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Week of July 31, 2005
Xbox 360 pictured, does a million polygons
>> Here's the follow-up to TheInquirer's previous article about the Xbox 360 ATI demo at the Siggraph 2005 show running on the latest Xbox 360 developer kit.
From TheInquirer.net:
[QUOTE]
The guy in charge of the demo told us that the graphic part is much more powerful than even the upcoming R5XX, series and that ATI's desktop unit will match Xbox 360 graphics with a next generation scheduled for next year.
The Rubi model (running at 720P resolution) was rendered with 70,000 polygons while some of its elements had as many as 120,000 polygons per character. The most demanding scene had the dreamlike number of one million polygons per scene.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article with more pictures on TheInquirer.net.
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(Saturday 06 August 2005 09:36 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
PSP and Xbox 360 Interactivity
>> From xbox365.com:
[QUOTE]
A source with an Xbox 360 developer kit has been so kind to post images of the Sony PSP and the Xbox 360 interacting with each other. This feature was one of the surprises Microsoft had touted at E3 2005 earlier this year, a feature that probably drew significant attention from the Sony camp.
"I finally got an xbox360 dev kit today, and was able to see how well it interacts with the PSP. It worked great - I was able to listen to mp3s right off the PSP through the Xbox360 Music Player, and view images from the PSP at full screen."
[/QUOTE]
News-Source/More Pictures: xbox365.com
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(Saturday 06 August 2005 09:02 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Next-Gen Broadband Requirements
>> From gear.ign.com:
[QUOTE]
How demanding will the next-gen systems be on an Internet connection though? While the networked media functions and whatnot should work nicely over a fast wireless or 100Mbit wired connection, online gaming and media downloads looks like it may require quite a hefty connection to take full advantage of the systems' abilities.
For instance, many Xbox 360 games will feature support for 64 players online, and many PlayStation 3 games will likely support the same number. Add in full voice support and something like a first-person shooter will already require double the bandwidth of similar 32 player games on current-gen machines. Battlefield 2 for the PC supports 64 players, but you need to be on a very, very fast pipe in order to handle it.
Next-gen games will have a lot more going on that needs to be sent to each player in the game as well. For one, physics systems should be much more advanced than they are in current games, and all of that data will need to be sent to each client. As well, many next-gen games seem to be pushing many, many times more AI characters on-screen simultaneously than current games, so anything with online co-op play will need to send data for each one of those characters. We've heard of games having 2,000
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on gear.ign.com.
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(Saturday 06 August 2005 01:30 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
GentooX: People logging in as root...
>> From ShALLaX on gentoox.shallax.com:
[QUOTE]
I've had this a few times now. People come to me saying they can't find items on the KDE menu such as "toXFCE". The problem turns out that they are logging into GDM as root. While this is totally your choice you should know that the desktop environments are not configured properly for root access. In addition to this it is highly unsafe to operate your system as root - a classic example I always give is "What if you run `rm -rf ./*` when you're in a hurry and accidentally omit the '.'?". The answer? You trash your system along with ALL local and remote mounted filesystems (provided you have them write-enabled). If you are logged in as a normal user you wont have the priviledges to do this. Keep that in mind. My advice is always login as "gentoox" and use a combination of `sudo` and `su` when you need root priviledges.
[/QUOTE]
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(Saturday 06 August 2005 00:57 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox 360 to launch in Europe on November 25 for 430EUR ?
>> From GamesIndustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
Highly placed sources in the UK industry have told GamesIndustry.biz that the Xbox 360 is set to launch in Europe on November 25th, with the US launch preceding a few days earlier.
According to our sources, speaking under conditions of strict anonymity, the official announcement of the European date will be made by Microsoft to its trade partners on the 15th of this month, two days before a public announcement at Game Convention in Leipzig.
The price of the system remains less certain - with our sources indicating that Microsoft itself may not have made up its mind on the matter as yet.
"The original plan was UKP 249 (358EUR/442USD)), but now that Sony is talking about the PS3 being expensive, UKP 299 (430EUR/530USD) is looking more likely," according to one source - although it was admitted that this pricing is a "best guess" based on information from Microsoft, not an official figure by any means.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on GamesIndustry.biz.
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(Friday 05 August 2005 12:28 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
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Xbox360 Launch Seen On Track - 1.6 million units - 2 Pricetags
>> From Forbes.com:
[QUOTE]
Piper Jaffray said the launch of Microsoft's Xbox 360 is on track to launch in November in the U.S. and Europe, and will likely ship "a couple of weeks later" in Japan.
