Double your XTC! OCZ XTC DDR2 PC2-4200 Dual Channel Memory Review!
OCmodshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
We got more acronymns than you can shake a stick at!
PC gamers have always been on the bleeding edge of technology. As a matter of fact, PC gamers have been the driving economic force creating the need for monster video cards faster processors, and PC evolution in general. DDR2 memory is the latest offspring of the PC evolution, providing more memory bandwidth per cycle than its older DDR brother. This new memory is very versatile and should fulfill the needs of gamers, as well as the server crowd for more serious applications.
OCZ has an extensive lineup of DDR2 memory modules, with each line optimized for particular tasks. The new OCZ PC2-4200 Gold GX was designed with low latencies for the gamer. This new memory features OCZ’s latest heatspreader design, dubbed XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) to allow for increased ventilation and heat disspitation due to its honeycomb design.
Check out how OCZ brings you XTC
Penny Arcade strip makes scatological donut joke about Sony Online.
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
I can read an entire comic book without really looking at the art. This is a process that horrifies Gabriel – imagine his eyes growing wider as, with each swift turn of the page, his craft is obliterated. By contrast, my cohort holds strong opinions on the topic of visual stimuli. I imagine this is part of the reason we’re able to maintain our chaste union: like the gods of old, we keep to our dominions.
I gather that “Jim Lee” is something of a “man about town” in the world of… drawing things, whatever their people call it. I’m told that young aspirants to the comic arts must traverse a Jim Lee Phase before they emerge from Plagiara – “The Valley Of The Shadow Of Theft,” tempered thus by his iconic renderings. I have seen pictures that he has drawn, and I was able to tell which ones were and which ones were not Batman. That’s pretty much all I’m looking for.
MySpace.com Joke Leads to Sex Arrest
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
FONTANA, Calif. — A group of boys who posed as a 15-year-old girl for an Internet prank ended up helping police arrest a 48-year-old man who tried to meet the fictitious teenager for sex, authorities said.
The five boys had created a fake profile of a girl on MySpace.com — a social networking Web site — to cheer up a friend who had recently broken up with his girlfriend.
But soon, a man began sending messages to the “girl” and their conversations began to have sexual overtones, said Fontana police Sgt. William Megenney.
Star Wars: Empire at War
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
“Star Wars: Empire at War is LucasArts latest attempt at a Real-Time Strategy game set in the Star Wars universe, and let me tell you as a SW junkie I was sure excited. I had epic Homeworld-esque space battle in my mind, huge ground assaults riddled with quick Rebel strikes, and an in-depth planetary conquest mode much like one of my favorite games of all time Imperium Galactica 2.”
Complexity causes 50% of product returns
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Half of all malfunctioning products returned to stores by consumers are in full working order, but customers can’t figure out how to operate the devices, a scientist said on Monday.
Product complaints and returns are often caused by poor design, but companies frequently dismiss them as “nuisance calls,” Elke den Ouden found in her thesis at the Technical University of Eindhoven in the south of the Netherlands.
A wave of versatile electronics gadgets has flooded the market in recent years, ranging from MP3 players and home cinema sets to media centers and wireless audio systems, but consumers still find it hard to install and use them, she found.
The average consumer in the United States will struggle for 20 minutes to get a device working, before giving up, the study found.
Microsoft Works on Computer Foot Pad
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Computer scientists in Microsoft Corp.’s research division have developed a color-coded “dance pad” with buttons you can tap with your feet – or jump on – to scroll through electronic files.
It may never make it to store shelves, but that’s no concern to Microsoft, which spends billions of dollars a year researching far-out technologies without worrying about whether the gizmos will ever make it to store shelves
Solo’s Errant Spell-Check Causes ‘Sea Sponge’ Invasion
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Spell-checking on his computer is never going to be the same for Santa Cruz solo practitioner Arthur Dudley.
In an opening brief to San Francisco’s 1st District Court of Appeal, a search-and-replace command by Dudley inexplicably inserted the words “sea sponge” instead of the legal term “sua sponte,” which is Latin for “on its own motion.”
