Xbox Live 360.com. Games and Games.

Summary:
War for Cybertron (sanctioned as canon by Hasbro themselves) takes place before our transformer pals make contact with Earth. The story follows Dark Energon and Megatron's evil plans to harvest the mysterious and powerful element for his evil schemes.

Pros:

While I haven't had much experience with Transformers video games, I've reached the unfair conclusion that most of them (if

November 08 will be the date.

April 29th, Microsoft announced lowering the prices for the Elite, Premium and Arcade Xbox 360 consoles in Singapore.

• £159.99 for the definitive high-definition gaming and entertainment console.
  
• The entry level “Xbox 360 Arcade” console gets a new ERP of £159.99, shaving £40 off the original ERP.
  
• “Xbox 360”, with a 20GB hard drive and one wireless controller gets an ERP of £199.99, a saving of £50.


• “Xbox 360 Elite”, with its massive 120GB hard drive ideal to store bucket-loads of media content downloaded from Xbox LIVE Marketplace as well as your own music, will have an ERP of £259.99, saving you £40 off the original ERP.

Whichever you choose, Xbox 360 can easily adapt to suit your entertainment needs. There’s something on Xbox 360 to suit everyone at home, even if they’d sometimes rather watch a movie (on DVD or via the Xbox Live Video store) than playing the latest games.

But when it comes to games Xbox 360 really is king, with over 150 3+ rated games to suit younger players and up, and unparalleled parental control allowing families to keep watch over everything else.

The very best games are all available on Xbox 360, with over 1000 to choose from by the end of the year. Fable2, Too Human and Rock Band are due in 2008, and don’t forget that Grant Theft Auto IV will have exclusive downloadable episodes on Xbox Live.

Dear Bungie,

I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the "Playlist of the Living Dead" extravaganza yesterday on Live. The infection gametype has always been one I've enjoyed, from its latest iteration in Halo 3 to the older iterations in games like Perfect Dark Zero and the TimeSplitters series. To me, it's more interesting than a standard deathmatch but doesn't actually require much strategy or teamwork, like some of the team games. It's a happy medium that doesn't appear often in the ranked rotations.

I would love to see the All Infection playlist get permanent placement among the other ranked playlists. I know many people would opt to play pure infection as a ranked alternative to slayer or team slayer. Given that the number of players is significantly more than the Lone Wolves playlist, it makes for a more "fun" big atmosphere. A possible alternative here would be a Lone Wolves 8-13 size ranked list, where infection is sprinkled in. Another point is that people like to be able to play ranked with their friends, and the allowance to have a party of 4 join the ranked lists was a great addition.

In conclusion, I'd love for the all infection list to become a permanent ranked list for Halo 3 multiplayer, or in the alternative, a large (8-13) Lone Wolves list where infection is roughly half the games.

Sincerely,
Mark

Other parts of the blog-o-sphere are reporting some issues with the bundling of Guitar Hero III with wired guitars. I'd like to address a different problem that I've had, along with a number of others according to forum posts.

I'd like to preface by saying I really do enjoy the Guitar Hero series (although I have to admit my wife is better at the games than I am), and I've bought 4 games with 4 guitars to date (2 on PS2 an 2 on 360). However, after the issues with the X-Plorer, I'm surprised there was not more quality control with the wireless Les Paul.

I picked up my copy (360 version with wireless guitar) at GameStop at midnight and went home to play. Now, I'm not terrible at the game, and I was having some real problems once I hit tiers 4 and 5 on medium. I assumed I was tired, and went to bed. The next morning, both my wife and I started playing, and once I was able to watch the game more closely, I found that the red and yellow buttons were not registering being pressed. After disassembling and re-assembling the guitar, the problem continued. I tried blowing on the contacts a la NES cartridges circa 1988. While the responsiveness improved, it was still only in the 70-80% range. I exchanged it for a new guitar, which seems to be working in a 95% or higher error range, which is far more acceptable (though still less than ideal on a game that requires such accuracy).

