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When Microsoft gave word that they were taking bold steps into new territory by developing a console at E3 about two years ago, naturally the critics were sceptical. Would the big name publisher have the gaming balls to develop something so good as to defeat those giants from the Land of the Rising Sun? No not Godzilla and Jackie Chan, I of course mean Sony and those geniuses at "fun" games - Nintendo.
Initial stats and specifications were impressive. A processor of 733mhz was signigficantly more than any of it's competitors - 233 and 450 from Sony and Ninty; but this wasn't enough to sway developers to join the American titans side. A graphics chip straight from the industry's leader NVidia proofed flattering to the console - coming with the promise of programming twenty times easier than PS2 (I forget why).
Sound has also not gone away silently. Dolby Digital letting the developers hack away at 256 audio channels for an ultimate gaming experience in Digital 5.1 was applauded by many recent sceptics and the phenonema was starting to take shape.
The console was also reportedly going to come standard with an 8gb hard drive - previously missing on the mighty Playstation 2. Going on sale on the Sony console for a massive £200 this is a saving in itself - but the best is yet to come. Even though Microsoft continually stressed to developers that their console was not taking steps into PC territory the hard drive made this a little hazy.
To rest many peoples minds (especially in the East) Microsoft let rip on what the massive hard drive could let developers do. From reducing load screens to a second at the start of optimised games to what really impressed us music knuts - MP3 playback. The X-Box comes equipped with a simple interface to rip and play MP3's; normally aswell as in game. Yes! Selected games - most notabally Project Gotham Racing and Amped - let you create playlists that let you play all your rocking tunes in stunning games. From the Beatles to Dr Dre this really is a God send for all of those Sonyphiles stuck with the repitive drone of "Ridge Radio!!".
The hard drive also let's developers deliver a more comprehensive gaming experience to gamers that find genres tired and repetive - if you've played an FPS lately you'll know what I mean. From downloading files (more on that later) to storing your own stats the hard drive let's you do all of this. And what more is that navigating this is actually EASY!!! No more PC style interfaces - we bought the console cause the sight of another blue screen made us want to retch - and Microsoft has delivered this (bless em!!).
One of the points of Microsoft's super console that came under critisms straight away (again mainly from the East) was that the controllers would be better placed in a car showroom - they were that big. Naturally okay for me - "big hands big..." or is it feet? Whatever for us in the West this should be no problem, but even after continued play naviagating the behemoth has been reportedly difficult.
The console comes with everything that you would need for ccontinued play - unlike another big name competitor that I ccould mention *cough*Playstation 2*cough*. From a hard drive to the inclusion of a broadband adapter (again costing more on another platform) Microsoft have really gone to no expense spared to make this the most complete console in gaming's thirty year history. Even the controllers have a handy quick released system incase you trip over them or get really annoyed after getting killed by the covenant again on Halo.
Microsoft have also not forgotten the main thing that it is to produce a console - GAMES! I wouldn't be writing this without them. So let me tell you about the top 3 being released at launch -
Halo: a FPS that delivers so much more than has previously been seen on any other platform - even PC. With jaw dropping graphics and polished controls you really can't spend your £45 on anything better. A deep, twisting and involving single player story (available for two-player co-operative play) aswell as 26 multiplayer modes means that play will never get boring - a classic. Go to: http://special.reserve.co.uk/reviews/review.php? index=1012998442 for more (removing the space).
Dead or Alive 3: fighting from the best in the business. Dead or Alive comes complete with stunning graphics, fluid character movements and a rocking soundtrack - even one for gamers previously bored by the tired genre (much like above). An all time classic that competes and knocks the hell out of all other competitors - Tekken and Virtua Fighter included. Go to: http://special.reserve.co.uk/reviews/review.php? index=1013005743 for more (removing the space).
Project Gotham Racing: Every launch game needs a racing game and PGR fits the bill for X-Box perfectly. 26 real world cars all damageable in real time (previously unseen in GT3) with full career and arcade modes. Tracks come from the worlds finest cities - with landmarks all making a guest appearance in this stunning game. London's Big Ben, San Francisco's Alcatraz and New Yorks Time Square (the location for X-Box's American launch strangely enough) are all here - be amazed. Stunning graphics, great car handling and that MP3 playback assure a corker. Go to: http://special.reserve.co.uk/reviews/review.php? index=1013103047 for more (you know the drill).
