Living LIVE News Report 02.06.12
Posted by Trace Aber on 02.06.2012
News and thoughts on the latest trailer for Resident Evil: Raccoon City, a major shakeup in the Xbox Live bureaucracy, a role-playing pinball game, the latest Xbox Live apps, latest Mass Effect 3 demo coming with a limited time Gold access and more!
REPLY POSTED
Idk I don't really see too big of a deal in them getting rid of Microsoft points since you can still buy stuff just a different way. Ofcourse if you're younger and don't have a credit card or anything of the sort the points do come in handy as you can just buy a gift card with cash and use that, unless they make it where you still can but it's just not "points" but money like itunes. The lack of gift cards is definitely an annoying concept with the android.
Posted By: goodolsscutup (Guest) on January 30, 2012 at 08:50 AM
Making it so that you can't get used games for a system could backfire on them. If the competition has the ability to play used games, that's a big reason to buy the other systems right there. I hope that they keep some form of gift card. I always use them because I don't want to put my credit card information in the system if I can avoid it.
Posted By: Minimoose (Guest) on January 30, 2012 at 03:10 PM
Points going away is a huge loss, since cash cards rarely go on sale and never for the huge discounts seen on Points cards. Too bad people are stupid and think this is a positive change.
Posted By: lol (Guest) on January 31, 2012 at 02:20 PM
Microsoft Points have been widely criticized (along with Nintendo Points) for the need to buy more than one MP card to truly take advantage of Xbox Live Marketplace. I personally don't have a problem with it, but I can understand why many hate it. I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo did the same thing when the Wii U is released.
Posted By: Guest#6347 (Guest) on February 02, 2012 at 11:34 AM
A quick recap: Last week a rumor came out that Microsoft would be getting rid of its Microsoft Points system by the end of the year, not just for LIVE but also Zune and Games for Windows. As I mentioned last week, I don't have too much of a problem with the move either way, since I'm used to both this system and the Playstation Network and both work just fine for me.
As #6347 pointed out, a lot of people did have legitimate gripes with the system. Microsoft recently offered more options for point bundles, but the issue remained that if all you needed was 100MP, you still had to buy a minimum of 400MP. The biggest issue that gamers have had with this rumor is the loss of in-store card purchases, as well as potential discounts on the points. I would almost guarantee that Microsoft will still offer physical cards for you to purchase, must like Sony and even Apple does. While goodolsscutup mentioned the Android market not having that option, I still don't see Microsoft doing that.
The lack of discounts on the cards, however, may be a legit issue. I've never managed to snatch up a discount on Xbox Live or Microsoft Points, but I know that they do exist out there and this may hurt the people who relied on those discounts. Does anyone know if Sony or Apple cash cards go on sale occasionally?
As for the nextBox possibly preventing the use of used games, I agree with Minimoose that all of the major console developers are going to have to agree with that before it becomes even close to logical for Microsoft to do that. Then again, if Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo feel that preventing used or borrowed games to be played on a console is a good move, well, this industry is in more trouble than ever before.
Welcome everyone to another issue of the Living LIVE News Report, and as always, I'm your host for the evening, Trace Aber.
Toulouse Gives Two Weeks Notice
Stephen Toulouse, the director of Xbox Live Policy and Enforcement, has announced that he will be leaving Microsoft on February 16 after 18 years with the company. While Toulouse claims on his blog that the split is amicable, he did mention that he's leaving for "complex and personal reasons."
"Over the past year I've been doing quite of bit of thinking. Nothing specific, nothing groundbreaking. Just plain old thinking. I turn 40 this year. Despite the wonderful ability in Microsoft to change careers pretty dramatically inside the company, I've been there nearly 18 years and it's the only world I've really ever known. I feel too strangely comfortable, and too strangely tied," StepTo, as he's known online, posted on his blog.
Don't worry, it sounds like Stephen has plenty of plans for his first few days as a free agent, including visiting his Family and going off to JocoCruiseCrazy. He's not leaving with bad vibes though, and assures gamers this is a good move:
"For anyone wondering, I want to make sure I am clear: This is a positive thing. I have nothing but confidence in the future of Microsoft and specifically Xbox and Xbox LIVE. I have enormous gratitude for my time there. I want to finish my next book, and explore other opportunities."
Microsoft confirmed the departure to Joystiq but thanked him for his years of work. Best of luck to Toulouse, and hopefully the next director of Xbox Live Policy and Enforcement will be able to fill his shoes.
Epic Quest Pinball Coming Soon!
If you're a fan of digital pinball AND role-playing games, and are tired of waiting for a sequel to Jaleco's Pinball Quest, well, do I have some news for you!
Zen Studios has announced that Epic Quest, their newest pinball table, will be hitting Pinball FX 2 on the 360, as well as PS3, Android, and iOS this month. So what makes Epic Quest so…epic? Besides sporting a visual role playing theme, it actually supports XP and loot systems and those goodies carry over in your future games. I haven't played a digital pinball table in quite a while (though I sunk some hours into a random pinball table collection my father bought me on the PC ages ago), but this might be enough to get me checking it out. Check out the trailer below:
Mel Kirk, Zen Studios Vice President of Marketing and Public said in a press release that the table features a "wink and a nudge towards classic RPG tropes, Epic Quest blends frantic pinball action, obsessive character building, and liberally applied tongue-in-cheek humor."
I'm curious with just how in-depth this goes, but either way I'm excited. How about you guys?
Random News and Notes
-Crackle and CinemaNow are the latest apps to be added to the Xbox Dashboard. Both are available to those in the United States, with plans to make Crackle available soon in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
-The Resident Evil 6 demo will be hitting on July 3 for Xbox Live users who purchase Dragon's Dogma, but interestingly the PSN demo won't be until September 4. If you decide to skip purchasing Dragon's Dogma, then you'll want to check LIVE on September 20 to download that.
-The Mass Effect 3 multiplayer demo will come with a "limited time Gold access," allowing for even non-Gold members to get in on some galactic multiplayer warfare. I'd imagine it'll last no longer than a weekend, but hey, it's better than nothing!
-According to Xbox France's Marketing Director Cedrick Delmas, there will be no new console in 2012. That makes sense, since everybody is saying it's coming out in 2013 anyways.
The Digital Downloads Arcade Games
The Simpsons Arcade Game (800MP)
Double Fine Hapy Action Theater [Kinect] (800MP)
Rhythm Party (800MP) Games on Demand
Section 8 ($29.99)
The First Templar ($29.99)
Cabela's Outdoor Adventures ($39.99) Demos
Kinectimals Now With Bears
Syndicate Co-op
The First Templar
The Theater
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City – Missing Links
Signing Out
That does it for me this week. Be sure to check back next week as we discuss all of the latest Xbox 360 news, including releases, rumors and reviews! Also, don't forget to bookmark 411Mania! And a note to all of the Indie Game developers out there – if you have an upcoming title that's going to be released soon drop me a line at traceaber@gmail.com and let me know. I'll write a full review of your game to be posted on 411Mania.com, which is a great way to get your game promoted!
