First Looks At XBox 246
adpowers writes: "You can find a picture and description of the Xbox at the press release from Microsoft." There's also shoots from Gamespy, news from C|Net, and a report from Reuters - and lastly, a report from MSNBC.
Re:Suprisingly stoopid idea (Score:1)
Small???? (Score:1)
Re:quick thoughts. (Score:1)
Maybe a perfect wireless controller would use lithium ion batteries and a small charging station, and maybe an emergency cable you could use if your battery was dead and there was no time to charge. Would cost a lot for a game controller, though. Somebody want to make one?
Re:quick thoughts. (Score:1)
My only major problem with it is the hard drive. Given Micro$oft's past with software, they'll use it to store patches for the OS and/or games, available either through the internet or a CD mailed with monthly updates on it. The reason I like consoles is because you can just plug it in and it works. No need to apply patches to fix bugs, increase functionality, optimise drivers, etc. That's all supposed to be done before I get it. Lets hope M$ uses its vast bank accounts to spend a little money on beta testing and bug squashing. Since it's likely they'll succeed with the Xbox anyway, given their marketing/hypnotising budget, might as well hope it doesn't suck too much.
Darn, they should've used my idea! (Score:1)
Re:Why the hard disk? (Score:1)
Re:.NET on Xbox? (Score:1)
I wonder (Score:1)
Re:I Like the XBox... (Score:1)
MS is certainly doing this the open way, at least for now. Of course, it's no more open than PC gaming, which is where they're coming from. The PS2 definitely suffers from insufficient testing on the games right now-- there are bugs in almost all of the ones I've seen which could not have been missed if anyone actually played the games through before the release.
I expect to see things turn more closed later. Perhaps the DVDs are encoded in some way that makes them inpossible to write without a license, so, while you know exactly how the box works inside, you can't get code into the actual hardware. Developer kits would be less strict, so you could write games, but you could only use them on consumer models if MS has approved.
299.00 for the console, 50+ for the games... (Score:1)
Re:Slight design mistake (Score:1)
Re:The stat that really gets me: (Score:1)
Re:quick thoughts. (Score:1)
Re:Secret specs! (Score:1)
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Re:Hell yes! (Score:1)
Re:Slight design mistake (Score:1)
Actually, that makes it a very good example why 99% of developers don't use it.
Apart from that, it seems much emu software on the Dreamcast (for Spectrum etc.) uses it; presumably because the dev-kit is so readily available, and it's close enough to "real" Windows for Windows developers to write for.
Re:Suprisingly stoopid idea (Score:1)
The point here is that Windows on a PC is not optimized for running games. The OS on the X-Box will be. Heck, it probably won't even look like Windows API-wise once you get above the kernel.
And known hardware is easier to optimize for. Hence, the games will run faster on this box than a PC even if they do port them to it.
Skrillz (Score:1)
Some game developers will make a lot of money programming for the Xbox. I hope to be one of them.
About the shortage (Score:1)
And all it takes is a shortage of ONE component to delay the whole box of course.
And the shipping of the X-Box in Europe have already been delayed, so yes Microsoft is quite likely to suffer from the same problems at the beginning.
Second, I don't think that the shortage of the PS2 will still be a problem when the X-Box will ship.
I do think that the X-Box will be a winner, but you'd better think twice about the shortage problems..
Re:We are the borg (Score:1)
It's definitely a Borg-looking device. Imagine how many fans and external heatsinks people are going to bolt onto the thing, and it'll look like a Cube in no time...
Mike
Re:Why a converter? (Score:1)
Re:quick thoughts. (Score:1)
So maybe multi-gigabyte games aren't really desirable? What are you going going to use those gigabytes for, anyway? More boring cut-scenes? Why? I want to play a game, not watch a movie. What else can you use massive amounts of slow storage for? You can't have more textures or geometry than you have RAM. Sounds to me that if you're spending all your time and budget making gigabytes of pretty pictures you're focusing a whole lot more on eye-candy than game-play anyway.
