Rivet, another 360 Media Sharing App for Mac
Xbox Scene :: Saturday, April 26, 2008
From cynicalpeak.com (http://cynicalpeak.com/rivet/ ): [QUOTE] About Rivet Rivet allows you to access your digital life on your Xbox 360. Browse, play, and view all of your pictures, movies, and video through the Xbox 360’s media blade right in your living room. Rivet will automatically load and give you full access to your iTunes music, iPhoto photographs, and any video or picture folder that you wish to share. Rivet Features: * Music streaming – Listen to your iTunes music library through your stereo system and while playing games. * Video streaming – No need to let your big screen TV go to waste because your video files are all on you Mac. Stream them over to it and fully enjoy them in the comfort of your couch. * Photo streaming – View all of your photos right on your TV. It’s vacation slides for the 21st century. Your family and friends won’t be able to get enough! You can share photos from both your iPhoto library or from folders on your hard drive. * Organize your media – Every movie or photo folder that you share is exactly replicated on your Xbox 360. Organize them into subfolders by TV show, genre, or whatever you want. The entire folder structure will be there. No more scrolling through a huge, flat list. * Auto media updating – Add, delete, or move your media all you want. The changes will automatically appear on your Xbox 360. * Format support – If your Xbox 360 can play it, Rivet can handle it. Supported formats include: AAC, MP3, WMA, H.262, DIVX, AVI, WMV, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, RAW, TIFF, PSD, PDF, and more. [/QUOTE] Official Site: cynicalpeak.com (http://cynicalpeak.com/rivet/ )
360 Lite-On Drives emerge
Xbox Scene :: Saturday, April 26, 2008
From shauno on forums.xbox-scene.com (http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=648236&st=0 )… Hi today i recieved a console back from microsoft repair center in Australia, it had a BENQ drive which didnt seem to flash via dosflash. Apon inspection i believe i have found a new drive revision! Model no. DG-16D2S HW Version. A0A1 FW Version. 74850 We are currently trying to find data sheets on this controller to further analyze security. It appears to be a masked-rom (read-only) setup, similar to that of the xbox original, version 1.6. If you have or can find any spec’s on the MediaTek controller above, please post in the forum thread! News-Source: forums.xbox-scene.com (http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=648236&st=0 )
Xbox LIVE Scheduled Maintenance Completed – Matchmaking Issues
Xbox Scene :: Saturday, April 26, 2008
From majornelson.com (http://majornelson.com/archive/2008/04/21/two-new-xbox-originals-now-available-and-the-scheduled-maintenance-is-complete.aspx )/XBL status (http://www.xbox.com/en-US/SUPPORT ): [QUOTE] The Xbox LIVE Scheduled Maintenance is now complete. A few folks may still be seeing sign in or matchmaking issues. Engineers are looking in to this at this time. Users may experience connectivity issues and difficulties with matchmaking within games on Xbox LIVE. We are aware of the problem and working to resolve the issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience. [/QUOTE]
MS Keeps Repaired Xbox for 4 Months, Calls You a Thief for Wanting it Back
Xbox Scene :: Saturday, April 26, 2008
From consumerist.com (http://consumerist.com/381798/microsoft-keeps-your-repaired-xbox-for-4-months-calls-you-a-thief-for-wanting-it-back ): [QUOTE] Microsoft hasn’t returned Tiffany’s XBox 360 for four months because they think she is a thief, even though she has her original receipt and a credit card statement proving that she is the console’s rightful owner. Microsoft repaired the XBox back in January and tried to return it via FedEx, but a shipping snafu landed the box back at Microsoft’s service center. Tiffany has called repeatedly. She even sent a letter to Microsoft’s legal department, after sending her receipt and statement, asking how else she could prove ownership. That was 22 days ago. She has yet to receive a response. [/QUOTE] Full Story: consumerist.com (http://consumerist.com/381798/microsoft-keeps-your-repaired-xbox-for-4-months-calls-you-a-thief-for-wanting-it-back )
Talismoon New Chrome Xbox 360 Full Controller Shell
Xbox Scene :: Saturday, April 26, 2008
Talismoon released a new Evolve360 Full Controller Shell: [QUOTE] Another evolution has occured within the Evolve line of Xbox controller faceplates! Our new line of Xbox 360 controllers now have new unique features and better durability. (http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/XCM-controller/2.jpg ) (http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/XCM-controller/3.jpg ) A new version of an old favorite, the new version Silver Chrome Controller fits both wired and wireless versions of the OEM controller. New highlights include: * Matching top and bottom controller faceplates give your controller a more consistent look * Removable bits allow the same bottom controller plate to be used for wired and wireless controllers * New chrome plating technology is 10x more durable than the last generation of Evolve Controller Covers * Larger, further clarified instructions included in every kit, as well as the tools needed for disassembling the wired or wireless controller. * Improved package design is cleaner and takes up less space. [/QUOTE] Official Site: http://talismoon.com (http://talismoon.com )
XNA boss defends Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Scene :: Saturday, April 26, 2008
