Xbox Live's Major Nelson

Demo: Jurassic: The Hunted

Major Nelson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:37:00 GMT

Content: Jurassic: The Hunted Demo
Price: Free
Availability: United States
Dash Text: Jurassic: The Hunted is an epic, story-driven first-person shooter set on a dark, mysterious island that connects the modern world with the age of dinosaurs. Players take on the role of Craig Dylan, a weapons and survival expert, hired to protect a research team sent to study the strange temporal energy of the island and recover whatever is left of the expedition lost on the island over twenty years earlier. Every minute is a fight for survival as Dylan must scavenge weapons, defend barricades, and battle titanic dinosaurs to return to his own time.

Add Jurassic: The Hunted Demo to your Xbox 360 download queue

Headed for Hawaii

Major Nelson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:43:00 GMT

The Inside Xbox crew and I are on are way to Maui, Hawaii for the 26th Annual EA Sports Maui Invitational that kicks off this weekend. I’ll be hosting a reception on Saturday night with all of the teams that are participating in the tournament, and working on some videos during the few days we will be on the island. Watch Inside Xbox for our reports from event and see a few of the sites and sounds of this tropical paradise. If you are an Xbox LIVE Member in Maui, send me an email (Major at Xbox –dot-com) and maybe you can show the Xbox team around your island.

Arcade: Diner Dash & Gyromancer

Major Nelson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:25:00 GMT

Content: Diner Dash
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Korea
Dash Text: Ditch your desk job and serve up some grub! Help Flo™ grow her fledgling diner into a five-star restaurant in this game of skill, speed and savvy. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Add Diner Dash to your Xbox 360 download queue

Content: Gyromancer
Price: 1200 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Korea
Dash Text: Gyromancer: A fusion of puzzle and RPG gaming. You are Rivel, a powerful mage who leads fearsome beasts into battle as he explores the depths of Aldemona Wood. Master a deep--and deeply addictive--battle system. Twelve stages of play against dozens of unique foes. The full version allows you to play all stages of the game. This game requires the Xbox 360 hard drive or the 512MB Memory Unit for storage. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.3

Add Gyromancer to your Xbox 360 download queue

Demo: Tropico 3

Major Nelson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:24:00 GMT

Content: Tropico 3 Demo
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Dash Text: The time is yesterday and the Cold War is in full swing. Through means devious and dubious you have seized power in the Caribbean island country of Tropico, where you now rule as the all-powerful "El Presidente". You decide whether you want to use your army to secure your power base in the best traditions of corrupt, unscrupulous tyrants everywhere or lead your people to prosperity in your role as generous elder statesman.

Add Tropico 3 Demo to your Xbox 360 download queue

LIVE Activity for week of Nov. 9th

Major Nelson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:20:00 GMT

Xbox 360 Top LIVE Titles (based on UU’s)

1    Modern Warfare 2
2    Call of Duty 4
3    Halo 3
4    Call of Duty: WaW
5    Left 4 Dead 2 – Demo (Download the Demo)
6    GTA IV (Purchase the full game)
7    Gears of War 2
8    FIFA 10
9    Halo 3: ODST
10   Madden NFL 10 (Download the demo)

Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions purchased)
1 Trials HD

2 Castle Crashers

3   SOUTH PARK LET'S GO TOWER DEFENSE PLAY!
4   Magic: The Gathering
5   Battlefield 1943
6   Hasbro Family Game Night **
7   Zombie Apocalypse
8   UNO
9   Splosion Man
10 Marvel vs. Capcom 2

The above arcade list is based on full versions purchased.
**Combined sales of all Hasbro Family Game Night titles

Original Xbox Top Live Titles (based on UU’s)

1    Halo 2
2    Star Wars: Battlfrnt 2
3    Counter-Strike
4    Fable
5    Conker: Live Reloaded
6    Splinter Cell Chaos
7    Doom 3
8    Star Wars: Battlefront
9    SW: Republic Commando
10    Call of Duty 3

Top Indie Games (Full Versions purchased)

1    Head Shot 2
2    Avatar Drop
3    I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1
4    Avatar Rockets
5    Scare Me
6    Miner Dig Deep
7    Avatar Golf
8    Beat Hazard
9    Experiment 12
10   Lemonade Ltd.

These lists are based on global unique users connected to Xbox Live or in the case of Arcade and Indie Games, full versions purchased during the week.

Upcoming Free Xbox LIVE Weekends

Major Nelson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:17:00 GMT

With the latest batch of new LIVE Features now available, we’re kicking off a few FREE LIVE Weekends so that Silver members can get a free trial of all the Xbox LIVE features.

