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Week of January 9, 2005
SpiderChip v1.1 Sample + New Manuals + Screw Issue On Original Batch
>> We received a sample of the new SpiderChip v1.1 from Divineo.com / Divineo.co.uk / Divineo.cn.
The modchip is currently still the only solderless solution on Xbox v1.6/v1.6b (using thin springwires) - and it can also still be installed solderless on Xbox v1.0-v1.5 (using pogopins for the LPC point and a springwire for D0). There's is also a headerpin adapter on the modchip so you can install it that way if you want.
It's a gen3b modchip with a 256KB flashsize and an external en/disabled switch. It comes preflashed with a cromwell-based flashbios compatible with all Xbox versions (v1.0 - v1.6b). The modchip ships in a solid metal box with a suggested retail price around 35USD.
SpiderChip v1.1 has a few optimizations compared to v1.0:
* Few wires are inverted, so there is no more crossover.
* The soldering of springwires on modchip should be more solid.
* The connector for the external adapter is now flat so it shouldn't break so easily anymore when trying to retreive the cable.
* The PCB of v1.1 is a little bigger because the headerpin leads on the PCB are a little bigger (so headerpin is more solidly soldered on the PCB).
More Pictures:
* SpiderChip v1.1 in its metal box (High Definition)
* Close-up of SpiderChip v1.1 (High Definition)
A full installation guide for Xbox v1.0 to v1.6b for both SpiderChip v1.0 and v1.1 has also just been released.
* Tutorial for SpiderChip v1.0 - Installation in XBOX v1.0 to v1.6b
* Tutorial for SpiderChip v1.1 - Installation in XBOX v1.0 to v1.6b
SpiderChip also posted on their website that there is a problem with the screw of the SpiderChip v1.1 for installation on Xbox v1.6(b) - this has now been solved:
[QUOTE]
We received several reports of people who met with many difficulties installing the SpiderChip v1.1 on Xbox V1.6 and V1.6B.
We have checked this information and after testing the product ourselves, unfortunately found that in fact the installation of the new Spiderchip v1.1 on Xbox v1.6/v1.6B is difficult due to the screw and ring not being the proper sizes.
The size of both is very important to maintain a good pressure on the pogo-pins: If the ring is too small then the 2 latest pogo-pins (the pogo-pins the furthest from the screw) do not touch the Xbox motherboard, and the Spiderchip won't boot.
We sincerely apologize to all our loyal customers for this mistake.
Spiderchip has already arranged that all resellers are supplied with bags of correct screws and rings(they will be received within 10 days), these will of course be sent to you free of charge.
In the meantime, if you want to install the SpiderChip, please don't tighten the screw too much, and use electric black tape to maintain the Spiderchip in good position (like this). This is only a temporary solution to solve the problem of the size of the screw and ring for those who want to use it right now.
All Spiderchip 1.1 will now be sent with the proper screw and ring.
Thank you very much for your understanding of our situation and once again Divineo apologises for any inconvenience caused by this error.
[/QUOTE]
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(Saturday 15 January 2005 21:20 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
XboxMediaCenter (XBMC) 2005-01-15 CVS build
>> A new CVS compile of XboxMediaCenter(info) has been released.
Changelog (since 2005-01-02 build):
ADDED
* [ 1097753 ] Updated XBMC masterlock/share lock code (Thanks to slacker)
* Third rendering method using overlays. Added purely to help find the reason behind the quality improvements gained from the previous overlay method. This new method is identical to the previous overlays method, except it uses mplayers builtin YV12->YUY2 fast convertor.
Further info will be available later today in this thread. NB: This output looks identical to my eyes as the output from the pixel shader.
* Second rendering method using overlays. Renderers can be switched from the GUI (Video Settings->Filters). Known Issues:
-1080i may not be 100% in terms of Aspect ratio - it hasn't been tested
-Renderers cannot be switched on the fly - change will take effect at next movie play.
