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Week of October 30, 2005
XBMC Skin Editor Beta
>> JimK released a new PC tool that will help you skin XboxMediaCenter(info).
From e-mail/readme:
[QUOTE]
Here is the beta of my skinning app for XBMC. If you have the media files from the cvs you can see realtime previews of the skin and use a click and drag interface to adjust objects and change properties. This app is fully functional and allows you to view the xml text and see the images and controls as you edit them.
As this is a beta I would advise you use a backup of your skin directory to edit with until you get the hang of it.
Things to do:
Get all objects to display in preview screen.
Allow FTP access to your xbox for editing you xml files directly.
Set up custom objects that you can save as a single control and allow you to reuse it for other xml files or skins.
Display only allowed options for selected controls.
Implement the full help section online.
Fix any bugs in current ver.
Current status:
This is almost fully functional. There are some control types that will not have a preview display for them yet. But most of the common ones do.
p.s. Futher development on this app depends on participation from users like reporting back to me how they like it, suggestions, bug reports ect...
PLEASE use the submit bugs button on the instructions page to give me ideas for improvements and report any bugs. Or if you just want to comment on the program.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: n/a, by JimK
Download: here
Full Readme: xbins.org
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Quake 3: Arena for Xbox Released
>> From Carcharius/Readme:
[QUOTE]
The first version is finished and now released to ‘the usual places'
I hope everyone enjoys what is there and doesn't moan too much about what is missing!
Many thanks to everyone for all the comments and messages of support that have been made over the past few weeks.
Introduction
This is the Quake 3: Arena game engine ported to run on the Xbox.
So what does it do?
As it stands now it will let you play the single player game portion of Quake 3: Arena. You should also be able to play on a network and over the internet, against other Xbox players as well as people running Quake 3 for the pc. For internet play you will require a valid CD key from the pc version of Quake 3.
It also has the ability to load and run some of the many mods available for Quake 3.
But please be aware, there are some mods that will run fine whilst others won't run at all. Unfortunately this is due to limitations in the Xbox hardware (basically it's a very tight squeeze trying to get Quake 3 to run at all using 64MB). I have not tested many mods, really I've done nothing more than try a couple to make sure that the mod loading process is working properly.
If you intend to try running any mods I strongly suggest a usb keyboard and/or mouse be attached to the xbox. Without them it may prove very difficult, even impossible, to navigate through the mod's interface and get a game running. This is because none of the mods available will be setup to work properly with the xbox controller.
If any mod authors do wish to make their mods compatible with this port then please drop me a line and I can let you know what (simple) changes are needed.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://carcharius.xbox-scene.com
Full Readme File: here
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Is the Xbox 360 the 2nd coming of the Sega Dreamcast?
>> From 1up.com:
[QUOTE]
* 23 eerie parallels between Xbox 360 and the Sega Dreamcast.
Ever since the first details of the Xbox 360 hit the web, gamers have drawn comparisons to Sega's ill-fated (yet still highly regarded) Dreamcast console. There are the obvious examples - the timing of the launches or the color of the hardware - but then there are a lot of not so obvious ones, too. As part of our Xbox 360 countdown, we've put together a list of our favorites. Noticed any others?
Check it out: 1up.com
* 10 reasons why Xbox 360 will succeed where the Dreamcast stumbled
Sure, it's easy to come up with some parallels between the two platforms, but will the Xbox 360 go the way of the Dreamcast and have Microsoft abandon it a few years into its life cycle? Extremely unlikely. Microsoft is in a much different position than Sega was a few years ago. Here are some of the top reasons why the Xbox 360 will succeed where the Dreamcast failed.
Check it out: 1up.com
[/QUOTE]
Read More: 1up.com
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(Saturday 05 November 2005 10:50 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Gentoox Resctoox v2.3
>> ShALLaX released a new version of Resctoox(info):
[QUOTE]
No one told me about the reflashing bug, so I guess hardly anyone uses Resctoox to reflash. Basically, I forgot to make the /BIOS directory (somehow?!) which meant the reflash script didn't work properly. It should be fixed now.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://gentoox.shallax.com/
Download: here
Apple to object to the Xbox-iPod interoperability?
