Xbox 360 News Message Board older than one year ago

The hit Zumba Fitness franchise is working out another installment next month with Zumba Fitness Rush. The game is exclusively for Xbox 360's Kinect and features "the most content of any Zumba Fitness game to date."

"This high-quality experience built for Kinect for Xbox 360 offers a wealth of exclusive content to fans, and then delivers even more post launch with multiple game add-on packs," Majesco CEO Jesse Sutton said. "The February 13 launch of Rush is the company's largest integrated marketing program to date, and we are thrilled to have Microsoft's support around the world to bring this exceptional product to market."

Rush already has two DLC packs slated, with a three-song Bollywood pack for May and another triple-pack of hip-hop songs for September. The packs will be 400 MSP ($5) apiece.

The Zumba Fitness franchise has surpassed 6 million units to date and is currently the backbone of Majesco's financial scoliosis.

A job listing on Infinity Ward's official site may have outed a Call of Duty game for next-generation consoles. A post calling for a senior animator advertises that Infinity Ward is seeking a candidate "with experience in game development and an interest in working with next-generation technologies....

Sure, there are lots of folks playing plain old video games on their Xbox 360s, but lots of folks are relying on their consoles to provide other forms of entertainment. The use of "entertainment apps" jumped dramatically with Xbox Live's introduction of several new programs late last year -- to the tune of 50 percent globally, Microsoft said in a recent release. And in the US that stat is much more dramatic, with "more than 60 percent" of Gold members employing the apps for up to an hour a day on average.

Video watching has also seen a marked increase, with global video consumption stats showing a 140 percent increase in 2011 over 2010. We suppose all of this could be little more than thinly veiled chest-pounding, but with 66 million Xbox 360s out there in the wild (as of earlier this month) and 35 million users on Xbox Live (as of August 2010), we'd call them a bit more telling than that.

Microsoft promises continued support of its entertainment app marketplace as 2012 continues, which we're hoping means the HBO Go app is arriving sooner, rather than later.

Microsoft has quietly altered its Windows Live ID login in response to a reported security concern. Last week, a brute force hack was exposed, with Microsoft's phrasing of error codes and infinite attempts to access accounts helping hackers along. The security flaw gained more exposure due to the ongoing "FIFA hack" and related security concerns.

"Before it would just let you try over and over," Jason Coutee, the IT consultant credited with exposing the flaw, wrote Joystiq. "But now ... they handle the sign in request on the server in a way that it will stop replying after about 20 attempts."

Coutee feels that Microsoft tightened the security, but didn't make any noticeable changes on the front end.

"Good news is that at least they lengthened the time it would take to brute force Live IDs."

Microsoft notes that the exploit was not a loophole in Xbox.com, but a brute force attack that is an "industry-wide issue."

2012 is shaping up to be another strong year for gamers, with plenty of high and low profile titles to be excited about. We all know, however, that not every one of those games is going to fulfil its potential, or be the masterclass in game design we'd like it to be. In fact, a few of the games we...

It's the first IGN AU Pubcast for 2012 - the triumphant return of our distinctly Aussie take on the traditional podcast, blending our love of gaming with beer and toilet humour, plus a liberal dose of intelligent debate...

Concept art from an abandoned Batman game has surfaced in the portfolio of a graphic artist. According to graphic artist Julie Farrell, the game was to be titled "Gotham By Gaslight" and featured a steampunk art style...

Artist Julie Farrell has posted concept art from an Xbox game based on the comic book Gotham by Gaslight, a steampunk-ish take on Batman. The art was made for Day 1 Studios as part of a pitch to THQ about two years ago, Farrell told Joystiq.

It helpfully features control diagrams, revealing that the game would have had grenades, a "slowmo" button, and other elements indicative of a shooter -- elements shared by Gotham City Impostors. However, unlike that existing, multiplayer-only "Batman" shooter, it also features a "story" mode.

Because the only evidence of this game comes from the UI artist, all we have to look at are images from menus and control diagrams. However, they are really, really nice menus.

