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Week of September 21, 2008
More Details on Xecuter Connectivity Kit v3 Lite and Pro
>> From team-xecuter.com:
[QUOTE]
As designers of the world's first and best selling 360 DVD Connect Kits, we are pleased to announce the latest in our line of Xbox 360 Connectivity Kits.
We are offering the option of a much cheaper alternative for those that are on a budget.
* 360 Connectivity Kit V3 Lite. RRP $29.95
Feature List:
- RS232 Support (Liteon Key dumping)
- Powers ALL XBOX 360 DVD Drives
- Mode-B on Hitachi 59 & Earlier (78/79 Require Slax Disc)
- Compatible with already released tools (dvdkey/dvdkey32/toolbox etc)
- Onboard ON/OFF Switch
- Onboard Eject Switch
- FREE SATA Cable
- High Build Quality
- Trusted Xecuter Design
* 360 Connectivity Kit V3 Pro. RRP $49.95
Feature List:
- USB Support (Liteon Key dumping)
- Powers ALL XBOX 360 DVD Drives
- Mode-B on Hitachi 59 & Earlier (78/79 Require Slax Disc)
- Compatible with already released tools (dvdkey/dvdkey32/toolbox etc)
- Onboard ON/OFF Switch
- Onboard Eject Switch
- FREE 360 Hard Drive Adapter
- FREE SATA Cable
- FREE USB Cable
- High Build Quality
- Trusted Xecuter Design
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Official Site: http://www.team-xecuter.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft India: Slim Xbox 360 in the Works?
>> From gameguru.in:
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Microsoft's planning to reveal a whole bunch of goodies for Xbox 360 loyalists. Here is a brief lowdown on the stuff that Microsoft is planning to reveal by the end of 2008 and early 2009.
Slimmer Xbox 360 and new peripherals: The pictures that were released a day or two ago might have been fake, but Microsoft is indeed looking to cut on the size of the bulky Xbox 360. A detailed announcement of both the slimmer Xbox 360 and the list of peripherals accompanying it (perhaps a bigger hard drive) are going to take place right before Christmas 2008 to scourge on the holiday sprit.
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Full Story: gameguru.in
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
NXE – Themes 2.0 and Friends Channel
>> From the Xbox PR Blog:
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Ahhh Themes - There's been a lot of chatter about whether or not you can keep what you have, how they will look and how the new stuff will be different. We'll be tackling all of that today so pay attention! Also in this week's Developer Diaries, we're going to show you more on the new Friends Channel - another area we got a lot of questions about after we first showed it to you at E3.
This fall, themes are getting even more detailed with the New Xbox Experience. Themes will take over more than just the background of your Dashboard - they will be present on every channel in cool, dynamic ways. Yes, I said, "DYNAMIC." Check out the screens that show the Underground Theme on the Dashboard and the Friends Channel.
Every graphic on each channel will tie into your theme and change if you choose a different one. You can really see this on the Friends Channel - each of your friends' Avatars will stand next to a different graphic or environment. These graphics will match the theme you choose and will change dynamically as you navigate from channel to channel. But that's not all; the themes will be subtly animated. This is some pretty cool stuff when you see it.
This is what your Dashboard and Friends Channel would look like with the Signature Theme - picture the bubbles in the background moving, shrinking, growing - you get the idea.
Also on the Friends Channel, you'll be able to see your friends' Avatars rally when you host a LIVE party. You can see who is online and offline by what their Avatars are doing, too. Online? Your friends will emote and be able to wave you over to jump into their party. Offline? Well, they're snoozing, of course.
Finally (and many of you have asked us about this) don't worry - you can still use the themes you previously purchased with the New Xbox Experience. They'll look even better over the new UI, especially in high-definition. Below is what a current "Gears of War" theme would look like this.
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft: New Xbox Experience in November
>> From xboxlive.ign.com:
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Don't expect the New Xbox Experience to roll out for over a month. In an interview with Scott Austin, Director of Digitally Distributed Games for Microsoft, IGN was told that the New Xbox Experience will be pushed out to Xbox 360s in November. While talking about new ways that are coming to purchase Xbox Live Arcade games, Austin said, "One of the great things we have with the New Xbox Experience that we're rolling out in November is that we now have web Marketplace available for our consumers."
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Full Story: xboxlive.ign.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Media Create: Xbox 360 Outsells PS3 In Japan Again
>> From kotaku.com:
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For the second week in a row, Microsoft outsold Sony on its home turf, with the Xbox 360 beating out the PlayStation 3 on the Media Create weekly sales charts. That's likely due to the console's recent price drop in Japan and the effects of the one-two software punch of Tales of Vesperia and Infinite Undiscovery.