>> From news.com:
[QUOTE]
Because of the iPod's digital-rights-management software, the Xbox 360 cannot stream songs purchased from Apple's iTunes Music Store, Xbox digital-entertainment executive producer Jeff Henshaw said. Those songs, he said, will appear grayed out in menus on the Xbox.
There's a reason for that: Microsoft built its iPod connection without the support of the folks at Apple.
Henshaw said Microsoft tried to "engage" Apple in a partnership that would have officially made the iPod interoperable with Xbox, but Apple rejected the overture.
Apple has been pitching a very different approach for those who want to connect to its popular music player. Through its so-called "Made for iPod" program, the Cupertino, Calif., company is attempting to collect royalties from the maker of any accessory device that interfaces with an iPod through its "dock connector."
But because Microsoft is not working within the "Made for iPod" program, David Cole, president of DFC Intelligence (an entertainment industry analysis firm), thinks Apple may object to the Xbox-iPod interoperability.
"I think it depends on whether (Apple sees) it stealing any of their thunder," said Cole. "The fact of the matter is, Microsoft has been a big software and services competitor (of Apple's). And that might cause (Apple) more worry than if it was Dell or somebody else."
Richard Doherty, president of analyst firm Envisioneering, went so far as to predict that Apple will fight back once the new Xbox launches.
"We expect Apple will have some retaliation ready within days or hours of the Xbox 360 shipping," Doherty said, referring to potential new iPod firmware or a new version of iTunes that could disable interoperability. "If you have iTunes prior to last May, it may work with the Xbox 360 forever, but if you accept (Apple's) updates, it may work differently."
[/QUOTE]
Read More: news.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
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(Saturday 05 November 2005 00:04 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
AT&T to Support Xbox 360 MMO Games
>> From teamxbox.com:
[QUOTE]
AT&T announced today it has won a $9.5 million, three-year managed hosting contract from Microsoft Game Studios (MGS) to support various online experiences and the infrastructure for massively multiplayer online role-playing games. The online games include the latest for both Windows and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.
Multiplayer online games, where tens of thousands of users play simultaneously from points around the globe, have emerged as one of the most sophisticated, bandwidth-intensive applications on the Internet. Multiplayer games have stringent requirements for real-time communication, dynamic applications and near-100 percent availability and reliability.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: TeamXbox.com
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(Friday 04 November 2005 23:02 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Rejected Xbox 360 Designs Revealed
>> From next-gen.biz:
[QUOTE]
A BBC TV show screened in the UK tonight has offered glimpses of Xbox 360 rejected designs.
These images have previously been shown to journalists at some events, in brief video presentations but have not been made public before We're waiting for original shots from Microsoft but here are some images. Apologies for the quality but they're just photos taken from a TV screen. Kinda interesting though...
[/QUOTE]
Check out the screenshots on next-gen.biz.
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(Friday 04 November 2005 20:11 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox 360 to Make Appearance at i26
>> From TeamXbox.com:
[QUOTE]
Attendees of the UK's largest LAN party, i26, will be able to get one of the first glimpses of Microsoft's Xbox 360 games console it was revealed today. The massive gaming event will be the one of the first chances the public will have to test-drive the Xbox 360 before the launch of the console on December 2nd.
The marathon 57 hour games fest will be used by Microsoft to showcase a range of forthcoming titles for the Xbox 360, including Dead or Alive 4, Project Gotham Racing 3, Kameo: Elements of Power and the highly anticipated Perfect Dark Zero.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: teamxbox.com
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(Friday 04 November 2005 13:58 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
APILogger v2
>> Pedro (PedrosPad) released a new version of APILogger. From readme/nfo:
[QUOTE]
Description:
Applications executing on the XBOX make frequent calls into the XBOX kernel in order to accomplish things. The group of functions that the kernel exports for use by applications is known as the Kernel API (Applications Programming Interface). An insight into the operation of the application can be gained by observing the calls it makes to the kernel.
