Microsoft (2)

News is that Microsoft have been banning consoles using pirated games from Xbox Live. The reason for the judicious banning was at first thought to be DVD drives with modified firmware, but is now known to be imperfect copies of game discs. By this we mean that in order for copied games to remain undetected they must be completely indistinguishable from the original disc. A small consolation for those recently banned is that this is a console ban - not a Live account ban.

via Xbox-Scene

Microsoft today announced a Halo 3 map pack will be released on Xbox Live on December 11th. The pack is called the Heroic Map Pack and features three maps - Standoff, Rat’s Nest, and Foundry. Here is a description of the maps:

* The symmetrical valley of Standoff, with its entrenched bases and fields of boulders is ideal for mid-sized objective and Slayer game types.
* The vast, labyrinthine passages of the Rat’s Nest bring something completely new to the multiplayer experience: an indoor vehicle paradise. Strongly influenced by the Campaign mode, this map is ideal for big team battles.
* Foundry is the ultimate Forge map. Players can edit every single object in this voluminous industrial warehouse, placing stairways, walls, bridges, and tunnels to create an entirely new play space and build almost any kind of map imaginable.

The price point is a little steep at 800 Microsoft points (around US$10 dollars) the maps will be released free in spring 2008, when the next pack is released.

Check after the jump for pictures of Rat’s Nest and Foundry.

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If you are stuck with a first generation Xbox you might be feeling a tad neglected now. You invested time and money in a system that got zero games the moment the public got a whiff of the 360. Microsoft must be feeling guilty about it, because they have offered a free copy of Halo 3 to Xbox owners who buy a 360 and roll over their Live account. Sure it doesn’t quite cover the psychiatrist bills or the feelings of abandonment, but it’s still pretty snazzy if you were thinking of making the move anyway.

via 1Up

If you were looking forward to the release of Marvel Universe Online, sit down and grab a box of tissues because we have something to tell you. It looks like it’s not going to make it to release - to quote a source it has been “in the shitter for a LOOOONG time.”

We are hearing stories of looking like “Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Running at 5 fps” and the design team fractionating over the fighting system and other gameplay elements. Perhaps one of the oddest pieces of information is that the Xbox 360’s keyboard attachment was designed for Marvel Universe Online. Microsoft decided to launch it to recoup some of the losses incurred by the game.

Inside sources say that the demise of the game should be announced within weeks.

via 1Up

The land of the rising sun is known for loyalty to home companies, so it comes as a shock that the Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 last week in Japan. The increase in sales has been attributed to price cuts, new bundles and the release of Ace Combat 6. These factors bought about a 400% increase in sales of 17,673, while the PS3 dropped by 1,000. Even so, it was still a close call between the rivals - though I’m sure Microsoft doesn’t mind one little bit.

via 1Up

Microsoft and the Parent Teacher Association enlisted the help of Super Bowl champion Jerry Rice to announce their new parental control system on the Xbox 360. The system is made up of two parts.

The first part, the program PACT, acts like an Xbox nanny by controlling things like whether the child can play games online and who against. The second program is the Xbox 360 Family Timer which can be set to weekly or daily allowed gaming time and can display time stats. Here is what PTA National CEO Warlene Gary had to say about new functions:

“As times change and technology advances, the role of the parent stays the same in raising a safe, healthy and successful child. PTA is proud to partner with Microsoft to provide parents with more resources that keep them involved in their children’s lives. Using the PACT will help parents and children talk about and agree on interactive media use.”

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Microsoft has announced a Europe-only online event, Xtival 07. During the time between November 23rd and 26th, Xbox Live Gold is free for anyone with a broadband connection. Expect a number of events, competitions, exclusive downloads and “headline acts” for existing Xbox Live Gold members. Xtival 07 is only open to those in European countries with an Xbox Live service.

via gamesindustry.biz

Microsoft have confirmed that IPTV will be making its way to the 360, but will not feature in the Fall update. IPTV will be part of the Microsoft Mediaroom service, which will be made available to service providers by the end of the year. Check after the jump for Microsoft’s statement on the subject.

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Gamers are industrious people - over-clocking, editing files and changing settings, all to get the most out of their game. Microsoft’s underestimation of this might cause them a bit of trouble, as a gamer has worked out an easy hack which allows the Crysis demo to run in DirectX 10 on Windows XP. Yes, that’s the same DirectX 10 that Microsoft have told us is only able to run in Vista.

If you have the prerequisite DX10 graphics card, it’s simple to apply the patch:

If you tweak the configuration files in \CVarGroups\ by copying and pasting the “very high” settings (1st paragraph) IN PLACE of the “high” settings (last paragraph) the game will load the highest possible settings even though the drop-down menus display “high.”

via Opposable Thumbs

Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division have reported a first quarter income of USD$165 million. Revenue for the division was USD$1.93 billion, up from USD$1.01 billion in 2006. Overall, the company’s revenue totalled USD$13.76 billion for the quarter ending September 30, a 27 per cent increase over the same period of the prior year. This represent the fastest revenue growth of any first financial quarter since 1999, according to Chris Liddell, chief financial officer at Microsoft. And while their second quarter will not include any Halo 3 releases, Microsoft still expect high revenues in the range of USD$15.6 to 16.1 billion in this period.

via GamesIndustryBiz