Cheater Tracker News

Japanese Hardware: Xbox 360 Wins Its First Full Month Against PS3

Cheater — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:47:23 +0000

From gamasutra.com (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20498 ):[QUOTE]The Xbox 360 has outsold the PlayStation 3 for the third week in a row in Japan, although hardware sales have been on the decline even while the software charts stay busy.Famitsu publisher Enterbrain’s six-month hardware data also revealed that in the month of September, the Xbox 360 beat the PlayStation 3 in overall monthly sales for the first time ever in Japan.According to Enterbrain’s figures, as translated by Reuters, the Xbox 360 sold 53,547 units in the four weeks to September 28th, while the PlayStation 3 sold only 33,071 units. The Wii sold 109,548 units during the same period.[/QUOTE]Full Story: gamasutra.com (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20498 )

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[Source: Xbox-Scene News]

Microsoft: We understand European loyalty to Sony

Cheater — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:47:22 +0000

From gamesindustry.biz (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/microsoft-we-understand-european-loyalty-to-sony ):[QUOTE]Head of Microsoft Game Studios Phil Spencer has even said that he understands the loyalty that European consumers have traditionally held for Sony products, and his team is working hard to create games that appeal to niche demands.”I understand as a gamer the brand that Sony has here, and the work that we need to do to build content and franchises that uniquely resonate with the customers in the different European markets,” commented Spencer in an interview published today.”Investment in studios, investment in people on the ground creating games is critical to us succeeding in this market.”The Xbox 360 has sold over six million units in Europe, 2.3 million of which are in the UK alone.[/QUOTE]Full Story: gamesindustry.biz (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/microsoft-we-understand-european-loyalty-to-sony )

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[Source: Xbox-Scene News]

Microsoft’s Ballmer talks about Xbox Business

Cheater — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:47:21 +0000

From mercurynews.com (http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10621083?source=rss ):[QUOTE]During a visit to Silicon Valley late last month, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer talked with the Mercury News about Microsoft’s consumer electronics efforts and the challenges it has faced. Here is an edited transcript of his remarks.* Q If you look at what they’ve [Microsoft’s consumer electronics] done in the last year or two, do you view any of your consumer products as unqualified successes?* A I certainly would say the work that we’ve done around Xbox is an unqualified success. No question about that. * Q How so? * A The product is selling very well. The Xbox is an absolute home run.* Q But sales of the Xbox have slowed markedly. It’s been overtaken by the Wii. The PS3 is starting to catch up. You cut the price on it, which some might say is an indication you have run out of ideas to boost sales.* A No, that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard anybody say. All consoles start at higher prices. They always come down through the long cycle.* Q The story in July at E3 was that you had many bullets left in your holster that you could use to juice Xbox sales. You had all these great games that were coming out for the fall, and you didn’t need to cut price to juice sales. But now two months later, you’ve cut the price.* A Price is not something you discuss externally. Nobody ever does. So, whether we were planning on cutting price the next day or in six months or a year, we’re not going to discuss price changes.If you ask me, Xbox Live is going gangbusters. The console is selling well.[/QUOTE]Full Story: mercurynews.com (http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10621083?source=rss )

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[Source: Xbox-Scene News]

(EU) Xbox 360 Sales More Than Double

Cheater — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:47:21 +0000

From the press release:[QUOTE]New figures announced today by ChartTrack saw sales of the Microsoft Xbox 360 increase by 214% in the last two weeks[1], outselling Sony’s PlayStation 3 by more than two-to-one and reaffirming its strong momentum in Europe in the wake of its recent reduction in estimated retail price (ERP).A reduction in the Xbox 360 ERP last week has brought the entry-level price point for Xbox 360 down to 129.99. The reduction is only part of the story though, as the largest marketing campaign in the history of Xbox also launches, inviting everyone to live their music, movies and family gaming ‘moments’ with Xbox 360 through new television, print and poster ads as well as a totally new look for Xbox.com. Combined with new launches to add to its already impressive line-up of games, movies and wider entertainment content, Xbox 360 is set to drive forward the success that saw sales reach over 6 million in Europe last week.Through an incredible line-up of games in time for Christmas, including the new singing game Lips and the chance to star in your own B-movie with You’re in the Movies among many others, an ever-growing library of downloadable movies, a revolutionary new interface and new interactive games soon to be available through Xbox LIVE, the Xbox 360 is truly becoming the home of mass-market entertainment with something to offer every interest and budget.Chris Lewis, Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business EMEA, said: “This data shows that the Xbox 360 trajectory continues upwards, and not just in the UK. We’ve seen uplift in all countries in Europe and are confident that even at this rate of growth we can keep retail satisfied with a steady supply of consoles throughout the Christmas season. Our commitment to continuously improving and innovating new content, our new high-profile marketing campaign and the fact that we’re now the best-value next-gen console on the market with an entry-level ERP of 129.99 combine to make Xbox 360 the right blend of gaming and wider experiences at the right price to offer unparalleled entertainment for everyone. And these figures prove it.”From last Friday, 19th September, Xbox 360, which includes a 60GB hard drive and one wireless controller, has an ERP of 169.99. The Xbox 360 Elite, which comes with a massive 120GB hard drive enabling consumers to store huge quantities of content downloaded from Xbox LIVE Marketplace as well as their own music, has an ERP of 229.99. The Xbox 360 Arcade console, perfect for those wishing to make their first foray into the gaming and entertainment world of Xbox, has an ERP of 129.99.[/QUOTE]

