Topic: Xbox 360 is the name, Concaved console plays the games

[Grant10k]

I don't really like the reputation idea. I just want to go online and play someone, without worrying about what they think of me. If I want to play with someone trustworty, I'll play with a friend, or just deal with it.

I've had a bad experiance with reputations before. In the game C&C Generals, you have a win/loss ratio (like alot of games) but (I could be wrong about this) nearest I could tell, that was the only option, everyone can see your win/losses even if it's not a ladder game. I tried multiplayer a couple of years after the game was out so mine was 0/0 and no one wanted to play with the 'noob' because it would damage their record, nearest I could tell, the only way to play 2v2 maps in my condition was to play nothing but 1v1 maps, get good, reset my record somehow, and start again with a clean slate.

Reputations might in theory, help against annoying players and general jackasses, but it would also mean that players are less likely to hand their controller over to their friends for a couple levels. It would damage their reputation. On the other hand, it may work like the new Battlefield 2 that isn't out yet, where they praise good players, but don't punish bad players, sorta like a win/loss ratio exept without the losses counted.

[Nile Boogie]

It's crappy that it doesn't seem to be backwards compatilbe with XboX.  

[nemo_83]

MS is deviding its online community.  Nintendo's online won't be so complicated.

[Spak-Spang]

I am beginning to realize that Sony and Nintendo's system won't be vastly more powerful than the Xbox.  Think about it.  All three companies have started designing their systems at the same time.  Microsoft is just launching theirs earlier.  And 6 months or so is not that much more time for prices to drop and technology to jump to be vastly superior.  

Unless this Sony Cell technology is light years ahead of its time all 3 systems will be similar in power.

I also wouldn't be surprised if once again MS is taking a lose on the console for a few months to make sure they at least similar technical specs to the competition.

[nemo_83]

I've been asking questions about CELL, gpus, cpus, and ppus over at the Ask a Game Developer Club at 1up.  http://askagamedeveloper-club.1up.com/do/club?Dispatch=Display&clubid=35187

They had some interesting things to say.  Mostly, don't believe the hype.  Sony's CELL maybe so complicated that noone will ever be able to make a clean looking game on it, in comparison to the other systems.  There is more than one question on the subject, so if you're interested check previous pages there.

[couchmonkey]

I don't believe power is going to play as much of a role anymore anyway.  Maybe this is just me, but I've been seeing some next-gen-ish stuff popping up over the last year...Doom 3, the new Unreal engine, that Dark Sector demo...and I'm not that impressed.  They look beautiful, no doubt, but it's nothing like the last-gen transition, where the games went from looking blocky and fake to having a good degree of realism.  The graphics look great, but they aren't taking my breath away like the first demos of the PS2 and GameCube did.

Now, if the leap from current-gen consoles to next-gen ones isn't even that great, then the leap between this year's console and next year's consoles is going to be even less noticeable.  I think power will only matter as a bragging right.  Of course, maybe I'm in the minority with the opinion that next-gen systems aren't that much better graphically.   We'll see.

Edit: On the same topic, some screens of what looks like DOA4 for Xbox 360 have leaked, and are on gamesarefun right now.  And a lot of people are really ticked.  The game looks incrementally better than the previous DOAs, and I bet the final product will look noticeably better, but a lot of people are saying it could be done on Xbox; in fact there's some confusion if maybe it is an Xbox game, but I'm pretty sure it's 360.  Decent shots, but I have to agree that they don't impress like they should.

[BlackNMild2k1]

More console and controller pics + first pics of Ghost Recon 360

http://darkzero.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4150

translated by TXB:

Quote
Okey, so I got the magazine right here. The first details about Xbox 360 and Ghost Recon 3. I got some of the info, and I will keep updating this thread while reading.

First info for you guys:
*It will be released in europe 7 days after USA
*December release in Japan
*Its released in less than six months
*Release games: Perfect Dark Zero, PGR3 and Kameo

More to come. I got the final specs, but I Dont know if its OK to post it here? The magazine is out so.

Oh you guys... the controllers look PERFECT! And so does the console!

