Perhaps, but if you were Microsoft, and you knew you were going to release a service like XBLA and Xbox Live Marketplace, wouldn't you have the foresight to include permanent storage on the console by default?
Yeah... I hear you. Even if they were all add ons the HDD's should be sold as a discount, or come with free content from market place to offset their costs. Seriously, what else can you do with that big HDD besides fill it with premium content?
Then again MS has been big on "the network" including Media playback capability with any PC running Media Center, Vista, or now XP with Windows Media Player 11. Perhaps they were looking to explore that integration rather than the local hard disk.
In a perfect world, I'd love to download all my live content to my XP box (which has a few hundred gigs on it) and stream or "Dynamically cache" my content to the local HDD on the 360.
PS2 had a price drop 8 months from launch. PS3: 7 months.
Incorrect. It was the PS1 that had a price drop 8 months after launch. The PS2 waited 18 or so after launch for it's first price drop. The Dreamcast was already hurting that first year, and the new systems from Nintendo / MS launched a full year after them.
Why cut the price so soon when you have no competition?
No, it's a price cut. The vast majority of PS3 buyers chose the 60GB version because of the (incorrect) assumption that the 20GB was a gimped console. New buyers will now save $100. Smart buyers will still be able to buy a 20GB console, which are selling for around $400 new or $350 second-hand on Ebay right now.
A price cut is a price cut, even if you cover your eyes and plug your ears and scream "la-la-la-la-la I can't hear you".
Ok, Sony Started out with 2 versions selling at $499 and $599. Now they have 2 versions selling at $499 and $599. The feature spec is now different, but how is that a price cut? For the sake of comparison let's take Sony out of the picture and compare Cameras.
Last year you could buy a 5.1 Megapixel camera solo for $199, or a 5.1 Megapixel camera with a bag, & extra batteries for $249.
This year you can get a a 5.1 Megapixel camera with a bag, & extra batteries for $199, or you can get a a 5.1 Megapixel camera with a bag, extra batteries and a memory card for $249 and they no longer sell the 5.1 Megapixel camera by itself.
You are getting more for your money, but at the core you're buying a camera at the same price as was offered last year.
Wait a minute when have EA made a game that last 40 hours.
Ok, I know that wasn't the intent of the question, and admittedly there is no "Zelda, FF, or Elder Scrolls" equivalent, but I've sunk at least 40 hours each into Madden, Tiger Woods and Godfather for the Wii. It doesn't require 40+ hours to "Beat the game" but the playability does last for a long time and there is value to that.
Yah, but that's sort of my point, can you name a Wii game (other than the RE4 remake) that looks as good as RE4?
I think we have a difference of opinion on what defines "terrible". I wouldn't call Rayman Raving Rabbit's graphics "Terrible", nor Elebits, or even WiiSports. None are pushing advanced effects, or textures, or lighting, but each has a style that suits them.
To anwser your question though, I feel RE4 will be the graphics bar for the next few months on Wii. It is currently the best looking and most advanced in terms of graphics on the system, but I feel it shall be outdone in short order by Umbrella Chronicles, Mario Galaxy, or Metroid Prime 3.
I love the Wii, but the graphics ARE terrible. I've had xbox games that look better than any Wii game out right now. While I agree that it takes time to tap the full potential of the hardware, the graphics right now should at least be noticeably better than the gamecube, not "might be slightly better than gamecube, maybe".
I think it's Ironic then that I still put RE4 for the Gamecube above any X-box games in terms of graphics (better than "Black" and REmake, and RE0 used the same tricks as Ninja Gaiden and look just as good for it), and the Wii has an improved version of it.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance supports up to four players and the nunchuck is required for each to play. Also, that bubble shooting game, whatever it's called... it supports up to eight simultaneous players, and it does so by allowing play with either the nunchuck _or_ the wiimote. Now that I think about it, I bet Elebits multiplayer requires the nunchucks, also.
Sure. I would imagine Every FPS would need it too, however there are MANY games that don't require it. Smash bros for Example won't. Madded, FIFA, and NBA 08 won't. Tiger Woods doesn't. Warioware doesn't. etc...
Also some of the games that require are single player (Zelda, RE4, Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime, Godfather, Scarface) and there's always the one included with the system. Had WiiSports Boxing allowed me to use 4 remotes instead of 2 Nunchucks, I wouldn't have needed a second nunchuck yet.
game developers cannot target it because its not a guaranteed feature (just like the hard drive.. oh lord what were they thinking... )
They were thinking Console games shouldn't require multi-gig installs. That's actually a "hidden benefit" of the core system, developers can't use it as a crutch. If you know anyone with a 20 gig PS3 (and didn't upgrade the hard drive) ask them how long it took before they filled it up just playing the games they bought (IE, no added content downloaded from PSN).
