Views on the X-Box - also will it be emulated?

[ColdinfinitiE]

Hi all

Id like to hear some views on this mchine as it is yet to go sale here in the UK. How does it shape up to a monster PC??

p.s

Seeing as the X-Box is based on PC technology, wont emulators appear reasonably quickly???

 

[MajesticMoose]

of course there will be emulators. That like asking if DVDs will be ripped when they came out.

m00se

 

[AnthraX101]

Of course it will be emulated. But it will take a while, even though its PC technology, its pretty well protected. Just give it time.

Armani

 

[ColdinfinitiE]

true - i guess its fairly obvious that it will be emulated, I just thought we might see something real soon due to the hardware similarities

 

[CKDragon]

I figure in time all things will be emulated... I remember reading on a post in here that the X-Box uses some strange type of hard drive format that makes it tougher to emulate. I know that sounds incredibly vague, but as it was explained to me - imagine the difference between NTFS and FAT32, then X-Box would use it's own proprietary format along those lines.

Of course, this all depends on the credibility of whoever it was that posted that, so take it for what it's worth.

CK

 

[AnthraX101]

Yes, the HD format is propritary. And it's quite confusing, supposedly.

Armani

 

[wetkleenex]

uhh...people keep asking this question.

READ THIS

to make things easy on the lazy, i've copied/pasted below.



<<
Xbox Hacking FAQ
This FAQ is a work in progress.
Many answers will be "not yet"?we hope that those will eventually turn into "yes!"

General

Q: Isn't the Xbox just a PC?

A: No, it's not. It uses PC parts but there are many difference between the Xbox and a PC that stand in the way of hacking it.



Q: How do I open up my Xbox?

A: There are four screws under the rubber feet on the bottom. There are two more screws under the stickers. Be aware that removing these stickers and disassembling your Xbox VOIDS YOUR WARRANTY!



Q: Can the Xbox play Playstation 2 or GameCube games?

A: Not now, and very likely not ever. But only fools say "never," so I'll just say extremely unlikely.



Q: Will there be emulators for Xbox?

A: Likely so. There is already a port of MAME in existence, but it hasn't been released to the public. Other emulators are, as far as I know, just rumors at this point.



Q: Where can I get emulators for Xbox?

A: You can't get them right now.



Q: Is there a DivX player for Xbox?

A: Not yet.



Q: Can't we use brute force to crack the Xbox's various encryption methods?

A: No, highly unlikely, read up on encryption. We don't know a lot about the specifics of Microsoft's encryption schemes right now, but you can bet they didn't choose any short keys. They've gone to a lot of trouble to make this thing difficult to crack and it would be quite a surprise if they left this as an easy out.



XDK / SDK

Q: What is it?

A: This is a set of tools that let developers use to design and create games for the Xbox. However, developers use special hardware in conjunction with these special software tools to write games for the Xbox.



Q: How do I obtain the SDK?

A: Only Microsoft-licensed developers are given the developer kits.



Q: Can you tell me where I can get the SDK, I heard you can download it?

A: No, I cannot tell you where to download it (and don't ask in the forums either). Some parts seem to have been leaked without the permission of Microsoft and they don't look kindly upon that kind of thing.



Video

Q: Where can I buy a VGA adapter for the Xbox?

A: You can't buy a true VGA adapter for Xbox and Microsoft has no plans to release one in the future. There are converters that let you play on your monitor (such as the one from Lik-Sang) but none are true VGA adapters meaning you don't get the full benefits of the quality of VGA. We are working on ways to build our own VGA adapters.



BIOS

Q: Has anyone plugged in a keyboard and tried to enter the BIOS setup?

A: No, it doesn't work this way! This isn't a PC and there is no "BIOS setup" screen!



DVD/Media

Q: Can I burn games onto DVD-Rs/DVD-RWs/DVD+RWs? Can I burn games onto CD-Rs/CD-RWs?

A: No. If someone says you can they are lying. Don't believe it. Things could change, but most likely it is not true. Xbox games have some sophisticated anti-piracy measures. Some people want to back up games, but shame on you if you want to pirate them. Buy your games!



