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Week of August 22, 2010
Xbox 360 S 4GB Internal Memory PCB Pictures and 4GB vs 250GB
>> We received pictures from an "X-Scene friend" of the 4GB internal memory in the new Xbox 360 'S' 4GB model. Unlike the old 'Arcade' units the memory is no longer located directly on the motherboard, but instead Microsoft uses a small addon-on PCB with a 4GB flash memory unit [3.2GB usable]. This probably makes production easier (afaik) as all motherboards are now exactly the same ... for the 4GB model they add the internal memory pcb-addon, for the 250GB unit they add the internal HDD.
As always, hit the pictures of high-res ;)
I also added a picture of the Xbox360 'S' 250GB and Xbox360 'S' 4GB next to each other so you can see the glossy vs matte finish of both units. This hasn't been covered much, but the 4GB model has a matte finish (vs glossy) and black borders (vs silver for the 250GB model). Which look do you prefer?
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Kinect beta kits going out, Dashboard update live for participants
>> From joystiq.com:
[QUOTE]
That email purportedly sent out by Microsoft a couple weeks back inviting its recipients into a Kinect beta program? Yeah -- it was legit. Joystiq has received corroborating evidence confirming the program, including pictures of the promised Kinect-enabled Dashboard update running on a participant's retail console. In them, you can clearly see the flatter presentation, new mini-guide and revamped Avatar editor -- complete with a re-proportioned Avatar.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story (with lots of pics): joystiq.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox Live Voice Chat Quality to Improve: Better Codec
>> From eurogamer.net:
[QUOTE]
The quality of sound that comes through Xbox 360 headsets will be significantly improved when Microsoft updates the Xbox 360 this Fall.
The refresh, designed to coincide with the launch of Kinect, will upgrade the codec and audio infrastructure that underpins the quality of voice communication from Xbox 360 to Xbox 360, and should make for clear chat between gamers when they play online, Xbox Live Studios boss Jerry Johnson said at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival this afternoon.
"The codec we used when we first launched was a low bit rate codec and we stuck with that," Johnson explained.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: eurogamer.net
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(Thursday 26 August 2010 23:00 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Microsoft Execs To Deliver Tokyo Game Show Keynote
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
Last year it was Sony's CEO who keynoted the Tokyo Game Show; this year it's Microsoft's turn. CESA says Microsoft Japan Home & Entertainment division chief Takashi Sensui and Microsoft Game Studios corporate vice president Phil Spencer will deliver the first of two keynotes to kick off the event.
The pair will discuss "Xbox 360's Vision and 2010's Strategy," according to an announcement translated by Andriasang, and their talk will take place at the Makuhari Messe on September 16, the show's first business day.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: gamasutra.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
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(Thursday 26 August 2010 22:57 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Unauthorized Halo Reach Play Will Result in BAN: 'We have ways of knowing'
>> Stephen Toulouse, Director of Policy and Enforcement for Xbox LIVE, posted some tweets about the early online Halo Reach leaks:
[QUOTE]
I've been asked about unauthorized pre-release play on Halo: Reach. Let me address that.
As with all unauthorized play on Xbox LIVE, anyone playing any unauthorized title runs the risk of account permaban and console.
Remember, legit store bought copy runs no risk of ban. Key word: UNAUTHORIZED. We have ways of knowing. :>
[/QUOTE]
As we know the leak originates from people being able to download the game from Xbox LIVE. It was placed there for reviewers and protected with a code, but people managed to bypass it.
"We have ways of knowing. :>" ... is the review build placed on Xbox LIVE different (crc-check?) from the Retail build, in which case they can BAN everyone with a review-build if you're not the allowed-list, or does MS have something new up their sleeves?
Halo: Reach is due out on 14th September.
News-Source: http://twitter.com/Stepto
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
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(Wednesday 25 August 2010 14:58 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox 360 ISO Extract v0.4
>> Somski released a new version of Xbox 360 ISO Extract:
[QUOTE]
This program allowes you to extract multiple xbox360 isos based on exiso(info)(info).
