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July 4th, 2005, 20:14 Posted By: wraggster
Team Ninja chief Tomonobu Itagaki has spoken of his 'anxiety' over Microsoft's decision to stick with the DVD disc format on its forthcoming Xbox 360 console, expressing concerns that developers will have difficulties squeezing high-definition pre-rendered sequences onto the 9GB disc.
Speaking to Famitsu magazine, Itagaki said that the DVD format "brings a bit of anxiety" since Japanese developers - unlike Americans and Europeans - tend to prefer prerendered cutscenes over real-time.
"The screen resolution for Xbox 360 games will be in high definition, so the prerendered movies are going to be pretty large," commented Itagaki.
"If we encoded the Dead or Alive 4 trailer from E3 in high definition in a quality acceptable to us, it will easily be about 2GB." (Xbox 360 DVDs will hold 9GB of data.)
"With DOA4, we'll be using the disc's capacity to its full extent. We started development on DOA4 pretty early, and we didn't know what disc format the Xbox 360 was going to adopt. So when we learned about it, we were really knocked out."
However, he seemed happy enough with the 360's processing power, despite the fact that the triple-core IBM PowerPC design - which he described as "a buffed-up Sega Saturn" - could make it things a little tricky.
"The Xbox 360 is said to be a machine that's easy to develop for, but that's because it has a good line-up of middleware and infrastructure... If you try to take advantage of the Xbox 360's full hardware specs, you'll find out about the difficulty in programming for a multicore machine," he reckoned.
However, "Even if just a single core is used for a game, it will still be several times more powerful than machines up until now. But we aren't satisfied at that kind of level," admitted Itagaki.
"Our programmers are having fun playing around with the machine. They're swinging around all the cores and making a game that shows the powers of the Xbox 360."
Itagaki went on to confirm reports that Microsoft will make a major announcement in Japan later this month. He said Team Ninja had yet to decide whether it will make a new trailer to coincide with the announcement, or "if we should go straight ahead to work on the completion of the game."
So what of the rumours that Team Ninja will dump the Xbox 360 in favour of the PS3 once Sony's console launches? "Team Ninja will not disappoint their fans," offered Itagaki, cryptically. Besides, he said, "We're too busy on the development of DOA4 to think about anything else."
Itagaki reckoned Sony should be commended for attempting to "create a computer that comes from Japan" - providing it lives up to the suggested hardware specs. "A machine that doesn't run according to its promised CPU frequency is out of the question," he added.
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July 4th, 2005, 20:16 Posted By: wraggster
Updated versions of the development hardware for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console have begun shipping to studios at last, replacing the Apple PowerMac G5 based systems which were used to demonstrate games at E3 in May.
That's according to multiple sources working on high profile titles for the forthcoming console, which is expected to launch in the fourth calendar quarter - meaning that developers have as little as three to four months to complete games aiming for the launch.
The Beta kits - the PowerMac based systems were designated Alpha kits - have a processor and graphics chipset configuration much closer to the final hardware that will appear in Xbox 360.
Prior to E3, developers reported that a very small number of these more advanced kits had been manufactured, but it's only in recent weeks that they have begun shipping to Microsoft's development partners on a wide scale.
Microsoft received some criticism after E3 for showcasing its titles on hardware which, it claimed, only represented 25 to 30 per cent of the power of the final Xbox 360 - while Sony had more advanced development kits for the PS3, despite being at least six months further from launch.
However, it would appear that this situation has now been rectified - although Microsoft's Beta kits still aren't up to full speed, according to developers who spoke to GamesIndustry.biz this morning, telling us that full speed "Final" development kits probably aren't expected to ship for another few months.
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July 7th, 2005, 21:39 Posted By: wraggster
Well, sorta. Jeff Minter of LlamaSoft has created a little project he likes to call, Neon. The quasi-game is a descendant of 1984’s Psychedelia, a visualization tool. Neon will allow up to four players (and 360-conrolled AI) to tweak on screen visualizations in real-time. Users can hook up their iPods or other music devices to drive the program. It’s a nice freebie, but we’d still like to see a full-fledged game packed in there
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July 13th, 2005, 00:41 Posted By: wraggster
We’ve got another bit of market research for you, this time about possible future purchases of next-gen consoles in Japan. Maybe not surprisingly, the Xbox 360 didn’t do too well. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that to date the original Xbox has sold around 500,000 units, a sales figure which the PS2 reached two days after launch. The researchers asked 1,000 japanese people which console they will buy and a mere 2% chose the Xbox 360. This is in comparison with the Playstation 3 garnering 60% of the vote. Now, these numbers are purely based on a thousand japanese people’s opinions at this current time. They do not represent any factual market share figures for the next-gen market, they only indicate how the market will go in the future. So don’t shoot the messenger!
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July 13th, 2005, 00:59 Posted By: wraggster
A new survey by Japanese news agency C-News suggests that Japanese consumers are still not interested in the Xbox 360, with only two per cent of respondents choosing Microsoft's new console as their favoured next-gen system.
1,000 Japanese consumers aged between 10 and 59 were questioned for the survey, with 60 per cent choosing the PlayStation 3 as the next-gen system they're most interested in, followed by the Nintendo Revolution on 8 per cent and the X360 on just 2 per cent.
The poor showing for the Revolution is perhaps understandable, given that Nintendo has released only sketchy outline details regarding the console so far - but the figure for the Xbox 360 will come as a disappointment to Microsoft, which has focused heavily on the Japanese market in recent months.
Respondents cited the Sony brand, along with a perception that the PS3 will have the widest range of software and a technological edge over its rivals, as the key reasons for picking the PS3 over the other systems.
Microsoft has been aggressively pursuing Japanese developer support for the Xbox 360, and has signed up titles from independent studios Mist Walker, Game Republic and Q Entertainment, each of them headed up by a well known Japanese game design luminary.
A special event is also planned later this month in Japan, where Xbox Japan boss Yoshihiro Maruyama is expected to reveal a number of new third-party relationships and locally developed titles for the Xbox 360, in an effort to secure as much local content as possible for the launch of the system at the end of the year.
However, it seems that new franchises will only go so far for Xbox 360; Mist Walker's RPG Blue Dragon may sport character designs from Dragon Quest artist Akira Toriyama and a design by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, but it's Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy themselves which Japanese gamers want - with the survey showing that 80 per cent of those polled want to see major franchises on the next-gen systems, as against only 60 per cent who want original titles.
Role-playing games, unsurprisingly, led the field in terms of the genres demanded by gamers - with 71.2 per cent ticking this box in a multiple-choice question - followed by 52.8 per cent who want simulations and strategy games, 47.9 per cent who want general action titles, 41.1 per cent adventure titles, and just 23.4 per cent shoot 'em ups.
It will be interesting to see if the unveiling of multiple new Japanese games later this month will have any effect on consumer interest in the Xbox 360. The lack of local software was often cited as the key reason that the original Xbox failed in the region - selling only 460,000 units over its lifespan to date - but some commentators have suggested that there is also a basic unwillingness among Japanese consumers to invest in a console produced overseas.
