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Microsoft Acquires Skype, Plans to Support Xbox, Kinect

Jared Moya — Tue, 10 May 2011 17:01:14 +0000

Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a variety of Windows devices. Microsoft will also connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities.

Today Microsoft Corp. announced it acquired Skype Global for $8.5 billion in a deal that will help Microsoft vastly improve communications between its networked platforms. "The acquisition will increase the accessibility of real-time video and voice communications, bringing benefits to both consumers and enterprise users and generating significant new business and revenue opportunities," the company says in a press release. "The combination will extend Skype’s world-class brand and the reach of its networked platform, while enhancing Microsoft’s existing portfolio of real-time communications products and services." One of the myriad of problems for Microsoft has been an inability to stave off competition from Google and Apple with their GTalk and Facetime video chat features. Bringing Skype on board gives an immediate, and hefty boost in that effort. Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a variety of Windows devices. Microsoft will also connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities. “Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Skype was purchased by eBay back in September 2005, but eBay never managed to really find a meaningful synergy with the company. “Microsoft and Skype share the vision of bringing software innovation and products to our customers,” said Skype CEO Tony Bates. “Together, we will be able to accelerate Skype's plans to extend our global community and introduce new ways for everyone to communicate and collaborate." Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com

Halo Leaked on BitTorrent

Jared Moya — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:53:22 +0000

The newest version of 'Halo Reach' has been leaked on many BitTorrent trackers. Hackers find a way to trick Microsoft's Xbox Live servers into allowing the game to be downloaded without a personal journalist review code. Leak comes more than 3 weeks before its official September 14th release date.

It seems as though copies of Halo: Reach, the hotly-anticipated multi-player shooter, has made its way to BitTorrent tracker sites everywhere reportedly thanks to eager fans at Game-Tuts.com. The hackers there were able to make their way into a private area of the Microsoft Xbox Live site where journalists enter a unique personal code to access the game. The hackers were able to bypass that requirement. "We are aware of claims being made regarding a security exploit related to Halo: Reach and are aggressively investigating the matter," said a Microsoft spokesperson. "We have no further details to share at this time." Halo: Reach follows in the same footseteps of Halo 2 and 3 before it, both making its way into the hands of fans before the official release date. The Halo: Reach leak comes more than 3 weeks before its official September 14th release date. The game's developer Bungie has urging anyone involved in the leak not to ruin it for everyone else by posting any plot spoilers online, and has even gone as far to recommend that hardcore fans "go dark" and stay away from the Internet altogether. "Posting to DISCUSS, REQUEST, PROVIDE, TELL HOW TO OBTAIN, or LINK TO information or campaign spoilers from illegitimately obtained sources -- including illegitimately obtained copies of Halo: Reach -- before the game is officially released will be considered a leak and will be treated as such," reads a message posted on its forums. “The moderation team is doing their best, but if you want to stay 100% spoiler free, our best advice is to "go dark" by staying off all internet gaming forums until you have played through the game!” Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com

Wii breaks Xbox sales record

Jared Moya — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 19:06:03 +0000

The Nintendo Wii is the fastest-selling games console in Australian history, snatching the title from Microsoft’s Xbox 360.

In the first four days since its launch last Thursday, 32,901 Wii units were sold nationwide, said Daniel Morse, games analyst at GfK.

This compared with the previous record of 30,421 Xbox 360s sold in the four days after its launch in March, he said.

Australian electronics retailers are enamoured of the Wii’s initial success. Neil Merola, business manager for Myer’s electronics division, described the result as "outstanding".

vNES: play Nintendo games in your internet browser

Jared Moya — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 17:13:08 +0000

There’s a great gaming site called “vNES – The Virtual Nintendo Entertainment System” that allows you to play nintendo games from the comfort of your favorite internet browser.

There’s no need for pesky emulators or nintendo download packages, simply select the game from the scrollbar on the left hand side of your browser and then get ready to “lock and load.”

There are tons of games to choose from, so go ahead and start playing.

For those of you that don’t have an Xbox or a Playstation 2, or for those looking for a quick workplace gaming escape, this is a perfect fix for a lazy afternoon..

The only real requirement to play the nintendo games is that you need Java 1.5.0 or higher and that’s it. It makes for a nice site to be able to play your favorite old school games from either work, school, or home. If you can’t get the The Virtual Nintendo Entertainment System to work correctly, update your version of Java and try FireFox if IE does not work.

Gaming Forums
Stop by the Zeropaid gaming forums

Below is a screenshot of vNES. Notice the homepage details games available on the left-hand side of the screen , and a brief game control description on the right.

The Virtual Nintendo Entertainment System with 395 Games!

Here are some screenshots of a few of my favorite games (Paperboy not included).

Then there’s good ol’ RC Pro Am.

…and of course everyone’s favorite, The Legend of Zelda. Is it just me or does that darn soundtrack still bring back memories?

In any event check it out, it’s a quick and easy way to “veg out” on some old school classics no matter where you’re at.

