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Japan Will Have To Wait For Xbox

securitas contributed a link to this New York Times article which indicates a delay in the Japanese release of the Xbox. "MS insists it's going to meet its Nov. 8 North American release date. I'll believe it when I see it. Also, Namco has signed on to produce 4 games for Xbox including 2 exclusives." Ledge adds a link to this AP story carried by Fox News as well: upshot is that units won't go on sale in Japan till Feb. 22. (A chart comparing announced vs. actual dates for all the consoles would be interesting, since they all seem to be delayed.)

235 comments

  1. Xbox vs others by chrysalis · · Score: 2

    How does the Xbox compare with Gamecube, PS2, etc ?
    Is it possible to install Linux or BSD on a Xbox ?

    --
    {{.sig}}
    1. Re:Xbox vs others by windi · · Score: 1

      AFAIK the XBox runs on Intel hardware so it should be doable to get Linux or BSD running on it, but I'm pretty sure that MS put in some weird BIOS or firmware that disables the booting of other Operating Systems.

      All I know of the Gamecube is that it is based on some kind of PPC CPU and I think an ATI video chip.

      The PS2 is IMHO the bestchoice of the 3 because it is powerfull and Linux is officially sold for it by Sony (albeit only in Japan right now, but hopefully this will change).

    2. Re:Xbox vs others by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      You decide: Currently, XBox's "killer hits" are: Oddworld: Munche's odyssey, Dead or Alive 3, and Halo. These are also exclusive to XBox. PS2's upcoming "killer hits" are: Metal Gear Solid 2, Final Fantasy X, and Tekken 4. Gamecube's upcoming "killer hits" are: Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron 2, Luigi's Mansion, and Metroid Prime. Gameboy Advance's upcoming "killer hits" are: Super Mario Advance 2, Doom, and Metroid IV. I've only named 3 games per system, however, these are the most mentioned and talked about in gaming magazines and sites. Now take the price comparisons for only the system itself: XBox: $299.00 PS2: $299.00 (expected to drop) Gamecube: $199.00 Gameboy Adv. ~$89.00 Also take into comparison how long each system has been out: XBox: delayed, PS2: Oct. 26, 2000, Gamecube: delayed, Gameboy Adv. Jun. 11, 2001. Of course, Gameboy Advance is different in that it is portable, however, it IS a system that has an extremely strong history. I really hope that there is more of a console war than from just 2 manufacturers (Sony & Nintendo). For XBox to get noticed and compete with the big "N" and "S", it will HAVE to get better exclusive games in it's lineup. Dead or Alive 3 is nothing new, just a better Dead or Alive 2, and Oddworld is well, just Oddworld. The one game I am hoping that will become great is Halo. And YES, I think someone WILL install Linux or BSD onto XBox's hard drive. I really hope so, I could use a good M.A.M.E. box. Now THIS is a "KILLER APP".

    3. Re:Xbox vs others by Dacobi · · Score: 1

      The Xbox is a PC in a fancy cover and it will most
      certainly be hacked so that other OS's can be installed. Wether this is going to require hardware hacking, I don't know, but it _WILL_ be hacked :)

      Now Here comes an utopian dream of mine :)
      Since the Xbox is more or less running a
      GeForce 3.5 (or whatever) and Nvidias Linux Drivers are very PnP, what are the chances that they will simply detect the Xbox GPU as a Geforce 3 or 4?

      Think about it! You buy some very nice hardware from M$, who actually looses money by selling it to you. You then proceed to installing Linux and the Nvidia Linux drivers, and you have a KICKASS Linux Gaming Machine that M$ helped finance :)

      --
      .NOT
    4. Re:Xbox vs others by AndrewHowe · · Score: 2

      No, for the nth time, and n is getting large, the Xbox is not a PC. It has a Pentium III processor. It has a custom nVidia GPU. You can get Mac G4's with GeForce3's, they're not specifically PC hardware.
      Xbox executables will be encrypted (well) so good luck trying to run your own stuff!

    5. Re:Xbox vs others by Dacobi · · Score: 1

      >No, for the nth time, and n is getting large, the
      >Xbox is not a PC. It has a Pentium III
      >processor. It has a custom nVidia GPU. You can
      >get Mac G4's with GeForce3's, they're not
      >specifically PC hardware.

      Are you saying that the Xbox doesn't use AGP/PCI/IDE? If not how does it handle IO between
      the GPU/Memory/Harddrive/Controllers?

      It _IS_ a x86 platform and if win2000 can be
      modified to run on that platform, so can Linux and *BSD.

      >Xbox executables will be encrypted (well) so
      >good luck trying to run your own stuff!

      I'd be pretty amazed if that encryption is hardware based as opposed to implemented in win2000.

      What I'm talking about is wiping the Xbox completely and loading it up with a (probably somewhat modified) version of *NIX. when you do this you remove any form of "encryption" that MS has put in there to annoy you.

      I fully believe that it will be possible to run Linux on the Xbox, but I didn't say it was going to be easy.

      By the way, the idea I had about the Nvidia Linux driver was listed as an "utopian dream".

      --
      .NOT
    6. Re:Xbox vs others by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Are you saying that the Xbox doesn't use AGP/PCI/IDE? If not how does it handle IO between the GPU/Memory/Harddrive/Controllers?" Magic. It's all done by magic nowadays. Pffft. Anyway good luck on getting Linux running on the XBox, though I would recommend chasing women instead and actually making something of your life instead of hiding from the light in your parent's den.

    7. Re:Xbox vs others by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You forget that Microsoft is getting their own copy of Metal Gear Solid 2 (innovatively dubbed "Metal Gear Solid X") and Silent Hill ("Silent Hill X").

    8. Re:Xbox vs others by haruharaharu · · Score: 1

      I'd be pretty amazed if that encryption is hardware based as opposed to implemented in win2000.

      That'd be a trick, as the win2k kernel is bound to everything else on the game disc.

      What I'm talking about is wiping the Xbox completely and loading it up with a (probably somewhat modified) version of *NIX. when you do this you remove any form of "encryption" that MS has put in there to annoy you.

      Goood luck. There isn't anything to wipe, and the encryption is most likely not accessible to anything you can load from disc.

      --
      Reboot macht Frei.
    9. Re:Xbox vs others by Dacobi · · Score: 1

      >>"Are you saying that the Xbox doesn't use
      >>AGP/PCI/IDE? If not how does it handle IO between
      >>the GPU/Memory/Harddrive/Controllers?"
      >Magic. It's all done by magic nowadays. Pffft. Anyway good luck
      >on getting Linux running on the XBox, though I
      >would recommend chasing women instead and actually
      >making something of your life instead of hiding
      >from the light in your parent's den.

      Do you think for a moment that I would be wasting my time on slashdot if I were able to communicate with girls?!?!? {:^)
      Oh and the light in my parent's den is actually very bright...

      --
      .NOT
    10. Re:Xbox vs others by Dacobi · · Score: 1

      >Goood luck. There isn't anything to wipe, and the
      >encryption is most likely not accessible to anything you can load from disc.

      If there's nothing to whipe where does
      win2000 reside?

      encryptin not accesseble?
      I don't wan't to access the encryption why should I have to?
      The way i see it you have a x86 chip with access to a harddrive and a DVD drive. Are you saying then that it decrypts all data comming from the harddrive and DVD before it's handed to the processor?

      --
      .NOT
    11. Re:Xbox vs others by AndrewHowe · · Score: 2

      It's not W2K, it's a stripped down kernel, and it's on the DVD.
      The encryption is in the boot rom... It won't run anything from DVD that isn't digitally signed and encrypted, and it definitely won't run anything from the HD.
      To run Linux on it you would have to either crack the encryption (good luck) or rewrite the Xbox's firmware (and solder in a new ROM, again, good luck).
      Do you see the problem now?

    12. Re:Xbox vs others by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Linux WILL run on the FlopBox.

      You can fucking count on that. Even if every bearded open source freak has to drop their current project to make it happen.

    13. Re:Xbox vs others by Dacobi · · Score: 1
      It's not W2K, it's a stripped down kernel, and it's on the DVD.

      The kernel's on every Game DVD-ROM??? Thats rather silly isn't it.

      The encryption is in the boot rom... It won't run anything from DVD that isn't digitally signed and encrypted, and it definitely won't run anything from the HD.

      Why won't it run anything from the HD?

      To run Linux on it you would have to either crack the encryption (good luck) or rewrite the Xbox's firmware (and solder in a new ROM, again, good luck). Do you see the problem now?

      Yes I see your point. Now my best bet would be to change the firmware in order to make it boot from the HD, but you say this is impossible, why?

      --
      .NOT
    14. Re:Xbox vs others by AndrewHowe · · Score: 2

      "The kernel's on every Game DVD-ROM??? Thats rather silly isn't it."

      No I don't think so. Why do you think that is silly?

      "Why won't it run anything from the HD?"

      To stop you from booting Linux on it... etc... Anyway why should it?

      "Yes I see your point. Now my best bet would be to change the firmware in order to make it boot from the HD, but you say this is impossible, why?"

      It's not impossible, just hard, and it's a hardware modification so not everyone will be doing it. Yes, no doubt some beardy hacker will unsolder their ROM, solder a new one in, and run Linux on his Xbox. We will all go ooh and aah and get on with our business. It's not as if everyone is suddenly going to be making beowulf clusters of Linux Xboxen.

      Of course there are ways of even making this pretty much impossible, but I wouldn't know if Microsoft have gone down that route.

    15. Re:Xbox vs others by Dacobi · · Score: 1
      "The kernel's on every Game DVD-ROM??? Thats rather silly isn't it."
      "No I don't think so. Why do you think that is silly?"

      Don't know really, it's just not what I'd expected.

      --
      .NOT
    16. Re:Xbox vs others by Dacobi · · Score: 1
      "Why won't it run anything from the HD?"
      "To stop you from booting Linux on it... etc... Anyway why should it?"

      Well how does the Xbox itself use the HD?

      It's not impossible, just hard, and it's a hardware modification so not everyone will be doing it. Yes, no doubt some beardy hacker will unsolder their ROM, solder a new one in, and run Linux on his Xbox. We will all go ooh and aah and get on with our business. It's not as if everyone is suddenly going to be making beowulf clusters of Linux Xboxen.

      I never claimed that it could be done without hardware hacking :) and I agree that we probably won't see any Xbox beowulf clusters, but that wouldn't be so hot anyway.

      What would be very sweet though is if one could hack the firmware to incoperate a switch on the Xbox allowing people to switch between booting games from the DVD and booting Linux from the HD. I then buy 1000 Xboxes modify them and sell them for a small profit as a combined Gaming/Desktop system. I make money selling Xboxes and MS looses money :)

      --
      .NOT
    17. Re:Xbox vs others by AndrewHowe · · Score: 2

      "Well how does the Xbox itself use the HD?"

      It's used to cache data from DVD's, to rip WMA audio from CDs, to store saved games, and to store persistent data such as updates for MMORPGs. Anything sensitive will be encrypted and thoroughly buffer checked under pain of submission failure! Microsoft realises that the HD can be tampered with.

      As for your business venture, I'm not sure the economics will go your way on that one. I can think of easier ways of making money... And given that there aren't an awful lot of games for Linux, it's quite possible that your customers would buy the odd Xbox game, hence MS would not be out of pocket after all. Linux on the Xbox would be a neat hack, but I can't see it catching on...

    18. Re:Xbox vs others by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well if you look at the preview of the GameCube Preview
      you can definitely see that you won't be able to install Linux on it unlike the XBox. Then again, this comes down to the old battle of Console Vs. PC. Consoles were never meant to be upgradeable unlike their PC counterpart that was.

    19. Re:Xbox vs others by Dacobi · · Score: 1
      It's used to cache data from DVD's, to rip WMA audio from CDs, to store saved games, and to store persistent data such as updates for MMORPGs. Anything sensitive will be encrypted and thoroughly buffer checked under pain of submission failure! Microsoft realises that the HD can be tampered with.

