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Project Spark beta registration now open for Xbox One and Windows 8

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Project Spark

Project Spark is an upcoming innovative game currently in the works by Microsoft to offer owners of the Xbox 360, Windows 8 and the next-generation Xbox One the opportunity to create, share and enjoy unique games. We previously fired up an article from E3 2013 detailing the project in depth, so that's definitely worth checking out if you're unfamiliar with the name. If you have heard of it before (hopefully through us) and are interested, you'll be pleased to know beta registrations are now open.

It's a major project that will prove invaluable for those who enjoy hopping into video game creation tools and pouring hours (or minutes) into creating a unique experience. It's worth downloading and checking out once released even if you're not that creative, simply because you will be able to enjoy content created by others. Here's a video explaining the project:

Be sure to head on over to Project Spark to sign up for the beta. Major Nelsen only mentions Windows 8 and Xbox One, no word whether or not this beta will be for the Xbox 360 just yet.

via: Major Nelsen


Microsoft reported to be looking to launch Xbox and PC titles on iOS [Updated]

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iPhone 5

According to a Nikkei report, Microsoft is set to look at introducing video game titles from the PC and Xbox platforms on the Apple iPhone. This is said to be on the table with a partnership formed between Redmond and gaming firm Klab. Nikkei claims that the titles will be brought across to iOS using Google's Android OS, which may mean we could well be seeing a wrapper utilised for original games.

It's not known how many titles are on the table for inclusion and exactly what Xbox features will be available to iOS users, if any. It's stated that Microsoft's popular real-time strategy IP, Age of Empires will be making the trip across the bridge. We do not know if this refers to the online version or a previous release. 

While we can understand Microsoft wanting to branch out and offer games on other platforms, we're sure this may irritate some Windows Phone fans. We'll look forward to hearing more on which titles will be heading to the iPhone.

Update: Microsoft released the following statement to Polygon:

"Today, KLab Inc. announced a licensing agreement with Microsoft Corp. to develop a mobile version of Microsoft Studio's Age of Empires franchise, which will be initially developed in English for iOS and Android and launched globally, with plans to release the game in other languages and on Windows Phone in the future. Some reports included incorrect information about additional Xbox Live-based games on iOS and Android but there are no further announcements beyond Age of Empires at this time."

So we're only looking at Age of Empires for the time being, which makes sense as it's an online game. That said, we're sure many would rather see Windows Phone support sooner than the mobile competition.

via: The Next Web; Thanks, Cesar, for the tip!

Xbox Music coming to the web next week, but is it enough?

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Xbox Music coming to web

According to Tom Warren of The Verge, Microsoft’s Xbox Music streaming service will see a web-based interface launching next week. This would provide a substantial boost for the service as it is currently only available on Microsoft based platforms. Bringing Xbox Music to the web would allow access for Linux and Mac OS X users.

The Verge announced that unspecified sources had revealed the plans, and that Xbox Music will be accessible next week at music.xbox.com allowing users to stream content in addition to managing their playlists. We expect to see a preview of the web interface this week at BUILD 2013, before it launches.

Microsoft’s music service has been struggling to catch up with more popular services such as Spotify, Rdio, and MOG; in part, this may be due to the poorly designed interface Xbox Music has had on Windows 8. The current interface is bearable on touch screen PCs, but cumbersome to use with a keyboard and mouse.

Xbox Music’s backend has also not been as tight – users have constantly reported trouble syncing playlists and content between devices using the Xbox cloud. Hopefully as Microsoft redesigns the front ends of the experience and adds new ways to access their content – they will also put more focus on the backend.

Xbox Music on Windows 8.1

We have already learned that Windows 8.1 will feature a newly designed Xbox Music UI that makes navigation and music discovering easier, but with Spotify being the “Facebook of music services” – is it enough? Microsoft might have to pull a few marketing miracles to make users notice their entrance into the music marketplace. Many Windows 8 users still don’t know that the service offers ad-supported free streaming in over fifteen counties with no restrictions for the first six months.

Do you currently use Xbox Music – are you having better luck than we did or are you still using a different service?

Source: The Verge

Microsoft details some upcoming changes to the new Xbox Music app

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New Xbox Music

Earlier today at Build 2013 we briefly saw the new Windows app for Xbox Music. Now over on the official Xbox blog, Xbox Wire, we get slightly more info on the upcoming update to the Zune’s spiritual successor. Does it close the feature gap between Zune and Xbox Music? Let’s find out.

 At first glance the new Xbox Music app looks better. A little cleaner with denser information. You’ll notice a navigation column to the left of the app. Here are some other features to look forward to with the new Xbox Music app for Windows 8.

  • Built-in search
  • Improved collection management
  • Streaming radio stations
  • Exploring the Music Store
  • Lists of Playlists

 New Xbox Music screenshot

The ability to search and find your music quickly is front and center. The new app will feature an in-app search bar for you. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this approach versus more education on how to use the Search charm, but it’s hard to argue the importance of a dedicated search cue for the less tech inclined users.

Collection management has been improved. While nothing substation has been gleamed from the post and from Microsoft today, it’s not hard to imagine them making usability a little more powerful for you folks.

Smart DJ has evolved into the ability to create streaming radio stations. It looks and sounds like it’s just the next step of Smart DJ.

The Xbox Music Store has moved to the “explore” section on the left hand navigation column. This is where you’ll head to get the latest tunes from Daft Punk and Massive Attack.

Playlists you create will be available to all your devices with Xbox Music. One cool feature we saw today during the keynote was the ability to “share” a webpage with the Xbox Music app and the app will automatically pull the metadata from that webpage to create a playlist.

New Xbox Music Playlist

Most of the stuff shown off today on the Xbox Wire is only about 50% of the new features that the team is adding to Xbox Music. They’re sharing more in the coming weeks and we’ll be sure to bring it to you. Hopefully we learn about some of these changes and whether or not it impacts the experience on Windows Phone.

