Xbox Live

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 >

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 >

Microsoft has sold more than 66 million Xbox 360s, and over 18 million units of the Kinect motion sensor. The figures were revealed by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer during his keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last night. He also revealed that Xbox Live has more than 40 million users, but neglected to specify how many were paying Gold members. More >

Activision's Call Of Duty series occupies the top three slots in Microsoft's chart of last year's most played games on Xbox Live. Black Ops was the most played game of the year, ahead of Modern Warfare 3, which is in second spot despite only launching on November 8. Modern Warfare 2, released in 2009, is in third. More >

Microsoft has moved to insist that its Xbox Live service hasn't been breached, and that the ongoing glut of account thefts are the result of phishing attacks. The company's statement comes after one user managed to track down the hacker who had stolen her account and spent over $300 on Microsoft Points using her stored credit card details, and found websites with thousands of Live accounts up for sale. More >

An Xbox Live user whose account was compromised and used to purchase thousands of Microsoft Points has identified the hacker involved, and discovered websites where accounts are up for sale. In a lengthy post on Tumblr, the user explains that her account was compromised not once, but twice, despite Microsoft having insisted the account had been locked. When she queried this with Microsoft she was told: "The fraud department was unable to block your account." More >

Microsoft has released an official Xbox Live app for iOS devices. The app, My Xbox Live, lets users read and send messages, manage friends lists, edit profile information and avatars, and view and compare achievements. More >

Microsoft has announced which TV and video apps will be available when the new Metro dashboard update is released tomorrow - and only Lovefilm, the subscription-based movie streaming service, will be available to UK users at launch. More >

Microsoft has spent a reported $100 million on Israeli start-up VideoSurf, saying its video search technology will "augment the Xbox 360 ecosystem." VideoSurf's technology can "see" individual frames inside videos, with facial and audio recognition, which Microsoft intends to use to further beef up discoverability on Xbox Live. The Xbox 360 dashboard update, due on December 6, can be fully controlled by voice, with Bing integration allowing users to search for games, music and video content from a variety of providers. More >

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has broken more records, with Activision claiming it grossed $775 million worldwide in the first five days following its launch on November 8. More >

South Korean gamers under the age of 16 will no longer be able to play online on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 after the government extended its Shutdown Law to cover console services PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. According to Kotaku, the Shutdown Law, which originally covered PC games and forbids under-16s from playing online between midnight and 6am, will also apply to consoles from November 18. More >

Four ex-Rare staffers have established a new independent development studio, which is working on a sci-fi Xbox Live Arcade title due to be published by Microsoft. More >