      Ok that makes alot more sense.

      As for your business venture, I'm not sure the economics will go your way on that one. I can think of easier ways of making money...

      Yes, but it would be very very funny way to make money :)

      And given that there aren't an awful lot of games for Linux, it's quite possible that your customers would buy the odd Xbox game, hence MS would not be out of pocket after all.

      You are forgetting at very importent detail. I would inplement a switch so that you can change instantly from Gaming mode to Linux Desktop mode.

      Linux on the Xbox would be a neat hack, but I can't see it catching on...

      You are probably right, but that doesn't stop me from hoping :)

      --
      .NOT
  2. Japan - other tech. by odaiwai · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Japan always seems to go its own way on a lot of techie things. Given the dominance of homegrown consoles in that market, is it likely that MSFT will take it over?

    What about localisation issues for XBox, availability of games. local titles?

    Some of the big games in the arcades here (China) are dancing games, drumming games, piano playing games (!), all very far away from traditional console fare. I've seen accessories for these for various consoles. Question, are MSFT going to push games which do well in their home market weirdness and ignore local weirdness?

    dave "no mr. bond, i expect you to dance!"

    1. Re:Japan - other tech. by Shaheen · · Score: 2

      Local weirdness is determined by the developers, not the manufacturer. Granted, the manufacturer is the one that approves titles to be released. However, it is ironic that a manufacturer should nix any title (because it just means more royalties - remember, the loss of the console itself is made up on software royalties).

      Therefore, it makes perfect sense for Microsoft (and therefore Sony and Nintendo) to approve many 3rd party titles for release. Nintendo was pretty stuck up in the N64 days, taking the opinion that 3rd party support wasn't necessary to win against Sony and SEGA. Unfortunately, while their content was certainly good, it wasn't enough.

      So, do I know if Microsoft will focus on American games? No.. but I don't think it's in their best interests to do so.

      --
      You should never take life too seriously - You'll never get out of it alive.
  3. buying time by jubandhu · · Score: 1

    With the current dismal Japanese support now, it won't sell in Japan. How much more support can they find with the 2 months delay they just bought themselves?

  4. It's all about the games by IvyMike · · Score: 2

    ...and the Xbox, in spite of "Halo", really doesn't have anything to compare to established game line that Nintendo is going to roll out for the Gamecube. While the Xbox looks like a nice system on paper, it's not going to be the "system to get" for Xmas 2001.

    On the other hand, it has the marketing might of Microsoft behind it, a host of people who understand x86 and DirectX programming for it, and a sweet architecture. Xmas 2002 might be more interesting.

    1. Re:It's all about the games by Glytch · · Score: 2, Troll

      So do I (in electronics at a chain store where we wear blue vests and do a stupid cheer every morning) and the only thing people ask me about is PS2 and Gamecube. When I mention that Microsoft is coming out with a console at about the same time as Nintendo, they all ask what games will be on it. When I answer, they ask "Isn't that on computer anyway?"

      Not a single person I have ever talked to wants an XBox. It's simply a non-issue.

    2. Re:It's all about the games by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I just finished up an internship at MS in the Xbox group. Basically, I playtested games all summer and RAIDed bug reports for the devs to fix. I got to play about 10 different Xbox games, some of which were yet to be named prototypes. As an avid PS and PS2 fan, let me clear the air and simply say: This system is going to destroy anything in its path. It would take nothing short of a miracle for Gamecube to meet the standard set by Xbox. Believe me, once you have this sytem, your PS2 will be reduced from top-notch gaming system to a dusty waste of shelf space. Anti-MS sentiments aside, you will be impressed with, if not floored by, the XBox.

    3. Re:It's all about the games by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So do I (in electronics at a chain store where we wear blue vests and do a stupid cheer every morning)

      Having worked at what was apparently the same chain of stores in the Electronics department myself when I was a teen, I can speak from personal experience when I say the sort of people who hunt for their video games at said store (Wal-Mart, for those who didn't get it) aren't exactly real tech savvy or true gaming buffs, generally speaking.

      There are exceptions, of course. But the basic types who went there to buy video games were more often then not the mothers of children, or grandparents, or small children who were day-dream shopping as their parents let them roam into electronics to look at the games.

      As for the adult customers, these were the same people who bought Deer Hunter and Myst in droves.

      Any questions?

      (I'm greatful for two things. One, we have a real software store in this town now, and two, I no longer work at Wal-Mart.)

    4. Re:It's all about the games by FunkSoulBrother · · Score: 1
      As for the adult customers, these were the same people who bought Deer Hunter and Myst in droves.


      True true, most wal-mart shoppers are not the true gamers. What you have to remember though is, they are the people buying, and like you said, in DROVES. (As I recall, myst is the greatest selling game of all time, and I think Deer Hunter sold best its year) They will decide the console wars, because they have the spending power. So in a discussion over which will be more popular, I think the guy at wal mart is quite justified in touting the gamecube.

      Now, as to what will be more popular with gamers.....
    5. Re:It's all about the games by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I just finished up an internship at MS in the Xbox group.

      The efficiency of MS's brainwashing division is astounding. It made a puny 32Bit system look like a gaming revolution to you.

      Then again they were able to market Windows as a 'server' operating system, so it's not really surprising.

    6. Re:It's all about the games by Glytch · · Score: 2

      Bingo on all counts, except for the true gamers. Since this is a rather small town, the Walmart where I work is one of only four sources for computer games and one of two sources for console games within three hours drive. Even the true gamers have to shop here if they don't want to mail-order or take a 6 hour plus trip. I think I've been talking to a fairly accurate sampling of people here.

      And the hell of it is, I don't personally care at all for the Gamecube. I'm a Squaresoft fan. :)

  5. Cars Vs OS by Mattygfunk · · Score: 2, Funny

    No car racing games please. I'm sure we'll see enough crashes.

    1. Re:Cars Vs OS by bwian · · Score: 1

      . . . unless someone brings out a demolition derby game called Blue Scream.

      "sorry, did you say you crashed your Bluescream - or that the Xbox crashed with a Bluescreen?"

    2. Re:Cars Vs OS by IYagami · · Score: 1

      Well, if you 'like' car racing games on the DC, you have to see Project Gotham, the sucessor to MSR, but on XBOX

      http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/previews/0, 10 869,2770864,00.html

  6. Take that Japan! by krmt · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's what you get for making us wait forever for all your game systems!

    And for not releasing any RPG's during the NES era!

    And for dumbing down what RPG's you did release!

    And for not releasing the Linux kit for the PS/2 here!

    And for giving us all that tentacle pr0n! *shudder*

    And most of all... that's for the fan abuse at the end of Evangelion!

    So there!

    --

    "I may not have morals, but I have standards."

    1. Re:Take that Japan! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      once again the moderators prove their worth: if racism doesn't deserve a ++, what does?

    2. Re:Take that Japan! by Trollificus · · Score: 0

      Hey, don't knock tentacle pr0n, fucker!

      --

      "People should be allowed to keep midgets as pets."
      - Gov. Jesse Ventura

    3. Re:Take that Japan! by Refrag · · Score: 2

      Yeah... this is what I thought at first for about a split second. Then I realized this: what self-respecting Japanese gamer is going to want an Xbox anyway?

      --
      I have a website. It's about Macs.
    4. Re:Take that Japan! by tb3 · · Score: 2
      that's for the fan abuse at the end of Evangelion!


      Bitch, bitch, bitch. Death and Rebirth/End of Evangelion are coming out early next year from Manga. Supposedly, that should satisfy your complaints about the end of the TV series.


      And check the trailers for Final Fantasy X. It looks beautiful, and the north american version is said to have decent voice acting.


      I'll give you the tentacle pr0n, though. What are they thinking?

      --

      www.lucernesys.comHorizon: Calendar-based personal finance

    5. Re:Take that Japan! by esper_child · · Score: 1

      From what I remember from some of my friends playing FFX it wasn't any better than the usual drek that they seem to like to pump out. Why can't they spend a while longer working on the games and make them better. 10 games in the FF series (- FFMQ and FFT) and only 2 (FFVI and FFIX) of them worth playing through. That is pretty bad for a company that has been around for as long as Squaresoft has been. Why can't they release more games like Chrono Trigger. Looks don't make the game (unless you are playing Myst I/II/III, in that case it the game (why ppl play screensavers i don't know))

      Also, Death and Rebirth was entertaining, atleast the last half of it was. So much better that was than the last 2 eps of the TV series.

      And well tentacle pr0n in anime isn't nearly as scary as the thought that it also exists in their live action section as well (i am not joking!)

    6. Re:Take that Japan! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      don't forget Pearl Harbor dude... Tora on my nutz BIIIIIAAAATCH

    7. Re:Take that Japan! by Harlockjds · · Score: 2, Informative

      Blah End of Eva is the real fan abuse.

    8. Re:Take that Japan! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No good classic NES RPGs?

      Ultima Exodus
      Final Fantasy
      The Legend of Zelda (ok - combo rpg/action/adv)Shadowgate

      these helped define the genre.

    9. Re:Take that Japan! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      WTF? "Shadowgate" was on its own line & it was a P.O.T. post.

    10. Re:Take that Japan! by Ryan+Amos · · Score: 1

      Bah, who cares about Death and Rebirth. They were just recaps of the series that Gainax used as a ploy for cash so they could finish End of. Now, End of Eva, on the other hand.. Well, let's say if you haven't seen it, get your hands on a fansub ASAP ;)

    11. Re:Take that japan! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      sad sad sad. had an original thought lately?

    12. Re:Take that Japan! by FunkSoulBrother · · Score: 1

      Lets not forget vending machines that sell used panties from japanese girls. They could have sent us those along with a shipment of quality RPGs.

  7. Ok. That's it. PS2 for me! by Jeppe+Salvesen · · Score: 1

    I think it's about time I got my finger out of my ****** and got myself a PS2. I'll wait until the release of the xbox. Hopefully, they'll slash prices by then, and I also want to contribute to PS2 keeping up with the xbox. DirectX schmirect x. Does it have anything like the emotion engine?

    --

    Stop the brainwash

    1. Re:Ok. That's it. PS2 for me! by James+Foster · · Score: 1

      Does it have anything like the emotion engine?
      Uh, yeah... in fact, the X-Box sports an NV25. Pretty much a beefed-up GeForce 3. Thanks to that, it can out-perform the PS2 quite easily.
      In my opinion though, the X-Box will suffer from a lack of great games and will probably be telefragged by the GameCube. Thats just my opinion though.

    2. Re:Ok. That's it. PS2 for me! by LaundroMat · · Score: 1

      Please elaborate your "outperform" statement. I'd like to see what you are basing this on.

      --
      "Those innocent fun games of the hallucination generation"
    3. Re:Ok. That's it. PS2 for me! by cybrthng · · Score: 1

      Its simple. The XBox will outperform the now 2 year old PS2 design. The XBOX will have more memory, more storage, networking out of the box and a better API to program.

      Everyone knows the PS2 is a bitch to program for. Sure directx isn't the end all, but any joe schmoe can learn it.

      I want to see how the GameCube and the Xbox do. I could care less about the PS2.. PS2 is last years garbage

    4. Re:Ok. That's it. PS2 for me! by Yakko · · Score: 1
      PS2 is last years garbage

      Yeah? Well, I feel rather "stupid" for buying a PSX in July 2000, which by then had been rotting in a dumpster since 1995. :o)

      I certainly don't care if PS2 is 2 or 3, or 8 years old. I do care that it has a huge library of games that I can play right now. I also care that (like my DC, 2yr old "trash" that I bought in May) it can do other interesting things than just run games and DVDs... or at least has the potential to. In case it's not bloody obvious, I don't trust MICROS~1

      I don't think I will buy xbox. If I want to play games on a PC, I'll either use my laptop or buy a PC, and I hazard the guess that I'll have a better selection of games. I also don't care that I'm interchanging "xbox" and "PC." A rose by any other colour smells the same.

