Current Xbox 360 News…

Well it’s been an interesting couple of days, with the leaked list of XBL updates slated for spring to Microsoft flat out saying they one this generations battle with Sony…    let’s see what’s going on shall we?

 

[Xbox360 Fanboy] as posted that Stubbs the Zombie (Wideload games) and Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows (Midway) are coming to XBL as Xbox Originals slated for release to XBL on May 19th (2008)   The [Xbox360 Fanboy] is also reporting that Microsoft expects the 360 to have a 7 year life span (better then the 10 year PS3)
so that leaves us with 4 years.. so in about 2-3 years we should see the next 720.
but it won’t be next year according to [Engadget]. 

According to the [SeattlePi] website along with a metric butt ton of other blogs and sites, the Xbox 360 have just barely beat out the PS3 in unit sales, mostly becasue of GTA sales.  Of course this really is only in America.  The XBox hasn’t sold well at all in Japan, and for some reason our European friends like the PS3 over the Xbox. (which I still do not understand)

Now [GameTap] is saying that the Microsoft now holds the crown for the first ’10 million sold’.  According to Don Mattrick (the Xbox ‘boss’) 

“History has shown us that the first company to reach 10 million in console sales wins the generation battle. We are uniquely positioned to set a new benchmark for the industry,”

Well I don’t remember that myself personally..but 10 million isn’t bad. drop in the bucket next to the Wii.. but not bad.

the weird thing about this is that there are 12 million LIVE subscribers.  Now if you’ve sold 10 million, but have 12 million subscribers.. how is that possible?

Disney builds ‘Myspace’ for gamers…

http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN1534922120080516?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

By David Ward

SAN DIEGO (Hollywood Reporter) – Disney is bridging the gap between gaming and virtual worlds.

Disney Interactive Studios on Thursday formally launched DGamer, a free avatar-based community for U.S. buyers of games the company developed for the handheld Nintendo DS.

Beginning with Friday’s release of “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” in tandem with the theatrical release of the fantasy sequel, all Disney Interactive DS games will come with DGamer-added content like customizable avatars. DGamer members also will be able to use the WiFi connectivity of the DS to communicate with other members with either a DS or a PC.

Although it features avatars and text chat, DGamer can’t really be described as a true virtual world such as Disney Online’s Club Penguin or Fairies.com — at least not yet.

But as Paul Yanover, executive vp and managing director of Disney Online, noted, “DGamer is our opportunity to work with Disney Interactive to make sure we have this connected environment and to make sure we reach our guests wherever they are, including a player on a Disney Interactive DS title talking to a player in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean Online.’”

David Cole, president of video game market research firm DFC Intelligence, noted other publishers, including Nintendo, have leveraged the WiFi connectivity of the DS for game play and to share game characters.

But he said Disney Interactive deserves credit for being the first to formalize a virtual community around the DS, adding DGamer appears to be a good fit for the parent company’s overall online strategy.

“Disney has been fairly aggressive in creating virtual communities across the board,” Cole added.

in 2007, Disney sold 3.4 million units of Nintendo DS video games in the U.S. alone, according to consulting firm NPD.

DGamer members will be able to customize their avatars using parts and clothing not just from the DS game they’re currently playing, but also from other well-known Disney characters such as Buzz Lightyear and Tinker Bell. In addition, the honors by which all DGamer members are measured will be cumulative, encouraging players to purchase and play as many Disney Interactive DS titles as they can.

The avatars, game results, honors and virtual gifts can also be ported to other DS owners who have joined DGamer, as well as to the PC-based Dgamer.com site.

Disney Interactive senior producer Michelle Golding said the company also plans to send such additional content as player polls and surveys to members through the DS WiFi connection.

Noting that the target DGamer audience is tweens, Golding said Disney Interactive is leveraging the parental controls from Disney.com to ensure players communicate in a safe environment.