Disgruntled Xbox Players Will Get Free Game

Microsoft revamping service

(NEWSER) - The latest competition aiming to replace your cable box: Xbox Live. Microsoft is ramping up its online entertainment service starting tomorrow, allowing subscribers to watch a variety of television from their Xbox 360. In addition, rather than the tedious process of using a remote control to search for shows listed on a cable box program guide, Xbox Live users will be able to search with voice commands and hand gestures, if they also have a Kinect. Tomorrow, services that are already available to subscribers—including Netflix and Hulu Plus—will be available via the new retrieval system. More»

Gaming firm creates demo showing kinky XBox possibilities

(NEWSER) - It took them more than a month, but the adult gaming industry has managed to crack Kinect and use it for interactive porn. Sex simulation gaming company ThriXXX has released a demo showing how the motion-controlled gadget for Microsoft's XBox gaming system can be used for porn pleasure, ABC News reports. ThriXXX says its demo shows there's plenty of kinky possibilities with Kinect, although it doesn't have permission from Microsoft to create games, and its demo was created with help from hackers. More»

Television tech battle back on

(NEWSER) - Microsoft is planning to leap back into the battle for American living rooms with a new TV service, sources tell Reuters. The company has held talks with TV networks about creating a TV service to be delivered through the XBox console, establishing a "virtual cable operator" that would charge a monthly fee for access and provide stiff competition for cable companies, the sources say. More»

(NEWSER) - Just-released patent applications suggest Microsoft has indeed created a so-called “Magic Wand” to rival the Wii remote, the BBC reports. It could come out at next month's industry expo in Los Angeles. The applications say the wand has "biometric sensors" that would detect "fingerprint, hand geometry, hand vein pattern, palm pattern, and grip configuration," and would have a "facial thermogram, a facial feature, a retinal feature, or an iris feature.” More»

Youth registration drive targets players with online promos

(NEWSER) - To get gamers off the couch and into politics, Rock the Vote is targeting Xbox players, CNET reports. Beginning Monday, Xbox Live users will be able to register to vote and answer surveys from their living rooms. "To realize our goal of registering 2 million young Americans by this fall, we need to go where young Americans are, and there's no doubt … many are on Xbox 360 and Xbox Live." More»