Process:
When executed, the APILogger utility installs itself into the kernel, and then spawns a child application. Any calls made by the spawned application to the kernel are then captured and the details logged to a file on the HDD for later examination.
Design:
The design approach was to ensure that the XBOX-based component of the APILogger was as compact and lightweight as possible. This mandated a companion PC-based application, APIReporter, which contains the intelligence and does the processing.
[/QUOTE]
Forum Discussion Thread: forums.xbox-scene.com (by PedrosPad)
Download: here (legal - not built with XDK)
News-Source/Full Readme: forums.xbox-scene.com and xbins.org
US Xbox 360 Launch Stock Overview
>> The amount of theories, opinions, rumors and articles about the Xbox360 launch and more specifically the amount of stock is growing with the minute. Here I try to give you some kinda of overview.
From kotaku.com, joystiq.com, shanghaidaily.com, spong.com, ve3d.ign.com:
[QUOTE]
* Electronics Boutiques: Store managers at EB are calling customers to bump them off of the first allocation of Xbox 360 pre-orders.
EB Games is facing severe shortages of Xbox 360 stock according to one employee who wrote in. The employee stated that his Arizona store has had over 90 pre-orders, 32 of which were guaranteed to be fulfilled, until today when the EBG head office revealed that the store would receive just 16 units on November 22nd, leaving another 16 "guaranteed" pre-orderers bitterly disappointed, and another 60-odd sod out of luck for who knows how long.
The company as a whole will supposedly only receive around 35,000 (VE3d source) / 40,000 (Kotaku source) its to distribute to all outlets across North America. Total pre-order is around 75,000 (Kotaku source)
* GameStop: Kotaku reports 18 at one store, despite 90 pre-orders. VE3d on the other hand reports that GS employee told them that everything's fine and they will be able to fulfill all preorders.
* Wal-Mart's site tells people to go to a store at midnight on November 22, the day Xbox is released in the United States. A Wal-Mart employee broke down how that fine chain would be handling the big day:
-All stores are supposed to open at midnight to sell their limited supply of 360s and games.
-Specific store's 360 supply will be dictated by corporate based on how their game sales are in general.
-Store supplies will likely be similar to what Target stores will be getting. (10 to 50)
-Only one 360 can be sold per a transaction.
* Target: 10 to 50 Xbox 360s depending on average volume of store. Every store will print up tickets representing the number of 360's and core systems they have in stock. Starting at 6:00 a.m., employees are supposed to go out and hand out tickets to people in line on a first come first serve basis.
* Best Buy: 20 to 60 Xbox 360s with a larger shipment coming "later that week." They decided to handle it like the PSP launch, handing out tickets at the door to line-waiters.
* Amazon.com Inc says the system is unavailable in the United States and warned UK buyers they may not get it by the holidays. Bids are as high as US$4,100 on EBay Inc, 10 times the suggested price of as much as US$399.99.
* Research analyst Mike Wallace predicted that only 1.5 million Xbox 360s will ship this calendar year, with less than a third of those (400,000) available in the United States on launch day.
* Opinion Spong: Nose-tappers are claiming that Microsoft is trying to organise what has been described as a ‘Holiday Stampede' for 360 by keeping shipped-through hardware from retail at peak periods and snatching headlines in the process.
SPOnG thinks this highly unlikely. Microsoft would much rather be announcing strong sales over the coming busy period than high, unfulfilled demand.
* Opinion JoyStiq1: Conspiracy theory? It just makes too much sense for Microsoft to play the product launch like this. Heck, Sony did it with the PSP by talking about Beanie Baby / Cabbage Patch Doll shortages during their launch party for the PSP (turns out, there was no shortage after all).
The bottom line: if people were rational, you'd be able to walk into just about any store on November 22nd and obtain an Xbox 360. But all it takes is a little, good, old-fashioned FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) to drive sales through the roof and make this rumor a self-fulfilling prophecy.
* Opinion JoyStiq2: This is super-savvy marketing. Selling a product isn't always about creating enough to fill immediate demand. It's about sustaining demand over the long term. If this launch is played out correctly, long-term sales of the console should prove stronger than the typical console launch.
