It has been announced by EA Sports that they have released the demo for the Xbox 360, and the demo is available to download right away but only for gamers who are Gold members of Xbox Live. The demo is around 1.9GB in size and will give gamers a taste of what is to come when the full title is released next month.

Previously we reported that no other than Lionel Messi had defected from the Pro Evolution Soccer franchise to head over to the team at EA Sports and the FIFA titles. The latest title in the FIFA Street franchise will be the first for the best part of four years, and is being developed by the same team who were responsible for the hugely successful FIFA 12.

The new game will also use the same engine as FIFA 12, and will be available to early adopters of the EA Sports Season Ticket. The just released demo will feature both Italy’s AC Milan, and the English Premier Leagues Manchester City. The latest installment in the franchise has been promised by the developer to be more authentic looking compared to previous releases.

As was reported before EA Sports has added the new Street Network feature, which basically adds a social competition to the game. Meanwhile it is being reported by Strategy Informer that EA is thinking of using some of the moves and mechanics in FIFA 13. FIFA Street will feature a new dibbling system that may find its way onto this year’s FIFA title.

To recap FIFA Street 2012 is set to be released in the US on March 13th with Europe getting the game on the 16th. Will you be getting FIFA Street?

More About: EA Sports, FIFA Street 2012, Xbox 360, xbox live

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Microsoft has been enjoying some strong sales of the Xbox 360 especially last year when it was the highest selling console. The device has achieved sales of over 66 million since it was first launched, with the Kinect also selling strongly with 18 million units shipped.

The company also receives a large amount of revenue from its Xbox Live service, but currently Xbox Live games are only compatible with the Windows Phone platform. It now seems though that Microsoft is looking to change this soon.

According to Forbes a spokesman from the company has stated that while Xbox Live experiences may work better on the Windows platform, “we understand that some Xbox fans may be using other types of devices”. In consideration of this the company is “working to extend a few of our Xbox experiences and titles to other platforms”.

Android and iOS are by far the two biggest mobile platforms currently available so it would make perfect sense for Microsoft to bring something to them first. The company already has the Xbox Live iOS application available that allows some minor messaging on devices, which has already seen quite a few users downloading it.

This news comes shortly after we told you about the possible plans by Microsoft to phase out the Xbox Live points system. Would you like to see full Xbox Live support come to Android and iOS?

More About: Android, iOS, microsoft, xbox live

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An article on Inside Mobile Apps is reporting a source is claiming that the virtual currency system will be discontinued by the end of 2012. This will affect developers and users of Xbox Live, Windows Phone, and the Zune Marketplace.

It will be replaced by transactions that will use real money and based on each regions currency for all Windows Phone content. This will bring the mobile platform in line with rivals such as the Android Market and the App Store.

When Microsoft were asked about the rumors the company refused to comment, and stated they never do on rumors or speculation. Mobile developers that have agreements with the company have been warned to plan ahead for their upcoming DLC and in-app purchase with the change in mind.

After the changes takes place users with existing Microsoft Points left over will see them changed into their local currency. The points are also used to purchase media content and games via Xbox Live, PC and Windows Phone, and the Zune Marketplace but this system is not used universally.

With Xbox Live the prices for the full games are listed in dollars, but users purchase DLC content with Microsoft Points. Meanwhile on Windows Phone applications are also priced in a similar way, but users can make in-app purchases with the Points. Users can also use the Points to purchase accessories for their Xbox Live avatars, and these points can also be purchased direct from the handset.

This move may surprise some users but the company has been slowly bringing in cash purchases to Xbox Live, which is where the most points are used. With a cash based system it will bring it into line with rival platforms, and the points to cash conversion can be confusing for some users, and often leads them to purchase points they don’t need.

Would you prefer a cash based system?

More About: Microsoft Points, Windows Phone Marketplace, xbox live, zune

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The good news is that the Xbox Live programmers are currently working on a fix, no ETA has been given, but at least those of you who are experiencing the color space problems know that it has at least been acknowledged and should be fixed in the near future.

You can see Major Nelson’s tweet which revealed this news 16 hours ago below:

We’re aware of the colorspace issue w/ some Xbox video apps & are working on a fix. No ETA yet but we hope to have an update soon.