CHECK OUT vNES

BELOW IS A LIST OF ALL THE AVAILABLE GAMES
10-Yard Fight
1942
1943 – The Battle Of Midway
3D Battles Of World Runner
8 Eyes
A Boy & His Blob
Addams Family, The
Addams Family – Pugsley’s Scavenger Hunt
Adv. Dungeons & Dragons – Dragon Strike
Adv. Dungeons & Dragons – Heros of the Lance
Adv. Dungeons & Dragons – Pool of Radiance
Adventure Island
Adventure Island II
Adventure Island III
Adventures Of Lolo
All-Pro Basketball
Alpha Mission
Al Unser Jr.’s Turbo Racing
Amagon
American Gladiators
Anticipation
Arkanoid
Astyanax
Athena
Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes
Balloon Fight
Baseball
Baseball Stars
Baseball Stars 2
Batman
Batman Returns
Battleship
Battletoads
Bionic Commando
Bomberman 24K
Bomberman II
Bonk’s Adventure
Bubble Bobble
Bubble Bobble Part 2
Bucky O’Hare
Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout
Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle
BurgerTime
Casino Kid
Casino Kid 2
Castelian
CastleVania
CastleVania 2: Simon’s Quest
Chessmaster, The
Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers
Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers 2
Clu Clu Land
Contra
Contra Force
Darkwing Duck
Deja Vu
Devil World
Dick Tracy
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr. Math
Donkey Kong 3
Double Dragon
Double Dragon 2
Double Dragon 3
Dr. Mario
Dragon Power
Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior 2
Dragon’s Lair
DuckTales
DuckTales 2
ExciteBike
Faxanadu
Felix The Cat
Final Fantasy
Friday The 13th
Galaga
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters 2
Ghoul School
Goal!
Goal! Two
Godzilla – Monster of Monsters
Golf
Gradius
Gun.Smoke
Gyruss
Ice Climber
Ice Hockey
Ikari Warriors
Ikari Warriors 2
Ikari Warriors 3
Image Fight
Ironman Stewart’s Super Off-Road
Jackal
James Bond Jr.
Jaws
Joust
Jurassic Park
Kabuki Quantum Fighter
Kid Icarus
King’s Knight
Kirby’s Adventure
Kiwi Kraze
Knight Rider
Kung Fu
Legend Of Kage
Legend Of Zelda
Legend Of Zelda 2: Adventure Of Link
Legendary Wings
Lemmings
Lifeforce
Little Mermaid
Little Nemo: The Dream Master
Little Samson
Lode Runner
M.C. Kids
Mach Rider
Magic Of Scheherazade
Maniac Mansion
Marble Madness
Mario Brothers
Mario Is Missing
Mario’s Time Machine
Mega Man
Mega Man 2
Mega Man 3
Mega Man 4
Mega Man 5
Mega Man 6
Metal Gear
Metroid
Mickey Mousecapade
Micro Machines
Mighty Bomb Jack
Mighty Final Fight
Milon’s Secret Castle
Millipede
Mission Impossible
Monopoly
Monster In My Pocket
Monster Party
Ms. Pac-Man
Ninja Gaiden
Ninja Gaiden 2: Dark Sword of Chaos
Ninja Gaiden 3: Ancient Ship of Doom
Nobunaga’s Ambition
Nobunaga’s Ambition 2
Overlord
Pac-Man
Paperboy
Paperboy 2
Pinball
Pinball Quest
Pipe Dream
Popeye
Power Blade
Power Blade 2
Prince Of Persia
Princess Tomato in Salad Kingdom
Pro Wrestling
Q*Bert
Raid on Bungeling Bay
R.B.I. Baseball
R.B.I. Baseball 2
R.B.I. Baseball 3
R.C. Pro-Am
Rad Racer
Rescue – Embassy Mission
RoboCop
RoboCop 2
Rollerball
Rush’n Attack
Rygar
Seicross
Shatterhand
Side Pocket
Simpsons – Bart Vs. Space Mutants
Simpsons – Bart Vs. The World
Simpsons – Bartman Meets Radioactive Man
Slalom
Snake Rattle’n Roll
Snake’s Revenge
Snoopy’s Silly Sports Spectacular
Soccer
Solstice
Spider-Man – Return of The Sinister 6
Spy Hunter
Strider
Star Trek – 25th Anniversary
Star Trek – The Next Generation
StarTropics
Super C
Super Mario Brothers
Super Mario Brothers 2
Super Mario Brothers 3
Super Spike V’Ball
Superman
Tecmo Baseball
Tecmo Bowl
Tecmo Cup – Soccer Game
Tecmo NBA Basketball
Tecmo Super Bowl
Tecmo World Wrestling
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tournament
Tennis
Tiger-Heli
Times of Lore
Tiny Toon Adventures
Top Gun
Top Players’ Tennis
Totally Rad
Touch Down Fever
Toxic Crusaders
Track & Field
Track & Field 2
Treasure Master
Twin Cobra
Ufouria
Ultima – Exodus
Ultima – Quest of The Avatar
Ultima – Warriors of Destiny
Uninvited
Urban Champion
Vegas Dream
Vice – Project Doom
Volleyball
Wacky Races
Wall Street Kid
Wheel of Fortune – Starring Vanna White
Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Widget
Wrecking Crew
Wurm
WWF – King of The Ring
WWF – Wrestlemania
WWF – Wrestlemania Challenge
Xenophobe
Xevious
Yo! Noid
Yoshi
Yoshi’s Cookie
Zanac
Zombie Nation

Microsoft offering free repairs for all 2005 Xbox 360s

Jorge Gonzalez — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 22:32:52 +0000

Those Redmond folks are sure on a good news streak. After announcing 1080p upscaling and a delightfully low-priced HD DVD drive for their 360, they’re offering a helping hand to early adopters who haven’t had quite as much fun with the console.

