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Archive for Gaming

Error Trying to Claim All Access Game Pass Ultimate on Xbox Series X / S

Xbox All Access errorXbox All Access offers free hardware up-front, and Game Pass Ultimate for a 2-year subscription price of $24.99 for Series S, or $34.99 for Series X. Game Pass Ultimate includes xCloud streaming, hundreds of Xbox and PC titles, every Microsoft Studio game, and all of EA Play’s titles. After 2 years you own the hardware, for less than if you purchased it and Game Pass Ultimate separately. All-in-all a pretty great deal!

Unfortunately, there have been some errors when trying to claim Game Pass Ultimate included on the console.

  1. It’s not showing in the settings titled, “Included with this Xbox”:
    • If you’re not seeing the claim now button after setting up your new Xbox, try logging out and logging back in.
    • If that doesn’t work,  restore by pressing Home > Profile & System > System > Console Info > Reset console > Reset and keep my games & apps
    • If it still doesn’t work, the Xbox might have been shipped out without the retailer registering the serial number with Citizens One. Call them at at 1-888-824-3783 with your account number and serial number (Citizens One handles the line of credit for Xbox All Access)
  1. When clicking the Claim Now button, “Try that again – Something happened on our end. Try again later” error occurs. Followed by a long App Error code:
    • The best option for this error is to contact Microsoft phone support. Use these steps:
      • Xbox Status | Xbox Support
      • Click Contact Us button
      • Select Hardware & network, then select I need help setting up my console
      • Chose the option to call back
      • Tell the agent a new X Box Series X with Game Pass Ultimate, gave an error message when clicking on the Claim Now button, “try that again, something happened…”
      • They’ll check your account. You likely already have an active Xbox Live account, and they will have to cancel it to make the new subscription work. Remaining months will be added to the new Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
      • Click Claim Now button again, and Success!
    • You could also wait for your current Xbox Live subscription to expire, then activate the new one on your console (you have 2 years).
    • Or, if you don’t have much time remaining, cancel the active Xbox Live subscription yourself, and then activate the new one.

Enjoy your new Xbox Series X/S and Game Pass Ultimate!

Can’t get an Xbox One Series S/X? Upgrade your old one!

There are plenty of stories about people refreshing their web browser for hours, only to find an anticipated shipment of Xbox One Series S or Series X selling out online in seconds. Easy to understand why when they are selling for twice the price on the secondary market. It and the Sony PS5 are the hottest gifts this season.

We could argue whether you should buy a new generation console at launch. The lack of games, software and hardware bugs, an expected price drop — but that’s for another article. If you’re one of the few lucky enough to get a next generation console, the first thing you’ll probably notice is faster loading times. What if you could get your Xbox One S or X to load games faster? Help ease the pain of having to watch all the videos of lightning fast load times on new consoles.

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Phone Stacking Meal Game–Dinner 1.0

You know that guy, maybe you are that guy. At dinner with friends, even a romantic dinner always checking your smart phone. AT&T even portrayed ‘him’ in a recent commercial:

Too much face time with his phone during a romantic dinner.

On a recent episode of The Office, Ryan gave up his place in an important trivia game rather than put down his smart phone.

So it maybe shouldn’t be a surprise to walk into a restaurant, or night club and see groups of people young and old all at the same table, but interacting with their phones more than each other. Don’t we get enough fake social interaction during the course of a day? It is asking too much to put down the Words with Friends app, and actually have some real words with real friends?

Credit for inventing this game generally goes to 20-year old Stephie from CA, and her blog post titled “Don’t be a di*k during meals with Friends”. Recently, it’s more likely to be called by the less offensive, “Phone Stacking”. Following are the rules from her site:

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Free Angry Birds Game for up to Four of your PCs

Intel’s AppUp has offered a PC version of Angry Birds for $4.99 for some time now. Recently, they began offering it free if following a special link from Best Buy. This game supports touch in Windows, and plays just like the iPad/Phone/Touch version. It even supports multi-monitor.

1) Visit BestBuy’s Intel AppUp Page:

angrybirds1

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When’s the last time you played a flight simulator game?

In the early days of computers and computer games, flight simulators were king. The latest versions were waited for with eager anticipation. Realism in gauges, physics and controls left even seasoned pilots impressed.

