xbox-360 posts (Subscribe to this feed)
Ballmer sorry about confusing Natal 2010 statement
It's not every day that the head of a multi-billion dollar corporation apologizes to you, so excuse us if we drink deeply of Steve Ballmer's statement to IGN, in which he apologized for referencing a new 360 console to launch in 2010 last week.
Specifically, he said "I confused the issue with my poorly chosen words. There is no news in my comments. Things are as reported after E3. Sorry." Tell you what, Steve, you give us one of your patented "World's Greatest Back Rubs," and all is forgiven. (Also, we're sure you meant a new Xbox 360 bundle, right?)
Specifically, he said "I confused the issue with my poorly chosen words. There is no news in my comments. Things are as reported after E3. Sorry." Tell you what, Steve, you give us one of your patented "World's Greatest Back Rubs," and all is forgiven. (Also, we're sure you meant a new Xbox 360 bundle, right?)
Xbox 360 Jasper units with 512MB internal memory spotted in the wild
We're not sure how this one sneaked by, but it looks like Microsoft slipped a new Xbox 360 Jasper motherboard past us earlier this year, according to a poster in the XboxHacker forums. Found in a Japanese Xbox 360 Arcade this past April, the new motherboard is essentially the same as the previous (read: probably the most reliable 360 model so far) with one small difference. Rather than 256MB of internal storage, this one appears to be packing 512MB.
While the unit pictured above is Japanese, some members of the Xbox-Scene forums claim to have the board as well, meaning the new hardware may already be available in North America. We're not aware of any surefire way to spot one of these new units without taking them out of the box, though the ones we've seen mentioned were manufactured in April 2009. Outside the box, you'd just need to see how much memory was listed in the settings menu.
Anyone out there have one of these new Jaspers? Let us know in the comments.
[Via Xbox-Scene]
While the unit pictured above is Japanese, some members of the Xbox-Scene forums claim to have the board as well, meaning the new hardware may already be available in North America. We're not aware of any surefire way to spot one of these new units without taking them out of the box, though the ones we've seen mentioned were manufactured in April 2009. Outside the box, you'd just need to see how much memory was listed in the settings menu.
Anyone out there have one of these new Jaspers? Let us know in the comments.
[Via Xbox-Scene]
Pandora would 'love' to be included on Xbox 360

"We'd love to include game consoles like the Xbox 360 as part of this story at Pandora," Jessica Steel, SVP of Business Development at Pandora told Joystiq. "It is technically possible, and we're glad that our listeners are helping us with that effort by making their preferences known."
So, let your preferences be known to Microsoft:
Microsoft kills 'coffin' policy, time to pack your RRoD Xbox yourself

Apparently Microsoft's accountants were getting tired of that budget line item signifying thousands of dollars spent on providing cardboard boxes to the millions of consumers with defective units (often multiple times). We likely should have seen the writing on the wall when we recently contacted Microsoft to find out what recourse customers had if customer service wasn't offering coffins.
Our advice: Mail it to Microsoft in whatever packaging you've got lying around (remember: they're going to fix it regardless) and save the special, custom-fit packaging they mail it back to you in. Odds are you'll use it again.
Here's what Last.fm on Xbox 360 looks like
Click for the first of many Last.fm images
One of the more interesting questions that arose from Microsoft's keynote during last week's E3 was just how Last.fm would be implemented. Well, let Joystiq help clear the air of confusion, as Microsoft has dished out some screens depicting the interface for the soon-to-be Xbox 360-compatible music service. It looks pretty streamlined, if we may say so, with easily identifiable links to tags and artists similar to what you're currently listening to. What we didn't know, however, is that Last.fm will also be a bridge between the Xbox 360 and its closest competitor, Sony's PS3. See the "Play Station" above? When the service releases, you'll be able to play Infamous on your Xbox 360. For reals!
Gallery: Last.fm (Xbox 360)
45 Second Booth Tour: Microsoft
Gallery: E3 2009: Microsoft Booth
Visuals from the MS E3 2009 briefing

Know that both we and John Schappert give this photo gallery two thumbs way up!
Gallery: E3 09: Microsoft Press Briefing
Seen@E3: Spartans can drum too

Chat with us during Microsoft's E3 press briefing

While the Joystiq mother ship is busy live blogging Microsoft's E3 2009 keynote, we figured we'd give loyal Joystiq Xbox fans a place to congregate and chit-chat about all the exciting news as it unfolds. So, that's exactly what the chat room embedded below (after the break) is for. It's a place for you to share your Xbox enthusiasm with other like-minded individuals.
Also, I, blogger extraordinaire Dustin "SuperDunner" Burg, will be joining the fun and chatting live before and during the keynote. Note too that there's a limit of 80 people per chat room, but multiple "overflow" rooms will be created if necessary.
Microsoft's E3 2009 press briefing is scheduled to begin today at 1:30PM eastern (10:30AM pacific), so hop into our chat room and open another browser window for Joystiq's live-blogging coverage. Let's do this!
Also, I, blogger extraordinaire Dustin "SuperDunner" Burg, will be joining the fun and chatting live before and during the keynote. Note too that there's a limit of 80 people per chat room, but multiple "overflow" rooms will be created if necessary.
Microsoft's E3 2009 press briefing is scheduled to begin today at 1:30PM eastern (10:30AM pacific), so hop into our chat room and open another browser window for Joystiq's live-blogging coverage. Let's do this!
Things you'll hear about at E3: Xbox 360 sells 30 million units to date, Xbox Live reaches 20 million