Sony needs to find a way to lower the price to $299 on the base model and $399 on the advanced model or else the Wii and XBox 360 will eat their lunch.
Will? I think they're doing a pretty good job of eating Sony's lunch already.
Point being, is a year or so extra experiencing any new format (whether it's Blu-Ray or DVD or anything else) worth the cost of early-adoption? Especially when considering the relatively small volume of content available for it...
I suppose that all depends on how much you value that [admitedly limited] content. I know some people who would buy a BluRay player (even at current prices) for the Original Star Wars Trilogy in HD. Even if BluRay were to fail as a format, they would still be able to play those movies until their players die, so future support really isn't as big if an issue as they are completely vested with that Content and would feel they got their moneys worth.
Xbox 360 upscales DVDs and video files/streams to 1080i just great.
Only if you use the VGA cable. There's no upscaling on the standard component connection. Not sure about the Elite's HDMI connection.
Upscaling on the VGA cables do work great. Never understood why they didn't upscale VIA component, but The Elite does scale DVD over HDMI (Which is included) and does it to 1080p, not 1080i (As of the Fall 2006 update).
No, it doesn't come with the Nunchuk. You're mis-remembering.
Perhaps you bought yours at a Pawn shop where they seperated it. Every Wii in every region shipped with the Nunchuck attachment included, and every region but Japan shipped with WiiSports.
Good point. I don't see this mentioned very often. This was situation with my broken 360. When they sent me a replacement, none of my XBLA games would work unless I signed into Live. Very irritating when my internet connection dies and I want to pass the time with XBLA.
This is the same problem you face if you buy the 120GIG hard drive (or buy an elite) and transfer your content from an old hard drive.
Correct except that last part. You will have NO DRM issues by transfering your content from a 20 gig HDD to the 120 gig. Buying the Elite is different as you are replacing the whole system. The System (and your gamertag) is what holds the license. As long as the "Core 360" is the same (Probably based on CPU Serial #), the game license stays.
I bought a ps3 back in January, mostly for Blu-ray. If you get a chance, try and get the Planet Earth documentary - absolutely stunning. I also bought a dvd copy of Planet Earth for my coworker, and while it still looks good - it's true: you really can't go back once you go HD.
Ok, I must agree with "Planet Earth". I got it as an HD DVD and it is positively stunning. Really the perfect HD Demo DVD... I have a 360 with the HD DVD player, and VGA cables. Though it is not as impressive as 1080 native, the upconverting of DVD's was also really good.
I'm curious as to how the Planet Earth DVD's look on the PS3 when it (post 1.80 firmware) can upscale them. Have you compared the 2 Side-by-side (on the PS3 / Same TV) ?
There has got to be some percentage of issues, and that means there's a non-zero possibility that somebody could receive many consecutive consoles with problems. The reason this is a story is because the issue rate would have to be pretty high, or this guy would have to be *really* unlucky to have this many systems with different types of issues.
There are definitely issues with some of these consoles. There always are when you ship millions of something. The question here is how common the issues are. You could know dozens of people who haven't had a problem at all, and the issue rate could still be higher than is acceptable. Additionally, the issue rate could be significantly higher for the returned/refurbished units. Whatever is going on though, it seems reasonable to expect some straight answers from Microsoft, preferably about what the issues are and how common, but at the very least about why they let the problem become so bad for this one guy before stepping in and making sure they had done everything in their power to fix his problems.
I don't know about you, but if I had an X-box 360 that needed to be replaced multiple times I would be taking a second look at the environment I (the end user) am putting it in. Perhaps it's too close to my Projector or Surround sound system or PS3 or Exaust vent that dumps heat on the unit. Maybe I have multiple devices stacked, and crammed together too closely. Maybe the port on their surge bar is bad, and not protecting the 360 from flakey power. Maybe I take it to too many lan parties, and it gets knocked around. Perhaps the Shag carpet I wrapped it in (despite giving it a Pimp 70's look) traps in too much heat.
I'm not saying it's all the end user's fault. I'm just saying that the odds of it being all Microsoft's fault are (as you demonstrated above) incredibly unlikely. There has to be a point where a rational person questions these failures and takes it further than "M$ makes Shitty hardware" and starts to look at the environment the system is in to see if/how they are contributing to these failures.
