Infinity Award announces Infected public game mode for Modern Warfare 3

Today, Infinity Ward revealed its plans to launch the widely popular "Infected" game mode on Modern Warfare 3 as a community playlist, meaning it can be played outside of private match. The plan is to launch Infected this Sunday, February 5 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. 

When you join a game of INFECTED, 10 seconds after the match begins you will either be chosen as the Infected or placed on the side of the surivors. Each side will be restricted to a specific selection of weapons.

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The game ends when either all players have been turned into infected or the game timer ends. A Survivor's goal is to stay alive until the game ends, however, if you're turned Infected, your goal is to turn all other survivors into infected by killing them.

You will receive 100 points per kill (whether you're a survivor or infected)

Survivors receive an additional 100 points each time an infected kills another survivor.

The rest of the announcement discusses possible weapon + perk configurations that will appear throughout the lobbies (chosen randomly). 

Microsoft France: No new Xbox coming this year

According to French website Le Point, Microsoft's French marketing director, Cedrick Delma, has stated that he is "certain" the company will not be releasing a next-generation Xbox game console to consumers anytime this year. This news doesn't come as a surprise to many, but it's always nice to have some confirmation, right?

Despite this news, gamers should not completely rule out seeing a preview of the next-generation Xbox (whatever it may be called) sometime this year, possibly at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in June. 

A recent report claimed that the future Xbox model will feature six times the processing power of the current Xbox 360 model. The same rumor claimed a late 2013 release for the game console. 

“Nintendo Network” announced as a competitor to Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network

Earlier today, Nintendo officially unveiled the "Nintendo Network," a service that combines user accounts on the upcoming Wii U, downloadable content on the Wii U and 3DS, and digital distribution of retail products. The Nintendo Network will be replacing the older, incredibly outdated Wi-Fi Connection service and will be a direct competitor to Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network. 

The service will allow gamers to make a user account on their console, which will alleviate some headaches when multiple people are playing on the same station. In addition, the Network will handle online game competitions and communications between Wii U and 3DS gamers. 

Finally, Nintendo briefly outlined possible plans to include distribution of full retail games through the Network, but its not sure on how this will work. Both the Wii U and 3DS are apparently capable of this feature, but integration would be somewhat challenging. 

More information should be revealed regarding the Nintendo Network at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in June. 

Next-generation Xbox scheduled to ship in late 2013 with 6x the processing power of Xbox 360

According to a report from IGN, the next-generation Xbox model will begin shipping to customers in late October or early November of 2013 with about six times the processing power of the current-generation Xbox 360. 

The game console's graphics processing unit (GPU) will reportedly begin being produced in late 2012, and will be based off of AMD's 6000 GPU series. "In real terms, the Xbox 720's raw graphics processing power is expected to be six times that of the Xbox 360 and will yield 20-percent greater performance than Nintendo's forthcoming console, the Wii U."

Game developers will receive development kits based on the console's final specifications in August 2012, according to the report.  

Call of Duty Elite Android app finally released, but with a slew of bugs

As expected, the official Call of Duty Elite app was released to the Android Market earlier today, one week after the iOS version of the app was released. Call of Duty Elite on an Android device allows gamers to manage their Modern Warfare 3 classes on-the-go (and immediately push any changes made to the game), as well as view a wide array of statistics. It is free to download from the Market.

The Call of Duty Elite service was initially expected to begin operations around the same time Modern Warfare 3 launched to the public this past November, but several technical issues delayed the launch until December. Mobile apps had been planned for release around the same time as well, but they were also delayed because of issues. 

A number of early downloaders of the Call of Duty ELITE app for Android have been complaining of many different issues with the app, including denied login and issues with display formatting. At the time of writing, the app has a 2.9 star average rating on the Android Market, with 128 one-star rating (out of five stars). 

Microsoft: More than 1.7 million Xbox 360 units sold in December 2011 in U.S.

Microsoft announced via a blog post earlier today that it sold a market-leading 1.7 million units of the Xbox 360 in December of 2011 in the United States. In 2011 as a whole, the Xbox 360 captured $6.7 billion in sales - $2.1 billion in console sales and $4.6 billion in games, accessories, etc. - and 49% of consumer retail spending. 

Microsoft also announced that it currently has more than 40 million Xbox LIVE subscribers worldwide, but didn't go into how many are actually paying for the service as oppose to those using the free LIVE Silver edition. 

The strong December capped an impressive year during which Xbox 360 was the fastest-growing console. It also captured 49 percent of consumer retail spending, with an industry-leading $6.7 billion in sales in the U.S. for the calendar year—more than $2.1 billion on consoles and $4.6 billion on games and accessories, NPD data shows.