“Spell check did not have sua sponte in it,” said Dudley, who, not noticing the error, shipped the brief to court.
That left the justices reading — and probably laughing at — such classic statements as: “An appropriate instruction limiting the judge’s criminal liability in such a prosecution must be given sea sponge explaining that certain acts or omissions by themselves are not sufficient to support a conviction.”
Many companies plan more outsourcing
OCModshop :: Tuesday, March 07, 2006
BOSTON, March 4 (UPI) — Eighty-nine percent of U.S., British and Asian corporate technology decision makers plan to increase their outsourcing budget over the next 12 months.
A survey conducted at the Patni Computer Systems annual conference PatniConnect, found that 39 percent said they expect to increase outsourcing spending by up to 20 percent over current spending, while 11 percent plan a 50 percent or more increase.
Pricing is not the most important factor in selecting an outsourcing partner, the survey found.
Twenty-four percent said cultural fit is the top factor for incorporating outsourcing strategies, and 24 percent said the most important factor is quality of service. Fourteen percent of respondents said price is their single most important factor in selecting an outsourcer.
ButtKicker Giveaway Contest!
OCmodshop :: Monday, March 06, 2006
The rules for this contest are pretty simple. Much like many video game villians, I have taken 5 pieces, shattered them, and thrown them to the five corners of OCmodshop. Your galliant quest is to find these five pieces! You journey will be perilous, and your strength and wit will be tested! Those that prevail shall be rewarded with a brand new booty-shaking ButtKicker Gamer!
This contest is a “scavenger hunt” of sorts. Five promo images of the ButtKicker have been placed in various areas of the OCmodshop website. To enter the contest you must locate these 5 images. We have clues to help guide you, young adventurer!
The Clues
- You will need ninety sinks to equal one ‘windows’.
- Ancient tomes. Jump her bones.
- A hose, 2 barbs, and H2Os.
- This State has a 3-letter abbreviation.
- We help you calm your noisy ‘antecs’.
ButtKicker Giveaway Contest!
Sunday, March 05, 2006
The rules for this contest are pretty simple. Much like many video game villians, I have taken 5 pieces, shattered them, and thrown them to the five corners of OCmodshop. Your galliant quest is to find these five pieces! You journey will be perilous, and your strength and wit will be tested! Those that prevail shall be rewarded with a brand new booty-shaking ButtKicker Gamer!
This contest is a “scavenger hunt” of sorts. Five promo images of the ButtKicker have been placed in various areas of the OCmodshop website. To enter the contest you must locate these 5 images. We have clues to help guide you, young adventurer!
The Clues
You will need ninety sinks to equal one ‘windows’. Ancient tomes. Jump her bones. A hose, 2 barbs, and H2Os. This State has a 3-letter abbreviation. We help you calm your noisy ‘antecs’.
LG 1730B review
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
Last time, we looked at a monitor from Sony that belonged to a different price category than the monitor we’ll be reviewing today. This monitor belongs to a more common segment, namely the average 17″ category, where the market is experiencing a saturation of competitors. So how will this LG monitor stand up against the competition, and more importantly, should you buy it? This is what we aim to find out.
Possible Details on Microsoft’s Origami
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
We have learned from a reliable source about some possible exciting new features concerning Microsoft’s rumored Origami portable tech device… including the fact that all of the video and screens we’ve seen of the unit are real (though not final). But there’s one very important detail that no one has touched on yet – Xbox 360 compatibility. So don’t wait until March 9 for http://www.origamiproject.com to reveal the system like all those other chumps. Catch all of the juicy information right here, right now.
HDA X-Plosion 7.1 Sound Card Review
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
“Overall, this card is an excellent alternative to the Creative Labs Audigy 2ZS that I was using. It was missing some features that made usability easier like a connector for the front ports, but the card makes up for that in versatility of the Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect features.”
New Xbox 360 Faceplates!