Take a look over here. If you have a whole home theater set up (which likely cost thousands of dollars) paying $100-$200 for both a surge suppressor/ power regulator seems pretty reasonable.
1) Simple probability-if there is a simple 5% failure rate (too high in my book anyway) the probability that any one person will get a defective unit is 1/20 or one in twenty. However the probability that one person will get 5 defective units is (1/20)^5 or (1/3200000) one in three million, two hundred thousand. If the failure rate was so low, only 2 people in the world would share Crecente's fate. The story at 1up about the man with 11 failures would happen once for every 204,800,000,000,000 consoles sold.
The Nintendo Editor at IGN has the same issues, he's on his 5th 360 or something... I don't know about you, but if I had an X-box 360 that needed to be replaced multiple times I would be taking a second look at the environment I (the end user) am putting it in. Perhaps it's too close to my Projector or Surround sound system or PS3 or Exaust vent that dumps heat on the unit. Maybe I have multiple devices stacked, and crammed together too closely. Maybe the port on their surge bar is bad, and not protecting the 360 from flakey power. Maybe I take it to too many lan parties, and it gets knocked around. Perhaps the Shag carpet I wrapped it in (despite giving it a Pimp 70's look) traps in too much heat.
I'm not saying it's all the end user's fault. I'm just saying that the odds of it being all Microsoft's fault are (as you demonstrated above) incredibly unlikely. There has to be a point where a rational person questions these failures and takes it further than "M$ makes Shitty hardware" and starts to look at the environment the system is in to see if/how they are contributing to these failures.
"I have heard nothing but good things about Rayman and Elebits"
Oh, let me be the first then!
Rayman: I was halfway-enjoying the first round or 2. When it came to the area with the close-the-toilet-door scene, it was ridiculous. Not only was that event nearly impossible, the others were hard enough that I didn't care anymore, either.
The instructions are actually pretty poor in that mini-game, and was a big hassle for me. Instead of "Pushing the Nunchuck forward" to close the door (as they instruct you and is shown in the pre-game bunny animation), make a snapping motion with your wrist, like you were knocking on a door with the nunchuck. (also how you should be playing the music "dance games")
I don't enjoy games that I fight the interface, rather than play the game. This is mostly because I hate the pointing system on the Wii. There is no way to calibrate it to my TV, and I've tried everything I could think of to place the censor so that it was calibrated 'good enough'. Pointing just plain sucks.
There SHOULD be a system level calibration tool, but there isn't (at least a real good one). You can calibrate sensitivity in the Wii system settings, and if you own Zelda you can "calibrate the sensor bar" which effectively helps you center it on your TV. and they do help, but it's nothing like calibrating the touch points on a PDA.
If pointing is an issue for everything (even the channel menu) here's a few tips. One thing I've noticed that makes the Pointer go crazy is Sunlight. Due to the nature of the IR sensors, make sure you don't have direct sunlight on the wiimote or sensor bar. Close the blinds if you want to play in the middle of the day and things get better. Also the single is generally good between 3-10 feet from the sensor bar, too close or too far from that it gets wonky. Hope that helps.
This is welcome news. I'm hoping we will see some real quality titles like Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne that are already over on XBox Live Arcade.......
I would love that. The Wii could improve on the XBLA version of Catan by using the DS to hold your player cards and actually allow a game of local multiplayer (in addition to online, and against the computer of course.)
If each of the games in Wii Sports counts as a game, then there are plenty of demos on the Playstation network for free download that would count equally. Either way, if assigning the value "$100" to Wii Sports isn't arbitrary I don't know what is.
I don't think the value of $100 is for WiiSports (If so, that is unreasonable). It is for a PS3 game ($60) since it doesn't have one bundled. That leaves $40 USD unaccounted for, and since they didn't round up for the Wii, I'll assume they didn't add VAT, or TAX, but maybe the HD cable for the PS3? (Since every version ships with SD composite cables)...
And No. Demo's do not count equally against WiiSports. I wouldn't count it as 5 seperate games, but it is still better, and deeper than a "Demo"...
The PS3, 360, and Wii all have Parental controls to lock out games based on rating (Which is required to be published) So if the parent doesn't want their kid to play it, they can lock it out.
If a dipshit clerk sells a 15 year old an AO game, the parent can still lock it out.
Slashdot Mirror
Yeah... I hear you. Even if they were all add ons the HDD's should be sold as a discount, or come with free content from market place to offset their costs. Seriously, what else can you do with that big HDD besides fill it with premium content?
