What happens to people who owned CPUs that got a die process shrink? Absolutely nothing. You got what you paid for. Something better came out, but you didn't pay for that, so you don't get it.Originally posted by: AMDUALY
You know how they are releasing a revised xbox with the 65nm processor (reducing heat, energy consumption and possibly increasing power). What happens to everyone else who bought the original system? I want the 360, but I just sold my old xbox and was thinking about picking one up soon (during the summer). 2007 is kind of far off.
Originally posted by: erwos
What happens to people who owned CPUs that got a die process shrink? Absolutely nothing. You got what you paid for. Something better came out, but you didn't pay for that, so you don't get it.Originally posted by: AMDUALY
You know how they are releasing a revised xbox with the 65nm processor (reducing heat, energy consumption and possibly increasing power). What happens to everyone else who bought the original system? I want the 360, but I just sold my old xbox and was thinking about picking one up soon (during the summer). 2007 is kind of far off.
You're not going to see any power increases from the new box - it would toss off game timing for those lazy devs who use the console's CPU as their clock. Just buy one now - the overheating problems are overblown, and if you have one, Microsoft will replace it for free even out of warranty.
-Erwos
:thumbsup: I get pissed everytime I see crap like that in the marketplace.Originally posted by: AdamSnow
Originally posted by: bigdog1218
Obviously I'll get negative reactions from fanboys, but am I the only one that thinks the 360 is looking more and more like a huge ripoff? Instead of paying $400 for a complete system, and $60 for games, you now get half the system and you have to pay for addons or levels that should have been in the game to begin with.
I can't believe people are actually happy that they get to pay for extra chapters in GTA4 not available to PS3 owners. Personally, I would rather have all the levels included in a game I paid $60 for.
I agree with you totally... And I love my 360...
Get down! Shut up! This game will own you.
by Jonathan Miller
May 10, 2006 - Crouched behind the burnt shell of an old sedan, I was hiding for my life. Around me, my teammates were being slowly eliminated one by one by COG forces. Peaking over the hood of the car, I was able to lay down just a second of suppressing fire before a COG soldier popped up and started suppressing me. Bang. All three of my teammates are dead, and two COG soldiers are darting in and out of cover, honing in on me. I see one going for high ground and a rocket launcher. I switch to my sniper rifle and zoom in on the second story of a building a hundred feet away. Then his little human head pops into view and I put a bullet in it. Now it's me, an evil Locust foot soldier, against some other guy on the local area network, the hero of Gears of War, Marcus of the COG. Before I can celebrate my kill and look for my last enemy, I hear the most dreaded sound in Gears multiplayer: the chainsaw. While I was busy sniping, this guy had zipped in and out of cover and circled around me. My own blood spattered about as my Locust soldier fell to the ground dead.
Wow.
It's been a long time coming, but we finally got our hands on Gears of War, one of the most anticipated titles for the past year on the Xbox 360. Epic ran a four-on-four team deathmatch session behind closed doors at the Microsoft booth at E3 this morning. There were obviously a ton of great games to see -- Mass Effect, Too Human, the Halo 3 trailer again. But after finishing about a half hour of intense multiplayer action, there was one game I knew I had to see again: Gears of War. I don't care if I have to hold Cliffy B. hostage or spray hot booth-babes with a fire-hose as a diversion, but I will play Gears again before the end of this E3 -- it was that fun.
Gears of War is like peak-a-boo with bullets.
We played four rounds of Locust vs. COG action, and the first thing you'll notice about this game is that it is not run and gun; it's stop and pop, as Epic likes to say. By running up to a car, a tree, a wall, a ledge -- anything -- and pressing A, you'll take cover behind it. You can move left and right, hit the fire button to throw out some blind fire, hold the left trigger to pop out and take aim. If there's another piece of cover close by, you can aim in that direction and roll right behind that. While there were occasional bugs that will be ironed out before the final release, like not being able to leave cover, Epic nailed the controls. They are intuitive, simple, fluid and seamless, and pretty damned fun.