The issue almost certainly stems from the detachable neck's contact system, which is truly unfortunate since the removable neck was generally a good idea. I hope that Red Octane will resolve this issue sooner rather than later. The button problem seems to be appearing on many message boards, so I don't believe my problem is an isolated one.

On an unrelated note, it seems there's some sort of error in the track "One" on medium between the 85 and 90% mark. I at first thought it was the guitar, but having seen the same error with both myself and my wife with both the X-Plorer and Les Paul, I think there's something not working correctly in the track. And it's limited to the Medium difficulty. If anyone else notices this issue, please let me know, but I will acknowledge that I might be wrong on this track error.

Joystiq is reporting that the first class action lawsuit against Microsoft over the Xbox 360 has been filed. The suit, which I have verified was filed, is in Florida and is asking $5 million on a combined warranty and strict liability theory.

There are two thoughts this case brought to mind. First, it seems as though there is a better chance of recover here than on the ubiquitous "Three Red Lights" issue. Microsoft has at least made some effort to correct the red lights through the warranty extension (although those who took some action which voided the now re-instated warranty during the gap period may have better standing in that regard). The disk scratching, however, has largely gone unaddressed.

Second, while I understand the warranty theories presented in the case, the strict liability theory seems to be a bit of a stretch. While I am no expert on Florida law, strict liability usually requires a physical harm (physical injury) or unreasonably dangerous condition to be created by the product. In fact, paragraph 66 of the pleading makes this claim. I see no such issue with a scratched disk, unless users are suffering heart attacks when Gears of War won't read or a repetitive stress injury from ejecting and re-inserting the disk, hoping it will work.

Scans of the lawsuit are available on Joystiq for free, or through the Florida ECF/PACER system (not free). This may be the first Xbox 360 suit, but it may also not be the last.

As I reported recently, my Xbox 360 died. And so, I called 1-800-4-MY-XBOX today to order my coffin in the wake of the new warranty extension. While I was on the phone, the rep (a friendly Canadian fellow) informed me that my surge protector had probably caused both of my 360 deaths.

My immediate reaction was a disbelieving "What?"

The explanation (which he said comes from somewhere up the Microsoft chain) is as follows:

The Xbox 360 is highly sensitive to reductions in power, and even the slightest cut in power can cause things like the fans and even the DVD laser to malfunction. Surge protectors can cause this, and probably 90% of the consoles they see have all failed in 6-12 months of being plugged into a surge protector.

Well, my two systems did die in that window, and they were both plugged into a surge protector. But does this explanation even make sense? I'm not an electrical engineer, nor a physics expert, so it's not really my place to say. However, perhaps someone out there in the vast expanses of the world wide web can weigh in on this topic.

Is it the power? Or is this just another misdirection?

UPDATE: Upon further research, similar reports are appearing in a number of forums, and a Knowledge Base article seems to say the same thing. From that article, "Plug the power supply directly into a known good wall outlet. Do not use extension cords or power strips."

Last evening, my second Xbox 360 died, approximately 7 months after it arrived. I had a launch console, which died about 8 months ago, and was replaced by the recently deceased refurbished console. I know what you are thinking, "Join the club." Or "Yep, and it seems Microsoft is never going to tell you why."

However, Law of the Game is a site about video game law, and while my second dead Xbox 360 may seem like it has nothing to do with the law portion of that description, it works as an interesting lead in to a short post on the law of warranty and the concept of consumer protection.

The concept of a warranty is simple enough: Someone selling a product assures the buyer that of something. In a typical consumer transaction, the assurance is generally that the product will work for some period of time or is free from defect. Warranties can be express (written) or implied (imposed by law on all sales). Express warranties must be available to the consumer pre-sale, according to the Magnuson-Moss Act of 1975, a Federal Law. The FTC has a fairly complete consumer guide for written warranties.

