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May 2006 - Posts

Got an Xbox 360, a Pool, and Four Ziplock Bags?

posted Wednesday, May 31, 2006 9:23 AM by cesarmenendez
Make your Xbox 360 waterproof. Sweet. A few weeks ago I put up this video of some ker-aaaazy Aussies making their Xbox 360 wireless controllers waterproof. I had meant to link to it sooner, but I've got a really short attention span we had so many Read More
5 Comments

Think Keyboard/Mouse Gamers Will Pwn Controller Gamers?

posted Tuesday, May 30, 2006 10:40 AM by cesarmenendez
Think again. Our friends at www.gamertagradio.com interviewed John Howard, Lead Game Designer working on Shadowrun. In the interview, John gives an overview of the game, talks about the decision to go w/ action vs RPG genre, and dispels the myth that Read More
21 Comments

Should Microsoft Listen to its Customers?

posted Monday, May 29, 2006 7:31 PM by johnporcaro
Okay, I'm behind in my magazine reading, but with Memorial Day in the US, I had an extra vacation day to sit in the hammock and catch up.  I finally got to read the May 15 article Time Magazine did for the Nintendo Wii, called A Game for Read More
26 Comments

Jodie Kidd Races PGR3 on Game With Fame

posted Sunday, May 28, 2006 1:08 PM by johnporcaro
Some news from our European offices that might interest everyone around the world.  Fans of model and racing enthusiast Jodie Kidd can play online as part of the PGR100 events. She'll be online Tuesday, 5:30-7:00 PM GMT (that's morning Read More
8 Comments

Jack Black is a Gamer: "My Skills are Sharp..."

posted Friday, May 26, 2006 3:10 PM by johnporcaro
Trixie just pointed to some photos from Jack Black's "Game with Fame" session, where he played PGR3 with a few lucky fans.    From the video clip: "It's no secret I'm a gamer.  My skills are sharp.  My skills are extremely sharp."  Read More
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E3 Game Critics Dig Games for Windows and Xbox 360

posted Friday, May 26, 2006 10:49 AM by johnporcaro
You have seen the news, but everyone in our hallways are gloating a bit more than usual since the E3 Game Critics announced their nominees for the Best of E3 awards.  Of all the games that were nominated, more than half (52) were on Microsoft platforms.  Read More
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Xbox 360 and Windows Platforms Lead E3 Game Critics Award Nominations

posted Friday, May 26, 2006 10:00 AM by johnporcaro
Games developed for Microsoft’s platforms garner lion’s share of nominations at this year’s awards Read More
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Xbox Live Spring Update

posted Friday, May 26, 2006 9:50 AM by cesarmenendez
Ok, for real this time. Joystiq, Kotaku, Major Nelson, IGN, and Gamespot all have news about the Xbox Live Spring Update. Other sites have the story, too - actually, if you don't have the news, could you raise your hand? Anyways, the update Read More
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Microsoft Launching Best Of Classics Range In Europe

posted Friday, May 26, 2006 8:00 AM by johnporcaro
Xbox, the video game system from Microsoft today announced a new ‘Best of Classics’ range. Read More
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Forza Motorsport 2 and Xbox 360 to ride with Risi Competizione

posted Thursday, May 25, 2006 5:42 PM by johnporcaro
I bet if I stuck an Xbox bumper sticker on my truck, it wouldn't look this cool...   From Che, at ForzaMotorSport.net:  More photos and news at risicompetizione.com. Those of you who follow the American LeMans Series on Speed Network or Read More
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Xbox Live's Spring Update: Eaaaasy, Big Fella

posted Wednesday, May 24, 2006 1:19 PM by cesarmenendez
So we're all really excited about the next update to Xbox Live, and Xbox Live Marketplace. But hey, we're not ready to share specifics or details about it.  As such, posts related to this update were done prematurely, and I apologize Read More
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Microsoft Announces Sponsorship of American Le Mans Series Race Team

posted Wednesday, May 24, 2006 10:00 AM by johnporcaro
Forza Motorsport 2™ and Xbox 360 to Ride with Risi Competizione Read More
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Casual Games Taking Over My Family

posted Wednesday, May 24, 2006 8:42 AM by johnporcaro
This whole “Live Anywhere” thing is creating quite a stir.  As Xbox and Games for Windows gamers, it’s easy to forget our Casual Games siblings, cell phones, web browsers, and even IM clients.  With my recent introduction to Zuma, I decided Read More
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New Dates for Kameo Skin contest

