No game in this series has really changed since the 2nd UT.
You are in the future and shoot people with lasers and mini-nukes. The console sales have previously been horrible - I doubt this one will fare much better.
"I'll skip the X360, since it's maybe on par wtih my last PC from a few years back"
Unless you own a time machine you are out of your mind. If you take the 2 of the newest ATI cards and put them in a Crossfire with a dual core AMD64 you will still not even come close to the rendering power of the 360.
I have the 360 currently hooked up to a 60" Sony SXRD HDTV and playing Call of Duty 2 in 1080i is a gaming experience you cannot replicate on any PC for a few years. The graphics are astounding, and until games are designed to be run on multiple processors you will not see this replicated any time soon.
"Sounds like it's halfway decent compared to what i initially expected. It's still too expensive for me though. I'll buy it in a couple years when you can get them for 200 bucks... I'm not that into console gaming. I'd rather take a ride down to the range and shoot for REAL. (or boot up my PC and get better controls and better graphics that i don't have to sit on the couch to see)"
I hope you aren't consistently upgrading your PC to meet the hardware demands of newer games.
You would be much better off buying a console like this. The 360, starting at 300$, will be more powerful than any 2000$ gaming PC can be for many years. The video card itself is mower powerful than anything on the PC market, plus each game utilizes all 3 3.2ghz processors.
Even if faster processors come out than these 3.2 ghz ones, no PC games ever use more than 1. You get so much power from these custom made 360 games targetting each processor core.
The 360 is an excellent system, and there is a reason why there were people waiting in line for 20 hours last Sunday a month after the actual launch.
"Microsoft sold only 325.902 units in North America in November, but 556.221 during the same period at the XBox1 launch"
This isn't a movie launch, there isn't infinite supply. Microsoft created around that 500k mark with the rest going towards the Euro launch and the Asian launch.
How many times have you seen people line up outside Best Buy for a console a month after the launch? Every Best Buy in the US had lines of 40+ people by midnight Sunday morning for the 8am re-launch.
These numbers you brought up do not tell the story.
Most of the release titles were sequels of solid games (COD, Perfect Dark, EA sports games). These are phenominal launch titles because they are easier to create and already have a fan base.
Case in point: The best release title is Kameo. It is the best adventure game ever to be released with a console spare Mario 64. It doesn't get the press it deserves because it isn't a sequel.
My local Best Buy had every 360 claimed by 6PM on Saturday night (40 people in line), when there wasn't even 40 in line on the launch day.
"However I don't buy consoles so maybe I am off base?"
That is correct. The 360 will have more graphical rendering power.
The extra memory is meaningless. The 360 does not have virtual memory, the games are designed to run on what it has (and it is plenty). Same with hard drive space.
PC games are designed to be run on 1 processor. 360 games are designed for all 3 of their 3.2ghz cores. The 360's custom video card has no equivilent currently in the PC market.
1) Microsoft has a deal with each distributer to control the exact price of each console. Best Buy cannot change the prices to fluctuate with demand. Best Buy can, although, bundle products together to help mitigate the demand.
2) Microsoft will release another 300k or so 360's this weekend. Each Best Buy has from 30 to over 70 ready to sell this Sunday.
3) The 360 will continue to strive not only from what it can do but also how cheaply it can do it. The Power/Price ratio is completely outstanding. You cannot spend 2grand right now on a new PC and come anywhere close to the ability of the 360 (at a measily 300$).
PS3, on the other hand, has taken more expensive routes in developing their console. It will probably debut at aruond $500, and by that time the 360 will be easily at $250.
Google makes money from information that makes their Search Engine better. That is their business model, and everything they do will feed into this. Free Gmail (but all links scanned to populate search engine), Free Internet (but all patterns tracked), etc.
No way am I using a browser and letting Google know THAT much about me, especially if they require you to have a Google account to use.