      --

      --
      Me spell chucker work grate. Need grandma chicken.
    5. Re:Ok. That's it. PS2 for me! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just to make something clear: the ps2 sucks, I'm starting to get more and more faith in the GCN, and my DC is still the best gaming platform I have.

      ... Also, beowulf cluster, goatse.cx, and MS suxx0rz!!1~~

  8. The truth by ioman1 · · Score: 1

    The truth is that Microsoft will be using the Xbox's intended for Japan as backups in case the demand is to great. I suspect that if the launch is short of spectactular and the excess systems are not needed, then the Japanese launch will go on as previously scheduled.

    1. Re:The truth by anticypher · · Score: 2

      Securitas said MS insists it's going to meet its Nov. 8 North American release date. I'll believe it when I see it.

      M$ will certainly ship the north american X-box in time for the X-mas season, even if it is full of bugs or has some major safety problems. The only time to make large advances in marketshare come during the christmas season in the U.S., so M$ would rather risk a recall or later fix if they can grab 40% of the game console market this year.

      If the X-box does take off, they will then ramp up production and get units into secondary markets, or, as ioman1 points out, if the U.S. sales aren't spectacular Japan will see suddenly have a bunch of consoles available. But given the state of the world's economies right now, any product manager who mis-calculates demand could cost a company $$$billions if inventory just sits unsold in warehouses.

      the AC

      --
      Hemos is like...sci-fi fans;he thinks technology is cool, but he hasn't bothered to understand the science it's based on
    2. Re:The truth by gfxguy · · Score: 1

      I was going to post just that if I didn't see it...

      I'm sure MS will make it's deadline - ready or not, here it comes. I'm guessing not.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
    3. Re:The truth by tb3 · · Score: 2

      or has some major safety problems.

      Like this?

      --

      www.lucernesys.comHorizon: Calendar-based personal finance

  9. What you say? by jwakko · · Score: 2, Funny

    You mean I'm going to have to wait 3 and a half months before I can get my imports?

  10. XBox is already too late by sakusha · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's already too late for the XBox. More delays in the Japan release will just mean fewer titles developed in Japan. The machine will flop in Japan, and if it flops in Japan, it will be a worldwide flop.

    Now the REAL question is, since Bungie was bought out by M$, are they going to keep their promise and do a simultaneous Mac/PC/XBox release, or will M$ shaft everyone and force them to do an initial release on XBox only?

    1. Re:XBox is already too late by Justen · · Score: 1

      No doubt. The Japanese companies are simply more intune with the gaming market that Microsoft seems to be. Console developers everywhere but America will take one look at the Xbox and laugh; they are console developers, not PC software makers.

      If Microsoft wants the Xbox to suceed, they're going to have to look at their product in a worldview. Because this so-far displayed American-centric view is going to get them nowhere.

      jrbd

    2. Re:XBox is already too late by Matt+Lee · · Score: 1

      Bungie never promised a simultaneous PC/Mac/Xbox release for Halo. Xbox comes first, PC/Mac later.

    3. Re:XBox is already too late by Alan+Partridge · · Score: 1

      hang on, the Amiga was nowhere in Japan - would you consider that a flop?

      --
      That was classic intercourse!
    4. Re:XBox is already too late by wct · · Score: 1

      Seeing as they had a huge edge in technology but are now...non-existent...then yes.

      And I'm speaking as someone who had an original 1000, with the paw-print mobo, in '86.

    5. Re:XBox is already too late by sakusha · · Score: 2
      Bungie never promised a simultaneous PC/Mac/Xbox release for Halo. Xbox comes first, PC/Mac later.

      Both Microsoft and Bungie have publicly promised a simultaneous release on Mac/PC/Xbox, on multiple occasions. Like for example:

      http://www.imgmagazine.com/news/story.php?Articl eI D=605

      It is the Playstation 2 release that will lag.
    6. Re:XBox is already too late by Alan+Partridge · · Score: 1

      nothing lasts forever, especially in the games machine market (and let's face it, the Amiga WAS a games machine). The fact that Commodore managed to sell what 6, 7 million machines has to be considered SOMETHING of a success. When I was at school, it was the No.1 machine to have and had ALL the best games. Megadrive (Genesis?) was pretty feeble by comparison.

      --
      That was classic intercourse!
    7. Re:XBox is already too late by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "(and let's face it, the Amiga WAS a games machine)."
      Uhh, no it wasn't. Maybe for you it was, but I bought my Amiga for video manipulation and coding. The fact that it could run Civ was a bonus.

    8. Re:XBox is already too late by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Initial release on xbox :-( Might have to get one now.

    9. Re:XBox is already too late by kko · · Score: 1

      "and if it flops in Japan, it will be a worldwide flop"...
      Thats right on the money, bub... In fact, most successful consoles come out in Japan (aka Videogame Mecca) first!

      --
      No, seriously, I just come here for the articles.
    10. Re:XBox is already too late by Shaheen · · Score: 2

      Well, if you've been keeping up on real gaming news (and I mean real gaming sites - not this Slashdot category BS), then you'd know that they are not going to release Halo simultaneously on Mac/PC/Xbox. It will be Xbox exclusive for a while, and the Mac/PC ports are planned at the moment (and being worked on, which I was told by a friend at Bungie).

      --
      You should never take life too seriously - You'll never get out of it alive.
    11. Re:XBox is already too late by mgblst · · Score: 1

      so, according to your logic, the NES, SNES, and every other machine that is non-existent in the year 2001 is a flop.

      Thats some serious defn of flop your are trying to force on us there.

    12. Re:XBox is already too late by mgblst · · Score: 1

      yeah, because Japan is the game mecca...

      ...and Sony cant compete against the big two Sega and Nintendo!

      ...and Atari was a Japanese company wasnt it?

      ...and things never change!

    13. Re:XBox is already too late by jiheison · · Score: 1

      No, those two systems are part of a line of consoles that continues today. Each successor was built on the success of its predecessor.

      The fact that there is no decendent of the Amiga still on the market and competing with Nintendo and Sony is what makes it a flop. Apparently, it wasn't successful enough to build a following as consoles evolved.

    14. Re:XBox is already too late by bmajik · · Score: 2

      I'm not ready to disagree with you on what flopping in japan means for worldwide success, but I will point out the following:

      The saturn did ok in japan - flopped here
      The dreamcast "Flopped" in japan, did ok here
      the N64 "flopped" almost everywhere

      Sega is now out of the console hardware business

      Nintendo isn't - even though they have no arcade business, their last system flopped, and they've only got a few interesting franchises. The japanese eat this stuff up though.

      I dont think xbox will take japan by storm, but i dont think MS needs it to. Pleasing the japanese video game market is weird ugly voodoo. People have tried to come up with formulas to do so but in general all you can do are try really hard and have a back up plan. The popular mantra today is "he who gets exclusive Square titles owns japan" but i look at that in one of two ways:

      1) Square knows this, so may be willing to deal with whoever makes them the sweetest deal (hint: who has more money, MS or Sony ?)

      2) The fickle japanese gaming market will decide that Pokemon RPG Universe Piano Simulator for gamecube is the best thing, and square will be hurting for money like no tomorrow.

      In any case, i see MS putting out a good hardware platform, and having a good developer relations effort. Think of them as putting out a respectable offering, and getting their foot in the door in a new market. This is not an alltogether unheard of tactic for MS :)

      So the xbox marketing campaign is 500million. Big deal - thats roughly 1 or 2% of MS's cash holdings.

      In summary: they can afford to push back the japanese launch - especially if its to cushion unit volume for a great looking US launch.

      --
      My opinions are my own, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer.
    15. Re:XBox is already too late by GiorgioG · · Score: 1

      I personally think you're both wrong. That's like saying Linux doesn't stand a chance on the desktop market (ever) - because microsoft "rules" that part of the market, for better or for worse.

      The XBOX has ALOT going for it:

      1) Alot of programmers already know the basics of the SDK (It's based on DirectX8 AFAIK)

      2) M$ marketing - don't underestimate them.

      3) Any group of joe schmoe hobbyists who writes a kickass game in DirectX, can easily have it ported to XBOX. Publishers obviously like that - even the shareware/cheapy CD/Game companies can get in on this. What's this mean? There's potential for decent new games at a very reasonable price.

    16. Re:XBox is already too late by Critch+Starblade · · Score: 1

      Nintendo sold more software than anyone else in the U.S. the last few years. This includes Sony and Sega. Not to mention that they also have the Game Boy Advance, which despite being a portable is still a console, and the original game boy has sold over 10 million units, and an untold number of games. Sony/Microsoft also loses more money per unit than Nintendo does on their systems, and since many buy the ps2/xbox for their dvd capabilities and only play a game every once in a while, it appears that Nintendo has a advantage...If this is flopping, then they're flopping all the way to the bank.

      --
      http://www.trekohio.com
  11. Delay is normal by gounthar · · Score: 1

    Why bother pointing out that the XBox release will encounter some delays?

    It happened frequently with almost all the consoles since the dawn of humanity

    --

    Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent - Salvor Hardin

  12. do you really think the Japanese care? by GaylordFucker · · Score: 0

    of course not... they don't care about the XBox... because look at what they have... Playstation (PS2 not too mention), coming soon Gamecube, Dreamcast... blah blah... so i don't think the Japanese care one bit... and you shouldn't either

    --


    Get that rats nest off your head, you numbskull -- Wesley Willis
  13. bad business decision perhaps? by Ankou · · Score: 1

    Is it me or is this a bad move on the part of Microsoft to not sell to Japan until after the Christmass season? First off this gives Sony Playstation 2 and the makers of the Nintendo GameCube the power to use its financial backing in japan to slash prices in the USA. After all the biggest amount of buyers of consoles and games are in Japan. Did anyone else notice that on ebworld the GameCube comes out a full 10 days after the projected date of the Xbox? It used to be that the GameCube was comming out 5 days earlier than the Xbox, guess Microsoft felt the competition eh. I wonder if that time difference will make a difference.

    1. Re:bad business decision perhaps? by Graymalkin · · Score: 1

      Considering the locations of XBox production facilities it isn't suprising Microsoft is waiting for after Christmas to toss their hat into the Japanese market. Sony and Nintendo can spank their asses in console deliveries in the Christmas buying season which would make for a pretty shallow market penetration (sorta like the PS2 not meeting the initial demand when it was released here). By starting off in the US and Europe (where they have production facilities) they can keep overhead low since they don't need to ship units overseas. That means much better margins on the units they sell. The less money they lose the quicker they make a profit which is their goal in the first place.

      --
      I'm a loner Dottie, a Rebel.
    2. Re:bad business decision perhaps? by flatrock · · Score: 2

      It's a question of if Microsoft has games for the Japanese market to go along with the console. I keep hearing how the japanese console market is different from the US and European markets. If MS doesn't have the games, then they shouldn't release it in Japan. It's better to hold off a few months than to flop.

      Remember also that the Japanese economy has been in pretty bad shape for several years, and with our economy not exactly in the best shape I doubt Sony is going to have a really good christmas season in Japan this year. Their console has already been out a year, and if they drop the price of the console to maintain market share, then they are goint to lose even more money on each console. I'm not sure what to think about Nintendo. They have an awsome product in the gameboy advance. It would be even better if it were backlit, but it's still awsome. I'm just not sure if they'll be able to pull off the Gamecube.
      Microsoft has the two things that can allow them to get a foothold in the market despite their entrenched competition. They have a well known name, and lots of money. With the release of XP they are going to have lots of cash comming in. They can definately sell at a loss much longer than Nintendo. Sony's consumer electronics division hasn't made much money for several years, but they may be able to siphon money off of their Music sales to keep fund selling their PS2s at a loss to keep market share. It looks like we're going to see a battle in the console market. Hopefully we'll end up with lower prices, good games, and some strong competition. It's kind of weird that Microsoft is the one bringing competioion to a market that's currently dominated by Sony.

