Free Xbox Live Codes

Modern Warfare 2 Virus Infects Xbox Live

2009-12-16T22:16:00.001-08:00

from http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Xbox-Live-Modern-Warfare-Virus,news-5369.html

Someone figured out an exploit to unlock unlimited ammo, however now it's spreading across Xbox Live like a virus.

There's something fishy going on with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. A few sources deem the situation as a quasi-virus infestation, spreading across Xbox Live and infecting gamers playing Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer matches online. Like an epidemic, it started at one source--presumably a modder--and is now taking over the network, living in the console's cache as it follows player after player, infecting other unsuspecting gamers in every joined match.

But don't worry: this virus won't brick your console's HDD. In fact, some gamers may take it as an early Christmas present, granting unlimited ammo for all weapons, and providing nonexistent loading times. That's definitely not something to cry about, however this "gift" won't go away: it remains no matter what private match you join. Obviously, this type of "cheat" can create a problem in overall gameplay balance, perhaps even making the matches unplayable.

However Infinity Ward community manager Robert Bowling said on his Twitter page that the problem is being addressed, and that patches are currently in the works. "It'll be posted on the forums in the new Status Update forum at the top," Bowling said, referring to the latest update on the fix. "I'll link to it here though so you know when it's posted."

Players who come across this "infectious" exploit will need to disconnect from Xbox Live and reboot the console in order to get rid of the problem, according to Kotaku. Currently there's no information on how this exploit works, or if its causing any real underlying damage or security breaches.

MW2 Jav Patch

2009-12-16T21:55:00.001-08:00

MODERN WARFARE 2 JAVELIN GLITCH PATCHED

Javelin glitch have you down? Don't worry, you won't be screaming at another gamer much longer about their abuse of the glitch. Thanks to the tweets from both MajorNelson & Stepto from Microsoft, we know now that the patch will be hitting Xbox Live in the next few hours.

While we've yet to receive any confirmation about the Playstation 3 side of things, we're expecting that the patch for Playstation 3 should be coming relatively soon as well. The tweets from the Microsoft guys can be found below:

Stepto tweeted, "Xbox360 #MW2 update will be out late late tonight/the wee hours of the morning PST. Just in time for the weekend! #ByeByeJavelinGlitch"

MajorNelson tweeted, "This just in: The Title Update that addresses the #MW2 javelin exploit will go live early Friday morning (PT.)"

There you have it, one of the most annoying glitches in Modern Warfare 2 is finally being resolved. Let's just hope that nothing else flares up from this most recent patch. Be sure to check back soon for more news on Modern Warfare 2!

MW2

2009-12-16T21:52:00.001-08:00

Microsoft Corp. this week said Activision Blizzard Inc.'s Modern Warfare 2 topped usage in the Xbox Live division of the Xbox 360.

For the week of Dec. 7, Modern Warfare 2 ranked as the No. 1 Xbox Live title based on unique users.

Titles Halo 3 and Call of Duty: World at War rounded out the top three Xbox Live titles in the same period.

Retailer Amazon.com this week discounted Modern Warfare 2 Hardened Edition to $59.00.

In addition, it is offering a free $50 gift card with the purchase of an Xbox 360 Elite Winter Bundle

Modern Warfare 2, released Nov. 10, sold 6 million copies in Nov. U.S. sales.

Microsoft in Nov. released the Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 Bundle $399.99.

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Halo: Reach

2009-12-14T18:43:00.001-08:00

Microsoft Corp. this month debuted the new trailer forHalo: Reach, the next installment in the blockbuster Halo franchise for the Xbox 360.

The new trailer introduces Noble Team, a squad of Spartan soldiers.

Halo: Reach is said to chart the story of Noble Team in their stand to defend the planet Reach against the Covenant.

A multiplayer beta will begin in spring 2010.

The title will be released in late 2010.

Microsoft in Sept. released Halo 3: ODST, a stand-alone expansion that includes co-op multiplayer functionality.

Microsoft in Nov. began sale of the new Xbox 360 250GB Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition SKU.

It Sept., it began sale of the Xbox 360 Elite 2009 Holiday Bundle with two game titles at $299.99.