posted Tuesday, May 23, 2006 1:30 PM by johnporcaro
In case you didn't hear, the dates for the “Kameo: Elements of Power Design Your Skin Contest” have been updated.  Some people were having trouble with the delivery of email to the address provided, and the problem has been fixed.  If you have Read More
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New dates for "Kameo: Elements of Power Design Your Skin Contest"

posted Tuesday, May 23, 2006 1:00 PM by johnporcaro
Dates for the “Kameo: Elements of Power Design Your Skin Contest” have been updated Read More
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Cadillac V-Series for PGR3 on Xbox Live Marketplace

posted Monday, May 22, 2006 2:10 PM by johnporcaro
(Update: Added pictures from an Xbox.com article) The PGR 3 Cadillac V-Series Collection is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace.  You can add all three Cadillac V-Series vehicles to your virtual garage.  Pluse, if you want to Read More
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Project Gotham Racing 3 Brings the High-Performance Cadillac V-Series Collection to Xbox Live Racers

posted Monday, May 22, 2006 12:00 PM by johnporcaro
The coveted high-performance Cadillac V-Series offers gamers the chance to earn the exclusive “Cadillac Elite” gamer picture. Read More
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Forza Motorsport Community Site Updated

posted Friday, May 19, 2006 11:23 AM by johnporcaro
Che Chou, Community Manager for Forza 2, recently updated forzamotorsport.net, the site in preparation for the announcement at E3.  He's already posted several great articles on the site, including a candid Q&A covering questions that came up Read More
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Pre-release Clips from Tomorrow's Gears of War show on MTV

posted Thursday, May 18, 2006 5:24 PM by johnporcaro
Update: Eastbeast314 let us know you can stream the video from MTV's Overdrive: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/player.jhtml?id=1532170.   I'm really excited about this show--I love how this thing came together.  I'm taking a chance posting Read More
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Don't Miss the Gears of War Special on MTV2 tomorrow

posted Thursday, May 18, 2006 2:40 PM by johnporcaro
I got a chance to see the show yesterday, and I have to say, I think you're going to like it.  It really does a good job giving you a feel for what it's like to work in this exciting business, and mixes some insider interviews with some "real world" Read More
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MTV2 Set to Air "Gears of War: The Race to E3" Special on May 19th at 10PM ET/PT

posted Thursday, May 18, 2006 2:00 PM by johnporcaro
Go Behind the Scenes with the Developers of the Most Eagerly Awaited Xbox 360 Game of 2006 Read More
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24 Million Downloads for Xbox Live

posted Wednesday, May 17, 2006 6:22 PM by johnporcaro
Since launching in November, Xbox 360 owners have downloaded 24 million items.  Wow!  Last week, more than 1.5 million gamers connected to Xbox Live, downloading E3 videos, game demos, trailers, and more. You all downloaded Read More
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Get Your Free Demo Disc from The Apprentice

posted Wednesday, May 17, 2006 4:39 PM by cesarmenendez
For those of you who missed The Apprentice, be sure to check out Porcaro's recap about it. Aaaand, for those of you who like free stuff:  Curry over at Xboxic asked me to link to his site so I am. Our friends at Xboxic found Read More
4 Comments

“Hacked” Xbox 360 – Microsoft’s Official Response (revisit)

posted Wednesday, May 17, 2006 1:20 PM by cesarmenendez
A few folks are asking about the Microsoft response to Optical Disc Drive (ODD) hack. We sent out some messaging when the news first appeared, but since more information about the hack has been released publicly, we're revisiting. The bottom Read More
35 Comments

Can You Beat Jack Black at PGR3?

posted Wednesday, May 17, 2006 1:04 PM by johnporcaro
Here's your chance!  As part of Xbox Live's Game With Fame program, Jack Black will be online, taking on a handful of gamers, this Sunday.  For your chance to win the one of the coveted spots, you'll need to register by Thursday 5PM Pacific here:  Read More
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You Think That Stuff is Easy?

posted Wednesday, May 17, 2006 11:35 AM by johnporcaro
I watched the episode of The Apprentice where J Allard makes an appearance to judge the Xbox 360 displays set up in Wal-Mart.  I couldn't help but think of all the things I'd do differently, but when I realize the complexity of the task, and the Read More
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Xbox Live Marketplace surpasses 24 million downloads as Xbox Live Brings E3 Home to gamers around the world

posted Wednesday, May 17, 2006 5:00 AM by johnporcaro
Xbox Live becomes the world’s largest platform for high-definition on-demand content Xbox Live, the first and only unified online games and entertainment network, is now the world’s largest platform for high-definition on-demand content, surpassing Read More
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Gaming Execs vs. Photoshop vs. Way Too Much Time

