Update: So it turns out, this is just a pilot program, according to a company spokesperson, designed to determine how Microsoft can best serve its customers. It is U.S. only; no word on when or if it will expand beyond that. And the only way to get the deal is to go into one of Microsoft’s 17 16 physical retail stores and redeem it. Perhaps this is just as much a way to try to drum up Microsoft Store business as a way to sell more Xboxes.

The countdown has begun for the landmark entertainment event millions of fans worldwide have been anticipating for more than four years. “Halo 4,” the hotly anticipated sequel to the iconic franchise that has shaped entertainment history, will launch worldwide on Nov. 6, 2012. “Halo 4” marks the return of legendary hero Master Chief, named by Fast Company as “one of the most popular characters in gaming history,”1 and aims to set a new standard for blockbuster interactive entertainment with the launch. Set four years after the events in “Halo 3,” Master Chief returns to confront his destiny and face an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe. Developed by 343 Industries, “Halo 4” marks a new beginning for the landmark entertainment franchise that has sold more than 40 million games worldwide and inspired multiple New York Times best-selling novels, live-action shorts, comic books, action figures and apparel.

It sounds like nonsense because it probably is: an Xbox with a Blu-ray drive? But that¡¯s what VG247¡äs claiming, that the next Xbox ¡ª they¡¯re dubbing it the Xbox 720, which you can bet is precisely what Microsoft won¡¯t call whatever¡¯s next ¡ª will include rival Sony¡¯s Blu-ray technology, countering a still-more-plausible report by MCV in early March that the next Xbox will do away with optical media entirely. Also: The new system will debut holiday 2013. The Blu-ray claim doesn¡¯t add up, not with high-definition video rentals and purchases moving online as well as all the hypothetical proprietary large-scale optical storage solutions Microsoft could turn to, if it¡¯s trying to sidestep a mega-download size and storage capacity bullet. Why would Microsoft pursue a sunsetting format and bring rival Sony into the next Xbox¡¯s revenue fold with license fees? It makes no sense.

When test expert James Whittaker quit Google to rejoin Microsoft earlier this year, his blog post on why he left Google was the talk of TechMmeme. His follow-up post on why he decided to go back to Microsoft has created far less buzz, but has some points worth pondering.

A job listing on Microsoft's site suggests the software behemoth could be planning to bake 3D tech into the next Xbox console. The listing, spotted by BGR and posted on the console maker's Web site, is for an "Algorithm Research & Development Engineer for Xbox team" to work for Microsoft in Israel. It asks for people who are keen on "image processing algorithm and 3D imaging technologies, which will serve millions through the world."

Michael Humphrey shares a number of rumors surrounding the development of the Xbox 720, Microsoft’s next-generation gaming console. One in particular is downright frightening: technology that would prevent the resale of used games. “Yesterday, the talk was an anti-used game verification system, possibly similar to iTunes,” Humphrey writes.

Both PlayStation 4 and the Xbox 720 have to be launched at the same time if they want to stand any chance to outclass each other in the console market. The prices are expected to be high for a console that will deliver next-gen graphics and gameplay. However, both the companies have to play this card wisely as the price factor will have a major determining point in the popularity of the console. The same goes for the game and points achievements and the Live arena options.

Microsoft sure reaped the rewards of the Xbox 360 and Kinect's success over the past year, and they're showing it off in a big way at CES 2012. However, very little of the Xbox buzz coming from Microsoft has to do with games. 2012 might very well be the Year of the Xbox 360, but not for many of the gamers that brought it so far.

A dissident website is reporting that 300 employees at a plant in China that makes the Xbox 360 threatened earlier this month to commit mass suicide after being denied promised compensation. The report in anti-government website China Jasmine Revolution (via Want China Times), claims that the protest took place Jan. 2 at a Foxconn plant in Wuhan, China. A tragedy was avoided after the town's mayor got involved and talked the workers out of their threat, the report said. (Another website, Record China, reports that the incident resulted in a plant shutdown. In addition to Microsoft, Foxconn also builds iPhones, iPods, and MacBooks for Apple. Dell and Hewlett Packard have also sourced products from Foxconn.

FORTUNE -- What the future of console video gaming will actually look like is anybody's guess. Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony have made a ritual out of releasing new game systems every few years and battling it out for customers. Now, before technical barbs have been traded or glitzy launch plans drawn up, three companies with little experience in traditional gaming may be beating them to the punch.

