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Week of October 2, 2005
TD of Team XLink Retires
>> Here a message we got from TD (alias TheDaddy) of Team XLink:
[QUOTE]
AN OLD HACK RETIRES :)
Friends,
I'm here to announce my immediately effective resignation from the XLink project. I've enjoyed over 2 years of interesting, challenging and fun development on this project, and have had the privilege to work with some of the best people out there - within XLink itself, but also with devs from XboxMediaCenter(info) and Avalaunch(info) alongside many others. I would, of course, like to express the most vociferous appreciation for the XLink administration crew and moderation crew who have enabled the project to do what it has done for years now - lead the field in alternative online gaming. I will sadly miss the gentle company of all those who make the project work, and hope that we can still catch up from time to time on MSN.
I have passed control of this project to a close friend, and hope that he can find the time to assign responsibility to whoever he considers required to ensure that Live! is not the only option for the next generation of online gaming.
Thanks again to everyone who has contributed to this project - and thanks also to anyone who has used our stuff, and got some enjoyment from it. It cheers me to hear that recently, the first baby was born to a couple from America who met while using XLink software... Now, if that wasn't worth working for, nothing was...
"Long may it continue"
Cheers
TD
PS I know, I know - the server is broke.. it should get fixed sometime soon..
[/QUOTE]
Huge thanks to TD from the entire Xbox-Scene crew for all the time he spend and work he done over the last few years on a truly free and legal alternative to Xbox LIVE and for building up a great, large and opensource multi-console online gaming community!
Ten Xbox360 Dev Kits Stolen In Germany
>> Heise.de, a german news site, is reporting about 10 stolen Xbox 360 development kits (XeDK). ZakMcRofl on the xbox-scene forums translated the news to english:
[QUOTE]
According to reports of the news magazine Spiegel ten top-secret prototypes, so called development kits, of the new console Xbox 360 have been stolen from Microsoft. The console won't be released until december 2nd [in Europe], just in time for the christmas business.
The devices came to germany from Hongkong together with other Microsoft products on "Air Delivery pallets" in a neutral packaging. From a storehouse in Düren they were supposed to be shipped to game developers.
Just a few days after the theft pictures of the new console surfaced on the internet. Meanwhile the Austrian Bundeskriminalamt in Viena and the public prosecution authority Bonn are investigating the case.
So far (some) homes and offices in Niederösterreich (Austria) and in Troisdorf (Germany) have been raided (searched) and three consoles have been confiscated. The remaining seven devices remain lost.
[/QUOTE]
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(Saturday 08 October 2005 15:53 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Governor Schwarzenegger Signs California Games Bill
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has officially signed into law Leland Yee's AB1179 measure, aimed at preventing the sale of violent video games to children. The bill will now take effect on January 1, 2006, despite significant attempts to stop its passage by game retailer organization the IEMA, which urged a veto on the grounds of "the lack of decipherable standards" for the bill, as well as a number of other issues.
The bill requires warning labels to be placed on violent games. Customers purchasing games with the label would be required to show ID; retailers who either did not check for ID or did not show the labels will be liable for a $1,000 fine per infraction.
The ESA's view on California's AB1179, as illuminated after its passage through the legislature, is that "it is impractical - in essence creating a California-only class of products requiring retailers to buy, warehouse and distribute California video games separately from other inventory - it is unnecessary, in that our member companies have already voluntarily committed to carding policies to inhibit the sale of Mature-rated games to minors, and it is clearly unconstitutional."
[/QUOTE]
Read More: gamasutra.com
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(Saturday 08 October 2005 11:49 EST) - (Category: GamingGeneral) - (Posted by::
)
Mimesis v2.0 Progress Report
>> From projectmimesis.com:
[QUOTE]
Hello all, it's been a while since you have heard from us devs, and I know that your getting a little anxious about not having anything new to download, but hang in there, stuff is in the works. To make my point we have put together a little clip of the, higly anticipated, Mimesis(info) v2.0 in action!
Before you flood the forums with questions... no there is no real Halo version 3, 4 or 5. Its merely sample junk that used for testing. Enjoy the video, because there is more where that came from.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://www.projectmimesis.com
Download video: projectmimesis.com or on our mirror here.
Date Set for Xbox Lounge
>> From xbox360.ign.com:
[QUOTE]
Mark your calendars for November 2nd. On that day, Microsoft Japan will open the doors to the Xbox 360 Lounge, a promotional space for all things Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 Lounge is now under construction in Tokyo's pricey Aoyama district, just a short walk from the city's most famous shopping region, Omotesando.
Visitors to the Xbox 360 Lounge will be able to visit three main areas: a 256 meters squared event space featuring a 200 inch screen along with four additiona large screens; X360 game kiosks; and a cafe with 70 seats and sweets from some of the world's most famous brands.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: xbox360.ign.com
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(Saturday 08 October 2005 00:22 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Microsoft Licenses Princeton Digital Reverb for Xbox 360
>> From the pressrelease:
[QUOTE]
Princeton Digital and Microsoft have entered into a joint development and licensing agreement to develop professional quality audio processing software for Microsoft's Xbox 360. Under the terms of the licensing agreement, Microsoft will include a custom version of the Princeton Digital reverb, the Reverb2016/360, with the Xbox Software Development Kit, thereby adding a powerful, flexible and natural sounding reverb to the game developer's audio toolkit.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole pressrelease on teamxbox.com
Allard slams stock fears - Research firms try to guess stock
>> From mcvuk.com:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft this week moved to calm fears over Xbox 360 allocation, insisting it is firmly on track for a strong launch in all territories.
