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Week of June 11, 2006
ZsnexBox v1.7
>> Nes6502 released a new version of ZsnexBox(info), a port of the Zsnes Super Nintendo emulator to Xbox on our forums with lots of new and fixed stuff!
What's new/fixed:
* The FPS setting is fixed. It should display if it is set to "On" every time.
* Reverse Stereo is now saved/loaded from the ini.
* The "Hide File Extensions" option is saved/loaded from the ini.
* Added an option to disable screenshot saving
* Fixed the bug where part of the screenshot was still on the screen after saving.
Official Site: n/a, by Nes6502 (official support thread on our forums)
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Save your 360 from the dreaded red lights with this fix
>> Arstechnica.com posted an article about how they fixed an Xbox 360 with the "three red lights of death". They removed the metallic silver cover over that was placed over the thermal paste of the GPU heatsink and replaced the thermal paste of both CPU and GPU with arctic silver, which seemingly repaired the Xbox360.
So ... Arstechnica kinda comes to the same conclusion as Modcontrol/gamestore24/konsole24 back in march with their story: Xbox 360 Overheating Caused by Protective Foil on Heatsink? ... even if Microsoft PR claimed the foil is supposed to be there (but who still listens to those "below 3-5% failure rate" guys?)
From arstechnica.com (I noticed that the author also posted his article on our forums here):
[QUOTE]
This applies to 360 suffering from the "three red lights of death," or red lights from three o'clock to twelve o'clock around the power button. This means "General Hardware Failure" and does not point to any one specific item.
There are ways to get a more specific trouble code out of the 360 when this happens. I'm not going to get into that now, but this link will tell you how to get the additional code and how to interpret that. I was unable get the secondary error code because my 360's troubles were very erratic. Sometimes it would let me play for a few minutes and then freeze up. Sometimes it wouldn't even get past the intro screen during bootup without freezing. Sometimes it wouldn't boot at all and give me the three red lights, but not every time.
I discovered the GPU chip on my 360 possibly had some sort of thermal interface material (TIM) failure. I compared mine to how another one looked over at Anandtech and discovered mine was indeed different. Mine had some sort of metallic silver cover over the heatsink paste on the heatsink, and very little if any paste actually came into contact with the GPU die itself.
Note: Some TIMs are designed to have a cover over the paste. I personally have never seen one, so at least to me they are rare. (I've been building PCs since 1996.) Your experience may vary. What I found on my 360's GPU could actually be a fully functional TIM in theory, but mine seemed to be experiencing overheating issues.
With the troubleshooting gears turning in my head, it made sense that the GPU might be overheating. I thought I would replace the TIM with some Arctic Silver, and see what happens. So far, this repair has worked for my 360. I've been racking up as much play time as possible, so far 2+ hours, and no lockups whatsoever. This is the most it has let me play in two weeks. Before, I couldn't play 2 minutes without it locking up, much less an hour.
[/QUOTE]
Read More (including guide on how to replace thermal paste on GPU/CPU): arstechnica.com, which the author also posted on our forums here.
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
ZsnexBox v1.6
>> Nes6502 released a new version of ZsnexBox(info), a port of the Zsnes Super Nintendo emulator to Xbox on our forums with lots of new and fixed stuff!
What's new/fixed:
* save GUI background audio (v1.6)
* FINALLY fixed the bug where supported games would sometimes not start or
crash the XBOX.
* Added support for HD modes 720p and 1080i. These are only selectable if the correct cables are used and are enabled in the dashboard. 480i/480p is still the default video mode used unless it is changed. These take affect immediately and both the GUI and the in game emulation are rendered in these resolutions. This setting is saved to the ini, so if something doesn't work, you can always delete the ini to have ZsnexBox start in 480i/480p. If you have a problem with the default 480p/480i code and you have support for 720p or 1080i, you can change this line in the ZsnexBox.ini
HDMode=X (X is 1 for 720p or 2 for 1080i)
* Removed the width limitation of the ROM browser when the video mode is set to 720p or 1080i.
* New video filters added: None - with 25% scanlines ; None - with 50% scanlines ; None - with 100% scanlines ; Interpolation ; Interpolation - with 25% scanlines ; Interpolation - with 50% scanlines ; Interpolation - with 100% scanlines ; High resolution Mode 7 ; Advance MAME 2X with High resolution Mode 7 (very CPU intensive) ; Simple 2X with High resolution Mode 7
* Added 3 key combinations. They are: L Trigger + Back = Save State ; R Trigger + Back = Load State ; Back + Start = Exit Emulation
* Added option to disable key combinations in the General Options menu.
* Lowered the default background music volume.
* Added two more sound effects to the GUI
* Added support for New Graphics Engine Enabled/Disabled (needed to fix graphics problems in some games like Fatal Fury Special, Super Punchout, and others). This can only be changed after a game is started.
* Added option for Old Graphics Mode 2
* Added option for greyscale rendering (can only be set before a game is started)
* When exiting a game a small screenshot is displayed on the options menu
* Screenshot saving added. All previous previews must be copied to the "prev" folder that is created in E:\ZsnexBox.
* Added option to take low resolution (256x224) or high resolution/filtered (512x448) screenshots. For the fastest rom browsing use low resolution screenshots.
* Added option to hide file extensions in the ROM browser
* Added option to display zip file contents when ROM browsing. There is a small lag with this feature turned on.
* Added reverse stereo to the sound options menu.
* MUCH faster screenshot preview loading
* Added option to change the max number of Rewind states (0-25 states). Rewind states should be set to 0 if not using the rewind feature. This will increase the emulation speed.
* Added option to change the time interval between rewind states (0-40 half seconds).