Want to try out the new Xbox Music app? Make sure you go download the Windows 8.1 beta to get access to the app. Otherwise wait for it to hit later this year.

Source: Xbox Wire

Microsoft wants you to become a walking billboard; releases free Xbox One shirts for your avatars

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Xbox One

Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One earlier this year, but that hasn't stopped Redmond wanting to get the word out and reach as many potential buyers as possible. This includes those who are subscribed to Xbox Live and own a current-gen 360. The company has released two new free shirts that bear the Xbox One logo. Pretty neat, but only if you wish to either advertise the console, or display your undying loyalty.

If you've pre-ordered the next-generation Xbox then this might just be the icing on the cake while you wait until the console starts shipping later this year.

Xbox One Shirts

Grab the male and female shirts from the Xbox Marketplace. Via: Major Nelsen

Microsoft shows off Windows 8 apps running on Xbox One, states devs get a head start by starting now

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Xbox One

While Microsoft's Build 2013 conference continues to reveal more goodies about Windows 8, there has also been some talk regarding the upcoming Xbox One. Today Steve Guggenheimer, vice president of Microsoft's Developer and Platform Evangelism group, teased some rather large hints at how developers will be able to develop for both Windows and Xbox One in the future.

"Xbox one has two engines, it's got a gaming engine and it essentially has a Windows 8 engine," said Guggenheimer, referring to the new Xbox One architecture that essentially runs Windows 8. Guggenheimer demonstrated remote debugging of a basic web app that appeared to be running on an Xbox One, but had nothing to announce today. He did go on to encourage developers to develop Windows 8 apps in order to build content for the Xbox One.

"If you want to know about how to get a head start about thinking about developing for Xbox One, the logical thing to do is go build Windows 8 applications."

While the development platform is still unclear for the Xbox One, Microsoft has stated the console will support both native and web apps. We could assume developers may be required to work with development tools similar to those used for Windows 8 apps. Microsoft also announced a new partnership with Unity to support all platforms, including Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox One and the Xbox 360. This will help developers easily port games within the ecosystem.

More to follow, we're sure.

via: The Verge

Unity announces Xbox One support and partnership with Microsoft

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Unity Xbox One partnership logo

Unity, developers of the wildly popular gaming engine of the same name, announced yesterday at Build 2013 that they have struck up a "strategic partnership" with Microsoft to develop for Xbox One and Windows Phone 8. This collaboration with Microsoft means the development of new development tools geared specifically for both platforms, "including support for many next-generation features like enhanced Kinect gestures and recognition, multiplayer matchmaking, SmartGlass and cloud stuff."

In addition to opening up the development floodgates to both platforms, the new partnership will also benefit those who choose to develop games using the Unity engine.

Current Unity Pro 4 license holders will receive the Windows Store Pro publishing add-on, which will allow them to port games to both the Windows Store and Windows Phone Store, free of charge. Developers who build games published by Microsoft Studios get the tools for both Xbox 360 and Xbox One at no cost. The partnership will also offer up over $100,000 in prizes to those who build "great Windows experiences."

Build 2013 Microsoft Unity partnership

This partnership should prove to be a boon to Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, who have both seen their fair share of struggles in gaining popularity. It will add much-needed dev cred to Microsoft's mobile operating system, which is something they have desperately been trying to jumpstart. Unity's support for Windows Phone 8 is a welcome turnaround. They decided to pass on Windows Phone 7 back in 2011, but announced last summer that they would indeed support its successor.

Drift Mania Championship 2 Windows Phone Unity
Drift Mania Championship 2 on Windows Phone 8 was built with Unity.

But this is no one-sided partnership either. Unity gets to play in Microsoft's gaming waters. If you combine Xbox, Windows and Windows Phone, there is no competitor that comes even close to Microsoft's gaming reach. Throw in these perks for developers that were just announced at Build 2013, and it looks like everybody wins.

Source: Unity; Via: TheInquirer

Microsoft drops update fees for XBLA games. Could they be courting indie developers?

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Fez XBLA Microsoft drops update fees

If you follow our Xbox Windows Phone editorial coverage, then you know I’ve often been critical of the Xbox certification process. Microsoft created a set of certification policies back in the Xbox 360’s early years that were intended to ensure the highest quality game releases and discourage the release of buggy games. These same policies were then extended wholesale to subsequent Xbox platforms, including Games for Windows Live (PC), Windows 8, and Windows Phone.

Problem is the aging and restrictive policies weren’t designed to reflect the changing nature of the games industry, and certainly not to account for the differences in development between consoles and platforms like Windows Phone. Modern game development isn’t about shipping a game and then trying not to ever update it. No, games these days (whether they have In-App Purchases or not) are updated continuously throughout their life spans.

Indie hits like Minecraft and top smartphone games like Angry Birds and Cut the Rope would never have remained as relevant as they are without the constant stream of updates and support from their developers. And the Xbox certification policies dating back to 2005 have been nothing but an impediment towards that kind of support. BUT it turns out that Microsoft discreetly relaxed their policies towards updating games earlier this year – on the Xbox 360, at least.

Cost prohibitive

Iron Brigade for XBLA and GFWL
Double Fine's Iron Brigade for GFWL couldn't be updated due to both the restrictive Xbox certification process and its costs.

The existence of title update fees first came to public light at the beginning of 2012 when Tim Schafer of indie developer Double Fine revealed to Hookshot that Microsoft charged approximately $40,000 for game updates:

“But the indie community is now moving elsewhere; we’re figuring out how to fund and distribute games ourselves, and we’re getting more control over them. Those systems as great as they are, they’re still closed. You have to jump through a lot of hoops, even for important stuff like patching and supporting your game. Those are things we really want to do, but we can’t do it on these systems. I mean, it costs $40,000 to put up a patch – we can’t afford that! Open systems like Steam, that allow us to set our own prices, that’s where it’s at, and doing it completely alone like Minecraft. That’s where people are going.”

