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February 2007 - Posts

South Park Seasons 5-8 Now on Xbox Live Marketplace

posted Wednesday, February 28, 2007 5:09 PM by johnporcaro
Hey, if you're a South Park fan in the U.S. (and there are a bunch of you, given the persistance of South Park in the Top Ten Weekly Xbox Live Marketplace downloads), you'll want to keep your eye on Xbox Live Marketplace, starting this week.  Read More
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Halo Wars Community Update

posted Wednesday, February 28, 2007 3:57 PM by johnporcaro
The Halo Wars team is hard at work, and the team just posted their monthly update to the community on the Halo Wars Community Forums.  From the Community Update for Feb 28, 2007: Last week, a bunch of Microsoft Games Studio (MGS) big wigs were Read More
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Achievement Tip of the Week

posted Wednesday, February 28, 2007 3:18 PM by Bastelyon
Are you addicted to achievements as much as I am?  I've decided to create a weekly blog post for those of you that need a little help in raising your gamerscore. Today's Xbox 360 achievement tip is for Crackdown. Make your way to the supply Read More
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Forza Motorsport Challenge on the Speed Channel

posted Tuesday, February 27, 2007 10:52 AM by johnporcaro
I'm hooked on the show!  I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but after watching it, I'm definitely in for the rest of the season (four shows).  The idea is that several experienced, but amateur racers get the chance to play out the game Read More
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26 new titles added to Gamespring

posted Monday, February 26, 2007 9:20 AM by Cindy Lou Grue
This one caught even me by surprise... our release guys were frighteningly busy last week.  MSN Games has just added 26 new casual games to the Gamespring all-you-can-play service.  That brings the total up to 89 full-featured games.  Read More
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Alien Hominid HD Coming Wednesday

posted Monday, February 26, 2007 7:21 AM by johnporcaro
Alien Hominid HD from The Behemoth will be available for download on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360 beginning Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 0800 GMT (1 a.m. PST). Alien Hominid HD will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points and is rated T for Teen Read More
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Alien Hominid HD Crash Lands on Xbox Live Arcade

posted Monday, February 26, 2007 1:00 AM by johnporcaro
Be prepared! “Alien Hominid HD” invades Xbox 360 console systems everywhere this Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday. Read More
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Trivial Pursuit: '90s Edition debuts exclusively on MSN Games

posted Friday, February 23, 2007 3:52 PM by Cindy Lou Grue
Oh, I know I can't be the only person out there psyched about this.  ^_^  Trivial Pursuit tackles what might very well be the strangest decade of our lives, and gives us the opportunity to not only remember it, but revel in our encyclopediac Read More
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Want to Make FPS Games?

posted Friday, February 23, 2007 3:47 PM by CPaladino
I'm sure most of us have wanted to create our own video games.  From the guys who There is a program coming for all of you who want to make your own video games. There's a product coming that should make your dreams much easier to manage.  Check Read More
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Lunchtime Conversation - Episode 006 - Games, Video, and You

posted Friday, February 23, 2007 11:22 AM by CPaladino
Starting to get a schedule here for the podcast.  Ideally we'd like to record each Tuesday, and post the audio each Thursday/Friday. We've received many questions/topics to discuss on the comments and via email, keep them coming! MP3 File: Read More
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Forza Motorsport 2 Update: Xbox Live Auction House, More Euro Cars, Web Site Redesign

posted Friday, February 23, 2007 9:00 AM by johnporcaro
As we’ve been doing on a fairly regular basis, we wanted to update you on some exciting new features that will be included in “Forza Motorsport 2” when the game hits stores in May. Read More
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Solitaire In Motion open beta on MSN Games

posted Thursday, February 22, 2007 3:39 PM by Cindy Lou Grue
We're looking for a few good Solitaire players!  Okay, actually we're looking for a whole lot of Solitaire players, of every skill level.  The latest title from Carbonated Games, Solitaire in Motion, is ready for open beta, and we're hoping Read More
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Microsoft Casual Games launches new developer website

posted Thursday, February 22, 2007 10:28 AM by Cindy Lou Grue
The first of two bits of coolness to report from the Microsoft Casual Games office today: if you've ever thought about developing a casual game for MSN Games, Windows Live Messenger, or Xbox Live Arcade (yes, there should probably be a whole bunch of Read More
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New Titles Added to Platinum Hits Line, Coming March 16