* Added option to disable the in game volume control
* Added Pro Action Replay code support. Up to 15 codes per game can be used. These can be entered/edited in the emulator and are saved to the cheat directory (created by ZsnexBox).
Game.par = Name of the cheat file
The contents of Game.par are:
AAAAAAAA:B:Enter Code Description Here (27 characters max)
AAAAAAAA = The Pro Action Replay Code
B = On (1) or Off (0)
15 entries can be added to this file or created in the emulator.
* Added Game Genie code support. Up to 15 codes per game can be used. These can be entered/edited in the emulator and are saved to the cheat directory (created by ZsnexBox).
Game.ggn = Name of the cheat file
The contents of Game.ggn are:
AAAAAAAA:B:Enter Code Description Here (27 characters max)
AAAAAAAA = The Game Genie Code (Do not put the "-". i.e. AAAAAAAA is correct but AAAA-AAAA is NOT correct)
B = On (1) or Off (0)
Up to 15 entries can be added to this file or created in the emulator. If
you create the file outside of ZsnexBox, you don't have to type all 15
entries in the file. Make sure you hit "Enter" once after the last cheat
code line.
* Added reset game to the options menu
* Removed the dimmed screen image used in screen resizing.
* When resizing the screen, the left analog moves the screen (with a locked aspect ratio) and the right analog stick resizes it.
* Better menu separation.
* Added a separate menu for: Video Options, Sound Options, General Options, Controller Options, GUI Options, Cheat Codes (Only available after a game is started)
* Pressing "B" on any screen will return to the previous screen.
* Most values in the option screens can be increased with "A" and decreased with "X"
* Button "Y" is used to access the Options screen from the ROM browser.
* Changed the color of the text on the resize screen to make it easier to read.
* Added option to disable the ROM information when starting a game.
* Added analog stick deadzone calibration. This is a global analog deadzone that will affect all controllers. I had two controllers that seemed to have a mind of their own. It was almost imposiible to resize the screen with the offical controller S I have. This fixes the problem. The default value is 0.24. I found that a value of 0.54 works well for me.
* The background music volumne is now saved to the ini.
* The initial ROM directory can be changed in the RomPath.ini. For example:
D:\Roms (D: is the current directory where default.xbe is)
or
E:\Emulators\xSnes9x(info) 1.42\Roms
or
E:\Emulators\ZsnexBox 1.5\Roms
or
R:\Roms (R: is the directory to use for an XBOX formated (made from an xISO)
CD\DVD.
C:\ (The backslash must be included here)
* Various speedups
* I also included the default.xbe (in the just_for_fun folder) that I had when I made the first post announcing ZsnexBox. I thought some people might like to see what I had and compare it to what it is now. I disabled the debug output for this build. Put a game in the folder and name it "rm.zip". This folder can be deleted if not wanted.
Official Site: n/a, by Nes6502 (official support thread on our forums)
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Sources Confirm Microsoft is Working on iPod Killer
>> From teamxbox.com:
[QUOTE]
Exactly one year ago, we reported the promotion of Robbie Bach and the subsequent assignment to revamp Microsoft's digital-music strategy to compete better with Apple and its iPod, iTunes digital music offer.
Today, Reuters informed that sources familiar with Microsoft's plans revealed that the software giant is indeed developing a music and video player to compete with Apple's iPod and creating its own music service to rival Apple's iTunes.
Robbie Bach, a rising star at Microsoft who headed development of the Xbox video game business, is overseeing the project, one source said.
The Redmond, Washington-based company has held licensing discussions with the music industry and is already demonstrating the entertainment device, the sources told Reuters.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: teamxbox.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Geebees Modified Bat Files v1.1 and Tutorial v29-Hitachi
>> Geebee released a new version of his modified xtreme.bat file for the installation of the Commodore4eva Xtreme Firmware for Hitachi-LG GDR-3120L 47D v1.1.
These slightly modified .bat files should make flashing safer and more successful. Here are the changes compared to the orignal xtreme.bat file:
* Separate bat file for backing up, flashing and restoring.
* Makes a copy of orig.bin in C: for you to move somewhere SAFE (before you flash please)
* Adds pauses after flashsec commands... seems the commands can be to fast for the drive.
Official Site: n/a, by Geebee (Xbox-Scene Discussion Thread)
Download: here (only .bat files - legal)
Geebee also released a new version (v29) of his guide to "Backing Up, Modifying & Flashing the Hitachi/LG Drive".
What's new:
* Added: hdtv soft boot trick to boot backups (v29)
* Added: pic of which screws to undo (v28)
* Edited: Thankyou list... corrected for scene people who deserve thanks only (v28)
* Added: HD Method to get backups to boot (v27)
* Added: Crossed Wires Pictures and expanded tutorial (v26)
You can download the latest versions of his guides this thread.
Xbox Live Anwhere Images
>> Screenshots of the new Xbox Live Anywhere service, which will be debuting soon, have popped up over on the internet. From 'Captain Panic' on the teamxbox forums:
[QUOTE]
These Shots are from the BREW 2006 conference (Wireless Tech) from Qualcomm. They will include Live Anywhere Extensions in their BREW technology which is used by over 69 Providers. Can't wait to see all the features over all plattforms. I hope Microsoft will provide an open API so websites can include features in their sites too.
You can queue Downloads from your mobile phone and your 360 will download them while you are away! Check out the clan messages etc...
[/QUOTE]
More Pictures: teamxbox forums
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xtreme FW for Hitachi 47D Xbox 360 DVD Drive v1.1, 46 Coming Monday
Team Xecuter Connectivity Kit High-Res Pictures
>> Here are some quality high-resolution pictures (click thumbnails below for high-res pics) of the Team Xecuter(info) Xbox360 Connectivity Kit.
