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Week of March 6, 2005
Linux Xbox small savegame manager v0.0.1
>> Tom released an Xbox gamesave manager for Linux:
[QUOTE]
I'd like to propose you a little savegame manager under Linux.
The project is at his beginning. You can list the saves and download them from the Xbox to the PC (w/wo a tarball). For the moment it's just a quick hack (=~ 2h) but I will try to put some good features soon.
You may have to edit the script to change the Xbox's IP.
This script is written in perl and released under the GPL licence.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://www.tom.free.fr/xboxsavegamelinux.html
Download: here
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(Saturday 12 March 2005 22:07 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
First pic of the Xbox 2/360? *updated*
>> Joystiq might have the first (leaked) picture of the Xbox2 (Xbox 360, Xbox Next, Xenon):
[QUOTE]
Either someone has a very deft hand with their cell phone camera, or this is a good fake (or it’s a really nice surge protector). Pengo sends in this shot of J. Allard standing over a small silver box that could be the next Xbox. It has the rounded look that we’ve heard about, and seems sexy enough from a distance. Let’s start taking a look at the shadows underneath the device. It’s a great way to spend a Saturday!
[/QUOTE]
Go watch the picture on Joystiq.com or EnGadget.com
UPDATE from EnGadget.com:
[QUOTE]
Nope, this isn’t it. We ran this by one of our trusted sources, who says that this is actually a prototype that MSFT has been showing off as a decoy of sorts and that the actual console looks much better than this.
[/QUOTE]
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(Saturday 12 March 2005 15:25 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
MadnessX W.I.P. Update
>> MadnessX is a new homebrew game for Xbox currenty in development by Team AfterShock. It's the 2D clone of a Flash game. From shizno on aftershock.xbox-scene.com:
[QUOTE]
Updates:
* Added Jetpacks (flying)
* Tweaked AI to know how to fly, theyll throw their empty guns at you, all around try to kil lthe shit out of you
* Added some more costume shit (suits)
* Fixed a couple of shit I can't remember
So all I have to do now is work on Custom Soundtracks, add in a few more weapons, and script a story. The game is starting to become remotely fun thanks to the jetpack guys.
[/QUOTE]
Microsoft Seeking Acquisitions
>> From TeamXbox.com:
[QUOTE]
Bloomberg reports that Microsoft chairman Bill Gates met with the company's seven division heads, including Chief Xbox Officer Robbie Bach, to inform them he wants to make more acquisitions.
"We are really looking hard," Gates said in an interview yesterday in San Diego. Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, is taking a "bottom-up" approach to acquisitions by asking managers to look for targets, Gates said.
What developers or publishers would you like Microsoft to acquire in the future? Epic Games? BioWare? Ubisoft?
[/QUOTE]
Read more on TeamXbox.com and thejournalnews.com
SmartXX 1.6 Solderless adapter announced
>> From smartxx.com:
[QUOTE]
Today, SmartXX shows first pictures of the SmartXX 1.6 Solderless adapter. This adapter is specially done for 1.6 Box only. Compared to other already released solderless adapters for 1.6, SmartXX decided to produce a 1.6 Solderless adapter only. Because of this, SmartXX has reached many advantages.
* Stability
* Simpler Install
* Perfect Fitting
* Better Price
SmartXX will start delivering in the next weeks, and belive us, this time, we will recommend installing a solderless adapter. We are very proud of the quality and people will be impressed by this. We have it now in internal Beta for 3 month, and from 100 Soldlerless installs, 0 failed so far.
Some of the Core features:
* Custom produced High quaility DVD power cable for perfect Power on 1.6 boxes
* High Quality 3.3 voltage power regulator, for producing perfect 3.3 Volts * Green Power Actitiviy LED
* Blue Modchip Activity LED (is only active when Modchip is active) - comes with Reverse LFrame Technology
* NO Pogopins ! - and simple installation
* Works with SmartXX Classic V1/V2 and SmartXX OPX Chips Series
[/QUOTE]
Nintendo reveals first Revolution details
>> From GamesIndustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
Speaking briefly about Revolution, Iwata announced a number of hard details regarding the next-generation system for the first time - including the fact that the console will be backwards compatible with the GameCube, and will have WiFi online functionality built into the system.
