Xbox 360 thread - 3.3

[Liver&Onions]

Advice - Buy one.
If you get the rings, call the 800 number and get a new one

[aktick]

Bringing my question over here - Had my 360 since November, and it's now having trouble reading discs. It says "Open Tray" even though there's a game in it, I open and close the tray and it tries reading, but just goes back to "Open Tray." I've tried many different games, and every once in a while Burnout Revenge works, but no others.

Also, audio CDs seem to read fine every time.

Anybody else run into this?

[lordwow]

Posting to watch the thread.

Saving up for the 360...

[Mr. Music]

FYI.

You can use the thread tools and subscribe to any thread without having posted to it.

[lordwow]

FYI.

You can use the thread tools and subscribe to any thread without having posted to it.

Good point :)

[kurupt]

I got my 360 last April, and yesterday it started to freeze up. First in NCAA Football, then in Gears, and finally in Marvel Ultimate Alliance. When I called Microsoft (even though it's within the year, I bought the extended warranty) I was told to call back in 24 hours because they were "updating their system" and couldn't take service requests. I then tried to troubleshoot the system as per the instructions on the website. I took off the hdd and started to play Ultimate Alliance again and again it locked up. When I turned the machine back on to eject the game, I got the "red rings." I'm glad MS has taken steps to alleviate the problem, that shows good customer service, but now of my group of friends that got a 360 fairly early in its lifespan (almost 10 people), all have had to get at least one replacement from MS.

[Giantrobo]

I got my 360 last April, and yesterday it started to freeze up. First in NCAA Football, then in Gears, and finally in Marvel Ultimate Alliance. When I called Microsoft (even though it's within the year, I bought the extended warranty) I was told to call back in 24 hours because they were "updating their system" and couldn't take service requests. I then tried to troubleshoot the system as per the instructions on the website. I took off the hdd and started to play Ultimate Alliance again and again it locked up. When I turned the machine back on to eject the game, I got the "red rings." I'm glad MS has taken steps to alleviate the problem, that shows good customer service, but now of my group of friends that got a 360 fairly early in its lifespan (almost 10 people), all have had to get at least one replacement from MS.


Shit I also got mine last April. I've also been playing it a lot lately and worried about the 3 rings....

[Michael Corvin]

my group of friends that got a 360 fairly early in its lifespan (almost 10 people), all have had to get at least one replacement from MS.

I bet the defective percentage is a LOT higher than people think.

[kurupt]

I don't think it's worth worrying about because they have stepped up their warranty. It's really an inconvenience, though.

[taffer]

I bet the defective percentage is a LOT higher than people think.

Yeah I think so too. The original "thick" PS2 was notorious for disc read errors, and so far, I think the 360's red ring of death is even more widespread. I wonder if eventually there will be a lawsuit against MS like the PS2 lawsuit.

[Michael Corvin]

If it was a small percentage, say, under 10% they would just come out and say it. Those numbers are highly guarded though.

[chubacabra]

I guess I'm one of the lucky few. I got my 360 at one of those midnight launches, and I've never had a problem with it. Of course, now that I have said that, it will probably burst into flames the next time I turn it on.

[RichC2]

Heh, the warranty was incredibly worthwhile.

[abrg923]

For those who have played it, how's Phantasy Star Universe? Is it worth playing if you have no intention to take it online? Not interested in a subscription based MMORPG, but I thought I'd give the single-player a run.

[discostu1337]

I have a launch 360...never had a problem. No discs scratched, no over heating. I've even hit it with controllers in a fit of rage in the past :)

I probably shouldnt have said that though, now I'll go turn it on and have the red lights...

[lotsofdvds]

From Wired:

Tune in to the adventures of Butters every week? Wait until you see him in HD.

Wired News has learned that on Tuesday, March 6, Microsoft and Viacom will release the first-ever high-definition episode of the Comedy Central series South Park exclusively on Xbox Live Marketplace.

For the first two weeks of availability, all Xbox Live members will be able to download the episode, titled "Good Times With Weapons," for free.

Additionally, from March 20 through April 3, Best Buy will offer free HD-DVD discs featuring the episode with any purchase of an Xbox 360 console, or the HD-DVD add-on player.

South Park's eleventh season begins Wednesday at 10 PM on Comedy Central; new episodes will appear on Xbox Live Marketplace the following week.

[fumanstan]

Cool, free episode!

Although I don't get the free HD-DVD disc with the 360 console, since it's useless for most without the HD-DVD add on.

[Brooklyn]

For those who have played it, how's Phantasy Star Universe? Is it worth playing if you have no intention to take it online? Not interested in a subscription based MMORPG, but I thought I'd give the single-player a run.

It's awful.

[abrg923]

It's awful.

Any particular reasons?

[Brooklyn]

Any particular reasons?

Here's a thread where I list several.

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=480962

[DJ_Longfellow]

Glad the episode is free for a while....I just watched the Free Sarah Silverman Show episode....nto sure how I felt, bad, but funny, but annoying.

[Flay]

http://news.zdnet.com/2110-9595_22-6164183.html

Microsoft on Monday announced plans to offer a 512-megabyte memory unit for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. It also plans to increase the official size limit of Xbox Live Arcade games from 50MB to 150MB. Microsoft plans to sell the 512MB Memory Unit, available worldwide beginning April 3, for $49.99 in North America.

The unit will come preloaded with the Xbox Live Arcade game "Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved," from developer Bizarre Creations, for a limited time, Microsoft said. The original 64MB Memory Unit will simultaneously drop in price from $39.99 to $29.99.

Hurrah!

[jonw9]

What about a bigger HD?

[tbird2340]

Advice - Buy one.
If you get the rings, call the 800 number and get a new one

:lol: :up:

[KurrptSenate]

played a bit more Lumines and was extremely surprised when I finished with 260,000.

[Draven]

What about a bigger HD?

No shit. That's the one big misstep I think MS has made with the 360. Bigger hard drives should have been available last Christmas at the latest. Stick a 60 G flash drive or something in there at least.

[Schloob1]

TMNT Arcade is now confirmed over on IGN.com 2 great parts about the story, that it will be coming out this month and will only be 400 POINTS.
Thye were not kidding when I read somewhere that since last month was pretty pitiful for XBLA they were going to step it up. We had Alien Hominid right at the end of last month, we are getting Worms shortly and now this. If only they bring out SOTN by the end of the month it will perfect.

[DJ_Longfellow]

I would assume TWO weeks for TMNT to coincide with the movie release....I thought it was a Summer thing, where have I been.

[Michael Corvin]

If only they bring out SOTN by the end of the month it will perfect.

Perfect would be more than 1 game a week. You know, an actual selection.

[DJ_Longfellow]

Perfect would be more than 1 game a week. You know, an actual selection.

What's wrong with one a week. It only opens the door for more bitching. "We had 5 games this week, then you may have nothing the next one." is what people would say.

I think XBLA is GREAT. I just wish they would BUNDLE some games (at a discount of course)...like the Midway Classic stuff. That would be great.

[actyper]

Anybody tryout DDR yet? Do they sell extra mats yet?

[KurrptSenate]

ive only played it on PS1 and PS2. I was never a fan of the floor mats, as they slide and around too much

[Schloob1]

1 a week is just fine, but there's the point that they need to make sure and release 1 a week. We will wait and see if this release consistency can be maintained or we go back to say only 1 or 2 new titles a month.

[Michael Corvin]

What's wrong with one a week. It only opens the door for more bitching. "We had 5 games this week, then you may have nothing the next one." is what people would say.

I think XBLA is GREAT. I just wish they would BUNDLE some games (at a discount of course)...like the Midway Classic stuff. That would be great.

Sure, if you happen to like that particular game every week. They aren't all winners. Nintendo has it right doing 3-4 games. They aren't all winners here either, but with 3-4 a week, chances are pretty good that you will like one of them.

