Forums | MacLife

Bat · 2009-08-05 4:06 pm

Jeez Louise, is this a long PR. Hang in, and I ain't gonna take time to bold or proofread it all. I'd've been happy with better backwards compat and proper 2.2 VGA gamma ramp.

Xbox LIVE Puts a World of Entertainment at Your Fingertips
Less than a week from today, the latest Xbox LIVE update will arrive to more than 20 million Xbox LIVE members, and with it will come the next evolution of connected entertainment on Xbox 360. Get ready to meet the many new faces of your Xbox 360; whether it’s new Avatar duds and awards from Adidas or “Splosion Man,” full Xbox 360 titles downloaded straight to your console, or even a private home movie theater, Xbox LIVE has something for YOU.

Avatars are people too!
It’s a brand new day for your Avatar, because now the little gal or fella has a Marketplace of his or her own. With an ever-expanding selection of stores, think of Avatar Marketplace as your Avatar’s own personal shopping mall full of premium outfits and accessories from your favorite games and fashion brands. And to keep your Avatars from getting bored, we’re giving them fun new animated props to play with; everything from a basketball to pompoms, even a cell phone…just try to stick with nights and weekends. Your Avatar’s one-stop-shop for threads and more will launch with a growing collection from the top names in fashion and gaming:

Props: New Avatar items that bring custom animation to your Friends channel
Top Brands: Adidas, Quiksilver, Roxy, tokidoki
Unique Fashions: Steampunk, Recessionista
Your Favorite Games: “BioShock 2,” “Halo 3,” “Halo 3: ODST,” “Gears of War 2,” “Fable II,” “The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition,” “Splinter Cell Conviction,” “Star Wars Clone The Wars: Republic Heroes”
Whether you’re an athlete, an artist, or an all-out gaming fanatic, you can express your (and your Avatar’s) online personality like never before. You can also earn special Avatar clothes and items just by playing your favorite games, starting with a hot logo t-shirt from “Splosion Man,” the hit Xbox LIVE Arcade title that kicked-off off the 2nd annual Summer of Arcade.

Full Xbox 360 games at the push of a button
It’s safe to say August 11 will go down in the Avatar history books (albeit teeny tiny history books), but it will also be a landmark day for gamers with the introduction of a brand new way to access and play your Xbox 360 games: Games on Demand. Launching worldwide with a library of 30 great titles, Games on Demand marks the introduction of digitally distributed full Xbox 360 games: the titles you want, whenever you want them, straight to your Xbox 360 at the push of a button. You’ll also have the option to easily purchase Games on Demand titles directly via credit card in addition to Microsoft Points, which are now more convenient than ever thanks to PayPal support on the Xbox.com Web marketplace.

From Platinum Hits titles like “Mass Effect,” “BioShock” and “Assassin’s Creed,” to family favorites like “LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga” and “Sonic the Hedgehog,” Games on Demand gives you access to a growing catalog of full Xbox 360 titles. You can browse and download 24 x7 from the comfort of your couch, and new titles will be released every Tuesday. Your purchase history is always saved, so you can delete titles if needed and re-download purchased titles at any time.

Check out our U.S. line-up at launch:
Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft)
BioShock (2K Games)
Burnout Paradise (EA)
Call of Duty® 2 (Activision)
Dance Dance Revolution Universe (Konami)
Fight Night Round 3 (EA)
Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft Game Studios)
Karaoke Revolution American Idol Encore (Konami)
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (LucasArts)
Mass Effect (Microsoft Game Studios)
Meet The Robinsons (Disney)
MX vs. ATV Untamed (THQ)
Need for Speed Carbon (EA)
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (EA)
Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft Game Studios)
Prey (2K Games)
Rainbow Six Vegas (Ubisoft)
ridge racer 6 (Namco)
Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis (Rockstar Games)
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG (SEGA)
TEST DRIVE: UNLIMITED (Atari)
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2K Games/Bethesda Softworks)
Viva Piñata (Microsoft Game Studios)
Viva Piñata 2: Trouble in Paradise (Microsoft Game Studios)

Movie night on Xbox LIVE
Since its release last November, the Netflix application has been downloaded by more than a million Xbox LIVE Gold members who have combined to watch billions of minutes worth of movies and TV episodes streamed instantly over Xbox LIVE. In fact, according to market research firm In-Stat, game consoles are the most popular devices for bringing Web-based videos to the TV.

