8 posts tagged “xbox 360”

I've not long since got back to my hotel after attending an event in Washington DC hosted by the Microsoft Xbox (and Games for WIndows) PR guys from the Gamerscore Blog, it was a great night and good to finally put some faces to names / gamertags / forum handles.  The event started with some food and drinks whilst we were able to play a whole slew of games including Shadowrun, Project Sylpheed, Forza 2 and a bunch of Xbox Live arcade titles (one of which was Track & Field). 

I was impressed with Shadowrun, other than what I've heard from blogs and podcasts this was the first real concrete information I'd seen and it definitely clarified a few points for me.  The things I'd heard were that it's complexity might prove to be a barrier for people who just want to jump in and start playing and in my experience this definitely wasn't the case.  Other than a brief run of the first tutorial and some on-the-fly coaching from Chris I was pretty much running and gunning right away, sure it'll take a while to master the finer points of tech and magic but if you're a fan of the FPS genre then you'll feel at home immediately as it handles exactly how it ought to and I was very quickly "in the zone", ignoring everything around me and trying to get some decent headshots. 

Project Sylpheed is essentially a 3D space shooter / flight sim and handles pretty well, I didn't get to see a great deal of the mission structure so I can't comment on the overall arc of the game but it was certainly put together well and once I'd inverted my flight controls (up vs down) I was flying quite easily.  As I said, I didn't really get far enough into the game to know but I'd love to see a more in-depth and interactive mission structure as opposed to the "enter arena and kill 'em all" style of mission that most console flight sims have had recently. 

I was also reasonably impressed with Forza 2, I wasn't really a fan of the original and hated it within about 15 seconds of playing the game so I was pleasantly surprised when after 15 minutes of playing the sequel I was still enjoying myself.  I'd still need to spend a little more time with the demo in order to be sure of it's purchase value but that has more to do with my fussiness about control methods and handling than it does with the game itself. 

Anyway, that's about all the info I can regurgitate before I fall asleep and I have a flight tomorrow so I'd better get some shut-eye.  Catch y'all later (well I am in America after all). 

So, what's been going down in my absence?  After a three month absence I thought I'd better catch up by posting my thoughts on the recent (and not so recent) news stories, so here (in no particular order) are the ones that caught my eye. 

Suitably following on from my last serious post, the Apple TV finally launched - I pretty much stand by all of my previous comments, especially that the Apple TV's success is probably in the hands of the hacking community.  I actually had a play with one in the Regent Street Apple Store the other day and wasn't too impressed, scaling low quality video up to an HDTV (they were using Sony TVs) looks pretty bad and given that HD content takes an age to download and isn't that prevalent I really can't see the need, I might consider it for £99 for the hacking alone but for £199 you can jump.  Also, given that Microsoft are adding more codecs to their Xbox 360 player there's even less of a need for it, I do agree with the crew from Macbreak Weekly that it'll give video podcasts a realistic shot at getting HD content into the living room but I'm not convinced it'll get the critical mass to make a difference. 

In further Apple news, the announcement that EMI would be offering DRM free music.  I really think that this will be the start of a sea-change in how the record companies view digital music one way or the other.  Personally I welcome the move and will definitely begin purchasing music from iTunes if I know that I'm not tied to their platform. 

And finally, in the gaming arena there was the launch of the PS3 in Europe, despite a couple of facts and figures about "record breaking" sales the whole thing went with a bit of a whimper and to date there's still a lot more supply than there is demand.  The problem right now is software and with only two viable titles on release right now (RFoM and Motorstorm) the prospect of laying ot £400 for one is hardly attractive.  We'll have to wait and see, in the long run I expect Sony will catch up but even if they do I doubt that they'll achieve anywhere near the dominance of the PS2 - those days are over.  The other niggling thought at the back of my mind is that Sony were originally touting the PS3 as having a 10-year lifecycle, if that holds true then just as they're hitting the middle of the curve I'd expect both Microsoft and Nintendo to come out with another generation of hardware to challenge whatever momentum Sony have gathered up to that point.   For my money, I'd pick the soon to be released XBox 360 Elite with a larger hard drive, HDMI, better online support, better games, better price, etc. etc.  As for the Wii, I really don't play it as much as I expected to but because it cost less I'm not too upset - I'm sure that at some point they'll release a serious killer app and I'll be straight back on it for a while. 

