Also doesn't look as nice (at least in that video) as Savage Moon.

You're right, it looks like that free tower defense game on the iPhone.

Well I find this to be good news:

This whole Joe Schmoe thing is just vile as the Xbox vs PS3 debate (the value points of view, not fanboyism). The definition of Joe Schmoe is also subjective... You'll be surprised how many smart Joe Schmoes out there (not clever though, a clever Joe Schmoe too smart to realize he's actually stupid). The smart ones know that the PS3 plays HD contents and to do that one will need a HD TV and HD enabling cables. The average ones don't care, hell, to them, Xbox 360 is a much better buy (cheaper price, duh). And they don't even bother hooking it up to a HD TV (even if they do, chances are they use whatever cable that comes with the consoles). In the case of Xbox 360, the component cable (later models) actually triumph over the PS3's composite cable. So as you can see, if Joe Schmoe have a HD TV, chances are Xbox 360 is hooked up correctly in the HD mode, but not the PS3... Well, to get the PS3 in HD mode, Joe Schmoe will need the HDMI/component cable, which is not packed with the PS3. See, the average Joe Schmoe probably stops right there. It's the clever ones that go to Wal-mart and complaint that the damn HDMI cables are $30-$100. See my point? They know that the HDMI cable is needed, but alas, they don't realize the cables are actually very cheap (smart or stupid, subjective if you ask me). Then there are the anally smart ones. They insist on the super expensive HDMI cables, because of the you-get-what-you-paid-for principle. So, exactly who are those Joe Schmoes?

Oh, i forgot to mention the easy patch for Soldner X.

Hey MC, you're eying this game right? Well, i just tried the new "easy" patch and man, i just realized that w/o this patch, i don't think i ever can beat the 2nd or 3rd stage, it's insanely difficult! I played on BEGINNER with 2 continue credits and still can't beat the game. You might wanna reconsider it even at $5... Fortunately, the more you play, the more credit you will get, which is a good little option.

...And, do you think the Joe Schmoes will actually flip the switch on the component cable so it outputs in Hi-def?

thanks for pointing that out
i hope they do...

The Xbox number wins... But most of use have both or even three. The "debates" weren't that bad as before, but yeah, it always pop up. That's okay, once in a while we need to remind ourselves why we bought the things in the first place

Hey, you can't stop people from asking those "should i get a PS3? why?" questions right? As long as everything is civilized, there's something to be learned from.

That's where the blame falls. Noobs that fail to use the search and ask the same question every three months. Fuckers!

Is it time for a new "What consoles do you own?" poll?

Thanks. Just waiting for it to go on sale.

I just noticed that there's an estimated time remaining ("25 seconds") on top of the download progress bar in the store ... I think that's new with this firmware.

I noticed that as well. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to carry over into the Download Management area.

And, I started downloading the free Qore episode and the time showed over 300 minutes.

I got that too and just turned the system off. I'll download that crap magazine later.

Uhh... what? Sorry Ocelot, I can usually at least halfway understand your posts, but I have no idea what you're trying to say here.

Unlike the PS3, the Xbox360 comes with a hybrid Component / Composite cable, HD out of the box. It has been this way since launch and they have always trumped the PS3 horribly thought out Composite-only cable. Sorry, it's still a sore point for me, what the hell was Sony thinking.

Joe Schmo I generally relate to a casual gamer that isn't a HT enthusiast. That said, most of them will still hook their system up to an HDTV if they have one and get the resolution right. The Joe Schmos that do not are generally older individuals that don't game so much and are maybe hooking it up for their kids. HD, in general, is too crammed down our throats these days for it to be overlooked by most of the population. Plus, the difference between SD and HD on gaming consoles is instantly noticeable.

Well I tried it today and it definitely works on MP3. It works on CDs only if you set the Audio CD Output Frequency to 48kHz and not the 44.1/88.2/176.4kHz setting. The latter outputs every CD at 176.4kHz and as faux 5.1 audio. I still get faux 7.1 out of my PS2 games and no 5.1 output on those PS2 games that have 5.1 cinematics.

Still, a step in the right direction from Sony.

that's okay... sometimes i use on-line forums as means to improve my writing skills. What i'm saying is that "Joe Schmoe" is really a subjective term. We don't really know how smart or dumb he/she is. So saying Joe Schmoe went to Wal-mart and complaint that HDMI cables are expensive is subjective...

One way to look at it, he/she probably doesn't even know what a HDMI cable is. Or better yet, he/she don't even own a HD TV. Anyhow, assuming he/she knows what an HDMI cable is, then complaining it's expensive seems to be "too smart to be dumb." How do you know it's expensive when you don't even know how much they suppose to cost? Just because Wal-mart says so?

yeah, you're correct, there's a switch on the Xbox cable, i forgot about that. The new thing on the later Xbox model i was referring to was the HDMI port. This brings up an interesting point... I just realized that when the Xbox 360 was launched, HD TVs were in their early stage, they were too expensive for average consumers. So, that means most Xbox gamers started off in SD

Since i got my Xbox after the PS3, i never gamed the next gen consoles in SD mode. However, i do have an idea how it looks in SD mode (i saw the kids playing the Xbox 360 games in school few times and it was hooked to a traditional TV set).

Actually, whether Joe Schmoe knows anything about HDMI/HD or not, if he purchases a PS3 at Best Buy or Gamestop (and likely other retailers), said employees will surely "help" them in finding the "right" cable.

Any idiot can look at the price of the cable and say, I don't care what it does, $35/$50/$99 is too damn much for any cable to connect to my tv.

sigh, so true... that works well on people buying the consoles as gifts, i have seen that a number of time.

Well, tell that to some theater "elitists" Then again, they are on a whole different level, they don't have to consider money when buying stuff. Honestly, i don't really care if it cost $100 and i'm not paying for it

They could, but they don't. I know plenty of people with Monster (or other "high end") brand HDMI cables. Hell, I just overheard some "gamer" at gamestop telling the employee how he scored 3 HDMI cables for $25 each.

PTOM had a brief article regarding HDMI cables on page 14 of their April '09 issue. Here're the last two parragraphs:

I purchased two 6ft 28AWG HDMI 1.3a Category 2 Certified Cables (PID# 3992) for $3.81 each from Monoprice almost a year ago. I actually liked them better (for reasons that may or may not be placebo in nature) than a $25 SCP (Structured Cable Products) 6ft HDMI cable I had purchased prior to that because it was the cheapest HDMI cable I could find at the time (and I had to haggle for that price to boot ).

My point is that you needn't even go "middle of the road" in terms of price if you're using as short a run as I. The only reason anyone should pay around $25 for an HDMI cable is if they are in need of something like this: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

But if you insist on having something "middle of the road," try this: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2 It's only $9.98 but be warned that it is heavy, thick, and stiff as hell. I was afraid it'd break the HDMI ports on my TV and whichever component I'd use that cable for so I opted for the more flexible (and cheaper) 28AWG cable.

I'm running a 45ft HDMI cable from my basement to a clone TV upstairs. Picture quality is excellent. Paid less than $40 for it.

I bought 2 15ft HDMI ver. 1.3 cables and a connector on Amazon to make a 30ft HDMI run from my PS3 (in my man-cave, connected to a 20in LCD via component cable) to my 37in LCD in the living room. I can now switch between LCDs without unhooking or moving anything. Costs -

2 15ft HDMI @ $4.90 ea = $9.80
1 HDMI connector = $2.99
s&h = $5
total = $17.79