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
Some of you have asked us to put our XCM faceplates on an Xbox 360 to see how it looks. So we have took that request and took 2 pictures of each faceplates installed on an Xbox 360. Enjoy!!!
Samsung HR-720 DVD
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
“There are a multitude of inputs available on the HR720. There are two sets of AV inputs and one DV input as well as an S-video input and a connection to an antenna to record over the air broadcasts.”
Atari 2600 10-in-1 Joystick Review
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
Atari has had some financial troubles in the past years – the company trademark sold from company to company over the years until it was finally snatched up by Infogrames, which has used the Atari license to publish many games, including the Unreal franchise. Infogrames set up a licensing agreement with Jakk’s Pacific, makers of several toy electronics, to publish a nostalgic Atari 2600 game system, ready for any standard TV.
The unit comes completely intact: everything you need to play is in one piece. The reset, select, and start buttons are integrated into the base, as well as a power switch and red power LED. The video and mono audio cable are also permanently attached to the joystick’s base. The game system is powered by 4 AAA batteries (not included), which are inserted into a compartment on the bottom of the base. The batteries make the base a little deeper and the weight a little heavier than an original Atari joystick. Other than that, this has the same nostalgic ergonomics of the original Atari joystick (horrible though they may be).
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter for Xbox 360 Gone Gold
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
Ubisoft announced that Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter has gone gold on Xbox360 will be available March 9 worldwide. For the Xbox it will be shipping March 9 in the U.S. and March 16 in Europe. The PC version will hit the store shelves in May 2006. New screenshots from the PC, Xbox and Xbox 360 versions have been inserted in our gallery.
AP: ‘Origami’ Not Handheld Xbox
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
Just recently, reports and speculation permeated throughout the Internet when footage on marketing firm DigitalKitchen’s website showed a gadget that appeared to be a downsized tablet PC running Halo (you can still view the video at YouTube). It fueled rumors surrounding a January BusinessWeek article in which Xbox head Peter Moore said that Microsoft is seriously checking into the feasibility of a handheld games and media player.
60 Feet to High Speed
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
Quote: “I live in a small town and was stuck with a 56k modem for nine years. I learned of a new high-speed service provider that put a transmitting tower in my town, but there could be absolutely no interference between the transmitting tower and my house. Herein lay the problem: there was a very large church in the way. Eventually, I came up with a plan. I would build a sixty-plus foot tower so I could intercept the signal! This is the story of how one man got the Internet access he craved, and how others can follow in his footsteps (just in case you ever need to build a sixty-foot tower in your backyard).”
Editorial: Why the Whole World Should Use Firefox
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
“GO DOWNLOAD FIREFOX!” That’s what I’ve been screaming to people in my personal surroundings. “Why?”, one might ask? Well, I’m Dutch, and the Dutch are notoriously cheap bastards. I heard that the phenomena they call Firefox is free and more importantly free of spyware and popups.
…and welcome to the internet the way it was supposed to be! Needless to say I’m totally hyped about Firefox; else I wouldn’t write this rant nor would I still be using it to this day. The best part is that I didn’t have 500 leaks that needed constant patching, it doesn’t install trojan downloaders behind my back and effectively stops popups!
Xplorer360 Beta 4
OCModshop :: Sunday, March 05, 2006
Here is Beta 4 of the Xplorer360 software. Lots of bugfixes and a few new features in this build. Thanks to everyone who has reported bugs to our forums. Everything that has been reported, has been fixed. So if you were having any trouble with previous builds, give this one a go.
Editorial: Why the entire world should stop whining and just download Firefox.
Friday, March 03, 2006
“GO DOWNLOAD FIREFOX!” That’s what I’ve been screaming to people in my personal surroundings. “Why?”, one might ask? Well, I’m Dutch, and the Dutch are notoriously cheap bastards. I heard that the phenomena they call Firefox is free and more importantly free of spyware and popups.
