|
|
Xbox News is a site that brings you the very latest Original Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One news, the latest games and releases, Part of the
DCEmu Homebrew & Gaming Network.
THE LATEST NEWS BELOW
|
October 20th, 2005, 02:47 Posted By: wraggster
BaldBouncer have posted this new accessorie for the Xbox on their site:
<a href="http://www.baldbouncer.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?ref=2&products_id=194&affiliate_b anner_id=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.baldbouncer.co.uk/catalog/affiliate_show_banner.php?ref=2&affiliate_pbanner_ id=194" border="0" alt="Gamexpert Dual Analogue Controller Xbox"></a>
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
 Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
 |
|
|
|
October 20th, 2005, 02:08 Posted By: wraggster
Earlier we talked about the possibility that Microsoft may be faking a shortage of Xbox 360s in order to spur the American public to get out there and pre-order. Unfortunately, it’s looking very likely that there will be a shortage in the U.K. Olly linked us to his blog with his experiences of dealing with several game retailers around the U.K.
In one post Olly found that independent and smaller game retailers are being offered a total of four Xbox 360s to sell. Even bigger stores like Toys R’ Us only have around ten units for sale. The reason for this? Microsoft has only allocated 100,000 units to the UK in total. That’s in comparison to the PSP’s 250,000 units at launch; a console which is still suffering chronic shortages around 6 weeks after its launch.
So whilst it’s likely that the U.S. will avoid the majority of shortages, the U.K. may not be so lucky. But then that raises the question of whether a temporary shortage is a better situation than having the U.K. launch delayed by a month or more. Is the chance of being able to pick up an Xbox 360 (with temporary shortages) better than having to wait six months to even see one in a store?
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 20th, 2005, 02:05 Posted By: wraggster
Hardcore fans on the quest to see the next piece of coveted hardware in the gaming industry may imagine a scenario that seems a bit like a game itself: After journeying away from the safety of their own town, they reach a giant edifice seemingly radiating raw power, and enter its giant doors. A grizzled old man gestures with his arm towards an enchanting box, and speaks the magical words, "Welcome."
Well, that's sort of the case, except the magical words muttered by the geriatric are "Welcome to Wal-Mart." Reports across the Web say that several Wal-Marts have received their Xbox 360 demonstration kiosks, some already in action, some in the process of being set up.
Don't expect to stroll into your local superstore and start blasting some next-gen Nazis just yet. GameSpot called several West Coast stores and hit pay dirt only once. Wal-Mart store #2549 in Spokane, Washington, was the only one of the dozen or so stores phoned that had an Xbox 360 kiosk. When asked what was playing on it, the clerk said that it was running a demo disc, which featured Call of Duty 2 and some other games. It's unclear if any of the games are actually playable.
Other stores didn't seem to be aptly filled in on their kiosk situation. One said they probably wouldn't get one until after November 22, one said all they had was a picture of the console, and others had no idea. The one store that did appear to know the deal was in Lynwood, Washington (near Microsoft's headquarters). The rep seemed particularly informed and told GameSpot, "We should be getting ours in the next couple of days or so."
Gaming blog Joystiq.com has a growing list of stores that readers claim have the kiosk, and there doesn't seem to be any pattern to the distribution. Both coasts and everything in between is represented, with stores in New Jersey, California, Minnesota, and Utah on the list.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 19th, 2005, 20:50 Posted By: wraggster
800,000 in North America, 400 to 500k in Europe, remainder to Japan
Microsoft has given no official shipment estimates for the Xbox 360 as yet, but analysts are this week converging on 1.5 million units as the most likely figure for global shipments of the console by year-end.
Two key investment banks issued revised guidance for Xbox 360 shipments earlier this week, with Banc of America Securities maintaining its estimate of 1.4 to 1.6 million, while UBS Securities dropped its original estimate of 2.5 million to 1.5 million.
The revised estimates came after IBM confirmed that it was ahead of its targets in terms of manufacturing the PowePC-based chips used by the Xbox 360, with the chip maker set to meet Microsoft's requirements for the part in the current quarter.
Despite the positive news from IBM, both Banc of America's Gary Cooper and UBS' Mike Wallace maintain that shipments of the Xbox 360 will be significantly lower than many observers expect - with their conclusions being based on information from retailers and industry insiders.
