Microsoft Ditches XBLA Size Cap

via 1UP RSS feed by Steve Watts on 9/24/09

Though it’s been a non-issue for the last several months, Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade has still ostensibly had a file size cap, until now. IGN reports that the company has finally done away with arbitrary file size rules. This is no surprise, since several games have broken the size cap, most recently with a stand-alone Red Alert 3 pack that came it at a whopping 2GB. We seemed to see a slow scaling back of the limits on XBLA titles. After Symphony of the Night broke the 50 MB limit, Microsoft moved it to 150 MB. Then Portal: Still Alive broke that at a full gig, and since then the size restrictions haven’t seemed to be in play.That doesn’t mean developers can make a game any size they want, however. Microsoft’s Scott Austin says that the file structure of XBLA games only allows them to go up to 2 GB. That’s the new limit, and there doesn’t seem to be any room for expansion beyond it. It does bring up the question, though: if 2 GB was always the technical ceiling for file sizes, why create file caps in the first place?

$5 for a Yule Log?

Yeah.. OK.. So over the holiday a new app as introduced as a community game.   It’s a ‘simple’ program that shows fire in a fire place and has some random sound effects to make you believe that it’s a roaring fire right there in your TV.

First I’ve got to give props to ‘SniperED007’ for the coding.  Fire isn’t an easy thing to visualize and code.  let alone adding the little details like realistic smoldering embers and flickering flames.
(though the fire itself could still use some work)

Why this turns into a WTF post is because Sniper (or MS) is CHARGEING $5 for this!!  WTF!

you can’t even move the viewing angle.  Why would I pay $5 for something I can get free off the net, or just watch on TV?  you can/could buy a VCR tape with the same thing!!!!!

But then again at least 8 people bought the $1000 app off the IStore for their Iphones..   Makes me wonder how many people have bought this.

 

 

Microsoft in Second Life…

Xbox out, Nintendo in

by Tateru Nino Apr 30th 2008 @ 7:00AM

Filed under: News items, Second Life, Virtual worlds

http://www.massively.com/2008/04/30/xbox-out-nintendo-in/

Close to one year ago, we stumbled onto a new Microsoft island in Second Life, called Microsoft Xbox. The island was brand-new, and was still closed to the public, and there was a lot of speculation as to what it was for. This was fueled by talk of Microsoft having explored the idea of Second Life running on the Xbox platform, but the facilities specification for the system isn’t adequate for running the virtual world, as-is.

Microsoft stayed mum on both topics, declining to comment on either the island or its Xbox investigations, and time dragged on. While the island eventually vanished without fanfare, it appears that Nintendo Island has just appeared on the Second Life grid. Still closed to the public, and with nothing built there yet, but with the likes of Atlus getting into the act, and an increasingly strong representation of Japanese industries in the virtual world, a Nintendo presence in Second Life makes a lot of sense.

The Hookers, The Xbox, and everything…

News.au has an [interesting article] about a pretty freaking smart 13 year old in Texas that stole his fathers credit card, called the credit company to extend a line of credit, and then took himself and a few pals on a $30,000 shopping spree that ending up with them in a hotel playing Halo with a few $1000 a night ladies of the night.. LOL!

What gets me is this Kid told the prostitutes that he and his friends where ‘little people’ from the circus and since state law doesn’t allow discrimination they had no right to refuse them!   LOL!!!!

on top of that, then the police asked why a 13 year old would want escorts he informed them that he thought it was what you did when you win won a World of Warcaft contest!!

So right there my friends proves that video games don’t cause violence.. it causes 13 year olds to hire hookers and play Halo!  Even at 13 I would have known when to put the game down..LOL

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And I should have known that this story was fake when a 13 year old would choose HALO over a hot chick willing to give it up.  [GameRush] has reported that this whole thing was a fake and myself and a few other sites (like G4) got just as duped.

Current Xbox 360 News…

Well it’s been an interesting couple of days, with the leaked list of XBL updates slated for spring to Microsoft flat out saying they one this generations battle with Sony…    let’s see what’s going on shall we?

 

[Xbox360 Fanboy] as posted that Stubbs the Zombie (Wideload games) and Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows (Midway) are coming to XBL as Xbox Originals slated for release to XBL on May 19th (2008)   The [Xbox360 Fanboy] is also reporting that Microsoft expects the 360 to have a 7 year life span (better then the 10 year PS3)
so that leaves us with 4 years.. so in about 2-3 years we should see the next 720.
but it won’t be next year according to [Engadget]. 