The chips for the system are on schedule, he claimed, with ATI working on a custom graphics part codenamed "Hollywood" and IBM working on a chip called "Broadway" - the capitals of movie entertainment and stage entertainment respectively, he noted.
And in line with comments from Microsoft's J Allard and Sony's Mark DeLoura yesterday, Iwata promised that Revolution will not be a difficult platform to develop for. "Even though the game experience will be very different for players, developing for Revolution will be familiar," he pledged. "There will be no steep new learning curve. It's a place where the best ideas, not the biggest budget, will win."
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on GamesIndustry.biz.
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(Thursday 10 March 2005 21:18 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Xenium SPICE Now Shipping
>> From TeamXodus.com:
[QUOTE]
XENIUM SPICE NOW SHIPPING:
We are proud to announce that our much anticipated bundled package including, Xenium, Xsorease and our brand new 1.6 compatible adaptor are now shipping. As expected, with the release of yet another revolutionary product, demand has been overwhelming and we have been working night and day to fulfill back orders. We are glad to announce that we are now on track and that orders are shipping.
IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION
Despite our clear and concise announcements it appears that some retailers have caused confusion in the market by trying to separate the special SPICE bundle pack to sell adaptors separately. This will not work! We would like to make it clear to all that there is a distinct difference between the SPICE adaptor and the Xodus SP adaptor (not yet released).
The SPICE bundle pack has an adaptor that works off 3.3 volts and will work with chips that are 3.3 volts ONLY. It will not work with other chips.
The SP adaptor is the universal one that will work with other chips and it is not yet released. We have individually contacted retailers to clarify these points once again and we are ensuring that confusing text on sites is being rectified immediately. Our specially configured adaptor for the SPICE bundle is just that, specially configured and should not be confused in any way whatsoever with the universal SP adaptor designed for all other chips. We trust that the point is now made and that the difference is now crystal clear to all.
INSTALL MANUALS HERE
Included in this post are the install manuals that many of you have been waiting for. (Manual). Updated manuals for the 1.0 - 1.4 install will follow shortly.
[/QUOTE]
Available at: BMMods.com, Divineo.com, Extreme-Mods.com, ModWhiz.com, MrModchips.com, XboxChips.com
Manual: S.P.Ice.pdf
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(Thursday 10 March 2005 08:06 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Canada : XBOX Blue Console Bundle with Halo 2
>> Just noticed in the last few hours...
FutureShop.ca now has this new Xbox Limited Edition listed for $259.99 (cdn)on pre-order. Estimated Release Date March 18, 2005.
Sometimes it's good to be Canadian. :)
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(Thursday 10 March 2005 03:38 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox Next name back in the running?
>> From engadget.com:
[QUOTE]
So apparently we could be back to square one what Microsoft’s calling new Xbox — we really thought it was going to be the Xbox 360, but the following slide apparently showed up at a Microsoft presentation at the Game Developer’s Conference. Yup, that clearly says “Xbox Next”. So we’re back to Xbox Next now? Good lord, what an awful name that was. Well, for now we’re going to fall in line with the outdated slide or out of the loop presenter angle on this one, but who knows at this point? Really, we’re almost starting to lose interest here—would you just let us know what’s going on already, Microsoft?
[/QUOTE]
News-Source/Slide Image: engadget.com
... and J. Allard referred to it as 'Xenon' twice during his keynote speech today ;)
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(Wednesday 09 March 2005 23:08 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
dvd2xbox v0.6.6
>> WiSo released a new version of dvd2xbox(info). What's new/fixed:
* fixed the virtual keyboard texture issue
* added extra cursor scrolling for the virtual keyboard. Press the triggers for character based scrolling and the left thumbstick for fast scrolling.