The two analysts also agree to a large degree on where those units are going to go; Cooper expects that by the end of 2005, there will be 800,000 units in North America, 600,000 in Europe and the remainder will be in Japan, while Wallace also expects 800,000 in North America (350 to 400k of those on the launch day), with 400 to 500k in Europe and 100 to 200k in Japan.
Microsoft itself has repeatedly cautioned the industry that it expects the Xbox 360 to sell out ahead of Christmas, but has moved to assure retailers that there will be a steady supply of new units turning up in the weeks and months after launch.
While the analyst figures tend to suggest a slower than expected start for the Xbox 360, they're by no means negative for the industry as a whole - with sales of handheld and current-gen console hardware and software bound to make up any shortfall.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 19th, 2005, 20:47 Posted By: wraggster
News from Lik Sang
While the western world is all warming up with only 40 days ahead of the Xbox 360 launch, we receive regular enquiries from customers asking us when we will start taking preorders on the bad boy, or even sometimes, there are forum threads where we are accused of being Sony fan boys (!) because we already take preorders on the PlayStation 3 [and on the Nintendo Revolution, for that matter - double fanboy combo in your face], yet we do nothing about the great Xbox sequel despite the tremendous momentum it has built in the US and European market places - has Lik Sang turned into an anti-americanist place of some sort? Well, no.
The reason for us not jumping up and down about the 360 has nothing to do with its potential, its qualities or any kind of bias. It's more simple and pragmatical than all that: the product comes out in Japan last. What hardcore gamers have learnt to know is that Lik Sang is always first to get nextgen systems. Xbox 360 will prove this belief wrong for the first time. This was always true for Japanese systems from Japanese manufacturers and releasing in Japan early. This time around, Microsoft is releasing in both Europe and the USA within November, while Japan will not play the nextgen stuff from MS until 10th of December. We won't be first and we don't want to confuse consumers by letting you believe we could be. Hence, no preorders taken for now.
Shipping bulky systems from USA to Hong Kong then back to the western world wouldn't make a lot of sense and wouldn't make our offer competitive for our customers, who we strongly encourage to shop locally for this one. Exceptionally, it will turn out cheaper for your wallet. We prefer to be honest about it rather than building high expectations in the public on which we could not possibly deliver, seeing the circumstances.
Import Gamers who like it hardcore and want their Japanese games played on a Japanese system don't have to worry about a thing. Lik Sang will be stocking Xbox 360 Japanese systems from launch day (December 10th of 2005) as well as all Japanese launch titles exclusive to the land of the rising sun. All generic accessories, innovative gear and specialty peripherals to be released here in Asia - whether they come from China, Korea, Japan or Mongolia - will be stocked and sold here as fast as they are assembled together.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 17th, 2005, 18:50 Posted By: wraggster
Xbox UK boss Neil Thompson has confirmed that he is confident Microsoft will have a strong head start in the next-gen console battle, suggesting that the PS3 might not launch until spring 2007.
“I’ll be happy to compete whenever they turn up, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s not until spring 07,” he told trade magazine MCV.
“If they hit Xmas 06, then maybe it’ll be a very thin launch; a launch in name only.”
So far Sony has only hinted that the next-generation PlayStation will hit the market in spring 2006, and it seems unlikely that the company will follow in the footsteps of Microsoft and attempt a global launch. They're more likely to follow the traditional model and launch in Japan first, followed by North American and then PAL territories.
But just when will the console arrive in Europe? Autumn 2006 seems likely to be the earliest date, with a 2007 release still a distinct possibility. As for how much the console will cost, estimates continue to vary wildly, with some industry figures predicting that the PS3 could retail for as much as GBP 499.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 17th, 2005, 18:49 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft has announced an update to its Media Centre Edition of Windows, enabling customers to stream music, videos, movies, television and photos to any television set or device via the Xbox 360 console.
Will Poole, senior vice president of the Windows Client Business at Microsoft stated: "We introduced Windows XP Media Centre Edition three years ago with a vision to simplify the way people experience digital entertainment on their PC using something as familiar as a remote control. Now, Media Centre Edition and Xbox 360, together with offerings from hundreds of industry partners, are providing fantastic interactive entertainment experiences that can be experienced throughout the home."
