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Week of June 10, 2007
Interview with Todd Holmdahl, about Xbox 360 failures
>> Mercurynews.com posted an interview with Todd Holmdahl, Microsoft's corporate vice president of Gaming and Xbox Products Group. Dean Takahashi tried everything to make Holmdahl say something meaningful, but clearly Microsoft doesn't want to talk about the Xbox360 failure issues. Here's an excerpt:
[QUOTE]
Q: What is the post-mortem on Xbox 360 manufacturing? How has it turned out for you?
A: Like any other post mortem, there are some things you would have done differently that you learned and that you incorporate back into your processes. Overall, it was really smoothe compared to the complexity of the product we were building.
Q: I'm sure you've seen some of these complaints that we've written about from the guy who went through seven machines. There are a lot of people posting on the blog saying they still have problems. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that the quality of the Xbox 360 isn't there. How can you paint the bigger picture for me there?
A: We're very proud of the box. We think the vast majority of people are having just a great experience. You look at the number of games they are buying, the number of accessories they are buying, the Live attach. They love the box. They continue to buy the box. That said, we take any customer issue very seriously. We continue to look into these things very deeply. You have seen we have made some changes to our customer service policy.
Q: Do you still say that is a normal return rate for the console?
A: We continue to say the vast majority of the people are really happy with it.
Q: If you have a high defect rate, won't that ruin the business model? Won't that ruin the profit?
A: I would say we don't have a high defect rate. The vast majority of people are really excited about their product, and that we are targeting profitability for next year.
Q: You guys did get rid of Wistron. Was that related to product quality?
A: We didn't get rid of Wistron. It was a voluntary decision between the two of us. We try to run as efficient as possible. With our supply base the way it is now, two high quality contract manufacturers satisfy our needs.
Q: I remember one of the warranty coverage changes was to offer a different kind of warranty for any of the machines made in 2005. Or any of the machines bought in 2005. It sounds like you learned something between 2005 and 2006.
A: Out of warranty repairs were for early production batches coming out of the lots in 2005. We addressed that as part of that policy or that issue.
Q: That wasn't due to a specific thing. Was it due to the graphics memory?
A: There were no systematic issues that we responded to when we first offered that warranty.
Q: Was there any issue here where I didn't ask it the right way but you could say something.
A: The overriding thing, Dean, is that people have the product, they love the product, it continues to sell well. The stuff we talked about with Live has been very successful. The game attach has been very successful. The accessory attach. We are absolutely committed to delivering a high quality experience. When people do have issues, the leadership team works to make sure that those issues are dealt with as pain free as possible. We go out of our way to try to ensure that happens.
Q: At this moment, I consider this to be your critical issue for this whole generation. What can you say about that.
A: My job is to make sure the customer is happy. This is certainly part of making sure the customer is happy. We have other things. You saw the release of the spring update. I certainly view customer happiness as one of my No. 1 responsibilities.
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Full Interview: mercurynews.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Team Xtender: XCM 360 Hot Rock case and XCM 1080P VGA Box
>> From Team Xtender:
[QUOTE]
* XCM 360 Hot Rock case
The Xbox 360 HOT ROCK CASE is a new innovation in case modding technology.
With a built in Digital LED thermometer, the HOT ROCK CASE is able to alert the user by changing the LED color when the Xbox 360 console reaches certain temperatures.
Color changes takes place in 5 degree increments.
For example, if your Xbox 360 console's temperature reaches over 55 degree Celsius, the LED will display "RED" and flashing. This will alert the user to turn off the console and check for problems.
The XCM 360 Hot Rock case with Digital LED thermometer will be released soon.
* XCM 1080P VGA box
Functions:
- Compatible with 4 consoles.(Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox)
- Works on both PAL & NTSC system.
- Double scan conversion (31.5KHz for NTSC, 31.25KHz for PAL,67.5KHz for 1080p).
- Output resolution ; up to 1080p
- Plug and play installation.
- Connect compatible YPbPr device to your VGA monitor
- Integrated YPbPr to RGBHV converter
- Supports 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p
- Applications: TFT LCD monitor, CRT monitor, Set-top box, Display projector
- Works on LCD TFT monitors
- Video output: VGA
- Automatic video source mode detection (film/graphic)
- Motion-adaptive interfiled de-interlacing
- Use the power from USB port , no extra power supply needed
- Come with 3pcs of XCM cables, 1. PS3 shielded component cable, 2. XBox360/Xbox shielded component cable and 3. Wii component cable.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: www.teamxtender.com
Pre-Order XCM 1080P VGA box: divineo.cn ($65)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
The Value of Xbox Collectibles
>> From xboxusersgroup.com:
[QUOTE]
Over the last half a decade I have been hording Xbox collectibles. All sorts of fun stuff, I have lanyards, faceplates, clothing, toys, cereal boxes, magazines and loads of games and swag. People sometimes criticize me and call me a junk collector or pack rat. But I really feel there is value in my collection. Each item individually may not have a lot of value but in the future as a set it could be worth a pretty penny.
