Newtype

HOLY SHIT! I just wet myself. Sony and nintendo are just bitch slapping Bill Gates and Fucking him up the ass. Sony and nintendo are going to kick ass. Let the hype start here.

Sony just handed X-box and bill their ass on a plate, and heres why. With Microsoft having unveiled their Xbox 360 console last week on MTV, the ball was literally in Sony’s court. With the claim that the Xbox 360 was going to be the most powerful piece of home video game hardware anyone had ever seen, we could only wonder what Sony might have up their sleeve at their E3 press conference. Well, Sony seemingly has gotten the last laugh. Today in Los Angeles, the hardware and software giant stunned all attendees by unveiling the PlayStation 3, their next-generation console. For months, the company has alluded to the console in passing, with mention of Blu-Ray DVD support and titillating clues about their graphics processing unit. Today, however, all of those ideas and hints took shape in their brand spanking new console. And believe us, what a console it is. Unveiled! The new PlayStation 3 controller! Before we get into the nitty gritty about the PlayStation 3, here’s a look at the technical specifications for the system. CPU Cell processor running at 3.2 GHz 1 VMX vector unit per core 512KB L2 cache 7 x SPE @ 3.2 GHz 7 x 128b 128 SIMD GRPs 7 x 256KB SRAM for SRE Total floating point performance of 218 GFLOPS GPU RSX @ 550MHz Capable of 1.8 TFLOPS floating point performance Full HD (up to 1080p) over two channels Multi-way programmable parallel floating point shader pipelines Sound Dolby 5.1ch support System Bandwidth Two TFLOPS Storage Detachable 2.5 inch hard drive slot I/O Four front USB slots, two rear USB slots One standard/Duo, Pro Memory Stick Slot One standard/mini SD slot 1 Type I/II CompactFlash slot Communication Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-T, 1000BASE-T) x 3 (1 input, two output) Wi-Fi over IEEE 802.11 b/g Bluetooth 2.0 (for up to seven controllers to operate on one PlayStation 3 at once) AV Output Screen size ranging from 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p Two HDMI outputs One analog AV output One digital optical audio output Disc/Media Backwards compatibility with PSone, PS2, CD-DA, CD-R, CD+R, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+RW, BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE On paper, the tech specs of the PlayStation 3 probably just looks like a bunch of numbers and big words. But, within those numbers lies the true power of the system. Perhaps the most important new feature of the console is the Cell processor. Capable of computing about 215 GFLOPS of information, the system will provide an incredible amount of processing power for gaming and other multimedia needs. To give you an idea of just how powerful the Cell is, compare it to the Xbox 360’s processor power of being able to calculate 115 GFLOPS and you get a good idea of its brute strength. The logo is officially unveiled The second most important feature of the PlayStation 3 comes in its RSX GPU, which has been developed by NVIDIA specifically for the console. The processor runs at 550 MHz and supports full high-definition video at a quality up to 1080p (which literally blows our minds). The GPU will house 256MB of main DXR RAM operating at 3.2 GHz, as well as 256MB of GDDR3 VRAM operating at 700MHz. So you may be asking yourself what all these confusing numbers mean. First off, it means that developers will have access to perhaps the most technologically advanced graphics processing unit ever seen. In fact, Sony went to NVIDIA and gave the company three main goals for the RSX: build the world’s most powerful GPU, synthesize movie quality graphics, and take advantage of the awesome bandwidth and power of the Cell processor. The RSX can process 136 shader operations simultaneously at 128-bit pixel precision. The result is a display resolution that weighs in at 2000 by 1000. The processor itself contains over 300 million transistors and is technically more powerful than two GeForce 6800 Ultra’s combined. If you were to combine the transistor counts from the Athlon FX 55, PS2 Emotion Engine, Xbox Pentium 3 CPU, GameCube Gekko, GameCube Flipper, PS2 Graphic Synthesizer, and the current Xbox GPU, you’d only just be approaching the number of transistors found in the RSX. Ken Kutaragi stands next to the new PlayStation 3 All of this power comes into play in the ability for developers to utilize the power of programmable shader architecture. In simple terms, this means that developers will be able to add an incredibly large amount of visual detail to nearly every single object and item in a video game. Given the GPU’s 128-bit capability, a developer conceivably could have floating point precision for every single pixel that appears in a game. Each of these pixels could be shaded and dynamically lit, giving each one that much more realism. A Sony representative showed off an example of the technology in action with a short video clip of hundreds of thousands of leaves being sucked into a vortex. Each individual leaf was its own independent object, and each leaf was dynamically lit using the programmable shader architecture. As such, each leaf appeared visually different than those around it and reflected and absorbed light in a variety of realistic ways. Another example showed off a rendered woman. Visually, while the woman was impressive, the real magic came when a light source was introduced into the scene along with a few odd looking monsters. As the light source panned around the scene and changed intensity, the character models reacted in stunning ways. Light was absorbed by the models’ skin, and even shined through some thin membranes, such as the webbing between the toes of one of the monsters. Ken