Microsoft's Corporate VP and Xbox evangelist J Allard was more pointed: "The allocation issue is kinda ‘BS'," he blasted back. "EA's Gerhard Florin thanked us on stage for effecting a global launch, and in no small way hinted that rivals should follow suit."
Unsurprisingly, Microsoft remains tight-lipped on allocation figures, but senior publishing sources revealed to MCV that a figure of 600,000 units by Christmas in Europe was being touted, with up to 200,000 earmarked for the UK.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: mcvuk.com
*UPDATE* I meantime CNN posted a new article about what stock allocation several Research firms except:
[QUOTE]
Wall Street has been expecting Microsoft to deliver more than 2 million of its next generation consoles to retailers worldwide this year. On Monday, though, P. J. McNealy of American Technology Research lowered his expectations to the 1.8 million - 2 million range. Friday, Banc of America's Gary Cooper said he believes the company will ship just 1.4 million - 1.6 million.
McNealy said he expects Microsoft to send roughly 900,000 to 1 million units to North American retailers, 600,000-800,000 to Europe and another 100,000-200,000 to Japan.
Cooper's prediction is more dire, saying there will only be between 300,000 and 350,000 units available in the U.S. on Nov. 22, when the system launches. (Cooper, in a note, said he expects two shipments from Microsoft this year - one before launch and another in December.)
[/QUOTE]
Read More: cnn.com
GI.biz Bach Interview 2: reaffirms commitment to original Xbox
>> Here's part 2 of the interview with Robbie Bach, Microsoft's chief Xbox officer, by gamesindustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
Bach said that "we're definitely going to ship Xbox hardware units into 2006. We've been very clear with publishers that we want them to do titles through 2006 and even into 2007."
"We're working with our retailers on shelf space, displays, and keeping interactives in stores," he said. "There are some space constraints but we'll manage around them - most of the retailers are actually expanding their shelf space, so I think that will be quite good."
However, Bach doesn't expect there to be any price drop to the Xbox in the near future, saying that the firm is "quite happy" with the level of demand for the console at its current $149 / 149 Euro price point.
He confessed that the Xbox hardware has never broken [sold without a loss] even over its lifespan, but argued that this has been something that Microsoft had planned for from the outset.
[/QUOTE]
Read the part2 of the interview on gamesindustry.biz.
If you missed part1, read more about it here.
J. Allard about Xbox 360 HD criticism and content
>> Edge Online is reporting on responses J. Allard gave in response to questions regarding the hard drive on the Xbox 360. From edge-online.co.uk:
[QUOTE]
Sometimes doing the right thing means doing the hard thing. Are there developers who are disappointed? Yeah, sure. I wish there was a hard drive and I wish there were four terabytes of memory; I wish it were free to consumers and I wish we could put one in every TV set - there are a lot of wishes that I have but at the end of the day we're trying to run a business, and you have to make those trade-offs. It was a difficult one - I was the biggest fan of the hard drive and its potential, but the problem is that we sold 22million Xbox consoles and 5million, maybe 10million just don't care about it. But we paid for it. So who pays for it this time? We can either ask the gamer to pay for it, pay for it ourselves, or prove that there's enough value in it and have the gamer say ‘I want to pay for it' - I think that's the right model."
"You know, being first you sometimes get some crap, and we've had some crap. But I think it's very pro-consumer and very pro-developer, and I think that in five years everybody will look back and say that this was a very, very good move on our part to launch worldwide and to have the flexibility for consumers to decide on their products."
[/QUOTE]
Read More: edge-online.co.uk
IGN also has more information from J Allard about what we'll find on the stock HD:
[QUOTE]
Don't get your feathers too ruffled, it's not Perfect Dark Zero. The Hard Drive contains a custom soundtrack, a few videos, one of which is "The Making of Xbox 360," a few gamer tiles, and the arcade puzzle game, Hexic.
Allard confirmed the content is the same on every single hard drive, whether you buy it bundled or separately.
Does it come with the backward compatible data necessary to play Halo or Halo 2? Ha, well, Allard wouldn't say, but Microsoft long ago confirmed Halo 2 will be backward compatible, so whether it's on the hard drive or not, that shouldn't be a worry. If there was one "best selling game" on Xbox, Halo 2 was never in question.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: xbox360.ign.com
Piper Jaffray: Teen Shopping Behavior and Brand Preference
>> Piper Jaffray Completes 10th Bi-Annual 'Taking Stock With Teens' National Study of Teen Shopping Behavior and Brand Preferences. Here's the part about videogames:
[QUOTE]
The students were also surveyed on video game products and other consumer electronics. Results of the survey point out 79 percent of student households have at least one video game platform and 58 percent of students stating that they are occasional game players (playing at least monthly). In addition, 65 percent of student households own Sony's PS2, 50 percent own Microsoft's Xbox and 26 percent own Nintendo's GameCube. GameStop was recognized in the survey as the leading retailer for pre-owned video games with 60 percent market share and 29 percent market share for teen video game purchases. The survey also pointed out that 75 percent of teens say their interest in video games is declining and 78 percent indicated they spent less time playing in 2005.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole pressrelease here.