Consider that many XBLA games sell less than 20,000 copies and a sales figure of 100,000 copies is considered a smash hit. Whether a game sells for $10 or $15, Microsoft automatically takes a slice of 30% or so off the top (as does any digital marketplace), and then the publisher which Microsoft requires for games to even get Xbox status takes another chunk of the change. So a $10 game that sells 20K copies only brings in about $100,000 for the developer. Spending 40 percent of your profits to fix a few bugs just doesn’t make sense in that scenario, and so many games go without updates.

XBLA opens up

Fez for XBLA

Yesterday Eurogamer reported that Microsoft has stopped charging for Xbox 360 title updates. Spokesperson Larry Hyrb (AKA MajorNelson) soon provided partial confirmation via Twitter:

“FYI for those asking: Microsoft eliminated fees for Title Updates on Xbox 360 Arcade games in April 2013”

So far, it looks like the removal of updating fees applies only to XBLA games, not retail Xbox 360 titles. Much remains unclear about the policy change, such as whether it applies to games published before April or not.

Phil Fish, developer of XBLA hit Fez (pictured above), famously declined to issue a second Fez title update last year when a save data corrupting bug slipped through in the game’s first patch. Since then he has become an outspoken critic of the Xbox certification policies as well as the lack of promotion Microsoft provides for third-party games it publishes. He has, however expressed interest in producing the long-desired second update to Fez IF the lack of update fees retroactively applies to existing XBLA games.

Tight lips can sink ships too

Day Z mod for Arma II on PC
Day Z might come to Xbox One if Microsoft drops update fees on their new console as well.

Dropping XBLA update fees was unquestionably a smart move, but Microsoft dropped the ball slightly by not publicizing the change. Put simply, nobody (who hadn’t submitted an update during that time) knew about the change for three months.

Xbox platforms are widely perceived as unfriendly to indie developers, and advertising a friendlier update policy for downloadable titles could only improve that perception. Developers who have previously chosen to avoid Xbox or leave it behind might even be swayed to come onboard. And assuming the change is retroactive, existing games in need of updates like Fez could have been patched by now.

The delay in acknowledging the update policy change is evidence of two problems we’ve been lamenting for a good while now:

One, the culture of secrecy within Microsoft means that its staff is often too afraid to reveal meaningful information outside of the company even when there is no conceivable harm in doing so. Yeah, it’s perfectly logical to try to obscure information that would help competitors or make the company look bad in some way. Information that makes Microsoft look good, though? They should want those details out there, working in their favor.

Secondly – and this sort of grows out of the first problem – Microsoft’s gaming-related PR needs a lot of improvement. I’ve explained at length the weaknesses in their promotion of Xbox Windows Phone and Windows 8 games. And just think of the Xbox One DRM policies that received so much ire from the console reveal event all the way through E3.

Those Xbox One policies actually carried some innovative benefits to internet connected consumers, but Microsoft did very little to sell the benefits to the media or consumers. The public discussion focused on the policy’s negatives (no arguing how bad the internet requirement would’ve been for certain users) when it could have centered on the advantages of disc-free installs and a generous family sharing plan.

Ripple effect

Galak-Z for Playstation 4

One effect of all that secrecy is that we still don’t know how the change in title update policy affects other parts of the Xbox ecosystem. We can’t say for sure whether or not retail Xbox 360 title updates still require a fee, though it seems likely they do since Major Nelson only mentioned downloadable Arcade games in his tweet.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the change either currently applies or will soon apply to Windows Phone and Windows 8 games as well. Games for Microsoft’s mobile platforms are inherently downloadable and basically the equivalent of XBLA games in most ways. Microsoft could have eased restrictions on their Xbox phone and tablet games already without telling anyone. We’ll do a little prying and see what turns up.

At this stage, the platform that stands the most to benefit from relaxed update policies might just be the Xbox One. Remember, Sony has come out very strongly in favor of indie developers on the Playstation 4, wooing away developers like Phil Fish and 17-BIT, the makers of Skulls of the Shogun (that's their PS4-exclusive Galak-Z above). Meanwhile, the perception that Microsoft is unfriendly towards indie developers has caused other small developers like the creators of Day Z (who specifically mentioned barriers towards updates) to favor Playstation 4 over Xbox One as well.

If Microsoft opens the Xbox One up more for indies – including dropping title updates fees (which actually benefits game makers of all sizes), they can start repairing some of the bridges that have burned down in recent years. And launch consoles need all of the software support they can get. We don’t want Playstation 4 getting praises for its strong indie offerings and variety of software while the Xbox One sits by with a smaller arsenal of games.

Source: Eurogamer; Thanks to Jigar for the tip!


Spartacus Legends Review: A bloody decent free to play Xbox 360 game

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Spartacus Legends for Xbox 360

Last month at E3, Microsoft and Wargaming.net announced World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition as the next free to play in development for Xbox Live Arcade. Both World of Tanks and Ascend: Hand of Kul (which also has a Windows Phone companion game in the works) are due out later this year. What we didn’t know is that another free to play game would actually be arriving much sooner.

Quietly announced a while back, Ubisoft and Kung Fu Factory's Spartacus Legends became available to download on the 360 last week. Free for all Xbox Gold members, Legends is basically a brutal one-on-one fighting game loosely based on the Starz TV series Spartacus. Usually when a publisher releases a game with so little fanfare, it indicates a lack of faith in the product. But Spartacus is actually fairly entertaining and visceral. Just be prepared for a bit of a grind.

Going in fresh

Spartacus Legends
Playstation 3 version

You don’t need to be a fan of the Spartacus TV series in order to enjoy this game. In fact, fans might be disappointed at how little the two share in common. Players control Spartacus himself during the tutorial battle, but after that you’ll only encounter characters from the show as occasional boss battles. Other than a brief live-action introduction, there’s absolutely no story to speak of either.

