No Need for Gamers to go ‘All In’; Full Version of ‘Texas Hold ‘em’ on Xbox Live Arcade is a Free Download for First 48 Hours

Texas Hold 'em WILL be free, for those that download it during the first 48 hours.  It goes live on Wednesday Morning, August 23.

Microsoft Invites the World to Create Its Own Xbox 360 Console Games for the First Time  

SEATTLE — Aug. 13, 2006 — In the 30 years of video game development, the art of making console games has been reserved for those with big projects, big budgets and the backing of big game labels. Now Microsoft Corp. is bringing this art to the masses with a revolutionary new set of tools, called XNA Game Studio Express, based on the XNA™ platform. XNA Game Studio Express will democratize game development by delivering the necessary tools to hobbyists, students, indie developers and studios alike to help them bring their creative game ideas to life while nurturing game development talent, collaboration and sharing that will benefit the entire industry.

Based on C# Express 2005

XNA Framework and XNA Game Studio Express Frequently Asked Questions

Want to find a FAQ or Guide for a 360 game or Arcade Title?       Updated  Aug 14, 2006

Then you want to check this post

Xbox Live Vision Camera date               Updated Aug 25, 2006

The (current) dates the Xbox Live Vision Camera are scheduled to be released are:

North America: September 19th
Europe: October 6

It's back: Xbox Live Friends list on Messenger         Updated Jul 17, 2006

Xbox Live friends list from Windows Live Messenger for US and Japan

Unable to register on Xbox.com?           Updated Jul 05, 2006

Thanks to Major Nelson for this tip when using IE:

Summary of Problem:
A user may click on the "Register Now" button on the Passport Sign-In page and nothing will happen. 
This may be caused by the "Navigate sub-frames across different domains" security option being set to disabled.

Resolution:
In the IE browser window click the Tools menu and choose Internet Options.
Click on the Security Tab, highlight the Internet zone, and click the Custom Level button.
Find the "Navigate sub-frames across different domains" option under the Miscellaneous heading and set it to Enabled or Prompt.

Note: If the user has configured xbox.com as a member of the Trusted sites zone then the above steps will need to be taken for that zone as well.

Xbox Forums FAQ      Updated Jun 13, 2006

Check out litheon's new FAQ for everything you wanted to ask about the forums and still do! 

Clear the cache of all connected storage devices       Updated Jun 10, 2006

Per Lucky 13 X (Xbox Support):  For those of you experiencing freezing issues. Please try something that was made available after the update.

You can now clear the cache of all connected storage devices without using the three game disks method. Please use the following steps and let us know how it works out for you.

a. Start the Xbox 360 console without a disc in the disc tray. 
b. Move to the System section of the Xbox Dashboard.  
c. Select Memory, and then press the A button.  
d. Select a storage device.

Important Do not press the A button.

Note It is not important whether you select the hard drive or a memory unit. When you clear the cache, the "purge" affects all connected storage devices. 
 
e. Press the Y button to view the Device Options screen.  
f. On the Device Options screen, use the following sequence on the controller:

Note The Device Options screen is the screen that contains the Rename and Format options.

 a. Press the X button.  
 b. Press the X button.  
 c. Press the left bumper.  
 d. Press the right bumper.  
 e. Press the X button.  
 f. Press the X button.

Note If you do not enter the correct sequence, you can restart the sequence. You do not have to exit the Device Options screen.

After you enter the correct sequence, you receive the following message: This will perform maintenance on your Xbox 360 storage devices. Do you want to continue?
Yes
No 

g. Select Yes, and then press the A button. 

Also, please remember to try using the steps in the following article regarding auto-updates not downloading correctly for a game or the console dashboard.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916663/en-us

It will clear any achievements or game updates stored on the storage device's cache, but it does not delete the information permanently. You simply need to redownload any needed content or updates from Xbox Live again as you currently do.

System updates are not affected by this method as that is stored on the console itself. You will retain the same console software version.

Can I create another account to obtain demos, trailers, etc. that are not available in my region?    Updated Apr 24, 2006

Under the Terms of Use you agreed to you can not.  Also, instructing someone on how to violated the Terms of Use is not permitted

The facts you give us must be complete and correct.

