Don't speeds vary by brand?

So are you going to use the data on the usb drive and not the 360 hard drive? If not, it seems like putting the data on the PC is an extra step. I would just continue to use the 360 hard drive and just use the usb drive as a backup.

Again, this is for a save file that can't be copied on the 360. So the only way to create a backup in this particular case is to copy it to the PC which has no such restriction.

The only other practical application would be to move off content (game saves, arcade games, DLC, whatever) off for warehousing as opposed to redownloading from XBL. And to protect your data from an unrecoverable hard drive crash, but I don't hear about that happening (yet?).


Say..... It just occurred to me that one could probably get Hexic HD back from a friend using this method. Anybody missing that game want to try?

Yeah - I wasn't expecting that someone would have done a comprehensive shoot-out with dozens of makes and models of USB drives*, just a general comparison between any USB drive and the hard drive. I haven't even had time to load the update, let alone do any testing.

* I should say I wouldn't expect that yet. I'm sure someone somewhere will do exactly that within the next few weeks.

Well, SATA speed are better than USB speeds. So in theory the Xbox drive should be better all the time.

I think a good USB drive should have similar performance to the Xbox drive though.

Your Guide to Xbox 360 USB Drives

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Now that you can use a standard USB flash or hard drive with your Xbox 360 it's time to figure out which is the best to use.

Fortunately, Rooster Teeth's Achievement Hunters rounded up a bunch of drives to test out how quickly they allow you to install games on them and if they impact gameplay.

What they discovered is that while the time it takes to install Borderlands can vary greatly, the actually gameplay experience was about the same on everything they tested.

But still, you don't want to sit around waiting 20 minutes for Borderlands to install on your flashdrive when you can wait just five, right? Then check out their results, or watch the video.

Here's the full rundown
Xbox HD: 5 minutes, 25 seconds
Sandisk flashdrive: 16 minutes, 10 seconds
Sandisk Cruzer: 21 minutes, 58 seconds
PNY 16: 8 minutes, 38 seconds
PNY 4 Mini: Not compatible
External Seagate HD: 5 minutes, 25 seconds
Lacie 2T external HD: 5 minutes, 29 seconds

Based on those results I don't think you want to install games to usb drives. Just saves and gamer profiles.

Yeah, or you need to use the very expensive usb flash drives, with the best read and write speeds. As I mentioned before, there are different kind of usb flash drives for the same size. But then we are talking about $70+ for a 16 GB drive, instead of $35 or so for the cheaper ones.

Anyone else randomly get an email with a free 400 points?

That was supposed to be sent to me, but it appears you got it by mistake. If you'll go ahead and forward that to me, that'd be great. Sorry for the confusion.

I was just teasing because the explanation was so....prolific !!!

But I didn't even talk about my profiles.

Nice cover. I'll pretend like I really believe you understood his original response since he had the audacity to impugn the outstanding reputation of Big 12 Medical Schools.

Yup. Add that to the free couple of months of Live that I've gotten and the month of Live for a buck, and it's not been a bad year for freebies from MS.

I'm not on the up & up on the tech side of the USB drive and uses but can I do the following if so detail instructions or cheat sheet....

(A)...use the USB as a "total" backup of my 360 HD by transfering the data over to PC?

(B)...if so can I then put that data on...

DVD as a BU (dual-layer)

"transfer" data to another new 360 HD?

In other words say backup all your data to the flashdrive For me it's like 12.5 gb. so two trips.

Move that to the PC.

Remove the old HD nd install the new one.

Now using the USB flashdrive trasnfer your data back to the new HD on the 360.

I know getting a transfer kit is the easiest way to do it but hey...if I can spend on a USB Flashdrive and actually use that instead of the transfer kit one time then I'll do it. I know it's easy to move data from one pc to another like that, just not sure how with the 360.

I got it as well. Awesome!

Hey, I like 11 of the 12 schools!

In my experience, this should work. Keep in mind not everything (like my Bejeweled 2 save) cannot be "copied", just "moved" and some things can't even be moved, like my Worms XBLA game that came on my MU.

So, be careful when you're copying/moving things around on the 360.

Since I haven't tried it yet when you go into 'copy" parts of the data are areas "greyed" out signaling you cannot do it?

No, it's worse than that. You try to copy it and it'll say something like "This Item Cannot Be Transferred Between Storage Devices". It'll say that even if you CAN move it. It'll also say that if you CAN'T move it. So, there's that

Just met Cliffy B here in NYC at a "tweetup" (proper lingo?). He's in town prepping for the "big surprise announcement" [cough]Gears of War 3[/cough] on Jimmy Fallon Monday.

A few favorite parts. First, recognizing people from the NYC Playstation Move meetup, who were once decked out in all PS3-related gear and claiming how everything other than Playstation can "suck it," who were now decked out in Xbox/Gears getups claiming the opposite.

I also liked the casual bystander who asked what was going on and then proceeded to tell other passerbys that the creator of God of Warcraft was signing autographs. People's responses "Oh, I've heard of that game. We should get his autograph." They proceeded to get imax ticket stubs, a mario bros. hat, and other miscellanous items signed.

The first few people apparently got Shadow Complex game codes. I merely got a Hammerburst code (which he signed) and a Shadow Complex poster. Fun, awkward, times.

I think Cliff said there will be 2 announcements on Monday. Shadow Complex 2 perhaps?

Bulletstorm.

http://kotaku.com/5513826/first-look...al-bulletstorm

Joystiq conjectured Bulletstorm.

Cliff said he thinks Edge magazine's rumor mill got Gears 3 confused with Bioshock 3 saying it was underwater. We'll see come monday if that rumor is real or not.