I try to look at today's current trends. Look at the online auction value for some retro swag and games. It is amazing how much collectors will pay to get their hands on a piece of nostalgia. I've seen Mario underwear sell for 100$. This is why it is important you start collecting now while the memorabilia has no real collectors value. You have to forecast into the future. Remember that 20 years from now the kids who grew up with Xbox as their first system will see this stuff as must have nostalgia.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: xboxusersgroup.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
VRX Makes The Ultimate Xbox 360 Driving Setup
>> From gizmodo.com:
[QUOTE]
VRX cuts all of that do-it-yourselfness out of the equation with their VRX Triple Screen Limited Edition 001. Here's what you get.
Four Xbox 360 Elites, four copies of Forza Motorsport 2 (you need a copy in each in order to enable multi-monitor support), an Xbox 360 HD DVD drive, Xbox 360 camera, Xbox 360 wireless headset, a Zune, the Xbox 360 Steering Wheel, three 37-inch Sharp Aquos 1080p LCDs, a 7-inch rear-view LCD, Bose Acousimass 10-series surround sound, Harmon Kardon surround sound receiver, vibration feedback systems, aluminum mountin bracks and various other racing seat/setup gear to make the system a standalone beast.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: www.vrx.ca
News-Source: gizmodo.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Call of Duty 4 Developer Rejects Live Anywhere
>> From joystiq.com:
[QUOTE]
The Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare developer put it bluntly: "We said no [to Live Anywhere] and they [Microsoft] didn't call back." Clarifying, Collier said "[it's cool] if you're playing online poker, but who wants to be playing an RTS on a console and have some guy on a PC clicking and dragging all his troops, attacking your base while you're sitting there with your thumb sticks." The keyboard/mouse vs. gamepad argument is a long-standing battle, and clearly Collier feels that they cannot be equals for fast-paced strategy or first-person shooter titles.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: joystiq.com | xbox360.ign.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Gamasutra NPD May Numbers Analysis
>> Gamasutra posted an analysis of the May NPD numbers:
[QUOTE]
Monthly Xbox 360 sales have dropped each successive month since the Holiday 2006 season, with May sales of Microsoft's system at only 53% of their January 2007 level.
The Xbox 360 Elite, a $480 higher-end version of the system with a larger hard drive, appears not to have driven sales significantly during April or May. Microsoft continues to maintain that it is pleased with sales of its system, but the fact is that the Xbox 360 has been on the market for 19 months and by this time last generation each system (PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube) had dropped its price.
If Xbox 360 sales continue to flag when the June numbers are in, Microsoft may have to take action and reduce prices to bolster sales, even if it hasn't yet made the switch to the 65nm process it intends to use in an upcoming hardware revision.
Finally, a happy note for the Xbox 360 and its new game Forza Motorsport 2. Back in 2005 when the original Forza launched, it was on sale for almost the entire month of May and managed to sell a respectable 185,000 copies.
For the sequel, however, its sales began at the end of May -- the 29th -- and still managed to make the top 10 software list with 217,000 copies. Microsoft has to be pleased with that result.
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Full Story: gamasutra.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
360GameSaves Announces GameSave Resigner - Bypass Revocation List
>> We received this news from Team 360GS:
[QUOTE]
The GameSave Resigner is currently a webscript that will allow our users to insert their own unique ID's into the save file so that save isn't reported as corrupted to the console. The resigner is based off of one console's own unique keys used in the resigning process. Each console has it's own keypair that it uses.
Microsoft implemented in the Spring Dashboard Update a Console Revocation List that it updates regularly. The contents of the list were that of every user who uploaded a gamesave to 360GameSaves.com in the past. Such update renders gamesaves to report as corrupted which were signed by those particular consoles. Therefore, if you are on the list, your saves will continue to work only on your console. You cannot move them to another or even move your own profile file to another console if you wish to do so.
With this Revocation List implemented, Microsoft can and will most likely blacklist the console/keypair used for the Resigner.
