Day 5 of our Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 nominees round-up and it's time for the growth area of tech that is software, services and apps.

This category has been blown wide open of late with some enormous releases in 2009 as well as the explosion of the mobile phone app. It's going to be a close one. So, before you head over to the voting page to mark your choices, here's a little run down of our pick of the crop for the year.

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Spotify

Type

Music streaming service

Price

Free

PL review rating

9/10

Aside the minor blip of accidentally exposing the user database to hackers, Spotify has done no wrong. The free streaming music player has rocketed to stardom in 2009 making just about every other service take a look at itself and rethink they way they're doing things. The catalogue is growing and growing, the social side is as fun, informative and strong as ever and there's even all sorts of blogs and sites out there full of playlists for us all to try.

Spotify's arrival on mobile phones is still just finding its feet but the main service has been so popular that the company has actually had to put it back into an invitation only beta state once again. If you're not using it by now, you should be - or you must be American.

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Windows 7 Ultimate

Type

Computer OS

Release date

22/10/09

Price

?166

PL review rating

9/10

With knives firmly plunged into Vista from all sides, it was everything Microsoft could do to bring out Windows 7 as fast as possible. Even though perhaps it's a lot more similar to its predecessor than many would think, it's seen one of the fastest uptakes of any OS so far in its short life. XP's increasing propensity for attack has meant even more users making the switch and already Windows 7 itself has a larger share than all of Apple's OS X platforms put together.

Somehow the second attempt at the Windows Aero design is much better placed. The taskbar has come to life with Jump Lists and Aero Peek and getting more flexibility out of windows by dragging them to different parts of the screen is an excellent addition. As a system, it's very secure, there's better support for laptops and SSDs and it's so much more intuitive than any other Windows OS so far. A worthy nominee.

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Tweetie 2 for iPhone

Type

iPhone app

Release date

12/10/09

Price

?1.79

PL review rating

9/10

Much ado about Twitter has meant the need for Twitter clients everywhere. There are plenty of good ones out there for desktop solutions but the one that shone out from all the rest was Tweetie 2 for the iPhone.

Once we got past the gripe that previous users will have to pay again if they wish to upgrade from the first version, we were really impressed. There's a whole pile of new features but the biggest is that it now has persistence (it remembers where you were when you switch it off), new message indicators, the ability to save draft tweets, speed boosts, cached tweets for offline reading and the ability to drag up to refresh - rather than hitting a refresh button. The result is an app that once again wins a place in our hearts.

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Dropbox

Type

Web/desktop service

Price

Free

PL review rating

9/10

A cult favourite in the software, service, app realm of 2009 has been online storage and file transfer solution known as Dropbox. It offers a standard 2GB of cloud space but its main functions are really that of syncing and sharing. The idea is that you have a Dropbox folder on the desktop of all your computers and any file you put into it on one machine can then be accessed from all the others. If you happen to be editing one of these files, it will also update those changes in all the other places automatically.

On the sharing side, it acts as a far simpler solution than the heavy geekery of FTP servers and rather demystifies the concept for the everyone else. You can make certain folders within your main Dropbox folder open to the public, which means that friends and colleagues with Dropbox can then access and download these files too. It's one thing to sit and explain it but go and try it for yourselves and you'll begin to discover its real genius.

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Sky Player for Xbox

Type

IPTV & VoD service

Release date

29/10/09

Price

Sky & Xbox Live Gold subs

PL review rating

9/10

It had a stutter and a start on its way out but the Sky Player has been a roaring success for those who can afford it. You get an excellent choice of both live Sky channels as well as a vault of on-demand content from the watchable to the ridiculous and more Ross Kemp programming than you could shake a stick at. The menus are designed into the style of Xbox Live and the integration is seamless offering intuitive control to get whatever it is you're after.

The major downside is that you need to fork out for both a Sky subscription and an Xbox Live Gold, neither of which comes particularly cheap, and it does limit the service to a minority of people. Perhaps not worth upgrading for but if you have the money you certainly get what you pay for.

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Related links:

• Feature - The low down: Best Laptop 2009
• Feature - The low down: Best Digital Camera 2009
• Feature - The low down: Best Car Gadget 2009

Tags: Software Online Spotify Microsoft Tweetie 2 Dropbox Sky Xbox 360 Pocket-lint Awards Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Features

The low down: Best Software, Service, App 2009 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:36:17 +0000

The Xbox 360 has been given a makeover by a group of Swedes that go under the Industri Repro moniker.

The Xbox Elegant Edition, or XBEE, takes a horizontal approach and adds three 120mm cooling fans.

The designers will make you one up - no doubt for a pretty price - but there's no plans to mass-make the machine.

Is the case mod an improvement? Have your say in the comments box below...

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Industri Repro

Xbox 360 "Elegant Edition" mod revealed originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:04:10 +0000

We've already brought you the perfect gift guide for PC gamers but today is the turn of the console lovers and there are many, many, many of them out there. Quick show of hands? Yep. Many.

Each of the three big players in the field have all sorts of accessories all of their own, but what we've done here is to come up with a list as universal as possible. So, whether it's PS3,Wii or Xbox you'll find 10 excellent presents right here. Enjoy.

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Points & Subscriptions

Whether it's for downloadable content, new outfits for your avatar or for movie rentals, everyone needs virtual points for their console of choice, with their upkeep is probably one of the biggest bug bears for gamers. You can never have too many. So whether it's Nintendo Wii Points, PSN Live Cards, Xbox Live Points or even an Xbox Live Gold subscription, you can guarantee that it will be appreciated.

Memory

Slightly less exciting this one but nearly as important is getting more memory space to save all your gaming adventures and whatever content you may have downloaded and can't bring yourself to prune. As far as the Xbox goes, a nice big 120GB expansion pack for ?56 would be very well appreciated and you can get just about any kind of SD card for the Wii that you have the budget for. The PS3 involves a little more effort for your giftee than the other two, but present them a whopping great 2.5-inch 500GB HDD like this one and they'll happily work their way through a simple online tutorial of how to upgrade it themselves.

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Controllers

There are tonnes of these things for all three of the consoles and it really depends on what your gamer does and doesn't already have. For the Wii, the obvious new addition is the Wii Motion Plus for finer movement sensitivity or you might find that an extra Wii Remote and/or a Nunchuck could well go down well if they only have one already.

On top of that, the Nintendo console is an absolute magnet for all sorts of weird, wonderful and very game specific devices such as bowling balls, machine guns, babies, jogging devices and of course, the Balance Board.

Comparatively, it's all rather more sedate on the Xbox but a racing wheel for the 360 is available if you think that a more useful wireless controller might be dull. It's a similar situation on the PS3, but if you happen to know what game your loved one is into then something like the Modern Warfare 2 controller or the Street Fighter IV game pad would be a well chosen idea.