The free update will be available to existing Media Centre Edition users via the Microsoft update website, and will be available shortly on new Media Centre PCs at retail. In addition to enabling high definition digital media streaming fro the first time, the update includes a number of functionality enhancements and new features for the Media Centre, as part of Microsoft's ongoing development of the digital media entertainment sector.
The new features include support for external DVD changers, enabling the management of up to 200 DVD selections from within the MC interface, displaying media information and cover art for all loaded DVDS. Away Mode will improve the power-saving features, enabling television recording, streaming and system tasks to be undertaken in a low-power mode, with support for the feature coming from hardware partners including Acer, Shuttle, HP, Gateway and more.
As the roll-out of High Definition Television begins to take shape, supported by the Xbox 360, Media Centre updates will include an HDTV tuner support, in addition to enhanced DVD burning features to convert HDTV to standard definition and burn media in one simple step.
The company now has over 75 content partners delivering dedicated content for Media Centre PCs, with further agreements from companies including MTV Overdrive, AOL and more committing to the content streaming service. Microsoft's next generation console has long been touted by the firm as the next step in multi-media functionality, providing a much broader service than simple gameplay and, hopefully, encouraging a more mainstream audience with its music, video and digital media features. The Media Centre update further reinforces Microsoft's commitment to connecting the content, and platforms for its next generation technology.
Brad Brookes, senior director of product management at Microsoft's Windows Client division commented: "The strategy here is quite simple. We want to create an environment based on Windows that will give consumers the ability to take their content to any device that was connected back to a Windows PC. The Xbox 360 us just the next evolution of that vision."
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 16th, 2005, 20:47 Posted By: wraggster
News From Lik Sang
A local Hong Kong manufacturer was showing off a new Gun for PlayStation 2 and Xbox that finally solves the long-lasting compatibility problems with the latest generation of televisions and screens. Be it with 100 Hz, Plasma or LCD, current lightguns for console games all have their issues, for several reasons related to the way they function. Coming with a different approach, this gun comes with a calibration module built-in. You point the gun to your screen and calibrate it by shooting at each of the four corners. After that, the screen area is properly defined and the sensor will also evaluate where you are shooting at. It relies on itself and therefore would work in theory with any type of screen from the past or from the future, even with a Retro-Projector pointed at a wall! Again, only a prototype was on the show, after failing in our theft attempts, we will have to wait until middle of November to get our hands on an evaluation sample, while the public release date is still unknown. Retail price will be set at US$ 39.90 according to the producer of the gun.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 15th, 2005, 11:12 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft has finally confirmed the launch games for the Xbox 360...sort of. Speaking at the Digital Life tech show in New York City, Microsoft corporate vice president Peter Moore announced the list of games that will be available on the Xbox Live Arcade service for the Xbox 360 through the holiday season.
The Xbox Live Arcade service lets gamers purchase and download arcade-style games directly to their hard drives. The service is part of the casual games movement, aimed at a broad audience. Pricing has not yet been announced, but most games are expected to sell for fewer than $20.
The titles range from games from the days of coin-op arcades to new content from up-and-coming developers. Classics such as Joust, Robotron 2084, and Smash TV will be available, as will remakes of simple yet addictive games like Crystal Quest (a popular Mac game) and Geometry Wars 2 (originally tucked away in Project Gotham Racing 2). Hexic HD, by Alexey Pajitnov, the creator of Tetris, will come preinstalled on every Xbox 360 with a hard drive.
The list of games is as follows:
Game Title – Publisher
Astropop – Popcap Games
Bankshot Billiards 2 – pixelStorm, Inc
Bejeweled 2 – Popcap Games
Crystal Quest – Stainless Games
Feeding Frenzy – Popcap Games
Gauntlet – Midway Home Entertainment
Geometry Wars 2 – Bizarre Creations
Hardwood Backgammon – Silver Creek Entertainment
Hardwood Hearts – Silver Creek Entertainment
Hardwood Spades – Silver Creek Entertainment
Hexic HD – Microsoft Game Studios
Hoopworld – Streamline Studios
Jewel Quest – iWin.com
Joust – Midway Home Entertainment
Marble Blast Ultra – GarageGames
Mutant Storm Reloaded – PomPom Games
Outpost Kaloki – Wahoo Studios
Robotron 2084 – Midway Home Entertainment
SmashTV – Midway Home Entertainment
Wik: Fable of Souls – Reflexive Entertainment
Zuma – Popcap Games
Each game will have a free playable demo for gamers to try out. Microsoft expects 35 more games to be available by next summer.
