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Week of August 19, 2007
GC07: BioShock Wins Best 360 Game Award
>> From winningelevenblog.com:
[QUOTE]
Just got some notification on the GC conventions best game awards.
Heres a full list:
Best 360 Game: BIOSHOCK
Best PS3 Game: PES 2008
Best Wii Game: MARIO & SONIC OLYMPICS
Best PC Game: CRYSIS
Best PS2 Game: PES 2008
Best PSP Game: GOD Of WAR - CHAINS OF OLYMPUS
Best DS Game: EYE TRAINING
Best Online Game: AGE OF CONAN - HYBORIAN ADVENTURES
Best Hardware: Wii BALANCE BOARD
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Full Story: winningelevenblog.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft won't attend E for All
>> From gamesindustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
A Microsoft spokesperson has confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that the company won't be attending the inaugural E for All Expo.
SCEA has also chosen not to participate, focusing instead on E3, Leipzig, TGS, CES, DICE and GDC, according to their spokesperson.
The E for All Expo, organised by IDG World Expo, is scheduled for October 18-21 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. It is being touted as a consumer-oriented replacement for the old E3 show.
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Full Story: gamesindustry.biz
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
The AO Debate: Is the Industry Censoring Itself?
>> From biz.gamedaily.com:
[QUOTE]
Given the news that Rockstar's Manhunt 2 is now cleared for a North American release, thanks to a spiffy new M rating, we can't help but wonder if this is really the right move for the ever-growing video game industry. After all, on its face what's so wrong about an AO-rated title? Shouldn't game developers have the freedom to create games according to their vision, rather than have their vision essentially forcibly altered?
We understand that the ESRB is just doing its job and that retailers certainly have the right to carry or not carry whatever products they wish, but if we all trust the ESRB system and the retailers to enforce the ratings (not to mention parents to properly monitor their kids), then why shouldn't console manufacturers allow AO titles on their platforms? Ultimately, what it boils down to is that the same industry that cries foul while fighting legislators month after month to protect First Amendment rights is seemingly censoring itself - even if no one single party is at fault.
It's a delicate situation, so much so that when contacted by GameDaily BIZ, the ESRB told us to contact the ESA and then the ESA sent us right back to the ESRB. We were given the runaround. Console manufacturers were equally difficult to get any real answer from. Sure, Microsoft provided us with their usual filler, reiterating that they don't support AO-rated titles on 360, and that they've "always been a strong proponent of all game rating systems in effect in the different parts of the world, as well as parental controls which are part of both the Xbox 360 as well as Windows Vista." And Nintendo and Sony offered similar sentiments, but none of the big three could really give us an adequate "why" to the AO question.
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Full Story: biz.gamedaily.com (2 pages)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Analysts Surprised By July's 360 Success
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
Said Pachter, who, along with simExchange, had predicted the PS3 to eclipse 360 sales with the former's price cut and the latter's highly publicized red ring warranty issues, "Xbox 360 demand was far stronger than we expected this month, with sales just above those for the PS3. We had expected a decline in demand due to the warranty issue and price competition from Sony. We now expect Xbox 360 sales to increase, as the warranty issue appears to be of little concern to consumers, and the recent price cut should stimulate demand."
simExchange expressed many of the same feelings, adding that "the market overreacted to the leaked upcoming Xbox 360 price drop and the warranty issues as deterrents to July purchases, and saying "given the lifetime unit sales predictions for the Xbox 360 and the PS3, the Xbox 360 will continue outselling the PS3 every month through the holidays."
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Full Story: gamasutra.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Jason Rubin (Naughty Dog): Console Prices 'Out Of Hand'
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
In an in-depth new interview posted on Gamasutra today, former Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin has been discussing the state of the game biz, claiming that, with the exception of Nintendo, game console makers "have gotten caught up in the technology", with prices "a little bit out of hand" for the end user, suggesting: "I don't think it's about technology. It's about entertainment."
Rubin's concern is a matter of installed bases and maximizing an audience for a game, claiming, "I would much rather have a console that's 30% weaker and have three times as many of them in the first year sold, so your game reaches a broader audience, and you can be a little bit more aggressive with your budgets up front and things like that.
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[FS] gamasutra.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox Live Service Set for a Boost with Limelight Networks
>> From next-gen.biz:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft and digital content delivery specialists Limelight Networks have announced a new partnership that the platform holder hopes will vastly improve the reliability and functionality of its online service, Xbox Live.