Battery Packs & Chargers

There's little more annoying than the batteries on your wireless remotes running out, particularly when in mid-gaming flow. Multiply that by 20 if there are no spares in the house.

With the PS3, you're rather stuck with what's inside, so the best gifts here are the docking stations with models like the Venom Pyramid and more standard look dual charger to choose from. Neither costs much, they get rid of the cables, they look quite nice and they generally encourage you to remember to charge up your kit.

There's some choice with the Nintendo Wii. The Wiimote power packs are, of course, removable and a two pack of spares will only cost around ?14. That's enough for a two-player change mid-contest which buys enough time to remember to put the next lot on charge. For an absolute bargain, you can even go for a four-way charging dock which even comes with four spare battery packs too. All for just over ?20.

For the Xbox 360, there's a few different schools of thought. Each works equally well. The unexciting but practical suggestion is to by a job lot of AA batteries. After that, the choice is between the completely wireless Quick Charge station for around ?17 or the Charge and Play kit for ?13. Both solutions are excellent and either way, make sure to pick up a couple of spare battery packs.

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Headsets

Online play is now a massive part of gaming, so a headset to communicate with team mates is a must. The more wireless the better and the one of choice for the PS3 would be the Logitech Vantage Bluetooth headset. It's got a noise-cancelling mic, delivers more than 12 hours of play time and recharges via USB or a wall adaptor. Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR and complete cordless freedom up to 30 feet. Yours, or theirs actually, for ?17.99.

For the Wii, it's arguably less important with a much smaller number of games that use the Nintendo headset Wii Speak. Nonetheless, it's a decent addition to the console and only ?14 as well.

Last of all, the Xbox 360. There are plenty available and you don't have to spend the cash if you'd rather go for the standard wireless ones but the best headset in town is the Turtle Beach Ear Force X3. It's got an excellent boom mic system eliminating bleed and background noise, really thumping bass and they look good too. Around ?80, but worth it.

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Gaming Chair

It's tempting to go with a suped-up stereo rocker seat for bum-buzzing game involvement but, in actual fact, a lot of these things aren't actually that comfortable which is rather the point in the first place. If you do want to go down this route though, then the Pyramat Game Bag 2.1 is more bottom friendly than most, but instead we'd rather recommend the pure massive cushions of the Sumo Omni bag or the IEX Game Bag. All three around ?100. If you can really afford it though, then it's all about a La-z-boy.

Slanket

Winter's setting in and sitting still under the hypnosis of the console can be a little chilly. The ultimate antidote is the Slanket. The fleecy half dressing gown, half blanket bundle of goodness gives you total body coverage while allowing easy access to your game controller and bio-fuels. There's even a double version out specially for this Christmas but the single will probably do.

Faceplates

No, this is nothing to do with the gamer's face but instead are a bunch of stick on fronts to personalise ones game controllers. You can get them for just about any big name games you could care to think of and the best part is that they don't cost much either. Perhaps not the best choice for the older gamer but they might just rock a kid's world.

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Bags

Sometimes, you want to take your machines round to some Luddite's place who doesn't yet have a games console. Now, it's easy enough to stuff your unit into one backpack or another but there's nothing quite like using a bag that's been specially built for the job.

The Enigma Wii bag isn't hugely exciting but it has excellent compartments for all the bits and pieces and is both highly competent in its task and pretty damn cheap at just ?12. Things get a little more stylish for the PS3 with the 4Gamers messenger bag but the Xbox is probably where it's at with slightly more colourful merch such as this one.

Games!

Yes, of course. We wouldn't forget the most important part. Now, make sure you find out what your loved one has already got, but new titles we'd recommend are: Modern Warfare 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Uncharted 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Battlefield 1943, DJ Hero, Left 4 Dead 2, Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit Plus, amongst many others.

Or...

...of course, if you feel really flush and actually want to buy someone an entire games console or anything else for that matter, then take a look our Top Products section which will help guide you through to a suitable model and offer you only the best of the ones Pocket-lint's reviewed. And, as always, if you have any red hot tips for gift ideas of your own, then do let us know in the comments below. Good luck.

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Related links:

• Features - 10 perfect Christmas presents for...Apple Mac fans
• Features - 10 perfect Christmas presents for...laptop addicts
• Features - 101 life-saving Christmas shopping websites

Tags: Gaming Christmas Features Xbox 360 Xbox Nintendo Wii Wii PlayStation PS3 PS3 slim games hardware Controllers

10 perfect Christmas presents for...console gamers originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:33:39 +0000

Microsoft's latest software update that brought with it Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, the Zune Marketplace and?Sky Player?in the UK is turning their gamers into social butterflies according to the latest figures released by the company.

Microsoft?has said that over 2 million Xbox gamers logged into their facebook profile on the console since the social network became available on the 17 November.

In a bevy of stats which suggest that gamers aren’t just gamers, Microsoft has said that users also made over 1 million Last.fm profiles, spending approximately 40 minutes using Last.fm on Xbox LIVE to discover music and customise radio stations, and have streamed more than 120 million minutes of music already.

Microsoft, who says it has around 20 million active members around the world also saw around 8% visit the new Zune video store, however they haven't stated how many actually watched anything.

They are still playing games though. More than 2.2 million unique gamers played "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" in one day on 10 November, the day of the launch, a new one-day record for Xbox LIVE the company says.

Related links:

• Link - Xbox.com

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Xbox Live Facebook Twitter Lastfm Microsoft Social networking

Xbox 360 gamers actually social butterflies originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:51:24 +0000

Microsoft has announced that its Xbox festival - Xtival - will be returning in late November. Running across 27 to 29 November - Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - the festival is a celebration of gaming, movies and music that takes place on Xbox Live.

For the duration of the weekend, anyone with a free Xbox Live silver account will see it temporarily upgraded to the Gold version, so you can play with the recently launched Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm and Sky Player functionality. It'll also mean that you'll be able to play online games with other Xbox 360 owners.

On the music side, the Xtival will be showcasing a live gig from DJ Ti?sto, along with interviews and the chance to download excerpts from the forthcoming Metallica DVD. There'll be classic concerts from Run DMC and ZZ Top, as well as a video EP from the Prodigy.

And lastly on the cinema stage there'll be a 4-minute trailer from James Cameron's forthcoming "Avatar" available for 5 days. Alongside, there'll be various free downloads, competitions, and Xtival themed backgrounds and gamerpics.

Xtival runs from 27 to 29 November on Xbox Live.

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Tags: Gaming Microsoft Xbox 360 Xbox Live Xtival

Xbox 360's Xtival weekend returns originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:33:23 +0000

Here are the nominations for Best Video Game in The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009.

The following products were chosen because we feel they represent the best video games on sale in the last 12 months that are available in the UK.

The nominations are:

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Guitar Hero 5

Battlefield 1943

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Now in its 6th year, the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year released in the UK

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available in the UK between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Winners will be announced at an Awards evening in London on Monday 7 December.

