Gamer backlash over fee for pre-owned titles

For gamers, swapping games among friends is free, legal and easy way of playing games without buying them. With this, they can get more gaming experience without hard earned cash. But for Xbox customers, that all maybe about to change.

With the release of the new Xbox, Microsoft has outlined its plans for the pre-owned titles and the future does not look bright for the new Xbox console.

Upon the purchase of the game, a unique code will be issued which will be linked to Xbox Live and will be used only once and verified online. And if you swap the games, than other users wanting to play the game will have to buy the right to play the game – at full price.

Microsoft corporate vice president Phil Harrison said, “The code just sits on your hard drive and you will have the permission to play that game on your console as long as you like, the bits that are on the disc, you can give it to your friend and they can install it, then they have the buy the right to play that game on Xbox Live”.

He also added, “Let’s assume it’s a new game, so the answer is yes, it will be the same price”.

Microsoft has long sought a way of capitalising on the hugely profitable pre-owned games market.

When popular titles are released, they sometimes cost more than £40, so gamers have thought of cutting prices by sharing and buying games played by other users at half the price.

Director of programming at Xbox Live, Larry hyrb said, “We have only confirmed that we design Xbox one to enable our customers to trade in and resell games at retail”. But Microsoft refused to give any more details on this.  

He also said, “Another piece of clarification around playing games at your friends house – should you choose to play your game at your friends house, there is no fee to play that game while you are signed in to your own profile”.

So this statement confirms that the games attached to your Xbox console while you are signed in to your Xbox Live account can be played anywhere, but not that your friends can play them on theirs.

This move can push Sony to think about its own treatment of pre-owned games when the PS4 is releases later at the end of 2013.

REFERENCES:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/Xbox/10075540/Xbox-One-gamer-backlash-over-fee-for-pre-owned-titles.html (date accessed: 24/05/2013)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22623010 (date accessed: 24/05/2013)

Xbox 720!?

After the announcement from Sony about the release of Playstation4, Microsoft is facing more competition from the giant Sony. Rumours about the new Xbox are that it will be released before Christmas 2013 or the Holidays 2013 and will be in competition with the Playstation4.

Microsoft has kept a “tight-lipped” about the new Xbox but rumours have spread on the internet like wildfire.  There is a whole lot of new technology used in the new Xbox and it has many new gadgets. 

Some of the rumours about the new console from different sources are:

The new Xbox will contain X64 processor running at 1.6GHz through 8 cores. I will also have 8 GB of DDR3 ram. The rumours of ports on the new Xbox are HDMI input and output, Ethernet port, Wi-Fi, Kinect input, USB 3.0 input and Blu-Ray disc drive etc.

The Forbes magazine states that, “the controller could be a remote control when you are watching TV, a browser when you’re on the internet and extra buttons when you’re playing a game or a portable display when you want to take your games with you.

Another gadget with the new Xbox is the illumiroom. The “illumiroom” uses the Kinect and a projector to extend the display of the video game beyond the constraints of a household TV.

The developers of the illumiroom say that it can change the appearance of the room, induce apparent motion, extend the field of view and enable entirely new gaming experience.

There will be Kinect 2.0 with the new Xbox as well. This new Kinect will be an improvement on the old one and its features would be detecting multiple people in the room simultaneously, detecting eye movement, and other features like pausing the game when the viewer turns his head away from the TV.

The price of the new Xbox will be either $300 or $500 but the $300 version will come with a $30 a month Xbox live subscription.

The name of the new Xbox has still not been announced. But rumours suggest it could be Xbox 720, Xbox fusion or Xbox infinity. Most likely name is the Xbox 720 but it hasn’t been announced officially.

REFERENCES:

  http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2013/05/21/one-final-round-up-of-every-xbox-720-rumor-to-date/ (accessed on 21/03/2013)

http://blackbrose.com/microsofts-xbox-720-to-be-launched-in-april/ (accessed on 21/03/2013)

Xbox Live hacked!

Cyber fraud is one of the biggest problems that companies are facing now days. It is one of the hardest crime to fight and Xbox live was affected by it in November 2011 and again on May 2013. 

It was reported on 21 May 2013 that thousands of Xbox live accounts have been hacked and the hackers made millions of pounds by it. The British console users have lost an average of £100 from their accounts while some of the users have lost as much as £200 from their accounts. However it is still unclear how many of the Xbox live customers have been affected by these hackers or how many money was stolen by these online gangs behind the “phishing” attacks.

The Sun claimed that “thousands” of customers of Xbox live were affected by it in more than 35 different countries. The criminals made millions of pounds by disclosing their vital personal information.

Microsoft executives claimed that they are investigating this cyber fraud on 21 May 2013. They also said that the “phishing” gangs stole small amounts of money over a number of weeks while is making it hard to detect the fraud and catch the criminals.

A part of this scam was that the hackers started sending emails to the Xbox live customers which directed them to fake websites that offered free Microsoft points that can be used to buy games online. Once they went on these websites, they entered their personal information like credit card information which made it easier for the hackers to get in their bank accounts.

Paul Thompson 29, of Essex had £84 stolen from his account and he told the Telegraph, “People need to know that this is happening”.