Having not experienced the issue ourselves we thought we would carry out a little research into the matter, there’s an interesting thread over at the Xbox forums which fully details the color space problem, someone claims that this issue is system wide and all 360′s which connect to a TV using HDMI or the component cable, here’s how you can replicate the problem:

Simply turn on your 360 and ensure that you are viewing the dashboard aka Xbox Home, then go across to the video tab and enter My Video Apps, now play any video and notice how bright the video is, if you exit the video player by just using the ‘B’ button you will notice that the screen is much darker – this is the color space issue which Major Nelson is reporting.

If you then go into the video and carry on watching it it’s much darker than before, below we have embedded two photos showing the brightness before and after – as you can see the difference is quite substantial.

We would love to hear from you if this annoying issue has affected you, later today we may upload a video showing the problem in more detail (that’s if it occurs on our 360), we will keep you posted when we hear more information on the fix.

Have you spotted any other bugs with the new dashboard?

More About: Major Nelson, microsoft, xbox live

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One of the most noticeable improvements was more solid support and integration of apps, a recent EuroGamer article has confirmed that entertainment app usage has gone up 50% since the dashboard update based on data collected in November 2011 and December 2011. When you compare figures from 2010 to 2011 there was 140% growth in terms of video consumed globally on Xbox LIVE and we predict even stronger growth when 2012′s statistics come in.

Other figures suggest that 60% of all Xbox Live Gold members used entertainment apps in December for on average 1 hour per day, this shows that people aren’t just trying out these apps and forgetting about them, they are returning to them and using them over and over again – this suggests that enhanced support for apps is popular with Xbox 360 owners.

On a personal note I used to use a HTPC to watch online streaming services on my HDTV in my living room, however since the update I have not turned this HTPC on as my 360 now allows me to catch up on TV episodes and movies thanks to apps such as 4oD, Demand 5 and Netflix. In fact using the 4OD app I have saved money as I was going to buy the Peep Show and Phoneshop box sets, however all the episodes for these programs are on Channel 4′s servers ready to stream – hopefully the BBC iPlayer app will hurry up!

Have you watched more video on your 360 than ever before since the dashboard update?

More About: microsoft, Xbox 360, xbox live

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The statement was made after a growing number of reports were made claiming hundreds of Xbox Live accounts have been hacked. Despite the reports Microsoft has issued a statement saying ‘Microsoft can confirm that there has been no breach to the security of our Xbox Live service. The online safety of Xbox Live members remains of the utmost importance, which is why we consistently take measures to protect Xbox Live against ever-changing threats.’

The computer industry giants also told Metro in a statement that any illegal access that is gained to Xbox Live users’ accounts comes from ‘brute force hacking’, phishing scams and ‘other illicit methods’ all of which are examples of identity theft and online fraud that are industry wide problems, meaning they are not unique to just Microsoft or the Xbox 360.

Microsoft suggests to avoid these issues users themselves must address their levels of security saying ‘people using any online services should set strong passwords, not share those passwords across multiple services and refrain from sharing any personal details that could leave them vulnerable.’

Xbox Live users are not convinced however remaining adamant that the platform provider has been hacked although there is no official evidence of this. Are you one of the Xbox Live users that have found their data being illegally accessed? What do you think could be the cause for this?

More About: microsoft, xbox live

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If you are not aware of the ‘My Xbox Live’ app that is available for iOS devices right now, it essentially allows users to access all of their Xbox Live contacts from their mobile and gives them the ability to send instant messages and browse through a list of gaming titles that he or she owns on their console. At the moment, there is no actual Xbox Live gaming support for mobile devices outside of Windows Mobile, but recent information has revealed that Microsoft are intending to change this.

A recent job listing by the company has claimed that Microsoft are searching for a new developer which will help to bring Xbox Live to other mobile platforms. Specifically mentioned in the job listing is ‘Windows Phone, iOS and other mobile platforms’, according to an article published by Business Insider.

2012 may see the reality where Xbox 360 users can finally interact with their games on iOS and Android, which could involve things like being able to customize certain aspects of a game on a mobile device ready for play next time on console, or indeed being able to play low-end Xbox Live games outright on your iPhone, iPad or Android device.

