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August 2006 - Posts

The League of Amateur Gamers

posted Thursday, August 31, 2006 2:54 PM by Bastelyon
The League of Amateur Gamers is a website created for those Xbox Live gamers that enjoy playing multiplayer gaming, but don’t consider themselves “hardcore”. LAG website owner Bart Lewis (FragMaster B) and member LM Mario recently added a really cool Read More
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XNA Game Studio Express Beta Available

posted Wednesday, August 30, 2006 1:18 PM by CPaladino
The XNA Game Studio Express beta is ready to go!  Get out there and start your game programming career!I am very excited about all the great things happening with XNA, and I know that there are going to be some great things coming down the pipe.More Read More
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Time Pilot is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace!

posted Wednesday, August 30, 2006 1:00 AM by Bastelyon
"Time Pilot," the futuristic jet fighter from Konami launches on Xbox Live Arcade on Wednesday, August 30 at 0800 GMT (1:00 am Pacific). From the media alert: With "Time Pilot," Xbox Live Arcade gamers can step back in time and fix the future for Read More
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Time Pilot is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace!

posted Wednesday, August 30, 2006 1:00 AM by johnporcaro
Xbox 360 Gamers Can Dog-Fight from the Turn of the Century to the Next Generation with Time Pilot on Xbox Live Arcade Read More
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Penny Arcade Expo 2006

posted Tuesday, August 29, 2006 4:24 PM by CPaladino
I’d like to thank all the fans that I spoke with at PAX, you guys are a very large part of why I love this job so much.  I would like to thank the community team, and all the Microsoft employees who welcomed me into the Microsoft family with open Read More
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Zookeeper Tops List as Children’s Ideal Career

posted Tuesday, August 29, 2006 9:00 AM by johnporcaro
Animals run wild in “Zoo Tycoon 2” Inside Young Minds study results. Read More
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Xbox Live Vision Video Review @ SquadXP.com

posted Monday, August 28, 2006 10:31 PM by BIGVIP
K Rock XP just posted today an in-depth review of the Xbox Live Vision camera over at SquadXP.com.  Check out the video and also be sure to find out how you can win one of the four cameras they are giving away every week up to the launch on September Read More
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Xbox 360 Back Compat Expanded to Nearly 300 Titles

posted Monday, August 28, 2006 3:02 PM by johnporcaro
We just posted a Backwards Compatibility update, with 39 new titles and 9 updated titles--the largest number of new games updated since the original list of over 200. It's interesting to note that this is the first time the list includes titles Read More
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Battlestar Galactica Comes to Xbox Live Marketplace

posted Monday, August 28, 2006 2:22 PM by Bastelyon
I just got word from the Xbox Live Marketplace team that starting today, Xbox Live members can download the first ever full-length TV show to feature on Xbox Live Marketplace - Battlestar Galactica: The Store So Far.  This is a free download (sorry Read More
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Wrapping Up Pax

posted Sunday, August 27, 2006 7:48 PM by johnporcaro
We're already making plans for next year's PAX.  Here are a few pictures of the show I'll leave you with.  Check out the entire Flickr set we took (200 photos), or see everyone's photos on Flickr tagged with PAX06.  Read More
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What's Your Gamerscore?

posted Sunday, August 27, 2006 7:31 PM by johnporcaro
Crecente from Kotaku took a picture of the "Microsoft Blogger Crew," including Trixie playing host to our "What's Your Gamerscore?" bumper sticker... For the record, Major was on a plane, and Sara and Chris were actually working across the booth...  Read More
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Major Nelson at PAX Panel

posted Sunday, August 27, 2006 6:41 PM by johnporcaro
[Edit: Major Nelson posted the audio from the session as this week's podcast.] Major Nelson moderated a panel called "Blogphotopodcasting: New Media in the Game Industry" at PAX today.  The panel included Chris Grant from Joystiq, Brian Crescente Read More
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Bungie's Frankie on a PAX Panel

posted Saturday, August 26, 2006 11:16 PM by johnporcaro
Frankie was great on tonight's panel presentation called Forums, Blogs, and Fanbois.  The Role of Community and PR in the Games Industry. He did a great job, and brought the session to light with some humor at just the right time.  It was fun Read More
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More from PAX 2006

posted Saturday, August 26, 2006 2:50 PM by johnporcaro
In between chatting with gamers, I managed to get a few pictures taken and uploaded to Flickr.  PAX is just amazing.  Since it's really a show for gamers, rather than for media or industry insiders, it's been fun just hanging around and talking Read More
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Welcome to the Team!