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(Thursday 06 October 2005 23:32 EST) - (Category: GamingGeneral) - (Posted by::
)
OrigenXbox360 - Round 2: Lie Your Way To Origen
>> Round 2 (giving you a chance to win place 3 and 4) of the Origen Xbox360 contest has been launched. A 2nd pair of fruits became clickable on the flashbased origenxbox360.com website. Here's what is says:
"So just what is Origen? We're not going to tell you just yet. But don't let that stop you guessing. We want you to create a rumour about Origen that will whip gamers into a foaming frenzy.
Make your rumours wild, funny or fascinating and our two favourites will win their creators a trip to Origen. Feel free to send in an image too. Lying can be rewarding. Don't let anyone tell you different.
HOW TO ENTER
Tell us your rumour and let us know a few details about yourself. It's that easy."
The contest is ONLY for europeans, americans have EveryTenMinutes and canadians BeFirstToPlay.
Check it out http://www.origenxbox360.com
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(Thursday 06 October 2005 17:24 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
GI.biz Robbie Bach Interview and N. Thompson about PlayStation 3
>> Many interviews the last few days from the X05 event in Amsterdam. Here's another one by GamesIndustry.biz with Robbie Bach, Microsoft's chief Xbox officer:
[QUOTE]
Bach said that Sony's vagueness about its plans for PlayStation 3 meant that Microsoft couldn't say for sure what size of lead it wanted to have in the market by the time the rival system arrives.
"Instead, really what I say is, whenever they launch, I'm ready," the bullish Microsoft executive commented. "They should just tell me which market, what date, and I'm happy to be there - and we'll already be in that market, it turns out."
Bach also reiterated Microsoft's claim that Xbox 360 is just as powerful as the PlayStation 3, which will launch at least six months after the arrival of the Microsoft next-generation system.
"You know, we've done the math. We have silicon engineers too. We've done the math on their specs and our specs and we think they're about the same."
[/QUOTE]
Read part1 of the interview on gamesindustry.biz. (part2 is coming tomorrow)
*Update* Neil Thompson, Xbox's senior regional director for Northern & Eastern Europe, talked about the PS3 too on next-gen.biz:
[QUOTE]
"It's up to them now. The ball is in their court. If I were Sony I'd be upset and concerned. They know they have to raise the bar.", he said.
He added, "They've seen the price, the hardware, the games, Xbox Live and the functionality. They know they've got a lot to do."
Thompson said, "For publishers the launch is going to be a battle over revenues. The sheer quality of games available is going to make it a very tough fight."
[/QUOTE]
Read More: next-gen.biz
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(Thursday 06 October 2005 14:10 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Waterloo: Official announcement of Bill Gates visit
>> University of Waterloo
A bit off topic.. but for us Canadians.. especially those attending University of Waterloo..
[QUOTE]
On October 13, Bill Gates will visit the University of Waterloo as part of a six-stop university tour. Waterloo is his only Canadian stop.
During Gates's time on campus he will meet University officials and faculty, as well as address Computer Science, Math and Computer Engineering students in the Humanities Theatre. Student leaders from each faculty and Federation of Students took the lead in helping to invite students to the talk.
At 10:30 a.m., Gates will talk to students about innovation and breakthrough technologies, new opportunities for technology to improve our personal lives and the way we work and collaborate, and why careers in computer science are exciting, rewarding and vitally important. He will also show off cutting edge technology, discuss his vision for the future and answer questions from students.
There are no tickets left. Students and others from the campus and greater community will have the opportunity to watch Gates's speech on telecasts in the Davis Centre and Student Life Centre
[/QUOTE]
Official announcement of Bill Gates visit
Syrus. :)
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(Thursday 06 October 2005 01:47 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
.AU - Mod-chips ruled legal
>> From australianit.news.com.au:
[QUOTE]
THE High Court of Australia has unanimously ruled that mod-chips are legal, but the implications of the case for game manufacturers are not clear.
The mod chips circumvent technology designed to stop Sony PlayStation consoles from playing illegally copied game discs.
The mod chips also allow gamers to ignore manufacturers' regional coding systems and purchase games and DVDs designed for markets outside of Australia, which are often cheaper than those from local suppliers.
All six High Court judges held that widely-used mod-chips were legal.
While the decision is likely to please gaming enthusiast's -- settling a long-running dispute over the legality of the chips under Australia's current copyright laws -- their victory is likely to be short-lived.
The federal Government has agreed to amend Australia's copyright laws to outlaw mod chips as part of its trade agreement with the US.
[/QUOTE]
For the full article read Mod-chips ruled legal
Thanks to Keelbug for the news
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(Thursday 06 October 2005 01:01 EST) - (Category: Xbox_Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Peter Moore and J Allard Interview
>> Gameinformer.com made an interesting interview with both Peter Moore (corporate VP of worldwide marketing and publishing) and J. Allard (corporate VP and XNA architect) at the G05 event in Amsterdam. Certainly check the last question in the short excerpt below, Allard about modchips on the Xbox(360):
[QUOTE]
* GI: Two of the big questions were launch lineup and then what games would be ready for backwards compatibility. Can you give us any kind of list for the day one titles? When will we find those out?
* Moore: You have all heard this before I'm sure, but we are working on a software emulation that we have built that is had to hand combat game by game by game. Each game is emulated and you know the issue with the GPU and the CPU. We will probably be in a position in about two weeks to give you a list and that list will go up on Xbox.com and it will get updated as more and more games get through certification.
* GI: Can you say what the percentage of the systems are....