Then again MS has been big on "the network" including Media playback capability with any PC running Media Center, Vista, or now XP with Windows Media Player 11. Perhaps they were looking to explore that integration rather than the local hard disk.
In a perfect world, I'd love to download all my live content to my XP box (which has a few hundred gigs on it) and stream or "Dynamically cache" my content to the local HDD on the 360.
Actually it is just between Sony, and MS. They are fighting for second place.
Incorrect. It was the PS1 that had a price drop 8 months after launch. The PS2 waited 18 or so after launch for it's first price drop. The Dreamcast was already hurting that first year, and the new systems from Nintendo / MS launched a full year after them.
Why cut the price so soon when you have no competition?
Ok, Sony Started out with 2 versions selling at $499 and $599. Now they have 2 versions selling at $499 and $599. The feature spec is now different, but how is that a price cut? For the sake of comparison let's take Sony out of the picture and compare Cameras.
Last year you could buy a 5.1 Megapixel camera solo for $199, or a 5.1 Megapixel camera with a bag, & extra batteries for $249.
This year you can get a a 5.1 Megapixel camera with a bag, & extra batteries for $199, or you can get a a 5.1 Megapixel camera with a bag, extra batteries and a memory card for $249 and they no longer sell the 5.1 Megapixel camera by itself.
You are getting more for your money, but at the core you're buying a camera at the same price as was offered last year.
Ok, I know that wasn't the intent of the question, and admittedly there is no "Zelda, FF, or Elder Scrolls" equivalent, but I've sunk at least 40 hours each into Madden, Tiger Woods and Godfather for the Wii. It doesn't require 40+ hours to "Beat the game" but the playability does last for a long time and there is value to that.
I think we have a difference of opinion on what defines "terrible". I wouldn't call Rayman Raving Rabbit's graphics "Terrible", nor Elebits, or even WiiSports. None are pushing advanced effects, or textures, or lighting, but each has a style that suits them.
To anwser your question though, I feel RE4 will be the graphics bar for the next few months on Wii. It is currently the best looking and most advanced in terms of graphics on the system, but I feel it shall be outdone in short order by Umbrella Chronicles, Mario Galaxy, or Metroid Prime 3.
Until then however... Leon stands alone...
I think it's Ironic then that I still put RE4 for the Gamecube above any X-box games in terms of graphics (better than "Black" and REmake, and RE0 used the same tricks as Ninja Gaiden and look just as good for it), and the Wii has an improved version of it.
Sure. I would imagine Every FPS would need it too, however there are MANY games that don't require it. Smash bros for Example won't. Madded, FIFA, and NBA 08 won't. Tiger Woods doesn't. Warioware doesn't. etc...
Also some of the games that require are single player (Zelda, RE4, Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime, Godfather, Scarface) and there's always the one included with the system. Had WiiSports Boxing allowed me to use 4 remotes instead of 2 Nunchucks, I wouldn't have needed a second nunchuck yet.
They were thinking Console games shouldn't require multi-gig installs. That's actually a "hidden benefit" of the core system, developers can't use it as a crutch. If you know anyone with a 20 gig PS3 (and didn't upgrade the hard drive) ask them how long it took before they filled it up just playing the games they bought (IE, no added content downloaded from PSN).
You mean this one? PS - I wouldn't get your hopes up for Sadness, it has all signs pointing to Vaporware...
Will? I think they're doing a pretty good job of eating Sony's lunch already.
I suppose that all depends on how much you value that [admitedly limited] content. I know some people who would buy a BluRay player (even at current prices) for the Original Star Wars Trilogy in HD. Even if BluRay were to fail as a format, they would still be able to play those movies until their players die, so future support really isn't as big if an issue as they are completely vested with that Content and would feel they got their moneys worth.
Upscaling on the VGA cables do work great. Never understood why they didn't upscale VIA component, but The Elite does scale DVD over HDMI (Which is included) and does it to 1080p, not 1080i (As of the Fall 2006 update).
Perhaps you bought yours at a Pawn shop where they seperated it. Every Wii in every region shipped with the Nunchuck attachment included, and every region but Japan shipped with WiiSports.
Correct except that last part. You will have NO DRM issues by transfering your content from a 20 gig HDD to the 120 gig. Buying the Elite is different as you are replacing the whole system. The System (and your gamertag) is what holds the license. As long as the "Core 360" is the same (Probably based on CPU Serial #), the game license stays.
