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Xbox Smart Glass

E3 is right around the corner (a.k.a. next week) and word has slipped that Microsoft is planning to introduce a product called Smart Glass at the event. Xbox Smart Glass will be a companion application that you use with the console that will allow you to send video to the Xbox 360 from a smartphone or tablet, similar to what you can do with an iOS device and Apple TV using AirPlay. The cool part? Aside from naturally running on Windows 8 tablets and Windows Phone devices, Smart Glass will also run on iOS and Android in a multiplatform play for supremacy. About time, Microsoft.

Read More | Examiner

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Recent WWE television spots have been promoting the arrival of a "revolution," causing many to speculate what exactly that would be. As it turns out, the revolution that will be revealed this Monday night on Raw is the WWE '13 video game. Above we have a leaked video that seems to lack sound, showing off CM Punk in the commercial spot, followed by some footage from the game, including a recreation of Mark Henry and The Big Show destroying the ring with a superplex, foreshadowing that this will be something you can do in the game itself.


Halo 4 Limited Edition

The release date of Halo 4 is quickly approaching, as November 6 is less than six months away. Today Microsoft announced the Halo 4 Limited Edition, a $99.99 bundle that beings Halo fans a ton of extras:

  • War Games Map Pack Access – The Limited Edition includes access to nine maps – three future competitive multiplayer map packs, each including three locations, available for download post-launch on Xbox LIVE.
  • Specializations – Receive early access to six Specializations, available at launch on Xbox LIVE, to achieve higher ranks in your Spartan career. In addition to gaining access to new ranks, Specializations unlock new customization options. Purchasers of the “Halo 4” Limited Edition will get access on launch day, while others will have to wait as Specializations are released over time.
  • The Limited Edition also contains the UNSC Infinity Briefing Packet, which includes an armor customization schematic, a blueprint of the massive ship itself, and insight into what it means to be one of humanity’s finest warriors: the Spartan-IVs.
  • “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” Special Edition – An extended 90-minute version of the live-action digital series that will bring the “Halo” universe to life as you’ve never seen it, and provide an enthralling backstory leading up to the events of “Halo 4.”
  • Bonus digital content through Xbox LIVE:
    • Unique in-game Spartan-IV armor skin
    • Unique in-game weapon skin for the Assault Rifle
    • An exclusive in-game emblem
    • Xbox LIVE Avatar prop
    • Xbox LIVE Avatar Spartan-IV armor set

Definitely a lot of content in exchange for an extra $40 above the standard version of Halo 4. You can pre-order Halo 4 now.

Read More | Halo 4 pre-order

Latest Gear Live Videos

Internet Explorer for Xbox 360

Looks like Microsoft is finally ready to bring Internet Explorer to the Xbox 360 after many years on the market. It turns out that the company has been testing an Xbox-optimized version of Internet Explorer 9 that supports the Bing voice search feature that's currently available on the platform. As with most things that Microsoft builds for the Xbox 360 these days, IE will have deeply-integrated Kinect integration, allowing users to speak web pages into existence, and wave to navigate. No word yet on availability, but E3 is just a few weeks away, and we'd bet that we'll see it in all its glory there.

Read More | The Verge

$99 xbox 360 2 year contract

Remember that $99 Xbox 360 Kinect bundle we mentioned last week? Well, Microsoft has just launched it. You can now buy a 4 GB Xbox 360 with Kinect sensor for $99 with two-year Xbox Live Gold contract, paying $14.99 per month for the course of the agreement. If you cancel early, you'll pay an early termination fee, which starts at $250 and decreases each month after the third month. Just head on over to your local Microsoft Store to  make it happen.

Read More | $99 Xbox Offer

Xbox 360 kinect 2-year bundle

In its neverending quest to get the Xbox 360 to be the entertainment hub of as many living rooms as possible, it appears that Microsoft has come up with a new tactic to move units. The Verge is reporting that the company is set to launch a new 4 GB Xbox 360 Kinect bundle that'll cost just $99. The catch? You'll have to agree to a two-year contract at $15 per month, giving you access to Xbox Live Gold service, and possibly other streaming features (maybe the rumored music service set to launch at E3?) It's certainly an interesting move that hasn't been tested before, which could be why the report claims that the specially-priced bundle will only be available in US Microsoft Stores.

Read More | The Verge

Was it going to be Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 or Call of Duty: Ascension? Some weren’t sure what game was next. Rumors have been floating around for the past few weeks about the game, and now those rumors can be laid to rest. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has been announced, and, man, does it look awesome.

Set in the year 2029, we find ourselves looking at an aged man tied to a chair, talking about the technology of the time. Warfare has turned its back on using soldiers, and has embraced newer, unmanned robotic technology. Everything from war planes, to walking tanks, to helicopter jets. Somehow, the enemy takes control of the drones and begins attacking the United States (and probably various other worldwide targets.) The result is a man vs. machine extravaganza. Check out the full trailer below.

Click to continue reading Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Announcement Trailer


Halo 4 release date

Halo 4 is going to be one of the biggest video game releases this year, and gamers across the world have been waiting for confirmation of the release date. We can now tell you that Halo 4 will hit stores on November 6, according to Microsoft.

"We are beginning a new saga with Halo 4 and embarking on a journey that will encompass the next decade of Halo games and experiences," said Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Studios. "Millions of fans worldwide have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to step back into the boots of Master Chief, and, with Halo 4 leading the charge, we're confident 2012 will be the most successful year in Xbox history."

Halo 4 is the first in the series to not be made by Bungie. Instead, the game is being developed by 343 Industries, a Microsoft studio that actually works out of the old Bungie Studios building in Kirkland, Washington. Halo 4 takes place four years after the conclusion of Halo 3.

For more Halo 4 goodness, check out details on Halo 4 multiplayer, as well as a Halo 4 first-look video.


Xbox E3 Media Briefing 2012 invite

E3, the huge video game trade show, is almost upon us, and companies are starting to send out invites for the media briefings that'll feature all the huge announcements that set up the rest of the year. The biggest briefings, of course, are those held by Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, and today we received our invite for the Xbox Media Briefing. Turns out it'll take place on June 4, 2012 at 9:00 am PDT, and we'll make sure to have all the news for you right here as it happens.


Lost Planet 3

Get ready Lost Planet fans, the third round is on its way. Capcom, the makers of such fine games as Resident Evil and Devil May Cry, has just hit us with a new cinematic trailer for the upcoming Lost Planet 3. The company has announced that the release date will be early 2013 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, and has announced the name of the main protagonist. Meet Jim, a Utility Rig operator whose job occasionally involves killing a very large, angry akrid. Lost Planet 3 returns to the extreme conditions of the first title, while introducing new gameplay elements and characters. Not many other details have been released, but we expect to hear more at E3. We've got the trailer after the break.

Click to continue reading Lost Planet 3 Cinematic Trailer


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