posted Thursday, February 22, 2007 6:02 AM by johnporcaro
On the heels of the expanded Platinum Hits launch in Europe earlier this month, we announced today that the next round of titles in the Xbox 360 Platinum Hits library will be available March 16 in North America, Latin America, Japan and the Asia Pacific Read More
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Xbox 360 Platinum Hits Brings More of the Best for Less

posted Thursday, February 22, 2007 6:00 AM by johnporcaro
Microsoft launches next wave of Platinum Hits so gamers can choose from more great games at new low prices. Read More
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Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows In Stores

posted Wednesday, February 21, 2007 6:27 PM by johnporcaro
You wanna play Games for Windows with your Xbox 360 controller?  Wirelessly?  It's finally here!  The Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows is now available on store shelves for $19.99 (MSRP) and is available at retailers across Read More
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February Momentum

posted Wednesday, February 21, 2007 4:00 PM by johnporcaro
Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division reported 76% growth last quarter (October through December 2006), driven in large part by better than expected Xbox 360 console, software, accessories and Xbox Live sales. Read More
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Forza Motorsport Showdown on SPEED TV

posted Wednesday, February 21, 2007 2:15 PM by Bastelyon
Would you like to see some behind-the-scenes footage from Forza Motorsport 2?  If so, be sure to tune in to the SPEED channel this evening at 11pm Eastern / 8pm Pacific for the Forza Motorsport Showdown.  Although this is a four-part live-action Read More
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Crackdown TV Spot: Hard Time

posted Wednesday, February 21, 2007 1:26 PM by johnporcaro
You think it's a game?  Well, it IS a game.  And the game esta bien loco!  Soapbox YouTube  Google Video MySpace Read More
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Arcade Trivia Contest Results

posted Wednesday, February 21, 2007 11:06 AM by CPaladino
We wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who had entered the Live Arcade Trivia Contest.  We had a huge amount of contest entries, and we have notified the 100 winners via email. The answers to the trivia questions were as follows: 1 - Read More
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Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows On Shelves

posted Wednesday, February 21, 2007 9:00 AM by johnporcaro
Windows gamers can take advantage of the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller and other Xbox 360 wireless accessories with the Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows, which is now available on store shelves in the U.S. Read More
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Lunchtime Conversation - Episode 005 - Room With a Moose

posted Tuesday, February 20, 2007 5:07 PM by CPaladino
It's been hectic the last few weeks, but we did find some time to get a podcast off last week.  We had some difficulties in the recording, so we did it over two sessions, one with Aaron Greenberg and one without.MP3 File: 10.5 MB, 31 minutesRemember Read More
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Employees Celebrate Launch of Crackdown with Wired Energy Drinks

posted Tuesday, February 20, 2007 4:52 PM by johnporcaro
For a few hours today, the Xbox cafeteria became Agency Central, fueled by thousands of 16oz/500 l cans of Wired Energy Drinks.  The team was on hand to answer questions, and there was a tournament of rooftop races by a 4 star agent.  Well done, Read More
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Crackdown Now on Store Shelves

posted Tuesday, February 20, 2007 10:01 AM by johnporcaro
We just announced that Crackdown, the new Xbox 360 game from Realtime Worlds and the mind of creator Dave Jones, is now available in North America.  Lots of you have had a chance to try out the demo.  In fact, the Crackdown demo on Xbox Live Read More
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Calling All Agents: Crackdown Now on Store Shelves

posted Tuesday, February 20, 2007 10:00 AM by johnporcaro
Crime lords of Pacific City are on high alert as “Crackdown” hits retailers nationwide. Read More
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Xbox Live Maintenance

posted Monday, February 19, 2007 8:46 PM by DirtyDiva
Alrighty my little gaming angels, we are coming up on some Xbox Live maintenance.The scheduled downtime is between 0200 - 0500 PST on February 20. As well as the Live service going down, you won't be able to visit the "My Xbox" section of xbox.com and Read More
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No Xbox Live Arcade Title This Week

posted Monday, February 19, 2007 5:39 PM by johnporcaro
We learned today that there won’t be an Xbox Live Arcade game released this Wednesday.  We know there are a few titles that we’re all really looking forward to, but game development remains as much an art as a science.  I know that everyone’s Read More
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bungie.net Offers Details on Halo Beta

posted Friday, February 16, 2007 1:19 PM by johnporcaro
Check out Bungie.net for a Q&A about how the beta for Halo 3 is going to work, including a hint on when it will be released (Spring). From KPaul's Halo 3 Beta FAQ The beta will not start when Crackdown is released. The beta will go live Read More
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Smell Good While You Play!