If someone has run the numbers on this, and if it can be determined that lower supply will result in higher long-term sales, they why not do it?
Crackpot conspiracy theories aside, maybe those Xbox 360 factories just had some glitches and didn't produce as many units as expected. That's the official line from Microsoft.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: kotaku[Wal-Mart], kotaku[Target], kotaku[Best Buy], kotaku[GS], ve3d[EB/GS], joystiq[EB], shanghaidaily[Amazon], joystiq[opinion], joystiq[opinion2], arstechnica, spong[opinion], kotaku[EB]
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
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(Thursday 03 November 2005 17:22 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Game Rental Service Releases Top Xbox 360 Pre-Orders
>> Members of the North American video game rental service GameFly.com are allowed to request Xbox 360 games ahead of the console's launch. They now released their TOP10 of most-requested Xbox 360 titles. This can give you an idea of the most popular Xbox 360 "launch" titles in USA:
1. Perfect Dark Zero, Microsoft
2. Call of Duty 2, Activision
3. Quake 4, Activision
4. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Take 2
5. Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Electronic Arts
6. Dead or Alive 4, Tecmo
7. Gun, Activision
8. Madden NFL 06, Electronic Arts
9. Project Gotham Racing 3, Microsoft
10. Kameo: Elements of Power, Microsoft
News-Source: gamasutra.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
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(Thursday 03 November 2005 09:43 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
XLink Kai Update: New Tools
>> From teamxlink.co.uk:
[QUOTE]
We had an Orbital update which interrupted services for about three minutes while the mesh re-synced - hope we didn't scare you! :)
The update includes new tools for moderators to deal with abusive users directly through the Kai(info) interface. Quarantine and Ban enable moderators to quickly isolate or remove players who are behaving inappropriately to help promote an enjoyable gaming experience for all.
As well, last night's update includes performance tweaks offering greater stability and improvements to the Persistent Authentication system.
We expect another Orbital update in the very near future which will include the WebSpec command set interface. This will allow future functionality to be instantly added to the Orbitals without needing to restart our services. WebSpec will usher in a new era of end-user features allowing players greater control of their game experience directly from the Kai interface.
Lastly, we'd like to introduce TX BugTracker, our new reporting center for technical issues and feature requests for all Team XLink projects. This allows an organized approach for developers, project managers, and end-users to remain up to date on the status of given issues while providing feedback and support.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://www.teamxlink.co.uk
Download: auto-update next time you launch client.
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox 360: Retail Bully - 'Must Sell Out' on Release Day
>> From gizmodo.com:
[QUOTE]
Gizmodo's new Norwegian correspondent SilverSnake sends news about Microsoft's Xbox 360 retail marketing demands. Retailers in the land of King Herald V are each being alloted a supply of 20 consoles, 6 core editions and 14 premium versions. But there is a catch: In order to get all of them, each shop or chain has to sign an agreement saying that they will sell out of all 20 consoles on the release date (which is December 2 over there). On top of that, the retailers must agree to sell a minimum of 2 games per console.
"Microsoft Norway even said them selves that they're gonna use the ‘Sold Out' as a marketing strategy to hype the console."
[/QUOTE]
Read More: gizmodo.com
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(Wednesday 02 November 2005 23:46 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox360 Japanese TV Commercial Video
>> We already talked about the US Xbox 360 TV commercial earlier today, now we have the Japanese TV commercial for the Xbox 360.
If you look closely you can see that the commercial is in fact rendered. Who knows maybe it is done on the Xbox360 ;)
There is certainly a big difference in style compared to the US ad.
You can download the commercial on gamersreports.com.
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(Wednesday 02 November 2005 23:21 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox 360 'Half the Price of PS3' by Late 2006
>> From next-gen.biz:
[QUOTE]
Merrill Lynch has released a new breakdown of next generation hardware component costs.
"...The PS3 will not only be significantly more costly than Xbox 360 at launch, but will continue to operate at a cost disadvantage for several years. ... We think that the Xbox 360 could be selling at half the price of PS3 in the latter half of 2006."
