Considering that Sony’s rival online gaming service, the PlayStation Network, is completely free, it’s safe to assume the subscription-based Gold accounts of Microsoft’s Xbox Live aren’t perhaps as appealing as they once were.
Yet with rumours circulating that Xbox Live membership could yet become more expensive, the American software giant is making moves to spur consumer interest in its multimedia haven of videogame demos and downloads, trailers, movies and television shows.
More pointedly, Microsoft has launched an invitation-only incentive scheme called the Xbox Live Rewards Squad, which officially kicked off on November 02 and will run through to April of 2010.
Applicable to both cost-free Silver and paying Gold account holders – though more actively favouring Gold members – Microsoft has said it will dish out redeemable Microsoft Points (Xbox Live currency) for those Xbox 360 owners that perform specific business-boosting actions.
For example, a one-month Gold renewal will see members credited with a modest 10 Microsoft Points (for up to six monthly renewals and 60 Microsoft Points). Similarly, a three-month renewal will secure a payout of 30 Microsoft Points (for up to two renewals and 60 Microsoft Points).
Those willing to renew their Gold membership by a full 12 months will receive a more hefty 200 Microsoft Points. Sadly, lowly Silver members will get a big fat nothing if they choose to shell out the $49.99 USD required for a year of Gold access.
Plunging its reward roots deeper still, Microsoft will also dole out an initial 100 Microsoft Points to both Silver and Gold members making their very first purchase from the download store. The software giant will also provide Gold subscribers with a progressive points return of 1 percent of sustained purchases across a single month, 2 percent during a second, and as much as 5 percent for a period of up to six months.
As if that weren’t enough to inspire more sales on its Live service, 200 Microsoft Points will also be handed to subscribers prepared to embrace the Netflix streaming platform, and a further 100 Microsoft Points each time a user fills in a survey.
Microsoft has released an updated statement regarding the availability of the Sky Player on the Xbox 360 platform, noting that the service is now available to "100 per cent" of the platform's user base in the UK and Ireland.
The service originally launched ten days ago, but higher-than-expected demand caused it to buckle under the load, and a revised rollout was phased in a week later.
But now the company has confirmed that the TV and film content is available to everybody.
"As you may know we have been implementing a gradual rollout of the Sky Player on Xbox 360 service since our initial launch, and as of today, 100 per cent of the Xbox base can access Sky Player, and tens of thousands of new users are accessing the service daily," read the statement. "The quality of the service remains of the utmost importance to both Sky and Xbox, and as such we will run further testing over the weekend and continue to monitor the service closely."
Footage has been floating around the net today of the recent french player on the Ps3 first, showing the 3rd person view with the new playlist mode..
Microsoft has revealed how much you can expect to access the Sky Player via your Xbox 360 in the UK. First off you'll need an Xbox Live Gold membership. Then it's £15 per month for the basic Entertainment Pack, which includes G.O.L.D., Sky Real Lives, Sky Arts 1, Sky News and MTV One. You also get National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, History and Eden, while for sports fans there's Sky Sports News, British Eurosport and ESPN Classic. Kids get Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Nick Jr. You can get more channels if you front up more cash each month, as follows. (All packages include the Entertainment Pack as standard.) You can also access further movies and TV show episodes via Sky's on-demand service. Some of these will be free while others will be paid for, with prices starting at £1 for a single TV show. If you've already got Sky, you can access on-demand content for the channels you already pay for. If you've got Sky Multiroom or Sky Broadband Unlimited, you can get live channels too. To celebrate the launch Microsoft is releasing a special bundle pack for £29.99. That gets you a three-month Gold subscription, a one month Sky Player subscription (Sky Sports Pack) and a Media Remote.