X-Box is coming on sale in Europe for the extravagant price of £300. Too much? No way! Don't you remember Playstation 2 18 months ago - and that was without all of these extra's like a hard drive and broadband adapter. All in all a stunning console at a stunning price - don't buy with caution, buy with relish!!
Enjoy,
Outlaw.
Initial stats and specifications were impressive. A processor of 733mhz was signigficantly more than any of it's competitors - 233 and 450 from Sony and Ninty; but this wasn't enough to sway developers to join the American titans side. A graphics chip straight from the industry's leader NVidia proofed flattering to the console - coming with the promise of programming twenty times easier than PS2 (I forget why).
Sound has also not gone away silently. Dolby Digital letting the developers hack away at 256 audio channels for an ultimate gaming experience in Digital 5.1 was applauded by many recent sceptics and the phenonema was starting to take shape.
The console was also reportedly going to come standard with an 8gb hard drive - previously missing on the mighty Playstation 2. Going on sale on the Sony console for a massive £200 this is a saving in itself - but the best is yet to come. Even though Microsoft continually stressed to developers that their console was not taking steps into PC territory the hard drive made this a little hazy.
To rest many peoples minds (especially in the East) Microsoft let rip on what the massive hard drive could let developers do. From reducing load screens to a second at the start of optimised games to what really impressed us music knuts - MP3 playback. The X-Box comes equipped with a simple interface to rip and play MP3's; normally aswell as in game. Yes! Selected games - most notabally Project Gotham Racing and Amped - let you create playlists that let you play all your rocking tunes in stunning games. From the Beatles to Dr Dre this really is a God send for all of those Sonyphiles stuck with the repitive drone of "Ridge Radio!!".
The hard drive also let's developers deliver a more comprehensive gaming experience to gamers that find genres tired and repetive - if you've played an FPS lately you'll know what I mean. From downloading files (more on that later) to storing your own stats the hard drive let's you do all of this. And what more is that navigating this is actually EASY!!! No more PC style interfaces - we bought the console cause the sight of another blue screen made us want to retch - and Microsoft has delivered this (bless em!!).
One of the points of Microsoft's super console that came under critisms straight away (again mainly from the East) was that the controllers would be better placed in a car showroom - they were that big. Naturally okay for me - "big hands big..." or is it feet? Whatever for us in the West this should be no problem, but even after continued play naviagating the behemoth has been reportedly difficult.
The console comes with everything that you would need for ccontinued play - unlike another big name competitor that I ccould mention *cough*Playstation 2*cough*. From a hard drive to the inclusion of a broadband adapter (again costing more on another platform) Microsoft have really gone to no expense spared to make this the most complete console in gaming's thirty year history. Even the controllers have a handy quick released system incase you trip over them or get really annoyed after getting killed by the covenant again on Halo.
Microsoft have also not forgotten the main thing that it is to produce a console - GAMES! I wouldn't be writing this without them. So let me tell you about the top 3 being released at launch -
Halo: a FPS that delivers so much more than has previously been seen on any other platform - even PC. With jaw dropping graphics and polished controls you really can't spend your £45 on anything better. A deep, twisting and involving single player story (available for two-player co-operative play) aswell as 26 multiplayer modes means that play will never get boring - a classic. Go to: http://special.reserve.co.uk/reviews/review.php? index=1012998442 for more (removing the space).
Dead or Alive 3: fighting from the best in the business. Dead or Alive comes complete with stunning graphics, fluid character movements and a rocking soundtrack - even one for gamers previously bored by the tired genre (much like above). An all time classic that competes and knocks the hell out of all other competitors - Tekken and Virtua Fighter included. Go to: http://special.reserve.co.uk/reviews/review.php? index=1013005743 for more (removing the space).
Project Gotham Racing: Every launch game needs a racing game and PGR fits the bill for X-Box perfectly. 26 real world cars all damageable in real time (previously unseen in GT3) with full career and arcade modes. Tracks come from the worlds finest cities - with landmarks all making a guest appearance in this stunning game. London's Big Ben, San Francisco's Alcatraz and New Yorks Time Square (the location for X-Box's American launch strangely enough) are all here - be amazed. Stunning graphics, great car handling and that MP3 playback assure a corker. Go to: http://special.reserve.co.uk/reviews/review.php? index=1013103047 for more (you know the drill).
