Xbox 360 Getting More Games, More HD, and Netflix
Tim Stevens | Sunday, 27 July 2008
Microsoft kicked off this year's Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) -- the video game industry's biggest annual gathering -- with a pre-show conference recently, and made a number of announcements about extensions to the Xbox 360 gaming console. None were groundbreaking to say the least, but all-in-all, Microsoft looks to be making its console a much more appealing package -- and cheaper, too. Here are the highlights:
It'll be cheaper and have more memory - Actually, Microsoft didn't even mention this at its conference, but instead quietly announced on Sunday the discontinuation of the 20-gigabyte Xbox 360 model (which is being closeout-priced at $299) and the addition of a new 60-gigabyte model (which will cost $349). Besides holding more downloadable games, saved games, and TV shows and movies, the additional memory will be useful for.....
Game discs can now be 'ripped' and stored on the Xbox 360's hard drive - Now you can install your game discs onto the Xbox 360's hard disk drive. The advantages of these are somewhat crippled, to say the least, since you still need to get up and put the disc into the drive to play it (which verifies that you actually paid for and own a disc version of the game). Still, installed games will load load a lot faster than disc based ones and you won't have to put up with all that noise that DVD-ROMs make.
Now, there's even more HD content available for download on Xbox 360 - Microsoft is now calling itself the numero uno source for on-demand HD content, and announced the immediate download availability on Xbox 360 of NBC and Universal shows like 'The Office' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' along with films like 'The Scorpion King.' 10,000 shows and movies are set to be available for download this fall, but we're just psyched that, at last, we don't have to wait a whole season to watch brand new 'Battlestar Galactica' episodes in HD (previously only available on HD in reruns on Universal HD and on the now defunct HD-DVD format).
Instant Netflix comes to your Xbox 360 - We've been rather eagerly awaiting this one, and it's finally official -- Netflix streaming directly to the Xbox 360 is coming this fall. It'll be no additional charge for Netflix subscribers, which is great news. Essentially, it functions exactly like the recently released Roku Netflix box, which is standard definition only and is limited to whatever is in a Netflix subscriber's "Watch Now" queue. Still, that "Watch Now" queue has plenty of first-rate titles to keep any video nut happy.
The new Dashboard is nicer looking and easier to use - The Xbox 360's "blade" Dashboard (a.k.a. interface/onscreen menus) was innovative but, compared to Sony's clean and polished XMB menu system, looks a bit dated. Enter the new Dashboard, which is simpler, cleaner, and leaves room for the next big addition -- avatars.
Xbox 360's new 'Avatars' look an awful lot like Nintendo Miis - Yes, the 360 is taking a cue from the Wii and its Mii's, and adding avatars, in-game, animated representations of yourself that you can custom craft. Unlike a Mii, which is rather simplistic and has very limited options, the Xbox 360 avatars can have custom created bodies, with specific clothes, detailed hairstyles, and loads of other options (sort of like custom characters in many of today's games).. They'll apparently be making in-game appearances too.
'Final Fantasy XIII' is finally coming to the Xbox 360 - The latest edition of the biggest role-playing game franchise on earth is finally hitting Microsoft's console, and it will drop on the same day that it hits the PlayStation 3 in North America and Europe, which means Xbox 360 owners no longer have to feel like they're getting sloppy seconds.. That's quite a coup, and wraps up an understated but ultimately promising conference for Microsoft.
...........................................
http://www.switched.com
It'll be cheaper and have more memory - Actually, Microsoft didn't even mention this at its conference, but instead quietly announced on Sunday the discontinuation of the 20-gigabyte Xbox 360 model (which is being closeout-priced at $299) and the addition of a new 60-gigabyte model (which will cost $349). Besides holding more downloadable games, saved games, and TV shows and movies, the additional memory will be useful for.....
Game discs can now be 'ripped' and stored on the Xbox 360's hard drive - Now you can install your game discs onto the Xbox 360's hard disk drive. The advantages of these are somewhat crippled, to say the least, since you still need to get up and put the disc into the drive to play it (which verifies that you actually paid for and own a disc version of the game). Still, installed games will load load a lot faster than disc based ones and you won't have to put up with all that noise that DVD-ROMs make.
Now, there's even more HD content available for download on Xbox 360 - Microsoft is now calling itself the numero uno source for on-demand HD content, and announced the immediate download availability on Xbox 360 of NBC and Universal shows like 'The Office' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' along with films like 'The Scorpion King.' 10,000 shows and movies are set to be available for download this fall, but we're just psyched that, at last, we don't have to wait a whole season to watch brand new 'Battlestar Galactica' episodes in HD (previously only available on HD in reruns on Universal HD and on the now defunct HD-DVD format).
Instant Netflix comes to your Xbox 360 - We've been rather eagerly awaiting this one, and it's finally official -- Netflix streaming directly to the Xbox 360 is coming this fall. It'll be no additional charge for Netflix subscribers, which is great news. Essentially, it functions exactly like the recently released Roku Netflix box, which is standard definition only and is limited to whatever is in a Netflix subscriber's "Watch Now" queue. Still, that "Watch Now" queue has plenty of first-rate titles to keep any video nut happy.
The new Dashboard is nicer looking and easier to use - The Xbox 360's "blade" Dashboard (a.k.a. interface/onscreen menus) was innovative but, compared to Sony's clean and polished XMB menu system, looks a bit dated. Enter the new Dashboard, which is simpler, cleaner, and leaves room for the next big addition -- avatars.
Xbox 360's new 'Avatars' look an awful lot like Nintendo Miis - Yes, the 360 is taking a cue from the Wii and its Mii's, and adding avatars, in-game, animated representations of yourself that you can custom craft. Unlike a Mii, which is rather simplistic and has very limited options, the Xbox 360 avatars can have custom created bodies, with specific clothes, detailed hairstyles, and loads of other options (sort of like custom characters in many of today's games).. They'll apparently be making in-game appearances too.
'Final Fantasy XIII' is finally coming to the Xbox 360 - The latest edition of the biggest role-playing game franchise on earth is finally hitting Microsoft's console, and it will drop on the same day that it hits the PlayStation 3 in North America and Europe, which means Xbox 360 owners no longer have to feel like they're getting sloppy seconds.. That's quite a coup, and wraps up an understated but ultimately promising conference for Microsoft.
...........................................
http://www.switched.com