Microsoft beats out Apple for top technology innovator of 2010

TheStreet laid it on the line and called out Microsoft as its #1 technology innovator for 2010. Forget about the iPhone 4, the iPad and the iPod touch, Microsoft and its Xbox 360 is the game changer of the year. TheStreet points out that the Xbox 360, Xbox Live subscription service and now the Kinect have exploded onto the scene in 2010. Long the ridiculed console with its nagging red ring of death, the latest generation of the hardware, the Xbox 360 Slim, has all but eliminated this troublesome problem. With reliability issues out of the way, Xbox 360 console sales have skyrocketed. Since the launch of the 360 slim, Microsoft's Xbox console has outsold the Nintendo Wii. An amazing feat when you consider that the Wii held the #1 position for several years straight.

Microsoft's position as the top innovator was bolstered by the release of the Kinect. This controller-free motion adapter for the Xbox 360 trounced the PlayStation Move in early sales. In its first week and a half of sales, Microsoft sold a staggering 1.5 million Kinect devices and is on target to sell five to six million by the end of the year. While its installed user base may slightly trail that of the PlayStation Move, the Kinect's rate of adoption is significantly faster. The Move currently boasts of 4.1 M users and, similar to the Kinect, is expected to reach five million by the end of the year. While The PlayStation Move, which launched in mid-September, and the Kinect, which launched in early November, will reach the same millstone at the same time, the Kinect was able to achieve this goal within eight weeks. The Move took a whole 3.5 months.

The third ace in the hole for Microsoft is its Xbox Live subscription. The yearly subscription service is the gateway to Xbox 360 online gaming and is necessary for Netflix customers that want to stream media to their TV via the Xbox. The Xbox Live service is also tightly integrated into Windows Phone 7. On this mobile platform, you can play games and share both achievements and points with your gamer profile on your Xbox console. In the future, the Windows Phone platform may become a mobile extension of a game, allowing you to control troops or deploy weapons while you are out and about. Both now and in the future, an Xbox Live subscription is a must have for serious and casual gamers alike.

So what do you think, do these three factors combined earn Microsoft accolades as the top technology innovator in 2010? or is Apple and its magical iPad getting the short end of the stick?

Call of Duty: Black Ops reaches $1billion sales mark

Call of Duty: Black Ops has broken the $1 billion (£647 million) sales barrier, figures show.Sales results released by publisher Activision Blizzard suggest it took just six weeks to do it.In doing so it joins an elite group of entertainment releases to reach the billion dollar mark.Others include Michael Jackson's Thriller album and James Cameron's 1997 hit film Titantic.

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said: "Only Call of Duty and Avatar have ever achieved the billion dollar revenue milestone this quickly".

Fans of 2010's biggest video game have reported connectivity problems in recent weeks though.Players of the PS3 and PC versions complained about being booted from games, freezing and connection error messages.Developer Treyarch released two patches to fix the problem.

'Unprecedented'

Activision's Eric Hirshberg said: "Even more remarkable than the number of units sold is the number of hours people are playing the game together online."
Screenshot from Call of Duty Call of Duty: Black Ops was released in the UK on 9 November
According to Activision, more than 600 million hours have been logged playing the game since its worldwide launch. Microsoft says the average fan using it on Xbox Live logs on more than once every day and plays it for one hour at a time.

Black Ops is the 7th in the hugely popular Call of Duty series, the third developed by Treyarch, and takes gamers on a series of Cold War adventures. There are high expectations within the video games industry that it will surpass the success of its 2009 predecessor.
COD: Modern Warfare 2 sold more than 20 million units around the world meaning it too joined the exclusive one billion dollar club.

Source: BBC

Windows Phone vs. PC gaming now a reality

Microsoft has been pushing the gaming prowess of Windows Phone 7 devices since day one. But until now, one crucial link has been missing - multiplayer gaming between a Windows Phone and a PC.

That link has now been bridged, albeit in a relatively uninteresting manner, by "Game Chest: Logic Games", a US$2.99 app that allows for turn-based chess matches between a PC and a Windows Phone device. After sending an invitation to an opponent via email, the PC user can play via a web interface.
Gaming via Xbox LIVE has long been a cornerstone of Microsoft's mobile strategy and the company has indicated that Windows Phone vs. Xbox 360 gaming is on the cards at some point in the future. As far back as December 2009, Microsoft demonstrated cross-platform games that work across Windows, Windows Phone 7 and the Xbox 360 with the user's gaming session maintained between all three platforms.



SOURCE: Neowin.net

Review: Call of Duty: Black Ops - Multiplayer

Call of Duty is always a big seller because of its multiplayer, not its campaign. The series has really exploded since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare which redefined how online multiplayer should be done. If you're a fan of Call of Duty, I don't need to tell you just how fun playing online is.
The new maps are interesting and will take some time to get used to, just like any new Call of Duty. The new maps bring forth some new challenges of obstacles to hide behind, routes to run with the flag, and pots to defuse the bomb.
Black Ops includes 14 all new maps, with some upcoming map packs in the near future. The maps range from small little stages like Nuketown, where you are at the heart of a test weapons neighbourhood and all the cars and manikins are setup for nuclear war testing. If anyone remembers Shipment from COD:MW1, you'll get the idea just how tiny this stage is.