If you would like to order tickets to the event please visit our awards event page.

Public voting will start on Wednesday 18 November.

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Related links:

• Link - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 PS3 Nintendo Wii PC games Sony Activision Warner Bros EA Pocket-lint Awards Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Best Video Games 2009 nominations originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:22:07 +0000

Here are the nominations for Best Software, Service, or App in The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009.

The following products were chosen because we feel they represent the best software, service or app on sale in the last 12 months that are available in the UK.

The nominations are:

Spotify

Windows 7

Tweetie 2

Dropbox

Sky Player for Xbox

A notable commendation should also go to Snow Leopard from Apple.

Now in its 6th year, the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year released in the UK.

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available in the UK between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Winners will be announced at an Awards evening in London on Monday 7 December.

If you would like to order tickets to the event please visit our awards event page.

Public voting will start on Wednesday 18 November.

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Related links:

• Link - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Tags: Software Online Spotify Microsoft Tweetie 2 Dropbox Sky Xbox 360 Pocket-lint Awards Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Best Software, Service, or App 2009 nominations originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

If you're thinking about picking up a second-hand Xbox 360 in the next couple of months, be very careful. As a result of the mass banning of about 3% of the console's userbase from Xbox Live, many unlucky gamers are attempting to offload their consoles through eBay, Gumtree and Craigslist.

Some users are being honest about the fact that their console has been banned - after all, it'll still play games, it just won't connect to Xbox Live. Others, however, are likely being shadier about it. So if you're planning to buy a used Xbox, be sure that you grill the owner on whether it's been modded in any way.

If, however, you're after a console that'll play games and watch movies, but won't connect to Xbox Live to get updates or access multiplayer functions, then now is a great time to get yourself a deal. Banned consoles are going for as little as ?100 with a pile of games.

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft Xbox Live eBay Gumtree Craigslist

Banned Xbox 360s flood e-commerce sites originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:58:42 +0000

Microsoft has announced that the Xbox 360 has hit the 10 million consoles sale mark across Europe, the Middle East and Africa in 4 years.

Reaching that milestone means that Xbox 360 is the only console to achieve year-on-year growth across the region this year, says Microsoft.

"Xbox 360 continues to pull ahead of the competition when it comes to delivering on a complete home entertainment experience and we think that Xbox Live currently is about 12 to 18 months ahead of its main rival PlayStation Network when it comes to offering service and content beyond traditional games", said Martin Olausson, director of digital media research at strategy analytics.

"By introducing innovative new services and content such as Natal, instant streaming of full 1080P HD video, and integrating social media features such as Twitter and Facebook, Xbox will likely attract a wider audience than its rivals and is in a great position to maximize sales in the next few years".

Microsoft has also revealed there are more than 20 million Xbox LIVE active members worldwide with over 1 billion downloads of gaming and entertainment content, with movie downloads doubling in the last year.

Meanwhile, Xbox staffer Major Nelson has announced via Twitter that a new Xbox LIVE record has been set - "over TWO MILLION people connected to the service at once".?

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft Statistics

Microsoft reveals 10 million Xbox 360s sold in EMEA originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:14:10 +0000

Microsoft has confirmed that it will be releasing its latest Xbox 360 update on the 17 November to all LIVE members.

The new update, which was first announced in June, will bring with it Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm and Zune video to the console.

The Facebook integration will be through Facebook's Connect sign-in programme and will see users able to see their Xbox LIVE buddies as well as their Facebook friends.

Microsoft says: "Using Facebook Connect, you can share your greatest moments in gaming by posting updates and screenshots from supported games directly to Facebook".

The Twitter application will allow Xbox gamers to sign into the popular service via their console.

Sony has also today said that it will be adding Facebook integration to its console.

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Twitter Facebook Microsoft Zune HD Lastfm

Xbox 360 social update dated originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:40:03 +0000

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, not content with annihilating UK video game sales records, has done the same trick across the Atlantic, by shifting 4.7 million copies in the United Kingdom and North America combined.

That firmly puts it at the top of the chart of first-day sales for non-bundled video games, which was previously topped by GTA IV and the two expansions for World of Warcraft. The achievement has seen cash roll in to Activision to the extent of $310 million in the first 24 hours.

However, the game's launch on Xbox 360 and PS3 has been dulled slightly by the rocky entry of the PC version of the game. Before its release, fans were already protesting that dedicated server functionality had been taken out, and the PC launch had to be delayed 2 days so that retailers could get exclusives, but also so that pre-orders could be served.

The whole maelstrom has been covered in great depth by PC gaming blog Rock, Paper, Shotgun, who posit that it would be entirely possible if the next instalment of the game didn't come to the PC at all, despite the series originating on the platform.

What do you think? Are you a happy Xbox 360 or PS3 owner, or a distraught PC user? Should consoles get exclusives over PCs? Tell us in the comments.

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 PS3 PC Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare 2 Statistics Activision

Modern Warfare 2 breaking US records too originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:31:18 +0000

Activision's?Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2?has smashed the previous record set by Grand Theft Auto IV for opening weekend sales for a video game.

Modern Warfare 2 sold an estimated 1.23 million units in its first day on sale, grossing Activision, the games publisher, around ?47 million, according to official figures by Chart Track, the body that tracks sales in the UK.

The figure, which doubles the previous record held by Grand Theft Auto IV, shows how far the video game market has grown to be an entertainment powerhouse.

“These first day sales figures are astonishing and clear evidence that video games are now mainstream in the UK", said Michael Rawlinson, director general, Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), in a statement.

The game has come under heavy fire from pressure groups complaining about its tone and violence.

Although the 1.23 million makes it the biggest UK opening weekend, the title is still a long way from being crowned?Biggest selling video game?of all time.

Developers are already working on a?third instalment.?

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 PS3 Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare 2

Modern Warfare 2 smashes UK games records originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:23:19 +0000

Details have emerged regarding Microsoft's closely guarded Project Natal motion gaming add-on for its Xbox 360 games console.

While all we previously really knew was that the system would hit the shelves during 2010, games site MCV has heard from industry sources that November 2010 - so in time for Christmas - is the worldwide launch timescale.

In addition, information from a "behind-closed-doors Microsoft tour of UK publishers and studios" suggests the Project Natal add-on will cost "under ?50" when sold as a standalone device, with one source even suggesting a ?30 price point.

Other snippets leaked from the meeting suggest Microsoft is planning to manufacture 5 million units for the launch and that 14 games will support the motion-controlled device as it debuts.

We will keep you posted.

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Tags: Gaming Microsoft Project Natal Xbox 360 Rumours

Project Natal to cost less than £50 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:24:43 +0000

It's believed that up to 600,000 gamers may have been cut off from Microsoft's Xbox Live online gaming service because they're running modded consoles that can play pirated games.

