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Week of December 10, 2006
XFPS 360 Gets Official Release Date: Dec 19th
>> Team Xtender announced an official release date for the XFPS 360(pictures) and resellers are starting to take pre-orders so we now know the expected retail price is ~80usd (~61eur). This addon for your Xbox 360 will allow you to play games on your Xbox 360 with Keyboard and Mouse (great for FPS games) or PS2 controllers:
[QUOTE]
We are happy to inform all you fans out there that the XFPS 360 is to be released on Tuesday, December 19th for resellers.
XFPS 360 Product Overview:
* Compatible with most PS/2 or USB keyboard and mouse combinations, those expensive FPS set-ups have not gone to waste!
* Instant plug and play technology
* Ideal for use with all FPS titles such as Call of Duty and Halo series
* Highly durable modern 'black' coloured shell
* Brings all new auto fire functionality to the Xbox 360
* Allows gamers to use PS2's Dual-Shock 2™ controller on the Xbox 360 ™
* Enjoy enhanced performance on titles such as Pro Evolution Soccer 6, which originally debuted on the Playstation™.
XFPS 360 is also compatible with:
* PS 2 Light Gun
* PS 2 Racing Wheel---The XBOX 360 steering controller is very expensive,but you can use the PS 2 steering wheel for it now
* PS 2 Dancing mat
* PS 2 Guitar
etc.
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Official Site: http://www.teamxtender.com
Pre-Order ($79.99): USA/CAN | World
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
This Sunday Big Retail Day for Video Games
>> From businessweek.com/Associated Press:
[QUOTE]
This Sunday [Dec 17th] will be the "last big push" for the video game sector ahead of the holidays, with sales of the Xbox360, the Nintendo Wii and Sony's PlayStation 2 the main focus for retailers, according to analyst P.J. McNealy of American Technology Research.
The analyst said his research shows hardware sales tracking from 800,000 to 900,000 PS3 units sold in North America by the end of the year, and between 1.3 million and 1.5 million Wiis over the same period.
Microsoft's Xbox 360, which launched a full year ahead of its next-generation rivals, is on pace for 1.1 million to 1.3 million units sold in December. Microsoft Corp. sold about 500,000 of the systems in November, and, McNealy noted, will reach its forecast of 10 million units shipped by the end of the year.
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Full Story: businessweek.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Super Mario War v1.7
>> A new version of the homebrew game 'Super Mario War(info)' for PC and Xbox(1) has been released.
What's new/fixed (since v1.6):
* Game Graphics Pack, Menu Graphics Pack, and Sound Pack Support
* Graphics in PNG format
* Better menu system
* Support for map browsing by thumbnails
* New background/music system
-Includes support for any number of arbitrarily-named BGs
-Map makers may freely pick music categories in editor
-Music can now be in MP3 format
-Music packs for 1.6 will no longer work! (But they can be upgraded)
* Fully customizable controls, including joystick support
* Game engine improved with support for carryable stuff
* Support for Tournament Tours
* Multiple A.I. difficulty settings
* New interaction blocks
-Blue throwable blocks
-ON/OFF blocks and switches (4 colors)
* Increased interaction block limit (shouldn't crash with too many bricks now)
* Players now gradually slow down on ice (there is now a little friction)
* 11 new items
-Shells (4 types - green, red, spiny, and buzzy)
-2UP, 3UP, and 5UP mushrooms
-MOd Block
-Feather
-Mystery Mushroom
-Boomerang (includes three trajectory options - flat, SMB3, and Zelda)
* Item switch which lets you change which items appear and at what frequencies
* Bullet Bills are now color-coded and properly attribute kills
-If two Bullet Bills of different colors collide, they explode
-This can kill anyone, including the owners of the B.B.s
-Bullet Bills can also now kill enemies in Stomp mode
-If a player uses two B.B.s in succession, their effects now overlap
* 3 new modes
-Star
-Capture The Flag
-King Of The Hill
* Goomba mode expanded into Stomp mode, which now includes Cheep-Cheeps and Koopas
-Enemies in Stomp mode now also burn up by falling (just like players)
* Fire Frenzy, Hammer, and Bob-Omb modes combined into Frenzy mode
-Also includes 9 more cards
-You can still configure it so that it plays like the old modes
* Eggs in Yoshi's Eggs now have to be manually carried by players
-Can kick eggs to Yoshi and still get the points
* Jumping an already-owned player in Owned mode is now worth a 5-point bonus