+ you can scan recursively through a directory and pick every iso (every iso must be in a seperate dir)
+ each iso will be extracted to the target_dir\where_the_iso_is_located_in
+ skips extracting if target_dir already has the directory
+ "remove iso afterwards" functionality (be careful! maybe some bugs)
+ statusbar and log window
+ automatically deletes the $SystemUpdate directory (since it's not needed)
What's new/fixed:
+ order of the queue is changeable now
+ last iso and extraction dir are saved now
+ scans the iso directory on change and startup (needs a bit longer to load)
* some error handling added
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: n/a, by Somski
Download: here
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
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(Wednesday 25 August 2010 00:29 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
360 Screenshot Tool 0.9.6.2
>> v3n3 released a new version of 360 Screenshot Tool:
[QUOTE]
Just added Halo Reach and changed here and there some little things.
Dont ask for Injecting / Creating Screenshots.
I personally dont support Xbox LIVE modding (excluding GS), so that part of the app will never be released ;-)
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://v3n3.de
Download: here
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
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(Wednesday 25 August 2010 00:22 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Microsoft and Datel settle lawsuit over Xbox controllers
>> From seattletimes.nwsource.com:
[QUOTE]
In April, Microsoft sued the U.K.-based game technology company, which makes controllers that work with Microsoft's Xbox video game system. Datel makes game system accessories that sell in Walmart, Best Buy and Target stores, and Microsoft said Datel's "TurboFire" and "Wildfire" controllers infringed on several of Microsoft's patents for controller design.
Microsoft filed a motion to dismiss with prejudice on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in Western Washington, according to court documents.
Datel has a comment now.
"It's a confidential settlement that resulted in the dismissal of the ITC [International Trade Commission] case and the case in the U.K.," said Marty Glick, attorney for the firm Howard Rice. "The antitrust case which was the first we filed of all of these is still very much full steam ahead."
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: seattletimes.nwsource.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Amazon Discontinues Sales of Xbox Live Arcade Games
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
According to a notice on the Amazon.com website, Xbox Live Arcade game codes for specific Xbox 360 downloads will no longer be sold through the online retailer.
The notice further informs users that Xbox Live points can still be purchased on Amazon.com, and that these can be used with your Xbox 360 console to purchase any of the games that were previously available.
The Amazon store offered consumers the advantage of buying games using exact money -- and sometimes at Amazon-specific discounts -- rather than purchasing them using a Point system as in the Live Arcade interface.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: gamasutra.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Lifting the veil on the hybrid processor-graphics chip in the new Xbox 360 S
>> From venturebeat.com:
[QUOTE]
The company's engineers created a chip that combined the machine's microprocessor and its graphics chip on a single piece of silicon. In the past, different versions of the console have all used two separate chips for those tasks.
The code name for the project was Vejle, named after a city in Denmark. (It's not Valhalla, as some thought).
The new chip takes the exact same 3.2-gigahertz, three-core microprocessor and 500-megahertz graphics chip design and puts them on the same chip. In order to create this, Microsoft and IBM engineers had to work together to build the necessary connectivity within the chip to route electrical signals in and out of the chip. You can't just glue the two designs together. Rather, IBM had to get rid of its main communications channel between the chips, dubbed the front-side bus, and build a substitute for it.
The main chip is packaged with a separate 10-megabyte embedded memory chip. So the two chips are packaged in a single module. The combined chip uses 60 percent less power than the original 2005 pair of chips, and it uses 50 percent less space. Robert Drehmel, senior technical engineer at IBM, said that one of the big challenges was to marry two chips that were built by different companies, designed by different engineering teams, and created with different chip design tools. IBM had to learn more about the unfamiliar ATI design, design specific tools to adapt it, and then recreate an overall design that did the same thing as the prior designs.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: venturebeat.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
x360 Music Organizer v0.14 beta
>> MahoppianGoon released a new version of x360 Music Organizer - a custom 'mindex.xmi' file creator.
What's new/fixed:
* added: Automatically convert 'mp3, ogg, and wav' files to WMA!
* added: Automatically rename the 'mindex' folder, if it exists in the same folder as the 'Output Directory", on your computer!
* added: Update checker in the 'About' tab!
* added: Volume and Now Playing menus to system tray icon!
* added: Next, Stop, Pause, Play, Previous buttons to tray icon menu!
* added: System tray icon shows the name and time of the song playing!
* added: 'Music Player' (wma/mp3/ogg/wav) in the 'mindex.XMI Cre' tab!
* added: Automatically add the converted FMIM->WMA files to the list!
* added: 'Choose FMIM Folder' in the 'FMIM Music Converter' tab!
* fixed: Songs length number in the XMI file!
* changed: textbox in the 'mindex.XMI Creator' tab is now a listview!
Official Site: n/a, by MahoppianGoon
Download: here
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
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