The second thing you'll notice is the outstanding level design. Keep in mind we only played one level, but there were multiple paths that all lead to several natural "stand-off points" where opposing players will eventually butt heads and the battle will be decided. At these points, a lot of different things will happen. Good teams will work together. One player, for instance, can lay down suppressing fire on an enemy behind cover, while another player works his way up in a flanking maneuver. At the same time, another player can coop up in a second-story tower with a sniper rifle and cover him. At the same time, the final player can slip unnoticed along through a building on the edge of the map and slip behind the entire enemy force. Of course, the enemy is trying to do the same thing to you the entire time, resulting in some tense standoffs.
Because the cover system is so effective, you will actually feel nervous when you're not behind cover. If you hold the A button, you'll start an all-out, crouched sprint. The camera starts shaking so you won't be able to take aim (as if you could do so effectively at a sprint anyways), nor will you be able to really see enemies that are far away. The camera angle also drops very low, so you'll feel you're in a scene of "Saving Private Ryan" as you displace and look for more cover. Some people may not like not having the ability to sprint and shoot, but I think it adds even more importance to taking cover and lining up effective shots. Try as you might, but it's just impossible to run at a full sprint and train your crosshairs on anybody.
Weapons are placed strategically around the map, usually in places that are wide open to enemy fire, making it a bit of a risk, reward situation. The sniper rifle, for instance, is located on the ground in the middle of a small clearing right in the middle of the map. So I found myself sprinting to it, grabbing it and sprinting back behind cover. But being on the ground is not the ideal place for a sniper, so I snuck up some stairs to the second story of a bombed out building and took cover, waiting for my first victim. Players come equipped with an assault rifle, shotgun, pistol and grenades, and each weapon is quick-mapped to a direction on the D-pad. You always have slots for grenades and pistols, but you'll drop either the rifle or shotgun when you want to pick up another big weapon, like the sniper rifle, rocket launcher -- we also thing we saw a Gatling gun.
Four-on-four is fast, furious and fun.
Visually, Gears looked outstanding. While we saw some minor frame rate issues yesterday, we didn't notice any slowdown or graphical hitches in this LAN setup. Obviously we weren't playing on Xbox Live, so who know how it will perform online, but if this session is any indication, it will be pretty damned good. Epic says there will be other multiplayer modes but isn't saying what. We do know there is a team deathmatch, obviously, and we can all assume there is the standard death match as well. Capture the flag would be an interesting option given that you can't really run around in the open with a flag without getting your face shot out. The Gears framework would definitely give CTF a more methodical approach and a new spin on an old favorite gamemode. Then again, we all hope Epic does something completely new that we haven't seen before, so we'll keep you posted on that.
Gears of War is playable only behind closed doors at E3, but whispers of the game's awesomeness are spreading throughout the convention center. Halo 3 is still the star for Microsoft after the fantastic trailer, but Gears is something new, fresh, different and really, really fun, and we can't wait to play it again, even if it takes a fire-hose and booth-babe to do it.
First, squelching all argument by pre-castigating people who disagree with you as "fanboys" is intellectually dishonest. There's plenty of room to disagree.Originally posted by: bigdog1218
Obviously I'll get negative reactions from fanboys, but am I the only one that thinks the 360 is looking more and more like a huge ripoff? Instead of paying $400 for a complete system, and $60 for games, you now get half the system and you have to pay for addons or levels that should have been in the game to begin with.
I can't believe people are actually happy that they get to pay for extra chapters in GTA4 not available to PS3 owners. Personally, I would rather have all the levels included in a game I paid $60 for.
Originally posted by: bigdog1218
Obviously I'll get negative reactions from fanboys, but am I the only one that thinks the 360 is looking more and more like a huge ripoff? Instead of paying $400 for a complete system, and $60 for games, you now get half the system and you have to pay for addons or levels that should have been in the game to begin with.