The point of Legends is to recruit and manage a group of gladiators, working to keep them alive and profit as much from their victories as possible. Instead of playing as characters from the show or custom characters, you’ll hire and play as random fighters, each with their own fighting style, stats, and perks. You’ll eventually have a full team of fighters based around the seven unique fighting styles (swords, daggers, hammer, spear, etc.), though both the characters and the slots to keep them will cost silver or gold to unlock.

Life or death combat

Spartacus Legends for Xbox 360

The reason for that essential namelessness and lack of characterization? When these guys lose a fight, they might just die for good. Each battle has a deadliness rating that you can view before deciding to take it on. The higher the rating, the more likely that a loss will result in your gladiator’s demise. Each character does get one free revival upon dying. But after that, it will cost silver (soft currency) and soon gold (premium currency) in order to keep a downed warrior breathing.

These high stakes make it tough to become too invested in your fighters, but they also lend a sense of import to each battle. Your gladiator can kill his opponent too, as long as you raise your crowd favor rating high enough before the finishing blow. Do that by taunting, landing series of successful blows, or by using boost items.

With full crowd approval and a winning strike, you’ll be able to sever the opponent’s limb or perform a mildly gruesome Mortal Kombat-esque finishing move with the touch of a button. Those fatalities cost silver coins to equip, but you’ll never run short of silver so it hardly interferes with the fun.

Rated M for Mature

Spartacus Legends for Xbox 360

The actual Spartacus show features nasty violence and some naughty sexcapades, so you might expect the game to be a bit lewd as well. And you’d be right! Mostly that comes in the form of the announcer (who sounds terrible and repeats himself too much) dropping F-bombs randomly, as well as some rough but eh, kinda funny text in the loading screens. Topless ladies and nude statues appear in some backgrounds, but that’s the extent of the sexual content. The adult rating comes from the potty language and dismemberments more than anything.

Progression

Spartacus Legends for Xbox 360

The game map consists of several areas, each with its own random and fixed battles to choose from. Some fights require a certain fighting style to participate, locking them away until you buy the right fighter. As you win battles and earn silver coins for buying equipment, you’ll also gain Fame. Collect enough Fame to level up and earn a tiny quantity of premium gold. Leveling up unlocks better equipment for purchase, and certain level milestones will make higher level gladiators available for hire.

Unfortunately, the difficulty ramps up pretty quickly. The first two areas are a snap, but the third area carries a significant risk of death for your fighters. In the areas beyond that, death is guaranteed should you lose. Thus you’ll spend most of your time grinding the first three areas – probably hours – until you gain access to the equipment that your men need in order to survive higher ranked areas. If you’re not hooked, you’ll likely lose patience during that stretch of the game.

Midas touch

Spartacus Legends for Xbox 360

Spartacus’ monetization scheme does little to alleviate its difficulty spikes. Sure, the premium gold currency is essential for certain tasks such as unlocking more than five character slots or hiring high-stat warriors. But the equipment you can purchase with gold is only three levels beyond the stuff that sells for silver.

Early access to weapons and armor is helpful, but it’s not THAT much better than the stuff that unlocks at your current level. A weapon that costs the equivalent of almost $5 of gold might only do five points more damage, and you’d be able to buy that same tool for silver by leveling up three more times (a lengthy process) anyway. If I’m going to spend real money on an in-game item, I want it to absolutely dominate the competition, not barely keep up with overpowered opponents.

The In-App Purchase prices are sky high, as well. The minimum purchase amount if 400 Microsoft Points ($5), and then the next highest amount costs $20. It goes all the way up to $100! I know free to play games are relatively new to consoles, but nobody is going to want to pay $20 and above for relatively little benefit. Ubisoft would sell way more gold if the pricing tiers used increments of $2-5 rather than ludicrous amounts. Some players who might have made small IAPs could be driven to gain gold through exploits instead…

Achievements

Spartacus Legends
Playstation 3 version

Surprisingly, Legends offers just 12 Achievements, but they are at least worth a total of 400 GamerScore. Only two of the Achievements require a truly substantial time investment. One is for winning all of the Primus (boss) fights in the game. You’ll need a good array for warriors to overcome all the bosses, though knowing a handful of simple and effective combos also goes a long way.

The other long term Achievement comes for reaching Level 50. That takes an insane amount of grinding, but at least it’s not hard.

Overall Impression

Spartacus Legends is a surprising game: surprising in that it appeared practically out of the blue (not unlike an Xbox Windows Phone game!) and because the core gameplay is pretty good, despite its low budget presentation. I’d rather this had been a regular $10 title with less grinding, but a lot more people will get to try it because it’s free. Even if you’re not the kind of player who sticks around for the long haul, there’s a decent chance that you’ll enjoy it for a couple of hours and be no less rich than when you started.

Spartacus Legends– Xbox 360 – 2 GB – Free (Gold membership required) – Xbox.com Store Link

Microsoft wants you to get your bling on – announces chrome series gold Xbox 360 controller

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Xbox 360 - Gold Controller

Do you ever play Xbox 360 and wish you had a controller to match the spinning gold rims on your decked out automobile? Well, if you do – you are in luck! Microsoft announced today via Major Nelson’s Blog that an Xbox 360 special edition chrome series gold wireless controller (wow, that is a mouthful) will be released in August for $54.99.

The special edition controller will feature Microsoft’s new transforming D-pad and will be available in the United States and select regions worldwide. Customers in the USA will have to purchase the controller exclusively at GameStop and Microsoft Store locations.

If worse comes to worse and you don’t like the controller after you purchase it, you can always melt down the chrome gold finish to use as a faux tooth.

Let us know what you think about this work of… art.