Kutaragi holds aloft the PlayStation 3 Coupled with the tremendous power of the RSX is the Cell processor, which will be able to handle transfers of 35 GB per second, or about the equivalent of eight or nine DVDs. In addition, the Cell will be able to handle 100 billion shader operations per second, as well as 51 billion dot products a second. What does all this mean? It means that with the CPU and GPU working in tandem, games will become more life-like and realistic than you’ve probably ever imagined. But, despite all the fancy numbers, the PlayStation 3 has a host of other impressive technologies under its hood. Sony plans on releasing a special high-definition camera that will serve a variety of purposes. At the most basic use, the camera will allow you to engage in some video chat with fellow gamers. At its most complex, it will transform your PlayStation 3 into a veritable media broadcast source. Gamers will be able to use the camera to broadcast things like video feeds (such as their own shows, views from their homes, or any other video related content) to other PlayStation 3 owners around the world. Say I set up my camera on my window sill that overlooks a picturesque lake view. Another gamer in Japan could go online and access my camera feed and watch (in real-time) the view from my camera. The camera will also be used for a number of gaming applications. One Sony demo showed off a bathtub full of rubber ducks. Using the camera, a presenter picked up two real-life cups and moved them around in front of the camera, dipping them into the “virtual water” and splashing and throwing around water on the video display while doing so. A quick video trailer played later in the show highlighted a game tentatively titled Eyedentify, which had a player using the video chat functionality to actually talk and command on-screen characters. The player appeared in the upper-right hand side of the screen, while the actual game filled the rest of the display. While it may still be early to see how Sony plans on utilizing the technology to its fullest, what they’ve shown so far is truly promising and goes way beyond anything that we’ve seen with their current generation EyeToy USB camera. The PlayStation 3 will stand vertically and horizontally The PlayStation 3 console will also serve gamers in terms of networking. The system will be built specifically for broadband (sorry all you 56K gamers). Once online, the system will become part of a mind-bogglingly large virtual community, allowing you to play games, chat, download and purchase new game content, as well as share content with other players. And, much of this new functionality lies in the PSP. The PSP will act as a bridge between the PS3 and the online world, allowing you to share content with other gamers by connecting your handheld to the PS3 via Wi-Fi. If you have a particular character or in-game item you really want your friend to check out, the process will be a snap to pull off. Most surprisingly, however, will be the PlayStation 3’s ability to make your PSP a virtual key to accessing any content you may have on the home console. If you have the PlayStation 3 connected to a broadband source and just so happen to be thousand miles away with your PSP, you’ll be able to access your PlayStation 3 content using the handheld granted you have an Internet connection wherever you are. The PlayStation 3 will come in three colors, including black In true Sony fashion, the company closed their press conference with what everyone was hoping they would: the games. But, in also traditional Sony fashion, many of the game were simply short snippets of video that sometimes didn’t even give a title for the game. But, our astute eyes and hands managed to get all of what was shown. Here’s a list of what was showcased. Untitled Insomniac Games action shooter Oni – KOEI (based on an original idea by late director Akira Kurosawa) Eyedentify – SCEA Fifth Phantom – Sega (an odd supernatural-like action game) Heavenly Sword – SCEA (an intense hack ‘n slash action game featuring insane combat attacks) Warhawk – Incognito Killing Day – Ubisoft (first person shooter) Motor Storm – SCEE (car combat) Killzone – SCEE (first person shooter) Gran Turismo – SCEI Mobile Suit Gundam - Bandai Untitled Rockstar title (possibly a sequel to Red Dead Revolver) F1 Gran Prix – SCEE Devil May Cry 4 – Capcom To send the fans into bigger frenzy, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada came onstage to show off a short video clip of what a Final Fantasy title would look like on the PlayStation 3. The video clip featured an incredibly detailed remake of the Final Fantasy VII intro movie. And while it made a huge impact on the crowd, Wada-san made it a point to say that the company had no plans to remake the classic RPG. Even after all the video footage managed to drop the jaws of every single attendee, Sony managed to outdo themselves even more. The last tidbit of information about the company announced was a doozy: the PlayStation 3 will launch in the spring of 2006. Granted, they didn’t announce whether that was Japanese or North American release date, but either way, the PlayStation 3 is coming soon to a game retailer near you. Our advice; save your money and get ready for the new face of gaming. The PlayStation 3 will release in Spring of 2006 And wouldn’t you believe it, Sony still had one more surprise up their sleeve. Before the entire audience, SCEI president Ken Kutaragi unveiled the PlayStation 3 console itself. A sort of mix between the regular model PlayStation and the new slimline model, the PlayStation 3 will come in three colors (white, silver, and black). The unit itself features four USB slots on the front of the console, while the rest of the unit itself is quite minimalist in appearance.