* Sorry for the bunch of bugfixes but less time less tests. Report all bugs to X-S or the dvd2xbox forums.
Official Site: http://dvd2xbox.xbox-scene.com
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
News-Source: xbins.org
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(Wednesday 09 March 2005 18:05 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Microsoft Reveals First Details of Next-Generation Xbox + Dash UI *updated3*
>> Well, some might have seen this 'leaked' press release already some hours ago on the news, but as Microsoft now officially released it I made a new post with the whole press release.
*UPDATE* You can find the full transcript of the keynote here[xbox.com] and download videos of the highlights here[TeamXbox.com]. It's now also available from microsoft in mp3 and wma format.
[QUOTE]
SAN FRANCISCO — March 9, 2005 — Today at the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC), Microsoft Corp. announced the first details of its next-generation Xbox® video game system platform, highlighting how hardware, software and services are being fused to power enhanced game and entertainment experiences.
Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Chief XNA™ Architect J Allard further outlined the company’s vision for the future of entertainment, citing the emergence of an “HD Era” in video games that is fueled by consumer demand for experiences that are always connected, always personalized and always in high-definition.
“In the HD Era the platform is bigger than the processor,” Allard said. “New technology and emerging consumer forces will come together to enable the rock stars of game development to shake up the old establishment and redefine entertainment as we know it.”
Building on 10 years of innovation with the DirectX® API, the Microsoft® Windows® and Xbox platforms will enable ground-breaking game experiences in the HD Era. Illustrating what that means for gamers, Allard shared the first details about the next-generation Xbox guide. Persistent across all games and media experiences, the guide is an entertainment gateway that instantly connects players to their games, their friends and their digital media.
Features of the guide include these:
* Gamer Cards. Gamer Cards provide gamers with a quick look at key Xbox Live™ information. They let players instantly connect with people who have similar skills, interests and lifestyles.
* Marketplace. Browseable by game, by genre, and in a number of other ways, the Marketplace will provide a one-stop shop for consumers to acquire episodic content, new game levels, maps, weapons, vehicles, skins and new community-created content.
* Micro-transactions. Breaking down barriers of small-ticket online commerce, micro-transactions will allow developers and the gaming community to charge as little as they like for content they create and publish on Marketplace. Imagine players slapping down $.99 to buy a one-of-a-kind, fully tricked-out racing car to be the envy of their buddies.
* Custom playlists. This feature eliminates the need for developers to support custom music in games. The guide instantly connects players to their music so they can listen to their own tracks while playing all their favorite next-generation Xbox games.
Typifying the HD Era game experience, the guide requires hardware designed with software in mind. System-level features of the guide such as custom playlists, the Xbox Live Friends list and voice chat are enabled at the chip level, liberating developers to focus on creating games, not developing for technical certification requirements (TCRs).
To support consumer demands for the HD Era, the next-generation Xbox is designed around key principles that let developers maximize real performance, using concepts they are already familiar with.
The next-generation Xbox hardware design principles include the following:
* A well-balanced system that will deliver more than a teraflop of targeted computing performance
* A multicore processor architecture co-developed with IBM Corp. that provides developer “headroom” and flexibility for the HD Era
* A custom-designed graphics processor co-developed with ATI Technologies Inc. designed for HD Era games and entertainment applications
In addition, familiar software technologies such as DirectX, PIX, XACT and the recently announced XNA Studio — an integrated team-based development environment tailored for game production — complement the new hardware to help game developers unlock increasingly powerful and complex silicon.
