Xbox 360, Bundles, and Delayed Releases.

[dusematic]

As for Nintendo, another system I'll own 10-20 games for over the life of the console and be pissed that I bought one at launch instead of waiting.

I haven't bought 20 games for a system since the NES.  That's why I'm getting  a Revolution.  I haven't had a Nintendo since SNES, and I miss being able to count on guaranteed "money" games.  I don't have to read a review  of Nintendo first party games, I know they will be good.  It just makes the most sense for me in my life at this point.

[Margalis]

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/backwardcompatibilityqa.htm

So about backwards compatibility:

You need a hard drive.
You can't transfer saved games.
You can't transfer downloadable content that you paid for!

The interview basically reads like this:

"Halo Halo 2 blah blah blah Halo blah blah blah Halo 2!"

Also the games will run at 1080/720. They will be "upscaled" and anti-aliased so they will look much better than they ever did on the XBox! (Of course, we've seen this before - essentially doing pixel doubling then anti-aliasing often looks blurry and distorted)

I think it's pretty weak overall, given that on the PS2 you could use your PS1 memory cards. I feel sorry for people that paid for downloadable content. So now your choices are pay again, don't bother with the content you paid for, or keep your original XBox hooked up as well. (If you can fit both into your entertainment center)

So yeah...the reason they have been quiet on the backwards compatibillity is because it sucks. I feel really sorry for the people who get a core system then want the compatibility.

Core system has got to be one of the worst ideas in the history of consoles.

[Miasma]

List of backwards compatible games here...
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/backwardcompatibilitygameslist.htm

I count that as 207 out of 769 making for 27% backwards compatibility.  That's rather pathetic.

It also says "A software emulator is required for each original Xbox game you play on your Xbox 360™ console", now does that mean you have to download a patch of sorts for each and every game?

[Azazel]

Based off of that interview:

Yes. Yes it does.

[schild]

27% of the games aren't worth playing. Seen the list. Not that bad.

The only thing you got hosed on is downloadable content you paid for. If you bought a core system you're a tool anyway.

[AOFanboi]

"Hosed" is too strong a word: After all, your original XBox will not seize up and stop functioning just because you bring the 360 into the house. Just keep playing your XBox content on that.

That said, the backward compatibility seems to join the XBox Live camera as one of the "features" that won't be there much at launch. Then again, we are too jaded to have fallen for that hype anyway.

[Megrim]

Haha did i miss the part where ya'll realise that you are buying a console from Microsoft?

 - meg

[Jain Zar]

Another thing to think about is this.

Ok, you can drop 400 bucks on release day for shit games.

OR

Buy titles like Mario Kart DS, Dragon Quest 8, Guitar Heroes, and many other must have titles over every other currently out console that are all great fucking games worthy of your time.

I can get a ton of great games for 400 bucks. 

Then wait till the 360 is worth 2 shits.  Which won't be for at least a year.  Hell, maybe the PSP will even drop in price so Sony can grab a few people with money to burn on a new system.  (They just have released a 300 dollar PSP with a 1 gig memory stick in it after all.  250 for 32 meg vs 300 for a gigger?)

Hell, it might even be time to try out a Mac Mini or grab an iPod/Generic MP3 player of your choice.

So why exactly should I spend 400 bucks on a brand new system without a single fucking game I would buy if it were on any other system?
Elder Scrolls Oblivion aint out till 2nd quarter.  The Namco zombie game with the malls and the clotheslining of zombies aint out till who knows when.
Madden can fuck itself, and a pair of FPS games don't make me all excited in the bathing suit area.  Nor does Kameo, which I didn't care about when it
was a smeggin X Box game.  King Kong?  Its coming out for everything, not that I would want it anyhow.

Haven't the complete jokes that have been every other system launch taught us any fucking thing?

THE FIRST YEAR MOSTLY BLOWS.  WAIT A YEAR AND ITS CHEAPER AND BETTER.

[Fabricated]

The only two games I'm remotely interested in that're on the 360 are Call of Duty 2 and Oblivion.

...both of which will be/are available on PC. I played some CoD2 on the 360 demo station at my local Best Buy today. Eh, I'm getting the PC version.

As for Oblivion, what person who likes the Elder Scrolls series will get the version that can't be modded by end users?

[Sky]

Haha did i miss the part where ya'll realise that you are buying a console from Microsoft?

Because Sony is a happy fun love company?

[HaemishM]

Yeah, fuck the 360 release. The X-Box games I'd be worried about playing on the new system aren't on the backwards compatibility list (the ESPN sports games), and since I couldn't even import saved games or downloaded content anyway, why the fuck would I want to do that? Their backward compatibility is just nil, at least for me. The web camera can go eat a bag of fucking hell and die. Their launch list is pretty much a joke. Ports, shooters and maybe 1 or 2 game I give a shit about. And they cost $10 more than other games. No thanks.

Maybe next Christmas it'll be worth it (and a reasonable price). But not now.

[Yegolev]

You can't transfer saved games.

Not to defend the 360, more to bash the Xbox, but there were plenty of non-transferable savegames in the first place.  KOTOR comes to mind.  Not because the saves are too big for the standard card, either, since I grafted a large USB solid-state into the slot and the savegames still wouldn't copy.  Damn lazy-ass programmers.

[Megrim]

Haha did i miss the part where ya'll realise that you are buying a console from Microsoft?

Because Sony is a happy fun love company?

It's a choice between the lesser of two weevils.