Therefore, it will be only available for a small window of time to users wishing to stay connected to XBOX Live. However, it does allow for one to take a console offline and use the resigner as much as they desire. The script will hopefully get updated with every Dashboard Update with a new keypair so that a user may upgrade their system software and still retain resigning ability.
[/QUOTE]
Note that the GameSave Resigner is NOT online atm as 360GameSaves is being moved to a new server to handle the processing power needed to handle the online resigner. The current ETA is 'within 1 week', but we'll let you know here once it's online of course!
Official Site: www.360gamesaves.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
(USA) NPD May Numbers: Xbox360 155k, PS3 82k, Wii 338k
>> From biz.gamedaily.com:
[QUOTE]
The Wii sold 338K units in May, while the 360 sold a disappointing 155K. The PS3 meanwhile dropped from 82K last month to just 81K sold (81,604 units to be exact, according to SCEA). At least the PSP sold a healthy 221,120 units, according to SCEA. We also found out (via Sony ironically) that the GBA sold 80,554 units and the GameCube sold 10,728 units.
The PS2 sold 187,765 units.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: biz.gamedaily.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
MS Replies to New GPU Heatsink Story
>> Gamedaily.com has a reply from Microsoft about the new heatsink found inside the Xbox 360 GPU:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft was deliberately vague in its response to GameDaily BIZ. The company did not deny the inclusion of new heat sinks, but it wasn't exactly confirmed either.
A Microsoft spokesperson provided us with the following statement: "Regularly updating console components is commonplace within the industry and is a standard aspect of the business for a variety of reasons including cost reduction, improved manufacturability and improved performance. We do not provide details on these updates."
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: gamedaily.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
'Wii is as powerful as original Xbox' says FIFA producer
>> From gamesindustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
FIFA producer Tim Tschirner has said that he believes the Nintendo Wii matches up to the first Xbox in terms of power.
"It's about as powerful as the original Xbox," he said. "The video hardware unfortunately is not as powerful. There's just a couple of key things that you can do on Xbox like shaders which you just cannot do on the Wii... Overall though it's pretty much what the original Xbox was."
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: gamesindustry.biz
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox 360 vs PlayStation 3 GFX comparison Round2
>> From gamespot.com:
[QUOTE]
It's been more than six months since we published our first Xbox 360 versus PlayStation 3 graphics comparison feature. Games on both systems looked great, but the Xbox 360 games had more polish. We found that the Xbox 360 edged out the PlayStation 3 with higher-resolution textures and better lighting. The result of the first comparison wasn't surprising--the Xbox 360 had been available for a year and developers were already cranking out second-generation games, while the PlayStation 3 had just arrived in retail with its first-generation games. We decided to check on a few games released in recent months to see if the PlayStation 3 has caught up to or overtaken the Xbox 360.
Our quick seven-game tour has shown that the PlayStation 3's game graphics are getting closer to the Xbox 360's. The Xbox 360 had an edge in texture quality and antialiasing in many of the games, but we didn't see any nasty lighting deficiencies like the ones we found in Fight Night Round 3 in the original comparison feature. Additionally, in what may be a hint of things to come, Bethesda's Oblivion proved that there can be a PS3 game port with better textures than the Xbox 360 version. The PS3's graphics win in Oblivion gives us hope that game developers will be able to produce competitive graphics if given enough time to work with the hardware. We can't wait to see how the games compare this holiday season!
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: gamespot.com (with comparion images for 7games)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Nyko Goes Elite With New Intercooler EX And Charge Station 360
>> From the press release:
[QUOTE]
Nyko Technologies, a premier peripherals manufacturer, today announced that they have shipped new versions of the Intercooler EX and Charge Station specifically designed for the Xbox 360 Elite.
Nyko's Intercooler EX, the latest version of the company's incredibly popular cooling system for the Xbox 360, improves upon the original by adding a variety of new, user demanded features, including support for the wireless adapter. In addition to providing a superior cooling solution that improves air circulation away from the Xbox 360, the Intercooler EX also features a new locking mechanism that ensures an easy, secure installation. To match the Xbox 360 Elite's color scheme, the Intercooler EX comes in a black matte finish. A white version of the Intercooler EX is also available that matches the original Xbox 360 color scheme.
For gamers looking to provide their new Elite controllers with a renewable power source, Nyko's Charge Station 360 is also being released in a black color scheme. Included are two rechargeable NiMH battery packs, as well as a convenient dual-port charger that operates off any standard AC current, providing a faster charge then USB.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole press release here
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Halo 3 Beta Stats, New Halo 3 Branded Accessories
>> From the press release:
[QUOTE]
The countdown has begun for the biggest entertainment event of 2007 with the close of Bungie Studios' massively successful "Halo 3" multiplayer beta. A first for the acclaimed "Halo" franchise, the limited public beta was an overwhelming success, seeing more than 820,000 unique participants and more than 12 million hours of online gameplay in its short test period, equivalent to more than 1,400 years of continuous play by one person.