-Chicken kill bonus is also 5 points now
-Tag death penalty also 5 points
* Podoboos and Bowser Fireballs added to Survival mode
* Most modes now have extended scoring options (i.e. you can set the goal higher)
-Point-based modes still only go to 1000 but you can select by 50s now
-As a result, 1UPs in point-based modes are now only worth 10 points
* Free Play mode removed (replaced by infinite limit in all modes)
* New configurable options available in most modes (Too many to list here - see Readme for more info)
* Random skin selection (pick a skin at random)
* "Random" skin selection (pick a skin at random at the beginning of each game)
* Skins are now alphabetized regardless of creator, like maps
* New option to turn off the bonus wheel after a tournament
* New option to clear currently stored powerups
* Moving platforms in maps (and test function in editor)
* Ability to filter maps based on several attributes and custom lists
* Ability to browse maps by thumbs
* Expanded and better-organized tileset
* Ability to limit or increase frames per second
* Respawn time now settable in half-seconds
* Configurable off-screen arrow time and item respawn rate
* Option to turn off warp locks
* Option to put the crown on the leader in-game (not just on the HUD)
* Lots of new projectile options (fireball life, shell life, etc.)
* New race lap and game-start sounds
* New chicken skin
* POW and MOd now animated
* Players are now animated on the team select screen
* Skin names are displayed on the team select screen
* "Ready" icon on team select screen
* At the end of the game, losers are shown with their aerial death sprite
* Pause button can now terminate the game when someone has won
* Lots of extra eyecandy added to lots of things
* Item no-spawn zones in editor (prevent coins, eggs, bases, etc. from spawning)
* Can now choose tile type for each tile on the map in editor
* Map screenshot option in editor
* Default map eyecandy set to None (was clouds)
* Tons of new maps and skins, and new and fixed BGs (thanks, forum regulars!)
* Skin error checking (skins of the wrong size or color depth won't work now)
* The game now detects no sound card and will default sound/music to off
* There is now an option to change music tracks instead of looping one repeatedly
* Spawning code greatly improved - players/items shouldn't spawn in blocks/walls now
* Losts of Bugfixes (full list)
* Much-improved Readme
* Various minor bugfixes and whatnot
* And probably something else I forgot, because Two52 put in so much new stuff (yay)
Official Site: http://smw.72dpiarmy.com and http://smwstuff.com
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
News-Source/Full Readme: xbins.org
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Hitachi Tools App inc 078 Flasher: 360 Firmware Toolbox v3 *update3*
>> From Team Xecuter:
[QUOTE]
Here is the software flasher that also works with Hitachi 078 (use Slax(info) to get the drive into Modeb).
UPDATE: The version we were given has code missing to flash the 078FK. The code for reading is correct (confirmed tested dump using X360 USB - MD5 100% compared with physical dump of the TSOP).
We have been requested not to release any other versions and we respect the request of the Author. This will give you something to play with in the meantime. I have not had chance to test this with SATA yet.
I believe Maximus will release his official version shortly - I think its a donate version so be sure to send him a donation for his efforts.
Works with X360USB(buy now) and Sata.
Credits to Maximus for the original app. Use at your own risk.
Viva Xbox Sceners !
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UPDATE1+3: The feature to flash the drive seems to have problems. According to info we received the hack to make it 'registered' seems to have messed up the loading of the vb form that does the flashing. Maximus/carranzafp said he will be releasing his own full and public release soon. More news in ~16h.
UPDATE2: Xecuter updated their news too... quote above has edited with new info.
Official Site: n/a, by Maximus.
Read More: team-xecuter.com
Download: n/a (waiting for official Maximus rls)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Gamasutra: XNA In-Depth with Microsoft's Dave Mitchell
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
For today's Gamasutra feature we talk with Microsoft's Dave Mitchell, who reveals extensive details on the recently-launched XNA Studio Express and Creators Club, including IP rights, engine specifics, and Xbox 360 universal sharing plans, in this exclusive Gamasutra interview.
