Microsoft's Xbox LIVE trick up its sleeve for GDC is...

XMNR: Microsoft's "E" teased an announcement earlier today that many Xbox LIVE users had been requesting that was not related to expanding the friends list. We knew it wasn't game related as Major Nelson had already said no new game announcement until E3 in June. So what was it? Something that Examiner's Matt Furtado broke two days ago.

[Nitrowolf2]

What?
I don't own a 360, but i was still expecting something else especially since we knew about this a couple days ago.

i guess it's good news for those users who wanted one of those names.

[slate91]

This can't be it...

[antz1104]

How does this garbage get approved? Its a duplicate of a story on the main posted 8 hours earlier!

http://n4g.com/news/710985/...

[shikamaroooo]

sigh isnt this old news

[Jockamo]

hope buttlickmadness is now available...!

[citan]

Sunrise is a huge news in Microsoft's world.

[ChrisGTR1]

oh shit i almost clicked the link. guys DONT CLICK the link, the site is full of with an absurd ammount of spam and popups.

[Surfaced]

Examiner? While I dislike their site (mainly the cumbersome, archaic image gallery system), there are no popups or spam.

[ChrisGTR1]

dude the examiner is one of the only sites where ive had actual popups and it was more than 2. im boycotting it after that last visit

[Beefstew4u]

Just an unobtrusive banner ad at the bottom. Not really a big deal.

[Jezuz]

Use opera

[Trevonn]

OPERA FTW!!!!!
http://www.opera.com/

[lee_ten]

chris is right. i work there so i'm going to make a note about these ads.

[Kon]

Never heard of ADBlock? Welcome to the internet.

[bartender64]

Wtf is this crap? Seriously this is the third time in this year that majornelson had lied to the 360 fanbase. Hey majorneloson, do you find it funny to fill people with hope, only to crash it later with a crappy announcement that nobody cares like this? Do us a favor, if you don't want the Xbox to lose any fans stop hyping false announcements and don't talk BS for the love of God please!

[darksied]

I think he gets off on it. I can see him jackin' it to all the angry and disappointed posts.

PS: (*sorry for that picture*)

Back on topic: Are you f*in kidding?! This is the big news? Is it just me, or is something really wrong with Microsoft recently? It's not enough they're fine sitting back and letting Sony and Nintendo come out with new hardware and features, but then they have to hype up new info just to have it be something like this? Seriously, why not just NOT say anything?

[saladthieves]

Oh god...Why?? Microsoft just... Why on earth... I was expecti... eehh...
http://arthropoda.southernf...

[Lavalamp]

Dibbs on xXiiTz NaZtyy QuiikscopzXx

[starcb26]

Dibs on xxXy0ur3Adumb4ssXxx

[Lavalamp]

Whoa, man. Was only trying to make a lighthearted joke. Apologies if it got on your nerves.

[--------]

-
Get a sense of humor, the joke was relevant.

[Obama]

"Major Nelson had already said no new game announcement until E3 in June
"

I am pretty sure Major Nelson was saying that the GDC conference will please the core gamers and how did that turn out?

[kookie]

Major nelson sucks major ****

[DevilishSix]

It is time for Major Nelson to go. We need some new blood in his role at MS. He has resulted to overhype of everything related to Live or 360 for the last year or so. A fresh face with some prespective is what is needed now to gain respect again.

[KaBaW]

Major Nelson sucks Major.. Johnson?

[NoobJobz]

I wait all day for the announcement and it turns out to be something most people already knew.

I'm still not seeing how this is MS having a "trick up their sleeves"

[StarScream4Ever]

I'll leave it to these guys.

[Urrakia34]

My gosh Microsoft is so pathetic that it's not even funny anymore......

[--------]

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[Adva]

LOL, excellent announcement M$.
How was that pre GDC 'core' surprises?

[thebudgetgamer]

'
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[MrBeatdown]

They hyped up old news? Wow.

Good to hear they are ditching old gamertags because I think a couple that I want are taken but aren't used on 360, but damn, they need to learn that hype and a lackluster announcement only leads to disappointment.

[PandemicPrawn0]

This just doesn’t even seem worth the time to announce.

I don’t see how anyone could be even slightly interested in this.

This is GDC and they clearly have nothing to show. As an Xbox owner I can only say that I am pretty disappointed.

It's hard to get a bead on what Microsoft is trying to accomplish with Xbox these days; they just seem somewhat visionless without guys like Moore, Kim and Allard. Are they pouring cash and development resources into a next gen console, while keeping the 360 going with Kinect and a couple of big titles? Or are they just completely out of touch with their original fanbase?

Watch this space I suppose.

[Masterchef2007]

Micrsofts buisness strategy is quite obvious. After spending 500 million on marketing for Kinect its quite obvious that is where their focal point is now.

What microsoft wants to do is reel in the casuals with Kinect and make a tremendous profit off them. They dont need the core at all cause in this market the casuals outnumber the core greatly. This is further proven with the sucess that Nintendo has had with the Wii.

While i dont think that Microsoft will reap the profits that Nintendo has had with the Wii. They will make money off Kinect. And as i said before it is why they are focusing on the casuals because not many core gamers will get Kinect.

[maniacmayhem]

Masterchef i agree.

While MS focuses on Kinect they will depend on thired party developers to make games for the core.

[Masterchef2007]

True but the problem with that is it would benefit them any because those games will be multiplatform (except for some titles)

Im not saying that there are no core titles for the 360 in 2011. Its just there are very few core exclusives thats all. And in my opinion what really defines a console is its games. Especially the exclusives since they are not available anywhere else.

[Masterchef2007]

Can it be a price hike?

Lol just kidding its probably an exclusive game on XBOXlive or a new feature.

[gypsygib]

Isn't this the third time MS said there was a big announcement then nothing. MS is talking a lot of shit.

[prettyboy1]

sigh!its another sad disapointment in the land of ms

[slutface]

M$ has officially lost their goddamn minds....do they think their fans are dumbasses?