I can't believe people are actually happy that they get to pay for extra chapters in GTA4 not available to PS3 owners. Personally, I would rather have all the levels included in a game I paid $60 for.
Originally posted by: blurredvision
jlmadyson, you are trying to drop the bomb on the PS3! LOL I wouldn't believe $69 and $79 games for a second. Quite honestly, Sony would be shooting themselves not only in the foot, but the eyeball as well. You did say it was only speculation, so I'll give you that. But this is just rediculous. People are still pissed about the $60 games on the 360, another jump in price this quickly would infuriate people, and completely hurt the videogame business, no matter what console it was on.
At the CESA Developers Conference Hirokazu Hamamura, president of Enterbrain (publisher of Famitsu) talked about the price range of upcoming PS3 software. Much like Xbox and Xbox 360, he sees a significant price increase between PS2 and PS3. Hamamura-san forsees the cheapest PS3 software being at least $70 USD (EUR 57 / YEN 7,800) while the most expensive would be around $79 USD (EUR 65 / YEN 8,800). That will leave Canadian gamers paying $83-$94.
Originally posted by: erwos
First, squelching all argument by pre-castigating people who disagree with you as "fanboys" is intellectually dishonest. There's plenty of room to disagree.Originally posted by: bigdog1218
Obviously I'll get negative reactions from fanboys, but am I the only one that thinks the 360 is looking more and more like a huge ripoff? Instead of paying $400 for a complete system, and $60 for games, you now get half the system and you have to pay for addons or levels that should have been in the game to begin with.
I can't believe people are actually happy that they get to pay for extra chapters in GTA4 not available to PS3 owners. Personally, I would rather have all the levels included in a game I paid $60 for.
Every system has accessories. Did I only get half a PS2 when it only came with one controller, despite the fact that there were two ports and two memory card slots? Of course not - I didn't pay for those. Did it come with a network adapter or hard drive? No, I had to get those separately, even though it was stupidly obvious Sony had planned them from the beginning. I've never heard anyone seriously claim they only get half the system when they buy a PS2. The same logic applies to the 360. There are accessories. Deal with it. All of them are optional, with the possible exception of the hard drive.
As for the content, the "free additional downloads" system sounds great for consumers, but unless it's driving more game sales (eg, Valve's approach with Counterstrike), doing a one-off thing isn't making anyone money. Be realistic: you don't get something for nothing. The old way the industry worked is just that: the old way. Get used to it.
-Erwos
Like I said before... If you think the 360 should've include the HD-DVD drive for the $300 (or even $400) price, then your expectations just are not reasonable.Originally posted by: bigdog1218
Wait, so you're saying I have to get used to microsofts marketing campaign because people buy into it? I used the 360 as an example, but I'm sure the PS3 would be similiar, and so will future consoles. You obviously failed to realize what I was trying to get at because all you saw was the 360 getting bashed. Did your PS2 come with a CD-ROM drive with a DVD attachment? Because that would be the same logic. The point I was trying to come across, before you were blinded by someone saying something negative about the 360, is that when is this going to stop.Originally posted by: erwos
First, squelching all argument by pre-castigating people who disagree with you as "fanboys" is intellectually dishonest. There's plenty of room to disagree.Originally posted by: bigdog1218
Obviously I'll get negative reactions from fanboys, but am I the only one that thinks the 360 is looking more and more like a huge ripoff? Instead of paying $400 for a complete system, and $60 for games, you now get half the system and you have to pay for addons or levels that should have been in the game to begin with.
I can't believe people are actually happy that they get to pay for extra chapters in GTA4 not available to PS3 owners. Personally, I would rather have all the levels included in a game I paid $60 for.