* Moore: An overwhelming percentage is the Premium SKU. But it moves everyday. I can tell you it's over 80% but tomorrow that might change.
* GI: Some Xbox 360 games are scheduled to ship to stores before November 22nd, and it's highly unlikely that those retailers are going to hold those games for a week. Those are going to be sold right out the door.
* Allard: It could happen. We haven't certified a game yet. There's no game in manufacture yet. That's the only thing I can attest to. Retailers did that a little bit with Xbox. There was a handful of games for the Xbox that you could buy before the Xbox was on store shelves. It's going to be a retail by retail decision. I don't think we're doing anything to try to coordinate that one way or another.
* GI: I was wondering if you had any office pools going around yet for how many hours it'll take modders to hack your system?
* Allard: No, we don't have any office pools like that (laughs). We do know that they're already being very ambitious with it, and it's flattering in a way. It's kind of funny. A lot of the modders... First, game piracy is bad. Right? Shame, shame, shame. But if we all look at it, you know, half of us in the room would not be employed if game piracy was more rampant than it was. It's bad for the industry. As it is the industry's not in the best financial shape. Piracy only makes that worse.
So putting piracy aside what did most of them do? They made it a media player. They had it connect to portable devices. They had it copy my music off of my PC so I could get it here. They did visualizers. They made themes. They made it something they could actually participate in. Well, we took a lot of those great ideas and said, "You want to make a theme? We'll give you a theme editor. Go put themes on." You don't have to chip your box to make your box yours. You don't have to unscrew it to put little green lights in it. Just rip off the faceplate and go put on a theme. Because everyone wants to do a lot of what legitimate modders wanted to do. There will still be the hobbyists that want to rip it apart. There will still be the pirates that want to rip it off. We can't avoid that.
The philosophy that we applied on 360 is "It's going to happen." With Xbox 1 we were, not in denial, but we said, "Let's build a system and we'll assume that we can stop it." With 360 we said, "Let's assume we can't stop it. How are we going to manage it?" Because it is going to happen. They are going to attack. They are going to have some form of success. What can we do in the Live business and community, with the media, at retail. What can we do with connectivity and even the peripherals to try to put a really big speed bump in place and most importantly protect the gamers from the hackers making it a crappy experience for them?
Because that's my biggest nightmare. You know, we lose 5% of our revenue. That's bad. I'd rather it be 4%, 3%, or zero. But if Xbox Live gets distorted and destroyed because of three or four bad people that just want to have a grudge against Microsoft or someone that they're playing against - just want to ruin and wreak havoc on Live, that would really suck. That's what we're more sensitive to than the money.
[/QUOTE]
There's much more interesting stuff in this interview, so certainly go check gameinformer.com.
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(Thursday 06 October 2005 00:14 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox-Scene.com Welcomes it's 250,000th member
>> Well.. to be honest our forums now have over 250350 members as of this post. I'd like to take the time to thank the quarter million members of the news and forums sites. It goes without saying that the forums would be a mess without the dozen or so head moderators and the dozens of local moderators who help keep the ship steering straight and into the wind.
It's not a bad Hallmark to reach.. a quarter million users for a site based on a console that will soon see it's second generation console born. Enjoy the ride as we shift into high gear with the launch of the Xbox 360.
For those of you that frequent the news page.. come visit the XS Forums where no sign up is necessary to read and enjoy the forums and files.
You'll notice that XS is growing again.. with the launch of our PS3 site www.ps3scene.com We aim to do for the PS3 what we did for the Xbox.
Cheers to the members that teach me something new every day.. and the staff that remind me to not repeat some of it in polite company. :)
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(Wednesday 05 October 2005 23:27 EST) - (Category: OffTopic) - (Posted by::
)
Only 1 SKU in Japan because of possible shortage?
>> From joystiq.com:
[QUOTE]
In a research report published by Deutsche Bank Group, Takashi Oya and Kazu Ejiri suggest that Microsoft's decision to offer just one Xbox 360 SKU in Japan may be a result of lower-than-expected production output of Xbox 360 units.
They write, "We believe Microsoft wants to offer the scaled-down version but may be looking to control sales because of the possibility of not being able to meet initial demand." They go on to note that they believe that Microsoft will eventually sell the scaled-down Xbox 360 package without the hard drive and extra accessories once the company is able to rustle up enough of the consoles.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: joystiq.com
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(Wednesday 05 October 2005 21:06 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Prometheus: Big internal milestone end October
>> Prometheus is a map editor currently in development that will allow you to edit and create maps for Halo 1, Halo 2, and future games that use the Halo Engine. From halodev.org:
[QUOTE]
I just wanted to let all of those who keep checking this page - and emailing and messaging me - that the next update is something we want to do soon. However, we've decided to skip this month's update and publish something around the end of October. The end of October marks a big internal milestone for us that we don't want to talk about right now but when we reach that milestone it'll be something really worth showing. Thanks to everybody who's eagerly and patiently awaiting the updates and release; we're doing our best and working straight through all of our free time so just keep holding on.
[/QUOTE]
XenoChip announced xenoFX modchip
>> XenoChip, the guys behind the 'Aladdin XT' (also called 'Xenochip') and 'Xenochip XS' have now announced the 'xenoFX' modchip for Xbox v1.0-6x. From xenochip.com:
[QUOTE]
In the upcoming week we will release the successor to the 'XT' chip - xenoFX. This is probably the best and most reliable chip in the 'budget' mod market. Here is a short list of its new features:
- Updated core
- LPC bus timing code optimized for flawless 1.6x performance
- Powerful transistor driver for D0 - no need to use short cables for D0 ;)
- Power LED indicator
- Compatible with all SST49LF0x0A and 49LF00xB flashes
The good new is that even though this chip has more hardware and better performance than similar chip, the price will be the same or even lower!
