X-Box---the real story??

kaimera

As of last night, d'X-box has arrived in Eire with a bucketload of games.

No..I don't have one.
Yes, I'd go for the Box before a PS2 (I just really dislike the PS and the PS2)

The questions are, for those Boards members who may have one...

Is the X-Box really any good ??

Is Halo as good as it's hyped up to be ?? (I've seen the demo and OMFG!)

The broadband modem --- Really a broadband modem that gives good o/l playability ??

Any sort of replies from peeps who ACTUALLY have a Box would be appreciated as I'm considering purchasing one.

Shinji

Yes, I'd go for the Box before a PS2 (I just really dislike the PS and the PS2)

That's pretty foolish really.

Is the X-Box really any good ??

A console is only as good as the games you play on it. The PS2 was a rubbish console until just before Christmas, when it got a stack of good games; now it's a great console. The Xbox is certainly powerful, but that won't count for much if it doesn't get a huge level of developer support, and it's too early to tell if it's going to fly or flop. Power doesn't matter a damn - the Saturn could outperform the PSX on paper.

Right now it's a mediocre to poor console. The launch titles aren't that much cop - some fun stuff but not really worth paying a stack of cash for an Xbox to play. I wouldn't advise anyone to buy an Xbox right now - by the time it has REALLY good games on it, the price will probably have dropped a chunk, same as the PS2.

Is Halo as good as it's hyped up to be ??

No.

It's got some nice stuff in it, and the first half of the game is pretty good fun - but if you play PC FPS games, you'll not think much of it, and even if you don't.... It's *arguably* the best console FPS game ever made (I prefer Goldeneye personally) but is that really saying much?

One of the best descriptions I've seen is that Halo is from the VoodooExtreme school of game design. It's got lots of the best bits from all the FPS games of the past four years, but none of them really fit together all that well, and while individual parts of the game are good, the overall experience is unsatisfying and a bit frustrating. Definitely one to rent out rather than buy, because you'd be annoyed if you spent that much money on the game and it turned out that you hated it...

The broadband modem --- Really a broadband modem that gives good o/l playability ??

It's an Ethernet port - you hook it up to whatever your home broadband setup is. Obviously not relevant to Ireland as there's no broadband there yet outside of small parts of Dublin. And infact, not relevant to Europe because Microsoft hasn't got a network service anywhere in Europe yet.

Broadband Xbox is just as far away as Broadband PS2 is, if not further.

Pugsley

Originally posted by Kaimera
Is Halo as good as it's hyped up to be ?? (I've seen the demo and OMFG!)

Heres an idea,before you go out and pay $500 for your X-box,why not spend $60 on buying halo for the PC? It is out,but its amazing how many people dont know that,EB shuld have it, thats where i saw it.

Shinji

Pugsley, drop the dead donkey. Halo is not out on PC. Hell, it's not even certain that Halo will EVER come out on PC. And saying repeatedly that it IS out isn't going to make it any more true

Pugsley

Heres an idea shinji,you send me £35 (sterling) and i will send you back haloe for the PC,deal? agree to this and i will send you my address

(im not joking btw,i just wanna prove a point )

po0k

Originally posted by Shinji
Power doesn't matter a damn - the Saturn could outperform the PSX on paper.

As far as I recall, the Saturn was good at pushing sprites around the screen, but was pants at polygons and was rather hard to program for.
The PSX came bounding along after Ninty and Sony got into a tiff over who should have that last cream bun, and turned out to have a nice bit of 3D power and a decent C support. Sony also gave the developpers plenty of help and encouragemment.

I can see a few parrallels between the Saturn and PS2 with regards attitude of manufacturers.
It seems to have come out better for Sony though.
i'll be sticking with my Amiga emulator for a while eyt though

It's got some nice stuff in it, and the first half of the game is pretty good fun - but if you play PC FPS games, you'll not think much of it, and even if you don't.... It's *arguably* the best console FPS game ever made (I prefer Goldeneye personally) but is that really saying much?

