Xbox Live's Major Nelson

Savannah then New York for MW2

Major Nelson — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:24:00 GMT

I am currently in Savannah, Georgia through Sunday for the Geekend2009 event. I’ll be attending the various conference sessions, and then speaking to the group Saturday night. Drop me a note in the comments if you’re planning on attending. On Monday, I’ll be in New York’s Union Square for the official Modern Warfare 2 launch event shooting video for Inside Xbox and hanging out w/ the crowd. Here is a PDF file that contains details around Monday's MW2 Activities. Hopefully you can attend one (or both) events. Either way, have a great weekend.

Twitter, Facebook, Last.FM and Xbox 360 Family Settings

Major Nelson — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:00 GMT

As some of you might be aware, those under the age of 18 are not able to access Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm in our public preview. I want to you let you know that this will remain the case when it launches to the world soon. We made this decision because as it stands now, parents aren’t able to use Family Settings to customize which of these applications their children can access. In order to offer an age-appropriate environment for everyone, we decided to turn off these applications for those Gold members under the age of 18. As expected, this has been a hot topic with the preview users. We want to make sure everyone was aware, however, that the development team is working on an update that gives parents the choice of which social applications their children can access. This means that Xbox LIVE members between the ages of 13 and 17 will be able to use Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm as long as their parents approve. The team hope to roll this out several weeks after launch and I will update you on the exact date as it gets closer.

Demo: NCAA Basketball 10

Major Nelson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:25:00 GMT

Content: NCAA Basketball 10 Demo
Price: Free
Availability: Canada and United States
Dash Text: Get your hands on the most authentic college basketball experience ever, in NCAA® Basketball 10. Enjoy ultimate control over your team’s strategy and style of play, including real Motion Offensive Systems including the Dribble Drive, Princeton and Flex to name a few. See the game like it has never been seen before, with authentic broadcasting presentations from the all-star announcing crews of Dick Vitale, Brad Nessler, and Erin Andrews of ESPN, and Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery of CBS Sports. From the broadcast table to the hardwood - it’s all there in NCAA® Basketball 10.

Add NCAA Basketball 10 Demo to your Xbox 360 download queue

Demo: Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2

Major Nelson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:55:00 GMT

Content: Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 Demo
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Dash Text: The Largest Army of Super Heroes is back! Mercenaries are attacking the Capitol in Washington D.C. and it is up to you and your team of Super Heroes to defend it. Thwart the enemy offensive with immensely destructive powers and new fusion combinations. Select your team of four from an exciting array of Super Heroes, including Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hulk, and more. Test your mettle as you enter the world of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2! For all levels, deeper RPG action and the entire roster of over 24 playable heroes and villains, buy your copy in September 2009! Download the demo.

Add Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 Demo to your Xbox 360 download queue

Xbox 360 Console Bans

Major Nelson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

As you may have read online, we’ve been actively banning consoles from Xbox LIVE that have been modified to play pirated games. Our commitment to combat piracy and support safer and more secure gameplay for the more than 20 million members of our Xbox LIVE community remains a top priority. All consumers should know that piracy is illegal, and that modifying their Xbox 360 console to play pirated discs, violates the Xbox LIVE terms of use, will void their warranty and result in a ban from Xbox LIVE. The health of the video game business depends on customers paying for the genuine products and services they receive from manufacturers, retailers, and the third parties that support them. This would also be a good time to remind you that the warranty on an Xbox 360 console is not transferrable and if you purchase a used console that has been previously banned, you will not be able to connect to Xbox LIVE.

Arcade: Wallace & Gromit Ep. 2, 3 and 4

Major Nelson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:03:00 GMT

Content: Wallace & Gromit Ep. 2: The Last Resort
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Japan
Dash Text: [ESRB: E (Everyone) COMIC MISCHIEF] Join Wallace & Gromit in The Last Resort™, the second tale in their newest adventure series. When unrelenting rain ruins their holiday plans, Wallace & Gromit transform their cellar into a makeshift resort. After a customer is clocked on the head by an unknown assailant, it’s up to Gromit to find out whodunnit… with a little help from Wallace’s latest invention, the Deduct-o-matic!

Add Ep 2: The Last Resort to your Xbox 360 download queue

Content: Wallace and Gromit Episode 3
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Japan
Size: 434.03 MB
Dash Text: Join Wallace & Gromit once again in Muzzled!™, the third tale in their newest adventure series by Telltale! When the storm from "The Last Resort" destroys the local dog shelter, the swindling Monty Muzzle comes to town. Muzzle preys on the townspeople by offering to hold a grand fundraising fair to rebuild a shelter, with the main draw being his mechanized "Muzzler" carousel ride. But when Gromit realizes that Muzzle’s intentions aren’t exactly charitable, he must foil the huckster’s plot in order to save both the town’s investment and rescue his canine friends. This game requires the Xbox 360 hard drive for storage. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Add Ep. 3: Muzzled to your Xbox 360 download queue

