MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Microsoft has defended its decision to increase the cost of its online gaming service Xbox Live Gold. The firm justified the price hike with mention of exclusive games such as Gears of War and Halo, and the fact that certain DLC packs arrive on Xbox 360 before rival consoles. It …
Read More »Kinect launch the industry view
Yves Guillemot – Ubisoft, CEO The new [motion sensing] machines are very good because they provide a chance for more people to play. Nintendo showed that it could make lots of money and also serve lots of customers, so now everybody wants that part of the cake.So that’s what we …
Read More »Crackdown 2 DLC due this month
The first DLC pack for Microsoft shooter Crackdown 2 will be available to download on Xbox Live later this month. ‘Deluge’ features a new four player co-op mode where users are pitted against increasingly challenging waves of enemies in Pacific City. There is also a ‘Capture the Orb’ mode which …
Read More »Dance Central not possible on Move/Wii
With its ability to track the movement of 20 limbs, Kinect is well-suited to Dance Central and its hundreds of dance moves. In an interview with MCV, Harmonix says embracing Microsoft’s motion accessory rather than PlayStation Move or Wii was an easy choice. Kinect was a no-brainer because you don’t …
Read More »OPINION: Those Kinect stock grumbles
Format-holders are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Supply enough product for launch, just enough to satisfy day one with some overspill, then you’re branded a so-so hit. Or a borderline failure. Don’t supply enough product, and you aren’t working hard enough, over-inflating demand, or simply cocked …
Read More »High Street ready for Kinect launch frenzy
Leading retailers are planning special Kinect charts and in-store demo areas to celebrate the peripheral’s arrival next week – despite a complete sell-out nationwide. GAME has already been running Kinect evenings in many of its stores, which the firm says have given it an edge over its rivals. What I …
Read More »US: Dance Central recalled
Publishers MTV and Microsoft have recalled all copies of Kinect title Dance Central in North America. The reason? An unspecified misprint in the owner’s manual”. Microsoft has become aware that an update that needs to be made to the product manual (i.e. printed materials) included in the game entitled Dance …
Read More »Xbox 360 dashboard update goes live
Microsoft’s latest revamp of the Xbox 360 dashboard is now live and available to download from Xbox Live. Online-enabled Xbox 360 owners who turn on their machine from this point will be prompted to download the new software, which amongst other things also prepares their machines for the arrival of …
Read More »MS expects critical and commercial mismatch
Xbox 360 platform holder Microsoft has admitted that the review scores for some of its Kinect launch titles are unlikely to match the adulation given to the likes of Halo Reach – but that it won’t affect their performance at retail. For us, these are different types of titles and …
Read More »PS3 could catch Xbox 360 in two years
The worldwide install base of PS3 is now just 5.4m units behind that of Xbox 360, according to the latest numbers from Sony and Microsoft. Eurogamer reports that total PS3 console sales now stand at 39.2m units. Xbox 360 retains a narrow lead for the time being with sales of …
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