Q: Why don't my burned music CD-Rs work in the Xbox?

A: Xbox does not support CD-R media. However, some seem to work anyway. CD-RWs are supported.



Q: Can I play DVDs without the DVD kit?

A: Not now. Possibly later with software hacks. But for now it is required.



Q: Can I put the Xbox DVD drive in my PC?

A: Not yet.



Q: Can I replace the DVD drive in my Xbox?

A: Not yet.



Q: Can Xbox play a Data CD full of mp3/wma files?

A: No. Eventually software hacks may be developed for Xbox to allow this.



Q: Can I play VCDs?

A: This is a tough one. For the most part the answer is "no." There is some DVD authoring software out there that lets you write a movie onto a CD that a DVD player can read. Some people claim success with such software, but I cannot confirm that it works.



Q: Why do my DVD movies have bad visual quality, specifically why do they go light and then dark constantly?

A: This is due to Macrovision copy protection. Don't plug your Xbox through your VCR, plug it directly into your TV or tuner.



Hard Drive

Q: How big is the Xbox hard drive?

A: The Xbox hard drive is 8GB.



Q: I heard there are two different HDDs, an 8GB and a 10GB, is this true?

A: Yes, however the extra space doesn't help you, it just sits there unused (as far as we know now)



Q: How can I tell which HDD model is in my Xbox?

A: Open it up and void the warranty.



Q: Can I upgrade my hard drive to a larger/faster unit?

A: Not yet.



Q: What do I need to upgrade my Xbox's IDE cable?

A: An "uncut" ATA-66/ATA-100 cable. (no cut wires, some ATA-100 cables have a cut wire in the ribbon)



Q: What benefit does swapping out the ATA-33 cable for an ATA-100 cable offer?

A: At this time, there is a slight improvement in music-ripping speed with a new cable but not really any noticeable game speed increases.



USB

Q: Are the ports on the Xbox really USB?

A: Yes, but there is an extra pin and the shape is different. It is not quite the same as PC USB.



Q: Can I plug a PC keyboard/mouse into the Xbox?

A: No, the games are not written to take advantage of these devices.



Networking

Q: How do I change my Xbox's "name"?

A: So far, people have had success in changing their Xbox's "name" by starting new games with different player names in several games or by getting high scores. We are unsure why this happens.



Q: How do I play online with a 56K modem?

A: Online gaming only works with a broadband connection, a modem can't handle the necessary amount of data to play current games online.
>>

 

Xbox = Ghetto PC.

 

[SSP]

<< Xbox = Ghetto PC. >>



Yet another troll post by dwell.

 

<< Yet another troll post by dwell >>


Troll? I bet 75% of the people here would agree the Xbox is a ghetto PC. Post about the Xbox here and expect responses like that.

 

[wetkleenex]

<< Troll? I bet 75% of the people here would agree the Xbox is a ghetto PC. Post about the Xbox here and expect responses like that. >>



start a poll, then, and prove your grabbed-out-of-thin-air-statistic. how old are you?

edit: oh, wait--i already did that: LINK

 

[Antoneo]

<<

<< Yet another troll post by dwell >>


Troll? I bet 75% of the people here would agree the Xbox is a ghetto PC. Post about the Xbox here and expect responses like that. >>

I bet 75% of the people here don't know what they are talking about. Which is why I expect stupid troll posts like yours whenever someone asks a legitimate question about the xbox.

 

This is a PC hardware site, where many people take pride in having killer PCs. The Xbox is a lousy console at best. If you want a console get a PS2 or NGC. If you want a GeForce 3 in a wheelchair, get an Xbox.

 

[Antoneo]

<< This is a PC hardware site, where many people take pride in having killer PCs. >>

Alright, I agree that this is mainly a PC enthusiast site where people love their killer rigs but the forum is not limited to PC news/questions only. There are lots of people (PC enthusiasts) on this board that own and still play console based games.