-Overlays method is much slower than the pixel shader method - reason is mostly to do with the software YV12->YUY2 conversion done by mplayer.
FIXED
* Album thumbs don't show as icon for folder in listview
* [ 1039490 ] Fan speed reset to full speed on exit on 1.6 Xbox
* LPCM audio from ex. Music Video DVD's would only create static.
* Button scroller issues on homepage.
* [ 1059668 ] OSD and scene skip bug.
* Slideshow info shows part of directory instead of filename in osd
* subtitles wouldn't display if on CD/DVD
* fullscreen video view mode info, soften setting for video was not displayed
* Pathes in progress dialog where not correctly shortened
* scanning smb shares the second time doesn't show the add/rescan dialog
* audio skips once on startup of videos
* fixed [ 1090730 ] Playback Of MP3 Files With @
* playlist windows, current playing item disappears after using the context menu in it
* thumb cache was not cleared
* music playlist, all cue items show the tag info of the first file
* filemanager, lock mode wasn't updated in both panes
* filemanager, "Please insert disc" message on local shares
* [ 1088812 ] Onscreen Keyboard fails when editing shares.
* [ 1094724 ] Fan speed display bug
* IMDb didn't filter HTML codes if a single match was found.
* Texel alignment in video playback.
* default.tbn sometimes did not get generated in proper directory.
* [ 1094725 ] Getting stuck on system info screen
* possible problems with progress dialogs
* slow startup with DVD in drive
* music/video info hang
* [ 1092849 ] Cancel saving profile freezes the xbox
* [ 1092854 ] Music slide/shutdown menu freeze
* play a song in a folder, goto videos, start a movie, when movie ends the songs is played again
CHANGED:
* extended asx parsing to support entryref tags and different tag-casing
* Webserver authentication now defaults to BASIC instead of DIGEST. Solves Firefox issues.
* minor GUIThumbnailPanel performance tweaks
* video/music info, smoother update of icons after getting information
* minor GUIListControl performance tweaks
* minor guiImage & xprfont performance tweaks
* Removed TITLE mapping to playlist view in My Music and My Videos - it's on the context menu anyway.
* cdrip encoders moved into dll's, this should result in a smaller executable and a bit faster cd ripping (don't forget to copy the new system folder!)
* New pixel shader output does YV12->RGB in one pass (using Butcher's old code).
* modal dialogs are completely rendered by the window manager now
* my music, background scanner can be canceled during its first operations
UPDATED
* Finnish, Norwegian, Greek, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simple), Spanish, Italian, Polish language file
* sqlitedataset to 0.60 (now in namespace dbiplus)
REMOVED
* guide mapping from MCE remote in keymap.xml - was an unnecessary double up.
Official Site: http://www.xboxmediacenter.com / http://sourceforge.net/projects/xbmc
Download Binaries: n/a (built with XDK)
Download SourceCode: here
News-Source: Xbins XBMC server
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(Saturday 15 January 2005 08:07 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
GameSpot's Rumor Control: Xbox Next Cartridges
>> Gamespot's 'Rumor Control' has another Xbox story this week about the 2nd Xbox2 pantent (see original news post):
[QUOTE]
* RUMOR: Games for the Xbox Next will come on cartridges, not discs.
* Source: The Patent and Trademark Office by way of Team Xbox.
* The official story: "This one falls under the 'no comment' policy."--- Microsoft spokesperson.
* What we heard: For the second week in a row, the keen-eyed crew at Team Xbox has spotted a game-related patent filed by Microsoft. This time around, it was for a “system, method, and data storage medium for sharing data between video games," something that Team Xbox speculated would allow players to use character information from one Xbox Next game in its sequel. What form will that system take? According to Team Xbox, the patent makes repeated mention of “video game cartridges," raising the specter of a clunky N64-esque game library. However, the "cartridge" could also be the high-capacity flash-memory cards Microsoft ordered from an Israeli firm or, as Team Xbox speculates, the previously rumored iPod-like storage device. However, since Microsoft isn't saying anything, it's just that--speculation. Although, one thing is pretty clear from the patent excerpts--the games themselves won't be on cartridges.