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July 14th, 2005, 00:13 Posted By: Louisboy
OK this is what happened....I had a DUOX2 mod chip and 20G hard drive installed in my XBOX about a year ago by a 'pro' and everything was working sweetly until this week when the Evolution software suddenly stopped showing the Launch menu and we can no longer access our games or anything else on the hard drive. Has anyone seen this problem before - is it a hard drive failure or something less serious?
Thanks
L.
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July 14th, 2005, 20:20 Posted By: YourStillWithMe
Hey, I'm usually on the PSP forum but im borrowing my friends XBOX and i have knights of the old republic II and I am so pist you dont start off with a lightsaber. I just currently got out of "House Arrest" and just witnessed the old lady jedi getting her arm hacked by that weird looking Sith Lord. How much longer should it take for me to get a lightsaber? THANKS!
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July 15th, 2005, 00:32 Posted By: wraggster
The ATI-designed graphics part for the Xbox 360 will be built by Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC), with the firm set to use its cutting edge 90 nanometre process to deliver millions of the chips by the end of the year.
TSMC had already announced that it is working with Microsoft on the Xbox 360, but confirmation that it will be making the GPUs - codenamed Xenos - only emerged late this week, after some reports mistakenly said that IBM would be building the parts at its Fishkill plant in New York State.
That plant will be providing the PowerPC processors that the Xbox 360 uses, but Microsoft has turned to TSMC - which is already a key manufacturing partner for ATI and NVIDIA - for the graphics part.
In a related story, UK website The Inquirer has reported that ATI has succeeded in delivering Xenos chips running at the full 500MHz speed, with some key developers already working with full-speed GPUs in their development kits.
However, development sources have indicated to us that even the most advanced development kits currently being shipped don't have the full CPU power that will be present in the final Xbox 360, although that may be built into new kits within a matter of weeks.
According to The Inquirer, the Xenos part could theoretically run at speeds higher than 500MHz - but Microsoft appears to have pegged the speed of the part at that level in order to ensure that it gets a large enough numbers of chips to supply demand at launch later this year.
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July 16th, 2005, 00:18 Posted By: wraggster
European trade and media will get a chance to try out the Xbox 360 console ahead of its launch here this holiday season, with Microsoft today confirming that it is planning to showcase the next-generation system at an X05 event in October.
X05 - the fourth event in the series which started with X01 in Cannes but skipped 2004 - will take place at an undisclosed location in Europe on October 4th and 5th, and the company is promising to reveal detailed plans for the Xbox 360 launch at the event.
News that Microsoft was planning on running another such event this year first emerged at E3, when Xbox VP Peter Moore told GamesIndustry.biz that a European showcase was on the cards for autumn.
"We have a lot to say and even more to show people," according to European Xbox vice president Chris Lewis. "Believe me, after X05 there will be no question that Xbox 360 is the next generation."
Microsoft has traditionally used the X events as a platform not only for revealing new games, but also for making key announcements related to the Xbox - such as the pricing details for Xbox in 2001 and the acquisition of Rare in 2002.
It seems unlikely, however, that Microsoft would make European retailers - and indeed consumers - wait for October before revealing more solid information about pricing and release date in this territory.
It's widely expected that the company will give an indication of its global launch plans before the end of the summer - perhaps even at the Xbox event planned in Japan later this month, on the 26th.
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July 17th, 2005, 14:23 Posted By: nephilim
I bought copy of san andreas and it wont play on my MOD XBOX.....
I have the aladdin chip insataled in it. All other copies of other games play fine. When i put in the san andreas it says in the disk status place "EvoxCD" unlike all my other games... The game worked OK on another modified XBOX in china..... If i tell the XBOX to play the game it says loading and then returns to main page 
what should i do????? Anyone PLZ help
TY
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July 18th, 2005, 21:01 Posted By: motel6man
sup everyone i need help picking out a mod chip for my xbox. the only thing is ive never modded a game system befor so i have no clue what to do but my brothers gonna put it in for me but i jsut need to know what to get. any suggestions?
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July 19th, 2005, 20:25 Posted By: xuphorz
i have VBALink for PC, and Xboy Advance, which uses the same basic engine
If i set the gba for netplay on Xboy (i know it isn't supposed to do this, but just set it up like a normal gb or gbc net game), the xboy will link the two gba emulators together. however, i could only get it to show the first-player player screen on both xboxes. Yet, the second xbox actually does control the second gba.
How does this pertain to VBALink PC?
well, i tried setting the settings in the ini file of the pc VBALink to to same as the xboy's configuration settings.
Doing this resulted in the exact same result the Xbox gave me!!! 
this means that the xbox CAN in some way link two gba's together, somehowly.
I tried copying the ini file of the VBALink to the xboy, renaming it in multiple ways which could be correct, the xboy just doesn't seem to want to laod it. If anyone knows a way to force the xbox to read the INI, let me know 
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July 20th, 2005, 23:03 Posted By: wraggster
A new beta of FBAxxx has been released.
What's new/fixed:
* totally rewritten VMM (23/6)
* unsynced 50Hz mode, it now runs at 60fps (19/7)
* optimized VMM with time (19/7)
* note: can cause minor gfx bugs but only minors
http://fbaxxx.fr.st/
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July 21st, 2005, 00:37 Posted By: wraggster
Sega representatives have moved to quash reports that the company's new "Lindbergh" arcade board, which will power titles including House of the Dead 4 and Virtua Fighter 5, is based on Xbox 360 hardware.
A number of publications have reported that the board, which succeeds the currently used Chihiro and Triforce systems, will use roughly the same internal hardware as Xbox 360, allowing quick and easy ports of arcade titles to the next-generation Xbox.
However, speaking to our sister site Eurogamer.net earlier today, a Sega representative categorically stated that "Lindbergh is not based on next-generation consoles."
He went on to say that "while Sega has announced a new arcade version of House of the Dead, the company cannot confirm a next-gen console version at this time."
It's easy to see where the expectation that Sega would base its next arcade board on Xbox 360 hardware would come from - after all, the last board the firm created was Chihiro, based on the Xbox hardware, and it also collaborated with Namco and Nintendo to create the GameCube based Triforce board.
It should be recalled, however, that Sega is no longer an independent company, having merged with arcade machine giant Sammy last year - and as such, the firm's approach to arcade board development may well have changed significantly.
What's most likely, according to some commentators, is that Lindbergh is actually a development of Sammy's low-cost Atomiswave arcade board, featuring more powerful CPUs and graphics chips. It wouldn't be a radical departure for Sega; Atomiswave itself is based on the same CPU that was used by the Dreamcast and the Sega Naomi arcade board.
Indeed, as far back as late 2003 Sammy was clear on its intention for Sega to work on Atomiswave hardware, with then-Sammy CEO (and now overall boss of Sega Sammy) Hajime Satomi telling investors that he hoped to strengthen Sammy's arcade business through the relationship with Sega.
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July 21st, 2005, 00:38 Posted By: wraggster
Pictures purporting to be of a working Xbox 360 console have been posted to a number of American gaming forums, with the poster reporting that he has booted up the system, used the dashboard and played Xbox title Halo 2.