Microsoft management wouldn't provide launch quantities, but the research firm estimates that 1 million units will ship in the U.S., 400,000 in Europe, and 200,000 units in Japan by the end of 2005.
Microsoft also would not provide specific pricing information about the Xbox 360, but Piper Jaffray expects Microsoft will make one unit available at $299, and another unit near $399, with the more expensive unit including "additional hardware components (e.g., hard-drive option, extra controller, memory option) that core users will likely buy anyway."
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on Forbes.com.
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(Friday 05 August 2005 11:24 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Microsoft Announces New Holiday Offer
>> From the pressrelease:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft announced today that a new version of the 12 Month Xbox Live™ Starter Kit is now available in retail stores. The package, which retails for $69.99, includes a 12 month Xbox Live subscription, an Xbox Live Communicator Headset, a full version of the award-winning “Project Gotham Racing 2” and casual games from Xbox Live Arcade. New Xbox Live gamers will enjoy more than 300 games this holiday, along with more than 400 pieces of downloadable game content.
In addition to the 12 month option, a new three month Xbox Live Starter kit will be available this summer for $39.99. This offer, which hits retail shelves in mid-August, will include a three month Xbox Live subscription, an Xbox Live Communicator Headset, and demos of the hugely popular Xbox games, “MechAssault 2” and “Outrun 2.”
Xbox Live is a universal service, so gamers will be able to transfer Xbox Live memberships seamlessly from Xbox to Xbox 360, while still enjoying online games and entertainment on the current-generation system.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole pressreleasse here[xbox.com]
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(Friday 05 August 2005 10:55 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
What Xbox games will be compatible on Xbox 360?
>> IGN posted a 2 page article about the backward compatibility on the Xbox360:
[QUOTE]
Ever since Sony announced PlayStation 2 would be backward compatible with PlayStation in 1999, gamers, consumers, and pundits alike have seen the hardware component as a must-have feature in all new consoles.
In an interview with ATI evangelist Richard Huddy, he explained certain basic truths about Xbox 360 backward compatibility.
"(Microsoft has) implemented compatibility purely through emulation (at the CPU level). It looks like emulation profiles for each game are going to be stored on the hard drive, and I imagine that a certain number will ship with the system. They already have the infrastructure to distribute more profiles via Live, and more and more can be made available online periodically.
"Emulating the CPU isn't really a difficult task. They have three 3GHz cores, so emulating one 733MHz chip is pretty easy. The real bottlenecks in the emulation are GPU calls - calls made specifically by games to the nVIDIA hardware in a certain way. General GPU instructions are easy to convert - an instruction to draw a triangle in a certain way will be pretty generic. However, it's the odd cases, the proprietary routines, that will cause hassle."
Thus, at the 360 launch, only a few games, let's speculate that number is somewhere between five and 20, will be backward compatible.
As Microsoft's engineers learn more, they'll release profiles via Xbox Live to be stored on the 20GB, enabling new games to work with the console. As time passes, more and more Xbox games will become backward friendly.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on xbox.ign.com
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(Friday 05 August 2005 00:03 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
The Next Gen Consoles - The Bigger Picture
>> From games.slashdot.org:
[QUOTE]
Next Generation Magazine is running a series of articles on the next generation consoles, and what they mean in a larger perspective. The Xbox 360, PS3, and Revolution have a lot riding on them as the start of the next round of console wars gets underway. All three companies have their own goals and histories to consider when it comes to the business of games. From the 360 article: "Someone, somewhere, probably still believes Microsoft got into console games for the kudos of putting out Halo. Good for them. The world needs believers, and every time you say 'Xbox is a Trojan Horse', a fairy dies."
[/QUOTE]
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(Thursday 04 August 2005 22:20 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Auto-Installer Deluxe v2.11 FINAL
>> A bufix version for 'Auto-Installer Deluxe v2.1' has been released. It's a CD that allows you to easily setup your Xbox and install many homebrew programs.
From nfo/readme/xbox-hq.com:
[QUOTE]
Here is a quick bugfix release of v2.1. There were some bugs found in the v2.1 Final ISO so this is being brought out about 3 days after the problem was found and fixed. A big apology to all that wasted their time and bandwidth on the v2.1 version.
What's new/fixed:
* Fixed: Problem with XBMC keymap.xml file (I got reports that the latest keymap file didn't work so I used an older version (from the previous day). Still had problems so I compiled XBMC 2005-08-03 to resolve the problem.
* Fixed: Problem with text in the screensaver for the AID 2 Install menu. The text was taking up too much room on the screen so I made the text smaller in length.