Xbox 360 was the must-have gift this holiday season with about half of December’s retail spend on games, consoles and accessories going toward Xbox 360 products, totaling more than $1.5 billion, NPD data shows. According to internal Microsoft figures, the company has now sold more than 66 million Xbox 360 consoles and more than 18 million Kinect sensors worldwide, and has nearly 40 million Xbox LIVE members. 

The Xbox 360 now holds a commanding 46% market share in current-generation game consoles. 

First DLC maps for Modern Warfare 3 announced

Earlier today, Infinity Ward officially unveiled the first two DLC (downloadable content) maps that will be making their way to Call of Duty Elite subscribers on January 24, 2012. The two maps, entitled "Liberation" and "Piazza," will be coming to Xbox LIVE Elite subscribers first, followed by PlayStation and other platforms. 

The Modern Warfare 3 Content Collection pack, which will include all new maps to release date, will be available for purchase sometime in March by the entire Modern Warfare 3 gaming community. 

Summary of the two new maps is below:

• "Liberation" - takes place in Manhattan; has iconic battle spots; "sniper sight lines"
• "Piazza" - "vertical, chaotic" type map; great for gamers who like close gameplay; "fast and challenging; stick with teammates" 

Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games, and Raven Software all will be working on the coming DLC content. 

In general, new content will be available for gamers during a nine (9) month season, until September. This will include new weapons, Spec Ops missions, story extensions, and more. 

AT&T to offer 3G data plans for PlayStation Vita starting at $14.99/month

AT&T today announced the different data plan options that PlayStation Vita gamers will be able to choose from if they purchased a 3G-enabled model of the portable gaming system from Sony. The carrier plans to offer a $14.99/month plan that includes 250 MB and a $25/month plan that includes 2 GB. No long-term contracts will be required for the PS Vita, according to AT&T's press release. 

The Wi-Fi + 3G-enabled model of the PlayStation Vita will be available in the United States beginning on February 22 for $299, not including the price of data. AT&T is the exclusive carrier of the game console and users will be given a list of free games to download from the PlayStation Store upon purchasing a data plan. 

Call of Duty Elite app comes to iOS tomorrow, Android next week

According to Joystiq, the official Call of Duty Elite application will be making its way to the iOS App Store tomorrow, January 10, 2012. Android users will be seeing their release one week later, says the report. The Call of Duty Elite apps have been delayed for several months now following several technical issues regarding server load that the Elite service saw shortly after launch. 

The mobile apps will be free to download and allow anyone with an Elite account to do the following:

• Career summary: Just like Elite main, check stats and general player information on yourself and others you've played
• Recent matches: After-action report on the past 10 matches, including scores, kill/death ratios, map information for yourself and others in the match
• Challenge Tracker: Tracks your progress through specific challenges
• Customize classes: Modify your loadout -- weapons, perks, attachments -- and push custom classes directly to game

Microsoft and Sony to both unveil next-generation game consoles at this year’s E3 conference?

According to a report from MCV, both Microsoft and Sony are preparing to unveil their next-generation game consoles at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (a.k.a. "E3"). With Nintendo also scheduled to reveal the final details regarding its next game console, dubbed the "Wii U," E3 2012 is shaping up to be the "biggest ever" it seems. If these rumors and dates hold to be true, it will be the first time in the conference's seventeen-year history that "three fresh, rival console formats will be so directly comparable."

The Xbox 360 was originally released in December of 2005, while the Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii were both unveiled in 2006. Microsoft and Sony have long been rumored to be working on next-generation game consoles, but exactly when these consoles will be released to the world is still unknown. The latest rumor claims that the next Xbox could be released sometime in Winter of 2013. 

All three consoles have seen both major and minor updates to keep the design and performance up to date. 

Wii was still Nintendo’s big seller in 2011

The Nintendo Wii console continued to be a big seller for Nintendo in 2011 as it sold more than 4.5 million units, more than the Nintendo 3DS and DS.

Altogether Nintendo sold over 12 million hardware units in the U.S. last year, the fifth year in a row they've hit that mark. The Nintendo 3DS also impressed with more than 4 million units sold. More than 3.4 million Nintendo DS units also were sold last year. The company notes that with an impressive 2011 they have a base of users at 39 million and 51 million for the Wii and Nintendo DS lineups, respectively. 

Along with hardware statistics Nintendo also released sales numbers for many of its games, Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 became the fastest selling titles in the history of their franchises while each selling over one-million units in the Unites States. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword also sold more than one-million units for the Wii in the U.S.. In addition, older titles also reach big marks. Mario Kart Wii reached over 11 million units sold just as the year closed. 