According to the reports surrounding the pictures, they were taken by the step-son of a Regulatory Compliance Manager working on the Xbox 360 project for Microsoft, who brought home a working prototype of the console.
They show the console allegedly connected to a small television, with a number of wired connections out of the top of the system - apparently for testing purposes - as well as showing the Xbox 360 logo on the TV screen, and the teenager himself holding an Xbox 360 pad.
The poster says that although he had no Xbox 360 software available to try out, he was able to navigate the dashboard and the console's media functionality, and was able to play Halo 2 on the unit using its backwards compatibility function.
The obvious conclusions from the images are that Microsoft has near-final Xbox 360 hardware in prototype - and, of course, that the boy's step-father is probably having an uncomfortable time in work at the moment.
However, a number of people have pointed out that there are a few inconsistencies with the story - not least the simple question of whether Microsoft would really allow an Xbox 360 prototype out of the labs in such a manner, given that even the plastic mock-up of the case passed around at the ELSPA Game Summit last month by Xbox VP Peter Moore was watched like a hawk.
The alleged prototype also doesn't have any lit-up LEDs on the front panel, despite apparently being powered up, and the connection to the television in the pictures isn't visible. The poster also comments that the external power pack for the Xbox 360 is very large, but it doesn't actually appear in any of the pictures.
Suspicions about fakes aside, if these images are taken at face value, the message is clear - with the projected launch now as little as three months away, Xbox 360 prototypes are close to completion and backwards compatibility is working, at least for one of the system's most high profile titles.
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July 22nd, 2005, 19:42 Posted By: Mord
Hello, my names Mord (waves to everyone) and recently got my hands on a second hand X-Box, now as a games machine its fine, but ive read about X-Box Media player, region free DVD play etc and being able to use homebrew movies / software.
Only problem is I have no idea where to start, my soldering skills are naff but do exist, Which Chip do I go for? Idealy one I can "turn off" for live play, but there seems to be about 3-4 diffrent type of UK chip, from what ive read X3 is pretty much the latest and greatest, but cannot find anywhere that will sell a solderless version or that has a switch for it!
Please help! Noob in need
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July 22nd, 2005, 22:41 Posted By: moomin2005
hi i am selling my xbox with its 160gb hdd, 56 games (14 preloaded) and loads of software, leads and controller
i am after bout 200 quid for it
i can only post this so next day p+p would be 10 quid
any offers
many thanks
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July 22nd, 2005, 23:30 Posted By: wraggster
The Xbox 360 will feature a parental locking system that can be used to prevent children from accessing games unsuitable for their age range, according to Japanese website Mainichi.
Parents will be able to set-up the console so it will only play games with appropriate age ratings. When users attempt to load a game, the machine will read data from the disk to determine whether it falls into the correct category.
In addition, parents will be able to programme the 360 to restrict children's access to online chatrooms.
The Mainichi article states that the new features, which have never been included in a games console before, will be built-in to US and European machines as well as Japanese units. There has recently been a storm of controversy in Japan surrounding Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto, before even the Hot Coffee scandal emerged.
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July 23rd, 2005, 10:22 Posted By: wraggster
The Xbox is a low-cost (149 USD/EUR) IBM PC compatible computer, which can be used as a server, workstation or as a media player. Though, its with minor hardware differences make it necessary to slightly modify operating systems so that they are compatible with the Xbox.
This document describes these differences in detail and explains how to handle them in your operating system, and explains how to get started
http://www.xbox-linux.org/wiki/Porti...the_Xbox_HOWTO
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July 23rd, 2005, 10:23 Posted By: wraggster
I've done some testing and it seems that if your Xbox is in a large enough room with good air circulation then a fan speed of 10% is sufficient! I've updated the monitors package (which contains fanctl) to feature a "quiet" mode that can be activated by adding the -q/--quiet switch. When this is enabled the fan speed floor is lowered to 10% rather than the default 20%. This mode can also be enabled at startup in /etc/conf.d/fanctl by changing "QUIET=0" to "QUIET=1".
If your system usually has the fan speed higher than 20% then quiet mode is NOT for you and, though it is unlikely, may cause your Xbox to overheat. Remember that these tools come with no warranty and while I have tested them as thoroughly as I can, I cannot be held responsible for any damage they may cause.
Go run magic to update.
http://gentoox.shallax.com/modules.p...rticle&sid=451
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July 24th, 2005, 23:40 Posted By: wraggster
A new build of FBAxxx has been released.
What's new/fixed:
* update corrected sync a bit (23/07)
* update improved performance (it now can read a file to 60% of a frame instead of 50% ((1 sec / 60) * (60 / 100)) (23/07)
* corrected some bugs on the menu (03/06)
* updated help menu (23/07)
* added slow motion function, can be useful in shoot em ups (23/07)
* changed disposition of right stick (down : pause, right : fast forward, left : slow motion and up : autofire) (23/07)
* added fix for pochi nyaa sound (19/07)
* added neopong(1.1) and jockeygp drivers (23/07)
* note: Can cause minor gfx bugs but only minors and there is normally NO MORE SOUND GLITCHES
http://fbaxxx.fr.st
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July 25th, 2005, 11:06 Posted By: wraggster
1up.com has a preliminary English translation of the full games list for the Xbox 360, including new announcements from the Xbox Summit. So far, beyond the confirmation that the Ridge Racer 6 is coming to the platform, there are several untitled projects yet to be named. Until Microsoft releases a list of just the announcements at the summit, it’ll be hard to tell how significant the event was in terms of new software commitments.
Beyond software announcements Microsoft has confirmed that it will be launching the Xbox 360 worldwide in Holiday 2005 simultaneously. Previously there had been rumors that the summit event would be used to delay the release date in Japan. This simultaneous release will be a first for such a major console release. Typically consoles have released in Japan, then headed to America and finally Europe. It is expected Sony and Nintendo will be launching their consoles as per tradition, in Japan.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3142257
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July 25th, 2005, 11:08 Posted By: wraggster
Today Microsoft hosted an Xbox 2005 Summit in Tokyo where they announced the support of Japan’s 50 biggest publishers for the upcoming Xbox 360. I spoke with the Vice President of Worldwide Marketing for the Xbox, Peter Moore, to get some insight into Microsoft’s plans for conquering the Japanese market. Peter hopes to use this summit to underline how important Japan is to Microsoft. As well as including Peter’s thoughts, this feature will consolidate the bulk of the Japan’s developer and publisher community’s commitments to the platform.
In terms of new reports, Namco has announced that they will be bringing the Ridge Racer franchise to the next-gen Xbox platform. This arcade racer series will be coming to the Xbox 360 in a first for Microsoft. Ridge Racer V was a launch title for the Playstation 2, a signal that this is a substantial gain for Microsoft. Konami and Capcom have also made commitments to bring more of their titles to the console. When I asked Peter whether or not Konami has any plans to bring the Metal Gear Solid series to the Xbox, he couldn’t tell us any new information. The MGS series has traditionally been (in the console world at least) a Playstation exclusive and any announcement in the future to bring the game to the Xbox would be a substantial boost to its credentials. Regarding Capcom’s plans, they recently announced that Resident Evil 5 will be coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360, firmly closing the door on any previous Nintendo exclusivity on the franchise (as if bringing the supposedly GC exclusive Resident Evil 4 to the PS2 wasn’t enough). These titles will join with the E3 announced title Dead or Alive 4, which is a confirmed Xbox 360 exclusive title. As more details from the event are released, we’ll be sure to update this article as well as consolidate them in a news article.