Content: Wallace and Gromit Episode 4
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Japan
Dash Text: Join Wallace & Gromit in The Bogey Man™, the final tale in their newest adventure series by Telltale! When the Morning Lamppost announces the upcoming wedding of Wallace and his neighbor, Felicity Flitt, the inventor is as shocked as anyone. It’s up to Gromit to extricate his master from this tangled situation, but his plan plunges Wallace into a new thicket—“Prickly Thicket”, a country club rich in history, mystery and malice. Wallace and Gromit will have to solve an ancient mystery, compete in Great Britain’s craziest golf tournament, and face off against a diabolical machine! This game requires the Xbox 360 hard drive for storage. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Add Ep. 4 The Bogey Man to your Xbox 360 download queue

LIVE Activity for week of Oct. 26th

Major Nelson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:27:00 GMT

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

1    Halo 3
2    Call of Duty 4
3    Call of Duty: WaW
4    GTA IV (Purchase the full game)
5    Halo 3: ODST
6    Gears of War 2
7    FIFA 10
8    Borderlands
9    Madden NFL 10 (Download the demo)
10   Forza Motorsport 3 (Download the demo)

Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions purchased)
1    Trials HD
2    SOUTH PARK LET'S GO TOWER DEFENSE PLAY!
3    Zombie Apocalypse
4    Battlefield 1943
5    Tower Bloxx Deluxe
6    Castle Crashers
7    Magic: The Gathering
8    Fable II Pub Games
9    Panzer General Allied Assault
10   Shadow Complex

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   Avatar Drop
2   I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1
3   Pumpkin Chop
4   Miner Dig Deep
5   Headshot
6   Run Away
7   Avatar Golf
8   Halloween HD
9   Beat Hazard
10 Night Of Doom

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.

Demo: Left 4 Dead 2

Major Nelson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:56:00 GMT

Content: Left 4 Dead 2 Demo
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox LIVE Regions
Dash Text: The sequel to the best-selling and critically-acclaimed co-operative multiplayer smash from Valve®, Left 4 Dead™ 2 promises to become one of 2009's top-selling games and set a new benchmark for co-operative action games. Left 4 Dead 2 takes place at roughly the same time as the original, and leads four new “Survivors” through the southeastern United States -- from Savannah, Georgia to New Orleans’ French Quarter. The title adds melee combat, new monsters and weapons, the AI Director 2.0, and more to create a larger game than the original. Visit www.l4d.com for more information.

Add Left 4 Dead 2 Demo to your Xbox 360 download queue

Xbox 360 Games on Demand: Battlefield 2: MC and Far Cry 2

Major Nelson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:50:00 GMT

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

Content: Battlefield 2: MC
Price: Check pricing for your region
Availability: North America and Asia
Dash Text: (Download the manual for this game by locating the game on http://marketplace.xbox.com and selecting “See Game Manual". Battlefield 2: Modern Combat explodes onto Xbox 360, bringing the field of battle to life like never before. Bullets whiz by and score the environments around you, spent minigun shells rain down from hovering helicopters, and explosions shatter your field of vision. Delivering the over-the-top action of the award-winning Battlefield™ franchise, Battlefield 2: Modern Combat lets you wage modern war your way. Battlefield 2: Modern Combat delivers the Battlefield franchise’s trademark multiplayer action on Xbox Live, delivering ferocious 24 player online battles. Fighting for one of 4 sides – the US, the European Union, the Chinese, or the newly formed Middle East Coalition – and armed with the latest modern weaponry, you are given full control over the 30+ vehicles in the game.

Add Battlefield 2:MC to your Xbox 360 download queue

Content: Far Cry 2
Price: Check pricing for your region
Availability: Not available in North America
Dash Text: Download the manual for this game by locating the game on http://marketplace.xbox.com and selecting “See Game Manual". Far Cry® 2 is a true open-world FPS where every decision you make affects the outcome of the game. The first sequel to the award-winning franchise takes you to one of the most beautiful and hostile environments in the world - AFRICA. You are a gun for hire, trapped in a war-torn African state, stricken with malaria and forced to make deals with corrupt warlords. Your mission is to hunt down and kill The Jackal. This evil arms dealer has been perpetuating this conflict for years, wreaking havoc on the land an all of its innocent people. Run, swim, drive, fly, shoot, fight and smash your way through over 50km² of open world. Beware though, sometimes the hunter can become the hunted. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Add Far Cry 2 to your Xbox 360 download queue

This week on Arcade: 3 Episodes of Wallace & Gromit

Major Nelson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

It’s week of Wallace and Gromit goodness as the following Grand Adventures will be available on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday for 800 points each:

Wallace & Gromit Ep. 2: The last resort

Wallace & Gromit Ep. 3: Muzzled!