During the free LIVE Weekends, all Xbox LIVE Silver members can enjoy: online multiplayer, Facebook, Twitter, Last.FM, Netflix, Sky Player, Halo Waypoint and 1 v 100*

Here is the schedule of when the freeness starts for Silver Members:

For all Xbox LIVE regions except those in Europe, Xbox LIVE Silver members will have free access from November 20th from 12n ET /9a PT /17:00 GMT until November 23rd from 12n ET /9a PT /17:00 GMT

For All European Xbox LIVE regions, Xbox LIVE Silver member will have free access from November 25th from 17:00 GMT until November 30th at 17:00 GMT

If you don’t have a free Xbox LIVE Gamertag, sign up for one now so you are ready for the weekend.

*Some features are only available in specific regions.

Xbox 360 Games on Demand: Grid

Major Nelson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:11:00 GMT

The following Xbox 360 games are now ready for direct download from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace:

Content: GRID
Price: Check pricing for your region
Availability: Not available in Japan
Dash Text: (Online Interactions Not Rated by the ESRB) This game supports English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. Download the manual for this game by locating the game on http://marketplace.xbox.com and selecting “See Game Manual". Race Driver: GRID is all about the race. It’s a stunning world of motorsport brought to life, from racing muscle cars through the iconic streets of San Francisco and competing in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race to drifting around the docks of Yokohama. Jump behind the wheel of exhilarating racing cars in the most aggressive, spectacular wheel-to-wheel races you’ve ever experienced - then prove yourself online. Welcome to GRID: racing just got exciting again. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Add GRID to your Xbox 360 download queue

Xbox LIVE Members in Japan can now download Raiden Fighter Aces.

The Beatles Rock Band: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Major Nelson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:03:00 GMT

The following songs are now available on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for The Beatles Rock Band.

Add them to your Xbox 360 download queue here.

Content: "A Day In The Life"
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea and Taiwan
Dash Text: (Music Downloads Not Rated by the ESRB) Build your The Beatles: Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track: "A Day In The Life" -- The Beatles. PLEASE NOTE: The Beatles: Rock Band game disc is required to play song game tracks. Many song game tracks are available as both a multipack and as a single game track. These song game tracks are exactly the same (unless expressly noted as a special version or remix). Be aware that it is possible to download the same song game track twice so please carefully consider your purchases. For music credits, visit www.TheBeatlesRockBand.com. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Content: "Lovely Rita"
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea and Taiwan
Dash Text: (Music Downloads Not Rated by the ESRB) Build your The Beatles: Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track: "Lovely Rita" -- The Beatles. PLEASE NOTE: The Beatles: Rock Band game disc is required to play song game tracks. Many song game tracks are available as both a multipack and as a single game track. These song game tracks are exactly the same (unless expressly noted as a special version or remix). Be aware that it is possible to download the same song game track twice so please carefully consider your purchases. For music credits, visit www.TheBeatlesRockBand.com. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Content: "When I'm Sixty-Four"
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea and Taiwan
Dash Text: (Music Downloads Not Rated by the ESRB) Build your The Beatles: Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track: "When I'm Sixty-Four" -- The Beatles. PLEASE NOTE: The Beatles: Rock Band game disc is required to play song game tracks. Many song game tracks are available as both a multipack and as a single game track. These song game tracks are exactly the same (unless expressly noted as a special version or remix). Be aware that it is possible to download the same song game track twice so please carefully consider your purchases. For music credits, visit www.TheBeatlesRockBand.com. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Content: "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!"
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea and Taiwan
Dash Text: (Music Downloads Not Rated by the ESRB) Build your The Beatles: Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track: "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!" -- The Beatles. PLEASE NOTE: The Beatles: Rock Band game disc is required to play song game tracks. Many song game tracks are available as both a multipack and as a single game track. These song game tracks are exactly the same (unless expressly noted as a special version or remix). Be aware that it is possible to download the same song game track twice so please carefully consider your purchases. For music credits, visit www.TheBeatlesRockBand.com. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Content: "She's Leaving Home"
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea and Taiwan
Dash Text: (Music Downloads Not Rated by the ESRB) Build your The Beatles: Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track: "She's Leaving Home" -- The Beatles. PLEASE NOTE: The Beatles: Rock Band game disc is required to play song game tracks. Many song game tracks are available as both a multipack and as a single game track. These song game tracks are exactly the same (unless expressly noted as a special version or remix). Be aware that it is possible to download the same song game track twice so please carefully consider your purchases. For music credits, visit www.TheBeatlesRockBand.com. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Content: "Fixing A Hole"
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea and Taiwan
Dash Text: (Music Downloads Not Rated by the ESRB) Build your The Beatles: Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track: "Fixing A Hole" -- The Beatles. PLEASE NOTE: The Beatles: Rock Band game disc is required to play song game tracks. Many song game tracks are available as both a multipack and as a single game track. These song game tracks are exactly the same (unless expressly noted as a special version or remix). Be aware that it is possible to download the same song game track twice so please carefully consider your purchases. For music credits, visit www.TheBeatlesRockBand.com. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Content: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Album)
Price: 1080 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea and Taiwan
Size: 141.36 MB
Dash Text: (Music Downloads Not Rated by the ESRB) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This includes 8 tracks: all of the songs from the The Beatles’ album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, except "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/With A Little Help From My Friends," "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," "Getting Better," and "Good Morning Good Morning" found on The Beatles: Rock Band game disc. PLEASE NOTE: The Beatles: Rock Band game disc is required to play song game tracks. Many The Beatles: Rock Band songs are available as both a multipack and as a single game track. Be aware that it is possible to download the same song twice so please carefully consider your purchases. For song credits, visit www.TheBeatlesRockBand.com. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Content: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)"
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea and Taiwan
Dash Text: (Music Downloads Not Rated by the ESRB) Build your The Beatles: Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" -- The Beatles. PLEASE NOTE: The Beatles: Rock Band game disc is required to play song game tracks. Many song game tracks are available as both a multipack and as a single game track. These song game tracks are exactly the same (unless expressly noted as a special version or remix). Be aware that it is possible to download the same song game track twice so please carefully consider your purchases. For music credits, visit www.TheBeatlesRockBand.com. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Content: "Within You Without You"
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea and Taiwan
Dash Text: (Music Downloads Not Rated by the ESRB) Build your The Beatles: Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track: "Within You Without You" -- The Beatles. PLEASE NOTE: The Beatles: Rock Band game disc is required to play song game tracks. Many song game tracks are available as both a multipack and as a single game track. These song game tracks are exactly the same (unless expressly noted as a special version or remix). Be aware that it is possible to download the same song game track twice so please carefully consider your purchases. For music credits, visit www.TheBeatlesRockBand.com. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