<span style="OLD_FART">Why, back in my day, designers actually cared about making a good game. You couldn't sell a game based on gratuitous eye-candy when your target platform was an Atari VCS or Intellivision. You actually had to make a game good enough to immerse the players without tens of millions of 32-bit mip-mapped subpixel rendered polygons.</span>
Chelloveck
Re:Slight design mistake (Score:1)
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Upgrade revenue? (Score:1)
Judging from the pictures of the controller, they clearly have pastel-colored buttons. Why would they go to such trouble to find out that the "gamer culture" does not like pastel-colored buttons, does not want pastel-colored buttons and feels that pastel-colored buttons are "not cool," just to put them in anyway? Xbox 2002 will probably have non-pastel-colored buttons, so the "gamer culture" will be compelled to upgrade to stop being "not cool."
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Re:Freedom to innovate... new interfaces? (Score:1)
Just another example of Microsoft Gas for Microsoft Roads, only this time there's a Microsoft Car too!
Kevin Fox
Re:Another Microsoft Failure (Score:1)
In case you hadn't heard (Score:1)
Re:Slight design mistake (Score:1)
Re:Why the hard disk? (Score:1)
Re:Hmm..does it come with Rebecca Romaijn? (Score:1)
SYNC? SINK? (Score:1)
"Luke got the idea for the ribs on the console when he was walking around his office playing catch with aluminum heat sync from a computer he had recently disassembled. The palm-sized sync, which helps dissipate heat inside a computer, has metal spines that resemble those on a car stereo amplifier."
I'm no genius at thermodynamics, but I wouldn't have a clue how to sync heat with a piece of aluminum-- even if it is palm-sized.
...Isn't it supposed to be "heat sink"?
Re:wow (Score:1)
Only if they're made of black electrical tape. Trust me, it works. =]
Re:quick thoughts. (Score:1)
Microsoft-signed data on DVD-9 media, making it pretty damn difficult to hack it. He offered a job to anyone who could boot linux on it
Surely they're not that stupid. Am I the only one who thinks that is waving a red flag in front of a bull? And it's a bull smart enough to ignore the flag and gore the smartass wearing the sequins.
Re:Why I'm disappointed by XBox - and impresed by (Score:1)
Did Microsoft buy Cobalt when we weren't looking?
Re:X Box? (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Freedom to innovate... new interfaces? (Score:1)
That's a major reason (IMHO) for making controllers easily removable! Many console games can detect controller removal and automatically pause the game.
Re:Another Microsoft Failure (Score:1)
I don't think many Linux hackers are going to try to run Linux on it, because isn't the operating system stored in the hardware. But then there are a lot of linux hackers with plenty of time on their hands. If they port linux to the X-box, I wonder if you would be able to PC games on it. That could be useful, because you wouldn't have all of the overhead that a regular PC has.
Re:wow (Score:1)
However adding a big exhaust pipe plus the racing stripes on the sides == TURBO!
Of course that is all relative to myself.. I feel faster though!
Re:WWF wrestler (Score:2)
hehehehehehe....
Re:quick thoughts. (Score:2)
long cord.. why even bother? I don't want a cord, he talked to the wrong people.
I see, you just want to buy a fresh set of AA batteries for each of your four radio-enabled controllers every two months. Me, I prefer to flush my money down the toilet.
the DVD is a moot point, I don't care what medium they use it is of no consequence to me... The damn games better load fast. I would rather a cartridge (no scratches).
Making cartridges is way too expensive, especially if you want to allow game designers to actually produce something cool (i.e. big textures, movies, etc) The age of Nintendo using tiny texture maps and crazy compression hacks is over - the challenge nowadays is making a good game, not making a game work. Multi-gigabyte games are financially impossible with cartridges.
the Intel processor is great but it is going to cause everyone to say things like "let's hack it"
I've been to a talk by J Allard (the head xbox guy), he claims that the system would only run Microsoft-signed data on DVD-9 media, making it pretty damn difficult to hack it. He offered a job to anyone who could boot linux on it :) Regardless, I don't think we'll see anything of interest hacked onto the console; after all, what would it bring? crappy games made by 14 year olds? I can get plenty of those for my PC already...
Re:quick thoughts. (Score:2)
I assume you mean wireless controllers? No thank you. I've already paid $XXX for the console and $XX for games -- I don't want a recurring cost as well for batteries. (Rechargable you say? Okay, the console better come with recharable batteries AND a charger -- again, I've already paid $XXX...)
Nor have I ever been impressed with the performance of wireless controllers. Bleargh!