[xmiyux]

And the one a week needs to be some decent titles and not:

1. Updates to current titles (eg. the patch and resetting of the Texas Hold Em leaderboards)

2. Lame retro releases (Pac-Man and then Ms. Pac-Man - please) without some cool update like multiplayer online.

[lotsofdvds]

Anyone download the South Park episode yet? Wondering how it looks, if it's 16x9, what resolution, etc.

[xmiyux]

Sure, if you happen to like that particular game every week. They aren't all winners. Nintendo has it right doing 3-4 games. They aren't all winners here either, but with 3-4 a week, chances are pretty good that you will like one of them.

I'm content with them not all being my taste (i would hate to really want to buy every game every week) but i want to actually see updates to the retro titles and see some new stuff. Actually i'm really chomping at the bit for some XNA titles. Especially if they allow very cheap titles done by small independent programmers or classes in universities. Something inexpensive to gain a cult following and hopefully get the creative programmers a job somewhere cool.

[eatntae]

Anyone download the South Park episode yet? Wondering how it looks, if it's 16x9, what resolution, etc.
I downloaded it. I assume its 720p since that's what it said on the download page. I watched the first 2 minutes just to see how it would look, and it is 16x9. I believe it was about 1000MB.

I didn't have any non-HD versions of South Park to compare, but from what I saw it looked good.

[Xbox69]

I don't get HD for an animated show. What, are they supposed to look more animated? :shrug:

[pinata242]

Just read on Kotaku that Blue Dragon is coming in August and will have 3 "huge" DC packages within the first 4 months of release. Also the original Japanese voice work will be included as well as English.

Lost Odyssey for the Holidays.

[aktick]

I don't get HD for an animated show. What, are they supposed to look more animated? :shrug:
Have you seen the trailers for The Simpsons movie? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they've been in HD (widescreen, at the very least) and I think they look considerably better than the regular 480i show.

[lotsofdvds]

I don't get HD for an animated show. What, are they supposed to look more animated? :shrug:
Wouldn't the benefits of animation in HD be the same as, say, video games?

[edstein]

Wouldn't the benefits of animation in HD be the same as, say, video games?

A 3D animated movie like Toy Story yes. But 2D Simpsons and South Park, not so much, IMO.

[fumanstan]

Just read on Kotaku that Blue Dragon is coming in August and will have 3 "huge" DC packages within the first 4 months of release. Also the original Japanese voice work will be included as well as English.

Lost Odyssey for the Holidays.

Cool, been waiting to hear more about Blue Dragon's release.

[Michael Corvin]

I don't get HD for an animated show. What, are they supposed to look more animated? :shrug:

I don't either. Especially for one that is supposed to look rough, like construction paper. Crisper line detail? Fuller, brighter colors?

[Flay]

Just finished watching and I was impressed with HD South Park. Perhaps it was specific to the episode and its anime tie-in, but everything looked much cleaner and more defined in high-res.

[noonan4224]

I'm watching it now and it looks really good. All the parts that were letterbox before are now full screen since the whole program is 16x9. It's hard to describe but it does look a lot better.

[SteelgearX]

It looks awesome and the episode is fucking funny.

[xmiyux]

I'm looking forward to checking it out. I haven't seen South Park since the 2nd season.

[Nosmo Rex]

Anyone download the South Park episode yet? Wondering how it looks, if it's 16x9, what resolution, etc.

This truly is the reason for which HD was invented.

Cartman's schlong in HD is a marvel to behold.

[Apollo]

The HD South Park is Sweet. Now damn it Microsoft get me a larger hard drive!!

[lotsofdvds]

The HD South Park is Sweet. Now damn it Microsoft get me a larger hard drive!!
The episode looks awesome. And they've indeed re-animated the sides of the image to make it 16x9. There's more information on the sides throughout the episode.

[DVDChris]

Really? Are we sure they didn't crop it? I'll have to check my Season 8 DVDs when I get a chance.

[sniper308]

Finally got an HD display a couple of days ago (its only a 32 inch Samsung LCD, but that's quite a step up from my 27" SD TV) and only had the chance to hook up my standard def DirecTV receiver until tonight, when I hooked up the 360 and checked out some 720P trailers... then just started downloading every 720P movie/trailer, etc I could find in the Market Place.

Pretty amazing stuff. I've had my 360 since launch and finally seeing the "difference" that everyone was talking about regarding gaming in High Def.

Lost Planet and Gears look kick a$$.

[Giantrobo]

Finally got an HD display a couple of days ago (its only a 32 inch Samsung LCD, but that's quite a step up from my 27" SD TV) and only had the chance to hook up my standard def DirecTV receiver until tonight, when I hooked up the 360 and checked out some 720P trailers... then just started downloading every 720P movie/trailer, etc I could find in the Market Place.

Pretty amazing stuff. I've had my 360 since launch and finally seeing the "difference" that everyone was talking about regarding gaming in High Def.

Lost Planet and Gears look kick a$$.

Off topic but are you also playing in 5.1? People talk about the HD but I think many can't or won't play using 5.1 Surround. There are games where 5.1 isn't just pretty sounds, it's actually imprtant to gameplay. My favorite example of this is Rainbow Six Vegas. There are times where enemies open doors behind you(i.e. Terrorist Hunt) and if you don't have 5.1 you don't here them til it's too late.

[KurrptSenate]

In less than 24 hours my brothers new 360 died (3 red lights of death)

[Shagrath]

Off topic but are you also playing in 5.1? People talk about the HD but I think many can't or won't play using 5.1 Surround. There are games where 5.1 isn't just pretty sounds, it's actually imprtant to gameplay. My favorite example of this is Rainbow Six Vegas. There are times where enemies open doors behind you(i.e. Terrorist Hunt) and if you don't have 5.1 you don't here them til it's too late.
I want to hook mine up the 5.1, but there's some problems with dropouts and white noise. I'm not sure if it's the cable or the splitter (I only have two optical ins on my receiver and three components), so I'll have to further troubleshoot to find out what I need to buy to get this thing working.

[Save Ferris]

In less than 24 hours my brothers new 360 died (3 red lights of death)

Thats actually the best time to have any appliance break down :)

[KurrptSenate]

that's what I told him, but I don't think that helped him with the situation.


I'm trying to get him to buy Crackdown after he exchanges his system, but he's being foolish :(

[fumanstan]

South Park definitely looked awesome in HD. A very noticeable difference.

[flashburn]

So was Worms HD released today?

[Shagrath]

So was Worms HD released today?
Yup. Looks like XBLA is starting to get good again.

[Michael Corvin]

Downloaded it this morning before work and made it through one game. :up: Solid, but it will definitely take some getting used to not having all the fancy weapons.

The absolute first game I just downloaded the full game right off the bat. I usually d/l the demo and unlock the full.

[KurrptSenate]

its really the same difference, though

I guess what you were saying is that there was no need to "try before you buy"

[Michael Corvin]

ding. ding. ding. ;)

[noonan4224]

Solid, but it will definitely take some getting used to not having all the fancy weapons.

Which weapons are not there? Please tell me they didn't get rid of the holy hand grenade or iron donkey...

[mmconhea]

6 of the 7 people I know with a 360 is getting worms today. the 7th has the red rings of death. Funny though out of the 7 of us, there was never a time when all of us had a working xbox.

[KurrptSenate]

yea, my bro is in that same predicament.


He was actually mad that I might get worms, since I would never play him previously

[Michael Corvin]

Which weapons are not there? Please tell me they didn't get rid of the holy hand grenade or iron donkey...

Both are gone. One of the developers on Major Nelson's podcast said they wanted to get the game back the strategy element the original had.

[noonan4224]

Both are gone. One of the developers on Major Nelson's podcast said they wanted to get the game back the strategy element the original had.

That's garbage. You just saved me 800 points. Why play Worms without old woman bombs and super sheep?

[pinata242]

There will be upgrade packs for the game at a later point that could add back this functionality. Whether they'll be free or not is unknown.

