Today, we’re launching one of the most asked for apps on Xbox LIVE: Twitch.
Twitch is one of the largest platforms for the live streaming of games, with more than 800,000 people streaming gameplay and over 34 million people watching online at Twitch.tv. And now, with the Twitch for Xbox LIVE app, Gold subscribers in the U.S. will have access to 300 of the most popular streams from the service. Users can view top channels by popularity or individual game and the dashboard features curated channels, tournaments and shows happening now.
In addition to launching the app today on Xbox 360, Twitch will also host an exclusive broadcast following the May 21st #XboxRevealed event next week. I’ll moderate the broadcast live at 3p ET/12m PT live via the new Twitch app on Xbox 360 and also online at www.twitch.tv.
Check out the app today by downloading it from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and tune in next Tuesday for the live broadcast.
Well I can try and help with that! Working with Paramount Pictures, I’ve got my hands on Fandango passes that can be used to see Star Trek Into DarknessFan Sneak Shows in IMAX 3D.
How do you enter? Easy:
Answer this question by leaving a comment below: What you are looking forward to seeing most from Star Trek Into Darkness?
I’ll then randomly choose 15 people to win a code to redeem for a set of tickets on Fandago. Since the codes will only work on Fandango, this is a US contest only…sorry.
PLUS: Did you know that director J.J. Abrams did a Q&A with Xbox fans? Watch a clip of it here, and look for the entire video on your Xbox 360 dashboard the next time you sign into Xbox LIVE.
The rules: Deadline to enter is 11:59am Pacific on May 10, 2013. 15 randomly selected winner will be notified by e-mail or Twitter. One entry per person. Read this if you have questions about the Disqus commenting system. Contest is open to US residents only.
Note: If you do not have an e-mail address or Twitter name associated with your Disqus login, you must include your Twitter information in your comment to be eligible. Any winner who does not respond to my notification within 72 hours will forfeit the prize. For faster notification, follow me on Twitter where I can DM you if you won.
What do Alice Cooper, Metallica, LeBron James, and “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” have in common? They’re all coming to Xbox! Between Machinima launching in every Xbox LIVE market around the world, the inspirational animated series “The LeBrons: Season 2” launching on Xbox Video, and the Revolver Golden Gods Awards show streaming live via our Events Player, there are some really cool new things to check out this week. Additionally, if you’re a fan of electronic dance music (or EDM as it’s more commonly known) you’ll enjoy new details about our partnership with OneBeat Labs.
Machinima (All Xbox LIVE Markets) Today, the No. 1 entertainment destination on YouTube, Machinima, comes to Xbox 360* across all Xbox LIVE markets. The first app to launch worldwide on Xbox, Machinima gives you an easy, all-access pass to watch episodic narrative series like the extremely successful “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” and “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn”, live streams, gameplay videos, and original content, including weekly and daily shows such as fan favorites “Sanity Not Included” and “How to Annoy People.” As the top global online video destination for young males, you won’t want to miss downloading the Machinima app and getting instant access to all of your favorite Machinima channels, including the main “Machinima” channel, which is one of the largest YouTube channels, “Machinima Realm” focusing on fantasy and role-playing games, and “Machinima VS“ covering the world of competitive gaming, just to name a few. Machinima speaks directly to the gaming audience and beyond, providing a destination to watch your favorite content in the comfort of your living room, or any location you choose. With Machinima on Xbox, you can also share videos directly from the app to Facebook. Check it out and download from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace now.
Golden Gods Awards Show Live on Xbox LIVE (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, German, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the United States and the United Kingdom)
The 5th annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards Show in Los Angeles is back with some of the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal. Planning to tune in and turn up the volume? You’re in luck. Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers around the world** will be able to stream and rock out to the show live right from their Xbox 360 this Thursday, May 2. Watch heavy metal favorites Metallica, Halestorm, Stone Sour and more perform live. See Rob Zombie receive the award that embodies the spirit of hard rock and metal, the Golden God Award and Metallica receive the iconic Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award. The show starts at 8 p.m. PDT. You can also watch the “Black Carpet” pre-show special starting at 7 p.m. PDT and catch glimpses of legends like Gene Simmons, Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper.