<< The Xbox is a lousy console at best. >>

I'm sure it is :disgust:. If you want to talk about the hardware inside the Xbox, then it beats everything out there in terms of processing power. No contest. If you want to talk about games, the Xbox might not have a great of a library as PS2 but then again, PS2 only recently started to flood in with an abundance of good games (FFX, MGS2, GTA2, etc.) after a year of its release. GC has some good games as well but ehh... Halo is supposedly Xbox's flagship game and many Halo buyers will agree.


<< If you want a console get a PS2 or NGC. >>

Sigh... The Xbox is aimed squarely at the console/living room entertainment arena NOT the PC. Which is also why Microsoft kept web browsing activity/word processing/Photoshop (you get the idea) off the xbox. Also no keyboards or mice allowed either. Microsoft decided to go with PC based hardware because 1) R&D for a brand new CPU/GPU and the rest of it will take a long time even with deep pockets. 2) It is easy to write code for the PC because the PC has been a long standing platform. Many devs say that the PS2 is notoriously hard to code for (its hardware design and newness make it so).


<< If you want a GeForce 3 in a wheelchair, get an Xbox. >>

Ok. I should really stop replying to such flamebait but I have some time before I go pick up my brothers from school. The GPU in the xbox is better than a GF3. That is a fact. I'll let someone else back me up.

 

[Angrymarshmello]

He's just a Sony fanboy bashing a console that has the ability to be better than the one he owns.

 

[xero940]

Okay...to play a little devil's advocate here...

First...the problem with touting a console's power is that it doesn't mean $h!t come game time NOW. If the Sega Genesis is less powerful than the SNES...why would it EVER be able to build an advantage against the SNES?

Because it was out first, and gave MORE BETTER GAMES NOW.

The SNES regained it's lead in a few years, but not before the irreversible damage was done.

Why did the N64, a technically superior console, and the only one able to overcome the limitations of cartridges (don't believe me? Rent Resident Evil 2 for N64-full version, with FULL FMVs, better graphics, NO LOADING TIME, and typical N64 CD-quality sound...:Q)

Because the PSX had MORE BETTER GAMES NOW.

When Joe Sixpack buys a console, he buys the one that fulfils it's promise of more, better games the quickest. The X-Box can't depend on just Halo and DOA3 as its Triple-A games for THIS long...a killer app should have come out by now! The Gamecube has Smash Brothers and Rogue Squadron, as well as Pikmin as killer apps. The PS2 survived it's first year on hype, and when Twisted Metal Black came out, a flood of killer apps came out...BOTH of these guys don't have the same power as X-Box...so what?

Second, let's not deny the insides of the systems. 99% of systems in the past have used specialized NON-x86 processors...like StrongARMs and Z80s, 6502a and 68000 series chips, SH1/2/4 chips...and more recently, MIPS R4300 series and friends.

The XBox breaks the trend by using a TRUE X86 processor...if you want to be real direct about it, it uses a P3-733 with half the cache, or a Celeron 733 with ALL the P3 instructions and features...

Also, previous consoles used non-PC standard graphics rendering chips...more RISC, MIPS, SGI, and other sub-processors. The DC started to converge with PC by using a PowerVR series 2 chip in it...

The XBox literally bridges the gap with a Geforce 3 series GPU, referred to as the NV2A. It's a PC Geforce 3 GPU with an extra vector unit for a little extra power...nothing that wouldn't be equaled PC-wise with a good OC and a dope-ass monitor...

Then, the XBox does even more to "distinguish itself" from normal consoles by adding the HDD and the Win2K OS kernel.

What is the XBox, therefore?
A PC with modified P3-733, modified GF3Ti, 10GB HDD (2GB for OS info/usage), 4 modified USB ports, a standard 10/100 ethernet card, running 32-bit Win2K Pro "shell", in a sleek black "X-adorned" case...

Perhaps it's not supposed to be a PC, but ABSOLUTELY NO CONSOLE IS EVEN CLOSE TO THE PC-ness of the XBox.

The good about the PC-ness of XBox is that games can have a lot more power then they used to...the bad of it is that...it is NOT a real console! It was seemingly designed for games to become an afterthought, just a part of the wired home, not the FULL-FLEDGED hobby it was, is, and is supposed to be! I don't believe the XBox is a good console; in fact, I believe that it is the ANTITHESIS of consoles, merely a digital trojan-horse!