Follow Punch Jump on Twitter for breaking video game news.

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The Dismal State of Xbox vs PlayStation In Japan

2009-12-13T15:31:00.001-08:00

There's been a lot of talk lately regarding Sony's November NPD results, in which they lost to the Xbox 360 by a small margin compared to last year. It's important to note that the PS3 sold significantly more than last year, where the PlayStation 3 sold only 378,000 units. On the other hand, Microsoft experienced a small decline year over year selling 20,000 units less than last year. So it's safe to say that Sony are still strong competition for Microsoft in North America.

The same cannot be said for Xbox in Japan. I've seen quite a few articles regarding the Xbox 360 in Japan, most of them arguing that Microsoft should give up in Japan. To get the full extent of how bad the Xbox 360 is doing in Japan, you need to see some numbers.

The Xbox 360 launched in Japan on December 10 2005, a whole year before the PlayStation 3 launched in Japan. Since that time, the console has managed to sell just over 1 million units. The PlayStation 3, which came out a year later, has sold just over 4 million units to date in Japan alone. Yet even more embarassing for Microsoft, is that the Xbox 360 was even outsold by the PlayStation 2 from December 2005, with the PS2 selling over 3 million units in the same period (please be aware that VGC uses Media Create numbers for their Japanese statistics).

So Microsoft have been outsold by a more expensive and less supported next generation console, and by an old, cheaper, last generation console as well, but should they really give up on Japan?

Stolen Xbox ROFL

2009-12-09T17:07:00.001-08:00

(taken from http://www.tracypress.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Police+log-+Burglars+walk+off+with+Xbox-+laptop%20&id=5074681-Police+log-+Burglars+walk+off+with+Xbox-+laptop&instance=home_news_lead_story)

A person on the 2700 block of Hawkins Lane called at 3:23 p.m. Tuesday to report seeing a guy carrying an Xbox 360 walk out of a home that had its front door kicked in.

The guy got into a blue BMW and drove off with another person in the car.

The caller said his father was at work and his mother was picking up his two brothers was at work at the time of the burglary, and that a laptop was also stolen. Police detained two men and a boy, but made no arrests.

The Tracy Police Department received 163 calls for service on Tuesday. The following is a sample of those calls:

5:06 a.m.: A woman reported hearing five or six gunshots from the ACE Train station at 4800 S. Tracy Blvd. A minute later, police received a second call reporting gunshots either in the parking lot of the train platform, or on Tracy Boulevard. Police found nothing.

7:59 a.m.: A man on the 800 block of Palm Court reported his 14-year-old son was “out of control,” and wanted to know “what he can legally do with his child.” The kid was gone when an officer arrived, and police gave the man “information regarding available resources.”

8:57 a.m.: A caller reported a head-on crash at 11th Street and MacArthur Drive. A Nissan Sentra and a 2003 Mercedes collided, an ambulance was called in, as was a tow truck.

10:36 a.m.: Graffiti was reported on the 200 block of Portola Way.

11:32 a.m.: A caller from Nation’s Giant Hamburgers, 3574 N. Tracy Blvd. reported a transient was bugging customers for money outside, and when he was asked to leave, he yelled at the caller. An officer asked him to leave and he did, and told the man employees don’t want him on the property and can refuse service.

12:56 p.m.: A caller complained that an “elderly” neighbor couldn’t walk out to his trash can because another neighbor’s pit bull was wandering around. An officer warned the dog’s owner and the pooch was brought inside, but as soon as the officer left, the dog was let out of the house, the caller said.

1:07 p.m.: A car burglary was reported on the 500 block of Clarence Bromell Street.

1:41 p.m.: A caller reported the garage door was “up about 2 feet” at a vacant home on the 500 block of Sir Lancelot Court. An officer said the place was empty.

2:12 p.m.: A car was towed after going into a ditch near Sugar Cut and Tracy Boulevard, and a person was taken to the hospital, a caller said.

2:30 p.m.: A woman at the Chesapeake Bay Apartments, 2941 W. Lowell Ave., reported receiving mail with her name and Social Security number on it, and so has her daughter. She said they both might have had their identities stolen.