"...Our analysis indicates that Microsoft has a significant advantage in terms of cost. Taking Sony's weakened financial condition and Microsoft's deep pockets into consideration, we conclude that Microsoft's Xbox 360 should emerge as the early winner in the next round of the game console wars."
The report predicts that Microsoft will break even in year one of the 360's release and that profits will come in year two. The report predicts that 2 million hardware units will be sold in 2005 with 7 million shipping in 2006.
[/QUOTE]
Read More (including a cost-by-hardware overview): next-gen.biz
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(Wednesday 02 November 2005 19:24 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
X-Changer v2 Modchip Review
>> This is probably one of the last modchip review we'll do for the first Xbox Console and it's related modchips. It's at least the last one I'll do for it unless something really special or unique comes along.
Up on deck, we have the X-Changerv2 modchip from www.teamxchanger.com
Available now from..
USA/Canada: Extreme-Mods, ModWhiz
Europe: Extreme-Mods, Modwhiz, heo.com
Rest of the World: Extreme-Mods, Modwhiz
It's a simple, cheap, no frills mod, that surprisingly, has some nice features. It's got a 512kb flash, however, the onboard "modbios" linux based OS takes up half the space, so you'll really only be using 256k Hacked or stock bioses on this modchip. For more detailed specs check the home site for the chip, or check the XS modchip charts here.
With that said I hope the hacked bios features you want in a bios fit in a 256k bank.
Moving on, as I said, it does contain an OS. Basic feature like Hard Disk locking and unlocking can be done here easily enough. You can also flash that available bank from a CD or by Network from the OS as well. Video and region settings are also available. A menu option exists for Linux future users.
The package you get is simple enough, one chip, one pin header, one case badge, and apparently a usb dongle. (I didn't get one however in the review sample sent to me.)
Go figure.
Anyways.. with a little soldering, I had this puppy up and running on a 1.6 in minutes. The OS is simple and clean. I chose to install it via pin header as it's my personal preference. However, the chip was designed to be flush mount soldered on a 1.6. I personally prefer to not flush mount ANY device to a motherboard, whether that is the old school Xecuter(info) chips from years ago, or the current crop of LPC rebuild boards.
Xantium photos are better than mine, so for some close up pics click X-Changer Photos
As always, I put the chip and it's OS through the gauntlet and recorded the result for you in vivid HSDvision..
Review Video: VIDEO .wmv
Pros:
-Cheap
-Simple, no frills
-Case badge
Cons:
-It is cheap, don't expect a lot of support. It's been out for months and I still can't find someone who's bought one.
-No d0 Wire. I expect a chip, any chip to come complete.
It's a cheap chip, works. What more do you want?
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(Wednesday 02 November 2005 13:20 EST) - (Category: Xbox) - (Posted by::
)
Detailed Tutorial on Lighting the 360 Controller
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(Wednesday 02 November 2005 09:51 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
First US Xbox 360 Commercial: 'Jump in'
>> From xbox365.com:
[QUOTE]
Finally we get a video glimpse of the first Xbox 360 commercial. There were reports across the internet that this was actually ran as a preview in some movie theatres, whilst others say it ran on their t.v. cause their t.v is and I quote "the leet". Either way, someone was smart enough to upload it to the internet for your viewing pleasure.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: xbox365.com
Download Commercial: putfile.com (or via the xbox-scene mirror)
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(Wednesday 02 November 2005 08:04 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
ArsTechnica: A look ahead at the next-generation consoles
>> Ars Technica posted a very interesting article where they compare compare the three next gen consoles based on information available so far:
QUOTE]
We at Ars Technica have been covering "convergence" devices since the site's inception, and I in particular have focused on home networked devices and game consoles. As a kind of follow-up to my previous round of technical articles on the hardware that powers the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, I decided to step back a bit from the technical details and take a broader look at how the next generation of consoles fit into the home entertainment picture.
[/QUOTE]
Check it out: arstechnica.com
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(Tuesday 01 November 2005 22:40 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Artifacts on Xbox 360 Kiosk Machines?