posted Friday, February 16, 2007 7:50 AM by DirtyDiva
Ahhh the sweet smell of gaming...Errr what?I have no press release to share with you at this moment but how about a "release" of lavender, rose or jasmine eminating from your USB port? That's right, Engadget picked up on these olfactory sensory neuron Read More
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Video Killed the Radio Star

posted Thursday, February 15, 2007 2:52 PM by CPaladino
Tony had the opportunity to host a "This Week In Xbox"-style segment for an upcoming On10.net video with Tina Wood. Tony and I took a ride over to the On10 studios for the video shoot.  I thought I'd take a couple of embarrassing photos of Tony to Read More
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Get Real...

posted Thursday, February 15, 2007 1:41 PM by johnporcaro
For most of us, reality is not as entertaining as, well, entertainment.  For others, Reality TV is entertainment.  My wife and I watched every episode of the first two seasons of Survivor.  But that was before the Xbox 360 launched (and Read More
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Happy Valentine's Day!

posted Wednesday, February 14, 2007 10:33 AM by johnporcaro
Several sites are posting Valentine's Day images for you to send to your loved ones.  Here are a few of my favorites: Joystiq 360Style.net Viva Pinata 4ColorRebellion Read More
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Our Global Sales and Marketing Meeting

posted Tuesday, February 13, 2007 5:41 PM by johnporcaro
While the rest of the retail world takes a break from the holiday rush, we've all been neck-deep in planning for next holiday.  And because our fiscal year starts on July 1, we only have a short time to get all our plans solidified.  We're constantly Read More
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Update on Achievements Awards

posted Tuesday, February 13, 2007 5:29 PM by johnporcaro
[Update: At 10:28, I was told that the site is up and running again... www.xbox.com/rewards.] Ah, word from the marketing team about the Achievements Reward Challenge.  They're telling us that because of the tremendous response from you all, Read More
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Crackdown Community Day Recap

posted Tuesday, February 13, 2007 4:21 PM by CPaladino
We recently had a few visitors come up to Seattle for a Crackdown Community day.  They got some hands-on with Crackdown, and were also able to hang out talk business with various Microsoft employees and some of the people on the Crackdown team. Read More
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Operate Your Xbox 360 With A Zune Remote?

posted Tuesday, February 13, 2007 2:55 PM by CPaladino
Do you own a Zune Wireless Remote?  Do you want to control your Xbox 360 with said remote? Our good pal Cesar over at the Zune Insider informed me that YOU TOO can control the 360 with your Zune Remote! Putting in the extra effort that Cesar is known Read More
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Paperboy Coming Wednesday

posted Monday, February 12, 2007 12:01 PM by johnporcaro
On Wednesday, we'll be releasing the 80's arcade classic "Paperboy," from Digital Eclipse/Midway.  (more screenshots) More information in the alert we sent the media. The coin-op favorite returns but this time it’s enhanced with original content Read More
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Extra! Extra! Paperboy Delivers on Xbox Live Arcade

posted Monday, February 12, 2007 12:00 PM by johnporcaro
The much-loved arcade classic from the 1980’s, “Paperboy” (Digital Eclipse/Midway) will be available for download on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360 beginning Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 9 a.m. GMT (1 a.m. PST). Read More
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Old Spice Rewards Challenge Site Goes Live Today

posted Monday, February 12, 2007 11:29 AM by johnporcaro
Everyone's got their fingers on the "refresh" button to be among the first to register and get started on the Old Spice Rewards Challenge.  I'm told by the publishing team that the signup site will be going live a bit later this afternoon at about Read More
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Stuck for Valentine's Day Ideas?

posted Friday, February 09, 2007 11:20 AM by johnporcaro
You can always spend $90 on a dozen roses and $200 for a candlelight dinner.  But if you're lucky enough to have a gamer girl or guy, the Xbox 360 marketing team put together a list of ideas that might appeal to you.  For the Love Read More
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Battlestar Galactica blasts onto Xbox Live Arcade in Fall 2007

posted Friday, February 09, 2007 9:00 AM by johnporcaro
Battlestar Galactica Gamer Pics and Themepacks Now Available on Xbox Live Marketplace Read More
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Xbox Valentines Day

posted Friday, February 09, 2007 9:00 AM by johnporcaro
Media email with Valentine's Day ideas Read More
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Project Gotham Racing® Mobile Tears onto Phones around the World

posted Friday, February 09, 2007 7:00 AM by johnporcaro
Glu Mobile announces the worldwide launch of the eagerly-awaited Project Gotham Racing Mobile (PGR Mobile). Read More
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Ready to Laugh?

