This X-Box Thing Then

[old.Davehart]

I have to say that I was and am a little dubious over the x-box but I guess we will have to wait and see when it comes out. My hope is that it can play PC Games + internet connection without having to cut down the original game, like DC did with Q3a for example. Then it may offer a way for people with non gaming PC's to play the latest titles at little more than 9fps.

Whats the vibe on it then?

 

[xenon2000]

I want one

PS. Why did Dreamcast have to cut down on q3a?

 

[Testin da Cable]

think i'm gonna wait and see.
ie. wait till some m8 buys it then go and see if it lives up to the hype. i don't really like consoles you see. closed systems ugh, games are too expencive and can't be patched without buying an update cd [bet the marketeers love that]

/me gets flameproof suit on

 

[Embattle]

Not really interested in it due to it being like a miniture PC and also being a MS product I'm sure they'll do something that really annoys people.

 

[stu]

There's a story in the FT today about the unveiling of XBox at the ICES.

They've got more than 1000 project staff, and a post-launch marketing budget of $500m.

Spec-wise, it's going to have a 733, 64MB, and an 8GB hard disk. Before everyone starts clamouring about how that is "shit" compared to a PC, remember that the XBox will be custom designed, with chips created to do only one thing. The graphics processor is 3x the speed of the PS2 engine. It'll have a built in broadband.

More than 200 software companies have signed up to develop games for XBox.

If that lot doesn't make you ph34r and respect X-Box, maybe this will:

"Mr Gates announced the specifications for the sleek black machine during... the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which included a contribution from the World Wrestling Federation star, The Rock"

If you smeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellll...

 

[Testin da Cable]

i still think it's a mini pc [not scaled down, just small]
and, as Embattle already brought up M$ building something dubious into it, I shall refrain from doing so

 

[Wij]

Consoles are so cheap compared to PCs that I dont have a problem buying them all really. It's nice to have a new toy once or twice a year

"It's the games that matter !"

 

[*Kornholio*]

everybody chant altogether : The rock sucks cock !!! WWF is a load of tossers badly coreographed (spelling ??)

 

[*Kornholio*]

Back to the topic though... I think the X-Box is gonna rule the world of the consoles

 

[Testin da Cable]

depends what the games are gonna cost m8

 

[*Kornholio*]

Well, if microsoft price themselves out of the market with the games, it serves 'em right... but i don't think they will... games should be about the same as ps2 / pc prices.

 

[old.Davehart]

does sound like a mini PC really.

I hope Nintendo do good with the gamecube as they are the console masters

 

[stu]

Er? Nintendo the console masters? N64??

 

[bodhi]

N64 was hampered by 3 things

1) The controller. Who the fuck designed that then? And did they try using it afterwards?

2) Cartridges - "Yay we get instant loading times meaning we can play our games faster than johnny playstation". Yes. But the games are also half the length of Johnny Playstations, due to the cart being able to hold a whopping 8 megabytes.

3) It didnt have Tekken.


As for X-box, well its an unknown quantity as far as Im concerned. The hardware specs are impressive (even tho it has an nVIDIA GPU....the games will run fast but will suffer from geffer's wank visual quality no doubt), and there are a lot of people developing for it, but it seems to me to be appealing more to the PC user than the console user. Which to me presents a problem for MS. PC users will be unwilling to play games on a console (kids toys etc), and console users will be wary of X-Box due to MS's largely unproven history in gaming. Add in the fact that its not due here until spring 2002, and it doesnt scream "sure fire hit" at me. But then I have been a Playstation fan since the day it came out (just preordered my PS2 - had to wait for student loan and exams before getting it), so am probably a bit biased. I hope Xbox does well, but I am dubious.

 

[stu]

I have to say I think you're wrong

N64's biggest problem was a complete lack of promotion, marketing, development, and most of all software. You could count the number of N64 titles on Captain Hook's bad hand. It was released late, was underpowered, was badly marketed (Nintendo still went for the "consoles are played by kids" angle, whereas Sony woke up to the massive untapped market), and suffered badly as a result.

As for X-Box... Microsoft is not on trial. The software will make the machine. They've signed up 200 software developers, including both the forerunners of PC games development (eg EA), and the forerunners of console games development (eg Capcom, Namco). Every single comment I've heard from developers so far has been very positive about the X Box environment, as it has been constructed to be very developer friendly. Companies are crying out to develop for this platform. The specs? Well we all know you have a hard-on for ATI at the moment, so we won't comment on that .

I don't believe PC users will be adverse to using a console. After all, you say you're a PSX fan, as are many many PC owners that I know (in fact, the vast majority of PC owners have one of the 'new generation' consoles). Sony broke the "kids toys" mould, and if anyone will continue that it will be MS (with their more adult, professional/serious perspective).

BTW: PS2 0wns hard

 

[nothing]

Microsoft should be publicly executed for this piece of hardware. It nicked Halo!

