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Thinking Positively About The X-Box : - )
OK, many of you know that I’m not the biggest Microsoft Fan. However Microsoft’s new machine the X-box is starting to look like something special, and even I'm impressed. So instead of Focusing on the negative I've decided to focus on the positive things about the X-box.
So what is there to know about the X-box, well when it comes out in the US this November it will be the worlds most powerful home console/entertainment system. It will cost $299 stateside, so this means it will probably cost £299 by the time it arrives in the UK in early 2002.
The Games look impressive with Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, Dead or Alive 3, Star Wars Obi-Wan, Crazy Taxi, Panzer Dragoon, The Simpsons Road Rage, Jet Set Radio Future, SegaSports NBA 2K2, Sega Sports NFL 2K2, Sega GT, House of the Dead 3, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2X, Dino Crisis 3,Genma Onimusha, Madden NFL 2002, F1 2001, a new FIFA game, and WWF Raw is War to name but a few of the titles that are being developed for this machine
However what interested me the most was the new features Microsoft has put into the X-box’s basic user interface (Called the X-box Dashboard). Not only will their be parental controls that will allow parents to prevent their children from playing games/or sections of games with a violent or mature content. The dashboard will also allow gamers for the first time to play the music they want in their favorite games. Normal audio CDs can be put into the X-box, and the music can be stored on the X-box’s 8GB hard drive. This means for the first time that gamers will be able to take full control of a games music. This is something that was on my wish list for a next generation console, and surprisingly it now looks like someone at Microsoft was listening to the voices of the gamers everywhere.
There are some grey areas with regards to the X-box, most notably what internet connectivity features will be available in the final machine, and if the machine will play DVDs. I have just visited www.xbox.com and so far there seems to be no official line on this.
However Microsoft has said that they expect a broadband hardware add on to be available for the machine in the second half of 2002, so hopefully by the time the X-box reaches the UK this feature may be built in.
Microsoft certainly have the power, money and influence to deliver broadband Internet access to gamers, they own are large share of the UK cable company NTL so perhaps an online future isn’t that far away. :-)
OK, many of you know that I’m not the biggest Microsoft Fan. However Microsoft’s new machine the X-box is starting to look like something special, and even I'm impressed. So instead of Focusing on the negative I've decided to focus on the positive things about the X-box.
So what is there to know about the X-box, well when it comes out in the US this November it will be the worlds most powerful home console/entertainment system. It will cost $299 stateside, so this means it will probably cost £299 by the time it arrives in the UK in early 2002.
The Games look impressive with Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, Dead or Alive 3, Star Wars Obi-Wan, Crazy Taxi, Panzer Dragoon, The Simpsons Road Rage, Jet Set Radio Future, SegaSports NBA 2K2, Sega Sports NFL 2K2, Sega GT, House of the Dead 3, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2X, Dino Crisis 3,Genma Onimusha, Madden NFL 2002, F1 2001, a new FIFA game, and WWF Raw is War to name but a few of the titles that are being developed for this machine
However what interested me the most was the new features Microsoft has put into the X-box’s basic user interface (Called the X-box Dashboard). Not only will their be parental controls that will allow parents to prevent their children from playing games/or sections of games with a violent or mature content. The dashboard will also allow gamers for the first time to play the music they want in their favorite games. Normal audio CDs can be put into the X-box, and the music can be stored on the X-box’s 8GB hard drive. This means for the first time that gamers will be able to take full control of a games music. This is something that was on my wish list for a next generation console, and surprisingly it now looks like someone at Microsoft was listening to the voices of the gamers everywhere.
There are some grey areas with regards to the X-box, most notably what internet connectivity features will be available in the final machine, and if the machine will play DVDs. I have just visited www.xbox.com and so far there seems to be no official line on this.
However Microsoft has said that they expect a broadband hardware add on to be available for the machine in the second half of 2002, so hopefully by the time the X-box reaches the UK this feature may be built in.
Microsoft certainly have the power, money and influence to deliver broadband Internet access to gamers, they own are large share of the UK cable company NTL so perhaps an online future isn’t that far away. :-)
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I don't know.
I try hard to remain unbiased, but I just cannot get excited about the Xbox.
I've watched the shows, seen some of the demos, but it's always the same thing.
"Xbox can push X polygons."
"Xbox is the most powerful system."
"Xbox has X developers"
I just want to butt into their conversations to ask "But is it fun?"
It's the one question of Xbox that doesn't seem to have been asked, though surely it's the most important factor!
When I saw the Gamecube videos, and heard the developers commentary, it was all about innovative gaming, and giving the gamer something special. I liked this.
With Xbox you just get told what it can do, and to me, it just plain doesn't sound fun!
I'm sure it boils down to Microsofts lack of experience in this market. They just don't know how to get your average gamer excited. Sony are out there, on the streets shaking hands and kissing babies. Nintendo are saying ever more impressive things by the week, and more and more clips are making their way onto the net. Microsoft are just sitting there saying "We will be the best." "We are the most powerful."
Every system needs games. A system won't survive on games that don't inspire the player.
