Xbox 360 Wins Holiday Season in US, Marks Two Straight Years Atop Market
Jan. 10, 2013
GeekWire
"More than $1.27 billion was spent on Xbox 360-related retail last month. The console also had seven of the top ten best selling software titles during the holidays: Halo 4, Assassin’s Creed 3, Just Dance 4, NBA 2K13, Far Cry 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Madden NFL 13."
More Than One-Third of Xbox Users Engage With Interactive Ads
Jan. 10, 2013
Huffington Post
"Based on the first wave of spots with Subway and Toyota, Xbox found that 37 percent of viewers engaged with the ads when prompted to vote, and of those 71 percent voted in the polls. Also, 97 percent of those who voted waited to see their votes appear in the final tallies, underscoring the community nature of the Xbox service."
Nancy Tellem: Why Microsoft's Looking for TV Hits on XBox LIVE (Q&A)
Jan. 4, 2013
Hollywood Reporter
"One of her primary mandates: to create a TV studio in Los Angeles during the next year, where she and her staff will make original content for the 40 million customers worldwide who subscribe to Xbox LIVE, which already features fare from Netflix, ESPN, HBO Go, Amazon Prime and other providers."
Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE Goes Short-Form, Adds Content From AOL and Vimeo
Dec. 18, 2012
TechCrunch
"The AOL On Network has been added to Xbox LIVE, bringing a wide range of content from its ever-growing video library. The ad-supported video network includes more than 420,000 short-form videos from AOL properties such as Huffington Post, Engadget, and TechCrunch, as well as content partners that include Reuters, the AP, BBC, E!, ET Online, Sugar, Splash News, CNET, and Martha Stewart."
SkyDrive for Xbox 360 Lands Today Plus 40+ Apps Before Spring 2013
Dec. 11, 2012
SlashGear
"There’s also quick access to sharing, both those images and videos you’ve taken and want to show friends and family, and whatever content others have shared with you. Microsoft has added in a 'party slide show' mode to play in the background, complete with themed images and a musical soundtrack."
New Xbox 360 Nike+ Kinect Training Bundle Launched
Dec. 5, 2012
Neowin
"Yes, Microsoft is selling a bundle designed not for people who want to sit on the couch, but for folks who want to get off that couch and work out in front of the TV screen. Launched earlier this year, Nike+ Kinect Training offers users a number of different exercises that use the Kinect sensor device to track a person's movements."
Microsoft Reports Best-Ever Xbox 360 Black Friday Sales
Nov. 27, 2012
PCMag
"The Xbox 360 is having the best week ever. Microsoft sold nearly one million Xbox 360 consoles over Black Friday, the company confirmed in a blog post. 'Entering the seventh year of its lifecycle, Xbox 360 just closed the biggest sales week in the history of the hit digital entertainment system,' Microsoft's Jeff Meisner wrote."
YouTube-Exclusive ‘Halo’ Miniseries Nets 26 Million Views
Nov. 20, 2012
Mashable
"Doohan says the most exciting statistics surrounding the series were the engagement; fans hardly dropped off from the first 19-minute video until the last minute or so. He also says the number of favorites was about 34 percent higher than other Machinima content."
'Halo 4' Earns $220 Million in 24 Hours
Nov. 12, 2012
Variety
"More than 4 million people logged on to play the game in the first five days, with users spending 31.4 million hours playing 'Halo 4.'"
Review: ‘Halo 4’ an Action Powerhouse
Nov. 5, 2012
USA TODAY
"Halo 4 represents a triumphant return for Master Chief, and a stellar debut for 343 Industries as the franchise's primary developers."
A Strong Start to the Reclaimer Trilogy
Nov. 1, 2012
Destructoid
"The visuals, lighting, and art direction are phenomenal too, adding tons of detail and pushing the Xbox 360 to points I haven't seen in any other game on the console. Comparing Halo 3's visuals to Halo 4's is night and day, to the point that the former looks last-gen in comparison."
Halo 4 Review: Our New Chief Operating Officer
Nov. 1, 2012
Joystiq
"Our doubt and questioning of Halo's continued existence has, in some small way, helped deliver one of the best games in the series and one of the finest shooters in years."
"Do not underestimate... him."
Nov. 1, 2012
IGN
“This isn’t just the best 'Halo,' it’s probably the best Xbox game this year and quite possibly the best video game on any platform in 2012. ...'Halo 4' is not only a success, but a bar-raising triumph for the entire first-person shooter genre."
Halo 4 Review
Nov. 1, 2012
GameSpot
"A thrilling, moving story and intense competitive multiplayer help Halo 4 continue the series' reign as one of the premier shooter franchises. ...343 Industries should be proud of what it has accomplished, and you should be excited to experience it for yourself."
Halo 4 Review
Nov. 1, 2012
OXM
"Beneath its sometimes bombastic layer of blockbuster-level polish, Halo 4 hides a complicated heart filled with intelligent sci-fi and a surprising amount of humanity. Count us in for Chief’s next outing. We’ll be ready."
Microsoft's SmartGlass Brings Xbox 360, Tablets and Phones Together
Oct. 23, 2012
NBC News
"The SmartGlass app will be free and will essentially turn tablets, phones and PCs into a second screen that you can a) control your Xbox 360 game machine with and b) that you can use to watch and interact with games and videos from your Xbox and connected TV."
Microsoft SmartGlass Connects Your Xbox to Your Mobile Device
Oct. 23, 2012
CNET
"Your smartphone or tablet will soon be able to control and display games and movies from an Xbox 360. Set to be released along with Windows 8 this Friday, Microsoft's new SmartGlass app is designed to bridge the gap between the Xbox and mobile devices."
Xbox SmartGlass Changes the Second-Screen Playing Field [Preview]
Oct. 23, 2012
Mashable
"The biggest game changer, however, is the fact that SmartGlass is device agnostic. It’s beyond cool that the controls and second-screen options will be available on iOS and Android. It also helps position Xbox 360 as a continually valuable device for the home-entertainment space."
With Its New Music App, Microsoft Pulled Off Something Even Apple Couldn't Do
Oct. 15, 2012
Business Insider
"Today Microsoft unveiled Xbox Music, a Spotify-like streaming music service that'll be baked into Windows 8 PCs and tablets, Windows Phones, and the Xbox. Except it's better than Spotify, Rhapsody, Rdio, and all those other streaming products out there. And it exemplifies Apple's failings to get streaming music right."
Microsoft Presses Play on New Xbox Music Service
Oct. 15, 2012
Billboard
"The technology giant on Monday is taking the wraps off of its rebranded digital music service, now called Xbox Music, that promises an all-in-one music experience. It wraps together free, on-demand music streaming, a scan-and-match feature, a download store and artist radio stations."
Microsoft Unveils Xbox Music to Compete With Apple's iTunes
Oct. 14, 2012
The Hollywood Reporter
"...Xbox Music is driving the attempt to make consumers think different. 'Yeah, we will have a video store,' said Johnson, 'but music is the one avenue we think we can really differentiate this year against the competition and really solve the consumer’s problem, and introduce something in a powerful way. Music shouldn’t be work. It should be fun.'"
Microsoft to Begin Rolling Out Xbox Music Service
Oct. 14, 2012
Bloomberg
"'This gives Microsoft a strong music story which they’ve lacked for years and extends the Xbox brand to media and entertainment,' said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at market research firm Gartner Inc. 'A free streaming service with ads every 15 or 20 minutes is pretty compelling. This is will put a lot of pressure on the Spotify’s, the Rdio’s and Pandora’s.'"