**official Xbox 360 Thread**

Discussion in 'Gaming' started by KrazyNick, Aug 27, 2005.

  1. Sub.wtf?

    Sub.wtf? Well-Known Member

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    then why post here? nobody cares that you like playstation
     
  2. Fifth Fang

    Fifth Fang Well-Known Member

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    yeah, that was spam...
    (stupid, pointless, annoying message)
    but, is X-Box Live Really worth it?
     
  3. Hyper GFX

    Hyper GFX Active Member

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    thx i waondering about prices for online jsut never fealt like doin research
     
  4. EddieD

    EddieD Well-Known Member

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    My Xbox wouldn't even have gotten half of the use it's had without Live. Live is what it's all about.
     
  5. Rental

    Rental Well-Known Member

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    That's really true, if you haven't experienced Live than you haven't experienced nothing.
     
  6. Opie1337

    Opie1337 Well-Known Member

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    It got expensive in some and cheap in others... I'm paying a bit under $5 per month right now, ill probly go for the top one :D
     
  7. IXI DEATH IXI

    IXI DEATH IXI Well-Known Member

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    you can play halo2 on live on xbox 360?
     
  8. KrazyNick

    KrazyNick Well-Known Member

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    ok this is the offcial xbox 360 thread please post all info in here do not make other threads :)
     
  9. Sub.wtf?

    Sub.wtf? Well-Known Member

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    from what ive heard i think you can
     
  10. EddieD

    EddieD Well-Known Member

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    Yes, you can do that.
     
  11. EddieD

    EddieD Well-Known Member

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    Why? Then this thread will get so cluttered, you won't be able to find any information.
     
  12. KrazyNick

    KrazyNick Well-Known Member

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    it beats having a 100 threads asking the same thing is 360 worth it? will is blah blah
     
  13. KrazyNick

    KrazyNick Well-Known Member

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    Pricing:
    Microsoft has officially announced two differently-priced SKUs for the North American and European markets. The Redmond, WA company will offer a premium system for $399.99 and a core set-up for $299.99.

    The premium and core systems will sell for, respectively, £279.99 and £209.99 in the UK and €399.99 and €299.99 in the rest of Europe. Microsoft said it will announce Asian-market news at the Tokyo Game Show in mid-September.

    The premium package includes an Xbox 360, a detachable 20-GB hard-drive, a wireless controller, faceplate, headset, a component HD AV cable, an Ethernet cable, and for a limited time, a remote controller. The Core 360 System is stripped down in comparison. It includes an Xbox 360, one standard wired controller, a faceplate, and a standard AV cable. The $399 package is designed for the high-definition gaming era; the other is designed for a no-frills, current-gen set-up.

    While we know that current Xbox Live accounts will transfer over to the new console, Microsoft has yet to announce the cost of a 360 Live subscription.

    The estimated retail prices of accessories are as follows:


    # Xbox 360 Wireless Controller: $49.99
    # Xbox 360 Wired Controller: $39.99
    # Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote: $29.99
    # Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit: $19.99
    # Xbox 360 Memory Unit (64 MB): $39.99
    # Xbox 360 Hard Drive (20 GB): $99.99
    # Xbox 360 Headset: $19.99
    # Xbox 360 Faceplates: $19.99
    # Wireless Networking Adapter: $99.99
    # Xbox 360 S-Video AV Cable: $29.99
    # Xbox 360 VGA HDAV Cable: $39.99
    # Xbox 360 Component HDAV Cable: $39.99
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Backwards Compatibility

    Long ago at 2005's E3, Microsoft announced that Xbox 360 would be backwards compatible with many of the first console's "top selling games." This was an interesting choice of words indicating that partial backwards compatibility would be available. There has been no definitive list of what Xbox games will and will not work on 360 but we have been able to piece together an explanation for the limited functionality.