Microsoft has confirmed that "a small percentage" of Xbox's 20 million users had been banned. By our calculations, that'd be 3%, which seems quite a large number for a process that involves opening up the case of the console and - in many cases - soldering in a new chip.

Microsoft warned:"All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and that modifying their Xbox 360 console to play pirated discs violates the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty and result in a ban from Xbox Live". That ban won't stop your console working, it just means that you won't be able to connect to the Web.

Are you running a modded Xbox 360? Drop us a comment - we won't tell anyone, promise - and let us know if you still have access. We'd be interested to hear whether this hits every modder, or just a selection.

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Tags: Gaming Microsoft Xbox 360 Piracy Xbox Live

Microsoft cuts off Xbox 360 hackers originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:41:11 +0000

We've seen the?Xbox Wireless n adaptor on sale?in the UK, but now Microsoft has officially confirmed the launch of the Xbox 360 wireless n adapter in the US.?

Available on Amazon.com for $90, the new adapter promises faster connectivity over a wireless n network.

The?new?adapter?will?feature dual band 5 GHz tech and will be 2.4 GHz Wireless A/B/G home network compatible.

The device will be powered by the Xbox 360 to eliminate adapter clutter.

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft Networking

Microsoft Xbox 360 wireless n adapter goes on sale in US originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:43:08 +0000

Remember the 802.11n Wi-Fi adaptor for the Xbox 360, which appeared in an FCC filing in the States back in September? Well, it appears that it's real and it's on shelves in Asda, if the above picture from Engadget is accurate.

The pic puts the price at ?50, slightly less than the current b/g version which costs ?60 (though can often be found cheaper than that). The product can't be found online from any of the big supermarket retailers, though, so it seems like this could be just the work of an enthusiastic shelf-stocker.

The peripheral enables the console to connect to faster, more stable Wi-Fi networks, which should improve your online experience if you suffer from a slightly dodgy wireless experience on your console. For it to work, however, you'll also need a Wireless-N router - something that isn't yet in many people's homes.

We'll keep you posted of the wider availability of the device. If supermarkets are getting stock then that could be very close indeed.

Tags: Gaming Peripherals Xbox 360 Wi-Fi Rumours

Xbox Wireless-n adaptor on sale now? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:24:23 +0000

The Prince of Persia film trailer has just hit the intertubes and with it our hearts both flutter and sink at the same time as we realise that it's going to be terrible. It may sound premature but anyone who knows anything about either games, films or ideally both, will know that out of countless console to silver screen conversions there has been a sum total of no good ones whatsoever. Yes, some have had brushes with the acceptable - Tomb Raider and Silent Hill at a push - but the fact remains that history just doesn't lie. Not here.

So, why are they so bad? What's the deal? First and foremost game plots just aren't up to it. At the best we get some lengthy cut scenes between gruff-talking men in over-sized armour between levels of dealing death to any creature that gets in the way of Player 1 and the next room/access key/elevator/bigger weapon/mushroom. They may contain over 200 hundred hours of gameplay but you could probably condense the storyline into around 20 minutes.

Even if these plots do have any staying power, then they're rarely as sophisticated as what hundreds of years experience of stage and screen writing can produce, and the results are laughable. We laugh, usually around an hour in, well after our hearts have been broken in two because our favourite title is being ridiculed in front of the world. The trouble is that video games aren't designed to be stories. They're games. They're about skill and puzzles rather than a meaningful narrative. There are narratives, more and more, and they're better than ever these days, but they're still tertiary to the structure of the game beneath both playability and graphical appeal.

Then there's characters who are largely two-dimensional. We don't really want to know about Ryu's anxiety when taking on Zangief and fortunately Capcom didn't bore us to death in case we did. Even more involved RPG or adventure pieces only ever get as far as overt emotions like fear or anger at current events and only at the most complex might we see a flashback from the character's past, and only then if it's germane to the plot. The point is that it's up to us, the players, to form the deeper reaction in response to a series of ruthless/kind/good/evil and if we're really lucky, traitorous characters. The added colour simply isn't written in for a very good reason - that of personal subjective involvement.

So, here's how the situation works given the already shaky starting materials. First, a game gets big enough and a movie producer gets bored enough to decide that they're going to make a film out of it. So, they plonk it down in front of an upcoming writer and director, most likely still learning their trade or they'd probably have an original or more worthy project on the slate. Faced with a thin plot and characters that no one's going to care about, they then do their level best to add some colour to the proceedings which is inevitably flawed, most likely because they won't be big players of the game, and what they fabricate will not be in the spirit of thing. Either that or they don't add enough and it's dull as ditch-water anyway.

They then present the project to similarly aspiring actors who take it on because, hey, it's work whereby a few months down the line and several million on special effects later we have one film destined to disappoint.? What's worse is that this film will make more money than it cost and so the cycle repeats itself. Perhaps the only good that's ever done is that the artists involved might have graduated to the higher echelons of film making by then. Good luck to them.

There are, of course, minor exceptions. Dennis Hopper was in Super Mario Bros, Angelina Jolie was Lara Croft and now Jake Gyllenhaal has taken the lead in the Prince of Persia, but these stars alone aren't going to be enough to fill all the gaps. Incidentally, if you want a real laugh, watch the DVD extras on Dungeons & Dragons for the out take where Jeremy Irons storms off the set. There's the look of an actor regretting the fact they got involved with it in the first place.

So, what of Prince of Persia then? Is it as doomed as we make out? Well, it's got a stronger plot than some. They've integrated the use of the Dagger of Time really nicely (I'm a sucker for films with time travel). They've got an excellent director in the shape of Mike Newell and a star studded cast with class acts like Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina supporting the adept and watchable Gyllenhaal, but a good game adaptation that's not necessarily going to make. What do they know about the Prince of Persia? Gyllenhaal has said himself that he's over-prepared for this movie by bulking up with five or six pounds in added muscle. Now, that doesn't sound like the right kind of training. How about a copy of the game, a dark room and bulking up with five or six pounds in added KFC?

Mercifully, the game's creator, Jordan Mechner, has been part of the team on the script, but time will only tell whether Jerry Bruckheimer listened to him or not. Still, most of you reading this will probably watch it, you'll probably hate it and you'll probably wonder why you fell for the same trick again. Thankfully, you'll probably have downloaded it for nothing too.

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Tags: Gaming PS3 Xbox 360 PC games Prince of Persia Films Movies Comment

Why are game-inspired films so terrible? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:38:52 +0000

For those too impatient (or too rubbish) to get there themselves, EA is taking the unusual step of offering a video game complete with six special gameplay unlocks good to go from the first load of the game, rather than being dependent on achievement.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will see a "Limited Edition" version with unlocks that give players "a tactical advantage on the battlefield from the minute they fire up the game".