In a joint statement made Thursday, Microsoft said that Limelight's expertise in content delivery network services would boost the firm's online offering by helping to deliver music, films and games via less congested Internet routes, reports Reuters.
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Full Story: next-gen.biz | yahoo.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
CPX3 v1.0 - CPS3 emulator for XBOX
>> CPX3 v1.0 a Capcom Play System 3 emulator for Xbox1 has been released.
From readme/nfo:
[QUOTE]
CPS3 is a quite powerful system and the XBOX CPU is barely enough to emulate it so you can expect some slowdowns in zoomed and graphics intensive scenes.
Also the XBOX RAM (64MB) is not enough to load the rom dumps and the rest of memory in the CPS3 hardware so the emulator uses a disk swap file to hold the uncompressed rom dumps and load from it as necessary. You'll notice some "hiccups" in the emulation in some scene changes, when the emulator needs to copy blocks of rom data from disk to memory (especially at the beginning of fights or when a super move is performed).
The Street Fighter 3 games run pretty well, with few slowdowns and frame drops. SF3 2nd impact would require twice the amount of ram to store the decrypted program roms due to having different encryption on program and data, so to make it fit in the XBOX RAM, the emulator decrypts the data plane on the fly (like the hardware does :) ) so in this game slowdowns are more likely.
Next to them are the jojo games, that sometimes need to copy big amounts of gfx data from disk to ram and have some framerate drop (specials, stand enter/exit).
The game with more slowdowns is Warzard, due to the abuse of zoom out (that requires the emulator to render more visible area), huge sprites and complex background graphics.
The emulation of shadows is not accurate due to the way the original hardware works. Emulating it properly requires a lot of extra CPU power and the XBOX will not be capable of running the games at full framerate. They are currently just darkening the image under them, that is right for shadows but not for other effects, that's a price to pay for playability :)
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Official Site: www.speksnk.org (thanks to GLiTcH for the news/link)
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
July NPD US Numbers: Xbox360 170k, PS3 159k, Wii 425k
>> From next-gen.biz:
[QUOTE]
The NPD reported today that video games generated nearly $1 billion in sales in July, led by a 140% increase in console sales.
Console hardware growth was led by the Wii, which sold 425,000 units in July. This was followed by the PlayStation 2, which sold 222,000 units. The Xbox 360 continued to outsell the PS3 with 170,000 units versus 159,000 units, countering earlier analysts predictions that said this trend would reverse due to the PS3 price cut.
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Full Story: next-gen.biz
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Falcon Xbox360 Motherboard: This Fall, 65nm CPU but still 90nm GPU
>> From Dean Takahashi at mercurynews.com:
[QUOTE]
Falcon is coming your way this fall. The first Xbox 360s with it are probably on ships coming from China.
Readers of this column will know that Falcon is the code name for a board that houses the first Microsoft 65-nanometer chip for the Xbox 360.
When I went to E3, several Microsoft sources said they had never heard of Falcon. I scratched my head. But I've been able to confirm that it does indeed exist and I know more about its schedule. Falcon is the name for the board that houses the 65-nanometer microprocessor from IBM. The board does not include a 65-nanometer version of the ATI graphics chip for the Xbox 360. That version of the graphics chip is coming later. A good question here is why not. Doesn't Microsoft really need to reduce the heat coming out of that graphics chip?
In general, Microsoft's plan was to redesign the motherboard every year and introduce a new generation of chip circuitry every two years. By that standard, we are really due for the arrival of the 65-nanometer chips.
Now you would have thought that Zephyr would have come with the 65-nanometer IBM microprocessor. But it didn't. The Xbox 360 Elite was introduced in limited quantities and it used the older 90-nanometer chips. The design for the 65-nanometer version of the IBM chip has been ready since last year. Why didn't Microsoft introduce it earlier?
Well, Microsoft had to make a trade-off. It chose to put more of its hardware engineering team on the problem of repairing defective Xbox 360 consoles and troubleshooting how to redesign the console so that it would function properly. For whatever reason, that led to a delay in the launch of Falcon. (Maybe that tells you that hardware and chip engineers are limited quantities at Microsoft). Getting something like 65-nanometer chips out is an enormously difficult undertaking. Many chip companies have faltered in the past in such transitions, and you never know how quickly they can get them done. Clearly, Microsoft's team was challenged by the hard task of dealing with the defects and getting the Falcon project out the door. Were they stretched too thin?