I do like Halo though... And before anyone flames me for not having one:

I DO!

And I only play Halo and DOA3...nothing else is really good enough to buy.

 

<< Ok. I should really stop replying to such flamebait but I have some time before I go pick up my brothers from school. The GPU in the xbox is better than a GF3. That is a fact. I'll let someone else back me up. >>



The Xbox GPU is a GeForce3 with two vertex shaders. So it is somewhat better than the GeForce3. The GeForce4 is worlds ahead of both of those GPUs.

Back to my "GeForce3 in a wheelchair" comment. No matter what GPU is in the Xbox it:

a) Runs at a lousy 640x480
b) Has a horrible UMA memory subsystem, with 64M total memory.
c) Has a very slow hard drive.
d) Has numerous other bottlenecks due to it's architecture such as low fillrates.
e) The XCPU is a stock Mobile Celeron @ 733Mhz

So... The Xbox is a GeForce3.1 in a wheelchair.

I own a Dreamcast, which I no longer play. I own a GBA which is clearly technically inferior to every console in the last ten years, but has a better library than any console out, IMHO.

If I wanted to I could buy a PS2, NGC, or Xbox. I am happy with my PC for 3D games.

 

[Desturel]

Xbox has no games? Could have fooled me. I have all three systems and I remember playing games on all of them. In fact, I remember playing more games on my Xbox than I have on my PS2. Also my Xbox games have more replay value than my PS2 games. Hmm... let me think this over again.

Xbox:
Amped
Blood Wake
Halo
Project Gotham Racing
Silent Hill 2
Dead or Alive 3

Fave Xbox Game: PGR

Game Cube:
Super Monkey Ball
Super Smash Brothers Melee
Pikmin

Fave Game Cube game: SMB

PS2:
ICO
Final Fantasy X
Grand Theft Auto 3
Devil May Cry
Gran Turismo 3 (I don't really like this one much, but I'm listing it)

Fave PS2 game: GTA3

Out of all of the systems the one that gets the most play time is Dreamcast. But of the three I listed the one that gets the most play time is Xbox (Project Gotham) followed by PS2 (just beat FFX and I have no plans on doing Blitz Ball anymore.) I normally break out the Game Cube whenever friends come over for some party games if they don't want to play DOA 3 (they've long given up on beating me in PGR since I'm too good )

When people say there are no good games on the Xbox, I sometimes wonder if they play games or if they just talk about playing games. I wonder if they could give details about WHY the games they played on Xbox were bad and give examples from the game. Or could it just be that they are blind as well as brain dead? Unable to comprehend what a game is?

How about future games. That will show me that the Xbox has no games on it and no games coming.

Xbox:
Panzer Dragon
Gun Valkyrie
Jet Set Radio Future
Genma Onimusha
Nezmix
J Phoenix Armored Group
Sega GT 2002
Morrowind

Okay maybe it was a fluke. Let me take a look at the other systems just in case.

Game Cube:
Sonic 2 Battle
Skies of Arcadia
Phantasy Star Online
Golden Sun (if the second is a Game Cube game that is)
Resident Evil series

PS2:
Grandia Xtreme
Star Ocean 3
Xenosaga
Virtua Fighter 4
Wild Arms 3
Maximo

Wow! Looks to me like all three systems have sometime interesting coming up! Who would have thought that would happen? I'm especially confused as to why the Xbox has games for it! Of course they could be just computer games like Max Payne and Baulder Gate... Oops! Those are on the PS2 as well. In fact Baulders Gate was on PS2 first as was Max Payne and Unreal. Could it be that fanboys are lacking in brain cells? I wonder sometimes.

 

[spaceman]

ill agree.the xbox is a ghetto pc.
(fans the flames)

actually its not a bad console,just severely lacking in the software dept compared to the ps2.

 

[chickenhead]

The XBox is an IBM Compatible Personal Computer in a black desktop case.

And except for the GF3, it has the kind of specs you would expect to find in a bottom-of-the-barrel emachines.

