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January 1st, 2006, 01:56 Posted By: wraggster
If you are one suffering from Xbox 360 overheating problems, a third-party liquid cooling manufacturer might have a solution. Cool It Systems originally getting it's start in liquid PC cooling units now has a cooling module that attaches to the side of an Xbox 360. Hexus.gaming writes: "Steering clear of jokes about overheating power supplies, one company is claiming to have constructed a watercooling kit for the XBox 360. Pictures of the product, are seemingly attached to an XBox 360, though how it works and how it is installed remains something of a mystery."
The product still can't be found on the company's official website, and there is no word on how much the product will cost upon release. This could be proof that one man's weakness (even if only a small percentage) is another man's profit.
http://gaming.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=4227
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January 1st, 2006, 01:57 Posted By: wraggster
One of the games that may have slipped under the radar for the Xbox 360 is Tetris: The Grand Master Ace. The game was a Japanese launch title and is currently not available in North America. That's not to stop the game from being a nice little puzzle that's gotten a good import user review via GameSpot. From the review: "Tetris: The Grand Master Ace is a great little game, with a nicely thought out online mode, which encourages having fun with others even if your not playing versus. Trying to unlock the achievements add to the addictiveness of a game which already was very hard to put down."
Combine the classic gameplay of Tetris with Xbox Live? I'm in. Now if we can only get a US port.
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January 1st, 2006, 03:28 Posted By: wraggster
What a year for the DCEmu Homebrew & Gaming Network, the network expanded from the original Dreamcast site to take in all of my sites and then with the server problems we upgraded to a Vbulletin Forum and now the forums actually serve as news forums for all the network sites.
The community is expanding at a massive rate with a total of 20 sites under the network covering all these consoles
PSP
Nintendo DS
GBA Micro/GBA SP
Nintendo Gamecube
Xbox
Xbox 360
Dreamcast
PS2
PS3
GP2X
GP32
Nintendo Revolution
Tapwave Zodiac
Gizmondo
Nokia N-Gage
iPod
Retro Consoles & Gadgets
We also have some of the Homebrew scenes best developers hosted here at DCEmu:
Chui
PSmonkey/Nexis2600
GPF
We are a network of sites who post news about Homebrew, Development, Hacking, Emulation and the Commercial side of each console, we never ever take the easy road and post warez or host iso loaders etc, the quickest way to destroy a scene is to do that so we keep well away from it.
This year has seen the emergence of the PSP scene and our PSP News site has enjoyed so many releases to a new console that it has been staggering, of late the GP2X has took over the billing of the scene with the most releases but that could change at anytime.
We have over 18,000 members now and looking at the stats we had over 4100 online at one time and thats pretty damn decent, some of the scenes we cover dont see much activity but we follow them regardless.
In 2006 we hope and well with a nutter like me running the place, this network will get bigger and better and hopefully one day the legal Homebrew scene will be looked on more favourable than it has been in the past, we can but hope 
Of course even though i do a heck of a lot of work id like to thank Martin64 for hosting me and my server killing sites (yeah we actually killed a server), also Soully and DS69 and indeed all the staff and mods at DCEmu and the members and helpers who make my job easier, a big thanks to you all, it has personally been a year with some great ups (this network) and some severe downs ( losing family members) but its great to come home and emerse myself in the Homebrew scene, a scene ive followed for 9 years or more (im forgetful), ive had some crackin arguments (yeah those are fun) and made some great friends but its all worth it overall, just remember though without the developers and hackers and i suppose in a smaller way newsposters and webmasters/mods etc you wouldnt have your scene, so its always worth trying to say things in a correct way even if you dislike their work or release.
Ok ive bored everyone to sleep and im drunk anyway but HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL 
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January 1st, 2006, 20:55 Posted By: wraggster
Gamespot did a review of the Xbox 360 game Dead of Alive 4, heres an excerpt:
The Good: Finely tuned, fast-paced fighting action expertly combines depth and accessibility; big selection of well-designed characters means there's a fighter for everyone; great online play provides near-limitless challenge for competitive players; compelling unlockable extras and achievements; gorgeous presentation.
The Bad: A few graphical flaws; online lobby system is cute but feels needlessly tacked on; some stability and lag issues when playing online.
It's simple: If you like fighting games, DOA4 is for you. Between its great selection of powerful fighters, its terrific action, and its addictive online mode, there's an awful lot to sink your teeth into, learn, and master in this latest and greatest installment in the series. That the whole thing looks so good certainly doesn't hurt, either. Any subsequent fighting games for the Xbox 360 now have a very tough contender to beat.
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January 2nd, 2006, 08:00 Posted By: gimpyjr
Hey guys whats up. I finally got my xbox 360. I was up at 5 a.m. this morning waiting outside my local walmart and I got it finally. I got COD II and PGR3 too. The VGA cable works very well, getting the sound to come through was a pain though. I had to do some ghetto rigging.
Anyways I got the core unit. ( doesn't overheat). If anyone noticed the hard drive covers alot of the ventilation holes so no hard drive keeps it a little cooler. I was wondering though If I could format a PSP memory stick or other USB device to fat 32 and have the 360 see it as the hard drive so I don't have to pay $90.00 for the SATA notebook drive. This would save us all some cash plus we could have the backwards compatibility.
If not I'll just pick up a 7 pin SATA drive from circuit city.
Thanx guys
XBOX 360 RULES!!!!!!
:-)
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January 2nd, 2006, 17:01 Posted By: wraggster
You know, it occurs to us that between the overheating power supply and excruciatingly loud DVD drive (which is becoming increasingly notorious for scratching discs), liquid-cooling the Xbox 360 core isn't exactly the highest on our list of concerns. If your 360 works, it works, if it's crashing, well, then get it replaced. But what the hell, you were extravagant enough to crack into the ol' piggy bank for a a grand or so to pick one up on eBay, so might as well at least consider doing that 360 the favor of liquid cooling that three-core processor it's got. No word in CoolIT's release about how they actually plan to sell the rig or kit or whatever it is they've done though (pictured is one of their CPU coolers), so don't be too bummed if this is more just a proof-of-concept and not a marketable solution.
Source
Screenshot via comments
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January 2nd, 2006, 17:03 Posted By: wraggster
Though Microsoft has previously stated that a reported problem where Xbox 360s may be scratching game discs was relatively rare, it's apparently common enough that rental agency GameFly has an official policy on the problem. From Gamasutra: "We have received reports that certain XBOX 360 consoles have caused damage to GameFly videogames. Unfortunately, we have been notified that you recently returned a damaged XBOX 360 game. As a precaution, we have removed all XBOX 360 games from your GameQ. Please contact Microsoft at 1-800-4MY-XBOX. Please do not rent XBOX 360 games until you have resolved this issue. In the future, should GameFly receive XBOX 360 games from you that have been damaged, you will be charged a replacement fee."
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January 2nd, 2006, 17:13 Posted By: wraggster
Xbox 360 gets a high ranking, mature fighter in the form of Dead of Alive 4. At the time of writing, Game Rankings had a 92% ratio. Here's what the critics are saying:
Gamespot - "It's simple: If you like fighting games, DOA4 is for you. Between its great selection of powerful fighters, its terrific action, and its addictive online mode, there's an awful lot to sink your teeth into, learn, and master in this latest and greatest installment in the series."
IGN - " DOA4 is a move in the right direction for the series in the long run, even if, in the short run, the changes to the counter system, blocks, throws and the ground game are a little annoying at first. The fighting is now deeper and more sophisticated, and while it may not seem so at first, there is a solution to every attack."
1UP - "It's still 'just' a fighting game, albeit an incredibly polished and finessed fighting game, but it won't open your eyes to things you've never seen before. It will bring the fighting game community together, however, thanks to its online functionality, and that's a good thing."
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January 3rd, 2006, 19:29 Posted By: wraggster
Joystick for the game Dead or Alive 4 Released:
Product Features
From the ultra popular fighting series; Dead or Alive
Japanese arcade style controller
Very massive including large arcade style buttons
Xbox Live Headset Support
Copyright Tecmo - Officially Licensed by Microsoft
Produced by Hori Japan
Buy one here --> http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?pro...1&lsaid=219793
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January 3rd, 2006, 19:33 Posted By: wraggster
The US Version of Dead or Alive 4 (Tecmo) For Xboxâ„¢ 360 has been released:
Taking advantage of the superior technology of Xbox 360™, Dead or Alive® 4 offers the defining gaming experience on the next-generation console. The game encompasses all that Xbox 360 has to offer, giving you the most rewarding digital fighting to date on any videogame console.
Dead or Alive 4 once again raises the bar in both online and offline fighting. By utilizing the advanced technology of Xbox 360 hardware, the game redefines 3-D high-definition graphics and sound, creating one of the most visually beautiful and realistic-looking video games available. Unsurpassed online capabilities via Xbox Liveâ„¢, incredible new interactive stages, an all-star lineup of old and new favorite characters, and a complex DOA countering system all combine to create a must-have video game for Xbox 360.
More info and to buy go here --> http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?pro...5&lsaid=219793
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January 3rd, 2006, 21:04 Posted By: wraggster
From Spong:
Reports are surfacing over the holidays that the Xbox 360 is scratching game discs, a potential disaster for Microsoft's push into the Japanese market. Various online reports and community postings noted the problem in the last few weeks, with Internet rental store GameFly issuing a warning to owners of faulty consoles.
“We have received reports that certain XBOX 360 consoles have caused damage to GameFly videogames,†said the firm in a notice to customers. “Unfortunately, we have been notified that you recently returned a damaged XBOX 360 game. As a precaution, we have removed all XBOX 360 games from your GameQ. Please contact Microsoft at 1-800-4MY-XBOX. Please do not rent XBOX 360 games until you have resolved this issue. In the future, should GameFly receive XBOX 360 games from you that have been damaged, you will be charged a replacement fee.â€
This news could spell disaster for Microsoft in Japan, a territory it deeply covets. As you may be aware, the original Xbox saw problems with disc damage at launch in Japan. Microsoft faltered slightly in dealing with the situation and the Japanese press, eager to pour scorn on the American machine, did so with glee.