The package includes:
* Optical Disc Drive Adapter (ODD)
- Button to eject/close the DVD tray
- Button to switch to debug mode (or 'modeb' (the Hitachi will be recognised in Windows in this mode, the Toshiba-Samsung not (yet)))
- FW Status (normal(green)/debug(red)) and Power (light blue) LED
- Power via standard PC 4-pin molex
- Comes with its own power/eject cable, so you don't have to use the one in the Xbox360
* Xecuter SATA HD Connection for Xbox 360
- Effortlessly transfer files from your 360 hard drive to your PC without
opening up the HDD-case!
- Power can come from USB or a normal PC 4-pin molex power connector
- Data is via SATA only
- Adapter is designed so you can't plug-in the adapter the wrong way (inverse power/data pins)
Official Site: http://www.team-xecuter.com
Buy Connectivity Kit (In Stock - $30):
Divineo USA/CAN | Asia | UK/Europe | Spain | France | Germany | Italy or mrmodchips.co.uk
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Bill Gates to Step Down from Microsoft
>> From microsoft.com:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft Corp. today announced that effective July 2008 Bill Gates, chairman, will transition out of a day-to-day role in the company to spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The company announced a two-year transition process to ensure that there is a smooth and orderly transfer of Gates' daily responsibilities, and said that after July 2008 Gates would continue to serve as the company's chairman and an advisor on key development projects.
The company announced that Chief Technical Officer Ray Ozzie will immediately assume the title of chief software architect and begin working side by side with Gates on all technical architecture and product oversight responsibilities, to ensure a smooth transition. Similarly, Chief Technical Officer Craig Mundie will immediately take the new title of chief research and strategy officer and will work closely with Gates to assume his responsibility for the company's research and incubation efforts; Mundie also will partner with general counsel Brad Smith to guide Microsoft's intellectual property and technology policy efforts.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: microsoft.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
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(Thursday 15 June 2006 18:36 EST) - (Category: Xbox_Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Xtreme Hitachi FW: 47b-geeb Modified Bat File, Tutorials, Compatible Media, SS
>> Geebee released a slightly modified version of the xtreme.bat file in the Commodore4eva Xtreme Firmware for Hitachi-LG 47D Xbox 360 DVD Drive because there's a some feedback reporting flashing errors probably due to the commands sent too fast (this modified bat file will add pauses):
[QUOTE]
Just xtreme.bat is changed. Run xtrgeeb.bat instead.
* Added: Pauses to prevent errors when flashing. Looks like the commands are too fast for the drive. This could brick the unit.
* Added: Backup made of orig.bin to c:\orig.bin to prevent overwriting of the original. A bad flash could automatically copy over your original with the bad firmware flashed previously.
[/QUOTE]
If you use the original xtreme.bat and you get errors while flashing it's IMPORTANT that you run the xtreme.bat file several times until it is successful. DO NOT power off the drive until successful.
Geebee also did several updates to his great FW install and usage guide, you can get the latest versions from here.
More FW related tutorials are available here.
It also looks like the Hitachi-LG drive doesn't read DVD+DL discs as well as the Toshiba-Samsung (like Commodore4eva already mentioned in his readme), a discussion thread about compatible media is available here.
Also note that for now (this could change however) there's no (known/released) way to extract the Secuirty Sector (SS) from an original disc with the Hitachi-LG GDR-3120L drive, you'll need a Toshiba-Samung TS-H943 flashed with the special Xtrm0800 FW for that.
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft Engineer Talks Cell, Cross-Platform Porting, Markets
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
Technology website Ars Technica has conducted an interview with Microsoft Game Technology Group engineer Matt Lee, which includes a number of interesting comments about the importance of the Japanese market versus North America and Europe for next-gen consoles.
Though not a senior executive at the company, Lee expressed some well thought-out views on the nature on the next-gen console clash. When asked how the Xbox team planned to overcome the poor performance of the Xbox 360 in Japan, Lee answered, "Japan is not necessarily the most important market for gaming these days. It is also not quite as large as the U.S. and European markets." He then added, "Both the Japanese and US markets are reaching saturation at this point. The big battleground for us (and for everyone) is going to be Europe."
Lee also spoke negatively about the PlayStation 3's Cell architecture and positively about the Wii's motion sensing controller - which will no doubt raise further suspicions that Microsoft intends to offer tacit support for the Wii, in the hopes to further destabilize Sony's grip on the industry.
Lee also described what he felt would be the potential difficulties of porting titles to and from the two consoles. "I think porting from Xbox 360 to PS3 will be reasonably difficult, since the Xbox 360 has a lot more general purpose processing power that can be flexibly reallocated, and all of the Xbox 360 CPU cores have equal access to all memory," he said.
"In terms of performance, I think that the PS3 and the Xbox 360 will essentially be a wash," stated Lee. "We ran the numbers a while back and the two systems come up surprisingly close in theoretical peak performance, despite the one year difference in release dates."
[/QUOTE]
Read More: arstechnica.com, gamesindustry.biz, gamasutra.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Commodore4eva Xtreme Firmware for Hitachi-LG 47D Xbox 360 DVD Drive
>> It's released! Commodore4eva, who already released a modified firmware for the Xbox1 Samsung drive and Toshiba-Samung TS-H943 Xbox 360 drive some time ago, now released a modified firmware of the Hitachi-LG GDR-3120L Xbox360 DVD drive. This release will only work if you have a Hitachi-LG with FW version 47D, FW version 46D will need a different release that will be out later (it patches the onboard FW and does not fully overwrite it, so it's easy to understand you will need a different release for a Hitachi-LG drive with firmware 47D and 46D).