This week Macworld saw the launch of the Apple TV (formerly iTV), on the surface it's a pretty good device allowing wireless transfer of video, music, podcasts and photos from up to five Macs or PCs to your swanky HDMI compliant TV set all for a relatively reasonable $299.  Many people might immediately realise that this is not a new idea, in fact I had a device that performed a similar task about 3 years ago (albeit using SCART) and at the time both wired and wireless versions were available.  Actually I don't see this as a problem, there were MP3 players before the iPod and that didn't stop Apple becoming the market leader, Apple have a knack of doing things better than the competition and have got a great reputation when it comes to usability and reliability. 

Despite all this, I'm not really impressed with the Apple TV and as it stands I doubt it will have the impact that everyone expected.  The single biggest drawback of the Apple TV is that it doesn't play all of the popular video formats, it will play anything that iTunes plays but nothing more.  This means that any video you already have in other formats, be it snaffled from bittorrent, downloaded from the web, ripped from DVD or captured from camcorders will not work without going through the laborious process of re-encoding.  This is more than most people want to do and the kind of people who really need a device like this probably use multiple formats and probably have stacks of DivX and Xvid movies that they'd love to watch on their TV and Apple aren't going to be much help at all. 

The secondary factor is that due to Apple's late arrival in this space there are already some pretty good devices out there, though the biggest threat probably comes from their classic rival in the shape of the Xbox 360.  For $399 you get a device that can stream video, music and photos from your PC (though you're stuck with just WMV for video), allows you to directly purchase and download TV shows and HD Movie rentals without even touching a computer, comes with a free headset allowing free phone calls to other Xbox 360 users, also supports video calls with the webcam accessory, and on top of all that is to date the best selling High-Definition games console on the market with over a hundred titles available. 

So the Apple TV has a big hill to climb but if anyone can push it up that hill then surely Apple can.  One light at the end of the tunnel which might generate some additional sales is the already mooted prospect of installing Linux on the Apple TV and using a Linux media player distro to do the rest - now that might just make me buy one.

So, I actually bothered watching the live stream of Bill Gates' keynote at CES - I love insomnia sometimes.  All in all it was relatively interesting, I paid special attention to the Xbox 360 section which announced their IPTV service (no details and cynicism/experience tells me it'll be US only).  Some cross-platform features of Xbox Live and Vista were mentioned, I like the idea but it'll be a while before it really catches on with PC users.  I posted my live notes about the Xbox 360 portion on the forums of the GamerCast Network, if you don't know about them please download and listen to their excellent podcasts, I listen to the Video Game Show, but they also host the extremely popular GamerTag Radio and Uncle Gamer Radio. 

There was also a bit of blathering about how great everyone thinks Gears of War is, I personally wasn't that fussed - if they made an FPS that was equally good looking I might be interested but as far as I'm concerned it looks great but plays distinctly average.  I heard someone describe it as a pretty version of whack-a-mole and honestly that's exactly what it is. 

They demoed some cool features in Vista which should be good once they've been service-packed to hell, my favourite was the integration with the Xbox 360 controller - I've got to find some use for the handful of spares I have lying around.  Other than that it was relatively uninspiring, they had the balls to mention both Urge and Zune even though they're both different incompatible products trying to achieve the same aim. 

I know it's cheesy but I thought I'd do a little roundup of 2006 and then later on a series of predictions for 2007.  The lists are all Top Fives and are based on techie stuff unless otherwise stated. 

