xbox

Xbox 720 to debut by 2013 holiday season, report says

The next edition of Microsoft's Xbox could be ready for the holidays -- the 2013 holidays, that is.

Microsoft is aiming to launch the Xbox 720 in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas of next year, "people familiar with the company's plans" told Bloomberg yesterday.

The software giant could unveil the next Xbox at the E3 show in June or at a separate event specifically geared toward the console, one of the sources said. The people providing this tidbit to Bloomberg didn't want to identify themselves since the information is reportedly based on a confidential Microsoft … Read more

Rumor Has It: Will Disney force the return of a Jedi?

This week, Xbox rumors are back, making Karyne hyperventilate; Google might release its own Chromebook by the end of the year; and we have a very bad feeling about these "Star Wars" rumors.

As you know, Disney purchased Lucasfilm recently, giving it the rights to the "Star Wars" franchise. (On a side note, George Lucas took all the profit from the sale and donated it to charity to improve American public education. Seriously, he is the greatest American alive.) But fans everywhere are letting their imaginations run wild, worrying about what Disney will do to the … Read more

Xbox 360 sells 750,000 units during Black Friday week

Xbox 360 had a blowout Thanksgiving week, selling 750,000 consoles in the U.S. between November 18 and Black Friday, according to Microsoft Xbox staffer Larry Hryb.

That's more Xbox units than Microsoft usually sells in a month.

The numbers exceeded internal forecasts, according to Hryb -- better known as Major Nelson -- who oversees programing for Xbox Live. Additionally, three-month subscription sales for network during the week nearly doubled last year's sales for the same time frame.

"We saw incredible activity on Xbox over the weekend," Hryb wrote in his blog. "For example, … Read more

Xbox update fixes SmartGlass and Xbox Music issues

Xbox 360 owners will be greeted with an update from Microsoft the next time they fire up their consoles.

Released earlier today, the system update fixes a few issues, including an incorrect playlist name displayed when using Xbox SmartGlass, an error with Xbox Video closed-captioning, and a bug with Xbox Music that affected some users.

Upon powering up your Xbox 360, the following message pops up:

A system update is available from Xbox Live. If you decline, you won't be able to connect to Xbox Live until you take the update. Visit www.xbox.com/update for more info. … Read more

Xbox set-top device reportedly coming next year

Microsoft is readying an Xbox set-top box focused on casual gaming and streaming video, The Verge reported today.

According to the report, several sources told The Verge that Microsoft is planning on releasing the new device next year as an inexpensive alternative to its longstanding hit console, the Xbox 360. The set-top box is expected to offer the ability to play casual games and stream videos, and would be sold alongside the existing Xbox.

"The device will run on the core components of Windows 8 and support casual gaming titles rather than full Xbox games typically found on a … Read more

Black Friday video game deals you shouldn't miss

If you're looking for a Black Friday break on the brand-new Nintendo Wii U or just-released games such as Halo 4 and Call of Duty Black Ops 2, you might be out of luck. But, just about everything else in the world of console gaming is, well, fair game.

It's hard to imagine that anyone who wants an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or Nintendo Wii doesn't have one already. But just in case you need one or more to fill out your hardware collection or are looking for a gift, there are some deals to be had. … Read more

The 404 1,168: Where we pass judgment on the Nintendo Wii U (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Watch Jeff go nuts on the Wii U.

- German police stop man with mobile office in car.… Read more

Xbox 720 to offer Kinect 2.0 and Blu-ray drive, says Xbox World

Microsoft's Xbox 720 will unveil a new version of Kinect, a Blu-ray drive, and an A/V port for watching and recording broadcast TV, at least according to details leaked by Xbox World.

Promising "next-gen secrets inside," the latest issue of the U.K.-based magazine dug up several reported specs on Microsoft's next console.

First off, the Xbox 720 will introduce Kinect 2.0.

Microsoft has been as publicly mum about the next version of Kinect as it has about all details concerning the new Xbox. But a company document leaked in June touted a … Read more

Watch out, Xbox 360: Here comes the PlayStation 3

Despite getting off to a slow start and being called into a question as a viable purchase option, the PlayStation 3 might just take the second spot in console sales after this generation is up.

Earlier today, Sony announced that it has sold 70 million PlayStation 3 units worldwide since the console's launch in 2006. The device hit that tally on November 4, meaning it's somewhere above the 70-million-units mark at this point.

Sony is now in striking distance of Microsoft. The software giant announced that as of September 30, it has sold 70 million Xbox 360 units … Read more

Total gaming spending hits $2.87 billion in third quarter

The game industry suffered through a down period during the third quarter, new data from research firm NPD has revealed.

During the third quarter, total spending in the U.S. on video game products and services was $2.87 billion, down 1 percent compared with the $2.9 billion the industry generated during the same period last year. Physical sales, which includes game discs, hit $1.07 billion during the period, representing a 16 percent decline year over year. Consumer spending on used and rental titles hit $399 million.

Luckily for the industry, digital gaming helped prop companies up, with $… Read more