Xbox One gaming, prizes hit New York for Super Bowl XLVIII

Gamers who are in New York this week for Super Bowl XLVIII can partake in a few different Xbox-related activities in the lead-up to the big game on Sunday, Microsoft announced yesterday on Major Nelson's blog.

The stretch of Broadway from 34th Street to 47th Street has been closed to traffic and dubbed "Super Bowl Boulevard," and the area is playing host to a wide variety of festivities such as concerts and a giant toboggan. The Xbox One is the official video game console of the NFL, and visitors to Super Bowl Boulevard can check out the system at the Xbox booth, which is located between 36th and 37th streets (photo above). The booth, which is open through Saturday from noon to 11 p.m. ET, will allow people to play games, enter sweepstakes and take photos with what Microsoft calls "a very special Xbox One console."

Microsoft is also giving New Yorkers looking for cabs an extra incentive to use Uber, the premium service by which cabs are hailed through a smartphone app. From 7-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Xbox One-branded black SUVs will be offering free rides in downtown Manhattan between 42nd and Houston streets. In addition to saving money, every riders will receive a gift of some kind in giveaways from Microsoft. That includes items such as Xbox One games and consoles, and a chance at the grand prize: two tickets to the Super Bowl.