Moore also listed the publishers that will be contributing games to the Xbox Live Arcade service. They are:
Atari
Bizarre Creations
Capcom
Codemasters
CTXM
Digital Eclipse
Electronic Arts
Empire Interactive
Gaia Studios
GameHouse Studios
Garage Games
Gastronaut Studios
Hamster
Harmonix
HipSoft
Hudson Soft
iWin
Konami
Llamasoft
Load, Inc
Mad Doc Software
Majesco
Microsoft Game Studios
Midway Home Entertainment
Mumbo Jumbo (United Developers)
Naked Sky Entertainment
Namco
Oberon Media
Pick Up And Play
pixelStorm, Inc
PlayFirst
PomPom Games
Popcap Games
Q Entertainment
RealNetworks, Inc
Reflexive Entertainment
Secret Lair Studios
SEGA
Silver Creek Entertainment
SNK Playmore
Stainless Games
Streamline Studios
Tik Games
Ubisoft
uWink
Vivendi Universal Games
Wahoo Studios
Wanako Games
Wild Tangent
Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360 will launch with the console on November 22. To access Xbox Live Arcade, 360 owners will need to have a working Xbox Live account.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 14th, 2005, 23:51 Posted By: wraggster
New update, heres the scoop:
Thanksgiving weekend travelling led me to have a good amount of time to work on the OpenDash. Features fixed/added:
* Copy files, with progress bar.
* Copy entire directory trees.
* Multi-line text messages
* Skin/config separation.
* Skin switching on the fly
* Internationalization support (some text still hardcoded, most in config)
* More error checking before assuming something exists
* Fixing some memory leaks - still some missing
Still need to do a bit of fixing up, then I can release another windows build for skinners, fix bugs and add a bit more functionality on the xbox build, then release an honest-to-God xbox build  . I'm on a roll so this should all occur pretty quickly I hope, despite it being midterm season.
http://th0mas.xbox-scene.com/
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 13th, 2005, 19:00 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft vice president Peter Moore has conceded that organising a global launch for the Xbox 360 is proving to be a huge challenge, admitting: "If we knew what we were getting into, we might not have done it."
The Xbox 360 is due to launch in the US on November 22, with a European launch to follow on December 2 and a Japanese launch set for December 10. It will mark the first time that a console has launched in all three territories within a matter of weeks.
Speaking to the BBC, Moore said: "There's a reason no one has done this before and we are figuring that out."
"We're going to ship all around the world; how we're going to do that, I don't know. We're going to rent every 747 we can find," he added.
Moore went on to echo comments made by fellow Xbox exec J Allard regarding possible delays to software release dates if games aren't up to scratch.
"Games will arrive with a thousand bugs and get into the certification process," Moore said.
"They make it or they don't. It's no big deal if a game takes another week. The consumer will get a strong line-up."
Microsoft has yet to officially confirm a launch day software line-up, preferring to refer to the "launch window". Allard has previously stated that the company is hoping to get all three first party launch titles - Project Gotham Racing 3, Perfect Dark Zero and Kameo - into the shops "on day one." He admitted that there are no guarantees, however.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 13th, 2005, 03:57 Posted By: wraggster
Mr Modchips have got in stock (UK only) new Premodded Consoles with the latest Xbox Consoles and Modchips, heres the links:
<a href="http://www.mrmodchips.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?ref=20&products_id=84&affiliate_b anner_id=1" target="_blank">XBox Premodified with Xecuter 3 CE</a>
<a href="http://www.mrmodchips.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?ref=20&products_id=36&affiliate_b anner_id=1" target="_blank">XBox Premodified wth X2.6CE Lite</a>
If your after one i should get one quick as they sell out fast.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 13th, 2005, 02:58 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft Japan officially announced today that beta testing of Final Fantasy XI for the Xbox 360 will begin with the console's launch in Japan on December 10. Gamers that purchase the limited edition Xbox 360 package will also receive a free FFXI beta test disc, while supplies last.