Some examples of harmful activity that we do not permit include: (iii) obtaining or trying to obtain any data through any means from the Service, except if we intend to provide or make it available to you;

Create a false identity for the purpose of misleading others.

Charge It!    Updated Apr 19, 2006

Elle's all charged up and waiting to go! 

A Parent's Guide to Family Settings    Updated Apr 4, 2006

Elle guides us through: New console Family Settings, Console and online settings, and Children's account creation.

Change Your Gamertag or Gamer Profile    Updated Mar 21, 2006

You can change the name of your gamer profile for any reason you'd like. Gamers whose profiles are gamertags (that is, enabled for Xbox Live) face two considerations:

    * Your new gamertag must not be in use by another gamer (if it is, you'll be notified when you attempt to make the change).
    * Gamertag changes cost 800 Microsoft Points.

If you have an offline-only profile, there are no restrictions-you can change it as often as you'd like and to whatever name you wish.

Know Me, Love Me, Guide Me: A Guide to the Xbox Guide   Updated Mar 20, 2006

Elle takes us on a tour of the versatile Xbox Guide.

Free Xbox Live ‘Gold Weekend’ exclusively sponspered by Verizon March 31 - April 2   Updated Mar 10, 2006

Heads up, Xbox 360™ gamers in the United States! Clear your schedule from March 31 through April 2 as we bring you the Free Xbox Live® Gold Weekend, exclusively sponsored by Verizon. You get 72 hours of multiplayer gaming bliss as we grant every U.S. Xbox 360 gamer* Xbox Live Gold status for the entire weekend!

Burnout Revenge™ 21 Days of Carnage contest.  Updated Mar 10, 2006

Xbox Live and EA are awarding prizes for the best hourly scores!  The contest will begin on March 13 and end on April 2, 2006.

Xbox Live Free 48-Hour Gold Trial on Xbox 360   Updated Mar 10, 2006

It's never been easier to see what life's like as an Xbox Live® Gold Member! Your Xbox Live 48-Hour Gold Trial Card contains everything you need to engage in the ultimate online multiplayer experience for 48 hours. Look for the trial card in specially marked Xbox Live titles. This offer is good only for new members.

Xbox 360: The hard drive (HDD) capacity is listed as 13 gigabytes (GB) in the Dashboard   Updated Mar 10, 2006

The size of the Xbox 360 hard drive is 20 GB. Of this amount, approximately 4 GB is reserved for game title caching and other hard drive specific elements in games that support the hard drive. An additional 2 GB is reserved for use by the Xbox 360 backward compatibility software. This leaves you with almost 14 GB of free space (rounded down to 13 GB) to save game files, downloadable content and music, and other media.

Xbox 360™ Quick Charge Kit   Updated Mar 6, 2006

Recharge in a flash and kiss disposable batteries goodbye with the Xbox 360™ Quick Charge Kit. Quickly recharge one or more wireless controllers without awkward wires to plug into your console. Your Xbox 360 Wireless Controller needs a new battery? Swap in a fresh pack from the Quick Charge Kit. Multiple wireless controllers? Pick up additional Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery Packs.

 Xbox 360: Camera and Microphone  Updated: Feb 26, 2006

circa Sep 2005.  Page removed.

Stream media from your Mac to your Xbox 360    Updated: Fed 10, 2006

Media Center Edition cool apps    Updated: Feb 7, 2006

While not officially supported my Microsoft these are definitely cool.

MCE Browser

A lot of people have been asking when the 360 will get a web browser.  Check out this cool Media center app, the MCE Browser.  Using windows MCE and your 360 as the extender, you can now browse the web on the white box.


Transcode 360

The second app allows you to transcode video directly over to your 360 and allows you to use more than the currently supported formats. I now there was a convoluted method brought up before but this app seamlessly integrates the "transcode" on the fly method to achieve this.

Many thanks to Jaken Bear for pointing this out

January 2006 System Update for Xbox 360  Updated: Jan 30, 2006

This free Xbox 360™ update is great news! We've been listening to what the community has been telling us, so we're happy to announce that this update will improve your gaming experience.