You never want to bring a third person along on a date -- not unless that date happens to be November 10th. Infinity Ward's community manager Robert Bowling (A.K.A. fourzerotwo) has taken control and confirmed that a third-person camera viewpoint will be available in this holiday's monolithic Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, though it'll be limited to specifically labeled online playlists. "It's not something you can toggle on and off in ANY game," said Bowling. The special mode can only be played in private matches -- toggled on or off just like "Hardcore" settings -- or in playlists that are designated for third-person play. According to Bowling, everyone playing in a third-person playlist will be restricted to the viewpoint. "This is just another cool way to play the game," he said, "you obviously will still have the option to play gametypes normal as well." Our friend, the internet, has an inscrutable video of some person running around in third person, but you're probably better off waiting for the "awesome trailer" the folks at Infinity Ward have planned
Well after testing out the new preview program everything works, apart from Last.FM
As with previous major updates to Xbox Live, Microsoft is offering you a chance to try out new features like Zune integration, Facebook, and Twitter before everyone else gets their grubby paws on them. It's the triumphant return of the Xbox Live Preview Program, and everybody is invited! Invited to apply that is, but Major Nelson says they are searching for multiple thousands of participants to test out the latest Xbox Live features, and you're just a brief application away from being considered. You can visit the Xbox Live Update Preview page right now to apply, but make sure you've got your Xbox 360 serial number handy, because they're gonna ask for it. I told you to keep it on a card in your wallet, but did you listen?
Sky Player, Sky's online TV service, will be introduced to Xbox Live in late October, Microsoft has confirmed. "October 27 - that's the date when you'll be able to watch TV from Sky on your Xbox 360," said Graeme Boyd, Microsoft Europe's Xbox community manager. Announced in May, the service will allow Xbox 360 owners to access a range of channels and programmes to view live or on-demand. Content will initially be offered in standard definition only, and won't be recordable. While Boyd added that channel line-up and pricing are "to come at launch", users can expect to be able to access movies and entertainment shows, as well as documentaries and programming dedicated to kids, music, the arts and sport, including Premier League football and Test Match cricket.
Copyright 2005-2008 This Guide may NOT be reproduced under any circumstances without the permission of the author and Xbox360Achievements.orgCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Achievement List
Xbox360Achievements.org - Every Point Counts Back in the Saddle (15 points) Help train the local militia. Danger Close (15 points) Get hand picked for Shepherd's elite squad. Cold Shoulder (15 points) Infiltrate the snowy mountain side base. Tag 'em and bag 'em (15 points) Find Rojas in the Favelas. Royale with Cheese (15 points) Defend Burger Town. Soap on a Rope (15 points) Storm the gulag. Desperate Times (15 points) Execute the plan to help the Americans. Whiskey Hotel (15 points) Take back Whiskey Hotel. The Pawn (15 points) Assault Makarov's safe house. Out of the Frying Pan… (15 points) Complete the mission in the airplane graveyard. For the Record (35 points) Complete the Single Player campaign on any difficulty. The Price of War (90 points) Complete the single player campaign on Hardened or Veteran Difficulty. First Day of School (25 points) Complete 'S.S.D.D' and 'Team Player' on Veteran Difficulty. Black Diamond (25 points) Complete 'Cliffhanger' on Veteran Difficulty. Turistas (25 points) Complete 'Takedown' and 'The Hornet's Nest' on Veteran Difficulty. Red Dawn (25 points) Complete 'Wolverines!' and 'Exodus' on Veteran Difficulty. Prisoner #627 (25 points) Complete 'The Only Easy Day... Was Yesterday' and 'The Gulag' on Veteran Difficulty. Ends Justify the Means (25 points) Complete 'Contingency' on Veteran Difficulty Homecoming (25 points) Complete 'Of Their Own Accord', 'Second Sun', and 'Whiskey Hotel' on Veteran Difficulty. Queen takes Rook (25 points) Complete 'Loose Ends' and 'The