Sony PlayStation Vita sales plummet in days after initial availability

During its first two days of availability in Japan, the PlayStation Vita sold 321,000 units, leading consumers and the mobile gaming market to believe that Sony may have a winner on their hands, even before the United States launch of the portable gaming system. However, recent sales numbers for the week of December 19 to December 25 show otherwise. Sales numbers for the Vita plummeted to a little over 72,000 units. 

Nintendo saw a similar "issue" with its launch of the 3DS, but it quickly resolved the dilemma by reducing the price. As a result, sale numbers quickly rose once again. Sony may have to do something similar soon, especially considering that it plans to offer the Vita in the U.S. beginning in February for $250. That's $50 higher than an entry-level iPod touch. 

"All good things must come to an end" might just be the appropriate saying here. 

Sneak peak provided for first Modern Warfare 3 DLC maps

Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling earlier today posted a screenshot on his Twitter account, revealing one of the first maps that will be included in the first Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 DLC (downloadable content) pack. The shot posted is from a map called "Park," and it will be making its debut to the public on January 24, 2012 for Call of Duty Elite subscribers. 

Bowling says that more information regarding the map pack as a whole can be expected sometime in January. Xbox LIVE users will be the first to receive the map pack, followed by PlayStation 3 and others shortly after. 

Microsoft releases “Kinectimals” for iOS devices

Today, Microsoft released Kinectimals (App Store link) for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. The app is focused for younger children and allows them to interact with virtual animals. The game first made an appearance alongside the release of the Kinect motion sensor for the Xbox 360 last year. 

This irresistible mobile experience gives you the chance to use your phone to visit the island of Lemuria and play with, care for and fall in love with your very own cub. Bring your pet with you wherever you go! If you’ve already experienced Kinectimals on Kinect for Xbox 360, your phone becomes the key to unlocking five new cubs on your console. Stand-alone mobile game features Kinectimals’ signature visual quality, delightful animation and brand new ways to play with your cub! 

The game costs $2.99 to download. 

Modern Warfare 3 surpasses $1 billion in sales

Activision announced earlier today that Modern Warfare 3 has brought in $1 billion in sales during the game's first sixteen (16) days of availability. The number surpasses the previous record held by the film "Avatar," which brought in $1 billion in the first 17 days. 

The publisher also gave a fun fact of the day: the 30 million gamers currently part of the entire Call of Duty community surpass the populations of New York, London, Tokyo, Paris and Madrid combined. 

Activision previously announced that it had sold 6.5 million copies of Modern Warfare 3 in the first 24 hours of availability and 12.3 million in the first week, setting a new record. In addition, the game broke several Xbox LIVE records for number of gamers online at one time, etc. 

Deal of the Day: ‘Flight Control’ iOS game free for one day

Popular iOS game Flight Control, developed by Firemint, is free to download today, December 10, 2011; the promotion is part of EA Daily Deals. The game normally costs $0.99 and has recently been updated with new maps, features, and achievements.

Both the iPhone/iPod touch (App Store link) and iPad versions (App Store link) of Flight Control are free to download today. 

1.7 million Xbox 360 units sold in U.S. in November

Microsoft announced yesterday record sales of the Xbox 360 game console in the United States during the month of November, which was listed at 1.7 million units. The company says that the Xbox 360 is the only current-generation game console that sold more than one million units and the number nearly doubled the second-place console. 

• Holding 49 percent share of the overall current-generation console market, Xbox 360 sold 1.7 million units in November, maintaining the number-one console spot in the U.S. for 2011. This marks the ninth consecutive month Xbox 360 has had more than 40 percent of the current-generation console market share, and eleventh straight month the Xbox was the top selling console in the U.S.
• Xbox 360 unit sales grew 23 percent year over year in November.
• Total retail spend on the Xbox 360 platform in November (hardware, software and accessories) reached $1.4 billion, the most for any console in the U.S.
• During the month of November, Xbox 360 held four of the top 10 console game titles including: “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3,” “Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,” “Assassin’s Creed: Revelations” and “Battlefield 3”.

Microsoft revealed last month that it sold 960,000 Xbox 360 units during the week of Black Friday, with 800,000 sold in a period of 24 hours. 

Updated Xbox Terms of Use forbid customers to sue Microsoft over console issues

As pointed out by Kotaku, alongside a complete overhaul to the Xbox 360 Dashboard that began rolling out yesterday, Microsoft has also updated its Terms of Use policy for Xbox 360 customers. The updated policy has one major change, one that prevents customers from suing the software giant should issues arise with the Xbox 360 console. 