I asked whether any of the recent announcement of Japanese titles for the Xbox 360 will be on or around the console’s release date, but Peter wasn’t too optimistic about that. Apparently we’re talking “Summer next year†or thereabouts. That sounds conveniently near the PS3’s release date, which could possibly signal an effort by Microsoft to get publishers and developers to release big name titles around the rival console’s launch. If Microsoft’s thinking is along the lines of dumping every major Japanese and American title onto the 360 around the PS3’s launch, then it certainly wouldn’t be a completely illogical plan. After all we’ve heard rumors of this kind of thing before.
Microsoft looks to be capitalizing on the popularity of the Xbox Live! online gaming service, which recently hit 2 million subscribers. When I asked Peter about features that Japanese developers will look to utilise when developing games, he referred to Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XI, which is coming to the Xbox 360. Interestingly he noted that Microsoft is looking at integration with the PC version of the game. He mentioned the magic words of “cross-platform†in the same sentence as “PCâ€. Whether this means that Microsoft is opening up the proprietary Xbox Live! platform and allowing Xbox 360 players to game with PC users, I don’t know. What I certainly do know is that Microsoft isn’t planning on linking in with the PS2 version!
On the surface, this event was all about highlighting the renewed commitments of Japanese developers and publishers to the Xbox platform, but it was missing an important element of the average Japanese gamer’s thoughts on the next-gen console. Namely, the hardware. In the past several companies have carried out market research on the opinions of Japanese gamers in relation to the next-generation consoles. In much of this research the Xbox 360 is seen as undesirable to the average Japanese gamer. The most important factor in this is that the Playstation 3 is seen to have the largest array of software suited to the Japanese market. The summit will go some way to reverse this view as more titles are announced. However, some research has pointed out that the Japanese view the Xbox 360 is an inferior console in terms of hardware, pointing out the Playstation 3’s superior next-generation Blu Ray drive. Also, Team Ninja frontman Tomonobu Itagaki, pointed out the 360’s limitations from a developers standpoint. In a recent interview with Microsoft’s Steve Balmer, Engadget asked whether Microsoft will be moving towards a HD-DVD optical drive in a future 360 revision. I asked Peter to clarify the situation and say whether Microsoft is or is not planning a HD-DVD drive. He replied that “HD-DVD is still a questionâ€, and “we may do somethingâ€. Whether Microsoft is still trying to sort out technological issues with the format or is battling political issues of whether to back the Blu Ray or HD-DVD format is still unclear. What is clear is that Microsoft needs to commit to a format to address the confusion of the public and developers on the issue of the optical drive. A mid-term change to HD-DVD would lead to a fragmented console platform which is an undesirable situation for developer and consumer alike. Besides, wouldn’t a full scale mind and matter assault on the Japanese do much more to bring the statistics back into Microsoft’s favor?
On a lighter tone, Peter commented on the “Xbox 360 Kid†as a non-event. Like us, he couldn’t really see any new information that has been ‘leaked’ to the public. Because of this he couldn’t understand why the media was so excited over the leak. However, as the boss of media relations for the Xbox team, I’d expect he doesn’t mind people talking about the 360, no matter what caused the discussion. In my opinion any accusations that this was a Microsoft plant are moot, as they’ve got the publicity now either way.
I’d like to thank Peter Moore and the Xbox PR team for setting up a Q&A session that gave us an advance look at Microsoft’s announcement. As Joystiq receives news of any more product and game announcements we’ll be sure to keep you updated.
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July 25th, 2005, 23:03 Posted By: wraggster
It's no secret that Microsoft's entrance into the console market has been met with tepid interest in Japan, a region dominated by the company's rivals in Sony and Nintendo. While North American gamers have welcomed the prospect of the Xbox 360 with open arms, the Japanese interest in the Western console, as shown in a recent market survey, is limited to a paltry two percent of gamers.
To help spark interest in the Xbox 360, Microsoft has sought some of Japan's top game designers to create games for the unit. Former Square Enix producer Hironobu Sakaguchi (Mistawalker) and Sega's Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Q Entertainment) are among the many developers that are currently developing games for the Xbox 360.
Today at the Xbox Summit 2005 in Tokyo, Japan, even more Japanese game developers jumped on the 360 wagon.
"The Xbox 360 has achieved a true breakthrough with far more third party publishers support than anybody ever expected," said Peter Moore, Microsoft corporate vice president and chief of worldwide Xbox marketing. "Today, I am proud to say that every major third party publisher right here in Japan, is committed to supplying games to Xbox 360."
Moore's words were backed up by the line-up of trailers that were later shown during the summit. One of the first titles shown was Ninety Nine Nights, developed by Mizuguchi's Q Entertainment and Sang Youn Lee's Phantagram. Mizuguchi showed two of the many playable characters, who were sisters named Inphyy and Aspharr. He then showed off an in-game trailer that featured them in battle, and boasted nearly a hundred enemies onscreen at once without any noticeable signs of slowing the game's performance down.
Capcom producer Keiji Inafune appeared at the summit to show off the latest trailers of two zombie-themed games, Dead Rising and Resident Evil 5. When asked what season the games are slated for release, Inafune replied that he had no idea, since it could take more than a year forh either to come out. Inafune also announced that he is working as a producer for a new title currently in development for the Xbox 360. "I couldn't prepare a trailer for different reasons, but I should be able to announce the title by the Xbox 360's launch. I can't disclose its genre, but there won't be zombies in it," joked Inafune.
Other large Japanese publishers made some big announcements as well. Namco announced Ridge Racer 6 for the 360, but was not showing any trailers or footage of the game. The company also announc3ed an unnamed original fantasy role-playing game. No details, trailers or screens were available, but it is known that several members of the "Tales of" franchise development team are working on the game.
Bandai is at work on a first-person shooter set in the Gundam universe. Though a trailer was prepared for the show, the company decided not to show it, citing quality issues.
Konami is bringing three very different sports titles based on existing franchises to the 360. Winning Eleven (working title), the popular soccer simulation, Rumble Roses XX, a new version of the foxy female wrestling game, and Pro Yakyuu Spirits, a baseball title, are all in development.
Team Ninja chief Tomonobu Itagaki revealed that Tecmo has five Xbox 360 titles coming to the console, two of which were announced for the first time. In addition to the three Dead or Alive titles previously announced (Dead or Alive 4, Dead or Alive: Code Cronus, Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball 2), Tecmo will release the action game Project Progressive and a to-be-named game on the platform.
Smaller publishers have also announced on games; Genki announced that it is working on a new Tokyo Xtreme Racer; Hudson is developing a remake of Tengai Makyou: Jiraiya; Yuke's is making a pro-wrestling game based on Japanese wrestlers titled Wrestle Kingdom; Sega is working on a mech game named Chrome Hounds; Taito is developing an air-combat game named World Airforce; and Koei is releasing Dynasty Warriors 5 Special Edition.