When the original Xbox video-game console went on sale in 2001, it wasn't clear why Microsoft, known for staid workplace software, was branching out into fast-paced action games. But Microsoft decided that capitalizing on the popularity of gaming could help the company position itself for the coming wave of home digital entertainment. "Microsoft saw the writing on the wall," says David Dennis, a spokesman for Xbox. "It wanted to have a beachhead in the living room." Ten years later, the Xbox 360 is currently the second best-selling video-game system in the United States, according to market research firm NPD, behind Nintendo's Wii and beating out Sony's PlayStation3, and making Microsoft a contender in the fierce battle to serve up entertainment on demand, especially from Internet video services. Analyst firm BCC Research estimates that $144 billion was spent on "digital living room" devices worldwide in 2010, and that this figure will grow to $226 billion by 2015.

The Kinect for Windows SDK includes APIs, sample code, and drivers. Developers can create rich experiences by using Kinect sensor technology on computers running Windows 7 or Windows 8 Developer Preview.

On November 4, Microsoft updated the other version of the Kinect for Windows SDK — the one that is licensed for enthusiasts/hobbyists, which the company introduced in beta form earlier this summer. This SDK is available under a custom Microsoft academic license.

Microsoft may be keeping quiet about development of the next generation Xbox, but a couple of crucial aspects of the console have surfaced by way of reputable Microsoft leak blogger MS Nerd. The Xbox 720, as it has become commonly referred to as, is allegedly codenamed "loop," and will be much smaller than the Xbox 360. Moreover, MS Nerd claims the system will cost less to produce in the hopes for achieving higher Kinect adoption. In addition, the console will be based on a modified version of the yet-to-be-announced Windows 9.

It's that time of year again...when the ghost and the goblins come knocking at your door. This year we invite you to watch a story about frirendships, love, horror and of course- a crazy serial killer! Enjoy!

High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/21a337ca-0303-11e1-899a-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1cN42aUdi A year after a record-breaking launch with the Xbox 360 console, Microsoft is readying its Kinect game controller for broader use in the business world. Hundreds of commercial applications are under development for the $150 motion-sensing camera, ranging from aiding surgeons in operating theatres to selling cars. Microsoft announced official support for them on Monday with a software development kit (SDK).

There's more to texture resources than just a file an artist creates in Photoshop. This talk will cover DirectX 11 and Xbox 360 block compression, the modern DDS file format, and the latest tools for processing textures for Windows and Xbox 360 games.

Come see over 180 GB of textures running live within a sample implementation of "tiled-resources" technology for Xbox 360 and Direct3D 11. Tiled resources are also known as megatextures, virtual textures, sparse textures, and partially resident textures. In addition to enabling groundbreaking, paradigm-shifting changes to game content production, tiled resources also have the benefit of supporting much tighter control and predictability of texture memory budgets in game titles, even when using traditionally produced texture content.

Microsoft on Tuesday said it was getting into the interactive children's TV and book business, announcing new partnerships with Sesame Workshop and National Geographic, among others -- they'll produce programming that uses Microsoft's Kinect motion-sensing controller to get kids off the couch. Xbox users will soon be able to watch Kinect Sesame Street TV and Kinect Nat Geo TV shows that put kids into the middle of the action. They'll also be able to read animated story books that use "embodied learning" -- literally using your body to help you learn -- to help kids learn to read and become more comfortable with the written word.

After developing games exclusively for Xbox 360 and PC, it's fair to say that indie dev Twisted Pixel has been going steady with Microsoft. Today, the two have finally tied the knot as the Redmond corporation announced that it has purchased the Austin studio. That may be terrifying news for fans of the dev, which has built games like 'Splosion Man and The Gunstringer around its scrappy DIY aesthetic. But Matt Booty, general manager of Microsoft Studios, told Joystiq it's exactly that character that the company hopes to preserve after the sale. "Microsoft's a very big company, and you've got Twisted Pixel, a relatively smaller developer. We're very invested that they get to stay who they are, and they get to retain the magic they've got as a smaller indie developer," Booty said. "We'd like to leave the golden goose alone, so to speak."

At E3 we announced the new Xbox LIVE dashboard which will deliver intuitive navigation, increased responsiveness and improved engagement with Xbox experiences – all beginning this holiday. Now that our work on the dashboard is almost complete, we are announcing an open call for all Xbox LIVE members to register to participate in a preview program to help us test the system. This is an important program as we continually strive to ensure the reliability of a service that reaches tens of millions globally. We could not do so without the ongoing help of our great community.