If you WANT wireless, buy them as accessories.
Re:Freedom to innovate... new interfaces? (Score:2)
Why the hard disk? (Score:2)
quick thoughts. (Score:2)
the box is meant to bring about feelings of the loudest stereo you ever could imagine? It looks like the N64 or any other console ever made. It makes me think of a console, not a stereo.
the DVD is a moot point, I don't care what medium they use it is of no consequence to me... The damn games better load fast. I would rather a cartridge (no scratches).
the Intel processor is great but it is going to cause everyone to say things like "let's hack it" "how many is Saadam going to buy" and "what about
a beowulf cluster of these". I want something original!
I will stick to my CPU. I can do more and play more than any console. I really think that gaming is best on the desktop but then again, I like my dual heads and my keyboard and my multitasking... That is just me.
Just my worthless
TiVo and hard drives (Score:2)
But, yeah - my TiVo has been running its hard drive 24/7 for about as long as they've been available on the market (a year and a half?) without any definitively drive-related problems. (I've recently started to run into occasional freezes or heavy artifacting that could be from drive read errors, but I haven't tried to verify the cause. I just know that if I back up and watch the same bit again, it's fine the second time around.)
Re:WWF wrestler (Score:2)
Re:Reverse Hack??? (PLEASE!) (Score:2)
Some people never learn.
Re:Controller Design (Score:2)
I didn't like the PSX's controllers very much. I do like the N64's though.
I'm not a real big time gamer, but I found the PSX's controllers more uncomfortable then the N64's. I also think the symbols on the PSX right side are much less intuitive than the directional ones on the 64.I'm sure if you actually own a PSX you figure it out pretty quickly (ie which is Square, which is Circle, etc.), but I just found the directional system faster to learn.
I'm 6' 2, so I know what you mean about dinky controllers!
Pope
Freedom is Slavery! Ignorance is Strength! Monopolies offer Choice!
Bill Gates is no Steve Jobs (Score:2)
Watching Gates try to sell the X-Box reminds me of going to Frys and having people tell me why Windows ME is the best OS.
Kevin Fox
wrong.. no hard drive. (Score:2)
Sony PS2 doesn't have a hard drive in it.
There is an expansion unit comming in the future though.
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Would you like a Python based alternative to PHP/ASP/JSP?
Re:Freedom to innovate... new interfaces? (Score:2)
Too bad google isn't helping me find a link.
Re:quick thoughts. (Score:2)
The amount of bickering about the X box on here is astounding. The look, the controllers, the usual MS bashing, the USB usage. Ahh the MS glass will always be half-empty on here.
long cord.. why even bother? I don't want a cord, he talked to the wrong people. I want to sit where ever I am and be free (and not have people tripping over the damn wire, or the dog pulling it out in the middle of a 1 hour GT2 endurance race).
Re:Ugly? (Score:2)
Just as long as it does not resemble the Atari Jaguar controller(the WORST controller in video game history), I'm sure it will do fine.
As far as I see it (Score:2)
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CNET's video clip of X-Box! (Score:2)
Re:I Like the XBox... (Score:2)
The fact is, MS makes good hardware, and this will quite possibly demonstrate that again.
Also, the HD won't necessarily be used just as cache, I suspect they'll also use it to save games.
Re:Will game consoles kill family life a little mo (Score:2)
I think you merely failed to grasp the excellent game design that went into many C64 games. Perhaps you prefer eye candy over content.
I, for one, spent a ton of time gaming on my C64. If it wasn't Gunship, Archon or some RPG, I was online with Q-Link playing chess. I play tons of chess online, but no experience, be it ICC [chessclub.com] or Yahoo, or Chessmaster matches the intimate chess community on Q-Link. Of course, this was until the night they shut it down without warning to use the hardware to start something called America Online.
The fact is, people have been babbling with the same complaints when radio came along, then TV, then arcade and computer games, and most recently, the internet. It is a parent's job to regulate what their kids do, not a corporation's job to limit children's options.