[Michael Corvin]

I believe they said weapons will not be a part of future upgrades. Voice packs, tombstones, gamerpics & themes.

[Mok]

I love worms so far I'm having a blast, only things is the targeting is a bit of a bitch to get use to.

[dancinns]

5:00 PM cannot roll around fast enough today. I can't wait to get me some Worms.

[Decadance]

Gotta say, Worms is a blast.

[Phod]

The holy hand grande is missed cause it has the best sound effect EVER. The only other equipment item I miss is the parachute.

Everything else, super sheep, concrete donkey, ming vase, various airstrikes... are all just more of the same.

[DVDKrayzie]

i cant believe you can't do 2 on 2 team deathmatch online. This completely ruins the game for the 4 of us who couldnt wait for this game. Hell we still play worms 3d on xbox live almost every week (that game has team DM). Also the sudden death where it mmakes everyone just go to 1 health sucks. You could turn that off and only make the water rise in the other versions. now people just let the time run down.

overall it's pretty good, but they did overlook quite a few of the little things.

[JasonF]

I never played Worms, but I'm old school enough that I used to play Scorched Earth back in the day. Downloaded the Worms trial last night, though it's looking more and more like I won't get a chance to check it out until the weekend.

[noonan4224]

I did enjoy playing worms last night even though it's missing so many weapons. I know they weren't really needed but they were fun as hell. They even got rid of the homing pigeons. As much as I loved the HHG, I think I'm going to miss the super sheep the most.

[mmconhea]

I bought worms, but probably shouldn't have. It's disappointing some of the best weapons are gone. The Baseball bat was the greatest, Period. Knocking people into the water- just pure bliss. It's gone, along with the chute and the holy grenade.

I also miss the ability to toggle on/off worm changing prior to a turn. that really increased the fun-factor in older versions.

Overall, this is a stripped down, bare bones version of a 10 year old game.

If they try to sell us these missing weapons as upgrades at a later date, it won't do. That's just an money-hungry asshole thing to hold out on that in order to sell it as an upgrade.

[noonan4224]

If they try to sell us these missing weapons as upgrades at a later date, it won't do. That's just an money-hungry asshole thing to hold out on that in order to sell it as an upgrade.

Yup. As much as I miss them, there's no way in hell I'm going to pay more for them later.

[Michael Corvin]

I can't say I won't, but if we are talking 10-20 points each, :shrug: $1 a weapon wouldn't fly.

[KurrptSenate]

yea, but what would happen if you were to buy a few weapons, and the person you are playing with online didn't...

seems kinda dumb

[Michael Corvin]

yea, but what would happen if you were to buy a few weapons, and the person you are playing with online didn't...

seems kinda dumb

Didn't think of that. But, the game is still a fully functional offline four player game. So you could enable new weapons offline, just not online. Limited but could still work if anyone has aspirations of playing local co-op.

[Shagrath]

I bought worms, but probably shouldn't have. It's disappointing some of the best weapons are gone. The Baseball bat was the greatest, Period. Knocking people into the water- just pure bliss. It's gone, along with the chute and the holy grenade.

I also miss the ability to toggle on/off worm changing prior to a turn. that really increased the fun-factor in older versions.

Overall, this is a stripped down, bare bones version of a 10 year old game.

If they try to sell us these missing weapons as upgrades at a later date, it won't do. That's just an money-hungry asshole thing to hold out on that in order to sell it as an upgrade.

From what I understand, Team 17 wanted to take out some of the overpowered and "cheap" weapons to make for a more balanced and strategic game. They have stated that the DLC will not be more weapons, but gamerpics, themes, custom tombstones, and other things like that.

[maingon]

I bought worms, but probably shouldn't have. It's disappointing some of the best weapons are gone. The Baseball bat was the greatest, Period. Knocking people into the water- just pure bliss. It's gone, along with the chute and the holy grenade.

I also miss the ability to toggle on/off worm changing prior to a turn. that really increased the fun-factor in older versions.

Overall, this is a stripped down, bare bones version of a 10 year old game.

If they try to sell us these missing weapons as upgrades at a later date, it won't do. That's just an money-hungry asshole thing to hold out on that in order to sell it as an upgrade.


that sucks this was the funniest Game to play mulitplayer. Now we need Chu-chu Rocket :)

[Vryce]

that sucks this was the funniest Game to play mulitplayer. Now we need Chu-chu Rocket :)

That would be an awesome game to bring to Live arcade. I loved playing that on the dreamcast.

[xmiyux]

that sucks this was the funniest Game to play mulitplayer. Now we need Chu-chu Rocket :)

Chu-Chu Rocket online was a blast.

Although more than that i want Super Puzzle Fighter II.

[achau9598]

I'd still like to see Ghosts and Goblins brought to the XLBA.

[KurrptSenate]

Chu-Chu Rocket online was a blast.

Although more than that i want Super Puzzle Fighter II.



if you have a PSP, you CAN play that online :D

[Vryce]

if you have a PSP, you CAN play that online :D

Puzzle fighter or chu chu rocket?

If chu chu, you have to spill the details. I have a psp.

[Wick]

I'd still like to see Ghosts and Goblins brought to the XLBA.

That used to be one of my favourite SNES games. I actually recently purchased an old Sega collection for the PS2, just so that I could play that and Ghouls and Ghosts again.

[KurrptSenate]

i was referring to puzzle fighter, actually


but, its using a program called Xlink, which fools your PSP (in ad-hoc) mode into thinking theres another psp in close proximity, but in actuality, allows you to connect to others over the internets.

I know chu was for GBA, but that wasn't online :/

[mmconhea]

From what I understand, Team 17 wanted to take out some of the overpowered and "cheap" weapons to make for a more balanced and strategic game. They have stated that the DLC will not be more weapons, but gamerpics, themes, custom tombstones, and other things like that.

unfortunatley worms fans don't give a shit what Team 17 wants. We play worms for the fun weapons. I play for the baseball bat. It's stupid to release a 2006 version of a game and make it have half the features of the last release. Shit the dreamcast version had far more features and online play.

[noonan4224]

Worms Armageddon for Dreamcast was easily the best version of the game to come out.

[KurrptSenate]

well, for people like me, all those extra weapons really turned me off of the game. when you have players doing impossible sh!t with ninja ropes, killing off a worm, and bailing before you can even hit them on your turn, it really makes ya hate the game.

so, maybe it was for people who are new to the series as well :/

[Michael Corvin]

well, for people like me, all those extra weapons really turned me off of the game. when you have players doing impossible sh!t with ninja ropes, killing off a worm, and bailing before you can even hit them on your turn, it really makes ya hate the game.

so, maybe it was for people who are new to the series as well :/

Exactly. They were fun, but no one can argue that they weren't cheap.

[noonan4224]

I wouldn't really call it cheap since all teams had the weapons available. Plus, it would usually take many rounds to unlock them. If there are worms still alive after 20 rounds I think a nuclear test is very fitting.

[Deftones]

Ok, this is bizarre.

My friend can see me online, but I can't see him. We can't play a game right now b/c of this issue. We've played several games in the last week. Any ideas why this would happen?

[amped]

Any chance he changed his personal settings as to who can see him online? Can he send you a game invite?

[Deftones]

We figured it out. Well, I should say, the problem corrected itself. I reset my modem, router and system. He did the same. It may have been a network issue as I was getting some lag.

[goLUCKY]

I just got an email from xbox.com:

Dear goLUCKY,

Thank you for your interest in Xbox Rewards. Due to technical issues, you may have experienced difficulties while trying to register for Xbox Rewards. Please accept our sincere apologies. To help make up for any inconvenience this may have caused you, we are providing you with two Xbox LIVE® Arcade games*. (Use the tokens provided at the end of this email).

All technical issues have now been resolved and we would like to welcome you to come back to Xbox Rewards and join the Old Spice Experience Challenge**. To help ensure that you have enough time to complete the Challenge, we have extended the Challenge Period by 10 days. You now have until April 22, 2007, to increase your gamerscore by 1,500 and get rewarded. Here are the key things that you need to know when returning to Xbox Rewards and joining the Old Spice Experience Challenge:


They sent me the codes for Joust and Robotron.

