Having memes for the Xbox One actually pays off, as now, an old meme targeting the watchful-bordering-on-creepy Kinect to have QR code scanning capability may actually come to fruition.

Xbox One chief product officer Marc Whitten has confirmed in his Twitter account as a response to those who have been posting on his Reddit account, that, yes, the QR code scanning does work with the Kinect.

VG 24/7 reports that this may now take away typing hassles for download codes, which is a pretty good way to at least have some justification for the presence of the Kinect.

Compared to how download codes work in the current-gen, this is truly an innovative and more convenient way to make use of the Kinect. In addition, considering that QR codes can also be tools for promoting freebies and extra content, this may sit well with Microsoft's integrated "all-in entertainment, gaming, and more" console.

It's good to wait out and see what Microsoft will come up with for the use of its Kinect.

The Xbox One Kinect is included in the bundle that will ship out for the next-gen, but it's also the reason why Microsoft has jacked its price up to $499, a full $100 over the PS4, which does not come with the PlayStation Eye camera in the bundle.

First wave of Xbox One won't include Japan

As with the trend of Xbox 360, it seems that Microsoft will be skipping Japan for its next-gen console Xbox One--at least for the first wave of distribution.

According to CVG, Japan may get the Xbox One consoles, but it will most probably happen in 2014, after the Tier 1 markets have had their shipments.

Game Informer reports that it may be Microsoft is foreseeing a similar trend in the Xbox One as what had happened previously. To date, the known numbers of Xbox 360 shipments to Japan had only been 1.6 million even as late as 2011.

"We think [Japan is] an important market, and we'll continue building on the working investment that we've done over all these years," said Don Mattrick of Microsoft about Japan in a previous statement quoted by CVG. "I'm not going to go into details of the launch until we talk to key partners and build a market strategy."

This may prove, once more, that Sony has the upper hand when it comes to games that are not mostly Western first-person shooters or iterations of well-received games.

Whether or not this decision may affect the ongoing battle of sales between the two consoles, PS4 and Xbox One, remains to be seen.

Xbox 360 Chrome Controllers go on sale starting August

If you're not planning to buy the Xbox One yet, or if you're still planning to play loads of games on your Xbox 360, why not get a special edition Chrome Series Controller while you're at it?

IGN reports that the special edition controllers, which come in four colours now--red, blue, silver, and gold--will be made available starting August for $54.99.

Available only at GameStop and Microsoft Stores around the U.S. and select sellers worldwide, the controllers are said to have a transforming d-pad.

According to the official Xbox Web site, the special edition controllers can allow up to four controllers simultaneously on the console, has integrated headset port for Xbox LIVE play, an adjustable vibration feedback to control for battery life, and an Xbox 360 Guide button to keep track of your friends, access your games and media, and as a control for power on or off.

It's a limited edition controller, and perfect for those who may want to keep the Xbox 360 as a collector's item console once they get their hands on the Xbox One. But obviously, it's an item that won't be stored, considering how Microsoft has assured its gamers that the Xbox 360 will still be supported with many games in the coming years.

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