The procedure to flash your drive (Geebee already wrote a great guide (see v23) for it) is easier than with the Toshiba-Samsung drive, because you will just have to update a few banks of your FW flash chip (done fully automagically with a bat file included in the release). This means you will not have to first dump the FW (although we suggest you do this and if you follow the procedures in the Commodore4eva readme below, the xtreme.bat file will auto make a full backup prior flashing. If you want to backup your FW manually ... this guide should help (see v23)), get the key, patch the key on the modified FW and reflash the whole modified w/ key FW to the drive. Instead you can directly partially 'patchflash' the onboard chip with the modified code keeping the rest of the FW (like drive key) untouched.
Also, unlike the Toshiba-Samung, the Hitachi-LG drive will be recognised by Windows in modeb ('debug'), so it'll make flashing the drive easier and it will not require an additional FW to raw dump your Xbox 360 discs in Windows.
However, just like with the Toshiba-Samsung H943 drive you will have to burn your games on dual-layer DVD+DL discs (even if image is below 4.7gb ... this is because of security checks on layer0) and you'll have to use raw/unedited images patched with the Security Sector (SS) and of the same region as your console (or if game is regionfree that's fine too of course). A good guide on how you can dump your own games, get SS and patch it is available here (see v18).
Which drive do you have? Toshiba-Samung or Hitachi-LG ... here the easy 'tray check':
To see the version of FW your Hitachi-LG drives has you will have to open your case (and void warranty) though, as far as I know. The FW (rom) version is written on the sticker on top of the drive (red circle on image below):
Here the Readme/NFO of the release by Commodore4eva on xboxhacker.net:
[QUOTE]
Here it is, the long awaited World first Xbox 360 backup firmware modification to boot game backups on Hitachi!
Features:
* Boots all Xtreme Xbox 360 backups
* Boots all Xtreme Xbox 1 backups supported by emulator
* Boots all Xbox 360 originals
* Boots all Xbox 1 originals supported by emulator
* Use on Xbox Live at own risk
Technical details:
* Reads Xbox 360 security sector from PSN 04FB1F (Layer 0)
* Reads Xbox 1 security sector from PSN 605FF (Layer 0)
* Flashes sector 9003e000 (Master Checksum)
* Flashes sector 90035000 (Security Sector Read)
* Flashes sector 9001c000 (Drive Response Table Decrypt)
* Flashes sector 90003000 (Custom Code)
* Flashes sector 90027000 (Challenge Response)
Flashing your drive:
xtreme.bat automatically makes a backup of your dvd drive firmware called orig.bin.
Plug SATA cable from DVD drive to PC. Power cable drive still connected to Xbox 360
Ensure Hitachi drive is in 'mode b' either by two wire trick or slax linux boot cd
Go to Windows
Run xtreme.bat batch file from a dos prompt specifing drive letter eg "xtreme.bat g"
All done!
Run restore.bat to revert to original firmware eg "restore.bat g"
Thanks to everyone at Xboxhacker.net for all their discussions. Thanks go to Seventhson for flashsec and memdump and Loser for firmcrypt, without these tools this would not be possible.
Hitachi drive seems to be less tolerant of dual layer media. Try a few times to boot a backup.
Firmware for 46 version will be released soon but I cannot test it. Code is offset slightly throughout the firmware.
[/QUOTE]
News-Source: xboxhacker.net
Download: n/a (might be illegal to distribute under DMCA/EUCD)
Tutorials written by geebee to install modified FW and make your own dumps: here
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Team Underdog NME-360 DVD Firmware Patch Mod
>> From gamefreax.de (translated from german):
[QUOTE]
Right now the dual-firmware mods coming out for the Xbox 360 DVD drives are 30+ wire solutions. These points are not only very hard to solder, but it also requires a lot of known-how to extract the FW from the drive, extract the key, patch, encrypt, write back, install external switch on Xbox 360 so you can switch between the 2 firmwares, etc ...
We received interesting information about a new DVD mod named NME-360, that will be released soon. This chip will be a universal chip for all Xbox360 DVD drives. It will patch the firmware of the drive on-the-fly. The original firmware on the flash of the drive remains untouched.
The chip will recognize independently whether an original or a backup was inserted and switches itself to the corresponding mode (patched FW (on-the-fly) for backups and the normal unpatched FW for originals). That also means you will not have to install an external switch on your Xbox 360 to put the chip off.
For the Toshiba-Samsung drive you will have to solder only 4 wires, the Hitachi-LG drive will require 11 wires. The official website of the team, named 'Team Underdog', will be launched early next week.
[/QUOTE]
News-Source: gamefreax.de
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox8164adapter: Adapter to Connect LG-8164 PC Drive to Xbox1
>> We received this news from PATx of xbox8164adapter.com:
[QUOTE]
I have developed a new Xbox1 related product that you might be interested in. As you might have notice it is more and more difficult to find new Xbox replacement drives.
Also LG have stopped the production of the 8163b that could be turned into an Xbox drive very easily. The 8164b is not that easy to use in the Xbox.
After doing some research, we made it work and we produced an adapter to make it very easy and clean for everyone to use.
The xbox8164adapter will turn a LG-8164 (PC) drive into a working Xbox1 drive, it's a cheap solution (you can buy these drives for 20usd in most computer store).
For now the 8164b modded drive will not play original game discs, only backups (CD-R/CD-RW/DVD-R/DVD+R) [backups/unsigned code will only run on a hard/soft modded Xbox of course]. We are working on a new firmware for the 8164b to launch original games even in an unmodded Xbox. We are making real good progress. We now fully understand the MN103 architecture and we should succeed with the firmware in a short while.
