June 27 - 9:30am EDT   Sony's PlayStation 3 video service (now part of Life on PlayStation) may not have extra support from other studios and will rely tightly on integration with Sony's own formats, according to sources speaking to Variety editor Ben Fritz. The console maker has allegedly talked to major studios about offering their movies through the PS3 and PlayStation Network but so far hasn't negotiated any deals, leaving the current offering only to Sony Pictures titles. [full story]

June 11 - 1:15pm EDT   Widespread failures of launch-model Xbox 360s are mainly due to Microsoft efforts at cost-cutting, a Gartner analyst claims. Bryan Lewis, the latter company's VP of research, says that when Microsoft was originally designing its game console, it wanted to omit third-party ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) vendors from its graphics hardware, saving tens of millions of dollars. In designing its own graphics technology, however, it produced chips which regularly overheated, forcing recalls that cost the company over $1 billion. [full story]

May 14 - 1:20pm EDT   A forthcoming system update for the Xbox 360 should make some fundamental improvements, according to an alleged internal source at Microsoft. Due later this spring, the update is expected to carry some 80 changes or additions, among which one is listed as "Support for titles to store installation data on Storage Device for faster loading." Unlike Sony's PlayStation 3, the 360 does not currently allow installation of game data to a hard drive; this is because Microsoft offers a basic 360 without any default storage, and it has insisted that all titles should support all 360s. [full story]

May 8 - 12:50pm EDT   An improved Xbox 360 platform should arrive late this year, according to a Taiwanese publication. Industry news source CENS says that Microsoft has already begun contracting out the production of 65nm chips, which should form a part of the console's Jasper revision, said to be due in August. The timing is also said to be related to the depletion of chips for the current 360 design, dubbed Falcon. The Falcon's main processor uses 65nm technology, but most other components -- notably the graphics processor -- are built using 90nm manufacturing. A still superior design called the Valhalla is expected in fall of 2009. [full story]

May 2 - 12:35pm EDT   Microsoft is turning to Pegatron Technology, a subsidiary of ASUS, to produce Xbox 360 consoles with integrated Blu-ray drives, according to reports. Exactly one month ago, Microsoft denied rumors of Lite-On producing a Blu-ray drive for its popular game console, but chose words carefully to avoid excluding other suppliers. The new account claims that Blu-ray Xboxes will ship in the third quarter, but at this stage it is not known exactly which markets will get the HD-capable consoles, nor at what price, or even if the launch is guaranteed. [full story]

April 23 - 2:45pm EDT   Alcatel-Lucent today began court proceedings for the next of its lawsuits against Microsoft. The plaintiff argues in its complaint that Microsoft's Xbox game systems violate a 1993 patent relating to the code for generating video frames. The US/French partnership says that it will use its jury trial to demand $1.50 for every alleged misuse of the patent but is not yet clear as to which uses apply to the suit. The suit could potentially apply to each Xbox sold before the conclusion of the trial. [full story]

March 28 - 5:45pm EDT   GarageGames recently unveiled Torque X 2.0, a major update to its 2D/3D capable game engine system, adding support for the Microsoft XNA 2.0 Framework, as well as several performance increases in 3D environments. The new engine supports LOD terrain with clip map texturing, and also adds DTS Mesh, and XNA Model support. A free version of Torque X is available, while the Pro version starts at $150 for independent developers. [full story]

March 25 - 1:05pm EDT   Netflix has confirmed stories it is interested in streaming movies through the Xbox 360, Reuters reports. In February, rumors began circulating that Netflix would bring streaming to the Microsoft console, in order to help supplement its normal subscription service. Typically, Netflix customers receive DVD offerings by mail, as well as unlimited "instant" movie watching on a PC. The latter is only available with plans costing $17 or more per month though, and effectively tethers people to their computers. [full story]

March 5 - 4:20pm EST   The prices of European Xbox 360s will be cut substantially as of March 14th, a new report claims. The account cites a number of "well-placed games industry sources," along with a variety of UK retailers, who together suggest that the quoted date will see prices fall by €50 across the continent. The cut is also said to be applicable to all versions of the 360, including the Arcade, the standard model, and the high-end Elite. The latter two consoles should for example cost approximately £150 and £240 in the UK. [full story]

February 26 - 6:45pm EST   Some users of Microsoft's "Live" services have reported difficulties trying to sign in with their Windows Live IDs. According to The Associated Press the problem is affecting many services, such as the Xbox Live community, as well as the Windows Live Messenger application. The issue is not comprehensive, as some users are able to sign in to the services without an issue. Microsoft has acknowledged the problem, but did not mention when a fix would be available. [full story]

February 18 - 4:10pm EST   Quazal, a developer of network gaming code used in titles like Rock Band and Company of Heroes, has announced the shipping of Mac versions of some of its key software, in some cases enabling cross-platform play between Macs and PCs with "very little" extra programming. Net-Z provides a low-level multiplayer core, and handles authoring and integration; mechanics are defined through an object layer, saving developers from the need to define packets, sockets, and client-server messaging. [full story]

February 12 - 1:50pm EST   Microsoft's acquisition of Danger is worth approximately a half billion dollars, according to a source speaking with Om Malik about the deal. While Microsoft has remained secretive about the financial terms of the buyout, the company is now believed to have spent as much as $500 million to purchase the designer behind the Sidekick and its software. The tipster does not explain why Microsoft had been willing to make the high offer, which is unusual for acquiring a firm that does not manufacture its own hardware. [full story]

January 21 - 6:25pm EST   Consumer-friendly design, simple operation, and putting the consumer before business are among the lessons Nintendo, Sony and other gaming companies could learn from Apple according to an editorial by GameDaily. Unlike these firms, Apple "makes customers feel that they are more important than the company's business partners," holding standard pricing for iTunes song and TV show purchases despite industry pressure. Meanwhile, Microsoft has capitulated to media producers, meaning that the Xbox Live utilizes a confusing set of prices and rules for downloading TV shows and movies. [full story]

January 8 - 12:45pm EST   Microsoft has no plans whatsoever to produce an Xbox 360 with HD DVD drive built in, according to IDG News. Rumors to the contrary have circulated for some time, but Jeff Bell, Microsoft's VP of global marketing for interactive entertainment, says there is "absolutely" no HD DVD-equipped Xbox in the works. Microsoft has to date backed HD DVD over Blu-Ray, mainly through its optional add-on drive; Bell now says that the company is taking a neutral position, letting users pick which disc format they like through separate players. Microsoft also supplies on-demand HD through the Xbox Live Marketplace. [full story]

December 5 - 5:35pm EST   Nullriver has released the v3.2 update to Connect360, the company's transcoding application. The software allows Mac owners to stream media to their Xbox 360 consoles, which normally restrict content to a limited number of formats loaded from Windows PCs. Connect360 users can browse images from iPhoto, including RAW formats, and stream any music compatible with iTunes, including Internet streams but with the one exception of DRM-encoded tracks. [full story]