X-Box is coming on sale in Europe for the extravagant price of £300. Too much? No way! Don't you remember Playstation 2 18 months ago - and that was without all of these extra's like a hard drive and broadband adapter. All in all a stunning console at a stunning price - don't buy with caution, buy with relish!!
Enjoy,
Outlaw.
Actually, SSX Tricky for XBox has been improved, but only a bit. Unfortnately, not in terms of slowdown :o( The snow and ice is now bump-mapped, the textures are crisper, and the jaggies are less apparent though.
Overall it is better that the PS2 version, but only by a small margin.
Overall it is better that the PS2 version, but only by a small margin.
I haven't played Amped unlike SSX Tricky but both should be amazing. Sadly SSX Tricky hasn't been modified at all on the X-Box and is coming with mixed reviews (never a good thing). Still, we have that mighty giant - HALO!!
Outlaw.
Outlaw.
A nice post Outlaw!! I totally agree on all your points (except the processor speeds, but that's already been coverd!)
Another game I'd add to that list of games is Rallisport Challenge. Coming from nowhere, this game is one of the best looking driving games ever. With raw arcade gameplay to better even the Sega Rally genre (yes, it controls similar!), this is one game racing fans shouldn't miss. Even the animals turn their heads as you drive past in safari!!
Amped is also meant to be very good, but maybe a bit too "samey"? I don't know - I like snowboarding games, but will probably wait for a true SSX sequel to come out. Just doing tricks is a bit boring for me, but hey, it's personal taste!
Another game I'd add to that list of games is Rallisport Challenge. Coming from nowhere, this game is one of the best looking driving games ever. With raw arcade gameplay to better even the Sega Rally genre (yes, it controls similar!), this is one game racing fans shouldn't miss. Even the animals turn their heads as you drive past in safari!!
Amped is also meant to be very good, but maybe a bit too "samey"? I don't know - I like snowboarding games, but will probably wait for a true SSX sequel to come out. Just doing tricks is a bit boring for me, but hey, it's personal taste!
Oh well, can't be right all the time. ;-) I've been reading the official mag again. :-)) Think Amped is going to be in my bag of goodies on March 14th. ;-)
I got thinking that people may be coming onto these forums frightened and confused about which gaming taste would suit them best - so I wrote this thread. It is pretty detailed for the time I wrote it in without getting board, and gives pretty much all of the facts and features that the X-Box has (apart from getting those processing speeds wrong ;-))
Outlaw.
Outlaw.
Good post Outlaw. :-) Nice to read all these posts. Was getting pretty sick of reading wave after wave of "X-Box Sucks" posts. Feel like a little kid at christmas at the moment. ;-)) Not long now !
Outlaw_UK wrote:
> Thanks for that, in comparison X-Box has got better specifications by
> far.
Outlaw.
Yeah, the PS2 and GC still have enough power. PS2 is designed different so the 2 cant be directly compared. And the GC offers some good hardware features that the X-Box doesnt have.
p.s. I always like spotting mistakes in good posts and posting them up :)
> Thanks for that, in comparison X-Box has got better specifications by
> far.
Outlaw.
Yeah, the PS2 and GC still have enough power. PS2 is designed different so the 2 cant be directly compared. And the GC offers some good hardware features that the X-Box doesnt have.
p.s. I always like spotting mistakes in good posts and posting them up :)
Thanks for that, in comparison X-Box has got better specifications by far.
Outlaw.
Outlaw.
Nice post. Spotted a mistake in it thought, well 2 mistakes. PS2 is a 294mhz processor and the GC is 485mhz.
When Microsoft gave word that they were taking bold steps into new territory by developing a console at E3 about two years ago, naturally the critics were sceptical. Would the big name publisher have the gaming balls to develop something so good as to defeat those giants from the Land of the Rising Sun? No not Godzilla and Jackie Chan, I of course mean Sony and those geniuses at "fun" games - Nintendo.