* Fixed: Problem with the music in the AID 2 Install menu. It would be very jerky and cut off the tunes prematurely, so I re-encoded them and now they are fine.
* Software Added: FBAxxx(info) 2005-08-02 ; XboxMediaCenter(info) 2005-08-03
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://www.xbox-hq.com
Download: n/a (contains files built with XDK)
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(Thursday 04 August 2005 21:44 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Tokyo Game Show 2005 Event Schedule Announced
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
The schedule for events and sessions at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show has been announced. The show will be held at the Nippon Convention Center in Makuhari Messe, from September 16 to September 18, and it's been announced that, as of August 4, 130 companies have reserved booths or meeting rooms at the show.
The number of exhibitors exceeds the 117 at 2004's show, and is the highest ever exhibitor count. In addition, 31 exhibitors are due to exhibit at the 2005 TGS from overseas, a significant increase from 18 last year.
The 2005 show will feature two keynote speakers: first, Robbie Bach, Chief Xbox Officer and Senior Vice President of the Home and Entertainment Devision at Microsoft, will deliver an address from 10:00 to 10:50 on the morning of the 16th. Immediately following his speech will be Satoru Iwata, President of Nintendo, whose speech is greatly anticipated due to likely revelations on unknown features of Nintendo's next-generation Revolution system.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on gamasutra.com.
You can visit the english Tokyo Game Show site here and download the Event Outline and Exhibitors list here.
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(Thursday 04 August 2005 19:41 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Pepsi to open 3 mall lounges with Xbox consoles
>> From ajc.com:
[QUOTE]
Pepsico is going after teen mall rats with a lounge concept very similar to something Coca-Cola tried two years ago ("Coca-Cola Red Lounges"). Pepsi is opening three Pepsi-themed mall lounges, where kids can play Xbox video games, watch videos, hang out and, of course, buy Pepsi products from vending machines.
The first lounges will be in Florida, California and Illinois.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on ajc.com.
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(Thursday 04 August 2005 19:10 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Moore talks more Xbox 360
>> From GameSpot.com:
[QUOTE]
In an interview published in the current issue of Famitsu, Microsoft corporate vice president and chief of worldwide Xbox marketing Peter Moore trumpeted the upcoming Xbox 360 launch in Japan. Even though surveys have shown Japanese gamers to be indifferent to Microsoft's console, the exec gave a number of reasons why he is certain that the machine will succeed in the Japanese market .
When asked how he felt about Sony Computer Entertainment and its PlayStation 3, Moore said that most consumers believe the Xbox 360 and PS3 to be similar in terms of their hardware and market strategy. However, Moore believes otherwise. He explained that Microsoft's main concern with the Xbox 360 is to expand the gaming industry's gamer population. After listening to SCE president Ken Kutaragi speak on the PS3, he believes that SCE is trying to push the industry into a different direction. Moore emphasized that the PS3's price won't be affordable to normal households.
Speaking of price, Moore did not reveal the retail cost of the Xbox 360, but he did say that it would be affordable and would be announced very soon.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on GameSpot.com.
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(Thursday 04 August 2005 16:05 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
British Software Pirates Jailed
>> From Spong.com:
[QUOTE]
Deputy Director General of ELSPA Michael Rawlinson is making quite a name for himself at the moment. Recently, his efforts saw an Xbox modder convicted, the first time in the UK that chipping has resulted in someone earning a criminal record.
Now a husband and wife are getting quite hefty jail terms after a combined force of police, Trading Standards officials and an ELSPA investigator found a ‘secret cupboard’ containing pirated games, music and films. Official estimates put the haul’s value at around £28,000, in terms of how much would-be customers would have to pay for the media if purchased legitimately.
The couple have split up since the raid which will send them both to jail. Andrew King was sentenced to 21 months in prison, though three months of this was from a previous conviction where his sentence was suspended. Angela Susan King was sent down for six months at Liverpool Crown Court.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on Spong.com.
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(Thursday 04 August 2005 15:08 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox 360 shown off at Siggraph
>> From theinquirer.net:
[QUOTE]
We withnessed a live demo presentation of a Rubi demo on the Xbox 360 at the Siggraph 2005 show and we do have the pictures but no cable to transfer it at press time. We we could describe this as a technical difficulty.
The unit looked pretty much like a final one and we saw a chap with a controller in his hand changing the demo to wire frame, so apparently demonstrating to the crowd that this was rendered in real time.
The demo ran smoothly and is comparable if not better to the Rubi demos we saw on X800 and X850 cards. The Xbox 360 should be even more capable as it has some features that even the future R520 chip will be missing.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on theinquirer.net.