New Xbox 360 features now available (Twitter, Facebook, Zune Video and Last.FM)

Major Nelson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:00:00 GMT

We’ve just released the latest new features for your Xbox 360. In case you’ve been off the grid for the past few months and don’t know what is in this update, allow me to give you the some of the highlights: Facebook, Zune Video, Twitter and Last.FM. Here is how to find ‘em: Facebook and Twitter will appear automatically on your dashboard in the new My Community channel, Zune Video is in the Video Channel and Last.FM will be found under the Music Channel.

Assuming you have the latest Xbox 360 system update from Xbox LIVE, these new features will automatically appear sometime over the next few hours. Availability of these features will vary by region.

Remember, if you are under 18, you’ll have to wait a little longer for some of these features.

This week on Arcade: Gyromancer and Diner Dash

Major Nelson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Gyromancer (1200 points) and Diner Dash (800 points) will be available this Wednesday on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

Deal of the Week: 3 on 3 NHL Arcade

Major Nelson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:10:00 GMT

Xbox LIVE Gold Members can save 50% this when they purchase 3 on 3 NHL Arcade. Normally 800 points, this week it’s only 400 points.

Show #339: Getting Ready for Holiday 2009

Major Nelson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:36:00 GMT

Host: Larry Hryb, Xbox LIVE’s Major Nelson (Xbox LIVE ) (Twitter)
Co-host : e (Xbox LIVE ) (Twitter)
Co-host : lollip0p (Xbox LIVE) (Twitter)
Special Guest: Stepto (Xbox LIVE) (Twitter)

Interview: Andrew Bell, Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues ( 38:07 – 46:33)
Interview: Patrick Plourde, Assassins Creed II ( 46:33 – 55:26)
Interview: Paul Stanley discusses the upcoming KISS GH DLC ( 56:26 – 1:04:33)
Interview: Erik Johnson, Left 4 Dead 2 ( 1:04:33 – 1:10:49)
Interview: Patrick Perkins, Xbox 360 Consoles and Accessories ( 1:10:49 – 1:30:21)
Interview: Matt Read, Madden Arcade ( 1:30:21 – 1:39:41)
Interview: Rob Holmes, IPCybercrime ( 1:39:42 – 2:03:23)

Name The Game
Xbox 101
And much more

Plus: During this episode you could win an Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition Console, a Xbox 360 Wireless N Adapter or one of the Xbox 360 Wireless controller game packs that contains an Xbox 360 Black Wireless controller and a copy of four hit arcade titles: Geometry Wars Evolved², LUMINES LIVE!, Bomberman LIVE and a downloadable token for MS.PAC-MAN.