    Backwards compatibility will require the use of a hard drive to store emulation code. This means that gamers looking to play Halo 2 on 360 should steer clear of the Core package. The hard drive will be used to emulate the Xbox 1 hardware and many Xbox games will require tweaks to the emulator code. One emulator does not simply allow the playback of every original Xbox game so Microsoft is forced to pick and choose which titles to spend time on. It is almost a guaranteed that the Halo games will run from day one with an emulator preloaded onto the hard drive. We've also learned from our sources that Microsoft isn't just looking at sales numbers for backwards compatible games- they also want the highest quality games on Xbox to translate over to 360 regardless of sales numbers.

    One reason for this is that as Microsoft ports the more technically advanced games over to Xbox 360's emulator, fixes that they've done to make the most complex and demanding games work will trickle down to less complex games, theoretically allowing them to work as well.

    There have recently been rumors floating about that future Xbox games currently in development will run on 360 using a method that allows them to use the system's cache to run an emulator. We have yet to receive confirmation on this info, but it would be an interesting way to phase out the old hardware.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    General
    Is Xbox 360 the official name?
    Yes. If you would like to know why, check out our article detailing the thought process behind the design of the system here.

    Where do the pictures in this FAQ come from?
    Many of the images that were first presented in this FAQ came from ourcolony.net. This site is part of a viral marketing campaign sponsored by Microsoft. It was developed by the advertising company 4orty2wo Entertainment. These viral campaigns are a form of an alternate reality game (ARG) that create in-depth "narratives" that ultimately draw the players of the game towards a reward wrapped in an advertisement. The game ended on May 12th when the Xbox 360 was officially unveiled on MTV. A similar game that started at ilovebees.com was used to promote the Halo 2 release.

    Currently there is another viral marketing campaign in progress that is counting down to an unknown event concerning the Xbox 360. You can read further about the Origen campaign on IGN.com or visit the site for yourself at Origen.xbox360.com.

    When will the system be fully unveiled?
    An MTV special on May 12th 2005 officially unveiled its name, the look of the system, the controller and a few quick snippets of gameplay footage. You can get extremely detailed system specs in this FAQ and on Xbox360.ign.com. A further unveiling occurred during Microsoft's E3 press conference on May 16th.

    When is the system launching?
    All signs point towards a November 2005 launch window. This is a prime month for Microsoft to position Xbox 360 as the must-have holiday item.

    What's all this talk about the HD Era?
    At this year's GDC Microsoft's Corporate Vice President and "Chief XNA architect" J Allard rammed the idea of the HD Era into the crowd's head. He stated that the last generation of systems were part of the 3D era, and the new wave of technology would provide a more cinematic high definition experience. At a base level, he is referring to the fact that Xbox 360 games will all run in at least 720p with a 16:9 aspect ratio and 5.1 Dolby Digital audio.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Xbox Live

    Will Xbox 360 use the same Live network as Xbox?
    This will be the same network, but it will be greatly advanced from the original Live structure. Online play has become a huge reason to own an Xbox, and the company is hoping to carry this momentum over to the Xbox 360. Actually, Xbox Live is already in its third form: the last major update was when Xbox 3.0 was rolled out in April of 2004. Now, the Live experience has been advanced past just competing with other players. The 360 allows gamers to stream their own music from MP3 devices, enter video chats, customize their interface, purchase games, watch movies, view slideshows, and more. Oh, and most everything will be free.

    Pricing
    Microsoft has not released a price point for new Xbox Live subscribers on 360, but it has stated that all current subscribers will carry over to the new console. I'll state that again for emphasis: Current Xbox Live subscribers will automatically have access to Live on 360 at no added cost.

    There are two tiers of Live service on Xbox 360. The silver tier is free and includes access to the Marketplace, with gamer profiles, voice and text messaging, video messages from gold members, and some massive multiplayer online games. The gold level is paid and includes all of the silver functionality along with online tournaments, video chat, multiplayer gaming, and Live special events.