[/QUOTE]
Here's a picture of the new modchip (courtesy i-c.bz):
More Pictures: xenoFX Power Led
Official Site: http://www.xenochip.com
Next-Gen.biz: X05 a success for Microsoft
>> From next-gen.biz:
[QUOTE]
The consensus among the journalists here is that this [the X05 event] has been a success for Microsoft, although probably not a triumph. We already knew how much Xbox 360 is going to cost, we knew the technology involved and when it will be arriving. The fact that there wasn't much to announce last night isn't a big problem.
We're here to see the games and to play them and I think a few people have been pleasantly surprised by just how many games are playable and obviously pretty close to completion.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: next-gen.biz
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(Wednesday 05 October 2005 10:41 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox 360 launch lineup finalized 'in the next few weeks'
>> From gamespot.com:
[QUOTE]
In an effort to clear up the confusion, GameSpot asked David Reid, director of platform marketing for Xbox, what the exact 360 launch lineup is. He said that "there will be 15 to 20 Xbox 360 titles available on launch day" with around another half-dozen making it to market by the end of the year. For the moment, though, he would only confirm eight titles as being available the same day and date as the 360: Project Gotham Racing 3, Kameo, Perfect Dark Zero, Madden NFL 06, NBA Live 06, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06, Need for Speed Most Wanted, and FIFA 06: Road to FIFA World Cup.
As for the other seven to 12 Xbox 360 games that will be available on November 22, Reid said they would be announced "in the next few weeks." "They are currently in the final stages of certification," he told.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: gamespot.com, joystiq.com.
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(Wednesday 05 October 2005 00:55 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Gentoox Resctoox v2.2
>> ShALLaX released a new version of Resctoox(info) on gentoox.shallax.com:
[QUOTE]
Sorry for the delay in the release of this... I know some people may have been waiting on this for a while now, it's just with university starting again I've been a bit busy... however, since I can't sleep right now I figured I'd have a go at this.
The only change in this release is that the FTPd now supports large files (>2GiB). A quick change to the compile flags sorted this out.
Once again, the sources for my modified oftpd are in the developer section.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://gentoox.shallax.com
Download: here
Chief Xbox Officer Bach talks Xbox 360 and Modding
>> The guys over at itworld.com/macworld.com have an interesting interview with Robbie Bach, Microsoft's President Entertainment and Devices Division and Chief Xbox Officer. Here are just a few of the intersting parts (certainly check the last one about xbox modding):
[QUOTE]
* IDGNS: Any hints on the level of pre-orders?
* Bach: So far things on the pre-order front are going very well. ... Our philosophy is to ship initial product and then in the second week ship a little more. Our retailers already know what they're going to get and that they're going to get more product the next week.
* IDGNS: Bill Gates said that Halo3 would be ready as soon as PS3 would be ready to ship. Is this time-frame realistic?
* Bach: Philosophically the point Bill was trying to make is that we're not just going to ship and not have great stuff coming up. We don't know when Sony will ship PS3. They've said spring ... What we do know is that the way our portfolio lines up we're going to have great exclusive content. Halo is something we'll ship when it's ready.
* IDGNS: You've been very tough in prosecuting modders. Aren't you falling into the same trap as the music industry has found itself in and not responding to expressions of consumer demand?
* Bach: The tricky question is why people are modding. There are people who don't want to pay for games so that's not good for our business model. There's a form of modding by people who want to hijack our hardware to do other things. Given that we lose money on the hardware that's not a customer we're excited about. There are some people who have done modding because they want to do some related things like play music. We have an Xbox 360 built with a lot of that functionality. Those type of customers will be excited about today's product.
[/QUOTE]
Go read the whole interview on itworld.com or macworld.com.
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(Tuesday 04 October 2005 23:35 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
First Picture of Team Xecuters Final X3IR addon
>> Divineo.net was so kind to send us the first picture of the final version of team xecuters X3IR addon.
It's an infrared kit for the Xecuter(info)3(CE) modchip that will allow you to power-on and off your xbox with a remote (Stock Xbox or RCA).
Official Site: http://www.teamxecuter.com
Xbox 360 Wired Controller Pictures and Videos
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(Tuesday 04 October 2005 18:41 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
News From X05: New Games, Halo movie by Peter Jackson, Adidas deal
>> Lot's of news from the X05 event today in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Here's an overview:
* UPDATE: Major Nelson posted a mp3/wma 'blogcast' of the X05 Microsoft press conference. Due to rights issues, some parts of the audio have been blanked out. You can download the MP3 here (or from our mirror here) and the WMA here.
* UPDATE2: Some new directfeed high quality videos released from X05 on xbox.com:
Condemned: Criminal Origins, Dead Rising, FIFA '06, Final Fantasy XI, Full Auto, Gears of War, Kameo, MotoGP, Ninety Nine Nights, Project Gotham Racing 3, Resident Evil 5, Too Human
* Xbox 360 Launch Lineup Announced (from pressrelease)
"Today at X05, the Xbox brand experience for the games and entertainment industry, Microsoft Corp. unveiled an incredible lineup of games for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system as it gears up for launch Nov. 22 in North America, Dec. 2 in Europe and Dec. 10 in Japan.
