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Xbox 360 update lets you boot directly into media center extender
The Xbox 360 Spring 2007 update rolled out this week. There's been a lot of attention given to the integration of MSN Messenger and support for 1080p MPEG4 and H.264 video. But it looks like the media extender capability's been tweaked (a little) as well.If you think of your Xbox 360 first and foremost as a way to access content on your Windows Media Center PC, and secondly as a gaming device, you might want to boot into the media extender interface very time you press the power button. Now you can.
Of course, when it comes right down to it, this isn't that exciting. If you have a media center remote, you could always have just pressed the green button to load the media extender when your Xbox 360 powers up. But if you're a bit old fashioned and like walking over to the box to turn it on, now you can.
[via Aaron Stebner]
The Simpsons Xbox 360 console you'll never have
Excuse me if I salivate like Homer standing near a box of donuts, but this is awesome. I want myself a Simpsons Xbox so bad and I don't even play video games. Our pals over at Endgadget, who know more about such things, say that the new system, created as a promotion for the upcoming Simpsons movie, is an Xbox 360 Pro and not an Elite, which apparently means less GBs.
Don't bother trying to find it in stores, though, because only one hundred of these machines were created and they'll be given away at different promotional events as we get closer to the film's release on July 27.
I suppose if you want to you could always just draw a picture of Homer on your Xbox with a Sharpie. Heck, draw Homer on everything in your house and pretend you won some kind of sweepstakes.
The Colbert Report and Daily Show on Xbox Live Marketplace
On the heels of news of Stephen Colbert's "Tek Jansen" cartoons being made available on Xbox Live Marketplace comes even gooder* news: both The Colbert Report and The Daily Show will have full episodes made available on the download service just a few hours after they air on television. The cost is 160 points (I don't have Xbox, but if you do, then I assume you know what that means), or two bucks per episode.
NY Television Festival and Microsoft want you to create shows for Xbox Live
If you didn't think that the creation of new programming for alternate delivery systems like the internet, cell phones, and other devices was here to stay, perhaps this announcement might turn your opinion, if only a little:Microsoft and our friends at the New York Television Festival have struck a deal to co-sponsor a contest where contestants will create five to fifteen minute pilots suitable for the software company's Xbox Live, which allows Xbox 360 users to play online games and watch movies and TV on demand. The winner of the contest will receive $100,000 to produce six episodes, which will be made available to Xbox Live customers. Also, the pilot will be screened at the festival, which will be held from September 5-10 this year.
Animation or live-action pilots will be accepted. It will be interesting to see what will be produced for this contest, and ultimately what wins. Suffice to say, knowing the Xbox's audience, I doubt it will be something along the lines of Desperate Housewives or Ugly Betty. That is, unless those housewives or Betty are shooting down aliens or bending iron bars with their minds or something. The full press release is after the jump.
First HD episode of South Park coming to XBox Live
Wired has news that tomorrow the South Park episode "Good Times with Weapons" will be made available exclusively in HD on XBox Live Marketplace. "Good Times with Weapons" is the episode from season eight in which the boys purchase ninja weapons and are transformed through the power of their own imagination into anime warriors. Unfortunately for Butters/Professor Chaos, reality starts to seep in when he takes a throwing star in the eye. In true form, the boys don't try too hard to help Butters, though they do dress him as a dog so at least he can receive veterinarian care. Hey, it's better than nothing.
Also, if you buy an XBox 360 between March 20 and April 3, you'll get a free DVD copy of this HD episode. And don't forget that season eleven kicks off Wednesday night with the episode "With Apologies to Jesse Jackson."
More information can be found here on one of our sister sites. Thanks, Tucker.
New Battlestar game coming to Xbox Live
In what seems like a no-brainer idea, NBC Universal is partnering with Sierra Online on a high-def, space combat, Battlestar Galactica game. Who doesn't want to fly a Viper or a Raider? Players will be able to choose which side they fight for while taking part in both single-player, and multi-player, versions of the game. The big news of the announcement is that the game will be available in the Xbox Live Marketplace. This is the first original Hollywood-licensed property for the still growing service. To kick off the promotion, fans can now get Battlestar gamer pics and theme packs from the Marketplace. Thankfully, for those of you that haven't jumped on the 360 bandwagon yet, the game will also be available for the PC and downloadable from SciFi.com, NBC.com, and Sierra.com. It is slated for a fall release.
Sierra will be adding sound from the series and was able to visit the set to get the look and details right. They also have secured likeness rights to talent from the show, and mention the possibility of the actors providing radio chatter for the in game play. The article also talks about the possibility of adding episodes of the show to the Xbox service.
Coca Cola: "Give A Little Love"
I think I saw this during the trailers down at the local cineplex, but this is the first time I have seen it on TV. At first, it's a pretty convincing video game commercial. I suspected to see something about the latest Grand Theft Auto ripoff for the XBox 360 or PlayStation 3.
The tables quickly turn as it is another in Coke's "make the world a better place" line of ads. It goes right back to buying the world a coke and all that jazz. This one won't reach those classic commercial levels, but it's solid. I like the buildup as things get more and more chaotic right up to the grand finale, complete with dancing mice and motorcycle cop pyramids. Not even in the running for best commercial, but cute.
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