So Falcon is coming later than expected. But I have confirmed that it is coming. In July, Microsoft's hardware team was in the midst of qualifying Falcon and the IBM 65-nm microprocessor so that it could get all the bugs out. Now those chips are in the first batches of the new consoles that are coming in ships across the Pacific from China, where Microsoft's contract manufacturers assemble the boxes. If they get here in time, then many of those machines could be ready for fall sales.
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Full Story: mercurynews.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft to Provide Retrofit for Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel
>> From the press release;
[QUOTE]
Microsoft Corp. today announced that it is taking a precautionary measure and voluntarily providing customers with a free retrofit to the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel.
The action is being taken after Microsoft was informed of a very small number of incidents of a malfunction in the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, in which a component in the wheel chassis may overheat and release smoke when the AC/DC power supply is used to energize the wheel. There have been no reported incidences of fire, personal injury or property damage resulting from the component failure in the wheel.
Owners of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel should stop using the AC/DC power supply until they have obtained their retrofit. They may continue to operate the wheel using battery power.
Owners of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel should visit http://www.xbox.com/support or call Microsoft at (800) 4MY-XBOX (469-9269) to register for the free retrofit and protect against the potential hazard described above. Instructions, if necessary, will be provided with the retrofit. Microsoft is notifying and will be coordinating its response activities with the relevant regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. This may affect delivery dates.
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Timing Attack Tested Succesfully: Downgrade from any Kernel without CPU-Key
>> Robinsod managed to successfully boot his Xbox360 with one flashed eFuse with kernel 1888 using the timing attack we talked about some weeks ago. It's not something everyone out there can do yet, but as more information gets released (it's an open source project :)) and things get optimized and developed further it might open homebrew and linux for the Xbox360 on a much larger scale soon. Of course once your 360 is back to an (older) vulnerable kernel (4532,4548), you won't be able to go on LIVE anymore (it only accepts the latest kernel (5766 atm)) ... but a dual kernel system is a possibility (using a xD memory card even).
From Robinsod on XBH:
[QUOTE]
Done it! My bricked box - one blown eFuse but no CPU key and no valid flash dump that would boot (I did have a valid 2241 dump though that would no longer boot because of the eFuse) - is now alive and well and booting 2.0.1888 with a patched CB (LD count = 1) and a "guessed" hash. Even doing it "manually" only took 3 evenings ;) Now, sleep
Just to be clear, the timing attack will allow you to downgrade to 2.0.1888. You can then upgrade to 4532 & run the KK sploit and obtain your CPU keys. You should be able to replace the original CB after the upgrade (this needs to be confirmed) and then the only "clue" to what happened is that you may have 1 or 2 more burned eFuses for the HV/Kernel version you are running.
It should be possible, soon, for anyone with an Infectus modchip and 20 Euros worth of homebrew hardware to downgrade. Dont forget the Kiosk disk is usable again too!
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Here's a bit more info about his "proof of concept" downgrader hardware:
[QUOTE]
I'm using the Infectus chip (with a dll interface provided by them) to rewrite one NAND block with sequential hash guesses. The process takes approx 1 second. The Hynix data sheet quotes a 100,000 read write cycles, our worst case is 4096 or 4%. Since this is a one time operation I think 4% wear is acceptable.
Some PIC processors have CCP modules that allow an internal 16 bit counter to be sampled when a +ve or -ve edge is detected, the counter is claimed to have a 50nS resolution although I'm not convinced ;) Simple software in the PIC allows me to detect the end of CE and the POST port changing from 0x21 => 0xA4 (the end of hashing). The PIC also drives the JTAG reset line. A couple of cheap interface ICs and some passives complete the design - you will definitely be able to build your own hardware from easy to obtain parts, on stripboard, for around 20 Euros.
Controlling all this is some PC software that can generate the required CB section patch, control the infectus and the PIC. It would seem that the "cycle" time should be less than 3 seconds. To test this I am using the 360 I "bricked" at christmas, I don't know the CPU key for this box so I cant "cheat" and test each correctly "guessed" hash byte.
Once I finish testing I will post more info followed by a complete, open source package of hardware and software so you can build your own in a few hours. Now might be a good time to get that infectus chip.
One final point, a lot of the people who want to downgrade will probably have recent versions of the applications (dash, media player etc etc). Some of the latest dashes definitely completely replaced the dash.xex (and possibly others) rather than write new xexp files. These newer versions of the applications definitely require newer system libs and I doubt they will boot on a 2.0.1888 machine. We will need to obtain an image of a clean 2.0.1888 file system.