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[Source: Xbox-Scene News]

XBMC for Xbox 2008-10-06 SVN rev15805 build (Atlantis Beta2) - T3CH

Cheater — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:47:20 +0000

T3CH released a new SVN compile (rev15805 - Atlantis Beta2) of XBMC for Xbox(info (http://www.xbox-scene.com/software/software.php?page=mediaplayers#newsitemEpyVVkpEFZGLaWTWZd )).This T3CH-compile is a complete snapshot of what is in SVN at the time the build was compiled, with just a few small additions.Special Notes and Noteworthy/XML/Script changes:* Sorry for the delay, but I wanted to wait for Beta 2 to be tagged before I made this release.* Team Razorfish’s MediaStream skin updated to 0.94 see here (http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=38504 ), AMT upgraded to 0.99.7.1* From Team XBMC (http://xbmc.org/blog/2008/10/06/xbmc-atlantis-beta-2-released-added-apple-tv-support/ ) about XBMC Atlantis Beta2:[QUOTE]Team-XBMC (http://xbmc.org/about/team/ ) is proud to announce the second cross-platform Beta version of XBMC Media Center (http://xbmc.org/ ) for Linux, Mac OS X (Leopard, Tiger, and Apple TV), Windows, and Xbox, in preparation for the upcoming point release of XBMC, code named ‘Atlantis (http://xbmc.org/trac/roadmap )’.New in this release is multi-core video decoding for Windows users, courtesy of a rebuilt FFmpeg by WiSo and AreaScout, and XBMC now runs on the Apple TV (http://xbmc.org/davilla/2008/10/01/whats-this-xbmc-for-mac-running-on-the-appletv/ ) via the easy to use USB installer created by Scott Davilla. We have also updated the skins (PM3.HD, Project Mayhem III, and MediaStream (http://www.teamrazorfish.co.uk/mediastream.html ) by Team Razorfish) to their latest versions.With almost 80 tickets closed (http://xbmc.org/trac/milestone/8.10 ), and close to 200 commits to SVN (http://xbmc.org/trac/timeline ) since Beta 1 was released, Beta 2 represents a clear step forward in terms of stability. Thanks to all in the community who have made this possible by reporting bugs and suggesting improvements![/QUOTE]For the full changelog (all added/fixed/changed/updated stuff) since the 2008-09-19 SVN Rev15640 (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EkkElZAFAAMLrtZeoQ.php ) build click here (http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=662997 ).Keep in mind this is a SVN snapshot of the current development tree. It’s not an official (stable) point release. Use only if you know what you are doing.Official XBMC Site: http://xbmc.org (http://xbmc.org/ ) (manual (http://xbmc.org/wiki/index.php?title=Xbox_Media_Center_Online_Manual ) and FAQ (http://xbmc.org/wiki/index.php?title=Frequently_Asked_Questions ))Official T3CH Site: http://t3ch.yi.se (http://t3ch.yi.se/ ) (release RSS feed (http://t3ch.yi.se/feed.rss ))Downloads: Xbox Bins (n/a - built with XDK (http://www.xbox-scene.com/xdk.php )) | other platforms (http://xbmc.org/download/ ) | sourcecode (http://xbmc.org/wiki/index.php?title=What_Is_Source_Code )

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[Source: Xbox-Scene News]