posted Saturday, August 26, 2006 2:31 PM by johnporcaro
I'd like to formally welcome two new members of the Microsoft Games Global Marketing Community team!  We're extremely lucky to add a couple of very familiar folks to the roster.  They both started this week, and they'll both be at PAX this weekend.  Read More
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Opening Day of PAX

posted Friday, August 25, 2006 9:07 PM by johnporcaro
We just got back from the opening day of PAX, and we posted a few pictures on Flickr.  Read More
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Xbox Live Unplugged Volume 1

posted Friday, August 25, 2006 2:04 PM by johnporcaro
We just sent out an announcement about "Xbox Live Unplugged Volume 1" coming to stores on Sept. 5, for $39.99 (US).  It includes 6 Xbox Live Arcade titles: Geometry Wars Retro Evolved, Wik: Fable of Souls, Outpost Kaloki X, Bejeweled 2 Deluxe, Hardwood Read More
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Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Volume 1 hits retail store shelves worldwide on September 5

posted Friday, August 25, 2006 6:00 AM by johnporcaro
Microsoft announces the global retail launch of new Xbox Live Arcade compilation for Xbox 360 gamers Read More
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Microsoft and Razer Announce Gaming Mouse

posted Thursday, August 24, 2006 5:30 PM by johnporcaro
The Microsoft hardware team (they build mice, keyboards, and web cams) just announced a brand new mouse made especially for gaming.  From the press release: Powered by Razer Precision, the Habu’s data path was opened from eight to 16 bits and Read More
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Free Texas Hold 'em Poker Ends Soon!

posted Thursday, August 24, 2006 4:21 PM by johnporcaro
Just a few hours remain to download free Texas Hold 'em.  You've all done it, right?  By the way, I suck at Poker.  I'm down down $900 or more.  Anyone up for a friendly tutorial?  Tony says he'll help by inviting me to his Read More
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Viva Piñata at GC

posted Thursday, August 24, 2006 12:53 PM by johnporcaro
I just saw the video of Viva Piñata gameplay that 1Up posted. I’m a big fan of Viva Piñata (can’t you tell?), and I’m a bit miffed that 1Up is positioning the game the way they are—they’re usually much more responsible than that. Instead of asking for Read More
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Catch the Viva Piñata TV Show on Xbox Live Marketplace

posted Thursday, August 24, 2006 9:49 AM by johnporcaro
Xbox Live subscribers get a free sneak peek at the first two episodes of the new Viva Piñata animated series, in high definition!  Chewnicorn in the Garden and Horstachio of a Different Color (both in 480p and 720p) for Viva Piñata are on Xbox Read More
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Xbox 360 to Own Football on Next Generation Gaming Consoles

posted Thursday, August 24, 2006 6:00 AM by johnporcaro
The Xbox 360 video game system from Microsoft has become the only place football fans can enjoy next-generation versions of these titles for the coming twelve months. Read More
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Microsoft Delivers More Fun, More Experiences and More Choices to Its Ever-Expanding Games Library

posted Thursday, August 24, 2006 12:00 AM by johnporcaro
Playable games, demonstrations, and exclusive announcements for Xbox 360 and Games for Windows take over the Games Convention Read More
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Game On! Microsoft and Razer Team Up to Rejuvenate PC Gaming Experience With New Peripherals

posted Thursday, August 24, 2006 12:00 AM by johnporcaro
Microsoft Hardware and Razer meet growing demand for PC gaming devices. Read More
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Madden Video and Photos from KICKS98 FM

posted Wednesday, August 23, 2006 2:59 PM by johnporcaro
A co-worker just sent this mail, after wrapping things up in Madden, Mississippi: Yesterday I was standing in the middle of a hay field at 5AM in central Mississippi listening to crickets and watching the sunrise not being quite sure what to expect Read More
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Microsoft Press Briefing Audio from GC

posted Wednesday, August 23, 2006 12:25 PM by johnporcaro
Major Nelson posted the audio from the press briefing at the German Games Convention, and added some photos to his Flickr site.    Read More
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Graeme Boyd Blogs GC

posted Wednesday, August 23, 2006 8:11 AM by johnporcaro
Graeme Boyd, Community Manager for Xbox.com Europe, has a new blog, AceyBongo's Xbox Life, adding to the growing list of Microsoft bloggers (see Microsoft Games Employee Blogs in the right column).  He's covering GC, and has a few posts, and some Read More
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German Games Convention Announcements

