A games console resembles different things to different individuals, and while some prefer to chow down on some serious tactical battles on Call of Duty, others prefer - often to the disdain of neighbors and housemates - to test their vocal ranges on the various singing / karaoke games available. With Sony having already adopted a freemium model to its SingStar karaoke range, Xbox 360 maker Microsoft plans to deploy a similar tactic with its own upcoming app, which is quite aptly named Karaoke.
It's been six years since the release of the Xbox 360 and as to be expected, consumers are anxious to tuck in to the next installment. There have been many conflicting insights with regards to which features will and which will not make the cut of the next-gen Xbox - dubbed the Xbox 720 - but a recent report from Xbox World seems pretty adamant it will feature a Blu-ray drive and offer Kinect 2.0.
Everybody likes free stuff, and if that particular item of "stuff" happens to relate to something you've been enjoying for a decade, well, even better. To commemorate ten years of Xbox LIVE, Microsoft has been really generous to some ardent users of its online gaming service, and has, it would appear, begun sending off free, limited edition versions of the Xbox 360 console to some of those who've been playing all along.
Need For Speed is one of those all-action, adrenaline packed racing titles. If you've ever played a Need For Speed title or indeed seen any of the films, you'll be more than familiar with the format, and with Need For Speed: Most Wanted having just released on various platforms, those looking to try before they buy can now do so on the Xbox 360. As per a tweet by Larry Hryb - better known in gaming circles as Major Nelson, the demo of Need For Speed: Most Wanted is now available on Xbox LIVE.
November is certainly a month for the major franchises. With gamers around the world having queued, currently queuing, or about to queue up for the special midnight release of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, the numbers are starting to trickle through with regards to last week's release of Halo 4. In selling a reported 3.1 million copies of Halo 4 in the first 24 hours, the title also earned $220 million on day one, and with Microsoft tipping the global $300 million to have been surpassed by tomorrow, we're looking at the biggest Halo launch in history.
During the course of the next few months, its fair to say gaming fans have got it pretty good. Halo 4 has just released, and having sold in record numbers, Call of Duty: Black Ops II is ready to make its annual assault on the sales charts. On top of that, Rockstar Games have gotten GTA fans all hot and bothered about the prospect of Grand Theft Auto V, and after months of teaser screenshots, the developer finally began taking pre-orders last month for the release in early 2013. With gamers now under no illusions about when GTA V will be making its way to market, Rockstar has reverted back to its old tactic, so without further ado, here's your latest batch of screenshots.
Microsoft is certainly not shy about updating the software that powers its Xbox 360. They've even gone so far as to completely change the interface that gamers find themselves living in when using their game console, adding new features and changing how the whole experience works. They've even been known to add or alter features that are a little more obscure, too.
When you're living off a franchise as big, a name as pivotal, and an anticipation level as colossal as that of Halo 4's, you expect sales figures to be pretty impressive. One of the first titles to release on the original Xbox, the Halo series has maintained its momentum, and so much so in fact, that it managed to shift an unbelievable 3.1 million units in its first day alone.
The world of eSports is continually growing, with Starcraft possibly the biggest of the lot. Activision has always wanted the Call of Duty games to be part of the eSports movement, but with its proliferation of run and gun gamers, the gameplay and level of competition has always just fallen short. With Call of Duty: Black Ops II however, Activision is hoping to change all that.
The long-awaited release of Halo 4 has finally arrived, and having waited some four-and-a-bit years for the fourth edition in the legendary series, gamers are finally able to dive in and get gaming. If you cast your minds back a bit - beyond the manic rush of the past couple of days - you may remember Microsoft's promise that gamers with high enough Gamerscore would be in the running for a couple of perks and rewards. True to its word, the Redmond company has come through on its announcement, and if you're an avid Halo 4 fan, you might want to prize yourself away from your Xbox 360 console for two minutes.
