I put down $10 at Camelot Music.

Tuan Jim

Sorry to burst your bubble but I have to respond to your post.

#1 There is no way gamestop has taken 500,000 preorders. There aren't going to be that many units at launch.

#2 Xbox will NOT support progressive DVD playback. It will support progressive gaming but not DVD movie playback.

Maynerd

I'm not very tech oriented when it comes to dvd's, but I found this at xbox.ign.com.

"Q. HDTV Breakdown

I am really curious about the DVD capabilities of the Xbox. I have read that the XBox will support HDTV and progressive scan DVD. What exactly does that mean? Progressive scan DVD players currently sell for almost $1000 and TV's that support HDTV still require a separate receiver (around $600) to send the HDTV signal to the TV. Also, HDTV resolutions are currently defined as (from least to best) 480p (progressive), 1180i (interlaced) and 720p (progressive). Does the Xbox HDTV and progressive scan support mean that it will send games or DVD movies to an HDTV in any of these resolutions? I find it hard to believe that a $299 game console will function like a $1000 DVD player by sending progressive scan pictures (480p or 720p) to an HDTV. I would like to see some documentation on line that clears up this confusion for the consumer. Thanks.
-- Andy


A. Hi. I'm dumb. How about having Jeremy answer this one?

The Xbox supports HDTV resolutions for both movies and games, but developers actually have to develop the game to take advantage of the higher resolution. At E3, Microsoft officially unveiled the High Definition AV Pack that supports 480p, 720p, and 1180i as well as digital receivers. Just like with the PS2 and its component cables, you'll need the HDTV pack to get the advantages of the higher resolutions when watching DVDs. "

I could be wrong, but this seems to contradict your second point.

Tuan Jim

And yet it is still a port. Seems like X-Box is getting a lot of ports from the PS2. Nothing in there talks about it being souped up or anything. So, explain to me why I'd want to pay for the minimum bundle on the X-Box (not to mention waiting x number of months for the MGS2 port) when I already have a PS2? I have nothing against the X-Box, it just doesn't excite me much with the bundle prices or the games.

I hear ya Tuan...it does contradict my second point. But, the IGN information is WRONG. Xbox will not support progressive DVD playback. Games will support progressive but not DVD movies. You can believe me or not believe me, but I have a good source for this information. My suggestion to you is to go into the purchase of the Xbox thinking that it won't support progressive scan DVD playback or you will be dissappointed on 11/8.

Maynerd

I also have trouble with the 500k number. I don't remember if Microsoft has given an exact number of units they will be pushing out on release day (I read so much on-line that things become blurry, so I really don't remember if it has been said or not) and before the end of the year. I doubt it is above 1 million and is probably less than that.

There is no way that Gamestop can take up half of that number with the fact that EB hasn't started their pre-ordering yet. Also take into account that places like Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart (just to name some of the biggest) must also have units to sell. If Gamespot has indeed sold 500k I think a lot of people are going to be pissed when it ends up that they won't be able to get their pre-ordered bundle before the beginning of the year. This is just me analyzing the situation though, feel free to add or change it .

Well, just for the record, since as I said before, I'm not too tech minded when it comes to dvd. What exactly is progressive scanning, and what effect does it have on dvd?

Tuan Jim

Progressive scan for $1000? Ummm...

Player 1

Player 2

Player 3

Plus many others. All of them cheaper than an X-box.

yawn. these can join your PS2s for a REALLY big doorstop.

can't wait for GC tho

Hmmmm....Only 947 XBox's left at Gamestop.com

Im not against XB or anything but Im skipping over x-box and getting a GC for a few reasons. The only game systems i have not come away dissapointed with are Nintendo systems(except for DC which has a few good replayable ones). I guess its my taste in games. Our N64 is always running with Sw/ WWF or a Bond games 24/7. Not to mention GC is $100 cheaper which can go towards 2 games.

Capt

I also find it hard to believe that 500K units have already been preordered from the Gamestop/FuncoLand/Babbages/Software Etc. and the rest of it's sister companies.

