Tag: xbox live (Page 3 of 4)

Band Hero demo is available on Xbox Live

October 15, 2009 / Jeff Morgan

When I first heard Band Hero I thought it was a joke. Shouldn’t that be “Band Heroes?” In any case, isn’t it the most terrible name for a video game ever? I just didn’t think it was real. Well, it is. As it turns out you can actually get the demo on Xbox Live.

Here’s the blurb from Major Nelson:

Band Hero features an all-star lineup of pop music featuring the best variety of classic chart-topping hits and current hot artists. This demo features Finger Eleven “Paralyzer”, Katrina & The Waves “Walking on Sunshine” and Taylor Swift “Picture to Burn”. Includes Party Play and the all-new Sing-Along mode.

I’m willing to admit that the music games usually illicit at least a tepid interest for me, but this is an exception (right along with DJ Hero). Not my kind of music, and even if it was, I might boycott in protest. Alas, it seems nothing can stop Bob Kotick and his relentless quest to swindle the masses out of every last penny we’ve got.

Activision, Previews, Xbox 360

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Brutal Legend And Forza Demos Are Live

September 25, 2009 / Jeff Morgan

The highly anticipated demos for Forza 3 and Brutal Legend are now available for download. If you’re looking for something to keep you busy this weekend, these two games are a pretty solid start.

The Brutal Legend demo is pretty massive at 2GB, but it’s a substantial look at what should be a pretty solid game. You’ll get to play the entire opening chapter in all its demon-shredding glory. The Forza demo isn’t exactly slim, racing in at 1GB. For the wait you’ll get a new damage modeler and leaderboards for the included tracks.

Both games are for XBL Gold members only, so you’ll have to wait if you’re a Silver subscriber. You Playstation users will be able to get the Brutal Legend demo over the Playstation Network soon as well.

News, Previews, Xbox 360

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Microsoft’s Shane Kim Says Natal Is About “Winning” This Generation”

August 31, 2009 / Jeff Morgan

Microsoft’s XBox 360 Corporate VP Shane Kim recently sat down with OXM to talk about Project Natal and the future of the 360 platform. According to Kim, Natal is more than just a cool peripheral, it’s how Microsoft plans to bring “hundreds of millions” of gamers to platform and eventually win this generation.

Kim is aware, as is the rest of the world, that Natal seems on the outside like a response to Nintendo’s Wii, the console that’s actually winning the generation so far. He claims that’s not what Natal’s about, but that’s a hard sell. “This is about unlocking the potential and breaking down all the barriers that remain that prevent people who are intimidated or feel awkward with a controller in their hand – anything that prevents them from jumping in and having a great time with Xbox 360 and Xbox Live,” Kim said.

Kim’s sending a pretty clear message. The “barriers that remain” are obviously the things Nintendo didn’t do, which are the same things Kim thinks will help Natal win. You can read the rest of the interview over at OXM.

News, Xbox 360

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Reading Material: Joystiq Interview With Xbox’s Aaron Greenberg

August 29, 2009 / Jeff Morgan

I’m starting this column as a way to transfer the interesting and entertaining articles I get to read most of the day to you guys. These are mostly articles that I can’t appropriately rehash here without some pretty serious plagiarism and a lot of extra time I simply don’t have.

This week’s entry comes courtesy of Joystiq and Xbox’s Aaron Greenberg. Greenberg sat down with Joystiq this week to discuss the rollout of Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 price structure. The interview is long, so don’t get in there unless you’ve got some time free to do a good bit of reading.

Greenberg was gracious enough to cover everything from basic competitive strategies for dealing with Sony to holiday release titles to services destined for Xbox Live glory. Of interest to most of you will probalby be Greenberg’s take on Hulu or Amazon Unbox coming to the 360. He says seeking those sorts of services is akin to, “asking out a really hot chick on a date, they don’t all say yes.” Sorry gamers, Hulu is just out of your league. Why don’t you stick to what you know, like paying for your television content the Microsoft way.

The rest of the interview is a good way to catch up if you’ve been on a desert island for some time now. It’s like a survey course in recent Xboxian history. Hit the link below for the full article.

Source: Joystiq

Xbox 360

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Upgrade Your Avatar From The Comfort Of Your PC

August 13, 2009 / Jeff Morgan

Bored at work? Bored in class? Bored at a coffee shop? Bored watching your friend trudge through that one-on-one he’s been dying to play? Generally bored? Why not upgrade your Xbox Live avatar from your PC!

That’s one of the new features Microsoft has added to their online Live experience. Now you can buy clothes, add games, and update your avatar, all from your computer. Really, I can only think this would be useful were I incredibly bored some time in the near future. It’s just not the sort of thing I’d be logging in to do unless I was probably somewhere near my Xbox to begin with.

This sort of news makes me shrug because really Xbox Live Avatars aren’t all that different from one another. I don’t even mind that the web version doesn’t let you preview items on your own avatar because really, it won’t look that much different. Mine will just have less hair.