3:04 p.m.: Police detained two people after a caller from Big Five, 3200 Naglee Road, reported a man and woman were shoplifting.

3:49 p.m.: A woman on Gibralter Lane reported her 17-year-old adopted daughter was molesting her “18-month old.” The woman said the girl has already been removed from the house, but had previously been suspected of molesting the caller’s 13-year-old son.

5:14 p.m.: A caller reported a 14-year-old son was “jumped” by three boys at South School, 500 W. Mount Diablo Ave.

5:50 p.m.: A caller from Citi Financial, 2633 Naglee Road, reported receiving counterfeit money earlier in the day.

5:58 p.m.: A caller from Realty World Corral Hollow, 628 N. Central Ave., reported graffiti on an office building.

6:05 p.m.: Graffiti was reported on “residential property” on the 1900 block of Cactus Street.

6:10 p.m.: Graffiti was reported on the 700 block of Roosevelt Avenue.

6:12 p.m.: Police received an online report of graffiti at True Value Hardware, 30 E. 10th St.

6:18 p.m.: A caller reported “renters” on the 200 block of West 20th Street were taking a shed that belonged to the caller. It turned out the caller was the property owner’s grandson, and police said it was a civil rather than criminal matter.

6:21 p.m.: Police got an online report that a car was broken into at the Chesapeake Bay Apartments, 2941 W. Lowell Ave.

6:43 p.m.: Someone walking to work reported finding bullets at Windsong Drive and Tracy Boulevard. There were four bullets, and two were for a 9-millimeter gun. Police destroyed the bullets.

7:29 p.m.: A caller reported someone in a pickup stole “wood pallets” from the back of Safeway, 1801 W. 11th St.

7:31 p.m.: Police arrested 30-year-old woman on suspicion of drunken driving on the 2000 block of Superior Court. Her white 2005 GMC Yukon was towed.

8 p.m.: A guy in his 20s swiped an 18-pack of beer from 7-Eleven, 2360 W. Grant Line Road, a caller said, and the store has surveillance camera footage of the theft.

This column includes a sample of items as reported in the Tracy Police Department dispatcher’s daily log. Additional information is based on reports from officers and other law enforcement agencies. To anonymously report information about a crime: Crime Stoppers, 831-6847.

Xbox 360: Not big in Japan

2009-12-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

(taken directly from http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/12/08/xbox-360-not-big-in-japan/)

Would it be foolish to begin this story with the words “poor Microsoft”? I mean, the company isn’t exactly hurting for money, and yet it looks like 2009 was the year that the Xbox 360 finally died in Japan. Not that the Xbox 360 ever really did well in Japan, but this year it looks like everything fell off a cliff.

Look at this chart. It shows the sales of the various game consoles this year. You’ll immediately notice that sales across all platforms are down this year, which makes sense: the people who wanted a Wii probably hve a Wii by now, etc. The best selling console was the Nintendo DS (no doubt helped by the release of Dragon Quest IX), followed by the Wii, PSP (?!), PS3, PS2 (?!), and, lastly, the Xbox 360.

That’s right: the nine-year-old PS2 has outsold the Xbox 360 in Japan in 2009.

I’m not sure how much Microsoft cares, or should care. There weren’t too many (any?) Japanese games released exclusively for the system this year, so it probably wasn’t expecting… well, not monster sales, but respectable sales.

And then when you figure in that the Xbox 360 is so obviously a system designed and executed with the North American market in mind, and that Japan has always been an afterthought for the system, then you see where I’m going with this.

2010 Predictions

2009-12-08T18:12:00.000-08:00

(taken directly from http://www.gamedaily.com/games/wii-sports/wii/game-features/2010-predictions/)

Barring the apocalypse, 2010 should be an interesting year. NBA free agents, LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, will think about joining other teams, Iron Man 2 will rock the box office and numerous games will hit shelves, including Mass Effect 2, Bayonetta and Splinter Cell: Conviction, with plenty more to follow.

That said, behold our 2010 video game predictions. We'll revisit them winter 2011 to see how right (or horribly wrong) we were.