The criminals also befriended players online and convince them into giving their personal information, Microsoft said.

The Sun said that Xbox staff is working to protect Xbox live accounts from more of these attacks. Xbox live owner Microsoft has reportedly offered refunds to customers that can prove they did not gave away their passwords and it also warned its users to change their passwords.
Xbox Live accounts were hacked in 2011 as well and all accounts were centered around EA's releases Fifa 11 and Fifa 12 but Microsoft's online safety director dough park said, "It is not a hack, it really just is a different way to monetise stolen accounts".

REFERENCES:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/Xbox/8906043/Xbox-Live-customers-hacked-in-fresh-cyber-fraud-case.html (accessed on 21/05/2013)

http://360gamercast.com/wp/2012/01/community-xbox-live-accounts-hacked/ (accessed on 21/05/2013)
http://kotaku.com/5858538/xbox-lives-hack-wasnt-a-hack-says-microsoft (accessed on 24/05/2013)

Independent UK film to be released on Xbox

 Every time a film is released, it is released through cinema and then DVD. But now that will be changed because the first time, a movie is being released on Xbox Live. To keep its audience entertained, Microsoft have to add a wide variety of entertainment and with the release of a film on live platform, this pushes the console further into the realm of entertainment. The film being released on Xbox is an independent UK film named “Pulp” and it will be available to all Xbox Live subscribers.

In the world of music and movies, it has increasingly been about digital services like Netflix and Spotify. This has been proved because now an independent film called pulp is being released through game consoles for the first time instead of cinema or DVD.

The reason this movie is being released on Xbox Live instead on the theatrical release is due to the lack of promotional budget for its advertisement. Plus with no “bankable” stars in the movie, it makes it difficult for film studios to justify its cost, too. But this is what makes Xbox Live a perfect platform for the release of a film.

Creator of the movie pulp, Adam Hamdy said, “There aren't many distribution opportunities for up-and-coming film makers in the UK”. He added, “Xbox has a great relationship with its customers, and we can offer the film in ways that people are now consuming media”.

Xbox live manager Pav Bhardwaj said, “The console will offer films like this more often”. He also added, “It’s a great fit”.

Also this would be a great opportunity for artists to offer their talent through game consoles because china may soon lift its ban from video consoles so this help cover a wider audience.

Also these days, retailers like HMV are going out of business because of the issue of piracy and illegal downloads. So by distributing and releasing movies and other stuff on game consoles might be the answer.

REFERENCES:

http://venturebeat.com/2013/03/04/with-pulp-xbox-live-releases-its-first-exclusive-movie/ (accessed on 20/05/2013)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/21651921 (accessed on 20/05/2013)

http://www.dailytech.com/UK+Indie+Film+First+to+be+Distributed+Through+Xbox+Live/article30036.htm (accessed on 20/05/2013)

http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-GB/Movie/Pulp/1abb2877-a54b-44a2-892c-378951979b6e (accessed on 20/05/2013)

Xbox 360 price cut and family friendly title releases

Since Microsoft launched the Xbox 360, it faced challenge from the Playstation and Nintendo and when Nintendo released it Wii console, Xbox had to keep up with the competition.

According to the figures in 2008, Wii was the market leader in the UK with 3.7 million consoles shipped against 2.5 million for the Xbox 360 and 1.5 million for the PS3. It was thought that a fifth of Wii customers have never bought a console before.

Microsoft, to get back as a market leader announced a price cut in the UK as it tries to reposition the console as a mass market competitor to the Wii.

The £30 price cut means that the standard 60 GB model will be sold for £169.99 which is the same price as the Nintendo Wii. These price cuts will do more sales for the Xbox 360 and make Xbox 360 the cheapest console in the market.

The lower spec arcade console without a hard drive will sell for £129 while the Xbox 360 elite which are aimed at hardcore gamers will cost £229.99. This price cut followed similar moves in America and Japan.

Microsoft targeted male customers for Xbox 360 and provided first person shooter titles like Halo 3 which attracts the male target market. But Wii targeted family friendly audience and gave titles like Rockband and it was because of these family friendly titles that Wii took the lead over Xbox 360.

After this incident, Microsoft also wanted to release family friendly titles to be in competition with the Wii. In the hope to grab some of the Nintendo’s casual audience, Microsoft announced that it will release titles like Rockband and guitar hero which will attract family audience. These titles for Xbox 360 will attract family friendly audience and these titles can be played at family gathering and with family and friends and these titles will attract audience from the Nintendo Wii and the Xbox 360 will have a new target market. Microsoft also announced the release of its own karaoke game called LIPS. 

With addition to the price cuts, the Xbox menu system will also get a new look designed to appeal to mainstream gamers.

After the price reduction, Microsoft said that the sales doubled in the USA in the weekend after the cut, with some retailers reporting a six fold increase. 

REFERENCES:

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/newsbeat/newsid_7618000/7618515.stm (accessed on 20/05/2013)

http://www.videogamesblogger.com/interstitial.html?return_url=http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2008/07/12/first-pictures-of-xbox-360-karaoke-game-lips.htm (accessed on 20/05/2013)