Microsoft is offering free fixes to all problematic Xbox 360s built in 2005, and is sending out refunds to users who paid for repairs to that “three red lights of death” problem or other quirks before this dealio went into effect.

“Now I can have my Xbox 360 fixed that has been sitting on my floor ever since I purchased the new Madden 07. For those of you that don’t know, 30 seconds after I inserted the Madden 07 game, my Xbox gave me the “3 lights of death!”. Well, now I just wonder how long it will take to get a “free” repair”. Atleast it won’t cost me 200 bucks! – jorge at zeropaid.com”

Play your own Xbox game

Jared Moya — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 15:55:24 +0000

Microsoft is trying to turn hard-core gamers into Xbox programmers.

The company plans to show off on Monday a new set of developer tools that will let college students, hobbyists and others create their own games for the Xbox 360 console, for a Windows PC or both.

Dubbed XNA Game Studio Express, the free software is expected to be available in beta form by the end of the month, with a final product available sometime this holiday season.

“The tools we are talking about make it way easier to make games than it is today,” said Scott Henson, director for platform strategy for Microsoft’s game developer group. Microsoft will demonstrate the new software at Gamefest, a company-run show for game developers that takes place in Seattle this week.

Microsoft to release 1980s games for Xbox

Jared Moya — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:24:42 +0000

Microsoft Corp.’s
Xbox 360 may exemplify the high-tech future of video game consoles, but the company is hoping some of its avid players still pine for the good old days of Pac-Man and Frogger.

Microsoft plans Wednesday to offer some additional updated versions of popular 1980s-era games through Xbox Live Arcade, an online service that lets people download free trial games and buy them for $5 to $15.

The company will offer a game every Wednesday for the next five weeks, including some retro games with higher-end graphics and new ways to play together. The first game on offer is the log-hopping, traffic-dodging classic, Frogger.

Greg Canessa, a group manager for Xbox Live Arcade, said the downloadable games service has been surprisingly successful for the company. About 5 million free trial games have been downloaded by Xbox 360 owners, he said, and 21.7 percent of those have been “converted,” meaning a person decided to pay for the permanent version.

Rumour Mill: Portable Xbox Called ‘Zune’?

Jared Moya — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 20:38:35 +0000

A revelatory piece by investigative journalist Brier Dudley in yesterday’s Seattle Times claims that J Allard’s much-hyped, hugely secretive “iPod-killer” will also play games as part of a full line-up of Xbox-branded products.

According to Dudley, the project is apparently code-named ‘Argo’ – the name of Greek mythological hero Jason’s ship, as opposed to, say, code-name ‘Troj’, after the mythological Trojan Horse.

Or, should you choose to believe gadget site Gizmodo, project ‘Argo’ is now apparently finally named ‘Zune’. Either way, true or false, it’s good to see that the names being bandied about are as equally ludicrous as Xbox 360 and Wii. SPOnG expects nothing less.

For the purposes of this news piece, we will refer to it as the ‘Zune’ – for no reason other than it’s a superbly daft name and therefore, going by recent cultural trends in games industry product naming, highly likely to be a contender.

Microsoft Booed Over Backwards Compatibility

Jared Moya — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 19:56:57 +0000

Having numerous advantages over other consoles, one of the most important being the backwards compatibility, Xbox 360 has all the cards to become the most popular gaming platform in the world.

But since good things don’t last forever, Microsoft is about to commit a grave error and cancel their biggest advantage.

The statement made by Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division of Microsoft Corp, has sparked the gamers’ anger, who think they will end up with old titles ‘gathering dust’ on the shelves.

“Nobody is concerned anymore about backwards compatibility. We under promised and over delivered on that. It’s a very complicated thing… very complex work. I’m just stunned that we have hundreds of games that are backwards compatible,”
Peter Moore said in an interview for Kikizo.

Xbox 360 100% Hacked, Runs Backup Copies of Games – Video

Chris — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 20:54:47 +0000

The Specialist has followed this up and it looks like months of hard work have come to an end, with the Xbox 360 firmware being well and truly hacked, the security details posted a few days ago are said to be proof as well as a video, this hack will not be made available publicly it seems.

Just for fun, here’s a little video: http://rapidshare.de/files/15810304/360hack.mpg.html. And no, the team decided not to release a hacked FW. The security details are proof itself. The team advocates hacking, not piracy.

*EDIT*
For all skeptical ppl, here the original video: http://rapidshare.de/files/15899907/360hackORG.mpeg.html