 

[Guest]

Hello, are you lot not meant to be PC fanboys? Xbox = bad for Pc gaming, thus hate it, ok?

 

[*Kornholio*]

ok... down with X-Box !!!! Viva la PC !!!!

 

[Testin da Cable]

oh we're going that way are we?

the only game that plays better on a console than on a pc is a 'beat em up'. Why? I have no idea. It's one of natures laws or something.
Imho the pc 0wns the console in all ways.

-tdc

/me gets out my trusty flameproof suit

 

[old.venturer01]

like the only thing the x-box has is portability over the pc - and you can play games in the living room with the rest of the family, like NOT. we all know the ge-force 1 ddr was king for how long, the p3-450 was fast for about 2 weeks, q3 was hacked (aim bot) in how long and patched/patched/patched, so the pc is king and will be for a very long time, or not as everything is moving so fast. full stop for Q . but until everything levels out ie. cpu,ram,hd,graphics card /speeds and no advantage can be gain without spending mega bucks any box will be outdated in 6 months. you can also watch pron on a pc, is what it comes down to.

 

[Embattle]

The N64 controller took time to get used to but it was very good once you did.

You'll also find that Nintendo pissed off there SNES customer base by canning the CDROM add on drive for the SNES.

The N64 was an amazing machine with some truely ground breaking games but the games were expensive and even now new games, the few that come out, are about £50 which is the problem with using memory carts.

Microsoft main problem will be all the bad press they've had recently, they also are new to the console game.

I also believe that by the time the xbox comes out it'll need a processor with a little more kick, maybe a 1ghz unit would be a lot better than the 733Mhz cureently planned.

 

[old.venturer01]

be the sheepdog not the sheep - pc's are the way to go

 

[Perplex]

X-Box all the way. I know people that are developing on it. I'll be getting to play on an X-Box in about a week. (ok ok, so what if it's a devkit, it's still an X-Box)

PS2 may be good, but the X-Box will absoloutly crush it.

 

[old.Davehart]

Nintendo has Mario and back in the days of SNES v MEGADRIVE both consoles had their cult fiqures, Mario and Sonic. If Nintendo can keep pouring out the great Mario games and get other developers in to get other great games on the console I think that would be good.

I dont understand why they sya they dont want internet play as that cuts their customer base I feal.

 

[old.Quorthon]

I think the X-Box will be the most successful console the world has seen. The average family around the world has been crying out for ages for a stable platform to play games, send a bit of email, do a bit of surfing etc without having to fork out £1000+ for a PC that takes a fair amount of knowledge to maintain when things go wrong. Unlike you Embattle, I think that Microsofts reputation will actually be a serious plus for the Xbox, and their marketing might is unquestionable.

I do agree however that the specs, even taking into account the fact that it is a more dedicated box than the average pc, seem a little skimpy compared to whats around now, with 1ghz tbirds going for peanuts. Roll this forward 12 months and they will seem very puny indeed. As a result, despite claims to the contrary, this will not be the console that finally makes the hardcore pc enthusiast ditch his machine.

People are too used to tweaking and tinkering, and wont want to sacrifice this, nor feel they are losign control of their machines.

Q

 

[Wij]

DH: If they don't give it Internet Access then ppl will still want a PC. More bucks for M$.

TDC: Only beat-em-ups better on console ? I can't imagine Parappa the Rapper lighting up my PC

 

[Guest]

Originally posted by venturer01
like the only thing the x-box has is portability over the pc - and you can play games in the living room with the rest of the family, like NOT. we all know the ge-force 1 ddr was king for how long, the p3-450 was fast for about 2 weeks, q3 was hacked (aim bot) in how long and patched/patched/patched, so the pc is king and will be for a very long time, or not as everything is moving so fast. full stop for Q . but until everything levels out ie. cpu,ram,hd,graphics card /speeds and no advantage can be gain without spending mega bucks any box will be outdated in 6 months. you can also watch pron on a pc, is what it comes down to.

Hello, lack of think-me-do!

Why do things 'move so fast' in the world of Pc Games? Because when new stuff is required, instead of trying to find a way to fit into the system already present, the minimum specs are bumped up, it took about 3 years for the first Playstation games to appear that REALLY took full advantage of what the console could do.

 

[Testin da Cable]

I think Quorthon said it quite nicely in his post there, but Scooba has a valid point too. Remember, when you're programming for a fixed platform, you will know exactly what that platform can do and will be able to optimize your code for it. That doesn't happen all in a second tho. If you look at the PS1, it was out there for some time before the really spectacular effects started to creep in.

-tdc

 

[*Kornholio*]

Personally I can't imaging Parrappa the Slappa lighting up anything of mine ;-)

 

[*Kornholio*]

Originally posted by testin_da_cable
before the really spectacular effects started to creep in.

-tdc

I must have missed something on my ps1... spectacular effects ?? I still believe my pc has much better graphics and games than any console... down with consoles !!!!!