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Hardly busy for Xbox360 news this week, but there’s still a few
titbits for fans of the original Next-Generation console. First-up
is a few statistics from the good people at Microsoft regarding the
 ever popular XboxLIVE!:
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Over four million
people are now connected to XboxLIVE!
-
Seventy percent of XboxLIVE!
users have downloaded content since the launch of the Xbox360.
-
Seventy million items
have been downloaded from XboxLIVE! Marketplace.
-
Twelve million items
have been downloaded from XboxLIVE! Arcade.
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XboxLIVE! Arcade
games enjoy an average download to purchase rate of twenty four
percent.
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XboxLIVE! users
send, on average, nine million text, picture and video messages
each week.
-
Users have cumulatively
logged an impressive two billion hours online since the launch of
XboxLIVE! back in 2002.
Microsoft also added that they “openly welcome other console
platforms to join us in [the online] space.” It seems that
regardless of the fact that XboxLIVE! is by far the most
expensive of the Next-Generation online offerings, Microsoft are
confident that their established system will still be considered the
pinnacle of online gaming.
Cashing-in on their much vaunted “Next-Generation Football
Exclusivity” and taking advantage of the UK’s fanatical devotion to
football, Microsoft are offering a Limited Edition Pro Evolution
Soccer Xbox360 Bundle to coincide with the launch of the newest
iteration of the superb football title,
Pro Evolution Soccer 6,
this Friday. The bundle will retail at an RRP of £299.99 and include
an Xbox360 Premium Unit and a copy of the game. While this may
entice those desperate for Next-Generation football and is
significantly cheaper than buying the console and game separately,
the bundle is hardly a bargain when compared to the
Project Gotham Racing 3 bundle currently available, which
also includes an additional Wireless Controller alongside the
pack-in game.
XboxLIVE! Arcade has yet another addition to its ranks this
week. After being released to American Xbox360 gamers on the 20th
and taken off shortly after, Ultimate Mortal
 Kombat
3 is
finally on XboxLIVE! for definite. Probably. Coming in at a
reasonable 800 Microsoft Points and receiving respectable reviews by
most critics, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 looks like yet another
great choice from the ever growing XboxLIVE! Arcade.
Rumours of Microsoft combating the 60GB Hard Drive of the
PlayStation3 with an optional 100GB Hard Drive for the Xbox360
circulated about the net wildly this week, based on a leaked photo
from an Xbox Korea conference. While many heralded this revelation
as a great move by Microsoft, others regarded it as unnecessary, as
you really don’t need that much space for XboxLIVE! Arcade
games, Game Saves and maybe a song or two. Well, regardless of what
you may think, according to Microsoft, it’s not happening anyway. It
seems, once again, that the gaming community has been a victim of
the most evil of applications, the dreaded Photoshop.
Xbox360 gamers have a new demo this week, the newest iteration of
the definitive skate game, the latest in the
Tony Hawk’s
series. New features in Tony Hawk’s Project 8 include Filmers;
performing tricks for a cameraman, and Spot Challenges; performing
specific tricks in designated areas. Hardly anything revolutionary,
but Tony Hawk’s Project 8 promises all new Trick Control via
the Analogue Sticks. Expect more information as we get it. |
