Июль 2009

World of Warcraft Allowed Partial Relaunch in China (PC World)

22.07.2009

PC World - China will allow popular online game World of Warcraft to be relaunched for some players in the country after weeks offline, but it will still require changes to objectionable game content.

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Exclusive Pictures: XNA Prototype 1GB Dev Kit with Full Sidecar

22.07.2009

Last weekend we posted the first pictures of an Xbox 360 dev kit with 1GB of RAM (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EkuZFyuVFZUPWPEQHY.php ). That device, ‘Frankie the 1GB XNA’, was a custom modified devkit with just the 512MB-RAM-addon without the rest of the sidecar. Today we managed to find a source who could offer us exclusive pictures of a 1GB XNA prototype development kit with the entire, blueish, sidecar.

XNA Xbox360 devkits are the latest iteration of development units released by Microsoft, they come with the new sidecar that includes an extra 512MB of RAM (used to run debugging tools so developers can use all the original 512MB of RAM for the game, it’s very unlikely Microsoft has plans to upgrade retail units) and a jasper-based motherboard with an internal Memory Unit.

(http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/xna-proto-dev-kit/xs_XNA_Dev_Memory.jpg )
(http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/xna-proto-dev-kit/xs_XNA_Dev_front-side.jpg ) (http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/xna-proto-dev-kit/xs_XNA_Dev_Back.jpg )
(http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/xna-proto-dev-kit/xs_XNA_Dev_Int_MU.jpg ) (http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/xna-proto-dev-kit/xs_Sidecar_lights.jpg )
(http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/xna-proto-dev-kit/xs_XNA_Dev_ROL.jpg ) (http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/xna-proto-dev-kit/xs_SidecarColor2.jpg )

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PlayStation and Green Day on Tour!

22.07.2009

Hey Guys! It’s Devlin, and I’m here in Boston, MA, the first stop for PlayStation on the Green Day World Tour 2009.

If you’re headed to one of the Green Day concerts below, make sure you stop by the PlayStation area and say “what’s up?” to me, but also play some Rock Band 2. Because [...]

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Xbox Live update details announced

22.07.2009

Microsoft announced the details of the next Xbox Live dashboard update, which should be released later this summer.

–Netflix Updates
Now you can watch movies with your friends no matter where they are and manage your queue from the comfort of your couch.
* Movie Parties - Xbox LIVE Gold members can sit together in a virtual theater with up to seven friends no matter where they are while your Avatars watch a movie, flirt or even throw popcorn at each other.
* Manage Your Queue - Browse the Netflix Instant Watch video catalogue, choose from the most popular movies and genres and add to your queue all from the comfort of your couch - no computer required.
* Enhanced Playback Experience - Enjoy a smooth viewing experience when your internet bandwidth fluctuates.
* Friends Info - Richer information is now displayed in the Friends channel and in the Guide showing what you and your friends are doing.

–Avatar Marketplace
Express yourself! Deck your Avatar out with the latest clothing and props from the top brands and game franchises. Please note that only limited content is currently available in the preview.

–Clothing
Download premium items, including branded apparel from your favorite fashion labels and Xbox 360 games such as “Halo.”
* Props - You can now equip your avatar with animated items they can carry around and interact with.
* Awardables - The ability to earn Avatar clothing and props as rewards within games has been added. Please stay tuned for an update on supporting titles.

–Games on Demand — Please note that Games on Demand will be available in the preview beginning early August.
Enjoy 24 x 7 access to a growing online library of popular full game titles on Xbox LIVE whenever you want them, in the comfort of your living room.
* Purchase Options - Browse and download a great selection of full Xbox 360 games using Microsoft Points, direct debit, or credit card.
* Game Manuals - Game manuals for Games on Demand titles can be viewed, downloaded or printed on Xbox.com.
* It’s Yours Forever! - As with other Xbox LIVE content, Games on Demand titles are linked to your Xbox LIVE account, so you can delete and re-download anything you have already purchased to the same console or another console.

–User Ratings
User ratings help you find games that other people think are awesome!
* Rate it - You can now rate every game on the Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace using a 5-star system.
* Sort and Find it - Now you can easily find the games that everyone’s been raving about by visiting the Top Rated games in the Browse All category of Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace.

–Xbox LIVE Parties
Everyone loves to Party! Check out the new and improved Xbox LIVE Party features.
* Party Reconnections - If you are accidently disconnected from your party, Xbox LIVE will automatically reconnect you.
* Streamlined Party Invites - Invites are now just one click away! No need to click through multiple screens to get all your friends together.

