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"FM is officially 'Blown Away'"

First of all I'd like to thank Wookiee Monster for telling me everything I needed to know about getting a cable modem (hi-speed internet access, in other words). I've now got access to some lovely streaming web content.

And one of these streams has just literally blown me away.

It's only a 2m 35s clip, but it feels like 20 seconds, it's really that good. If you've got broadband/cable I really do urge you to have looksee.

http://www.xbox.com and click on Games, then Halo E3 Video (High Bandwidth), and enjoy.

The thing I noticed at first was the foggy background, and I thought Ah! They've gotten around popup in the backgrounds using the same fogging techniques as used on the 128-bit Dreamcast, but then later on you see the same area without the fog, and your jaw drops, because even a PC would struggle with this kind of graphical presentation. The arenas are HUGE.

Then there's the video content, Halo is basically a FPS futuristic warfare/combat shoot 'em up, but it just OOZES gameplay, you'll be twitching your trigger fingers at this one, it's really that good. You too will want to be jumping onto the back of that jeep and manning the rotating machinegun, taking out the aliens trying to bushwhack you from behind. And you'll be cheering this guy on as he shows you how to take out the nasties whilst running with his comrades through the woodland sections, fragging left right and centre with whatever that hi-powered assault rifle he's using is called.

Then there's the background music, perfect, gets the blood boiling with anticipation and really gets you into the action.

So that's decided it for me then, I was kinda wondering what my first X-Box title was going to be if I bought one, and now I know for sure. The PS2 and the Gamecube aren't going to get another lookin now, my course is set, and I'll be sailing that course with Halo come early next year when the X-Box comes out in the UK.

YIPPEE!!!!

FM....... Snigger B0p

"FM is officially blown...*

Hur hur hur....

:-D

I'd like to get broadband, but it's still expensive - well in my case, anyway.

You can buy the X-box and I can buy the Gamecube - done ;-)

If that's your choice, then that's your choice - I can't argue with your own personnel choice - although I'd like to ;-)

But I have experiences at school that have led me to have a grudge against the X-box, and that is why I'm not keen on it at all. So when you announced your approval of the X-box and that it would be your next console choice - I couldn't help but try and pursuade you to see it in a different light :O)

Ahh well, nice argueing with you :-D

Shocktrooper - thinking the whole thing over.

Yep, but Microsoft have still confirmed the following dates:

November 8th USA launch with 15-20 titles
February 22nd Jap launch with 12-20 titles

We're still waiting to hear about Europe, I would expect around April/May 2002 though.

Did you know the Xbox has been put back a possible 4 months behind the GameCube? Check the Upwire.

Shocktrooper wrote:
> FM, of all people I would of expected to be weary of this kind of
> thing, you have let me down.

Are you seriously considering buying
> a console because of one game looking good? How do you know that it
> will PLAY good, eh? I'm betting that's where Microsoft will slip-up
> in the battle with GC. Their controller has already had scepticism
> about it feeling horrible and barely usuable - so look how that
> would effect your gaming when playing Halo. Microsoft, in my
> opinion, has jumped the gun spec wise. They've launched themselves
> ahead by making a console with tremendous capability and sadly, more
> than likely, drop their interest in making playing the game more
> enjoyable than it could be. To be honest, I'm not sure they'll be as
> bothered about what it'll be like to play the game as Nintendo will
> be. I have the feeling that it's down to the old arguement
> "Graphics over Gameplay" again. This is undoubtedly led to
> Nintendo having a huge advantage - purely fun, easy-to-play games
> that everyone can enjoy.

Now I'm not saying every game for the
> X-box will be 'graphics over gameplay', in fact I'm probably wrong
> as per usual. But who's more reliable, FM? Microsoft, or
> Nintendo?

Shocktrooper - not convinced by the X-box power.


AAARRGGGGGHHH!!!!! I had this same argument 6 years ago when buying a Playstation. Your first question has already been answered earlier.

Your second question has been half answered earlier, I'll just add 'how can you know ANY game will play good until you've played it?' Taking Halo to be a case in point, I like FPS games, I know how they play, and have yet to play a duff one.

Onto your 'controller' point. Have you used one yet? Neither have I, but it looks mightily like every other joypad I've ever used, from Megadrive up to Dreamcast, and I was initially sceptical about them too until I got used to them.

Onto who's more reliable over gameplay. How can you even ask who's more reliable when X-Box has yet to sell one console? However, again taking a case in point, Sony came into the marketplace with NO gaming experience whatsoever and knocked Nintendo and Sega for six within the space of 12 months. Every console has it's duff games, even Nintendo (Superman? Clay Fighter? Chef's Luv Shack? Nagano Winter Olympics? NFL Quarterback Club?)

Microsoft have been making games for years; Age of Empires, MechWarrior, Asheron's Call, Combat Flight Sims, Links, Starlance, they know what gaming is and they know the gaming industry, unlike Sony who had to do all their research from the outside. Then you have Microsoft's 3rd party developers, like Sega, Crave, Konami, Midway, Acclaim, LucasArts, Eidos, Infogrames, Activision, THQ to name just a handful, reliability isn't a factor with most of these, especially Sega who are almost guaranteed to release great games everytime.

This isn't about who's right or wrong, this is about my personal choice of console, and for me it's the X-Box. If you don't like it, lump it.

Cat fight!

Meeeeyowwwwww! :-)

Shocktrooper wrote:
> Did you actually read the whole post? Will you notice the point in
> my post?

No.

Did you actually read the whole post? Will you notice the point in my post?