Xbox 360 is continuing to building on its expansive catalogue of live and on-demand television, movies, sports and music that you control using your voice and gestures, thanks to the power of Kinect. We’re happy to announce* that the following new entertainment experience has rolled out in the UK on the Xbox LIVE service:

• · Crackle (Sony Pictures). Australia, Canada, United States, United Kingdom

In addition to these apps, we will continue to enhance and expand our global entertainment offerings on Xbox LIVE in 2012. We’ll keep you updated as more of the world’s leading entertainment providers come to Xbox and additional entertainment apps rollout on the console.

For more information please visit Xbox.com/live.

Related posts:

1. First wave of new media hitting Xbox Live tomorrow
2. Xbox Live dashboard update launches today
3. Xbox 360 to revolutionise T.V.?

We’re pleased to present the full release details for this season’s line-up below, including title launch dates, pricing and a special reward for joining in this year’s House Party on Xbox LIVE Arcade!

Xbox LIVE Arcade is home to a growing catalog of some of the most innovative and fun downloadable games at a great value on Xbox 360. Whether you’re sitting on the same couch, or on opposite sides of the globe, invite your friends because this is a party no one will want to miss.

To make the most of your blockbuster game bash, all party goers will receive 800 Microsoft Points when you buy all four participating House Party games from 15^th February – 13^th March 13.** Even more reason to get your 2012 House Party started!

WARP** (Electronic Arts)

15^th February | 800 Microsoft Points | PEGI 18

Play as Zero, a lovable-yet-lethal orange alien with a big score to settle in this puzzle-based stealth action game! Captured by the villainous Commander and imprisoned in his underwater facility, Zero must plan his ultimate escape using his arsenal of alien abilities — warp, frag, echo, swap and launch.

ALAN WAKE’S AMERICAN NIGHTMARE (Microsoft Studios)

22^nd February | 1200 Microsoft Points | PEGI 18

Can you survive until sunrise? In this brand-new stand-alone experience, Alan Wake fights the herald of darkness, the evil Mr. Scratch. A thrilling new storyline, hordes of creepy enemies, serious firepower and beautiful Arizona locations combined with a fun and challenging new game mode, make this a must for Alan Wake veterans and the perfect jumping-on point for new players.

NEXUIZ (THQ)

29^th February | 800 Microsoft Points | PEGI 16

For centuries, the Kavussari and the Forsellians have waged war. They have a fragile truce but, because of their seething disgust of each other, still pit warriors against each other in arenas rather than on the fields of war. These episodes of lethal combat are broadcast throughout the galaxy as entertainment – a spectacle known as The Nexuiz Competition – an arena-based first-person shooter where you can alter the rules of the match and the laws of physics while dominating opponents in ever-changing hostile environments.

I AM ALIVE (Ubisoft)

7^th March | 1200 Microsoft Points | PEGI 18

One year after a worldwide cataclysmic event wiped out most of human civilisation, a man struggles for survival. Faced with an insecure, decaying and hazardous world, he scours a desolated city, searching for his long-lost wife and daughter. Survive the suffocating, murky streets covered in dust. Climb the teetering remains of last-standing skyscrapers to reach breathable air and find untouched resources. Explore the crumbling ruins of a once-thriving metropolis. Discover a changed human condition, punctuated by distrustful survivors, dangerous armed gangs and victims in need.

Related posts:

1. Alan Wake’s American Nightmare heads up Xbox Live House Party titles
2. Xbox Live House Party titles announced
3. Haunted House now available on Xbox Live

In Scarygirl, the beautiful and bizarre world from Nathan Jurevicius’ graphic novel of the same name comes to life, with tentacle arms, kung-fu rabbits, giant octopuses and fearsome foes all part of the unforgettable adventure.

Scarygirl will be coming to the European PlayStation Network and PC/Steam soon – look out for more news on these release dates over the coming weeks.

Related posts:

1. Scarygirl coming to PAL territories
2. Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection coming to Xbox live, PC and PSN
3. Joe Danger and major title DLC head up Xbox Live releases over the next fortnight

Face off against Hell’s army as you experience the revolution of DOOM. Lay waste to hordes of demonic monsters with an arsenal of classic weapons including the infamous BFG 9000. Take the deathmatch online via LIVE and battle your friends for dominance of the leaderboards, or team-up with a friend in co-op.

DOOM is available for download for 400 Microsoft Points.

Related posts:

1. Doom II available on xbox live now!
2. Quake Arena Arcade fires onto Xbox Live
3. Reviewed: Doom II (XBLA)

Whether you’re a gaming pro or just looking for a fun new way to connect with friends – either at home or on the go, House Party and Must Have Games has something for you. If you’re at CES, you can check out these games in the Microsoft booth, although you’ll have to wait just a bit longer for the full experience.