Overpriced DLC

We don't mean to sound like the elderly, but back in our day, downloadable content cost $5. Now companies attempt to gouge consumers with overpriced video games. Madden NFL Arcade, for example, is worth playing, but not for $14.99 (1200 Microsoft Points).

Unfortunately, these games will only grow more expensive. Both Sony and Microsoft (with PSP go and Xbox Live, respectively) host downloadable games that cost $10 more than their retail counterparts, and other companies will attempt to make a quick buck off players eager to purchase stuff the second it's made available. We suggest waiting for price drops, or stock up on points cards this holiday season.

The Who: Rock Band

Listen, we know that the iconic band has a loyal following, but it doesn't come close to matching The Beatles. That's why the rumor of Harmonix working on The Who: Rock Band (sort of revealed by band member Roger Daltrey) left us unimpressed. Senile old man? Possibly, but we expect this game to arrive next fall, with Harmonix crossing its fingers that this (and not U2: Rock Band) was the smart decision.

Revived classics

Both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network play host to numerous retro hits, and publishers will continue to use both services to promote the past. We'll see Dreamcast games on PlayStation 3, as well as possible Saturn/Sega CD games like Panzer Dragoon, Radiant Silvergun and Sonic CD. Namco Bandai could release more Rolling Thunder games (or a sequel), while Capcom will revive its Strider series.

New Zelda revealed

Although we don't expect to buy a new Zelda in 2010, Nintendo will probably unveil the next chapter in the franchise at next summer's Electronic Entertainment Expo. We're short on details, but odds are good that it'll star a young elf named Link, a princess in distress and a fantasy world under siege. That is, unless Nintendo makes dramatic changes to the formula. It already went on record as saying that the game has a "new structure", whatever that means.

More expensive special editions/bundles

We hope you enjoy spending money, because you'll do plenty of that next year.

If you think Modern Warfare 2's $149.99 Prestige Edition is ridiculous, wait until you see what companies have in store for 2010. Since every big release seems to warrant a feature-packed (and pricier) collector's version, publishers will keep trying to outdo each other with more over the top goodies, art books and other stuff; AKA, things you don't need, but will purchase anyway.

New Call of Duty

Infinity Ward covered COD this year with Modern Warfare 2, so development duties return to Treyarch, the company behind last year's mega popular Call of Duty: World at War. Obviously, predicting another COD is like guessing whether they'll be clouds in the sky, but the big question is whether it'll take place during World War II.

One of two things will happen: either Treyarch will set the game in WWII and put an unexpected twist on the gameplay, or it'll choose another conflict, perhaps behind enemy lines during the Cold War, or maybe even Vietnam.

People stop buying Wii

Thanks to a motion sensitive remote, Nintendo managed to dominate sales charts with a console that's essentially a supped up GameCube. 2010, however, marks the proverbial beginning of the end for Wii, at least in its current form. It was a great run, but consumers want high definition graphics, and with Sony and Microsoft showcasing motion technology (with PS3 Motion and Natal, respectively), customers will abandon Wii in favor of new, more advanced experiences. This will, as expected, prompt Mario and Co. to dream up something new. Before it releases a new system, though, we'll receive...

DVD playing Wii

Surprise! Nintendo will release a Wii that plays DVDs. No, it won't be in high definition or spruce up older games. It'll just serve as an all in one babysitter for snot nosed kids too young to play the next Call of Duty on Xbox 360.

Sony outsells Micrososft

Microsoft doesn't want to hear this, but the PS3 will catch up to (and possibly overtake) Xbox 360. Sony has gained significant ground the past few months, and with God of War III due next spring, the proverbial stage is set for a fist flying, groin kicking battle that, eventually, Sony will win. That is, unless Natal meets and exceeds expectations. It's Microsoft's fight to lose.

Gears of War 3

Epic Games will roll out the next chapter in its sci-fi blood bath, then release the game next fall. Expect more chainsaw wielding, Locust stomping goodness, with improved multiplayer, a fun but short single player campaign and one pissed off COG named Marcus Fenix.

iPhone considered gaming platform, beats PSP

After years of people insisting that Apple's iPhone is just that, a phone, more high profile games will convince consumers to treat the device as a gaming platform. That ultimately spells doom for PSP go, which will continue to flounder because of its overpriced and unimpressive lineup; Sony eventually discontinues it.