posted Tuesday, May 16, 2006 5:34 PM by cesarmenendez
Usually I try to write something pithy to introduce an article or picture, but with this one, I'm speechless. PS: Anyone know who Morticia is in this picture? PPS:  LMAOLOLROFL PPPS:  pithy Pronunciation: 'pi-thEFunction: adjectiveInflected Read More
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Hey You: Thanks for Buying Video Games! (Sales are Up)

posted Tuesday, May 16, 2006 11:30 AM by cesarmenendez
Gamasutra today reports that NPD just released their April data - and video game sales went up 16% compared to April of last year. Industry sales totaled $699 *million dollars.* Last year's sales totaled $602 million. An MSNBC article quotes Read More
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MTV2 Presents "Gears Of War: The Race To E3"

posted Tuesday, May 16, 2006 11:01 AM by johnporcaro
This Friday, you can tune into MTV2 as they follow the rock star team at Epic Games and Microsoft Game Studios as they race to complete a playable demo of "Gears Of War" that premiered at E3, the gaming industry's high-stakes conference. What's it like Read More
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Jack Black Ready to Race on Xbox Live

posted Tuesday, May 16, 2006 9:00 AM by johnporcaro
Jack Black is challenging you to take him on in Project Gotham Racing® 3 in the latest Xbox Live Game with Fame session. Read More
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Xbox 360 and Wal-Mart on "The Apprentice" Tonight

posted Monday, May 15, 2006 12:38 PM by johnporcaro
Just got an email from Bill Brownell, Director of US Games Channel Marketing, about tonight's episode of "The Apprentice", featuring the Xbox 360.  Watch it tonight, or "you're fired!" (sorry, couldn't resist.) A few months ago, Wal-Mart Read More
17 Comments

Day Off

posted Monday, May 15, 2006 9:36 AM by cesarmenendez
If you don't see many posts come through today, it's because Charlotte (my boss' boss) gave the whole team the day off. You know, because we all worked so hard. I just wanted to clarify in case you, dear GSB reader, don't see of our rarely usually Read More
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Washington Post: Bloggers Rule at E3

posted Sunday, May 14, 2006 1:44 PM by johnporcaro
The Washington Post did a story today about how bloggers are getting the word out to gamers at E3.  They feature everyone's favorite dueling blogs, Joystiq and Kotaku.  From the story, What Press Pass? At E3, a Convergence of Card-Carrying Bloggers: Read More
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Adult Swim's Space Ghost Interviews Peter Moore

posted Sunday, May 14, 2006 12:55 PM by johnporcaro
Gotta admit, he's a pretty good sport.  I'm sure Peter liked hanging out with Bill Gates at E3, but I bet this interview with Space Ghost was the highlight of his week... Some banter NSFW Thanks, bapenguin and dannythegaminggeek Read More
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Halo 3 Desktop Wallpaper

posted Sunday, May 14, 2006 9:52 AM by johnporcaro
The guys at Bungie.net created some pretty nice Halo 3 wallpapers.  Check em out! Remember, you can put them on a USB device, and make them your wallpaper on the Xbox 360 too... Read More
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The Soap Opera That is E3

posted Saturday, May 13, 2006 11:13 PM by johnporcaro
Grand Turismo HD Running on a PC!  Game Console Grows by 40%!  This week only, Buy Two Consoles for the Price of One!  Sony Exclusive Demos From an Xbox 360!  Xbox 360 announces Price Drop on Day of Sony Briefing!  Paris Read More
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Xbox Live Gold Experience Party at Social Hollywood

posted Saturday, May 13, 2006 2:31 AM by johnporcaro
To cap off E3 week, the Xbox Live team threw a party to thank some of our very best Xbox Live customers in the LA area.  DJ Z-TRIP and Crystal Method rocked the joint, and everyone had a great time.  Here are a few photos from the gig.... Read More
8 Comments

Joystiq and Xbox Blogger Bus Contest Announced

posted Friday, May 12, 2006 7:58 PM by johnporcaro
...ooops.  Too late.  Hey, we had to do something with the leftover lawn furniture we bought at Target!  It all went to a good home, we promise...  Joystiq's Jenny Lees posts E3: Free furniture for fastest reader Thanks for Read More
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Closing Day at E306

posted Friday, May 12, 2006 7:39 PM by johnporcaro
The bus just pulled away, and I wanted to get a few more pictures uploaded... The Gamerscore Blog guys (Tony, John, Cesar) Working tirelessly... MGS GM Shane Kim stops by Joystiq rox the house The bus drives away Read More
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Flying Soon to a Museum Near You