Now that the beta has closed, consumers worldwide can gear up for the game's release with a variety of new merchandise, including two new Xbox 360 Limited Edition "Halo 3" Wireless Controllers designed by Spawn and McFarlane Toys creator Todd McFarlane, as well as an Xbox 360 Limited Edition "Halo 3" Wireless Headset, which lets gamers talk with friends over Xbox LIVE. The controllers and headset will be available starting in early September and can be preordered at select retailers today, allowing "Halo" fans everywhere to prepare for the launch of this year's biggest game.
The "Halo 3" beta, an early look at parts of the multiplayer gameplay of "Halo 3," debuted to Xbox 360 owners worldwide via Xbox LIVE on May 16. The more than 820,000 users who played the beta resulted in more than 350 terabytes of data downloaded from Xbox LIVE, equivalent to more than 82 million digital music downloads from the Internet.* Also telling was the players' response to an exciting new saved-film feature, which provided them with the unprecedented ability to record their games and share them over Xbox LIVE with friends for the first time on Xbox 360. The feature, which was unveiled in the beta, saw more than 580,000 saved films created by users, representing more than 2.7 terabytes of data. Because of the tremendous participation in the beta, Bungie now has an exhaustive amount of data that will be used to improve the overall game experience.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole press release here.
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
New Pictures of 2nd GPU HeatSink on Xbox 360 - Update: Video
>> =Ikari= sent us these pictures of his Xbox360 he just got back from repair (after RoD problem) ... another confirmation of the new 2nd heatsink/pipe technology we talked about yesterday that Microsoft installs to provide additional cooling for the Xenos GPU. For now it's unknown if Microsoft just installs this new dual-heatsink technology to repaired Xbox360s or also in new units.
Update: The guys at xbox360fanboy.com also found a video of this new heatsink:
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Square-Enix's Wada: 360 And PS3 'Over-Engineered'
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
A new interview with Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada has seen the influential executive emphasis the importance of the handheld market, particularly the Nintendo DS and describe the Xbox 360 and PS3 as "mismatched" to emerging new demographics.
Speaking in a new article by the Financial Times, Wada suggested that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were poorly suited to the current market and that handheld consoles would continue to dominate sales this year, as the demographics of consumers fundamentally alters following the success of the Nintendo DS and Wii.
Wada also accused the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 of being over-engineered, saying; ""There are too many specs - and you also need a high-definition TV, a broadband connection and a deep knowledge of gaming - these consoles are mismatched to today's environment. In a year or two years they will fare better."
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Full Story: gamasutra.com | ft.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
(Rumor) MS Adding 2nd GPU HeatSink for Better Cooling?
>> From logic-sunrise.com (translated from french to english):
[QUOTE]
Our contact close to Microsoft had the kindness to forward to us by email the new weapon of Microsoft to fight against the phenomenon of the Ring of Death (ROD). This weapon is quite simply a new hardware configuration for the 360. As you can see from the pictures below, you'll notice the arrival of a new cooling unit located just below the Hitachi 59 DVD-drive whom this console had.
[/QUOTE]
News-Source: logic-sunrise.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
MS G4C Encourage Global Problem Solving through Digital Gaming
>> From the press release:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft and Games for Change (G4C) announced today a joint commitment to explore new ways to bring together the world of digital gaming with the world of social change at the 4th annual Games for Change Festival at Parsons The New School for Design.
As part of this announcement, Microsoft outlined an all-new socially minded global gaming competition, "Xbox 360 Games for Change Challenge," to drive awareness for games based on social themes. This worldwide competition, set to launch in August in more than 100 countries, will challenge college students to come up with the best game based on the theme of global warming. Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of global marketing for Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business, made the announcement following an introduction from Bob Kerrey, president of The New School and former Nebraska senator.
Microsoft and Games for Change will award three cash prizes to the best team or individual entry. In addition to the prize money that can be applied to their education, the top three winners will have an opportunity to present their entries to the Xbox games management team at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington. The top three winning games will be considered for possible inclusion as a download in the popular Xbox LIVE Arcade service that reaches more than 6 million people worldwide. Finally, the first place team or individual will also win the opportunity to become an apprentice at Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business as part of its internship program.