posted Thursday, February 08, 2007 5:12 PM by Bastelyon
This week on Xbox Live Marketplace, you can download Comedy Central Stand-Up including Mitch Hedberg, The Amazing Johnathan and my personal favorite, Dane Cook.  I haven't had a chance to watch the Sarah Silverman Program yet, but I've heard that it's Read More
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Howdy, Howdy, Howdy

posted Thursday, February 08, 2007 4:47 PM by johnporcaro
You may have heard about Xbox Live Arcade guru Greg Canessa leaving for PopCap, but you might not have heard that Bryan Trussel will be filling his size 13 wingtips.  Gamasutra gives a quick bio of Bryan. Speaking of Casual Games, Casuality just Read More
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Microsoft Casual Games to Offer Developers Additional Revenue Opportunities With New Ad-Share Program

posted Thursday, February 08, 2007 6:00 AM by johnporcaro
Initiative aims to encourage innovative game development by sharing advertising profits from MSN Games’ casual game titles. Read More
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Men Need Me Time Too: MSN Games Survey Reveals Male Gamers Have a Softer Side

posted Wednesday, February 07, 2007 6:00 AM by johnporcaro
Downtime and stress reduction among reasons men engage in "casual" gameplay. Read More
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Xbox Live Members Earn Rewards for Achievements

posted Tuesday, February 06, 2007 2:11 PM by johnporcaro
As just announced on GameInformer, we're launching a program in the US to reward Xbox Live members who increase their gamerscore, beginning Feb. 12.  We're partnering with Old Spice to give away prizes valued at more than $500,000.  Since Read More
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Xbox Takes Gamerscore to New Heights in the U.S.

posted Tuesday, February 06, 2007 2:00 PM by johnporcaro
Xbox 360 is teaming up with Old Spice to bring the first Rewards Challenge to Xbox Live. Gamers will be charged with increasing their gamerscore by 1,500 between February 12 and April 12, 2007. Read More
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Root Beer Tapper Coming Wednesday

posted Monday, February 05, 2007 12:48 PM by johnporcaro
Wednesday morning, you can begin downloading the Midway classic Root Beer Tapper.   From the media alert we sent out a few minutes ago:   “Root Beer Tapper” will be available worldwide (excluding Korea and Japan) for 400 Microsoft Read More
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Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays Serves Up Root Beer Tapper

posted Monday, February 05, 2007 12:00 PM by johnporcaro
“Root Beer Tapper” will be available for download on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360™ beginning Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 9 a.m. GMT (1 a.m. PST). Read More
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Xbox to Track Brady Quinn's Road to NFL

posted Friday, February 02, 2007 6:51 AM by johnporcaro
University of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn is teaming up with Xbox 360 to chronicle the steps he's taking as he prepares for the NFL draft, and begins his professional football career.  Starting next Friday, Quinn will blog about team workouts, Read More
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Brady Quinn Teams Up With Xbox 360 to Kick Off His Pro Career

posted Friday, February 02, 2007 6:00 AM by johnporcaro
Heisman Trophy finalist and Xbox 360 to provide first insider’s look at the road to becoming a professional. Read More
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Addicted to Achievements?

posted Thursday, February 01, 2007 4:49 PM by BIGVIP
I don’t think anyone could have predicted the popularity of Gamerscore and Achievements on Xbox 360.  For me, it has changed the way I play games. No longer is it about just trying to beat the game from beginning to end; I now find myself wanting Read More
128 Comments

Windows Vista and Games

posted Thursday, February 01, 2007 12:12 PM by wolf
Rich Wickham, the director of Games for Windows business, has a lot to say about gaming on Windows Vista. Here’s something he sent around that I thought you might appreciate: Some of you may have heard about some incompatibilities with games running Read More
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A little luv for Messenger

posted Thursday, February 01, 2007 12:05 PM by Cindy Lou Grue
Taking a break here between Vista-related casual game announcements to say that Jigsaw Too for Windows Live Messenger has just been released. This is something we've been wanting to do for a long time: a full-featured, cooperative multiplayer jigsaw game Read More
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Fuzion Frenzy 2 Brings the Party to North American Retailers

posted Thursday, February 01, 2007 9:00 AM by johnporcaro
Attention all party animals! Bring your own beverages. Microsoft today invites gamers to gather around their Xbox 360™ and challenge one another in the madcap mini-games of “Fuzion Frenzy 2,” available now at retailers across North America. Read More
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