posted Friday, May 12, 2006 9:00 AM by johnporcaro
A pair of Microsoft engineers – and flight enthusiasts – show aviation museum leaders how to harness Microsoft Flight Simulator to put their patrons in the pilot's seat Read More
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Cliffy B Blogs from E3

posted Thursday, May 11, 2006 7:56 PM by johnporcaro
Cliffy B is the man behind Gears of War, the upcoming Xbox 360 game.  You all are subscribed to his  blog, right?  If not, do it now.  Now that that's cleared up, I want to point out the post he made a few days ago.  Thanks, Read More
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Fun and Games at E3 on Day Four

posted Thursday, May 11, 2006 7:31 PM by johnporcaro
Great day.  Sunny and warm, some of the bloggers got a little sun, I think.  Here is my daily dose of photos.  Check out Flickr for more. Ran into this guy at the Sony booth From the Xbox booth Fom the PR Work Room The Emergence Read More
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Joystiq Blogs about the Blogger Bus from Inside the Blogger Bus

posted Thursday, May 11, 2006 12:05 PM by cesarmenendez
Ken Weeks writes a post on Joystiq and Xbox 360 Fanboy about the blogger bus, saying: As I type, Geometry Wars is playing on four HD displays and jar of Twizzlers the size of a mop bucket sits on my lap. Of course, we at Joystiq and Xbox360Fanboy Read More
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C3@E3 Community Party

posted Thursday, May 11, 2006 1:01 AM by johnporcaro
Thanks to everyone who stopped by.  And thanks to Tony and Cesar who put the whole thing together, and Larry and Trixie who helped out tirelessly and graciously.  And special thanks to April and Jeff from the events team, and, Read More
6 Comments

Wednesday at E3 2006

posted Thursday, May 11, 2006 12:40 AM by johnporcaro
I've decided to turn to "photojournalism" for the time being.  You guys are providing all the commentary and news, and it's been a loooong day...  So for now, enjoy the pictures. Hanging at the Blogger Bus Interviews with Peter Moore Read More
3 Comments

Blogger Bus

posted Wednesday, May 10, 2006 4:55 PM by johnporcaro
Been hanging out all day on the bus, with guys from our community.  Xbox.com stopped by, and filmed a little video with Tony (Bastelyon).  Check it. Read More
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Our Booth - Pre-Opening

posted Wednesday, May 10, 2006 4:36 PM by cesarmenendez
We got a shaky-cam capture of our booth, and we posted it on Youtube. Read More
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The Hardcore Gamer Was Here

posted Wednesday, May 10, 2006 1:40 PM by cesarmenendez
I'm here live on the blogger bus and just hung out with the lovely folks from the hardcoregamer.com - Of all of the corporate bull**** that happens in this industry, the community that Microsoft embraced and to the level at which they embraced Read More
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Derek Bauer Photography

posted Tuesday, May 09, 2006 4:30 PM by johnporcaro
The talented Derek Bauer (no relation) did the professional photography for our event (as opposed to my, uh, unprofessional but heart-in-the-right-place photography).  He was cool enough to give me his memory card, and told me I could upload Read More
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E3 Press Conference Photos

posted Tuesday, May 09, 2006 4:19 PM by johnporcaro
More photo goodness on our flickr site, from your friends here at Gamerscore Blog.  Arne, Cesar, Lila, Tony, Dina, Steve, John Read More
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Halo 3 - Now with vitamins! And screenshots!

posted Tuesday, May 09, 2006 2:37 PM by cesarmenendez
Xbox.com now has the Halo 3 trailer for all y'alls to get. Greetings from a cloudy Los Angeles. Just a few minutes ago, Bill Gates took the stage with Peter Moore to unveil Halo 3. You can get the full story here. Sweet. Edit - we now have screens Read More
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Microsoft Announces Spectacular Windows Vista Title Lineup

posted Tuesday, May 09, 2006 11:45 AM by johnporcaro
Momentum for games on Windows accelerates with new showcase games, breakthrough DirectX graphics technology and Xbox Live online gaming capabilities. Read More
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“Grand Theft Auto IV” Comes to Xbox 360 on Day One

posted Tuesday, May 09, 2006 11:45 AM by johnporcaro
Microsoft and Rockstar Games also forge strategic alliance to provide exclusive episodic content downloads on Xbox Live Read More
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Gamers Catch Their Breath as Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Reinvent Next-Generation Gaming

