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September 30 Xbox LIVE Back OnlineNuff said really. My Xbox and the Xbox.com forums also back up and running - have fun! Xbox LIVE Downtime UpdateSorry, it's taking a little bit longer than expected for LIVE to wake up. Keep an eye on Major Nelson for the atest updates, since it looks like he's staying up all night to keep you informed. What a legend. September 29 Xbox LIVE Update - 29/9First of all I wanted to say thanks to everyone who sent me nice messages (both on here and through LIVE) about the Saint's Row 2 videos we put up on Inside Xbox over the weekend. I'm delighted you enjoyed it and really appreciate you taking the time to let me know!
That aside, no marketplace update today because LIVE has called in sick for the day. You'll know this already, but LIVE is down for the next 24 hours (until 8am UK time tomorrow to be precise) to undergo some tweaking, polishing and preparing for the arrival of NXE later this year.
Just to reiterate - NXE is NOT coming tomorrow - but this LIVE downtime is paving the way for its arrival later this year. More details on exactly when it's coming will follow.
In other news, those of you who follow the mighty Greenford Gaints may like to know that after last week's season-opener defeat (0-2 away from home) we got our first points on the board yesterday in a 1-1 draw. Our new home ground is a FORTRESS.
Try to enjoy your LIVE-less day!
September 27 New Look Xbox.com Looks AceSo you've seen the new ads, now it's time to check out the new look Xbox.com! It's all about choosing which kind of Xbox moment you want to live - and then finding out exactly why Xbox can make it happen! If you're in the UK it's live now and it'll be rolling out in countries across Europe in the coming days and weeks. Check it out at www.Xbox.com/en-GB and remember to let me know what you think! September 25 Live Your Moment With the New Xbox Ad Campaign!Planning on watching some TV tonight? This evening sees the start of a new European TV advertising campaign for Xbox 360 that will try to capture those Xbox moments we all experience - nailing a solo on Rock Band, battering some criminals in coop on LEGO Batman, or settling down with an HD movie downloaded from Video Store. This advertising campaign - on TV and in print - will be supported right across Xbox and will include a swanky new homepage design for Xbox.com, coming soon to your country. And with the upcoming months including the arrival of NXE, Gears of War 2, Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour, LIPS, Tomb Raider Underworld, Bond: Quantum of Solace, Halo Wars and much, much more, we think this really is the best time ever to own an Xbox 360. We hope you think so too! You can check out the ads now over at www.Xbox.com - just click on the following links:
PLEASE NOTE: Treat this as a heads-up on the new campaign. The TV ads may not run in your country, or there may be changes to the creative in your country. We want to make sure that you are aware of what's going on! Here's further details on the ad campaign and the adverts themselves: XBOX 360 INVITES EUROPE TO “LIVE THEIR MOMENT” WITH NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN LONDON, 25th September 2008: As part of the largest marketing investment since launch, Microsoft today announced a global integrated marketing campaign that reflects the change the Xbox brand is bringing to entertainment, to gaming, and to the way we play together. The broad gaming and entertainment experiences Xbox consumers enjoy with their friends and family are forcing a step change in the way people perceive the platform, and the campaign illustrates these moments through a variety of media and executions. The campaign, which kicks off on 25th September, includes television, billboard, and print ads, as well as retail displays and digital marketing around the world, supported by PR outreach, social networking and direct customer communication efforts. Additionally, Xbox.com has undergone a fundamental step change, created and built by AKQA London, to embody the fusion of gaming and entertainment that Xbox represents, coinciding with when the TV advertising airs in a given market. “Since the launch of the original Xbox, our platform has clearly won the hearts and minds of core gamers through top-rated franchises such as ‘Halo’ and ‘Gears of War’,” said David Gosen, VP Marketing, Xbox Europe. “Our commitment to the core is unwavering and we continue to invest in the experiences that made Xbox what it is today, including our ongoing stellar 1st and 3rd party core gamer marketing efforts around titles such as ‘Gears of War 2’, ‘Fable II’, ‘Tomb Raider: Underworld’, and ‘Pro Evolution Soccer 2009’. “Right now there’s a strategic imperative to broaden our audience and engage with more and more varied consumers than ever before,” said Gosen. “We’re doing that with our broadest and strongest Christmas games line-up ever. We’re speaking to consumers through a fully integrated consumer marketing campaign aimed at reaching the casual and social segments. It’s a defining time for Xbox 360, and this campaign will help change the way consumers feel about the brand and platform and create emotional engagement with new audiences.” The Creative The films were directed by Daniel Askill, who has created advertising campaigns for brands such as Air France, Hummer and Cadillac. Askill has a strong reputation within the creative community, with Screen International asserting: “Askill has sealed his reputation as an extremely hot property” on the back of his award winning short film, We Have Decided Not To Die. To create the magic of the Xbox experience, miniature sets were built rather than created in CGI. The films were shot in Prague, which has a long history of miniature building, using a team of craftsmen. The level of detail in the miniatures is exquisite, from tiny lights that worked in each of the buildings in Lego Batman, to the stacks of speakers and intricate scaffolding in Rock Band 2, to the rows of tiny velvet chairs in the cinema set. As always I'd LOVE to hear what you think about the ads! Big Pimpin': My Saints Row 2 Video Up on Inside Xbox NowIt's been a little while, but I'm back on Inside Xbox! Sorry about that. If you head to the UK feed now you'll be able to see part one of my Saints Row 2 videos, filmed on location in Prague with a staggering costume budget.