* Bogus or not bogus?: Not bogus insofar that Microsoft registered a patent; probably bogus that Xbox Next games will come on cartridges.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on gamespot.com.
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(Friday 14 January 2005 23:05 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
On The 11th Day Of Christmas Team Xodus Gave To Me 11 Pipers Piping
>> From TeamXodus.com:
[QUOTE]
ON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS... TEAM XODUS GAVE TO ME:
ELEVEN PIPERS PIPING, Ten LEDS lighting, Nine LCDS Dancing, Eight Skryers Skrying, Seven points a-posting, Six great a-wards, Fiiiiive brand new skiiiiins, Four more features, Three French pens, Two cool features And a lot of bug fixes in the source tree.
ELEVEN PIPERS PIPING
The fanfare has begun. Today’s news release is a further illustration of how unique and advanced the Xenium really is. We have absolutely been swamped by enquiries, compliments and of course utter amazement at how far fourth generation can actually go. The hype caused by the news release of our Skryer has prompted us to give more features, facts and general information in both graphic form and also through a video created specifically to show a live example of how far we have taken this concept. We have decided to let the pictures speak for themselves as we think they are pretty amazing. What we will say, however, is that it is now becoming blatantly clear that owning a Xenium is a privilege that those who are not part of the elite group will never understand or experience. Once again, the challenge has been set for the others to follow the pied piper.
Enjoy!
Well for day 12 the drummers will be drumming for another huge announcement
So see you then.
This video demonstration shows 2 Skryers connected up to our Graphics LCD units and working in both Simultaneous Mode (the brightness and contrast of both units is actually adjusted through the joypad ) and Concurrent mode , where the animation is being sent to each unit individually. Both units are connected in series to one Xenium. It is absolutely amazing to see, and there is still more to come ; -)
[/QUOTE]
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(Friday 14 January 2005 18:25 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
XLink Kai For Apple Mac Users
>> Pre-release version of Kai(info) for MacOSX (engine + UI with installer) has been released. From TheDaddy on teamxlink.co.uk:
[QUOTE]
Any Apple users are requested to proceed to the new "Bleeding Edge" forum on our board, and download the pre-release version of KaidOSX. Please note that this package is not officially supported yet, so you're on your own to some extent, although you will find help from other users in the XLink Mac forum.
We need as many people as possible to experiment with this package on OSX, and we need good feedback from you, so uebe, ^S^ and the jKaiUI guys can apply any changes we need before an official public release.
KaidOSX is a native OSX Kai launcher, containing a working kaid engine, packaged with jKaiUI - the excellent Java UI for Kai. The software is presented in a proper OSX installer, and should be usable by just about everyone, with no command-line stuff needed :)
See you girly Mac wimps online (just kidding..)
[/QUOTE]
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(Friday 14 January 2005 10:35 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Materials Configurer Professional v1.3
>> From readme/nfo:
[QUOTE]
This will help you exporting XBX and INI presets for the user.interface.x(info) and Dash2GAM(info) Dashboards. The propiretary XML format makes the presets compatible between these two dashboards ;)
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: n/a, by the DTL Crew
Download: here
News-Source: xbins.org
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(Thursday 13 January 2005 22:23 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
SmartXX LT OPX Sample
>> We received a sample of the SmartXX LT OPX - Light One Point X, the little brother of the SmartXX v2 modchip - from freakware and BMMods.
You can install it using wires (pads on modchip), headerpin and for Xbox v1.6(b) you can directly 'quicksolder' it on the backside of the motherboard. The modchip will also work with universal 3rd party solderless adapters on Xbox v1.0-v1.4 (pinheader 4 connected with D0).
The flashchip is 1MB and the Lite version of the SmartXX OS(info) takes 256KB - so you have 768KB left to store bioses. The modchip also has an I/O bus, external display port (solderpads), solderpads to (optionally) install an external status led and solderpads to (optionally) install bank select switches.