Source: Major Nelson's Blog

Xbox 360 owners: check out the Ultimate Game Sale. Plus get Defense Grid for free!

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Borderlands 2 Defense Grid Xbox 360 box

Remember the Xbox 360 Ultimate Game Sale from back in February? Microsoft slashed the prices on more than 20 Games on Demand (downloadable versions of full retail titles) throughout the week, with a different selection of games on sale every day. And now that sale is back again just 4-5 months later. Could it have something to do with Microsoft wanting to sell as many Xbox 360 games as possible before the Xbox One shows up later this year? Does a frog bump its butt when it hops?

On top of that, today happens to be the first day of the month. And that means Xbox Live Gold members get a new free game! Last month it was Fable III, and this month everyone expected Assassin’s Creed II or Halo 3 (both Games on Demand titles) to go free. But life would be boring if everything went to plan, and so Microsoft has made an XBLA game called Defense Grid: The Awakening from Hidden Path Entertainment free instead.

Quick impressions and a full list of sale games after the break!

Ultimate Game Sale: Persistent Offers July 1-8

Mass Effect for Xbox 360
Mass Effect

These games will be discounted for the duration of the sale, which lasts through Monday the 8th. Remember that Games on Demand prices (including sale prices) vary by region, so your country’s prices will likely differ from the US prices listed here. Also, you CAN purchase Games on Demand titles with Microsoft Points if you like. Just press the X button on the first checkout screen to switch between real currency and Microsoft Points.

  • Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway  – Download Size: 5.03 GB – Regular price: $30 – Sale Price: $5
  • Bulletstorm  – Download Size: 4.85 GB – Regular price: $20 MSP – Sale Price: $5
  • Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3  – Download Size: 6.06 GB – Regular price: $15 – Sale Price: $5
  • Crysis  – Download Size: 4.09 GB – Regular price: $20 – Sale Price: $5 – The original Crysis is available ONLY via Games on Demand. There is no retail version for Xbox 360.
  • Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga  – Download Size: 6.47 GB – Regular price: $30 – Sale Price: $5
  • Dragon Age: Origins  – Download Size: 6.44 GB – Regular price: $15 – Sale Price: $5
  • Far Cry Instincts: Predator– Download Size: 4.51 GB – Regular price: $20 – Sale Price: $5
  • Mass Effect – Download Size: 6.83 GB – Regular price: $15 – Sale Price: $5
  • Prey – Download Size: 4.27 GB – Regular price: $20 – Sale Price: $3
  • Perfect Dark Zero – Download Size: 5.22 GB – Regular price: $15 – Sale Price: $3
  • WWE ’13– Download Size: 7.69 GB – Regular price: $60 (!) – Sale Price: $15

Ultimate Game Sale: Daily Offers Tuesday, July 2

Borderlands 2 for Xbox 360
Borderlands 2

Every day from Tuesday the 1st through Friday, July 5th, a new selection of games will go on sale for 24 hours only.

  • Assassins Creed III – Download Size: 7.63 GB – Regular price: $40 – Sale Price: $15
  • Borderlands 2– Download Size: 5.54 GB – Regular price: $40 – Sale Price: $10
  • Far Cry 3– Download Size: 5.71 GB – Regular price: $60 – Sale Price: $20
  • Max Payne 3 – Download Size: 7.76 GB – Regular price: $40 – Sale Price: $10

Can anyone possibly resist Borderlands 2's first-person shooter/RPG awesomeness at that price? Not me!

Future Daily Deals (July 3-5)

The Witcher 2 for Xbox 360
The Witcher 2

We don’t know how much these will cost when they become daily deals, but Major Nelson did at least announce the remaining games that will go on sale between now and Friday.

  • Bioshock Infinite– Download Size: 6.49 GB – Regular price: $60
  • Crysis 3– Download Size: 4.97 GB – Regular price: $60
  • Forza Horizon– Download Size: 6.76 GB – Regular price: $40
  • Gears of War: Judgment– Download Size: ? GB – Regular price: $40
  • Hasbro Family Game Night 3– Download Size: 1.36 GB – Regular price: $30 – Contains The Game of Life, Clue, Twister, Mouse Trap, and Yahtzee Hands Down. None are very accurate to the actual board games.
  • Hitman Absolution– Download Size: 7.01 GB – Regular price: $30
  • Kinect Sports Season 2– Download Size: 5.61 GB – Regular price: $30
  • Left 4 Dead 2– Download Size: 4.36 GB – Regular price: $30
  • LEGO Batman 2: DC Superheroes– Download Size: 4.11 GB – Regular price: $20
  • LEGO Lord of the Rings– Download Size: 5.87 GB – Regular price: $30
  • Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance– Download Size: 7.34 GB – Regular price: $50
  • Monopoly Streets– Download Size: 1.22 GB – Regular price: $30
  • Rockstar Table Tennis– Download Size: 3.28 GB – Regular price: $15
  • The Orange Box– Download Size: 3.92 GB – Regular price: $20 – Contains Half Life 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2
  • Tomb Raider– Download Size: 6.57 GB – Regular price: $30
  • The Witcher 2– Download Size: 7.04 GB – Regular price: $40
  • XCOM: Enemy Unknown– Download Size: 7.08 GB – Regular price: $40

Deal of the Week for July 2-8: Borderlands 2 DLC

Borderlands 2 Mr. Torque's Campaign of Carnage DLC

If you picked up Borderlands 2 for cheap, you might as well get some of its impressive DLC on sale too. Unlike the Games on Demand sale, the Deal of the Week is restricted to Xbox Live Gold members.

  • 'Mr. Torque's Campaign of Carnage'  – Regular price: 800 MS Points – Sale price: 400 MS Points ($5)
  • 'Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt'  – Regular price: 800 MS Points – Sale price: 400 MS Points ($5)
  • 'Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack'– Regular price: 400 MS Points – Sale price: 240 MS Points ($3)

Free Game: Defense Grid (July 1-15)

Defense Grid: The Awakening

As of June this year, Xbox Live Gold members get two free games every month; one during the month’s first half and another during the latter half. These games are yours to keep forever, even if your Gold subscription lapses.