No

One of the best descriptions I've seen is that Halo is from the VoodooExtreme school of game design. It's got lots of the best bits from all the FPS games of the past four years, but none of them really fit together all that well, and while individual parts of the game are good, the overall experience is unsatisfying and a bit frustrating. Definitely one to rent out rather than buy

It's an Ethernet port

Yeah, does anyone know if it's standard IEEE 803 10 or 10/100Mbit ethernet?
I'd presume it is, as most broadband stuff I've heard of use that to plug into other stuff.
Might that open the door to pluggin a few boxes together for a LAN?
Hopefully PC/Box cross-overs too. Much like the DC, except it would work.

po0k

Originally posted by Shinji
Pugsley, drop the dead donkey. Halo is not out on PC. Hell, it's not even certain that Halo will EVER come out on PC. And saying repeatedly that it IS out isn't going to make it any more true

only saw this now.
You *could* go to the hassle of ripping the BIOS from the X-Box, building a PC fairly similar ie: nForce board, bit of ram, GeForce3 card, DVD drive etc. and see if it'd work.
I doubt it but seeing as the XBox is really just a cut-down PC with pure DirectX API support an amature port mightent be that hard to pull off.
And I sincerely hope they release it soon on the PC. they'd be fools not to. That game alone isn't a 'killer app', not after the gameplay video I saw in Game in Cork. Some of the games looked decidedly 'Beta', and it wasn't made clear whether this was a preview tape ir final footage.
Dan thing is too expensive too. You'd get the equivalent in a PC for a slight bit more, and probably a monitor too.
Not to mention all the expandability a PC offers. (and headaches)

DiscoStu

if only it was that easy to turn a pc into an xbox. your forgeting the unified memory i.e. no difference between system ram and vram, the 128bit encryption key on the discs, the fact that the dvd drive spins the opposite way to a pc dvd drive, the gpu is beyond even a geforce4, the fact no one has been able to even able dump the hd let alone the bios which as far as i know also encrypted. oh well.

Swifty

That add with all the insects jumping around is pretty nifty.

kayos

Well discostu if you have the right contacts you can get the disk for setting up the hd

kayos

tHE vAGGABOND

HALO rocks, dont listen to Shinji (he has some petty anti-microsoft things going on)

Played it and loved it..

The XBox launch games are one of the best lineups for a launch console ever, and having played them all I can say that most of them are very good..

chernobyl

Just finished a 6 hour stint of Halo..man it is so cool.

I wanted to get JSFR today but the lamers did not have it, i have to wait until saturday.

I never realised that the machine is so big and heavy!

As for the huge controller issue..its actually only a fraction wider than most controllers, its just the the Xbox one has a larger surface area, but it does feel comfortable and not "chunky".

tHE vAGGABOND

see - been tellin' yis all along

this proves that shinji IS indeed a pe0n, and a pawn of Nintendo

1_fusion_1

mmmmmmmmmmm ye an x box would be sweet:p

bubbles

Theres an x-box waiting for me wheN I get home )) It will be a good night me thinks!

rymus

hmm.. will I shell out about €700 on an xbox and a couple of games to sit next to my ps2 or will I get another ivory backscratcher?

the games look good.. but not good to the tune of €500 + €80 each game

enjoy your xboxes people... (what timing - an ad for halo just came on the telly)

PPC

Originally posted by DiscoStu
the fact no one has been able to even able dump the hd let alone the bios which as far as i know also encrypted.

The harddrive has been done through Linux i think.

The bios is been worked on now.

Think you'd get some loada gear for ya pc for €700
And im sorry now i bought a PS2. I only use it for DVD's cause the games are terrible.

Clover

well i'v played halo for about 4 hours, max payne for 2 and about
1 hour of doa 3 . and i have too say that i'm very happy with the consol and the games. yes 500 euro for a consol , 80 euro for each game , 50 euro for dvd playback is steap. but worth it .
and the joypad is very comfortable and easy to use.


how much was ps2 when it launched in ireland £369?

chernobyl

The HD contents can be dumped but how can you emulate the games on PC when a pc cant even read the Xbox disc.

The drive will think its a DVD but wont see anything.