By tuning into the Golden Gods Awards Show on Xbox LIVE, you will have access to unique second-screen Xbox SmartGlass experiences where you can:
Check out the award nominees in categories like “Best Drummer,” “Comeback of the Year” and “Most Metal Athlete”
Participate in online polling during the show
Learn more info on winners as they’re announced live
Watch backstage interviews with artists on your tablet or smart phone while live performances are blasting from your TV
Discover additional information on presenters, like Fozzy frontman and WWE pro-wrestling legend Chris Jericho and others
The Xbox LIVE stream will also run a dedicated Twitter feed across the screen using the hash tag #XboxGoldenGods so that the Xbox community can make its voice heard and weigh in on all the action in real time. The “Black Carpet” kicks off at 10p ET/7 p PT on Thursday.
The LeBrons Season Two (United States) The hit animated web series “The LeBrons” is back with season two, and will be exclusively available on Xbox 360 in the U.S. via Xbox Video starting Friday, May 10th. Watch new episodes each week and a handful of trailers through August 31st, and listen to the original music soundtracks for seasons 1 & 2, all found in the dedicated “The LeBrons” hub located in the TV & Video section of the dashboard. “The LeBrons” is a family entertainment show that provides positive life messages to today’s young adults and is co-executive produced by LeBron James, Maverick Carter and Believe Entertainment Group Co-Founders Dan Goodman and William H. Masterson III. In the meantime, here’s the latest trailer of Season 2 of “The LeBrons.” Check back next Friday for the first episode.
OneBeat App
We’re working with our friends at OneBeat to bring one of richest cultural experiences today exclusively to Xbox—Electronic Dance Music (EDM). We’ll have more details to share next month, but know that we we’ll soon be launching the OneBeat app for Xbox 360 which will bring some of the richest, and most integrated, interactive entertainment experiences from the Global EDM Industry right into your living room. The OneBeat app is a one-stop shop and portal for EDM artists and fans and will connect fans by enabling content sharing across Facebook. At launch, you can check out the calendar of events, artist information, event details and even ticket sales.
*Xbox LIVE Gold subscription and/or additional subscriptions/fees may be required and sold separately. Kinect functionality available with select Xbox LIVE content and varies by feature and country. For additional details and availability, see http://www.xbox.com/live.
**Golden Gods will be available to Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers in the Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, German, Italy, Mexico, Spain, United States, United Kingdom
On Tuesday May 21st, we’ll mark the beginning of a new generation of games, TV and entertainment. On that day, we’ll be holding a special press event on the Xbox campus and we invite you to join us via the live global stream that will be available on Xbox LIVE and Xbox.com. If you are in the US or Canada, you can also watch the broadcast on Spike TV.
On that day, we’ll share our vision for Xbox, and give you a real taste of the future. Then, 19-days later at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, we’ll continue the conversation and showcase our full lineup of blockbuster games.
We are thrilled to pull back the curtain and reveal what we’ve been working on.
Earlier this week, it was announced that your Microsoft Account Gets More Secure. Every gamertag on Xbox LIVE is backed by a Microsoft Account (MSA), so this is great news for our customers who choose to enable this security feature to help keep their accounts more secure. I’m excited to see this feature enabled and I’ve already done this on my own account.
For those of you who have enabled TFA, you’ll need to make one change to how you interact with your Xbox.
If you’re downloading your profile or you choose not to have your password saved on your console, you will be prompted to enter your “Microsoft account password.” It will look like the screenshot below. Instead of entering your MSA password, you’ll need to enter an App password.
If you’ve always wanted to check out the latest entertainment experiences on Xbox 360, now is your chance. Starting tomorrow (Friday April 19) morning at 10am ET/ 7:00am PT, we’re unlocking Xbox LIVE Gold in the U.S., Latin America, Japan and Canada* throughout the weekend until 1p ET/10am PT on Monday, April 22nd.
All Xbox owners in these regions, regardless of their current Xbox LIVE subscription status, will have access to online multiplayer gaming, Video Kinect, and our entire catalog of entertainment apps.* Here are few of my top recommendations to check out:
“Hemlock Grove” – the new Netflix original series premieres on Friday, with the full run of episodes. It’s the perfect weekend for a marathon viewing.
Xbox Tournaments with Virgin Gaming – try out a free-to-enter tournament with “EA SPORTS™ FIFA 13,” “NBA 2K13,” “EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL 13” and “EA SPORTS™ NHL® 13.”
“Call of Duty Black Ops II” – with weapons double XP for a limited time.
“Borderlands 2” – Try out this special Golden Key Code: KTW3T-ZXXS5-JBSJF-5FJT3-6TB9X To redeem, at the Borderlands 2 Main Menu, select Extras, then SHiFT Code. Hurry though, this will only be available throughout the Xbox Live Gold Unlock weekend. See Gearbox for assistance.