Re:TiVo and hard drives (Score:2)
Karma Whoring (Score:2)
_____________________________
Hard Drive Capacity: Needed (Score:2)
Why do I think this? Because if the games installed much to the 8GB drive, it'd be eaten up very quickly and people would have to uninstall stuff and reinstall it a lot. Gamers, esp. kids, won't want to do this. I mean, have you installed a recent title lately? I just installed American McGee's Alice, and the install took 525MB of my hard drive space. Only ~15 games could be installed at a time if the install were anything like current Windows games, which is why I say the games will be run from the media and only install basic config info and use the HD for saved games.
Now, this still takes a large amount of HD space, since MS doesn't want users to have to worry about uninstalling things from something as simple to use as a set-top game console. Consoles are supposed to be truly "plug-and-play," with no configuration needed beyond inserting a game and choosing easily understood game settings. And I say a large HD is necessary because new games will have to use more and more space for saved game data. My new American McGee's Alice install I mentioned--well, I have only 3 saved games, and they take up almost 8MB of disk space. The more complex maps and character placements and options get, the more space needed to save a game to disk. Hence, an 8GB hard drive just for saved games and a few config options is NOT overkill. In fact, I guarantee that HD upgrades will be available.
Also, the Xbox isn't just for gaming. It'll have internet access, and presumably a special MSN/WebTV type of service. As such, a hard drive will also store web cache and probably allow saving of downloaded material. MS isn't stupid. They aren't using a 733MHz Intel CPU just for its gaming potential. The Xbox will be Microsoft's proprietary replacement for the PC. People will be able to get a subscription to the
Re:quick thoughts. (Score:2)
tripping over the damn wire, or the dog pulling it out in the middle of a 1 hour GT2 endurance race).
I'm not familiar with wireless game controllers, so that's why I'm asking. How would they deal with your dog walking through the beam of infrared? Assuming that's what it would use. I guess it could use some sort of directional radio signal (?) to overcome the limits of infrared. But, from what I've heard and experienced, most types of wireless networking/communication these days are a lot better than wire when it comes to flexibility, but are beaten when it comes to bandwidth, reliability, and distance. At least with a long cord, you could sit rather far from the console and let the wire sit on the floor rather than up about a foot in the air. As long as they could deal with the signal breakage. (develop special communications protocols that will deal with signal breakage so they could use infrared. or use radio signals.) To me, wires seem like they would be better for now. Probably cheaper, too.
Re:The stat that really gets me: (Score:2)
Re:Suprisingly stoopid idea (Score:2)
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wow (Score:2)
The power Luke speaks of is easily evident in the raised ribs that run across the rich, black exterior of the console,
By that logic, I can speed up my computer by putting racing stripes on it...
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Re:I Like the XBox... (Score:2)
I agree with most of you comment, except for that bit which sounds like you've been listening to a bit too much MS marketing. If they're making this box for the "average consumer", that sort of person isn't going to be closely examining the port and thinking about what they can put in it. When's the last time your mom looked at the S-video port on your VCR and the PS/2 port on the back of your computer and double-checked to make sure they were different? Probably never.
The real reason to change the port is to ensure that hardware manufacturers tailor their hardware at least a little to the X-Box. You could still say this is a good reason-- perhaps they won't try to pitch some PC joysticks that are totally unfit for XBox games as "XBox compatible". Whether that reasoning played more of a factor than straight up marketing is quite debatable.
design (Score:2)
I like the design of the X-Box and the GameCube. They look like neat little gaming boxes.
The PlayStation 2 looks like it should be mounted in a rack, not sitting on my living room floor or sitting with the other components.
Refrag
Re:As far as I see it (Score:2)
Refrag
Re:I Like the XBox... (Score:2)
Refrag
Re:How about MORE FUN instead of faster graphics? (Score:2)
However, you're right, Carmack really shouldn't be blamed for gameplay because he's mainly interested in engine development. But, he does think about gameplay and has many good ideas, it's unfortunate most of them did not make their way into Quake 3.
Refrag
You missed one link... (Score:2)
Well, it gave me a bit of a giggle anyway.
X Box? (Score:2)
Yet.
Re:Ugly? (Score:2)
Re:WWF wrestler (Score:2)
M$ propaganda (Score:2)
"The power Luke speaks of is easily evident in the raised ribs that run across the rich, black exterior of the console, giving it the look of a supercharged car stereo amplifier."
Yes the Xbox, with plush corinthian leather...
Man they are just sooo lame
Re:quick thoughts. (Score:2)
Sony is already being bitched about providing a firmware update for their buggy dvd playback.