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(Thursday 04 August 2005 10:06 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Chinese Online Gaming Crackdown
>> From Spong.com:
[QUOTE]
We’d be the first to admit that Western online gamers can sometimes be accused of taking their hobby a little too seriously. But if reports of neglected baby deaths, suicides and level point-related murder and extortion are anything to go by, their Eastern counterparts are even more keen on their pastime.
Online gaming has grown hugely in the past few years, with an estimated 20 million gamers now involved. The Chinese ministries have now spoken out about their concerns that the “...unhealthy content in online games has led to a series of social problems and currently threatens both the physical and psychological health of adolescents”, going as far as to say that said content could even pose “a threat to national security”.
One of their solutions is restricting the playing of any games involving killing your opponent to over 18s. Players of such games will also have to submit their real names and security numbers when they register.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on Spong.com.
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(Thursday 04 August 2005 09:50 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest No Longer Exclusive?
>> From 1up.com:
[QUOTE]
An article appearing in a Mainichi newspaper quotes Wada as understanding that distributing Square Enix's 'flagship' franchises (i.e. Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest) across multiple platforms would allow more people to experience and enjoy Square Enix games. In other words, the financial gain for the company could be enormous, as multi-platform support would likely lead to an exponential increase in sales.
It's a little early to jump the gun on what this means in real world terms. We've already seen Final Fantasy return to Nintendo in the form of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, but that's a far cry from seeing Final Fantasy XIII released for PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 and Revolution. We'll simply have to wait and see.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole story on 1up.com.
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(Wednesday 03 August 2005 17:59 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Japan's Second X360 Ad
>> From xbox360.ign.com:
[QUOTE]
A few weeks back, we shared with you the first Xbox 360 ad, which appeared on the back of Japan's Famitsu Xbox. A new issue of the magazine has just seen release, and with it, a new X360 ad, seen here.
Once again, the source for this ad is Tecmo, and the game being advertised is Dead or Alive 4.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on xbox360.ign.com.
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(Wednesday 03 August 2005 16:05 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Auto-Installer Deluxe v2.1 FINAL
>> A new version of 'Auto-Installer Deluxe' has been released. It's a CD that allows you to easily setup your Xbox and install many homebrew programs.
From nfo/readme/xbox-hq.com:
[QUOTE]
RELEASE NOTES:
Here is the final version of Auto-Installer Deluxe. This version mainly is just a compliation of the original AID 2.0 (with the 2.02 Update patch) and some newer releases.
This time around I've even included a new dashboard (Anod-X(info)) and also a custom 128mb version of MAME (for all you DreamX freaks out there). I've also finalised Softmod Installer Deluxe 3 Lite (SID 3 Lite) which is also in the installer.
Why have I decided to call this version a final? Mainly because I don't really see much point in bringing out another installer until the new console, everything that you would want to install on your Xbox is here, and in it's most up-to-date versions.
What's new/fixed:
* Added: SID 3 Lite, installable via the Advanced Options menu.
* Dashboards Added/Updated: Anod-X v1.02.1 ; Avalaunch(info) 0.49.3 Build 142
* Software Added/Updated: dvd2xbox(info) 0.6.8 ; FBAxxx(info) 2005-07-23 ; MAMEoX(info)128 Plus 2005-07-26 ; ScummVMx(info) 0.71 ; Softmod Installer Deluxe v3.0 Lite ; XboxMediaCenter(info) 2005-07-31
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://www.xbox-hq.com
Download: n/a (contains files built with XDK)
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(Wednesday 03 August 2005 11:19 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
IGN Poll: The Most Powerful New Console
>> From xbox.ign.com:
[QUOTE]
Is it too early to accurately gauge which next-generation console is going to be the leader where raw processing power is concerned? Perhaps so, but that hasn't stopped critics and gamers alike from forming strong opinions about these attractive new machines.
According to a recent IGN.com poll of more than 15,000 readers, nearly 55% or some 8,234 participants believe that Sony's PlayStation 3 will be the most powerful next-generation console. Meanwhile, 31% of those polled, or 4846 readers, believe that Microsoft's Xbox 360 system will offer the most processing muscle during the next round.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on xbox.ign.com.
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(Wednesday 03 August 2005 00:01 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox Live PrePaid VISA Credit Card in Germany
>> From joystiq.com:
[QUOTE]
Here in the States, it’s becoming more of a rare commodity to find a teenager without a credit card. That may end up being the case in Germany, a country where even many parents do not have credit cards, if Microsoft has anything to say about it. In an effort to boost its Xbox Live! service in Germany, Microsoft is marketing prepaid Xbox Live! Visa cards so that children can sign up for Microsoft’s online community. And not content with simply giving kids the option to give them more money, Microsoft is charging 2% on the prepaid balance - which, in all honesties, isn’t that bad.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on joystiq.com.