"We want to bake in a business model that allows the community of game developers to realize some revenue. If your game is able to garner millions of people downloading and playing it and enjoying the game, our fundamental belief and design philosophy of "YouTube for Games" is going to be building out a revenue share type of model where if millions of people are playing, you should be able to drive into work or school or wherever you might be going in a brand new shiny Ferrari, or getting enough funds to invest in paying back college tuition, or setting up college tuition for your children, if that's the case. But we really want to build it in such a way where there is a revenue payout scheme that's taken into consideration, and we make it more inclusive of the creators who are adding value back into that community."
And though plans for how these community created games might be distributed will continue to evolve and solidify over the coming year.
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Full Story/Interview: gamasutra.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Hitachi-LG v078 Software Flasher Coming
>> From Team Xecuter:
[QUOTE]
We can confirm of news that a software flasher for the Hitachi 078 will soon become publically available. We have yet to test it ourselves but trusted sources confirm that it works and will be providing us with the tools shortly.
Great news for the firmware scene indeed !
I guess our sales of the X78 mod just dived a little lol
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Today's developers are 'lucky bastards', says Lionhead boss
>> From gamesindustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
Lionhead Studios boss Peter Molyneux has declared that today's developers have more opportunities than ever to get their ideas noticed, following the release of Microsoft's XNA Game Studios Express platform.
His comments came at a launch event held earlier this week, where Microsoft's Chris Satchell explained, "Where our vision's really heading is taking that YouTube concept and bringing it into games."
In a speech of his own later that day, Molyneux told the audience, "You're lucky bastards, because the web is a fantastic place to get your ideas out there. If XNA really is going to be the YouTube of game design then that will be a brilliant, brilliant thing."
He also had some advice for would-be game designers. "If you want to get into the games industry there is nothing better than a demo. Nothing. Other than a huge wodge of money in my hand..."
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Full Story: gamesindustry.biz
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Gears of War Hits 2mil In Worldwide Sales
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
Officials from Microsoft have announced that the company's Epic Games developed Gears of War has sold more than one million units in the U.S. since its release on November 7, and more than two million worldwide, making the action shooter the fastest selling Xbox exclusive title in history.
Microsoft also noted that the Xbox 360 title, which has garnered nearly universal acclaim from the media and carries an impressive 94.2% rating on review aggregate website Gamerankings, continues to be the most played game over Xbox Live, with more than one million unique players taking part in ten million online games so far.
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Full Story: gamasutra.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
(Japan) Blue Dragon Effect ... 360 Sells 35k Units in 1 Week
>> The new M-Create numbers are in for the week of December 4th - 10th. The Xbox360 reached a new record in the land of the rising sun, moving a 'wh0pping' (at least for Microsoft) 35343 units! If I didn't make any errors this brings the total amount of 360s sold since launch to ~213k (vs. already ~238k PS3s) in Japan.
Blue Dragon itself ended on the 4th place in the Japanese software ranking with 80348 copies of the game (released on dec 7th) sold in 4 days.
While selling over 35k units in 1 weeks is a real nice performance for the 360 over there (Microsoft usually sells only a few 1000s a week), it's still a pale figure compared to Wii's 85439 units and PS3's 50171 units ... both probably limited by available stock.
Anyway it'll be the first time the 360 outsells the PS2 (with "only" 30460 units sold) in Japan.
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
December '06 Back Compat Update Officially Released
>> Microsoft leaked a part of the list early, but now it's official out there ... the December 2006 Backward Compatibility Update. From majornelson.com:
[QUOTE]
Just in time for the holidays and now with Psychonauts! The backwards compatibility update is now available over Xbox Live. This free update brings the complete list of original Xbox games that you can play on your Xbox 360 to over 300. Remember, your original Xbox games will look better than ever on Xbox 360 running in 720p and 1080i with anti-aliasing. You can also play cross-platform between Xbox 360 and the original Xbox over Xbox Live.