Advantages:
* The Xbox disc reading ability will greatly improve
* Full support; CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+R
* Faster read speeds, which means faster load speeds
* Cheap solution
* Compatible with all Xbox versions v1.0-1.6x
Note: At this moment the drive doesn't read original games, but we are working on a new firmware that will make this possible.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://www.xbox8164adapter.com
Installation Manual: here
Suggested Retail Price: 23usd/20eur
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Shane Kim Talks 360, PS3, Windows, ...
>> Gamedaily.com posted an interview with Shane Kim, the Microsoft Game Studios GM. Here's a short excerpt:
[QUOTE]
* BIZ: I was reading a BBC article where Sony's Phil Harrison questioned Microsoft's 10 million mark for the Xbox 360 this year, and then Peter Moore shot back at him questioning Sony's goal of 6 million PS3s shipped by March. Do you have any comments on this?
* SK: Well, I work for Peter [laughs]. So I agree with Peter on that. We would not have come out and said that we would reach the 10 million mark this year unless we clearly believed that we were going to be able to do that before Sony even ships the first units of the PlayStation 3. That's 10 million units in the hands of customers. As far as their [Sony's] ability to make the 6 million units by March--we're not really the guys to comment on Sony's production capabilities. We do know how difficult it is to produce a very complex piece of hardware... they've got two very different SKUs now. They've got a lot of different hardware functionality in the $500 SKU versus the $600 SKU and that's a lot of complexity from a manufacturing standpoint. And then to do a worldwide launch is also challenging.
Plus everything you've been hearing about Cell and Blu-ray... Sony even came out and said, "Look we're not going to produce as many Blu-ray drives as we previously thought." So there's going to be a lot of manufacturing challenges for them. I do agree with Peter, and I think it's going to be interesting given the prices they've now announced to see if customers will respond well to that and will want to step up to the $600 version of PlayStation 3.
* BIZ: Steve Ballmer has been quoted in the past as saying, "Whoever gets to 10 million first wins the race." If MS is successful in getting to that milestone this year, do you believe it'll enable Xbox 360 to retain the lead for the rest of the next-gen race?
* SK: Well I do, but I think it's more a function of the momentum that we already have. We're going to hit the high end of the range that we've been communicating by the end of June, which is between 5 and 5.5 million units, so getting to 10 million units doesn't seem like a very big stretch. And historically that 10 million unit mark has been a critical milestone, but it is really more a function of the fact that we'll have 160 hi-def Xbox 360 games by the end of the year, well on our way to having 6 million connected members on Xbox Live by this time next year, and we're just going to continue executing everyday from here on out. We've got a great strategy; we know what our plan is. You saw our content, and I think our content is going to be superior to what's going to be available, from an exclusive standpoint, versus what Sony has.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole interview (3 pages) on gamedaily.com about how he says Sony is under a lot of pressure and will face some big manufacturing challenges. He also discusses the 360 and Windows games portfolio, HD-DVD, Live Anywhere, Bill Gates at E3, among other topics.
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
DevilMod 360 (not Devil360) Details Revealed
>> GrMods.com revealed new details about their DevilMod 360 DVD Firmware Switch Mod (not to be confused with the Devil360 project by Team Devil360):
[QUOTE]
The 1st Dual Firmware Add-On, compatible with both Toshiba-Samsung and Hitachi-LG drives of XBOX360!
Choose with the switch the firmware you wish to boot your console, between the onboard and the extra firmware chips!
DevilMod360 kit includes:
* 1x DevilMod 2 pcb with socket
* 1x SST39SF020A
* 1x External Switch
A. HARDWARE FEATURES:
* Dual Firmware Add-On to Xbox360 dvd-roms.
* Compatible with both:
1.Toshiba-Samsung TS-H943.
2.Hitachi-LG GDR-3120L.
* External Switch to control the booting chip.
* Flash Upgradeable 256Kb chip, exactly the same with the onboard one.
* Chip socket to remove/add/program SST39SF020A chips
Diagrams for:
* Toshiba-Samsung TS-H943A
* Hitachi-LG GDR-3120L
* Installation of the External Switch
Caution: Only for Profecional Installers for development perposes!
The installation requires to cut a trace from Hitachi-LG board, and one leg of the onboard firmware chip, after removing the epoxy glue from Toshiba-Samsung board.
[/QUOTE]
We are probably gonna see lots of devices like this one in the coming weeks and months as it's very easy technology (like a cheapmod for the xbox1), so anyone can make it ... all you need are the parts.
*Update* Also note that while the Samsung-Toshiba debug FW does not get recognised in Windows (yet) and does require a special bios (Xtreme 0800) to dump Xbox 360 disc in Windows, the Hitachi-LG debug FW (modeb) is recognised ... so for the Hitachi-LG you will not need a special separated PC FW to read Xbox 360 discs. You can however still use the dual FW to keep the original FW so you can switch between original and hacked firmware incase Microsoft will start checking for it on LIVE (they don't do it so far though, atleast not as far as we know).
Official Site: http://www.grmods.com/modchips/devil/mod360.htm
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Square Enix on Xbox 360
>> From xbox360.gamedaily.com:
[QUOTE]
It's no secret that Microsoft has done well in the console gaming sector. The company came out strong with the first Xbox and challenged Nintendo for the number two spot. With the Xbox 360, the company has garnered itself a one year head start against competition from Sony and Nintendo, and is looking to make a strong run at holding the number one spot. However, there is one area where Microsoft has been severely lacking and that hasn't changed at all from the Xbox to the Xbox 360. We're talking about Japan and support from Japanese third party companies.