The limited edition Xbox 360 bundle is a commemorative launch bundle that includes the standard Xbox 360 package, plus a headset for Xbox Live. It's priced at 39,795 yen ($348), the same as the standard version.
Players who wish to participate in ironing out the wrinkles in the game before its official release will be required to sign up for Square Enix's PlayOnline service and Xbox Live's Silver package, both of which are free.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 12th, 2005, 21:28 Posted By: wraggster
Again it's been a while since I posted anything, unfortunately it's not because I've been too busy coding away.
I have been coding away, but I've also been waiting to take delivery of the shiny new Samsung LCD TV that I ordered a couple of weeks ago. So, rather than coding all the time I found myself checking the order status every 10 minutes to see if it had been sent yet!  Anyway it now arrived.
What's this going to mean for Quake 3? Well it might mean HD support, but I'll have to see how that goes. At least now it's here I can concentrate on coding again!
http://carcharius.xbox-scene.com/
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 12th, 2005, 21:08 Posted By: wraggster
A list of backwards-compatible Xbox titles for the 360 will go up on Xbox.com sometime next week, according to an interview with MS marketing VP Peter Moore (and J Allard) at GameInformer.com.
Moore had a lot of interesting things to say in the interview, but the things that stood out in our minds concerned 360 backwards compatibility. First, the list of BC titles will go up on Xbox.com and then get updated as more games “get through certification.” Also, auto-updates of newly compatible titles may occur in the background and you could possibly be notified via e-mail and/or the web. An ominous warning was given, however, that updates will continue ”[u]ntil consumers show lack of interest, then we will move on.”
Considering the deluge of similar-sounding interviews and roundtables last week (most trying to get J to say something negative about the 360 launch), we hope you’ll understandable how we missed this bit of info from X05, but we’ll definitely make a report when the BC list (or the more important official launch list) finally gets released.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 12th, 2005, 21:05 Posted By: wraggster
source - http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000077063039/
was pleasantly surprised with Microsoft’s enthusiasm for the Xbox 360’s Live Arcade. The team is determined to do it right this time around—no hunting around for an installation disk. At launch, 12-15 games should be available, 15-20 by the end of the holiday season. Here’s a list of definite launch titles:
Hexic HD (original game from the makers of Tetris; comes pre-installed on the HDD)
Bankshot Billiards 2 (it’s pool)
Geometry Wars (upgraded port)
Joust (upgraded port)
Marble Blast Ultra (original title)
Mutant Storm (upgraded port)
Wiki: Fable of Souls (original title)
All of the Live Arcade games will feature HD (1080i) resolution—but for purists, most retro-ports will be available to play in their original glory. In addition, 75% of the titles will feature Live multiplayer modes, with quick match, optimatch, and create match capabilities. Plus, your progress in these games will count towards your “gamerscore”; you’ll also have the opportunity to earn achievements.
What’s most promising about the Xbox Live Arcade is its potential to breath new live into fading genres, as well as lend needed support to the indie scene. Hopefully, we’re going to see some exceptional 2D platformers, shooters, and other genres popping up that are too expensive for publishers to release on disc for next-gen platformers. Games like Wiki and Marble Blast are evidence that the Live Arcade is gonna offer a fresh, albeit retro-based, gaming experience—these are not just ports, folks. If Microsoft succeeds in pointing users at the Live Arcade, I think we’re gonna find a lot of fun for a bargain price—not to mention, this will encourage Microsoft to build the library and pursue garage developers.
The features are there and the launch support is strong. Add online multiplayer to most of these titles, plus the ability to jump in and out of games (autosave), and you’ve got something legit. This is a service that will attract all kinds of gamers, for all kinds of reasons. Don’t sleep on it.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 12th, 2005, 02:27 Posted By: pakuma
its just that every time i start my xbox the error 21 shows up telling me to call customer support, the reason is this, i have a soft modded xbox and i set it up accidentally to do an autoupdate when xbox xtarts but i dont have xbox live or internet connection, so the error always shows up, i dont mind chnging my dashboard or formatting my drive but i just dont know how.
i was also told i could create boot disk, i have a evolutionx pack with bios files and different versions of the dashboard on my pc but i dont know how to use it or to create that boot disk
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 11th, 2005, 23:26 Posted By: wraggster
Market analysis firm Wedbush Morgan Securities has published a new survey on hardware sales in the US and Europe which predicts that combined Xbox 360 sales in both regions will top 2.5 million by 2006.