December 2006 Back Compat titles added/updated:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Burnout 3: Takedown (Updated), Conker: Live and, Reloaded, Dead Or Alive Ultimate, Destroy All Humans!, Dynasty Warriors 4 / Shin Sangokumuso3, Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick, Ex Chaser (Japan Only), Family Guy, Far Cry: Instincts, Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy, I-Ninja, Leisure Suit Larry: Magna *** Laude, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, MotoGP, Incredibles/Mr. Incredible (J), Muzzle Flash (Japan Only), MX Unleashed, Open Season, Pariah, Plus Plumb 2 (Japan Only), Psychonauts, Psyvariar2 Extend Edition (Japan Only), Rainbow Six: Lockdown, Rapala Pro Fishing
Rent-A-Hero No. 1 (Japan Only), Scarface, Shark Tale, Shenmue II, Soul Calibur 2 (North America only), Splinter Cell: Double Agent, Tenerezza (Japan Only), The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, Ultimate Spider-Man, Wakeboarding Unleashed: Featuring Sean Murray, Whacked!, Winback 2: Project Poseidon, Xiaolin Showdown
Here is a PDF of the complete list. You can always get this list from Xbox.com, but this file may be handy for those of you that work in a store, or like to carry the list with you.
Don't have Xbox Live, but still want to get the update? Head over to Xbox.com to download the update in .ISO form.
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
NPD November Peripheral US Sales: 42k HD-DVD Addons
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
The second top selling peripheral for November was Microsoft's wireless controller for the Xbox 360, which sold 251,000 units in November in the U.S. Interestingly, the company's recently released HD-DVD add on for the Xbox 360, which allows console owners to watch movies released on the emerging high definition HD DVD disc format, only sold 42,000 units for the month. This compares rather poorly to sales of the PlayStation 3, which comes with competing Blu-ray drive as standard. The PS3 sold 197,000 units during its first month, and thus has theoretically created a much larger initial early adopter user base among gamers for the format, though admittedly it is far too early to declare any sort of victory for either side.
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Read More: gamasutra.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft: PS3 Linux Not Competitive Compared To XNA
>> Gamasutra.com interviewed Dave Mitchell, Director of Marketing for Microsoft's Game Developer:
[QUOTE]
When asked about Sony's efforts to create a homebrew culture by allowing Linux to be installed freely on the PlayStation 3 (albeit without access to the RSX graphics chipset, among other restrictions), Mitchell commented: "On the one hand I've got to commend them for moving up their platform there, but we really don't view what Sony and PlayStation 3 and particularly the Linux solution that they are making available - we don't really view that as a competitive offering or trying to do something in the same vein."
He continued: "The fundamental difference here is not just about providing access to a platform, it's really about making an investment in something, and ensuring that people who will want to make games on your game console are successful in doing that... What we are focused on doing is providing great tools at a free or low price point that are going to enable consumers to be absolutely successful at creating games for both the Windows and the Xbox 360 platforms."
"..., once they want to take it past that threshold out to the end consumers, and like in this case, I make a game and I send it over to you to have you check out my game, and you're not a member of the Creators Club, I'd still love for you to be able to play it. That's absolutely the scenario that we want to support and start working on and enabling that in 2007."
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Read More: gamasutra.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Next-Gen's TOP25 People of the Year
>> Next-Gen published their new yearly list of the top 25 people in the industry. Here are people related to Microsoft/Xbox I found in the list (including the first place!):
[QUOTE]
This list is not a ranking of the best, most powerful, most talented, most amazing people in the industry. It is a ranking of the people who we at Next-Gen feel have made positive, significant and noteworthy contributions to gaming and the game industry through 2006.
9. Larry Hryb
Larry Hryb is better known by his Xbox Live gamertag Major Nelson. He is an authority on all things Xbox, communicating effectively with the core audience through blog and podcast. Neither PR mouthpiece nor corporate rebel, he has managed that trick of engaging consumers without compromising his position as an employee of Microsoft. For Hryb is also director of programming for the Xbox Live product team and for this he is also recognized here; as part of the team that has created one of the wonders of the gaming world. Five years ago Xbox Live would have seemed like science fiction. Now it's an entertainment platform in its own right, and poised to deliver more.