Just like the SmartXX v2, the modchip comes with a 1year warrenty (no matter where you buy it from). Suggested retail price is around 30USD/30EUR.
Review will follow later.
 The full package: SmartXX LT OPX modchip, headerpin, D0/LFRAME wire and SmartXX case-sticker.
More Pictures:
* Close-up SmartXX LT OPX angle1 (High Resolution)
* Close-up SmartXX LT OPX angle2 (High Resolution)
Buy SmartXX LT OPX
USA/CAN: BMMods.com, divineo.com, extreme-mods.com
Europe: freakware.de, divineo.co.uk
Rest-Of-World: divineo.cn
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(Thursday 13 January 2005 20:47 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Team Xtender XCM Crystal Series for Xbox
>> From TeamXtender.com:
[QUOTE]
Due to the overwhelming response we have received from our initial XCM Crystal series for the PSTwo we have decided to go ahead with full production of the XCM Crystal Series for the X-box. Similar to the XCM Crystal Series for the PSTwo the XCM Crystal Series for the X-box will be available in multiple colors and will be a full case replacement option.
But wait, that's not all! In addition to the XCM Crystal Series for the Xbox we are taking it to the next level. Specialized X-tender kits will also be made available to color co-ordinate with your XCM Crystal Series case replacement.
Stay tuned for more information on availability dates, and colors in the days to come.
[/QUOTE]
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(Thursday 13 January 2005 16:06 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Murdoch eyes gaming as News Corp considers acquisitions
>> From GamesIndustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch may be about to make a move into the videogames industry, with the COO of his giant News Corporation group confirming that the company is seeking an acquisition in the sector.
Speaking at a US investment conference, Peter Chernin admitted that News Corp was "kicking the tires of pretty much all video games companies" - up to and including market leader Electronic Arts.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on GamesIndustry.biz.
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(Thursday 13 January 2005 12:05 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Sony ordered to pay Dual Shock license fees to Immersion
>> From gamesindustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
Court ruling could end up costing Sony $27 million a year in licensing charges.
A new ruling in the ongoing legal battle between Sony and US firm Immersion Corp has ordered the Japanese giant to pay a quarterly license fee for its use of force feedback technology in PlayStation hardware and games.
Immersion holds patents for force feedback technology which cover certain aspects of the rumble effect used in game joypads, and also named Microsoft as a defendant in its original lawsuit in 2002 - but the Xbox manufacturer settled out of court in July 2003 by signing a licensing agreement with the firm.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on gamesindustry.biz.
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(Thursday 13 January 2005 10:51 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Status Lite Mod Distribution
>> From Teamxtek.com
[QUOTE]
We are proud to announce the establishment of an exclusive agreement with BMMods to be our sole distributor of our Status Lite mod. In light of this agreement, we have also decided to move to mass production of the Status Lite. You can expect a much cleaner overall product (although even the hand assembled units were up to par) and a much lower probability of failure (which was previously rare). Once the Status Lite mod has completed production, it will be for sale at http://Shop.TeamXTek.com and BMMods.com. BMMods already has as an outstanding reputation with top notch shipping, packaging, and customer service. Wholesale orders will be handled through BMMods.
Team XTek as well as BMMods are confident that this arrangement will become increasingly beneficial, enabling faster and improved shipping as well as taking the strain off of Team XTek, allowing us to focus more on developing innovative products.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with our mod, it allows you to place an included 3mm LED (four of them, actually) that switches from one color to another when a controller is plugged in.:
Shown is a blue/red combination. We also do blue/white, blue/green, and red/white in any configuration you want (which color is on when there is no controller, which color is switched to when a controller was inserted.)