SPOnG recently surveyed Japanese gamers about the Xbox 360 and, to our surprise, the naysayers we spoke to almost always mentioned that the problems the Xbox faced with damaged software had seriously dented the credibility of the brand. When asked 'Why do you think the Japanese people are not interested in Xbox 360?', concerns over build integrity were prominent. “Because when Xbox came out, there was a problem with the system. That probably scared Japanese game companies and Japanese gamers away from Xbox,†said one gamer. “I believe it's a matter of which game system is most popular. Because of the Xbox's system glitch, even after it was fixed, people just believed that the whole PC for your game system idea was over, and moved on. There are just that many game systems, and new gadgets in Japan, so you can't hold onto the idea that didn't work the first time.†Echoing this, another said, “The problem Xbox had in the beginning is still holding people back from buying Xbox and Xbox 360.â€
Conspiracy theorists have immediately cropped up on the subject of possible Xbox 360 scratch issues, all claiming that Sony has likely had employees or stooges open GameFly accounts, scratch the discs and claim their consoles were responsible. Certainly, the issue cropped up late and in relative isolation... Whatever happens, we'll keep you informed. Let us know what problems, if any, you've had with your machine should you have bought into the 360 at launch.
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January 3rd, 2006, 22:25 Posted By: wraggster
Bunnie the famous Xbox Hacker speaks about the 360 Scene
I’ve also been observing the progress on the Xbox360 hacking, and I’m impressed. The hacking scene is more or less an organized anarchy that is frightfully productive. Now that I’ve had a little brush with being a manager in my day job, I can see that clarity of purpose obviates the Need For management; people just self-organize and things happen. I could ponder on this for many parargaphs, but I’ll spare you my treatise on human social behavior.
At any rate, some very interesting things are afoot. Much of it stems from the discovery of an all-media bootable kiosk demo disk. Many hackers will instantly recognize the value of this, but it’s still interesting to reflect on the significance of this find.
Like the original Xbox, the Xbox360 uses a media flag on its executables. The media flag tells the OS what type of media it should be on; typically, games are released with the flag set to Microsoft’s proprietary secure Xbox DVD format (which is in itself not that secure…). Significantly, only the executable is signed for a game; the data sections typically are not signed (presumably for performance reasons). Thus, one has the ability to fuzz the executable by corrupting the data sections, potentially invoking a buffer overrun or some other unintentional behavior–if one could effectively modify the data sections. Remember that this is normally not possible, since modifying the data segment requires making a copy to a writeable media, and this contradicts the signed media flag.
Thus, the run-anywhere demo disk now enables software hackers to create and test the interaction of signed executables with modified game data using no tool other than a DVD-RW drive (and an Xbox360 console, still considerably rare and difficult to obtain in the US). Some of the more interesting modifiable data regions include Shockwave Flash movies, and the pixel shaders executed by the GPU (more info can be found on the xboxhacker.net website). Of particular interest is the MEMEXPORT shader command in the 360, which could enable people to dump physical memory to the screen (where it can be digitized or extracted with a sniffer upstream of the ANA chip), or to some other peripheral function. Presuming plaintext kernel code can be extracted this way, it bootstraps further efforts in vulnerability analysis of the code running in the Xbox…and so forth. Of course, its quite possible that this hole is plugged, since Microsoft’s NGSCB spec calls for the Northbridge to limit DMA access from the graphics card to main memory. Furthermore, buffer overrun exploits have questionable applicability since each process runs as its own virtual machine and rumors has it that the no-execute bit is used on heap space. Still, I’m very surprised that such a media was even released into the wild by Microsoft…their own worst enemy is their own haste to get to the market and carelessness; security is for naught without consideration of human factors. Very exciting! Perhaps the Xbox360 will be opened without the need for significant hardware hacking.
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January 4th, 2006, 17:49 Posted By: wraggster
News from Lik Sang
Today the first fighter for the next gen arrived with Tecmo's Dead or Alive 4. All pre-orders for both the US and Japanese editions have already been shipped out, and of course we have stock of both for new orders anytime. Here we have our in-depth report on the gameplay, characters, stages, game modes, online features and more, but first, don’t miss the range of action packed videos:
Gameplay
Taking a swing at Tekken and Virtua Fighter, the combat system here is more refined, providing a deeper experience. The Dead or Alive series is maturing well beyond just being famous for it's jiggly assets, but of course those are still here too The result is a fantastic 37 / 40 score from Famitsu magazine, which is the same Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution received, and one point above Tekken 5 even.
One of the changes includes a ramped up difficulty level, so counters demand much tighter timing, which is certainly a leap from the too easy system of DOA 3. While pressing X you can hit up to counter high, down to counter low, or left and right to pull off one of two different medium height counters. The forth counter is new, and the whole system is more like a return to Dead or Alive 2, and as IGN says, "the system is more rewarding for those who practice it, and less instantly gratifying."
At the same time the damage these counters inflict is reduced, in fact all moves in the game have been toned down a bit. This ensures fights last longer and require more strategy. Each character also has more moves than ever before now, some of which boast around 120, while others top out at 145. Speaking of moves, players of DOA 3 will know standing too close to their opponent after knocking them to the ground is a fatal mistake. While getting up off the ground, they could then take their revenge swiftly, pulling off an attack at the same time. Here if you're knocked down however, your attacker has extra time to dish out a second helping of pain before you're able to use a get up attack.
Characters
22 faces make up the playable cast, 18 of which appear in story mode. Returning stars include Ayane, Bass, Bayman, Brad Wong, Christie, Ein, Hayate, Hitome, Jann Lee, Kasumi, Lei Fang, Ryu, Tina and Zack. Awaiting unlocking are Gen Fu, Helena (a.k.a Elena), Leon and Tengu, and lastly the four new comers are Kokoro, Eliot, La Mariposa, and Nicole. As with past games, each character has extra costumes to be unlocked, with between 5 and 7 alternative outfits for most, ranging from stunning, sexy, silly and more.
Read the full article at Lik Sang
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January 4th, 2006, 17:53 Posted By: wraggster
As Xbox 360 units continue to fly out of stores as soon as they arrive, US analysts have predicted that stock shortages could mean Microsoft fails to meet its current quarter sales targets.
In a new report, Goldman Sachs analyst Richard Sherlund wrote that although it was hard to establish exactly how many Xbox 360s have been shipped globally so far, he believes the figure may stand at as little as 1.3 million units - which could make it tough for Microsoft to reach its goal of 3 million sales by the end of this quarter.
"It's clear that something disrupted the supply of Xbox 360 shipments in the quarter, and there does not appear to be any end of year catch-up in shipments," Sherlund wrote.
"It appears to us that Microsoft may be producing at 600,000 to 800,000 units per month, likely adequate to meet our estimate of 2 million units for the March quarter."
Sherlund's comments were echoed by Bank of America analyst Gary Cooper, who predicted that a maximum of just 200,000 Xbox 360 consoles will be shipped by the end of the month.
"We believe MSFT has told most retailers to expect minimal replenishments of Xbox 360s in the month of January," Cooper wrote.
"This is materially below most retailers and our own expectations... We question whether MSFT can even reach the low end of its 2.5-3 million Xbox 360 unit guidance by mid/late February given its continuous supply problems."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=13848
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January 4th, 2006, 19:14 Posted By: wraggster
The first 64 bit compatible tunnel is finally a reality. I have just finished playing my first game of Halo on XBConnect and WinXP x64. Performance is what I expected and it runs real nice. While still alpha, I will be releasing this version to all XBC Pro users and any x64 user out there. Drop me an email at tod@xbconnect.com and I'll get you in the queue.
http://www.xbconnect.com/
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January 5th, 2006, 08:02 Posted By: wraggster
Not a lot of detail on this yet, but Peter Moore has just announced at Bill Gates' CES keynote that there will be an external HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360, and that it will be released this year. We've heard rumors on this every which way, so anything less than an Xbox exec saying it straight out wouldn't have convinced us. So now the question is, HD DVD games or no HD DVD games? Moore says "the new drive will offer millions of Xbox 360 owners the ability to easily enjoy HD DVD movies and will provide consumers with even more choices for experiencing high-definition content, in either physical or digital form." But they've been so tricksy on this one, it's hard to pin the drive to straight movie playback at this time.
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January 5th, 2006, 17:57 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft's Xbox chief Peter Moore has provided updated guidance for hardware shipments of the Xbox 360, saying that the firm is bringing a new factory online with a view to shipping up to 5.5 million consoles by June 30th.
Speaking during Microsoft chairman Bill Gates' presentation at CES in Las Vegas last night, Moore announced that manufacturing firm Celestica will begin production of the Xbox 360 early next month, joining existing manufacturers Wilstron and Flextronics.
The addition of Celestica should help the firm to meet demand for the console, which has been sold out in North America and Europe since its launch late last year, and is believed to have shipped around 1.3 million units worldwide to date.
Some analysts have expressed doubt over Microsoft's original target of shipping 2.5 to 3 million units by the end of March, especially given the possibility that as few as 200,000 new units may ship in North America in January, according to comments made by Banc of America Securities analyst Gary Cooper recently.
However, with Celestica set to come online in early February, units from the new factory may be hitting stores in time to help the firm reach its targets for the March quarter as well as its new targets for the June quarter.
Moore also took the opportunity to announce a number of statistics relating to the Xbox 360, including the fact that over half of all Xbox 360 owners to date have used the Xbox Live service (although whether they're just connecting to it over Xbox Live Silver or actually playing games through the paid-for Xbox Live Gold service wasn't mentioned), and that four million pieces of game, movie and music content have been downloaded through the service.
Another key part of his speech focused on the relationship between Xbox 360 and HDTV sales, and presented statistics based on a survey of Xbox 360 owners - revealing that 90 per cent of them either own, or plan to buy a HDTV, and that of those who plan to buy one, 90 per cent cite the Xbox 360 as their primary reason for purchasing.
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January 5th, 2006, 18:02 Posted By: wraggster
The Consumer Electronics Show kicked off tonight with a keynote address from Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates. And while just about anything the richest man in the world says makes the news--he was one of Time's 2005 Persons of the Year, after all--what he had to say tonight was of particular interest to gamers.
Besides offering brief comments about how Microsoft's next-generation operating system, Windows Vista, would interact with gaming--including a short demo of the next PC Flight Simulator, Gates also revealed that the Xbox 360 would be compatible with a next-generation disc format. As expected, the format in question is HD-DVD, the Toshiba-backed rival to Blu-ray Disc, which is supported by Microsoft's archrival in the next-gen console race, the Sony PlayStation 3. (Ironically, Toshiba partnered with Sony to produce the PS3's Cell CPU.)
