Live UFC games hit Xbox 360 Dec. 1, U-verse to need XBL Gold
updated 05:40 pm EDT, Fri October 7, 2011
UFC starts on Xbox as ATT U-verse clamps down
Microsoft finished off the week with word that its promised live UFC games on the Xbox 360 would go live on December 1. Along with on-demand clips, it will give viewers the option of pay-per-view live fights much like they would on the web or regular TV. The first live event should be UFC 140 in Toronto with Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida.
All video streams at up to 720p with standard definition as a fallback. Gamers who have a Kinect can control it with gestures and voice commands, while everyone can create their own fight card and make predictions that can be tallied up either for a single match or in the long term.
Along with the UFC content, AT&T has started telling U-verse viewers that its new live TV option will be restricted compared to what they know now. A new customer notice sent out to one Giant Bomb reader revealed that U-verse TV will need an Xbox Live Gold account to use the improved service where they could manage with Silver before. The $60 subscription will mostly improve on-demand viewing and add the Kinect support coming with the new Dashboard.
AT&T is hoping to offset the difference by giving subscribers an up-front $60 bill credit for the first year, but it won't compensate beyond that point. It also gave support to the widely held belief that the Dashboard update is reaching every user in November. Live TV will need the new front end to work.
