With 
the successor to the Xbox 360 likely to hit stores before the end of the year, you’d think people might hold off on things like an Xbox Live subscription at this point in the console cycle. But apparently the online service is more popular than ever.
Microsoft reports Xbox Live subscriptions hit 46 million worldwide in the most recent fiscal quarter. That’s up 18 percent from a year ago.
The 
wait to learn what Microsoft has in store for the next generation now has a countdown.
The Verge reports that the company will hold an event on May 21 to reveal the new console, with a more complete look to follow a few weeks later at E3 2013.
Was 
it a hint at one of the new Xbox’s features? Was it a friendly argument that spun out of control? Either way, a tweet from a Microsoft bigwig has turned into a public relations debacle.
Microsoft Studios’ creative director Adam Orth took to Twitter Thursday to comment on the growing gamer disgust with “always on” DRM, essentially technology that requires a game or device to be connected to the internet to work properly. That tech made the launches of high-profile PC games Diablo III and SimCity disastrous, and rumors are swirling that it will be included in the next Xbox system as a means to thwart used game sales.
Jose 
Muñoz came to the U.S. illegally when he was a one-year-old – but today, he’s a legal resident. And it’s all thanks to his love of video games.
For the past three years, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has given people who immigrated illegally as children the opportunity to obtain legal residency, allowing them to work and purchase property in the U.S. The catch? Applicants have to be able to show residency since 2007.
The 
Halo franchise is one of the biggest in the videogame world, but when series creator Bungie Studios walked away from the series after 2010’s “Halo: Reach,” it left Microsoft with a problem.
The series, of course, would continue — but keeping the loyal community fanbase satisfied wouldn’t be easy — and neither would managing a property that had quickly grown into a transmedia giant.
The 
console war is about to get a lot more crowded.
While announcements of next-generation devices from Microsoft and Sony are bound to grab headlines this year, a wave of new machines from various corners of the games industry is threatening to shake up the traditional three-company battle over your living room.
Microsoft 
is sending out some early holiday gifts to long-time Xbox Live users.
With the 10th anniversary of the online service upon us, the console maker has been sending some of its oldest subscribers a special present: A brand new, limited-edition Xbox 360.
Microsoft’s 
Xbox Live is more than just a matchmaking service for gamers — it’s also a popular social networking tool. Authorities in Iowa, however, believe it was the genesis for a runaway plot conceived by four Iowa teens.
Two teenage girls from the town of Shellsburg and two teenage boys from Atlantic (which is about 200 miles away) were reported missing Saturday. According to police and parents, the runaways met though the online game service.
They 
have no value in the real world (yet), but good luck telling that to the millions of gamers hopeless addicted to Microsoft’s Xbox Achievements. Earning some of these digital tips of the cap can takes hours, if not days or weeks. Yet, for many, many gamers, they’re an integral part of what makes the Xbox 360 such a great console.
Admittedly, the thrill of seeing “Achievement Unlocked” and hearing that pleasing little chime after long hours of hunting down in-game items is often its own reward. Some Achievements, though, can test the mettle of even the most dedicated gamers, remaining just a pipe dream no matter how hard they try. Stretch your thumbs and grab some extra batteries before trying to take down the 10 hardest Xbox Achievements.
Love 
it or hate it, the Xbox 360 isn’t going anywhere soon. It’s the oldest of the current consoles, but despite an onslaught of leaks and rumors, Microsoft has yet to officially acknowledge it’s working on a next-generation system.
In the real world, it’s a pretty safe bet that the next Xbox won’t hit stores before Christmas 2013. That means you’ve got another year — at least — with your current model. And while it might be a little long in the tooth, there’s still plenty of horsepower under the hood.
Chris Morris: Journalist 