Also, as one might guess given the fact the 360 has an internal standard DVD drive, the console's HD-DVD drive will be offered as an external peripheral. Microsoft's vice president of worldwide Xbox marketing Peter Moore, who took the stage after a not-so-impromptu 360 Fight Night Round 3 bout between Gates and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, said that the drive would arrive later this year. However, he did not show a final form factor for the drive or name a price point, although stand-alone HD-DVD players are expected to cost in excess of $300.
Moore also took the opportunity to underline Microsoft's bullish predictions for the 360. First, he touted the high attach rates for the console--an average of four games and three accessories per console. Moore said that was "twice the previous record" without naming a specific platform--or the fact most consoles were sold in pre-order bundles with games included.
Moore also said that by the end of 2006, there will be 50 Xbox 360 games on the market--up from the 19 currently available--in 30 countries. By June 2006, the company expects to have shipped 4.5 million to 5.5 million 360s worldwide. Previously, Microsoft predicted that it would sell 2.5 to 3 million 360s in the console's first 90 days on the market. However, that figure has come into question after widespread reports of 360 shortages in Europe and North America--though the console remains in abundant supply in Japan.
While Xbox 360s are currently hard to find for most gamers, Moore said that may soon change. He told the CES audience that Microsoft has enlisted a new manufacturing partner, the multinational Celestica, to help churn out more of the hotly sought-after consoles.
Microsoft's CES presentation also had revelations for current Xbox 360 owners. In an almost offhanded remark, Gates said that one of Capcom's most popular old-school arcade titles, Street Fighter 2, will be available via Xbox Live Marketplace later in the year. If poker is your game, it was also revealed that a new Texas-hold-'em-game will be available this year as well. Moore also mentioned that since the 360 went on sale on November 22, 2005, there have been over four million individual downloads from the service.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6141859.html
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January 5th, 2006, 18:04 Posted By: wraggster
Bill Gates has announced that he expects 50 high-definition Xbox 360 games to be on shop shelves across the world by June.
The billionaire told a surprised Consumer Electronics Show that he expected the machine's total number of titles to rise from the current count of 15 to an incredible 50 inside five months.
Sadly, the nerd king didn't reveal any game titles but he did name 2K Games, Capcom, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft as some of the publishers providing the undercurrent for this next wave of 360 software.
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January 5th, 2006, 18:11 Posted By: wraggster
SuccessHK have posted a review of Dead or Alive 4:
In the fighting game pantheon, Tecmo's Dead or Alive series sits slightly on its own. The first entry was noticed more for its T and A rather than its gameplay or graphics, and its penchant for the consoles less traveled (Dreamcast, Xbox) separated it from the other big names in the genre. Dead or Alive 4 strikes the first blow for next-gen fighters, and much like its predecessor, it's a hit whose effects will likely linger throughout this console generation.
If you're looking for Team Ninja and its outspoken leader, Tomonobu Itagaki, to reinvent DOA, you obviously haven't been paying attention. Dead or Alive has been known for its counter-centric gameplay, hot women, and gorgeous graphics; DOA4 doesn't betray any of those things. Rather, it accentuates them, along with the online component begun in DOA Ultimate.
You start with a slightly smaller cast than you're probably used to; mainstays like Helena and Ein are absent from the beginning roster! Beating story mode isn't even a sure-fire way to get a new character. Still, the initial group has more than enough hotties, bruisers, and new faces to satisfy. Kokoro is an elegant geisha-in-training; La Mariposa is a masked wrestler who will be familiar to DOA Volleyball fans; and Eliot is an eerily effeminate young boy. Of the hidden characters, all eyes are on the Bungie-made female version of Master Chief, if only for a glimpse of how Halo may look on the 360 (you won't be disappointed).
The cast dukes it out in the predictably wacky story mode. Reasons for fighting include beaten-up dinosaurs and arguments over fresh produce. As usual, the boss is a bad-ass who will have her way with you regardless of your skill level.
Other modes are more replayable than past DOAs. Both survival and time attack come with online leaderboards, and the former has collectable items dropped after every victory. Tag battles are as frenetic as ever, and are not to be missed.
DOA's gameplay hasn't changed much, but it's still easily one of the better fighting games out there. Countering attacks adds a whole different degree of mastery, and takes it beyond a simple button-masher. Since the game doesn't do much to teach you how to counter, you'll want to study up. As you're active both on offense and defense, DOA4 will tucker out even the most experienced player's hands in short order. It's worth noting that this installment seems to have more combos than past Dead or Alive iterations, and flows smoother from hit to hit.
Graphically, the game doesn't disappoint; it's one of the prettiest titles we've ever set eyes on. Fighters are lifelike in appearance and have flawless animations -- especially with grapples, which is always a DOA strong suit. Outfits are elaborate and feature amazingly rendered fabrics. The levels especially stand out, with huge environments full of interactivity and teeming with ambient life from cars and choppers to dinosaurs and monkeys.
Dead or Alive led the online fighting revolution with DOA Ultimate, and DOA4 picks up that ball and runs with it. Battling over Xbox Live starts with customizable avatars in interactive lobbies -- a very nice touch made better by being able to purchase more goodies with play-earned points. Up to eight players can line up for competition in a variety of gameplay choices, and all can converse with headsets to add commentary to the action.
Yes, you'll encounter plenty of lag, but no more than what DOA Ultimate's online play contained. Considering the graphical quality and the fact that eight people may be talking away, you should cut it some slack. Most of the time it's manageable; if not, you can always go to a different lobby or create your own. Leaderboards abound, and you can save a replay of your fights for studying up or showing off.
No matter what your series of choice has been -- Tekken, Virtua Fighter, etc. -- anyone looking to see the next generation of fighting games should definitely take a peek at what Dead or Alive 4 has to offer. It's not a totally new slant on the genre, but a very slick refinement. As far as extensions of existing series go, it stands head and shoulders above the others in the Xbox 360 library. Since that represents the vast majority of titles available for the console, DOA4 could be crowned king of the hill. Don't leave the girls of Dead or Alive 4 waiting; you'll regret it in more ways than one.
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January 5th, 2006, 18:26 Posted By: AntWak
Hi gang
I was one of the unlucky ones who was promised an Xbox 360 from a certain online store, before they changed their mind and said it would be arriving 2006. Anyway, I decided to cancel my order and wait. I thought I would be waiting a while but apparently not...
I popped into a very well known game shop today to ask for a date when they would have some in. To my amazement, I was told that there was a core system in stock, and the full systems were arriving all the time.
Now I am stuck what to do and need some advice. Is the system really worth getting, or should wait for summer when the price drops? From what I have seen of the games, I am not overly impressed. PD Zero looks good, as does COD 2 and PGR 3, but King Kong looks awful, even on those promotion cabinets with a HD TV!
The console itself does have the "iPod" appeal, by which I mean: I just have to have one, but £280 is a lot of money to me at the moment.
What should I do?!
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
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January 6th, 2006, 17:37 Posted By: persingen
Hello does anyone knows how to start an xbox dvd game with avalaunch. If you want to start a game wich is on you harddisk it is very simple to start it. But you can see the xbox recognises the game when you see a disc in the right corner on you avalaunch desktop. Can anyone help me please.
 Greetings Zeno van de Ven
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January 7th, 2006, 12:34 Posted By: wraggster
Nyko has revealed a clever cooling option for the Xbox 360: the Intercooler. It's a fan array that plugs into the 360's power port and clips to the back of the machine. The fans help air circulate through the oft-overheating console and should make gaming a bit more stable. It's a cheap but smart little fix for hot air building up inside Microsoft's new gaming console. The Intercooler ships in March and will cost about $20.
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January 7th, 2006, 13:03 Posted By: wraggster
Heres whats confirmed so far:
Working on Xbox 360 systems of all origins:
Call of Duty 2 US
Condemned: Criminal Origins US
Gun US
Quake 4 US
Tony Hawks : American Wasteland US
Working on Xbox 360 PAL:
Dead or Alive 4 US (Console needs to be set to 60Hz or controllers won't work)
Ridge Racer 6 US (doesn't matter if 50Hz or 60Hz)
Japanese Games with English voice/text/menu support:
Ridge Racer 6 (complete english, not region-free)
Perfect Dark Zero (complete english, not region-free)
Project Gotham Racing 3 (complete english, not region-free)
Dead or Alive 4 (complete english, not region-free)
King Kong (complete english, not region-free)
Kameo (complete english, not region-free)
Know any more, then please add and help all Xbox 360 fans
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January 9th, 2006, 17:53 Posted By: wraggster
Photos purporting to be of mod-chip devices for the Xbox 360, posted by a group claiming to be preparing to launch such a chip in the coming weeks, are amateur fakes - with no sign as yet that any such chip is close to release.
The ICE Mod Chip team claims to be close to releasing a chip for the Xbox 360 which will allow the booting of Xbox 360 "ISOs, Rips and Dumps", and has websites based in both the USA and UK.
However, pictures posted to both sites late last week - and promptly removed from the US site, although not the UK site - reveal the whole thing to be a hoax, as the devices they show are not console chips at all, but standard commercially available microcontroller boards with the "I.C.E. v1.0" text written over them.
The pictures, taken from the internet sites of electronics retailers, show devices which could not possibly be used as console modchips - in the case of the device which is still visible on the frontpage of the UK site, a low-powered microcontroller which is several orders of magnitude too slow to communicate at the data speeds used within the Xbox 360.
A number of other reports regarding the ICE "chip" have pointed out that the websites for the chip are owned by the same person as Canadian modding firm InfinityMods.com - which is a supplier of mod chips, not a developer of them. InfinityMods' website claims that it plans to take pre-orders for the $70 chip in the coming weeks.
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January 9th, 2006, 18:07 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft has admitted it will not meet its expected goal of 3 million Xbox 360s sold within 90 days of system launch. According to the Financial Times, the Redmond, WA company has shifted its approach to a longer term target outlined at this year's CES of 4 to 5.5 million by the end of its financial year, in June. Next-Gen writes: "Analysts believe sales of the console had hit around 1.3 million by the end of the Holiday sales period. But as January moves along, retailers have yet to see evidence of shortages easing."
Console game launches are a tough business. As THQ CEO Brian Farrell notes, the "first three to six months" don't always perform as expected, due in part to lower inventories.
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/01/09/mi...illion-target/
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January 9th, 2006, 18:47 Posted By: wraggster
An interesting story emerged from America's porn valley this weekend, indicating that the Xbox 360 may well have found its true killer app – High Definition Classic Pornography.