**EDIT**
More info:
*10-16 game titles at the release. 40 games after half a year.
*The Xbox Silver thingy is correct, it will be there, and free.
*You will be able to transfer stuff from an ipod.
*You will see TV thru your Xbox.
*It can stand up and lie down.
*When you watch DVD, some stuff in the console will automaticly shut down - so its more quiet.
*You load the batteries on the controllers up via USB-cable on Xbox. You can also use simple batteries.
*The round thingy on the controller = "The ring of light". Its actually a screen, which says if there are any updates on Xbox Live. Downl. content and such. It also says which controllers there are in your hands, which number.
*Rallisport Challenge 3 will be on Xbox 360.
*The Darkness from swedish Starbreeze (Riddick).
*Peter Moore confirms Halo 3. Release this year.

I'll wrote Ghost Recon 3-info soon. Now I'll write down Peter Moore and J Allard interview.

Allard says:
*There will be face plates, to change. There will be one in colfiber (+spelling).
*By preventing piracy they will push more and more on Xbox Live.

Peter Moore says:
(strange) *THIS time we will have more than 1 million users. Does that mean that there wont be any transfer of the Xbox 1 users? Or that there wasnt over 1 million on Xbox 1?
*Nothing new about Square, nothing to be announced @ E3. But he will be surprised if there are NO Square-game on Xbox 360.

Going for Ghost Recon 3 now. There is alot of info, and I posted the most important over. I RESERVE myself for missunderstandings, cause I'm not THAT good in danish. Just ask me and I will tell you more about it.

Ghost Recon 3:
Okey, first of all. THIS ONE LOOKS HOT. Hot. HOT. HOT. GR 360 oh man you guys.

Oh man.

*Just some info about the story, bla bla. The PC-version is developed by the Deathrow-developers, so that the Red Storm Ent. cant concentrate on the Xb 360 and Xbox-version.

________

The looks:
*Xbox 360 looks just like the leaked pictures. Its not grey like on Our Colony, its white. But it can be changed.
*The controller seems to have 2 rear buttons and 2 triggers, not sure.
*A, B, C, Y, Back, Start.
*There is a picture of "Burning Sky". Seems like you can shut down the Xbox via the controller, by pushing "X" at that screen.
*The Xbox itself has wireless network thingy installed.
*Webcam in 1280-resolution.
*You can put pictures from a digital camera in it
*It supports, the machine:
16:9
720p
1080i
5.1 Dolby Digital
Custom Soundtracks of course
20 gb of harddrive, can be upgraded
Memory card, at least 64 mb
3 USB Ports
*Morrowind Oblivion will be released this year.
*About NBA 2k6, they saw a demo of it.
"Lebron James jumped up, and when he touched the grand all of the body shook. All the muscles moved realistic, EVERYTHING on the body.
*Nothing special about PGR3.
*Gears of War to be the best looking game, for a long long time.
*Dimitri, Peter Molyneux latest game, COULD be released on Xbox 360. Rumours.
*Call Of Duty 2 on Xbox 360, as we already knew.
*The Ghost Recon 3-article is actually wroten by this TXB-dude who went to Big Blue Box to play Fable. I am really really sorry I dont remember your name.

**THATS IT** I think
I'll read thru it again and see what I've missed. I'll try to answer your questions by reading this article.

Just some final stuff:
*Something Microsoft Vision will be on Xbox 360. You will see TV on your Xbox. AND at the same time Play DVDs AND surf on the internet. At the same time?!?! wtf?
While all this you can get invites to games, friend requests, mail. MS is hoping that 50% of the 360-owners will buy Live. Right now, ~8% uses it.
*In the middle of a game, by pushing a button you will get directly to the dashboard.

Oh, and finally and most important: J Allards game of the Xbox 360 is "Fisher Price Nuclear Plant".

Oh, and of course: Thousand thanks to the magnificant (+spelling) danish magazine Gamereactor which I took the info from. They rock, and so does Nexus1000. Mostly because he is pretty. And he has Britney as an avatar. In black hair.

**EDIT again*
The final specs, I guess its OK now cause some of it has already been posted without TXB-guys deleting:

CPU:
3 x IBM Power PC 3.2 ghz

Graphics:
Specially build ATI 500 mhz
10 mb of embedded RAM
512 mb GDDR3 RAM

Polygon capacity:
500 mill/sec

Shade capacity:
48 billions shaderoperations/sec

Harddrive: 20 gb, can be upgraded
12x Dual Layer DVD
Memory Card, 64 mb+

3 USB-ports, 1 back 2 front
2 some kind of ports, dont know what it means

Ethernet-port
Preparded for Wi-fi 802.11
Prepared for webcamera (1280 resolution)

DVD-laser:
DVD-video, DVD-rom, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-DA, CD-rom, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, Mp3 CD, JPEG Photo-CD

Streaming:
From Windows XP PC, pics and movies from digital camera which you then cand send via Xbox Live to others.