For those saying, 'this' game will be on the GameCube (GC) anyway, or 'that' game will be on the PlayStation 2 (PS2) anyway.....Of course, you are correct, but the difference will be in the gameplay.
The games will run smoother on the Xbox due to the hardware advantages (NV2A GPU, 10Gb HD, 64Mb unified DDR RAM). Granted, the games may look very similar when comparing the same game on Xbox vs. GC, but framerates and load times are sure to be different. Sorry, I don't have a link to support this. But those that have been playing games on a PC as long as I have know that if your video card sucks and you don't have enough RAM, you start getting slow down. This is where your game starts skipping frames and appears to be very jumpy (usually occurs at approximately <30 frames per second).

Game developers, Bungie and Bizzare Creations, have already announced that Halo and Project Gotham Racing (respectively) have been locked at 60 frames per second!

There is no competition when comparing the same game on the PS2. Here you will start to see decreased draw distance and jagged edges (pixelization) on anything that is not a vertical or horizontal line.

The bottom line is always the GAMES!
Forget about GC vs. PS2 vs. Xbox.
Buy the hardware which supports the games you like playing. That's all there is to it.

I enjoy racing games, team sports, and first-person-shooters the most. These genres will absolutely rule on the Xbox (yes, I understand that this is a subjective statement -- so save the flames).

Anyway, here's one title I can't wait for.
This game is
UNREAL!.

I'm getting so tired of people ripping on the XB and then saying how they are "so going to get a GC". It mystifies me, XB has better hardware and currently a much better gameline up. Other than the fact that the GC obviously has immediate Japanese developers I see no advantage the GC has over XB other than brand name.

GameCube is $100 cheaper and we all know that the best games comes from Asia.
So that is why GC has an advantage. Personally, I'm going to sit this out and wait til the dust settles before I buy any of them.

$100 cheaper for a reason, no dvd player, no harddrive etc. Also XBOX does have Japanese support, but what about Nintendo? Other than 1st party support the n64 had no really great japanese made games.

Yeah, but Nintendo has the best Japanese game maker of all, themselves. Not to mention Rare, E A, Sega, Activision, and many more will support Gamecube.

Microsoft has one of the worst game makers on their side, themselves. They will get support from EA, Sega, and some of the others, but there will be very few exclusive games worth shelling out big bucks for on the Xbox.

As far as selling a half a million consoles I think Xbox will do this. There are at least 500,000 to a million hard core games nationwide that will buy just about any console that comes out. They problem for Microsoft will be the next million and the million after that. There is no way in hell they will sell the 5-10 million consoles that are needed to make a console profitable. The PS2 is already building up a monster lead and the Gamecube is stealling most of the Xbox thunder.

Lets look at reality do you want Tony Hawk 3 on PS2 or a rehash of Tony Hawk 2 on Xbox?

Do you want MGS 2 on PS2 or a rehash of MGS 1 on Xbox?

See what I mean. Many of the best Sega games (the company that Microsoft seems to be depending on) are not even going to be exclusive to the Xbox. Why buy an Xbox to play Madden 2002 or NBA 2K2 when I can play them on PS2?

The DVD feature that everyone is fixating on is hardly a selling point anymore. Most people already have DVD players. I know 20 people that own PS2 consoles and only one of those people ever uses his console to play DVDs.

The Xbox is the next 3DO and I hope everyone understands Microsoft. They do not support a failed product for very long. Within two years of launch I guarantee the xbox will be the most expensive doorstop you have ever purchased.

$500 is an absolute joke. Especially considering the weak games you have to buy in the bundle at launch. Every console that has every built itself on a PC game library has failed. The XBox will just be the next disaster. The Xbox has '0' games worth getting at launch and I would imagine that number to hold steady for quite awhile.

I agree

very well put. I agree the PS2 will have a huge lead with close to 20 million installed by Xmas.

I know one person who uses her PS2 as a second dvd player for her bedroom. when I get mine I will use it that way also.