Due to be available while supplies last, the Limited Edition version of the game will be sold at the same price as the standard version of the game exclusively with GAME in the UK.

The six unlocks are improved vehicular armour, supreme vehicle firepower, a vehicle motion sensor, and a tracer dart pistol (pictured) as well as a M1A1 submachine gun and a M1911 pistol.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be available on 5 March 2010 for Xbox 360, the PS3 and the PC.

Tags: Gaming EA Xbox 360 PS3 FPS

EA offer "Limited Edition" version of Bad Company 2 with unlocks originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:12:31 +0000

Puma and Xbox have collaborated on some special edition shoes to celebrate the launch of Forza Motorsport 3.

The new trainers come in the form of the Speed Cat 2.9 FM3s, said to be "inspired by the pace-setter of the racing game genre and based on a classic Puma silhouette".

The game-themed footwear gets a Forza Motorsport 3 embroidered tongue while the rubber outsole is said to be inspired by real motorsport tyres.

In grey and red, Puma will sell only 324 pairs of the Speed Cat 2.9 FM3, available from London Puma shops priced at ?65 per pair.

Tags: Gaming Puma Xbox 360 Footwear Clothing Forza Motorsport 3 Racing games Sports Fitness

Limited edition Puma trainers mark Forza 3 launch originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:42:21 +0000

Sky?and?Microsoft?will attempt to launch the new?Sky Player for Xbox 360?for a second time after the companies had to pull the service on the official launch day on Tuesday.

"The service has been suspended due to an unforeseen technical issue". Sky said in a statement. "Sky Player engineers are hard at work to resolve the problem. We expect to have the full service available on Wednesday".

The breakdown of the service on launch left gamers confused as to what had happened.

"How do i actually pull up sky on my Xbox, i have Sky Player account and an Xbox Gold Account. Confused... :S", said Sam in a comment on Pocket-lint.

"The Sky player system went "Offline" before I had a chance to try it! The current news is that it will be fully back online tomorrow (Wednesday) - so you're not alone, Jamie! Shame - I'm itching to give it a try...", said Doombar.

To access the player you'll need both an active Sky subscription and an Xbox Live Gold subscription. The former costs ?15 per month, and the latter is ?40 per year, totalling ?220 per year. The same channels will be available to you that are available on your existing Sky subscription.

Alternatively, Sky will be selling a bundle pack of a month's Sky Player subscription (with the Sky Sports pack), a media remote, and 3 months of Xbox Live Gold subscription for ?30. If you just want to try out the service without committing to a long-term plan, that could be an option.

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Tags: Gaming Home Cinema Xbox 360 Sky Player Microsoft Sky

Sky Player on Xbox 360 goes for second time lucky originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:17:23 +0000

Brit Bear Grylls is soon to get his own big budget video game as Discovery has revealed a "Man vs. Wild" (aka "Born Survivor") title will soon go into production.

Game publisher Crave will create the game, and is also confirmed to be working on turning another Discovery series - "Deadliest Catch" - into a game.

The titles, described as "action-oriented" will launch for the PlayStation 3, the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS while the Grylls game will also be available for Xbox 360.

The "Man vs. Wild" game will see gamers use survival skills in various landscapes and climates and it's said to be "likely" that Grylls will voice the game.

The "Deadliest Catch" game will see players captain crab boats on the Bering Sea and follows a similarly-themed game that was launched for the Xbox 360 but is said to have not "stayed true to the action of the show".

"Deadliest" is due in the spring, while "Wild" will be out by the end of 2011.

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Tags: Gaming Action games PS3 Nintendo Wii Xbox 360 Sports Fitness Discovery Crave Bear Grylls Deadliest Catch Man vs Wild

Bear Grylls to get own video game originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:13:52 +0000

Ladies and gentlemen, Sky Player for Xbox 360 is finally here. The service, which allows you to access on-demand streams of Sky content and live broadcasting, has been long-trailed (see our coverage here, here, here and here), but has now arrived and should be accessible on your console.

Of course, to access the player you'll need both an active Sky subscription and an Xbox Live Gold subscription. The former costs ?15 per month, and the latter is ?40 per year, totalling ?220 per year. The same channels will be available to you that are available on your existing Sky subscription.

Alternatively, Sky will be selling a bundle pack of a month of Sky Player subscription (with the Sky Sports pack), a media remote, and 3 months of Xbox Live Gold subscription for ?30. If you just want to try out the service without committing to a long-term plan, that could be an option.

Tags: Home Cinema Sky Sky Player Gaming Microsoft Xbox 360 Xbox Live

Sky Player arrives on Xbox 360 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:38:11 +0000

We've already seen Sky Player in Windows 7, but now you can see it on the Xbox 360 ahead of the official UK release on Tuesday 27 October.?

The 8-minute video, sent to techtv101.com, details the channel selection process and what you can expect from the service next week.?

Announced back in May the?Sky Player, which is accessed via the Xbox interface, will offer the chance for viewers to watch live?games?in a virtual stadium that allows fans to comment and chat via on screen messages or voice on the screen, as well as access key stats while the match is going on.

Sky confirmed at the time that users will be able to buy a package similar to the current PC Sky Player that means they don't have to be a set-top box subscriber, a move that is clearly aimed at appealing to those who live in a house without a dish.?

The Tuesday update will also feature?Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm support, as well as the Zune video marketplace and its associated instant-on 1080p high definition streaming.

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Sky Microsoft Sky Player Video

VIDEO: Sky Player for Xbox 360 walk-through originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:32:51 +0100

Kids, Steve Ballmer is lying to you. Yesterday we brought you the news, straight out of the man's mouth, that the Xbox 360 would be getting Blu-ray accessories. Today, Microsoft's PR team has swung into action to try and say they don't exist without explicitly saying "Ballmer was talking out of his arse".

Instead, a Microsoft spokesperson said: "Steve was referring to Blu-ray accessories for the PC.?As we have said in the past, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360. In fact, the future of home entertainment starts this fall when Xbox 360 becomes the first and only console to offer instant-on 1080p streaming HD movies".

Given that Ballmer was responding to a question about the Xbox and said "You'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories", we doubt that accessories for the PC had anything to do with what he was saying. More likely Microsoft is trying to firefight some of the damage that Ballmer caused with the casual statement.

We wouldn't be surprised at all if Blu-ray accessories arrived for the console, particularly if Blu-ray movies begin to sell in reasonable numbers at some point. Microsoft just isn't ready to announce that yet.

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Steve Ballmer Blu-ray Home Cinema

Blu-ray not coming to Xbox 360... yet originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:30:31 +0100

Gaming maestro Peter Molyneux has officially confirmed that the next version of Fable, Fable 3, for the Xbox 360 will be?Project Natal?enabled.