>> From planetxbox360.com:
[QUOTE]
Someone sent us these pictures that they took at a Walmart. The games being played are Call of Duty 2, and Peter Jackson's King Kong. Notice anything strange?
Apparently the artifacts you can see came up during gameplay and also on the game menus. Note they were not present during video playback. Could the Xbox 360's be getting burnt out, do they need a reset, or is there some other explanation?
[/QUOTE]
Read More planetxbox360.com
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(Tuesday 01 November 2005 18:10 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox 360 games will never use HD-DVD - Maruyama
>> From gamesindustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
Japan's chief of Xbox operations, Yoshihiro Maruyama, has confirmed that while a version of the Xbox 360 console which can read HD-DVD discs is a possibility, the next-generation DVD standard will never be used for games on the platform.
His comments were made to Enterbrain's Famitsu Xbox magazine in an interview, where he expanded on a statement made by Microsoft chairman Bill Gates back in June regarding the potential for a HD-DVD enabled Xbox 360.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: gamesindustry.biz, gamespot.com
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(Tuesday 01 November 2005 16:14 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Japanese Xbox Lounge nearly ready to open *updated*
>> From joystiq.com:
[QUOTE]
As reported earlier, the Xbox Lounge in Japan is scheduled to open Nov. 2, but final preparations have revealed a few fun details.
For instance, a menu display has been set up outside the front entrance to advertise the treats (like a "banana X latte") and drinks (like "Emerald X" and a 550 Yen beer after 5:00) that will be sold to the hip Japanese patrons bound to stop by.
There appears to be an opening reception scheduled for today as well. All we know is that the "shades on the building's front will be removed to provide a direct view inside the building from the street" by the time the building opens to the public tomorrow. Check out the concept art here, or the more mundane view of the lounge at IGN or at the link below.
[/QUOTE]
Read More: joystiq.com, xbox.com and check out the menu here.
*UPDATE* eToyChest has a photo spread of the new 360 lounge in Tokyo:
[QUOTE]
This setup reeks of the kind of spread Microsoft had going on in their back-room party at the Shrine at E3, only with more game playing and less milling around wondering what was going on. The lounge has numerous Xbox 360 kiosks, two sofa areas set aside with 42-inch HD televisions for players to test drive titles such as Ridge Racer 6 and Ninty-Nine Nights, and one gigantic 200-inch big screen TV where players can weep knowing that they will never be able to have this kind of setup in their own home.
[/QUOTE]
More Info and Pictures on eToyChest.org
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(Tuesday 01 November 2005 15:46 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
SmartXX OS 3403
1UP.com Giving Away an Xbox 360 Every Day in November
>> From the pressrelease:
[QUOTE]
1UP.com, Ziff Davis Media Game Group's online home for gamers, today announced that it is giving away an Xbox 360 every day through November 2005. 2K Sports is sponsoring the giveaway and including several of their hottest new games with the prize package. All members of 1UP.com are eligible to win, and anyone can become a member of 1UP.com for free. A new winner will be chosen each day by random drawing.
[/QUOTE]
Read the full pressrelease here
XboxMediaCenter (XBMC) 2005-10-30 CVS build
>> T3CH released a new CVS compile of XboxMediaCenter(info).
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 full changelog since the 2005-10-23 CVS release:
* added: [ 1336095 ] new playselected(position) python function, plays a certain item from the current playlist, thanks to nicko2k.
* added: Paths to $homedir´s default screenshot folder in My Pictures and $homedir´s default path to recordings (Shoutcast rips) in xboxmediacenter.xml.
* added: if videos are stacked, imdb query will look for "stackedname.nfo" for url
* added: progress dialog when openning a multipath bookmark (only supported by music)
* added: Basic support for Last.fm radio including trackinfo and albumcovers, place the lastfm:// url in a .strm file to play. No love/ban. Skip works but not very nicely. There is an option in general audio settings to en/disable submitting last.fm tracks to your last.fm profile. Note that you must have entered your audioscrobbler/last.fm username/password to play last.fm radio.