I found similar offers on Xbox Switzerland, Xbox Spain and Xbox Italy. It's unknown if Microsoft will offer these prepaid cards in other european countries.
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(Tuesday 02 August 2005 17:32 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
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SIS designed south bridge for Xbox 360
>> From cens.com:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft Corp. recently contracted Silicon Integrated Systems (SiS), an affiliate of silicon-foundry supplier United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), to design south-bridge chip for its Xbox360 game machines.
The chips will be made with 0.15-micron process at UMC’s 200-mm silicon-wafer fabrication factories, making them a major revenue earner at UMC next quarter.
Microsoft has signed up SiS to design south-bridge chip for it and designs north-bridge chip based on patents licensed from ATI on its own. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), UMC’s primary rival, has been contracted to produce north-bridge chips for the machines. Microprocessors in the second-generation game machines will come from International Business Machines (IBM).
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on cens.com.
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(Tuesday 02 August 2005 11:53 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox Image Grabber2 v1.3
>> From chaosorder.org:
[QUOTE]
ChaosOrder.org is pleased to announce the release of XIG2 v1.3! We want to thank everyone for all your support and enthusiasm for GameTime and ChaosRadio over the past weeks. Your suggestions and feedback have been invaluable!
XIG2 is a simple Open Source alternative to the clumsy screen capture utility included in the XDK. It allows those running debug Xboxes to take quick screen captures that are saved in your preferred format (jpg, png, etc) and can be automatically uploaded via FTP or PHP to your webserver. It also allows image water marking and time stamping.
Updates include:
* compression optimizations for smaller file sizes
* public access to the Co XIG gallery (option to automatically uploaded via XIG)
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://www.chaosorder.org
Download: here
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(Monday 01 August 2005 22:34 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Imagination Technologies has launched its PowerVR SGX graphics core
>> From pro-g.co.uk:
[QUOTE]
The latest in the line of PowerVR graphics chips, the SGX, brings programmable shaders to the PowerVR mobile graphics chip line-up. The SGX was previously known as 'Eurasia' and has shader support for OpenGL 2.0 and DirectX 9 SM3. The PowerVR SGX utilises a unified shader architecture, the Unified Scalable Shader Engine (USSE), which is an approach ATI has used for the R500 graphics part in the Xbox 360.
The SGX will be available in three flavours, the 510, 520 and 530, and will be made available under license to semiconductor makers. Intel has already licensed the SGX in a deal announced back in May.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on pro-g.co.uk.
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(Monday 01 August 2005 21:05 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
More Xbox 360 Info and Images: Prices, Half-Life 3 and HW details
>> After the rumor of the November 4th launch and 299.99usd pricetag earlier today more Xbox360 rumor tidbits (not all new though) appeared on the web today ... most of them originating from the presentation in Spain that already revealed the Xbox 360 keyboard last friday.
From joystiq.com/softpedia.com/spong.com:
[QUOTE]
- A few interesting tidbits about the Xbox 360 were revealed at a recent campus party in Spain. The following list was highlighted over on the Team Xbox forums:
* Square is developing multiple games (not just FFXI)
* The internal fan will be variable—very quiet during movie playback
* Controller can turn the system “ON”
* Videochat will support 8-player minigames
* HD cable will be included, plus component AV adaptor (dispelling all speculation)
* Price & additional content will be revealed at a game conference in Liepzig, Germany (Aug 18th-21st)
More Pictures/Slides: secretgamezone.net
- According to images posted on the Internet, which revealed, among many things, some details on the XNA technology, on one of the slides, Valve’s name accompanied by Half Life 3 showed on a slide.
So far, this is the first clue which points out that Valve might be having plans for Half Life 3, especially since this fall might bring the Half Life 2: Aftermath add-on.
If Microsoft has indeed persuaded Valve to launch a Xbox 360 version of the highly acclaimed Half Life, then this might be an important victory in the battle against Sony and Play Station 3.
- Word on the streets is that the Xbox 360 is due to arrive in American stores on November 4th, priced at an unsurprising $299.99. The source of this information is said to be Wal-Mart employees.