There are a lot of Japanese companies who are offering solid support for the Xbox 360, but there are still several who seem to be hesitant about support. The primary company of focus here is Square Enix. In all honesty, it doesn't matter if Devil May Cry 4 is exclusive to the Xbox 360, or if Microsoft can secure Metal Gear Solid 4 for the 360. The Japanese gaming audience is shifted by two game series: Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. If Microsoft were able to secure an exclusive on a current Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest title within the main series, the announcement alone would move Xbox 360 consoles in Japan.
Microsoft has discussed its relationship with Square Enix in the past, and the two companies are always very positive about working together. However, over the past two years, nothing has really come of these talks other than a lackluster port of a five year old game (Final Fantasy XI). So let's go back for a moment to look at what has been said in the past, then move forward to see where this relationship is really going.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: xbox360.gamedaily.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox 360 Jump In Ad Wins ADDY Best of Show Award
>> From teamxbox.com:
[QUOTE]
The American Advertising Federation (AAF) announced the coveted ADDY(R) Awards Best of Show winner, along with the Gold and Silver ADDY honorees. The awards were announced at the ADDY Awards Gala in San Francisco, Calif. at the AAF National Conference 2006.
The ADDY Best of Show National goes to McCann-Erickson of San Francisco, Calif. for its "Jump Rope" ad for Microsoft XBOX 360. The high-energy national television commercial shows people of all ages, ethnicities and skill levels participating in double Dutch jump rope and has the tagline "Jump In." This marks the first time a Best of Show winner has also been honored with the ADDY Mosaic Award for multicultural advertising.
"This extreme double Dutch jump rope jam metaphorically captures the excitement and social aspect of the new generation X Box 360," said Mark Tutssel, worldwide chief creative officer, Leo Burnett and Chairman of the 2006 ADDY Awards. "It was shot completely in-camera in one take. This is a beautifully crafted piece of work, and the soundtrack is inspired."
[/QUOTE]
Read More: teamxbox.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
XCM 360 Full Case Series - Black Knight Limited Edition
>> From teamxtender.com:
[QUOTE]
Team X-tender is proud to announce the winner of our XCM 360 Full Case side panel design contest.
Congratulations Hector, you are the winner of the contest. The pictures of his design on Xbox-Scene (X-S) were the best design as determined by both X-S members as well as our panel of judges.
  More Pictures: 03
We have initiated the production of this limited edition model of the Black Knight case. If you are interested to be a reseller, please contact us at: sales -AT- teamxtender.com
If you wish to purchase one of these bad boys for your self you can visit one of our trusted resellers: decalgirl.com | modchipman.com
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://www.teamxtender.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Backwards Compatibility Update Now Live
>> After the small dash upgrade earlier today (v2.0.2857.0 -> v2.0.2858.0) Microsoft now also released a new backwards compatibility update (v1.3 -> v1.4):
[QUOTE]
Version 1.4 of the Back Compat emulator now supports these additional titles:
4x4 EVO 2 ; Amped 2 ; Bad Boys 2 ; Big Mutha Truckers ; DOOM 3 ; Dreamfall: The Longest Journey ; Fatal Frame ; FlatOut ; Grabbed by the Ghoulies ; Intellivision Lives ; LEGO star wars ; Minority Report ; MLB SlugFest 20-04 ; The Punisher ; RalliSport Challenge ; Silent Hill 4: The Room ; Spawn Armageddon ; Spider-Man ; star wars Battlefront ; State of Emergency ; Zapper
Additional Japanese-only titles:
Bistro Cupid 1 ; Flight Academy ; Othello Seminar ; Igo Seminar ; Shogi Seminar ; Mahjong Seminar
For those Xbox 360 owners that do not have access to Xbox Live, Xbox.com will be updated soon with instructions on how to download this update through your PC soon.
The Back-Compat team is already hard at work on the next version. As always we look to user feedback on which titles to target first so please send feedback to backcomp -AT- microsoft.com
[/QUOTE]
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Minor Dash Update: Chinese Font File Updated
>> From majornelson.com:
[QUOTE]
I wanted to give everyone a heads up that there is dash update that will start to roll out around 0200 (am) PT today. There are no new features in this update. There is one, small fix that improves character recognition for those users that are using the localized Chinese language version of the dashboard on their Xbox 360. You'll get prompted for this mandatory update the next time you connect to Xbox Live. (Yes, you need to take the update even if you don't use the Chinese language version of the dash keyboard.) I wanted to let you guys know what's in the update, since I was sure you'd ask anyway.
[/QUOTE]
*Update* From the Team Xbox Dev/PR Blog:
"There are no other changes in this build. In fact there were no other code changes at all, as this was just the change of a single font file added to the update package."
The dashboard version goes from v2.0.2857.0 to v2.0.2858.0
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Free HDD Unlock Wizard (1 day left)
>> HDDunlock.com is currently offering their tool for free (only 1 day left tho) that allows to unlock harddrives (including some Xbox drives) without requiring the HDD-key:
[QUOTE]
HDD Unlock Wizard is a user-friendly application which allows you to easily unlock IDE and SATA Hard disk drives. This tool will remove an unknown User or Master password and your hard drive will be ready for use.
While unlocking, HDD Unlock Wizard will erase and re-certify the drive.
If you need unlocking which is safe to your data, please use A-FF Repair Station.
Unlocking of a 80GB HDD takes approximately 25 minutes.
HDD Unlock Wizard supports:
* Unlocking of desktop drives
* Unlocking of Xbox drives
* Unlocking of 2.5-inch laptop drives
What is a HDD Lock?