Trev

Pugs, don't be a muppet. Halo is not out on the PC. The big green X on the box means it's for the X-Box, you pillock!

www.game.uk.com would suggest that if it comes out at all on the PC it will be in August '02.

http://www.game.uk.com/review.asp?tab=pc&rev_id=139143

Keep yer £35 sterling Shinj, I don't think you would've been stupid enough to send it to Pugs anyway

PPC

Originally posted by chernobyl
The HD contents can be dumped but how can you emulate the games on PC when a pc cant even read the Xbox disc.

The drive will think its a DVD but wont see anything.

Isn't there an emulator that makes the graphics really bad but playable?

chernobyl

Yeah it runs in 3.1 and you need a browser for 3.1 that supports flash to download it.....

PPC

Thats the one.
Must try virtual pc and try it.

Q_Ball

Originally posted by tHE vAGGABOND
HALO rocks, dont listen to Shinji (he has some petty anti-microsoft things going on)

In which case we can't really take your opinion for much seeing as you're the exact opposite.

Originally posted by Pugsley
Heres an idea,before you go out and pay $500 for your X-box,why not spend $60 on buying halo for the PC? It is out,but its amazing how many people dont know that,EB shuld have it, thats where i saw it.

Pugsley, I worked in Game up until 3 weeks ago and trust me, we didn't EVER have halo for PC. Give any of the stores a call (and make sure you specify for the PC) and prepare to be laughed at.

IMO there's nothing on the xbox that would encourage me to spend €500+ instead of waiting for the GC with rogue squadron and luigi's mansion (you may have your reservations about those titles, but i don't).

btw, has there been any new info released about other european launch titles?

Saruman

http://halovault.ign.com/thegame/story/

Apparently it either IS released for PC or was supposed to be.. assuming its the same game that is....

Saruman

yup according to http://www.eb.uk.com/review.asp?tab=pc&rev_id=139143

Its due for PC in August 02... i wonder if its true...

Shinji

In which case we can't really take your opinion for much seeing as you're the exact opposite.

Heh, I'm glad someone else posted that before I did.

(Joe's standard way to win any argument is to accuse the person of being "petty" and "anti-whatever" - let's think this one through, I work as a games journalist writing about games on all the different platforms; he works for, oooh, a developer working on an Xbox game. I do wonder about this whole bias thing... )

tHE vAGGABOND

Ahhh, but your a anime/Japanese loving fan boy who wants to suckle at Nintendo’s Brest in your spare time

You have not given the Xbox a chance. You have said its **** right from day one. If we are to listen to you, none of the games are good and Controller is awful. I'm just happy real people have it now and we are hearing no such bad feedback about most of the games or indeed the controller.

I'm just giving another point of view to the “Cube is great, everything else is crap” opinion that’s all

tHE vAGGABOND

Lads, the release dates on the games retailers websites are not always correct..

Amazon.co.uk have a release date beside Championship Manager 4 for example. Its a total guess on thier part, nothing from us at all. I would guess its the same with this Halo on the PC thing.

bonkey

Originally posted by tHE vAGGABOND
I'm just giving another point of view to the “Cube is great, everything else is crap” opinion that’s all

Sounds more like an "everyone who disagrees with me is wrong, because I have the only right opinion" to me.

I mean, if Shinji was a "non-Cube == crap" person, then why the hell did he post :

The PS2 was a rubbish console until just before Christmas, when it got a stack of good games; now it's a great console.

So, weve gone from anti-MS to anti-anything-not-Ninnytendo. Whats next?

The XBox controller is so non-crap it has been replaced in Japan and the US with a better one following massive amounts of complaints. This doesnt mean you wont like it, it just means that it is generally accepted to be crap.

The controversy still rages over Halo - indicating its a love it or hate it type of game. Which would lend credence to the "try before you buy" warnings.

jc

Shinji

So, weve gone from anti-MS to anti-anything-not-Ninnytendo. Whats next?

"I think you should all play tiddleywinks. Computer games are rubbish. But only Japanese tiddleywinks which have been personally touched by the buttocks of Shigeru Miyamoto before being shrinkwrapped by dwarves dressed up as Mario and Luigi."


... Happy, Joe?