…and welcome to the internet the way it was supposed to be! Needless to say I’m totally hyped about Firefox; else I wouldn’t write this rant nor would I still be using it to this day. The best part is that I didn’t have 500 leaks that needed constant patching, it doesn’t install trojan downloaders behind my back and effectively stops popups!
Read why every man, woman, and child should use Firefox
Atari Lives Again on Your Local TV!
OCmodshop :: Friday, March 03, 2006
Atari has had some financial troubles in the past years – the company trademark sold from company to company over the years until it was finally snatched up by Infogrames, which has used the Atari license to publish many games, including the Unreal franchise. Infogrames set up a licensing agreement with Jakk’s Pacific, makers of several toy electronics, to publish a nostalgic Atari 2600 game system, ready for any standard TV.
The unit comes completely intact: everything you need to play is in one piece. The reset, select, and start buttons are integrated into the base, as well as a power switch and red power LED. The video and mono audio cable are also permanently attached to the joystick’s base. The game system is powered by 4 AAA batteries (not included), which are inserted into a compartment on the bottom of the base. The batteries make the base a little deeper and the weight a little heavier than an original Atari joystick. Other than that, this has the same nostalgic ergonomics of the original Atari joystick (horrible though they may be).
Too young to remember the Atari 2600? Too old to forget? Read on!
Editorial: Why the entire world should stop whining and just download Firefox.
OCmodshop :: Friday, March 03, 2006
“GO DOWNLOAD FIREFOX!” That’s what I’ve been screaming to people in my personal surroundings. “Why?”, one might ask? Well, I’m Dutch, and the Dutch are notoriously cheap bastards. I heard that the phenomena they call Firefox is free and more importantly free of spyware and popups.
…and welcome to the internet the way it was supposed to be! Needless to say I’m totally hyped about Firefox; else I wouldn’t write this rant nor would I still be using it to this day. The best part is that I didn’t have 500 leaks that needed constant patching, it doesn’t install trojan downloaders behind my back and effectively stops popups!
Read why every man, woman, and child should use Firefox
Atari Lives Again on Your Local TV!
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Atari has had some financial troubles in the past years – the company trademark sold from company to company over the years until it was finally snatched up by Infogrames, which has used the Atari license to publish many games, including the Unreal franchise. Infogrames set up a licensing agreement with Jakk’s Pacific, makers of several toy electronics, to publish a nostalgic Atari 2600 game system, ready for any standard TV.
The unit comes completely intact: everything you need to play is in one piece. The reset, select, and start buttons are integrated into the base, as well as a power switch and red power LED. The video and mono audio cable are also permanently attached to the joystick’s base. The game system is powered by 4 AAA batteries (not included), which are inserted into a compartment on the bottom of the base. The batteries make the base a little deeper and the weight a little heavier than an original Atari joystick. Other than that, this has the same nostalgic ergonomics of the original Atari joystick (horrible though they may be).
Too young to remember the Atari 2600? Too old to forget? Read on!
Connect360 v1.5 public beta
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Another update of Connect360, the tool to stream your music and images from your Mac OSX to your Xbox 360 console, has been released. What’s new/fixed:
* Shoutcast streaming: Connect360 now supports streaming of live Internet radio broadcasts to your Xbox360! Simply add any station to a playlist and enjoy the live tunes from your Xbox!
* Networking: It gets even easier, Connect360 can now automatically configure your built-in Mac OS X firewall with a single click!
Infineon to Blame for 360 Shortages?
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Although a low chip yield has been named as a culprit in the past, it’s the first time a specific supplier and component have been named. Unnamed sources told the Mercury News that Infineon wasn’t able to produce enough quality GDDR3 memory chips. Xbox 360 contract manufacturers Wistron and Flextronics reportedly had to sort through Infineon chip shipments, separating the good from the bad, which wasted both time and components.
Rejected chips couldn’t keep up with the Xbox 360’s 700 megahertz speed, and could noticeably affect the performance of the console if installed. Currently, Samsung is the only supplier other than Infineon that supplies Microsoft with the GDDR3 memory, a fact that increases the plausibility of such a component issue.