There’s worse news when it comes to software, it’s rumoured that our American friends will be shelling out an uncomfortable $59.99 for games. So after a few years of game prices being the lowest they have been for some time, we may be back to the bad old days of £60 titles. Looks like higher production costs for these new-fangled pretty games are being reflected in the price. However new generation games always start off expensive before a user base is built up.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on joystiq.com[presentation highlights], softpedia.com[Half-Life 3] and spong.com[60usd games]
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(Monday 01 August 2005 15:06 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
FBAxxx 08.01.2005 build
>> A new build of FBAxxx(info) has been released.
What's new/fixed (since 07.23.2005 build):
* optimized VMM .. again (don t know how to do more :D)
* corrected a bug in VMM
* changed some things to sound code, don t know if it will change something
* added options to disable autofire and pause shortcut
* moved some options to emulator menu, there was too many things on the menu
* added show debug option
* possibility to activate or not VMM optimizition, activated by default
* removed kof2003.zip, kof2k3ba.zip, kof2k4ex.zip and kof2003b.zip support, they were using 96Mb of graphics memory which would remove Vmm optimization and is not normal (bad dump?), you can use kof2k3.zip (it loads faster and take less memory usage)
* removed kof10th - alternate version, it isn t necessary anymore because manto fixed his code
* added running from hd/dvd detection, thanks to FreakDave
* fixed inverted black/white button in control configuration
* Support for uni-bios 2.1 in the neogeo section, dont forget to update neogeo.zip
* ALL Capcom CPS2 drivers updated to match Razoola's and latest logiqx dat files. In total 15 new clones added, 3 of them actually working because xor's were released. I have not aded new games like Choko or Hyper SF2 Anniversary because I have no idea if they will run in the actual emu once xor's are released.
* Fixed sfa romset dat, it was using different roms called the same so programs like clrmamepro or romcenter were killing parent relationship on one clone.
* Note: VMM is well optimized, actually, it runs great even without optimization, optimization cause some gfx bugs, so if you want, disable it, it is the choose between gfx bugs or some sound skips :)
From the readme/nfo about the future of FBAxxx:
[QUOTE]
I hope you had all loved what we done since few years to make NG, CPS2/1 and more a perfect entertainment on your xbox. Our goal was to listen everythings that you liked /disliked and perform fbaxxx (and other project). Actualy, Fbaxxx is near the 100% perfect running and i don't know we can do more. Today i ask to everybody that spent many time running great emu we done to help us. We created a paypal account. By making a donation, you can help us, and we really need it, really... Simply go to the http://cestvouslesbons.free.fr/fbaxxx and click on the paypal button. Some ppl don't have money, we know that. but if you can give just 1$ or more, that could be so helpful for us.
The next step is to make fbaxxx running on the new Sony PSP hardware, but time and life is not eternal, as everyboy know .
That's why we ask you this help. Without anything, fbaxxx on psp or other features on the actual xbox version will be not more possible.
i really hope that every fbaxxx fan (and other) understand why we ask.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://fbaxxx.fr.st
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
News-Source: xbins.org
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(Monday 01 August 2005 11:57 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox360 Pricing And Release Date Revealed?
>> From gamersreports.com:
[QUOTE]
According to Gamefront, at the GamesConvention on August 17th in Leipzig Germany, the Xbox360 final pricing and release date will be revealed. According to the Gamefront article, the console is set to be released on November 4th, 2005, with a price of $299.96. Price sounds a bit unconventional to us, but we bring you the news so you can decide. This ones going in the rumor mill for now.
[/QUOTE]
News-Source: gamersreports.com (via gamefront.de, maxconsole.net)
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(Monday 01 August 2005 11:51 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Team Xored: ETM Emulation Engine Launching Soon Update
>> From Mikerowesoft on maxconsole.net:
[QUOTE]
We are one week away from what will be the release date of the Team Xored Enigne. Within days we will have a polished engine that stands up to the standards that our name has become synonymous with. We have worked hard to make this engine functional as well as upgradeable.
This will be a work in progress for some time. This is not to say we will be releasing an unfinished engine but rather a product that is fully modular. Meaning, we will be updating it with newer versions and newer features. So it will only get better from here on out. There were many ideas we came up with for future versions. These ideas range from overall engine performance and customizable features to graphical interface adaptations and ease of use functionality. We have a wide range of ideas that will be added into the future releases.
I should also address the fact that these are not just ideas, but actual tech & code that we have already invented and engineered. This will allow for frequent and desirable updates. Some may ask, “Why not just include them in this release?” The simple answer is that we needed to invent and code the engine from the bottom up. So our focus was zeroed in on its birth. Now that we have accomplished that milestone, we are presented with the time to take a step back and reorganize our talents and efforts as to allow for the continuous, harmonious flow of Team Xored’s plans.