Brian has posted his review of Microsoft's new Gears of War 3 for Xbox 360. Here is an excerpt:

Gears of War 3 storms the world taking no names. At the time of this writing, Gears of War 3 has already sold 3 million copies during its debut week. This is Epic’s third attempt to right any wrongs from previous version of Gears of War. From single player to multiplayer, Epic looked to the community as well as their statistical data they horded throughout the last 6 years. They need to make a better story telling campaign, a multiplayer that added something new, and find away to address many of the multiplayer; issues seen as problematic even through 6 patches in Gears of War 2. They have succeeded, and it was worth the wait.

Microsoft wants the Xbox 360 to be the one-stop tech shop for all your entertainment needs: gaming, TV, movies, music and DVDs. But wait, there's more! Microsoft is trying to patent a Kinect 3D body scanner to estimate age and function as an Xbox viewing police AKA an automated parent control. A Microsoft Xbox web-based, pay-TV deal may be officially announced this week. Programming is expected to include movies, sports, TV shows and music. Bloomberg reported that Microsoft is working with Comcast and Verizon for a pay-TV service over Xbox LIVE. Microsoft is also expecting to sign deals with Time Warner, HBO, Sony Picture's Crackle streaming service, NBC Universal's Bravo and Syfy channels, and Lovefilm UK.

Motion-sensing technology found in devices like Microsoft's Xbox 360 are effective at detecting the early onset of illness and fall risk in seniors, according to research from the University of Missouri. In one study, researchers used Microsoft Kinect, the Xbox 360's motion-sensing camera, to monitor behavior and routine changes in patients at TigerPlace, an independent living community located in Columbia, Mo.

343 Industries and Microsoft have invaded this year's Penny Arcade Expo with Halo Fest, a three-day celebration of the popular shooter series that begins Friday. Besides getting hands-on with the upcoming Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary game, fans will be able to enter the Commissary, a one-stop shop filled to the brim with Halo swag. There will be limited-edition goods and big discounts on other items.

For 25 years, the field of robotics has been bedeviled by a fundamental problem: If a robot is to move through the world, it needs to be able to create a map of its environment and understand its place within it. Roboticists have developed tools to accomplish this task, known as simultaneous localization and mapping, or SLAM. But the sensors required to build that map have traditionally been either expensive and bulky or cheap and inaccurate. Laser arrays cost a few thousand dollars and weigh several pounds, and the images they capture are only two-dimensional. Stereo cameras are less expensive, lighter, and can construct 3-D maps, but they require a massive amount of computing power. Until a reasonably priced, easier method could be designed, autonomous robots were trapped in the lab.

It would be cool if games that are on the Xbox 360 console that were also available for mobiles and computers could be played with multiple users all on different devices. The new feature that will enable three screen gaming is called Fast Async. Microsoft didn’t offer up all the details when it was unveiled this week, but we do know some about the service. Fast Async will be implemented by Xbox Live developers that are creating turn-by-turn games like Scrabble and chess clones.

Back during the E3 expo this year, Microsoft announced a new Xbox 360 dashboard update will be coming soon, which greatly resembles the “Metro” UI on the Window Phone and Windows 8 Start screen. Today, a YouTube video leaked out (and since removed by Microsoft) (via WinRumors) which shows off some of the new features coming to Xbox 360 later this year. One of which is the mention of Skype integration coming to Xbox 360 via Kinect soon.

Microsoft will be abandoning the glossy outer shell on select Xbox 360 consoles in favor of a black matte finish. The announcement was made official on the blog of Major Nelson, director of programming for Xbox Live. Microsoft’s gaming console is currently available in two flavors: a 250GB unit with a glossy finish and a 4GB model featuring a matte black surface.

It brought in more than $1 billion in profit last fiscal year. It’s far outselling the competition. It has a loyal user base and the industry’s most cutting-edge technology. And it’s from Microsoft. It’s the Xbox 360 platform, in all its glory. For the first time since the original Xbox was introduced, the software giant’s entertainment business broke the $1 billion barrier for operating income in Microsoft’s fiscal 2011. And it continues to be the best-selling video-gaming system, leading both the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 for 13 out of the past 14 months, a research firm said today.

And I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. And this is my counterpart R2D2. We�fve clearly been pimped out by Master George again. It was probably R2�Œs fault. That malfunctioning little twirp. I told him not to sell out and let us be turned into cheap gaming accessories, but he�fs faulty, malfunctioning. Kept babbling on about his mission. We seem to be made to suffer. It�fs our lot in life.

The next Xbox could boast a dramatically improved graphical experience, AMD's director of ISV relationship management, Neal Robison, told Official Xbox Magazine in an interview published yesterday. According to Robison, whose company has been heavily involved in Xbox graphics hardware, the next iteration in Microsoft's console line will come "pretty darn close" to offering the graphical sophistication of 2009 mega-hit "Avatar."