Wholesale enquiries should be directed to sales@teamxtek.com
[/QUOTE]
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(Wednesday 12 January 2005 21:57 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
On The Tenth Day Of Christmas
>> From TeamXodus.com
[QUOTE]
ON THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS... TEAM XODUS GAVE TO ME:
TEN LEDS A-LIGHTING, Nine LCDS Dancing, Eight Skryers Skrying, Seven points a-posting, Six great a-wards, Fiiiiive brand new skiiiiins, Four more features, Three French pens, Two cool features. And a lot of bug fixes in the source tree.
COMPETITION UPDATE
With two more days to go in our 12 days of Christmas campaign, the entries to our competitions are flying in, fast and furious. We have received many great entries so far. This is your last chance to get any last minute additions in before we close the competitions. Remember, we have some great prizes to give away! Day 12 will be here before you know it, so hurry and get those entries in!
TEN LED COLOR SEQUENCES:
Today we thought we would give you a bit of fun to try out. We have added a great new feature, which has been requested time and again on forums, which allows for advanced control of the Xenium's full-color LED, as well as the front-panel LEDs. We have made ten different example sequences for you to play with, and to use as a starting point for some ideas of your own. We've put together a short video which demonstrates using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) techniques to perform a few simple tricks. (Note that PWM is only applicable to the on-chip LED, as the front-panel LED can not be updated quickly enough to perform these effects.) Who said Christmas was over? Go ahead and try it out!
The .led files should be placed directly in the E:\XeniumOS\Leds\ directory on your xbox. They will then appear under the "Choose LEDs..." menu under Xenium Setting in Xenium OS(info). The format of these files is straightforward; each line in the file represents one set of the leds. The first number is the duration for this set, the second number represents the color to set on the chip LED (0-7), and the third number is a standard hexadecimal representation of the front-panel LED.
The buildup to our grand finale has begun. Watch this space.
Download the new XeniumOS 2.3.0 with the ten led sequences Xenium OS 2.3.0 HDD Version and ISO Version
Download the video of our Led Demo here
[/QUOTE]
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(Wednesday 12 January 2005 20:01 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Console shortages blamed as US retailers miss financial projections
>> From GamesIndustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
Key US videogame retailers Electronics Boutique and GameStop have both dropped their financial projections for the fourth quarter, blaming hardware shortages of the PS2 and Xbox in the crucial pre-Christmas period.
GameStop dramatically illustrated the impact of the hardware shortage in its announcement of the holiday sales numbers, pointing out that in the last weekend before Christmas, the company's 1768 retail stores sold only 186 Xbox and PS2 units.
Yesterday, leading UK retail chain GAME Group also announced its figures for the Christmas period, revealing that it too was severely impacted by the PS2 hardware shortage, with like for like sales falling further than expected in the UK and Ireland.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on GamesIndustry.biz.
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(Wednesday 12 January 2005 08:11 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Linux Distros: No Overscan Support On Xbox v1.6(b)
>> From ShALLaX on gentoox.shallax.com:
[QUOTE]
Far too many people are asking me the same question over and over despite it being in the Gentoox manual: There is NO overscan fix support for v1.6 (Xcalibur) Xboxes.
There isn't likely to ever be a fix for it as the chip is largely proprietary (though its based on the Focus chip). Until we (xbox-linux) can get documentation for the chip or somehow perform a miracle, it will not be fixed.
A rather horrible solution (which is what modchip makers use for their built in OSes - it works well for these because the screen layout isn't as dynamic as Linux) is to make move everything closer to the center of the screen. So if you are using an application, shrink it to fit your screen.
[/QUOTE]
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(Wednesday 12 January 2005 00:01 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
StepMania 3.9 RC2a X1 CVS Build
>> From readme/nfo:
[QUOTE]
This version is based on the StepMania 3.9 rc2a release and includes most of its features. Keep in mind that this is a Work In Progress (WIP) version. This version is compiled with Visual Studio .net 2003 and the XDK.
Further some files didn't transfer here but I didn't have any problems with StepMania. These files are still included but aren't transfered cause of the FatX system that only supports filenames upto 40 characters. If anyone find a solution for this that would be great !
