andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

That’s right, this coming week your TV will transform into so much more with social networking, music, and movies come alive on your Xbox 360.  Facebook, Twitter, and Zune video will launch November 17th, on Xbox Live.

Most exciting is instant-on HD video from Zune to be available to Xbox 360 consoles. “We’re delivering some truly exciting social entertainment experiences to our members,” said Marc Whitten, Xbox Live general manager. “Xbox Live’s differentiator has always been our community, and we’ve already seen a tremendous response to these features in our public preview.”

As well, Xbox Live will be debuting a music games store specifically for games such as Lips, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band.

I am excited!

Jordan had the opportunity recently to preview the latest big name from Bungie as he took out covenant scum with some of the best in Halo 3: ODST exclusively for the Xbox 360 out now. I guess dropping into hell feet first ain’t so bad.

Today I do not come to you as mild mannered gaming journalist Josh Salem, but rather, ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper) Private Salem. Yes, that’s right, last night in the Fermenting Cellar at the historic Distillery District in beautiful Toronto (although it was raining) I completed (with fly colours) my ODST training from Sgt. Swaggard and his troops and got dropped into the pandemonium of Firefight.

Perhaps I should Explain. READ MORE »

Chair Entertainment- a subsidiary of Epic games and Microsoft Corp- had released their smash hit SHADOW COMPLEX and now news has reached us that the title not only garnered critical acclaim but now is the best selling single player Xbox Live title to date. With 200,000 purchases in its first week things are off to a stellar start for this new exciting IP on Xbox Live.
Kudos to you Chair Entertainment!
Go ahead and try out the demo and buy this instant classic!

You’ve probably heard that an Xbox 360 Live update was coming, if you knew when or what it entailed is another story. We’re here to set the record straight by discussing a few of the new updates coming to Xbox Live this August 11th.

Avatar expansions

Your virtual character in the Xbox world will be getting a massive update with plenty to styalize and customize your character. The avatar marketplace will open to allow gamers to purcahse premium outfits and accessories.

New props allow your avatar to character items that bring custom animations to your friends channel page. READ MORE »

Mouse technology is an ongoing game of leap frog. Every so often a new mouse product arrives which introduces some kind of new technology – how much better can the ‘mouse’ be improved? Apple’s ‘Mighty Mouse‘  for the Macintosh, was oddly innovative by re-positioning the old ‘mouse ball’ on the TOP of the mouse to allow for additional navigation options. However, after a couple of months of use, the good old little mouse ball on the TOP will stop functioning in the UPward direction and it is next to impossible to clean it to get it working properly again. Until Apple figures out a way to resolve this sticky ball problem with the Mighty Mouse, I am  trapped into hunting for a better mouse.

Microsoft markets no less than 30 mouse products (meese? mices?), only several of which are labeled as compatible with Macintosh. The new Microsoft Wireless Explorer Mouse with BlueTrack Technology* is available in two sizes – a big one just called the Microsoft Wireless Explorer Mouse (to which I may refer to in this review as the ‘desktop’ model) and a smaller lighter ‘cousin’ for traveling laptop users labelled as the Microsoft Wireless Explorer MINI Mouse. With its virtual tours, photos and specs, the Microsoft Mouse webpage provides a thorough description of all products, but nothing replaces a ‘hands on’test drive. READ MORE »

An article at tgdaily.com is reporting that Microsoft is introducing its Microsoft Office Suite on a subscription model, rather than the software package the company now markets. The premise of this model is that Microsoft is predicting that less and less people will actually own a copy of the Microsoft Office suite, and will instead rent it out from the company on a month-by-month basis.

The subscription offering is called “Equipt” and includes Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 – with the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Windows Live OneCare, according to the article. Software updates are also included in the subscription so you will always have the most up-to-date version of the programs. The entire subscription is going for $69.99 a year.

Microsoft announced that it will be lowering the estimated retail price (ERP) of the Core Xbox 360 in Europe from ?199.99 to ?159.99 making it the least expensive console in the region.

Also receiving a price cut are the Premium and Elite systems which will retail for ?199.99 from ?249.99 and ?259.99 from ?299.99 respectively.

“Xbox 360 is now mass market in Europe,” said Chris Lewis, Vice President, Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business Europe. “History shows that £159.99 is the price point where a console’s audience begins to expand, and with these new ERPs in place we’re ready to bring more consumers into the Xbox 360 world.”

The new ERPs are part of Microsoft’s on-going mission to give the Xbox 360 a much wider mass market appeal and will take effect March 14th. There is no word on whether or not North America will see a similar price drop.

Microsoft announced today that it would be having the first ever Xbox Live Arcade awards. The awards will recognize achievements (no pun intended) in Xbox Live arcade development.

Although the finalists in each category were chosen by a panel of industry game journalists, ultimately it will be up to gamers to vote on which title they feel should win the top honours. Gamers can vote by visiting www.xbox.com/xblaawards. Only titles released in 2007 are eligible to win.

Voting begins Tuesday, January 22 at 2:00 a.m. PST and ends Wednesday, January 30 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Microsoft will announce the winners at the Game Developers Conference in February.

Here are the list of games and categories which gamers can vote on:

Best Overall Arcade Game

Puzzle Quest
Pac-Man CE
Carcassonne
Bomberman Live
Alien Hominid
Catan

Best Classic Game

Castlevania
Prince of Persia
Asteroids
Jet Pac Refuelled
Sensible World of Soccer
Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Best Original Game

Pac-Man CE
Boom Boom Rocket
Aegis Wing
Undertow
Band of Bugs
Hexic 2

Best Family Friendly Game

Pac-Man CE
Carcassonne
Catan
Bomberman Live
Hexic 2
E4

Best Competitive Multiplayer Game

Puzzle Quest
Carcassonne
Bomberman Live
Super Puzzle Fighter II
Undertow
Catan

Best Cooperative Multiplayer Game

Alien Hominid
Golden Axe
Aegis Wing
Double Dragon
Arkadian Warriors
TMNT

Here are the categories which gamers will not vote on:

Best selling game
Most played game
Highest rated game
Staff choice

After having difficulties with the Xbox Live service over the holidays, gamers were promised a free arcade game to make up for the downtime. Today Microsoft announced that it will be offering Undertow (normally 800 points) free of charge to all silver and gold Xbox Live subscribers.

Developed by Chair Entertainment Group, Undertow is an aquatic based shooter which will allow players to immerse themselves in a full single player campaign, online or offline co-op, as well as battle for control of the oceans as one of three selectable races in 2-16 people multiplayer.

The offer is valid for 5 days beginning Wednesday, January 23rd at 2:00 am PST and will end Sunday, January 27th at 11:59 pm PST. Undertow is available worldwide and is rated Everyone 10+.