5. Jane Cavanagh (Eidos / SCi)
4. Reggie Fils-Aime (Nintendo)
3. Cliff Bleszinski (Epic Games)
2. Satoru Iwata (Nintendo)
1. Peter Moore
We expect our business leaders to display creativity, fiscal acumen, guts and a touch of charisma. But most of all we expect them to deliver. Peter Moore has delivered. That's why he's number one. Xbox 360 has sold as close as needs be to five million consoles in North America in the past 12 months. The best next generation games, currently, are Xbox 360 games. Xbox Live is the most advanced and user-friendly online service. Microsoft has an impressive relationship with publishers and with the media. All this has been achieved by hard graft and smart bets against a backdrop of Microsoft's absolute need to turn a profit in this business, sooner rather than later. The endless trips to Japan to try to make that business work display his capability for hard work, even in the face of seemingly impossible odds. But there is yet more work to be done, and not just in Japan. Microsoft faces a tough year in 2007 as it attempts to hold onto its leadership position while moving into the mass market. But in 2006, his efforts to woo consumers through third party publishing deals and through a savvy media presence makes Moore our pick as Next-Gen's 2006 Person of the Year.
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Read More: next-gen.biz (7 pages)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
XNA: Make your own Xbox360 games in 10 steps
Xbox 360 Compare: DVD vs. HD-DVD
>> From gamescentral.com:
[QUOTE]
When Sony officially announced that the new Playstation 3 was going to include a Blu Ray player, Microsoft quickly countered this with fact that they were (no surprise) planning on supporting the rival, HD DVD with an optional add on drive that although would not play games, would allow users access to a cheap next gen video player. While there has not been a clear winner in the format war, and non is expected to emerge for quite some time, is the drive, priced at $199, worth your hard earned money? I just recently made the purchase, and will attempt to help you make your own decision with my impressions, including HD DVD and DVD movie comparisons.
Conclusion:
So after spending some serious time with the HD DVD player, I would say that it is a very sound investment. The difference between HD DVD and regular DVD is astounding, and really offers a true next gen experience. The price, at only 200 bucks, is a steal, and the fact that it comes with a great movie makes it even sweeter.
If you are worried about this becoming obsolete, there is always a chance, albeit slim. Although there is no clear winner to the format war, many experts are placing their money on HD DVD, and for good reason. The format is reliable, there are already some truly great titles available, and IME really makes it stand apart.
If you already own a PS3, and are thinking that this may be overkill you are probably right. I am in the process of doing a comprehensive Blu Ray/HD DVD/Upconversion DVD head to head to head, and will post my results as soon as it is complete.
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Read More: gamescentral.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Transcode 360 v4.6 beta for Windows Vista
>> James B. mailed us to let us know he worked on Runtime's Transcode 360(info) to port it to .NET v2.0 and make it work correctly under Windows Vista's Media Center (32 and 64bit):
[QUOTE]
Transcode 360 version 4.6 has been released today, this version is purely for Windows Vista users and is the foundation for the next few months of T360 development.
Carrying on from the magnificent work that Runtime 360 started, I have picked up the torch and bought T360 up to date and forward in to the Vista generation. At present there are no new features in this version it is the foundation release which allows it to run natively and error free on Windows Vista RTM and resolves several critical issues on the new operating system.
Please ensure you uninstall any older versions of Transcode 360 prior to installing this version. This is version 4.6 and is purely for Windows Vista (please don't try to install on MCE 2005).
The configuration at present is to use port 1401 (please don't change this).
UPDATE: I have removed the helper for opening the ports on your firewall until I can get it working with 64 bit windows and it stops crashing the installer, for now if you are running Vista for 32 bit you will need to click the link in your start menu to open the ports required for T360, for 64 bit Vista you will need to do this manually. The port required for T360 is 1401 and ensure Transcode306.exe and Transcode360Tray.exe to the allowed applications.
Fixed Issues
* This is a native .net application for Windows Vista and has been compiled on a Windows Vista PC, it does not require any .net downloads to be performed before installation.
* Stuttering - This appears to now be fixed on my 2 test PCs (1 dev and 1 live), the issue appears to have been a Mencoder issue and upgrading to RC1 repaired the problems.