Detailed Tech Info of Headers and Connectors on Xbox 360 Motherboard
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Most of the information was based on the top and bottom layers of a dechipped 360 motherboard and decapped chips, I will update the information once I gain full knowledge of the inner layers of the motherboard. For reference, I have also included some information I have gathered from images of Development Hardware and XDK hardware found on the net. Please double-check my information, I am human and I do make mistakes. I have also attempted to give credit where credit was due. If you find any errors or omissions, please let me know so that I can correct it on future versions. Like most, I am doing this as a hobby in my spare time, so I will do my best to keep the information up to date but I can not make any guarantees.
Halo Performance from Video Games Live concert
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall sent around a link to a great video featuring a behind the scenes look at their popular “Video Games Live” concert. You can watch the show live if you’ll be attending GDC in March.
From Tommy and Jack:
“We thought you may all enjoy a little sampling of Video Games Live so we put together a video from our Halo rehearsals. The video also includes interviews with Halo composers Marty O’Donnell & Michael Salvatori who give a little insight on how they created the Halo soundtrack and what Video Games Live means to the industry and pop culture.
Xbox360 Wireless Controller 11usd to Manufacture
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Bill-of-material estimates for the wireless controller come in at around $11, or 22 percent of the retail price for the product–a far cry from the negative margin of the console itself.
Takashi Sensui Replaces Maruyama at Xbox Japan
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Yoshihiro Maruyama became familiar to gamers as the face of Xbox Japan, the counterpart to J Allard in North America; just as a recent re-organization moved J Allard and other key Xbox executives, Maruyama has now been moved to a “strategic position” in Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division (known as E&D).
Succeeding him will be Takashi Sensui, formerly director of the marketing department and game content group for Xbox Japan. He has worked closely with Maruyama for the Xbox 360 launch. Sensui is expected to lead Xbox 360, which is off to a rocky start in Japan. But as more games become available on the system, Sensui expressed confidence that adoption of the system will grow. Indeed, that will be his primary responsibility.
Recovering From the Xbox 360’s Big Mistakes
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Two pieces up in the media right now talking about problems with the Xbox 360. Games.net has an overdramatically title piece, Five Ways to Save the Xbox 360. The article lays out ways in which Microsoft should revamp the console and its games in order to truly dominate the next-gen war. Meanwhile, a 1up editorial asks the question Is the Xbox 360 Hurting the Games Industry? The article looks at the ways in which Microsoft’s console was rushed out the door, and the negative consequences that may have on the industry as a whole. From that article: “More important, though less remarked upon, is that the Xbox 360 was also launched before the industry was ready. If you pay attention to companies’ end-of-year financial reports, which I’m sad to say my job requires me to do, one thing that stands out in the postholiday reckoning was the statement, again and again, that the Xbox 360 launch had hurt sales across the industry.”
Report: Swearing in Online Games
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
From the “well, duh…” department…
An online games player has conducted a limited study into swearing on Xbox Live. In a period of about 30 hours of play on Xbox Live, blogger Josh Smith heard cussing, an average 20 times an hour; once every three minutes. The word ‘fuck’ was the most common swearword, rating 8.11 uses per hour. Highly offensive racist, homophobic and sexist language also featured prominently.
DirecTV blade to bring HD TV and flicks to Xbox 360 Dashboard?
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
During CES in January, Microsoft and DirecTV announced a “long-term agreement to expand the reach of digital content throughout the home and on the go.” Part of that agreement involved extending “the DirecTV experience to the Xbox 360 system.”
A scan of the March 2006 issue of Official Xbox Magazine reveals “that a DirecTV blade might be added to your Xbox 360 Dashboard to accompany the Xbox Live, Games, Media, and System blades. In that blade, you could download TV episodes in high definition, HD movies on demand, and standard-definition streaming DVR (i.e., TiVo) functions.”