Known issues, limitations and differences from the PC/Linux/Mac version:
* Characters don't seem to be appearing
* Movie and Visualisation support has not been implented
* Packages implentation is broken
* No USB keybourd support
What's new/fixed (since StepmaniaX(info) v5 by Xport):
* Virtual Memory Managment has been implented
* Profile names can be typed with the Xbox controller
* IP Adresses (for SMLan) can be typed in with the Xbox controller
* Controls can now be mapped using the Xbox controller
* Limited song editing is now supported with the Xbox controller
* Themes are working ? (see readme)
* Faster loading
* Possible 128MB RAM fix (needs testing)
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: n/a, by Alex3305
Official Discussion Thread: forums.xbox-scene.com
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
News-Source: xbins.org
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(Tuesday 11 January 2005 22:25 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Another Xbox 2 Patent?
>> From TeamXbox.com:
[QUOTE]
Today, we bring you a new patent application that was filed in July, 2004 and published last week, in which Microsoft is patenting a “system, method, and data storage medium for sharing data between video games”
This basically means that what Microsoft is trying to address with this new invention is a way to share data between different games within a franchise. So, when playing a game’s sequel you could be asked to play a previous title in the series in order to unlock hidden items such as levels, weapons or characters.
But the invention is not just intended to go backwards, playing old games in a franchise. The patent also covers the possible scenario in which a first game will use the info of a second game in a series.
Why are game cartridges mentioned so many times? Could these game cartridges be the hardware that M-Systems will provide for the Xbox successor? Is the Xbox 2 going to have a removable storage medium instead of a fixed HDD? xPod anyone?
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on TeamXbox.com.
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(Tuesday 11 January 2005 14:06 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Microsoft Announces Plans to Expand Redmond Campus
>> From TeamXbox.com:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft Corp. has announced its plans to make one of the largest corporate campuses in the world even larger through a major expansion of its Redmond headquarters. In the plan, Microsoft also commits up to $30 million (U.S.) in local transportation and infrastructure.
A development agreement (DA) with the City of Redmond indicates Microsoft's intent to add about 2 million square feet of new site and infrastructure renovations to its existing 8-million-square-foot campus over the next 10 to 20 years. The additional development is expected to ultimately house between 10,000 and 12,000 workers.
[/QUOTE]
Read more on TeamXbox.com and microsoft.com.
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(Tuesday 11 January 2005 12:26 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Gizmodo Gates Interview: Xbox2 and Xbox Live
>> Gizmodo.com has an interview with Bill Gates: they talk about the Xbox Next (Xbox2, Xenon), Xbox Live service, XNA and mobile gaming. Here's a short excerpt:
[QUOTE]
Gates: There's no doubt Sony will do a great next generation box and we'll do a great next generation box and that competition will be very healthy. People will have a choice. Some of the really hardcore people will end up with both. The next generation is just going to be another dramatic improvement. What we want to do is grow the business as a whole by making the games far more approachable.
Today, if you're not an aficionado, if you sit down, if within five minutes you don't know what the heck is going on... We need a lot of new genres of games. Now Xbox Live has been one of our great triumphs. They are bringing into the game experience—talking to your friends, being able to meet people, do contests, have spectators—and that we think is a super-important feature going forward. You're going to see brilliant software creativity around Live.
Gizmodo: What do you think the chances are that you guys might offer Live without a subscription fee in the next generation? Just assume that everyone that has an Xbox will have the capability to use it?
Gates: There will always be some elements of Live that we'll offer for free, but there will be significant portions of Live that we'll offer for subscription. And the subscription—what is it, $39.95 a year?—I mean, hey!
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole interview on Gizmodo.com.
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(Monday 10 January 2005 22:05 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
UK market grows 6.6 per cent
>> From GamesIndustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
The software market overall in the UK grew by some 6.6 per cent, which is solid if unspectacular growth by the standards of the industry's track record, and reached sales figures of UKP 1.34 billion.