Whether it was a combat sim in an F4, F16 fighter jet or Red Baron’s bi-plane, or a realistic airplane simulator like Microsoft Flight Simulator, I played a lot of these games. However, I haven’t played one for years. If this short video is any indication, that is about to change. The graphics are jaw-dropping:

Microsoft Flight announced on Tuesday as part of it’s plans for Games for Windows and Windows Phone 7. Looks like Flight will also have an online component as it will be, “Live-enabled”.

Gamer Girl Scholarships

Are you a girl who loves video games? Have you also perhaps thought of a career in video game design? If so, I have some excellent news for you! Sony Online Entertainment is now accepting applications for their third-annual G.I.R.L. Scholarship! This award comes with up to $10,000.00 towards a student’s tuition and other educational expenses. Even better – the winner will have the option of participating in a 10 week internship with Sony Online Entertainment!

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One Million Xbox Live Users Banned

xbox360Microsoft is tired of piracy – and they’re doing something about it in a very big way. In a statement released by the company, they state: All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and that modifying their Xbox 360 console to play pirated discs violates the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty, and result in a ban from Xbox Live..

Reactions around the globe are varied… and passionate on both sides of the coin. Teens who have had their accounts cut off are definitely not happy, even when they fully admit to being guilty of piracy and console modifications. One such banned player, who hails from the UK, told a radio station this morning that he is “gutted” and “distraught” by Microsoft’s decision. He was even noted to be seen crying loudly in public. However, this same person also admits to paying a local electronics shop more than $100.00 to mod his Xbox for him – so he can play pirated games.

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Xbox 360 warranty extended to 3 years, including previous repairs

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 has come under criticism for its high hardware failure rate. Microsoft has said its around the industry average of 3-5%. However, other unconfirmed sources have put the figure closer to to 30%. Microsoft does acknowledge the consoles had a higher failure rate when first launched.

No matter who’s numbers you accept, you have to give kudos to Microsoft for taking a billion dollar hit to make things right. Effective July 5th, all Xbox 360 warranties have been extended to 3 years. Including repairs already made!

In late 2006, Microsoft extended the warranty of all Xbox 360 consoles to one year, up from 90-days. For gamers who were out of warranty, a replacement or repair would cost about $140.

EA unveils “The Simpsons Game”

simpsons game

There have been at least 21 tries before to make a successful video game based on the hit Simpsons TV show. All have flopped. The Simpsons Game is now under development by EA and will release for the PS2, PSP, PS3, Nintendo DS, Wii and the Xbox 360 in the fall of 2007.

So what’s different this time? Scot Amos, Executive Producer, The Simpsons Game says,

Our goal in developing THE SIMPSONS GAME is to create the most original game ever, which is a lofty goal and only possible given the close collaboration with ‘The Simpsons’ creative team. We’re also especially proud of the game’s warm visual feel, which captures – for the first time ever in a game – the look of the TV show.

Powerhouse EA badly needs an original hit. It’s also getting great support from the TV show cast and crew. All the characters voices will be represented, and the writers contributed over 8,000 lines of dialogue for the games 16 “episodes”.

The plot of the game is not based on the upcoming Simpsons movie, but instead revolves around the Simpson family finding that without its advanced knowledge or consent, it has become the basis of a new video game.

‘Simpsons’ game leads EA summer preview [ZDNet]

Another Sony blunder

God of War 2As if dismal PlayStation3 sales weren’t bad enough, Sony recently threw a party in Greece to celebrate the launch of a new Playstation2 title, God of War II. According to reports, this party featured topless women feeding grapes to people in the crowd, and a beheaded goat. While Sony claims the goat was from a local butcher, and returned after the party, it has animal rights activists up in arms.

In addition to the beheaded goat, participants were also invited to dine on goat entrails, and contents of the goat’s stomach, in a reality game show like atmosphere. Sony later explained it was actually a meat soup provided by a local caterer.

Sony has launched an internal investigation, the company said in a statement.

“The goat was returned to the butcher,” Sony said. “On this occasion we recognize that we fell short of our normal high standards of conduct.”

Sony offers goat sacrifice to ‘God of War’ [NewsBlog]