The hypocrisy of you faggots is amazing.
WWF wrestler (Score:2)
Now call me a troll if you must, but why did this make me line laugh so much.
The Rock: I will pummel you Gates!!
Gates: No wait, we are presenting my new machine.
The Rock:Oh yeah, you're right. Well buy this box kids, you know Gates kicks ass. We are the new tag team ready to take on everybody. grr
Gates: Yes we are really cool dudes, I am really in to that WWWF(v4.0) think too.
The Rock: Let's get in the ring, put on your tights, Gates, grr
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Re:11 O'Clock News (Score:2)
Then you haven't been paying attention! Remember that this is the same site that refused (repeatedly) to have any stories on Windows 2000 shipping. It was considered less newsworthy than reposting the latest driver betas from freshmeat.
Reverse Hack??? (PLEASE!) (Score:2)
An Intel 733MHz processor
An 8GB hard drive
OK, Sounds like a PC (easy hack). What I want is a reverse hack, taking the software (even the crappy MS OS out of this, and putting it on my PC (that's already faster than this thing!). Why do I need to buy all the same crap again???
-Spack
Re:Suprisingly stoopid idea (Score:2)
Slight design mistake (Score:2)
Re:it's just a cheap plastic box (Score:2)
it's just a cheap plastic box (Score:2)
If you want the real thing, get the real thing. Go to the gym, climb mountains, ride a motorcycle, or fly an airplane. If you want a powerful computer, get a 256 node Beowulf cluster and find something real to do with it. Computer games are fun and entertaining, and even challenging in their own right, but don't let some marketer confuse you about whether they are the real-world thing or not.
hmm . . . (Score:2)
Re:I wonder (Score:2)
The big problem (Score:2)
Are you serious? (Score:2)
Height ~ 86 mm
Width ~ 334 mm (Front face)
Length ~ 274 mm (Side length)
This makes the XBox the biggest console of 'em all. By volume:
GAMECUBE:2,656,500 (mm^3)
Dreamcast:2,889,900 (mm^3)
PS2: 4,179,084 (mm^3)
XBox:7,687,344 (mm^3)
It's a behemoth!
Will game consoles kill family life a little more? (Score:2)
I remember being shocked 6 months ago when I visited my brother, to find that his kids were using their playstation to play "Spyro the Dragon" all the time! I mean, they hardly spent any time at all with their family!
I think that the X-Box will likely be even more addictive, and will offer internet gaming, so I have already cautioned my brother about the 'next generation consoles'. I just think that children should have more of a childhood, and not waste it in the sort of digital oblivion that M$ profit from.
But then, maybe if *I* got addicted I wouldn't be so wary, hehe ;)
.NET on Xbox? (Score:3)
How long after the Xbox is released will it be running a .NET client?
Something to think about -- Microsoft has the cash on hand to take a bath on the console sales (think $150-$250), which prices it below the PS2 (its nearest competitor). I remember reading (somewhere) that there was a PSX in 3 out of 4 homes in the USA. Imagine that kind of saturation with the Xbox.
Now, think of .NET running on the Xbox. Suddenly, all these el-cheapo consoles are full-bore computers with MSN satellite or DSL broadband connections with MSN email addresses, MSN Instant Messenger and MSNBC running in a window in the corner while you're using MSPhonePad to dial up your friend to arrange a network game of MS FlightSim...
Hrmm... suddenly MSFT at 49 11/16 is pretty darn cheap, DOJ or no DOJ.
Re:I Like the XBox... (Score:3)
People forget that many of the best PlayStation games also run on the PC platform: Madden NFL 2001, NHL Faceoff 2001, even Final Fantasy VII and VIII! And the graphics when running on the PC platform is flat-out great if you have the right graphics card.
Also, Microsoft has sent out thousands of Xbox developer kits already around the world, with most of the world's best-known game publishers already writing Xbox games (including a LONG list of Japanese companies). The only company I know o that is not writing for Xbox is Square, but I think they'll be on the bandwagon within a few month themselves.
And UNLIKE Sony, Microsoft is using as many easily-available components as possible. This will ensure that Microsoft will have massive supplies of Xbox consoles available worldwide by the time the machine ships around early October 2001.
