Video Marketplace rules the living room

Can’t get the Video Marketplace in your country? Nope, nor me, but that hasn’t stopped the service becoming the second best alternative in digital distribution of video content, with iTunes beating it to the top spot. In the press release, there are also a couple of figures dished out, which make for some interesting reading.

Below are some of the stats that Microsoft put out in the press release. Be wary of the cleverly worded document though:

• Within four months of launching, Xbox LIVE has become the number one online distributor of television and feature film content in the living room where it’s most easy for consumers to access.
• In the same four months, the service has quickly become the number two online distributor of television and feature film content, second to iTunes.
• Is currently the ONLY online distributor of major feature films and television programming in high definition (HD) resolution.
• The service is a breakout success, with double-digit, month-over-month growth since launching.
• Monthly downloads from Xbox LIVE went up 400 percent since the service launched in November.

Bear in mind that these statistics come shortly after releasing a free episode of South Park, in nearly every region that has Xbox Live, which makes the stats look excellent, but in truth probably don’t portray the whole story. There also aren’t many services that deliver into the living room, since most require a PC, or at least are not hooked up to a television, so really there is little competition.

Hopefully the Video Marketplace will be rolled out to everyone eventually, and with IPTV on the way, these stats are likely to be better, with additional information to boot, so look out for them four months after IPTV is launched. It is always good to see the service growing though, and it will only get better as the months go on.

Thanks nofear360 for submitting.

Xboxic » Video Marketplace rules the living room

Xbox Live NOT Hacked

Major sets the record straight.



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New, upgraded 360 may ship with data-retention cable

The newly "confirmed" black 360 has gotten much talk around here lately, and the comments were mixed when it came to the features and the price. I would have liked to have had a $400 price, or barring that, at least inclusion of an HD DVD drive for my movie-viewing pleasure. At $480, the features aren't that much better than the $500 PS3, although that system seems to be the hard one to find at retail anyway. But I digress. One of my questions yesterday was about the ability to move your data from your existing 360 to the upgrade. Then this lands on my desk, and while rumor, it gives me hope.

I work for a large game distributor. MS disclosed this SKU to us a few weeks ago—definitely not a fake story. Price, features, color are all correct. MS has told us that the data will be transferred via some sort of cable that will be included with the unit. The cable will also be included w/ the 120GB drive that will be sold separately (price TBD).

Please don't cite me, but this is all accurate info.

I can't reveal the source, and I'm not going to say I think this is a sure thing, but that would go a long way to boost interest. You move your data over, sell your old system and hard drive, and upgrade. Microsoft needs to include either a cable or a very easy process to move your data if they hope to get people upgrading; I'm not keen on the idea of losing my progress in my games. People upgrade their systems when they know they won't lose anything, and without the ability to keep your saved games and data some gamers may not bother.

New, upgraded 360 may ship with data-retention cable

USA Today calls out Sony: 'from top dog to underdog in record time'

USA Today ... published a story today discussing Sony's fall from an almost monopolistic first place with the PlayStation 2 to less-than-stellar sales with the PlayStation 3.



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Free TV show downloads on XBLM

For a limited time you can hop on the XBLM and download free episodes from two new television shows. The first free episode is called "Halfway Narc" and is from Comedy Central's new series Halfway Home. It's a comedy on Comedy Central so it must be funny, that is if you have a funny sense of humor ... yah dig? Your second free episode is called "Let's Get it On" from a newer show airing on Spike TV called Bullrun. We can almost guarantee that a show hosted by Bill Goldberg featuring cars and explosions will increase your testosterone level by five fold. Again, the episodes are free so why not give them a chance and start downloading. That is, unless you are afraid ...
Free TV show downloads on XBLM - Xbox 360 Fanboy

Xbox 360 - Halo: a new series split in episodes made in Peter Jackson

The Game Developers Conference in San Francisco could not end in a better way for Halo fans and, more in general, for all Xbox 360 players.

During the Breakfast Blogger, Microsoft has, indeed, officially announced Halo Episodic, the temporary name of a new game series inspired to the Halo universe, in development by Wingnut Interactive.

Peter Jackson, the famous director of The Lord of The Rings movie-trilogy, will be directly involved in the project.

These episodes will, clearly, be exclusives of the Xbox 360 but it is, for the moment, not really clear how they will be linked to the universe and the time-line created by Bungie: will we be able to act as Master Chief, again?

XboxWay International

PS3 price drop coming sooner than later?

What goes up, must come down. At least that's what financial powerhouse, Goldman Sachs, is saying in their latest research note on the PS3.

Citing competitve pressures and an accelerated plan to reduce the PS3's manufacturing costs, Goldman Sachs analysts commented that "Sony's original PS began with 700 components and concluded with 200, while the PS2 started with 2,000 parts and finished with 600. The PS3 prototype had 4,000 components but now a shift to around 2,000 is in the pipeline."

That's definitely some major progress. Hopefully we'll see this savings passed onto the comsumers... but our bet is that this savings will go straight into Sony's corporate vaults.

PS3 price drop coming sooner than later? - PS3 Fanboy

Devil May Cry 4 scan

Devil May Cry 4 was as expected featured in the latest Famitsu Weekly, and here is the first scan. The images are from the PS3 version, and the red text isn't from me ;)
Devil May Cry 4 scan - Xboxyde

Xbox Live Hacked, Accounts Stolen

Online gaming forums are buzzing with reports that Xbox Live accounts linked to Microsoft's Windows Live ID service are being hijacked by malicious hackers.



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Bungie.net Redesigned in Preparation for Halo 3!

Gone is the strange bottom navigation. New is everything!



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