Every system has accessories. Did I only get half a PS2 when it only came with one controller, despite the fact that there were two ports and two memory card slots? Of course not - I didn't pay for those. Did it come with a network adapter or hard drive? No, I had to get those separately, even though it was stupidly obvious Sony had planned them from the beginning. I've never heard anyone seriously claim they only get half the system when they buy a PS2. The same logic applies to the 360. There are accessories. Deal with it. All of them are optional, with the possible exception of the hard drive.
As for the content, the "free additional downloads" system sounds great for consumers, but unless it's driving more game sales (eg, Valve's approach with Counterstrike), doing a one-off thing isn't making anyone money. Be realistic: you don't get something for nothing. The old way the industry worked is just that: the old way. Get used to it.
-Erwos
Also, you call Live an accessory yet the a lot of 360 owners agree it's a necessisty to "fully enjoy" the 360. And are you so gullible to believe microsoft is going through so much trouble to role out the HD-DVD player so it can be an accessory some people buy? And how is it great to pay $ for content that should already be in the game? Yeah I want something for nothing thats exactly the point I was trying to get across, damn your a smart one.
I guess the smart thing would be to "get used to it" right? That sounds pretty asinine to me. Instead of getting used to it, i'll give my money to the company that wants to put out a quality product and doesn't force me to get used to their awesome marketing.
So, explain to me how the network adapter and hard drive for the PS2 are somehow different. I don't even understand your logic, to be honest. Bashing the 360 doesn't bother me - provided it's a valid criticism. I don't see how providing an optional HD-DVD drive can somehow be transformed into a valid criticism. Perhaps the original omission of it was a mistake in the light of Sony's Blu-Ray push - but that's a little different than what you're trying to say, from what I understand.Originally posted by: bigdog1218
Wait, so you're saying I have to get used to microsofts marketing campaign because people buy into it? I used the 360 as an example, but I'm sure the PS3 would be similiar, and so will future consoles. You obviously failed to realize what I was trying to get at because all you saw was the 360 getting bashed. Did your PS2 come with a CD-ROM drive with a DVD attachment? Because that would be the same logic. The point I was trying to come across, before you were blinded by someone saying something negative about the 360, is that when is this going to stop.
You don't have to purchase Live Gold. There are many excellent single-player experiences to be had on the console. You need to realize that opinion is just that: opinion, not fact.Also, you call Live an accessory yet the a lot of 360 owners agree it's a necessisty to "fully enjoy" the 360. And are you so gullible to believe microsoft is going through so much trouble to role out the HD-DVD player so it can be an accessory some people buy? And how is it great to pay $ for content that should already be in the game? Yeah I want something for nothing thats exactly the point I was trying to get across, damn your a smart one.
Originally posted by: erwos
So, explain to me how the network adapter and hard drive for the PS2 are somehow different. I don't even understand your logic, to be honest. Bashing the 360 doesn't bother me - provided it's a valid criticism. I don't see how providing an optional HD-DVD drive can somehow be transformed into a valid criticism. Perhaps the original omission of it was a mistake in the light of Sony's Blu-Ray push - but that's a little different than what you're trying to say, from what I understand.Originally posted by: bigdog1218
Wait, so you're saying I have to get used to microsofts marketing campaign because people buy into it? I used the 360 as an example, but I'm sure the PS3 would be similiar, and so will future consoles. You obviously failed to realize what I was trying to get at because all you saw was the 360 getting bashed. Did your PS2 come with a CD-ROM drive with a DVD attachment? Because that would be the same logic. The point I was trying to come across, before you were blinded by someone saying something negative about the 360, is that when is this going to stop.
And, again, you're reverting back into this "only stupid illogical fanboys disagree with me" mode. I think you're doing a fair job of making yourself look like an extremist fanboy when you do that sort of thing. Grown men and women can disagree on things without either party being absolutely wrong.