    Interface
    We already know that every Xbox 360 game will be Live enabled, but what's really impressive is the visual and functional overhaul given to the system. First off, the interface has become much more accessible. Say you are entranced in a deathmatch in your favorite 360 title and a friend request from an unknown gamer pops up on the screen. At this point all the player has to do is hit the raised silver button on the 360 controller to enter the Xbox Live general menu. But what if there is more than one person gaming? The four points of the X are marked as 1, 2, 3, and 4 to differentiate between players, and each section lights up separately for separate notifications.

    Hitting the silver button takes gamers into a menu where they have access to all Xbox Live functionality. When checking out information on a friend request, players will view a Gamer Card. This resembles a baseball card and includes all of their key stats. The first of these stats is a five star meter labeled "reputation." Microsoft describes this as their equivalent of an Ebay reliability rating, though it is more sensitive to time. This means that someone cannot build up a high reputation then decide to terrorize other players based off their previous high ranking.

    The next number on the card is a gamerscore. Each 360 game offers up a certain number of achievements that can be accomplished through successful gaming. For example, Halo 2 might award players 500 points for beating the game on Legendary. This number is catalogued both on and offline, so if a hardcore gamer decides to sign up for Live a year after purchasing the new console, he will receive full gamerscore credit. What is more difficult to describe is the accessible interface. Players can cycle through the menus with the L and R triggers. Each menu is visible on the side of the screen in a layered file-folder system. The edges of the menu have the same slight concave quality as the system, and Microsoft refers to them as "blades." We'll just say that the menus are clean, quick, and easy to navigate.

    Will we be able to message players on an original Xbox via Xbox 360?
    Because this will be the same network, it should be possible for the old console to communicate with the new one. Microsoft isn't looking to cut people off from their services; they are looking to carry over a growing user base.

    The Jerk Filter: Matchmaking
    Perhaps the most common Xbox Live complaint is that people would like greater control over who they play with. Besides the reputation, players can also decide which "zone" they want to play in. The zones are broken down into R&R, family, pro, and underground. This separates the categories of online gamers and pairs up people who go online for like reasons. All information entered into Live is used during matchmaking to ensure the best possible game, meaning that someone in the family zone looking for a laid back online experience won't be matched with a hardcore, competitive pro.

    There is also a feedback option that passes data into the matchmaking algorithms. Rating someone positively tells the system that you would enjoy being matched with them in the future. Rate someone negatively and you will most likely never see them again. From the Live interface you can also access a list of a couple hundred most recent competitors along with, of course, video, voice, and text messages. There are also options for parents to set 360 to only play games of a certain rating and limit communication capabilities.

    More Than Custom Soundtracks
    We all know that every 360 game supports custom soundtracks, but this doesn't just mean burning MP3s onto the 360's hard drive. From the two USB ports on the front of the system (one in the back), you can attach any portable MP3 player and stream music through the console. Don't like your friend's play list? Whip out your iPod, plug it in, and change the tunes. At Microsoft they had an assortment of MP3 players to show off this functionality. Satchell picked one up, and within seconds we were streaming its contents.

    This can also be done with USB camera devices. In fact, it is possible to have a video chat with another Live member, stream music, and share a slide show online all at the same time. If pictures are on a disc, it is possible to copy them over to the hard drive. The USB ports also support keyboards, so online messaging without voice support is possible.

    From the Xbox Live menu, players can press the X button to enter the system's dashboard. From here you can access all attached media devices, game information, downloads, and system settings. One of the options under the Media menu is the Media Center Extender. The console is fully compatible with the latest version of Windows Media Center, so gamers with a home network can use 360 to stream music and HD movies from their PC.

    Marketplace and Microtransactions
    The Xbox Live Marketplace is where gamers will find all of their downloadable content. This includes demos, HD trailers, skins, themes, images for gamercards, and their download history. Micro-transactions aren't just a nifty way to sell content -- they also allow gamers to purchase items without the use of a credit card. Now, people can enter a local retailer, purchase a redeemable card, and change it into credits on Live. With this system, it is possible to package credits with games or give credits as prizes.