Titles that will form part of the impressive Christmas holiday portfolio include these: Kameo: Elements of Power, Perfect Dark Zero, Project Gotham Racing 3.
Other great games announced or shown at X05 included these: Crackdown, Gears of War, Too Human, Mass Effect, FIFA 06: Road to FIFA World Cup, Saint's Row, Full Auto, Condemned: Criminal Origins.
Franchise titles that will make their debut on Xbox 360 were also announced, including these: Superman Returns: The Videogame, Call of Duty 2, Castle Wolfenstein, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 4, Quake 4, MotoGP Ultimate Racing Technology (URT) 2006"
* The Countdown for Xbox 360 Begins at X05 (from pressrelease)
"Peter Moore, corporate vice president of Worldwide Marketing and Publishing for Xbox at Microsoft, also announced that triple Academy Award winners Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will serve as the executive producers of "Halo," the upcoming feature film based on Microsoft's phenomenally popular video game. This unique alliance between Universal Studios, 20th Century Fox, Microsoft, and Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh promises a step forward in motion picture production. "Halo" will benefit from the experience and resources of the film studios, from Microsoft's groundbreaking vision and from Jackson's and Walsh's creative sensibilities and expertise in both traditional filmmaking and the world of emerging digital technologies.
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) Executive Vice President and General Manager of International Publishing Gerhard Florin took to the stage to announce the Xbox 360 exclusive "FIFA 06: Road to FIFA World Cup" and confirm "Godfather," "Burnout" and "Battlefield" -- along with a new franchise, "Superman" -- as coming soon to Xbox 360. Ubisoft Entertainment chose X05 to announce the return of Sam Fisher in "Splinter Cell 4." In addition, id Software Inc. CEO Todd Hollenshead revealed the seminal "Castle Wolfenstein" for Xbox 360.
"This is the start of a new era in interactive entertainment," Florin said. "The combined power of Xbox 360 and innovation from EA in graphics, animation and gameplay means consumers will have unprecedented levels of interaction and rich connection with the games they play. EA has more than 20 games in development for Xbox 360 and is delivering quality entertainment in support of the launch with franchises like ‘Need for Speed,' ‘FIFA,' ‘NBA Live,' ‘Tiger Woods' and ‘Madden NFL.' Today's X05 event is a global showcase of great digital entertainment to come."
The press conference also provided the perfect forum for Xbox Vice President J Allard to demonstrate the seamless integration and enhanced offering of the Xbox Live service with Xbox 360 -- and with other electronic devices in the home -- heralding the beginning of next-generation online gaming and online entertainment. From playing music files from an iPod to personalizing gameplay by buying car parts from Xbox Live Marketplace in Project Gotham Racing 3 to features such as Family Settings and Enhanced Matchmaking, Xbox Live is expanding the limits of what is possible."
* Xbox and adidas Announce Global Alliance (from pressrelease)
"Two global brands at the leading edge of youth culture, Xbox and Adidas, today announced a long-term strategic alliance at X05, the Microsoft Xbox brand experience for the games and entertainment industry. The worlds of sports and entertainment merge as both companies enter into a series of planned activities and initiatives:
-Xbox 360 kiosks in adidas stores
-MTV Goal -- Germany 2006.
-Platform integration. adidas will install content on Xbox 360 consoles, while Xbox will enjoy presence on adidas' planned FIFA 2006 World Cup mobile portal.
-"Goal: The Movie." Xbox is supporting "Goal: The Movie" with a series of cross-promotional exercises with adidas
-Grassroots football events. Xbox will have kiosks at all adidas grassroots football events in the lead up to the FIFA 2006 World Cup."
* For more game specific news (tons of pictures of videos of Xbox 360 games in near final state have been released), we suggest you visit xbox360.ign.com, teamxbox.com or gamersreports.com.
More about the X05 event very soon ...
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(Tuesday 04 October 2005 14:39 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Analysts predict cold winter for gaming industry
>> From gamespot.com:
[QUOTE]
UBS Investment Research's latest update suggests shrinking software sales for 2005, sluggish 2006 as next-generation systems take over.
While software sales have been up nine percent so far this year, Wallace and Tam from UBS Investment Research expect some fourth-quarter backsliding. They point out that half the industry's sales occur between now and the end of the year, and without last year's bounty of must-haves like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas or Halo 2, they expect software sales to finish the year down one percent overall.
However, there are some positive catalysts to look for this holiday season. The Xbox 360 launch will get people into stores, and PSP and DS sales are expected to help out as well. But the PlayStation 2 still represents the bulk of the market, Wallace and Tam said, and it will come down to the PS2's game sales to determine how strongly the industry ends the year. While the analysts refer to it only as a remote possibility, a PS2 price cut to $129.99 or $99.99 could spur sales for the system while stealing some of Microsoft's Xbox 360 thunder.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: gamespot.com
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(Tuesday 04 October 2005 13:30 EST) - (Category: GamingGeneral) - (Posted by::
)
XboxMediaCenter (XBMC) 2005-10-03 CVS build
>> A new CVS compile (by T3CH) of XboxMediaCenter(info) has been released.
This T3CH-compile is a BAREBONE package (with just a few thirdparty scripts and with just the default skin) compiled with XDK v5849.
