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Xbox 360 Getting More Games, More HD, and Netflix
Microsoft kicked off this year's Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) -- the video game industry's biggest annual gathering -- with a pre-show conference on Monday, and made a number of announcements about extensions to the Xbox 360 gaming console. None were groundbreaking to say the least, but all-in-all, Microsoft looks to be making its console a much more appealing package -- and cheaper, too. Here are the highlights:
It'll be cheaper and have more memory - Actually, Microsoft didn't even mention this at its conference, but instead quietly announced on Sunday the discontinuation of the 20-gigabyte Xbox 360 model (which is being closeout-priced at $299) and the addition of a new 60-gigabyte model (which will cost $349). Besides holding more downloadable games, saved games, and TV shows and movies, the additional memory will be useful for.....
Game discs can now be 'ripped' and stored on the Xbox 360's hard drive - Now you can install your game discs onto the Xbox 360's hard disk drive. The advantages of these are somewhat crippled, to say the least, since you still need to get up and put the disc into the drive to play it (which verifies that you actually paid for and own a disc version of the game). Still, installed games will load load a lot faster than disc based ones and you won't have to put up with all that noise that DVD-ROMs make.
Now, there's even more HD content available for download on Xbox 360 - Microsoft is now calling itself the numero uno source for on-demand HD content, and announced the immediate download availability on Xbox 360 of NBC and Universal shows like 'The Office' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' along with films like 'The Scorpion King.' 10,000 shows and movies are set to be available for download this fall, but we're just psyched that, at last, we don't have to wait a whole season to watch brand new 'Battlestar Galactica' episodes in HD (previously only available on HD in reruns on Universal HD and on the now defunct HD-DVD format).
Instant Netflix comes to your Xbox 360 - We've been rather eagerly awaiting this one, and it's finally official -- Netflix streaming directly to the Xbox 360 is coming this fall. It'll be no additional charge for Netflix subscribers, which is great news. Essentially, it functions exactly like the recently released Roku Netflix box, which is standard definition only and is limited to whatever is in a Netflix subscriber's "Watch Now" queue. Still, that "Watch Now" queue has plenty of first-rate titles to keep any video nut happy.
The new Dashboard is nicer looking and easier to use - The Xbox 360's "blade" Dashboard (a.k.a. interface/onscreen menus) was innovative but, compared to Sony's clean and polished XMB menu system, looks a bit dated. Enter the new Dashboard, which is simpler, cleaner, and leaves room for the next big addition -- avatars.
Xbox 360's new 'Avatars' look an awful lot like Nintendo Miis - Yes, the 360 is taking a cue from the Wii and its Mii's, and adding avatars, in-game, animated representations of yourself that you can custom craft. Unlike a Mii, which is rather simplistic and has very limited options, the Xbox 360 avatars can have custom created bodies, with specific clothes, detailed hairstyles, and loads of other options (sort of like custom characters in many of today's games).. They'll apparently be making in-game appearances too.
'Final Fantasy XIII' is finally coming to the Xbox 360 - The latest edition of the biggest role-playing game franchise on earth is finally hitting Microsoft's console, and it will drop on the same day that it hits the PlayStation 3 in North America and Europe, which means Xbox 360 owners no longer have to feel like they're getting sloppy seconds.. That's quite a coup, and wraps up an understated but ultimately promising conference for Microsoft.
So that, in a nutshell, is what you can expect on Xbox 360 in the coming months. For a detailed recap, make sure to read through Engadget and Joystiq's Live Blog transcript from the conference.
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Comments
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Subscribe to commentsJordan EilbertJul 15th 2008 10:14AM
Well if you can't take the scent of changing tide i'm gonna say it now... PS3 is going to be nothing more than a Blu-ray player by the end of this entire "Console war."
With Square jumping ship from the low selling, problem ridden, and backwards compatibility crippled PS3, you know Konomi is going to follow suit and build a MSG4 for the console.
In the past your tell was your games. You have Game A, I have Game B, you want both? You'll need both consoles.
Now there's less and less reason for me to be getting a PS3 - it's too expensive, it's too problematic, and it's just... too little in the end. I want a console that will up-convert current DVD's to HD quality, I want to be able to play my old PS2 games without switching anything around on my entertainment center. I just want it to work. It seems PS3 doesn't get that. They are trying to be like everyone else, and that isn't what they need to do. Sony used to innovate, now Sony Immitates.
Motion sensing controllers (Wii) - Failed... because your fans wanted force feed back (Rumble damn it! IT's call Rumble!) more than they wanted your console to use the SIXAXIS - this one was brought out so late developers couldn't add in proper support... PS3 launched with only a select few consoles actually supporting SIXAXIS... but most if not all supported force feedback.
Trophy's (Xbox360) - really? You guys really had to sink as low as to imitate something and dumb as the Xbox 360 Achievement system? It's a giant and silly dick waving contest and doesn't even unlock anything special! It's pointless! you can't just be satisfied unlocking hidden stuff, you need something to brag about to your friends? IT's dumb! And it shows me Sony has no idea what it's doing...
Home (SecondLife) - how this one doesn't merit a freaking lawsuit I have no idea. Awesome... it wasn't difficult enough to have to find what I need with the console's normal interface... no, now I need to walk to the TV in the "Home" if I want a DVD, I need to "Walk" to the Game section... it's just silly - why make something that was once so simple so complicated? Sony needs to take the guys developing this, and fix their backward compatibility... because I will tell you this, I will not pay extra to "Download" PS2 games on the PS3 that I already bought.
MS actually has a good idea of where we are going, asside from the hardware problems they have at least addressed them, unlike Sony. Unlike Sony they have been innovating, creating and recreating THEMSELVES. They have not be declaring the Wii "Not a Competitor." they haven't been blowing smoke up anyone's rear. They were even quoted during the whole HDvBlu-ray fight to say that they had the external unit because "It might not win." rather than sticking people with a player that may end up useless, they made it an Add-on. They gave us downloadable movies before Apple dreamed of it with the AppleTV. They gave use the MS Arcade where independent developers could actually make games for people, and make money without having to go out and sell their soul! MS has been leading the way, as has Nintendo... and Sony has been following slowly behind, trying to catch up.
TigreJul 15th 2008 12:27PM
"and it will drop on the same day that it hits the PlayStation 3 in North America and Europe, which means Xbox 360 owners no longer have to feel like they're getting sloppy seconds"
What is that a freaking joke? With just about every game that is multi-platform the PS3 adopters are the ones that get sloppy seconds. Games are made for the 360 and then their ported to the PS3 which sucks for the PS3 owners because these companies are not utilizing the PS3 the way Sony wants them too.
As for Jordan some of the points you bring up are good but the rest is just PS3 bashing. The PS3 isn't as handicapped as your making it out to be but Sony does need to put their foot down on the accelerator to get things moving faster. Home and KillZone has to come out this year and Sony needs to pick up more exclusives... even if that means they have to make em' themselves.