1. Podcasting
   I had a look in 2005 and there really wasn't any great content out there, I came back in 2006 and it was like the whole 'industry' had exploded with some well established shows as well as some new favourites, this was really the year the podcasting became established. 
   
   
2. Video Gaming
   With the Xbox 360 released in December 2005 (but generally available March 2006) and the December launch of the Wii and the PS3 (US only) this really has been the year for gaming.  More than that Nintendo have performed an amazing feat by pulling games out of Geekdom and into popular culture, not only with the Wii but with this year's release of the DS Lite and the wonderful Brain Training. 
   
   
3. Beta Releases
   I'm not sure what's happened but in 2006 nobody wants to release a product without having a public Beta, this has been true for games (Phantasy Star Universe + Final Fantasy XI on the Xbox 360), PC software (Office 2007, Windows Vista) and everything regarded as Web 2.0. 
   
   
4. Video & Broadcasting
   This year has seen a fundamental change in the way people watch and interact with video, of course nobody missed the popularity of YouTube and its acquisition by Google for $1.65bn but the I find the complementary changes in the broadcast industry to be even more interesting.  Many major players have been trying to get into the User Generated Content (UGC) market ranging from pointless attempts by people who just don't get it (MTV Flux) to well-done but still distinctly old-media (BBC's Your News). 
   
   
5. High Definition
   In 2006 we saw the launch of both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, heralding a new era of home cinema - let's just hope that one of the two competing formats wins sooner rather than later so consumers can buy with confidence.  2006 also saw the introduction of Sky's High Definition Satellite service, sadly it was over-priced, delivered late and has limited quantities of genuine HD content.  This year also seems to be the year that people started to buy HD TVs in great quantities, at the end of 2005 I didn't know anybody with an HD TV, now over half of my friends either own or are seriously considering an HD TV and the prices still keep on tumbling. 
   

Well, I'm convinced I've missed something but that'll have to do, I think I'll go to bed now and hopefully dream of 2007, if I do then you'll have my predictions tomorrow! 

Well, I'm jumping the gun a little bit but I think it's near enough and I need a decent topic to post about because it's been bloody ages since my last post!  About a year ago I was waiting in line at my local Gamestation having been one of the lucky few to get a preorder, that said I got my preorder in August by asking in store every few days for ages so it's a mix of luck and persistence.  Now I think it's time to take a good look at how thing have turned out.

The Console (8/10)
When I got the thing back I was pleased to find the console to be a bit smaller than the old Xbox but horrified to see the bus-sized power brick that comes in the box, I setup the unit quickly and easily then migrated my Live account and off I was - nice and simple.  I've heard plenty of people bitching and moaning about their boxes overheating and the console freezing, I have never had this and would be 95% sure that most of these cases are down to bad placement, poor ventilation, general stupidity, etc.

The Accessories (8/10)
I love the wireless pad, it's the first time I've seen a decent responsive wireless controller and I just love the feel and everything about it and the absence of wires is great.  I have used a wired pad and would generally recommend against using it, not because of the cable (I've been used to that for years), but because the battery in the wireless version gives it an extra bit of weight which makes it feel just right.  

As I bought a premium unit on launch day I received a free IR remote control (not as big as the one available in retail), I use this thing all the time - not only does it save batteries, it's just much more pleasurable to use if you're hopping around the dashboard.  Other accessories I have bought include a play & charge kit (useful but not essential) and the camera (useless but entertaining).  

The Operating System (9/10)
To me, this is probably the single best feature of the Xbox 360 - Microsoft's decision to bring music, chat, messaging, gamercards, settings, etc. into the OS rather than have it handled by games developers was truly inspired.  I know this will make me sound like a fanboy but I believe that MS truly led the way with this and I am regularly amazed at the consequences (cross game invites, cross-game chat, achievements, games invoking the guide for gamercards, etc).  

The dashboard though is a bit clunky and sometimes a pig to navigate but the ability to stream music and video and pictures from a PC (or CD/USB), iPod support, etc. make up for it's mildy frustrating interface.  