You don't have to purchase Live Gold. There are many excellent single-player experiences to be had on the console. You need to realize that opinion is just that: opinion, not fact.Also, you call Live an accessory yet the a lot of 360 owners agree it's a necessisty to "fully enjoy" the 360. And are you so gullible to believe microsoft is going through so much trouble to role out the HD-DVD player so it can be an accessory some people buy? And how is it great to pay $ for content that should already be in the game? Yeah I want something for nothing thats exactly the point I was trying to get across, damn your a smart one.
So, why else is Microsoft releasing the HD-DVD drive? As an accessory no one will buy? Or are they somehow going to force everyone to buy it?
As for "should already be in the game", you seem to be saying every expansion pack ever sold for a PC game was a rip-off and a cheat. Is this true? Certainly, I recall some rather excellent ones that gave you your money's worth. How is a mini expansion pack (eg, the Orrey) any different? Maybe the pricing needs to be played with, but that's a different problem.
I think you're missing my overall point about the downloadable content: the business is different now. Witness the huge EA, Microsoft, and Activision conglomerates that are sucking up all the studios. The financial side of things is becoming more and more important - it's not just making a profit, but having an ROI. If they can't justify the return on downloadable content, they're not going to make it. Is that clear?
Do you even own a 360, or did you just come here to troll? Ad hominem attacks are not allowed by forum rules, by the way - so cut it out.
-Erwos
Originally posted by: purbeast0
moto-bp demo is now up btw.
At the THQ area, they were proudly showing off their incredibly gorgeous Moto GP '06. This title shines bright and controls very well for the Xbox 360. Despite not even being played on a retail console, the demo was enough to satisfy my need for speed.
The staff was quick to note that the demo was only an 80% build, but even so, the polish and detail was nearly perfect. It was very fast and damn near as realistic as a racer can come. The only glaring fault was the initial loading time, but they assured me it was due to the lack of a retail system and the incomplete game.
Moto GP '06 is so realistic, it's almost annoying. You really have keep your speed in check, lest you slide off the track and take a spill head-first into asphalt or dirt. Of course, the remedy for this is a careful thumb and a deep appreciation for the nature of motorcycle racing.
They clarified that the 16-player demo will be hitting Xbox Live tomorrow as well. So limber up those thumbs, you won't be disappointed.
He definitely has a good point.E3 2006: Microsoft Recommends Wii
Peter Moore tells people to pick up a Wii and a 360 instead of a PS3.
May 11, 2006 - You read it right. Peter Moore, a vice president for Microsoft, asked in a recent interview, "Tell me why you would buy a $600 PS3?" He went on to explain, "People are going to buy two [machines]. They're going to buy an Xbox and they're going to buy a Wii ... for the price of one PS3."
Microsoft seems to have decided to side with Nintendo in order to overthrow Sony's current lead in the videogame market. Whether the strategy will work or not remains to be seen. Though no official announcement has been made regarding the price of Wii at launch, it is expected to release for a significantly cheaper price than either the 360 or Playstation 3 consoles.
Nintendo has stated many times that it does not wish to compete directly with Sony and Microsoft in the next generation war, opting to move into a new direction with Wii that will complement the other systems.
Costco.com link... But I have yet to see a 360 at either of my local Costcos.Originally posted by: AMDUALY
Alright...can someone tell me how much they saw xbox 360 at costco for?
Originally posted by: Wingznut
Costco.com link... But I have yet to see a 360 at either of my local Costcos.Originally posted by: AMDUALY
Alright...can someone tell me how much they saw xbox 360 at costco for?
I have 3 Costcos by me, and 2 out of the 3 had plenty of them in stock. My gf was at one yesterday, and she counted over 20. Don't forget to check BB & CC.Originally posted by: AMDUALY
Originally posted by: Wingznut
Costco.com link... But I have yet to see a 360 at either of my local Costcos.Originally posted by: AMDUALY
Alright...can someone tell me how much they saw xbox 360 at costco for?
Guess I am out of luck if they don't have it. I can't believe I missed the overstock sale. I'm going to check costco after work to see if they have any.