Here are some of the changes in this update:

• Improvements to the Xbox Guide.
• Option to retain your saved games when you delete a profile.
• Increased accuracy of "last time played."
• Network configuration improvements for Xbox Live® members in the Netherlands.
• More detailed messaging for unreadable disk or region errors.

This free update is available to all Xbox Live members. Your console will be updated the next time you sign in to Xbox Live.

MSN Spaces Goes Xbox  Updated Jan 26, 2006

Xbox Live Gamer Card and Xbox Live Recent Games: Click 'Customize' button when you're logged into your MSN Space.  Select 'Modules' and select the module you want.

Add Xbox themes to MSN Spaces: Click the 'Customize' button when you're logged into your MSN Space. Select 'Themes', then 'Music and Entertainment.' The first five themes are an Xbox 360 goldmine.

How to change the theme in Xbox Guide and Xbox Dashboard   Updated Jan 29, 2006

1. Turn on the Xbox 360 console, and then sign in to your profile.
2. Press the Xbox Guide button on your Xbox 360 Controller or remote control.
3. Select Personal Settings, and then select Themes.
4. Select one of the default themes, or customize your own theme.

When you customize your own theme, you can customize the Dashboard trim or guide background.

When you customize the Xbox Guide background, you can modify the Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) color attributes to create the exact color that you want.

You can also use a custom image as a background.  Note: You can only use a single image as the background across all blades.

1. In the Media section of the Xbox Dashboard, select Pictures.
2. Select the picture source. After you select the appropriate picture source, you can preview the pictures.
3. Select the picture that you want to view. 
4. Press X to apply as background.

Happy Birthday Xbox     Updated Nov 15

Xbox Live Marketplace Launch Content   Updated Nov 15

Microsoft Unveils Xbox Live Marketplace Content Available at Launch of Xbox 360
Exciting day one line-up provides gamers with more than 400 pieces of exclusive content on November 22.

In North America, consumers can purchase a card worth 1600 Points for an MSRP of $19.99. Offers in the dashboard will range from 500 points and up.  

Xbox 360: Launch Day Lineup   Updated Nov 14

18 Xbox 360™ games, spanning all the popular genres, available on Day One. In addition, 13 Xbox 360 accessories will be available.

Kameo™: Elements of Power™
Perfect Dark Zero™
Project Gotham Racing® 3
Call of Duty® 2
Need for Speed™ Most Wanted
Peter Jackson's King Kong™
Madden NFL 06
GUN™
Condemned: Criminal Origins™
NBA 2K6
Ridge Racer™ 6
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
QUAKE™ 4
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 06
Amped® 3
FIFA 06: Road to FIFA World Cup™
NHL 2K6
NBA Live 06

Backwards Compatibility   Updated Nov 11

It's here and better then expected!

Q & A: Backward Compatibility

Original Xbox Games Playable on Xbox 360

Come Play with Microsoft in the desert!   Updated: Nov 07

Also check out The Xbox.com Xbox 360 FAQ

Xbox Live Account Activation with Xbox 360    Updated: Oct 31

Activating your existing Xbox Live account for use with the Xbox 360 system is easy. Just make sure you get your gamer card first! To create a gamer card, go to My Gamer Card.

After you've created your gamer card, follow these steps to activate your account as an Xbox Live Gold membership. Keep this basic information handy: your gamertag, your birthdate, and the e-mail address and password associated with your .NET Passport account.

To activate your account for use with Xbox 360:

1. Make sure your Xbox 360 console is connected to Xbox Live.
2. From the Xbox Dashboard, go to Xbox Live.
3. Choose Recover Gamertag from Xbox Live and follow the on-screen instructions to create your new Xbox Live account.

You'll be asked to select preferences for language, country/region, time-zone, and Xbox Live promotions.

Upon completion, you'll be all set to dive headlong into online gaming and other digital entertainment for Xbox 360.

Which Xbox 360 system do you get from the “Every 10 Minutes” Promotion? Updated: Sep 11

Xbox 360 system, the one with the hard disk, the white box.

How much will the Xbox 360 be?

Starts at $299.99 U.S. for Xbox 360 Core system
$399.99 U.S. for Xbox 360

If you're reading this, then most likely you are going to be using the Xbox 360 and not the Xbox 360 core system.

When will the forums be updated? Updated: Oct 28

Duh!