[fleegs]

I just got an email from xbox.com:


They sent me the codes for Joust and Robotron.

I was sent a similar email, but without the codes. No fair. :)

[abrg923]

I saw that some people were able to get free XBLA games by registering their console online. Is that still going on?

[RichC2]

That was a special period thing....


....they did send me Joust and Robotron for the oldspice thing today too tho.

[Gromit]

I don't want Joust or Robotron, but I didn't even get the email.

[KurrptSenate]

Edstein : sorry I missed your invite last night. When I got the message I had a full room (i was hosting and just can't leave, ya know) I tried inviting you later, but assumed you had a similar situation

[abrg923]

That was a special period thing....


....they did send me Joust and Robotron for the oldspice thing today too tho.

Really? I wasn't aware they were giving those two games out in the contest.

Has anyone else gotten any of their prizes?

[mmconhea]

well, for people like me, all those extra weapons really turned me off of the game. when you have players doing impossible sh!t with ninja ropes, killing off a worm, and bailing before you can even hit them on your turn, it really makes ya hate the game.


you can still be cheap.. They left in the Air Strike weapon.

The crate issue is still there. They allwas drop on impossible to reach locations and never conatin any useful weapons.

On a positive note. I got all the aceivements and beat the challenges in one night, about 3 hours - pretty easy.

[KurrptSenate]

eh, that stuff doesn't piss me off nearly as much. I mean, its pretty easy to call in an air strike, so I don't feel "left in the dark" as far as that goes

[Michael Corvin]

^ The airstrike doesn't seem that powerful. Played for a couple hours last night with some friends. Good times. My first achievement was the "three bagger" I thought that would have been one of the tougher ones. :lol:

You can still do all sorts of crazy shit with the ninja rope.

[PixyJunket]

Castle Crashers = Want :(

[xmiyux]

Castle Crashers = Want :(

Me too.

[edstein]

Edstein : sorry I missed your invite last night. When I got the message I had a full room (i was hosting and just can't leave, ya know) I tried inviting you later, but assumed you had a similar situation

no problem. we had a lopsided 2 on 3 room and needed 1 more person. maybe next time.

[KurrptSenate]

well, im sure Ill be on again tonight for way too many hours, if you wanna try again

[BBEANLPHIE]

Looks like this weeks release is TMNT with 4 player coop via Xbox live for 400 MS points

http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/default.aspx

[killershark]

Are there any current deals on MS points? I'm looking to pick up worms later.

[Shagrath]

Are there any current deals on MS points? I'm looking to pick up worms later.
The best running deal is picking them up at Best Buy with the "Gamer Gift Card." It's a standard gift card, but it contains a $5 off coupon for any game of accessory $19.99 and up, so that knocks the card down to $14.99 (no tax on MS Points). These are somewhat hard to come buy at some BB's, but there is also a coupon running in GamePro for the same thing ($5 off an accessory), and if you look hard enough, you can find scans of these coupons online.

[Kicker_of_Elves]

Looks like this weeks release is TMNT with 4 player coop via Xbox live for 400 MS points

http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/default.aspx

Kickass!

[killershark]

The best running deal is picking them up at Best Buy with the "Gamer Gift Card." It's a standard gift card, but it contains a $5 off coupon for any game of accessory $19.99 and up, so that knocks the card down to $14.99 (no tax on MS Points). These are somewhat hard to come buy at some BB's, but there is also a coupon running in GamePro for the same thing ($5 off an accessory), and if you look hard enough, you can find scans of these coupons online.


Thanks, I searched for a gampro coupon but only found one that expired on 2/27. If anyone has a link to a more recent five dollars off coupon, it would be very appreciated.

[BBEANLPHIE]

I just hope that the COOP over Live isnt buggy and works smoothly

[Michael Corvin]

Thanks, I searched for a gampro coupon but only found one that expired on 2/27. If anyone has a link to a more recent five dollars off coupon, it would be very appreciated.

Courtesy of Rictor on CheapAssGamer.com (http://img452.imageshack.us/my.php?image=coupons1hf5.jpg)

[killershark]

Courtesy of Rictor on CheapAssGamer.com (http://img452.imageshack.us/my.php?image=coupons1hf5.jpg)


Thanks!

[xmiyux]

This month the demo disc in the newest OXM has the GRAW chapter 2 co-op stuff packed on the disc for free. This was the download that originally cost like 15$ and was reduced in price to i believe 10$. It also has some GRAW 2 gamer pics on the disc and something new.

There is going to be some sort of meta-game from issue to issue. The OXM points you accrue watching videos and playing the demos will now be spent in some sort of new space exploration game that each demo disc will now expand. I haven't scoped it out yet or the magazine for that matter but it sounds pretty cool!

[Giantrobo]

This month the demo disc in the newest OXM has the GRAW chapter 2 co-op stuff packed on the disc for free. This was the download that originally cost like 15$ and was reduced in price to i believe 10$. It also has some GRAW 2 gamer pics on the disc and something new.

There is going to be some sort of meta-game from issue to issue. The OXM points you accrue watching videos and playing the demos will now be spent in some sort of new space exploration game that each demo disc will now expand. I haven't scoped it out yet or the magazine for that matter but it sounds pretty cool!


Free GRAW maps? Whaaat?

[xmiyux]

That Chapter 2 download is on the newest OXM disc for free.

[Save Ferris]

does any place rent out actual xbox consoles?

[Kicker_of_Elves]

Doesn't Blockbuster?

[Save Ferris]

i called 2 of them and they acted like I was crazy.

[Mr. Music]

I haven't noticed anyone renting consoles since before the original X-Box was released.... not even sure if I ever saw anyone renting out the original Playstation either.

[edstein]

does any place rent out actual xbox consoles?

Did you send yours out for repair/replacement?

[goLUCKY]

Hey, Prime....(Save Ferris) I'll rent you mine for $390.00 ;)

[Save Ferris]

theyre sending me a shipping box in 3 days. oh well! lol its completely my fault though. lesson learned.

Maybe i should get a used extra console if theyre cheap enough...

[Michael Corvin]

theyre sending me a shipping box in 3 days. oh well! lol its completely my fault though. lesson learned.

Maybe i should get a used extra console if theyre cheap enough...

or a wii.

:)

[edstein]

theyre sending me a shipping box in 3 days. oh well! lol its completely my fault though. lesson learned.

Maybe i should get a used extra console if theyre cheap enough...

I think I got the same virus that you have. I got the three red rings tonight. Son of Bitch! :grunt: Good thing I bought the extended warranty. I've had my system since launch and this is the first real problem I've had. My shipping box is is on it's way too.

[KurrptSenate]

Is anyone else excited for Armored Core 4?


I think Gears was the last time I was actually waiting for a game to be released

[xmiyux]

I'm very excitedly awaiting Shadowrun. It looks like a good deal of fun, has bots for offline play, and is supposed to hit in April.

[DJ_Longfellow]

So, anyone get TMNT on XBLA today?

[KurrptSenate]

I loved the old SNES title (shadowrun), but something tells me they won't be even remotely alike

[Vryce]

Shadowrun is a game I'm very much looking forward too.. My only gripe with it is I wanted it to be more an RPG type game then a FPS. But still, the press I've read and the screenshots make it look like a good game.

[xmiyux]

Yeah the new Shadowrun game is not like the RPG at all. It is basically Counterstrike with spells and tech. It also has no single player game. It is multiplayer only or you can play by yourself with a bunch of bots.

It looks really really good from what i have seen and the 1up podcast has discussed. Cool abilities and tech look like it will give the game some legs. I'm just hoping the PC crowd playing with the Console crowd doesn't make things horrific. I also hope you can set specific limits in your games like PC only or Console only.

They have said it will support Halo party style matchmaking which makes it win in my book.