Initial stats and specifications were impressive. A processor of 733mhz was signigficantly more than any of it's competitors - 233 and 450 from Sony and Ninty; but this wasn't enough to sway developers to join the American titans side. A graphics chip straight from the industry's leader NVidia proofed flattering to the console - coming with the promise of programming twenty times easier than PS2 (I forget why).
Sound has also not gone away silently. Dolby Digital letting the developers hack away at 256 audio channels for an ultimate gaming experience in Digital 5.1 was applauded by many recent sceptics and the phenonema was starting to take shape.
The console was also reportedly going to come standard with an 8gb hard drive - previously missing on the mighty Playstation 2. Going on sale on the Sony console for a massive £200 this is a saving in itself - but the best is yet to come. Even though Microsoft continually stressed to developers that their console was not taking steps into PC territory the hard drive made this a little hazy.
To rest many peoples minds (especially in the East) Microsoft let rip on what the massive hard drive could let developers do. From reducing load screens to a second at the start of optimised games to what really impressed us music knuts - MP3 playback. The X-Box comes equipped with a simple interface to rip and play MP3's; normally aswell as in game. Yes! Selected games - most notabally Project Gotham Racing and Amped - let you create playlists that let you play all your rocking tunes in stunning games. From the Beatles to Dr Dre this really is a God send for all of those Sonyphiles stuck with the repitive drone of "Ridge Radio!!".
The hard drive also let's developers deliver a more comprehensive gaming experience to gamers that find genres tired and repetive - if you've played an FPS lately you'll know what I mean. From downloading files (more on that later) to storing your own stats the hard drive let's you do all of this. And what more is that navigating this is actually EASY!!! No more PC style interfaces - we bought the console cause the sight of another blue screen made us want to retch - and Microsoft has delivered this (bless em!!).
One of the points of Microsoft's super console that came under critisms straight away (again mainly from the East) was that the controllers would be better placed in a car showroom - they were that big. Naturally okay for me - "big hands big..." or is it feet? Whatever for us in the West this should be no problem, but even after continued play naviagating the behemoth has been reportedly difficult.
The console comes with everything that you would need for ccontinued play - unlike another big name competitor that I ccould mention *cough*Playstation 2*cough*. From a hard drive to the inclusion of a broadband adapter (again costing more on another platform) Microsoft have really gone to no expense spared to make this the most complete console in gaming's thirty year history. Even the controllers have a handy quick released system incase you trip over them or get really annoyed after getting killed by the covenant again on Halo.
Microsoft have also not forgotten the main thing that it is to produce a console - GAMES! I wouldn't be writing this without them. So let me tell you about the top 3 being released at launch -
Halo: a FPS that delivers so much more than has previously been seen on any other platform - even PC. With jaw dropping graphics and polished controls you really can't spend your £45 on anything better. A deep, twisting and involving single player story (available for two-player co-operative play) aswell as 26 multiplayer modes means that play will never get boring - a classic. Go to: http://special.reserve.co.uk/reviews/review.php? index=1012998442 for more (removing the space).
Dead or Alive 3: fighting from the best in the business. Dead or Alive comes complete with stunning graphics, fluid character movements and a rocking soundtrack - even one for gamers previously bored by the tired genre (much like above). An all time classic that competes and knocks the hell out of all other competitors - Tekken and Virtua Fighter included. Go to: http://special.reserve.co.uk/reviews/review.php? index=1013005743 for more (removing the space).
Project Gotham Racing: Every launch game needs a racing game and PGR fits the bill for X-Box perfectly. 26 real world cars all damageable in real time (previously unseen in GT3) with full career and arcade modes. Tracks come from the worlds finest cities - with landmarks all making a guest appearance in this stunning game. London's Big Ben, San Francisco's Alcatraz and New Yorks Time Square (the location for X-Box's American launch strangely enough) are all here - be amazed. Stunning graphics, great car handling and that MP3 playback assure a corker. Go to: http://special.reserve.co.uk/reviews/review.php? index=1013103047 for more (you know the drill).
X-Box is coming on sale in Europe for the extravagant price of £300. Too much? No way! Don't you remember Playstation 2 18 months ago - and that was without all of these extra's like a hard drive and broadband adapter. All in all a stunning console at a stunning price - don't buy with caution, buy with relish!!
Enjoy,
Outlaw.