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More useful information by Arnezami explaining the attack:
[QUOTE]
The timing attack does not try to "bruteforce" the cpu key itself. It tries to find/bruteforce a hash value which is a result of the usage of the cpu key (so even if you have that hash you still cannot backwards compute the cpu key). But finding this hash value (I usually refer to it as the CB-auth value) will enable the xbox to boot the original kernel (v 1888). This then allows you to upgrade to a vulnerable kernel (eg 4532) and THEN you can extract the cpu key using the kk exploit.
Since -on average- you will find the correct value at roughly half of the possible byte values you only need to try (approx) 128 values for each of the 16 bytes. Thats why vax is talking about 16 * 128 total number if byte changes...
There is a theoretical minimum to the reboot time of about 1 second. So in theory you could find the 16 bytes in 34 minutes. Thats probably not gonna happen. Grin And installing the hardware will probably take even more time so its not a really big issue. But this is basically where the time speculations are based on.
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News-Source/More Details: xboxhacker.net(1) | xboxhacker.net(2)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft demands XBux change its name
>> From venturebeat.com:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft has decided yet again to play Goliath. The heavy-handed giant is demanding that a small venture-backed company, called XBux, change its name.
Despite the fact that XBux which helps extreme sporting event promoters and athletes find sponsors, is nowhere near the video game world, Microsoft alleges that XBux is infringing on its XBox trademark, according to XBux. XBux, of Redwood City, Calif., says Microsoft originally argued that both companies were in the "entertainment business," and therefore crossed paths, but backed away from this position. Microsoft seemed to go away for a few months, then came back and deposed XBux's chief executive, a former venture capitalist named Richard Grogan-Crane.
However, Grogan-Crane says that he will not go down gently. He says:
"I think what they are doing is relying on attrition through cost. The cost to defend will run as much as 100k+.. I think they are hoping as a venture backed company, we will fold. We won't. Their attitude is very aggressive, it's a very interesting insight into how they see the world ( i.e theirs !!)"
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Full Story: venturebeat.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
GameStop Halo 3 Pre-Order Commercial
>> This is a pretty original video commercial from retail chain GameStop to advertise Halo3 pre-orders. Say goodbye to Halo2...
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
VGChartz: Nintendo Wii is market leader in home console business
>> From the vgchartz press release:
[QUOTE]
Vgchartz.com, the most comprehensive Videogame charts in the world has announced that lifetime sales of Nintendo's Wii have passed Microsoft's Xbox 360 on a worldwide basis as of August 23rd.
Two years ago, very few analysts would have predicted the Nintendo Wii would be market leader this generation against the established Playstation and Xbox brands. But analysts can be in error: Vgchartz.com data, which is based on sample data from retailers all over the world indicates that the week ending August 23rd Nintendo's Wii (which was released one year after the Xbox 360 in November 2006), currently standing at 10.57 million consoles sold, passed Xbox 360 lifetime sales of 10.51 million units, making Nintendo the new market leader in both the home and handheld videogame console businesses.
As weekly data from vgchartz.com shows, the console outsold Microsoft's Xbox 360 by a margin of 2.3 : 1 worldwide on average each week since its release, selling at an even faster rate than the most successful console ever created, Sony's Playstation 2, despite still being sold out in most major markets.
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Read the whole press release on vgchartz.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Halo 3 Shown to Hundreds at Sneak Preview
>> From gamerscoreblog.com (FYI: MS owned blog):
[QUOTE]
Just got home from Seattle, where Bungie played host to two packed houses at the Pacific Science Center Boeing IMAX theater. Every seat was filled at the 10PM show, so the folks at the Science Center were kind enough to let us stay late and let in another group at 11:15. Every seat ended up being filled at that show too. Amazing, since the event was announced only a day earlier. The guys at the front of the line arrived at 10:00 AM. Die hards.
Frankie and Luke wowed the crowd with a great demo of co-op on the Tsavo Highway. I think everyone there was awed by the graphics, which looked great thanks to a 10,000 lumens hi-def projector. Frank showed off Forge, where you can modify your multiplayer games, and they wrapped things up by showing off the Save Films mode, where you can save complete games, and move the camera after you've captured the film, take screen shots, and share your favorite moments with your friends. It was awesome watching missles coming in at an enemy in slow motion, from every angle.
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Full Story: gamerscoreblog.com (more pictures of event)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Boy Nearly Killed Trying To Cool Xbox 360
>> From funtechtalk.com:
[QUOTE]
A 14 year old boy from Brevard, North Carolina was nearly killed Sunday while trying to stop his Xbox 360 from overheating.