HDHE, High Def Home Entertainment, a new distribution company specialising in the High Definition DVD format, in conjunction with Arrow Productions, has announced the release of porno classic Deep Throat in HD exclusively on Xbox 360. See the attached in-store ad for said skin flick!
Well, the release is a kind of exclusive on Xbox 360 sort of thing. Exclusive that is until there is something else at retail that will allow you to get off on dated 70s porno in full HD glory. Unless of course you have a decent enough PC to watch it on, but we digress.
Paul Interlandi, Head of Production at Arrow Productions, recently found the original masters of Deep Throat in a forgotten film canister, which had been kept in storage for over 35 years. Talking to an adult industry news site, Mr Interlandi said, “It was a pretty great moment.†SPOnG imagine’s that this is something of an understatement.
HDHE plans to release a variety of content — including feature films, concerts, music videos, extreme sports and documentaries — in addition to the standard adult fare. Most titles will contain both High Def and standard NTSC versions, meaning they still will function in any regular DVD player.
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January 9th, 2006, 18:49 Posted By: wraggster
In May 2005 Bill Gates sort of famously stated that when PS3 launched Sony would run straight into Halo 3, leading to speculation that next-generation Halo would release in spring 2006. But it was later said the comment was hypothetical/philosophical rather than cold, hard fact, leading to a mass exodus among Halo fans from armchair to garden where in misery they sat and ate slimy worms. No. Sequel. Soon.
We've still not had anything official from Microsoft on Halo 3 on Xbox 360, but company big cheese Peter Moore has recently dropped a few hints about plans for Master Chief in the next-generation and given the impression that the sequel's heavy duty firepower that'll be whipped out at a most crucial moment.
"The good news is interestingly we're riding this wave of success [with Xbox 360] and Halo's still sitting in the quiver. Ready to pull out when we feel like it's done", Moore has said in an interview with GameInformer.com. "There was a lot of anticipation but everybody forgets that we've done this without Halo. We have done all this without our number one piece of intellectual property. And that['s] still sat right here in the back pocket."
"Not yet, but eventually that IP will be brought to bear when we feel it's appropriate," Moore explained.
Yep, that smacks of big guns out when deemed most urgently required to us, but he did additionally suggest in the interview that one reason next-generation Halo is being kept under wraps currently is to avoid Xbox 360 being pigeon-holed.
"One of the things we said to ourselves a number of years ago is that this has to be more than a Halo box. This [the Xbox 360] has to be more than a shooter box if we're going to grow and expand the marketplace, and expand our own market share in the marketplace. We need to broaden who we are as a brand, which I think we've done very well. And we need to get away from some of the darkness of being a shooter box," said Moore.
Well, there you go, the next Halo brought to bear when Microsoft's feels it's appropriate (and something to do with shooters making everything dark). Naturally, we hope it feels it's appropriate sooner rather than later.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...news_index.php
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January 10th, 2006, 19:13 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has admitted he doesn't have any idea when Halo 3 will be released, saying that the launch date of the game is up to Bungie and recanting his earlier claim that it will arrive to spoil the launch of the PS3.
Gates had previously commented that Sony would "walk right into Halo 3" when they launched PlayStation 3, drawing a lot of attention in the process. Former Xbox chief Robbie Bach had later claimed his comments were more "philosophical" in nature, but now it seems we have the real answer: it was "speculation", judging by Gates' reaction to the question posed by technology blog Engadget during the Consumer Electronics Show.
Asked whether Halo 3 would launch around the time of PS3, Gates replied, "No, I have to make sure that any speculation I did about that is -- it's up to the team when they want to ship that, and they're going to take their time to make that a super great product. So even we don't know when that will come out. That's one of many games that are just phenomenal that are in the works, but it's up to the artists to do it when they feel good about it."
Gates also had a couple of other 360-related comments for Engadget. He rejected suggestions that the introduction of an external HD-DVD drive would fragment the userbase, claiming, "There's no fragmentation here. The developers are creating games that run on the DVD-9 format that's in every Xbox, and whatever we do with the drive, they'll all be upwards compatible with that," and even going onto clarify the "whatever we do" comment by adding, "the HD-DVD is a peripheral, that's a nice option for our users".
He also spoke about the Xbox webcam, about which relatively little has been said in the last year. It'll launch in 2006, Gates said, "as well [as] some of the connections to the PC on the communication side so you can text message between PC and Xbox".
Finally, Gates said he expected "a substantially higher [market] share in this generation than we had last generation," and declined to speculate on how many units the 360 would sell beyond the 4.5 to 5.5 million Microsoft's hoping to do before the end of June.
On a related note, claims supposedly backed by a Financial Times article that Microsoft had dropped its previous 2.75 to 3 million unit shipment target for the first 90 days have been debunked. US website GameSpot made contact with the article's author who said that while Microsoft executive Peter Moore had dodged a direct question about it, he hadn't actually confirmed that the new target for June was a tacit admission of a failure to live up to the previous one.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=13960
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January 11th, 2006, 00:32 Posted By: wraggster
With the announcement of an external HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360, Microsoft looked to clearly choose sides in the format war. However, all is not black-and-white in the business, according to Peter Moore. In an interview with Japanese website ITmedia, Moore noted that, if the format war concluded with Blu-Ray as the clear winner, Microsoft could release an external Blu-Ray drive for its 360.
This news comes as somewhat of a shock, since Blu-Ray is backed by Microsoft's rival Sony. However, it would be a smart move on Microsoft's part not to be diligently supporting a dead format (if HD-DVD, indeed, loses). Moore again stressed that the external drives would be for movies only, but something tells us that external drive - whichever format - could become vital for gaming 2 or 3 years into the console's life-span.
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January 11th, 2006, 18:16 Posted By: wraggster
SEGA's confirmed reports that OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast will be released on Xbox in addition to PS2, PC and PSP.
The Xbox version features 15 licensed Ferrari models and a number of the other features we recently revealed in our interview with Sumo Digital, including the full set of tracks from both OutRun2 and OutRun2 SP as well as ranked online multiplayer and a new mission mode.
The game's due out on all four formats at the end of March, and SEGA's released some screenshots of the PSP version today.
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January 11th, 2006, 18:43 Posted By: wraggster
News From Lik Sang
Forget starting with a car as old as your Grandma and racing towards that red hot Ferrari, Project Gotham Racing gives you 85 grand to get you moving. You'll soon discover however, there's fast, and then there's eye-watering warp-speed world-blurring fast. PGR 3 contains the ultimate supercar collection with more than 80 authentically modeled supercars from manufacturers such as Ferrari, Dodge, and Lamborghini with fully modeled interiors, functioning dashboards and individually recorded engine roars. There's nine concept cars waiting to be unlocked, and you can store and display your previous wheels in one of your many garages. As in past titles, it's not just about how fast you drive in PRG, it's about how you drive. Powersliding, getting airtime, staying on the racing line, drifting, or even pulling off a 360 or getting up on two wheels will earn you Kudos points. There's a total of 16 different ways to rack up the points and the higher you set the difficulty, the more you earn.
 
Bizarre took over 22,000 reference photographs and 10 hours of video to create the five cities, Las Vegas, Nurburgring, Tokyo, London, and New York. To compare with the past, in PGR 3 New York's Brooklyn Bridge on its own is made from more polygons than an entire city was back in the original PGR. You only need to look at the screenshots to see this has come closer than any game to achieving true photorealistic environments. Also impressive is that Bizarre finally delivered on a promise made back on Metropolis Street Racer for the Dreamcast, to have cities full of life with fully 3D motion captured crowds. You can also design your own racing routes through the streets, and face off online against up to 7 friends and foes in Street Races, Cone Challenges, Speed Contests and more. Gotham TV lets you show off in front of a global online audience, and with it you can watch any player in the world, get live ticker-tape information when friends break records, and see archived races from the very best players. So strap on your racing gloves because the Japanese edition of PGR 3 is due to arrive this Thursday for those with an Xbox 360 system coming from the land of the rising sun. In the meantime though, we still have copies of the US game available and rearing to go right now.
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January 12th, 2006, 04:01 Posted By: melenya
Best Buy is having a sale on Xbox games . I'm planning on picking up Half Life 2 (as my PC will never run it), and am debating the 2 titles for the other. Any opinions on which one is the better game? I've never actually played an FPS on the Xbox, so I don't know if that is relevant to the comparison.
And how much it cost??
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January 12th, 2006, 19:07 Posted By: wraggster
Success HK have this new Xbox 360 Game:
Amped 3, like snowboarding itself, isn't just about the sport. Sure, there's an all-new physics engine, an innovative artificial intelligence engine, and perfected controls, so you get the most authentic riding experience at some of the world's greatest winter resorts, but snowboarding is all about style. That's why Amped 3 offers incredible customization, a fat helping of boarding culture, and deep, wide sandboxes loaded with killer gameplay. FreeStyle. YourStyle. LifeStyle. Pour it on.
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January 13th, 2006, 09:22 Posted By: J sims
Does anybody know why there is a battery indicator on the xbox 360's guide menu in the upper left hand corner. I find it kind of weird that the 360 would have that when it is pluged into the wall and, I can' really picture that system runnnig on a battery unless its a uninteruptable power source
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January 13th, 2006, 17:20 Posted By: wraggster
Electronic Arts announced today that the highly anticipated PC game, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II will make its way exclusively to the Xbox 360. The high-definition title will be the first game in the series that will be playable over Xbox LIVE. Gamers can challenge friends online and engage in real-time battles.
From the release: "The game boasts a new and intuitive console-specific control scheme that will allow novice players to enjoy the game's signature strategy gameplay while giving expert players the flexibility needed to engage in a deeply complex strategy experience. Players will directly control hundreds of units in an attempt to defeat enemy armies, conquer new lands, and seal the fate of Middle-earth."
LOTR The Battle for Middle-earth II ships Summer 2006.
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January 14th, 2006, 02:37 Posted By: wraggster
Gamasutra is running an interesting piece entitled The Battle for Console Earth. Louis Castle of EA describes the process of making an RTS title for the Xbox 360 console. From the article: "Castle's approach to the Xbox 360 version of The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth II was to approach the RTS genre as if it were never on the personal computer. Let's go back to the beginning. Let's look at these strategy games, as if they were new. How would we approach it now? Let's pretend that there never was a mouse, and all we had were consoles. How would we bring this about?"
