Matt Gerlach : Xbox Services

Xbox Live down Oct 17th

gerlach — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 23:02:04 GMT

Got the word from Major Nelson. Here is the Xbox.com page: (linkage)

Info:

Downtime for Xbox.com and Xbox Live

We've got some scheduled maintenance coming up and want to let everyone know that both the Xbox Live® service and Xbox.com will be offline and unavailable starting at midnight Pacific Time on Tuesday October 17, 2006 for up to 24 hours. We know you've got some questions, so here are some answers:

Q: Why? Why? Why?

A: Because we're adding some cool stuff. And we have to take the service and website offline in order to do it. We're not doing it to make you mad … really.

Q: What kind of cool stuff?

A: Secret cool stuff that we'll tell you about when we're back online October 18. Other stuff we'll be talking about later in the fall.

Q: Is this a Dashboard update?

A: Nope.

Q: So what's going to happen exactly? What's it going to look like for me?

A: For the first hour or two that Xbox.com and Xbox Live are down, you'll get error messages—when you hit Xbox.com you'll see a Server Not Available message, and if you try to connect to Xbox Live you'll get the "can't connect" message. Don't freak. It's not your account, your computer, your browser, or your ISP. It's us. After a couple hours you will see a "We're down for maintenance" page on Xbox.com and a similar message on your Xbox console.

Q: Twenty-four hours? That's a whole day!

A: Yes it is. It is also 86,400 seconds. Too bad the Xbox Operations Center isn't on Jupiter. A day there is a little less than 10 hours!

Q: What the heck am I going to do for 24 hours if I can't troll the forums, pwn my rivals, download stuff on Marketplace, or video chat with my friends?

A: We're glad you asked. We hereby submit our Top Ten Things to Do on October 17 2006:

Boost your gamerscore. That's right, you can still earn achievements when you're offline. Your achievements will be uploaded to the Xbox Live service when it becomes available.
Bust out your big black buddy original Xbox. There are still awesome games coming out for Xbox®. In fact Destroy All Humans!™ 2 comes out on Tuesday October 17. That's pretty good timing.
Go shopping! We've had a boatload of great games and accessories release in the last few weeks. Check out LEGO® Star Wars II®: The Original Trilogy, Xbox Live Vision Camera, Test Drive® Unlimited, and lots of other great stuff. Make your local retailer very happy.
Nominate a friend for the Gamer Spotlight. TriXie's email will still be working, so drop her a line at xlmail@microsoft.com and tell her who you think needs some attention on Xbox.com.
Listen to Xbox podcasts. Visit Gamertag Radio, XBLRadio, SquadXP, and Unscripted360, just to name a few. We'd suggest Major Nelson's 'cast, but we know everyone's already listened to all of his!
Study up on October 17 history. Here are some examples of momentous events that occurred on 10/17:
- 1931: Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion.
- 1933: Physicist Albert Einstein arrived in the United States as a refugee from Nazi Germany.
- 1945: Col. Juan Peron staged a coup, becoming absolute ruler of Argentina.
- 1979: Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Birthdays! October 17 is also the birthday of Rita Hayworth, Evel Knievel, Mike Judge, Eminem, and Superman creator Jerry Siegel! It's a great opportunity to use Xbox 360™ for more than games—watch the Shawshank Redemption, Beavis and Butthead, and Superman: the Movie.
Holiday anyone? Hoist a glass in honor of The United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (just don't waste any) and Black Poetry Day in the U.S.
Talk to your significant other. Remember them? You last spoke about 11 months ago when you got your Xbox 360 console. Just don't say anything like, "Have you gained weight?"
Make your holiday wish list. HD DVD anyone? How about the Wireless Headset and Wireless Racing Wheel? How about that cool new Zune thingamagig and the cool accessories to go with it? Don't forget Gears of War®, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent™, and Viva Piñata!

Search Xbox Live Gamertag Info at XUG!

gerlach — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 01:43:41 GMT

Sorry for the little bit of "away" time I took from the blog. I have been slacking. I've been having trouble posting here. Everytime I go to create a post, my computer asks me if I want to debug the page because of issues with it. It is something new, and...we can't find a solution. So I am going to start writing with Windows Live Blogger now.

Back to the story. Well, my buddy, Stonyarc, works over at XboxUsersGroup.com. He is the mastermind behind many of the features that XUG has. He has just coded an Xbox Live Gamertag Info search. Want info on any gamertag, in an easy to read format that is easy to the eyes? Well, then head over to XUG.

You can find Stonyarc's post about the new feature here.

You can view thefeature in action heree.

So, I have just moved into my new apartment for school.

gerlach — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 20:52:00 GMT

I moved in yesterday into my (on campus) apartment here at Syracuse University. It is a 2 floor, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment with the kitchen and living room on the first floor. It is a sweet deal.