[xmiyux]

Shadowrun is a game I'm very much looking forward too.. My only gripe with it is I wanted it to be more an RPG type game then a FPS. But still, the press I've read and the screenshots make it look like a good game.

Did you listen to that 1up podcast where they spoke with the FASA guy? He kind of implied that if the game does well they would like to do an RPG in the Shadowrun verse (because this game has none of the Matrix, jacking into vehicles etc.).

They also implied that being multiplayer only and being the first Live Anywhere game it may not be released at the 60$ price point but a little cheaper. Personally i think if the thing was launched at 39.99 it would sell really well for the price alone.

[Vryce]

a $39.99 launch would be sweet.

My favorite part of playing the actual shadow run game was the hacking part. The GM used to have special gaming sessions set aside for me so that I could do the computer stuff and not bore to tears the other players that would effectively be standing around guarding my body. At times, he did have them in the room to combat enemies etc that were trying to stop my hacking in both the computer and physically by damaging my body. It made for some intense sessions when I was getting black ice or something launched against me in the computer at the same time someone is shooting my body.

[kakihara1]

Is Shadowrun going to launch for 360 and Windows simultaneously? Either way I'm buying it but I'm curious because I have a friend who refuses to play 360 games but loves PC gaming. He wants to be able to play the first live anywhere title with me as soon as humanly possible. Basically he wants to show me his superior mouse and keyboard prowess; little does he know that compromises between the two have been made for balance.

[xmiyux]

I'm sure it will shock nobody who knows me but i played a shaman. I mostly played a country shaman who somehow ended up living in a city and wasn't too happy about that fact. My fav character ever though was when they released the Cat Shaman archetype in a book. That character was a city shaman and it was so much fun to play. If they were not clean they suffered effects to all their die rolls. They also had to make Will checks every time they used a combat spell and if they failed the check they automatically did the minimum damage because they wanted to toy with their enemy. However if they ever suffered any damage they had to make a Will check or they would respond to their attacker with the strongest spell they had in their arsenal even if it meant casting the spell would knock the shaman out or cause them to suffer damage. :lol: I thought it captured the cat thing pretty well.

[xmiyux]

Is Shadowrun going to launch for 360 and Windows simultaneously? Either way I'm buying it but I'm curious because I have a friend who refuses to play 360 games but loves PC gaming. He wants to be able to play the first live anywhere title with me as soon as humanly possible. Basically he wants to show me his superior mouse and keyboard prowess; little does he know that compromises between the two have been made for balance.

It is supposed to be a simultaneous launch from what i have heard and seen.

[kakihara1]

xmiyux where are you getting April from? The last I knew it was supposed to be closer to summer in the June timeframe.

[lordwow]

I finally caved in and bought an 360 last night. Along with the Gold Live Camera thing (12 months of Xbox Live Gold, 3 games (namely, Uno), camera, and headset), 1600 points, and an extra controller.

Haven't picked up any games yet though, have a huge film shoot next weekend and I can't afford to waste my free time on something so tempting as Gears.

Probably be gaming around the beginning of April though.

[Michael Corvin]

xmiyux where are you getting April from? The last I knew it was supposed to be closer to summer in the June timeframe.

Correct. Posted today on Gamerscore Blog (http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2007/03/14/542900.aspx)

First paragraph of a very long press release about Windows LIVE(see link for the rest):

REDMOND, Wash. — March 14, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the extension of the Xbox LIVE® games and entertainment network to the Windows® platform, bringing together the most popular online console game service with the most popular games platform in the world. Debuting on May 8, 2007, with the launch of the Windows Vista™ version of the Xbox® blockbuster “Halo® 2,” Games for Windows — LIVE will connect Windows gamers to over six million gamers already in the Xbox LIVE community. Then, launching in June, “Shadowrun™” will for the first time connect Windows gamers with Xbox 360™ players in cross-platform matches using a single service. “UNO®,” releasing later in 2007, will also support cross-platform play between Windows and Xbox 360.

[edstein]

Question: If I've already bought Uno for the 360, will I have to rebuy the version for windows?

[mrpayroll]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070314/tc_nm/microsoft_videogames_live_dc_1

Microsoft service to link console, PC gamers online
Wed Mar 14, 8:35 AM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) on Wednesday said its Live online service, which has attracted 6 million Xbox 360 console gamers, will be open in May to PC gamers who use its new Windows Vista operating system.

The move comes nearly a year after Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said the company's vision was for "anywhere" gaming that would link video game consoles, cell phones and computers, and is a key step toward reaching that goal.

The PC version of Live will debut on May 8 with the launch of the Windows Vista version of "Halo 2," Microsoft's popular alien shooter game.

In June, Microsoft Game Studios will release "Shadowrun," the first game where Live will support competition between players on the Xbox 360 and PCs.

Live members will need just one account, whether they play on the Xbox 360, the PC, or both machines.

Microsoft offers two Live subscription levels. Silver membership is free and the Gold level, which includes cross-platform play and other multiplayer features, costs about $50 per year.

Microsoft's online gaming service has been a key selling point for its Xbox 360 video game console, which was released in November 2005 and competes with Sony Corp.'s (6758.T) (NYSE:SNE - news) PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s (7974.OS) Wii for top billing in the $30 billion global video game market.


Just in case it wasn't clear.

Chris

[xmiyux]

That then means PC users will have to pay the yearly fee to play on Live. I wonder if this will scuttle it from the onset.

[Kicker_of_Elves]

So, anyone get TMNT on XBLA today?

I got it and played thru the first 2 levels by myself. It is without a doubt my favorite arcade title on Live. Just waiting for my buds to get done at work so we can play online co-op. :D

[lordwow]

I got it and played thru the first 2 levels by myself. It is without a doubt my favorite arcade title on Live. Just waiting for my buds to get done at work so we can play online co-op. :D

I'm hoping for the 6-player X-Men arcade game.

[DJ_Longfellow]

Yeah, TMNT sounds fun....I know you have to complete the game in one sitting though (CAG chat), so that annoys me a little, since time is precious lately.

[lordwow]

Quick question, I'm going to pick up my 360 from BB today.

Should I get the BB Service Plan or the one through Microsoft?

[mrpayroll]

That then means PC users will have to pay the yearly fee to play on Live. I wonder if this will scuttle it from the onset.

Well, why shouldn't PC users pay the same as XBox 360 users, as long as the same amount of games are available?

Chris

[xmiyux]

Microsoft.

BB will replace it once in store. MS will replace any future replacements if they have any problems (iow it transfers to the new console).

[fumanstan]

I'm hoping for the 6-player X-Men arcade game.

I agree, that would be awesome :up:

[xmiyux]

Well, why shouldn't PC users pay the same as XBox 360 users, as long as the same amount of games are available?

Chris

Except outside of MMORPG PC online gaming has traditionally been free. That combined with Live using P2P instead of dedicated servers i imagine would rankle some PC traditionalist. The whole, charging them to play a game and then using their own machines to host the games... it isn't as great a deal in the PC world.

Also, Live on the PC will have what, 2 games? Halo 2 and Shadowrun?

[Michael Corvin]

Also, Live on the PC will have what, 2 games? Halo 2 and Shadowrun?

and UNO!

[lordwow]

Microsoft.

BB will replace it once in store. MS will replace any future replacements if they have any problems (iow it transfers to the new console).

Cool thanks.

[pizzamousechips]

The TMNT 1989 game ain't half bad. It's actually pretty fun if you get 4-player online co-op going. Since it's not a competition, people act less like jerks. It's definitely better than the usual trash-talking mayhem in every other Live game.

[abrg923]

TMNT rules.

Unlocked the secret achievement..."Fall into a manhole 5 times", worth zero points. :lol:

[Michael Corvin]

^ :lol: That is awesome.

I was hoping Worms would bring some crazy ass achievements like that, but they are ho-hum run of the mill stuff.

[abrg923]

^ :lol: That is awesome.