Square Enix was also present at the summit to show a real-time demo of Final Fantasy XI, which was played at the stage by producer Hiromichi Tanaka. Takana revealed that the game is already close to completion, and that the company is just waiting for the launch of the Xbox 360 to begin beta testing.
Other trailers shown during the summit include: From Software's E[eM] -eNCHANT arM-; Electronic Arts' FIFA Soccer 06, NBA Live 06, and Need For Speed Most Wanted; Atari's Test Drive Limited; Microsoft's Gears of War and Kameo: Elements of Power; and Ubisoft's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter.
Moore explained that one of the reasons why the Japanese publishers have come forward in developing games for the Xbox 360 is Microsoft's XNA suite of development tools, which lowers the cost of high quality games.
"XNA, together with Xbox Live, is already giving Japanese publishers the tools they need to unleash their creativity through a seamless integration between artists, producers and programmers. That means better games can be created faster than ever," said Moore.
Xbox Japan marketing director Takashi Sensui revealed that Microsoft's support towards Japanese developers has been firm, which is the reason why so many publishers have been able to show their trailers at the summit. "Microsoft has been providing game makers throughout the world with Xbox development kits since one year ago, and there are already about one thousand kits being used in Japan alone," said Sensui.
At the end of the Xbox Summit 2005, Sensui disclosed that a total of 37 Japanese publishers are currently making 42 games for the Xbox 360 console. A complete list is below:
Activision
• "Call of Duty 2"
• "Tony Hawk's American Wasteland"
• "Quake IV"
• "Gun"
A R C System Works Co. Ltd.
• "Versus Tactical Action" (working title)
Artdink Corp.
• "A-Train X"
Atari Japan Co. Ltd.
• "Test Drive Unlimited"
Bandai Co. Ltd.
• "Mobile Suit Gundam" (working title)
Banpresto Co. Ltd.
• "Super Robot Wars" (working title)
Capcom
• "Biohazard 5 (Resident Evil 5)"
• "Dead Rising"
Cavia Inc.
• Title TBA
D3 Publisher Inc.
• "E-D-FX" (working title)
• "Chambara Beauty X" (working title)
Eidos KK
• Title TBA
Electronic Arts K. K.
• "FIFA Soccer 2006"
• "NBA Live 2006"
• "Need for Speed Most Wanted"
Idea Factory
• Title TBA
Jaleco Ltd.
• Title TBA
Kids Station Inc.
• Title TBA
KOEI Co. Ltd.
• "Dynasty Warriors 5"
Konami
• "Winning Eleven" (working title)
• "Rumble Roses XX" (working title)
• "Proyakyu Spirits" (working title)
Marvelous Interactive Inc.
• Title TBA
Microsoft Co. Ltd.
• "NINETY-NINE NIGHTS"
• "Every Party"
• "Project Gotham Racing 3"
Namco
• "Frame City Killer"
• "Ridge Racer 6"
• RPG Title TBA
• "Love Football" (working title)
FromSoftware Inc.
• eNCHANT arM
Frontier Groove Inc.
• Title TBA
G.Rev Ltd.
• Title TBA
Genki Co. Ltd.
• "Shutokou Battle" (working title)
Hamster Corp.
• Title TBA
Hudson Soft Co. Ltd.
• "Far East of Eden Ziria 00Tales from Distant Jipang"
SEGA Corp.
• "Chromehounds" (working title)
SNK Playmore Corp.
• "King of Fighters Maximum Impact 2" (working title)
Spike Co. Ltd.
• Title TBA
Square Enix Co. Ltd.
• "Final Fantasy XI"
Success Corp.
• "Zookeeper" (working title)
• "Operation Darkness" (working title)
TAITO Corp.
• "World Airforce" (working title)
Tecmo
• "Dead or Alive 4"
• "Dead or Alive Xtreme 2"
• "Project Progressive"
• "Dead or Alive code: Cronus"
THQ Japan
• "Saints Row"
• "The Outfit"
Tomy
• "Zoids" (working title)
Treasure Co. Ltd.
• Title TBA
Ubisoft KK
• "Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter" (working title)
Vivendi
• Title TBA
Yuke's Co. Ltd.
• "Wrestle Kingdom"
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July 25th, 2005, 23:05 Posted By: wraggster
At the Xbox Summit 2005, Microsoft showed off its first mockup of the Xbox 360 's retail packaging--a simple white and green box that matched the console's color scheme.
The side of the Xbox 360's packaging listed the accessories that will be included with the console: a hard drive, wireless controller, Xbox Live, headset, and Ethernet cable. No cables for hooking up to a monitor were listed.
One side of the packaging had the slogan "Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system is you. It's your future. With the most strong games and the most powerful technology, Xbox 360 puts you at the center of your entertainment experience. With the Xbox 360, you can play the most compelling games, watch DVD movies, and share your digital music, photos, videos, and TV."
The packaging for the console's games was shown as well--it was a standard-size, plastic DVD case. The Xbox 360's controller was also on display, and it had a comfortable grip akin to Nintendo's GameCube Controller. The alignments of the analog sticks and direction pad also resembled the GameCube controller.
Microsoft also showed off auxiliary accessories that will be available for purchase separately from the console itself. They are:
Wireless Controller - The 360 comes standard with one wireless controller. Additional controllers are sold separately.
Wired Controller - Wireless controllers can sometimes run into interference from outside sources.
Memory Unit - Xbox 360's memory unit comes included with a plastic case to protect your saved data from harm.
Rechargeable Battery Pack - Additional batteries are available for the Wireless controller.
Play and Charge Unit - This accessory lets you play with your wireless controller hooked to the Xbox 360 while also recharging it.
Quick Charge Unit - As the name may suggest, this accessory lets you charge your controller's battery quickly.
Wireless Network Adapter - This adapter is an antenna unit that can be plugged into the Xbox 360's USB port for wireless connection to the Internet (wireless LAN). It is compatible to IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11c.
Hard Drive - Additional hard drives will be officially available from Microsoft.
Remote Control - A remote control is available for accessing the Xbox 360's various functions.
Headset - Additional headsets will be offered for the Xbox 360.
Face Plates - As Microsoft announced during its initial Xbox 360 unveiling, the console's faceplates can be switched around to give it different looks.
VGA HD Cable - If you want to play with HD graphics, this is the cable that you'll need.
Component AV Cable - For players that want to use component AV.
S-Video AV Cable - For players that want to play with S-VHS output.
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July 25th, 2005, 23:08 Posted By: wraggster
Today at the Xbox Summit 2005 in Japan, Microsoft corporate vice president of worldwide retail sales and marketing Peter Moore reconfirmed that the Xbox 360 will be launching as scheduled in Japan, Europe, and North America at the end of the year. His statement at the summit shot down rumors that the console's release in Japan may be delayed until 2006.