 

[spaceman]

<< The XBox is an IBM Compatible Personal Computer in a black desktop case.

And except for the GF3, it has the kind of specs you would expect to find in a bottom-of-the-barrel emachines. >>




that does pretty much sum it up.

 

[Cessna172]

I don't understand why people knock the X-Box just because it shares a simlar architecture to a PC. SO WHAT??

It's far more powerful than a PS2, a bit more powerful than a Gamecube, and still puts out better graphics than even most high-end PCs. It's not a Geforce3 inside--it's a next-generation chip from nVidia. Add in the extra functionality of the hard drive and built-in internet playability, and you've got a steal for only $299. Microsoft is selling these things below cost. Who gives a crap if it's based on a PC? What you should care about is how well it is able to run the games, and unless you're an idiot, you know that's it's the most feature-packed and powerful game console out there.

Most developers are on board the Xbox platform, so it will have tons of games. And the Xbox versions of existing PS2 games run smoother, since it's got more horsepower. The fact that it has less games at this point should not be a reason not to buy it. The original Playstation started with a small library of games, but obviously some "crazy" folks bought the Playstations anyways. Now look where Sony is--it's the market leader. And there's no reason to think that Microsoft, given all its industry influence and cash, could not do the same thing. They've done it many times before in other areas. My guess is that they have a very good chance of gaining a large chunk of market share from Sony. And if this is the case, and if most games are coming out on both platforms, I'd rather have the technically superior machine, myself.

 

[xero940]

Err...what are you talking about, Desturel?

No fanboys here, b/c noone's slagging a system based on something that's not true or not important, like:

"XBox iz teh gh3y b/c it's really big" or "GCN sux0rz b/c it's purple" or "PS2 0wnz j00 b/c of backups"...only opinions...and at least mine is educated.

Now, on your point:

Games that are coming out DON'T MATTER b/c either it's gonna be on all systems, or it's a Nintendo-made exclusive. Any game made by NOT MICROSOFT, or SONY ITSELF can be on any console if the incentive arises...so you CAN see FFXI on GC and XBox...but you WON'T see Mario Kart on XBox...

Games NOW are what you are going to buy, right? You don't buy the system because of what you might play later, do you? Later is a BONUS. Now is the PURCHASE. XBox doesn't have enough SYSTEM-SELLING killer apps that EVERONE WANTS TO PLAY, OR DOESN'T already have...PGR is cool, but it is NOT Gran Turismo 3. DOA3 and Halo stand as the system sellers. Munch has not reached killer-app level. Amped was panned as "another snowboarding sim" (IGN.com's words...) Blood Wake is Twisted Metal on water...it's very cool, and a good game, but not a GREAT GAME...Silent Hill 2 is on PS2 already, so no ports...

XBox Exclusive Killer Apps NOW: PGR, DOA3, Halo.
GCN Exclusive Killer Apps NOW: Super Smash Brothers Melee, Rogue Squadron, Pikmin, Wave Race: Blue Storm
PS2 Killer Apps NOW: Too many to list...

Noone said there are no good XBox games...in fact, a lot of it's good games are the other consoles' good games too...but clearly there are more GREAT games on other consoles NOW...and the other consoles will be used to provide said games as the primary medium...the GCN won't be a settop box...and the PS2 will be a set-top box as much as the DC was, even when the HDD come out...it was designed as a game console with bonus abilities to come later. XBox was designed to be, like I said, a digital trojan horse...and I don't like that.

And don't get me started on future games...NO ONE's LINEUP CAN BEAT EVERY NINTENDO ALL-STAR HAVING A TRUE SEQUEL TO THEIR LONG-RUNNING, AWESOME series'!

In this next year, you'll be playing the sequel to Mario 64, Mario Kart, Metroid, Zelda, Starfox, and others I forgot...

 

[Supahfreak]

I'd think about getting an Xbox the day SOMEONE makes a Mouse/KB setup to play Halo. I couldnt get used to playing with the Joystick.

FreAk

 

[erikiksaz]

<<I don't understand why people knock the X-Box just because it shares a simlar architecture to a PC. SO WHAT??>>