In short, Sony's inability to ship enough PlayStation 2 units to meet worldwide demand will play right into Microsoft's hands.
Re:Freedom to innovate... new interfaces? (Score:3)
To put it briefly, I'm complaining because Gates is trying to ingratiate himself to people who like standards by touting USB compatability while at the same time keying it to the X-Box so people have to buy new equipment. Microsoft is trying to give with one hand and take with the other.
Playstations and Dreamcasts make no claim to support standards so I don't berate them for doing so in the wrong way.
Kevin Fox
Freedom to innovate... new interfaces? (Score:3)
Yay standards!
Kevin Fox
Hmm..does it come with Rebecca Romaijn? (Score:3)
Cyclops says, "I have had my eye on this one for a long time!"
Storm says, "A man without an Xbox will never get a blow from me!"
How they thought up the controller design (Score:3)
Secret specs! (Score:4)
Re:WWF wrestler (Score:4)
Goodness, doesn't ANYONE here watch wrestling?
The Rock: FINALLY... the Rock has COME BACK to Las Vegas
Bill Gates: Hi there, Rock. We're here to...
The Rock: Shut your mouth and know your role, jabronie! No one interupts the Rock when the Rock is speaking!
Bill Gates: Sorry, Rock, but...
The Rock: You're doing it AGAIN! But the Rock will forgive you this time because you enough money to buy the Rock's mother and use her for a nickel whore.
But make no mistake. With the almighty power of the X-Box, the Rock WILL regain the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. X stands for exciting, which is what the world will see when the Rock and Bill Gates team up to present the X-Box.
And the Rock will take that Sony GayStation 2, shine it up REAL nice, turn that sum-bitch sideways, and stick it straight up Sony's candy-ass!
If you smellllllllll what the Rock is cooking
Re:Suprisingly stoopid idea (Score:4)
The differences between optimizing code on Pentium, PII's, PIII's, Celerons, AMD's, etc., is huge. As such, they usually don't get to the metal.
This will change with the Xbox. As good as the Direct X API's are, hungry, talented developers looking to separate themseles from the pack will hit the metal. That's what John Carmack and Michael Abrash use to do. Guess who's working on getting the most out of the Xbox's graphics chip? Michael Abrash.
I've preordered 3 already.
ANTI - Nintendo Rant (Score:5)
From what I've read, "No one knows how confusing GameCube may be to operate, however, as Nintendo has not allowed outsiders to touch it."
The XBox joypad looks pretty comfortable. According to people who actually handled it at the CES, it is supposedly VERY comfortable. Have you touched the controller yet? I don't think so, yet you even claim the NGC has a better controller, when nobody in the industry is allowed to hold one yet!
Speaking of Nintendo, I hope and PRAY Nintendo NEVER EVER regains any status near it's old NES/SNES days. Do you actually remember those days? Nintendo was comprised of the biggest group of bastards ever.
Lemme remind you of some things Nintendo did (move over MS!)
1) Remember the artifical shortages for video games... like the time Zelda 2 came out, and 20/20 even ran a 30 minute special on the limited quantity and ended up finding a WAREHOUSE FULL OF THEM!
2) Remember how Nintendo reacted to developer demand to making the N64 CD-based? They ignored them, (which means they lost most of them, including SQUARE!!!) and created a cartridge based system. Why? Because they control the cost and licensing of the cartridges, which is why even today "classic" N64 games cost $39.95.
3) Nintendo of America ALWAYS believed their audience was dumber, and inferior to their japanese market. I can sight NUMEROUS examples, including the censored FFIII (FF4 in Japan) that made it to America with many missing plot elements becasue they believed "American culture can't handle them." Oh, and there was also the dumbed-down version of FFV. At least Sony has never dumbed/censored the FF series (they even synced the numbering with the japanese system.) Oh, and the Japanese version of Super Mario 2 didn't make it to american shores until 7 years later (for the SNES) because they felt Americans wouldn't be able to handle so difficult a game.
4) Nintendo forces companies to get their products authorized for their machines. Remember when Galoob got sued for the Game Genie by Nintendo, and the judge stayed sales so people had to import it from Canada? No OTHER console company has ever sued a product... oh and then Nintendo also sued (and failed at it) TenGen for created "unauthorized" games. So essentially they designed new NESes that stopped them from working!