Ok, I must agree with "Planet Earth". I got it as an HD DVD and it is positively stunning. Really the perfect HD Demo DVD... I have a 360 with the HD DVD player, and VGA cables. Though it is not as impressive as 1080 native, the upconverting of DVD's was also really good.
I'm curious as to how the Planet Earth DVD's look on the PS3 when it (post 1.80 firmware) can upscale them. Have you compared the 2 Side-by-side (on the PS3 / Same TV) ?
Yes, but millions of people pay for the privilege of watching Cable or Satellite TV AND have to watch commercials.
So don't expect a major outrage to this business model. Some how, for some reason... it worked for TV...
I don't know about you, but if I had an X-box 360 that needed to be replaced multiple times I would be taking a second look at the environment I (the end user) am putting it in. Perhaps it's too close to my Projector or Surround sound system or PS3 or Exaust vent that dumps heat on the unit. Maybe I have multiple devices stacked, and crammed together too closely. Maybe the port on their surge bar is bad, and not protecting the 360 from flakey power. Maybe I take it to too many lan parties, and it gets knocked around. Perhaps the Shag carpet I wrapped it in (despite giving it a Pimp 70's look) traps in too much heat.
I'm not saying it's all the end user's fault. I'm just saying that the odds of it being all Microsoft's fault are (as you demonstrated above) incredibly unlikely. There has to be a point where a rational person questions these failures and takes it further than "M$ makes Shitty hardware" and starts to look at the environment the system is in to see if/how they are contributing to these failures.
Take a look over here. If you have a whole home theater set up (which likely cost thousands of dollars) paying $100-$200 for both a surge suppressor/ power regulator seems pretty reasonable.
The Nintendo Editor at IGN has the same issues, he's on his 5th 360 or something... I don't know about you, but if I had an X-box 360 that needed to be replaced multiple times I would be taking a second look at the environment I (the end user) am putting it in. Perhaps it's too close to my Projector or Surround sound system or PS3 or Exaust vent that dumps heat on the unit. Maybe I have multiple devices stacked, and crammed together too closely. Maybe the port on their surge bar is bad, and not protecting the 360 from flakey power. Maybe I take it to too many lan parties, and it gets knocked around. Perhaps the Shag carpet I wrapped it in (despite giving it a Pimp 70's look) traps in too much heat.
I'm not saying it's all the end user's fault. I'm just saying that the odds of it being all Microsoft's fault are (as you demonstrated above) incredibly unlikely. There has to be a point where a rational person questions these failures and takes it further than "M$ makes Shitty hardware" and starts to look at the environment the system is in to see if/how they are contributing to these failures.
The instructions are actually pretty poor in that mini-game, and was a big hassle for me. Instead of "Pushing the Nunchuck forward" to close the door (as they instruct you and is shown in the pre-game bunny animation), make a snapping motion with your wrist, like you were knocking on a door with the nunchuck. (also how you should be playing the music "dance games")
There SHOULD be a system level calibration tool, but there isn't (at least a real good one). You can calibrate sensitivity in the Wii system settings, and if you own Zelda you can "calibrate the sensor bar" which effectively helps you center it on your TV. and they do help, but it's nothing like calibrating the touch points on a PDA.
If pointing is an issue for everything (even the channel menu) here's a few tips. One thing I've noticed that makes the Pointer go crazy is Sunlight. Due to the nature of the IR sensors, make sure you don't have direct sunlight on the wiimote or sensor bar. Close the blinds if you want to play in the middle of the day and things get better. Also the single is generally good between 3-10 feet from the sensor bar, too close or too far from that it gets wonky. Hope that helps.
I would love that. The Wii could improve on the XBLA version of Catan by using the DS to hold your player cards and actually allow a game of local multiplayer (in addition to online, and against the computer of course.)
I don't think the value of $100 is for WiiSports (If so, that is unreasonable). It is for a PS3 game ($60) since it doesn't have one bundled. That leaves $40 USD unaccounted for, and since they didn't round up for the Wii, I'll assume they didn't add VAT, or TAX, but maybe the HD cable for the PS3? (Since every version ships with SD composite cables)...
And No. Demo's do not count equally against WiiSports. I wouldn't count it as 5 seperate games, but it is still better, and deeper than a "Demo"...
If a dipshit clerk sells a 15 year old an AO game, the parent can still lock it out.
I'll go one step further. Release it for the PC and keep the Wii controls in as an option... The Wiimote uses BlueTooth ...