    3. Re:bad business decision perhaps? by stahlratte · · Score: 1

      I'm not really too pleased by the idea that Microsoft might be able to out-loss Sony and Nintendo on machines. It means more expensive games in the long run, possibly less money for game developers (and thus less selection), and potentially a market with only Microsoft.

      There are supposed to be anti-dumping laws that stop companies from flooding a market at a loss to force others out - do these laws apply to technology sectors, or only to natural resources? If they apply to both, no one can super-short their console prices.

    4. Re:bad business decision perhaps? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      If they apply to both, no one can super-short their console prices.
      Well, that's Sony and Nintendo's business model down the tubes then.
    5. Re:bad business decision perhaps? by MarkLR · · Score: 1

      It was Nintendo that had a delay. The GameCube was pushed back.

    6. Re:bad business decision perhaps? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sony's consumer electronics division hasn't made much money for several years, but they may be able to siphon money off of their Music sales to keep fund selling their PS2s at a loss to keep market share.

      Actually, from what I've read, it's the games divisions of Sony that are keeping the company afloat right now...!

  14. Xbox Nazi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No Xbox for you!! No Xbox for you!! You come back in 6 months!!

    1. Re:Xbox Nazi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      No Xbox for you!! No Xbox for you!! You come back in 6 months!!

      You Seinfield freak. :)
    2. Re:Xbox Nazi by Trollificus · · Score: 0

      Ahh, I see you've met my friend Jim.

      --

      "People should be allowed to keep midgets as pets."
      - Gov. Jesse Ventura

  15. Re:JAPSCAT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    let's get this down low where it belongs

  16. Re:I fuck the Xbox with my penis by Trollificus · · Score: 0
    "Whats a fella to do with himself ?"

    Grab a camera and take some pics so we at home can share in your delight.

    --

    "People should be allowed to keep midgets as pets."
    - Gov. Jesse Ventura

  17. Lucky Bastards by Alan+Partridge · · Score: 1

    I'm going to put together a petition to insist that MS permanently delays XBOX in the UK too. Who's with me?

    --
    That was classic intercourse!
    1. Re:Lucky Bastards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jurassic Park.

    2. Re:Lucky Bastards by Alan+Partridge · · Score: 1

      ah! I see you remember me from my days doing Sports Report, or possibly my brief stint on The Day Today team. Great days... great days...

      --
      That was classic intercourse!
    3. Re:Lucky Bastards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Me, and the 3 other slashdotters who agree with you!

  18. Pokemon debacle all over again. by Trollificus · · Score: 0
    "...indicates a delay in the Japanese release of the Xbox."

    I guess they figured the flashing blue and red startup screen wasn't such a good idea afterall.

    --

    "People should be allowed to keep midgets as pets."
    - Gov. Jesse Ventura

  19. Xbox is a great Microsoft product by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There are two problems with Microsoft products compared to real open source products:
    * Since all the code is closed, you cant build on top of whats done before. If you want a Word Processor with feature X, you cant add that feature, you have to start building a Word Processor from scratch.
    * Since the marketing department wants backward compability (some director wants to run a DOS-program for the financial analysis) - and since its closed source (you cant change/recompile the strange program, you have to build in support in the operating system)... it just gets more and more bloated.

    None of this problems exists for games. A good game is a game that does something totally new... not a game that is an improvement of earlier versions. There is little point in letting the users add features to games (like letting me implement nuclear bombs for Doom multiplayer)... most likely it will just ruin the games. Games are best developed by a closed department, where all have the same idea of the gameplay, not in an open environment...

    Im sure Microsoft will build a great Xbox.. I bought a Microsoft mouse four years ago. Xbox is going to be the next Microsoft product Im going to buy.

  20. What are you waiting for, christmas? by Spootnik · · Score: 1

    Swim overseas to get your own Xbox now!

    1. Re:What are you waiting for, christmas? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The XBox is so damned big it could float over by itself.

  21. Re:Warning! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You stupid fuck! You have to stealthify your URL!

  22. Microsoft could quite well deliver on time... by r_newman · · Score: 0, Troll

    ... let's not forget, they can always release the bug fixes at a later point, as they do with all of their products. In fact, releleasing the X-B(oll)ox on time with a number of bugs would only make them money... you DON'T think they'll give away their "upgrades" free, do you?

    --
    Bzzzzzt..."AAAAaaaaarrrgh!!!" Thud.
    1. Re:Microsoft could quite well deliver on time... by bwian · · Score: 1

      Yes, they'll probably end up shipping out service pack CD's to registered owners of the X-Box. That'll be a world first.

      And if the X-box runs a version of Windows:
      a) will they call the OS X-Windows (I'm sure that'll be popular!)?
      b) How resilient is it likely to be when your six-year-old kid pulls the plug out during a game save? "Registry not found, (A)bort (R)etry (F)ail (B)uy a proper console?"
      c) Can the hard disk get so FUBAR'd that customers may have to re-install the OS?
      d) Will there be an X-Box Second Edition?

    2. Re:Microsoft could quite well deliver on time... by AndrewHowe · · Score: 2

      Sigh. Oh well, here we go again...
      b) There isn't a registry
      c) The OS isn't "installed"
      Try again.

    3. Re:Microsoft could quite well deliver on time... by esper_child · · Score: 1

      you forgot what about when the HDD get fragmented beyond all recognition (which inevitablly happens to any HDD with windows on it, and defrag under win2k seems to take forever on large drives) maybe we will luck out and it will utilize something other than FAT/FAT32/NTFS.
      on a side note, why the hell can't M$ include the drivers and what not needed for maintaining and reading a non FAT/FAT32/NTFS partition. If they could just do this it would make my world a lot easier (right now i can just read both drives from the *nix partions)

    4. Re:Microsoft could quite well deliver on time... by necrognome · · Score: 1

      Ignoring your hard disk rants, none of these things happened to the Dreamcast, which ran on WindowsCE. The reason desktop OSes are imcomplete is because M$ wants you to buy new versions. XBox will have an embedded OS, similar to Dreamcast and PDAs running CE. M$'s business model in these cases is based on selling PRODUCTS not SOFTWARE, so the product (of which the OS is a part) better work.

      No, I'm no M$ cheerleader, but you need to recognize that not everything they touch turns to dust.

      --


      Let's get drunk and delete production data!
  23. Re:Xbox vs others XP... by d3l3t3_m3 · · Score: 1

    Of course you'll be able to install Linux in it though I suspect XP to be installed in it in a few months. With all the new range of possibilities that web applications can offer and the new xml libraries that XP offers, there's no doubt that XBOX is the new WEBtv of M$.

    Come on, wake up people...

    forget DotGNU it's way behind... unless...

  24. software the problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    i'd read or seen on tv somewhere that the reason for this delay was software because there were not enough RPGs and real time strategy games ready to go.

    at least microsoft's not pulling an atari and not caring about what games are released where :P

  25. Let's see, I want an Xbox for... by Powercntrl · · Score: 1, Troll

    1. Hack value. You *know* someone will get Linux running on that thing. At the very least I could gut it for the CPU and return it. (It's manufactured by the evil empire, they can deal with some fradulent RMA.) Wait, with Intel's recent price cuts, by the time the Xbox is released, a P3 750MHz would probably cost less than the gas it would take to drive to and from the store. Oh well.

    2. It's not easily confused with an IBM PS/2. But wait, that still doesn't make me want one. Shit.

    3. It looks cool. I can impress all my... Nevermind.

    4. I could play boatloads of cutting-egde, white-knuckle, edge-of-your-seat, blast-in-your-face 3D hyper-accelerated games. Hmm, Duke Nukem Forever is still vaporware and probably won't be released for Xbox anyway. Guess not then.

    5. It will make my writeups on E2 get C!'d and give me lots of /. karma. No it won't, why the fsck I write that? I think I'm being hit with a Microsoft Mind Control Beam(TM).

    6. I can get something high-tech before the Japanese. Only problem... Microsoft != High Tech

    Gee, I guess I DON'T want an Xbox!

    --

    ---
    DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
    1. Re:Let's see, I want an Xbox for... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh dear. Have fun playing Tux Racer!

    2. Re:Let's see, I want an Xbox for... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think he's too big on Windows-Only games either.

      This certainly makes quick witticism a little difficult:

      Slow Down Cowboy!

      Slashdot requires you to wait 20 seconds between hitting 'reply' and submitting a comment.

      It's been 18 seconds since you hit 'reply'!

  26. Screw that by BIGJIMSLATE · · Score: 2

    So? The US market is MS' primary market, and with Nintendo's date being moved back 2 weeks, Microsoft has a chance to actually sell this unit. Sure, the Japanese market would help, but I don't see this console doing well their anyways (WAAAAAY too bulky for most Japanese, most prefer a smaller item like the GCN).

    1. Re:Screw that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Exactly, japanese consumers do not like large consumer electronics. The Xbox is huge compared to most japanese consoles. its about the size of 2 playstations stacked. Also there doesnt seem to be much japanese game support just a bunch of reject pc titles and dead or alive 3.

    2. Re:Screw that by mgblst · · Score: 1

      yeah, and thats how i decide on which console to buy, the size of it.

      I know that Japan is a crowded place, but thats just getting ridiculous.

    3. Re:Screw that by StorminNorman · · Score: 1

      Actually it's not as stupid as you might think. Preentation means a lot in Japan, so the look of something can have a huge influence on how well it does in their market. The XBox, lets face it, looks like it was designed by an American company. It's big, it's chunky, and damn if it isn't butt-ugly either. It looks exactly like a console designed by Americans. the GameCube on the other hand is very small, colourful (comes in a variety of colours, the XBox on the other hand inherits that wonderfully American feature: "Any colour you like as long as it's black"), and has a funky handle for easy carrying.

      The PS2, despite looking somewhat similar to the xbox (okay, they're both black) has a nice sleek look that works in both a vertical or horizontal orientation.

      Presentation is a lot more important than you would think.

      --
      life is a canvas/and the paint is hope and promise/the world is ours/no one can ever take it from us.
  27. Launch Date Irrelevence by squaretorus · · Score: 1

    I seriously think that we all over estimate the importance of launch date of a new console. Just look at the PS2- only now, with the ads for GT3 saturating the evening TV am I inclined to part with £300 for one - it's been around for AGES, theres a couple of spanky new machines just around the corner, but ONE GOOD GAME and I'm most likely going to get one this weekend.

    Which was launched first? The Saturn, PS, N64??? dunno! but the few decent games for the Saturn just weren't as good as those for the PS or N64 - so it was dooooomed.

    Its all about the games!

    1. Re:Launch Date Irrelevence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Its all about the games!

      B*llocks. It's all about marketing. The Dreamcast is a good example -- Sega have loads of decent titles but the machine is dead in the water due to poor sales and Sega not breaking even on their debts.
  28. I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by levinas · · Score: 2, Interesting
    That the Xbox is gonna flop and flop hugh.

    1, There are few developers, apart from M$ and Bungie willing to develop for it and those that do have little or no console experience. btw who whats to play pc games on a tv anyway.

    2. It is overpriced for a consoles (around $299) and underpowered for a computer 600mh.

    3. It is marketed towards the 16 to 25 market who are the most likely to own a computer and have no use for a Xbox anyway.

    4. It is badly designed for a console, who whats a hard disk in their console, what do you do in case of a harddisk crash.

    5. If you are into that cut down puter, intergrated graphics, sound and processor philosophy then Nvidia are about to bring out the nforce + there will prob be a million clone's even when the thing flops.

    In short, the Xbox takes all the disadvantages of a console, such as the inablity to upgrade, low processor power, closed archtechure and paying to develop for it. While it add's all the disadvantages of a computer like bad design, hardware bloat and poor software implementation (ie directx).
    I predict that M$ will both miss the us release date and not even attempt to sell the thing in japan.
    The Xbox is the bastard child of anti-ps2 vapourware that even the marketing of M$ will never be able to sell.

