One gamer gets an early Xbox One, reveals details, gets banned, then invited to a party

By Adam Rosenberg November 11, 2013

xbox one launch events nyc la — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Xbox One doesn’t launch until November 22, 2013, but an accidental early shipment by Target led to some new details being revealed by one lucky beneficiary via Twitter. The recipient André Weingarten, (under his Twitter handle @Moonlightswami – via Engadget), noted that there’s a 500MB update waiting when you fire up your console for the first time; this may or may not be the expected day one patch. He also found a handful of launch titles already stocked in Xbox Live Marketplace; their sizes range from 13GB for LocoCycle all the way up to 43GB NBA 2K14. A separately purchased disc copy of Call of Duty: Ghosts filled 39GB for its own installation.

Before Weingarten could learn much more, Microsoft banned his access to Xbox Live and had his YouTube videos of Xbox One demos pulled. Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb subsequently reached out to him – it’s not his fault that Target screwed up, after all – to explain that he wouldn’t be permabanned. The company subsequently confirmed to Kotaku that the ban isn’t permanent, while Weingarten himself revealed that he’ll be a guest of Microsoft’s at some kind of Xbox One launch event.

Here’s Microsoft’s official word on the subject of consoles received early and their ability to access online things: “We’re pleased to see the initial response to Xbox One has been so positive, but given we are still putting the finishing touches on our games, UI and online services, as well as confidential partner and media agreements, these console units will be restricted from connecting to Xbox Live until closer to our launch date.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

Gaming

Xbox Game Pass gets its first Activision Blizzard game very soon

xbox game pass march games diablo 4 iv

Microsoft unveiled the batch of titles coming to its gaming subscription service throughout the back half of March. Quite a few awesome titles are making their way to the service, but by far, the most notable addition is Diablo IV, the first Activision Blizzard game being made available on Xbox Game Pass.

Diablo IV was released in June 2023, just a few months before Microsoft completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. It's the latest entry in a long-running isometric RPG series, and it retains the same engaging dungeon design, deep progression systems, and captivating loot loop that makes games in this franchise special. People have been wondering when Activision Blizzard games would arrive on Xbox Game Pass in the months since the acquisition process was completed, and Diablo IV was finally confirmed to be coming to the service on March 28 last month.

Gaming

How to get the Thunderbolt of Zeus in Fortnite

Thunderbolt of Zeus

Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 2 is underway and has brought with it some significant changes to the battle royale map that should shake up things quite a lot. This season is all about ancient gods descending onto the map, which is quite obvious by its multiple mythical locations like Mount Olympus and the Underworld. But these new landing spots aren't the only thing the gods have brought with them to Fortnite, as players can also get their hands on godly new items like the Wings of Icarus and Thunderbolt of Zeus. In this guide, we'll tell you where to find the latter and how it works.
How to get the Thunderbolt of Zeus and how it works
You can find the Thunderbolt of Zeus by defeating Zeus at Mount Olympus or by searching in Olympus Chests or Underworld Chests. It can also rarely be found in standard and rare chests.

This powerful lightning-based item can seriously dish out the hurt — provided you can use it in a situation where you won't be easily shot out of the sky. By pressing the fire button, you leap into the sky to begin unleashing a series of three massive lightning bolts on foes beneath you, with the first two bolts fired out rapidly and the final one a bit slower. You'll only get a total of three charges with this devastating weapon, so you'll want to be certain you make the most of each use and only let loose with it when you feel confident you can wrap up a kill.

Gaming

How to get Wings of Icarus in Fortnite

Wings of Icarus

The gods have taken over the Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 2 battle royale map, bringing a ton of new visual flairs across the game world and some fresh locations based on ancient Greek mythology, like Mount Olympus and the Underworld. There's a lot of cool new stuff to see, but there are also some exciting godly items that have been added to the loot pool this season: Thunderbolt of Zeus and Wings of Icarus. If you want to take flight with the Wings of Icarus, we've got all the info you need about this item below.
Where to get Wings of Icarus and how they work
The Wings of Icarus can be found in Olympus Chests or Underworld Chests. They can also rarely be found on the ground and in standard or rare chests.

This incredibly fun mobility item lets you press the fire button to begin flying through the air. You'll start with 300 charges that will count down rapidly as you're soaring around, but it's usually enough to take you pretty far across the map when you need to reposition or escape the incoming storm. However, it's worth noting that the relatively slow speed of taking off and flying doesn't make the Wings of Icarus the best mid-battle escape tool, so it's not usually wise to use it while you're being shot at.