posted Tuesday, May 09, 2006 11:45 AM by johnporcaro
Gamers can expect more than 160 Xbox 360 high-definition games this year, new Xbox Live experiences and cross-platform wireless accessories Read More
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Bill Gates Declares 10 Million-Unit Head Start for Xbox 360 and Outlines Future of Interactive Entertainment

posted Tuesday, May 09, 2006 11:45 AM by johnporcaro
Surprise appearance by Microsoft company founder wows gamers with unified platform vision and first look at “Halo 3.” Read More
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Joystick Reviews Microsoft Motion Sensor Controller

posted Monday, May 08, 2006 11:51 PM by johnporcaro
I was surprised to find this tidbit online, those guys are so sneaky. http://www.joystickreview.com/microsoft/sidewinderfreestylepro.asp. Have you ever seen someone so intently immersed into a game that he or she actually leans left or leans right Read More
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Shane Kim and Chris Satchell Respond to Monday's Briefing

posted Monday, May 08, 2006 11:41 PM by johnporcaro
TeamXbox got to talk to Shane Kim, GM of Microsof Game Studios, and Chris Satchell, GM of the Game Developer Group, about their thoughts on the Sony briefing.  Our first query to Chris Satchell was to step outside of his competitive structure Read More
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Kurt Wenner Art at E3 for Gears of War Emergence Day

posted Monday, May 08, 2006 1:31 PM by johnporcaro
Kurt Wenner is an artist who does amazing anamorphic paintings depicting scenes on the ground that are incredibly realistic.  Whenever he does one of these paintings, he draws crowds.  Kurt is doing an “Emergence Day” floor painting, right Read More
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Welcome to E3

posted Monday, May 08, 2006 11:57 AM by johnporcaro
I just uploaded a bunch of photos to the Gamerscore Blog Flickr site.  Read More
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Sigil and Microsoft Still Friends After Breakup

posted Saturday, May 06, 2006 4:04 PM by johnporcaro
Sigil Games and Microsoft are parting ways on the development and distribution of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, and Sigil will buy back the rights to the game.  From the press release on sigilgames.com: Sigil Games Online and Sony Online Entertainment Read More
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Project Gotham TV in Prime Time Saturday, Sunday

posted Saturday, May 06, 2006 3:49 PM by johnporcaro
Don't forget, tonight, and tomorrow night, you can watch top PGR3 racers in the world compete to find out who will be crowned the best, and flown to Italy to compete at the Lamborghini Factory in June.  We started with over 25,000 competitors and Read More
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All Your E3 Assets are Belong To. . .

posted Saturday, May 06, 2006 11:46 AM by cesarmenendez
Ok friends. Everything E3 - that's PR related - will be up on our E3 press kit. Generally we don't share this URL, but I thought I'd give all three readers of this blog (hi, mom!) access to all the assets that our press will have. On the site you'll be Read More
14 Comments

Our E3 Credentials

posted Friday, May 05, 2006 4:26 PM by cesarmenendez
 So this is what our e3 briefing invite looks like  and they give us this cool badge/button thing to wear around our briefing Here's John - in his best Superman impression - wearing his "blogger bus" pass: (bad lighting, my Read More
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Photo from Yesterday's MSN Summit

posted Friday, May 05, 2006 10:48 AM by cesarmenendez
Checking into yesterday's MSN Summit (you know, the one John blogged about. The one where we announced that we're munching acquiring Massive) I found this photo:  Bill Gates and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. Sweet. Read More
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Come On In and Have a Look Around

posted Thursday, May 04, 2006 7:50 PM by johnporcaro
Well, hello (insert your name here)!  Wanna take a look around the place?  Julien from the XNA team will act as your tour guide.  First stop, the Xbox Campus lobby... The tour continues on Julien's blog... Read More
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So how do I get one of those cool Xbox Cup faceplates?

posted Thursday, May 04, 2006 4:38 PM by stacik
Well, first of all - you have to compete in the Xbox Cup tournament. And then you have to win one of 3 berths to represent your country in Berlin at the finals in June. Not interested in a free trip to Berlin with a buddy, opportunity to attend a World Read More
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The Word on Windows Gaming – And Windows Vista

posted Thursday, May 04, 2006 3:50 PM by kevinu
Greetings to all the readers of gamerscore blog and welcome to my first post.  I'm Kevin Unangst, and I run the global platform marketing team for Games for Windows in the games group at Microsoft.  What does that mean, you ask?  Well the Read More
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Microsoft to Acquire In-Game Advertising Pioneer Massive Inc.

posted Thursday, May 04, 2006 3:00 PM by johnporcaro
Massive’s technology for weaving dynamic, relevant ads into video games will extend next-generation advertising across Microsoft properties and beyond. Read More
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