Hmmm, where do I start?
I'll just start from the top:
Your opinion.
Your opinion.
Are you suggesting that there are LOTS of exclusive games for the PS2 that are 'worth shelling out big bucks' for?
Realistically, the PS2, GC, and Xbox will each have their share of exclusive (and worthy) games but each console will have only a few.
Just by including the words, 'I think', makes this statement the most credible in your post.
How do you know this? Do you know these people?
Again, how do you know this? Do you know the costs of building the Xbox console? You must first know this to determine how much you need to sell in order to be profitable. Actually, I think Microsoft is taking a hit on the hardware sales and will try to make a profit on the software sales.
No doubt, as you would expect to be true for just about anything that is sold 1 year ahead of the competitor.
How do you figure this?
Your opinion.
Neither one. Those types of games do not interest me.
Keep in mind: games you think are fun may not be fun for others.
See above.
Could you tell me what it is that leads you to believe Microsoft is depending on Sega?
Also, what are the 'best' Sega games you had in mind?
Why watch movies on a 65" TV when I can watch on a 9" TV?!
I know an equal amount of people who are not fixated on the DVD feature of the Xbox and are interested only in using it to play video games.
While you've got your crystal ball out.....could you kindly give me the next winning numbers for the California Lottery?
Who told you that they were being sold only as bundles?
Also, referring to the launch titles as 'weak' is again your opinion.
Which consoles tried to build themselves on a PC game library and failed?
Your opinion.

Well, as far as my opinions I will stand by them. History will prove or disprove them one way or the other.

There are many articles out there on the net about how many consoles the Xbox (and anyone else) will need to sell. If you look at the history of consoles 10 million is the mark they try to hit by year 2. The Dreamcast had 5 million+ in peoples homes and still couldn't turn a profit. You have to have a large user base to generate enough software sales to turn a profit due to the large loses on consoles and advertising. The most profitable console in recent history the Playstation was in the 85 million range. Microsoft is going to have to hit the 10 million mark fairly quickly. The PS2 has already shipped over 14 million consoles and they seem to be selling really well now that Gran Turismo 3 is out, so they are going to be a major factor to contend with.

Point is the next 9 million will tell the future of the Xbox. The initial million at launch won't really matter.

A few of the points:

I will go out on a limb and say that Final Fantasy X, Metal Gear Solid 2, and Gran Tursimo 3 are going to be important exclusives to have. Xbox has nothing that can compare that I can see. However, I will wait and compare the sales of those games against the sales of Oddworld, DOA 3, and Halo.

If you really think the graphics on Xbox are going to be that big of a jump from PS2 you are in for a disapointment. The Xbox's superior graphics won't mean much if they don't put out the same quality of games their competitors are.

3DO was the biggest one. The CD-i also tried to be a console/PC hybrid and failed. I know their are other smaller examples. The few PC games that are big sellers always end up on every console anyway and end up not helping the more PC friendly console.

The key for Xbox is to get a good start and not to have a lag. If they can get some momentum and give the Japanese developers faith in the console they might get the support they need to battle the PS2. I don't think the Gamecube will be their biggest problem, but the Gamecube might still steal enough sales away to hurt Microsoft badly.

I know at least 30 people who are planning on getting a Gamecube. I only know of 2 people who are getting Xboxes and they are both getting Gamecubes as well. I realize this is a small sample of people, but most of these people buy a large number of games and most bought the Dreamcast and it had a lot against it. I seem to run into a generally disinterest in the Xbox everywhere I turn. Again its my opinion, but I stand by it and time will tell us the story all too soon.

Fanboy thread. **yawn**

Just wondering where you got that from. MS is a publisher/producer, not a game studio, and they have a record for high quality, fun games: Midtown Madness 1/2, Asheron's Call, Mechwarrior 3/4, MechCommander 1/2, Age of Empires 1/2, Flight Sims, etc, etc. Unlike a lot of other studios *cough* EA *cough* Sony *cough* etc. They have a talent for putting their money where their mouth is regarding quality games.

Looking for more Japanese support. Look no further.

Tuan Jim

I agree

except that you can't say the system will be dead before it'shad a chance to fight. the PS1 (and 2) sucked pretty hard for the first year they were out. I know that I wont be buying an x-box until i actually see a game worth playing, but who knows what will happen a year from now.

Oh, and don't disrespect the 3DO by comparing X-box to it