Just how much Xbox Live functionality Microsoft are willing to give other mobile platforms may be seen as a surprise to Windows Phone users though, as a natural assumption would be that such new features would remain exclusive to Windows Phone first. Microsoft’s mobile smartphone OS hasn’t exactly reached its peak yet so it will be interesting to see how this move develops.

Are you desperate for full Xbox Live support on the iPhone and Android? As a Windows Phone user, what do you make of this?

More About: Android, microsoft, xbox live

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According to an article on CVG some Xbox Live users have worked out how to disable the ads in the latest Dashboard update. Some users have complained how ads seem to get prominence since the latest update was released, and some clever users on the Reddit forums have come up with a solution.

They have managed to block the rad.msn.com server that is used by Microsoft to gets ads onto the Xbox 360. First off you block the domain via the router that will bring up a 404 error code if you try and access it from a PC. Another option is to use OpenDNS that can block specific websites.

Before you attempt to achieve this it is at your own risk, so first up you need to sign up for a free OpenDNS account and add a network for your current IP address. Then you need to go to Advanced Settings and to Domain Typos. Here you have to check the box Enable Typo Correction and apply.

Now you need to go to Web Content Filtering settings and set the level to None, and under Manage Individual Domains enter rad.msn.com and select Always Block. After this you need to click Add Domain. Now go to the Xbox 360 system settings and select Network Settings to Your Connection and Configure Network.

Select DNS settings and manual before entering the OpenDNS IP addresses for the primary and secondary servers, which are 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220. Now the hard drive cache may need clearing to completely get rid of the ads. To achieve this go back to System Settings and Storage before selecting Hard Drive and pressing Y and Clear System Cache.

Doing this may mean you have to re-download any game updates for anything you play though, and remember only do this if the ads are really bothering you that much.

More About: microsoft, Xbox 360, xbox live

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Considering that Microsoft has its own competing Windows Phone mobile operating system, you may find the news of an official Xbox Live app for iOS rather surprising, since as far as we can tell, this is the first time that Microsoft has released Xbox Live on a product other than their own brand.

Needless to say, Xbox 360 users won’t care at all since the Xbox Live app is a great addition to have on the iPhone and iPad and best of all, it is completely free to download as well. The interface is based on the recent Dashboard update that hit consoles this week, and the app will allow iOS users to access their friends list, send messages direct from your mobile and even edit your Xbox Live avatar as well if you want.

My Xbox Live will also allow you to compare your achievements with friends, but there’s no actual support for any game-based Xbox Live activity. Also missing is notifications, as you won’t get a notification when somebody sends you a message, or if they start playing a game. Hopefully Microsoft will be adding this feature into the app in a future update, but for now iOS users will just be pleased that there is an official app to begin with.

It is available to download from the App Store now, titled My Xbox Live. Try it out now yourself and let us know what you think of it. Since Microsoft has now released an official Xbox Live app for iOS, will the same thing happen for Google’s Android platform? We have a feeling that there’s less chance of this happening, but let’s hope that changes.

More About: microsoft, xbox live

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You could be in one of two camps with the download working fine with the new features that you may like, or you can be on the other side of the fence with no access to the service at all. According to Venture Beat a growing number of users are getting an error message with an error code of 3524 0000 0080 0200 8015 1909.

Don’t try and reset your internet connection though as the issue is not your side, and appears when trying to connect to the premium Xbox Live service. Larry Hyrb who is Xbox Lives’ Director of Programming took to Twitter and said “Some Xbox Live members are getting a connection error when signing in to Live. We are aware of the issue and the team is working it”

There have been some possible solutions to the problem offered though, which include trying to start a multiplayer game via titles such as BF3. This will prompt you to sign into the service unlike some other titles. Other users are saying that repeatedly trying to find a low point in the high volume of traffic can eventually work, but not guaranteed to work though.

Another solution is to download the update to a USB drive and install it locally, but this also won’t always work either. The problems could have been caused by the amount of users trying to download the update has led to the servers struggling with the traffic.

How have you found the update? Has it been working fine for you or were you met with problems?

More About: microsoft, Xbox 360, xbox live

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