Defense Grid takes place on a ruined world where an alien invasion causes an AI defense program to reawaken and attempt to protect the remnants of his homeland. The invaders strive to steal pieces of each level’s power core. As long as you can stop them from leaving the map with a core piece, the piece will slowly return to the power station.

Other than being able to recover lost cores, Defense Grid hews closely to genre traditions. Levels generally contain just one or two paths to defend, which you’ll do with a small arsenal of upgradable towers. Some levels do allow players to construct paths which to divert the invaders however, giving players a greater degree of freedom in formulating a defense.

If you like the genre, download Defense Grid without hesitation. And even if you haven’t enjoyed previous tower defense games, this could be the one to change your mind. Defense Grid is a much longer, deeper, and overall superior game to the popular geoDefense tower defense games for Windows Phone, though it can’t compete with Plants vs. Zombies for sheer variety and casual appeal.

Defense Grid– Xbox 360 – 297 MB – Regular Price: 800 Microsoft Points ($10) – Sale Price: Free (Gold membership required) – Xbox.com Store Link

Shopping time

What do you think of the new Ultimate Game Sale selection and free Defense Grid, super cool readers? Leave a comment and let us know what games you’ll be buying.

Thanks to EasyPeasyJD for the tip!

Having a 4th of July party? Nokia and Internet Explorer team up to power your party’s music

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Nokia Mix Party

In just two days the United States will be celebrating her independence. To celebrate, Nokia and Internet Explorer are teaming up to solve a problem a lot of parties encounter – what music to play. And their solution looks awesome. Nokia Mix Party is a new way for groups of people to work together on choosing what music to listen to. How does it work? What do you need?

Details after the break. 

Remember PhotoBeamer? It was that really cool app from Nokia that allowed you to effortlessly share pictures from your Lumia to basically any screen that has a web browser. Nokia Mix Party is an extension of some ideas from that project. All you need is an Xbox, some smartphones, a party, and friends.

  1. Open mixparty.nokia.com with Internet Explorer from your Xbox 360;">
  2. Scan the QR code with your smartphone
  3. Vote with your phone what artists you want to hear next

Nokia Mix Party seems like a pretty kickass way to source what music the party has by using the very guests that will be enjoying it. One thing Nokia Mix Party doesn’t solve is how to get invited to parties in the first place. You’re on your own there. Music looks like it comes from Nokia Music

Source: Nokia Mix Party, Via: Reddit

Some countries won't receive Xbox One until late 2014

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Xbox One Announcement

If you are living in the United States or Europe, you should be excited to be able to purchase your Xbox One game console this November. Many gamers in Asian countries won’t be receiving Microsoft’s latest system until late 2014 according to officials.

Microsoft rates countries in varies tiers; the United States and most European countries land in the first tier and thus will receive the Xbox One in November. Other countries like Japan won’t be receiving the unit early 2014. A list of other countries including Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, and India won’t be getting the console until late 2014.

Xbox One is a gigantic launch for Microsoft and like any other project, has to be rolled out over time. The concept of countries receiving a product at different times is nothing new – it has happened with Microsoft’s Xbox, Sony’s PlayStation, and Nintendo’s Wii.

In regards to the above, I am sorry to say to our Asian readers that you won’t be getting the Xbox One anytime soon, but look at upside - we are going to get to do all the bug testing and you will receive a more stable system at launch.

The 21 countries that will receive Microsoft’s Xbox One in November include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico,  the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russian, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Xbox Coming to USA in November

Some may find it odd to hear that Japan, a country known for its technology will be receiving the console so late, but the country has never responded to the Xbox with as much warm welcome as the PlayStation and Wii have received. Even taking that into consideration, the country got the Wii U and Xbox 360 three weeks after America.

Are you in one of the countries that won’t be receiving the Xbox One until later this year?

Source: Arstechnica

Assassin's Creed II on deck as the next Xbox Games with Gold special

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Assassins Creed II

If you're an Assassin's Creed fan and an Xbox Live Gold member, you'll want to keep an eye on the calendar. Assassin's Creed II will be the next game featured on Xbox Live's "Games with Gold" program.

Assassin's Creed II normally runs 1600 Microsoft points (about $20) but between July 16th and 31st, you can download it for free with your Gold Membership.

We mentioned it with the Xbox 360 Ultimate Game Sale but the current "Games with Gold" title is Defense Grid: The Awakening.  Defense Grid is available as a free download through July 15th to Xbox Live Gold members.

You can find all the details on the "Games with Gold" program here at Xbox Live.

Source: Xbox Wire; Thanks, Rat, for the tip!

Time to be Microsoft's guinea pig again - the 2013 Xbox Live public beta is here

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Today Microsoft's Major Nelson announced that the public gates would be opening for Xbox Live's 2013 Update. According to our favorite Xbox team member, the update " will include updates to improve overall performance and the ability to conduct transactions with local currency."

In a major decision, Microsoft has decided to retire their point based system which originally launched as a way to allow users without the need of a credit card; this reduces the number of fees the company would need to pay to credit card companies for each small transaction. This aligns with rumors we reported about previously in January.

If you want to get in on the sweet beta action simply fire up your Xbox 360 console and look for the "Xbox Beta Program" tile on your dashboard.

At this time, Xbox Live members in every country except Japan can currently join - the country of Japan will be added at a later unspecified date according to officals.

Alright kids, go grab that update!

Source: Major Nelson's Blog


Microsoft continues its fight for all Xbox One domain names

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Launching a new product and not being in control of the domain names surrounding it can definitively be troublesome for some companies. Luckily, with the help of the Richard Law Group, Microsoft is now in control of both XboxOne.com and XboxOne.net; a quick WHOIS record query shows the latest information for the two domains.