May 11, 2006 - Dan Greenwalt is not happy about the Forza Motorsport 2 trailer. None of what you saw at Microsoft's E3 press conference Tuesday was using the in-game engine, nor did the trailer convey the passion for cars that Forza is known for. And Greenwalt, the director of the upcoming Forza title on the Xbox 360, is not happy about that at all because he wants you to know that his game rocks way harder than that video clip.
Still, Forza 2 is making no appearance at E3 whatsoever, so we'll have to take Greenwalt's word for it. There is no playable version behind closed doors and there is no in-game footage of any kind. There is only the trailer that Greenwalt's team didn't even work on, that crazy concept-montage prepared specifically for E3. So here is what we do know. Forza 2 will be released this holiday season. The game is already running smooth at 60 frames per second, Greenwalt said, and the goal is to have the sequel to one of the highest-rated racing games on store shelves before the end of 2006.
The game will feature more than 300 cars, including Lamborghini -- new for Forza. Each car will be fully customizable, from the tires to the spoilers to engine performance to paint job and decals. "It's not any Lamborghini," Greenwalt said. "It's your Lamborghini. You can put a Hello Kitty decal on the hood if you want to. You can put the Mona Lisa on the hood if you want to."
Like the single-player game, Forza 2 on Xbox Live will have 12-player races and you can take your tricked out car online and show it off to your competition -- hopefully the only decal they see is on your bumper. And since decals are customizable, hopefully you can slap on a bumper sticker that says, "You are losing to me." And on the hood? Why not the Playmate of the month? The car is your oyster.
Because Forza 2 is geared toward car and customization freaks, Microsoft is adding a photo mode too. You can take pictures of your ride and post them online, sharing them with your friends. Will there be MS contests for coolest cars? We think so, but Greenwalt wouldn't say anything more about Xbox Live. He did smile when we asked him, if that means anything.
Forza 2 will have more than 60 tracks, so we assume the number is around 30 with their mirrors. Greenwalt said the original Forza tracks are included and are getting the high-resolution treatment. We don't know how many new tracks are in the game, but we do know that Sebring International Raceway will be included. The Florida track has been used since the 1950s and is set on unused runways and support roads for an airport. Sebring features three courses: the 12 Hour Grand Prix Course; the Old Club Course; and the New Club Course, but we don't know which, if not all three, will be included in Forza 2.
Because Sebring is not the smoothest course out there -- there are plenty of bumps, changes in surface and misaligned slabs of cement -- so it's a perfect way to highlight the recently-announced Wireless Racing Wheel 360 that will be launched with Forza 2. We don't know if the two will be packaged together -- we assume you could buy them separately and there will be some form of package. With sophisticated rumble capability and force feedback, the wheel will give gamers a three-dimensional sensation of control, Greenwalt said. For instance, let's say you take a sharp turn. If you let your hands off the wheel, it will automatically self correct. Also, with force-feedback, you will feel when the car is off traction during sharp turns. Greenwalt mentioned that the all racing games down the line will have to be compatible with the wheel as part of the certification process, and there is talk of updating PGR3 with a patch so it works as well. Racing fans will be very happy this holiday season.
Again, it was a surprise that we were taken behind closed doors and instead of a fancy plasma TV with Forza 2 running we found Greenwalt sitting by himself. He did give us a ton of new details on his game and said it would have set his team back about a month to get together a demo or in-game trailer of Forza 2 for E3. Greenwalt doesn't care much about conventions though -- he's aiming for a holiday release. We'll keep you posted on Forza 2 as we get more information about new cars, tracks, online modes and the official IGN bumper sticker as it develops.
If you have the remote, you can power it on by ejecting the CD. Or you can press the Media button to power on the system. It will open at the Media blade, but at least the game won't load.Originally posted by: AdamSnow
Is there a way to make it load the dashboard every time, even if I have a CD in the machine?
I hate how I have to wait for the game to load, press the middle button, get back to the dashboard, etc......