* Weird errors - As many faults that I could find on the board relating to Vista have been fixed, errors such as invalid application, null object reference and transcode error have been fixed.
* You can now run the application in the recommended tray icon mode instead of being forced to use the service account under Windows Vista as you did on the previous version.
* Firewall utillities - The installer will run a helper application called openfirewall and closefirewall depending on if you are installing or uninstalling the application. If you have any problems please go to Program Files\Transcode360\Registration and run the application manually, once done check your firewall configuration to check they have taken effect.
Known Issues (features):
* The Transcode button no longer has the icon to show that you are transcoding, your video still transcodes if you leave it for about 5 seconds after clicking the button you will get the spinning wait symbol and your video will play.
* If UAC is switched on you might have to go to program files\transcode360 and right click transcode360.exe and transcode360tray.exe and go to the compatibility tab and tick run as administrator, I intend to fix this in the next release by ensuring T360 doesn't use the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE registry keys which should resolve the issue.
* On startup of the tray icon please ensure you say yes to unblocking the application.
* The configuration at present is to use port 1401 (please don't change) and to install to c:\program files\transcode360. If you change the location you will need to edit the configuration file from the start menu and ensure the locations are correct.
Any problems please post, remember this is a beta and my first release of T360!
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Official Site: n/a, by James B. (Transcode360 originally by Runtime)
Download: here
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox360 Blue Dragon 'First Time Limited Edition' Pictures
>> Here are some high-resolution pictures of the "Xbox 360 Core System Blue Dragon Premium Pack [First Time Limited Edition]" (import now - 399usd/305eur) released last week in Japan. The pack includes a normal Core system, 5 Mini Figure Set, a Blue Dragon Faceplate and the 3-DVD Blue Dragon game of course.
It's a nice package for the Japanese to get to learn the Xbox 360 (street price over there is only 29800yen (~255usd or ~192eur)) ... however a Premium Xbox360 (with HD) or a nice LE memory-card would have been useful to store game saves on (that's usually pretty useful with an RPG ;)).
Note that the Blue Dragon game is region locked to NTSC/J systems and in Japanese only.
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Brand Perception: Wii 1st, Xbox 360 2nd
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
Toronto-headquartered research firm BrandIntel has released the latest in its weekly next-gen tracker studies finding the Wii seeing more competition from the Xbox 360 for positive sentiment.
The tracker bases its 'sentiment averages' based on a number of discussion criteria such as general appeal, purchase intent, and brand image to get an overall look of consumer perceptions of each individual next-gen console.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 maintains a solid overall number two share in consumer perception, despite the launches of its next-gen competitors, maintaining above average sentiment scores in 70% of BrandIntel's criteria. It is, of course, leading by far in availability, with both the PS3 and Wii in short supply. The company has also found it alone covers 45% of all online-gaming related discussion, with 75% approval of its online features. Its current software lineup and graphic abilities also hold it steady against the competition.
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Read More: gamasutra.com and brandintel.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
December 2006 Backward Compatibility Update? *updated*
>> It looks like Microsoft updated the Backward Compatibility list today ... but took it back offline just a bit later. We're not sure why it got delayed (or why it was put online early) ... but here are the new BC titles you can expect to work soon ;)
* NEW titles: New Games: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dead Or Alive Ultimate, Destroy All Humans!, Dynasty Warriors 4 / Shin Sangokumuso3, Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick, Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy, Family Guy, Far Cry: Instincts, Incredibles/ Mr. Incredible, I-Ninja, Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, MotoGP, Open Season, Pariah, Psychonauts, Rainbow Six: Lockdown, Rapala Pro Fishing, Scarface, Shark Tale, Shenmue II, Splinter Cell: Double Agent, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, Ultimate Spider-Man, Wakeboarding Unleashed: Featuring Sean Murray, Whacked!, Winback 2: Project Poseidon, Xiaolin Showdown
* UPDATED title: Burnout 3: Takedown
UPDATE: Joystiq contacted Microsoft asking why the updated list was quickly removed:
[QUOTE]
However, when asked about the exact release date of this December update, Microsoft warned us that the list is not final. "We'll have more news soon -- as I'm sure you're aware with any software development, things can change at any time so we want to make an announcement when we're sure we've got the final, solid list."