    1. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Drivel. Honestly, the kids on Slashdot get more porridge-brained by the day. Let's just utterly refute his first point; you can be assured that the rest of his post is just as stupid but I don't have time to teach IT to idiots.

      1, There are few developers, apart from M$ (Ed: Haw! Haw! M $, eh? Way to stick it to da man! Honestly, how old is this moron? 13?) and Bungie willing to develop for it and those that do have little or no console experience
      A list of some companies signed up to deliver XBox titles:

      Sega, Capcom, Konami, Tecmo, Altus, From Software and Namco.

      No console experience there, then.
    2. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      The Xbox is going to fail just because you hate Microsoft?

      No developers? Get the straight facts. What about Sega, Namco, Konami, Capcom, Electronic Arts, Acclaim, Tecmo, Infogrames, Thq, Activision, Eidos, Midway, and the list goes on.

      If you say that gamers don't need or want a harddrive why is Sony selling one for PS2.

      You say that kids would rather buy a pc?
      - Their target audience can't afford a pc so advanced.

      I could continue but got better things to do..

    3. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Companies are canceling PortBox ports faster than MS can pay off new companies to port their PS2 titles.

      Awww! Your liddle fake console is dead before it even ships.

      Go back to jerking yourself to MS press releases..

    4. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the Sega games are new, DoA3 is new, Halo is new, Namco are creating original products.
      What's your problem anyway?
      Did Mommy buy you the wrong console?

    5. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Awww, the liddle flopbox fanboy is having trouble listing all the killer titles for his liddle pc.

      Halo? You mean that pc game that was laughed off the E3 floor? You're out of date fanboy, no one tries to brag about that turd anymore.

      And a bunch of other 'unnamed' awesome titles, yeah right, welcome to failure putz. Time to get to know the Dreamcast and Amiga losers in the dead system club. Buh bye!

    6. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by levinas · · Score: 1
      I really dont care either or bout Microsoft.

      I admit that I wrote the post rather quickly and should have done a bit more research, esp on the first point. It is not one of my best post's

      but who the hell cares it's only a opinion piece anyway and who what to be involved in some point counter-point flamefest.

      And my opinion, being someone who sell's and buys shit like this everyday (I wont tell you my job but it does involve a commission) I would not stock this product, esp right now, since it will not move and at the end of the day someone has to move unit's

      While it is all right to base a religion on success or failure (be it windowsXP, linux or whatever) of a product since all you stand to lose is a few hundred dollars. I have not got that luxury since I would stand to lose a lot more that that.

      To close in my opinion the Xbox is a dog which will flop.

    7. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He didn't have any trouble at all. You're having a damn difficult time smacking the Xbox down, though.

      Halo will be great, when it's run on an actual machine. Some fat nerds didn't like the preview running on the wrong hardware? Whoop-dee-doo. None of the Xbox's target market pays attention to those loser geeks anyway.

    8. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You should do some customer research. Most frontline retailers know that Xbox is hot shit at the moment.

    9. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by levinas · · Score: 2, Interesting
      People know shit...

      Just look at all the crap changes they make to movies to please test audience's.

      Plus there is a limit to hype if the product will not sell passed the first few weeks and people in business who have seen stuff like this before and will again and have there livelyhood riding on it will not buy into this in the current environment.

      I'm sorry the xbox has remainder written all over it. It's true that a few people will que to buy one when it is launched but like The Phantom Menence after the third week it will be history.

    10. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by flatrock · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That reminds me of something Bill Gates once said about Windows in it's infantcy. He was trying to get developers to write Windows applications, when everyone was still developing DOS applications. He had the vision of a highly integrated Windowed environment with applications that had a consistent user interface. He was far from the first to have this vision, but he felt that it had reached it's time. The x86 platform could finally supply the processing power, and the future was multithreaded/windowed environment. The problem was third party developersdidn't want to develop for it beacuse there was a much larger user base for DOS applications than Windows. So he forced his developers at Microsoft to develop Windows applications because MS developers didn't have a choice, they had to do what he wanted. The result was MS Office, which is undeniably MS's cash cow. That time Bill was right.

      Now we have the XBox. Microsoft wants developers to develop for it, but they're not sure. There's a lot of PS2s out there, Gamecube is comming, and what does MS know about the console market? What does microsoft do? They buy some gaming companies to make sure there are some games for the XBox.
      Bill has been wrong before, and MS has taken huge losses on projects in the pase (BOB comes to mind). But they're not afraid to try. And you never know, Bill might be right again.

    11. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Being the original AC that responded to you, I should point out that I don't care about Halo, but your argument about everything being a port is just wrong. To me, Halo looks like crap, but better crap than anything I've seen for the PS2. If I saw just one game that would justify buying a PS2, I would. Unfortunately, there aren't any right now. Anyway, Jet Set Radio Future has already sold me the Xbox.

    12. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by cybrthng · · Score: 1

      The XBox will do well. No denying it. I will buy one. 299 for what it comes with is a damn good deal. (i dunno what crackpipe your smoking.. the ps2 costs 299 and doesn't come with nearly the same amount of hardware and who wants to play a bunch of rehashed psx games)

    13. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by levinas · · Score: 1
      good post.

      but you seem to pursume that the console market is the same as the pc market, M$ forced windows on the desktop by doing deal's with OEM's which forced third parties to write applications for it. Windows became a standard. However, M$ can not force people to buy the Xbox and thus I see them getting a rather big wake up call.

      Billy Bob is wrong on this one for sure.

    14. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      1) don't use the phrase "M$", it makes you look like a twat
      2) Microsoft can't force people to buy Xboxes; however, they can make it as easy as falling off a log to develop games for the Xbox, and they have. In a year's time you'll see a huge proliferation of Xbox software, Nintendo will just be releasing their second game and there'll be a few okayish PSX titles. Which do you buy? This is why people buy Windows: the software you want runs on it. Expect the same for the Xbox.

    15. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by flatrock · · Score: 2

      Microsoft can't force people to buy XBox, but they can seel them at a loss, and advertise the heck out of it. I suspect you won't see a lot of traditional console titles on XBox to start out. Microsoft is using DirectX on the XBox to make it easy for PC game developers to make games for the XBox. I suspect the first titles will be mostly PC games running on the XBox.
      I'm personally not a console gamer, so I'm not sure how many of those people will buy XBoxs. Who do I think will buy XBoxs? Parents who want to steal their computer back from their kids who are always on it playing games. PC gamers who's PC is getting out of date, and for whom XBox is actually an upgrade. People like me who don't have a DVD player, know buying an XBox isn't a cost effective way of getting one, but can't seem to resist buying yet another expensive toy. I don't know if that will be a big enough market to get them started or not. But if they get some decent market share and some decent games, more good games will follow.

    16. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm sort of amazed that other people haven't brought up JSRF yet...I saw the video footage released recently, and it's astonishingly good! (much better looking in motion than in screenshots) It has definitely sold me on the Xbox as well (and, as far as I know, that game is an Xbox exclusive!).

    17. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      First of all, flop "hugh" doesn't mean anything.

      Second, there are a lot of developers already
      signed up that have been developing for many years
      now like Sega and Namco and EA. Last time I
      checked, about 15 million want to play PS2
      games on a TV.

      PS2 is 299.00 (right now). So it must be
      overpriced for a console as well. And its 733
      Mhz, not 600. Please get your facts straight.

      As for being marketed to 16-25 year olds, well
      if this is the case then there are a lot of
      16-25 year olds that have both a computer and
      a console, or several consoles.

      Hard disks crash, but based on the amount of time
      that it will actually be used, in comparison to
      a real computer, I would think it would last
      a very long time.

      You sound like someone who either doesn't like
      consoles at all, or is just anti-MS. The same
      arguments you just raised, other than the
      developer statement, go for PS2 and Gamecube as
      well. Why do you care if it misses the release
      date here or in Japan, it doesn't sound like
      you are going to buy one anyway?

      My only question is how did this post that I'm
      replying to get moderated to "interesting"?

      Just my opinion...

      jds
      johnsaic@swcp.com

    18. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by Zeno_1 · · Score: 1
      1, There are few developers, apart from M$ and Bungie willing to develop for it and those that do have little or no console experience. btw who whats to play pc games on a tv anyway.

      Not that I am an xbox fan at all, but the system is not your basic console, anyone who can program using the x86 platform/directx should be able to pick this up quick, so that should not be a problem. It would probably be easier to code for an xbox then it is for a ps2, doens't mean that one is better then the other, but I dont think its an issue. I still am not gonna buy an xbox, just wanted to clear that up.

      2. It is overpriced for a consoles (around $299) and underpowered for a computer 600mh

      Standard price for a console.. and whos to say its underpowered.. have you seen what a p3-700 can do without having to worry about having crap running in the background, mainly windows or whatever. This processor will be only for running the game and thats it, so Id say that whatever is in it should be ok.

      4. It is badly designed for a console, who whats a hard disk in their console, what do you do in case of a harddisk crash.

      Ok, now im starting to wonder if your joking or not... Im not sure about you, but id love to get a hard drive for my ps2.. True, id probably just use it for an mp3 jukebox, but it would be a handy thing to have. Of course it then lets game developers slack a bit on bug fixing, because they can always release a patch later that would be installed on the hard drive.. but anyway, it would be useful to have, most of the consoles that are out now are planning on releasing a hard drive kit. Hard drives dont crash that much anyway, id say its better to have a hard drive there in case you need it, then not have one and wish you did =P

      BTW Direct3d that is in directx 8 is not all that bad. Once again, id rather see it using OpenGL or something like that, but directx has matured quite a bit and can do some impressive things, especially with nvidia helping develop Direct3d.

      In any case, i dont think the xbox will sell, the only reason I can see why is because of Halo, and ill get that for my pc before I dish out money for an Xbox.

    19. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I must agree, Jet Set Radio is the best game I have played for a long time. Ther prospect of a sequel to that is enough to buy the box.

    20. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by nomadic · · Score: 2

      You can really screw microsoft by buying an xbox, then not buying any games so they miss out on the licensing fees.

    21. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yeah, but using that train of logic, halo isn't exactly going to be popular until version 6.0.

    22. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by ClosedSource · · Score: 1

      "You can really screw microsoft by buying an xbox, then not buying any games so they miss out on the licensing fees."

      You can really screw yourself by buying an xbox, then not buying any games so you've spent a lot of money for nothing.

    23. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by nomadic · · Score: 2

      Then you put something else on it. It's not like it's going to be unhackable; you'll get a pretty powerful computer for below cost.

    24. Re:I think that it is pretty clear to anyone by flatrock · · Score: 2

      In my opinion you don't "screw" them. They chose that business model, or at least chose to enter into a market where that is the business model everyone uses. Microsoft is also trying to convince game developers that there are a lot of XBox owners out there for them to sell games to. While selling XBoxes at a loss is a pretty expensive marketing ploy, at least they get something out of it. Depending on what you run on it you may even buy some Microsoft or Microsoft licened hardware on which they can make some money.
      However, I'll probably buy some games. I play Asheron's Call, and one of the Devs kind of hinted that it may be and XBox title in the future. The hard drive will allow the XBox to support the monthly patches (which include new content, as well as some bug fixes).

  29. Xbox Specs by muffen · · Score: 2, Informative

    *Four game controller ports
    *A front-loading DVD tray
    *An Ethernet card
    *An NVIDIA graphics processing unit (GPU)
    *An Intel 733MHz processor
    *An internal hard drive
    (information taken from xbox.com)

    How does Xbox compare to others? Well, it has a NIC in it. This is something that no other console has. I am sure that this will increase the popularity of the XBox alot, since it is going to be easy to connect it to the internet using high-speed internet such as xDSL and Cable.

    The XBox will also have a Hardrive. I am not sure how this will work, but I asume you will have to "install" games. This does allow for faster loading times.