Xbox LIVE Arcade House Party

Beginning 15^th Feb, Xbox LIVE will deliver four back-to-back releases of the best downloadable games, with one new title a week. Xbox LIVE Arcade House Party provides ongoing fun for you and your friends, in your living room and across the globe, bringing four more of the most highly anticipated titles to your Xbox 360 console. The latest House Party title line-up includes:

• Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (Microsoft Studios): In this brand-new stand-alone experience, Alan Wake fights the herald of darkness, the evil Mr. Scratch. A thrilling new storyline, hordes of creepy enemies, serious firepower and beautiful Arizona locations, combined with a fun and challenging new game mode, make this a must for Alan Wake veterans, and the perfect jumping-on point for new players. Can you survive until sunrise?

• I Am Alive (Ubisoft): One year after a worldwide cataclysmic event has wiped out most of human civilisation, a man struggles for survival. Faced with an insecure, decaying and hazardous world, he scours a desolated city, searching for his long-lost wife and daughter. Survive the suffocating, murky streets covered in dust. Climb the teetering remains of last-standing skyscrapers to reach breathable air and find untouched resources. Explore the crumbling ruins of a once-thriving metropolis. Discover a changed human condition, punctuated by distrustful survivors, dangerous armed gangs and victims in need.

•  Nexuiz (THQ): For centuries, the Kavussari and the Forsellians have waged war. They have a fragile truce but, because of their seething disgust of each other, still pit warriors against each other in arenas rather than on the fields of war. These episodes of lethal combat are broadcast throughout the galaxy as entertainment — a spectacle known as The Nexuiz Competition — an arena-based first-person shooter where you can alter the rules of the match and the laws of physics while dominating opponents in ever-changing hostile environments.

• Warp (EA): “Warp” is a puzzle-based stealth action game where you play as Zero, a lovable-yet-lethal orange alien with a big score to settle! Captured by the villainous Commander and imprisoned in his underwater facility, Zero must plan his ultimate escape using his arsenal of alien abilities — warp, frag, echo, swap and launch.

Must Have Games for Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone

Once again, Must Have Games brings the biggest names in mobile games to Xbox LIVE for Windows Phone. Kicking off in early February, one smash title will be released each week, complete with Xbox LIVE Achievements, Leaderboards and more. The second wave of Must Have Games for gamers on-the go includes:

•  · Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (Electronic Arts): It’s time to fulfill your need for speed. Drive up to 20 precision-performance cars in adrenaline-fueled showdown across 24 day-and-night tracks. Take it to the limit in 48 total Cop and Racer Career Events, collect bounty, and rise to the top of the ranks.

•  · Toy Soldiers: Boot Camp (Microsoft Studios): Wage war on a tiny scale in “Toy Soldiers: Boot Camp,” which brings the fun and addictive shooting gallery mini-games from Xbox 360’s “Toy Soldiers: Cold War” to your Windows Phone.

•  · BulletAsylum (Microsoft Studios): Annihilate invaders with a wall of firepower in this insane arcade shooter. With an insane amount of firepower at your fingertips, vibrant graphics and an all-you-can-shoot buffet of alien hordes to destroy, “BulletAsylum” will blow you away!

•  · Chickens Can’t Fly (Microsoft Studios): Join the ranks of our scientists and see what chickens are capable of! Countless hours of fun await you: fall down an experimental pit, avoid obstacles, use power-ups and power-downs, gather corn, and make it through to the end. Use the skills you learn to get a high score in Survival Mode and show off to your friends on the Xbox LIVE and global leaderboards.

•  · Splinter Cell Conviction (Gameloft): Unleash the ferocious skills of renegade agent Sam Fisher, a highly skilled Special Forces operative, and fight a corrupted secret agency to get your daughter back. Run, jump, fight and shoot using a handgun, a shotgun, an AK-47 assault rifle and a bazooka, or maintain stealth by improvising with nearby objects. You are now a renegade spy agent; you don’t follow any orders except for your own rules of engagement.

Related posts:

1. Xbox Live House Party titles announced
2. Haunted House now available on Xbox Live
3. Top Xbox Live titles going half price in a one day sale

Start out playing as the world’s number one ranked player*, Novak Djokovic on the Practice Court to develop your shots using Total Racquet Control, and progress to Play Now to experience the rivalry of Djokovic and Rafael Nadal on Wimbledon’s Centre Court. The full game will be available in stores in North America on February 14, 2012 and elsewhere worldwide** by February 10, 2012.

EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis 2 will include a host of gameplay features including:

·         All-New Total Racquet Control: Control every shot with the right analog stick, smashing forehands, backhands, overheads and volleys with precision, accuracy and power.
·         Become a Champion: Become a true Grand Slam tournament champion by capturing all four major championships in succession – including Wimbledon (exclusive to the EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis franchise).
·         PlayStation Move Support: The motion control experience gets you on your feet and puts a racquet right in the palm of your hands.
·         Legends of Now and Then: Play with or against more than 20 of the greatest players to ever grace the courts, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Bjorn Borg, Maria Sharapova, Serena and Venus Williams.
·         Professional, Realistic, Organic (P.R.O.). AI: The playing styles and behaviors of the sport’s greatest stars are captured right down to their signature swings and emotional reactions. Realistic tactics and strategies are your keys to success against each legend whether playing on hard court, clay or grass.
·         ESPN Grand Slam Tournament Classics: Relive some of the most memorable moments in tennis. From Borg versus McEnroe, to Nadal versus Federer, play your way through history unlocking up to 25 amazing moments of Grand Slam tournaments.

Related posts:

1. EA Sports MMA demo available on live and PSN now
2. NBA 2K12 demo goes live
3. NBA Elite 11 demo available now

2011: Biggest year in Xbox history

Microsoft announced that Xbox 360 was the top selling console in North America in 2011.

• · Xbox 360 has sold more than 66 million consoles, with nearly 40 millionXbox LIVE members around the world.
  • · Kinect has sold more than 18 million sensors around the world.
  • · Xbox 360 with Kinect was the must-have gift this Christmas, selling almost 800,000 Xbox 360 consoles on Black Friday alone.

Transforming TV through the power of Kinect

Microsoft showcased how Kinect and leading TV and entertainment providers deliver extraordinary experiences on Xbox 360 globally.

• · More TV is coming to Xbox LIVE; in December, Channel 4OD and 5 On Demand launched on Xbox, with more to come. With more than 50 active and announced partnerships worldwide, more live TV and on-demand TV will be lighting up Xbox 360 consoles around the globe this year.
• · Xbox 360 owners are excited about this new, fun, and interactive way to enjoy their favourite content:
  • o In December more than 60 percent of U.S. Xbox LIVE Gold members used entertainment apps on Xbox LIVE – for an average of an hour a day each.
  • o The number of people using entertainment apps on Xbox LIVE increased by nearly 50 percent globally from November to December.
  • · We are going to make TV more social and personal; from watching to engaging, from passive to active.

• The hours of video consumed globally on Xbox LIVE increased 140 percent from 2010 to 2011.

In close collaboration with trusted brands such as Sesame Workshop and National Geographic, Kinect for Xbox 360 is delivering a new kind of interactive learning experience that places children inside their favorite television shows and storybooks and allows them to engage, interact and learn in entirely new ways.

Not just fun and games; the ‘Kinect Effect’ inspires new industries worldwide

Just like Kinect for Xbox 360 is helping to reinvent games and entertainment, companies around the globe are exploring how Kinect for Windows will help them to re-invent their industries.

• · Microsoft announced the Kinect for Windows commercial program launching 1^st Feb 2012. Through the commercial program, Kinect will reach far beyond entertainment to revolutionise education, healthcare, manufacturing, science, and more.
• · Microsoft is already working with more than 200 innovation leaders including United Health Group, American Express, Mattel, Telefonica, and Toyota to utilise Kinect in revolutionary new ways.

Related posts:

1. Kinect celebrates its first anniversary
2. Xbox Live dashboard update ready to go in December
3. Xbox 360 celebrates its 5th birthday – we love you mate, we really do!

Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. stated, “The Primer is the third of our co-branded headsets to be released for the Xbox 360 and the first wireless product in the range. We are excited to bring passionate gamers high quality, wireless gaming.”

The Primer Wireless Stereo Headset uses 5.8GHz wireless technology to connect with the Xbox 360. In addition, the Primer includes precision balanced 40mm neodymium drivers and controls which allow gamers to separately adjust volume and in-game chat levels.

Related posts:

1. Microsoft and Tritton to release branded 5.1.wireless headset
2. Tritton Detonator headset released
3. Mad Catz announce new Wireless Wheel and charge stand for 360

Heading up the first wave of content are the amazing and fun digital download title, Joe Danger which was previously exclusive to PSN but has now made its way to live with a Special Edition package with a lot more additions for 1200 points.  We have the code and wil getting our review up very soon.

Huge titles this year are also getting some DLC treatment this week with expansion packs for Battlefield 3 as well as the return of RAAM in Gears Of War 3, each costing 1200 points too.

Also, it’s the 12 days of Xbox! Celebrate the Countdown to 2012 with a special offer from Xbox LIVE – everyday! Don’t miss out as these special discounts won’t last. Visit Xbox LIVE every day to see what we have just for you!