No Tony Hawk

Skateboard celeb, Tony Hawk, stands by his latest game, Tony Hawk Ride, but weak sales will convince Activision to either pull the plug on the franchise or once again go back to the proverbial drawing board. This leaves the door wide open for EA to claim the skateboard throne.

New Play Control: Luigi's Mansion

Nintendo will continue to release games with Wii motion controls, and one of them will be the GameCube launch title, Luigi's Mansion. All ten fans of that game (us included) rejoiced.

The ABCs of Wii, Xbox and PlayStation 3

2009-12-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

(taken directly from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703558004574584092019800978.html?mod=googlenews_wsj)

With holiday shopping comes anxiety about getting the right gifts. Does Dad already own a copy of "Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits"? Was Mom expecting a new pepper mill, or was that Aunt Carol? It's even worse for people shopping for the video gamers in their lives: Understanding the technical specifications of each console can seem as difficult as getting to the highest level in a game of Halo.

This week, I've done the dirty work for you: I've amassed a collection of vital details about the three most popular systems—Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii—so that you can get a handle on what each offers and what it will cost you.

• Nintendo Wii

Nintendo recently dropped the Wii's price, for the first time, to $200 from $250. The Wii Console comes with a controller, an additional controller called a Nunchuk, and the Wii Sports game, which includes baseball, tennis, golf, bowling and boxing. It holds 512 megabytes of flash memory, but you can increase this by inserting SecureDigital memory cards. It also accepts high-capacity SD cards, or SDHCs, of up to 32 gigabytes.

The couch-potato world of videogamers was shaken up when the Wii, with its motion-sensitive remote control, was introduced about three years ago. Users can play Wii Golf, for instance, by swinging the remote like a golf club. In September, Nintendo added to its lineup a $20 remote-control accessory called Wii MotionPlus that was designed to add more precision to game motions. I tested this snap-on piece and found that it did make the Wii's motions feel more realistic. But it works only with Wii MotionPlus games—and there are only six of them; 10 more are planned for 2010.

Wii encourages users to move around in more ways than just waving a remote: Its Wii Balance Board, which comes with the Wii Fit Plus game in a $100 bundle, works like a digital exercise step. It records the body's weight shifts and movements for activities from yoga to wake-boarding.

The Wii accesses the Internet and lets users compete online against others. About 655 packaged games are available for between $30 and $50. Also, you can use pre-purchased Nintendo Points to buy and download about 150 WiiWare games and over 325 titles from the older Virtual Console library. Each game costs between 300 and 1,500 points, or between about $3 and $15.

WiiConnect24 can send messages from one Wii to another over the Internet, as long the two users exchange "Wii numbers." Users can also surf the Web with Wii's Opera browser. But beyond this, no other Web features—like downloadable movies, social-networking applications or streaming music—will work on this system.

Parental controls can be set on the Wii to restrict kids from using the Web browser, playing games that have a certain rating or communicating online.

• Microsoft Xbox 360

Microsoft recently stepped up its game by adding features to its $200 Xbox 360 that make it well-rounded rather than strictly geared toward serious gamers. People who buy the Xbox LIVE Gold membership, for $50 a year, get applications for Facebook, Twitter, the Last.fm music-streaming service, online multiplayer game play, video chat, Netflix (Netflix subscription required), photo sharing via the Xbox, and movie or photo "parties" that allow users to watch a movie simultaneously with seven other friends.

Xbox LIVE Silver membership is free and includes basic features like voice and text chat, as well as access to the Zune video library's 20,000 TV shows and movies to buy or rent. The Xbox also allows media-streaming over a home network. To connect your Xbox to the Internet, you'll need to buy a $100 Wi-Fi adapter. By contrast, the Wii and PlayStation 3 have built-in Wi-Fi.

Anyone who owns a Microsoft Zune media player can buy a TV show or movie and download it to an Xbox or PC as well as the Zune. Zunes can be plugged into the Xbox to play music, as can Apple iPods.