According to the press release, the Xbox 360 has sold 30 million units worldwide and the Xbox Live platform has reached 20 million active members (Gold and Silver ratios not specified). On the dollar side, Microsoft states the Xbox 360 is responsible for "generating
Microsoft also notes that since launching the NXE (New Xbox Experience), Xbox Live membership has jumped 136 percent, video downloads have doubled and game related content (DLC, XBLA) sales have increased by 70 percent. While Microsoft's 30 million units sold milestone is impressive, we can't help but wonder how many of those consoles are still fully functioning.
A look at the current state of Achievements on Xbox 360
We always thought we knew how Achievements worked. You play a game, you unlock an Achievement, and an awesome wave of pleasure washes over you. It's a debilitating addiction that has caused some of us to be an embarrassment to everyone we know. Really, nobody should have Cabela's Safari on their list of games played.
But, we digress. There's a method to this addictive madness, and Xbox360Achievements has the scoop. Apparently, games now have a ceiling of 1,750
, as opposed to the established 1,250
. On top of this, there's also a maximum number of Achievements set at 80; however, savvy readers will know that the one exception to this is The Orange Box, which has 99 different Achievements.
There are also stipulations per yearly quarter now, with a maximum of 250
and 10 new Achievements allowed via updates. Microsoft has these stipulations to stop games from releasing, then adding a bunch of achievements right away to reach the max of 1,750
. This instead promotes smaller, more consistent updates for a game over time, or one big update longer down the road. Since the quarters stack, a developer or publisher can perform one big update a year later with all sorts of Achievements packed in.
It's important to note that this all comes from "a source" and not Microsoft itself, who could only offer us this comment: "we regularly re-evaluate the guidelines for our Achievement system to reflect the quality and depth of Game Add-ons on Xbox 360, and appropriately reward players for their accomplishments in this new content."
But, we digress. There's a method to this addictive madness, and Xbox360Achievements has the scoop. Apparently, games now have a ceiling of 1,750
There are also stipulations per yearly quarter now, with a maximum of 250
It's important to note that this all comes from "a source" and not Microsoft itself, who could only offer us this comment: "we regularly re-evaluate the guidelines for our Achievement system to reflect the quality and depth of Game Add-ons on Xbox 360, and appropriately reward players for their accomplishments in this new content."
Xbox 360 Fancast 113 - General Podcast Failure
Don't worry, kids. Despite the title, this episode of the Fancast is completely functional. Xav is on hiatus to finish up this "school" business he keeps telling us about, so you'd best get used to the absence of his dulcet tones. This week, we talk about the E74 error warranty extension, the Pirate Bay convictions and Bungie's shenanigans in our recent Mythic Halo 3 Challenge. And, of course, we take a look at the latest news and read some fanmail. Come, stay a while and listen.
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).
[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in Zune Marketplace (MP3).
[RSS MP3] Add the Xbox 360 Fanboy Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
[AAC] Download the enhanced AAC directly.
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.
Hosts: Richard Mitchell (SenseiRAM), Dustin Burg (SuperDunners), Alexander Sliwinski (Sli Xander), Xav de Matos (Snypz)
Produced by Richard Mitchell
Music: Intro/Outro: "Electromooq" by Uma Floresta. "mines" by Deadlinks.
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).
[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in Zune Marketplace (MP3).
[RSS MP3] Add the Xbox 360 Fanboy Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
[AAC] Download the enhanced AAC directly.
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.
Hosts: Richard Mitchell (SenseiRAM), Dustin Burg (SuperDunners), Alexander Sliwinski (Sli Xander), Xav de Matos (Snypz)
Produced by Richard Mitchell
Music: Intro/Outro: "Electromooq" by Uma Floresta. "mines" by Deadlinks.
Reminder: Xbox 360 repairs should always have the option of a 'coffin'

To help those out who continue to have issues with this explicitly stated service, we've contacted Microsoft PR to ask what recourse customers have who are not being offered coffins. We will update as soon as we receive a response. We've placed the policy after the break for reference.
Brace yourself for the new Xbox 360 System Update
We don't think we're being presumptuous when we say that April 2 will forever be remembered as the day when the New New Xbox Experience went live. Just how epic is it going to be? Well, as you can see, we've chosen a picture of a totally sweet phoenix rising from the ashes to accompany the post so you tell us.Grab a glass of iced tea, power on your 360, and get ready to address "interruption issues that some Xbox LIVE users may have experienced when playing a limited number of Xbox 360 games." Also new? Nothing. Sorry.
Avatars go professional, get business gear
Brand new Avatar threads are now available for your virtual-selves. This week's additions include business clothes for men and women ... just in case your Avatar was planning on attending a job interview or something. One thing to note before you dress up for that next online date, change your shoes. Business suits and sneakers don't work.
Male Business Attire
Male Business Attire
- Blue Formal Shirt
- Moleskin Pants
- Waistcoat and Shirt
- Suit and Tie (pictured)
- Pencil Skirt
- Slacks
- Pinstripe Blazer
- Twin Set