All hard disk drives have the possibility to set a hardware password, thus making the drive completely inaccessible unless a correct password is provided. When you set a password on your notebook, the notebook locks the drive as well. XBox gaming consoles and some desktop computers can also lock hard disk drives.
If you forget the original password, there is no way to use the hard drive anymore. HDD Unlock Wizard removes any password and makes the drive useable again, thus saving you time and money.
[/QUOTE]
They are currently offering free unlocks (instead of $9.95 for sub-80gb drives), but there's only 1 day left, so be quick! The Wizard will first check if your drive is compatible with this tool, but it has a pretty long list of compatible drives. I saw the 2 widely used seagate drives (ST310211A and ST310014A) on the list, however I don't see the WD80ED-28xxxx drives.
Official Site: http://www.hddunlock.com
Download: here
Thanks to ivc for the news/link.
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Team Xbox Dev and PR Team about Clearing the System Cache
>> The Team Xbox Dev Blog posted some official info about the Cache Clear Function:
[QUOTE]
With the release of the Spring Update we did provide a way for our product support engineers to help users diagnose and clear content from their system cache. This is most useful for the engineers to help those who are unable to download a game update, a system update, or who are having problems with their achievements.
The instructions for performing these steps were posted on Xbox.com in the forums by one of our support folks and wow... in a flash it seems like every website and forum site picked up on it and started to spread the word.
Below is the official word on this feature which the PR team is sending out to gamesites and news organizations who've asked about it:
"The HDD cache clearing feature is a part of the Xbox 360 technical support process and is only supported in those instances. While the cache clearing operation will not harm or render your console inoperable, it should only be used when instructed by the Microsoft customer support staff. As always, any gamers experiencing any issues with their console should contact 800-4-MYXBOX instead of attempting to troubleshoot on their own via this feature."
I can provide a little more context on this. Clearing out your system cache:
* Will clear out the temporary copies of achievements and gamertiles on Memory Units or Hard Drives (note these get re-downloaded when re-connected to Xbox Live)
* Will clear out Game Updates stored on Memory Units or Hard Drives. (note these will get re-downloaded when launching that Game while connected to Xbox Live)
* Will not clear out system updates.
* Will not clear out the game areas of the hard drive where game titles cache their own information
[/QUOTE]
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
XCM High Speed fan and XCM 360 Full Crystal Blue Case
>> From teamxtender.com:
[QUOTE]
Since the release of our XCM 360 Full Case series we have recieved overwhelming responses. Below are pictures of the XCM 360 Full Crystal Blue Case with XCM High Speed Fan installed. The LEDs on the XCM High Speed Fan lights up the case and gives a cool blue glow!
 More pics: 02 | 03  More Pics: 03
Official Site: http://www.teamxtender.com
Pre-Order XCM High Speed Air Cooler ($50): divineo.com
(Pre-)Order XCM Full cases: Decalgirl.com | Divineo: USA/CAN/Europe/Asia
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Minor MC360 Update Release (beta v0.97499)
>> From Donno and Jezz-X on blackbolt.x-scene.com/blackbolt forums:
[QUOTE]
We took it upon ourselves and fix up some of the incomplete features and bring you a new release of the MC360 skin for XboxMediaCenter(info). Sorry for the inconvenance.
This is a new version (beta v0.97499) based after the one in the 11/06/06 T3CH release. Changes include minor QTB fixes and the full screen extra blades should be fixed.
Please be aware, this MC360 release will not run correctly on any build of XBMC made before 11/06/06, this is why we recommend the T3CH release.
Note1: Langagues patchs for he old version will not work with the newer ones.
Note2: You will need to completely delete and reinstall the MC360 dir in the skins dir. Do not just overwrite the old dir because you will get errors with conflicting xml files. To do this, change to another dash or select Project mayhem III in the skin settings then FTP in, wipe the MC360 dir and upload the new one from this file.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://blackbolt.x-scene.com
Official Forums: http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showforum=178
Download: here
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
360 backwards compatibility update inbound
>> From computerandvideogames.com:
[QUOTE]
Proving once again that it's committed to the feature, Microsoft has got a fresh 360 backwards compatibility update primed for release this week, according to games boss Peter Moore.
Speaking in a Podcast with Microsoft's infamous internet spokesman Major Nelson, Moore - as well as revealing that he's an avid CVG reader - says that "20 titles or more" of the original Xbox games will be made 360-friendly in the next BC update, including Doom 3 and Lego star wars. According to Moore the update is undergoing final testing at Microsoft, and should be out sometime this week.
"We're going to continue to get as close as we can to our stated target of every Xbox game being backwards compatible with the Xbox 360," states Moore in the Major Nelson Podcast.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: computerandvideogames.com, majornelson.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Qimonda Preferred Supplier of Video RAM for Xbox 360
>> From teamxbox.com:
[QUOTE]
Qimonda AG, a leading supplier of memory products that was carved out of Infineon Technologies AG on May 1, today announced that it was selected by Microsoft as a preferred, comprehensive supplier of graphics RAM for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment console from Microsoft. Qimonda will supply a significant share of 512Mbit GDDR3 (Graphic Double Data Rate 3) RAM for the Xbox 360 to Microsoft.
In the Xbox 360, each of the eight GDDR3 16Mbit x 32 components used operates at a rated clock speed to achieve data bandwidth of up to 44.8Gbit/s per memory device. The 512Mbit GDDR3 comes in a JEDEC compliant 136 ball FBGA package with dimensions of 11mm x 14mm x 1.2mm.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: teamxbox.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Update on Hitachi-LG Xtreme DVD Firmware - Release Within 48h
>> From commodore4eva (who already released the Xtreme DVD Firmware for the TS-H943 drive) on xboxhacker.net:
[QUOTE]
The firmware is 99% complete and just requires one more routine to test when I get back home. I will then port the 47 code over to the 46 version. This will be released within 48 hours time.
