Microsoft planning $99 Xbox 360 with subscription - Report

Gamers holding out for a price cut on the Xbox 360 might have a new deal to consider soon, as The Verge is reporting that Microsoft will soon offer its 4GB Xbox 360 hardware with Kinect for $99, provided purchasers sign up for a two-year Xbox Live subscription that will cost $15 a month.

Microsoft wants people to get Kinect-ed.

Attributing the info to unspecified sources, the site reports that the package will be offered through Microsoft Stores in the US, and is being positioned as a competing product to streaming media offerings like Apple TV and Roku, as well as the PlayStation 3. The deal will come with a two-year warranty, as well as an early termination fee for those who want out before the end of the deal. The report also suggests those who sign up will be given access to some of the paid media and sports streaming services on Xbox Live.

If purchased separately at today's standard prices, the console and two-year Xbox Live subscription would cost $420. If purchased under this promotion, the total cost at the end of the two years would come out to $460. As of press time, Microsoft had not returned GameSpot's request for comment on the report.

The Xbox 360 hasn't received a price cut to its entry-level configuration since September of 2008, when the hard drive-less Xbox 360 Arcade was dropped to $199. However, when the redesigned Xbox 360 was launched in 2010, previous bundles of the hardware were dropped by $50, putting the discontinued Xbox 360 Arcade at $149 for a brief time.


Source : http://gamespot.com/news/microsoft-planning-99-xbox-360-with-subscription-report-6374682

Activision employing 300 for Black Ops II

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is being built by 300 people, Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia told VentureBeat recently. Of the 300 working on the game, 250 are Treyarch employees, with the remainder contractors and test teams.

If Black Ops 2 falls short, it won't be for lack of trying.

Black Ops II was officially announced last night after months of speculation. It is due out on November 13 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, and is the follow-up to 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops, which remains the best-selling Call of Duty game to date at more than 25 million units sold.

Black Ops II will feature a campaign split in two. One half of the adventure will pick up immediately following the events of the original Black Ops, with players following the journey of Frank Woods. The other half of the campaign begins in the year 2025, a time when advanced weapon technologies rule supreme.

For more on what's new in Black Ops II, check out GameSpot's just-published Five Biggest Surprises About Call of Duty: Black Ops II preview feature.





Source : http://gamespot.com/news/activision-employing-300-for-black-ops-ii-6374674