While his mother was away the boy had taken the power supply and wrapped it in plastic and tape. In an attempt to cool it off, he submerged it into a pan of water with the cord still plugged in. The boy had regained consciousness by the time paramedics had arrived. He was taken to the Transylvania Community Hospital in Brevard where he spent the night.
Aside from getting knocked unconscious the boy only suffered small burns to his right hand and foot.
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Full Story: funtechtalk.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Kotaku: The Big Three Booths of Leipzig Game Convention
>> From kotaku.com:
[QUOTE]
After a quiet E3, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are back in the great arms race that is...The Booth. And while much of the show floor is still a pile of sawdust and stomped out cigarettes, it's not too early (for us) to make snap judgments and rude criticisms about the showmanship of the big three.
Microsoft's Beanbag on Beach
Creativity: 5
Meh. Beach? Sounds like a themed frat party without the sand, kegs or glistening vomit residue on the bust of a sorority girl.
Usability: 9
Teams of two can can play at a booth that is mostly devoted to places to play
Overall: 7
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The Leipzig (Germany) Game Convention will start on August 23, till the 26th.
Full Story: kotaku.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Michael Bay now likes HD DVD
>> I think Paramount wasn't too happy about Michael Bay's original reaction about Paramount/DreamWorks going HD DVD exclusive, here's what he posted today on his blog:
[QUOTE]
Last night at dinner I was having dinner with three Blu-Ray owners, they were pissed about no Transformers Blu-Ray and I drank the kool aid hook line and sinker. So at 1:30 in the morning I posted - nothing good ever comes out of early am posts mind you - I over reacted. I heard where Paramount is coming from and the future of HD and players that will be close to the $200 mark which is the magic number. I like what I heard.
As a director, I'm all about people seeing films in the best quality possible, and I saw and heard firsthand people upset about a corporate decision.
So today I saw 300 on HD, it rocks!
So I think I might be back on to do Transformers 2!
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Wired Halo 3 Article now Online: Chronicles of the Development
>> The lengthy article about Halo3 published in the latest issue of wired magazine is now also published on their website.
The guys over at xbox360fanboy.com wrote a nice summary of the article:
[QUOTE]
Specifically, the article deals with the extensive testing process that Halo 3 has undergone to ensure that the game is as close to perfect as it can be. Believe it or not, Bungie knows that lots of people were unsatisfied with Halo 2 (many Bungie employees weren't satisfied with it). The combat wasn't balanced, there were plenty of glitches, and the story, well, the story wasn't what Bungie wanted it to be. This time though, Bungie has employed an army of testers to make sure that the game is satisfying to everyone from the pros to Halo n00bs to Grandma (well, maybe not Grandma). As noted by the article, the Halo 3 testing process leans more towards science than artistry. Bungie recorded play sessions, recorded players' reactions during those play sessions, had players stop to note their satisfaction every 20 minutes, and much more.
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Full Story: www.wired.com (6 pages) (summary by xbox360fanboy.com)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Are Payoffs Bad for the Industry and is Microsoft Paying Off EA Sports?
>> From loot-ninja.com:
[QUOTE]
I was watching Sunday Night Football on NBC this past weekend and saw no less than 6 commercials for Madden 08. Each commercial showed users with the official Microsoft Wireless Headset and Xbox 360 controllers jumping up and down playing the next-gen football title. At the end of every commercial there was the Xbox 360 logo and a few seconds showing the price drop for the 360. Now, there would be nothing wrong with this had the game been an Xbox 360 exclusive. But it's Madden, the most widely sold and well known multi-platform video game in the industry.
Now why would EA Sports be so inclined to give Microsoft such preferential treatment in these commercials? The answer is simple: money. Microsoft is most likely throwing money at EA to fund their development and boost sales of games for their console. And are the commercials the only things they're paying for? This is only speculation, but the Xbox 360 is the only platform for EA Sports titles to run at 60fps. Is this coincidence or a correlation between the two events? I would personally lean towards correlating the payoffs. EA has blamed the lack of time with PS3 hardware for having Sony's version of the game run at 30fps. I think we can effectively call shenanigans here, as many third party developers have games running at 1080p and 60fps on the PS3 (i.e. Activision with Call of Duty 4). Either EA Sports has a shoddy development team (which can be argued), or there's something else going on here.