Since reporting on the "FIFA hack" and related security concerns with Xbox Live and the Windows Live ID system, we've received stories, documentation and theories on how this is happening from dozens of victims. As we continue to follow up on several leads, Analoghype posits an interesting theory on how some of these breaches may be occurring.

AH suspects that the hackers grab gamertags from a game of Halo or Call of Duty, then Google the tags to find associated emails on social networking sites. They now have a potential list of Windows Live IDs. Going to Xbox.com, the hacker can now test if the email is a valid ID by attempting to sign in. An error message of "account is invalid" has them moving on to another email; "password is incorrect" means they've got a real account, but a bad password.

"It's very...Japanese." This used to be a lazy way of saying something was weird. Now it speaks volumes about what to expect from an experience, whether you're American, European, Antarctican, whatever. To the gaming literate, each game carries a distinct cultural stamp that identifies it in numerou...

#paginationTop, #paginationBot, .ui-page-list ul {display:none;}Last year was a great one for gamers across all platforms, and the Xbox 360 saw some phenomenal titles. However, there are plenty of reasons to be excited for the coming year. With huge cross-platform experiences and some high-quality e...

Since E3 2011, Microsoft has made it clear they intend the Xbox 360 to become the entertainment hub of every console-owning living room. With initiatives and partners to bring on-demand TV and services to the new Dashboard, Microsoft has also been working on a larger goal: their own subscription-based TV service...

If you're a proud owner of an Xbox 360, you've come to the right place. Podcast Unlocked is IGN's best (see: only) 360-centric podcast. If you want more insight into what's going on with Xbox Live, Kinect and other things in the 360 universe, download our show and revel in its magnificence. Or send us angry emails...

EA has announced a crossover between Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Mass Effect 3. Playing the demo for Kingdoms of Amalur will unlock two Reckoning-inspired in-game items in Mass Effect 3, while playing the Mass Effect 3 demo will unlock armor and a weapon in Kingdoms of Amalur. Playing Ma...

Compared to some Xbox Live users' months of waiting, Susan Taylor's week-long ordeal with Microsoft's ugly unauthorized access problem doesn't seem like much. Seven days isn't a terribly long time for customer support to resolve an account issue on Xbox 360 -- in fact, Microsoft told IGN the ideal w...

If you're looking to squeeze a little more fun out of those holiday titles, or if you're craving some tower defense, the next batch of Xbox Live content is for you. First up, Magic: The Gathering -Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 will receive its third deck expansion tomorrow, January 11, for 400 MS Points ($5). January 17 will see the release of the previously announced "Fenix Rising" DLC for Gears of War 3 and the "Genkibowl VII" DLC for Saints Row: The Third at 800 ($10) and 560 ($7) points, respectively.

Meanwhile, the current Deal of the Week slashes prices on several tower defense games. Gold members can currently pick up Dungeon Defenders for 800 points ($10) or Orcs Must Die! for 600 ($7.50), while both South Park and Defense Grid have been marked down to 400 ($5).

Head over to Major Nelson to check out the full list of upcoming content.

Mad Catz has announced that it has shipped the Primer wireless headset. Sold under the Tritton brand, the stereo headset is notable in that it is the first officially licensed wireless headset for the Xbox 360. Nearly identical in appearance to Tritton's Detonator headset -- minus the cables, plus a "base station" -- the Primer utilizes 5.8GHz wireless tech, which purportedly cuts down on interference from appliances, phones and the like.

It's also worth noting that it will work only with the Xbox 360, so keep that in mind before plunking down the $100 asking price.

Microsoft's Craig Davison had some surprise news during the company's CES 2012 keynote this evening, bringing out word that Rupert Murdoch's Newscorp is developing an application for the Xbox 360. Several Newscorp content providers will be pushing out news and commentary via the free application, including the Wall Street Journal, Fox News, and IGN. Beyond "2012," Davison didn't allow any more specific a date to slip out.

During tonight's CES press conference, Microsoft demoed Kinect integration with TV shows. In a demo of Sesame Street, users were able to interact with the show's characters, who responded to user feedback. Microsoft also revealed that Kinect will be released for Windows on February 1st. 200 comp...

