Xbox 360 Arcade

A new family version of Microsoft‘s Xbox 360 has been launched. The new Xbox 360 Arcade console will replace the core edition and feature a wireless controller, a 256MB memory card, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) connection, and 5 free arcade games (PAC-MAN Championship Edition, Uno, Luxor 2, Boom Boom Rocket and Feeding Frenzy).
US estimated retail price: $279.99.

Official press release:

Microsoft Launches New Xbox 360 Console for Families
New console includes five games, wireless controller and storage to save games — all for the incredible value of $279.99

Just in time for holiday, Microsoft Corp. today released a new Xbox 360® console that delivers games and content to everyone in the family for an incredible value of $279.99 (U.S. estimated retail price)*. Available in stores beginning today, Xbox 360 Arcade console is the first Xbox 360 console to include five family-friendly games, a wireless controller, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) connection to enable high-definition output if desired and 256 MB of memory useful for storing games and entertainment content. At $279.99, the Xbox 360 Arcade console will include five best-selling games: “PAC-MAN Championship Edition” (NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.), “Uno” (Carbonated Games), “Luxor 2” (MumboJumbo), “Boom Boom Rocket” (Electronic Arts Inc.) and “Feeding Frenzy” (Sprout Games).

“As families gather together this holiday, it’s the perfect time to launch a new low-priced, high-value Xbox 360 that plays games, TV shows and music for everyone to enjoy,” said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of global marketing, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “In addition to offering an incredible all-in-one package for families to get right into the fun, the Xbox 360 Arcade system features the industry-leading Family Settings, which allow parents to control what their kids are watching and playing — and we know how important that control is to families around the world.”

Karen Dodge, senior vice president and chief merchandising officer at Toys “R” Us, added, “We are excited to offer this new gaming experience to our customers — children and families — who can now enjoy the fun of Xbox 360 together. Many of this holiday season’s hottest items provide Internet connectivity, and with the online entertainment options available through Xbox LIVE®, Xbox 360 Arcade offers families a great mix of online content and traditional gaming in one console.”

The news of Xbox 360 Arcade comes as part of a broader initiative by Microsoft to bring the Xbox 360 experience to families everywhere. Microsoft also announced today that it is significantly expanding its catalog of high- and standard-definition family fun content that is available on demand direct to the consumer’s living room. This includes the addition of everyone’s favorite characters such as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck from Warner Bros., which will be delivering the first ever “Looney Tunes” cartoons for download on Xbox 360, starting today. In addition, Nickelodeon is adding three new shows to its already large library of more than 300 episodes of TV shows on Xbox LIVE, Microsoft’s premier online gaming and entertainment service, with the inclusion of “Blue’s Clues,” “The Backyardigans” and “iCarly.” “SpongeBob SquarePants Underpants Slam™” (THQ Inc.) and “SHREK-N-ROLL™” (Activision) games will also be available exclusively on Xbox LIVE Arcade, the place to download games for Xbox 360 over Xbox LIVE, adding more fun for everyone in the family.

Microsoft’s commitment to family entertainment is complemented by the largest next-generation library of “E”- and “T”-rated games, more than 200 in all, available at retailers nationwide this holiday, including “BEE MOVIE™ GAME” (Activision), “Guitar Hero III®: Legends of Rock” (Activision), “Naruto: Rise of a Ninja” (UbiSoft Entertainment), “Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action” and “Viva Piñata®: Party Animals.”

Halo 3 : Biggest Day In U.S. Entertainment History

Nobody had any doubts whatsoever that Halo 3 would become an instant hit. Pre-orders were sky-high – 1.7 million in the United States – and a lot was put into building up the hype before the launch day. So it comes to no surprise that Halo 3 made an estimated US$170 million in sales in the US alone in the first 24 hours.

Official press release:

Microsoft today announced that Halo® 3 has officially become the biggest entertainment launch in history, garnering an estimated $170 million in sales in the United States alone in the first 24 hours. The Xbox 360™ title beat previous records set by blockbuster theatrical releases like Spider-Man 3 and novels such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Halo 3 is the conclusion to the epic trilogy and picks up where Halo 2 left off, answering questions around the fates of the beloved protagonist Master Chief and his artificial intelligence sidekick Cortana as they struggle to save humankind from destruction at the hands of the alien coalition known as the Covenant. In addition to the rich storyline, Halo 3 continues the franchise’s grand tradition of delivering innovative online multiplayer experiences via Xbox LIVE®, the world’s largest social network on TV.