    Finally, the console is made by MS. No matter how much people dislike MS, it is clear that they will be able to get a lot of game developers on their "side".

    I just read through my post and realized how much pro-MS I sound :(. However, I do actually think that the XBox could end up being a really cool console.

    1. Re:Xbox Specs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Faster loading from a harddrive? Guess you've never written a game before...

      A lot of developers on their side? You have no idea how funny that sounds.

      The PortBox will be a short lived dead end console just like the Dreamcast.

      PS2 and GC/GBA are the only platforms to support for this console cycle.

      Buy a fucking PortBox if you don't want to have to get up from your tv and walk all the way over to your pc to pc games.

      Buy a real console if you want to play real console games.

    2. Re:Xbox Specs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you say this three times and click your heels together, it might come true!

    3. Re:Xbox Specs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >Faster loading from a harddrive? Guess you've >never written a game before...

      faster loading than a CD/DVD for sure. Games don't come on ROM carts anymore, chief.

    4. Re:Xbox Specs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope.

      Now fuck off dummy.

    5. Re:Xbox Specs by Corrado · · Score: 1



      Yea, my DSL provider didn't go out of business and cable companies are beating a path to my door.

      </SARCASM>

      --
      KangarooBox - We make IT simple!
    6. Re:Xbox Specs by bmajik · · Score: 2

      You forgot a few other cool things the XBox has:

      5.1 digital audio output - not just in pre-recorded games either - any sound you hear can be 5.1 encoded in real time - they put in a chip to do it, iirc.

      the Harddrive isn't for "installing" games - its for optional features. It will be partitioned up in a few ways.. one area will be for savegames, so you dont necessarily need to buy a $30 memory card that holds only 64k. Another area will be a place to rip music to to create soundtracks for games that support that. Finally, a good chunk of the disk will be for caching game data. I beleive there is a strict rule against using the disk for "installing" games - you have to assume anything in the 'cache' area can be blown away once the power button is hit.

      Other uses for the HD have been hinted at - downloading new content from MMRPGs, saving customized models/pictures/music/whatever

      It should be noted that the XBox GPU is similar to a GF3 chip, but has doubled the number of some of the units (pixel shader, and one other one, iirc).

      Finally, it bears mention that it has 64mb of UMA memory. Way more than any other console. The PS/2 has 4mb. The PS2 lack of memory seems to be one of the biggest complaints against it. The original PS had 2.5mb.

      --
      My opinions are my own, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer.
    7. Re:Xbox Specs by AndrewHowe · · Score: 2

      If I might nitpick slightly, the PS2 has 32MB of main RAM, 4MB of video RAM and 2MB of sound RAM. The PS1 has 2MB main, 1MB video and 512KB sound (oh and 32KB of CD buffer, can't remember how much the PS2 has, if any). I agree with the rest of your comments though. Er, except that the Xbox memory cards are 8MB.

    8. Re:Xbox Specs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You idiot the PS2 has 4megs of texture memory the whole system has about 38. If you are stupid enough to believe the PS2 has 4megs of memory you should buy and xbox!

  30. Amazing! by 13Echo · · Score: 1

    Intel Pentium III based processor, x86 instruction set, Nvidia GPU, Microsoft Operating System...

    Your're right. It doesn't sound like a PC at all. Maybe it is a WebTV unit?

    1. Re:Amazing! by AndrewHowe · · Score: 2

      "Intel Pentium III based processor": yes, I already said that.
      "x86 instruction set": -1, Redundant (Duh)
      "Nvidia GPU": yes, already said that, available on Mac G4s as well as PCs.
      "Microsoft Operating System": As seen on Pocket PCs, WebTV, Dreamcast etc...
      None of those things make the Xbox a PC.

    2. Re:Amazing! by Ryan+Amos · · Score: 1

      Just because it has an x86 as a CPU doesn't mean it's a PC. Old Macs and Amigas ran on a M68000 CPU. I have a SCSI card with the exact same CPU on it. Does that mean I can run MacOS/AmigaOS on my SCSI card? No, it lacks the proper memory bus and BIOS, as the Xbox lacks in common with the standard PC. People also seem to forget that the GameCube is running on what is essentially a stripped down PowerPC G3 (as the Xbox's CPU is a stripped down P3). I don't see anyone wondering if they're going to run LinuxPPC or Mac OS X on their GameCube (which is actually a far more likely scenario)

  31. Flop in Japan == World Wide Flop? by flatrock · · Score: 2

    Ok, yes Japan is the hear and sould of current console market. Japanese companies have developed the market, and currently rule supreme. But the kinds of games Japanese customers buy are often somewhat different, and the Japaneese market is actually smaller than the US market. It's going to take MS longer to produce games for the Japanese market. If they rush the release there, then they will flop there.

    Microsoft has done well in the PC gaming market, and the xbox may allow them to extend that market into consoles. They may not initially lure away many hard core console gamers, but it they can get a good initial response in the US, then they will lure in more developers to create games for the Japanese market, and also get more traditional console style games written for their platform. For XBox to be successful they need to have solid hardware, and have a good development kit. I've hear many times how the PS2 is just too hard to develop for. If Microsoft can get enought consoles in consumers hands, and the developers like to develop for it, then it will be a success.

    1. Re:Flop in Japan == World Wide Flop? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Shall I pull your other finger now?

      Why don't you get a clue? As a console developer it's just too fucking painful to read drivel like the above.

    2. Re:Flop in Japan == World Wide Flop? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hee hee hee. It's funny watching people from closed little markets running scared as the mighty Microsoft comes along and introduces some proper competition. Flame all you like, you and your rubbish technology are going down.

    3. Re:Flop in Japan == World Wide Flop? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Until you people start programming for the PS2 please don't continue this lame lie about how hard it is to develop for!

      It's hard for PC programmers to develop for maybe, but not for console programmers. Quite elegant hardware actually.

  32. Christmas season.. in Japan? by funky49 · · Score: 1

    How big is the Christmas season in Japan? Isn't Japan primarily Shinto(sp?) in religion?

    steve

    --
    --- rapper/producer/bachelorette party stripper
    1. Re:Christmas season.. in Japan? by gfxguy · · Score: 1
      Well, going by what I learned from a history class (taught by a Japanese teacher), in which we spent a third of a semester studying Japan, they love Christmas.


      She basically said they like adopting the best parts of things - they may not be Christian, but they like Christmas - even so far as "importing" Americans to play Santa. Let's face it - Christmas is only half regligious, at best. If we think about time spent, it's probably less than 5% religious. The rest is all about presents, decorations, and seeing friends and family.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
  33. 2 exclusives? by LaundroMat · · Score: 1

    One of the exclusives is supposed to be Namco's Dead To Rights, a game already under development for the PS2. Very exclusive indeed. I really hate those straight-faced, blatantly misinforming PR suits.

    --
    "Those innocent fun games of the hallucination generation"
    1. Re:2 exclusives? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Development has ceased on Dead to Rights for the PS2. It's amazing what bags of money can get you.

    2. Re:2 exclusives? by Sentry23 · · Score: 1

      exclusive being the only game with that name on Xbox probably.

      Sort of like the 'exclusive' version of Dead Or Alive 2 for dreamcast, with the 'exclusive' Dead or alive 2 -Hardcore- for PS2.

      For all what its worth.. did anybody notice this is the first US console release after Trip Hawkins 3D0 and the Atari Jaguar?

      Now compare the marketing money of Microsoft (500M$) versus the worldwide economical slowdown, and you must agree, that the best marketing ploy is to give away 2 million Xboxes.
      How's that for creating goodwill ?

  34. (5core:-1, Idiot Moderator) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wahey! (Score:-1, Idiot Moderator)

    Lameness filter encountered. Post aborted!
    Reason: Cat got your tongue? You mean you have nothing to say?

    No, it's just that michael decided to censor what I had to say! Props to all dead posts (cause of death: censored by michael)!

  35. Take that japan! by Marvin_Runyon · · Score: 0, Redundant

    That's what you get for making us wait forever for all your game systems!

    And for not releasing any RPG's during the NES era!

    And for dumbing down what RPG's you did release!

    And for not releasing the Linux kit for the PS/2 here!

    And for giving us all that tentacle pr0n! *shudder*

    And most of all... that's for the fan abuse at the end of Evangelion!

    So there!

  36. Spoken.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    ...like a true specs whore.

    a) The Xbox is a PIII 733mhz, just how old is that technology.
    b) The Xbox only supports broadband out of the box. They just excluded most of their userbase from network connectivity
    c) The PS2 isn't a bitch to program for. The only people complaining are the ones who didn't want to learn a new architecture. (WAHHH!!!!)
    d) Even if the Xbox is more powerful than the PS2 or Gamecube, it is by a miniscule amount, and in any case if you knew your video game history, you would know that most power != (best games | best selling)

    1. Re:Spoken.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So basically you're telling us you're a PSX2 fanboy?

    2. Re:Spoken.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      The Xbox only supports broadband out of the box. They just excluded most of their userbase from network connectivity
      So dialup users can't connect? This is good for two reasons:

      1) no more annoying idiots crashing in and out of games as their rubbish connection keeps getting dropped or lagged, leading to their player standing looking at the floor
      2) games will come out which can actually use some proper bandwidth

      The PS2 isn't a bitch to program for. The only people complaining are the ones who didn't want to learn a new architecture. (WAHHH!!!!)
      AKA "game developers". Remember what Ballmer said: "Developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers!" He meant it. Now all the idiots who've been laughing at that clip will be laughing on the other side of their faces.

      At some point, rubbish old technology has to be killed so the decent stuff can come to the fore. Dialup is ripe to be killed.
    3. Re:Spoken.... by GTRacer · · Score: 1
      Damn I wish you hadn't posted AC...

      Look, I loved that Konami added Monkeyboy to the DDR lineup. Shows they're supporting Xbox ;)

      I've been saying this since X was announced months ago: It'll start strong and early adopters and non-partisan geeks will make for good early sales numbers.

      Then, total lack of an overseas market and GCN's arrival will mean Xbox becomes <reverb>The PC Port Dumping Ground of Doom!</reverb>

      I'll agree with you about the broadband killing dialup tho'.

      I won't agree on the PS2 issue (entirely): Yes, goofy architecture, but it seems to be worth it to many devs, and seeing that PS2's Christmas should be "solid", and GCN's going to be on every 12-year-old's list, I don't know where Xbox will be.

      Oh wait, yes I do. Last. Don't get me wrong - I want Xbox to do well, if only to keep PS2 and GCN (does anyone know why the hell it's GCN and not NGC?) on their toes...

      Let's met here 6 months after launch and see who's closer to being right.

      GTRacer
      - Now owns all 3 GT's and a GT3 Demo

      --
      Defending IP by destroying access to it? That makes sense, RIAA/MPAA. Go to the corner until you can play nice!
    4. Re:Spoken.... by AndrewHowe · · Score: 2

      The thing is, the PC market is shit, and has been for a while. Consoles are where it's at, and developers know this. The idea of a PC port somehow loses its relevance when you consider that we're basically developing for the consoles in the first place.

  37. Ahhh XBox-a veddy veddy ah late by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    BFD

  38. Good news for Nintendo supportors by waffle+zero · · Score: 2, Insightful

    While the Gamecube was delayed in the US, allowing consumers to adopt the X-Box fist, the Gamecude will be able to establish a decently library if games after its meager offering in mid-September.

    It looks like each will premere beifre the other in their home markets. This however will be better for Gamecube maker Nintendo and Gamecube console owners. Microsft could take a loss for several quarters until they have asserted some dominance because of thier desktop stranglehold, while Nintendo has all their efforts in the videogame market. (Although the Game Boy divion is a safety net, after dominating the handheld market for more than a decade.) As long as the Gamecube is a success in Japan, we will see most if not all games translated into English, unlike what we saw with the N64's relative failure (in hindsight).

