Xbox Live Security Breach Identified as Pretexting
March 26, 2007
Xbox Live spokesman Major Nelson (real name Larry Hryb) has clarified reports last week of a security breach on Xbox Live after previously stating that there was no evidence of any compromise of security.
“As originally posted, Xbox Live has not been hacked. That is still true. A security researcher, Kevin Finisterre, discovered not a hack, but the fact that some accounts may have been compromised as a result of ’social engineering’, also known as ‘pre-texting’, through our support center,” he explained.
Pre-texting is an increasingly common technique for obtaining secure personal details using publicly available details, such as a member of the public’s date of birth or social security number. It can also involve impersonating authority figures like the police or bank staff. The tactic of pre-texting occurs predominately over the telephone, and the Major indicates that Xbox Live call staff are being re-trained in order to avoid similar problems in the future. “There’s no other way to say it; this situation shouldn’t have happened. Our customers deserve better,” Nelson said.
Initial reports had suggested that Xbox Liveand another web site had been hacked, but the pre-texting explanation implies that the security breach was not of a technical nature, and that Microsoft has simply been the victim of a form of fraud common to many other businesses.
Nonetheless, Nelson seems confident that Microsoft will learn from this: “I confirmed that the team is fully aware of this issue. They are examining the policies, and have already begun re-training the support staff and partners to help make sure we reduce this type of social engineering attack.”
New Line & Epic Team Up for ‘Gears of War’ Movie
March 22, 2007
New Line has won feature rights to bring Microsoft and Epic’s Gears of War to the big screen.
New Line’s deal is with developer Epic, which held onto all ancillary rights to the property when Microsoft signed on to publish the game. Though not announced yet, a sequel video game is assured. If development of both projects goes smoothly, New Line and Epic would surely love to see the film and a game sequel come out around the same time.
Gears of War, which has sold more than 3 million units, is the most popular game on Microsoft’s Xbox Live service, and despite being released in November and available only for the Xbox 360, it quickly became the US’s fourth best-selling game of 2006 and won Game of the Year honors at the Game Developers Choice Awards and the Interactive Achievement Awards.
Epic developed an extensive Gears of War backstory in hopes of utilizing it for a film as well as potential novels. “We wanted to make an entertainment property that’s not just for games but for other media,” said Epic VP and co-founder Mark Rein.
Movie producer Wyck Godfrey explained, “I’m not a gamer, but what blew me away about Gears was how it captures the mythology of a war mission and how high the stakes are.”
Stuart Beattie will be handling the movie script, and once this is completed, producers Godfrey and Marty Bowen will start looking for a director. They’re aiming at a summer 2009 release. Gears of War lead designer Cliff Bleszinski (CliffyB) will exec produce the film and consult on its development for Epic.
Several movies based on video game franchises (Doom, Super Mario Bros.) have bombed with both critics and audiences, but Rein said he and the Epic team considered that history carefully when mulling a movie deal: “Our first and foremost philosophy is to do no harm, so we debated heavily the idea of doing a movie at all, but we feel we stacked the deck in our favor by working with the best players.”
Microsoft Investigates Possible Xbox Live Fraud
March 21, 2007
Microsoft announced yesterday that it is investigating possible fraud on its Xbox Live online gaming service after reports that some gamers have had their Xbox Live accounts hijacked and their credit card used to buy Microsoft Points.
“Recently, there have been reports of fraudulent activity and account theft taking place on the Xbox Live network. Security is a top priority for Xbox Live, and we are actively investigating all reports of fraudulent behavior and theft,” a Microsoft rep said in a statement.
Gamers have been reporting the incidents for some time in online forums and to Microsoft’s Xbox help desk, and many gamers have been less than thrilled with Microsoft’s response. One Xbox Live user claimed that his account was hacked, his credit card info was stolen, and Microsoft responded that he should call his card company since it’s not their problem.
Security researcher Kevin Finisterre was playing Halo recently with several friends when some of their opponents threatened to steal their accounts, he said. “Literally the next day my girl’s account was locked out,” Finisterre wrote in an e-mail yesterday. He claims that he received a message on his Xbox that said, “We are sorry we must log you out of Xbox Live because someone else is using your Gamertag,” and the account was banned. Finisterre said that calling Microsoft was no help and that he got the runaround from the support people who answer the official help line.