The report's authors calculated the figure, which breaks down to 1 million consoles sold in Europe and 1.5 million in the States, based on the assumption that manufacturing began in August.
The report also assumes that 100,000 consoles per week were initially being produced, with that figure rising to 150,000 or more by the end of the year - making for a weekly average of around 130,000 consoles.
Wedbush Morgan also forecasts that Xbox 360 purchasers will buy two games at launch, and a further three games after two months - with the same ratio applying to rival consoles PlayStation 3 and Revolution when they go on sale next year. Xbox software sales will total USD 380 million in 2005, according to the report.
The survey focuses on current generation hardware too, revealing that PS2 has an installed base of 51 million units in the US and Europe. The figure for Xbox stands at 18 million, while for GameCube it's 13.2 million.
Wedbush Morgan predicts that Sony will slash the PS2's price tag from USD 199 to USD 149 on or near the Xbox 360 launch date - November 22 in the US, December 2 in Europe and December 10 in Japan. There's no suggestion that Microsoft might follow suit and reduce the price of the current generation Xbox, as Wedbush Morgan believes manufacturing costs are too high to make a further price cut viable.
The report also predicts that hardware sales will rise to 40 million this year - up from 35 million in 2004.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 11th, 2005, 23:24 Posted By: wraggster
News From Lik Sang
Release Date / Price Point
First out of the gate for this generation, the Xbox 360 hits America on Tuesday Nov 22nd, two days before Thanksgiving, then Europe on Friday Dec 2nd, and Japan on Saturday Dec 10th. As Peter Moore, corporate Vice President of Xbox, told IGN recently, "If there is a lesson I think we have learned in the previous generation it's that gamers want choice. Some gamers want simply to play a game and have none of the, in their estimation, some of the frills of the gaming experience, and price becomes paramount for them." Thus there is two different packs, the first of which, the Core System, includes a wired controller and standard AV cable for US$ 299. The Premium Bundle boasts a wireless pad, component HD-AV cable, detachable 20 GB hard drive, Xbox Live Headset, Multi-Media Remote, and free Xbox Live Silver membership for US$ 399.
The premium bundle will go for €399.99 (US$ 479) in Europe, and £279.99 (US$ 499) for the UK, while the Core System will be €299.99 (US$ 359) in Europe, and £209.99 (US$ 369) in the UK. For those who get the core system, without a hard drive, a 64M memory card can be purchased, and games now list the amount of space their saves take on the back of the box. Japanese players however, can pick up the full premium bundle at only 37,900 yen (US$ 334), and no core system will be offered there. The hard drive in every continent comes pre-loaded with a custom soundtrack, High Definition video including a "Making of Xbox 360" feature, and a free arcade puzzle game from Alexy Pajitnov, the creator of Tetris, titled Hexic.
The Games
Moving onto the games, while a final list of titles you'll be able to buy on day one isn't available yet, here's the 17 games announced by Microsoft and various third parties that they intend to try and ship at launch:
• Project Gotham Racing 3
• Kameo: Elements of Power
• Perfect Dark Zero
• Madden NFL 06
• NBA Live 06
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06
• FIFA 06
• Need for Speed Most Wanted
• NBA 2K6
• NHL 2K6
• Top Spin 2
• Amped 3
• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• Call of Duty 2
• Quake 4
• Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
• Gun
Absent from the list but still expected to release this year are the likes of Dead or Alive 4 (complete with Halo's Master Chief!), Peter Jackson's King Kong, Saint's Row, Full Auto, Condemned: Origins, Final Fantasy XI and more.
Currently the only title to require the hard drive is the last in the list, Final Fantasy XI. Those who do get the 20 GB hard drive though, can also enjoy backwards compatibility with the "best selling Xbox titles". While as it's achieved using an Xbox emulator running on vastly different hardware, this doesn't include all games, but Microsoft will release patches online to expand the compatibility library as time goes on.