From eurogamer.net (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=133026 ): [QUOTE] Microsoft XNA general manager Chris Satchell has rejected the suggestion that Xbox Live Arcade has lost the initiative when it comes to supporting independent games. “I think we still get an amazing amount of interest. Normally we have way more interest than we kind of have publishing slots to put things in,” Satchell told Eurogamer, when asked whether PS3 and Wii were starting to steal XBLA’s thunder. “And when you think about the community and what we’re doing with distribution on XNA Game Studio, nobody is going to have that combo. I don’t think anybody has got that level of innovation integrated the way we have.” [/QUOTE] Full Story: eurogamer.net (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=133026 )
Microsoft: We’ve Won the Core Gamer
Xbox Scene :: Saturday, April 26, 2008
From next-gen.biz (http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10041&Itemid=2 ): [QUOTE] Xbox 360 group product manager Aaron Greenberg told Next-Gen in a phone interview Thursday following the release of March’s NPD sales figures, “I think the battle for the core user is sort of over, if you will. We’re heading now well beyond 20 million in console sales.” “I feel we’ve secured that core buyer, and that gives us quite a bit of an advantage versus PS3, which is late to the game and still at a price disadvantage relative to the Xbox.” Greenberg said Microsoft is forecasting Xbox 360’s installed base in the US to be two- to three-times that of the PS3 by the end of 2008. In addition, he said in the US and in EMEA territories, the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV has had more pre-orders than the PS3 version by a 2:1 margin. That game launches on April 29. [/QUOTE] Full Story: next-gen.biz (http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10041&Itemid=2 )
UK: Price cut fails to push Xbox 360 past PS3
Xbox Scene :: Saturday, April 26, 2008
From reghardware.co.uk (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/04/18/xbox_360_european_sales_double/ ): [QUOTE] Microsoft this week claimed to have more doubled the Xbox 360’s European sales thanks to its recent price cut, but that still hasn’t been sufficient to put it ahead of the PlayStation 3 or the Wii in the UK. However, a Sony spokesman today hit back at the company’s arch rival, telling Register Hardware that the PS3 has outsold the Microsoft console every week for the last 15 weeks. “Even this [price cut] hasn’t been enough to put them ahead of UK PS3 sales,” he said. UK console sales monitor Chart Track confirmed that for the past 15 weeks the PS3 has largely kept ahead of the Xbox 360. However, a spokesman admitted that the two machines’ units have been “extremely close” in some weeks. [/QUOTE] Full Story: reghardware.co.uk (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/04/18/xbox_360_european_sales_double/ )
Xbox 360 System update now available (no new features)
Xbox Scene :: Saturday, April 26, 2008
From majornelson.com (http://majornelson.com/archive/2008/04/18/xbox-360-system-update-now-available-no-new-features.aspx ) (FYI: MS owned blog): [QUOTE] A few minutes ago, the team released a system update for the Xbox 360 over Xbox LIVE. Sometime over the next few hours when you sign in to Xbox LIVE you’ll recieve a prompt to accept this mandatory update. This update contains code to ‘prepare for future growth of the service.’ There are no other changes or enhancements in this update…in other words no new features. The next obvious question you’ll have is about the Spring update. At this point we have nothing to announce, and the moment there is information to share I will do so. [/QUOTE]
EEDAR on NPD: 360/PS3 Price Cuts In Sight
Xbox Scene :: Saturday, April 26, 2008
From gamasutra.com (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=18292 ): [QUOTE] Consumers might be seeing price cuts for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 in the coming months, claimed analyst Jesse Divnich of research firm EEDAR in a report sent to Gamasutra following today’s NPD sales figures for March. Divnich pointed to the lower-than-expected sales of Xbox 360 and PS3 as evidence that the systems might be plateauing. “These hardware results would indicate that both systems have likely saturated their potential market at their current price points,” he wrote. “If we do not see any price cuts in the coming weeks, we can likely expect some hardware cuts once GTA IV loses some steam (before July) or if the GTA IV release significantly drives hardware sales for one console over the other.” Still, he cautioned against being too expectant of an adjustment. “It would be erroneous to start shouting price cuts as we are only a few weeks away from one of the big releases in gaming (GTA IV),” he admitted. “March’s hardware results could very well be the ‘calm before the storm. ‘” As for why the systems performed as they did, Divnich points to a lack of high-profile flagship releases. “In terms of the continued battle between the PS3 and Xbox 360 we were not surprised that both consoles fell relatively close to each other as neither system offered any significant first party releases or new promotions to sway the trends,” he said. [/QUOTE] Full Story: gamasutra.com (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=18292 )
Assassin’s Creed Director’s Cut Edition PC Review
Tweak Town :: Friday, April 25, 2008
TTGamer have today posted a review of Assassin’s Creed Director’s Cut Edition for the PC. This console original actually feels quite at home on the PC, but most criticisms remain.