All those spec came from MS themself. Lets see how many of those things make the x-box 360.

Well here are the spec for the new X-box. PC geeks are whacking off over this. PLATFORM: Xbox 360 RELEASE DATE: Fall 2005 PUBLISHER: DEVELOPER: POSTED: 5/13/2005 11:53 AM Recently, Microsoft brought us inside their global headquarters in Redmond, Washington to give us a glimpse of their Xbox successor, the Xbox 360. While leaks have been frequent across the internet for the past months, we are now able to finally give you the complete rundown on the new system and it’s specs, the new Xbox Live features, and most importantly, the games. Xbox 360: The Hardware When the original Xbox team got approval of the first Xbox on February 14, 1999, instead of just pitching the first console to the executive team and the board of directors, according to J Allard, they talked about the “20 year dream.” While the original Xbox at the end of the day was a success, it was still a test bed for the company. The Xbox was a chance to “earn a seat at the table” as Allard put it, and Microsoft wanted to get into the video game business and stay there for the foreseeable future. Throughout the last four years, the Xbox allowed Microsoft to cut their teeth in the video game business, make mistakes, and learn lessons. With the Xbox 360, the goal according to Robbie Bach is to “change how people think about fun.” While an extremely bold statement, their ultimate goals are even loftier. Allard said Microsoft is out to redefine the concept of video games, and make them more popular than books. The main mantra they came up with for the entire Xenon team when they wrote “the book of Xenon” was to create a “living entertainment experience powered by human energy.” Much smaller and sleeker than the original Xbox, the Xbox 360 design was a creation by collaboration of a sculptor, and two design teams. The sculptor was Jonathan Hayes from the Rhode Island School of Design, who orchestrated the project, and the two design firms were Hers in Osaka and Astro in San Francisco. This trio came up with more than 30 different designs before they reached the final design that was approved by focus teams and finally by Microsoft. What they ultimately came up with was a very simple design, which is targeted to be “optimistic and inviting”, said Allard. Much smaller than the original Xbox, the Xbox 360 can be laid vertically or horizontally. The Specifications: Xbox 360 Hardware Specifications Custom IBM PowerPC-based CPU - 3 symmetrical cores running at 3.2 GHz each - 2 hardware threads per core; 6 hardware threads total - 1 VMX-128 vector unit per core; 3 total - 128 VMX-128 registers per hardware thread - 1 MB L2 cache CPU Game Math Performance - 9 billion dot product operations per second Custom ATI Graphics Processor - 500 MHz - 10 MB embedded DRAM - 48-way parallel floating-point dynamically-scheduled shader pipelines - Unified shader architecture Polygon Performance - 500 million triangles per second Pixel Fill Rate - 16 gigasamples per second fillrate using 4X MSAA Shader Performance - 48 billion shader operations per second Memory - 512 MB GDDR3 RAM - 700 MHz DDR - Unified memory architecture Memory Bandwidth - 22.4 GB/s memory interface bus bandwidth - 256 GB/s memory bandwidth to EDRAM - 21.6 GB/s front-side bus Overall System Floating-Point Performance - 1 TFLOP Storage - Detachable and upgradeable 20 GB hard drive - 12X dual-layer DVD-ROM - Memory unit support starting at 64 MB I/O - Support for up to 4 wireless game controllers - 3 USB 2.0 ports - 2 memory unit slots Optimized for Online - Instant, out-of-the-box access to Xbox Live features, including Xbox Live Marketplace for downloadable content, Gamer Profile for digital identity and voice chat to talk to friends while playing games, watching movies or listening to music - Built in Ethernet Port - Wi-Fi Ready: 802.11 A, B and G - Video Camera Ready Digital Media Support - Support for DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD, JPEG Photo CD - Stream media from portable music devices, digital cameras, Windows XP PCs - Rip music to Xbox 360 hard drive - Custom playlists in every game - Windows Media Center Extender built in - Interactive, full screen 3D visualizers HD Game Support - All games supported at 16:9, 720p and 1080i, anti-aliasing - Standard definition and high definition video output supported Audio - Multichannel surround sound output - Supports 48 KHz 16-bit audio - 320 independent decompression channels - 32-bit audio processing - Over 256 audio channels System Orientation - Stands vertically or horizontally Customizable Face Plates - Interchangeable to personalize the console Looking at the back of the unit (which we don’t yet have pictures of) you’ll see most everything you can see on the back of your current Xbox: power connection, 100mb Ethernet, and digital A/V output. The only change to the back of the unit is one USB 2.0 port. The Xbox 360 will not have Wi-Fi built in – most likely to keep costs down – but you will be able to use a wireless network adapter just as you could with the previous Xbox. While Microsoft was trying to allow the use of the original Xbox A/V cables, you will have to buy new cables for your Xbox 360. We’re assuming standard A/V cables will be packed in with the system at launch, but that’s to be determined at this point. On the left side or top of the unit (depending on how you have the unit set up) is the removable and upgradeable 20GB hard drive. This allows you to take all of your saved games and custom soundtracks over to a friend’s house. The 20GB hard drive will be included in the regular Xbox 360 package. While 20GB will be the initial size available at launch, depending on future needs, Microsoft may have larger hard drives available down the road. What’s exciting about this as well is the fact that third party hardware manufacturers could create detachable hard drives with a headphone jack and an LCD screen so you could use it as an MP3 player with the music you have ripped to it. On the front of the unit, you’ll notice that the Xbox 360 has IR built in for use with the wireless controllers, the media remote control, as well as universal remote controls. There are 2 memory unit ports on the front that will support 64MB memory cards. On the right of the memory unit ports is the connect button which binds your wireless controller to the unit. The right side of the unit houses two USB 2.0 ports which you can connect wired controllers, charge the wireless controllers (or use them as corded controllers), as well as connect your digital camera or MP3 players, which I’ll explain later. The front of the unit’s faceplate is completely removable, and custom faceplates will be able to be purchased. We saw a number of designs that ranged from faux wood paneling, to a white design with the green ring of light marketing logo spiraling out from where the ring of light will be. Surrounding the power button is what Microsoft is calling the ring of light. The ring of light is featured not only around the power button, but also on the controller itself, and provides important information to people utilizing the system. The ring is broken up into 4 quadrants, which are 4 the four available wireless (or technically up to 3 wired, and 1 wireless) controller connections to the system. If you’re getting a message or an invite over Xbox Live while you’re playing a game, watching a movie or some sort of media on the Xbox 360, depending on which controller number you are, the appropriate ring of light section will illuminate or flash. This goes even deeper in games where, for example, say you’re playing a 4-player split screen game and you’re using the fourth controller. Your quadrant on the ring of light will be the lower right portion, which in split screen games will always place you in the lower right hand corner of the split screen game. There will never be any questioning which controller number you are, and you’ll always know which person was getting an invite or message over Xbox Live. The colors from the ring of light can change to be either green, red, or orange, so developers could program an assortment of different uses outside of Xbox Live features, like flashing orange and then red when your health is dwindling and then critical in a game session. The use is completely up to the developers. The controller itself hasn’t changed all that much from the current S-controller. The Xbox 360 controller is smaller than its S-controller brother, and can now be wired or wireless. The button layout is virtually the same, except the black and white buttons are above the left and right analog triggers, and have been renamed as “bumpers.” The audio jack is now on the lower part of the front of the controller, and you will be