The HD Era gaming platform will strike an elegant balance of hardware, software and services to power the new experiences consumers demand. Games and entertainment features such as the next-generation Xbox guide represent a shift toward more immersive and integrated consumer experiences. This shift will be further illustrated by a significant leap to high-definition graphics, where character movements and expressions are intensely vibrant and nearly indiscernible from real life; by multichannel, positional audio fidelity so clear and precise that players will be able to hear the faintest enemy footsteps sneaking up behind them; by richer online communications; and by an abundance of on-demand content for game consoles.
[/QUOTE]
You can find some screenshots of the Xenon dashboard here, here, here and here. I don't know if the lay-out is final, but well it should give you an idea of the features :)
*UPDATE* You can find a full transcript of the keynote here[xbox.com].
You can find 3rd party written article about this keynote on: GamesIndustry.biz, joystiq.com, ign.com, CNN.com, reuters.com, news.com, betanews.com, filefront.com, gamespaper.com, ...
*UPDATE2* TeamXbox.com has few video clips of the highlights of the keynote speech available for download. Check it out here.
*UPDATE3* The keynote is now also available from microsoft in mp3 and wma format.
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(Wednesday 09 March 2005 15:56 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Allard: Xenon User Interface, Specs and Live II to Show Tonight *updated*
>> From Spong.com:
[QUOTE]
J. Allard becomes the first Microsoft executive to go on record to name the Xbox 2 Xenon, with an interview captured the night before the Games Developers Conference in San Francisco outlining the key points of tomorrow’s keynote address.
So what will be seen tonight? “Well,” said Allard, “Were going to show a little bit of leg. We have thought about how best to catalyse some of our thoughts, so we’re going to show a little bit of what the Xenon user interface might look like, we’re going to talk a little bit about the specs just a little bit, and we're going to talk about online as well, and where we see the future of Live.”
[/QUOTE]
Go read the whole article on Spong.com.
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(Wednesday 09 March 2005 07:45 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
GameSpy reveals details on the next Xbox console Part2
>> After the hardware features desribed in part1 yesterday (see news), gamespy today reveals part2 of their "details on the next Xbox console":
[QUOTE]
In the second part of our Xbox expose, I'll cover the improvements planned for gamer profiles and Xbox Live and how it will change the user experience.
Whether the games are single player or multiplayer, all Xenon titles tie into a new gamer profile feature. Think of it as a universal profile for each gamer that uses the system; the gamer profiles are the player's single identity across all Xenon games. Similar to how a single Windows XP machine can be set up for multiple users, each Xenon system will house profiles for every gamer it serves. This feature is fantastic for households with multiple gamers, since each player's settings can be saved in his or her profile and selected when the system boots.
As I noted in part one of this feature, all Xenon titles will be Live enabled. The console itself will have system-enabled Live features including:
* Friends management
* Access to recent players
* Message center
* Game invite management
* User notifications
* Gamer profile
* One-on-one voice chat
* Downloads
* Feedback
* Sign-in
[/QUOTE]
Go read the whole article on gamespy today reveals GameSpy.com.
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(Wednesday 09 March 2005 07:26 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
GameSpot.com Bogus
>> I don't normally address garbage on the net so directly, it's 2am as I write this, but it needs to be said...
From gamespot.com:
[QUOTE]
RUMOR #3: The real reason Microsoft recalled 14.1 million Xbox power cords is because of a fault in the Xbox itself, not the cords.
Source: Xbox-mod-mad site Xbox-scene.com.
The official story: See below.
What we heard: Given Microsoft's admitted cord-failure rate of "about 1 in 10,000," its recall seemed a prudent move. But according to the techno-savvy scofflaws at Xbox-scene.com, it was instead a massive cover-up. "There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with the Xbox power cords. MS just had the recall to cover their butts," said the site. So what was really wrong? The site blames an early version of the console's internal Foxlink power supply, which allegedly suffers from a high rate of solder-point failure. Xbox-scene accuses new cords of being a "Band-Aid" that will merely prevent affected Xboxes from catching fire (as some have been reported to do) but not shorting out. [UPDATE] But that is absolutely not the case, according to an official Microsoft spokesperson. "The report referenced is simply not true," he said. "The cord consumers receive are designed to shut off power to the Xbox if it detects an electrical condition called 'sustained overvoltage.' This rare condition can be caused by things like downed power lines in a wind storm or faulty wiring in a house."
Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus.
[/QUOTE]
It's nice to see that GameSpot swallows Microsoft Propaganda at the first drop of a pin from MS. Had GameSpot even read our thread, that Biased Site would know 2 things.
1 - there is more than enough evidence showing the broken solder points on the power supplies of units that MS is providing those band aid breaker cords for.
2 - that the scene as a whole has known about the faulty Foxlink power supplies for a long time now. What's worse.. their repair depots have been charging up to 90$ US to have them fixed throughout the years.
The electrical condition Microsoft described as rare, may very well be rare, but it wouldn't be limited to certain version of xbox as they claim, as the cables themselves have not changed from one generation to the next. We've had people cut up numerous cable from each gen of xbox.
Unlike GameSpot, XS has knowledgeable people who know every nook and crannie of an xbox. For us, not all xbox units are created equal, and we know it. For them, they are all black, and power on and that's all they know.
Microsoft knows that they have been exposed, and is now using media outlets like GameSpot which accept direct and indirect advertising and support from Microsoft, Microsoft Games Developers, and other sources.
GameSpot.com - Biased site, uninformed, and does not do their research. If they had they wouldn't not have placed BOGUS in their story. People aren't stupid, and know that Gaming sites that feature nothing but retail product reviews and trailers and rumors aren't honest. When was the last time anyone read a worthy review on GameSpot that didn't feel like MS or another dev wrote it for them?
I invite GameSpot "editorial" staff ( I use that term with a grain of salt.., as it might be better called MS PR dept #2 ) to read the XS Forums thread and get an education. While they are there check out the pictures provided by people in the scene as evidence of the faulty soldering on the Power Supplies.
If GameSpot would like to post "rumors" than maybe they should consider this one. 2 Groups are actively investigating their options of moving forward with a class action lawsuit against Microsoft, and their Xbox Division. Suits considered are US/Canada.
GameSpot.com ... Bogus Site.
Microsoft Announces Power Cord Replacement for Xbox
Different power cords
Power cord: Microsoft denies soldering problems
Xbox Cord Program Exposed on XS Forums
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(Wednesday 09 March 2005 02:41 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
1 Year ChokeManiac.net: Project Mayhem III soon and more ...
>> From chokemaniac.net:
[QUOTE]
I've come a long way :) Many things happened in the past 12 months. When i started this site[chokemaniac.net], i only wanted a couple of screenshots of the Project Mayhem skin and a download button. But CritiKill made soo much more out of it. Thanks a lot out to you bud. Hope your current projects are going well.
A couple of weeks ago the new design was launched and i have t say i really love it. Big props out to Christian Granqvist again for coding it for me! The latest addition is the new Project Mayhem forum. Modhack, Alexsolex and Chris made it almost alone and i cant thank them enough. I hope all the skinners out there will join me there to take XBMC skinning to the next level.
I also worked a lot on XBMC with (my favorite coder ;) Jonathan Marshall. We came up with many nice additions like Submenu, Contextmenus, Shutdownmenu, the new Slideshow, new Filemanager and the new Settings System. And i think we're gonna keep improving XBMC. I'm looking forward to it. Big props to you too J. And thanks for you patience with me ;)
By now i released more than 20 skins for all kinds of Xbox apps. More than 110.000 downloads so far and counting. Not too bad i think. Project Mayhem III is around the corner now. I planed to release it today but i'm not completely happy with it yet. So guess you gotta be patient a little longer. I think this will be my last skin for XBMC. I'ts a lot of work to keep 3 skins up to date. But anyways: I'll keep suprising ;)
[/QUOTE]
More Info: chokemaniac.net / xboxmediacenter.com
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(Tuesday 08 March 2005 21:29 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
GameSpy reveals details on the next Xbox console
>> From xbox.gamespy.com:
[QUOTE]
Recently, some of GameSpy's friends in the development community shared a ton of details on Microsoft's next console system. Keep in mind that all of this information is based off of alpha development kits and current projections for the final hardware. Everything is subject to change. In the first part of our Xbox expose, I'll cover the console's hardware components and software goals. Since the final name of the next Xbox hasn't been revealed yet, I'll refer to the system by its codename, Xenon.