I was hoping Worms would bring some crazy ass achievements like that, but they are ho-hum run of the mill stuff.

Agreed. TMNT's are really cool...for example, there's an achievement for not getting turned into a baby turtle by Shredder during the boss fight, which is actually pretty tricky. Neat stuff like that.

[ElementZ]

Anyone want to get some TMNT going tomorrow night. I have Friday off and can't seem to sleep at all lately. Going to download it once I have a chance.

[lordwow]

Picked up my 360 just now. Was a bit heavy to lug home for a 15 minute walk, but glad to have it in my hands. Not sure if I'll have time to set it up tonight, but this weekend definately.

[freakjae]

I'm up for some TMNT co-op...brings back memories

[Michael Corvin]

Looks like Arcade Unplugged has had a price drop, $19.99(confirmed on Amazon, EB, Gamestop and Gamerush). It would be sweet to nab it at Best Buy with a coupon for $15.

Games included:

*Geometry Wars
* Bejeweled 2 Deluxe
* Wik - Fable of Souls
* Hardwood Backgammon
* Outpost Kaloki X

Pretty good deal if you don't own any. Wik & GW are great. Backgammon is good. Don't know anything about the other two.

[DJ_Longfellow]

TMNT was fun....played around a bit last night. Nice 400 points spent.

[xmiyux]

Looks like Arcade Unplugged has had a price drop, $19.99(confirmed on Amazon, EB, Gamestop and Gamerush). It would be sweet to nab it at Best Buy with a coupon for $15.

Games included:

*Geometry Wars
* Bejeweled 2 Deluxe
* Wik - Fable of Souls
* Hardwood Backgammon
* Outpost Kaloki X

Pretty good deal if you don't own any. Wik & GW are great. Backgammon is good. Don't know anything about the other two.

Outpost Kaloki was a good deal of fun. I have yet to finish all the achievements for it but have enjoyed the several hours i spent playing it.

[JasonF]

Does anyone have a link to an upcoming release calendar for the 360? There's a bunch of stuff I'm looking forward to picking up (Assassin's Creed, Bioshock, Alan Wake, Blue Dragon, Mass Effect, etc., etc.), but I have no idea if I'm waiting until next month or waiting until November.

[Michael Corvin]

Bioshock - August
Alan Wake - next year
Blue Dragon - August
Mass Effect - May (I think)
Assassin's Creed - Fall, no month specified

[xmiyux]

I keep hearing rumors of Shadowrun in April, but has anyone seen it confirmed anywhere?

Also, any new news on Culdcept Saga?

[KurrptSenate]

um

Amored Core, April 21ish






yea, thats all I really care about right now

[Michael Corvin]

I keep hearing rumors of Shadowrun in April, but has anyone seen it confirmed anywhere?

Also, any new news on Culdcept Saga?

scroll back a page or so, there are a couple of articles about it. Windows LIVE doesn't launch until May. Shadowrun is the big title to help launch the service. So technically I don't even think it will work until LIVE is, uh, live since it is a MP only title. It won't be out until June.

[xmiyux]

scroll back a page or so, there are a couple of articles about it. Windows LIVE doesn't launch until May. Shadowrun is the big title to help launch the service. So technically I don't even think it will work until LIVE is, uh, live since it is a MP only title. It won't be out until June.

I wondered about that but i have seen in multiple places buzzing about a possible April launch. It is probably just buzz and speculation but i was hoping.

[lotsofdvds]

Xbox Live movie downloads up 400%
Increase since launch makes site No. 2 behind iTunes
By Jennifer Netherby 3/15/2007

MARCH 15 | Microsoft says movie and TV show downloads through its Xbox Live Marketplace are up 400% since they began selling in November, making Xbox Live the No. 2 download site behind iTunes, the company said.

Microsoft isn’t giving actual download numbers, so it’s unclear how many movie and TV show episodes it has sold.

Xbox Live Marketplace allows Xbox 360 users to download movie and TV show rentals to their system for playback on the TV.

ITunes leads the paid video download market, with a 90% share in the third quarter of last year, according to the latest numbers from research firm NPD Group. Although that number has likely shifted some following new download stores launched by Microsoft, Wal-mart and others, iTunes is still expected to lead by a wide margin.

The overall download market remains small, however. Last week, Walt Disney Co. chief Bob Iger said the studio had sold roughly 2 million movies and 20 million TV shows on iTunes since the site added movies to its video lineup in October. ITunes offers movie downloads from Disney, Paramount Pictures and Lionsgate and TV downloads from all the major networks and cable outlets.

Microsoft offers movie and TV show downloads from Warner Bros., Paramount, Lionsgate, MTV, CBS, NBC and others. The site also offers high-definition downloads, the only download site to offer high-def downloads from major studios.

Last week, Comedy Central and Microsoft began offering the first high-definition download of South Park to users for free for two weeks.

[Mopower]

Now come out with a bigger HD or enable USB drives so we can actually keep more than 5 tv episodes. I don't get why they allow you to stream video to your 360 from a computer but you can't do it from a USB drive.

[mmconhea]

I think microsoft is counting all downloads (free ones) not sold. I doubt what they have sold is anywhere near that of Apple, which reports sales.

[KurrptSenate]

well, just because they are "#2" doesn't mean it puts them close to what apple has done with iTUNES

[mrpayroll]

http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=6973&sid=71b467628e802c0dc853e2e26a0d6cf5&title=Xbox+360+successor+coming!

Xbox 360 successor coming!
In *cough* 2012.

Microsoft honcho Peter Moore has revealed that the company is already laying down plans for the Xbox 360's successor, with 2012 the date circled in red on the company calendar. Moore's announcement regarding Microsoft's next-next generation machine came in an interview with North American games mag EGM, and apparently a crack team at the Seattle-based firm is already exploring what potential computing power will be around five years from now.

Meanwhile, Moore also hinted to the magazine that Microsoft was on the verge of dropping the Xbox 360 Core system altogether, though steered clear of official confirmation on the matter.


I'd better get my 360 on Ebay before it's too late!

Chris

[Giantrobo]

http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=6973&sid=71b467628e802c0dc853e2e26a0d6cf5&title=Xbox+360+successor+coming!




I'd better get my 360 on Ebay before it's too late!

Chris


I'll bet most of us will be on our 6th or 7th 360 Refurb by then. :lol::(

[pinata242]

I'd better get my 360 on Ebay before it's too late!
You're assuming that the 720 will be backward compatible with the 360. Be careful...

[Cusm]

I'll be most of us will be on our 6th or 7th 360 Refurb by then. :lol::(


Hell I am on my 3rd and it has only been 15 months of ownership.

[actyper]

I'll be most of us will be on our 6th or 7th 360 Refurb by then. :lol::(

What if we all put a little marking on our 360 before we send it in. See if any of us get eachother's old 360. :)

[Michael Corvin]

Hell I am on my 3rd and it has only been 15 months of ownership.

ditto. Halfway there already.

[JasonF]

Next weeks XBLA release is Castlevania!!!! :banana:

http://www.gamestooge.com/2007/03/16/castlevania-hits-arcade-march-21/

Actually, since I just played it through about 3 months ago on my PS1, I probably won't buy it yet. But I'm sure, sooner or later, I'll get a hankering to play again and will download it.

[Schloob1]

Next weeks XBLA release is Castlevania!!!! :banana:



Sweet, looking forward to it at that price.


And to you guys who are already on your 3rd 360, how much do you guys play or how do you have your system set-up in your entertainment center?
It just seems you either have them set-up to fail or play a whole hell of a lot,
or just some serious bad luck.

[Michael Corvin]

Mine is an open setup. I'll post a pic later. Plenty of room to breathe. I do play a lot though. Probably 10 hours a week.