The base Xbox comes with a wireless controller and 512 megabytes of memory. For $100 more, the Elite Holiday Bundle includes a 120-gigabyte hard drive, headset, wireless controller, and two games: "LEGO Batman: The Videogame" and "Pure." More than 1,200 games are available for the Xbox, mostly costing between $29 and $60. About 350 of the games can be downloaded from the Xbox LIVE Arcade (costing 400 to 1,600 points, or $5 to $20) or the Games on Demand library.

Microsoft confirmed plans to introduce Project Natal, a system that lets people operate games with gestures and body movements rather than remote controls. Natal will work with all Xbox 360 consoles. Microsoft won't confirm a date.

Family settings let parents control whether their kids play games online and with whom they play, as well as the ratings of the games. A Family Timer regulates how long kids play.

• Sony PlayStation 3

Sony's PlayStation, like the Xbox 360, is designed with serious gamers in mind. Its base version costs $300 and includes a 120-gigabyte hard drive and a DualShock 3 wireless controller; $50 more buys a version with a 250-gigabyte hard drive. Both systems can be upgraded with any standard 2.5-inch hard drive. The PlayStation is also a Blu-ray disc player.

Like the Xbox, the PlayStation 3, or PS3, now offers extra features, but these features are all included in the PlayStation Network, which is free (not $50 monthly like Xbox LIVE Gold). These PlayStation Network extras include Netflix instant streaming, a Web browser, photo slide shows, the ability to stream media over a home network to the PS3, a Facebook application that shares game information with friends and the PlayStation Network video-delivery service, where users can purchase 2,400 high- and standard-definition movies and 15,000 TV episodes.

The PS3 and the PlayStation Portable, Sony's portable gaming device, are married in many ways. A new feature called Blu-ray Portable Copy lets users make a free standard-definition copy of some Blu-ray movies for transfer to a PlayStation Portable. Remote Play lets people stream media files from the PS3 to the PlayStation Portable in Wi-Fi hot spots or remotely turn the PS3 on or off using the PlayStation Portable. Movies and TV shows from the PlayStation Network can be transferred to either system, so you can start a movie on a big-screen TV and finish it on the PlayStation Portable; the same can be done for games.

About 400 games are available on Blu-ray for the PS3; these cost between $30 and $60. More than 150 titles, costing between $3 and $40, can be downloaded directly to the PS3. Sony confirmed that it will release a motion-sensing controller, but it hasn't set a date.

Parental restrictions for the PS3 include the ability to restrict games, DVDs and Blu-ray discs with certain ratings. Parents can also limit monthly spending or Web browsing.

Avatar Pets kenneled on Xbox Live Dec. 3

2009-12-07T15:58:00.002-08:00

Twelve digital companions, including dogs, cats, ponies, headed for Microsoft's online platform for $3 each; Final Fantasy XIII tie-in chocobo coming this holiday.

At the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Microsoft touted a number of new features coming to Xbox Live this year, including the now-available Avatar Marketplace and Facebook application. One addition that Microsoft didn't mention, but that was spotted later in July as part of a US Patent and Trademark Office filing, was Avatar Pets. Today, Microsoft made Avatar Pets official, announcing the digital companions will be available beginning December 3.

Twelve pets will be available as part of the initial run for Avatar Pets: Large Dog, Pug Dog, Dog in Bag, Cat, Siamese Cat, Long-Haired Cat, Goldfish, Guinea Pig, Pony, Monkey, Bird, and Snake. Pets will be available through the Avatar Marketplace for MSP 240 ($3) a piece.

As expected, limited edition Avatar Pets will also be available, beginning with a Final Fantasy chocobo this holiday. A tie-in to the March 9 release of Final Fantasy XIII, the chocobo pet will be available to gamers who register on the game's Xbox.com page.

Microsoft did not indicate how gamers will be able to interact with their Avatar Pets. However, as part of Microsoft's patent application in July, the publisher indicated that pets would play a role in future advertising campaigns. Namely, Microsoft's filing suggested a way in which gamers would be compensated for advocating certain products with virtual pet food.