* CPU - Xenon's CPU has three 3.0 GHz PowerPC cores. Each core is capable of two instructions per cycle and has an L1 cache with 32 KB for data and 32 KB for instructions. The three cores share 1 MB of L2 cache. Alpha 2 developer kits currently have two cores instead of three.
* GPU - Xenon's GPU is a generation beyond the ATI X800. Its clock speed is 500 MHz and it supports Shader 3.0. Developers are currently working with an alpha 2 GPU. Beta GPU units are expected by May and the final GPU is slated for a summer release. The final GPU will be more powerful than anything on the market today; in game terms, it would handle a game like Half-Life 2 with ease.
* System Memory - Xenon will have 256 MB of system RAM. Keep in mind that this number should not be equated to typical PC RAM. The Xbox has 64 MB of system RAM and is a very capable machine.
* Optical Drive - As many have speculated, Xenon will not use Blu-Ray or HD-DVD. Games will come on dual-layer DVD-9 discs. While the media is the same as that of the current Xbox, the usable space on each disc is up to 7 GB. The drive is slated to run at 12X.
* Memory Units - Xenon will use 64 MB to 1,024 MB memory cards. 8 MB is reserved for system use, leaving a 56 MB to 1,016 MB for user data.
* Hard Drive - As many have speculated, Xenon's hard drive is optional. 2 GB of the drive will be used as game cache. The final drive size is still being determined.
* Camera - Xenon will have a USB 2.0 camera. It's capable of 1.2 megapixel still shots and VGA video. Photos can be used in-game and for gamer profiles. The camera can also be used for video chat. It's unknown if the Xenon camera will allow for EyeToy-like gameplay. Developers are currently using a simulated camera driver.
* Sound Chip - Xenon does not have an audio chip in the traditional sense. Decompression is handled by hardware, while the rest of the chores are handled by software. DirectSound3D has been dropped in favor of X3DAudio. The former was deemed too inflexible.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article (with the software features and more ...) on GameSpy.com
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(Tuesday 08 March 2005 16:51 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
dvd2xbox v0.6.5
>> WiSo released a new version of dvd2xbox(info) with a bugfix from yesterdays release. What's new/fixed:
* hopefully fixed the X3 backlight being to dark.
Thanks to SniperKilla and morpheus26441 for reporting the bug and testing. Unfortunately one reports it works the other that it doesn't. Please test and form your own opinion.
Official Site: http://dvd2xbox.xbox-scene.com
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
News-Source: xbins.org
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(Tuesday 08 March 2005 12:48 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
OSXBMConfig Beta 0.1
>> From thechilde.com:
[QUOTE]
In the beggining thechilde said "I want to be able to do more with my apple for my XBOX!" And so he began coding.
The first app: OSXBMConfig. It would help with the editing and creation of xboxmediacenter.xml files. Today the beta is released. Remember this is beta, report bugs, but don't whine it is still a work in progress! Feature requests are ok, but once again ask politely, and if you donate it is more likely to happen. Any how here it is.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://www.thechilde.com
Discussion Thread: forums.xbox-scene.com
Download: here
dvd2xbox v0.6.4
>> WiSo released a new version of dvd2xbox(info). What's new/fixed:
* added support for X3 LCD
* LCD: fixed '\' being 'ö' and some other character issues on X3 and SmartXX
* LCD: fixed text flickering
* LCD: redesigned some output
* added a simple screensaver (not configurable yet, active after 2min, use dpad or buttons to deactivate it)
* main menu now browseable
* added bitmap display for each item on the main menu ( background and item icons are simple bitmaps which can be easily replaced, redesign not final yet, more to come)
* Note: Installing this release will set all dvd2xbox settings to its defaults.