It will not require a full firmware update, only a few banks. You will not be required to save/inject your drive key but saving a copy is always best. The checksum will be set to zero for the firmware. Since I dont have a 46 drive you people will have to test and report. I will then look at the 59 version firmware. I have only been spending one hour a night due to real life and have been away for the past three days so please be patient. Assembling with a hex editor is not fun but it gets the job done.
[/QUOTE]
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Computer Remote Using Xbox Receiver
>> From dlangenberg.googlepages.com:
[QUOTE]
For the past several years, I have been wanting a wireless remote for my computer. The problem was that I am unwilling to pay the money for a good remote, and I don't want to waste money on a really cheap remote. The solution: transform the Xbox(1) DVD playback kit into a remote control for my computer. The dongle will then be able to be used on the xbox for movies and in my computer as an incredibly adaptable remote.
This is a DIY project, so any work that you do can harm yourself, your computer, or your pet fluffy.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: dlangenberg.googlepages.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
XboxMediaCenter (XBMC) 2006-06-11 CVS T3CH build with MC360
>> T3CH released a June 11th 2006 CVS compile of XboxMediaCenter(info) with a new beta version (v0.97497) of the MC360 skin, an X360 reproduction skin.
This T3CH-compile is a complete snapshot of what is in CVS at the time the build was compiled, with just a few small additions.
XBMC is in a FEATUREFREEZE at the moment. If you want to report bugs, please do it the PROPER way, see here.
*Update* Please be aware that the MC360 skin in this build is a work in progress and contains some rather big visual errors in the new extras section. Most noticable is the Filemanager layout. Team Blackbolt is working on fixing this.
Special Note from T3CH:
* Please note: Support for skins with versions < 2.0 has been removed
* From now onwards T3CH will include the most recent "build" of MC360.
* If you wondered what happened to XBoxMediaCenter.xml, More info here and here.
Noteworthy, XML and Script Changes in this build (full changelog here):
* changed: restored dllloader fixes that previously broke realmedia
* changed: replaced our own ftp client with a client based on curl
* Updated Team Blackbolt's MC360 skin from beta v0.9666 (included in the XBMC June 6th 2006 build) to beta v0.97497.
* Keymap.xml: no changes
* XBoxMediaCenter.xml: no changes
You can find the full changelog of this CVS release since the 2006-06-06 T3CH CVS here.
Keep in mind this is a CVS snapshot of the current development tree. It's not an official (stable) point release. Use only if you know what you are doing.
Official XBMC Site: http://www.xboxmediacenter.com / http://sourceforge.net/projects/xbmc
Official Team Blackbolt Site: http://blackbolt.x-scene.com / Official MC360 Forums
Download XBMC Binaries: n/a (built with XDK) | Download XBMC SourceCode: here
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Super Mario War v1.7 Teaser Screenshots
>> Some teaser screenshots of Super Mario War(info) v1.7 (a hombrew Super Mario Deathmatch game for Windows/Linux and Xbox) have been released on the official forums:
[QUOTE]
Something to start the hype machine...
* Powerup Item Selection Options
* Shells, Feathers, Blue Blocks, Oh My
* Ztar Mode and Moving Platforms
* Player Controls Configuration Menu
* On/Off Blocks and Moving Platforms
* Capture The Flag
v1.7 will also be bundled with new maps and skins that have been created.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://smw.72dpiarmy.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Jamcast Audio Streaming Server - Beta Sign-Up
>> We received this news from Software Development Solutions. They are working on a UPnP-compliant audio streaming server to stream your music from your Windows PC to your (for example) Xbox 360:
[QUOTE]
Software Development Solutions, Inc. is pleased to announce our UPnP-compliant network audio server for Windows - code named "Jamcast". This software was designed to be 100% compatible with the Xbox 360!
Within a matter of weeks, we will be releasing Beta 1 to a small, well-targeted group of testers who are interested in providing product feedback that will help drive the success of our product. Beta testers will be selected based on library and listening demographics (primary audio file format, size of library, type of device, etc.). We're trying to keep the testing group manageable, so unfortunately not all applicants will be selected.
Feature Highlights:
- Runs on Windows XP, Windows 2000 Service Pack 3, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows ME, and Windows Server 2003.
- Recognizes metadata from MP3 (ID3v1.1, ID3v2), WMA / WMA Lossless, FLAC / OGG (Vorbis comments), ALAC / AAC
- MP3, WMA (all flavors including Lossless), FLAC, ALAC, OGG, & Shorten can all be transcoded to a configurable-bitrate MP3, WAV, or LPCM
- M3U, PLS, WPL (Windows Media) playlists supported
- Supports Windows Media DRM 10 for Network Devices
- Podcast support (integrated RSS aggregator)
- Rich AJAX-based web user interface allows you to browse your entire library (including album art), search, create playlists, control your devices, and configure the server
- Access your collection and playlists from across the internet (supports transcoding to low-bitrate MP3 to minimize network traffic)
- High-performance import routines and integrated collection database
- Library Monitor detects changes to your collection in real-time
- Works with all UPnP-compliant media renderers
To apply, please visit http://beta.sdstechnologies.com and fill out the application form. We'll contact the selected applicants via email as soon as Beta 1 is ready to ship with instructions on how to access the beta community and download the latest code.
[/QUOTE]
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
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