We have much to do in the weeks that follow the release of this, our first public, engine. Our first priority will be to gather end user feedback. We not only welcome but also rely on the user to supply any and all comments on the use and functionality of our developments. If issues arise they will be dealt with in accordance to our aims for this engine. Beyond this, we will continue to provide trainer support with new and constant releases. We really want you to stress our engine and have you all “open her up”, think gas pedal on car, to see just what she can do. Please keep in mind many features will not be available yet. This will be, mostly, due to limitations of the end user. For example LCD support; if the end user does not have a compatible LCD display this feature will not be applicable for that user.
Please stay logged onto Max Console for the latest news on our releases. We are almost there. Thank you for all your support and ideas. We have heard some great ones. You all are the best. Keep it up. We are also very pleased to see Dootdoo back amongst the Xbox training community and would like to publically thank him for all his help with the upcoming ETM emulation engine.
[/QUOTE]
News-Source/More Info: maxconsole.net
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(Monday 01 August 2005 11:32 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
XboxMediaCenter (XBMC) 2005-07-31 CVS build
>> A new CVS compile (by T3CH) of XboxMediaCenter(info) has been released.
This T3CH-compile is a BAREBONE package (so less stuff that can cause issues) compiled with XDK v5849.
What's new/fixed (since 2005-07-24 release):
* added: to mplayer.conf, cache prefill (%), before playback starts.
* added: Threaded video renderer, quite big performace boost when using high quality pixelshader
* added: Progress dialog for nfo lookups.
* added: support for the delete action in the media windows (requires file deletion be enabled)
* added: Correct chroma upsampling for interlaced video to the HQ renderer (fixes the inverse of the "chroma bug")
* added: Support for syncing interlaced output through all zooming modes. Only in the high quality renderer.
* added: base class for database classes
* added: file deletion from all three media window context menus, enable the "Allow File Deletion" option settings: video -> files, music -> files, pictures -> general
* enabled: support for the renderer to switch interlaced/progressive mode ona a frame to frame bases
* changed: file deletion from the media windows now use the filemanager (so recursive delete works)
* changed: sounds.xml now uses action/window names instead of the id's to specify a sound for a action/window. Action names to use can be found here. Window names to use can be found here. The old sounds.xml format still works but will be removed soon, skinners please update your sounds.xml to the new system.
* changed: $INFO() changed to $INFO[] to avoid conflicts with () used in info fields.
* changed: Faster chroma upsampling for interlaced sources.
* changed: cleaned up the dll loader
* changed: Interlaced sync now cause somewhat less audio/video desync
* changed: Skin files are loaded on demand rather than on boot.
* changed: Initial support for full GUI calibration.
* changed: database classes, RemoveIllegalChars is replaced by FormatSQL, use this to format sql statements, it will take care of chars sqlite doesn't like
* changed: playlists - shuffle alters the list, but it can be undone. - randomize plays the list in random order without repeats.
* fixed: Original zoom mode was incorrect.
* fixed: Use default MS Dash settings for analog playback (a few xboxes can't handle the dolby surround setting)
* fixed: seeking in paplayer doesn't work for VBR mp3 files where the xing header is located before the first mp3 frame
* fixed: film detection not working properly in dvdplayer
* fixed: python did not work at all after the dll update
* fixed: Crop offset in HQ renderer with new reinterlacing active.
* fixed: Crash in skins when you move off a window that contains the RAM control.
* fixed: SF bug [ 1245551 ] - incorrect heading of numeric dialogs.
* fixed: Album Information in Library view context menu is now only enabled if appropriate.
* fixed: when a folder is added to a playlist via the web, its now added in the correct sorted order
* fixed: crash going from videos -> settings or playlist via context menu.
* fixed: tearing with High Quality PixelShader after inital interlaced sync was added
* fixed: Audio/Video sync was way of when using the dvdplayer and syncing interlaced video
* fixed: Possible crash when unloading dialogs from fullscreen video.
* fixed: RSS crash due to code rearrangement.
* fixed: nfo files are read during scan in My Videos.
* fixed: IP input with 0's in blocks 2 or 3 was incorrect.
* fixed: songs where submitted to audioscrobbler when seeking anolog to 50% or greater of a song
* fixed: [ 1242799 ] Programs with ' in its name do not show up
* fixed: Unable to delete movies from video database using context menu
* fixed: SF bug [ 1080749 ] Bidi font flipping doesn't work
* fixed: SF bug [ 1065692 ] RSS does not work for non-Latin character. You can now view any language in the RSS, as long as you use TTF. Hebrew/arabic RSS is flipped.