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Gamesutra Dev Opinion: Sharing Games is form of Marketing
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
Following an article on the state of piracy in the December 2006 issue of sister magazine Game Developer, programmer McKay Salisbury has written in to vigorously refute it, suggesting in this editorial that "sharing music and games is a form of marketing".
Basically what I'm saying is that me pirating 1 game from Blizzard over a decade ago got me introduced to their game-making abilities, and I'm hooked. I'm a dedicated brand consumer. Sure, Interplay is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, but that's because they stopped making good games. If you ask me, sharing music and games is a form of marketing. If your content sucks, you'll "lose money" to piracy, because people will see that your content sucks. If your customer likes your stuff, either they're too cheap to have bought it in the first place, or they'll buy it, or something else you make later, because it's a product worth buying.
$3,000,000,000 in losses due to piracy? But I want to know how much revenue that has and will generate because there are badly packaged versions of your product floating around the streets of Hong Kong, and around the Internet."
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Read More: gamasutra.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Euro 360 site caught selling H3 beta codes
>> From xbox360fanboy.com:
[QUOTE]
We brought you the news before on how to get into the European Halo 3 beta, in which several sites within the XCN (Xbox Community Network) were granted codes that allowed access to the beta. These codes were to be distributed by each site, in most cases as part of a promotional contest. It seems, however, that one of these sites saw the codes as an opportunity to make some Euros, and decided to sell them instead. Britxbox is reporting that they received an email from Microsoft today, issuing a warning to all the sites in the XCN. While the site guilty of the act has not been made public, we do know that Microsoft will cut off all contact and support for any offending site.
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Read More: xbox360fanboy.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft on Wireless Headset Issues
>> From Major Nelson's Blog (Larry Hryb, Microsoft's Xbox Live Director of Programming):
[QUOTE]
I spoke to the accessories team regarding the feedback from some members who have experienced issues while using the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset(buy now - US$49.90), including difficulty syncing the headset to the controller, reception interference and audio sensitivity. The team wanted to let you know they are committed to providing the highest quality accessories for Xbox 360 and they would like to assist in troubleshooting and resolving those issues, whether by replacing or repairing the units under warranty. If you are experiencing any of these issues with the Wireless Headset please call 1-800-4-MY-XBOX.
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Plaintiff's Lawyer Talks Xbox360 Class Action
>> From next-gen.biz:
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Following a class action lawsuit filed against Microsoft regarding "bricked" Xbox 360s [after October 31 fall update], Next-Gen spoke with one of the plaintiff's lawyers, who said M'soft's only defense could be, "We're Microsoft, and we can do anything we want."
Next-Gen spoke with Brian Kabateck, senior partner at Kabateck Brown Kellner, who admitted that his firm has "no idea" what the actual amount of damages sought after actually is, because it's unclear how many people this issue has affected (although Microsoft claimed shortly after the update that less than 1 percent of Xbox 360 users were affected).
Kabateck contested Microsoft's official claim that the company would pay all shipping, repair and/or replacement costs for affected consoles. "If that were true, that would go a long way to solving the problem," Kabateck said. "Unfortunately, all the reports we're getting is that Microsoft is saying 'Send your Xbox in and for 140 bucks we'll fix it.' In our opinion, they're turning their screw-up into a profit center."
Some reports on the Internet have speculated that Microsoft purposefully tailored the fall update to lock up Xbox 360s that had been modified to play illegitimate content not intended for use on the console. There's no conclusive evidence that this is the case, and Kabateck said that Ray's console was not modified.
"I'd be very concerned if I were a lawyer representing Microsoft suggesting that there would be a way to entrap people to download software simply because they've modified [a system] that belongs to them," Kabateck said. "There are two issues here. First, that's your property. You bought it, you own it. If you want, you can climb to the top of your apartment building and throw it off and break it on the parking lot."
"... The other issue is that our justice system has ways to deal with people who steal software or modify a piece of equipment in an illegal or inappropriate way. [Microsoft] can't take the law into their own hands," he said.