  39. No dude, it ain't racism. by neutralstone · · Score: 1

    If it were racism, we'd be talking about "those goddamn slant-eyed sushi-gobbling midgets stealing our god-given right to play with cool shit."

    But we're not.

    This is about venting feelings of displeasure that result from almost always getting slick tech from Nihon in a *secondhand* fasion (i.e., 6 to 9 months after the stuff starts retailing in Tokyo) -- or (and this happens a lot) not getting it at all, unless you're willing to pay extra to have something imported.

    See the difference?

    If some section of downtown London were the gaming Mecca of the planet (rather than akihabara), a lot of non-UK residents with names like "Smith," "Jones," and "MacPherson" would probably be saying something similar about the UK right now.

    1. Re:No dude, it ain't racism. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      This is about venting feelings of displeasure that result from almost always getting slick tech from Nihon in a *secondhand* fasion (i.e., 6 to 9 months after the stuff starts retailing in Tokyo)

      No. The real reason why "cool shit" shows up there first is because they're physically close to where the stuff is produced. Yes, the "cool shit" is actually produced mainly in Asia, and are normally shipped via freighter ships (you know, those behemoths plowing through the oceans). Typically, it takes months to travel from one continent to another, thus giving the 6-9 months lead that Japan gets. As for the UK, I'm guessing the ships either travel down past the Indian Ocean, down around Cape Cod, and up the African coast, or toward N.America, through the Panama Canal, and eastward to the UK. You could, however, import the things from Japan through a dealer able to ship via DHL or some other shipping company. That'll give you the Japanese release, not the domestic release, though.

    2. Re:No dude, it ain't racism. by Wolfier · · Score: 1

      Dude, that is Cape *Point*, not Cape Cod.

    3. Re:No dude, it ain't racism. by 13013dobbs · · Score: 1

      It could be Cape Cod. Maybe they are taking the long route?

      --

      No replies made to AC posts. Please log in.

    4. Re:No dude, it ain't racism. by jiheison · · Score: 1

      You're right. It's petty jealousy.

    5. Re:No dude, it ain't racism. by neutralstone · · Score: 1

      True; but it's a much more acceptable alternative, yes? No one ever burned down a church because he/she didn't have the latest & greatest silicon. ;)

    6. Re:No dude, it ain't racism. by labradore · · Score: 1
      Shipping by ship DOES NOT take months. You were just talking out of your ass. The circumference of the earth is about 22,000 miles. Freight ships regularly travel at or above 30 nautical miles per hour which is about 34.5 statute miles per hour. At that rate it would take just over 26 days to travel around the world by ship. Crossing the Pacific ocean probably takes a week or less. Shipping has almost nothing to do with the delay. The real problem is just business and marketing. All of these things and more must be done before the product is hits US store shelves: There are import and export regulations for which paperwork must be done. Deals must be made with advertising firms and retail stores. English manuals and interfaces must be designed.

      The game companies and console companies use the reaction of the Japanese market to gauge what sort of effort they should put into the English-speaking markets. Thus a few months probably go by before they invest in most of the work that it takes to launch the English version. Microsoft is playing it the same way. If they really wanted to they could launch both products at the same time but they're just too lazy (it doesn't make much business sense).

  40. Too much competition by daveym · · Score: 1

    It may be already too late for the machine in the US. At $300, it is going to be (street price) prolly $100 more than both ps2 and gamecube. So right there you have lost the middle class buyers.

    Now, throw in the fact that nintendo has Pokemon, Mario and Zelda, and Ps2 has GT3, while Xbox has Halo. Nintendo is gonna have the kids market in a lockbox, with the key thrown away. Not to mention that MGS2 is coming out for the ps2....

    ...personally I can't wait for all the video of Ballmer trying to speak so fast that no one can understand that MS lost a shitload of money on the Xbox.

    --
    "Chill, Orrin!"---Trent Lott
    1. Re:Too much competition by necrognome · · Score: 1

      Middle-class buyers?

      What is the cost of two games? About $100. So you could have an XBox and 15 games, or a GC/PS2 and 17 games. Not much of a difference is it? $100 is nothing compared to the whine of a kid who wants something...

      --


      Let's get drunk and delete production data!
  41. Emulate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Since it's based on Win technology, I'm wondering how long it will take to emulate it to a real computer?

  42. Innovation in Games vs. Desktop Applications by ericvids · · Score: 1

    It is true that Windows became immensely popular because Microsoft pressured its in-house development teams to make applications for it. BOB didn't get as much of that 'privilege'.

    The thing is, both the MS Office and MS Home (Encarta, Money, etc.) suites of programs were really good at the time of their first releases (admit it, it was Microsoft who first did an office suite right) and thus people started using Windows because of these nifty applications.

    The same thing will happen to the X-Box, as long as the games on the X-Box turn out to be innovative. For the office and casual home markets, Microsoft got their 'innovation' by combining ease-of-use and functionality (although both were present on competitors' products, they were the ones who achieved the right mix first). You can also get that same kind of 'innovation' on consoles by combining games with outstanding gameplay factor with cutting-edge graphics/sound/input technology.

    IHMO, however, I don't think the X-Box will achieve that just yet. Although DirectX is a proven technology for game development (amidst all its COM quirks), Microsoft still lacks innovative gameplay, unlike PS2 and GameCube (Luigi's Mansion sure looks like a very fun game!). Just licensing/buying up a few game companies and tell them to produce games for the X-Box simply Doesn't Work.

    What Microsoft has to do is to focus on their in-house titles and strive for perfection, like what Nintendo did with its NES/Famicom system back in the 80's. Whether Microsoft even has good in-house titles in store remains to be seen, however.

    Or maybe they're doing just that for the Japan release (which probably would have caused the announcement of the delay), especially since the Japanese are extremely stringent when it comes to games and will not buy the X-Box at all if they found out that its games were crappy.

    --
    Pet peeve: Profane people propagating perfunctory pedantry.
  43. Anyone remember the Chevy Nova? by GTRacer · · Score: 1
    You know the compact one, not the hot-rod?

    'Member it didn't sell south of the border and after much hair-pulling, GM execs figured it out?

    Maybe in 6 months Bill will wake up to the fact that his new console didn't make it because of language issues in English-speaking territories:

    Xbox == Ex-box

    That, or maybe it's because nobody can use that stupid-ass controller... Anyone checked out that thing's mass yet? Is it bending space-time?

    GTRacer
    - Likes the new Zelda

    --
    Defending IP by destroying access to it? That makes sense, RIAA/MPAA. Go to the corner until you can play nice!
    1. Re:Anyone remember the Chevy Nova? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Speaking as someone who has a few Xbox kits at work, the controller is actually pretty comfortable -- like the Dreamcast controller but better.

    2. Re:Anyone remember the Chevy Nova? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Worst controller ever.

      Fucking DirectX hack. Be thankful for your welfare check from MS.

    3. Re:Anyone remember the Chevy Nova? by Riktov · · Score: 1

      First off, the Chevy Nova story is just an urban legend. Check out snopes2.com.

      A bit more seriously, though, there is a name issue, related specifically to the Japanese market, that I wonder about.

      In Japan for the past two decades or so, any and every trendy item, especially technologies, eventually picks up a four-syllable nickname, which is "distilled" from the actual name of the product:

      Pocket Monsters -> PoKeMon*
      Family Computer (Japanese version of NES) -> FaMiCom*
      Super NES (Super Famicom) -> SuUFaMi
      PlayStation -> PuReSuTe ("PLaySta")
      "Pocket Bell" (wireless pager) -> PoKeBeRu ("PockeBel")
      DreamCast -> DoRiKya
      Print Club (photo-sticker machines) -> PuRiKuRa

      * "Mon" is two syllables in Japanese.

      So what will X-Box become? In Japanese, X-Box comes out as "ekkusu bokkusu". There's just no way to cleanly distill that down to four syllables. "EKuBoKu"? No. "Bokkusu"? Possibly.

      If anything, "box" is likely to be supplanted by the Japanese term "hako (bako)". So we've got "Eku-Bako". Still clumsy.

      There's only one likely possibility. Replace "X" with the Japanese term "peke", resulting in PekeBako.

      No one's going to buy a console called the Pekebako.

    4. Re:Anyone remember the Chevy Nova? by jjarv · · Score: 1
      Funny that. 'X' is also read as 'batsu' in Japan, meaning 'not', 'bad', 'no good', etc. 'Batsu' is also has a hominym meaning 'punishment'.

      BatsuBako!!
      The Punishment Box!!

      --
      -1
  44. hard drive != install games by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Microsoft has a mandate specifically AGAINST using the hard drive to install a game. It's to be used for saves, for caching game data, and who-knows-what down the road (downloadable mods? could be tasty!).

    The funny thing is that the PS2 hard drive has come out, and how do the first titles to support it use the drive? Why, as an install platform (for FF10)! Sheesh.

  45. Faked xbox Screenshots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Doesn't ANYONE care that Microsoft got caught faking xbox Screenshots?

    They have to lie to their customers and abuse their monopoly in order to stay afloat.

    'Master' Gill Bates and Steve Ballme should be in prison. If anyone else pulled the kind of crap they pull, they'd get the chair. It's fucking ridiculous that they get away with it so much. They're shitty corporate citizens, to say the least.

    When you buy Windows or an xbox, it's like buying from Hitler - only Hitler got busted for his crimes. Microsoft can't be stopped, because if Slashdotters who are supposedly in the know buy into the Microsoft Party Line, how is the rest of the world supposed to think objectively?

    You guys are as much a problem as Microsoft.

    1. Re:Faked xbox Screenshots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doesn't ANYONE care that Microsoft got caught faking xbox Screenshots?

      No. They made good on it and apologized when someone pointed it out. The actual screenshots they have up now actually look *better* than the faked ones.

    2. Re:Faked xbox Screenshots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The new shots are faked too. How many times will we trust them when they cry wolf? We're the beaten wife who keeps returning to her abusive husband when he promises he's changed. AND HE NEVER DOES.

      It's about time to take the trash to the curb, and that's Microsoft.

    3. Re:Faked xbox Screenshots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nice astroturf, little Bill. Posting actual screenshots (assuming they ARE real this time) doesn't justify the previous fraud. Is that all it takes to buy your forgiveness? How naive.

      If you knew about how Microsoft works, you'd know that until the day they ship, everything they show you is a faked demo (Type 3, I think the guy called it. He had a name for the different classes of demos; Type 1 was real and actually worked (rarely used), type 2 was very beta and patchy, type 3 was a partially working "glossy" demo, etc. I don't remember the exact terms, but this is close.) That's why I say these pictures as well may be faked. It's company policy!

      Microsoft are NOT a nice bunch of people to deal with in any way; they'd rather cripple you permanently than deal squarely with you. I know, I've dealt with them, or rather, ALMOST dealt with them. When my lawyer saw the paperwork, she told me that unless I and my employees were intending on working basically for free for Microsoft for the rest of our lives, "under no circumstances are you to sign this paper".

      Helpful advice. She showed me how they were trying to screw me, and luckily, I don't need money bad enough to be forced into dealing with them. And from what little work I DID do with them, they're bloody inefficient and bass-ackwards in their thinking. The REAL proof of their monopoly is the fact that such a brutally moronic, inept, and unethical group can hold such power over the competent. Ayn Rand would roll over in her grave, notwithstanding the Objectivist morons who have been bought off to support Microsoft.

    4. Re:Faked xbox Screenshots by bOtCartman · · Score: 1

      So I geuss that the hundreds of images and movies on ign are fakes too. They must have an huge crew to create all these fake images and movies.

    5. Re:Faked xbox Screenshots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well...it *is* Microsoft...

  46. wtf by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    i submitted this two days ago and got rejected. Hmm, maybe it would help if I gave a flying f___ when MS meets their deadline.

  47. you mean.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You mean.. microsoft haven't given up and gone into the fast food industry yet?

