Microsoft

Microsoft claims it has made improvements to the way its support centres handle compromised Xbox Live accounts, and in most cases is returning them to their rightful owners within three days. The claim comes from Alex Garden, general manager of Xbox Live, in a post on Major Nelson's blog to coincide with Safer Internet Day. He stresses the importance of users being vigilant in their use of personal information online, and says that much is being done at Microsoft's end to ensure its systems remain secure. More >

A designer at Saints Row: The Third developer Volition has welcomed reports that Microsoft's Xbox 360 successor will include some kind of anti-used game system, saying such a measure would be "a fantastic change for our business." Writing on AltDevBlogADay, design director Jameson Durall says that online passes work, and welcomes Sony's announcement that digital versions of PS Vita games will cost less than at retail. He reserves special praise, however, for Microsoft's reported intent to block pre-owned games at hardware level. More >

Microsoft's free-to-play reboot of the Flight Sim series, Microsoft Flight, is out of beta and will be released on February 29. The download, available from the game's official site at the source link below, lets players fly over Hawaii's Big Island, though the first DLC offering will also be available on launch day. More >

Stephen "StepTo" Toulouse has resigned from his position as Xbox Live director of policy and enforcement, and will leave Microsoft on February 15. Toulouse, who has been with the company for 18 years and admits to not knowing what he'll do next, revealed the news on his personal blog. More >

Microsoft has poured cold water on reports that it is to unveil the Xbox 360 successor at E3 in June. Speaking to Le Point, reported by Develop, Microsoft France marketing director Cedrick Delmax said: "I am not convinced things will happen this year. Xbox 360's cycle is not at all finished. More >

Microsoft's Xbox 360 successor will use Blu-ray discs and feature "some sort of anti-used game system," according to reports. Sources have claimed that Microsoft will catch up with Sony by using Blu-ray, which can store up to 50GB of a data on a single disc. No detail was given on how Microsoft intends to combat the pre-owned market. More >

Microsoft's Xbox 360 successor will be released in 2013 and boast six times the graphical capabilities of its predecessor, according to reports. Sources have told IGN that mass production of the system's GPU is to begin before the end of the year, with the console on shelves in late October or early November 2013. That GPU will, it is claimed, be derived from AMD's 6000 series processors and be broadly similar to the Radeon HD 6670. First released in February 2011, the 6670 supports DirectX 11, multiple displays, 3D and 1080p, and currently costs upwards of $79.99. More >

Microsoft is set to replace its proprietary currency with real-world money by the end of the year, according to a company source. Transactions across Xbox Live, Windows Phone and the Zune Marketplace will all be affected if the source, who spoke to Inside Mobile Apps, is correct. More >

Microsoft's Entertainment And Devices Division brought in $4.2 billion ($2.7 billion) in the three months to December 31, an increase of 15 per cent on the previous year. Across Microsoft as a whole, revenue rose five per cent to $20.89 billion (£13.5 billion), setting a new record for the company. Net income, however, fell from last year's $6.63 billion to $6.62 billion (£4.28 billion). More >

Microsoft has added an achievement system to its Visual Studio development tool. Logically dubbed Visual Studio Achievements, the system, explained in a blog post, lets devs unlock 32 achievements and compete on leaderboards. Highlights include Lonely, which awards five points for coding on a Friday or Saturday night, and Gotta Be Different, unlocked by loading custom settings. More >

The number of people using entertainment apps on Xbox 360 rose 50 per cent last month, Microsoft has revealed. Xbox Live mouthpiece Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb confirms in a blog post that app usage rose significantly in December compared to the month before. The Metro dashboard update, which brought renewed focus on external video content, was released on December 6. More >

Microsoft has strenuously denied claims that lax security on the Xbox.com website is to blame for the recent spate of Xbox Live account thefts. "The online safety of Xbox Live members remains of the utmost importance, which is why we consistently take measures to protect Xbox Live against ever-changing threats," the company told us in a statement issued on Friday. "Security in the technology industry is an ongoing process, and with each new form of technology designed to deter attacks, the attackers try to find new ways to subvert it." More >

One of the platform holders is to bow out of the hardware race at E3 in June, according to an executive at cloud gaming service Gaikai. Speaking to Industry Gamers at this week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Gaikai's chief product officer Nanea Reeves said: "Not all of the current console makers will have one more generation. That will be the big news at E3." More >