"Fable 3 will have Natal support. Is that an announcement? #molyneux", Nicholas Lovell, founder of Gamesbrief, non-exec at nDreams, consultant to the game industry on strategy, finance and online sales tweeted after hearing Molyneux at a BAFTA lecture in London.

"Providing the audience with an insight into video games of the future, Molyneux demonstrated his latest project called Milo which utilises Microsoft's Natal technology that relies on voice, facial and motion recognition". reports BAFTA.

Molyneux also confirmed that the third instalment of Fable, Fable 3, will have in game transactions that allow you to buy extra gear for real cash to enhance your gaming character.

Project Natal, first announced at E3 in June in the US, is Microsoft's play at making the gamer the controller. It will monitor movements and then recreate those on screen.?

So far all the major games publishers are on board. Microsoft hasn't given an official launch date for the new technology, however have suggested a spring 2010 launch date.

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft Fable 3 Project Natal

Molyneux: Project Natal support for Fable 3 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:18:47 +0100

Steve Ballmer has told Gizmodo in an interview that soon you'll be able to watch Blu-ray movies on your Xbox 360.

Microsoft's CEO made the admission when asked whether Blu-ray was coming to the console, and gave the surprising answer: "Well I don't know if we need to put Blu-ray in there—you'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories".

Instead, Ballmer believes that streaming services will supply most of the demand for HD content in the "immediate" time-frame. The Xbox is getting Zune video shortly, complete with instant-on HD streaming, but Microsoft's PR refused to comment to Gizmodo about future plans for the console.

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Steve Ballmer Blu-ray Home Cinema

Blu-ray coming to Xbox 360 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:43:18 +0100

The BBFC has insisted on an 18 rating for coming soon Call of Duty title Modern Warfare 2, although it has passed through the official hurdle with no cuts.

It seems the rating ruling will not come as a surprise to the developers as promotional packaging has already been labelled "TBC 18".

It is however, the first game in the Call of Duty series to get an 18 certificate from the BBFC.

Previous titles in the series have either been rated as 15 by the BBFC or 16+ under the PEGI system, which considering the gratuitous violence in the previous, lower rated titles suggests that Modern Warfare 2 could well be a blood bath.

Those looking forward to such delights should note the game goes on sale in the UK on 10 November.

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• News - Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 console announced

Tags: Gaming BBFC Call of Duty Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 Nintendo Wii PS3 Activision

BBFC gives Modern Warfare 2 an 18 rating originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:22:47 +0100

If you've got an unauthorised Xbox 360 memory unit, then you might want to think about getting an official one ASAP - the forthcoming software update for the console will render it inoperable.

Xbox Live's Major Nelson posted on his blog that "one of the changes is that unauthorized Memory Units will no longer work with the Xbox 360", adding "If you continue to use an unauthorized Memory Unit after the update, you will not be able to access your stored profile or saved games".

If you have a hard-disk equipped 360 then it's not too big a deal - just shift everything onto your hard drive - but if not then you'll need to buy a licensed unit instead and copy the data across. To know whether it's licensed or not, you need a stamp that says "Licensed for Xbox 360" somewhere on the device or its packaging.

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• News - Eye-Fi wireless memory cards to launch in the UK

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Memory cards Microsoft Software updates

Xbox 360 update blocks unlicensed memory units originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:24:40 +0100

Microsoft has, just like earlier in the year, offered its users the chance to take a look at the forthcoming dashboard upgrade a little early in the hope of getting rid of any bugs that testers might not have spotted.

The next version of the dashboard will have, as previously reported, integration with Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm, as well as the Zune video marketplace and its associated instant-on 1080p high definition streaming. Here in the UK, we'll also be getting the Sky Player. For most of that lot, though, you'll need an Xbox Gold subscription.

If you'd like to sign up, you'll need to be in an Xbox LIVE region, know your console ID, ISP, make and model of your TV and router, and how you connect your Xbox to your network and your TV. Even then, there's no guarantee that you'll get in - Microsoft is being picky about who gets early access.

If you still feel like trying your chances, then head over to the Xbox Live Update Preview and fill in all your details. Good luck!

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• News - Sky Player coming to Xbox 360 in October?

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Xbox Live Microsoft Facebook Twitter Lastfm Sky

Xbox 360 Dashboard preview program reopens originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:11:31 +0100

Getting excited about the forthcoming release of DJ Hero? Well hit play on the vid-box above to see a new promo for the music-themed game.

As most of you will know, DJ Hero is a turntable-based take on the current crop of popular music games.

DJ Hero promises to "transform players into DJs who rule the club scene by creating original mixes of popular songs and music from the world's most exciting artists and DJs".

The game - and controller - is due for release in the UK on 30 October. Amazon's currently got a pre-order going on for ?89.99.

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 DJ Hero Music games Advertising Video Microsoft Activision

VIDEO: New DJ Hero ad revealed originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:18:38 +0100

Microsoft has announced that it's adding three titles to its range of Xbox 360 Classics, and that range is getting a price cut. From 9 October, immigrant adventure Grand Theft Auto IV, street racer Midnight Club Los Angeles: Complete Edition and undersea escape fps BioShock.

The titles join a whole raft of other big hits for the console, including Halo 3, Gears of War, Forza Motorsport 2, Project Gotham Racing 4 and Mass Effect. All will henceforth be available for ?15.

Ubisoft has also seen fit to cut the price of some of its games. Splinter Cell Double Agent, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and Naruto: Rise of a Ninja will all be available for 15 quid too. Very useful if you've just got an Xbox but don't want to spend a fortune on games.

Want a quote? Of course you do. John Parkes, EMEA marketing director at Ubisoft, told us: "We are happy to bring some our best IPS to this Classics range, these titles offer some of the best gaming experiences, now made available for even more people to enjoy".

Microsoft's Classics range has been available for several years and originally cost ?25 for the best-selling titles.

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Related links:

• News - Christmas 2009: The year the Xbox 360 should rule the roost

Tags: Gaming Microsoft Xbox 360 Bioshock GTA

Microsoft adds three titles to Xbox 360 Classics range originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:42:17 +0100

The days of mashing buttons are over when it comes to skateboarding games, as the new controller for the latest Tony Hawk game – Tony Hawk: RIDE – gives you a motion control deck.

Formed to look and feel like a skateboard, the controller features two accelerometers to give you yaw, pitch and roll sensors which will translate into 1:1 mapping in the game. This means your character on-screen will react to the subtle movements you make on the board.

A spokesperson for Robomodo, the game's developer, detailed how they had pulled apart "tonnes and tonnes" of controllers to find the best solution for Tony Hawk: RIDE.

Robomodo focused on creating a system that would allow for grabs, grinds, ollies and flip tricks to be pulled off in the game. This is achieved thanks to the accelerometers and the inclusion of four IR sensors around the deck.

The IR sensors let the board detect peripheral movements, so if you want to pull off a grab, moving your hand into the detection zone of the IR sensor will make it happen (if your timing is any good…).

