.

While much isn’t known now about Project Natal, more information is predicted to be released at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

Cheap XBOX live

October 22nd, 2009

Xbox Live, the addiction of the century. If your anything like me, you have no less then two active accounts at once. Most of the time you have at least 3 or 4 so that you can play online with a group of friends, but doing so can get quite expensive. I used to purchase my Xbox Live cards from the local Walmart for about $19.99 per three months. Over a year, this is costing me $80 per account. Seeing as  I generally have 3-4 accounts, Xbox Live costs me anywhere from $240 – $320 in a year. After thinking about this for a while, I began to search for cheaper alternatives where I could get my Xbox Live Cards cheaper.

There were thousands of websites that claimed to give you free Xbox Live membership, but who wants to spend all day filling out surveys just to end up with a spammed email box, a poor credit report, and no Xbox live? I then started to search for a source of cheaper Xbox live cards, not free, but cheaper. Froogle, a shopping extension of Google, generated results from $.01 to $25, but nothing under $20 seemed to be what I wanted. I checked around Ebay, found some cards for just under $20, but not low enough to make it worth the risk of being scammed and the shipping time.

Next I checked Amazon.com, a very large, safe, online sales website. Here I found cards much cheaper then I could get them retail. For just $15.45, I could get a 3 month Xbox Live card for $15.49. At a $4 discount, over the year I am saving $48, not counting gas to Walmart and the time spent. Also, even though I almost never stick with an account for a year, Xbox Live 12+1 months could be bought very cheap also, at only $48.50. Almost $15 less then what Walmart sells them for.

 

These savings really add up over time, also having the cards shipped right to your house is very convenient. Just make sure to remember to order ahead, you don’t want to have to order it the day your Live runs out and then get it a few days later, a few long days with no Xbox Live.