So what happens with all of these payoffs and buyouts? Ultimately, the gamers are ones who suffer. Look at what happens when a license becomes exclusive (i.e. NFL or MLB)... the development flattens out as there's no competition in that field. And that's just what will happen as payoffs and buyouts continue. Competition will dry up and money will force developers' hands. The old adage of speak with your wallet is really the only way to let these companies know that something need to change. Sadly, I have feeling that just won't work and the payoffs and buyouts will only become more frequent. We'll see what happens over the next few years.
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Full Story: loot-ninja.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft's Gamefest Japan 2007 Hits Akasaka Prince
>> From kotaku.com:
[QUOTE]
On September 6th and 7th in Tokyo's Akasaka, Microsoft will be holding its "Gamefest Japan 2007" at the Akasaka Prince Hotel. The event is a "Technological Briefing," geared for developers and creators. Things like XNA Game Studio Express, Xbox 360/PC cross-platform, LIVE tools and Games for Windows will be touched upon.
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Full Story: kotaku.com | microsoft.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
GCDC: Next generation could see unified console - Dyack
>> From gamesindustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
Outspoken developer Denis Dyack outlined his vision of a one-console future in a speech at GCDC yesterday, arguing that the history of commoditization in other industries meant the standardisation of gaming hardware was an inevitability - and something we might see as soon as the next cycle of console hardware.
In the future, companies like Sony, Microsoft, Toshiba, Samsung, Sharp and Dell would line up to deliver gaming systems of comparable power that supported all gaming software, Dyack predicted. In the rare case of a game that didn't work, "it would be the hardware manufacturer's fault", he said, removing a number of burdens from software developers' shoulders.
This standardisation, as he put it, would mean better hardware at lower prices, the abolition of a first-party product approval service, cheaper development due to the loss of multiple SKUs, resultant lower game prices, and a 100 percent market share for developers to target rather than a range of big fractions marked Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft, which is the current model.
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Full Story: gamesindustry.biz
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Michael Bay responds to Paramount's abandonment of Blu-ray
>> From engadget.com:
[QUOTE]
So by now you've heard that Paramount has dropped support for Blu-ray right? Good, so has a notable Hollywood director. Michael Bay -- the man behind "Transformers," "Bad Boys," "Pear Harbor," etc. -- just threw down with Paramount in his personal blog. In a forum post titled "Paramount pisses me off!", he states, "I want people to see my movies in the best formats possible. For them to deny people who have Blu-ray sucks! They were progressive by having two formats. No Transformers 2 for me!"
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Full Story: engadget.com | shootfortheedit.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Schtrom360Xtract v3.3 - Improved Stealth Check
>> Schtrom released a new version of Schtrom360Xtract(info), a tool that will allow you to easily dump Xbox/Xbox360 gamedata, extract/patch the Security Sectors, PFI and DMI and fully prepare the image for burning in 1 step.
What's new/fixed:
* new extraction style "whole disc (stealth xtreme 3.0 SplitVid)", this splits the video part for layer 0 and layer 1, this seems to be the most exact method to extract an image
* new extraction styles for both video layers (videoL0.iso and videoL1.iso)
* extraction of both video layers from a "SplitVid" style image
* you can take a stealth xtreme 3.0 style backup disc and extract a new "SplitVid" style image directly from it
* you can extract the SplitVid video layers from a xtreme 3.0 image and inject them into the same image later to convert it to SplitVid
* get region code directly from a disc
* the region code check gets also the game name based on the Media ID and the stealth.ini file
* save XDVDFS image and disc layout to a lyt file
* fixed XDVDFS XTR extraction, problems of some images like Star Trek Legacy
* fixed options dialog, custom drive letter is not loaded from ini
* fixed inquiry detection of SH-D163A without kreon firmware
* on extraction to non NTFS partitions only a warning msg is displayed, the task is not aborted
* xdvdfs wildcard extraction changed, use the following:
- for a complete extraction leave the Wildcards edit control blank
- for exact extraction
"\default.xex", only extract default.xex or Default.xex from the specified root path "\"
- for wildcard extraction
"*.xml", extract all xml files and create the needed subfolders in the destination path
"*panel*.x?l", extract all panel files that have the extension x?l
* new stealth check function under the "Tools" menu, this should be used every time before burning an image
* stealth and crc32 check of images and backup discs possible
* the stealth.ini contains stealth verification data of most games out atm, after the stealth and crc check of an image/disc the result is compared against the stealth.ini entries to find a match, if a match is found you can be 100 % sure that the image/disc is completely stealth
* if there is no match found in the stealth.ini you can add the unknown image as a user entry
* stealth verification user entries can be exported/imported from/to the stealth.ini, this maybe helpful in the future to keep the database up to date
Official Site: n/a, by Schtrom
Download: here
News-Source: xboxhacker.net (thx to ivc for link)
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Study: Consoles Center of Digital Home
>> From next-gen.biz:
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Videogame consoles will be the primary method of bringing digital content to home TVs and stereo systems in 2012, according to a new study.