The Software (4/10)
Well, what can I say?  Most of the games released to date have been disappointing re-hashed crap with shiny textures added in to make them look 'next gen'.  I'm quite bitter about this as I've spend a lot of my hard-earned cash to find games are to short or too samey or just plain rubbish (PDZ).  The best games I've played are GRAW (truly brilliant), Oblivion (very pretty and a fantastic game but short-lived by Morrowind standards) and PGR3 (though it's about a third the size of PGR2 and rubbish online).  I am wholeheartedly (but cynically) looking forward to Gears of War (have done ACT1 but can't comment properly yet), Rainbow Six Vegas and Grand Theft Auto 4 (due next October) but everything else I'm pretty nonplussed about.  

I am totally fed up of game developers/publishers churning out the same old rubbish over and over again and people keep buying it, I think that in this uber-corporate modern age games are tailored too much for the mass-market whilst niche games or innovative games fall by the wayside and never get anywhere.  Perhaps it's slightly unfair to bring this rant up on the birthday of the Xbox 360 as this problem affects the whole industry - the only company I see trying to do anything about it is Nintendo.  The DS succeeded in putting fun back into the handheld gaming market and has crushed the PSP by doing so, the Wii furthers that model and I truly hope it succeeds because if it doesn't - it'll be bad for all of us.  

XBox Live (7/10)
Marketplace is brilliant, the Red vs Blue guys made fun out of it but sometimes I do just pop on to the box, browse some Marketplace content (demos, trailers) then maybe do some chatting without playing a game.  I would say that even after the recent reorganisation it's still hard to find what you want sometimes, it could definitely be done better.  My other major concern is that we're being slowly bled dry by marketing execs selling small amounts of content for medium amounts of money. 

As for actually playing games over Live, I rarely play with anyone other than my existing friends - I'm not quite sure why or whether it's the fault of the 360 but I just don't like playing against strangers now.  I could probably trace this malaise back to Halo 2 being full of trash-talking tossers, but remember PGR2 had a good community of clean racers and friendly people - the 360 brought us PGR3 which was full of dickheads trying to run you off the road.  Something's not right, but I don't know what it is.  

I also haven't seen much innovation in terms of how games are played online, the same old game modes are churned out by developers with no real 'next gen' thinking (I sound like a journo now, what a twat).

Xbox Live Arcade (9/10)
Absolutely totally brilliant, with disappointing games costing £50 it's refreshing to be able to buy some great games (Marble Blast, Wik, Cloning Clyde, Doom) for a few quid and get a real sense of pleasure out of them.  Sure, there have been some turkeys (SF2 being the worst) and I don't know why retro titles are laggy over Live when something like GRAW isn't but all in all I love Live Arcade.  You also have the chance to play trials of every title and on the few occasions I have been burned it have been because I didn't play the trial version first (aka my own stupid fault).  I would say that there ought to be more original content on there rather than so much retro stuff but that takes time so maybe the next year will bring some great titles.  

The Community (8/10)
A few years ago who would have thought that one of the world's biggest corporations with monopolies in several major markets would actually listen to it's customers?  I certainly wouldn't but I have been proved wrong and I am glad to have been so.  Microsoft have been great at communicating with Xbox customers using a whole range of multimedia outlets, from the forums on Xbox.com, the blog and podcast from Major Nelson to the little things like holding community days for both major and independent websites.  On top of that with E3 and X06 they put hours of content up on Xbox Live market place so that we could share the previews and demos that normally only journalists get to see.  

Conclusion & The Future
In all I think it's a great system but I feel let down by the lack of decent games being released, this at least is something that can be fixed and launch games are rarely the best so I feel able excuse that in my mind.  I am still glad that I bought the system and will cynically look forward the coming year!

