Official Xbox 360? Thread...

[Queasy]

Pre-E3 Rumors

- The premium pack will cost $100 les in october

- The core system will cost $80 less

- Gears of War will be out in the last week of October with a huge budget for the advertising.

- HD-DVD out in September $100

- New hard disk (100GB) But no price and date available

- Webcam "My Eye on You" (September $50-$70 bundled with a game)

- More than 50 new Xbox games in June compatible with the 360

- The bandwidth of the server will be increased by 5

- Halo 3 will be in the market in March 2007, first video at the E3

- Possible exclusive right for a "urban game" think gta, Microsoft in working on it

- The price of the Xbox Live Gold will be reduced or even free with commercials on the dashboard for October.

- The production of the Xbox 360 is increasing 2x in all the factories.

- Exclusive agreement with Paramount picture for High definition content in the xbox live.

- Agreement with NBC, to see through xbox live all the tournaments as a spectator.

- Agreement with Epic record for exclusive content in the xbox live

- New dashboard for kids

- Kameo 2 is on the way

- New feature, download and play is coming

- Before October the Xbox 360 will be virtual console, playing all sega games.

- A lot of Arcade Xbox Live games are coming

- New dashboard is coming

 

[Queasy]

IGN NCAA Football 07 for the 360 Preview

There are 70 schools that got the full treatment of details, including everything in a two mile radius around the stadium. Someone from EA Sports drove the country for four to five months last year taking pictures throughout each stadium and the surrounding areas. He would stand at the 50 yard line with his camera and shoot in a circle in order to realistically depict every section. He even busted out the measuring tape, taking measurements of rails, stands, seats, and sidelines then translated them into the game. One Tiburon producer claimed that the 360 version is the closest replicas you can see of a stadium without having the blueprints. As an example, the current gen stadiums consist of 2,500 polygons. Next gen? Try 125,000 polygons. In terms of textures, the current gen game claims one-half meg of texture space. Next gen claims 17 megs. That's why you'll finally see the H-style goalposts at LSU and even the 5 yd markers on certain fields.

 

[jlmadyson]

Originally posted by: Queasy
Pre-E3 Rumors

- The premium pack will cost $100 les in october

- The core system will cost $80 less

- Gears of War will be out in the last week of October with a huge budget for the advertising.

- HD-DVD out in September $100

- New hard disk (100GB) But no price and date available

- Webcam "My Eye on You" (September $50-$70 bundled with a game)

- More than 50 new Xbox games in June compatible with the 360

- The bandwidth of the server will be increased by 5

- Halo 3 will be in the market in March 2007, first video at the E3

- Possible exclusive right for a "urban game" think gta, Microsoft in working on it

- The price of the Xbox Live Gold will be reduced or even free with commercials on the dashboard for October.

- The production of the Xbox 360 is increasing 2x in all the factories.

- Exclusive agreement with Paramount picture for High definition content in the xbox live.

- Agreement with NBC, to see through xbox live all the tournaments as a spectator.

- Agreement with Epic record for exclusive content in the xbox live

- New dashboard for kids

- Kameo 2 is on the way

- New feature, download and play is coming

- Before October the Xbox 360 will be virtual console, playing all sega games.

- A lot of Arcade Xbox Live games are coming

- New dashboard is coming

Yea, I was checking these out earlier. I believe many of these will come to pass, 100 HD-DVD add on is a little tough to believe, however I could see them shooting for 100-150 for a couple of reasons, one of course to stay competitive with the PS3/BR and two hardware costs maybe not as much of an issue being that it is an add on. The sega line up would be more than sweet.

 

[UpgradeFailure]

Pretty cool rumors. I can't wait for E3. I concur with jlmadyson about the HD-DVD price point but i can also see them taking a hit, maybe $99 so people will jump on it. Or even make a package deal (Drop the price of the Prem. system, but also keep a Super Prem system with HDDVD packaged with, at same current price?) It would be a kick in the nuts for sony at least, and they want that.

A little confused on the Sega game deal. I know Sega Gen games will be on revolution, so it seems weird to be on Xbox too. Unless 360 gets saturn and Dreamcast, while Rev doesnt? Still, Hrrrm. I'd love to download saturn and DC games though.

