GamersVue

So I read something this afternoon that just pissed me off.  James Rivington [submitted an article] to TechRadar.com with a different view (vue?) on the Xbox 360 sales press release that Microsoft posted a little while ago.

The press release from Microsoft UK stats:

“Gamers have voted with their wallets, and the results are in. The Xbox 360 version of ‘Grand Theft Auto IV’ has sold more than 100,000 copies, or 20 per cent more than the PlayStation 3 version in the UK since the game’s release last Tuesday 29 April.”

The article is filled with negative wording like:

• “Microsoft is attempting to use GTA as a PR exercise to boast (and lie) about the Xbox 360 console”
• “We received an unbelievable and outrageous press release today from Microsoft UK”
• “Lies, all lies!”
• “The release then sees Microsoft rambling on and on, mostly just patting itself on the back about selling more copies”
• “Please excuse me briefly while I pause to be sick.”
• “It’s all a load of smoke and mirrors nonsense.”
• “This is an absolutely textbook example of a big company spouting a load of dingo’s kidneys in order to promote itself.”

Sorry, man, you come across like a fanboy pulling crap like that, and I expect more from TechRadar then to listen to fanboy rant.

You can prove anything you want with statistics.    It’s all load of ‘Dog Kidneys’

Besides that all the numbers are skewed because  no one tracks the number of units out the door of a store (IE the number really BOUGHT.. not given away or promos and such).  It’s the number of units shipped from the publisher.  So there’s no way to tell really HOW many PS3’s or 360’s are really out in the market.. let alone how many games have really been sold. 

The only thing those numbers really show is that the PS3 version and 360 are both selling well, and Rockstar is making a killing.

Beyond that, we’re all used to that kind of marketing.  It’s the same crap that Sony has been pulling all along with the PS3.  But it doesn’t matter, the PS3 has RIDGE RACER!!!!!!!!   

Yep, this time over at ['The Register: Hardware']

The report is reporting a rumor that Microsoft has ordered Xbox 360’s with Blu-Ray drives in a possible partnership with Asus.   It looks like Pegatron Technoloy will be doing the assembly of the new 360’s and we’re looking at about a 6 month turn around time.

Now Microsoft hasn’t ever confirmed or denied that it’s working on a blu-ray player for the 360, then have only confirmed they are NOT in talks with Sony over the technology.

[Update: 05/06/08]
According to Microsoft though, it’s not. Talking to Gamepro, a representative has been quick to step forward and deny this latest information saying that “games are what drive consumers to purchase game consoles, and [Microsoft] remains focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available.”
[Site]

(It would also help if Blu-Ray wasn’t so freaking slow!!!)

However.. [SLASHDOT] is reporting (and I quote)

“Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer had admitted that Microsoft had been working on support for Blu-ray under Windows during this year’s Mix08 conference. Rumors began to swirl and many began to expect Microsoft to announce a Blu-ray peripheral for the Xbox 360. However, Microsoft came out and denied all rumors, stating that they were not exploring any kind of Blu-ray add-on or in talks with Sony about integrating Blu-ray into the Xbox experience. After months of rumors and denials, the Xbox 360 with a Blu-ray disc drive is due to be manufactured soon and shipped in Q3 of 2008. Pegatron Technology, an OEM subsidiary of Asustek Computer, is reported to have received the winning order from Microsoft for a Blu-ray equipped Xbox 360.”

Which is what *I* said a while ago, M$ wasn’t in talks with Sony.. didn’t mean they weren’t working on getting Blu-Ray to the 360, or that it wasn’t coming for the 360 but for the ‘720′ or what ever the next Xbox is.

*sigh*  what’s a gamer to do when ‘news’ channels start knifing gamers in the back by preying on the fear (and stupidity) of the the non-gamer human?

So here’s a story (it’s FOX.. what do you expect?) with the nice bold headline of: [Cop Killing Video Game Makes Big Debut], by Sharita Hutton posted just this morning for the Kansas City News.

Where as nothing was said about the record sales, nor about the spammers trying to steal your pre-order copy, or anything about store (like EB) funking up your pre-order and store sale-outs… Nope this is all got to be about the violence of the GTA series.

The whole news story starts off with such a negative overtone that you wouldn’t like the game before you even knew anything about it.  However, even WAL-MART the king of ‘you will like what we give you’ is selling the game.  I guess money does talk. 

Though a couple of things about this article struck me as funny: “An online preview of the game describes the game, saying its as violent as the past three versions and more realistic, with 1080p resolution.”   

So this tells me Sharita got all her information by looking at the web site.  Didn’t FOX already get into trouble for pulling this kind of BS?   And if 1080p makes pixels look more realistic, then watch out Microsoft paperclip!  you’re heading into the real world!!!  (you know since, Computers can produce higher resolutions then the Xbox 360, or the PS3)

She also states: “the game is only for X-Box 360 and PlayStation 3 games. “

Well we know they are games.. perhaps you mean CONSOLES?    So what’s this also tells me is that Ms. Sharita doesn’t know her ass from a C Prompt.   My advice? report on what you know. You obviously don’t understand Gaming.