Here's the added features, for all the fixed, changed and updated stuff check the full changelog since the 2005-09-27 CVS release:
* added: Video items found in locked bookmarks are hidden from My Videos database views (Title, Genre, Actor, Year) until the bookmark is unlocked from My Videos Files view or by Master User Mode
* added: WA51-presets(265).zip, now default Presetpack in milkdrop. Contains presets 20fps > faster (tested in PAL720x576)
* added: Milk(info)drop - can now select different preset packs from the settings menu. (Defaults to looking in visualisations\Milkdrop for zips and folders)
* added: START on the controller or PLAY on the remote now plays media from DVD-ROM if present (home screen only)
* added: new buildin function: <execute>XBMC.PlayDVD()</execute>, will play/run a CD/DVD if a media is present in the DVD-Drive!
* added: Home window: DVD-Drive button [icon] will appear if a media is present! On click it will play the inserted media disc! in addition with new Infomanager: system.hasmediadvd
* added: new Infomanager: system.hasmediadvd will be true if a media is present in the DVD-Drive
* added: Play CD/DVD function to the DVD-Drive context menu in all sections! Play CD/DVD function is availible if a CD/DVD is inserted else no play item in context menu availible!
* added: Eject and Load Tray function to DVD-Drive context menu in all sections!
... check the full changelog here.
You can add more scripts and skins yourself if desired. You can download them from allxboxskins.com, xbox-skins.net and xbmcscripts.com.
Keep in mind this is a CVS snapshot of the current development tree. It's not a official (stable) point release. Use only if you know what you are doing.
Official Site: http://www.xboxmediacenter.com / http://sourceforge.net/projects/xbmc
Full Changelog/Xbox-Scene Discussion Thread: forums.xbox-scene.com
Download Binaries: n/a (built with XDK)
Download SourceCode: here
XBConnect v5.1.3 build 249
>> A new version of XBConnect(info) has been released.
What's new/fixed:
* Crash when more than 6 Xboxes are at one physical location.
* Fixed double notice on buddy notification. Also moved buddy notifies to occur after game list is loaded.
* Updated tray icon.
* XBC now supports 256 Xboxes per physical location.
Official Site: http://www.xbconnect.com
Download: here (This update is mandatory and will be forced)
Sega About Next-Gen. Consoles
>> GameSpy had an exclusive interview with Sega's Yuji Naka. He talked about lots of stuff, but here's what he had to say about the next generation consoles:
[QUOTE]
GameSpy: All three of the major consoles were shown in some form at E3 and TGS this year. Can you tell us your thoughts on each one?
Naka: You want me to say something about each one, eh? Well, the X360 is pretty nice hardware. I like that they're really emphasizing the network aspect of it. It's kind of like what we wanted to do with the Dreamcast originally.
The PS3 ... hmm, how to say ... well, it's going to have some very high-end specs, it seems. It can supposedly render up to D5 Hi-Def. But really, what's the point of that? There's no consumer TV out there that can display in D5 yet! I suppose it's just Sony wanting to set their sights as high as possible. Still, it's very difficult for us as developers to do dual-platform development at the moment. We do have lots of plans for those two, however.
As for the Revolution ... well, Nintendo simply hasn't announced very much for it. We know it'll be small and stylish with a unique controller, but that's about it. It's pretty different from what we tend to think of as "typical Nintendo." I hear the console itself might actually get even smaller, if you can believe that.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole interview on xbox.gamespy.com.
ATI Tech Could Gain More Share With New Launches
>> From forbes.com:
[QUOTE]
Credit Suisse First Boston maintained an "outperform" rating and $14 price target on ATI Technologies in anticipation of the company's upcoming desktop product launch on Tuesday.
ATI shares have rebounded 40% off their August trough and CSFB expects the company to continue gaining share with new desktop product shipments, a $6 million ramp in Xbox royalties, and about $5 million in sequential improvement in its consumer segment.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: forbes.com
X05 Event: Games will Look Better than at E3 and Game Line-up
>> From next-gen.biz:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft Games Studios GM, Shane Kim chatted with Next Generation about what we should expect from X05 (October 4th and 5th - Amsterdam, The Netherlands). He's promised vast improvements to known games and the unveiling of new ones.
Says Kim, "Until this point we've not been able to demonstrate the power of Xbox 360 as clearly as we like. At X05 people will see that the next generation undoubtedly begins with Xbox 360."
He added, "In addition to the titles third parties are showing, we'll be showing off Kameo: Elements of Power, Project Gotham Racing 3, Perfect Dark Zero and Gears of War at X05."
On the topic of new games, Kim was forced to play coy by his handlers, but confirmed that some new projects will be announced at X05.
According to a Microsoft spokesperson, the company will also be outlining more of the specifics of what software that will be available during the 'release window' in the first announcements on Tuesday.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: next-gen.biz
Some info about the line-up from 3rd party developers at X05.
From gamasutra.com/computerandvideogames.com:
[QUOTE]
* Electronic Arts officials confirmed that the company will be showing five Xbox 360 launch titles in playable form:
Need for Speed: Most Wanted, FIFA 06: Road to FIFA World Cup, NBA Live 06, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 and Madden NFL 06 will all be shown.
Although the company describes the five games as launch titles, it also claims that it has not announced exact release dates for any of its Xbox 360 games. Others known which EA is developing, but that will not be available in the console's launch period include The Godfather, Battlefield 2: Modern Combat and "a new title from the Burnout Revenge franchise".
