Xbox 360 final death match challenge

Each year the team of analysts at Directions on Microsoft [Learn more about us] identifies the top strategic issues Microsoft needs to address over the next twelve months and beyond. Left unattended, each could ultimately interrupt Microsoft’s 25+ year run of growth and profits and leave the door open for younger, smaller, and more nimble competitors. Take Vista into the Boardroom Windows Vista could offer large organizations improvements in software development, security, reliability, systems management, and user interface. However, public demonstrations have been full of cool graphics effects and consumer features that probably turn off more IT staff than they attract, and sales of Windows upgrade rights to corporations have been disappointing. In 2006, Microsoft has to settle on a feature set for Vista that appeals to enterprises, explain clearly what that feature set is, and reveal what PC hardware and other infrastructure corporations require to reap the benefits. "The Windows Client division has to tell corporate customers why they want Windows Vista, and why they shouldn't wait until they buy new hardware." —Rob Helm, Director of Research Lead on Application Security and Reliability Microsoft has always offered guidelines for how to develop secure, reliable applications on Windows, but the company rarely had the discipline to enforce them, even with its own applications. The result has been a treadmill: developers inside and outside of Microsoft continue to write applications that fail or require unsafe levels of privilege to run, while the Windows team develops increasingly complex workarounds (such as the User Account Protection mechanism of Windows Vista) to keep these applications going. Meanwhile, Microsoft's antispyware team hesitates to say whether clearly malicious software, such as a recent digital rights management tool that shipped on some Sony CDs and that observers deemed a "rootkit," violates its guidelines. The run-up to Vista in 2006 could be Microsoft's last chance to stop badly behaved Windows applications by publishing a definitive set of guidelines, and enforcing the guidelines in its logo programs and malicious software protection products—even against its own developers. "The time has come for Microsoft to show discipline in dealing with bad applications, and to lead in the war on spyware and other malicious software." —Michael Cherry, lead analyst, Windows More: http://www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/2006top10.html Read more!

America's Army reveals sequel, action figures

The questions were unusual for Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Wolford: Did you play with GI Joe action figures when you were a child? What if you could be one? "Usually, it is not something good when the sergeant major calls a platoon sergeant into his office," said Wolford, 29, of Oakland, Oregon. This time, it was good. Wolford, who used to own about 200 action figures, will now become one. He will model for a new line of figures based on the sequel to "America's Army," an online video game released by the Army in 2002 as a recruiting tool. The "America's Army: Real Heroes" sequel allows players to fight as actual decorated soldiers, such as Wolford. The game will feature nine soldiers, including a woman, said Lori Mezoff, a spokeswoman for the game venture. More: http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/fun.games/12/26/soldier.game.model.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest Read more!

Nintendo to release English Training software

Nintendo Corp. said Monday that the company will release an English training software program for its Nintendo DS handheld. The sofware, due out on Jan. 26, is an extension of the popular "Training" series that has seen success in Japan. Brain Training for Adults, based on a popular book, has sold over 1 million units and remains in the top 10 sales charts months after its release. The English Training program will allow owners to listen to a word and write it down on the handheld's touch screen to score listening ability. Read more!

Rumor - Grand Theft Auto: London for PS3 in Q4 2006

Rumor - Grand Theft Auto: London for PS3 in Q4 2006 According to an alleged employee of Rockstar North in Glasgow, Scotland, the next installment in the GTA series "will be titled Grand Theft Auto: London and will take place in the Great City of London in 1997." If true, this sounds suspiciously like Rockstar trying to claim the "Great City" back from Sony's supposed usurpers to the crime-drivin' throne. Also, if you recall, there was a PC expansion to the first GTA in 1999 called Grand Theft Auto: London 1969, so this is either a bad rumor or a likely remake of old material. We here at Joystiq hear a lot of crazy rumors about games, of course, but we sometimes wonder what to make of anonymous tipsters who claim to work for certain "developers of interest." Read on for the other details we received, and make the decision for yourself. Source: http://playstation2.joystiq.com/2005/12/27/rumor-grand-theft-auto-london-for-ps3-in-q4-2006/ Read more!