I might be wrong, the games might be superb, and actually fun to play, but from what I've seen its all power, no personality.
I try hard to remain unbiased, but I just cannot get excited about the Xbox.
I've watched the shows, seen some of the demos, but it's always the same thing.
"Xbox can push X polygons."
"Xbox is the most powerful system."
"Xbox has X developers"
I just want to butt into their conversations to ask "But is it fun?"
It's the one question of Xbox that doesn't seem to have been asked, though surely it's the most important factor!
When I saw the Gamecube videos, and heard the developers commentary, it was all about innovative gaming, and giving the gamer something special. I liked this.
With Xbox you just get told what it can do, and to me, it just plain doesn't sound fun!
I'm sure it boils down to Microsofts lack of experience in this market. They just don't know how to get your average gamer excited. Sony are out there, on the streets shaking hands and kissing babies. Nintendo are saying ever more impressive things by the week, and more and more clips are making their way onto the net. Microsoft are just sitting there saying "We will be the best." "We are the most powerful."
Every system needs games. A system won't survive on games that don't inspire the player.
I might be wrong, the games might be superb, and actually fun to play, but from what I've seen its all power, no personality.
I said there will be some good games from developers but not as many as PS2 and GC
I have so many PC's because I have 5 people that use the computers in the house and I have friends come over and play. I also have a server with songs on it. All the computers are networked so I can play network games.
Of course, at the end of the day it is the games that count however it does now seem that Microsoft will have a lot of great games available for this machine, Dino Crisis 3 in particular has got me excited.
To see the some pictures of the X-boxs Dashboard, you could also head on over to Special Reserves latest news at
http://special.reserve.co.uk/news/story.php?id=889
Microsoft have just pencilled in a March 15th European release date, according to Special Reserve, for the full story head on over to
http://special.reserve.co.uk/news/story.php?id=893
To be fair its interesting to see Microsoft actually doing interesting new stuff with a console, the hard drive may only be 8GB...but thats quite big enough for a console (Its bigger than the 3GB drive on my PC).
It should also significantly cut in game loading for games. :-)
To see the some pictures of the X-boxs Dashboard, you could also head on over to Special Reserves latest news at
http://special.reserve.co.uk/news/story.php?id=889
Microsoft have just pencilled in a March 15th European release date, according to Special Reserve, for the full story head on over to
http://special.reserve.co.uk/news/story.php?id=893
To be fair its interesting to see Microsoft actually doing interesting new stuff with a console, the hard drive may only be 8GB...but thats quite big enough for a console (Its bigger than the 3GB drive on my PC).
It should also significantly cut in game loading for games. :-)
To Grandprix, Im sure most gamers will welcome the option of being allowed to play the music they like during a game. Also why do you have so many PCs???
To ZeldaPro, obviously you failed to read the list of developers that are supporting the X-box, here it is again:
Sega, Acclaim Entertainment Inc., Activision Inc., Artdink Corp., Atlus Company Ltd., Bandai Company Ltd., Capcom, Codemasters, Crave Entertainment Inc., Electronic Arts Inc., Eidos, FOX Interactive Inc., Gathering of Developers, INFOGRAMES Inc., Interplay Entertainment Corp., Konami Company Ltd., LucasArts Entertainment Co., Midway Games Inc., Namco Ltd., Rage Software, Rockstar Games, Sierra On-Line Inc., Taito Corp., Take-Two Interactive Software Inc, TDK Systems, THQ and Ubisoft.
list taken from
http://www.xbox.com/news/0105/1601.htm
Thats alot of support, the only big companys that arent on that list are Sony and Nintendo ;-)
To ZeldaPro, obviously you failed to read the list of developers that are supporting the X-box, here it is again:
Sega, Acclaim Entertainment Inc., Activision Inc., Artdink Corp., Atlus Company Ltd., Bandai Company Ltd., Capcom, Codemasters, Crave Entertainment Inc., Electronic Arts Inc., Eidos, FOX Interactive Inc., Gathering of Developers, INFOGRAMES Inc., Interplay Entertainment Corp., Konami Company Ltd., LucasArts Entertainment Co., Midway Games Inc., Namco Ltd., Rage Software, Rockstar Games, Sierra On-Line Inc., Taito Corp., Take-Two Interactive Software Inc, TDK Systems, THQ and Ubisoft.
list taken from
http://www.xbox.com/news/0105/1601.htm
Thats alot of support, the only big companys that arent on that list are Sony and Nintendo ;-)
I am still not impressed by the XBOX, yeah it has some good STATS but it doesen't have THAT many good games only a few from Microfsoft and stuff like DOA3 but unless it plays XBOX game on a PC then I won't like it.
I can make my own CD's so I should be okay anyway.
Not that I know of, however you could always contact Microsoft and ask, or visit their website for the latest details.
My guess is that the feature to link up with a PC wont be included straight away due to copyright issues. However if you have the original CD then there should be no problem.
My guess is that the feature to link up with a PC wont be included straight away due to copyright issues. However if you have the original CD then there should be no problem.
It certainly seems a good idea. Does it have a special link so I can use songs from my PC as well?
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