able to use your current Xbox Live headset, a cell phone headset, or cordless headsets. Microsoft doesn’t plan on releasing any cordless headsets at launch, but you can count on third party accessory manufacturers to have them ready when the console releases. The Xbox 360 controller can be powered by 2 AA batteries and Microsoft is also working on getting rechargeable batteries so the batteries can be recharged by connecting the controller to the unit with a “play-charge” cable (the charge port is at the top of the controller), or with a separate battery charging station. The bottom of the controller also has an expansion jack for future possible accessories. Also one very important function of the controller is the fact that you can turn the Xbox 360 on or off with the controller, so you won’t have to leave the couch to hit the power button. We also got a chance to look at a prototype of the new Xbox 360 media remote, which features your typical DVD function buttons, but adds Y,X, A, and B buttons, as well as the Windows Media Center button so you can access any media from your Windows Media Center PC. The remote can also be used as a controller, which for RPGs could come in handy for some simple one-handed gaming. Microsoft still hasn't given out an official picture of the remote, but one has been floating around the internet that's exactly the same design as we saw. We did get to see a prototype of the retail box, and when you go to the store to pick up your Xbox 360 this November this is what the prototype box listed as contents: Xbox 360 Console 20GB Hard Drive Wireless Controller Bonus Media Remote – Limited Time Offer Xbox Live Headset Ethernet Cable Microsoft did state that they’re still figuring out what they want to include in the box at launch, and this list could change - so note that this isn't final. Packing the Media Remote in the box would be a real added bonus for early adopters, as the “Limited Time Offer” phrase suggested. Also, since you won’t be able to use your old Xbox video cables, we’re assuming that basic A/V cables will be included in the box, and you’ll have to pony up for anything different. Allard showed off a USB 2.0 video camera that will be available shortly after launch that will be able to be used in games, as well as for video conferencing over Xbox Live. They are still messing around with the final design, so the leaked image from the MTV Unveiling is not the final design, and the one we were shown was 1/3 of the size of the camera that they show on MTV. Allard spoke of a number of different applications that this could be used for. For example, in a football game, once you score a touchdown, you could send a quick video clip of your victory dance. Websites could host UPC barcodes that could be printed out that once read by the camera would enable cheats or other unlockables. Other items that the camera could facilitate are face mapping, or even taking picture of a doodle that you could map to a paint design for the side of your car in Project Gotham Racing 3. But at the end of the day, it’s up to the developers. Backwards Compatibility? Currently, Microsoft is not talking about backwards compatibility with the original Xbox, but that could change at E3. The main problem with having backwards compatibility is the fact that the original Xbox uses the NVidia chipset, and the 360 will be using an ATI chipset. For some games it’s not really that much of an issue for an emulator to get them to work, but for games like Halo which are heavily coded to use the NVidia chipset feature, this poses a big problem. From what we’ve heard from sources is that it’s going to be a very touchy process to try to make this happen. Some of our sources are saying that most games will work, and other sources say that it may not happen. Until Microsoft gives the final word on backwards compatibility, all we can really say at this point is – we don’t know – so don’t go unplugging your original Xbox so soon. The 360 Experience The soul of the Xbox 360 is a game system, but the Xbox 360 experience is aimed at a consumer who wants their console to do more than just play games and movies. While the Xbox and PlayStation 2 allowed gamers to also watch DVD movies, Allard believes this was one of the reasons that the GameCube wasn’t as much as a success story as it could have been. “If you want to see something that held Nintendo back