ALL, read ALL games support:
16:9, 720p, 1080i, 5.1 Dolby Digital, custom soundtracks.

more Ghost Recon 360 (bigger pics)

Some shots of Dead or Alive 4 for Xbox 360

http://gaming-age.com/news/2005/5/12-48  

[Savior]

DOA doestn impress me much.... i dont know these first gen 360 games "arent" that impressive...


Sony will most certainly point this out ala Dreamcast...  

[TheYoungerPlumber]

I think you're more turned off by the art direction in these games.  Team Ninja seems to like its plastic-y models, and the Ghost Recon game seems a little barren.  If anything, this shows that art direction will play an even bigger role compared to hardware in the next generation for good-looking games.

If every launch game looks like these, then Xbox 360 will get labeled the "dettached-looking" system, much like PS2 is the "dark-looking" system, DC is the "plastic-looking" system and GC is the "bright colors" system.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I edited my previous post with a translation by TeamXbox of the magazine scans  

[Ian Sane]

Those DOA pics look good but there's not that noticable of a jump.  The edges are clearly smoother.  It does look better and it does look great but not that much better.  Of course DOA Ultimate looked exceptionally good in the first place so it's hard to compare things.  The Ghost Recon screens look nice too but nothings wowing me.  But then like TYP said I hate the art direction of games like that so it's never going to impress me.

Looking at these screens though it becomes clear to me that it's too soon for a new Xbox.  It looks better but not enough to justify a new console.  I have a feeling that the PS3 and Rev are going to cream this thing graphically.  Retro for example will have better hardware to work with and they have AMAZING art direction.

But I'll give MS credit for giving the fans what they want.  It's a lot more of the same but there's no worry that Xbox fans won't like what they're given.  With Nintendo doing something supposedly different we don't know if we're going to like what they do.  But then without offering anything new MS could get screwed if Nintendo's idea catches on.  It's all very interesting since both companies are going with completely different strategies and realistically if one succeeds the other has a good chance failing.  The approaches are so different.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

As I expected, fighting games are easily made to be pretty (very few on-screen characters, less objects that "think", and the backgrounds are mostly fluff; polygons are easy to throw around and distribute).  It's also an example of how we're steadily reaching that era of "diminishing returns" in graphic quality.

Yeah, art direction is becoming more & more important as far as visual "wow" factor is concerned.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Tetsuya Mitziguchi's Ninety Nine Nights

http://ruliweb.dreamwiz.com/data/rulinews/read.htm?num=13341

I can't read the japanese but it looks pretty expecially with that many characters on screen at once.

hows that art direction for you?  

[Ian Sane]

If all those characters in Ninety Nine Nights have their own AI and don't completely wang the frame rate then I'll be impressed.  Stuff like having a lot of characters on screen is the sort of advantage that can justify new hardware.  Pikmin wowed me the most of the initial Cube games and it was because of all the characters on screen doing different things.

[Savior]

Quote
think you're more turned off by the art direction in these games

No, I like Tecmo, tons, Wish they worked on Nintendo.

My point is, compare Dead or Alive 1 on the Saturn to Dead or Alive 2 on the Dreamcast, its an incredible jump.

Now compare this, to Dead or Alive Ultimate on the Xbox... Incredible jump? not so much...


Microsoft is jumping the gun on the hardware race, but if their games dont look that good then Sonys Hype Machine will smoke them real badly just like they did the inferior looking Dreamcast.

Ghost Recon 3 on the other hand looks significantly better than GR2...


Im anxiously awaiting PD Zero screens to see if ill be purchasing it, or passing.  

[PaLaDiN]

Ghost Recon for some reason actually looks worse to me than Republic Commando. The minor technical upgrade (main character's weapon looks nice in that one picture, and trees look pretty cool) is offset by a complete lack of artistic style.

The only difference I can see in DOA4 is the shiny pants some of the characters have.

99 nights is Riddick/Chaos Theory models, just a whole lot of them at once... I like. It seems that's all the next gen is going to be good for... generating lots of characters.

It seems to me that if you have a capable PC, all you're really getting from the Xbox 360 is more characters onscreen.