Related posts:

1. What’s coming to Xbox Live in the next fortnight?
2. Bethesda sale headlines Xbox live additions, along with Forza 4,of course!
3. Coming to Xbox Live soon

Tomorrow, the future of TV entertainment begins with the launch of an all-new Xbox 360 experience, including the first wave of custom voice controlled entertainment apps on our online service, Xbox LIVE. Xbox 360 is transforming how you enjoy TV entertainment, giving you the power to control all your favourite content – games, music, movies and sports as well as live and on-demand TV – using your voice. Thanks to the unique combination of Kinect for Xbox 360 and Bing Search, you say it, Xbox finds it. It’s that easy.

“A new era in entertainment begins where all your entertainment is together in one place—your games, movies, TV shows, music and sports,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “With this update, Xbox 360 system owners will experience Kinect voice control integrated with Bing search, making your TV and entertainment experiences more social and personal than ever.”

“Microsoft has just built and delivered it: A single box that ties together all the content you want, made easily accessible through a universal, natural, voice-directed search. This is now the benchmark against which all other living room initiatives should be compared,” said James McQuivey of Forrester Research in “Engaged TV: Xbox 360 Leads The Way To A New Video Product Experience,”^* Sunday, Dec. 4. “With more than 57 million people worldwide already sitting on a box that’s about to be upgraded for free, Microsoft has not only built the right experience, it has ensured that it will spread quickly and with devastating effect.”

Speak Up, Your Entertainment Awaits

With the new Xbox 360 experience, entertainment is now more intuitive with the launch of Bing on Xbox, which lets customers search entertainment services on Xbox using their voices. Last year, Kinect for Xbox 360 revolutionized controller-free entertainment by letting you use your body and voice to play your favourite games and entertainment, turning you into the controller. This year, the power of Kinect combined with the search intelligence of Bing is turning your voice into the ultimate remote control. With Bing on Xbox, you can use your voice to effortlessly find the games, movies, TV shows and music you want and discover the best offerings on Xbox LIVE, by simply saying what you’re searching for. You say it, Xbox finds it. It’s that easy.

All Your Entertainment, All in One Box

This Christmas and beyond, in addition to offering the best blockbuster and Kinect games, Xbox 360 consoles are set to deliver live and on-demand TV shows, movies, videos, sports, music and news, becoming the best device to experience all your entertainment. TV and movie fans can instantly stream live television via our current UK TV partner, Sky, as well as enjoy a variety of fantastic content from the likes of AlloCiné (Screenrush), blinkbox, Channel 4, Channel 5, Crackle, Dailymotion, LOVEFiLM, MSN Video, MUZU.TV, YouTube and Zune, as well as, in 2012, the BBC.

This ‘next wave’ of content and innovation sees Xbox 360 building on its comprehensive catalogue of movies and TV shows available through Zune Video and Sky TV here in the UK by rolling out the following entertainment apps*:

Dec. 6:

Later in December:

• · 4 on Demand (C4). United Kingdom
• · ABC iView (Australian Broadcasting Corp.). Australia
• · AlloCiné. France (AlloCiné), Germany (Filmstarts), Spain (Sensacine), United Kingdom (Screenrush)
• · Astral Media’s Disney XD (Astral Media). Canada
• · blinkbox (blinkbox). United Kingdom
• · Crackle (Sony Pictures). Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States
• · Dailymotion. Available in 32 countries globally
• · Demand 5 (Five). United Kingdom
• · DIGI+ (CANAL+). Spain
• · GolTV (Mediapro). Spain
• · iHeartRadio (Clear Channel). United States
• · Mediathek/ZDF (ZDF). Germany
• · MSN. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, United Kingdom
• · MSNBC.com. United States
• · MUZU.TV. Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
• · ninemsn. Australia
• · Real Sports (Maple Leaf Sports). Canada
• · Rogers On Demand Online (Rogers Media). Canada
• · SBS ON DEMAND. Australia
• · TMZ (Warner Bros.). Canada, United States
• · TVE (RTVE.es). Spain
• · UFC on Xbox LIVE (UFC). Canada, United States
• · Verizon FiOS TV. United States
• · VEVO. Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States
• · Vudu (Wal-Mart). United States
• · YouTube. Available in 24 countries globally

Early 2012:

• · Antena 3 (Antena 3 de Televisión). Spain
• · BBC (BBC). United Kingdom
• · CinemaNow (Best Buy). United States
• · HBO GO (HBO). United States
• · MLB.TV (MLB Advanced Media). Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States
• · Telenovelas/Sports (Televisa). Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom
• · Xfinity On Demand (Comcast). United States

Related posts:

1. Xbox 360 to revolutionise T.V.?
2. Xbox Live dashboard update ready to go in December
3. Xbox Live dashboard update launches today