But hey, it's not like i paid for my ps2 (gifts are wonderful), and i use it for pretty much two things only - playing dvds and DDR. I suppose i will pick up Soul Calibur 3 sometime as well. However, i'm not sure what kind of raving consumer fanatic you'd have to be to even consider forking over US700+ up front for a glorified paperweight.

 - meg

[Sky]

See? I'm not the hatiest of the resident console haters.

[Megrim]

Yes but by far the ugliest.

  - meg

 :-D

[Azazel]

The 360, dissected.

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2610&p=1

Love that external power supply.

[Merusk]

That's not a power supply, that's a weapon. 

[HaemishM]

My "inside source" at Best Buy tells me that they are having some serious issues with their display models. Things like the controllers not working right, the machine just hard locking up in games, etc.

Yep, 6-month moratorium minimum.

[Roac]

Where does the headset plug into, the core box or controller?  If the former, doesn't that defeat the purpose of a wireless controller, esp. since MS is pushing hard to make XBox Life in every game, and the headset a core piece of that strategy?  If the controller... does it have the bandwidth for that sort of thing?

[Sky]

Anandtech is saying they think the 360 is due for a processor die-shrink by the end of next year. Sounds like next xmas might be the time to start thinking about the console. They also think we won't see good multithreading, thus the power of both 360/PS3, for at least two more years, more an end-of-cycle boost.

Some interesting reading over there, as usual.

[Yegolev]

It's a no-brainer to wait when you compare, using PS2 as an example, King's Field with God of War.  I'll get a 360, but probably not in 2006.

[Shockeye]

The first 360 price drop will depend heavily on whether the CPU and GPU have a die shrink and when the Revolution and PS3 come out and at what price. I'm guessing the first price drop will hit around E3 of next year with a $249/$349 most likely. E3 of next year we should start seeing a larger number of quality exclusive titles hitting as well. I would expect myself to be getting a 360 around that time.

[schild]

Played Perfect Dark Zero and Condemned tonight on the xbox 360 demo unit. Aside from the LCDs they shipped being shiiiiiiiiiiiiiity, it was pretty damn good. Condemned had amazing lighting. And is possibly the scariest game I've ever played.

[Kitsune]

The original Xboxes were crashing in the demo displays too, if you'll recall.  It's just generally unwise to buy the early models of a console, as they're often shoved out the door with a bare minimum of quality control to meet the demands of zillions of consumers.  A few months down the road after the first revision is out, then it should be safe.

[schild]

My "inside source" at Best Buy tells me that they are having some serious issues with their display models. Things like the controllers not working right, the machine just hard locking up in games, etc.

Yep, 6-month moratorium minimum.

It's important to look at the inside of that xbox display. It's rigged all weird. Most of the stuff in that display isn't actually in the xbox unit. It's plugged into weird external shit that is no doubt meant to be a security thing incase someone steals the actual box (the display xboxen won't work if it's taken out, no question about that).

[Jain Zar]

My local Wal Mart already has the games for sale and Perfect Dark Zero is the only one sold out, with Call of Duty 2 having a single copy left.

Of course there was tons of Kameos unsold, and the usual EA crap stinking up the shelves.

Man, they are making it SOOO easy for me to keep the hype from causing me to do something stupid and dipshitty like showing up at the 24 hour Wal Mart tomorrow night to buy one just because.  A little restraint on my part and I can avoid being a dumbass tomorrow night....

[schild]

Kameo, PDZ, Call of Duty 2, PGR3, and Condemned are disappearing pretty damn fast from Gamestops around here. Myself? I'm having trouble finding copies of Ridge Racer 6 and NHL06, so they either shipped too few of them (likely) or are sold out most places (less likely).

[Shockeye]

So today in the newspaper the top story above the fold on page A1 is about the 360. Thank you for buying yourself into the news Microsoft. Please fuck off.

[HaemishM]

Useless advertorial 4TW!

[Jain Zar]

At the moment I am planning on going to the 24 hour Wal Mart tonight.  I hope someone kicks me in the balls as I exit my house to prevent this
amazingly stupid turn of events.  Because while I have the money, the amount of self loathing I will inflict on myself for being a colossal douchebag
consumer sheep shithead will be HUGE.  And I only have 4 bottles of Sam Adams Light, and a 3rd of a bottle of 100 proof Southern Comfort
hanging around.

Maybe itll be sold out before 11.  There will be too many people there, yeah!  Or maybe the N Gage game package, my Dragon Quesr 8 package,
or the friggin Nintendo WiFi dongle I ordered nearly a week before Mario Kart DS came out will still show up on my doorstep within the next
2 hours so I will be distracted by the shiney and don't end up like the morons on G4 TV.

I suppose I could blame it on having to go to probate court wednesday before working the holiday weekend to take care of my father's estate,
but I will know deep down that I deserve a swift kick in the ass at the least, and being forced to go to a furry convention at the most as punishment
for being massively STUPID.

FUCK YOU GIANT HYPE MACHINE.  STOP GIVING MY ELECTRONICS PURCHASING ADDICTION ANY MORE FUEL FUCKBAGS.

[Pococurante]

Remember, the first lemming is one brave sonovabitch!!

[HaemishM]

Mangina-caving to the 360 Hype

Pussy.

[MrHat]

It's new and shiney.

I may be a weak man.

Here's to hoping nobody nearby has stock.

And a big fuck you to pa.com.

[Jain Zar]

Mangina-caving to the 360 Hype

Pussy.

That's it?   I deserve FAR worse than that dude. 

[schild]

Shockeye is just upset cuz he isn't getting one. Everyone send him a teddybear. And a tiny violin. MUAH.