* added: you can now choose which 60hz modes you want to use with the game region overrider.
* added: pal 60 support to game region overrider.
* added: better testing of dvd urls (D:\, iso9660://, udf://) in GetMatchingShare
* updated: German, Spanish, Italian, German (Austrian), Norwegian language file
* updated/rewrote: itunes DAAP client to not use global buffering, but actually stream the file to player. XDAAP updated to libopendaap 0.4.0.
* changed: show current bitrate for vbr mp3 instead of average bitrate. (needs new MadCodec.dll, also works with renamed in_mp3.dll)
* changed: reorganized the program settings a little.
* fixed: [1341077] English language string had a invalid closing tag (Thnx to blittan)
* fixed: filerar will now fail immediately if it tries to cache files bigger than 2 gig (since fat-x can't handle it anyway).
* fixed: display of squares and/or dots for track albumname and crashes sometimes when there was no albumtag in the file.
* fixed: occasional crash between songs when codec info is displayed
* fixed: no bitrate information for last.fm streams
* fixed: possible thread synchronisation problems in python
* fixed: possible crash at exit of xbmc because of deadlocks in filezilla
* fixed: SITE runxbe in ftp server
* fixed: auto game region would lead to an infinite reboot-loop on ntsc systems
* fixed: Slideshow-screensaver start when video is paused cause hang (1313900) [GeminiServer]
* fixed: auto game region now works everywhere again.
* fixed: DAAP directories wasn't displaying local characters like ĺ,ä,ö,ű... correctly
* fixed: GetMatchingShare failing due to forward slash & backslash incompatibility
* fixed: erroneous error messages being reported in log
"ERROR CUtil::GetMatchingShare... no matching bookmark found for [/]"
"ERROR CVirtualDirectory::GetDirectory() matches no valid bookmark, getting root bookmark list instead"
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.
You can add more scripts and skins yourself if desired. You can download them from allxboxskins.com, xbox-skins.net and xbmcscripts.com.
Official Site: http://www.xboxmediacenter.com / http://sourceforge.net/projects/xbmc
Discussion Forum Thread: forums.xbox-scene.com
Download Binaries: n/a (built with XDK)
Download SourceCode: here
Xbox Live Gamercard on your Mac and Windows desktop
>> From majornelson.com:
[QUOTE]
It did not take long, but here is a Mac Dashboard and Konfabulator widgets that will display your Xbox LIVE Gamercard on your Mac or Windows desktop.
I want to keep a list of all the cool places and things people are doing with Gamercards, so post ‘em if you see any.
[/QUOTE]
Download: here
Surreal64 XXX Beta4.9
>> FreakDave released a new version of Surreal64(info) XXX - a N64 emulator for Xbox (combining 1964, Project64 and UltraHLE) based on the original Surreal64 by oDD and Lantus.
From freakdave.xbox-scene.com:
* 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
* Changed: Project64 and 1964 debug infos, now telling which emu is running
* 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 and maybe will fix crashes when going to ingamemenu)
* Added: Skin selection menu
* Added: Rom selection menu can now be controlled faster by DPAD Left Stick
Official Site: http://freakdave.xbox-scene.com
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
Retailers: low 360 stock, calling for a price cut on the Xbox platform
>> From gameshout.com:
[QUOTE]
It was announced a few weeks ago that the worldwide launch of the Microsoft Xbox 360 was going to be more difficult than expected. As a result, retailers have reacted to their low initial hardware allocations.
From the sounds of it, it does appear that many people are going to be disappointed until the end of the year. Thompson, however, emphasized that the Xbox 360 is not the only option for retail this Christmas. Microsoft's UK regional director believes that retail will have a great season and that retailers should be looking at how they can cross-sell the original Xbox platform.
Some retailers are calling for an Xbox price cut on the old platform. However, there is concern that Xbox will underperform this Christmas without a price cut, and speak concerns for the future of Xbox as the value will decrease as Xbox 360 is releasing.
[/QUOTE]
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(Sunday 30 October 2005 11:53 EST) - (Category: Xbox_Xbox360) - (Posted by::
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