Enemy of My Enemy' on Veteran Difficulty. Off the Grid (25 points) Complete 'Just Like Old Times' and 'Endgame' on Veteran Difficulty. Pit Boss (10 points) Run The Pit in 'S.S.D.D' and finish with a final time under 30 seconds. Ghost (10 points) Plant the C4 in 'Cliffhanger' without alerting or injuring anyone in the blizzard. Colonel Sanderson (10 points) Kill 7 chickens in under 10 seconds in 'The Hornet's Nest'. Gold Star (20 points) Earn 1 star in Special Ops. Hotel Bravo (20 points) Earn 4 stars in Special Ops. Charlie On Our Six (20 points) Earn 8 stars in Special Ops. It Goes to Eleven (20 points) Earn at least 1 star in 11 different Special Op missions. Operational Asset (20 points) Earn all 3 stars in at least 5 different Special Op missions. Blackjack (20 points) Earn 21 stars in Special Ops. Honor Roll (20 points) Earn at least 1 star in each Special Op mission. Operative (30 points) Earn all 3 stars in at least 10 different Special Op missions. Specialist (30 points) Earn 30 stars in Special Ops. Professional (30 points) Earn all 3 stars in at least 15 different Special Op missions. Star 69 (90 points) Earn 69 stars in Special Ops. Downed but Not Out (10 points) Kill 4 enemies in a row while downed in Special Ops. I'm the Juggernaut… (10 points) Kill a Juggernaut in Special Ops. Ten plus foot-mobiles (10 points) Kill at least 10 enemies with one Predator missile in Single Player or Special Ops. Unnecessary Roughness (10 points) Use a riot shield to beat down an enemy in Single Player or Special Ops. Knock-knock (10 points) Kill 4 enemies with 4 shots during a slow-mo breach in Single Player or Special Ops. Some Like it Hot (10 points) Kill 6 enemies in a row using a thermal weapon in Single Player or Special Ops. Two Birds with One Stone (10 points) Kill 2 enemies with a single bullet in Single Player or Special Ops. The Road Less Traveled (10 points) Collect 22 enemy intel items. Leave No Stone Unturned (10 points) Collect 45 enemy intel items. Drive By (10 points) Kill 20 enemies in a row while driving a vehicle in Single Player or Special Ops. The Harder They Fall (10 points) Kill 2 rappelling enemies in a row before they land on their feet in Single Player or Special Ops. Desperado (10 points) Kill 5 enemies in a row using 5 different weapons or attachments in Single Player or Special Ops. Look Ma Two Hands (10 points) Kill 10 enemies in a row using akimbo weapons in Single Player or Special Ops. No Rest For the Wary (10 points) Knife an enemy without him ever knowing you were there in Single Player or Special Ops. Three-some (10 points) Kill at least 3 enemies with a single shot from a grenade launcher in Single Player or Special Ops.
Last week rumors started to surface suggesting that Microsoft was releasing a Wireless N Networking Adapter for the Xbox 360. Joystiqreported on the matter after someone had spotted a promotional advertisement included with the Italian version of Gears of War 2 Game of the Year edition with the alleged adapter displayed on it.
Today we contacted Microsoft for their response to the rumor and we are happy to announce that the Xbox 360 Wireless N Networking Adapter has officially been confirmed! Below is the reply we received from Microsoft this afternoon:
We can confirm that Xbox 360 will offer a Wireless N Networking Adapter that will enable Xbox 360 owners to seamlessly connect with their home network with the highest wireless ‘N’ technology. The Wireless N Networking Adapter will provide another choice to consumers and creates an easy way for Xbox 360 owners to fully enjoy the added benefits of Xbox LIVE. We look forward to sharing more details on this product soon. Stay tuned.
Great news!
2K Games has announced that BioShock 2 will launch around the world on 9th February, 2010. All three versions - PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 - will appear on the same day. BioShock 2 had been shaping up for an autumn 2009 launch, once upon a time, but was pushed to 2010 in order to receive more polish and to enjoy a less cluttered schedule. BioShock 2, as a reminder, casts players as the original Big Daddy, introduces a Big Sister arch-villain and includes multiplayer. Those are they key changes. New developer 2K Marin has retained the core experience, setting the action once more under the sea, where the twisted inhabitants of Rapture await, oozing ADAM and Eve from their pores.