this past generation was that it [the GameCube] didn’t play movies. If they played movies they would have 5 million more units. It’s that simple. The consumers expectations have ratcheted up a level” The Xbox 360 will not only be able to play DVD movies, but also a ton of other media as well. With a Windows XP computer hooked up on the same network as your Xbox 360, you’ll be able to stream media like MP3s or pictures that are on your computer. For those who have their video game systems hooked up through their home stereos you’ll easily be able to listen to your computer’s MP3 collection through much better speakers than you most likely have connected to your PC, or watch a slideshow of digital pictures. If you’re wondering, this will work just fine with your Apple iPod, and your Sony PSP. For those with a Media Center Edition PC, the Xbox Media Center Extender is built into the Xbox 360, so you’ll be able to access any video files or television shows from that PC, as well. While you can still rip music files directly with the USB 2.0 ports on the front and the back of the Xbox 360 you’ll be able to connect just about any digital audio/MP3 player, as well as digital cameras and manage and play files with your Xbox 360. While you won’t be able to take files from these devices and have them transferred over to your Xbox 360 hard drive, you’ll be able to view pictures and listen to music files while you’re video conferencing with another person over Xbox Live. In addition, you’ll be able to use any custom playlist from your MP3 player as a custom soundtrack in Xbox 360 games. On the controller, and media remote control, is the new Xbox Guide Button. While this is heavily involved with your Xbox Live experience, by pressing the button puts you into two different menus depending on what you are doing. If you are playing a game and press the Xbox Guide Button, the guide will appear. The guide will slide in over your game so you’ll be able to still see the game playing in the background (unless you’ve pressed pause, of course). On the guide you’ll see your gamer card, your Xbox Live presence which will show how many messages you have, which audio you have set to play, and messages if there’s downloadable content or contests dealing with the game you are playing. If you’re not playing a game, the Dashboard will appear. The Dashboard is where you’ll be able to access your media, games, Xbox Live, and your system settings in the different menu areas which Microsoft is calling “blades”. Currently the different blades available are Media, Games, Xbox Live, and System. The setup is pretty intuitive, and an easy way to get to what you want quickly. Media Blade: This is where you can access and control your digital music and pictures that are on your hard drive, as well as play video files or Media Center Extender files if you have a Media Center Edition PC. Games Blade: The Games blade lists what games, demos, trailers, and downloadable content you’ve downloaded from Xbox Live The System Blade: All of your system settings are adjusted here including audio, video, and more. Xbox Live Blade: This area is where you can manipulate your Xbox Live account, video chat, and get into the Xbox Live Marketplace. Xbox Live on Xbox 360 Out of the box, Microsoft is giving people a lot of they are currently paying for with Xbox Live for free. There will be two different tiers setup for accounts on Xbox Live with Xbox 360. The free tier is the Silver Membership, and the subscription tier is the Gold Membership. The two main things that you get with a paid Gold Membership that you can’t get with a free Silver Membership are online multiplayer gaming, and video chat. Here’s a complete rundown of the differences between offline, Silver, and Gold: Xbox 360 Xbox Live Feature Sets Offline Experiences Xbox Live, Silver (No Subscription Required) Xbox Live, Gold (Subscription Benefits) Unified Service Approach Xbox Gamer Guide that provides a consistent interface across all experiences X X X Xbox Guide Button for fast access to the Guide and online features X X X Personalized game play settings X X X Seamless transition of Xbox Live account from Xbox to Xbox 360 X Xbox Live Online Game Play Access to MMOs (additional fees may apply) X X Free Xbox Live weekends X X Multiplayer online game play X Xbox Live Gamer Profile Gamertile (personalized image for your gamer profile) X X