posted Wednesday, August 23, 2006 5:03 AM by johnporcaro
The German Games Convention is underway, and we're providing details on some things just announced in a press release that just went out.  With twice the space as last year, and130 game stations showing off more than 40 titles, gamers can Read More
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Microsoft Offers More Ways to Play Games for Windows and Xbox 360 at German Games Convention

posted Wednesday, August 23, 2006 5:00 AM by johnporcaro
Microsoft’s game platforms show unstoppable momentum. Read More
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Reminder: Download Your Free Poker & See You Online

posted Tuesday, August 22, 2006 7:27 PM by BIGVIP
Don’t Delay! Download ‘Texas Hold ‘em’ Poker in the next 48 hours and it’s yours for free! Being patient might help you win a hand at poker, but it certainly won’t help you get ‘Texas Hold ‘em’ for free. All Xbox 360 gamers who log on to Xbox Live Marketplace Read More
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Xbox 360 Fall Accessories Peek

posted Tuesday, August 22, 2006 4:12 PM by johnporcaro
GameVideos.com posts a video review of some of the new Xbox 360 accessories, including the steering wheel, camera, wireless headset, and the HD DVD Player.  As a bonus, you get to see Tony chatting with Product Manager Albert Penello.  Read More
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Don’t Delay! Download ‘Texas Hold ‘em’ Poker in the next 48 hours and it’s yours for free

posted Tuesday, August 22, 2006 4:00 PM by johnporcaro
All Xbox 360 gamers who log on to Xbox Live Marketplace between 1am Pacific Wednesday, August 23 through 1am Pacific Friday, August 25 can download ‘Texas Hold ‘em’ for free. Read More
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Photos from Madden, Mississippi

posted Tuesday, August 22, 2006 3:52 PM by johnporcaro
We just got these photos from our team in Mississippi.  Looks like a lot of fun!  NFL great and Mississippi native, Jerry Rice, autographs  T-shirts, caps and copies of Madden NFL 07 as part of Maddenoliday in Madden, Miss., on Tuesday, Read More
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Major Nelson posts photos from Leipzig

posted Tuesday, August 22, 2006 10:11 AM by johnporcaro
The German Games Convention opens in a few hours, and Major Nelson is there covering everything that's going on.  He's already posted a handful of photos on his Flickr account, and writes about them on his blog.  More news as it comes in... Read More
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Some Details on Xbox Live Vision Camera

posted Tuesday, August 22, 2006 9:56 AM by johnporcaro
Coola, one of our MVPs, just posted a bunch of photos of the camera and the interface to Xbox365.  Worth checking out if you haven't seen it.  It's a bit of a preview since the camera won't go on sale officially until September 19 (in the US), Read More
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Jerry Rice Delivers Xbox 360s and Madden NFL 07 to Fans

posted Tuesday, August 22, 2006 9:42 AM by johnporcaro
Warren Moon talks to ESPN this morning, and tells about Jerry Rice going to the homes of some residents of Madden, Mississippi to personally deliver an Xbox 360 and EA's Madden NFL 07.  Read More
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“Maddenoliday” Declared in Madden, Miss. (pop. 74), to Celebrate Launch of “Madden NFL 07” on Xbox 360

posted Tuesday, August 22, 2006 6:00 AM by johnporcaro
To commemorate “Maddenoliday,” NFL greats Jerry Rice, Marshall Faulk and Warren Moon deliver free Xbox 360 consoles to all Madden residents in small-town celebration of top-selling EA SPORTS title. Read More
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Xbox 360 Launches in South Africa in September

posted Monday, August 21, 2006 6:21 PM by johnporcaro
Microsoft will launch Xbox 360 in South Africa at midnight on Friday, 29 September 2006.  This launch, along with the launches in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, will expand the Xbox 360 footprint in the EMEA (Europe, Middle Read More
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Are You Ready for Some Madden?