• Wii - 29,921
• Xbox 360 - 13,777
• PlayStation 3 - 8,156
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[FS] kotaku.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
XCM HDMI Blaster Video
Microsoft Launches 'Live Your Moment' Campaign
>> From teamxbox.com:
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Microsoft has launched its "Live Your Moment" Campaign for the Xbox 360. The software giant said that this campaign will be larger than those made for the launch of the original Xbox, the Xbox 360 and Halo 3.
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Full Story: teamxbox.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox Live ad hints at November relaunch
>> From news.cnet.com:
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While nothing has been confirmed by Microsoft, a suspicious Xbox Live in-dash ad definitely points to November for the long-awaiting dashboard relaunch. CNET sister-site Gamespot reports that an ad for Rock Band 2 blatantly claims to "Check out the New Xbox Experience coming in November!"
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Full Story: news.cnet.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox Calls on 3rd Parties to Open HQs in the Middle East to Tackle Piracy
>> From mcvuk.com:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft has called on third-party publishers to set up offices in the Middle East - in order for the industry to combat piracy in the region more effectively.
The firm's Xbox 360 has begun to see growth in the territory, but its success has been stunted in the region by illegal copying - not least in Saudi Arabia.
Of all the biggest names in gaming, only Sony and Microsoft have headquarters in the region.
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Full Story: mcvuk.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
LIVE Scheduled Downtime September 29
>> From the Xbox PR Blog:
[QUOTE]
Ok boys and girls, Xbox LIVE is having a scheduled downtime on Monday, September 29 starting at 12:01am Pacific Time. It will be down for 24 hours as we prepare for the cool new stuff coming your way in the new Xbox experience.
Keep checking back for more information on the goodies we have in store for you this holiday.
*To clarify, Xbox LIVE will be down as will those sections on Xbox.com that rely on the service such as "My Xbox". Also, the forums will be viewable but you won't be able to post in them.
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox 360 sales up 32 per cent following UK price cut
>> From gamesindustry.biz:
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GFK Chart-Track has told GamesIndustry.biz that sales of Xbox 360 hardware rose 32 per cent over the weekend of Microsoft's latest price reduction.
In comparison, sales of Sony's PlayStation 3 were down eight per cent on the previous weekend.
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Full Story: gamesindustry.biz
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
mode_b and DVDkey32 update
>> An update has been released for the method to set mode b via windows, and the lite-on win32 based key retriever...
I have written a new exe that uses a different PortIO driver. This new one seems far more stable than the Geek's Hideout IO driver that I used previously, and as of now has not caused any BSOD's..
The only disadvantage is that there is a small install that needs to be done, but it's very simple, only needs to be done once and details are in the rar
Official Site: n/a (by podger)
Download Both Updates: here
Forum threads: here and here
Obama leading McCain among Xbox voters
>> From the press release:
[QUOTE]
In one of the nation's largest unofficial election polls, Senator Barack Obama leads the vote by a 12 percent margin, while 26 percent voted "undecided" or "other." These results do not map to national trends, which show Senator Obama and Senator McCain to be pacing neck and neck, and provide insight into a unique subset of young engaged citizens. According to the results from Xbox LIVE's poll, when it comes to deciding who should be the next President, the jury is still out for many.
Nearly 100,000 LIVE Americans turned out to cast their "votes" in a poll over Xbox LIVE, making it larger than the combined samples from individual Gallup, NBC, and CNN polls. Part of an initiative to help register new voters for this year's election, Xbox LIVE has partnered with Rock the Vote, turning the Xbox 360 into an unexpected political forum. Results from the first-ever poll over Xbox LIVE indicate the following:
Obama \ Biden: 43%
McCain \ Palin: 31%
Undecided: 13%
Other: 13%
In its first two weeks of the program, more than 55,000 voter registration forms were downloaded through Xbox LIVE and xbox.com. Additionally, videos from the recent Democratic and Republican conventions were downloaded nearly 25,000 times.
To-date, the Xbox LIVE community has downloaded more than 350,000 pieces of program-specific content, ranging from candidate gamerpics* to videos and Rock the Vote logos. That's nearly five times the amount of people present at Barack Obama's acceptance speech during the Democratic Convention in Denver.
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
BenHeck: Sneak Peek at the THQ Laptop
>> From benheck.com:
[QUOTE]
Usually I don't show works-in-progress, but THQ wanted me to keep people in the loop so here's a quick look at the Darksiders laptop.
It's similar in size to my previous Xbox 360 laptops but a little bigger.
* A little more room allows a lot more features as this one includes a slot to insert a full-sized Xbox 360 hard drive.