ABI Research said Monday that it forecasts an installed base of 184 million digital media adapters (standalone or embedded devices that route audiovisual content to TVs and stereo systems) in 2012.
Game consoles will make up an overwhelming 85 percent of this installed base, while just over 11 percent will be standalone devices.
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Full Story: next-gen.biz
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HD DVD Paid 150 million USD to Studios for 'Promotional Consideration'
>> From gizmodo.com:
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Paramount and Dreamworks went HD DVD exclusive today. Then, a Hollywood news blog reported that the HD DVD camp paid Paramount $50 million and DreamWorks Animation $100 million for "promotional consideration." We asked Paramount and the HD DVD camp about this, and received a quick albeit vague reply: "Whenever we conduct co-marketing, production deals or other agreements, we never discuss business terms."
I take that as a confirmation of sorts--certainly it isn't a denial--but is it bad, or even out of the ordinary?
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Full Story: gizmodo.com
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Wii and PS3 more vulnerable to viruses and phishing than Xbox 360
>> From tech.co.uk:
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Games consoles like the Sony PS3 and Nintendo Wii are vulnerable to malicious viruses and phishing attacks. That's according to Symantec, which has been researching the security vulnerabilities of home appliances.
"As we access the web on all these different devices, we inherit web problems such as phishing - those types of online attacks and potentially malicious code as well," he said. "These are definitely problems for the future which need to be addressed."
"How long before we see remote arbitrary code execution-type vulnerabilities? I think proof of concept we'll see them within two years. Maybe not mass usage for another five years.
Whitehouse also said that the Microsoft Xbox 360 is more secure than the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 due to the security implemented in every 360 game and piece of software.
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Full Story: tech.co.uk
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HD DVD: We're Not at War with Blu-ray
>> From betanews.com:
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It's hard to miss the ping pong game of rhetoric between the promotion groups pushing HD DVD and Blu-ray. From sales figures to exclusive deals, press releases are churned out almost daily. The so-called "format war" is Betamax and VHS redux - at least that's what the media wants you to think.
But the real competition is with standard-definition DVDs and convincing the masses of the merits of hi-def. And that's the crux of why HD DVD just doesn't care that Blu-ray has more studio deals or the PS3: none of this matters yet until more people start upgrading.
Unfortunately, you won't hear either side say that publicly, because it's important to make consumers feel like they are missing out by not becoming early adopters. The advantages aren't as clear as they were with first-generation DVDs, and a format war helps garner critical media attention.
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Full Story: betanews.com
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Microsoft: Xbox profits may take at least two more years
>> From gamepro.com:
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Microsoft COO Kevin Turner admitted last week that it may take at least two to three more years before the Xbox 360 turns a profit. Despite the recent financial and hardware troubles of the console, the Microsoft executive remained confident and committed to gaming.
"We are a software company, so we don't have decades of experience in the hardware business," Turner said in an interview with eWeek. "We are learning as we go in that space, and we still have a lot to learn, so we don't have it completely figured out... The [$1 billion in warranty losses] is a bad thing, but affecting customers is a worse thing."
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Full Story: gamepro.com
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DreamWorks Animation, Paramount choose HD DVD
>> From reuters.com:
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Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc said on Monday they will release their DVD titles exclusively on HD DVD ahead of what they say could be the biggest holiday season ever for DVDs.
Paramount had sold titles in both the new high-definition formats -- HD DVD and Blu-Ray -- but settled exclusively on HD DVD after deciding that it offered better quality, lower-priced players and lower manufacturing costs, Kelley Avery, president of Paramount Home Entertainment, told Reuters.
"This has been the biggest summer on record for movies, it will be the biggest fourth quarter for popular movies for consumers," Avery said. "At the same time, we have HD DVD players that are truly affordable."
Paramount's first releases under the exclusive HD DVD program include "Blades of Glory" on August 28, and the summer blockbusters "Transformers" and "Shrek the Third", due for release later this fall.
The exclusive agreement does not include movies directed by Steven Spielberg for DreamWorks SKG, a Paramount unit. It does include all other movies distributed by Paramount, DreamWorks, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films.