Xbox LIVE iPhone App

2009-12-07T15:58:00.001-08:00

Can't get enough Xbox LIVE out of your Xbox 360? Apple iPhone owner? Two bucks to spare? You might care to give 360 Live a look. It's a smallish 1.6MB app available through Apple's iPhone store designed to let you reach out and touch your Xbox LIVE account from just about anywhere, as well as several of the service's tracking and messaging features.

Accordingly, you can manage your Gamertag as you would in front of the actual box, adding, removing, accepting, or rejecting friend requests. You can see who's online or not, check 'gamerscores' (a numeric tally of lifetime game achievements), biographical info, avatars, locations, and so on. It's possible to keep tabs on friends' game histories and compare achievements in general or by game, and if you're into text chatting through LIVE as opposed to standard messaging tools, you can read and send your LIVE messages--even dispatch to multiple recipients at once.

This isn't the first version of the app, but it is the first that lets you login with your Xbox LIVE credentials and automatically grab friends without having to enter them individually.

Customer reviews seem predominantly positive, with 20 of 35 awarding the app five stars. The handful of low ratings complain of slow logins or the rare crash, and one preaches about the dangers of handing over your Xbox LIVE access information to an independent developer.

The question is whether Microsoft will let that $2 fee stand, since the company declared back in August 2008 that all Xbox LIVE-related apps had to be free. Stories at the time claimed Microsoft has "halted" sales of all LIVE-related iPhone apps, which is slightly misleading, since all Microsoft can technically do is appeal that Apple do so. Whatever actually happened back in August 2008, developers apparently complied, and popular apps like Xbox LIVE Friends dropped to gratis status thereafter.

Should Microsoft be able to dictate the terms of sale when it comes to independent manipulation of what amounts to the exoskeleton of its LIVE services? To the extent end user license agreements can be promulgated and legally enforced, the answer's yes, the operative word in that sentence being 'extent'. Given precedent, I'd wager we'll see the app drop to freebie status soon.

Week in gaming: EA nerfs fans, Serious Sam, 360 bannination

2009-12-07T15:57:00.001-08:00

This week in gaming we take a look at who did well in sales Thanksgiving week, we enjoy the delightfully classic Serious Sam remake on the PC, and we take a look at the power Microsoft has over gamers with the threat of Xbox Live bans. Mario Bros. Wii goes high-definition, ECA slips up with membership cancellations, and $5 gets you nudity in a new release. Welcome to the week in gaming.

Wii, PS3 crow over Thanksgiving success, Microsoft silent: Both Nintendo and Sony were proud of their Thanksgiving sales, but Microsoft only offered clues about its retail performance. We're still a few days away from the official results from the NPD Group, but sales of both the Wii and PlayStation 3 were strong. The console wars drag on.

EA restructures Battlefied: Heroes pricing; fans enraged: EA changed the pricing on Battlefield: Heroes weapons and widgets, and now you either have to grind for hours a day to play competitively... or get out your wallet. Becoming what you used to make fun of is a bad business strategy, and gamers are threatening to leave the title en masse.

Seriously dumb: a port of Serious Sam remains a must-buy: A multitude of enemies attack you at once. You can't regenerate your health. You barely have to take your finger off the trigger of your current weapon. Yes, Serious Sam is back, and the game play remains fun, with updated graphics. For $20, we think this is a great buy.

Microsoft: difference between cheat, exploit? None. Banned!: Microsoft controls your hardware, your software, and your access to content on the Xbox 360. With gamers being banned over the use of an exploit in Modern Warfare 2, we look at what this level of granular control may mean for the future of gaming, and how it could impede innovation.

Hardcore F1 Racing comes to the Wii? Ars reviews F1 2009: It has been a long time since gamers had a Formula One game to play, and Codemasters, along with Sumo Digital, does a wonderful job of working around the limitations of the Nintendo Wii. Fans in the mood for something substantial are also in luck: a version is in the works for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Starting Blog

2009-12-07T15:55:00.001-08:00

Sup guys, I'm going to star ta new blog, and on it I will tell you how to get free Xbox Live codes. I'm going to start with a few filler information and news updates regarding Microsoft gaming, and hope all of you enjoy it!