M. Nelson clarifies Xbox 360 wireless peripheral contents Updated: Aug 26
Confirmed
1. In the $399.99 Xbox 360 package (and not the $299.99 Core one), you’ll get a wireless controller AND 2 batteries (AA) to run the controller with.
2. The $19.99 Play and Charge Kit will come with the cable AND a rechargeable battery pack.
3. The $11.99 Rechargeable Battery Pack won’t come with anything else, so you’ll need the cable from the Play and Charge Kit to recharge it.

Will I be able to use Xbox Live® if I don't have a hard drive?

You won't need a hard drive to enjoy all the benefits of Xbox Live Silver and Gold with the Core System, but you will at least need a Memory Unit (MU) in order to save your Gamer Profile. If you plan on downloading a lot of content (vehicles, maps, game trailers, demos, etc) you'll want to get a hard drive.

Will I be able to download content from Xbox Live without a hard drive?

Yes, with the 64MB MU you will be able to download content. However, gamers that choose to download lots of content will want to get a hard drive for capacity and flexibility.

Why are there two different systems?

We wanted to give people the opportunity to purchase what they value most. If a hard drive is important to you, you can have one. If you don't feel like you need one, then you don't have to pay for it. And if you decide you want one later, you can always add one.

Why doesn't the Core System come with HDTV cables standard? I thought this was the HD generation?

Not everyone has a high-definition (HD) TV yet. And those people shouldn't have to pay for it until they're ready. Once they do get an HDTV, then they can purchase the appropriate cable as an accessory.

Can you save your game, or Download contents on to a 3rd party Hard Drive, thumb drive, etc? Updated: Aug 22

J Allard: at present our design for xbox 360 uses the usb ports in a read-only capacity for playing music and viewing photos. if there are other applications that you guys think are interesting then please give us your feedback.

What are the Xbox360's system specifications?

Xbox 360 Fact Sheet

Does the Xbox 360 have built in wireless internet (Wifi)? Updated: Aug 22

Xbox 360 Fact Sheet. The Xbox is Wi-Fi ready: 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. You will need to buy an adapter, or you should be able to use the ethernet one you have now.
It is not known if other USB wireless bridges will work.
Major Nelson has reported that the MS MN-740 Wireless Adapter (aka Xbox Wireless Adapter) works fine with his Xbox 360.

What is the difference between Xbox Live Gold, and silver?

Xbox Live on Xbox 360 Fact Sheet. The biggest difference between the two, is that gold allows unlimited online play, while silver does not. Silver may have online gaming on periodic select weekends.

How much will Gold cost? Updated: Sep 08

One Month - Price: $7.99 (U.S.)
Three Months - Price: $19.99 (U.S.)
12 Months - Price: $49.99 (U.S.)
Xbox Live Supercharges Xbox 360 Online
Microsoft also today announced that credit cards will no longer be required to create an account on Xbox Live for Xbox 360, removing one of the biggest barriers to entry. Gamers can purchase 12-month Xbox Live subscription cards via cash or other payment methods at any participating retail store

Do I need to get a new Gamertag when I get a 360, if I have one now, and it won't expire before I get a 360? Updated: Oct 28

Tonic
Here's the scoop.  When you get your Xbox 360, you're going to select 'recover your Xbox Live gamertag'.  It'll ask for your gamertag, then your passport member name and password.  There's a couple of pages to make sure your info is all good and then your home free!

Your current remaining subscription will automatically migrate over into an Xbox Live Gold account once Xbox 360 launches.

You'll start off with a rep of 3 stars when you first sign into Live on the Xbox 360

What kind of wireless technology does the 360 use to connect to the controllers?

Xbox 360 Peripherals Fact Sheet. The Xbox 360 uses 2.4GHz frequency spectrum hoping technology.

How much does the new memory card hold?

Xbox 360 Peripherals Fact Sheet. Memory Unit support starting at 64 MB. The current Xbox Memory Unit is 8MB.
Mucho Memory: Inside the Xbox 360 Memory Unit

Does the Xbox 360 come with a DVD?

Xbox 360 Fact Sheet. 12x dual-layer DVD-ROM.