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Full Story: reuters.com
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Rumor: 360 SKU Rebranding? 'Arcade: Just Play', 'Go Pro' and 'Elite: Go Big'
>> From gamernode.com:
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"At an as of yet unknown date, the Core will be completely phased out and repackaged as the 'Xbox Arcade: Just Play' pack. It will come with 5 games (I assume Uno and Pac-Man are two since I believe I saw them on the box art shown), a 256 mb memory card, and will be priced at 279. I'm not 100% sure about this part, but my notes say it will have an HDMI exit, but no cable in the box."
According to my source, they did mention that this "new" model would be a global thing, and with the recent changes of Xbox 360 prices in Europe, it wouldn't be a shocker at all if this went for 279 in both Europe and the US.
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Note: I also noticed the above diagram shows the 'new core' will come with a wireless controller now instead of the wired controller. It lists HDMI-cable as optional, so I guess the new SKU will also have the HDMI port which is kinda logic. Microsoft will not keep producing two types of motherboards, it's much easier and cheaper for them to make 1 type of motherboard for all SKUs.
Full Story: gamernode.com
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European and Middle-East Xbox 360 Price Drop Official
>> From the press release:
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Microsoft today announced an estimated retail price drop for its Xbox 360 family of consoles in Europe and the Middle East, and welcomed a new member of the family - Xbox 360 Elite. With a product to suit every interest and budget plus the best line up of games of any console, the Xbox 360 range is poised to bring amazing gaming and entertainment experiences to even more consumers this Christmas. The lower cost opens the door to Xbox 360 for more people, helping to broaden the market for gaming and enabling more people to enjoy titles like Halo 3 (Bungie), Scene It? (Microsoft Game Studios), Bioshock (2k Games), Project Gotham Racing 4 (Bizarre Creations), Mass Effect (BioWare), Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (Bandai/Namco), Naruto (Ubisoft), Blue Dragon (Mistwalker/Artoon Co. Ltd) and more - all only on Xbox 360.
From Friday, 24th August 2007, new estimated retail pricing will come into effect for Xbox 360 in Europe. The Xbox 360, which includes a 20GB hard drive and one wireless controller, will be reduced by €50/£30/AED300 to carry an estimated retail price of €349.99/£249.99/AED1499. The entry-level Xbox 360 Core console, perfect for those wishing to make their first foray into the gaming and entertainment world of Xbox, will be reduced by €20/£20 to carry an estimated retail price of €279.99/£179.99.
Xbox 360 Elite will carry an estimated retail price of €449.99/£299.99/AED1950 when it launches in Europe this Friday, 24th August. It comes with a massive 120GB hard drive, enabling consumers to store huge quantities of content downloaded from Xbox Live Marketplace as well as their own music. The inclusion of a high-definition multimedia interface port (HDMI) is designed for the expanding groups of consumers with HD TVs and HDMI - it offers an alternative method for getting the incredible high-definition gaming and entertainment experiences that Xbox 360 has pioneered. A premium black finish marks the Xbox 360 Elite as the ultimate in entertainment devices and the 'luxury' option for seasoned gamers.
"We're pleased to be able to offer Xbox 360 at a new, lower estimated retail price," said Chris Lewis, Regional Vice President, Microsoft E&D Europe. "We pioneered the successful concept of multiple products for multiple categories of consumer. First-timers will love the Xbox 360 Core system, which offers an affordable entry into high-definition gaming. The Xbox 360, with its large hard drive and wireless controller, will appeal to casual and experienced gamers and families. The Xbox 360 opens up whole new avenues of entertainment for those who seek the ultimate gaming and entertainment experience.
"Whether it's our lead in console sales, record-setting games and accessory attach rates or our leading online service, evidence is everywhere that Xbox is thriving," continued Lewis. ."When you combine that momentum with these great-value offerings with our unbeatable Christmas game line-up, it's clear that Xbox 360 is uniquely placed to take Europe by storm this Christmas."
For the past year, Xbox 360 has been the number one console in EMEA, having obtained more than 30 percent of the market in terms of overall revenue (more than 45 percent in the UK, Netherlands and Sweden*). Xbox 360 continues to enjoy the highest software attach rate of any game console in Europe with more than 5.5 games sold per console since launch (PS2: 3.8; GC: 5.2; Xbox: 4.3 after 17 months on the market*).
As well as the Xbox 360 Elite console, a range of accessories with a matching sleek black finish will be made available including:
- Xbox 360 120GB hard drive: The massive 120GB detachable hard drive allows gamers to not only save their games but also store video, mu | | | | | |