Note: I’ve added the above show notes to the ID3 Lyrics data field. If your device supports displaying lyrics, you’ll find this useful

Get the show now! You know you want to.
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3) Listen in iTunes? Submit a review
[RSS] Add the Major Nelson Blogcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically (MP3).

[MP3] <—– Download the show

Format:
2:40:53, 72.6 MB, (MP3)

Click the player below to stream this show to your browser:

Links to some of the things mentioned in this episode:
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
Assassin's Creed II
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Stanley
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss_(band)
Left 4 Dead 2
Xbox 360 Consoles
Xbox 360 accessories
How investigators tracked down a Modern Warfare 2 cyber pirate
http://www.ipcybercrime.com/
http://majornelson.com/archive/2009/09/29/xbox-360-holiday-bundles.aspx
Xbox 360 Black Wireless Controller
Geometry Wars Evolved²
LUMINES LIVE!
Bomberman LIVE
MS.PAC-MAN
http://marketplace.xbox.com/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258410975
Canon Pixma MX850

Programming note: Due to travel and holidays, the next scheduled show will be Dec. 6th

The MNR Show without Major Nelson

Major Nelson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:03:00 GMT

While I was travelling last weekend, and Stepto decided to try their hand at a show. How did they do?

Host : e (Xbox LIVE ) (Twitter)
Host: Stephen Toulouse (Xbox LIVE) (Twitter)

Get the show. You know you want to.
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3) Listen in iTunes? Submit a review
[RSS] Add the Major Nelson Blogcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically (MP3).

[MP3] <—– Download the show

Note: This is a new version that Stepto compressed. However the settings do not work with the embedded Flash player so you’ll have to go old school and download it.

Format:
56:12, 25.7 MB, (MP3)

Xbox LIVE Update coming Nov. 17th

Major Nelson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:00:00 GMT

I know some of you are already enjoying many of these features through the Preview Program, but I am happy to announce that the next update that contains Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm and Zune video will be available to all Xbox LIVE members launch Nov. 17.

Project Natal is one of TIME Magazine’s Inventions of the Year

Major Nelson — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:28:00 GMT

Today Project Natal received recognition as one of TIME Magazine’s Inventions of the Year. This is the third major honor Project Natal received this past month including the Popular Mechanics 2009 Breakthrough Award and Popular Science Best of What’s New Grand Award. This is great news for the industry. Congrats to the entire team for the great work they’ve accomplished so far.

Arcade: Encleverment Experiment, 0D Beat Drop, Encleverment Experiment and NBA Unrivaled

Major Nelson — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:20:00 GMT

Content: Encleverment Experiment
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Dash Text: [ESRB: E (Everyone)] Unlock the full game to offer your assistance in Professor Ivor Question's Encleverment Experiment! He's looking for people just like you to play his 16 exciting minigames, collect 60 available Mascots and create new challenges in his Home-made Game editor! Featuring support for the Big Button Controller and Live Vision Camera, the Encleverment Experiment also includes full Avatar support and LIVE play for up to four players! Unlock the full game now and massage those mental muscles! There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Add Encleverment Experiment to your Xbox 360 download queue

Content: 0D Beat Drop
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Dash Text: Are you ready to Beat Drop? The fusion of "rhythm" and "puzzle" created a completely new kind of battle! Drop Pieces along with the beat and go for the win with our explosive chains! If you purchase the full version, you can play over 10 modes and 100 stages! Also, it has the unique "Beat-O-Matic" function where you can analyze your own songs and use them in the game! The ways you can have fun with Beat Drop is endless! Feel the rhythm of battle! There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Add 0D Beat Drop to your Xbox 360 download queue

Content: NBA Unrivaled
Price: 1200 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Australia, Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand and Taiwan
Dash Text: Paying homage to the old school look and feel of the arcade classics, NBA UNRIVALED™ brings back all of the intensity and pulse pounding action—AMPLIFIED! Featuring the 2009-2010 NBA season's team and player rosters with current stats, logos and jerseys. Ball your way up to the top of the league with unthinkable slams and outrageous plays to get the crowd pumped for momentum on your side! There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Add NBA Unrivaled to your Xbox 360 download queue