Xbox Live

Ten years ago Microsoft launched Xbox Live. Today, they are celebrating with a slew of rewards and discounts. The first one you should claim is Wreckateer, because it’s free for today and tomorrow (November 15-16) only. Also, Microsoft is running a sweepstakes for a special anniversary edition Xbox 360 console (sorry, North America only). Their official post has all the details and a letter from Marc Whitten thanking YOU for making Xbox Live what it is today. Here is what’s on sale…

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If the modest 4GB hard-drive size of Microsoft’s current subsidized Xbox 360 plan was the only thing holding you back, you’re in luck; the company has announced that it …
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For many moons, the two most recent Call of Duty titles – Modern Warfare 3 and the original Black Ops – have dominated Xbox LIVE Activity charts, never straying far (if at all) from the top two spots. The games’ psuedo-realistic and ever-popular multiplayer combat consistently draws in millions of players, even months after their release. The series’ chart dominance has been more or less unmatched – until now.
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Welcome to our guide for all things Dust: An Elysian Tail! Dust is without doubt my pick of the games released on XBLA this summer and an all-around fantastic game. While it’s almost impossible that you haven’t heard of this game by now, definitely check out our review for the game.

Dust can be pretty challenging at times, with a few tough bosses to defeat and a whole host of hidden content. In an identical way to classic games such as Castlevania and Metroid, Dust expects that players will revisit previously completed levels in order to unlock new areas and secrets.

In this guide, I’ll be providing some general tips and some combat hints on this page as well as a boss guide (beware spoilers) and a guide for the Bakers Dozen achievement (for finding all the hidden characters) on separate pages.

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The Glade – Giants

The first boss encounter is quite an easy one, but it can be tough if you use the wrong tactics. First of all, you’ll be attacked by a single Giant and following a short cut scene, Dust will unlock the Parry skill. This is a big clue here, as unlikely as it seems, you can actually parry the Giants attacks. Just as the Giant pauses and begins his swing, hit X and hold it (timing is quite forgiving on normal/hard) to parry the attack. Once the Giant is stunned, you can hit him with two or three combos. Repeat this cycle until the Giant falls, unlocking the next stage of the battle. This time, Dust will need to face down two Giants. Repeat the same process of parrying and counter attacking, but take care not to get trapped between the Giants or to get caught when both of them swing at once. If you get into trouble, remember to use the dodge or jump whirlwind attack to get out of there.

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The Bakers Dozen Achievement is all about rescuing your favourite characters that have been hidden throughout the world of Dust: An Elysian Tail. Don’t forget that when you get to any one of the cages that these guys are imprisoned in, you will need four keys and some quick hands to beat the locks!

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Microsoft’s Xbox Live security team has spent the last several months introducing new safeguards to the service in response to a bevy of user feedback, Xbox Live General Manager Alex Garden said in a blog post today. Garden released a statement about buffing up account security earlier in the year and reported that the Xbox community responded by sending him “hundreds of emails and the responses ranged from frustration to support, as well as suggestions for making Xbox Live the best service it can be.”

The team in charge of protecting users is said to now be better positioned to do so thanks to increased notifications being sent to accounts with suspect activity. Holders of such accounts are encouraged to take self-protecting measures such as changing passwords, tapping Microsoft’s customer support and proving that they are indeed the owner of the account in question.

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Some of you may have signed on to Xbox Live recently and received a prompt for an update. This is a behind-the-scenes update, containing improvements on existing features and foundations …
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Microsoft has lined up lots of new features that will appear in upcoming updates, some big and some small. No doubt the biggest announcement is the one that confirms …
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Microsoft today launched a “pilot program” at its chain of 16 stores in the United States that will “test a new pricing model for the Xbox 360.” The …
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