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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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If Microsoft was not around then some other company would be in the lead position, however that company may not have owned the leading Office application software aswell as the worlds best selling OperatingSystem. Its the fact that Microsoft owns both that allows them to abuse the market.
However back to the X-box discussion...
Is anyone else excited about the prospect of being able to store your own audioCD tracks on the X-boxs hard drive and play them back during games. I'ld play "Eye of the Tiger" while getting kicked in on Dead or Alive 3....how about you? :-)
However back to the X-box discussion...
Is anyone else excited about the prospect of being able to store your own audioCD tracks on the X-boxs hard drive and play them back during games. I'ld play "Eye of the Tiger" while getting kicked in on Dead or Alive 3....how about you? :-)
Grandprix wrote:
> I don't see anything as good as Windows and Office about at the
> moment. So how can you say that something other than Microsoft would
> have given us the same thing? Microsoft has continually put the bar
> higher so no one can catch them.
If Microsoft were never around as you said in the previous post then it is more than certain that some other company would have taken lead position, its the way it works!
The question is would it be more or less advanced than Microsoft's present work, it would still be decent whatever company took lead position!
(I can feel myself getting more involved in discussions again, anyone else? :-D)
> I don't see anything as good as Windows and Office about at the
> moment. So how can you say that something other than Microsoft would
> have given us the same thing? Microsoft has continually put the bar
> higher so no one can catch them.
If Microsoft were never around as you said in the previous post then it is more than certain that some other company would have taken lead position, its the way it works!
The question is would it be more or less advanced than Microsoft's present work, it would still be decent whatever company took lead position!
(I can feel myself getting more involved in discussions again, anyone else? :-D)
I've got one word that discibes the xbox perfectly "Microsoft" which wraps it up nicely.
I didn't know the hard drive was only 8gb I think thats pathetic for the most "powerfull" console yet.don't buy one because from what everyone's seen from it, it's not looking very good.
I didn't know the hard drive was only 8gb I think thats pathetic for the most "powerfull" console yet.don't buy one because from what everyone's seen from it, it's not looking very good.
Microsoft was barely notable in E3 anyway!
733? Thats faster than 3 of my computers! I have 1 faster than that though.
The Xbox is missing one vital component, Windows!!
This allows companies to use much more resources, and no one has had that much power to play with without restrictions before!!
This allows companies to use much more resources, and no one has had that much power to play with without restrictions before!!
You're right as usual Grix. I like Microsoft products but I also like PS2 and Gamecube and whatever else there is on the market. I suppose I'm an overenthusiastic gamer.
In reply to Bonus:
How long does it take a games company to port games from a PC to a PC based console???
The X-box has an Intel 733Mhz Cpu, and a Nvidia Graphics Processing Unit. Im sure that a lot of the games will be available for the US launch, and probably all of the games will be available for the machine by the time it reaches the UK.
How long does it take a games company to port games from a PC to a PC based console???
The X-box has an Intel 733Mhz Cpu, and a Nvidia Graphics Processing Unit. Im sure that a lot of the games will be available for the US launch, and probably all of the games will be available for the machine by the time it reaches the UK.
The problem is though, is that most of Microsoft's supporters are supporters of the PS2 and Gamecube too. Since E3, a hell of a lot of developers are looking on the GC with a new light, and the PS2 is looking as strong as ever. Remember, people were getting just as hyped over the Jaguar and the 3DO. Analysts actually predicted that the Jaguar would be the market leader at one stage.
I don't see anything as good as Windows and Office about at the moment. So how can you say that something other than Microsoft would have given us the same thing? Microsoft has continually put the bar higher so no one can catch them.
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