"We are going to make history when we launch in three regions [of the world] this holiday season: Japan, Europe, and North America. That's never been done before, but we will do it," Moore confidently told the crowd. Bach also reiterated Microsoft's commitment to the Japanese market, where the Xbox has captured only a small segment of consumers.
"We all know that Japan is the world's first gaming superpower, and this country remains the gold standard for success in the industry," said Moore. "This time, the rest of the world is starting to realize that the Xbox 360 is a real contender, right here in Japan. That is a very important point, because I know that success in this country is the ultimate tribute to the compelling power of our new platform."
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July 26th, 2005, 11:43 Posted By: wraggster
Xbox 360 News has a great new site design with integrated forum access, irc chat and much more, come and join the forums now and chat about what will be the most exciting console for years.
Any questions ask inside
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July 26th, 2005, 12:46 Posted By: wraggster
At the Xbox Summit 2005, Namco announced that it is developing Ridge Racer 6 for the Xbox 360. No trailers were shown at the summit, although its logo and a number of screenshots of a car model were shown to the press.
The franchise and many of its racing cousins (Rage Racer, R4: Ridge Racer Type 4) have predominantly burned rubber on Sony's consoles. However, the franchise has recently been driving with other platforms, including the GameCube, Xbox, DS, and PSP. The announcement today also marks the first time the franchise will be Xbox Live-compatible, and Namco confirmed that the game will have downloadable content as well.
Another major announcement made by Namco at the Xbox Summit 2005 was that it is working on an original fantasy role-playing series for the Xbox 360. The game is already in development, but no pictures or trailers were available. Several members of the team behind the "Tales of" series are assisting development of the game.
The publisher also showed a trailer for a new soccer game, titled Love Football, and a new trailer for Frame City Killer, which solely consisted of in-game footage.
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July 26th, 2005, 12:46 Posted By: wraggster
At the Xbox Summit 2005, Game Republic president and former Capcom executive Yoshiki Okamoto announced Every Party, a party game for the Xbox 360.
"As you can guess from the title, Every Party is a party game for everybody," said Okamoto. "Up until now, I was probably known for games that involved punching, kicking, slashing, shooting, and killing. But this is going to be a party game intended for all ages, so there will be no violence or grotesque scenes."
Okamoto then presented a game label that mocked CERO's (the Japanese equivalent of the ESRB) icon for violent games, except that it was altered to read "no violence, no gore." The prank pleased the crowd, which was already entertained by Okamoto's jovial appearance. "I'm so happy about making a nonviolent game that I've created this label. Up until now, all my games were labeled with that sticker by default," said Okamoto.
Every Party plays like a board game with 3D graphics. The player spins a roulette-like wheel and advances his/her piece across the board. According to the trailer, there seem to be a lot of minigames for players to enjoy. Character designs are being done by Sakura Momoko, an artist known in Japan for the popular Chibimaruko-Chan anime series.
Every Party's graphics didn't seem to take full advantage of the Xbox 360's hardware, though as Okamoto has stated in his past interviews, he decided to release it on Microsoft's next-generation console because of its network gaming capabilities.
"I was asked by people as to why I'm making a party game for a next-generation machine, and whether it really needs the specs of next-generation hardware. But that's not what games are all about. Even nowadays, people play old-time games such as Famicoms. Games are, simply, supposed to be fun," said Okamoto.
"You should be able to enjoy as much as you can within your free time, which is what games are all about. As some people may know, I love board games and party games. I love having a blast with other people. But it's rare for people like me to gather together. The Xbox 360 will allow anyone to enjoy playing with each other at any time, any place," said Okamoto.
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July 26th, 2005, 21:31 Posted By: wraggster
Over the last 2 weeks, I have been working on a port of FreeBSD for the Xbox. During this effort, Ed Schouten has given me assistance by reviewing patches and giving advice.
The port is fully functional. The framebuffer is fully supported, same goes for sound and USB devices (such as an USB keyboard for the console). Only ethernet is missing, currently, as the binary only driver in /usr/ports/net/nvnet fails with an error 5, for some reason. Assistance there would be very welcome.
I have made patches for FreeBSD 5.4-RELEASE and FreeBSD 6.0-BETA1. Currently, the port requires the Linux Cromwell(info) BIOS (which was patched so it would understand FreeBSD kernel ELF files). More information on the patch can be found in the mail archives of xbox-linux. You will need the latest CVS version for it to work, or 2.40 + patches (patches can be found at the URL above)
Also, a live CD has been created, which has 4 kernels: a 5.4-RELEASE and 6.0-BETA1 patched kernel with /dev/acd0 and /dev/ad0s1a root devices, a patched Cromwell BIOS (which you can load from a normal Cromwell BIOS), as well as the base installation files and kernel patches; as the framebuffer driver isn't ready enough yet to provide proper ANSI support, installation should be done manually.
The project's results (including patches, todo items etc) can be found at http://nexus.il.fontys.nl/ and http://freebsd.ilse.nl/xbox/. The patches are available there, including a BitTorrent file of the LiveCD (which is about 200MB).
As the patches are so minimal (about 1000 lines, including sample kernel config), I hope they will be considered for 6.x-RELEASE or HEAD, as they can easily be integrated on a i386 CD without hurting anything. I would be happy to help with this effort.
http://freebsd.ilse.nl/xbox/
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July 26th, 2005, 22:15 Posted By: wraggster
News from <a href="http://www.lik-sang.com/news.php?artc=3663&&lsaid=219793" target="_blank" >Lik Sang</a>
While Xbox crashed and burned in Japan, the 360 has so far proven to be a complete turn around. At their Summit in Tokyo this week, over 50 Japanese game publishers committed to development on the console, and not just that, but reeled off a list of titles to look forward to as well. Confirmed for Xbox 360 include Winning Eleven, Super Robot Wars, Dynasty Warriors 5, Mobile Suit Gundam, Resident Evil 5, Rumble Roses XX, Dead or Alive 4, DOA: Code Cronus, DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball 2, Final Fantasy XI, King of Fighters Maximum Impact 2 and Ridge Racer 6, amongst others. Namco for example stated they are working on a fantasy style RPG, which could perhaps be a new entry in the "Tales of" series? Some of the other big names to sign on were Bandai, Capcom, D3, From Software, Genki, Hudson Soft, Koei, Konami, Marvelous, Sega, Spike, Success Corp, Taito, Tomy, Treasure, and still more.
Peter Moore, vice president and chief of Xbox marketing, proudly announced "every major third-party publisher right here in Japan is committed to supplying games to Xbox 360." Despite rumors of a delayed Japanese launch recently, Microsoft also re-confirmed their plans to launch the console in America, Europe and Japan before the end of this year. While pricing and an exact date remains an unknown, as soon as it's announced, you'll see it right here.
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July 26th, 2005, 22:44 Posted By: wraggster
The Xbox Summit 2005 event has included a first look at the additional accessories which Microsoft will be shipping alongside Xbox 360 - including wired joypads, memory units, and additional hard drives.
Although mostly focused on software, the Japanese event has also given a glimpse of the packaging that will be used for Xbox 360 in the Far East - relatively plain white and green boxes which will contain the console, a wireless joypad, a headset, an Ethernet cable and a hard drive.
