Microsoft fumbles UFC promotion on Xbox Live, promises improvements

By Mike Flacy January 3, 2012

xbox-picks-120111 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Partially kicking off Microsoft’s jump into becoming a provider of live television, the software company ran into a series of problems on Friday when attempting to broadcast the UFC 141 fight through the Xbox Live service as detailed by Dan Hsu. Designed to allow the purchase of UFC fights in either high or standard definition, the application brings more elements to the viewing experience including watching video of the weigh-in, choosing the winner of each fight and ranking your picks against friends who are also interested in UFC. The user can also check out the stats of each fighter as well as other information pertinent to the match.

Hoping to promote the event to hardcore UFC fanatics, Microsoft gave away approximately 30,000 free codes to access the fights. Once the matches started to kick off, technical issues on Microsoft’s end caused the application to stop loading for many users. For the users that did gain access to the app, the video feed was filled with stuttering and had a difficult time buffering to keep up with the demand. Users that invited friends over to watch the fights were forced to purchase the fight on other pay-per-view options or relocate to a local sports bar for access.

Microsoft responded with a statement that apologized to users attempting to access the app and stated “We want to ensure that the 30,000 giveaway recipients for UFC 141 have an optimal experience with UFC on Xbox LIVE, and we are currently working with our partners at the UFC to ensure we deliver just that. The gamertags of the 30,000 users who registered for UFC 141 are being safely kept on file for free access to a future UFC event, and we will have more updates to share in the near future.”

The application has support for the new dashboard and works with the Microsoft Kinect for navigation. Similar to pricing on movies and television shows, there are different price tiers based on the level of video definition. Users can also make purchases with the credit card associated with the Xbox Live account rather than having to purchase Marketplace points first.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributing Editor

By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…

Gaming

What’s free on the Epic Games Store right now?

Robots attacking in Industria.

Checking in on the Epic Games Store is one of the easiest ways to grow your gaming library. Epic gives out a free game or two every week, ranging from darling indies to AAA titles. All you have to do is jump on the Epic Games Store to claim the free games and they'll be added to your library to keep forever.

Keeping track of all the free titles and gaming deals can be a pain, so we're monitoring the Epic Games Store for you. We'll update this article every time a new game is made available!
What's free on the Epic Games Store right now?
These games can be picked up on the Epic Games store right now for free. Scroll down to the Free Games section of the app's Discover tab or find the individual title using the search bar. Just find and select the Get button to claim your free game. You do not have to download or install it right away.

Gaming

Is Fallout 76 cross-platform?

fallout 76 nuclear winter cancelled cancel

We've all loved exploring the different regions of the wasteland in the Fallout series alone, but it wasn't until Fallout 76 that we had the chance to do so with friends. While it wasn't quite what people were hoping for at launch, years of support have made this an excellent world to explore and go on quests with friends in. While most games released in recent years support cross-platform play between consoles, Fallout 76 came out before that was the standard. If you've got a group of friends playing on different systems, will you still be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of the wasteland together? Here's what you need to know.
Is Fallout 76 cross-platform?
Fallout 76 does not support full cross-platform support. The only two platforms that can play on the same servers are Xbox and PC, but only in the case where PC players are accessing the game through Game Pass. If you are on a PlayStation console or bought the game on Steam, you will only be able to play with others on those respective platforms.

Considering how many years it's been since Fallout 76 launched, it is unlikely that cross-platform support will be added at this point. Should we be proven wrong, we will update this guide to reflect that.

Gaming

Sea of Thieves beginner’s guide: 16 tips for new pirates

sea of thieves how to play solo sanctuaryoutpost 2

Cooperative piracy simulator Sea of Thieves is a game that drops players right off the plank and into the deep end of the ocean as soon as they start it up. You're left to figure out how to do almost everything alone or with a crew of friends. All of it is picked up through experience as you play, which is part of what makes Sea of Thieves interesting. There are tons of little nuances and best practices, however, that you need to become an effective pirate.

If you want to win sea battles, escape plunderers, gather treasure, and generally be the best pirate on the Sea of Thieves, there is a lot to learn. Luckily, these tips will make you an effective sailor, a deft brawler, and a smart privateer when you join up with a crew. Going it alone has its perks as well, so check out our tips for your lone pirate voyages.
Start with the tutorial mission