* Thanks to www.rokey.net for his smooth metal icon set.
Official Site: http://dvd2xbox.xbox-scene.com
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
News-Source: xbins.org
Microsoft Announces XNA Studio
>> From TeamXbox.com:
[QUOTE]
Today at the Game Developers Conference, Microsoft Corp. announced new XNA software that will enable enhanced collaboration between content creators, programmers, management and quality-assurance staff members to speed the game production process. Based on the Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team System, the latest innovation of the company's flagship development platform, XNA Studio is an integrated, team-based development environment tailored for game production.
Key gaming middleware partners continue to support the XNA software development platform and have joined Microsoft in recognizing the need to bring stability and consistency to the game development process. Companies such as AGEIA Technologies Inc; Alias Systems Corp.; Discreet; Havok; and Softimage Co., a subsidiary of Avid Technology Inc., see the value in the XNA Studio development environment.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on TeamXbox.com.
Microsoft Doubling Bungie Staff for Halo 3 *updated*
>> From TeamXbox.com:
[QUOTE]
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is reporting that Microsoft is doubling the staff for the next installment in the Halo series.
"Making a game is getting to be more and more like making a movie," J Allard said in an interview. "You need to hire more artists, more animators and more musicians."
The Chief XNA Architect revealed to the SPI that 65 people worked for more than two years to develop Halo 2 and now the software giant is doubling Bungie staff for the next installment.
[/QUOTE]
*UPDATE* From halo.bungie.org:
[QUOTE]
Two days ago, we mentioned an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that quoted J Allard as saying that Bungie was "doubling staff for the next installment [of Halo]". Today, that quote is all over the net - I saw stories about it at CVG and TeamXbox, for example. Straight from the horse's mouth (separate emails from two different Bungie community team members) - this is completely untrue. Bungie hasn't even officially confirmed that they're making a third installment - but they're absolutely, positively, not doubling their staff any time soon. Remember: if you didn't hear it from Bungie... take it with a grain of salt.
[/QUOTE]
Sony plans internal PS3 briefing next week *updated*
>> From GamesIndustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
Sony is planning to show off the PlayStation 3 to its key worldwide executives at a major internal briefing next week, it has emerged, but the consumer unveiling of the next-gen platform is still not expected until E3 in May.
Next week's briefing is believed to be strictly for internal staff at Sony, with even the company's closest development partners from overseas not on the guest list. "What I can say is that I'm not going to Japan this week," one very senior PlayStation development source told GI.biz off the record.
What exactly the Sony execs will get to see in Tokyo is hard to say. The final specification for the system is almost certainly complete, and if it is to be shown at E3, we'd expect that the physical design of the hardware has also been completed.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on GamesIndustry.biz.
MadnessX Sound Code Update
>> MadnessX is a new homebrew game for Xbox currenty in development by Team AfterShock. It's the 2D clone of a Flash game. From shizno on aftershock.xbox-scene.com:
[QUOTE]
Well PeteGabe put in the initial sound code... it definately makes things a lot cooler, bullet shells bouncing, guns reloading, people getting punched...
Theres still a bit more work to do, mainly fixing stupid bugs that pop up, tweaking gameplay to make it fun.
Sooooo yep... little bit more work, and this fucking shit will be out.
[/QUOTE]
FBAxxx build 06/03/2005
>> A new version of FBAxxx(info) has been released. What's new/fixed:
* removed VMM optimisation, but added another optimisation could be sensibly better.
* normally corrected emu crash when a rom is not good.
Official Site: http://fbaxxx.fr.st
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
News-Source: xbins.org
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