* Also both memory card slots are available, so taking your home profile "on the road" will be a piece of cake.
* The Xbox Live camera is back, as well as Wi-Fi.
* The 2 circles on either side will be the speakers. Also note all buttons are front-mounted, sync, eject and the remaining USB port.
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Full Story: benheck.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
6 Million 360s Sold in Europe
>> From the press release:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft today announced that the Xbox 360 has broken through the six million mark in Europe, thanks to strong momentum for the console across the region. A reduction in the estimated retail price (ERP) of the console last week has brought the entry-level ERP for Xbox 360 down to €179/£129.99. This reduction plus an incredible line-up of games and exciting and broad entertainment offerings means Xbox 360 is the true home of mass market entertainment, with something to offer for every interest and budget.
Chris Lewis, Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business EMEA, said: "We're very excited that more consumers in Europe are joining the ever-growing Xbox 360 community. We're now the best-value next-gen console on the market with an entry-level ERP of €179/£129.99, and consumers have clearly responded to that offering. We're supporting this momentum by putting launch-level investment into a European advertising campaign, launching this week, which shows how Xbox 360 is changing the way consumers experience entertainment. With the New Xbox Experience on the horizon, and great titles like Lips, Scene It?; You're In The Movies, Fable 2, and more, there's never been a better time to jump in to all that Xbox 360 offers."
From last Friday, 19th September, Xbox 360, which includes a 60GB hard drive and one wireless controller, has an ERP of €239.99/£169.99. The Xbox 360 Elite, which comes with a massive 120GB hard drive enabling consumers to store huge quantities of content downloaded from Xbox LIVE Marketplace as well as their own music, has an ERP of €299.99/£229.99. The Xbox 360 Arcade console, perfect for those wishing to make their first foray into the gaming and entertainment world of Xbox, has an ERP of €179/£129.99.
The price drop has set the stage for a record breaking holiday season, and the launch later this year of the New Xbox Experience, which will reinvent home entertainment from the inside out, with a bold new look and feel that is fun, social and simple to use. It's the first time in history that a mass market consumer electronics device has been reinvented through software, changing the way we play games, watch movies, and enjoy great all-round entertainment.
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Peter Moore Interview: Epilogue - Microsoft Changed the World of Entertainment
>> From guardian.co.uk:
[QUOTE]
So here's Peter, closing off on an extremely interesting and candid interview...
"I am so fortunate to have been part of this industry at a time of technological advances that have changed the way we all play games. I am especially fortunate to have spent 4½ exhilarating years at Microsoft, working with some of the most passionate, smartest people I have ever had the honour and privilege of working with. I guess you have to work there to truly appreciate what a unique and special company Bill and Steve have built, and I think gamers need to fully appreciate the positive impact that the Xbox consoles, and in particular Xbox Live, have had on our industry. I worked with a team of people so special and so near and dear to my heart, that not a day goes by where I don't miss them in some way. Same with our studios - the flair and creativity of Rare, the sheer brilliance and focus of Bungie, the game-changing team at Lionhead, and all of the other brilliantly-talented teams that helped drive hardware sales with great software."
"Microsoft changed the world of enterprise and communications with Windows, and when all is done and dusted, I know the same will be said of the world of entertainment because of Xbox. The company is too focused, the people too smart, to achieve anything less, and I feel incredibly proud to be a tiny part of that legacy."
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Full Story: guardian.co.uk
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox in Japan: A New Dawn?
>> From edge-online.com:
[QUOTE]
The strategy has served Microsoft well recently. While the Xbox 360 generally averages about 5,000 sales a week in Japan according to Media Create data, last month saw the release of Namco Bandai's 360-exclusive Tales of Vesperia, which debuted at No4 in the country's software chart after selling 108,000 copies during the week ended August 10. That same week, Media Create reported that the 360 had scored a notable victory on the hardware front in Japan, shifting almost 25,000 units to outsell the PS3 2.5:1.
"The recent launch of Tales of Vesperia was a true catalyst for console sales, and in order to bring more gamers from a broader segment of consumers to the Xbox 360, we need to make the strengthening of our RPG lineup a priority," said Sensui.
"The recent launch of Infinite Undiscovery on September 11 saw sales of over 90,000 units in the week of September 8-14 according to data from Media Create, placing it the third-highest selling game in Japan in that period. Console sales also passed the Wii for the first time according to data for the same week from Enterbrain," Sensui said.
"We have similar high hopes for the upcoming launch of other RPGs such as The Last Remnant, Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope and Fable II. However, we have no plans to launch Final Fantasy XIII in Japan."
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Full Story: edge-online.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
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