The students will develop games based on global warming using Microsoft's XNA Game Studio Express software. Launched in December of 2006, XNA Game Studio Express has democratized game development by leveling the playing field for smaller game developers, non-professionals and academia who wish to be involved in driving innovation and creativity into the game design process.
The current generation of gamers is among the most socially conscious in history," said Suzanne Seggerman, co-founder and president of Games for Change. "We know from experience that young people are looking for ways to help make the world a better place, and who better to support this effort than an industry leader like Microsoft."
The Games for Change Festival is part intellectual symposium, part game emporium. Now in its fourth year, the Festival brings together academics, game creators, nonprofit representatives, business executives and activists to discuss the impact of games on our culture and evaluate the potential for a new genre of socially minded video games. Festival attendees will also have the opportunity to experience some of the best, new socially minded games in person at the 2007 Games for Change Expo an evening reception where festival-goers can play games, meet each other, and enjoy food and drink in a lively and informal atmosphere.
"Microsoft is very happy to work with Games for Change in taking video gaming to a whole new level by bringing in brand new concepts and people to the game-making process," said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of global marketing, Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business. "We are passionate about the potential games have in expanding horizons, creating networks and helping design real-world solutions."
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
MC360 XBMC Skin Version 1.05 Rev 804
>> From Team BlackBolt:
[QUOTE]
As promised, MC360 has been updated to the latest SVN Build including Jezz_X's added windows and a new busy dialog. This is the last numbered release, from now on MC360 builds and all our other skins will be released as SVN Revision numbers, to keep it more in sync with the Official XBMC Skins SVN. Make sure you remove your old MC360 before updating, the easiest way is to change to Project Mayhem 3 and then delete MC360 via FTP and then upload the latest build. As always, we recommend the latest T3CH builds of Xbox Media Center.
[/QUOTE]
Official Website: blackbolt.x-scene.com
Download: here
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
ZsnexBox v3.3
>> Nes6502 released a new version of ZsnexBox(info), a port of the Zsnes Super Nintendo emulator to Xbox1 on our forums.
What's new/fixed:
* Fixed crashes related to running out of RAM in HD modes. You should be able to use any skin in 720p or 1080i and have no crashes ever. If you are an HD user that has been waiting to upgrade, then now is the time.
* Several (too many to list) HD GUI fixes. If you are an HD user, you will be pleased at the new tweaks.
* Added 720p and 1080i versions of all the skins. If you are going to run in 720p or 1080i, don't try to configure everything yourself (it takes FAR too long). Change to a 720p or 1080i skin and this will setup the GUI for you. This method will only require minor tweaks for your TV.
* The HD setting is now applied from the skin ini file.
* Removed a lot of dead code.
* Removed the TV calibration option since I assume it's not really being used by anyone. This frees up more RAM.
* The database files are loaded/unloaded on the fly to free more RAM
* Fixed the virtual keyboard to display correctly in 720p and 1080i.
* Added larger font sizes for the game guide and GUI (the game guide was too small to read in 720p and 1080i. This is fixed)
* Loading game guides 1MB and up should work now in HD resolutions (but don't go too crazy with the file sizes).
Official Site: n/a, by Nes6502 on forums.xbox-scene.com
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
XboxMediaCenter (XBMC) 2007-06-11 SVN rev9273 build - T3CH
>> T3CH released a new SVN compile (rev9200) of XboxMediaCenter(info) for Xbox1.
This T3CH-compile is a complete snapshot of what is in SVN at the time the build was compiled, with just a few small additions.
Special Notes and Noteworthy/XML/Script changes:
* changed: APEv2 tags are only read in MP3 files if you specify <prioritiseapetags>true</prioritiseapetags> in the <musiclibrary> node of AdvancedSettings.xml
* If you ask me, don't bother upgrading to this new build unless you notice a problem has been fixed in changelog that affected you.
* I'm including the XBMC Win32 PC environment.exe that is meant for skinners & python developers, read more about the concept here. It was built using Microsoft DirectX Summer 2004 SDK.
* I've tweaked the win32 run_me_first.bat so it runs and then unmounts the virtual drives when you exit.
For the full changelog (all added/fixed/changed/updated stuff) since the 2007-06-04 SVN Rev9200 build click here.
Keep in mind this is a SVN snapshot of the current development tree. It's not an official (stable) point release. Use only if you know what you are doing.
Official XBMC Site: www.xboxmediacenter.com (manual and FAQ)
Official T3CH Site: http://t3ch.yi.se (release RSS feed)
Download Binaries: n/a (built with XDK) | Download SourceCode: here
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
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