During tonight's CES press conference, Microsoft revealed that there are over 66 million Xbox users worldwide. In addition, the company revealed that there are 40 million subscribers to Xbox Live and that over 18 million Kinect units have been shipped....

In the current rash of Xbox Live hacking stories, Susan Taylor's might be the most interesting. Like many Xbox Live users in recent months, Taylor one day found that her Xbox Live account had been hijacked, and hundreds of dollars in Microsoft Points and Xbox Live subscriptions had been purchased, draining money directly from her linked bank account. And, like many others, the following days were consumed by calls with Microsoft support, attempting to get her stolen money returned and her Xbox Live account safely reinstated.

Her story has many other wrinkles, including a second massive purchase, despite Microsoft's word that her account had been locked, and her own detective work into discovering exactly who had stolen her account and why. Suffice it to say that Taylor's story has a happy ending -- no doubt thanks to a hefty amount of public exposure -- though it certainly wasn't an easy process.

Inspired by her experiences, Taylor has founded HackedOnXbox.com, on which her story is recounted and others are invited to share their own. We fully suggest you read Taylor's account of events, and don't forget that Joystiq is still investigating the issue as well. Be sure to contact us if you have any information.

Activision has purchased blackops2.com, suggesting that a sequel to Call of Duty: Black Ops could be in the works. The publisher previously purchased domains up to Black Ops 6, with 2 being noticeably absent from the list, but that domain has now joined Activision's collection...

Microsoft's security is typically top-notch, but recent, shady activity on Xbox 360 has left a certain group of gamers cold and with limited access to their accounts. Xbox.com describes unauthorized access as "the use of your Xbox LIVE account without your knowledge and consent," and it's a growing...

You probably have a good idea of what Phantom Breaker is about -- it's a fighting game, after all -- but now you can familiarize yourself with 7sixty's Xbox 360 fighting game with a trailer. Enjoy the flashy effects and big, big combos!

Unlike so many shooter fans, I have little allegiance and even less experience with Battlefield and Modern Warfare. I love JRPGs and real-time strategy. I love Girls' Generation. But I never devoted myself to one specific shooter series...

Siliconera, who brought us the news yesterday of 7Sixty's intent to localize Phantom Breaker, posted a rumor that the Texas-based publisher is working on an Xbox 360 version of the brawler HurricaneX2.

The IGF 2010 and Dream Build Play contestant HurricaneX2, by YouYun Tech, is a fantasy kung-fu game that "emphasizes timing and anticipation over brute strength and provides a variety of fighting gameplay with a unified mechanic."

We inquired with 7sixty, who told us "the mystical lotus blossom of information will bloom shortly, showering everyone with petals of honorable truth." Look forward to that ... blooming.

After a protracted court battle involving lawsuits on both sides of the fence, Microsoft and Datel have finally settled their differences and moved on. Bloomberg reports that a December 30 court filing outs a settlement between the two -- a settlement that Microsoft spokesperson Kevin Kutz describes as "to the satisfaction of both parties," without getting any more specific.

Datel's suit against Microsoft claimed the console manufacturer was in breach of antitrust laws in updating its firmware to lock out Datel devices. Microsoft denied the claims and fought back with its own lawsuit against Datel, claiming patent infringement over a third-party controller created by Datel, that too closely resembled the official 360 controller. Datel had yet to respond to request for comment as of publishing.

If you've been following 5pb's Japan-only Xbox fighting game Phantom Breaker, then, well, you're a bit ahead of us. Regardless, the 2D fighter will become a lot more accessible this year, when publisher 7sixty plans to localize it for release in North America. The Amazon page linked to by the publisher says it's due on January 31; however, it also says that SouthPeak is the publisher, so don't put too much stock in it. We're asking for more details.

Phantom Breaker is about a fighting tournament in Tokyo held by "Phantom," which promises to grant wishes to the winner. This attracts the attention of a variety of familiar anime-style characters, along with guests from other 5pb games like Steins;Gate and Chaos;Head Noah -- which would mean something if you lived in Japan, we assure you.