The Controller
The 360's pad is similar in size to the Xbox S controller, but smoother, sleeker and lighter, in fact quite a lot lighter with the wired version. While there were no complaints about poor build quality with the original Xbox pad, the new controller is reported to feel a lot stronger. The rarely used black and white buttons are gone from the front, and have become two DualShock style shoulder buttons on the top. Past those is the two larger style triggers racing fans love, giving you a large range of analog control. Much to the delight of those who played Xbox for many, many hours, the face buttons are now more round and comfortable, and in the upper mid section of the pad sits the circle of light. With four different quadrants of light, this is used to show you which of four players you are, and could be for example, used to show which section of a split screen match you're playing in.
When an Xbox Live message comes through, which will pop up without interrupting or slowing down your game, you can press the "X" in the middle of the circle of light, to pause and respond. Likewise you can use it to jump straight into music, pictures, DVD playback and more. Moving on, down the bottom of the pad is the integrated headset port for Xbox Live play, which can be used with either the wireless or wired controller.
The 360 supports up to 4 controllers, and we'd assume has enough wireless channels to handle those 16 player link-up fests. Using 2.4 GHz wireless technology with a 30-foot range, the wireless pad is powered by two AA batteries, which lasts for up to 40 hours. Features include the ability to turn rumble mode on or off to save power, and the ring of light will change from green to orange when batteries are running low, and then to red for that last final warning. For those dreaded moments when the battery does run low, the optional Play & Charge Kit lets you recharge while you game. This also comes with a standard NiMH rechargeable battery pack, which lasts for 30 hours. Lastly, the ability to turn on or off the Xbox 360 console from the controller ensures short of changing discs, you'll never have to move one iota off the couch.
Online Functionality and Accessories
Switching to accessories, around the back of the console there's three USB ports, two of which can be used for PC control pads and hopefully a keyboard and mouse. 3rd party controllers and accessories may see a price rise this generation though, as Microsoft will be charging accessory makers licensing fees, and while that's not too uncommon, for the first time, encryption hardware has been built into the console making sure they can't sneak around this, since most companies currently do.
The Universal Media Remote is another nicely designed piece of kit. Starting with the ability to power your system on or off, this backlit remote features standard A, B, X, and Y buttons, plus control keys for your music, pictures, and more. Supporting progressive scan for DVD playback right out of the box, the remote has a handy control for opening and closing the tray, and gives universal TV and console functionality, including volume and mute buttons plus channel changing. For a limited time during the launch period of the console, the Premium Bundle will come with a free Media Remote, although it's a smaller version compared to the one you can purchase separately.
The optional Wireless Networking Adapter offers the choice of working on either 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11a, and takes power straight from the Xbox, meaning no extra power brick. If you're going to stream video from your Windows XP or Media Center PC however, you need the hardware on it to support the 802.11a standard. The 360 will also let you transfer music from your PSP or iPod (perhaps in response to the huge number of Microsoft employees with Apple iPod's themselves?). While listening to any of your music, you can also check out 50 interactive, full-screen 3-D visualizers, designed by Jeff Minter of Llamasoft, well known in the visualizer world, and producer of the psychedelic Tempest 2000.
Heading online, Xbox Live Silver is the free edition, giving you a Gamertag and gamer card, the ability to talk with others using voice chat, and access to Xbox Live Marketplace right away. The marketplace lets you download game trailers, demos and new content. For example with Dead or Alive 4, you'll be able to purchase even more new costumes for characters as time goes on, and Microsoft's vision for the future is to let gamers create their own content, and then give or sell it themselves to others, all though Xbox Live Marketplace. If you upgrade to Xbox Live Gold, you get the multiplayer online gaming. This continues to grow on the 360, with Call Of Duty 2 for example allowing for up to 64 players online. Also through a Gold membership, you receive intelligent opponent matchmaking, access to all your achievements and statistics, video chat and video messaging.
While it won't be available at launch, the Xbox Live Camera lets you connect and chat while playing the same or different games, watching movies, listening to music, or other activities. With certain titles you'll be able put your face on characters too, or place it next to your name on leader boards, and EyeToy style games are of course on the way. With 640x480 VGA video resolution, and 1.3 megapixel stills, the images should look better than those of EyeToy.