Microsoft's Xbox achieved the biggest boost of all the formats in terms of software sales, which were up 37.9 per cent over last year - with flagship title Halo 2 coming in at number nine in the full-year chart, despite falling slightly short of the half million sales mark.
Click here to see the full ranking for the year.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on GamesIndustry.biz.
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(Monday 10 January 2005 20:42 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Gentoox MCE v1.1, Pro v1.5, Home v3.2 *update*
>> From ShALLaX on gentoox.shallax.com:
[QUOTE]
Thats it... as promised, I present Gentoox Media Center(info) Edition v1.1, Gentoox Pro(info) Edition v1.5 and Gentoox Home(info) Edition v3.2. They're all released and in the downloads section... just in time before I head off to work. Please test them all out and let me know of any issues.
What's new MCE v1.1(full readme):
* Integrated with Gentoox Loader(info).
What's new Pro v1.5(full readme)/Home v3.2(full readme):
* Gentoox Loader v5.1a. (Pro/Home)
* Updated software as of 08-Jan-2005. (Pro)
* Fully synced with magic as of 08-Jan-2005. (Pro/Home)
* Sparkle v1.4. (Pro/Home)
*UPDATE* I've had no reports back of any success or failures... I guess no news is good news, but I have found that some mirrors seem to have borked the mirroring of Home v3.2. These mirrors are reporting the filesize to be about 120MB, which is just plain wrong. The size of Home 768,173KB.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://gentoox.shallax.com
Download MCE v1.1: here
Download Pro v1.5: here
Download Home v3.2: here
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(Monday 10 January 2005 15:53 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Gates Makes Xenon HDTV Pledge
>> From Spong.com:
[QUOTE]
Speaking at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates confirmed that all Xbox 2/Xenon games will support HDTV.
Speaking to Japanese paper Yomiuri Shimbun, Gates said that, “Current planning should mean we will be able to offer HDTV support across 100% of the [Xbox 2] software range. We expect to be unique in this offering.”
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on Spong.com
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(Monday 10 January 2005 09:52 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Xecuter3 Crystal Pro Switch Sample
>> We received a sample of the Xecuter3 Crystal Pro Switch Adapter from system-mods.com. It's exactly the same as the black Pro Switch shown here some time ago except that this one is made to fit under a Xbox Crystal special edition. A green edition of the switch will also be available soon to fit under the translucent green special edition Xbox.
It has 4 buttons to 'hard' select your bios bank, one button to en/disable flash protection and 3 leds: 1 multi-color to give X3 status, 1 for HD activity and 1 for LAN activity.
More Pictures:
* Top view (High Resolution)
* Buttons/Led view (High Resolution)
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(Monday 10 January 2005 00:30 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
UXE Auto Installer 007-MA-SC
>> From gueux.be (transalated from french):
[QUOTE]
Adoubeur, member of the Gueux.be forum, made this automatic installer for UXE (Uber Xbe Exploit(info)) wich work with 007: Agent Under Fire, MechAssault and Splinter Cell hacked gamesaves.
The save automatically detect your Xbox version and will give you the choice between 2 install options:
* Install for XBox 1.0 to 1.5 (X2 4981 bios)
* Install for XBox 1.6 (Evox M8+ bios)
In the 2 cases, the save will auto install:
* UXE exploit + PBL - The Metoo Edition(info)
* Unleash X (version 037_1207A)
Also, the MS dashboard will be auto-patched to allow to launch UnleashX(info) from the MS dash directly (thx to Kambiokika for his FontsPatcher).
The gamesave also allows:
* Take a backup of the original C-drive before any modifications.
* Restore of this C-drive backup.
* Save of mains Xbox parameters (eeprom.bin, bios.bin, ...)
* Cache cleaning
* HDD explorer
* FTP acces with IP:192.168.0.7
This hacked gamesave is available in 3 versions: 007: Agent Under Fire, SplinterCell or Mech Assault.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://www.gueux.be
Download: n/a (contains files built with XDK)
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(Sunday 09 January 2005 21:00 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
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