18.1.4. BINDING ARBITRATION. IF YOU LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES, YOU AND MICROSOFT AGREE THAT IF YOU AND MICROSOFT DO NOT RESOLVE ANY DISPUTE BY INFORMAL NEGOTIATION UNDER SECTION 18.1.2 ABOVE, ANY EFFORT TO RESOLVE THE DISPUTE WILL BE CONDUCTED EXCLUSIVELY BY BINDING ARBITRATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ARBITRATION PROCEDURES IN SECTION 18.1.7 BELOW. YOU UNDERSTAND AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BY AGREEING TO BINDING ARBITRATION, YOU ARE GIVING UP THE RIGHT TO LITIGATE (OR PARTICIPATE IN AS A PARTY OR CLASS MEMBER) ALL DISPUTES IN COURT BEFORE A JUDGE OR JURY. INSTEAD, YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT ALL DISPUTES WILL BE RESOLVED BEFORE A NEUTRAL ARBITRATOR, WHOSE AWARD (DECISION) WILL BE BINDING AND FINAL, EXCEPT FOR A LIMITED RIGHT OF APPEAL UNDER THE FEDERAL ARBITRATION ACT. ANY COURT WITH JURISDICTION OVER THE PARTIES MAY ENFORCE THE ARBITRATOR'S AWARD.

18.1.6. CLASS ACTION WAIVER. YOU AND MICROSOFT AGREE THAT ANY PROCEEDINGS TO RESOLVE OR LITIGATE ANY DISPUTE, WHETHER IN ARBITRATION, IN COURT, OR OTHERWISE, WILL BE CONDUCTED SOLELY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, AND THAT NEITHER YOU NOR MICROSOFT WILL SEEK TO HAVE ANY DISPUTE HEARD AS A CLASS ACTION, A REPRESENTATIVE ACTION, A COLLECTIVE ACTION, A PRIVATE ATTORNEY-GENERAL ACTION, OR IN ANY PROCEEDING IN WHICH YOU OR MICROSOFT ACTS OR PROPOSES TO ACT IN A REPRESENTATIVE CAPACITY. YOU AND MICROSOFT FURTHER AGREE THAT NO ARBITRATION OR PROCEEDING WILL BE JOINED, CONSOLIDATED, OR COMBINED WITH ANOTHER ARBITRATION OR PROCEEDING WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF YOU, MICROSOFT, AND ALL PARTIES TO ANY SUCH ARBITRATION OR PROCEEDING.

Microsoft does, however, still allow customers to take it to small claims court for a dispute.

The reason for the change? It's most likely because of the number of lawsuits that were filed against Microsoft shortly after the initial release of the Xbox 360 and issues with the "Red Ring of Death" that followed. 

Microsoft releases Xbox LIVE app for iOS

Earlier today, Microsoft announced the release of the official Xbox LIVE application for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad (App Store link). The company says the app will allow LIVE gamers to stay connected, even when they're not next to their game console. 

Features of the app include:

• Read and send messages to friends
• Manage your friends list, invite new friends
• Read and Edit your full LIVE profile (name, bio, motto)
• Change your avatar features/items with the avatar closet
• View and compare your achievement progress with friends

The app shares a similar design to the Xbox Dashboard overhaul that Microsoft began rolling out yesterday.

Reminder: New Xbox 360 Dashboard coming today [UPDATE: DELAYED]

Consider this your friendly reminder from the It's All Tech team that Microsoft will be releasing a new Dashboard interface for the Xbox 360 later today, one that brings a new design and several new features to the game console. The new Dashboard is based on tiles of information and sports a "Metro"-esque design, similar to Windows Phone 7.

The new Xbox Dashboard also supports voice and gesture controls if you are using a Kinect add-on, allowing you to switch between pages, games, movies, music, applications, etc. without using the controller. In addition, the update brings a new feature called "Beacons" to Xbox 360 consoles, which allows gamers to send status updates to Facebook of when you will be on Xbox LIVE and what game you'll be playing. 

Other new features of the Dashboard:

• Facebook sharing and other integration
• Roaming Profiles, which allow gamers to take their entire profile to any Xbox 360
• Cloud storage capabilities
• Bing search integration
• Improved family settings

Are you excited about the new Dashboard?

Update:

The update for the XBOX 360 appears to be delayed. In a tweet by Major Nelson he said "FYI: The timing for Xbox 360 dashboard update has been slightly delayed. I’ll have a status update later today."

It is unknown what is causing the delay and we expect to know more later today.