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20...faldi_01.shtml
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January 14th, 2006, 13:36 Posted By: wraggster
Reuters reports that Microsoft has sold 600,000 Xbox 360 consoles in the United States since its November 2005 launch. Data comes from the NDP Group which measures and projects nearly two-thirds of all US retail sales.
From the article: "The Xbox 360 debuted to much fanfare on November 22 in North America, where the unit has been in short supply. Analysts, video game publishers and retailers have said shipments during the key holiday season fell short of expectations."
As expected, the system has not been selling well in Japan up to this point either, but Microsoft has confirmed its target of selling between 4.5 million and 5.5 million 360 during the current fiscal year ending June 30 of this year.
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January 15th, 2006, 16:13 Posted By: AntWak
Hey guys
If any of you are like me and haven't got a 360 yet, I have heard from a very good source that the market is due to be flooded the week commencing 23-01-06. It came about when I tried to reserve one in a shop and was told by the helpful shop assistant that they are coming. And instead of buying one with "at least three games" (this is the current situation), I should wait and have the freedom of buying what I wish.
I am going to do just that. just a couple of questions to your good selves though.....
1. Have all of the problems been ironed out, i.e. PSU overheating, software problems, crashing etc....?
2. Also, I love FPS's, COD or PDZ?
Many thanks
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January 16th, 2006, 17:38 Posted By: wraggster
News from Lik Sang
We have received end of last week a massive delivery of all audio-video cables you need for your brand new Xbox 360. Four different cables are available, offering each a different type of video connection and signal. From S-Video to RGB Scart, that most European gamers will be happy to finally get their hands on, we got it covered. We also have Component cables for HDTV sets and VGA adapters for computer monitors and screens. All of them offer both Stereo jacks and digital Optical output for enhanced sound quality. We have all four different models in stock and shipping within 24 hours, each retailing for US$ 12.95 only. Quantity discounts are available on the respective product pages for resellers, ebayers and shops, simply input the amount you need in the shopping cart and our dynamic systems will calculate your rebate online.
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January 16th, 2006, 17:39 Posted By: wraggster
Redmond giant says online safety is "top priority"
Microsoft has issued a statement confirming that the safety and security of Xbox Live users is "a top priority", and that it works closely with global law enforcement to ensure child safety.
The statement was issued following to reports that an adult Xbox Live user allegedly used the online gaming service to groom and molest a 14 year old boy.
"Safety and security, specifically child online safety, are a top priority for Microsoft, and we insure that Xbox Live is equipped with the tools that allow parents to monitor the activities of their children during online game play, including disabling voice communications," Microsoft said.
"Xbox Live is regulated by our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct which prohibit all illegal activities. We work closely with law enforcement around the world on child safety issues on the Internet and will provide any and all help to the authorities investigating this case."
Xbox 360's wide range of parental controls also allows parents to disable Live access entirely on specified profiles and limit access to games and DVDs based on particular ratings.
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January 16th, 2006, 19:57 Posted By: wraggster
That the Xbox 360 can stream video from your PC to your nice, big TV is a well-known feature. Well, at least in video formats that Microsoft approves of. Naturally, that leaves out DivX. Sure, you could convert your files to 360-compatible WMVs, but where’s the fun in that? Using mceDivX360, you can now stream all those DivX and Xvid movies you’ve accumulated over the years straight to your 360. While it technically still converts the files, it does it on the fly, so you really don’t even notice.
http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/entry/19...60_hack_allows
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January 16th, 2006, 21:57 Posted By: wraggster
All fanboys of any system have to have their demi-gods, their 'false idols', and for the Xbox community Microsoft bigwig Steve Ballmer appears to be emerging as an unlikely figurehead. Sony has no strategy for an online service, the CEO told Investor's Business Daily, affirming simultaneously that Microsoft will beat Sony in this generation. He told the magazine again that Microsoft will have shipped 4.5 to 5.5 million Xbox 360 consoles by the end of June, and that the new system is off to a very good start indeed. Of the Xbox 360's disappointing start in Japan, Ballmer remained bullish, I'm not sure we're going to beat Sony in Japan this generation. Maybe, he commented. This despite sales that were eclipsed by all other systems, the original Xbox excepted.
Nobody knows when PlayStation 3 is going to come. The rumours are it will come out in the spring, but only in Japan. And nobody knows what PlayStation 3 is going to cost. PlayStation 3 has a (Blu-ray Disc) drive built in, so who knows what the heck they're going to charge for the thing, because those are very expensive drives. Who the heck knows what the games are going to look like for PlayStation 3? Ballmer quipped. So, a lot of questions. And Sony has no strategy for an online service. Fighting talk indeed.
Of course, most of us with an unbiased view might have a little more faith in Sony than Ballmer, especially given that their dominance of the outgoing generation leaves them still holding most of the cards. More as we get it, regardless.
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January 16th, 2006, 21:59 Posted By: wraggster
Planetxbox360 report You might remember that Peter Moore (Xbox Corporate VP) recently told a Japanese site that the Xbox 360 could get a Blu-Ray drive, if the need arises. Microsoft have since released an official statement that they are fully committed to the HD-DVD format and have absolutely no plans to support other next-gen DVD formats.
quote:
Here is the official MS statement:
Microsoft firmly stands behind the HD-DVD format as the best choice for our consumers. As we’ve said before, we’re confident that HD-DVD will bring the excitement of high definition movies to the consumer faster and at a greater value. We believe that consumers have signaled what format they want to enjoy high definition DVD and we’re going to follow them down that path. The question of whether Xbox 360 has the flexibility to adapt to consumers’ needs is a different issue entirely. Xbox 360 is a future-proofed system – one that allows us to add features as consumers demand them – as evidenced by our offering of the HD DVD drive as an accessory. Current reports indicating that we have a back-up plan, which includes Blu-Ray support are incorrect. At this point, we’re fully committed to HD-DVD and have absolutely no plans to support other optical formats.
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January 17th, 2006, 17:39 Posted By: wraggster
In response to recent comments from Microsoft's VP of marketing, Peter Moore, the company has issued a formal statement clarifying its position on next-generation DVD support for the Xbox 360 console.
Speaking to Japanese website ITMedia at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Moore had stated that a Blu-Ray drive for the Xbox 360 could be released if the Blu-Ray standard - which is backed by Sony - wins the next-generation DVD format battle.
The Xbox 360, the first of the next-generation of games consoles to reach market, currently uses the standard DVD format, but a peripheral HD-DVD drive has been announced. Microsoft has publicly backed Toshiba's Blu-Ray rival, despite strong support for Sony's preferred technology (which will ship as standard in the forthcoming PlayStation 3 console) from the majority of film studios.
Moore's comments were, it appears, intended to add weight to Microsoft's believe in the 'future-proof' flexibility of the Xbox 360, and the company is keen to clarify that a Blu-Ray drive for the machine is not an option in reality. The official statement reads: "It is important to understand the context in which that statement was made. Microsoft firmly stands behind the HD-DVD format as the best choice for our consumers.
"As we've said before, we're confident that HD-DVD will bring the excitement of high definition movies to the consumer faster and at a greater value. We believe that consumers have signalled what format they want to enjoy high definition DVD and we're going to follow them down that path."
"The question of whether Xbox 360 has the flexibility to adapt to consumers' needs is a different issue entirely," the statement continues. "Xbox 360 is a future-proofed system - one that allows us to add features as consumers demand them - as evidenced by our offering of the HD-DVD drive as an accessory. Current reports indicating that we have a back-up plan, which includes Blu-Ray support are incorrect. At this point, we're fully committed to HD-DVD and have absolutely no plans to support other optical formats."
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January 17th, 2006, 19:04 Posted By: wraggster
The Xbox 360 has sold 600,000 units in the United States since it launched there in late November, according to market research firm NPD Group, which revealed the figures late last week.
Stock shortages of the console have severely restricted its sales in North America and Europe, even in the wake of Christmas, and some retailers are believed to have unfulfilled preorders even now.
However, Microsoft is bringing a new factory on line to produce the Xbox 360 next month, and hopes to be able to deliver new stock to the market at a faster rate by the end of this quarter.
The software giant revised its shipment targets for the Xbox 360 at the start of this year, and now expects to ship between 4.5 and 5.5 million units of the console worldwide by the end of its financial year on June 30th.
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January 17th, 2006, 19:05 Posted By: wraggster
Christmas was last month, but many gamers got a nice present over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Word broke on the forums of the fan site Star Trek: Gaming Universe that a new, as-yet-unannounced Star Trek game is in the works. Currently, the only game based on the popular television and file franchise known to be in development is the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Star Trek Online.
It all began on Friday, when STGU's founder reported that the next issue of Game Informer magazine has an article about Star Trek: Legacy, a new game for the Xbox 360 and PC. Posters said Legacy, being developed by Mad Doc Software, is set for a September 2006 release, and will span the eras of all Star Trek television shows--Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise.
To paraphrase Mr. Spock, Mad Doc is a logical choice for a new Star Trek game, as it developed the 2001 real-time strategy title Star Trek: Armada II. Since then, the company has gone on to publish the more acclaimed Empire Earth II and its forthcoming expansion, Empire Earth II: The Art of Supremacy.
The Star Trek: Legacy posts are also apparent confirmation of a rumor from January 2005, which hinted that a Star Trek strategy game was in development. The source of this rumor was a post on the STGU forums from Harry Lang, the director of the licensing division of Paramount Pictures, the Viacom subsidiary that owns the Star Trek license.
Late this past Friday, Lang returned to the STGU board to confirm a new Star Trek game was indeed the works--although he avoided details. He dodged the subject of the game's title but appeared to confirm the release date mentioned in the forums. "Like I said before, traditional ST single player/multi player games have returned--and before STO ships," Lang said, referring to Star Trek Online's tentative early 2007 launch window.
In his January 2005 STGU post, Lang mentioned that a Star Trek game would be coming to a "non-traditional platform" by the end of 2005--presumably the Xbox 360. In his more recent post, he made brief mention of the "stringent requirements for Xbox 360" development, apparently confirming that the Star Trek game was coming to the console.
Though Lang also did not mention a developer, he did say the new Trek game has been in the works for a while. "Just because it was announced in this issue [of Game Informer], [it] doesn't mean development just started," he said. He also promised the game would be visually spectacular. "As for graphics, once you see the screenshots and this thing in motion, you will be blown away," he said.
However, some of Lang's comments were more confusing than enlightening. Responding to posters' claims that Star Trek: Legacy would be published by Bethesda Softworks, Lang made an aside about a "different publisher," making it unclear which firm would distribute the game.