[Shagrath]

And to you guys who are already on your 3rd 360, how much do you guys play or how do you have your system set-up in your entertainment center?
It just seems you either have them set-up to fail or play a whole hell of a lot,
or just some serious bad luck.
I'm on my 2nd 360, but never got the red lights. Mine just started to have trouble reading discs, so I took it back. I've got mine in a semi-enclosed space in my entertainment center, but it does have several inches to breathe on the sides and back, and plenty of room above it and an open space in the front. I play quite a bit, and this one doesn't run near as loud or hot as my first box, so maybe the first one was just a dud to begin with.

[Giantrobo]

And to you guys who are already on your 3rd 360, how much do you guys play or how do you have your system set-up in your entertainment center?
It just seems you either have them set-up to fail or play a whole hell of a lot,
or just some serious bad luck.


I haven't had to replace mine yet and I'm going on 1 year in April. I do have my 360 in an entertainment center but I always play it with my fan blowing air right on it the whole time.

[kurupt]

I'm playing through Symphony of the Night again now on the PS3, so I probably won't buy the XBL version immediately, but I'll definitely get it soon, if only to support it. Probably my favorite game of all time.

[Schloob1]

Mine is an open setup. I'll post a pic later. Plenty of room to breathe. I do play a lot though. Probably 10 hours a week.

Wow, only 10 hours a week. That is not a lot at all actually(less than 2 hours a day), unless you also use it to play movies and do not count that time. I figure I average around 15-20 hours a week but never use it to play movies. I never want to comment on stuff like this but my launch one is doing just fine and so our the ones that 5 of my close friends have had at least for a year now. It's just when I hear of some of you guys already being on for example a 3rd unit that there just has to be something perhaps being done wrong, but apparently just really bad luck. Personally I don't have a digital camera or I would post a pic of mine,but this is what I have my system on. If anyone has seen this before it actually has slats that rest on the different levels. That way my 360 actually has open air hitting underneath it as well. The entertainment center is also one of the only ones I could find that looked nice and can hold my Sony 36XS955 (240 pounds). Well, good luck on this one Michael.

http://www.lovanusa.com/index.php?cPath=3_13&osCsid=8c9911e5b0bec51266af017b66e0be27

[Suprmallet]

I'm all over Castlevania.

[Cusm]

And to you guys who are already on your 3rd 360, how much do you guys play or how do you have your system set-up in your entertainment center?
It just seems you either have them set-up to fail or play a whole hell of a lot,
or just some serious bad luck.



I attribute mine to bad luck. I use a stainless steel wire rack for my entertainment center, and the 360 has air flow 360 degrees; it sits on the bottom shelf by itself and has no other equipment within 18" of it to cause any heat issues. The first time it went out, I had not turned it on in 2.5 weeks, then I got GRAW and within 5 minutes of playing I got the 3 rings. The second one was also after a brief hiatus, about 1.5-2 weeks and again after a period under an hour, the 3 red lights.

[Shagrath]

I attribute mine to bad luck. I use a stainless steel wire rack for my entertainment center, and the 360 has air flow 360 degrees; it sits on the bottom shelf by itself and has no other equipment within 18" of it to cause any heat issues. The first time it went out, I had not turned it on in 2.5 weeks, then I got GRAW and within 5 minutes of playing I got the 3 rings. The second one was also after a brief hiatus, about 1.5-2 weeks and again after a period under an hour, the 3 red lights.
Maybe they were pissed that you hadn't payed them any attention in a while? Just a thought. :) You should play every day!

[Michael Corvin]

Wow, only 10 hours a week. That is not a lot at all actually(less than 2 hours a day), unless you also use it to play movies and do not count that time. I figure I average around 15-20 hours a week but never use it to play movies. I never want to comment on stuff like this but my launch one is doing just fine and so our the ones that 5 of my close friends have had at least for a year now. It's just when I hear of some of you guys already being on for example a 3rd unit that there just has to be something perhaps being done wrong, but apparently just really bad luck. Personally I don't have a digital camera or I would post a pic of mine,but this is what I have my system on. If anyone has seen this before it actually has slats that rest on the different levels. That way my 360 actually has open air hitting underneath it as well. The entertainment center is also one of the only ones I could find that looked nice and can hold my Sony 36XS955 (240 pounds). Well, good luck on this one Michael.

http://www.lovanusa.com/index.php?cPath=3_13&osCsid=8c9911e5b0bec51266af017b66e0be27

I actually have mine on two 1/4" thick square tubes so there is air flow beneath as well. I think it is just bad luck. My recent refurb sent to me seems like a brand new one though. Although in the past week it has frozen up on me 3 times(twice in Lego SWII and once in Crackdown). :( Hasn't done that since I got it back.

[fumanstan]

The TMNT 1989 game ain't half bad. It's actually pretty fun if you get 4-player online co-op going. Since it's not a competition, people act less like jerks. It's definitely better than the usual trash-talking mayhem in every other Live game.

I'm enjoying it quite a bit, and the price was right too. Fun and easy to pick up. Here's hoping for more of these old beat em ups!

[lordwow]

Set up my Xbox 360 last night and have probably logged around 12 hours between Uno, GRAW, and Vegas. I can't remember the last time I gamed this much.

[outer-edge]

I'm enjoying it quite a bit, and the price was right too. Fun and easy to pick up. Here's hoping for more of these old beat em ups!

Since Konami and Ubisoft worked out license issues, I sure hope we see some other licensed beat-em-ups from the past. My wish list is: X-Men, Simpsons and Dungeons and Dragons.

[kurupt]

I'm still waiting on either a repair or a replacement to be sent to me,but when I get it back, I'm looking forward to the TMNT Arcade game. Those games take me back. I would love X-Men or even and arcade-perfect Double Dragon to make an appearance too.

[Trevor]

Just making sure you all know....

Halo 3 Legendary price increased to $129. Circuit City still has it at $99 and has a price guarantee.

[Michael Corvin]

My brother logged into 360Voice yesterday and had this funny message waiting for him...

aje1's Xbox - 3/17/2007

aje1 was absent yesterday... I was smelling something that reminded me of sweat... he better not be playing with a Nintendo Wii... burning calories while playing games is just wrong.

[timewaster]

OK. how do u get back to the dashboard when you're in a game?
Hitting the "X" box ball on the controller gives me an option to shutdown the console. There is a way to get to the dashboard also. i've done this by accident but can't reproduce it. so how do u do it?

[Mr. Music]

Just tap the "X-Box ball" instead of holding it down.

[Michael Corvin]

Just tap the "X-Box ball" instead of holding it down.

followed by hitting the Y button.

[ChrisHicks]

Just making sure you all know....

Halo 3 Legendary price increased to $129. Circuit City still has it at $99 and has a price guarantee.
thanks for the reminder. I just placed my order.

[Michael Corvin]

I went by CC tonight and the only cards they had for preorder had the standard($59) and the Limited Edition($69). These were on the same preorder card. Is there a seperate one for the legendary? If so, mine was out.

I see it is $99 on the website, but you have to pay in full versus only $10 down in store.

[Save Ferris]

do you guys think halo3 of all games, is going to be hard to find on release day?

[taffer]

do you guys think halo3 of all games, is going to be hard to find on release day?

No. Gamestop will probably under-order too few copies, but they purposefully do that with every game to create the appearance of a shortage.. Any other store that sells video games (Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-mart, etc) will have a ton of copies though.

[xmiyux]

do you guys think halo3 of all games, is going to be hard to find on release day?

I will probably throw 5$ down on the one in a presumably metal tin at EBGames in case they do a midnight release for pre-orders. Otherwise i hope Circuit City has some sort of enticement to buy it there. Something like the faceplate i got with Crackdown and the 10$ gift card i received with CoD3.

[Trevor]

do you guys think halo3 of all games, is going to be hard to find on release day?

No, but you can save $30 on the Legendary set if you act fast.

Michael, I'm pretty sure that CC does not charge until they ship.

[fumanstan]

do you guys think halo3 of all games, is going to be hard to find on release day?

I Can't imagine any blockbuster game this day and age being hard to find.

[Michael Corvin]

I Can't imagine any blockbuster game this day and age being hard to find.