We all know what the Xbox 360 warranty says, it's right here and here. It is the second variety of warranties that are more complex, the implied warranties. Implied warranties are imposed by law, and vary from state to state in the US and country to country abroad. As a result, I could spend the next year just trying to lay out the complex worldwide warranty matrix and still not finish the task. So, instead I will briefly mention two major forms of implied warranties: Merchantability and Fitness for a Particular Purpose.

Merchantability implies that the goods are what they say they are, and they conform to the standards of trade for that item so that they can be used as expected for that item. So, when sold, an Xbox 360 is warranted to be working, packaged and assembled in a uniform way, and able to play Xbox 360 games and DVD movies.

Fitness for a Particular Purpose is more specific. A merchant in this case must know that the consumer is planning to use the item for something specific and tells the consumer that the items are fit for that purpose. Say I went into a furniture store asking for a table to support a very heavy (200+ pound) TV set. If the salesman told me that a particular table would work, and it in fact collapsed, there would be a violation of the warranty.

Neither of these implied warranties are of much use, unless your system is dead out of the box. Moreover, they typically apply to the merchant (the place you bought the item), not the manufacturer.

A related issue is the concept of a deceptive trade practices acts. Deceptive trade practices are pretty much what they sound like (an action that in some way deceives the consumer about the product), and they are also a state by state action. In fact, some states have a long list of industry specific violations in addition to the general violations. It would be a bit of a stretch to apply this as well, although some concept of a failure of represented quality might be applicable, although Microsoft has generally admitted Xbox 360 failures, which may preclude this option.

There are probably potential other causes of action related to the Xbox 360 failures, but these are the ones that seem to appear on the message boards the most.

I would also like to take a moment to point out another legal issue related to the Xbox 360 failures: Fraud. Going to Wal-Mart (or other retail store), purchasing a console, and then returning your broken console is fraud. While it may seem like an easy fix, just don't do it.

Microsoft has encountered an interesting problem with the 360. The failure rate is high, but so are sales. What is a gamer to do? Hunt for weeks, if not months, to get a Wii, which I admit I enjoy thoroughly but is a little short on software until some of the big releases later this year (Metroid Prime 3, Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Galaxy). Buy a PS3, which is even more expensive than the 360 and has, for the time being, a weak software lineup. Or buy a 360 and play some quality games until it fails, which seems a near certainty, at which point you might be under warranty, might have to pay for a repair, or might just buy a new console. It's quite an odd problem, and one I certainly wish Microsoft would resolve. Unfortunately, sales don't seem to be suffering enough for Microsoft to really take notice. Not that I blame the consumer, since I'm just as hooked as most everyone else. This issue, though, is also one that I cannot remember happening to this degree with any other console. In fact, I have never had another console in my collection fail, including my launch PS2 (which did have a notable failure rate).

What is a consumer to do? Unfortunately, short of a product recall (which seems unlikely given that it has not happened yet and safety is not the issue) or a class action suit, the individual consumer is likely stuck. Why? The cost of an action against Microsoft would be astronomical, and more than likely, they will just settle before any court could place any actual fault on them in order to avoid future, similar suits. This speaks to the failure of consumer protection on the whole. The Xbox 360 user base is vocal and adept at using the internet, so this issue is well known and widespread. Who knows what other products may present the same result to a less technically savvy group. On the flip side, I am certain that other products that work well are being unduly burdened by consumer protection attempts. It probably balances out in the grand scheme of things, but is unfortunate in many particular instances.

And so I, like everyone else, will be once again calling 1-800-4-MY-XBOX and hoping for the best. At least this time, it is in the off season, rather than right before a major game release (my last console was being repaired during the Gears of War release).

Got your new Xbox 360 wireless headset and want to connect it to your Xbox 360. Just follow these steps :

First turn on the Xbox 360 and turn on the Xbox 360 wireless headset using the power button in the middle of the wireless headset.
Now press and release the connect button on the Xbox 360 ( it's the small round button on the front above the power button if you set your Xbox 360 vertically or to the left of the power button if you set it horizontally ).
Then press and keep holding the connect button on the wireless headset for about 3 to 5 seconds . You'll find the ring of light spinning and flashing untill it stays on a specific quadrant. Now your wireless headset is connected to the first quadrant on the ring of light if no other wireless headsets are connected.
If there is a wireless headset already connected to the first quadrant, so this headset will be connected to the second quadrant.