Check it out, let me know what you think, and I'll let you know when part two (featuring more of the lovely Miss Patrick...) goes up. Halo 3: The Mystery Awaits...Have you seen the holding page on Bungie.net? Expecting something big? Well, it's here...
Almost! Head over to www.Bungie.net NOW to see the mystery begin to unfold...
Marketplace version coming soon. September 24 EDITED: Delta Blues - Gears of War 2 ViDoc 3 Goes LiveWith just over a month to go until Gears 2 slices through your life like a Lancer through hot Locust, Epic has just released the latest ViDoc for the game. Called Delta Blues, it's a closer look at the characters who make up Delta Squad. You can see it now on www.GearsofWar.com, or head to Xbox LIVE Marketplace to download it for yourself.
Deets:
"Today, Microsoft releases “Delta Blues,” the third installment in a series of video documentaries that showcase the development of “Gears of War 2.”
“Delta Blues” provides an inside look at the members of Delta Squad from those who know them best. In this vidoc, find out what it means to never fight alone as Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski, senior producer Rod Fergusson and president Mike Capps discuss the iconic characters who comprise Delta Squad, as well as the new characters introduced in “Gears of War 2.”
Stay tuned for more vidocs as we approach the worldwide launch of “Gears of War 2” on 7th November, exclusively on Xbox 360. For more information about “Gears of War 2,” visit www.gearsofwar.com."
Is it just me or does this ViDoc remind anyone else of that old 'Walking in Memphis' song?
EDIT: Seems like the ViDoc isn't available on Marketplae after all - trying to figure out why, will let you know when it is! Marketplace Update - 24/9It's time to kick ass and chew bubblegum - and I'm all out of gum... YES! Duke Nukem 3D is here! I have such good memories of this game on my old 486 PC, and weirdly enough it was the first game that I ever played online (on a dial-up connection against my old mate from Aberdeen Chris Hinton) AND the first game that I ever downloaded additional content for - user created maps. I remember being totally amazed by all that back then... Anyway, the full game is 800 MS Points or you can try the trial game for free.
Also available today on this fine day:
September 23 Xbox LIVE Downtime Alert - September 29Xbox LIVE and the LIVE-powered sections of Xbox.com (My Xbox and the Forums) will be down for 24 hours from 0900 UK time (1000 CET) on September 29 - but it's not all bad news! This downtime is really important as the Xbox LIVE team will be using it to prepare the service for the arrival of the New Xbox Experience later this year!
Just to be clear, NXE WILL NOT come online when the downtime finishes, but the service will then be ready to receive NXE when it does eventually go live.
Official blurb:
"Xbox LIVE and Xbox.com will be down for 24 hours, beginning on September 29, 2008 from 12:01 AM PST until 11:59 PM PST. This service maintenance will allow us to bring some exciting new features and functionality to you this holiday and beyond through the New Xbox Experience."
So no Xbox LIVE for a day on September 29, but good things come to those who wait... New Halo Achievements Coming TomorrowI hadn't heard about this but there's a bunch of new Halo 3 Achievements arriving tomorrow in a Title Update. What a nice surprise! Gamerscoreblog has all the details, and by all the details I mean TONS of details, so hit them up. EDITED: Marketplace Update - 23/9We had a big conference for third party developers yesterday and I got the chance to play Guitar Hero: World Tour, Rock Band 2, LIPS and You're in the Movies (among other stuff!). Lots of fun - it's going to be really tough to choose between RB2 and GH: WT - it's going to come down to the setlist you prefer or perhaps how good GH's studio mode is.
In the meantime, LOADS of new Rock Band content to keep you rocking (including the lost Rush tracks from the other week). Remember it'll all carry over to Rock Band 2.
EDITED: Removed the Chilis, my bad, sorry about that. Will let you know when those tracks do go up. Also added the Rush Moving Pictures track pack details. September 22 You're In Good Company - Xbox 360 Hits 6 Million In EuropeThat's a lot of potential people for your Friends List...