Obvious accessories such as additional wireless controllers, additional headsets, faceplates for the unit and a selection of audio-visual cables (including a VGA cable for high definition PC monitors) will be made available.
However, a number of less obvious products will also be shipped by Microsoft - including, most notably, additional hard drives, a USB wireless adapter, and wired controllers for the console.
The additional hard drives are a particularly interesting addition to the range; it's to be assumed that these will be high capacity drives designed for people who want to make heavy use of the system's multimedia functions, which will fill up the default 20Gb drive very quickly.
The wireless adapter is designed to allow the Xbox 360 to go online over a wireless home network, and will plug into a USB port on the box. The decision to make this into an optional feature has left many scratching their heads, as both PS3 and Revolution promise to have the feature as standard, but as well as being a cost saving exercise, using external wireless may also allow the system to have better reception.
In terms of controllers, a number of units are being made available which will allow them to be recharged while playing (the Play and Charge Unit), recharged quickly (Quick Charge Unit), have their batteries replaced (Rechargeable Battery Pack).
Wired controllers will also be made available - a move which is apparently a response to the fact that the wireless signal can be interrupted by interference from outside sources, as anyone who's tried to use a wireless LAN near an aging microwave can confirm.
Other accessories will be familiar to Xbox users - including memory units which plug into the front panel, and a remote control which is mostly designed for accessing the multimedia functions of the console.
No pricing or availability details for the accessories have yet been announced.
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July 26th, 2005, 23:06 Posted By: wraggster
During a recent Xbox Summit event, Microsoft displayed a mock retail package of the 360. The box was white and green—matching the console’s color scheme—and featured a list of accessories that will be included inside:
Wireless controller
Hard drive (??GB)
Xbox Live headset
Ethernet cable
Mysteriously absent from this list is an A/V hookup (VGA HD, component AV, or S-Video) which, we are assuming, will be sold separately along with:
The play & charge unit (for controller)
Remote control
Wireless network adapter
Faceplates
Memory unit
Web cam
Quick charge unit
And additional controllers, headsets & hard drives
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July 27th, 2005, 06:20 Posted By: gimpyjr
Does anyone have any concerns about the 360 please do share them.
I will start with a few of mine. Please let me know your opinions and concerns thanks.
1) X360 is supposed to be the ultimate HD gaming machine but it's using a standard definition disc format. (9GB) capacity.
2) Backwards compatability for only top selling games!
Patches for other games are to be put on xbox live, but what about those people without highspeed internet and xbox live?
3) $60.00 per game
4) only 3 months until launch and there is still lag issues even on beta dev kits.
5) multi-core machine.Sure it's powerful, but so was sega saturn and look how hard that was to program for.
6) PS3 will cost more but also offer 50GB blu-ray disc for HD games and movies.
these are some of my complaints please tell me yours.
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July 28th, 2005, 03:48 Posted By: wraggster
TOKYO (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. is counting on new games to lure Japanese users for its new Xbox 360 game console. The company hopes to avoid a repeat of the disappointing sales that dogged the earlier version of the machine in the world's second-largest game market.
The world's largest software maker revealed on Monday that 45 game titles available for Japanese users of the new console are scheduled to go on sale in time for the year-end holiday shopping season and before market leader Sony's planned launch of its new PlayStation 3 early in 2006.
A shortage of games to draw Japan's discerning users was the main reason for the lack of success of the current generation Xbox.
"I've always said that Japan is a vitally important market for the Xbox platform," Peter Moore, Microsoft's vice president in charge of Xbox marketing, said at an event to introduce upcoming games for the console.
"I know that the success in this country is the ultimate tribute to the compelling power of our new platform," he said.
This time, Microsoft said 38 publishers, including Square Enix Co. Ltd., Electronic Arts Inc., and Namco Ltd., are developing 45 game titles. More than 100 other titles are being worked on
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July 28th, 2005, 03:48 Posted By: wraggster
The latest occurrence at the Xbox Summit in Japan was a demonstration hosted by Bizarre Creation's Nick Davies. He showed off the graphically impressive vehicles and environments for Project Gotham Racing 3. The cars will be comprised of 40,000 exterior polygons and 40,000 interior polygons. This is a huge leap when compared to the 10,000 total polygons used on the vehicles of PGR2.
In another example of PGR3's advanced graphics Davies stated that the Brooklyn has the same number of polygons as the entire city of New York in PGR2. Players will be able to customize and create tracks and race 80 different cars. Also, the crowds watching the races are fully polygonal and number in the thousands. No more card board cutouts cheering on the roadside!
The demo went on to show off Gotham TV. We'll have more information on this title soon with the distinct possibility of some media.
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July 28th, 2005, 03:49 Posted By: wraggster
While the Xbox made a decent splash in the American marketplace it was never able to gain a foothold in Japan. This time around Microsoft is seeking to make a bigger impact with Xbox 360 and today we get our first look at their overseas effort with the Xbox Summit. This is the first major press event since E3 and is currently taking place in the center of Tokyo.
According to our Japanese correspondent Anoop Gantayat, Taito announced that they will bring World Airforce to Xbox 360. Also, Konami announced that Pro Yakyu Spirits is currently in development for the new console. The Spirits series is a baseball simulator that will most likely not be seen stateside. No other details about these games are known thus far but we'll keep you updated as information becomes available.
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July 28th, 2005, 03:50 Posted By: wraggster
Today at the Xbox Summit in Japan Konami's Michihiro Ishizuka introduced three Xbox 360 games. Enomoto Shinji from Winning Eleven Production was brought out to announce that there will be a new version of the Winning Eleven series that will land in Japan in the Fall of 2006. Unfortunately no video of the game was shown.
The popular baseball simulator Pro Yakyu Spirits is currently in development. The presentation showed detailed player faces but was clearly still early in the development cycle. For anyone that enjoys watching scantily clad women wrestle each other the more exciting announcement was Rumble Roses XX. The video showed off clean graphics with hard hitting moves from all of the ladies.
Konami also stated that they are working on other unannounced titles for Xbox 360. Expect our correspondent Anoop Gantayat to come back later in the day with additional details.
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July 29th, 2005, 00:46 Posted By: wraggster
Gabe Newell is the Founder and Managing Director of Valve. Prior to that, he spent 13 years at Microsoft, where he held a number of positions in the Systems, Applications, and Advanced Technology divisions. He ran program management for the first two releases of Windows, started Microsoft's multimedia division, and led the company's efforts on the Information Highway PC. This guy knows what he's talking about.
And recently, Newell commented on the upcoming consoles from Sony and Microsoft, and wasn't exactly all happiness and light. 'Technologically, I think every game developer should be terrified of the next generation of processors', said Newell. 'Your existing code, you can just throw it away. It's not going to be helpful in creating next generation game titles.'
Newell leveled most of his criticism at the theoretical performance of multi-core processors that both giants are pinning their hopes on, pointing out that, 'Most of the problems of getting these systems running on these multicore processors are not solved. They are doctoral theses, not known implementation problems. So it's not even clear that over the lifespan of these next generation systems that they will be solved problems. The amount of time it takes to get a good multicore engine running, the Xbox 360 might not even be on the market any longer. That should scare the crap out of everybody.' Oo-er.