Note The wireless headset connected to the first quadrant will be associated to the controller connected to the first quadrant, and the headset connected to the second quadrant will be associated to the controller connected to the second quadrant.
And in case you want to associate the wireless headset to a controller connected to another quadrant, just press on the connect button untill it goes to the quadrant you want it connected to. For example if you want to connect it to the second quadrant press and release the connect button twice, third quadrant press and release three times.

Just to know you can connect up to four wireless headsets at the same time to your Xbox 360, same as the wireless controllers. Each one will be connected to a different quadrant.

Got your new Xbox 360 and want to connect the wireless controller to the Xbox 360?
Just follow these simple steps:

First turn on your Xbox 360 and turn on your wireless controller using the Xbox guide button ( it's the button with the green X in the wireless controller )
Then press and release the connect button on the Xbox 360 ( it's the small round button on the front above the power button if you set your Xbox 360 vertically or to the left of the power button if you set it horizontally ).
Then press and release the connect button on the Xbox 360 wireless controller ( it's the small round button on the front edge of the controller right to the left bumper ).
Now you'll find the ring of light on the Xbox 360 spinning on the Xbox 360 console and controller. After this the green light would stay on a specific quadrant ( the same one on the Xbox 360 and the controller ). It's now connected.

Just to know you can connect up to four wireless controllers to your Xbox 360. Each one will be connected to a different quadrant.

If once you put a game in the disc tray but it's doesn't load, you still have the dashborad on the screen or its just says "Reading" then "Open tray". You'll need to check first that you didn't set your Xbox 360 to boot to the dashboard.
To check this turn on the Xbox 360 with no discs in the disc tray. Go to the System section then Console Settings then Start up make sure it's set to Disc not Dashborad.
If you select disc the Xbox 360 will play the disc when you turn it on. But if you select dashboard the Xbox 360 will stay on the dashboard when you turn it on.

If you did so and still not loading, try another thing. Make sure this issue isn't with this disc only. Try some other discs and DVDs if you have to make sure is it an issue with this disc specifically and by then you'll need to get another disc or it's the console itself.
You'll need also to make sure that your Xbox 360 is not overheating and it's in a well ventilated place.
Check that the date and time are set correctly. To check this go on the System section then Console Settings then Clock then Date and Time. If it's not set to the correct date and time, set them correctly.
The last step to try is to unplug the Hard Drive and try some discs without the Hard Drive attached just to test is it the Hard Drive or the Xbox 360 itself faulty. If you did so and it worked without the Hard Drive, it'd be obvious that it's the Hard Drive's issue. But if it didn't work it'd be the Xbox itself that needs service so you'll just call the Xbox 360 Cutomer Support to repair it for you.

If once you turn on the console and try to play any game but you get this message " Your Xbox 360 is set to PAL 50 please change your display settings to PAL 60 " .
You just need to check your display settings and it would differ if you have a normal TV or HD TV.

If you are using Normal TV , follow these steps:
1- Go on the dashboard to System.
2- Select Console Settings.
3- Then select Display.
4- Then select PAL settings.
5- Now select PAL 60.
6- Finally Confirm these settings.

If you are using HD TV , follow these steps:
1- Turn off the Xbox 360 console.
2- On the AV cable , set the switch to TV not HDTV.
3- Turn on the Xbox 360.
4- Go on the dashborad to System.
5- Select Console Settings.
6- Then select Display.
7- Then select PAL settings.
8- Now select PAL 60.
9- Confirm these settings.
10- Turn off the console.
Now reset the switch to HDTV.
Now put the game in the disc tray , Oh ! it's working.........

NOTE make sure the game you are trying to play is a PAL 60 game and the TV itself supports PAL 60.