Covered with grip tape, it feels like a skateboard and is surprisingly solid. It didn't complain one iota about abuse from a 13 stone man and is surprisingly responsive. Note the giant start button on the left-hand edge designed to be kicked to get you into the game.

Hitting Xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo Wii towards the end of November, we grabbed some pics of the new controller for Xbox, with a couple of Nintendo Wii ones at the end.

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Tony Hawk Tony Hawk Ride Nintendo Wii Activision Gaming accessories Gaming hardware Photos

PHOTOS: Tony Hawk: RIDE skateboard controller originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:15:12 +0100

Microsoft should expect it to be an Xbox 360 Christmas this year if search queries for the games console are anything to go by.

Although the launch of the PS3 Slim caused a massive spike of interest according to search analytics firm Hitwise, Microsoft's Xbox 360 console is consistently ranking highly in searches suggesting its popularity will be strong come the Christmas rush.

"For most of 2009 the Microsoft Xbox 360 has been the most searched for games console in the UK, while the popularity of the Nintendo consoles has waned significantly", says Robin Goad, Hitwise UKs research director.

Good news for Sony is that its PS3 has maintained second place throughout most of year while Nintendo has struggled following its massive success in 2008.

Without the Wii Fit to dominate Christmas wish lists, as it did last Holiday season, Xbox 360 games are the most popular options, after all-format titles, picking up 11.9% of searches according to the firm.?

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft Sony Hitwise Nintendo Survey

Christmas 2009: The year the Xbox 360 should rule the roost originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:31:44 +0100

Activision has finally ponied up the full tracklisting for DJ Hero, and it comprises 93 exclusive mashups that span rock, rap, techno, house, pop, indie, psychadelia and classical tracks.

Here's the full list, but before you start scrolling, you might want to be reminded that the game will be out on 30 October and cost ?110 with the turntable kit. At the time of writing, though, Amazon is doing the kit for ?90 on pre-order, so that might be worth checking out, too.

2Pac - All Eyez On Me vs. The Aranbee Pop Orchestra - Bittersweet Symphony (Instrumental)
50 Cent - Disco Inferno vs. David Bowie - Let's Dance
50 Cent - Disco Inferno vs. InDeep - Last Night A DJ Saved My Life
Afrika Bambaataa - Zulu Nation Throwdown vs. Freedom Express - Get Down
Beastie Boys - Here's A Little Somethin' For Ya vs. DJ Shadow - The Number Song (2009 Version) (Produced and mixed by DJ Shadow)
Beastie Boys - Intergalactic vs. Blondie - Rapture
Beastie Boys - Lee Majors Come Again vs. Daft Punk - Da Funk (Produced and mixed by Cut Chemist)
Beck - Where It's At vs. DJ Shadow - Six Days (Remix ft. Mos Def)
Bell Biv DeVoe - Poison Beat Juggle
Bell Biv DeVoe - Poison vs. Beastie Boys - Intergalactic (Produced and mixed by DJ AM)
Bell Biv DeVoe - Poison vs. Cameo - Word Up!
Benny Benassi - Satisfaction vs. Ti?sto - Elements Of Life
Billy Squier - The Big Beat vs. N.E.R.D. - Lapdance (DJ-Guitar mix)
Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow vs. Benny Benassi - Satisfaction
Bobby Blue Bland - Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City vs. 2Pac - How Do You Want It
Bobby Blue Bland - Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City vs. Connie Price & The Keystones - Fuzz And Them
Boogie Down Productions - Jack Of Spades vs. David Bowie - Let's Dance (Produced and mixed by DJ Shadow)
Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers - Bustin' Loose vs. The Zombies - Time Of The Season (Produced and mixed by DJ Shadow)
Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers - Bustin' Loose vs. Young MC - Bust A Move
Common - Universal Mind Control (U.M.C.) vs. Masta Ace - Jeep A** Gutter (Aaron LaCrate & Debonair Samir RMX) (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain vs. Classics IV - Spooky
Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain vs. David Axelrod - The Edge
Daft Punk - Around The World vs. Young MC - Bust A Move
Daft Punk - Da Funk vs. N.A.S.A. - Strange Enough ft. Karen O, ODB & Fatlip
Daft Punk - Megamix 1
Daft Punk - Megamix 2
Daft Punk - Robot Rock vs. Hashim - Al Naafyish (The Soul) (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
Daft Punk - Robot Rock vs. Queen - We Will Rock You
Daft Punk - Short Circuit vs. Boogie Down Productions - Jack Of Spades
Daft Punk - Technologic vs. Gary Numan - Cars
Daft Punk - Television Rules the Nation vs. No Doubt - Hella Good
David Axelrod - The Edge vs. Eric B. & Rakim - Eric B. Is President
Dizzee Rascal - Fix Up, Look Sharp vs. DJ Shadow - Organ Donor (Extended Overhaul)
Dizzee Rascal - Fix Up, Look Sharp vs. Justice - Genesis
DJ Shadow - Six Days (Remix ft. Mos Def) vs. D-Code - Annie's Horn
Eminem - My Name Is vs. Beck - Loser
Fedde Le Grand - Put Your Hands Up For Detroit vs. Sandy Rivera and David Penn - I Can't Stop (David Penn Remix)
Foo Fighters - Monkey Wrench vs. Beastie Boys - Sabotage (DJ-Guitar mix)
Foreigner - Juke Box Hero vs. DJ Z-Trip ft. Murs - DJ Hero (Produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
Foreigner - Juke Box Hero vs. DJ Z-Trip ft. Murs - DJ Hero (DJ-Guitar mix, produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
Gang Starr - Just To Get A Rep vs. Mobb Deep - Shook Ones, Pt 2 (Produced and mixed by J. Period)
Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc. vs. Blondie - Atomic
Grandmaster Flash's - Boom vs. Tap (Produced and mixed by Grandmaster Flash)
Grandmaster Flash, DJ Kool, DJ Demo - Here Comes My DJ vs. Gary Numan - Cars (Produced and mixed by Grandmaster Flash)
Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl vs. Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl vs. InDeep Last Night A DJ Saved My Life (Produced and mixed by DJ AM)
Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl vs. Rick James - Give It To Me
Herbie Hancock - Rockit Beat Juggle
Herbie Hancock - Rockit vs. N.E.R.D. - Lapdance (Produced and mixed by Grandmaster Flash)
InDeep - Last Night A DJ Saved My Life vs. Cameo - Word Up!
Jackson 5 - I Want You Back vs. Gang Starr - Just To Get A Rep (Produced and mixed by DJ Yoda)
Jackson 5 - I Want You Back vs. Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life (DJ-Guitar mix)
Jackson 5 - I Want You Back vs. Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life
JAY-Z feat. Pharrell - Change Clothes vs. 2Pac - All Eyez on Me
JAY-Z - Izzo (H.O.V.A.) vs. Eminem - My Name Is
JAY-Z - Izzo (H.O.V.A.) vs. Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
JAY-Z - Excuse Me Miss vs. Rick James - Give It To Me
Jean Knight - Mr. Big Stuff vs. Masta Ace - Born To Roll
Jurassic 5 - Jayou vs. Billy Squier - The Big Beat
Jurassic 5 - Jayou vs. Herbie Hancock - Rockit
Kid Cudi - Day 'N' Nite vs. Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow
Kool Moe Dee - How Ya Like Me Now vs. Reel 2 Real featuring The Mad Stuntman - I Like To Move It
Little Richard - Tutti Frutti vs. Shlomo - Beats (Produced and mixed by DJ Yoda)
M.I.A. - Paper Planes vs. Eric B. & Rakim - Eric B. Is President (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
M.I.A. - Paper Planes vs. Wale - Lookin' At Me
Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine vs. David Bowie - Let's Dance
Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine vs. Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
Mot?rhead - Ace Of Spades vs. Noisia - Groundhog (DJ-Guitar mix)
N.A.S.A. - Strange Enough ft. Karen O, ODB & Fatlip vs. Isaac Hayes - Theme From Shaft
Noisia - Groundhog Beat Juggle (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
Paul van Dyk - Nothing But You vs. Sandy Rivera and David Penn - I Can't Stop (David Penn Remix)
Public Enemy - Shut 'Em Down vs. Beck - Where It's At
Public Enemy ft. Zakk Wylde - Bring The Noise 20XX vs. Justice - Genesis (Produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
Public Enemy featuring Zakk Wylde - Bring The Noise 20XX (DJ-Guitar mix)
Q-Tip - Good Thang vs. Billy Squier - The Big Beat (Produced and mixed by J. Period)
Queen - Another One Bites The Dust vs. Beastie Boys - Brass Monkey (Produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
Queen - Another One Bites The Dust vs. Daft Punk - Da Funk
Rihanna - Disturbia vs. Kid Sister - Control
Rihanna - Disturbia vs. The Killers - Somebody Told Me (DJ-Guitar mix)
Rihanna - Disturbia vs. The Trammps - Disco Inferno
Shlomo - Beats vs. Billy Squier - The Big Beat
Street Sweeper Social Club - Fight! Smash! Win! vs. Beastie Boys - Intergalactic (DJ-Guitar mix)
Tears For Fears - Shout vs. DJ Shadow - Six Days (Remix ft. Mos Def)
Tears For Fears - Shout vs. Eric B. & Rakim - Eric B. Is President (Produced and mixed by DJ Jazzy Jeff)
Tears For Fears - Shout vs. Eric Prydz - Pjanoo
The Aranbee Pop Orchestra - Bittersweet Symphony (Instrumental) vs. LL Cool J - Rock The Bells (Produced and mixed by DJ Jazzy Jeff)
The Scratch Perverts Beats and Pieces (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
The Killers - Somebody Told Me vs. Eric Prydz - Pjanoo
Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby vs. MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This
Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby vs. Paula Abdul - Straight Up
Wale - Lookin' At Me vs. Black Eyed Peas ft. Tippa Irie - Hey Mama
Weezer - Beverly Hills vs. Evidence, The Alchemist, Aceyalone, Rakaa & 88 Keys - Fresh Rhymes And Videotape (DJ-Guitar mix)
Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music vs. Gang Starr - Just To Get A Rep (DJ-Guitar mix)