Initial stats and specifications were impressive. A processor of 733mhz was signigficantly more than any of it's competitors - 233 and 450 from Sony and Ninty; but this wasn't enough to sway developers to join the American titans side. A graphics chip straight from the industry's leader NVidia proofed flattering to the console - coming with the promise of programming twenty times easier than PS2 (I forget why).
Sound has also not gone away silently. Dolby Digital letting the developers hack away at 256 audio channels for an ultimate gaming experience in Digital 5.1 was applauded by many recent sceptics and the phenonema was starting to take shape.
The console was also reportedly going to come standard with an 8gb hard drive - previously missing on the mighty Playstation 2. Going on sale on the Sony console for a massive £200 this is a saving in itself - but the best is yet to come. Even though Microsoft continually stressed to developers that their console was not taking steps into PC territory the hard drive made this a little hazy.
To rest many peoples minds (especially in the East) Microsoft let rip on what the massive hard drive could let developers do. From reducing load screens to a second at the start of optimised games to what really impressed us music knuts - MP3 playback. The X-Box comes equipped with a simple interface to rip and play MP3's; normally aswell as in game. Yes! Selected games - most notabally Project Gotham Racing and Amped - let you create playlists that let you play all your rocking tunes in stunning games. From the Beatles to Dr Dre this really is a God send for all of those Sonyphiles stuck with the repitive drone of "Ridge Radio!!".
The hard drive also let's developers deliver a more comprehensive gaming experience to gamers that find genres tired and repetive - if you've played an FPS lately you'll know what I mean. From downloading files (more on that later) to storing your own stats the hard drive let's you do all of this. And what more is that navigating this is actually EASY!!! No more PC style interfaces - we bought the console cause the sight of another blue screen made us want to retch - and Microsoft has delivered this (bless em!!).
One of the points of Microsoft's super console that came under critisms straight away (again mainly from the East) was that the controllers would be better placed in a car showroom - they were that big. Naturally okay for me - "big hands big..." or is it feet? Whatever for us in the West this should be no problem, but even after continued play naviagating the behemoth has been reportedly difficult.
The console comes with everything that you would need for ccontinued play - unlike another big name competitor that I ccould mention *cough*Playstation 2*cough*. From a hard drive to the inclusion of a broadband adapter (again costing more on another platform) Microsoft have really gone to no expense spared to make this the most complete console in gaming's thirty year history. Even the controllers have a handy quick released system incase you trip over them or get really annoyed after getting killed by the covenant again on Halo.
Microsoft have also not forgotten the main thing that it is to produce a console - GAMES! I wouldn't be writing this without them. So let me tell you about the top 3 being released at launch -
Halo: a FPS that delivers so much more than has previously been seen on any other platform - even PC. With jaw dropping graphics and polished controls you really can't spend your £45 on anything better. A deep, twisting and involving single player story (available for two-player co-operative play) aswell as 26 multiplayer modes means that play will never get boring - a classic. Go to: http://special.reserve.co.uk/reviews/review.php? index=1012998442 for more (removing the space).
Dead or Alive 3: fighting from the best in the business. Dead or Alive comes complete with stunning graphics, fluid character movements and a rocking soundtrack - even one for gamers previously bored by the tired genre (much like above). An all time classic that competes and knocks the hell out of all other competitors - Tekken and Virtua Fighter included. Go to: http://special.reserve.co.uk/reviews/review.php? index=1013005743 for more (removing the space).
Project Gotham Racing: Every launch game needs a racing game and PGR fits the bill for X-Box perfectly. 26 real world cars all damageable in real time (previously unseen in GT3) with full career and arcade modes. Tracks come from the worlds finest cities - with landmarks all making a guest appearance in this stunning game. London's Big Ben, San Francisco's Alcatraz and New Yorks Time Square (the location for X-Box's American launch strangely enough) are all here - be amazed. Stunning graphics, great car handling and that MP3 playback assure a corker. Go to: http://special.reserve.co.uk/reviews/review.php? index=1013103047 for more (you know the drill).
X-Box is coming on sale in Europe for the extravagant price of £300. Too much? No way! Don't you remember Playstation 2 18 months ago - and that was without all of these extra's like a hard drive and broadband adapter. All in all a stunning console at a stunning price - don't buy with caution, buy with relish!!
Enjoy,
Outlaw.