Wallace & Gromit Ep. 4: The Bogey Man

Deal of the week: COD4 Variety Map Pack for 50% off

Major Nelson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:13:00 GMT

This weeks Xbox LIVE Gold Members deal of the week is the Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack for 400 points. Normally 800 points, Gold Members can grab it now and save 50%.

Add Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack to your Xbox 360 download queue

Show #337: DJ Hero, MUA2, Lego Rock Band and MW2

Major Nelson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:37:00 GMT

Co-host : e (Xbox LIVE ) (Twitter)
Co-host : lollip0p (Xbox LIVE) (Twitter)
Special Guest: Stephen Toulouse (Xbox LIVE) (Twitter)
Interview: Jamie Jackson, DJ Hero ( 36:41 – 49:04)
Interview: Jason Schroeder, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 DLC ( 49:05 – 55:57)
Interview: Jonathan Smith, Lego Rock Band ( 55:59 – 1:05:08)
Interview: Robert Bowling, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 ( 1:05:09 – 1:20:43)
Name The Game
Xbox 101
And much more

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

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Format:
1:59:04, 54.5 MB, (MP3)

Links to some of the things mentioned in this episode:

http://www.greatwolf.com/grapevine/explore/activities?s_kwcid=TC%7C15979%7Cgreat+wolf+resort%7C%7CS%7Cb%7C4010602220
http://www.magiquest.com/
DJ Hero Bundle with Turntable
http://www.xbox.com/games/d/djhero/
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
http://www.xbox.com/games/m/marvelultimatealliance2/
Lego Rock Band
http://www.xbox.com/games/l/legorockband/
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
http://www.xbox.com/games/c/callofdutymodernwarfare2/
Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition Console
http://marketplace.xbox.com/games/offers/0ccf0002-0000-4000-8000-0000415607e6
http://geekend2009.com/
http://www.johnhowiesteak.com/

GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony

Major Nelson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:20:00 GMT

Content: Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Price: 1600 Points
Availability: Not available in Japan
Dash Text: (ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE,INTENSE VIOLENCE,PARTIAL NUDITY,STRONG LANGUAGE,STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT,USE OF ALCOHOL,USE OF DRUGS,ONLINE INTERACTIONS NOT RATED BY THE ESRB) The Ballad of Gay Tony injects Liberty City with an overdose of guns, glitz, and grime. As Luis Lopez, part-time hoodlum and full-time assistant to legendary nightclub impresario Tony Prince (a.k.a. “Gay Tony”), players will struggle with the competing loyalties of family and friends, and with the uncertainty about who is real and who is fake in a world in which everyone has a price. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Add The Ballad of Gay Tony to your Xbox 360 download queue and begin playing right now or purchase Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City which contains both The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and Damned as stand alone games that do not require the original Grand Theft Auto IV game to play.

Arcade: Inferno Pool

Major Nelson — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:05:00 GMT

Content: Inferno Pool
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Availability: Asia and North America
Dash Text: Inferno Pool is a revolutionary, simultaneous multi-player Pool action game. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Add Inferno Pool to your Xbox 360 download queue

Arcade: RAINBOW ISLANDS: TOWERING ADVENTURE

Major Nelson — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:04:00 GMT

Content: RAINBOW ISLANDS: TOWERING ADVENTURE!
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Australia, Korea and New Zealand
Dash Text: Rainbow Island returns as an XBLA remake, with completely new features added! Use your Rainbow Magic to shoot out rainbows to defeat your enemies as well as climb them towards the top in this platform gaming classic! Use your Avatar to personalize the colorful action! Play cooperatively with a friend with 2 Xbox 360 Controllers or race to the top against other players over Xbox LIVE. Conquer all 10 Areas in 4 different game modes! A range of quirky costumes can be acquired in the game to customize game character's outfit. All Areas are seamlessly connected as you climb from the earth to the far reaches of space! There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/Live/accounts.

Add RAINBOW ISLANDS: TOWERING ADVENTURE to your Xbox 360 download queue

LIVE Activity for week of Oct. 19th

Major Nelson — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:54:00 GMT

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

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

Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions purchased)
1   Trials HD
2    SOUTH PARK LET'S GO TOWER DEFENSE PLAY!
3    Tower Bloxx Deluxe
4    Zombie Apocalypse
5    Panzer General Allied Assault
6    Battlefield 1943
7    Hasbro Family Game Night
8    Magic: The Gathering
9    Castle Crashers
10 Shadow Complex

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    Star Wars: Battlefront
8    Doom 3
9    SW: Republic Commando
10    Call of Duty 3

Top Indie Games (Full Versions purchased)

1    Avatar Drop
2    I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1
3    Headshot
4    Avatar Golf
5    Miner Dig Deep
6    Pumpkin Chop
7    Night Of Doom
8    Cassie's Corner
9    Fishing Girl
10   Who Did I Date Last Night

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.