Now we’re ratcheting it up a notch. For the first time on any device you can update your Netflix instant Queue right from your television – no computer necessary. Browse, choose and jump right into a custom selection of movies and TV shows from your most-watched genres, whether they’re comedy, action, horror…even a tear-jerking chick flick (yes, on Xbox 360!). There are thousands to chose from, many in HD.

Once you’ve made your choice, watch it with friends in your own personal at-home movie theater, with your Avatars in the front row. Xbox LIVE Movie Parties let you share a movie with friends and family in the same room or across the country. Chat about your favorite scenes, smack-talk the lame special effects, or laugh together as your Avatars throw popcorn during the show. You can even cozy up and flirt with that special someone’s Avatar – it’s a brand new way to spice up a long-distance relationship, no airfare or movie tickets required.

No more hide and seek
Finally, we all know that the devil’s in the details, and organization can be a pain. Now you can view, find and arrange your content on Xbox LIVE the way you want. Want to send a specific friend a message? Sort your friends list by Gamertag, status and even activity, so you can easily find the friends you want. There are also new options for viewing your Achievements and progress, improved matchmaking support and more.

Best of all, you can now rate every single piece of game content on Xbox LIVE Marketplace using a five star system. Support your favorite Arcade game with a five star rating, or find the top-rated titles in the newly-updated Indie Games channel – it’s never been easier to find the best and most beloved games, demos and trailers on Xbox LIVE.

Just the beginning…
So there you have it, the new Xbox LIVE update: fresh ways to watch movies, play games, and connect with friends or friendly rivals anywhere in the world. It’s another step toward realizing the Xbox 360 promise of entertainment for everyone, and another reason why Xbox LIVE is hands down the best entertainment value in your living room. But there’s so much more to come.

This fall, we’re bringing a whole new wave of partnerships and custom features straight to your Xbox 360 – instant-on 1080p streaming video with 5.1 audio from Zune, personalized digital radio stations from Last.fm, and the biggest forces in social networking: Facebook and Twitter.

In the meantime, throw a movie party, give your Avatar a little street cred, or download that best-selling Xbox 360 game you’ve been meaning to pick up. Sit back, relax and enjoy, and stay tuned for the next evolution in connected entertainment, courtesy of Xbox LIVE.

http://www.firingsquad.com/news/newsart … chid=21984

*Phew*...

Microsoft phasing out Xbox 360 Pro

It appears Ars Technica's mole was correct once again. A Gamestop employee snapped a picture of the new Xbox 360 Arcade boxes and sent it in to Kotaku. The new Arcade boxes no longer mention the Xbox 360 Pro SKU, just the Arcade and the Elite.

If you recall, Ars Technica's mole said that Microsoft plans to phase out the Pro in favor of the Elite, with an Elite price cut occurring in early Sept.

If the new boxes Microsoft is shipping to retailers no longer mention the Pro SKU, you can assume the Elite price cut should be following shortly. As a result, you might want to think twice before going Pro.

Oh, but that'd slow sales. Which is why they never say.

But we do.

http://www.firingsquad.com/news/newsart … chid=21983

title ed

Last edited by Bat (2009-08-26 2:05 am)

NightCougar_37 · 2009-08-05 11:19 pm

Hmmm, looks like Games for Windows Live got it too. Just got an update alert for it right now. Version 3.0 it says.

Bat · 2009-08-05 11:51 pm

Yeah, got it earlier. Now for a gamesworthy machine to install it to.

Bat · 2009-08-11 5:11 am

It's live, or much of it, with the rest to come later today. Nothing asploded. Some previous tasty bits were previously unreported...

I'm not going to dwell too much on the new features: rather, I'm going to show them off in action via a pristine HD streaming video, complemented by on-screen captions commenting on the changes. While some of the info imparted may be somewhat old now, the implementation is the most important aspect, and the video definitely shows the speed upgrades coded into the new update. Make no bones about it, NXE was slow and laggy, particularly in the manipulation of downloaded items once they started to stack up on your hard disk. In this respect, the new update is somewhat extraordinary.