“Assassin’s Creed 3” and “Far Cry 3” – with double XP for a limited time .
Get your marathon entertainment and gaming fix now and let me know on Monday all the new things you tried.
*Free Gold Weekend will take place on Xbox Live from 7:00 A.M. Pacific Time on April 19, 2013, to 10:00 A.M. Pacific Time on April 22, 2013. Open only to Free (Silver) members in the 50 United States or Washington, D.C. Broadband required; carrier fees apply. Additional subscriptions and requirements also apply for some Xbox Live features. Deal of the Week and early access to demos not included. See www.xbox.com/live.
FAQ:What if I am not in the US, Canada, Latin America or Japan? Where is my Free Xbox LIVE Gold Weekend? A: UK and Europe had one in March that other regions did not have. Free Xbox LIVE Gold Weekend vary by region, check your local version of Xbox.com for details.
One of the most popular apps for movies is now on Xbox LIVE. Today, Flixster* is available for Xbox LIVE subscribers in the U.S., bringing your favorite Flixster features to your TV. Flixster lets you buy and rent thousands of popular movies, check out show times at your local theater and access the latest fresh or rotten movie scores from Rotten Tomatoes.
The Flixster app also gives you access to your UltraViolet movie collection on your Xbox.
With Flixster for Xbox LIVE you can:
Buy or rent standard and high definition movies
Browse current movie listings in theatres near you
Peruse new and upcoming DVD releases
Watch high quality movie trailers
Access movie details, including film posters, synopses and Rotten Tomato scores
Easily sort and watch movies from your UltraViolet movie collection
Navigate using voice and gesture controls with Kinect for Xbox 360
Download the application for free from the Xbox LIVE marketplace now and get watching!
*Xbox LIVE Gold subscription and/or additional subscriptions/fees may be required and sold separately. For additional details and availability, see http://www.xbox.com/live.
When I read what Born Of Sound was doing with audio I was intrigued. They take the mechanical vibrations of audio that we hear, but don’t normally see, and turn them into a visual is if they are traveling trough air. They call this a “sound-form”
I contacted them and asked them to do a sound-form for the familiar Xbox 360 Achievement Unlocked Sound. They came back with this ethereal image.
Today, voting begins for the first ever Xbox Video Awards, available in the U.S., Canada and Australia. Fans will have the chance to vote over the next few weeks via the Xbox LIVE dashboard and Facebook promotional page for the following categories:
Xbox LIVE Dash Voting • Favorite Comic Book Movie • Favorite Fright • Favorite Vampires • Favorite Future Vision • Favorite Bromance • Favorite Video Game in a Movie/TV Show • Favorite Tough Guys
Facebook Voting • Favorite Use of Archery • Favorite Use of Zombies • Favorite Bawdy Entertainment • Most Egregious Level of Testosterone • Favorite Animated • Favorite Use of Facial Hair
Also as part of the awards program, JJ Abrams will take questions from you during the voting process, so don’t miss his answers on Facebook. For more information, stay tuned for updates on the LIVE dash, Facebook and Xbox.com.
This week, the Xbox community will notice an app update for Netflix rolling out across all regions where the service is currently offered. This update will include performance improvements and a newly designed “Netflix Originals” landing page, offering viewers a look at the very latest in original programming from Netflix, including the highly anticipated “Hemlock Grove,” slated to launch April 19. “Hemlock Grove” comes from director Eli Roth (“Hostel”) and is a chilling supernatural series based on Brian McGreevy’s novel.
*Xbox LIVE Gold subscription and/or additional subscriptions/fees may be required and sold separately. Kinect functionality available with select Xbox LIVE content and varies by feature and country. For additional details and availability, see Xbox.com
Xbox Tournaments with Virgin Gaming offers free-to-enter tournaments for top games from leading publishers and is only on Xbox 360. The exclusive app, available this week in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, allows Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers of any skill level to play in free-to-enter tournaments with the opportunity to make their way up the daily, weekly and monthly leaderboards to win their share of $100,000 cash. Starting this week, participate in tournaments for popular games including “EA SPORTS FIFA 13,” “NBA 2K13,” “EA SPORTS Madden NFL 13” and “EA SPORTS NHL® 13,” with many more titles to come.
Tournament gameplay is easy to join, fun and accessible to all styles of gamers, from the dedicated pro to the casual Xbox player. Download the app from Xbox LIVE and register for a Virgin Gaming account to start playing the free-to-enter tournaments this week—existing Virgin Gaming members will not need to register for a new account, but they will need to activate their existing account here.