"can you lose your company four BILLION dollars and get promoted"
Current numbers show their losses are
Despite the losses, the Xbox1 was a *glowing* success.
These promotions are not suprising, the 360 is now a media center for the living room. Watch DVD's, listen to music, voice message friends, download demos, download trailors, stream media from PC's, etc.
"But in the end, I think XBox360 will make as much losses as XBox1. I seriously doubt that XBox360 will ever make money for Microsoft."
360 is currently averaging 3.9 games/console sold. Add in the monthly revenue from Xbox Live and the controllers and you have a great business going.
Microsoft is an industry leader for a reason, they know how to sell a product. The Xbox1 was just a last ditch attempt to gain some market penetration setting up the 360.
There is no question the market penetration of HDTV's is lacking. This console will last at least 4 or 5 years, and by then (due to new legislation in the US) you will see HDTVs become increasingly popular. I have found many people that have bought one just for the 360 - these NextGen consoles will create a mini boom in sales.
My point was that it is ridiculous to compare the graphics of the 360 to Xbox1 and say the "Jury is Out". The graphical differences are nothing short of astounding for a television.
"supposedly better graphics (jury is in lockdown)"
I dare you to take a 360 and hook it up to ANY tv with a native resolution of 720p, 1080i, or 1080p (the new Sony SXRDs for example). The image quality of a 360 is breathtaking when it is used correctly.
When you play a 360 on a regular TV the image has to be squished and makes it look horrendous. This console just isn't made for a non-widescreen non-HD tv.
"He ventures another possible explanation - that the Sun had a twin and that both stars followed circular orbits around each other"
2 problems with this.
1) Stars do not dissapear. They continue to have fusion on larger and larger elements until it hits a point it cannot generate enough heat to fuse the next one. None of our planets match the description of a dead star.
2) "Twin" stars are remarkably identical, and our sun has plenty of life left.
"Don't get too excited, it will be a few months yet before any underworld homebrew applications are running."
The first xbox took about a year for the first mod chips. Right now people are doing the easy part and deciphering how everything runs.
The hard part is how to get unauthorized code to run. This part involves bypassing systems bios and installing a compatible version over the top that the system cannot detect. This could take a few years.
" Non-playable demos and canned footage games in development (over which arguments still rage over what was 'real' and what were renders made to be 'representative') wowed the media and stole a good bit of thunder from the somewhat underwhelming Microsoft presentation that followed."
1) The Playstation3 footage was not created by PS3 hardware. This has been confirmed dozens of times, there is no 'argument'. 2) The Microsoft presentation had actual playable software. I was there, and people cared about the Microsoft presentation a ton more.
The graphics for each system are amazing, no question.
The difference will be the 360's online abilities. With friend lists, friend finders, instant messaging, competitive smaller 'arcadelike' games, free trailors/demos, etc Sony is in a world of trouble.
"Unfortunately the initial launch was enough of a dud"
Do you actually remember any other console launches? Because this is the most successful one ever.
More than twice the amount of consoles available on launch day than any other. More consoles arriving and being sold within a month (PS2 took nearly 4 months for extras to hit shelves).
I can't be the only who thinks $400 is way too much money to pay for a console.
You do realize that the Xbox 360 is the cheapest major console ever to be release, when adjusted for inflation? You are paying less of your disposible income for this than your NES, SNES, Sega, PS1, PS2, Dreamcast, etc.
Slashdot Mirror
No game in this series has really changed since the 2nd UT.
You are in the future and shoot people with lasers and mini-nukes. The console sales have previously been horrible - I doubt this one will fare much better.
"I'll skip the X360, since it's maybe on par wtih my last PC from a few years back"
Unless you own a time machine you are out of your mind. If you take the 2 of the newest ATI cards and put them in a Crossfire with a dual core AMD64 you will still not even come close to the rendering power of the 360.