What's the Xbox 360 Dashboard like? Updated: Oct 8

Windows Media Player Xbox 360 Live Trailer

Confused about cables?  Updated: Nov 08

The Xbox 360™ Console includes the Xbox 360™ HD-AV Cable or Xbox 360™ Component HD AV Cable with SCART adapter depending on region.

HD-AV Cable
The Xbox 360™ HD-AV Cable outputs component or composite video. In addition to having RCA audio ouputs, there is also a Toslink-style optical output for digital audio.

The Xbox 360™ Core system includes the Xbox 360™ Composite AV Cable or Xbox 360™ Composite AV Cable with SCART Adapter depending on region

Can we stream videos from our PCs? Updated: Aug 22

J Allard: yes. if you have media center on those pcs. you will be able to stream standard and high definition video.

How can I stream audio and pictures from my Windows XP computer? Updated: Oct 18

Windows® Media Connect enables you to deliver music and photos that reside on your Windows XP PC to the Xbox 360.

Will consumers be able to purchase and download songs or other media directly through the Live Marketplace? Updated: Aug 22

J Allard: not at launch. it is something we would love to get your feedback on. please give us your thoughts.

Will the core system come with a memory card? if not, how can you save games? Updated: Aug 22

J Allard: no it does not come with a memory unit. gamers will need an mu or a hard drive to save games with which is consistent with the games industry for the last decade.

Will a completely black 360 be available? Updated: Aug 22

J Allard: not currently in plan for launch but as you know we will have removable faceplates and i expect down the line we will get feedback that people want other colors and we will provide it

Can I use my Xbox headset? Updated: Aug 27

Yes, but the controls for volume and mute are software controlled.

Can I use my Xbox 360 Controller with my PC? Updated: Sep 11

Microsoft announced the Xbox 360™ Controller for Windows® ($44.95 USD) for use on Windows-based PCs and the next generation Xbox console.

Can I store more then one account on the Xbox 360 MU? Updated: Sep 11

Unlike today where a Xbox MU can only hold one account the Xbox 360 can store multiple accounts, although we don't know the exact number it is at least as many as todays Xbox.

Will MSN Messenger be integrated into Xbox 360? Updated: Sep 18

No. Check out Xbox Live and Messenger Alerts on Hold Until 2006

How are points purchased for marketplace Updated: Sep 25

You'll be able to purchase marketplace points at retails.

If I get a Xbox 360 Core System can I use accessories on the Xbox 360? Updated: Oct 5

Yes, the same accessories work on either the Xbox 360 Core System or the Xbox 360. For example, you can add a Xbox 360 Wireless Controller to the Xbox 360 Core system.

What about origenxbox360.com? Updated: Oct 5

http://origenxbox360.com/ gives europeans their shot at trying the Xbox 360 before their friends. Primary purpose of Origen is a competition that offers two gamers a chance to win a trip to an unknown Xbox 360 launch party in the United States

Can I use my original generation Xbox controllers with the Xbox 360? Updated: Oct 7

No, the controllers are not compatible with the Xbox 360

How many friends can I have on the Xbox 360 friends list?   Updated: Oct 28

Same as before 100.

How many controllers can I use on the Xbox 360   Updated: Oct 28

You can have up to a total of 4 controllers, which can include up to 3 wired ones.  You can have 4 wireless, 2 wireless 2 wired, 3 wireless 1 wired, etc.

How do I put my gamercard on my desktop?   Updated Oct 28

   1. Right click on your desktop and select Properties.
   2. Move to the Desktop tab.
   3. Click Customize Desktop.
   4. Move to the Web tab
   5. Click New...
   6. In the "Location" field, use the below line of HTML, but add in your Xbox Live gamertag where you see “REPLACE-THIS-WITH-YOUR-GAMERTAG” :

 http://gamercard.xbox.com/REPLACE-THIS-WITH-YOUR-GAMERTAG.card

 If you have any spaces in your gamertag, replace them with a %20. So Major Nelson's gamertag would need this code to share his gamer card: 

http://gamercard.xbox.com/Major%20Nelson.card

   7. Continue through and finish the wizard.
   8. When you get to the "Desktop Items" window, make sure your new item is checked. Click OK.
   9. Click OK again.
  10. Your gamercard should appear on your desktop.

Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360 games    Updated: Jan 30