If these are exemplary of first generation X360 games, my interest is already on hold until the second generation of games.

Edit: The main character's sword clips through the ground in 99N. For some reason that thoroughly pisses me off.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Much better.  But I also share the same concerns as Ian.  We may again see another division in developers' choices whether to process games at 60fps, or process at 30fps for some extra poly-uumph

[Ruliweb's in Korean, which I can't read either.  I only noticed the title "ninety-nine nights" was in Japanese.]

[Spak-Spang]

Actually the graphics are really about what I expected.  There is alot more detail than you first perceive.  But these stills don't tell the story.  It really depends how it animates.  If DOA4 animates all the clothing and hair with real physics and weight (including wrinkles in the clothing) then this game's graphics are simply amazing and utterly breathtaking.  If the clothes and hair only partially animated then its not quite as impressive and a total yawn.  

The biggest problem with getting graphics more realistic is you begin to notice all the minor details more.  The characters don't feel as real as they look.  With Cartoon characters you really don't have that problem, because your brain recognises them as cartoons and forgives the flaws more.

[jarob]

Another XBox 360 game

Full Auto

[BlackNMild2k1]

Try not to be too impressed [/sarcasm]

Perfect Dark O screens

This looks like an Xbox 1 game, and no I'm not saying that to be mean.  

[Darc Requiem]

I find the backgrounds impressive on DOA4 but just like with DOA3, I find character models disappointing. They still have that plastic doll look to them. The backgrounds on the ohter hand are very nice, lots of detail and the polygon count is obviously high. I'm sure it will look impressive in motion but I concur with the line of thinking posed here. With the X-box being the most powerful of the current generation and the 360 being the weakest of the next gen its gonna definately make PS3 and Rev more impressive by default.  

[Nile Boogie]

After watching that Mtv XboX360 special I must that I'm not in the least bit wowed by the hardware. True indeed, the games look better but really I feel so underwhelmed by the whole thing. Graphics really have reached the point of the second option, maybe even 4th(Gameplay, Art direction, Sound then Graphics). The best looking Game was Need For Speed which looked totally CG and smooth but that damned PD0, in motion looked A$$Nasty Boo&Hiss I say. Had my hopes up for that and proceeded to get crushed under the weight of disappointment. PS3/Rev will blow this thing out the water no doubt about it.  

[BigJim]

They must have had less than 5 actual minutes of gameplay on the show. So that was lame.

They didn't discuss the hardware at all. Just showed it on a stage, talked about Live, some very brief demo reels, and then did a playoff with PD0... If PD0 is going to be their big launch title, then I'm underwhelmed. Honestly.

Some of the games look great though, particularly Madden and most of the racers. There were also several that looked like current generation games too.

All in all this was no big deal. Sony and Nintendo don't have to "match" this unveiling since it was 80% fluff. They could safely wait for E3 and be no worse off. This was nothing more than a tiny preview with little substance.

[Artimus]

It was an absolutely TERRIBLE show. I hope the producer loses their job, because that was crap.

All they basically gave for actual info was what the system looked like. They didn't actually discuss the new Live, the controller (!!!!!), the never give us a good look at the system, they barely showed any games...I don't get why they even bothered paying for it. It was a total wash...

[BlackNMild2k1]

I haven't even seen the show yet (its only 9:00 pst), but after seeing apparently more leaked info on the internet than they even bother to show in their multi-million dollar MTV advertising campaign, I can definately say I not even interested in watching anymore, with saves me from having to subjecct myself to MTV brainwashing.

BTW.....

Xbox 360 game trailers on MTV.com

Full Auto
Condemned
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland - THUG??
Need for Speed:  Most Wanted - best looking racer yet
Madden NFL 06 - looks good for a cut scene
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 - same with this one
The Darkness - ..........
Call of Duty 2 - haven't I seen this before?
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 3 - hmmmpfff
Kameo: Elements of Power - well....... it looks better now that it did on GC 5 years ago
Quake 4 - another upgrade...
NBA 2k6 - if the whole game loos like that
Saints Row - no comment
Gears of War - looks crazy
Project Gotham Racing 3 - looks good but not as good as NfS

Not really sure what I expected the 'Next Generation' to look like, but I actually expected more than this.  I hope its just because no one is really using complete sdk's and 2nd gen titles looks leaps and bounds better.