I can go on and on and on over Nintendo's ridiculous stances. You think MS with a monopoly is bad? You obviously don't remember Nintendo.
-Nick
I Like the XBox... (Score:5)
The hard drive isn't for MS to store an OS. Or patches. Or ANY of that crap. MS doesn't need to patch the OS. EVER. A copy of the OS is included with every game, tailored to the game (like it should be). This allows MS and developers to do whatever they want with the underlying OS, and not worry about breaking anyone else's code. But if the hard drive isn't in their for the MS, why on earth is it in there? Could it be... for the DEVELOPER? <sarcasm> Wow, what a STRANGE and MYSTICAL idea! A part in the gaming console is actually meant to be used for the gaming console! </sarcasm> I, personally, am THRILLED at this inclusion - now it's possible to cache stuff to a hard drive instead of hitting the DVD, making it SO much simpler and down-right faster to handle gameplay that requires more then what 64 megs'o'ram can hold. And, just to make sure it's mentioned, the OS DOES NOT support virtual memory - the app's get to manage the space for themselves. Why an 8 gig drive? Well, as of this point in time, 8 gig drives are the cheapest, readily available drives that are produced in quantity.
As for the hard drive complaints concerning uptime - I shared them for quite some time... till someone pointed out that the DVD-drive is expected to be the *real* uptime problem. And how many here complained about the PS2 including a DVD drive? Personally, I think a tray-loaded console is just ASKING to be broken...
Also, to respond to the (rather childish) posts saying that 64 megs couldn't possibly be enough to run an MS OS on. Apparently, the XBox is running a heavily stripped derivation of Win2k. The entire OS fits comfortably in ~500k. So, I *think* 64 megs can handle that.
As for MS "redesigning" the USB port - while initially it sounds like an assinine thing to do, it actually does make sense (at least to me). Otherwise, folks are going to see the port and try plugging in all sorts of USB device, and become quite confused and frustrated when nothing happens. Remember, MS isn't building this thing so we can enjoy hacking it - they're building it for the average consumer. And, since the USB port is such a simple pinout, I really found it hard to swallow that MS is doing this just because they're plain greedy - if a hardware house can't figure it out, they don't deserve to be making hardware!
To the folks who say developers "dont have anything to do with hardware" in response to someone's stable system-configuration comment, what the hell have you been smokin'! Do you know how HARD it is to try and wring all the performance out of a chipset without breaking another?! If hardware differences weren't an issue, cap-bits and vendor extensions wouldn't exist...
Also, to the pundits that cry that this thing is bad because it's a PC, I ask, what the hell is wrong with that?! I *like* my PC - it can runs games very well, thank-you-very-much. And Remember that this is a UNIFIED MEMORY SYSTEM, so... there is no AGP BUS!!! And, the thing is going to be running an NV25. To put this in perspective, the GeForce 2 is an NV15. Consequently, this thing is around 2 generations ahead of what nVidia has available for the desktop. My guess is the NV25 is a performance tuned NV20, based off the existence of the special "Enable NV20 Emulation" option in nVidia's drivers.
Also, from what I've gathered, MS *is* including a VGA port in-the-box, so no special breaker box needed for monitor support.
MS is NOT going to be making money of the machines themselves - they are selling these at a loss, just like every other console (don't know about the Indrema, though - anyone know how much that box is expected to cost?). But, from talking with a fellow involved with the XBox, I found that MS isn't expecting to lose more then $20-$30 per box. And, when asked during a tech-talk what the launch price of this thing is going to be, the MS fellow said "No console has ever successfully launched for more the $299 in the US." MS plans on being successful. You do the math...
I, personally, am looking forward to the XBox.
MS has made the entire API available for me to play with on my own PC. MS has set up a hobbyist program to help people to learn to do stuff for the system. MS has TOLD you what is in the box. MS has even setup an "incubator" program to help small game development startups. I'm sorry, but for all the closed-source M$ bashing, MS has made a system that is a shit-load more open and accessible then Nintendo, Sega, or Sony. MS's willingness to give me all the information I need to work with the hardware is why MS has guaranteed that I'll be buying and learning to develop for this box.
And so ends my long and winding post. But before you replay, I would like to state that I tried to be rational, unbias, and coherent throughout my post. I only ask that you do the same.