Technical Specs
Speaking of resolution, entering the High Definition era, every single game will feature at least 720p and 16:9 widescreen. The Xbox 360 supports up to 1080i, which is a step down from 1080p that PS3 offers, although at this stage, finding something to display such a signal on is an expensive challenge. While the original Xbox was a 733mhz Pentium III, the 360 literally roars with three symmetrical cores running at 3.2GHz each. Using a type of hyper-threading, the system supports up to six threads running at once. Where 64 MB of RAM lay in the first Xbox, here there's 512 MB of 700 MHz GDDR3 RAM. The hardware was also developed with procedural synthesis in mind, a technique which can be used on almost anything, but trees make for a good example. When game developers only make one tree model, using procedural synthesis, the Xbox 360 can create forests full of trees, each looking unique. Along with their XNA set of tools, Microsoft aims to help keep next gen production costs down as much as possible while still retaining great graphics.
Along with the video requirements in games, every title must also support custom soundtracks. A 12x dual-layer DVD-ROM drive (16.2 MB/s) supports just about anything you can throw at it. Support for DVD-Video in progressive scan, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD, and JPEG Photo CD are all here. HD-DVD, which we talk about more further down, won't be in the Xbox 360, but hasn't been ruled out for a future re-release of the console.
Housing three USB 2.0 ports for digital cameras, portable music players and such, there's also two memory card slots built in. The overall size of the console is 83 x 209 x 258 mm (3.3 x 8.2 x 10.1 inches), finishing off with a total weight of 3.5 kg (7.7 lbs). The original Xbox was 90 x 324 x 265 mm (3.5 a 12.8 x 10.4 inches), and weighed 3.86 kg (8.5 lbs). Thanks to the concave design though, the unit is a good chunk smaller than the "X-brick", and better looking to, as you can add your own personal touch to the unit with interchangeable faceplates.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
|
October 11th, 2005, 22:27 Posted By: wraggster
Ok, technically I was just one of many journalists at yesterday’s press preview event, but I did get a chance to spend a couple of hours with the Xbox 360. I wasn’t exactly blown away with every title I saw, but overall I walked away impressed. We’ll have a full review of the 360 once we get the review unit they’ve promised us, but for now a few quick initial impressions:
The event started off with a lengthy tutorial to show off the ins and outs of the console, particularly Xbox Live and its media capabilities. The integration with Xbox Live is excellent and permeates the entire experience — unlike with the original Xbox, it’s hard to imagine using the console without a broadband connection.
They also had iPod nanos on hand to demo the 360’s ability to play audio stored on a portable audio device (it can actually play MP3s or WMAs stored on any USB mass storage device), and how you could listen to whatever music you liked during gameplay.
The controller itself felt good in the hand and that button in the middle brings you straight to Xbox Live. You can jump instantly in and out of Xbox Live from any game without messing things if you want to check your messages.
The graphics and textures of Condemned were amazing, and Need For Speed Most Wanted was one of the most photorealistic games I’ve ever seen. Project Gotham Racing 3 was pretty sweet, too, the level of detail in each city was mind-blowing.
Somehow managed to repeatedly kick Major Nelson’s ass at Dead or Alive 4 (the game’s graphics were a bit too glossy for my taste).
Couldn’t get past practice mode in NBA Live 06 because of a bug in the build (we were playing on dev units), but it seems like they’ve managed to eliminate much of the herky-jerkiness in previous generation basketball games.
Kameo was a bit disappointing (supposedly it gets better once you’re in deep). Call For Duty 2 was engrossing, but like Dead or Alive 4, it also seemed like it could use a bit more texture.
The Xbox 360 doubles as Windows Media Center Extender and the demo I saw ran flawlessly, it was as if a copy of Windows XP Media Center Edition was running natively. They showed the Xbox streaming high def video off of a PC and it was perfect.
They also showed off Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Perfect Dark Zero, and King Kong, all of which I wouldn’t mind spending more time with.
Yeah, so the PS3 will probably have the edge over the Xbox 360 in graphics and sheer computational power, but after actually playing some of these games it’s hard to imagine all but the most diehard Sony fanboys holding out for the 5 - 7 months that’ll pass before Sony introduces their console. And at the end of the day that’s what Microsoft is after — to grab as much of the market before Sony enters the scene. Hate to say it, but as of November 22nd the Xbox 360 is going to be only game in town.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Join In and Discuss Here
Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here |
|
|
|
|
« prev
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
next » |
|
|