* Officials from Midway have also announced the company's plans for X05, with launch title Stranglehold - produced in collaboration with movie direction John Woo - due to make its debut. Other titles have not been confirmed for X05 but the publisher has already spoken out as a keen supporter of the Xbox 360 format.
* Bioware will be giving us a first glance at their new game. We know this is more than a rumour, because we've got an appointment with them on Wednesday morning, where all, we hope, will be revealed.
* A widely circulating rumour concerns a new announcement from Bungie and, while everyone wants it to be Halo 3, (first 'screen' allegedly and we do mean a huge 'allegedly' with giant purple caveats here) the latest word from Bungie itself is that it's something entirely different. On its weekly update the company says:
"Keep your eyes peeled next week for a surprising, cool, awesome Bungie-related announcement. No it is not Halo 3, nor is it the surprise revelation of our next project (whatever that may be) but it's sweet. It's something I've hinted at in the past. And you'll probably like it. More than that I can't say. Which even I know is aggravating. But it ain't up to me. So just be patient."
[/QUOTE]
Read More: gamasutra.com, computerandvideogames.com, EA pressrelease.
Hope for unified next-gen DVD format emerges
>> From gamesindustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
There has been yet another development in the Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD format war, with Toshiba president Yoshihide Fujii revealing that the company is still looking at the possibility of creating a unified format.
Speaking at a recent press conference, Fujii said Toshiba has "No intention of giving up on creating a single format," according to the Japan Times.
Fujii said that there is still time for new negotiations to take place but that the deadline for talks would be the end of the year, after which Toshiba plans to put its HD-DVD players on the market for the first time.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: gamesindustry.biz
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(Monday 03 October 2005 12:29 EST) - (Category: OffTopic) - (Posted by::
)
Surreal64 XXX Beta4.9 W.I.P. Update
>> FreakDave released some new info about an upcoming Surreal64(info) XXX build - a N64 emulator for Xbox (combining 1964, Project64 and UltraHLE) based on the original Surreal64 by oDD and Lantus.
From freakdave.xbox-scene.com:
[QUOTE]
We're sorry for the lack of updates, but life is keeping us busy. For all of you who are curious, here's the status of our latest build. Please note that this is still a WIP and some things may change until release.
Surreal64 XXX - Beta4.9 WIP Changelog:
* Changed: Launchdata is not needed anymore
* Changed: Video plugins are now chosen after the emulator has been selected
* Changed: Pagesize is now 256k
* Changed: Rom is now entirely loaded into ram (only for 128Mb users)
* Changed: Removed Enable/Disable Controller option from submenu (Change it in the launcher)
* Changed: Shortcut for changing Paks : Hold both triggers and press left thumbstick
* Fixed: Rewrote CD/DVD detection code (tested and working)
* Fixed: Rom size was shown incorrectly
* Fixed: Bug in Basic Audio plugin
* Added: New and optimized VMM code (slight speed increase)
* Added: Skin selection menu
Some of you might wonder when we are going to release our newest beta.
To be honest: we don't know. At the moment we're trying to fix some memory bugs and implement screen resizing.
Oh, and we've managed to increase compatibility with some roms which didn't run before due to the stupid audio bug (Turok series, Shadowman, etc..).
Here are some screenies: Turok 1, Turok 2, TurokSOE 1, TurokSOE 2, TurokSOE 3, TurokSOE 4, TurokSOE 5.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://freakdave.xbox-scene.com
Download: not yet released - this is a WIP news update
State of the Xbox 360: Final Kits, X05
>> IGN posted a 3 page article about the "State of the Xbox 360". It some sort of a "status report" on the Xbox 360 with all major events since the MTV show upto what we can expect this week (tuesday-wednesday) at the X05 event in Amsterdam:
[QUOTE]
Coming into the home stretch here, it's clear Microsoft has had its fair share of problems. The MTV event, though brilliantly conceived, was a hype-without-substance infomercial that impressed nobody, especially the most important people -- gamers. At the actual MTV event, I did an informal poll which revealed that three-fourths of the people attending were there only to see the Killers. E3 was underwhelming to put it mildly, and the summer months proved to be vacant of everything but rumors, leaks, and more rumors and leaks. The Tokyo Game show helped Microsoft's cause a little, and Microsoft finally revealed its Japanese pricing and the worldwide release dates, leaving one major news announcement left open - the day-and-date launch games. Apparently, Microsoft and friends are still working on these last details.
X05
So, where are all the games? Why haven't we seen anything? Why would Microsoft wait so long to show anxious gamers something genuinely incredible to bite into and love? Is this a Dreamcast in sheeps clothing? After speaking to several frank developers, IGN has learned that to date, the games have not been ready to present. None of them are far enough along the development process to impress anybody. Yet. To put things into perspective, Microsoft and its partners want to display significant progress since E3, and the Beta Kits helped the process along, but the Final Dev Kits, which were sent to developers in late August, have become the keystone to their success. According to one developer who spoke with IGN anonymously, the Final Kits provide a 15%-20% difference in output power, or an increase from 2.8 to 3.2 GHz. "The difference has been huge. The Final Dev Kits have helped tremendously."
X05 will be Microsoft's watershed event. With it, you'll get a microscopic look at the Xbox 360 launch lineup. And for those of you on the fence, real genuine excitement will be built and sustained. You'll finally see everything in its near final or final state, and we'll be able to play everything to color a better, clearer picture of just how good these games really are.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: xbox360.ign.com
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