X Motto (a personalized saying for your gamer profile) X X X Personalized look for the Xbox System Guide X X X Offline Achievements X X X Online Achievements X X Gamertag (your nickname and identity on Xbox Live) X X Access to other players’ Gamer Cards via Xbox Live X X Xbox Live Intelligent Matchmaking Gamer Score (Part of Gamer Profile: cumulative score of all of achievements. Can be used for quick comparison with other gamers) X X X Location/Language (Part of Gamer Profile: identifies your location and preferred language) X X X Reputation (Part of Gamer Profile: rating provided by community that indicates how you are perceived by other players) X X Enhanced matchmaking using above elements of gamer profile X Choice of matchmaking based on either skill level or social play X Opportunity to provide feedback on other players and and affect your likelihood to match with them in the future X Gamerzone (Part of Gamer Profile: indicates style of social gaming you prefer – relaxed/casual, competitive, etc.) X Xbox Live Community Friends List; online presence X X Recent Players List X X Ubiquitous voice chat in game X X Ubiquitous voice chat out of game X X Xbox Live Marketplace Credit card no longer required for Xbox Live access X X X Free and premium downloadable game content X X Free and premium downloadable movies, music and TV X X Downloadable game trailers/demos X X Microtranscations X X Xbox Live Message Center Game Invites X X Friend Invites X X Text and Voice Messages X X Service/System Messages X X Digital Media Experiences Custom playlists in every game X X X Play music from portable music devices X X X View pictures from digital cameras X X X Stream Media from connected Windows XP PC X X X Windows Media Center Extender built in X X X Interactive, full screen 3D visualizers X X X Track Info for CDs (Offline & Online) X X X Parental Controls Game play based on game rating (e.g. ESRB) X X X Managing Friends List X X Sharing profiles and/or viewing other profiles X X Communicating via voice, video, and/or text X X Presence X X Ability to purchase premium content in marketplace X X Ability to play multiplayer online X Already have an Xbox Live account that’s paid until 2006? Don’t worry, for those of you who already have paid for Xbox Live and your subscription will go past when Xbox 360 launches, you won’t have to pay any more fees until your current subscription runs out. Microsoft hasn’t announced any future pricing. Xbox 360 users will be able to converse with original Xbox users, and visa versa. Since Microsoft isn’t addressing whether or not the Xbox 360 will be backwards compatible, it’s not known if you’ll be able to play games against each other. But you will be able to see whether or not if your friends are online, and what games they are playing. The Games: At the end of the day, however, what really matters is how the games play. That there lies a problem, because the one thing is, is that we are not allowed to talk about it yet have yet to play any Xbox 360 games. We do however know some of the titles that will be appearing on the system. These include: Gears of War Ghost Recon 3 NBA 2K6 Kameo Perfect Dark Zero Ninety-Nine Nights Battlefield: Modern Combat Condemned: Criminal Origins Full-Auto Test Drive Unlimited Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Need For Speed: Most Wanted The Godfather Madden NFL Tiger Woods PGA Tour Quake 4 King Kong Blue Dragon Project Gotham Racing 3 The Darkness Dead or Alive 4 The games are ultimately what Microsoft is making people really wait for, outside of the gameplay video featured on the MTV special. E3 2005 will be the official unveiling of the Xbox 360 and its games. Monday night is Microsoft’s E3 Press Briefing, and it’s when we’ll really get a good idea of how games will look in motion. That night we’ll be bringing you plenty of video to download, so be on the lookout for that. On Wednesday, when the E3 show floor opens, we’ll finally get our greedy mitts on the games and have a complete report. Until then, you’ll just have to wait for the next generation to begin. To see everything in motion, Ourcolony.net has finally revealed its ultimate prize - a video. Check it out by clicking here. -Billy Berghammer Contact Us | Staff Bios | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy Customer Service | Corporate Information Copyright 1991 - 2005 :: Game Informer Magazine