 

[arod]

you also have to remember the addon will be just the drive and a usb cable most likely so it wont cost too much to make.... that said i say it will be 149.99 (99 seems a bit too low but if it does come out at 99 i will buy one the first day)

 

[ivol07]

If half of those rumors are true this will be a great E3 for Microsoft. Although I would be pissed at a price drop so soon since I paid so much for mine just a few months ago. But I don't really see that happening anyway.

 

[RagingBITCH]

I don't see the price drop happening so soon. I think it'll be in high demand, low stock since everyone who can't buy a PS3 (yes there will be shortages) will be buying a 360. No point in dropping the price unless Sony comes out undercutting MS from the gate. It'd make sense to drop the price once the rush has passed after the XMas season, and then once Sony gets on par on production to drop the price and increase the attractiveness of buying a 360 vs a PS3.

The Sega virtual console thing sounds cool as hell though if it's true. And I have a hard time believing the HD-DVD thing for $100.

 

[Muadib]

I've got 360 games FS/FT. See link in sig.

 

[erwos]

As the rumors go:
1.Those price cuts are way too huge. By far. I'd expect $30 on both, MAX.
2. The huge GoW advertising campaign seems believable.
3. HD-DVD for $100? I don't think so.
4. 100GB drive seems reasonable, although pricing is going to be nasty.
5. Commercials on the dashboard are unlikely to be paying for Live, but I guess it could happen.
6. The camera pricing sounds right, given what we know of the specs.
7. More XBLA games? Again, mark me unsurprised.
8. I have no idea why Microsoft would do anything resembling a "Virtual Console" or "Download and Play", when XBLA could be adopted very easily to this role. Just put up Halo or Sonic the Hedgehog on there, and no one's going to care what it's called.

-Erwos

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: Muadib
I've got 360 games FS/FT. See link in sig.

Not trying to rain on your parade, but $45 for Kameo when it's $50 brand new is not a good asking price at all. In fact all of your prices seem really high. I picked up Condemned for $35 used like a month after it came out.

But good luck to you :thumbsup:

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
Not trying to rain on your parade, but $45 for Kameo when it's $50 brand new is not a good asking price at all. In fact all of your prices seem really high. I picked up Condemned for $35 used like a month after it came out.

I noticed the general slump of used prices, too. Might be an interesting thing to study the relationship between used prices and retail prices - they might not be as highly correlated as some people think.

But, in general, yeah, most used games that aren't new releases averages in the $35-$40 range on eBay.

-Erwos

 

[Muadib]

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: purbeast0
Not trying to rain on your parade, but $45 for Kameo when it's $50 brand new is not a good asking price at all. In fact all of your prices seem really high. I picked up Condemned for $35 used like a month after it came out.

I noticed the general slump of used prices, too. Might be an interesting thing to study the relationship between used prices and retail prices - they might not be as highly correlated as some people think.

But, in general, yeah, most used games that aren't new releases averages in the $35-$40 range on eBay.

-Erwos

That's where I checked, but I didn't look at every game I posted, only a few. I'll adjust the price for Kameo.

 

[mzkhadir]

New CPU for the 360

One of the most common consumer complaints about the next-gen console is that its graphics capability requires a central processing unit which needs to be cooled by a constantly running, less-than-stealthy ventilation system. In other words, its fan is loud.

Some disgruntled consumers have even compared the 360's fan to a Blackhawk helicopter. Those same consumers will welcome today's news that the Xbox 360 is getting a new CPU which runs at lower temperature. Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing has announced it will begin making the Xbox 360's CPU using a using 65-nanometer (nm) Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) semiconductor technology. Currently, the Singapore-based hardware manufacturer company makes 90nm Xbox 360 CPUs under an agreement with IBM, designer of the CPU. The first Xbox 360s with the new CPU will go on sale in 2007.

For laymen, the change means that the new 65mm Xbox 360 CPUs will have more chips per wafer--which means lower energy requirements, lower heat output, and cheaper chip production costs. That is music to Microsoft's ears. "We look forward to working with Chartered on the production of such an important component of our Xbox 360 system," said Larry Yang, General Manager of Xbox Console Development at Microsoft.

 

[erwos]

Sounds good. When my 360 buys it (and I'm half-sure it will), maybe they'll hand me one of the new ones instead...