–Video Display Options
We’ve made it easier for you to see your entertainment in the highest resolution possible on your TV using an HDMI connection.
* Display Discovery - Make sure you can see and hear your entertainment in the highest resolution and sound quality possible with the option to override and select audio and video formats independent of the information your television sends to your Xbox 360 console.

–Other Improvements
We’re always listening to you for feedback, and this Xbox LIVE update will include numerous dashboard updates.
* Gold Member Veterans - Xbox LIVE Gold members get to show it off with a stamp on your Gamer Card that tells people how long you’ve been a Gold member.
* Indie Games - Xbox LIVE Community Games has been renamed Xbox LIVE Indie Games. We feel this new name better represents the independent spirit of these titles.
* Achievement Browser - We’ve revamped the Achievements browser so it’s now easier to read through all the achievements while playing a game. You can now also launch a game directly from the browser.
* Achievements Tracking - A new view inside the profile panel which includes a summary of Achievements earned across all the games played, and shows of all your completed games.
* Streamlined Navigation - Streamlined navigation, including new entry points in the dashboard for Active Downloads, redeeming codes, recovering Gamertags and more.
* Voice Messages - No more blank voice messages! When recording a voice message, a warning will pop up if no audio is detected.
* Friends List Sorting - It’s now easier to find your friends! Find and sort your friends by activity, Gamertag or online status by pressing the Y button while viewing the friends list in the Guide.
* Memory - Time stamps now appear in the memory area, which particular handy when managing saved games.

–Account Management
We’ve made some changes to make your life easier.
* Subscription Notification - If your Xbox LIVE subscription is about to run out, you will now be notified when you sign into Xbox LIVE.
* Updates for Invalid Windows Live IDs - If the Windows Live ID you provided has expired, you will now be prompted to update it the next time you sign into Xbox LIVE.
* Account recovery - We’ve enhanced the account recovery process to make it faster and more reliable.

–What does this Xbox LIVE Update not include?
The following features will be coming in future Xbox LIVE updates, which we’ll be sure to let you know about.
* Facebook
* Twitter
* Zune video and 1080p Instant On
* Last.fm

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Microsoft Patents Join-Leave in Split-Screen Multiplayer Games (PC World)

22.07.2009

PC World - Nothing like flipping through the US patent office’s online text and image database and discovering someone’s tried to lock up the way we play squad-based, split-screen shooters. Tried and succeeded, it seems, since such a patent was filed on behalf of Microsoft by James R. J. York on December 2, 2002 and apparently granted on July 14, 2009.

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Resistance 2 – Making Her Mark(sman)

22.07.2009

Calling the MyResistance.net community a passionate bunch would be quite the understatement. In addition to providing a ton of great feedback on the Resistance titles (which has helped tremendously for things like patches and DLC), several go to great lengths to demonstrate their love for the franchise. Izy Cheung is just that kind of fan.
The [...]

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WipEout HD Fury Expansion – Zone Tracks

22.07.2009

It’s another WipEout Wednesday, and we’re back with the fourth in our series of developer diaries featuring the WipEout HD Fury add-on pack. This week we have Rita Linsley, an artist from the WipEout HD development team. Enjoy!
Hey all you kids out there, my name is Rita and I’m one of the artists who worked [...]

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Sack it To Me: The “Comic-Con & Sweet Levels” Edition

22.07.2009

LittleBigPlanet at Comic-Con
Next week (July 23 – 26th), over a hundred-thousand comic-book, movie, and video-game fans will converge on the city of San Diego for Comic-Con 09! Of course LittleBigPlanet will be on the floor to greet them. Want to get your hands on LBP on PSP? Be sure to stop by our booth to [...]

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US videogame sales slid again in June: NPD (AFP)

22.07.2009

Guests attend the Activision exhibit at the 2009 E3 Expo in June, in Los Angeles, California. US videogame sales in June slid for the fourth consecutive month as the previously recession-defying industry yielded ground to tough economic times, according to NPD Group.(AFP/Getty Images/File/David Mcnew)AFP - US videogame sales in June slid for the fourth consecutive month as the previously recession-defying industry yielded ground to tough economic times, according to NPD Group.


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New Jaspers Come with Smaller PSU

22.07.2009

GX-Mod.com (http://x360.gx-mod.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2145 ) is reporting that the newer Xbox 360 Jasper models come with a new smaller PSU.

The image below shows a regular Jasper PSU and right below the PSU (which is about 1/4th smaller) from an Arcade Jasper-based Xbox360 with 512MB internal MU manufactured in May 2009. The new PSU is still 150W, so no change there.
(http://x360.gx-mod.com/large_img.php?img=http://x360.gx-mod.com/images/news/alimatx/newalim150.jpg )
Full Story (french): GX-Mod.com (http://x360.gx-mod.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2145 )

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