Practice now, because in the coming months Xbox Tournaments with Virgin Gaming will be rolling out tons of new features, like cash-play gaming, leaderboards and epic tournaments, along with more titles and will become available in more countries around the world.
*Xbox LIVE Gold subscription and/or additional subscriptions/fees may be required and sold separately. Kinect functionality available with select Xbox LIVE content and varies by feature and country. For additional details and availability, see http://www.xbox.com/live.
I wanted to give you the official Microsoft Statement regarding some comments you may have seen yesterday::
"We apologize for the inappropriate comments made by an employee on Twitter yesterday. This person is not a spokesperson for Microsoft, and his personal views do not reflect the customer centric approach we take to our products or how we would communicate directly with our loyal consumers. We are very sorry if this offended anyone, however we have not made any announcements about our product roadmap, and have no further comment on this matter."
As frequent readers of my blog know, the moment we have news about our products I will be sharing all the details I can.
Are you a WWE fan? If so, this one’s for you: WWE launches today on Xbox* in the U.S., just in time for WrestleMania XXIX on April 7. See the WWE Superstars and Divas like never before, from Royal Rumble to WrestleMania. Starting today, all WWE pay-per-view events are available right from your Xbox 360.
This year kicked off with tons of great new apps on Xbox LIVE for our members around the world. In the first three months we’ve welcomed NHL GameCenter, Neon Alley, Telemundo, Crunchyroll, Slacker, Redbox Instant by Verizon, GameTrailers, CanalPlay Infinity and VEVO TV. The train keeps rolling as we’re adding a bunch of cool entertainment apps and updates this week*, including Game of Thrones actions coming to Xbox SmartGlass.
Xbox SmartGlass for Game of Thrones Season 3 (United States) Discover even more of Game of Thrones® with HBO GO® and Xbox SmartGlass for your Windows 8 tablet or iPad. As the story unfolds on your TV, Xbox SmartGlass allows you to use your tablet as a companion guide to unlock exclusive content – including interactive maps, detailed character guides, cast and crew commentaries, behind-the-scenes extras and more – right at your fingertips. Now, you can control your Game of Thrones viewing experience like never before.
MLB.TV Refresh (United States, United Kingdom, France, Australia, Germany, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Japan, Ireland, New Zealand, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Brazil, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Russia, Poland, Colombia, Chile, South Africa, Czech Republic) MLB.TV on Xbox 360 is refreshing, including a new look and adding some new features that make watching baseball on Xbox better than ever. Access more than 1,430 Major League Baseball games live or on-demand, follow your favorite teams and get the best highlights and game recaps instantly. The updated MLB.TV includes a full view of game progress with base-runners and pitch-count, all without leaving the game you’re watching. Also, it allows you to get a quick view of the day’s MLB action with game progress including scores, base-runners and upcoming games. The refreshed app is more personalized and once you pick your favorite teams, the app will instantly start up with what you care about most – live games, clips and highlights, and game recaps of your favorite teams.
IndieFlix (United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand) IndieFlix on Xbox 360 brings the Film Festival home. Award-winning independent movies, shorts, documentaries, animation and web series from around the world. Discover films that launch careers, blaze new trails, and that actors and directors make for the love of the craft. Try it free at indieflix.com/xbox. Every great film deserves an audience.
Revision 3 (United States, Australia, Canada) With Revision 3, watch the best TV shows from the internet right on your Xbox 360. Access tens of thousands of Revision3 videos, including all original weekly and daily episodic and community driven programs. And with Kinect for Xbox 360 you can control your shows with a wave of your hand or the sound of your voice.
PopcornFlix (United States) With Popcornflix on Xbox 360, stream hundreds of films instantly at no additional cost with your Xbox LIVE Gold subscription. Watch a wide range of genres including comedy, action, thriller, romance, family and many more. New films added every day. Get your popcorn and enjoy.
Toys “R” Us Movies (United States) Watch the movies and TV shows kids love, instantly on your Xbox 360! Toys"R"Us Movies gives you instant access to thousands of family-friendly digital movies and TV shows for rental and purchase. Find the hottest new movie releases and TV shows selected just for your family and you can shop by age or your favorite characters! Watch at home or on the go – available on hundreds of devices and now on Xbox 360!
There’s tons of great entertainment on Xbox LIVE launching this week so go check out the new experiences for yourself. Give it some time, though, it may take a few days for everything to rollout.