Anyways, I set my 360 up last night, and put in the request for it to have access to the internet. It was OK'd today. The only real problem is the broadband. It is weak, and apparently I drop. I hope this changes as everyone is moved in and not always on.

So...the cool deal right now, is that I am using the school's network to share my media to my 360 via Windows Media Connect 2.0. It is so sweet, that I decided to write about it.

Also, welcome to those who read gamertagblog.com/97. That is my blog over at gamertagblog.com, that was set up by the one, and only StonyArc. Stonyarc is part of the XUG team, and is a mastermind at coding. He is also part of XCDP and it doing amazing things within that program.

Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Volume 1 releases on September 5!

gerlach — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 13:07:00 GMT

Just got this from Microsoft:

Microsoft announces the global retail launch of new Xbox Live Arcade compilation for Xbox 360 gamers

Microsoft today announced the worldwide launch of Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Volume 1, a new disc compilation of hit Xbox Live Arcade games plus a free 1 month Xbox Live Gold subscription and downloadable Xbox Live Arcade demos. Priced at $39.99 Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Volume 1 arrives in stores worldwide on September 5, 2006.

Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged provides a taste of the Xbox Live Arcade experience for gamers everywhere, with a great collection of new and original casual games that are fun, engaging and easy to learn and pick up and play.

Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Volume 1 includes:

· 6 Xbox Live Arcade hit titles:

1. Geometry Wars® Retro Evolved

· One of the most popular games on Xbox Live Arcade, Geometry Wars Retro Evolved is a space shooter with a frenetic, high-definition twist

2. Wik: Fable of Souls™

· Wik’s beautifully mysterious world of fairytale charm unfolds as you swing by your tongue through 120+ single player levels and 7 modes of play, including same-console multiplayer!

3. Outpost Kaloki X™

· Solve challenges, entertain visiting aliens, and rake in the money in Outpost Kaloki X, the light-hearted space station tycoon game

4. Bejeweled® 2 Deluxe

· With awe-inspiring planetary backdrops, explosive new gems and dazzling special effects, Bejeweled 2 is more wildly addictive than ever before!

5. Hardwood Backgammon

· Play a game of classic Backgammon against the computer, against a friend on a single console, or against on online opponent over Xbox Live

6. Texas Hold ‘em

· This poker title simulates the tournament setting right in your home, and with Xbox Live Vision, you’ll feel like you are in Las Vegas

· Free 1 month Xbox Live Gold subscription

· 3 downloadable Xbox Live Arcade demos:

o UNO ®

o Marble Blast® Ultra

o Feeding Frenzy™

With the accompanying free 1 month Xbox Live Gold subscription Xbox Live Unplugged gamers can sample all of the benefits the world’s largest online gaming and entertainment network has to offer. Connect to Xbox Live and join more than 3 million gamers across 24 countries across the globe; enjoy free game demos, movie trailers and music vides and get together with friends to play in fun, new ways.

Check out Xbox Live and Xbox.com for continuing updates on exciting new Xbox Live Arcade content available to Xbox 360 gamers.

Xbox360 news straight out of Germany.

gerlach — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:15:00 GMT

Was reading Trixie's post about the news out of Germany regarding the Xbox360 and Games for Windows.

Microsoft announced that they will be expanding into Eastern Europe adding 4 countries (Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland) this Autumn.

Microsoft also announced pricing and availability of some accessories for your Xbox360 console. Taken from the Press Release:

Xbox Live Vision camera for the Xbox 360 system
Chat via video, send photo messages, put your own face in a game, and customize your gamertag on the Xbox Live network. The camera will be available in the U.S. on Sept 19 and in Europe on Oct 6 in two packages:

Xbox Live Vision: This package includes Xbox Live Vision camera, one-month Xbox Live Gold Membership, Xbox 360 Headset, and free* downloads of two full-version Xbox Live Arcade games: the popular UNO® card game and TotemBall, the new 3-D platform game from Freeverse and Strange Flavour Ltd. that is a mixture of platform skills and puzzles (estimated retail price (ERP) $39.99 U.S.).
Xbox Live Video Chat Gold Kit: This package includes the Xbox Live Vision camera, a 12-month Xbox Live Gold Membership, an Xbox 360 Headset, free downloads of three full-version Xbox Live Arcade games—the popular UNO card game, TotemBall and the classicRobotron 2084 action shooter—and 200 Microsoft Points (ERP $79.99 U.S.).

Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel
For true racing enthusiasts who demand unparalleled driving realism at home, this innovatively designed wheel combines form and function with the latest technology in wireless and force feedback. Purchase the wheel and get a limited-edition force feedback version of Project Gotham Racing® 3 while supplies last (ERP $149.99 U.S., available in November).