However, the confusion was cleared up on Monday, when GameSpot contacted Mad Doc regarding Star Trek: Legacy. A friendly rep told us that "for assistance, interviews and general information regarding the Star Trek: Legacy title, all inquiries should be directed to Bethesda Softworks." For its part, Bethesda declined to comment, saying only to expect an announcement "shortly."
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January 17th, 2006, 19:21 Posted By: wraggster
As expected, sales figures for last week indicate that the Xbox 360 is still having a tough time moving units in Japan according to the most recent Japanese sales data. Xbox Circle writes: "In a report from research group Media Crate, Microsoft has only managed to sell 7,477 Xbox 360 consoles to the Japanese market [from Jan 2 to Jan 8]... The Xbox 360 was outsold by most handheld and console systems, including the PSP, Nintendo DS, PS2, GBA SP, GameCube, and Game Boy Micro."
Though the next-gen console is off to a slow start in US, Europe (see NDP data) and Japan, there are two widely divergent reasons for the sluggish sales. While US gamers are starved by shortages, Japanese gamers can walk into any store and pick up an Xbox 360, thanks to a surplus. What'll it take for Microsoft to move Xbox 360s in Japan?
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January 18th, 2006, 18:54 Posted By: wraggster
A new gun for gaming
This universal light-gun is the first light gun to support CRT, LCD, Plasma, DLP as well as Projector. It supports every Gun Shooting game on PC, PS2â„¢ and Xboxâ„¢. Now you can enjoy Gun Shooting games with your LCD or Plasma or any TV you have, instead of your old and small CRT TV.
More info --> http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?pro...5&lsaid=219793
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January 18th, 2006, 19:40 Posted By: wraggster
Undisclosed children's entertainment property in development
Microsoft Game Studios has entered into an exclusive agreement with children's entertainment firm, 4Kids, which will act as the global licensing agent on a new undisclosed children's property.
4Kids Entertainment, which currently looks after a number of popular children's brands including Yu-Gi-Oh! and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, will serve as MS Studio's exclusive licensing agent for videogames, broadcast, music, and merchandising rights.
Alfred R. Kahn, chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment, commented: "We are thrilled to serve as the partner of choice and act as the vehicle for Microsoft to broaden its appeal among a more mainstream market focusing on children and family entertainment. We are confident our strong track record in developing integrated marketing and merchandising programs designed specifically for kids will enhance the future success of Microsoft Game Studios."
There has been no confirmation to date on any specific gaming titles to de developed under the terms of the new agreement, though it is thought likely that Rare, which has the most experience in developing children's games for Microsoft, may be involved in the creation of an entirely new IP, or the next-generation re-invention of a classic children's branded game.
Ed Ventura, Microsoft's director of franchise development added: "We are excited to explore the opportunities our collective efforts can create when we combine 4Kids's proven expertise in bringing engaging children's properties to life with Microsoft's leadership and knowledge of interactive entertainment."
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January 18th, 2006, 19:47 Posted By: wraggster
Despite continued reassurances of a steady retail supply from Microsoft, US retailers continue to suffer shortages, with GameStop yet to fulfil approximately 30 per cent of its launch day pre-orders for the Xbox 360 console.
According to videogames website Gamespot, an internal memo from GameStop informed retail staff that almost 70 per cent of pre-orders for the next-generation console had now been completed. The company expects to complete all remaining pre-orders during February, furthering the disappointment of hundreds of eager games fans who had hoped to receive their console at the time of launch in November, 2005.
According to the source at GameStop, an increasing number of the lower-priced Core System units (shipped with a wired controller and lacking a hard drive) have begun to appear on store shelves for immediate purchase, though the majority of customers appear to be holding out for the more comprehensive package, which includes a number of additional peripherals for USD 399.
The pre-order completion estimates do not take account of online orders, or those coming from Electronics Boutique, which recently merged with GameStop.
Stock shortages have plagued the Xbox 360's market debut, partly due to Microsoft's ambitious tri-continent launch strategy, releasing the first next-generation console in three global territories within a matter of weeks.
The company recently stated that plans to sell 3 million units in the first three months remain on track in spite of the wide-spread shortages, and Microsoft has repeatedly promised a continued supply of units to retail in each territory - its manufacturing plants operating on a 24-hour basis in an effort to meet consumer demand.
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January 19th, 2006, 18:39 Posted By: wraggster
New Xbox 360 Game at Lik Sang:
Yuke's first game for the Microsoft Xbox 360, is a wrestling game under licence of Japanese federation. Wrestle Kingdom favors a "work the body" style of gameplay, where you can focus on various body parts to wear out your opponent and make him more vulnerable. There's also a "voltage" meter that builds as you perform more impressive moves. Once your meter is filled, you can hit the A and X buttons together to perform your wrestler's finishing move.
More Info and to buy here --> http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?pro...2&lsaid=219793
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January 20th, 2006, 16:53 Posted By: gadgetHacks_er
I was told by a very reliable source that, although estimated units of the 360 will be up 500,000 over sony ps3 however by the end of 2007, sony will have surpased and nearly doubled that of the 360. I have always been a fan of the PS and knew it would end up selling even more ps1's than the x-box, that didnt suprise me. I fell in love with my 360 and dont think this is possible, even for sony. I know sony will pass them, but I dont think this time by that much.
Get more out of your gadgets --> http://www.gadgethacks.com
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January 20th, 2006, 17:01 Posted By: wraggster
While hardware unit shortages continue to mar the retail trade, those who have managed to purchase an Xbox 360 are, according to Microsoft, making full use of the online Xbox Live Arcade service.
In an official statement to consumer website IGN, Microsoft has revealed the current top ten titles available for download through Xbox Live - one aspect of the next-generation console launch that has so far failed to receive any negative opinion from the industry, or consumers in the gaming community.
Although no exact figures for sales were revealed, the publishing giant has detailed its most popular games on the Arcade service, with Bizarre Creations' Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved leading the pack. The game is an adapted version of the retro styled arcade game that first appeared on the original Xbox, as part of Project Gotham Racing 2. Since the launch of the service in November, Geometry Wars has achieved some 200,000 trial downloads and 45,000 paid downloads, proving exceptionally popular with the online community.
Genuine retro titles such as Gauntlet and Smash TV hold prominent positions in the chart listing, the remainder a mix of retro and casual games previously available over the Internet. Whilst the majority of games are available to download for between 400-800 Microsoft points (where 80 points equals one dollar), Bankshot Billiards 2 is the most expensive title, costing 1200 points (USD 15). The continued success of the title does perhaps give some indication of consumers' willingness to pay higher prices for quality downloadable content, and may prompt the creation of more higher-priced titles.
The full chart from Microsoft is as follows:
1. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
2. Gauntlet
3. Smash TV
4. Bejeweled II
5. Zuma
6. Bankshot Billiards 2
7. Outpost Kaloki X
8. Mutant Storm Reloaded
9. Joust
10. Wik: Fable of Souls
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January 23rd, 2006, 20:28 Posted By: Darksaviour69
I have started a dcemu halo2 clan and you are all invited to join!
Just msg me on live, Darksaviour69 and I will add you too the clan.
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January 24th, 2006, 18:51 Posted By: wraggster
Despite the wait for big-name game releases, the folks at Microsoft haven't been sitting still now that the 360 is (more or less) on store shelves. IGN reports that plans are still moving forward for more backwards compatible titles, despite rumours to the contrary. No dates or titles to expect were released, though. Additionally, a launch in India is just a matter of time, according to a Gamasutra report. They consider the Indian market very important ... they just don't have a date in mind yet. The 360 is slated to launch in Korea on February 24th, and Australia, Taiwan and Singapore on March 2nd.
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January 24th, 2006, 19:01 Posted By: wraggster
Weekly Special: Microsoft's Xboxâ„¢ mech game MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf, Conker Live & Reloaded, Fable and Rallisport Challenge 2 at US$ 10.90 each only - offer valid for 1 week
From the publisher: MechAssault® 2: Lone Wolf continues the massive destruction, intense combat, and addictive online play that gamers have been praising since MechAssault® first hit the Xbox.
Continuing in the thirty-first century, MechAssault 2 allows gamers to encounter entirely new experiences in the epic BattleTech world. With 15 fully destructible environments, this third-person action-shooter takes immense destruction to another level.
Choose from a variety of weapons and vehicles—from the stealthy Raptor 'Mech to the 'Mech-jacking BattleArmor—all equipped with different weapon configurations and artillery.
Embark on the brand-new and intensive single-player campaign, or test your teamwork skills in the ultimate online multiplayer arena, strategizing and communicating with teammates via the XboxLiveâ„¢ Communicator headset.
Microsoft's MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf is now available at discounted US$ 10.90 only.
This weekly special is valid for exactly 1 week (if not sold out earlier) and this time limited to a maximum purchase of 3 units per customer. As a small restriction, please also notice that you cannot use any further discount coupons along with this special offer.
At the same time, another three great Xboxâ„¢ titles has been discounted down to US$ 10.90 as well as long as supplies last:
Conker: Live & Reloaded ASIA US$ 10.90
Fable ASIA US$ 10.90
Rallisport Challenge 2 ASIA US$ 10.90
More info here --> http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...9-en-84-n.html
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January 25th, 2006, 19:17 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft's much publicised and apparently continuing stock issues for the launch of its next-generation games console have resulted in a reduction in estimates for the company's latest earnings report.
The Xbox 360 was launched in the US in November, reaching three continents in as many weeks and failing to meet consumer demand in each region. Stock shortages for the first next-generation console to reach market continue to plague the Redmond giant, with major retailers in the US and Europe still struggling to fulfil launch day pre-orders - leaving thousands of potential customers disappointed.
The continued pressure to meet US and EU consumer demand, combined with less than impressive sales in Japan, has prompted UBS analyst Heather Bellini to reduce her predictions for quarterly Xbox 360 shipments from 1.5 million to 1.25 million. Additionally, Bellini estimates that Microsoft's Home and Entertainment division (housing all Xbox operations) will see a sales increase of just 21 per cent, as opposed to earlier forecasts of between 26 and 32 per cent.
A general downward turn in demand for PCs and the strength of the US dollar during the final quarter of 2005 are also predicted to have a significant impact on Microsoft's earnings, which are due to be released this week.
