Move over SNES emulators, XNA will be coming soon to a Zune near you. Zune gameplay will support ad hoc WiFi network gaming with up to eight players, and it’s just too cool watching Zauri being played on the Zune 2 using the Zune Pad.
For Canadians, the Zune will be dropping June 13. The Zune 4GB to will retail for 139.99 Canadian dollars , the Zune 8GB for 189.99 and 80GB Zune for 249.99 Canadian. The nice video above is not an official Microsoft ad, but to me it was made in the same spirit as the ads done by 72andSunny.
Microsoft has made the Zune a lot better in the new 2.5 firmware update. The Zune, virtually officially, is going a different direction from the Apple iPod. I will not hesitate to pronounce the Zune a non-competition of the iPod after the 2.5 firmware. The Zune Video download spotted a couple of days ago turned out to be a little better than we expected. Instead of movie downloads, which is already available in some high-end PMPs like Archos, Microsoft opted for TV shows. It may also come as a pie in the face of Steve Jobs that “The Office” will be one of the first offerings of Zune Marketplace. “The Office” was specially featured during Jobs’ keynote and now Zune users can watch it legally on their Zunes.
The Zune Card is adds more sharing to The Social. As previously announced, it will allow Zune users to sample other Zune users content. Sharing one another’s music preferences and recently played music should add to the spirit of “The Social.”
Also in the new update are gapless music, better syncing, auto paylists, meta data edit, and more. Watch the video after the break.
I couldn’t get the Flash display to work on my browser, but a poster at Zunerama took screen shots of what appears to be an update of the Zune Marketplace. Marketplace have just added video downloads but it’s not exactly a major upheaval to offer music videos on Zune. The roaring face of King Kong, though, hints at greater things and greater video lengths to come. Marketplace have also added a genre category for browsing, which should be get a few Marketplace users excited and downloading music.
Microsoft will go nutters over this piece of news. The Zune 8 (8GB) has been cloned and the fake has been sold on eBay. For the year that we have been covering PMP news, this is the first time we’ve come across an real Zune knockoff. In fact, though we searched high and low, this is the closest thing we’ve come to an imitation Zune. Even looking at the fake could fool you since they used very high-quality material. The only way of knowing for sure your Zune 8 is authentic is by opening up the GUI… but, then again, what if the firmware has been perfectly copied as well?
So who was the unlucky guy who bought this imitation Black Zune 8? Here is what he has to say:
just received my 8GB Zune from Ebay.
When I saw the box first I was kind of shocked. Text and Printing not aligned to the center of the packaging, no sticker with serial number and Barcode. As well there were no manuals and the earphones and synch cable were not in separate boxes.
Then I thought “wonderful you’ve bought a fake Zune” but the Device looks fine (ok it looks like second quality, dented screw cover (or whatever the chrome cover covers Smiley and some errors in the laser engraving at the back) When I plugged it into my PC it started charging and a few minutes later it started up and shows correct firmware as well.
So how can this be? Has someone embezzled second quality devices and made a new Packaging for them?
Has anyone else the same experience?
Update: Guy (bastix0815) who bought it found some slight defects in the laser engraving (the lines aren’t perfectly straight) and the 200 pre-installed Chinese songs. He had paid 135 $US for it. Apparently, the box tipped him off though the software works.
I wish to God Zune-Arts never calls it quits, whatever happens to the product its selling. Again, this one is from ad agency 72andSunny and directed by “Three Legged Legs.” Music is titled Fancy Footwork by Chromeo. Watch the video. Somehow, it reminds me of the Eighties and Macaulay Culkin’s special friend. Read the rest »
Microsoft plans to launch a new “platform for downloading Zune [at] several terminals in 2009″. This will include the PC, Zune devices and Windows Mobile 7 devices. The suggestion that Zune 3.0 will be able to sync with Windows Mobile 7 handsets is very enticing. On a different note, it’s taking Zune Marketplace a while to go worldwide.
Since we’ve heard that XNA Studio games will soon be coming to a Zune near you, we’ve wondered how exactly is the game play going to look like on a Zune. If you’ve seen the old 30GB Zune and the new flash and HD Zunes, you’ll quickly realize that the hardware does not actually support the kind of gaming you are used to. You might have something like this in mind or something like this. Heck, even something like this. Read the rest »
Zune-owning gamers, you’re going to love this. Starting today, XNA Game Studio 3.0 will be integrated into ALL Zunes (Zune 4/8, Zune 30 and Zune 80). What does this mean, you ask? Not only can you play Zune games on your Zune; you can enjoy wireless multiplayer gaming with two or more Zune owners who are in the same location as you. The XNA Game Studio 3.0 integration also means that you can access your music and customize them to create soundtracks while gaming. Of course there are some limitations to gameplay; the XNA platform can only support 2D graphics and games need to be modified to fit the Zune’s 240×320 display and one-handed usage. But I think the ability to engage in wireless multiplayer gaming outweighs its limitations. Watch out for the preview of the XNA Game Studio 3.0 in Spring 2008, and its final release during the 2008 holiday season.
Maybe this is just me being unfamiliar with the world of hiphop music but I don’t know who Kenna is or what he did to merit his own limited edition Zune. Apparently, the limited edition red Zunes weren’t the only ones Microsoft had on the shelves for consumers on the most commercialized holiday of the year. They actually took the effort to make a Zune version for those who’ll be alone and miserable on Valentine’s Day. Hence Microsoft’s collaboration with Kenna for a black 4GB Zune featuring laser-engraved art by Kenna and Jeff McMillan called “The Translator”. The Kenna Zunes come preloaded with the music video of his single “Say Goodbye to Love” and his “Make Sure They See My Face” album. There are also only 200 of these Zunes out in the market, some of which were given away by US radio stations as part of anti-Valentines day promos. If you’re into collecting limited edition things, I suppose you should wait for these Zunes to surface on eBay since there’s no information on where you can buy them.
Girls–if your guy fails to get you anything for Valentine’s day and tries to save his ass by blaming it on Microsoft, go easy on him cos he might actually be telling the truth. Microsoft had some problems fulfilling the shipment for the limited edition Valentine’s day Zune but don’t weep over your cash just yet. If you don’t get your unit, they’ll give you your money back - and there’s a lot you can do with your special someone for $250. I hear girls these days still like to be taken out for dinner somewhere nice.