Microsoft Rolls out Red Xbox 360 Wireless Controller

Cheater — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:47:19 +0000

From the press release (http://gamerscoreblog.com/press/archive/2008/09/30/xblrdctrlr.aspx ):[QUOTE]This holiday season, Xbox 360 fans are invited to accessorize with Microsoft’s award-winning Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers, now available for a limited time in red with newly designed black accents. Experience wireless gaming from up to 30 feet and enjoy uninterrupted play with the included Play & Charge cable and red rechargeable battery, which provides up to 25 hours of play on a single charge. Additionally, when the battery runs low, you’re given ample warning so you can connect the included Play & Charge cable for continuous play.Available in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and Asia, the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Red Wireless Controller and Play & Charge Kit with red rechargeable battery now come together in a never before available color and at an exceptionally low price of just $64.99 (U.S. estimated retail price (ERP)). This product is the newest addition to Microsoft’s line of Xbox Authentic Products and further reinforces Microsoft’s commitment to enhancing the way people experience games and entertainment.[/QUOTE]

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[Source: Xbox-Scene News]

Nintendo of America chief on game industry competition

Cheater — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:47:19 +0000

From venturebeat.com (http://venturebeat.com/2008/10/06/qa-with-nintendo-of-america-chief-reggie-fils-aime-on-game-industry-competition/ ):[QUOTE]* VB: You brought up our article on the Xbox 360 defects. How has Nintendo managed to escape the defect problem that Microsoft ran into?* RF-A: Simply put, we take product quality extremely seriously. We test our hardware and software extensively before putting it in the market. We have a very low tolerance for issues. When we do have them, our customer service personnel are extremely good at managing the consumer reactions. In the end, we don’t believe in launching any type of product if it isn’t perfect in our eyes.* VB: And that has turned out to be an advantage in this generation of consoles?* RF-A: It has turned out to be an advantage in this generation and past ones. The consumer perception of our product quality is high. We will only launch our products when they are perfect or nearly perfect.* VB: How did you view Microsoft’s price cut for the Xbox 360?* RF-A: They’re trying to get their consumer value proposition in line. Today, I have no need to adjust my prices. Consumers are voting with their wallets and pocketbooks. The Wii and DS are tremendous values.[/QUOTE]Full Story: venturebeat.com (http://venturebeat.com/2008/10/06/qa-with-nintendo-of-america-chief-reggie-fils-aime-on-game-industry-competition/ )

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[Source: Xbox-Scene News]

Rumor: Xbox 360 holiday bundles to include family friendly games

Cheater — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:47:18 +0000

From xbox360fanboy.com (http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/10/07/rumor-xbox-360-holiday-bundles-to-include-family-friendly-games/ ):[QUOTE]Just as was done last year, Microsoft may be looking to release special Xbox 360 packages that are bundled with a few free games to entice holiday console purchasers. And according to our insider Gamestop tipster, this holiday Microsoft will be bundling family friendly games with all three major 360 consoles.We’ve been informed that the Xbox 360 Arcade model will come packaged with SEGA Superstar Tennis and both the Pro and Elite models will come bundled with Kung Fu Panda and LEGO Indiana Jones.[/QUOTE]Full Story: xbox360fanboy.com (http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/10/07/rumor-xbox-360-holiday-bundles-to-include-family-friendly-games/ )

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[Source: Xbox-Scene News]

Microsoft Freezes Hiring At Xbox And Zune Group

Cheater — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:47:17 +0000

From alleyinsider.com (http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/10/report-microsoft-in-a-hiring-freeze-msft- ):[QUOTE]UPDATE: We’ve confirmed that Robbie Bach, who heads up Entertainment and Devices (Xbox, Zune, etc), sent out an email last night announcing a freeze at his group.Prior to receiving the news about the E&D group, we asked Microsoft for comment about the possibility of a companywide hiring freeze, which the company says is not happening.”Microsoft will continue to grow and add thousands of new jobs this year, but given the current economic environment we are taking the prudent step of reviewing our hiring plans and will make some adjustments as appropriate. We are optimistic about our prospects for growth and will continue hiring the talent we need to ensure our ongoing success.”[/QUOTE]Full Story: alleyinsider.com (http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/10/report-microsoft-in-a-hiring-freeze-msft- )

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[Source: Xbox-Scene News]

(UK) Sainsbury’s to sell Xbox 360 for 99GBP

Cheater — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:47:17 +0000

From videogamer.com (http://www.videogamer.com/news/02-10-2008-9544.html ):[QUOTE]MCV reports that Sainsbury’s is set to offer substantial price reductions for the Xbox 360 from tomorrow. According to the publication’s sources the Xbox 360 Arcade will go on sale at 99.97 - a 30 price cut - while the 60GB model will be available for 139.97.The price cuts won’t be permanent though, with MCV noting that Sainsbury’s will run the promotion between October 3 and October 12.[/QUOTE]Full Story: videogamer.com (http://www.videogamer.com/news/02-10-2008-9544.html )

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[Source: Xbox-Scene News]