*Xbox LIVE Gold subscription and/or additional subscriptions/fees may be required and sold separately. Kinect functionality available with select Xbox LIVE content and varies by feature and country. For additional details and availability, see http://www.xbox.com/live.
Today we are announcing the Xbox 360 Special Edition Camouflage Wireless Controller, which features a transforming D-pad and a unique camouflage design. The price will be $54.99 USD (ERP). In the U.S., the controller will be available exclusively at Wal-Mart beginning in May. Outside the U.S., the controller will be available in select regions worldwide, also from May.
You may have noticed that the Xbox apps for Windows 8 are receiving some updates this week. Some are purely background updates that you might not notice but there are also a few cosmetic and functional updates. The Xbox Games and Xbox SmartGlass apps for Windows 8 and Windows RT are refreshing this week with new looks and some new features. The refreshed Xbox Games app will make Windows 8 and Windows RT tablet and PC gameplay simpler and more personal. The home screen of the updated Xbox Games app will now display the last game you played within the past seven days. We’re also providing faster and smoother access to related downloadable content for that game to further personalize your gameplay and your Avatar. Game trailers and screenshots are also more easily discoverable inside the refreshed app. We’ve added some enhanced communication features inside the app too, like the ability to send and receive text messages between Xbox LIVE friends and toast notification similar to those you receive today on Xbox 360. The Xbox SmartGlass app has been refreshed so that your device stays awake while you are engaged in a 2nd screen activity. It also includes some stability and connection issues, as well as an updated controller layout which includes the Xbox guide button for more easily discoverable options.
The refreshed Xbox Games and Xbox SmartGlass apps begin rolling out on Windows 8 and Windows RT devices starting today and could a few days to reach everyone around the world.
There’s some fun stuff arriving on Xbox 360 today.
First, GameTrailers* is landing and its bringing early access to the new series “Seedlings,” a 12-part series set in the world of “Minecraft.” Watch it first on Xbox. See the best of GT and access cool GT Original shows, in-depth game reviews and the newest game previews and trailers. Want to see the latest rant from the Angry Video Game Nerd, predictions from Michael Pachter or opinions from Geoff Keighley on the Bonus Round? GT on Xbox has you covered. You can also take a look at the library of Previews available to you as soon as they’re posted.
Attention Redbox fans: the Redbox Instant by Verizon app is available on Xbox 360** now. Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers in the U.S. can sign up for Redbox Instant by Verizon and start enjoying Hollywood’s newest releases, in addition to a movie-lovers collection of popular classics available for unlimited streaming. Redbox Instant by Verizon also offers the ability to purchase and rent new releases and stream them directly into your living room through Xbox 360 without needing a subscription.
A Redbox Instant by Verizon subscription package, priced at $8 per month for DVDs or $9 per month for Blu-rays, combines four credits for rentals at Redbox kiosks with the catalogue of streaming titles. Use the power of voice and gesture control via Kinect for Xbox 360 to search and select a movie when you’re streaming Redbox Instant on your Xbox.
As an added bonus, Redbox Instant by Verizon will be unlocked from Gold for a limited time so download it from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace today.
*Available in United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Japan and Mexico. Xbox LIVE Gold subscription and/or additional subscriptions/fees may be required and sold separately. Kinect functionality available with select Xbox LIVE content and varies by feature and country. For additional details and availability, see http://www.xbox.com/live.
**Xbox LIVE Gold subscription and/or additional subscriptions/fees including a Redbox Instant by Verizon subscription may be required and sold separately. Kinect functionality available with select Xbox LIVE content and varies by feature and country. For additional details and availability, see http://www.xbox.com/live
Today, the VEVO app on Xbox LIVE is the recipient of a cool update that introduces VEVO TV, an always-on broadcast-style music and video channel for Xbox LIVE subscribers* in the U.S. and Canada. Tune in 24/7 for live concerts, artist interviews and video premieres from the most popular artists. The update includes VEVO’s exclusive and original music shows, allowing viewers to watch content live or through a “watch it later” button.
*Xbox LIVE Gold subscription and/or additional subscriptions/fees may be required and sold separately. Kinect functionality available with select Xbox LIVE content and varies by feature and country. For additional details and availability, see http://www.xbox.com/live.
Today we are introducing a new Xbox 360 bundle that will be available for a limited time, while supplies last, at select major US retail stores this spring. The Xbox 360 250GB Spring Value Bundle includes: Xbox 360 250 GB, wireless controller and a copy of “Darksiders II” and “Batman: Arkham City,” (via download) token and one month free of Xbox LIVE Gold for $299 USD (ERP).