Speaking to Reuters, Buffalo Funds portfolio manager Bill Kornitzer stated: "By and large, we're not going to be hoping for great things from Microsoft, because Xbox wasn't a blow-out this year and it doesn't look like PCs were a blow-out."
Not everyone is quite as glum about the financial postings, though the general consensus does appear to be less than optimistic in terms of what was initially expected, and what is more likely following the launch issues and downturn in the demand for PCs.
Pacific Crest Securities analyst Brendan Barnicle commented: "There has been some weakness in Xbox and the currency has worked against Microsoft. I don't necessarily think that means it's going to miss earnings, but revenue could be on the lighter side."
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January 25th, 2006, 19:18 Posted By: wraggster
Dismisses rumours of a manufacturing cessation
Microsoft has re-affirmed its continued support for the original Xbox games console, dispelling rumours that hardware manufacturing for the machine has now been officially stopped.
The rumour, which initially appeared on US website Kotaku.com, was sparked by an email from an undisclosed source in the retail sector, suggesting that hardware production of the original machine had stopped and prompting immediate questions regarding the level of support for existing customers, for both first and third-party games.
Microsoft had stated during last year's E3 expo in May that support for the original console would continue in terms of hardware sales and software launches, and it would seem reasonable to accept that the focus of its attention has shifted somewhat recently, in light of the continuing stock issues for its next-generation Xbox 360, which launched in the US in November. However, that change in product launch schedules and hardware support doesn't necessarily translate to Microsoft's outright neglect of its original machine.
Gamesindustry.biz contacted Microsoft to clarify its position on the Xbox, and a company spokesperson told us: "We remain very supportive of the Xbox platform and there have been no announcements about plans to cease or alter production."
"While we do not have other titles to announce at this time, we are committed to providing existing Xbox customers with exciting gaming experiences in 2006. There are 200 Xbox titles expected to ship this year. It is the responsibility of the first party to create genre-defining games for its platform and we are taking that stance with both Xbox and Xbox 360. We feel we have an amazing ecosystem with third parties providing content to Xbox at this time. We have done a great job on the Xbox side with such franchises as Halo, Project Gotham Racing, Fable, and Forza, not to mention our pioneering work we’ve done for Xbox Live," the spokesperson concluded.
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January 26th, 2006, 18:52 Posted By: wraggster
Just about everyone and their mother (including Jobs) has called it or called for it by now: Microsoft. MP3 player. Portable gaming device. When's it gonna happen? Well, BusinessWeek apparently has it on authority that Microsoft's sick of all the supposed "iPod killers" that are failing in their assassination attempts, and that they're matters into their own hands. So how would theirs theoretically differentiate from the rest of the pack? Says Peter Moore, "It can't just be our version of the iPod," and BizWeek states that "in addition to playing music and videos, a Microsoft device would include games." We'll cede the possibility that Microsoft may be working on Gizmondo-like portable gaming and media device -- vague though it may be -- but honestly, what would a story like this be without the grandiloquent Sim Wong Hoo, CEO of Creative, making his standard-issue self-aggrandizing statement? Says Hoo, were Microsoft to build their own hardware in addition to their own portable software platform, their hardware partners would branch off and "what [they were] trying to build will collapse." Uh, yeah.
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January 27th, 2006, 22:38 Posted By: wraggster
Console launch delayed by three weeks
Microsoft has announced that gamers in Australia and New Zealand have even longer to wait before they can get their hands on the Xbox 360, citing high demand and manufacturing problems as the reason for the delay.
The console was initially slated to launch in ANZ on March 2nd, but that date has now changed to March 23rd.
In a statement, Microsoft said the slip was due to "unprecedented global consumer demand and short-term manufacturing issues due to component shortages stemming from challenges in ramping supply."
According to Microsoft, the shift to a new launch date will ensure that " the markets will have an adequate supply of Xbox 360 consoles to meet demand at launch."
The Xbox 360 launched in the US last November, with European and Japanese launches following in December. Demand is still outstripping supply in many territories, a factor which Microsoft cited earlier this week when lowering its 90 day sales forecast. However, the company still expects to sell between 4.5 million and 5.5 million units by July.
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January 27th, 2006, 22:42 Posted By: wraggster
Record revenues marred by component supply issues
Microsoft has posted its revenue results for its second quarter ended 31st December, revealing a loss of USD 293 million from the division which manages its next-generation Xbox 360 console.
Overall revenue for the quarter was posted at a record USD 11.84 billion, an increase of 9 per cent on the same period a year ago. Profit rose 5 per cent from USD 3.64 billion in 2004 to USD 3.65 billion, although the firm admits that the results have been adversely affected by significant losses in its Home and Entertainment division.
The Home and Entertainment division - which includes the Xbox arm of the business - saw revenues of USD1.56 billion and a substantial loss of USD 293 million, compared to USD 1.37 billion revenues and a USD 55 million profit in the same period in 2004. The continued impact of component shortages for its Xbox 360 console have been cited as the main reason for the loss in profits, though MS officials have stated that the manufacturing troubles are now being resolved.
Colleen Healy, a senior director at Microsoft, told CNET News: "Overall revenue did come in slightly below expectations, mostly driven by our home and entertainment unit. We did have some component shortage issues for Xbox 360 that we believe are behind us."
Microsoft stated that sales of its new console, which have been significantly lower than expected due to widespread supply shortages, had reached 1.5 million during the all-important pre-Christmas period. The figure is broken down in terms of territories as follows: 900,000 in North America, 500,000 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and 100,000 in Japan.
The company's previous target of selling 3 million consoles in the first 90 days from launch has now been lowered to 2.5 million as a direct result of the component shortages. Microsoft remains confident that a solution to the supply problem can be found, and still expects to sell 4.5 to 5.5 million by June as manufacturing and retail supply continues around the clock.
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January 28th, 2006, 01:33 Posted By: wraggster
Divineo USA have posted that the Xenium GOLD and GOLD SP are in pre-order, heres some info for those who need it:
COMPLETE SOLDERLESS SOLUTION
The GOLD SP is based on the Xenium GOLD chip, but with a totally solderless installation on ALL Xbox version, from V1.0 to V1.7! It has all the features of the amazing Xenium GOLD but is so easy to install you will only need minutes to get it running!
1.Works with ALL known Xbox versions to date (no need to check your version first)
2.No soldering required at all. Period.
3.Installs in seconds.
4. Unique precision engineered acrylic template for wire guide and safety feature.
5. Instant verification of correct contact on all five points through LED indicators (not for decoration only)
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January 28th, 2006, 01:46 Posted By: wraggster
For $5, Xbox Live owners can add Jedi Kit Fisto, Asajj Ventress, and more to popular multiplayer game.
While Xbox 360 owners download the latest demos of upcoming games to their hard drives, owners of the original Xbox are still getting plenty of content to add on to their existing games.
The latest Xbox Live content download comes for Star Wars: Battlefront II, one of the best-selling Xbox games of 2005. On January 31, gamers can download a new helping of content for the game through Xbox Live. The pack will cost $4.99.
The two biggest additions in the pack are two new playable heroes--Kit Fisto and Asajj Ventress. To hardcore Star Wars fans, Fisto is known as the Nautolan Jedi from Glee Anselm. Casual fans will remember him from Episode II and III as the bug-eyed dude with the weird meat dreadlocks. Asajj Ventress, a sworn enemy to the Jedi who wields dual lightsabers attached by a fibercord, was not featured in any of the films, but became a commander of the Separatist Army in the Star Wars extended universe.
Also included in the pack will be four maps from the original Battlefront--Yavin 4's Arena, Bespin's Cloud City, and Rhen Var's Harbor and Citadel.
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January 28th, 2006, 01:47 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft's Xbox 360 has been off to a slow start in Japan since its debut on December 10. According to figures from Famitsu, the console sold 62,135 units in its first two days, but only 107,800 units as of January 15. In comparison, the original Xbox reportedly sold 123,929 units in its first three days.
In an interview published in the latest issue of Famitsu, Microsoft Japan Xbox operations chief Yoshihiro Maruyama admitted that the Xbox 360's sales were lower than expectations, but that Microsoft aims to make a comeback with new titles targeted towards Japanese consumers.
"It was a lot more difficult than we had imagined. We couldn't prepare the launch titles that we had promised, and it made an impact," said Maruyama. He went on to explain that the development tools were late for release, and Microsoft will need to strengthen its support toward software makers in the future.
"We also received some criticisms toward our promotions, saying that people don't understand what high definition is. The Xbox 360's main appeal is high definition, but we couldn't successfully convey it [to the general public]," added Maruyama. The Xbox chief explained that Microsoft is still new to the game market and is missing many of the strengths that other more established first party manufacturers have, such as a wide library of well-known game titles, and the faith of consumers that popular games will come out in the future, even if there aren't any titles at launch.
Despite the slow launch, Maruyama says that Microsoft Japan will stay the course. The company will continuously release games that are targeted toward Japanese consumers, which Microsoft believes will help greatly. Maruyama said that Microsoft Japan has more titles than just Ninety-Nine Nights and Blue Dragon in the works, and hinted that they might be announced just before E3.
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January 28th, 2006, 20:16 Posted By: wraggster
The latest issue of Famitsu features comments from Japanese analysts regarding next-generation game consoles, many of which seem to echo predictions made by analysts from the US.
Daiwa Institute of Research senior analyst Eiji Maeda predicts the PlayStation 3 will be released in Japan between April and June, but the console will not have much of a third-party lineup until summer or fall. Credit Suisse First Boston analyst Jay Defibaugh (who's currently working in Credit Suisse's Tokyo branch) predicts a similar release period for the PS3, sometime between May and June.
While Sony still has its PS3 launch set for spring, the analysts predict that the console will come out a bit later since the console's games are behind in development. The PS3 is reportedly difficult to develop for, and while there are 71 developers currently working on 102 games, only eight titles have been announced for release in 2006, with just two slated for spring.
Daiwa's Maeda predicts the PS3 is likely to hold the top share in the next-generation console war, but he cites the lack of launch titles as one of the factors that may affect its sales in 2006. Maeda also says the PS3's Blu-ray drive isn't as strong a sales point as the PlayStation 2's DVD drive. Back in 2000, consumers were drawn to the PS2 because it was also a DVD player, eliminating the need to buy a then-expensive stand-alone player. Another point cited by Maeda is the system's price. Maeda predicts that the PS3 will be priced in the 40,000 yen range ($343) at the lowest, while Nintendo's Revolution will be 30,000 yen ($257) at its highest. He also believes that by the time the PS3 comes out, Microsoft will likely have dropped its price on the Xbox 360.