There are plenty of small but significant changes here that more than make the download worthwhile, even if some of the show-stopping stuff is reserved for the US audience only. The Netflix "instant on" video streaming and ability to watch movies simultaneously with other Netflix users might not sound too enticing, but the functionality is getting plenty of love from those able to access it.
..

In terms of more positive surprises you'll find in the new update, perhaps the best news is that the optional installation of game discs to the hard drive has been optimised, sometimes with huge space-saving results. Just about all games see a reduction of around five to 10 per cent in their installations, but in the case of the smaller games out there, the result is even more dramatic.

The new King of Fighters XII game from SNK drops from 3.4GB to a sub-demo sized 703MB (!), while Raiden Fighters Aces drops from 3.4GB to 484MB (!!). Left 4 Dead is another example of a solid saving, with the original NXE install occupying 5GB while the new install drops 1.3GB to a mere 3.7GB. At the upper end of the scale, games that used to be in the 6.5GB range seem to have dropped a couple of hundred megabytes by and large, although some titles such as Fable II give no savings with the new installation technique.

pg.2

So, just what is going on here? Are games being compressed and decompressed on the fly? The answer is no. For some time, I've been looking at the size of the actual game data by running debug review code on a 360 test station, where most of my Xbox gaming takes place these days. The sizes we're seeing with the new NXE installs correlate very closely to what I've been seeing on the test kit, which features its own minimalist dash that shows the total disk space occupied by the game code only.

What appears to be happening is that the new dash is simply much more efficient in terms of the amount of useless data it strips away from the disc before transferring it across onto HDD in whatever the 360's internal equivalent of the ISO format is. The bottom-end install always used to be 3.4GB (exactly half of the usable 6.8GB on a 360 game DVD - not a coincidence) regardless of the size of the game itself, which makes me think that some of copy-protection system's filler bytes were being transferred in the old installation procedure. Additionally, some files may be mirrored in multiple locations on the disc in order to speed up access times. This duplicated data can be easily eliminated for a hard-disk install with no untoward effects on game performance.

All of which is obviously fantastic news, especially on a system with (for now) limited storage upgrade potential. Based on some of the lists appearing online, chances are that 120GB hard disk owners should be able to fit a few more games onto their drives, while 20GB HDD owners won't be quite so pressed for space by using the installation feature. It also means that the forthcoming Games on Demand feature will be using the same system for smaller downloads (although curiously, one confirmed GOD - Crackdown - still won't install in its disc-based incarnation).

In terms of other optimisations, tweaks and speed improvements the dash offers, owners of the Jasper unit with the embedded 256MB or 512MB of flash RAM see impressive speed increases when transferring across their gamer profiles from the hard disk to the internal memory, according to several reports online. As luck would have it, I registered my Jasper for inclusion in the trial so I could give this a go (well, "luck" is the wrong word - it's the only retail 360 I have left in a working state). The process is swift, painless and does indeed make navigation of the gamer profile on the dash much more rapid. Come 11th August, give it a shot and see what you think, if you have the requisite hardware.

However, despite the marked improvements across the dash as a whole and the bonus space-saving features of the hard-disk installation option, there's still plenty of work to be done in improving the overall package the interface offers, if only in getting promised functionality delivered or indeed working.
..

cool

nayrk · 2009-08-11 1:54 pm

I'd jump on a Japser Elite, but then I release that my wife would kill me.

~Coxy · 2009-08-12 1:41 am

I got the update request last night. Forgot to re-rip my games though, I'll have to run that later on and see if it feels any faster.

NightCougar_37 · 2009-08-12 3:14 am

Gotta remind myself to do this tomorrow maybe. Been busy with work a bit recently. Bout all i've had time for is playing Samurai Showdown II offline.

Bat · 2009-08-12 5:57 am

DailyTech has a piece up. Looks like various features will roll out for some time yet.

They also confirm Netflix exclusivity- that's not happening for PS3 or Wii.

~Coxy · 2009-08-13 1:29 am

Rock Band 2 re-ripped to be about 1GB smaller, it doesn't run any faster though unfortunately.

NightCougar_37 · 2009-08-13 3:14 am

Well the Netflix mode prior was a bit stupid. You had to use your PC to preload your instant watch movies then jump on the 360 to view it. For all that work it was easier to just watch on the PC.