XBOX 360 HITS SIX MILLION IN EUROPE
LONDON, 22 September 2008: 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 this Autumn 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 free software, changing the way we play games, watch movies, and even become contestants in game shows. Major Nelson Tours The Avatar Creator in NXEAvatars, avatars, avatars. If there's one part of the New Xbox Experience that's got people talking, it's Avatars. Well, in this video Major Nelson is doing the talking as he demos how you can create, customise and er, belch, your Avatar. I was playing around with this myself on Friday and it's a lot of fun...
I guess that wasn't intended as a self-portrait Major? September 19 Marketplace Update - 19/9Fridays are good, aren't they? Things have been crazy busy around here lately - we've got loads of stuff coming up over the coming months and you'll start to see a lot of stuff happening over the coming weeks. It's always busy running up to Christmas with all the big titles and stuff coming out, but this year in particular is manic! All good fun though, and I'm working on one thing in particular which I think is extremely cool...
So I did promise some stories from my trip to Ibiza Rocks Hotel for the closing party of the Xbox Presents Rock Band Live Competition. The weekend was insane - not much sleep, but LOTS of good times. The deal was that all the best bands who took part in the Rock Band Live competition from the UK, France and Germany gathered together at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel in San Antonio for a week of sun, sea, and searing rock and roll riffs. We've got an Xbox Social lounge set up at the hotel (right next to the pool!) with loads of consoles and a Rock Band stage, so it really was a sweet set-up. Every afternoon the bands were getting up and performing, forming supergroups, going solo, having 'creative differences', and some other rock and roll stuff that's unmentionable. Last weekend was the closing party so the Cuban Brotheres were performing, Zane Lowe was DJing, and the Mystery Jets played an exclusive free gig. I was there interviewing everyone - and generally acting like an eejit by dressing up as a Motley Crue/Poison-inspired 80s hair metaller. No photos I'm afraid as I, brilliantly, forgot to take my camera. Wait until you see the leggings though...
My highlights:
Seriously though, thanks to all the competition winners for being such a good laugh and getting involved. I had an absolutely amazing time. The Inside Xbox vids are being edited now and should be ready late next week, I'll keep you posted. Oh, and my Saints Row 2 vids should be ready soon too - AceyBongos is BACK on Inside Xbox! And so to today's business...
Have a great weeekend! September 18 Marketplace Update - 18/9It's days like today when I realise just how good marketplace really is...
September 17 Marketplace Update - 17/9Arcade triple whammy today - Feeding Frenzy 2 (sequel to the fishy eat-'em-up, 800 MS Points) and Domino Master (that one takes care of itself really, 800 MS Points) are all available now. You can get free trial versions of all three too if you're tight/canny/cautious. Either way, I love you.
Oh, and if you're a fan of Ticket to Ride then you should choo-choo-choose the 1910 Expansion pack, which comes with 35 new destinations and the new Globetrotter bonus card!
If that's not enough to satisfy your gluttonous Marketplace urges then you can also chow down on these morsels:
EDITED: Removed Zombie Wranglers as it seems not to have gone live. Sorry!
UK Inside Xbox Archive Gets PUMPED Full of VideosYou know how you've had that nagging feeling lately? That sensation that your life just won't be complete unless you see that video of MrPointyHead interviewing the developers of Shawn White's Snowboarding again? Well, YOU'RE IN LUCK.
We've just stuffed more classic Inside Xbox videos into the Inside Xbox archive on UK Xbox.com so you can watch them videos as much as you want. Lucky you! I'm pretty excited about the whole thing, especially as the plan is to use this archive as a place for director's cuts, bloopers and extended versions.
Check out the archive on the UK Xbox.com Community Section. September 16 Marketplace Update - 16/9More great Rock Band content today, and don't forget that Metallica's new album Death Magnetic is available in its entirety for Guitar Hero III (1440 MS Points). I bought the CD on Sunday and it's AMAZING.
Assorted rock and roll stories from my weekend in Ibiza coming soon... Happy Days - New Xbox 360 Estimated Retail PricesAs of this Friday (September 19) entering the wonderful world of Xbox 360 will be cheaper than ever. New estimated retail prices (ERPs):
Words from the boss: “We’re proud to be expanding the reach of Xbox as the first next-generation console to break the €200/£150 barrier, making the platform up to €200/£170 less expensive than competitors” said Chris Lewis, Vice President, Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business Europe. “History shows that the majority of console sales happen after this price point has been breached, and we’re well positioned to take advantage of this mass market pricing. We’re passing on the benefits of being the first console to sell over 20 million units worldwide, and of the ever-expanding ecosystem of Xbox, to consumers. We offer a large library of games and family entertainment for Xbox 360, with 90 titles coming between now and Christmas alone, and we’re redefining what people can expect from entertainment with the new Xbox LIVE experience debuting later this year. Plus, with well over five million consoles sold to date the combination of the strongest games line up this Christmas, really innovative entertainment experiences and these groundbreaking new price points will ensure we continue to enjoy fantastic momentum in Europe.” |
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