I have the 360 currently hooked up to a 60" Sony SXRD HDTV and playing Call of Duty 2 in 1080i is a gaming experience you cannot replicate on any PC for a few years. The graphics are astounding, and until games are designed to be run on multiple processors you will not see this replicated any time soon.
This industry is creating a product, they should have the choice on how it is distributed.
If you don't like the method, don't buy it. In a capitalist society you vote with your wallet, so make your vote.
"Sounds like it's halfway decent compared to what i initially expected. It's still too expensive for me though. I'll buy it in a couple years when you can get them for 200 bucks... I'm not that into console gaming. I'd rather take a ride down to the range and shoot for REAL. (or boot up my PC and get better controls and better graphics that i don't have to sit on the couch to see)" I hope you aren't consistently upgrading your PC to meet the hardware demands of newer games.
You would be much better off buying a console like this. The 360, starting at 300$, will be more powerful than any 2000$ gaming PC can be for many years. The video card itself is mower powerful than anything on the PC market, plus each game utilizes all 3 3.2ghz processors.
Even if faster processors come out than these 3.2 ghz ones, no PC games ever use more than 1. You get so much power from these custom made 360 games targetting each processor core.
The 360 is an excellent system, and there is a reason why there were people waiting in line for 20 hours last Sunday a month after the actual launch.
2^1-1=1. 1 is by definition prime, mathematicians convieniently forget it to make other math work :P
"Microsoft sold only 325.902 units in North America in November, but 556.221 during the same period at the XBox1 launch"
This isn't a movie launch, there isn't infinite supply. Microsoft created around that 500k mark with the rest going towards the Euro launch and the Asian launch.
How many times have you seen people line up outside Best Buy for a console a month after the launch? Every Best Buy in the US had lines of 40+ people by midnight Sunday morning for the 8am re-launch.
These numbers you brought up do not tell the story.
"Yawn. Wake me up when there is a single game a female gamer would like to play. Then MAYBE I'll consider buying one."
Kameo. The best 360 launch title is also a great one for female gamers.
..but this is spot on.
Most of the release titles were sequels of solid games (COD, Perfect Dark, EA sports games). These are phenominal launch titles because they are easier to create and already have a fan base.
Case in point: The best release title is Kameo. It is the best adventure game ever to be released with a console spare Mario 64. It doesn't get the press it deserves because it isn't a sequel.
My local Best Buy had every 360 claimed by 6PM on Saturday night (40 people in line), when there wasn't even 40 in line on the launch day.
"However I don't buy consoles so maybe I am off base?"
That is correct. The 360 will have more graphical rendering power.
The extra memory is meaningless. The 360 does not have virtual memory, the games are designed to run on what it has (and it is plenty). Same with hard drive space.
PC games are designed to be run on 1 processor. 360 games are designed for all 3 of their 3.2ghz cores. The 360's custom video card has no equivilent currently in the PC market.
"Uh... because everyone who wants a 360 that bad already has one."
This is complete and utter bullshit. Best Buy will release more 360's before Christmas and I guarantee there will be lines similar to the launch date.
I won my 360 at a Wal-Mart in a lottery. 46 people showed up for 4 Xboxs.
1) Microsoft has a deal with each distributer to control the exact price of each console. Best Buy cannot change the prices to fluctuate with demand. Best Buy can, although, bundle products together to help mitigate the demand.
2) Microsoft will release another 300k or so 360's this weekend. Each Best Buy has from 30 to over 70 ready to sell this Sunday.
3) The 360 will continue to strive not only from what it can do but also how cheaply it can do it. The Power/Price ratio is completely outstanding. You cannot spend 2grand right now on a new PC and come anywhere close to the ability of the 360 (at a measily 300$).
PS3, on the other hand, has taken more expensive routes in developing their console. It will probably debut at aruond $500, and by that time the 360 will be easily at $250.
Google makes money from information that makes their Search Engine better. That is their business model, and everything they do will feed into this. Free Gmail (but all links scanned to populate search engine), Free Internet (but all patterns tracked), etc.