  48. Well I work at a video game store by 10e+999 · · Score: 1

    and our reservations for the Xbox filled up months before the gamecube. We get about 10 - 15 calls a day asking when its going to be out, can we reserve it, etc etc.
    Microsoft already brought out about 30 display boxes for the games that are going to be available upon release. There are a lot of games you can't get on PS2 or DC.

    --
    xxx straight edge xxx
    1. Re:Well I work at a video game store by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Uh, like what...

      Die astroturfer.

  49. ahh life is good... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    jerking off while browsing at -1... mmm mmm mmm...

  50. Do you know about Quantum computing? by ioman1 · · Score: 1

    I have been trying to post articles on Slashdot for a month now, but they are insistant on publishing other articles. I just posted an article on Quantum Computing. I think you will all enjoy it quite a bit. For those of you who do not know what Quantum computing is, the article explains it quite well. Here is the link . You can post comments on the article below it. Please tell me what you think.

  51. Microsoft's caution by Animats · · Score: 2
    It's interesting that the XBox launch quantities have been decreased, right before Xmas. There's no reason for a production problem - the IC and PC industries are hungry for business right now. There's nothing exotic inside the box. So if it's launching in low volume, that's a marketing or financial decision, not a production limit.

    Maybe the games that would sell the thing aren't out yet. Enough fanatics exist to buy a few hundred thousand, but not millions.

    Incidentally, if you want a Sony PS2, they're clogging the aisles at Costco and Fry's. Literally. There are pallets of those things in aisles. Full pallets. With no gaps in the stack, like none sold.

  52. Maybe, but not for short term profit. by jiheison · · Score: 1

    Consloes are loss-leaders by their very nature. I doubt that Microsoft is at all concerned about making a quick profit on early XBox sales. (Frankly, I doubt that is possible anyway). Making a profit on games is all about moving software, and you need to have as big an installed base as possible to maximise the number of software units sold. As such, they are focusing on the markets where they can deliver the most units and hopefully get the most sales.

    At any rate, Microsoft will be losing money hand over fist on consoles for a long time to come. Mid to long term software sales are where the money will be.

  53. Nintendo needs to wake up... by Kasreyn · · Score: 2

    ...and smell the maple nut crunch.

    This is their opportunity. Japan is an aggressive and critical market for console gaming. While the X-Box is delayed, if Nintendo got something to market they could do really well. Pity it seems everyone in the console industry has gone belly-up and decided to just LET Microsoft win without a fight. =(

    -Kasreyn

    --
    Kasreyn: Cheerfully playing the part of Devil's Advocate to hairtrigger /. flamers since 1999.
    1. Re:Nintendo needs to wake up... by InstantCool · · Score: 1

      What makes you think Sony is letting Microsoft win without a fight. They got some killer games coming out in November. Metal Gear Solid 2, Final Fantasy X, Devil May Cry, and a bunch of others. Not to mention their internet adapter and hard drive will be available.

      I am still woefully crying due to DOA3 on Xbox and still hold firm to my belief that Tecmo will see the light and make a PS2 version.

      --
      InstantCool
  54. I doubt M$ is the only one that does it.. by Zeno_1 · · Score: 1

    This probably happens quite a bit with any game, the marketing departments will do anything to make their product look better then the rest. It really doesn't matter much I dont think, we will see how nice it looks when it finally comes out. The screenshots now aren't even coming from a 'real xbox' but just a mockup of what they think it will be like.. should we whine and cry about that also?

    Note: I am not planning on buying an xbox at all, im happy with my ps2..

  55. Earlier coverage by gruntled · · Score: 1

    I believe my colleague, Alex Pham, broke that story in the Los Angeles Times last week. http://latimes.com/business/la-000068596aug24.stor y

  56. 5.1 digital audio output - not just in pre-record by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ....SSX Tricky is already doing this on the PS2. Realtime.

  57. You mean "all about the trademarks" by yerricde · · Score: 1

    ...and the Xbox, in spite of "Halo", really doesn't have anything to compare to established game line that Nintendo is going to roll out for the Gamecube.

    The only reason that Xbox or PS2 can't have a "Mario" or a "Zelda" or a "Pokemon" is that Nintendo has trademarks on those names. So Sony can call its Mario game "Crash" and its Pokemon clone "Digimon" (although in the case of digimon, it's actually the other way around).

    Sure, you can make a falling blocks game; you just can't call it Tetris.

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  58. Console game region coding by yerricde · · Score: 1

    If you import an Xbox, you won't get warranty service, and because most console games have been region coded since NES, you'll have to import all your games too.

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  59. Digitally signed kernel by yerricde · · Score: 1

    Any group of joe schmoe hobbyists who writes a kickass game in DirectX, can easily have it ported to XBOX. Publishers obviously like that - even the shareware/cheapy CD/Game companies can get in on this. What's this mean? There's potential for decent new games at a very reasonable price.

    Windows comes on the game discs. In order to use Windows on Xbox games, they'll have to license it from Microsoft. In order to use anything else, they'll probably have to get their game's loader digitally signed by Microsoft. Something similar was necessary on Dreamcast, which compared part of the boot sector (the part that displayed "PRODUCED BY OR UNDER LICENSE FROM SEGA ENTERPRISES LTD.") against the ROM bit-for-bit.

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
    1. Re:Digitally signed kernel by GiorgioG · · Score: 1

      In order to use Windows on Xbox games, they'll have to license it from Microsoft. In order to use anything else, they'll probably have to get their game's loader digitally signed by Microsoft. Something similar was necessary on Dreamcast...

      Which is exactly why I mentioned Publishers...They'd handle the licensing...I'm sure you could buy an "inexpensive" game for $20-$30 and still have enough to go around...

  60. Trademark alternatives by yerricde · · Score: 1

    Now, throw in the fact that nintendo has Pokemon, Mario and Zelda, and Ps2 has GT3, while Xbox has Halo. Nintendo is gonna have the kids market in a lockbox, with the key thrown away.

    Pokemon? PS1 has Digimon. Mario? PS1 has Crash. Zelda? PS1 has Diablo. Other games? Nintendo's quality has been falling (minigames in Mario Party 3 aren't as fun as those in MP2 and MP1 with Thinsulate gloves; Dr. Mario 64 is much cheesier than the new tetris). All MS needs to do get a mascot; will it "embrace and extend" Tux?

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
    1. Re:Trademark alternatives by Imperial+Tacohead · · Score: 1

      That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. So what if the PSX had Digimon? That didn't mean that it ever approached the sales, brand-recognition, or popularity of Pokemon. Even if Miyamoto goes on some kind of crack binge for the next Zelda (as recent screenshots would suggest) and it's the worst Zelda game ever released, it'll still sell a million copies just for being Zelda. And in all likelihood the same is true for Mario and Metroid. The fact that other companies can create highly derivative games that are very similar to Nintendo's offerings doesn't mean that those companies could ever hope to approach Nintendo's sales, if only because Nintendo has the advantage of having the greatest living game designer on their side.

      P.S. Comparing a lousy port of a PC game like Diablo to Zelda? In the most eloquent words of an AC I once knew, "wtf?"

  61. NES is NOT nonexistent by yerricde · · Score: 1

    according to your logic, the NES, SNES, and every other machine that is non-existent in the year 2001 is a flop.

    Only half right. The NES and Super NES may have lost commercial significance, but both consoles still have strong communities of independent developers. Find proof at the nesdev site; you might want to try my GNOME vs. KDE game.

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
    1. Re:NES is NOT nonexistent by mgblst · · Score: 1

      but both consoles still have strong communities of independent developers.

      that is how i would describe the Amiga as well. Just because you dont know about the big community behind it, doesnt mean it isnt out there... oh, and it is out there!

  62. GC Release in Japan Sept 14 by muchawi · · Score: 1

    The GameCube release in Japan for console and games IS earlier than the release in the US (like most console releases).

    So, GC will get a 5 month headstart on X-Box.

  63. and... by mickeyreznor · · Score: 1

    well, this isn't very important. the x-box probably wasn't going to do well in japan, anyway, even if it had come out on time. The Japanese game market is already has a huge war going on with Sony and Nintendo, and quite frankly, no one over there really give's a rat's ass about the X-box. All this does is just seal its fate.

  64. A love for ones own race is not Racism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Despite what the Liberals want you to believe. I'm a white man and I enjoy that a lot. It don't mean that I think less of non-whites but it also doesn't mean that I can't be happy that I am white and at my station in life. I love my race but that doesn't necessarily mean I hate others races.

  65. Aaah. by neutralstone · · Score: 1

    I never really considered shipping to be much of an issue; I just assumed that Japan was used as a test region for the global market....of course, now that I think of it, a million packaged PS2s *do* take up a lot of space, and sending it all via priority shipping would only raise costs unnecessarily; Sony would then have to either raise retail prices (which would result in fewer sales) or take the loss (which would cut more into their profits).

    thanks :)

  66. Filesystem devkit is EXPENSIVE!!! by yerricde · · Score: 1

    on a side note, why the hell can't M$ include the drivers and what not needed for maintaining and reading a non FAT/FAT32/NTFS partition.

    Microsoft doesn't ship them because Microsoft wants to lock you into its proprietary NTFS. Third parties don't ship them because Microsoft's IFS kit is incomplete and prohibitively expensive; at US$1,000, who can afford to port ext2 or reiserfs to NT? On the other hand, OSR is selling a filesystem development kit, among other toolkits, but I could not find any pricing information (other than "e-mail sales@osr.com", which doesn't help in the fast pace of Slashdot discussion).

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  67. What the fuck? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What the fucking fuck of hells spawn satan cum eating shit stabbing fuck is this? THIS IS MORE THAN THE LAST TIME I WILL EVER VISIT SLASHDOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK, look, you fucking maniacs, what the fuck has Linux got to do with the delay of XBox to the Japs? Are you all fucking manaics or something? Within like, 1 post, "Hey dudes wonder if I cud run like Linux on that thing." Jesus fucking christ almighty.

    Who gives a flying fuck whether you can run linux on it or not???? It's a fucking games machine you pricks, the OS is the most transparent thing about it. Christs sake BUILD A FUCKING MACHINE if you need a linux box like it YOU MORONS.

    This site STINKS, and I swear by all that is me I will never return. This isnt news for Nerds, it most definetly isnt Stuff that matters. Its fucking Linux this, Linux that, I wonder if I can get Linux to run on the end of my COCK? hmm, yeah, possssible, yah.

    What a collection of fuckheads you all are. I am fucking fuming, I hate you all more than ever.

    I mean really, please, jesus lord please can we ever DISCUSS ANYTHING without bringing Linux into it at every fucking opportunity without fail.

    Isreal set to Nuke Palestine, news just in. But hey, like, I wonder if I could run Linux on the missle nav system..is it possible? What kinda boot rom has it got? What processor man? Does GCC support it? Nah, Yeah it does! Yeah. No, well, well hey someone will crack it eventually and when those nukes fly those babies will be running on Linux!! How cool is that.

    It's not cool, it's sad. Discovering this site has REALLY dented my faith in my fellow enthusiasts. And, for the last time, my intolerence after being hit with this shit over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over again, well, it got the better of me.

    I sincerely hope this site goes down with the rest of them.

    FUCK OFF AND DIE.

  68. And what about in Brazil? by Riktov · · Score: 1

    Will it be called the "Cheesebox"?

  69. For the record, I now know why it wasn't listed by yerricde · · Score: 1

    For the record, I wrote To: webmaster@osr.com,sales@osr.com and asked for the price of the OSR FSDK. The "before you contact us" page said something to the effect: "If you're not using IE 5.x, we don't want to hear your bitching about how it looks bad in Opera or Konqueror, as all of our target audience (Windows developers with eyesight) can use IE 5.x." I asked "I am using IE 5.5 on Windows ME, but I can't find the price."

    I got a reply from sales: "Your browser isn't broken. We weren't displaying the $100,000 price of the package." I guess not putting the price on the web page was their way of saying "if you have to ask, you can't afford it."

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?