Xbox Group product manager Aaron Greenberg has refuted reports that Toshiba-Samsung Storage Technology Corp will develop a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360, claiming owners of the console would not be interested in such an add-on.
"We have no plans to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience," he told Major Nelson. "We believe that we shouldn't force people to pay for things they don't want."
Following the commercial failure of the HD-DVD format Microsoft decided to invest in, Greenberg also stated that Microsoft's position on high-definition movie and TV content is currently centred around digital distribution.
"We've invested in a massive library of entertainment content. That's why we're bringing things like Netflix to members in the US, that's why we're growing our library in Europe, that's why we're adding all types of entertainment experiences around the world.
"And Blu-ray: who knows? I'll tell you one thing: if you look... More »
For years, the Tokyo Game Show has been the one show on the calendar you can bet Sony is going to put on a performance.
Okay, they may have had a few issues in the past (overheating PS3s) but in general, TGS is their best show of the year. They nearly always headline the keynote and usually announce something or other.
This year, however, I can't help but feel that Sony isn't trying. Firstly, conceding the keynote to Microsoft is bad news, especially on home soil. With no major announcements from Sony, it was up to the publishers to deliver. At Square Enix, they had a closed cinema screening showing a trailer of their upcoming titles.
Problem was, the queue took forever and the film was too long (around 20 minutes). They showed all their development projects, of which half I'm sure most were uninterested in. There were no playable next-gen titles outside of the 360 area and the Square Enix booth was right next to Microsoft's.
Microsoft is suing shipping company DHL for allegedly losing 21,600 Xbox 360 consoles in a Texas train derailment, according to court documents.
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle, Microsoft said it is seeking more than US$2 million in damages from DHL for two containers of Xbox 360 consoles that sustained "impact damage, wetting, pilfering and shortage" after a derailment near Duke, Texas.
The Xboxes were en route from a Microsoft office in McAllen, Texas, to Long Beach, California, for eventual delivery to Hong Kong at the time of the loss, which occurred on Oct. 13, 2007, according to court papers. Flextronics Industrial in Hong Kong was the intended recipient.
Microsoft claims that DHL has refused to compensate it for the loss, even though the delivery service "negligently breached its duties as a common carrier, handler, bailee, warehouseman, agent, or in other capabilities," acc... More »
The Xbox 360 has once again beaten out the PlayStation 3 in Japan. This has been a continuing trend in the Japanese markets, ever since the 360’s price cut a few weeks ago.
Though the Wii and Nintendo DS have more than double Microsoft’s sales, the fact that the 360 is moving forward looks promising. But what does it mean for Microsoft and gamers?
Let’s consider the facts:
1. The Xbox 360 price cut has already bolstered sales in Japan, and rumors have it that Microsoft may cut the price of the 360 Elites even further, as well. We saw what two weeks of sales did for Microsoft. Of course, those sales were not only helped by the price cut, but also by the release of Tales of Vesperia and Infinite Undiscovery, two exclusives for the 360.
Now that the immediate surge is over, the 360 has once again fallen to fourth place in Japanese sales (behind the DS, Wii and PSP). Yet hopefully, this next round of price cuts should once again r... More »
I’m glad to be back here with the PlayStation Posse and talk about a game that I’m looking forward to – Age of Booty. No, it’s not an online dating game.
It’s a casual, pirate-themed, online strategy game from some of the makers of Halo.
Actually, I consider this more of a multiplayer party game because it’s really easy to play and allows for a lot of smack talk. Yarrr!
Here are more details:
• Release date: Soon (I’ll confirm when I get a solid date)
• Price: Only $9.99!
• Trophies: No comment at this time.
• Add on content: Lots of free map packs in the future plus some cool expansions.
• Players: Up to 8 players online – You can play a 4 player local match then take the team online!
• Demo:Available a couple weeks after launch with online multiplayer matches!
<... More »
Tokyo Game Show is all about Sony... or at least it was. The annual event is in full swing now and that table has turned. Microsoft is usually as quiet as a mouse wearing slippers while the Japanese based Sony enjoys the love-in, but to date it has been Microsoft dropping bombs. Let us elaborate...
Back in the good ol’ days (or not so good ol’ days, depending on which side of the line you’re on) at the Tokyo Game Show, Sony would come in first, Nintendo second, and Microsoft would be a distant afterthought.
Indeed prior to this year’s TGS, the Japanese convention was dominated by Sony, plain and simple. Their booth was the size of a football field, they gave interview access to everyone who was anyone and, best yet, they delivered top notch treatment to game journalists.
Such was Sony’s dominance of TGS that they would fly upwards of 10 Aussie journos to Japan and put them up in the most pimping of pimped out hotel suites to ensure cove... More »
For the very first time, Microsoft did a presentation at one of the biggest video game events in the world, which is the Tokyo Game Show.
Since the announcement of Microsoft appearing at the Tokyo Game Show, people were skeptical as to what they had to offer in this year’s event. There is news that is surprising to most of us and some are well expected.
Let’s take a look to the major announcements of Microsoft that might change the sales in Japan:
1. Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope It’s been confirmed once again that this is an XBOX 360 exclusive and it will be released in Japan on Feb 2009 while the US will have to wait a month later, March 3, 2009
2. Tekken 6 This might be a shocker to all Playstation 3 fans out there but Tekken 6 is one of the Sony’s biggest known exclusives but it seems Namco Bandai has decided to spread the Tekken 6 love to the XBOX 360.
Microsoft has revealed a batch of new software titles for the XBox 360 during its keynote session at the Tokyo Game Show today, naming the Halo project recently revealed by Bungie.
Halo 3 Recon is dated for autumn 2009, and sees the return of Microsoft's number one franchise to the XBox 360 system with new single and multiplayer content.
The latest big name franchise to make the leap to Microsoft's console is Tekken 6 from Namco Bandai, also due next autumn.
Tekken follows Final Fantasy as a franchise previously associated with Sony's PlayStation brand and highlights the recent trend for Japanese developers to go multiformat with releases.
A sequel to the Q Entertainment title Ninety Nine Nights is also due for the system, along with a handful of new XBox Live titles including Metal Slug 7 and King of Fighters 98 Ultimate Match from SNK Playmore.
(0) 