(FWIW - my Dreamcast, PC and two PS2s currently get a lot more playtime than the GameCube does, now that I'm over my little Pikmin obsession...)

tHE vAGGABOND

anti-MS to anti-anything-not-Ninnytendo

Pardon me, I did not realise that people were not allowed have more than one opinion..

replaced in Japan

Japan always had a different controller from day dot, nothing replaced anything. You could have a look at your US facts too if you wish

Rob, your just weird. Ive never been a tiddleywinks fan, but whatever your into

kaimera

Thats foolish really

I'm "foolish" because I dislike the PS with a vengence and would much prefer a Box instead?
Well, your entitled to your own opinion and so am I.

As far as I'm aware, Halo IS due to be released on PC BUT there is no set release date....just some time in '02, possibly near the end of the year.

Originally posted by Shinji



(FWIW - my Dreamcast, PC and two PS2s currently get a lot more playtime than the GameCube does, now that I'm over my little Pikmin obsession...)

You must be the happiest man alive

BlitzKrieg

2 Ps2s??? why 2??? Sorry glad u got Dc (like me) and GC and all (if i had enough money i would buy all the consoles and forget this stupid war) but why 2 ps2s i dont see the point?? Unless 1's a import?


My X-BOX opinion....fair play to the advertising I mean u have tvs in every games shop advertising but i have to say I've always had doubts on Halo even when seeing the tres cool ads. But i could be wrong. Its just i'm a freak i didnt like Medal of Honour that much either so dont listen to me.





P.s Its me Blitz and I'm back after exteneded leave!!! (notices the wierd look) K nobody remembers going into corner to sulk. Took 4 attempts to post this message and still i had to edit i must be a retard

rymus

2 heads are better than 1, so arent 2 ps2's better than 1 also? If I had an extra ps2 Id get myself a firewire cable and invite my mates around to give em a good beatin'

Q_Ball

Originally posted by Shinji
A console is only as good as the games you play on it.

Damn right. So far I haven't seen anything that would tempt me to handing over €600 (bar halo, but one game wouldn't justify that much money). Not when it's just under 2 months until the Gamecube is released, and I get a lot more for a lot less.

Shinji

I'm "foolish" because I dislike the PS with a vengence and would much prefer a Box instead?

You appear to be claiming to dislike a console, rather than expressing a preference based on the games you get to play. That sounds pretty damn foolish to me.

why 2 ps2s i dont see the point?? Unless 1's a import?

Yeh - one is a US model. My housemate has a Japanese one, so we're all PS2'd up...

_CreeD_

On the multiplayer/broadband/Ethernet port side it is a std port, you use a normal Hub/Switch to connect multiple machines. You can also connect it to the net using an ethernet link to a Net connected PC and the latest version of Gamespy Arcade with the Xbox tunnel software installed.

It is expensive but its a damn nice machine. Im getting more enjoyment from it now than my 2 Playstation loving brothers did from their Ps2 for the first year they had it.
The controller is big but is a lot more comfortable than the PS variants.
Japan wanted small controllers hence the revamp. They like a lot of small things, going into details would likely get this post deleted.

It is expensive but you get what you pay for on a comparative scale with other consoles and PCs.

As far as games go Ive tried Halo (great when you get used to it), Project Gotham Racing (Not bad but Im not a major driving fan and it has possibly the worst soundtrack Ive ever heard), Dead Or Alive 3 (great), Genma Onimusha (Awful).

chernobyl

I just have to post and say how fantastic Rallisport Challenge is.

First let me say that i ran both GT3-A Spec and this side by side and anyone who has seen it will know that this is the prettiest game ever!

The sensation of speed will just blow you away.

The game has so many different modes, not only point to point traditional Rally racing but ice racing, hil climbs and lots of lisenced cars and even some that were banned years ago because they were so fast and dangerous.

The game runs a system similar to kudos, basically when you compete in the career mode, depending on how you complete each event you are awarded points and if you reach the maximum you unlock alot of cars and tracks, 48 tracks in total.

€80 is steep, oh and the 15c for the plastic bag to ship it home but just when i got stuck on Halo on legendary i decided to start on this one and have not gone back.