Back in May of this year, Microsoft filed a complaint to gain control over the two domain names with the National Arbitration Forum. There was never an official ruling on the issue and the case itself has been withdrawn. This signifies that through the Richard Law Group, Microsoft has most likely come to an agreement with the previous owners.

Microsoft isn’t done yet though; the domain name Xbox1.com is owned by a Japanese company known as Value-Domain Com and it is yet to be under the company’s control.

The Redmond company was able to secure XboxSmartGlass.com, XboxPhone.com, and XboxFitness.com through a National Arbitration Forum Order, so we will have to wait and see for the decision on Xbox1.com.

What do you think about the situation – should companies make sure they own domains before settling on a name scheme for a product?

Source: Ars Technica

Halo: Spartan Assault avatar items beat the game to market by a day

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Halo: Spartan Assault avatar items gear

For at least a week we knew that the Halo: Spartan Assault launch party was scheduled for last night, July 16. But Microsoft didn’t want to announce the game’s actual launch date for some reason, so doubt remained that it would arrive this week. Well, Spartan Assault didn’t release today, but this evening we officially learned that it’s coming tomorrow.

Fans might have to wait another day to play Halo: Spartan Assault, but that doesn’t mean they can’t celebrate the game’s impending release right this minute. Microsoft and 343 Industries have just released seven new Spartan Assault-themed avatar items on the Xbox Marketplace. Hey, at least our avatars can be dressed for success when the game launches tomorrow!

Costume play

Halo: Spartan Assault avatar  shirts

What do the seven new avatar items consist of? Well, a Spartan Assault logo t-shirt in both male and female variations accounts for two of them. A stylish Palmer helmet t-shirt comes in boy and girl styles as well. The design resembles the emblems that players create for themselves in the Halo games. All four shirts cost 80 Microsoft Points (they’re not quite defunct yet) or $1 each.

Halo: Spartan Assault avatar armor

Of course, fanciful avatar stuff tends to be way more exciting than t-shirts. Thankfully, Microsoft also released full golden avatar body armor based on Spartan Davis, the game’s new male character. The Spartan Davis Armor comes in both male and female varieties for a steep 320 Microsoft Points ($4) each. Spartan Assault’s other protagonist Sarah Palmer’s armor has been available since February, when it was released as part of the Halo 4 avatar collection.

Props for the prop

Halo: Spartan Assault avatar  tablet

The seventh and final new Spartan Assault avatar item has quickly become one of my favorite props to date. It’s a Windows 8 tablet with screen borders that match the actual Halo: Spartan Assault in-game border. I wouldn’t want the corners of my actual tablet cut off like that, but it’s a striking design nonetheless. The rear of the tablet is emblazoned with the game’s logo. The Halo: Spartan Assault Tablet prop rings up at 240 MS Points ($3).

You can browse or purchase the full assortment of Halo: Spartan Assault gear at Xbox.com.

Order & Chaos Online Beginner's Guide Part 1 for Windows Phone 8

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Order & Chaos Online Beginner's Guide, Part 1

Last week’s Xbox Windows Phone 8 release Order & Chaos Online is pretty much the largest game on the platform, as far as quantity of content goes. One can’t possibly see all there is to see in an Massive Multi-player Online Role-playing Game (MMORPG) in only a week’s time, so we’re going to hold off on reviewing it for a bit.

Today Windows Phone Central brings you part one of our exclusive Order & Chaos Online Beginner’s Guide, complete with video. Stick with us to learn how the game works and get ahead quickly! Remember, you can play Order & Chaos Online until you reach experience level 8 for FREE (and purchase the game without losing your progress if you desire) so anybody who can run this game needs to give it a try.

Characters

In last week’s article we briefly covered the game’s various races and classes, so we won’t go into too much more detail this time. Players get three character slots with purchase of the game. Each class works differently from the others, so creating new characters provides a new experience and dozens of hours of additional playtime. You can also purchase a fourth and fifth character slot using Runestones, the game’s premium currency.

Here are the starting attributes (stats) for each class. Unfortunately the Mendel stats aren’t currently available online, but if you guys submit them to us, I’ll be happy to update the chart.

Order & Chaos Online Stat Chart

Talents

Order & Chaos Online for Windows Phone talent tree

Every time you level up after level 5, you’ll gain one skill point to spend on talents. Access the Talent menu from a tab at the top of the Spells menu.

Each character has two different talent paths they can take. You can mix and match between both paths, but you’ll need to spend a lot of points on one path or the other if you want to reach high level talents. Here’s a Talent Calculator (more calculators here) to aid with planning.

If you need to change your talents, you can purchase a respec from trainers in Silence or Greenmont. Respecs cost 10 Gold.

Quests

Order & Chaos Online for Windows Phone quest rewards

Killing enemies is a decent way to grind for experience, but more so for money and loot. The best way to gain experience is by completing quests. You’ll also earn money, rare items, and equipment as quest rewards. Sometimes you have to choose between multiple rewards; pick the one that best suits your character’s class.

You can have up to 12 quests at a time. If you want to take on a new quest when you already have 12 active, you’ll have to either drop one (in which case you can restart it by talking to the NPC who provided the quest) or turn one in. Completing quests often opens up new quests, while other quests become available at certain levels.

Order & Chaos Online for Windows Phone quest log

Unfortunately, quests can’t be sorted by proximity to your current location. But you can decide which quest to work on by looking at its colors in your quest log. The color of the quest name indicates the recommended level for completing the quest in relation to your current experience level.

  • Grey: Much lower level than you (Very easy)
  • Green: A few levels lower than you (Easy)
  • Yellow: Same level (Normal)
  • Orange: A few levels higher than you (Hard)
  • Red: Several levels higher (Very hard)

If the background behind a quest name appears in blue, that quest is ready to turn in.