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• News - DJ Hero gets "Renegade Edition"

Tags: Gaming Music games DJ Hero Activision Xbox 360 PS3 PS2 Nintendo Wii

DJ Hero gets full tracklisting originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:56:16 +0100

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO has echoed comments by Bill Gates earlier in the year saying that Project Natal could make it in to the boardroom.

In an interview with the BBC's business editor, Robert Peston, Ballmer told how "customers" are already asking for the new motion controlled bolt-on for the Xbox 360 in the boardroom:

"Initially you will see it just for gaming, but we are already getting customers saying that they could use it in their business, that it would be great in their conference room, so I am sure we will find other applications as well".

The comments show that Microsoft isn't just looking at motion controlled gaming, but possibly a new way to control our PCs in the future beyond touching a screen.

Back in July Bill Gates said that the company was considering camera-based controls for a future version of its Windows operating system.

Talking about future tech, Gates said: "I'd say a cool example of that, that you'll see... in a little over a year, is this (depth) camera thing".

Stating it was not just for games, Gates explained: "but for media consumption as a whole, and even if they connect it up to Windows PCs for interacting in terms of meetings, and collaboration, and communication".

"Both the Xbox guys and the Windows guys latched onto that and now ever since they latched onto it the idea of how it can be used in the office is getting much more concrete, and is pretty exciting".

The news follows Microsoft confirming that publishers actively working on games for “Project Natal” include Activision Blizzard, Bethesda Softworks, CAPCOM, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Konami, MTV Games, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ and Ubisoft.

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Tags: Gaming Microsoft Xbox 360 Steve Ballmer Project Natal

Microsoft Project Natal not just for the boardroom originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:37:05 +0100

Harmonix has announced a ten-song pack of downloadable content for Rock Band. The songs are all from one band - British rock legends Queen. The pack comprises of:

Another One Bites the Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, One Vision, Fat Bottomed Girls, I Want It All, I Want to Break Free, Killer Queen, Somebody to Love, Tie Your Mother Down, and Under Pressure.

The band is about to release another best-of collection - this time compiling its three best-of collections into a single CD titled "Absolute Greatest". All the songs in the pack are on the record, except Fat Bottomed Girls and Tie Your Mother Down.

The DLC pack will be available on 20 October.

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Related links:

• News - Iggy Pop turns up in Lego Rock Band

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 PS3 Rock Band Harmonix Queen Music games

Rock Band gets ten-song Queen pack originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:04:27 +0100

It's rumoured that the next Xbox 360 update will be arriving in October. The October issue of Sky Magazine says that the Sky Player will be avaialble to download on the console, and a web address that the publication links to also features "OCT" in the url.

The service was announced earlier in the year, but hasn't been available until now. To use it, you'll need two active subscriptions - one for Xbox Live Gold membership, costing ?40 per year, and one for Sky Player - ?15 per month, which is ?180 for a year. Is on-demand TV on your Xbox worth ?220 per year to you?

Along with Sky Player, it's expected that the already-announced Facebook and Twitter integration (which also require Xbox Live Gold) will be included in the update. We'll bring you more news of the Dashboard refresh when it's officially announced.

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Related links:

• News - Sky Player comes to Xbox 360
• Link - Sky Player on Xbox 360 coming soon

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft Sky Home Cinema Twitter Facebook Rumours

Sky Player coming to Xbox 360 in October? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:31:04 +0100