Bat · 2009-08-22 2:09 am

Flyers confirm Xbox 360 Elite cut Aug 30th

Kotaku got their hands on an upcoming Walmart flyer that confirms what we've all known for some time now, the Xbox 360 Elite is getting a $100 price cut. The only unknown has been the date...Until now. The flyer confirms that the price cut will take place on August 30th.

The Arcade model will carry on at its $200 price tag, while the 60GB Xbox 360 Pro will officially be discontinued. That leaves the 120GB Xbox 360 Elite to take on Sony's upcoming PS3 Slim, which also ships with a 120GB HDD.

Now we wait to see how Nintendo responds...

http://www.firingsquad.com/news/newsart … chid=22055

Bat · 2009-08-26 2:03 am

Xbox 360 Pro and Elite price cuts confirmed in Target ad for next week

We just received a pair of pics from "next week's" Target Ad. As has been heavily rumored, the Xbox 360 60GB Pro system will be cut to $250 while the 120GB Elite will drop to $300. Knowing that Target's weekly ads run from Sunday to Saturday we fully expect to see the new pricing go into effect on Sunday the 30th. One more image after the break.

Pics show ad copy offering a free second controller as well 'while supplies last- no rainchecks.'

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/25/xbox … d-for-nex/

NightCougar_37 · 2009-08-26 2:42 am

Now if that was old PS3 inventory for $250...might jump shrug . Already got a 360 big_smile .

Bat · 2009-08-26 3:43 am

You can still haz a Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!111!! for $250! big_smile

MacZiMiZer · 2009-08-26 6:50 am

Push of a button?

Downloading.....
Downloading.....
Downloading.....
Downloading.....
Downloading.....

You are out of HD space, please try again

They are not and never will be Steam

Seems microsoft is kind of like a government, they latch on to good ideas, and barely squeak them out in an almost unpassable form

Though on any console platform I have yet to encounter a game that has as much replayability as games I own for PC.

Might I also point out the contradiction in the "No more hide and seek" section of "your way" when it's actually "our options we should have provided before"
Hell me and some friends just broke out our Warcraft III to play some rounds online before classes started again.

Last edited by MacZiMiZer (2009-08-26 6:52 am)

Bat · 2009-08-27 5:11 pm

"They're (almost) heeere..."

New price goes into effect Friday

The console wars are heating up again. For a long time it was Nintendo on the low-end with the Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360 took the middle ground and Sony was in the high-end with its Blu-ray packing PS3. With the introduction of the new lower cost PS3 Slim, Microsoft is now ready to slash prices on its console.

There have been rumors and leaked ads pointing to a price cut for the Xbox 360 Elite to bring it to the $299 price currently occupied by the 120GB PS3 Slim and the older 80GB PS3. Microsoft officially announced today that the Xbox 360 Elite would be getting a $100 price cut.

Microsoft also says that the Xbox 360 Pro console will get a price cut to $249.99 until the supplies of the discontinued console run out. The Xbox 360 Arcade will live on at a price of $199.99. Microsoft also reminds shoppers that any Xbox console bought today will be able to work with the cool Project Natal controller-free gaming of the future.

Microsoft Confirms Xbox 360 Elite Price Cut

(I haz voice back on XBL too, FWIW. Got a new Plantronics headset).

Forums | MacLife

#1 2009-08-05 4:06 pm

360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

#2 2009-08-05 11:19 pm

Re: 360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

#3 2009-08-05 11:51 pm

Re: 360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

#4 2009-08-11 5:11 am

Re: 360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

#5 2009-08-11 1:54 pm

Re: 360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

#6 2009-08-12 1:41 am

Re: 360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

#7 2009-08-12 3:14 am

Re: 360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

#8 2009-08-12 5:57 am

Re: 360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

#9 2009-08-13 1:29 am

Re: 360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

#10 2009-08-13 3:14 am

Re: 360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

#11 2009-08-22 2:09 am

Re: 360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

#12 2009-08-26 2:03 am

Re: 360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

#13 2009-08-26 2:42 am

Re: 360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

#14 2009-08-26 3:43 am

Re: 360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

#15 2009-08-26 6:50 am

Re: 360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

#16 2009-08-27 5:11 pm

Re: 360 price cuts imminent; Pro to be phased out?

Board footer