Xbox 360 Wireless Headset
Providing the ultimate wireless experience, this headset integrates seamlessly with the Xbox 360 console to provide wireless voice chat capabilities, stylish design and superior voice quality over the Xbox Live network (ERP$59.99 U.S.**, available in November).

Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows
By plugging the compact receiver into a Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 port on a PC, use Xbox 360 wireless accessories on your Windows-based computer (ERP $19.99 U.S.**, available in late December).

Xbox 360 Faceplates
Customize your consoles with one of three new special-edition faceplates featuring images from your favorite games, including the Halo® franchise,Viva Piñata™, and Forza Motorsport™ 2 (ERP $19.99 U.S.**, available in early November).

My Two Hour Session with Gears of War.

gerlach — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 02:02:00 GMT

CliffyB was there at the NYC session and that can only mean one thing. Gears of War. I was introduced to CliffyB by Godfree (Gamertagradio.com). We talked with Clif, who is an amazingly down to earth guy, for a couple of mins. He asked if we would like to see the E3 demo that he played. I, obviously, obliged and we sat while he played through the game showcasing alot of the features.

Disclaimer: Couple of things. I work outside alot, so I was fairly tan from that. Couple that with the immense heat inside the studio, and me being irish, I showed up very red. Also, do not take the graphics on the TV as the game, because cameras never do justice.

Now on to the Multiplayer:

Wow. It was that simple. That is the way I felt after I completed the 2 hour session (got about a good 90 minutes of playing in).

To be straight out of the gate, it was only multiplayer (system link) on 1 level. But damn, this level was BEAUTIFUL. I believe they called it Mansion. We had a 4v4 session of the multiplayer game from 4pm-6pm.

Ok, not to the actual gameplay. It freakin ROCKED. Heres a little list:

You can easily cycle your weapons with the D-Pad. We had a pistol (down), the assault rifle/chainsaw (right), smoke grenade (up) and the shotgun (left).
Get close to a wall and press A You will slam into coverage.
The Roddy Run Rocks! You can hold down A, you guy crouches and begins to run. The camera changes to a different view, regarded to by CliffyB as "the CNN Camera view". It really does look like a journalist running behind your character, as it is off center (to the right) and shakes as you run.
If you run towards a wall during your Roddy Run, keep holding A, and you will slam into coverage.
While in coverage:
- If you hold the right trigger to shoot your weapon you will shoot while staying in coverage. It lacks accuracy, but you can control the direction they spray.
- If you hold down the left trigger, you will go into a zoomed 3rd persion view. It gives you the accuracy, but takes away from your coverage.
- If you are at a corner, you can lean your guy. Again, just pressing the right trigger shoots, but holding the left will give you the accuracy.
You can revive your teammates. If your teammate goes down (and are still on their knees), and are not officially dead, you will see a red circle with a way point. It will direct you in the direction of your teammate. If the circle becomes 100% filled with red, your teammate dies. This could be from you taking too long, or the enemies finishing them off. If you are to get there in time, just run up and press "X" and you will revive them. My team was pretty good at that.

We were setup to play 4v4 matches. I forgot the game type, but everyone had 1 life, and the remaining team one. It was up to 9 rounds, with it going to the first to 5. After struggling at first, my side made a run and won a couple of games. We went into a funk again, until later in the session. I moved over to a different 360. Godfree and S4Lee joined my team, and we went on a run of atleast 4 consecutive wins. We were so good, that at points, the other team didn't even kill us.

One of the rounds that we won 5-0, the other team had 2 total kills. It was great. In the game, CliffyB decided to join for 2 of the rounds. On the first round, I was shooting a man atop the staircase (actually situated in the center oval, between the 2 staircases), and I heard CliffyB yelling for help. I was poking out of coverage and shooting him. It gave me the kill, and I then turned and looked, and CliffyB has just died. I killed the man at his own game. It was the highlight of my session.

Overall, this game will be amazing. It will have a big battle to fight, not just again the locust, but agaist the PS3 this coming November 12th.

CliffyB is into posing for images now. We all said "OK".

Have a gamertag and want to blog?

gerlach — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 05:09:00 GMT

Well, my friends over at Xboxusersgroups.com have deployed a cool new feature that integrates Xbox360 features (gamercard, friend requests, messages) into the blog. It is a free service that is very easy to use.

Give it a try. Gamertagblog.com

You can find mine here.

Vote for the Xbox MSN Robot!

gerlach — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 13:04:00 GMT

Hey, a moderator at Xbox.com has created an Xbox robot. Wonder what Major Neson gamerscore is, or what zone he is in? Well, just instant message this IM bot and you can find out.

Better yet, try it out, then vote for it. I gotta support my fellow moderator.

Vote Here.