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Read More: next-gen.biz
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Talismoon Chrome Blue Evolve360 Controller Faceplate
>> Talismoon added a new color to their Evolve Xbox360 Controller Faceplate collection. After the Blue, Chrome, Cyrstal clear, Chrome Green and Leopard/Cow fur they now introduced the 'Ultra Glossy Chrome Blue' version.
As with all Talismoon Controller Faceplate you'll get:
1x complete Xbox 360 controller faceplate
1x screwdriver
1x tamper resistant torx t8 wrench
1x installation guide
Official Site: http://www.talismoon.com
Buy Controller Faceplates: Chrome Green | Chrome | Blue | Clear | Leopard fur | Cow fur
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
XNA Game Studio Express Has Been Released!
>> From the Official XNA Team Blog:
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It's a bit early in the morning for all of us, but we wanted to be one of the first to tell you that XNA Game Studio Express has been released!
To download the released product for Windows, head over to: http://msdn.com/xna/gse/. You can now also purchase a subscription to the XNA Creators Club from the Xbox Live Marketplace on your Xbox 360 console if you have an active silver or gold Xbox Live subscription.
Before you purchase a subscription to the XNA Creators Club please take the time to go over the PC and Xbox 360 console requirements in the readme. Once you've done that here's how to get it:
1. On the Xbox Live blade, go to "Xbox Live Marketplace"
2. Select "Games" and then "All Game Downloads"
3. Scroll down the list to find the "XNA Creators Club"
4. Here you'll be able to go under Memberships to purchase a 4-Mo membership for $49.00 or an Annual (12-mo) membership $99.00. The prices used here reflect the subscription rates for the United States and pricing may differ for your local region or country if outside the USA.
5. You'll also need to download the XNA Game Launcher from the same area. Having done so, you will find a new XNA Game Launcher program on your Games blade under Demos and More.
Once you're up and running, please refer to the XNA Documentation to get connected to your Xbox 360 and start creating games. If you run into trouble or can't get connected, please head over to the XNA Game Studio Express forum and ask your questions.
We'd also like to thank all of you for taking the time to download our betas and give us some great feedback. Many decisions that took place on the final product were based on the feedback that we got from you all. Thank you and we hope that you continue to enjoy using XNA Game Studio Express.
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You can find the press release here.
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
XboxMediaCenter (XBMC) 2006-12-10 SVN rev7340 build - T3CH
>> T3CH released a new SVN compile of XboxMediaCenter(info), the 2nd since the v2.0.1 point-release.
This T3CH-compile is a complete snapshot of what is in SVN at the time the build was compiled, with just a few small additions.
Special Notes and Noteworthy/XML/Script changes:
* I seem to have picked a bad date last time for my build - sorry about that. Hopefully SVN is more stable this time.
* I'm also including the 'XBMC Win32 PC environment' .exe that is meant for skinners & python developers, read more about the concept here. It was built using Microsoft DirectX Summer 2004 SDK.
Here's the added stuff since the 2006-12-03 SVN Rev7295 Build:
* added: icon and version info to XBMC PC
* added: the thumb for the dvd-rom source can be set by placing a folder.jpg image in the root of the disc. (others can be added via advancedsettings.xml)
* added: context menu entry to select which part of a stack to start.
* added: xbadpcm codec to paplayer
For the full changelog (fixed/changed/updated stuff) click here.
Keep in mind this is a SVN snapshot of the current development tree. It's not an official (stable) point release. Use only if you know what you are doing.
Official Site: www.xboxmediacenter.com (manual and FAQ)
Download Binaries: n/a (built with XDK) | Download SourceCode: here
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SICKmods' ATX to Xbox PSU Converter v1.0
>> Those who read our forums know this has been out for a while already, but it wasn't mentioned on the x-s news yet, so here it is:
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Our ATX to XBOX PSU Converter 1.0 has been released. This device will allow you to use ATX Power Supplies to power up your Xbox version 1.0-1.5. This is a great feature for casemodders who have their Xbox in a different case, such as a PC case. You'll be able to power it up using the Xbox's power button like normal.
Along with this, we also have ATX Extenders available, so you can install the Converter without splicing the wires on the power supply.
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Official Site: psuconverter.sickmods.net
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
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