With regard to the Revolution, Famitsu turns to IT journalist Hiroshige Gotoh. Gotoh believes the Revolution has the possibility of succeeding in the next-generation game war because of its innovation and its unique controller. He explained that the console's uniqueness could still match up against machines with higher specs, much like the way the DS has been outselling the PSP.
So when will the Revolution come out? Nintendo president Satoru Iwata recently told Sankei Journal that his company will need to release the console by Thanksgiving in America to take advantage of the busy shopping season. However, Maeda predicts that the Revolution could come out in Japan as early as June. Maeda also said that the machine would still have a larger launch lineup than the PS3, even if it's released that soon.
Credit Suisse's Defibaugh commented that the Xbox 360's sales in Japan were predicted to be low, but its actual performance was even lower. He thinks that the Japanese market will be dominated by the PS3 if the Xbox 360 continues to see sluggish sales in the country.
Daiwa's Maeda says that Microsoft isn't out of the race yet; the company had released its console half a year before its competitors, which gives it an upper hand in mass production and cost cutting.
Defibaugh and Maeda both think the PlayStation 3 will have half of the market in the worldwide next-generation console war by the end of 2006, followed by the Xbox 360 at 30 percent, and the Revolution at 20 percent.
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January 30th, 2006, 18:59 Posted By: wraggster
Console sales fail to met expectations
Microsoft of Japan executive Yoshihiro Maruyama has admitted that Xbox 360 sales in the territory have been disappointing so far, with less than 110,000 units shifted since the console launched in December.
In an interview with Famitsu magazine, partially translated by GameSpot, Maruyama said that launching the console had been "A lot more difficult than we had imagined. We couldn't prepare the launch titles that we had promised, and it made an impact."
The Xbox 360 went on sale in Japan on December 10. Just over 62,000 consoles were snapped up in the first two days after launch, but sales then slowed and by January 15 only 107,800 units had been purchased. Worryingly for Microsoft, the original Xbox - which never succeeded in capturing a substantial share of the Japanese market - performed somewhat better, with almost 124,000 units sold in the first three days after launch.
Maruyama went on to say that a failure to communicate the advantages of high definition had been a factor, stating: "We also received some criticisms toward our promotions, saying that people don't understand what high definition is. The Xbox 360's main appeal is high definition, but we couldn't successfully convey it."
However, Maruyama said he remains optimistic that things will pick up in the coming months. Two delayed titles - Dead or Alive 4 and RPG eNCHANT aRM - are now on the shelves, and other key games for the Japanese market such as Ninety-Nine Nights, Final Fantasy XI and Lost Odyssey are coming soon. Maruyama added that more titles designed to appeal to Japanese gamers are currently being developed and could be announced before E3.
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January 30th, 2006, 19:03 Posted By: wraggster
Slew of new titles announced for 2006
Despite a slow start to sales for the Xbox 360 in Japan, Microsoft's fortunes could be looking up as a raft of third party publishers pledge their support for the next-generation console.
In a recent interview with Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, Microsoft of Japan executive Yoshihiro Maruyama stated that the December launch had been "A lot more difficult than we had imagined," citing a delay in the proposed launch titles as a major factor in the slow uptake of the new console.
However, Famitsu has also detailed a number of third-party titles scheduled for release over the coming year which should offer a much better incentive for Japanese gamers to purchase the first next-generation console on the market.
In addition to the delayed launch titles that have finally hit store shelves, such as Tecmo's Dead or Alive 4 and RPG eNCHANT aRM, the Japanese market will soon have Ninety-Nine Nights, Lost Odyssey and Square-Enix epic Final Fantasy XI.
Additionally, Namco is set to release an as yet undisclosed RPG title, along with Ridge Racer 6 - the latest instalment in its renowned racing franchise. Namco has also announced two further titles, Frame City and Love Football, and more are set to be unveiled in time for this year's E3 expo in May.
SEGA has hinted at a possible Xbox 360 conversion of two of its most popular arcade titles, House of the Dead 4 and Virtua Fighter 5, whilst Capcom is entering the market with Dead Rising and Lost Planet, both scheduled for a late 2006 release.
Two further titles, Blue Dragon and Operation Darkness, have also been confirmed for release in the region, and there are plenty more US and EU software titles from major publishers that are also due for a Japanese release.
The problem Microsoft has, as was the case with the original Xbox (which failed to make a significant impact in Japan), is that a distinct cultural difference means that many games that sell well in other territories may be poorly received in Japan. The company has pledged to work closer with Japanese developers and publishers in an effort to develop games more appropriate for the different tastes of the average Japanese gamer, though it would seem that third-party support will be the deciding factor in the Xbox 360's success or failure in the region.
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January 30th, 2006, 19:17 Posted By: wraggster
While the Xbox 360 may be off to a slow start in Japan, publishers in the country aren't about to abandon the console. The latest issue of Famitsu Xbox 360 magazine interviews developers at top companies, and they've revealed what's in store for the console for 2006--and beyond.
One of the first Japanese publishers that announced Xbox 360 support was Capcom. Producer Keiji Inafune, best known as the creator of Mega Man, is currently working on Dead Rising for the Xbox 360. He revealed to Famitsu Xbox 360 that the project's development has entered its final stages, and his staff is currently fine-tuning the game. Inafune also commented that the basic components have been completed for Capcom's second Xbox 360 title, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. Both games are scheduled for release during 2006 in Japan, with Dead Rising is set to hit the US in May.
When asked about Resident Evil 5, Inafune revealed that development on the title still hasn't begun in earnest. He explained that his developers are working on the game's graphics and going through a lot of trial and error to come up with ideas to make it play as an all-new game. Inafune hinted that RE5 wouldn't be coming out anytime soon, commenting that Capcom has no plans to release it until it's satisfied.
When asked about other Xbox 360 projects at Capcom, Inafune commented that the company is waiting to see how the Xbox 360 fares at retail before it makes its next move. He commented that making a next-generation game costs a lot, especially in terms of human resources. Inafune explained that Capcom currently has four next-generation game titles in development, and each title requires a team of at least 50 staffers, or 200 total employees--nearly half the company's designers. Inafune thinks that the game industry may be entering into a new stage where it has to turn to outside investors to fund ballooning next-gen budgets, much like the film industry does.
Konami also feels the need to prepare for the changing game market, and it's starting to reorganize. Konami game software company president Michihiro Ishizuka told Famitsu Xbox 360 that Konami will be establishing development studios in four regions of the world in an effort to shift from a primarily Japanese company to a global enterprise. Up until now, Konami created all its games in Japan and, but Ishizuka told the magazine that times have changed, and the markets in various regions have different demands and business practices.
Ishizuka admitted that 360 sales in Japan have been slow, but he hopes to release titles that will help the console penetrate the traditionally Xbox-resistant market. However, he also commented that strong demand for the next-gen machine in North America and Europe means that Konami's Xbox 360 games will be fundamentally catered towards consumers in those two regions.
In terms of global expansion, Square Enix has been the first Japanese publisher to offer a massively multiplayer online role-playing game for the Xbox 360. The publisher has begun a beta of Final Fantasy XI in Japan, America, and Europe. In particular, Europe has been a major target for Square Enix since FFXI hasn't been previously released in the region. FFXI producer Hiromichi Tanaka revealed to Famitsu Xbox 360 that official services for FFXI will be announced soon, and gamers can expect it to launch within the next few months.
Tanaka also talked a bit about Square Enix's next MMORPG project, which is about to go into full-scale development. While Tanaka didn't reveal details, he confirmed that the it will take advantage of the technologies shown in Square Enix's demo trailer during Microsoft's Pre-E3 conference last year. When asked about its release period, Tanaka hinted that it might take at least another year and a half.
There's no doubt that many Japanese publishers will be announcing new Xbox 360 games at this year's E3, and one company that's already confirmed it is Sega. Sega consumer division sub-chief Hiroyuki Miyazaki commented to Famitsu Xbox 360 that his company will be announcing a number of new titles at E3 2006 targeted towards the European and North American market. Miyazaki also said that development on Chromehounds is going well, and it should come out before Mistwalker's Blue Dragon.
When asked whether Virtua Fighter 5 and House of the Dead 4 would come out for the Xbox 360, Miyazaki commented that both titles are currently under consideration, given their popularity in arcades worldwide.
Famitsu Xbox 360 also spoke with Naohiko Hoshino, vice president of AQ Interactive. AQ Interactive is getting a lot of attention as an Xbox 360 game publisher, ever since it announced its three big titles at the end of 2005. The company is currently working with Mistwalker's Hironobu Sakaguchi on a new RPG named Cry On, and it's also developing two other games, named Bullet Witch and Vampire's Rain.
Cry On, Bullet Witch, and Vampire's Rain are all large-scale projects, and Hoshino confirmed to Famitsu Xbox 360 that there's a lot of money being invested into each of them. Although it's a huge risk to throw a great deal of cash into original games that aren't sequels, Hoshino said he feels people are getting tired of the same old titles. He thinks that the launch of a new console provides the biggest opportunity to start a new franchise from scratch.
Hoshino said his aim is to expand Cry On, Bullet Witch, and Vampire's Rain into successful series. Aside from making sequels, he also hopes to expand them into arcades, mobile phones, and online content if possible.
Hoshino also revealed that AQ Interactive is considering two to three other mid-sized Xbox 360 projects. Whether the projects will be accepted will depend on the console's success in Japan, he said.
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January 31st, 2006, 01:36 Posted By: wraggster
News from Xbox Scene
As mentioned yesterday Microsoft released a mandatory update for dashboard and kernel of the Xbox 360 today. Both Dash and kernel go from version 2.0.2241.0 to 2.0.2255.0, but it looks like the 'background download' feature is not there yet. From teamxbox.com and xbox.com:
Read More: teamxbox.com and xbox.com.
*UPDATE* Not listed in the 'improvements', but it looks like Microsoft also tightened the security as they blocked the Kiosk Disc (a DVD sent to shops to run in their Kiosk/Demo Xbox 360 that was found to be signed to also boot from recordable media) from booting so we can no longer experiment with the unsigned data (like music, videos, bf, swf, ... files) on that disc. Several people have confirmed today on our forums that you'll get an "unrecognized disc" error when inserting the disc in an updated Xbox 360.
There's also an article about it on gamasutra.com.
The update is mandatory if you want to be able to sign-in on LIVE.
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