No way am I using a browser and letting Google know THAT much about me, especially if they require you to have a Google account to use.
"can you lose your company four BILLION dollars and get promoted"
Current numbers show their losses are
Despite the losses, the Xbox1 was a *glowing* success.
These promotions are not suprising, the 360 is now a media center for the living room. Watch DVD's, listen to music, voice message friends, download demos, download trailors, stream media from PC's, etc.
The 360 will have enough space on their 9gb dual-layered DVD's for any game. The only reason why a next-gen DVD drive would be required is movies.
"But in the end, I think XBox360 will make as much losses as XBox1. I seriously doubt that XBox360 will ever make money for Microsoft."
360 is currently averaging 3.9 games/console sold. Add in the monthly revenue from Xbox Live and the controllers and you have a great business going.
Microsoft is an industry leader for a reason, they know how to sell a product. The Xbox1 was just a last ditch attempt to gain some market penetration setting up the 360.
There is no question the market penetration of HDTV's is lacking. This console will last at least 4 or 5 years, and by then (due to new legislation in the US) you will see HDTVs become increasingly popular. I have found many people that have bought one just for the 360 - these NextGen consoles will create a mini boom in sales.
My point was that it is ridiculous to compare the graphics of the 360 to Xbox1 and say the "Jury is Out". The graphical differences are nothing short of astounding for a television.
"supposedly better graphics (jury is in lockdown)"
I dare you to take a 360 and hook it up to ANY tv with a native resolution of 720p, 1080i, or 1080p (the new Sony SXRDs for example). The image quality of a 360 is breathtaking when it is used correctly.
When you play a 360 on a regular TV the image has to be squished and makes it look horrendous. This console just isn't made for a non-widescreen non-HD tv.
"He ventures another possible explanation - that the Sun had a twin and that both stars followed circular orbits around each other"
2 problems with this.
1) Stars do not dissapear. They continue to have fusion on larger and larger elements until it hits a point it cannot generate enough heat to fuse the next one. None of our planets match the description of a dead star.
2) "Twin" stars are remarkably identical, and our sun has plenty of life left.
"The games that are actually worth playing won't be out for a while yet"
Kameo is one of the best console games released in the last year for *any* platform.
"Don't get too excited, it will be a few months yet before any underworld homebrew applications are running."
The first xbox took about a year for the first mod chips. Right now people are doing the easy part and deciphering how everything runs.
The hard part is how to get unauthorized code to run. This part involves bypassing systems bios and installing a compatible version over the top that the system cannot detect. This could take a few years.
" Non-playable demos and canned footage games in development (over which arguments still rage over what was 'real' and what were renders made to be 'representative') wowed the media and stole a good bit of thunder from the somewhat underwhelming Microsoft presentation that followed."
1) The Playstation3 footage was not created by PS3 hardware. This has been confirmed dozens of times, there is no 'argument'. 2) The Microsoft presentation had actual playable software. I was there, and people cared about the Microsoft presentation a ton more.
The graphics for each system are amazing, no question.
The difference will be the 360's online abilities. With friend lists, friend finders, instant messaging, competitive smaller 'arcadelike' games, free trailors/demos, etc Sony is in a world of trouble.
It is more than the base console, which is only $300. The $400 version comes with about $220 extra accessories.
"Unfortunately the initial launch was enough of a dud"
Do you actually remember any other console launches? Because this is the most successful one ever.
More than twice the amount of consoles available on launch day than any other. More consoles arriving and being sold within a month (PS2 took nearly 4 months for extras to hit shelves).
I can't be the only who thinks $400 is way too much money to pay for a console.
You do realize that the Xbox 360 is the cheapest major console ever to be release, when adjusted for inflation? You are paying less of your disposible income for this than your NES, SNES, Sega, PS1, PS2, Dreamcast, etc.