Map

Order & Chaos Online for Windows Phone

Nearby characters or objects that can provide you with quests, quest destinations, and places to turn in quests are marked by yellow symbols on your mini-map. These symbols can also be seen from the full map, but only if you zoom in on the map (it doesn’t zoom very far).

If you do see nearby quest markers on the map, it’s generally a good idea to do them while you’re in the area instead of leaving for a different area. You don’t even have to select the corresponding quest as your primary one; just head to the marker and see what progresses the quest.

Speaking of heading to quest markers, don’t just blindly follow the blue arrow created by your primary quest. Roaming the wild often leads straight into impassable mountains (not to mention hordes of enemies) and wastes time. Stick to the road as much as possible and you’ll reach your destination much sooner and safer.

Teleporting

Order & Chaos Online for Windows Phone

The fastest way to travel is by teleport. Most towns have a Teleport Master (shown above) who can send you to one or more specific locations for a fee that ranges from 75 copper to 57 silver. That seems expensive but it actually becomes negligible at higher levels.

Order & Chaos Online for Windows Phone

Teleportation Wings are single-use items that teleport you to a specific location instantly, no matter where you are. They can be handy for getting out of an unsafe area or just saving a lot of time, but they’re also fairly expensive (10-50 silver). Each one is level locked, so you can’t just use them to skip far ahead in the world. Buy Teleportation Wings in the city of Greenmont, near the Auction House.

See the Order & Chaos Online Wiki for a full list of Teleport Master locations and Teleportation Wing destinations.

Lucky Crosses

Order & Chaos Online for Windows Phone

To play the Daily Lottery, either touch your character’s portrait and access it from there or select it from the map screen. One of the frees prize you can win is the Lucky Cross. Its description enigmatically reads “It will bring you good luck, keep it for further use.” But what does it do?

As it turns out, Lucky Crosses do nothing on their own. But you can trade them for prizes in the city of Greenmont. Located at the northern border of the Arkadian Forest region, Greenmont is the first major city that most players will visit. There you can start a guild, buy Teleportation Wings, auction items, and much more.

Right in front of the Auction House, you’ll see a Mysterious Trader (he is designated by a red symbol on the map). Just to the left of him is a wooden object with a cross on top called the Kating. Activate the Kating to trade your crosses. The cheapest prize costs 10 Lucky Crosses, so it will take a while before you can cash your crosses in. Place them in your Storage Box until you can afford a prize.

Camera views and getting unstuck

Order & Chaos Online for Windows Phone

New players often have trouble with getting stuck in first-person view. To adjust the level of zoom, use two-finger pinching motions. Zooming in all the way switches to first-person and zooming out goes back to third-person.

Order & Chaos Online for Windows Phone

Another beginner problem is getting stuck and becoming unable to move. If this ever happens to you, tap your character’s portrait and go to Options. Choose Help and then “Break Away.” You’ll re-spawn at the nearest cemetery.

Dying

Order & Chaos Online for Windows Phone

Whenever you die, you’re given the option to re-spawn in the same location by spending one Runestone. Most players will choose to re-spawn in the nearest cemetery instead.

Sometimes tough enemies will surround the cemetery, making it difficult to escape from where you re-spawned. If that happens, you should ask for another player help from your guild or via Global chat. Also, if you’re teamed up with a Monk who has the Resurrect spell, just let him or her revive you instead of re-spawning in the cemetery.

There is no penalty for dying until you reach level 10. After that, the game charges a fee in silver coins every time you die. Thus it’s very important not to take on enemies and quests you can’t handle at the current level. If you’re not holding any money when you die, you won’t be charged the fee.

To be continued

That’s it for part one of our guide, loyal readers! Come back tomorrow for the second and final installment, where we’ll go over auctions, guilds, earning and buying gold, and much more.

Order & Chaos Online– Windows Phone 8 with 1 GB RAM – 1012 MB - $6.99 – Store Link

QR: Order and Chaos Online

Xbox One allows users to play games before they finish downloading

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Forza Motorsport 5

When Microsoft’s Xbox One was revealed back in May, we weren’t positive if users would be able to start playing their latest video game before it finished downloading. This week a Microsoft representative confirmed to Polygon that users would in fact be able to "play games while they’re still downloading to the console."

This announcement comes as a relief to gamers in a world where we don’t all have the fastest internet speeds and the ability to download a video game title with the snap of our fingers. The same attribute applies to disc-based games; they can be played while being installed to the system’s hard drive.

At this time, the PlayStation 4 currently supports the "play while downloading" model. Microsoft’s announcement will be a warm welcome to Xbox One fans who can now confirm they have the same feature as their Sony friends.

How important do you think "play while downloading" is?

Source: Polygon, Thanks to pbroy for the tip!

Xbox 360 remains the highest selling console in the USA - hits 30 consecutive months

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Xbox 360

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has always been an incredibly impressive console in terms of sales and the company’s recent announcement of its successor, the Xbox One, has not slowed it down one bit. The Xbox 360 remains the top sold console and has hit thirty consecutive months.

According to Microsoft, the Xbox 360 has maintained its position as the top US console last month selling over 140,000 units. The company states that the Xbox 360 platform (hardware, software, and accessories) brought in over $197 million dollars in June.

In addition, the console held seven out of the top selling game titles including: Minecraft, NKA 2K13, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Deadpool, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, GrandTheft Auto IV and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Microsoft has already announced that the plan for the Xbox 360 to continue living on beside the Xbox One; both consoles will be featured at Comic-Con International in San Diego this week. If you are heading there, make sure to join in the collection of Xbox events, panels, and activities taking place.

How long do you think Xbox 360 will remain the top console - will the Xbox One replace it or will it be beaten down by Sony’s PlayStation 4?

Source: The Official Microsoft Blog

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