    What about the headset?
    The new headset plugs into the wireless controller. The ports support most cell phone headsets.

    Will our Friends list transfer over?
    Yes.

    How many players will the new Live support?
    Most likely games will support 16-32 players, but expect this number to consistently grow. Recently we participated in a 50 player deathmatch in Black Hawk Down on the current hardware and Live setup. Also, Joint Operations on the PC supports 128 players, so if these numbers are possible now, expect similar results on Xbox 360.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Games/Software

    What titles are expected at launch? With the exeption of Microsoft's three first-party titles (Kameo: Elements of Power, Perfect Dark Zero, and Project Gotham Racing 3), the day one launch titles have yet to be officially announced. However, there are a few standbys that appear at almost every console launch. The genres that should be covered are football, racing, an FPS, and a killer app. From bits of info presented after E3 we can confidently present a list of games that will most likely be available at or soon after launch. These include:

    # Amped 3
    # Call of Duty 2
    # Condemned: Criminal Origins
    # Dead or Alive 4
    # Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
    # Frame City Killer
    # Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter
    # GUN
    # Kameo: Elements of Power
    # Madden NFL 2006
    # NBA 2K6
    # Need for Speed: Most Wanted
    # NHL 2K6
    # Perfect Dark Zero
    # Project Gotham Racing 3
    # Quake 4
    # Ridge Racer 6
    # Tiger Woods 2006
    # Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
    # Top Spin 2

    What is Microsoft doing about Japanese support this time around?
    Support from Mistwalker, Game Republic and Q Entertainment suggested good things for the next generation Xbox in Japan, but there's apparently much more. In an interview posted at the official Japanese Xbox site, Game Republic Chief Yoshiki Okamoto suggests that Microsoft is working with companies besides these three on next generation development.

    In comments from a recent interview, Okamoto states: "Sakaguchi (Hironobu Sakaguchi, Mistwalker), Mizuguchi (Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Q Entertainment) and of course myself are being put in the light like this, but I'm hearing that other developers will be joining [in development of next generation Xbox games]." This suggests that there are a number of surprises in store as far as developers are concerned. He goes on to state, "If the next generation Xbox lineup that's currently in development were seen, game users, and the entire game industry would be surprised. There won't be anyone who'd brush off buying the next generation Xbox once they've seen [the lineup]."

    Recently Japanese site PC Watch interviewed Xbox Japan General Manager Yoshihiro Maruyama who stated that Microsoft is working towards having 10-plus titles at the Japanese Launch. We also recently covered the Japan Summit at which a number of Japan exclusives were announced.

    What companies are signed on for Xbox 360 titles?
    Among the publishers are all the biggest players, as well as a number of smaller houses which have already committed to the next generation, and are showing plenty of promise. They are:

    # 2K Games
    # Activision
    # Atari
    # Bandai
    # Bethesda Softworks
    # Buena Vista Games
    # Capcom
    # Codemasters
    # Eidos
    # Electronic Arts
    # FromSoftware
    # InterServ International
    # KOEI
    # Konami
    # LucasArts
    # Majesco
    # Midway Games
    # Namco
    # Phantagram
    # Rockstar Games
    # SCi Games
    # SEGA
    # Tecmo
    # THQ
    # TWP
    # Ubisoft
    # Vivendi Universal Games
    # Webzen

    Microsoft also has a strong lineup of developers set to create exclusive titles for the new Xbox system:

    * BioWare
    * Bizarre Creations
    * Bungie Studios
    * Epic Games
    * FASA Studio
    * Lionhead Studios
    * Rare
    * Yoshiki Okamoto's Game Republic
    * Hironobu Sakaguchi's Mistwalker
    * Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Q Entertainment


    source: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/608/608394p1.html
     
  14. Sub.wtf?

    Sub.wtf? Well-Known Member

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    yea i saw that on ign im glad that xbox has all these great developers
     
  15. Sub.wtf?

    Sub.wtf? Well-Known Member

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