This next year will be critical for the 360, for the first time there is competition in the market and PS3 will sell regardless of Sony's inept PR and arrogant ways - the Sony fanboy may well still be king.  What I really hope is that the upcoming/recent games (Gears of War, Rainbow Six Vegas, Medal of Honour Airbourne, Call of Duty 3, Grand Theft Auto 4, Halo 3, etc.) will truly make this console worth owning.  If this happens then MS have a good chance to hit Sony where it hurts, if Sony tie or even lose this round then some of the arrogance will fade and we'll have a truly competitive market - which is always good for the consumer.  

One upcoming development is the imminent release of the XNA Games Studio, for those of you who are unaware this will enable anyone to write their own games on the PC then play them on the 360 as well as distributing them to others via the Internet.  I believe that this has the potential to revolutionise gaming though it will depend very much how content is distributed and how much control Microsoft retain over content and censorship.  Too much control and the service will be full of rubbish games that aren't worth playing, but too little control will result in kids getting hold of adult games and spawn a thousand lawsuits.

Other developments to watch are: MS selling high-definition movies & tv shows over Xbox Live market place, the HD-DVD drive addon (a bargain for the very latest technology), Live Anywhere (messaging, invites and even gaming between Xbox 360 and PCs, Mobile Phones).  

THE END

I logged on to my Xbox 360 earlier today and as usual thought I'd check Marketplace first, I found Phantasy Star Universe under the Demos category so I thought I'd give it a go.  At just under 1GB it took a while to download, but having heard about the Phantasy Star series before and knowing what a cult following they get I thought I'd have to try it.  Whilst it was downloading I went about playing Oblivion and chatting to Private Custard over Xbox Live, once we'd both downloaded it we decided to jump in to the demo and explore the game together. 

Having never tried a MMORPG before I didn't think the demo would last that long, 8 hours later - I realised I was wrong.  The game is pretty accessible, even for a noob like me - the most similar game I've played is probably Final Fantasy VII on the original Playstation.  The controls are easy enough to pick up and the missions I tried mainly consited of bashing-up monsters, though the combat system here is real-time rather than turn-based.  Using real-time combat makes it feel a little like a hack'n'slash as well as an RPG which I prefer as there's no time waiting around for players/monsters to make a move, I understand this might actually put some die-hard RPG fans off but I think it could also bring in some new players who don't usually go for RPGs. 

Being new to MMORPGs I was very pleased with the whole notion of interaction with others, I liked the way that you could collaborate and trade but not fight (as it would always end up in chaos).  Private Custard and I went through a particularly beefy mission which would have caused us some serious gried had it not been for some other players joining our party and sharing the pain we were going through - a great demonstration of how MMOs work. 

One neat feature is that the game allows players to perform certain actions to express emotion as opposed to just using keyboard (or voice if in the same party), these include Waving, Laughing, Crying, Bowing, Jumping and Dancing.  The most fun part of the whole night was the dance-off that we managed to get going in the main lobby - through the night it involved at least 20 people dancing and up to a hundred or so watching.  Personally I think it's a great thing that people from all over the world can get together online and coordinate to achieve something so completely silly - no guns, no arguments, no fighting, not even any bad language - just silliness.  I do however acknowledge that it's more than a little bit sad.

Please see video above or visit page on YouTube.

For me this was quite a big news item, I got into the DreamStation.cc Video Game Show podcast earlier in the year and have been an avid listener since.  The podcast basically covers news, opinion and humour from the world of videogaming and was very well produced/edited compared to many other podcasts - basically think TWiT for gamers.  

Well, now the host of the show Chris Paladino has secured a job working for Microsoft's gaming community site Gamerscore Blog working in the community - a dream come true more-or-less.  The rest of the crew have created a new podcasting network Gamercast Network to bring together a range of independent gaming podcasts, this could be good for gamers in general so watch this space. 

As for DreamStation.cc, they're continuing to podcast and will grow into their own style once more, I will definitely keep on listening and using the forums, if you've never tried I reccommend you have a look.