And he sees a whole new way of thinking and training as necessary for the future. 'Really good engineers are going to be much more valuable and engineers who used to be valuable writing game code in the previous generation may end up becoming thorns in the side of key programmers who can write multi-core game code.'
It was pointed out to him that learning curves have been steep at the start of every generation. So how will the next one be any different? 'It is different,' acknowledged Newell. 'But it is much more difficult now to write code that will have predictable behavior. We have performance problems now in the out-of-order universe because we have programmers who can't figure out why the changes they made caused the system to behave the way it does.'
'So one of the people who has a deeper understanding of the overall architecture has to come in and tinker around, more or less blind, because there aren't a lot of performance tools for that. [This guy needs to] give insight into what's happening in the cache memory, where a lot of this stuff goes wrong. It goes a lot worse in a multicore world, where there's a whole bunch of stuff going on in these separate cores, can suddenly have an impact on the entire system.'
From here, Newell guaged the additional difficulty out of ten, stating that 'If writing in-order code is a one and writing out-of-order code is a four, then writing multicore code is a ten. That's going to have consequences for a lot of people in our industry. People who were marginally productive before, will now be people that you can't afford to have write engine or game code. They can't get a big enough picture of what's going on in the box so they'll be a net negative on the project.'
However, Newell kept his most scathing criticism for the console manufactures' performance claims, and their contempt for their own customers: 'Statements about 'Oh, the PS3 is going to be twice as fast as an Xbox 360' are totally meaningless. It means nothing. It's surprising that game customers don't realize how they're treated like idiots. The assumption is that you're going to swallow that kind of system, when in fact there's no code that has been run on both of those architectures that is anything close to a realistic proxy for game performance. So to make a statement like that, I'm worried for the customers. And that we view customers as complete morons that will never catch on and that we're lying to them all the time. That's a problem because in the long run, it will have an impact on our sales.'
So where does Nintendo fit in all this? He didn't say. If they're going for a powerful single core, maybe that's the right way to go, according to Newell. But until we have optimised code running on complete machines, Newell thinks all claims are bogus. We'll find out in the near future if he's right.
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July 30th, 2005, 00:40 Posted By: wraggster
We don’t know what the deal is with the source of where image was supposedly snapped from, but apparently during a really janky lookin’ Espanol Xbox 360 presentation, one slide showed off a qwerty keyboard-equipped controller. The translation, friends, is utterly shocking:
QWERTY keyboard
Attached to the controller
Send text messages or chat during the game
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July 30th, 2005, 00:53 Posted By: wraggster
One of Microsoft's biggest announcements at this year's E3 in Los Angeles was support from popular Japanese gaming publisher Square Enix. At the end of the company's press conference, Microsoft announced that Final Fantasy XI would be the publisher's first game for the Xbox 360.
To the legions of Final Fantasy fans, the brief trailers shown at E3 weren't enough; they wanted to see the game in action. Next month, they'll be able to...if they're in Germany. Square Enix today revealed plans to show off the game at the Games Convention in Leipzig. The convention takes place August 17-21.
Though Square's press release never mentions the word "playable," it does state that "European gamers will get their first look at the next generation gateway to the world of Vana'diel" and "will be able to explore some of the fantastic areas within the game." However, it doesn't say whether the exploration will be interactive or part of a simple demonstration.
In other Final Fantasy XI news, Square Enix announced that FFXI: The Vana'diel Collection will ship for PCs on August 16. The bundle includes the original game, as well as the two expansion packs, in one compilation.
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July 30th, 2005, 00:59 Posted By: wraggster
HD-DVD is taking another jab at Blu-Ray with the announcement of Toshiba using HD-DVD drives in the Xbox 360. Unfortunately though, the initial release Xbox 360’s will have just standard DVD drives and the HD-DVD will be pushed into the system when they are ready. Will this hurt Microsoft’s initial sale numbers? Only time will tell. This really is becoming a sick thunder dome battle between Microsoft and Sony for the best next-gen console and now the stakes will be even higher because the Playstation 3 will be using Blu-Ray.
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July 30th, 2005, 22:50 Posted By: MasterChafed
I've hence realized that the update that comes with the map pack completely made my Halo 2 trainer useless. I can no longer reap the rewards of EvoX so I was wondering if there has been an updated EvoX trainer to use that works with the patch. thanks.
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July 31st, 2005, 01:24 Posted By: wraggster
Carcharius has released a new WIP release of ScummVM Xbox that allows playing games based on LucasArts' Scumm system.
Heres whats new
* New: screen resizing capability - hold Right-Trigger and click Right-Thumbstick.
* New: reload ScummVM launcher - hold Rightt-Trigger and press Black.
* New: reboot to dashboard - hold Right-Trigger and press White.
* Changed: removed optimizations for Simon The Sorceror engine. Fixes music issue. Shouldn't affect performance too much if at all.
* Note: Probably changed other stuff in the time since the last release, but I can't remember what that might be!
More info on Xbox ScummVM Here --> http://xbox-homebrew.dcemu.co.uk/scummvmx.shtml
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August 1st, 2005, 00:34 Posted By: wraggster
In a recent meeting with Microsoft's financial big wigs, big cheese Bill Gates commented on how he sees the race between his Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. And he sees it as........a race.
Gates said "basically, we've got a Ferrari. They've got a Ferrari. Our Ferrari is leaving the starting line substantially before their Ferrari is, and, in most races, that's a very nice thing."
Gates said he believes that the the PlayStation 2 has become market leader because it was released ahead of the Xbox, and that being first to release was, and is, a huge advantage.
"We tried it the other way last time," he said.
(Of course, the actual first consoles released in both previous generations, Sega's Saturn and then Dreamcast, both failed to become market leader. But we won't tell Bill that......it might hurt his feelings!)
Head of the Xbox project, Robbie Bach, added that he doesn't see Sony having a power advantage with its hardware, as the Xbox and Gamecube currently have over the PS2.
"They're going to be a little faster in a few areas; we're going to be a little faster in a few areas," Bach said. "The net result from a hardware perspective is going to be kind of a toss-up."
Bach described the Xbox 360 developer tools as its "secret sauce", and that Microsoft should also benefit from greater developer support this time around.
He claimed there are 160 Xbox 360 games in development, 25 to 40 of which are to be released this year, including 15 at launch.
The analysts then saw a demonstration of Project Gotham Racing 3, but didn't get to play it or any other game - apparently a few were quite disappointed at this!
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August 1st, 2005, 00:38 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft may be battling the iPod on the digital music front, but on the gaming side Redmond has embraced its Apple rival. The Xbox 360 will enable users to connect a portable music player, including an iPod, to the system and browse or play back music through the console's interface while watching 50 visualizations.
"We see the Xbox 360 as replacing your CD player in your entertainment center, but also as the best digital media amplifier available," said Xbox 360 product manager Barry Steinglass. "Your PC is a great place to manage your music, but it's not always the best place to enjoy it. With Xbox 360 you've got one central place to listen to all your music on the best sound system in the house."
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