Xbox 360 will outperform PS3 in software for years - Mattrick
>> From eurogamer.net:
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When we asked to clarify if he [Microsoft's Don Mattrick] meant Xbox 360's next three or four years of software will outperform PS3's, and that PS3 will be unable to make up the ground, he replied: "That's what I said."
Mattrick famously hung the Microsoft's E3 press conference on the claim that Xbox 360 will defeat PS3 worldwide in this generation of consoles and told Eurogamer that he came out and said it because he was fed up of being asked about it.
"I did the math, I did the math a different way, I did the math...there was no equation that I came to where I got a different answer, and I went, 'You know what? This is getting boring,'" he said. "Like, instead of everyone standing on the sidelines trying to hedge, I'm just going to say it."
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Full Story: eurogamer.net
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Xbox Live's Worst Demos
>> From oxm.co.uk:
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When a demo is done properly, it can create a lot of buzz around an unheralded title. The early days saw Fight Night Round 3 stun 360 owners with its sharp visuals and crunching slow-mo knockout replays.
Later down the line Civilization Revolution, Lost Planet, Bioshock and Burnout Paradise all had stellar demos that did a great job of selling the game in question.
Sometimes it's too easy for developers to fall into a "here's the boss, now the demo ends" trap. Unfortunately, some developers tend to fall even further. Here are the five most disappointing demos, all notable for the fact that they've turned people off the game rather than onto it. They might be free but sometimes, you get what you pay for...
5. Battlefield 2: Modern Combat
4. Sonic The Hedgehog
3. Turning Point: Fall of Liberty
2. Too Human
1. Hour Of Victory
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Full Story: oxm.co.uk
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Microsoft: Rivals have been slacking off
>> From mcvuk.com:
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Don Mattrick has told MCV he is confident that Microsoft 'won' E3 this year - and has even accused Sony and Nintendo of slacking off over the past year.
In assessing his rivals' E3 conferences, he said: "I think we got more than 12 months' work done, and others went on an extended vacation. Hopefully they got some good vacation photos, because they sure weren't showing up at work."
"Of course I'm going to be biased, but so far what I've heard is that Sony and Nintendo have disappointed. And Microsoft has been leading, innovating and driving a very comprehensive global programme."
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Full Story: mcvuk.com
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TVersity v1.0.0.3 RC2
>> A new release candidate of TVersity Media Server(info) 1.0 has been released.
What's new/fixed:
* New Features
o Album art support is now available and is compatible with the Sony PS3 as well as with the HTML interface (PSP, iPhone, Blackberry, etc.) and flash interface (Wii). Album art relies on JPEG files conforming to certain naming conventions that are present in the same folder as music tracks. These files can be created by either Windows Media Player or WinAmp and TVersity will pick them up, or users can add them manually.
o Individual YouTube videos can now be added by pointing the browser to a specific video on YouTube and dragging and dropping the address bar icon to TVersity (or copying and pasting the URL).
* Bug Fixes
o MShare now refreshes as fast as it was in 0.9.11.4.
o No files are periodically added to the Temporary Internet Files folder while the GUI is running (browser caching was turned off).
o Fix crashes when adding/refreshing some FLAC and some MP3 files.
o Flash interface is now more reliable when switching from one live stream to another and then going back to first one.
o TVersity service was failing to start on machines that had a non ASCII character in their hostname.
Official Site: http://tversity.com
Download: here
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MS: We Keep Selling The HDD-Free 360 Because 'Consumers Like Choice'
>> From multiplayerblog.mtv.com:
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Don Mattrick, head of Xbox at Microsoft: "What we've learned is that consumers like choice. So we're providing a choice in flexibility to consumers. There's different entry points. There's different types of experiences people want to use. That program is working for us. Retailers like it. Consumers like it. So that's why we have it."
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Full Story: multiplayerblog.mtv.com
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How long can Microsoft keep charging for Xbox Live?
>> From guardian.co.uk:
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I'm a big fan of Xbox Live. Friend lists, achievements, ease of use - Live still towers above the Playstation and Wii online services. But then it should. Live costs around 40 quid [GBP] a year, Sony and Nintendo's offerings are free. Sure the service is good but how long can Microsoft get away with charging? The news that Games for Windows Live - essentially a PC version of Xbox Live - will now be available for free makes it increasingly difficult for Microsoft to justify charging a subscription to Xbox Live.