According to the [SeattlePi] website along with a metric butt ton of other blogs and sites, the Xbox 360 have just barely beat out the PS3 in unit sales, mostly becasue of GTA sales.  Of course this really is only in America.  The XBox hasn’t sold well at all in Japan, and for some reason our European friends like the PS3 over the Xbox. (which I still do not understand)

Now [GameTap] is saying that the Microsoft now holds the crown for the first ‘10 million sold’.  According to Don Mattrick (the Xbox ‘boss’) 

“History has shown us that the first company to reach 10 million in console sales wins the generation battle. We are uniquely positioned to set a new benchmark for the industry,”

Well I don’t remember that myself personally..but 10 million isn’t bad. drop in the bucket next to the Wii.. but not bad.

the weird thing about this is that there are 12 million LIVE subscribers.  Now if you’ve sold 10 million, but have 12 million subscribers.. how is that possible?

*WHINE* the Xbox 360 sucks!

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!!!!!!!!   

12/25/08 – Update:
——————————————————————-
When did this little rant turn into a PS3 VS Xbox debate?  The point was the article sounded like a FanBoy using the site to dog on the 360 (which, no matter how you look at, it blows the crap outta the PS3 in the market place) and how I dispise the ‘evil’ marketing Sony has used to convince people there shit doesn’t stink.   

This wasn’t about how the 360 is/isn’t better than the PS3.   In my replys below I’ve tried to just point out facts. 
and not step on one side or the other.

Rockstar sues the Chicago Transit Authority…

Well here’s something you don’t see everyday.  According to the [Reuters article], Rockstar is suing the Chicago transit Authority for pulling GTA4 bus ads down early.

Hmmm, looks like Rockstar is pissed that Titan Outdoor LLC violated it’s $300,000 contract by not running the GTA 4 posters for the full time of the contract.  However, the juicy bit here is that is seems the ads where pulled after a FOX News affiliate asked why the ads where being allowed to run after the wave of violent crimes in the Chicago area.

Now I’m let wondering, when do we follow what a news affiliate says?!  it’s already been proven that gaming does NOT make you violent, as long as the ads are/were still using the stylized cartoonish look then who cares?

it’s just a game people, the movies SAW and Hostel had SO MUCH more violence and graphic violence then GTA, yet no one bitched about those movies.

Does it really matter that you are watching a movie VS directing it?

Lite-On developing BD-ROM drives for Xbox 360, sources say

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 one…

SE2 labs One integrates a variety of the best components out there, including high-definition DVD players, audio components, video components, gaming systems, control devices, cooling systems and more. And the system is even available with displays, speakers and other peripherals for the most complete home entertainment setup available today.

OH yeah, and it includes the Xbox 360 for only 25k! 

 

Anyone out there want to buy this thing for me to test and write a review about?  

…  please? ..   with sugar on top?

 

Check out the web site for a full list of goodies ‘The One’ has in store for you all in one box!

Motion Control Gaming In Development For Xbox 360?

Written by Alexis Morgenstern   

Xbox 360 motion controllers may not be that far off. Looks like Microsoft may be working with motion control developer Gyration to bring the technology to the Xbox 360, according to an article at XboxFamily.com. Gyration worked on early prototype motion control technology with Nintendo. Gyration has also developed a Windows Media Center Universal Remote, which uses “In-air cursor control using Patented Gyroscopic Motion-Sensing technology.” Talk or mention of motion control is not new to the Xbox 360 platform, however, XboxFamily.com’s article noting Gyration shows things could be well in development.

There’s been attempts on getting the Wii Remote and motion technology to work with the Xbox 360 by home brew devs. One example is from Xilt. The homebrew mod from Xilt allows you to rig up a Xbox 360 controller to add motion control to the Xbox 360.

With Microsoft’s Xbox 360 being the only current generation gaming console missing motion technology in a controller, it’s a good possibility that it’ll happen. Especially seeing how motion control gaming has been adopted and successful on the Wii. Motion control on the Xbox 360 has been bat about earlier this year, with the former Xbox 360’s Peter Moore and Microsoft’s Chris Satchell sharing thoughts on it. There’s been no official announcements from Microsoft on motion control on the Xbox 360.

[Via XboxFamily.com]