The fact that Bowen put out a Miracleman statue(Which I own by the way and it kicks ass) could mean that Gaiman won the lawsuit. Macfarland has a to big of a ego and won't go to somebodyelse to make a statue. Oh, and cowboy one thing you got wrong. Marvel was the one who claim the name infringeed on the companys name. I mean his name is MARVELMAN and the companys name is MARVEL. DC was sueing over captain marvel a.ka. shazam because it infringed on Superman.Your slipping cowboy you should know better.

I beat the game with the suit and without it in one sitting. The end was hell.

Beat final fantasy IV,VI,VII without losing a battle. Had to max out everyone to do it. beat metriod and super metriod in one sitting without losing a live.

Miller made us want to read daredevil,but bendis made us care about Matt murdock.

believe it or not, x-box is slow in getting their kit out. While sony and nintendo already gave some companys thier kits. On top of that, most game companys are saying that ms are still trying to figure out what to put in the new x-box. If they get thier act together before sony and nintendo release their system. MS going to need a stong start if they what to make it. Lets face the only reason thier still around is because of halo and online games.

Killed Elektra? He brought her back after like 15 to 20 issues. He droped bullseyes, breaks his spin, got better few issues later. The hand? A kid with a stick can beat those guys. Hell aunt may can take those guy on.

What dd beating the snot of bullseye or screaming to everyone he's tne new kingpin or being outed not good for enough you.

Games? What games? all I see are shiney graphics and nothing else. I only had my shit box for about 4 months before I got broad with just playing halo. I want gameplay not something pretty to look at.

I've been out the loop for a while so I'm still playing catch up, but I'll give it a try. 1.Nadesico, funny ass shit. 2.Samurai champloo, from the cowboy bebop guys 3.Gundam, watch all of gundam, but fuck gundam wing. 4.Mazenkaiser, you know when the villains name is Dr.Hell you can't go wrong 5.Kenshin, so good I don't care if you seen it already it makes the list 6.Cowboy bebop, see above 7.Any thing from Miyazaki 8.Cutie honey, for your inner pervert(*Ahem*Nick). 9.please twin, not hentai but funny 10.Ranma1/2, old as hell but still the best 11.Love hina, not hentai but funny ( I think I'm repeting myself) 12.Urusei Yatsura, before ranma yet funnier You know what I have seen about 23 years worth of anime I don't have a month to write everything I've seen. Watch all of above and trust me on this. Ask nick about me. I got him hooked on so many books or anime I have yet to dissapoint him.

Will they get right? Those dumbasses only think about making the game looking pretty. They don't give a rats ass about game play. I mean think about it. X-box only has what 4 games worth playing at all. Even then those games are made for muti-players or online gameing and are no fun playing on your own. Sony and Nintendo are going to have a field day with bill. So piss on the X-box.

No shit, I love nintendo, but they need to start of right. The 64 was fun, but not making the system play from cds killed what could have it made a killer system. The gamecube I love, but the few killer games it has are few and far an between. Do I have to wait almost a year between games worth buying. I mean Metroid prim 2 came out last novmeber, and zelda comes out in september. Nintendo needs to start out strong this time or they don't have much of a future. The specs make the system sound great, but that could change by the time the system hits stores later this year. They also said that online gameing is not a big deal to them. I say we wait to hear more before start to hype it up.

I rememeber it took me about a year to get Nick to read Daredevil. Now he's hooked. He's an easy whore. Anyway, Frank millers run showed us that daredevil should be grim and gritty, But bendis and alex came out of nowhere and showed us how the book should look and read. Millers run was great, but bendis kicked his ass. "One hates to admit the mistakes caused by one's own youth" Char Aznable

A.D.V said their anime would be uncut, but it would be dub to bring more people in. If you don't like dub your shit out of luck.

If you want to see some fast ass subs check out excel saga. Damn those sub fly when excel goes into overdrive. Now where's that pause button damn it.

No, I won't smell your finger, and where is that smell coming from?

Solid Snake would beat Solid Snake lite (Sam) to bloody plup. Nuff said!! For some reason Spiffy dosen't agree, but right he's playing Metal gear lite ( Splinter Cell).

It beats being with the three stooges out in texas, and try being stuck in a car with Tim and Chihiro for 24 hours. I went nuts since we left. My right eye hasn't stopped twiching, and Nick is still crazy as a loon.

You forgot to mention Jeph Loeb. He and Jim Lee will make this book great, and that batman toy doesn't look right.

Thats right Yahve. It is mazinger ^-^ How did you know that one?

That's right it is Astor boy. ^-^

It how I feel. I like Star Wars, but the last three movies were duds. The magic from the first two were gone. The gundam trilogy still kicks ass. I mean what cooler. Two metal monsters beating the crap out each other, or some teddy bear screming yub yub while beating a huge ass army with a stick.