posted Monday, August 21, 2006 4:36 PM by johnporcaro
Visit EA's Maddenoliday 06 site to gear up for tomorrow's extravaganza!  I found this news article from the local paper, near Madden, Mississippi.  The Clarion Ledger writes: The arrival of the game comes with an added twist for Mississippians. Read More
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We'll be at PAX This Weekend

posted Monday, August 21, 2006 2:57 PM by johnporcaro
We'll be at PAX this weekend, I hope you can come by and say hi!  In anticipation of the big show, Duncan and Laura from on10.net got an interview with Mike and Jerry from Penny Arcade.  Worth a watch... Read More
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Activision, Spike TV and Best Buy Team Up for "Game Head: Call of Duty 3: Challenge"

posted Monday, August 21, 2006 9:00 AM by johnporcaro
Casting Call for Gamers to Battle it Out Boot Camp Style On Reality Television Show Read More
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Xbox 360 to Launch in South Africa This Autumn

posted Monday, August 21, 2006 8:00 AM by johnporcaro
South African Gamers To Enter Next Generation Of Gaming And Entertainment On 29 September Read More
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Viva Piñata TV Show Sneak Peak Next Saturday

posted Sunday, August 20, 2006 9:14 AM by johnporcaro
The Viva Piñata web site on 4Kids TV has been updated.  Looks like you can watch the first two episodes next Saturday morning.  The new site has some new info on the show, and several fun Viva Piñata wallpapers (I'm using one from RareWare.com).  Read More
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Maddenoliday 2006 in Madden, Mississippi (pop. 74)

posted Friday, August 18, 2006 3:51 PM by johnporcaro
Where will you be on Tuesday, August 22?  I’ll be at home playing Madden NFL 07.  Jerry Rice, Warren Moon, and Marshall Faulk—along with some folks from EA and Xbox—will be in Madden, Mississippi (pop. 74) to celebrate Maddenoliday 2006.  Read More
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Check Out Xbox Live Vision Features

posted Friday, August 18, 2006 3:26 PM by johnporcaro
Want to check out how the cameras are going to work?  Most of our MVPs have cameras on their consoles at home, and Tony and Aaron and I do too, so look for us online to check out how the chat, or UNO gameplay with the camera will work.   Read More
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Xbox Live Vision Demos at Gamefest

posted Friday, August 18, 2006 2:38 PM by johnporcaro
Gamasutra has some info from this weeks' Gamefest about the Xbox Live Vision camera.  I got a chance to play Totemball, and I have to admit it was quite a lot of fun.  Harder than it looks (imagine playing an old-school Tank game by moving each Read More
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Peter Moore at Vision Conference

posted Thursday, August 17, 2006 5:41 PM by johnporcaro
A few weeks back, we had a two-day summit where Steve Ballmer, Mitch Koch, and Peter Moore spoke to partners and retailers about our plans for the next year.  I was able to capture audio and video of Peter's session, slightly edited.  Download Read More
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The Week of Rumors and Speculation

posted Thursday, August 17, 2006 4:11 PM by johnporcaro
(...though I'm not sure this week is all that different than other weeks...).  In case you weren't sure, we haven't announced a price or availability date for the HD DVD Player--anything you're seeing online is speculation.  Or as Cesar Read More
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Microsoft HD DVD Player Exclusively For Movies

posted Wednesday, August 16, 2006 1:45 PM by johnporcaro
I'm seeing lots of speculation about our upcoming HD DVD Player, and whether we have plans to publish HD DVD games.  The answer is no.  Since announcing the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player accessory at E3 2006, we’ve been clear that it is designed Read More
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Gamefest Keynote Slides, Video

posted Wednesday, August 16, 2006 10:15 AM by johnporcaro
Quick note to say I posted the slides from Monday's Gamefest keynote on our Flickr site.  With the audio from Major Nelson, a video highlight reel, and Major's video interview with Chris Satchell, it's almost like you were there!  From Read More
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Texas Hold 'em Next Wednesday, Free for 48 Hours

posted Tuesday, August 15, 2006 11:02 PM by johnporcaro
Aaron really went to bat, and worked it so you can get Texas Hold 'em for free.  All you have to do is download it during the first 48 hours of its availability.  Texas Hold 'em will launch next Wednesday, August 23 at 0800 GMT (1am Read More
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No Need for Gamers to go ‘All In’; Full Version of ‘Texas Hold ‘em’ on Xbox Live Arcade is a Free Download for First 48 Hours

posted Tuesday, August 15, 2006 11:00 PM by johnporcaro
Next Wave of Killer Content on Xbox Live Arcade Also Includes ‘Time Pilot,’ ‘Scramble’ and New Premium Downloads for ‘Cloning Clyde’ and ‘UNO’ Read More
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August Momentum Memo

posted