All the standard gametypes are still available, including team deathmatch, capture the flag, search and destroy, headquarters and more. There is one new gametype addition, "wager match", which allows you to gamble COD cash on games, and if you finish in the top three rankings, you essentially take all the losing players money.
The all new match making system, similar to that of Halo: Reach, allows you to vote on the next map, play the previous stage again or pick a completely random map. A great addition to Black Ops.
Multiplayer - Perks and Weapons
The Call of Duty franchise is known for its great guns, special weapons and hit detection. This game is no exception, as the variety of guns that are unlock-able is massive. All the classes are still there, from assault riffles to bolt action rifles.
You can customize your primary and second weapon with attachments, upgrades and a camouflage pattern. Only playing the multiplayer for a few days, it's easy to see that the guns aren't overpowered or someone can easily snipe you with a handgun from across the stage.
The perk system is something I wasn't too thrilled about in COD:MW2, because there was just so much going on at the one time, a missile, airplane, chopper or something else constantly in the air, keeping you from staying in one spot too long. Black Ops still has a customizable perk system, allowing players to select the perk they want, which is achieved once you hit a kill streak.
Kill streaks start at 3 kills with either a spy plane (UAV) or RC-XD; the remote controlled car that is very annoying in this game, with up to 11 kills, using either attack dogs or a gunship.



Multiplayer - COD Points and Contracts
Treyarch introduced a new system for getting guns and attachments, where you earn money on completing challenges, finishing matches, or completing contracts. Instead of leveling up and unlocking weapons and attachments, you can now buy them with COD Points. You can still only use one attachment at a time per gun, unless you use the perk that allows you to use two.
With the implementation of COD Points, they have added contracts with a variety of objectives like kill 75 people in 40 minutes, or win 4 headquarters matches in 45 minutes. You select a contract by buying it, and if you complete it, you can double, triple or quadruple your investment. This is similar to the Halo: Reach challenges system, but you need to select which ones you want to attempt.



Bbbrrrrraaaaaiiiiiiinnnnnnsss!
Yes, zombie mode is back. You start off with a a pistol against zombies trying to break into the room, and your job is to defend yourself. You earn money by killing zombies or repairing the building and with that you can unlock doors or buy weapons off the wall.



Multiplayer - Conclusion
Only playing multiplayer for a few days now, it's nice to see that there is some major improvements over World at War, and a couple of minor changes from COD:MW2. The gameplay is still similar to COD:MW1, which is a great thing, something both Treyarch and Infinity Ward should not change. The controls for this game are similar to previous versions of COD, which really helps to get right back into playing the game.
The hit detection is accurate for this game, although I'm sure we've all witnessed some unbelievable headshots, maybe someone will upload a nice collection using the theater system.
Pros:

• Gameplay is the same as previous versions
• Variety of new challenging maps
• You can buy upgrades for your gun as soon as you unlock it
• New matchmaking system is great

Cons:

• Lag is still an issue with the game
• Connection issues are still very present
• Spawn points are horrible, people start right behind you
• Claymores don't work properly

Call of Duty: Why the Legacy of COD 4 has been continued in the New Series?

If you are one of those hardcore gamers, who cannot live without playing a game for a single moment, then there is no doubt that Call of Duty will be on top of your list of favorite games. You have to know this series, as it is so ridiculously by so many gamers across the globe. If you do love the series, then you are bound to love the new offering from the makers, Activision and Aspyr Media, which will be hitting the market during the last months of 2009. The fact that its release is going to coincide with the Christmas festival, people preferring Xbox 360 live will simply celebrate its arrival.
Call of Duty started with a clutter of fans in the beginning, but with every release of the game, the count of people going for it went higher and higher. When it comes to the top of the tree of all the games released thus far, nothing can get better than the COD 4 (Modern Warfare). There is no doubt that it is the most popular one in the series. Naturally, the makers had to come up with another one for continuing the legacy and made COD 5. They were positive that the game would bank more than its predecessor. However, apart from the upgraded Zombies mode, which was tough for gamers to ignore, there was nothing too extravagant about the model, which could top the all-time leader COD 4.
This is where Activision paid some attention to their product. Rather than opting for releasing another series, they continued to stick with things, which worked the best for them in the past. COD: Modern Warfare 2 may turn out to be better than the ones in the past. It is believed that the game play is incredible and the graphics are superior in COD 4. The word is that the Zombie Mode of this Series is going to be more improved than the one in COD 5. All the excitement is going to hook every old fan and also bring in some new one.
Since the game is being played online, the company can easily observe the count of players, who are participating. Experts found it to be a surprise for so many players staying loyal for COD 4 rather than upgrading it to the fifth series. Officials at Activision were aware of the fact that if they needed their followers to buy new products, they had to turn their attention back to the COD 4’s magic.
Now, they are trying their luck for one more time. As per the officials at Activision, they made COD 4 before and can easily come up with something that can match or even better its features. People have already built up a strong expectation for what they are going to offer. If things work out in the way expert gamers in the field have thought of, expect something, which will stay in your mind for the rest of your life.

Source:

Posted on 29. Apr, 2009 by zTechWorld in PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360