And reporting on a 3 year old bill, where as there have been multiple attempts on the same type of bill across America ALL of which have failed, is moot, a waste of space, and just prays on the peoples un-founded fear of technology.  

aJimmy Hsu, Taipei; Rodney Chan, DIGITIMES [Tuesday 1 April 2008]

Lite-On IT is developing built-in Blu-ray Disc-(BD) ROM drives for the Microsoft Xbox 360 game console, according to industry sources. Lite-On declined to comment, citing client confidentiality.

Lite-On’s shipments of the BD ROMs to Microsoft will start in the second half of 2008, the sources added. Lite-On is currently one of the suppliers of Xbox 360-use internal DVD-ROM drives.

Microsoft has decided to switch to BD for its Xbox 360 game consoles after Toshiba announced to discontinue HD DVD, the sources said. The BD-ROM drives that Lite-On is developing for Microsoft are for the next-generation Xbox 360 game consoles, the sources said.

Power supply makers also revealed that while the present Xbox 360 uses a 210-watt power supply, the next-generation game console will use a 170-watt power supply in order to reduce production cost and the size of the device, according to the sources.

Lite-On has already started steady shipments of BD-ROM drives and BD burners, the sources added.

[Via DigiTimes]

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Normally I don’t post news on the 1st.  Too many sites doing too many lame April fools jokes.   So take this ‘news’ with a grain of salt until tomorrow at least.  =)

[04/02/08]  Ok so it’s tomorrow.  I’ve checked the site.  No change or post to say that this really was a Fool.  However, I noticed one thing in the above information:  “The BD-ROM drives that Lite-On is developing for Microsoft are for the next-generation Xbox 360 game consoles” the kwyword being ‘Next-Generation’.  Since the 360 is nearing the end of it’s life span, are we seeing the first comments about the next version of the XBox having a Blu-ray drive?

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[04/03/08 - Update]

If you’re suddenly overcome with a feeling akin to déjà vu, go ahead and kill that speed dial to your physician. For the second time in a month, Microsoft has actually come forward to squash a Blu-ray Xbox 360 rumor. This go ’round, an alleged statement from Redmond states quite outrightly that “Lite-On is not manufacturing Blu-ray drives for Xbox 360,” and it continues on by noting that “customers who want a premium movie experience [can check out the] library of on-demand HD content” available to console owners. Still, we’ve grown accustomed to these denials by now, and while you’d think that having a pair of rumors on the matter smashed would put the issue to rest, we’ve all ideas this one isn’t quite dead and buried just yet.

 [VIA Engadget]

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Again.. Notice the wording here.  The Original article states that Light-On was making BD drives for “the next-generation Xbox 360 game consoles”
and M$ is only saying that “Lite-On is not manufacturing Blu-ray drives for Xbox 360″    So the 360 might not have a blu-ray drive.  Which would make sense since the 360 can’t USE a blu-ray disk.  They are slow, and steam at one constant rate.  In order to get any type of speed out of the load times you would need to install
parts of the game to the HD.. which, guess what?, M$ doesn’t allow on the 360.     So you can kiss BD games good bye on the 360.

but what about the 720?  That’s another story. =)

The famous Ben Heck has just lifted the veil on its brand new Xbox 360 controller mod that allows you to play your favorite Xbox 360 games with just one hand. Unfortunately, this controller needs a couple of AA batteries to function, so it might end up being heavier than what some people are comfortable with. If the D-Pad that you see here looks familiar, that’s because it has been ported over from the PlayStation. Apparently Ben Heck is slaving away on a mass-produced version which will be pronouncedly different compared to this model.

Source: Crunchgear

[Via CoolestGadgets]

As most of us know, the three red ring of death is caused by too much heat being built up around the CPU.  The leading cause of this problem is having too many things around or on the 360 preventing good air-flow.

Walmart is here to help you understand this issue. 

This is how NOT to display your 360 at home.  =)

Just a quick note.  Leading gaming sites (including this one.. WOOT! ) are report a $50 dollar price reduction effective immediately for the HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox 360.
This drops the price from an SRP of $179.99 to a measly $129.99.   Which is a LOT cheaper then a PS3 for a cheap (cheap.. that works on so many levels!) Blu-ray player.

The 50 USD reduction is effective in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Go out and enjoy your HD-DVD’s!!!!

Hal-360.

id announces Quake Arena for Xbox Live Arcade
from Joystiq by Jared Rea
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters

The finest railgun in the business will be making its way to Xbox Live Arcade as id announces Quake Arena for Microsoft’s download service. Previously, this release was merely a rumor fueled by a surprise listing on the ESRB website, so it’s great to finally have an official word to go on.

Also true to the ESRB listing is that Pi Studios — best known for their work on the Call of Duty series and the upcoming Mercaneries 2: World in Flame — is behind the port.

No comment as to when Quake Arena will see release was made by id.