Microsoft asks any Xbox user with a question about the security of their Xbox Live account to call in, so that - in the words of a Microsoft rep - “an Xbox customer service representative will help them understand our security policies and procedures.”
Xbox 360 Welcomes Latest Ace Combat & Devil May Cry Installments
A recent issue of Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu reports that the latest installment of the Ace Combat series - at least for now - won’t be coming to the PS3. In addition, Capcom has announced that Devil May Cry 4 will also join the Xbox 360 lineup.
According to the Famitsu article, Ace Combat 6 has only been listed as an Xbox 360 title. Whether a PS3 version is in the works is still unclear.
Ace Combat 6: Kaiho e no Senbi (loosely translated to “The Flames of War Towards Liberation”) will become the first ever Ace Combat game to be released on a non-handheld, non-Sony console. Ace Combat 6 is planned for a Japanese release some time by the end of 2007.
Possibly one of the most significant changes to the Ace Combat protocol will be addition of Xbox Live support, with online multiplayer modes enhancing the gameplay experience. Confirmed so far are team battle, battle royale, and co-op options.
In a press release from Capcom’s main Osaka branch, Capcom said that it will be “pursuing a multi-platform strategy to help enhance profits”, indicating that Capcom is no longer willing to bet on the PS3 being the undisputed console champion this generation. Nevertheless, Devil May Cry 4 will mark the series’ first foray on the Xbox.
A press release from Capcom’s American branch reads as follows: “Capcom is committed to making its titles available to as wide an audience as possible, and has been building its technology base to meet that goal,” said Mark Beaumont, executive vice president, officer and head of Capcom consumer software publishing in the Americas and Europe. “This announcement means that PS3, Xbox 360 and PC owners worldwide will be able to experience the latest installment of one of Capcom’s pillar franchises.”
Release dates for each version of Devil May Cry 4 still have not been announced.
Microsoft Developing New Xbox
March 13, 2007
Microsoft big shot Peter Moore said in an interview that the production team behind the creation of Xbox 360 is already working on the next Xbox.
Moore even went as far as saying that Xbox 360’s successor could launch around 2012, as the team of tech-heads are looking into what kind of computing power would be available around that time frame.
It is also being reported/rumored that Microsoft could soon ditch the Xbox 360 Core version, the one without the hard drive and wireless pads that. We think it makes perfect sense to drop the cheaper model, as the Premium System is a bargain in its own right, so dropping the bare bones version makes good sense, no? By now, everyone that has a 360 should be online (or close to it), for which you need a hard drive. Microspft has issued no comment on this.
South Park Makes HD Debut on XBox Live
March 6, 2007
South Park will make its high-def debut on XBox’s Live Marketplace on March 20 as a free high-def download to XBox Live members from March 20 to April 3. The XBox episode, titled “Good Times with Weapons,” first aired on South Park in 2004, and this will be the first time this episode - or any other, for that matter - will air in HD.
Also during the March 20-April 3 promotion, Best Buy will be giving away a free HD DVD of the South Park episode with every XBox 360 game console or HD DVD attachment drive purchased.
Microsoft Extends Platinum Hits for Xbox 360
February 23, 2007
Microsoft has announced an new batch of discounted games for both the U.S. and Europe for Xbox 360’s ‘Platinum Hits’ line of titles, which was launched last fall. Microsoft also confirmed that the line will be extended to Latin America, Japan, and Asia Pacific next month.
Set for release on March 16 are Electronic Arts’ Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, Burnout Revenge, and Fight Night Round 3, Activision’s Call of Duty 2, Tecmo’s Dead or Alive 4, Ubisoft’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, 2K Sports’ Top Spin 2, and Rockstar’s Table Tennis.
The European market will get a similar collection of ‘Platinum Hits’ titles for an estimated retail price of 29.99 euros ($38.35), including Call of Duty 2, Dead or Alive 4, Project Gotham Racing 3, Table Tennis, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, and Tomb Raider: Legend.
In Japan, the Xbox 360 ‘Platinum Hits’ line will debut with Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, Burnout Revenge, and Perfect Dark Zero, Sega’s Chrome Hounds, each costing 2,800 yen ($23).
In the Asia Pacific region, initial ‘Platinum Hits’ releases in March will include Dead or Alive 4, N3: Ninety-Nine Nights, Project Gotham Racing 3, and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. Pricing for these games will vary slightly by region, Microsoft said.