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Full Story: guardian.co.uk
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ex-XNA member Weller about Xbox LIVE Community Games
>> From David "LetsKillDave" Weller's Blog:
[QUOTE]
People are buzzing about today's announcement that developers can start making money soon off their Xbox LIVE Community Games built using XNA Game Studio. Being an ex-XNA member, I can still say, without a shadow of doubt, that Microsoft is offering a groundbreaking game channel, and that some people stand a chance to make great money from the system. It's an exciting opportunity, but the danger for consumers lies in Microsoft's deliberate steps to avoid discussions regarding game quality, even during peer review. I firmly believe that avoiding commentary/ratings on game quality will result in frustrated consumers, who will have no way to discern the quality of a game among (ultimately) thousands. Of course, the game creator has the option of offering a trial game, but it will be interesting to see how many developers take advantage of that path, (as it is not required) [Edit: Peter Hatch points to a Wired article where Chris Satnchell states that a timed trial will be enabled by default, but my concern about te lck of quality indicators still stands]. I doubt consumers will get a refund for buying a sucky game either.
Before anybody thinks I'm bashing the XNA team, please keep in mind that this is the same approach taken for Xbox LIVE Arcade games -- you're on your own to find genuine game reviews and ratings. The difference is that XBLA games have a higher standard for quality and consistency regarding the gaming experience. XBLA games have a large number of technical conformances to adhere to, which are tested by the XBLA team prior to its approval for release -- the Community Games has no such thing during the peer review (remembe, peer review is a check on the content, not on technical quality or gameplay quality). I think the upcoming plethora of games on the Commuity Games pipeline will only create more consumer confusion without them having a reliable guide
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GameFest: Inside Avatars For The Xbox 360
>> From gamasutra.com:
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Talking at Microsoft's GameFest event in Seattle, the company's Cameron Egbert and Dan Kroymann have been discussing the creation of avatars for the Xbox 360, revealing lots of new details on the practicality of developers implementing avatars within their games.
"It [Avatars] gives them an online presence they did not have before without Xbox Live. It is ubiquitous across the system. Also, you can use them in your games as a replacement for your characters, or in your UI, or whatnot."
Egbert further explained: "You build them from a predefined set of geometry and textures and customize them as you want... to suit your tastes."
How about edgy avatars? Egbert explained: "This is a product for everyone, so nothing in here will violate an E10 rating - no weapons, no compromising situations."
Finally, Egbert and colleague Kroymann took questions from the audience, with Egbert answering a query about whether there would be branded clothes or hats in the game with: "That's not anything that's being handled in the first iteration."
How about avatars rolling out across Games For Windows or MSN? Egbert said there's "...nothing to announce right now - this is the first stage, doing it on Xbox".
Can you use avatars in Xbox Live Community-developed games? Dan Kroymann noted: "not yet", but that the Community Team had been talking to them.
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Full Story: gamasutra.com
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User-developed games to be sold on Xbox Live for between 2.50 to 10 USD
>> From betanews.com:
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Before they can be sold, however, all games must first pass a peer-review exam to ensure they are of suitable quality. Once approved, creators can set the price of their game between 200 and 800 Microsoft Points, or $2.50 and $10 USD, of which Microsoft takes 30 percent. [50 MB games for 200 Microsoft Points, larger 150 MB games for either 400 or 800 Microsoft Points]
While a game developer will only earn $1.75 from a $2.50 download, the potential sales figures are quite large. Last year, the Ace Combat 6 demo, for example, was downloaded half a million times; comparable downloads at even the lowest price would net the developer $875,000.
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Full Story: betanews.com
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Analysts: 360 Price Cut Should Take It Ahead Of PS3 In July
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
For hardware, we do expect the Xbox 360 to outsell the Playstation 3 in July; obviously, this can be attributed to the recent Xbox 360 price cut.
In the past, analysts have typically expected sales lifts in the 20-30% range after a hardware price cut; however, we should expect a different trend, as we will likely see more sales front-loaded into July and August as consumers rush to purchase the $299 version before supplies run dry.
While Microsoft and Sony continue to compete in the "who has the biggest hard-drive" contest, we expect Nintendo to continue to win the real contest - selling the most systems.
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Full Story: gamasutra.com
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