Twilight Princess on Gamecube in December.

That was probably intentional though.

[Trevor]

I Can't imagine any blockbuster game this day and age being hard to find.

Gears of War was difficult. I live near DC, and have at least 50 stores within 10 miles of me that sell videogames. And I could not find it for a few days.

That said, I think that the normal version of Halo3 will be super easy to find on release day.

[taffer]

Twilight Princess on Gamecube in December.

That was probably intentional though.


Yeah. Nintendo did not want to keep supporting their old "dead" console. They wanted everyone to buy the Wii version. I bet Nintendo secretly regrets ever making that promise long ago that Twilight Princess would come out on the Cube. The fact they made such a promise is the only reason that the Cube version was not flat out canceled.

[Michael Corvin]

Yeah. Nintendo did not want to keep supporting their old "dead" console. They wanted everyone to buy the Wii version. I bet Nintendo secretly regrets ever making that promise long ago that Twilight Princess would come out on the Cube. The fact they made such a promise is the only reason that the Cube version was not flat out canceled.

I don't think so. Then they would have to put more time into development on the graphics end. This way they have that safety net by saying it is a Gamecube game with Wii controls.

[Brooklyn]

Twilight Princess on Gamecube in December.

That was probably intentional though.


That was everywhere here in Ma.

[achau9598]

Just making sure you all know....

Halo 3 Legendary price increased to $129. Circuit City still has it at $99 and has a price guarantee.

Thanks for the heads up ... I placed my order from CC as well.

I had pre-ordered via Best Buy (and got a MS point card for $5), but BB kept trying to pre-auth my card over and over and over again. When one pre-auth expired, they'd hit it again. Then that would expire and they'd place another preauth. After about 5 times, they stopped pre-authing for the game and proceeded to charge me the remainder of the price for the point card ($15). I gave up fighting it, because it was no use trying to explain this to someone who sounded like they were in India.

[KurrptSenate]

i was going to get the legendary at 100, but switched it to the normal edition to free up 20 bucks for a previous purchased (crackdown)

EB used to charge 25 for the legendary preorder. I realized i really don't care for the game that much anyway, so i might as well get the regular edition

[DJ_Longfellow]

I rented Tiger Woods 07 today....is the online on it horrible or was it just the time of day? My friend own the game and we tried playing, and it just lagged horribly.

Thus, I shut it down. We did a voice chat, and it was clear....so not sure what happened in TW07.

[Mok]

Well my replacement 360 just bit the dust while I was playing 2k7. Now whenever I play a game I get 20mins in then I get freezing. Well the replacement lasted 2 months, now I have to call tomorrow to get myself a coffin. This would have had to happen the week that Castlevania was coming to XBL.

[lotsofdvds]

HDMI-enabled black Xbox 360 in late April for $479 (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/20/hdmi-enabled-black-xbox-360-in-late-april-for-479/)

From Joystiq.com

[KurrptSenate]

its cool its black


that is all

[fumanstan]

Wow, expensive. I was almost certain it would come at $399.

[KurrptSenate]

well, that means they'd have to drop the price of there existing versions, which they obviously aren't ready for....yet

[DVDChris]

Just playing Devil's Advocate, but that wouldn't happen to be the April issue of GameInformer would it?

[pinata242]

April Fool's joke or not, that thing is fugly.

[Suprmallet]

Just playing Devil's Advocate, but that wouldn't happen to be the April issue of GameInformer would it?

Supposedly they got confirmation that it's not an April Fool's Day joke.

[Michael Corvin]

April Fool's joke or not, that thing is fugly.

I agree. I've grown to like the white.

[maxfisher]

Kind of smart to have it be $479 to avoid totally pissing off those who have bought a 360 in the last couple months. I'm guessing that late summer/early fall we'll see the core go away entirely, the premium drop to $349, and the new package drop to $429, or maybe even $399. I'd be tempted to upgrade to a larger hard drive, but that wording makes it sound like it'll be $199, which is about twice as much as I'd be willing to spend.

[PixyJunket]

Does HDMI even have a benefit for the 360?

[pinata242]

Does HDMI even have a benefit for the 360?
Other than being completely digital, I don't think so.

[flashburn]

Does HDMI even have a benefit for the 360?
It might have a couple.

1. Upconverting DVD's. But you can do this with the VGA adapter anyway.
2.Possibly pass/decode HD audio formats for the HD DVD addon???

[lotsofdvds]

Ace Combat 6 to be Xbox 360 Exclusive (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/20/ace-combat-6-revealed-as-an-xbox-360-exclusive/)

[KurrptSenate]

the black 360 also has a 120 gig hard drive, which will retail for 200

[Vryce]

If that comes to pass, It will allow me to buy that new 360, send my current unit in for repair and then sell it. So, for a small cost, I can upgrade my 360.

My 360 still works, but has issues. I just haven't wanted to part with it for a couple of weeks while I send it in to MS for repair. This will allow me to send it in for repair and not miss playing any games.

My only issue will be the stuff I've purchased and downloaded on my current 360/harddrive. I believe I can tell MS I bought a new unit and they will allow me to download all the stuff I paid for. I will just need to figure out how to transfer save games free gamer pics and themes that aren't available for download anymore, etc.

[slop101]

In case it hasn't already been mentioned - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night will be available on the Live Marketplace tomorrow - in HD, no less. All for a measly 800points (or $10).

Even though I've already played through it 3x, I'm still very excited for this - it is one of my top-5 videogames of all time.

[PixyJunket]

Blah.. well, I wish this would've affected the prices of the other systems. $80 for an extra 100GB seems like a crap considering I recently bought a 300GB SATA3 drive for just that. Plus, I don't think I'd even be using more than the 20GB if I got a 360 anyway.

[KurrptSenate]

yea, i have no use for either "upgrade"

[PixyJunket]

In case it hasn't already been mentioned - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night will be available on the Live Marketplace tomorrow - in HD, no less. All for a measly 800points (or $10).It'll be SD auto-stretched into HD making it look like plastic or like a blurry mess. That doesn't really seem to bother a lot of people sadly.. but I thought I'd just mention it to anyone that actually appreciated the original 2D graphics.

[Vryce]

I would have liked it to include the HD drive internal. But that would have probably pissed off a lot of people that bought the HD addon. And can the HD drive even play 360 games as it is now?

[lotsofdvds]

It'll be SD auto-stretched into HD making it look like plastic or like a blurry mess. That doesn't really seem to bother a lot of people sadly.. but I thought I'd just mention it to anyone that actually appreciated the original 2D graphics.
Is that confirmed? I thought I'd read that the download includes two versions, the original and an "enhanced for HD" version?

edit: Yeah, Joystiq said this last week: An 800 MS Point ($10) expenditure will net you both the original version of the game and another that boasts improved HD visuals and sound.

[flashburn]

It'll be SD auto-stretched into HD making it look like plastic or like a blurry mess. That doesn't really seem to bother a lot of people sadly.. but I thought I'd just mention it to anyone that actually appreciated the original 2D graphics.
That is lame, doesn't the PSP version that is coming out soon have true widescreen support?

[KurrptSenate]

if you are talking about the PS1 game on the PSP, i'd say its not true wide screen support. seems stretched

[PixyJunket]

Is that confirmed? I thought I'd read that the download includes two versions, the original and an "enhanced for HD" version?Digital Eclipse is responsible for this port. "Enhanced for HD" means auto-filter to them. Like I said, most people won't know the difference, nobody knows what 2D is supposed to look like today. Proof? Capcom Classic Collections 1 and 2, Sega Genesis Collection.

That is lame, doesn't the PSP version that is coming out soon have true widescreen support?I wouldn't count on it.

[UncleGramps]

Right, the "Enhanced for HD" version might mess with the graphics, but what about the "original" version? I'd imagine that one would be true to the original game.

[flashburn]

I wouldn't count on it.

Yeah, the only screenshots I can find are for the awful 3D version, which is in widescreen.