-Erwos

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: erwos
As the rumors go:
1.Those price cuts are way too huge. By far. I'd expect $30 on both, MAX.
2. The huge GoW advertising campaign seems believable.
3. HD-DVD for $100? I don't think so.
4. 100GB drive seems reasonable, although pricing is going to be nasty.
5. Commercials on the dashboard are unlikely to be paying for Live, but I guess it could happen.
6. The camera pricing sounds right, given what we know of the specs.
7. More XBLA games? Again, mark me unsurprised.
8. I have no idea why Microsoft would do anything resembling a "Virtual Console" or "Download and Play", when XBLA could be adopted very easily to this role. Just put up Halo or Sonic the Hedgehog on there, and no one's going to care what it's called.

-Erwos

I agree with your view on price cuts. No way in hell they will drop it that much, if at all. Personally, I don't see them dropping the price any at all, what with the PS3 possibly debuting at a minimum of $500. If anything, they may start to offer the upgraded hard drive with the Platinum package at the same price.

GoW advertising is probably obvious. This is their BIG game this year.

I absolutely do not see the HD-DVD add-on costing $100, or even $150. $179 is my guess.

I see the 100GB hdd being around $129, with a price drop on the 20GB to $79 or something, if they continue to offer it at all.

Camera pricing seems good to me as well, in line with the Eye Toy, which obviously it's direct competitor.

 

[JASANITY]

when are they releasing higher capacity hard drives!

 

[UpgradeFailure]

Tomb Raider is on sale for 50 this week, for everyone who bought it, is it worth that price?

 

[Wingznut]

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure
Tomb Raider is on sale for 50 this week, for everyone who bought it, is it worth that price?

I haven't played it yet, but a friend of mine tells me that it is VERY short... Like 6-7 hours of gameplay.

 

[UpgradeFailure]

Originally posted by: Wingznut

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure
Tomb Raider is on sale for 50 this week, for everyone who bought it, is it worth that price?

I haven't played it yet, but a friend of mine tells me that it is VERY short... Like 6-7 hours of gameplay.

Hrrm thanks for info. $10 an hour and no replay value (I assume) might not be worth it. I might wait for a price drop.

 

[Rage187]

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure
Tomb Raider is on sale for 50 this week, for everyone who bought it, is it worth that price?

it's really good but really short


rent it and you can beat it the same day.

 

[UpgradeFailure]

Originally posted by: Rage187

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure
Tomb Raider is on sale for 50 this week, for everyone who bought it, is it worth that price?

it's really good but really short


rent it and you can beat it the same day.

Yeah I think I will

On a 2nd note, I just came across a Unicorn in oblivion. Can you ride it or own it or anything? It just started to attack me and wouldn't leave me alone. I couldn't hop on or anything.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure
Tomb Raider is on sale for 50 this week, for everyone who bought it, is it worth that price?

Tomb Raider is a great game. It's one of the more fun games I've played on the 360. The exploration and puzzles are great in the game.

That said, as others have stated, it's not one of those games you will play through once you beat it, and it's pretty short. I started it on Saturday and I'm very close to the last level already.

Granted I'm playing it on hard, it's still not very hard. But the game is DEFINITELY worth a rental to atleast play through once, it's a great game.

 

[Rage187]

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure

Originally posted by: Rage187

Originally posted by: UpgradeFailure
Tomb Raider is on sale for 50 this week, for everyone who bought it, is it worth that price?

it's really good but really short


rent it and you can beat it the same day.

Yeah I think I will

On a 2nd note, I just came across a Unicorn in oblivion. Can you ride it or own it or anything? It just started to attack me and wouldn't leave me alone. I couldn't hop on or anything.

yes you can ride it, and it is immune to physical damage.

It will attack you if any other wild life around you attacks you and it sees it.

 

[erwos]

Apparently, the third downloadable expansion pack for Oblivion has been released. Anyone got it and have any impressions?

-Erwos

 

[jlmadyson]

Prey Trailer

Also pre E3 06 Lost Planet Trailer is up on the MP. I've downloaded the new Oblivion content, Wizard?s Tower, but have yet to test it out.

Update: Just had a chance to watch the pre E3 Lost Planet trailer, at the end it says playable demo on May 9th, didn?t think this game was going to be out for awhile, nice to see they are getting the demo out this early, if so.