* fixed: reenabled automatic deinterlacing for dvdplayer if fieldsync is disabled
* updated: German, German (Austrian), Italian, Norwegian, Finnish, Korean, Chinese (Simple), Chinese (Traditional) language file
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
HD-DVD on Xbox360 after launch confirmed? No!
>> I honnestly have no idea what's up ... but the last few days several sites posted an article about the HD-DVD drive being confirmed by Bill Gates for later ('after launch') versions of the Xbox360.
Several of these articles seem to link to an article on softpedia.com as source. Not only is this article over 1 months old (28th June - see bottom of article - back when Bill Gates was in Japan), it's also a bad interpretation of what Bill Gates said that day. I did not really plan to post anything about it, but now the story is even on slashdot (causing a mass amount of people submitting us this story).
On the 27th of JUNE, we reported here on xbox-scene that the Xbox 360 Might Incorporate HD DVD Drive. 'Might' is the essential word here. The HD-DVD is NOT confirmed for the Xbox 360. Bill Gates' exact words were:
"The initial shipments of Xbox 360 will be based on today's DVD format. We are looking at whether future versions of Xbox 360 will incorporate an additional capability of an HD DVD player or something else."
Does this mean the Xbox 360 will never have an HD-DVD? No of course not, it means what Bill Gates said: they are still looking into it and future builds of the Xbox 360 MIGHT include a HD-DVD drive OR another next-gen format (blu-ray for example).
What if later versions of the Xbox360 will have a next-gen DVD drive?
First of all I think (not confirmed or so ... just common sense) that Xbox 360 games will always be available on DVD9 discs, so the hardcore gamers that bought an Xbox360 the first day will always be able to play all games. I can't really know this for sure, but it would be a real bad marketing move from Microsoft to suddenly put games on HD-DVD discs, and f*** all early "hardcore" 1st-day buyers.
If there's ever an Xbox 360 with a next-gen DVD drive it'll be only to play High Definition movies I'd guess.
XBGM# v0.9.0
>> KaYa released a new version of XBGM#(info) - a game manager for Xbox using Avalaunch(info) and UnleashX(info) dashboard features. What's new/fixed:
* Add support for multi Xbox.
* Add support for scanning titles in multiple directory.
* Add support for uploading directory via Avalaunch (Boost-Mode).
* Add support for logging ftp action to Gtk Log view tab.
* Add support for translation, It is up to you for other translation! More info here.
* Improve thread handling with event and error.
* New Configuration file in XML.
* Now saving configuration files and data in the user home environment directory.
* Now Using Gtk#-2.x.
* Exporting a lot of code.
* All dialog (Preferences, DirectoryUpload, ProgressDirectory, ProgressxISO) are made with Glade.
* Fix bug.
* Note: Update FAQ here.
* Note: I would suggest to update to the lastest version mono 1.1.8 here. Mono 1.0.x use Gtk# 1.0.x, is the stable series of Gtk#, and it binds the GNOME 2.2 platform. Mono 1.1.x use Gtk# 2.5.x, is the current development series of Gtk#. The target is the Gtk+ 2.6 platform. So in order to use the new FileChooser dialog and other GUI tweak, you need to upgrade to mono 1.1 branch which include both Gtk# branch. More info on how to update here.
* Note: I won't make any Mac OS X package with a GTK# GUI. But I might create a Mac OS X GUI using Cocoa# as soon as they make a stable release. Cocoa# is included in the Mac OS X mono package.
Official Site: http://xbgm.sourceforge.net
Download for Windows/Gentoo/Debian/Bin/Sources: here
Xbox-Scene Forum Thread: forums.xbox-scene.com
Making XBox Live Less Horrifying
>> From Zonk on games.slashdot.org:
[QUOTE]
Gamespy has an article talking about ways to make XBox Live a better place to play.
The article lists ways to improve your relations with others and generally improve the community feel of the Live network. From the article: "Xbox Live isn't always a nice place. Everyone has horror stories about some of the things they've heard (or, in rare cases, seen) coming from some of the more 'unsavory' elements of the burgeoning online community. There's a good chance (especially if you play as much Halo 2 as I do) that you've heard more racist and homophobic comments than polite ones. Now, I'm certainly no prude, and there are plenty of moments when I'll spew a steady stream of profane invectives at whichever fool just blasted my avatar. Usually, it will be something along the lines of 'Oh man, &%&$# you, you $^%#& %$@&#! I should %*#(@ tear off your $*^%@^% head and %#@#*& it!' As the old saying goes, never trust anyone who doesn't swear."
[/QUOTE]
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