Pop Culture Phenomenon
"Halo 3 has become a pop-culture phenomenon," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios. "Not only is Halo 3 setting sales records, it’s also redefining entertainment. Within the first 20 hours alone, we’ve seen more than a million Xbox LIVE members come online to play Halo 3—that makes September 25 the most active Xbox LIVE gaming day in history."

Retailers have also expressed their excitement about the launch of Halo 3. 

Bob McKenzie, Senior Vice President of Merchandising for GameStop Corp commented that, "With consumer demand for Halo 3 and related products, we expect it to be the biggest video game title generator in GameStop’s history."

"The initial demand we’ve seen for Halo 3 has been astounding, and the game is on track to become the number one gaming title of all time. Halo 3 is a genuine entertainment phenomenon and our customers have responded very enthusiastically to the release," said Jill Hamburger, vice president of movies and games at Best Buy.

Midnight Madness
More than 10,000 retailers hosted Midnight Madness events to celebrate the launch of this third installment in the billion-dollar franchise.

In New York, Seattle, Miami, and Los Angeles, Microsoft and retail partners hosted marquee launch events that featured contests and appearances by local celebrities and professional athletes who are fanatical about the Halo franchise, including Ludacris and Zac Efron, and the New York Giants. 

More than 1.7 million copies of Halo 3 were preordered in the United States before a single store opened its doors at midnight on September 25, making this the fasting pre-selling game in history, surpassing the previous record-setting pre-sales of Halo 2. Well beyond just a U.S. phenomenon, the launch of Halo 3 was a worldwide celebration that released in 37 countries and available in 17 languages.

Xbox 360 Elite coming to Japan

Xbox 360 Elite will go on sale in Japan on October 11th at a price of US$390; that’s US$90 cheaper than in the US.

{One of my posts at "香港 (Hong Kong) 地區 Xbox 討論區" dated "07-06-2007, 2:31PM"}

Xbox 360 Warranty Coverage Expanded

• All current warranties remain unchanged.
• Certain general hardware failures which are indicated by 3 red flashing lights will be covered for 3 years.
• New extension applies to exisiting and new customers in addition to current warranties.
• Existing customers will be retroactively paid back the out-of-warranty repair costs from 3 red flashing lights.
• New warranty extension covers all countries officially selling the Xbox 360.
• Microsoft will take a US$1.05 to 1.15 billion pre-tax charge to earnings for the quarter ended June 30, 2007 for anticipated costs.
• All support centers are updated so please refer to your local hotline for further questions.

Read more:

• Expanded Xbox 360 Warranty Coverage FAQ
• Xbox 360 Warranty Coverage Expanded (Press Release)
• Open Letter From Peter Moore (Who is he?)

{One of my posts at "香港 (Hong Kong) 地區 Xbox 討論區" dated "07-06-2007, 2:21PM"}

Become a TV producer on Live

(This is open for contestants from any of the 25 countries currently supporting Xbox Live.)

It’s Showtime: Xbox Live Originals Contest
Xbox 360 and the New York Television Festival team up to host Xbox Live Originals contest, offering a chance to produce original TV programming for Xbox Live.

"(…) granting aspiring television producers the opportunity to create a pilot that could be chosen for the first original series developed specifically for the Xbox LIVE online gaming and entertainment network. Microsoft will award the winning entrant a $100,000 (USD) budget and an opportunity for a six-episode commitment to air the television series on Xbox LIVE, the largest social network in the living room. The pilot episode of the winning series is scheduled to debut this fall at the third annual NYTVF, the industry’s first showcase for independent television, before being featured exclusively on Xbox LIVE, home to a community of more than 6 million people worldwide. This marks the first time that user-created entertainment content will be available worldwide for download exclusively on Xbox LIVE."

Press Release

 {One of my posts at "香港 (Hong Kong) 地區 Xbox 討論區" dated "04-17-2007, 11:28AM"}