Xbox360 Blogger

The red rings are a threat to any Xbox360 owner. However until the extended 3-year warranty came along last year Microsoft couldn't care less.

 

In an interview with the BBC Bill Gates is doing one better. He believes with the new warranty and updated hardware that the Xbox360 may become the ”most reliable” console out there.

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In November of last year, the Xbox360 received another backwards compatibility update bringing the total number of supported original Xbox games to over 450. That update may have been the last, however, according to group marketing manager Albert Penello.

Speaking to Kotaku, Penello noted, "I don't know if we have plans to do any more releases. It feels like we kind of hit the point of diminishing returns there. I know with the Xbox Originals, there are still things happening there, but in terms of a lot of engineering work around bringing out new titles, I think they're winding that down."  Xbox360

Penello said that Microsoft at this point has upheld its promise from a corporate standpoint to make its most popular original Xbox titles playable on Xbox360. "For the most part, we've crossed off games that people want to play," he said. "There's always going to be a notable exception here or there."

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Halo 3 Four Player Online Co-Op has been Confirmed, now to the details straight from the horses mouth at Bungie.net

So you were probably wondering why we didn’t want to commit to two player co-op online over Xbox Live. We certainly got plenty of mail asking, no, demanding that we make it happen. Of course we were working on it, but we were also working on something better. Not two player co-op. Not three-player co-op, but up to four player co-op. Online. On Xbox Live, or sure, System Link if you prefer.

That is correct – up to four player co-op in Campaign mode on Xbox Live or System Link.

We’ve been playing it for quite some time, and bluntly, having some of our greatest ever Halo experiences. We wanted to make sure all our “t”s were crossed and our “i”s dotted before unveiling this important new part of Halo 3’s Campaign mode.

Apart from the horrifying network challenges this new mode presented us, were the various gameplay balance issues it adds to the fray. So we got it all together, polished it, and that’s why we’re revealing it now. As a result, you’re going to want to play co-op as hard as you can stomach it. We’d certainly recommend Legendary, but we’ll be revealing some more ways to make the game more interesting and challenging for multiple players in the very near future.

Acting as a team is a fantastic new twist to the Campaign gameplay – something that works as well on foot, in close confines as it does on the battlefield, with large scale vehicle mayhem. Scared of Jackal snipers? Send out a scout to see what dangers lie ahead. Terrified of an open field? Flank your enemies and swipe their rides. The combinations and scenarios are endless – and you’ll be able to enjoy them time and time again in Saved Films of your co-op exploits.

We mentioned that we’ve been having a blast. We have a lot of stories. Many of them would require that we explain some of the reasons replay will be a big factor, but not quite yet. Soon, we promise.

Like every other aspect of Halo 3, this mode is chosen from a Lobby. Simply select Campaign, choose your network (Xbox Live or System Link) and invite your friends to join you, or they can simply join your session once it’s set up and in a lobby (but they cannot join a game once it’s in-progress). They will pop into your lobby instantly, and when you have all the players you need (anywhere from one to four) you can begin the game from the beginning – or from any of your saved checkpoints.

Split-screen co-op is as ever, limited to two players per screen – but they can if they wish join two other friends online or via System Link.

For fictional reasons, we decided to avoid Halo’s slightly surreal compromise of two identical Master Chiefs and rather, use this opportunity to expand the Halo universe just a little bit. Player one will control the Master Chief, player two will control the Arbiter and players three and four will get the chance to control two brand new Elite characters.

Microsoft has said no to the credible rumors of a $50 price drop for the $400 Xbox360 Premium package. The rumors continue to say that the price drop will see the Core system discontinued in the US.

Microsoft's response was: "No. Xbox360 Core remains an important member of the Xbox 360 family."

One of only 100 Limited edition Simpsons Xbox 360 Consoles is on ebay with the current bid standing at $4000. Check out the auction here.