“Platinum Hits not only lets gamers enjoy a broad portfolio of titles at an amazing price,” said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “It also ensures that existing and new gamers alike can get the most from their Xbox 360 by owning a great library of blockbuster hits. So if you missed playing a game the first time around, now there is a great reason to pick it up.”
Microsoft UK to Demonstrate IPTV Technology
February 22, 2007
Microsoft UK officials have announced that Microsoft will showcase IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) for the first time in Europe at The Connected Home Show, co-hosted at the third annual IPTV World Forum, in London on March 5-7. IPTV technology will be demonstrated by Ed Graczyk, worldwide director of marketing and communications for Microsoft TV during a keynote speech at the conference, entitled “Future of Connected Entertainment.”
Microsoft has already discussed IPTV plans for the Xbox 360 in the U.S., with talk of services including digital video recording and the ability to chat via Xbox Live while watching movies and shows. Bill Gates has also discussed the possibility of a deal with AT&T, which may lead to the Xbox 360 being offered for free in exchange for a long term IPTV service contract.
The first IPTV services for the Xbox 360 are expected to be made available by Christmas 2007 in the U.S., with Microsoft suggesting that, unlike current HD movie and TV show downloads, the service could launch at a similar time in Europe. The company implies that the use of Microsoft IPTV software technology could see companies such as AT&T, British Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, T-Online (France) and Swisscom becoming partners in their relevant territories.
“Separately the Xbox 360 and Microsoft TV IPTV Edition deliver unique and exciting entertainment experiences, but IPTV on Xbox 360 delivers a real value proposition for consumers, service providers and content and game developers alike,” said Graczyk. “By integrating these industry-leading solutions, we continue to drive innovation and enable new connected entertainment experiences for consumers.”
Microsoft Hints at Free Live
February 19, 2007
Microsoft has suggested that multiplayer gaming through Live on Windows Vista will be a free service, unlike on Xbox 360, where users need a gold membership subscription to access to multiplayer.
Microsoft’s Shane Kim was asked in an interview whether it’d be free for PC users to play against friends, while certain premium-level stuff would be locked behind Gold, to which he responded, “Theoretically speaking, that’s exactly the kind of thing we’d want to do.” PC gaming’s traditional ‘multiplayer for free’ ethic that exists with the platform is a factor being taken fully into account by Microsoft for Live on Windows.
“In the Xbox world when we created Xbox Live, there was no other option. We’re sort of creating it as we go, we established that model and that framework. As we come into the Windows gaming world, there are alternatives that are out there so we have to be cognizant of that,” said Kim. “We do recognize that, unlike the Xbox 360 environment, there’s existing competition in the PC online space. So we have to take that into account as we think about how we’re going to structure our services, what they’ll pay for and what they won’t.”
It’s also possible that Microsoft’s plan for an integrated Live experience across PC and Xbox 360 could be a good thing for Xbox 360 owners in regard to paid-for content. If multiplayer gaming’s provided free through Windows Live, then the company may just see fit to offer the same to Xbox 360 fans.
EA Beats Sega to the Punch with 1080p Title for Xbox 360
February 8, 2007
Following yesterday’s news that Sega’s March 20 release of Virtua Tennis 3 would be the first Xbox 360 game to feature native 1080p support, an EA representative revealed that its upcoming NBA Street Homecourt will also support the high-end 1080p resolution on Xbox 360. NBA Street Homecourt is scheduled to ship for the Xbox 360 February 20, and a PS3 version is expected to arrive at retail on March 6.
Microsoft first announced support for native 1080p games and movies in its October 2006 Xbox Live update, and it announced a number of titles competing to be the first to offer the highest-end HD resolution; it now appears that NBA Street Homecourt will beat Sega’s Virtua Tennis 3 to retail with the 1080p resolution included.
NBA Street Homecourt is the fourth game in EA’s basketball series and the first for a next-gen console, and it will support multiple resolutions, including 16:9 1080p at 30fps, according to further information from EA representatives. Other features confirmed for the upcoming 3-on-3 basketball title include a new animation engine and control system, as well as the ability to create a player and play online via Xbox Live. A demo for the game, which lets players compete as either Denver Nuggets small forward Carmelo Anthony or Detroit Pistons shooting guard Richard Hamilton, is currently available for download over Xbox Live.
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