The Hitch Hikers guide to the mouse
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Quote: “/This guide will tell you everything you need to know about a mouse, and even how to mod yours! Make your rodent look all pretty and stuff./”
XLink One Development News: New Features
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz this week, Guild Wars developer Arena.net co-founder Jeff Strain has said that the business model used by Microsoft’s Xbox Live service needs to be overhauled before the service will be attractive to MMOG developers.
Strain, who was a senior developer at Blizzard before leaving to set up Arena.net, believes that the business model used by Xbox Live is fundamentally not designed for the close relationships MMOG operators require with their players and community. “Their whole goal is to encourage people to go and buy games on the shelf, then there’s an online component for it,” he explained. “But for us, when you buy it on the shelf, that’s just the beginning of our relationship with you – and we want a direct connection with our customer so that we’re always giving you new content, always supporting you directly. Xbox Live just wasn’t really built, from a business standpoint, to support that.”
Strain acknowledged that seeking to take the customer relationship away from the platform holder and back into the hands of the publisher or developer would be a difficult thing to negotiate, but he remains optimistic that both Microsoft and Sony will embrace the opportunity represented by the MMO market.
No plans for free Xbox Live Gold weekend in Europe
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
The free trial event, which is tentatively scheduled to take place in April, will offer all Xbox Live Silver subscribers the same access as Xbox Live Gold users for 72 hours – providing they live in the States.
“This is an American only event sponsored by Verizon,” a Microsoft spokesperson told GamesIndustry.biz. “There are no current plans for the same event in Europe and we do not have any announcements to make at the moment.”
Interview with ABIT about USI’s purchase
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
We are looking into the prospects of extending our product range further into the mainstream and budget segments. USI’s experience and economy of scale would clearly facilitate such a move, but we will never forget, nor leave, what has always been our main focus throughout the years. In the short-term we will continue to focus our resources on our core business, which is making enthusiast-level motherboards. When it comes down to it, it’s only through the support of the enthusiast community that ABIT has managed to become such a household name in performance hardware.
EA Confirms 39usd Price Point For Current-Gen Releases
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Following yesterday’s announcement that the current-gen (PlayStation 2 and Xbox) versions of its flagship boxing title Fight Night Round 3 would debut for $39.95 in the North American market, compared to $59.95 for the Xbox 360 version, an Electronic Arts spokesperson has confirmed to Reuters that high-budget titles Black and The Godfather will debut at that same current-gen price point.
Datel Xbox 360 Transfer Kit
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
These are pictures of the Xbox 360 Transfer Kit that will be released soon by Datel at an expected retail price around $14.99. It allows to easily connect an Xbox 360 memorycard to a PC USB port for those who don’t want to mod the memcard themselves (see how here or here). The device comes with software called Xchange360 … that (at this moment) can only backup and restore the whole memory card image (basicly a GUI version of Xbox Dumper(info)). You’ll need to use homebrew software like Xplorer360(info), wxHdd(info), wxPirs(info) and wxTheme(info) to fully access and modify the files on your memcard.
Official Features:
* Transfer gamesaves, downloads, user data and related files.
* Share your great gamesaves, themes and gamer pics on a globabl scale.
* Effectively use your PC as a huge memory unit.
* Super easy to use, just plug the memory unit into the docking port and connect it to any USB enabled PC.
Microsoft Evaluating Xbox 360 Launch in China
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Microsoft is slowly evaluating the possibility of launching the Xbox 360 in China. “It’s a very controlled environment,” Alan Bowman, Microsoft’s general manager of entertainment and devices for Asia Pacific and Greater China, told the Associated Press. “We’re going to make sure that we make the right moves, develop the right content, have the right partnerships in place. It’s not something you want to rush in and do.” Console manufacturers are often wary of launching product in mainland China, due to the region’s relatively low per-capita salary and issues regarding piracy.
XSR Review – Corepad Deskpad Moustmat
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
“I recently reviewed the huge XtracPads RipperXL, and that was pretty impressive to say the least. But now there is a new big boy on the block; the Corepad Deskpad. That’s right; it’s a mouse pad that actually just covers your desk. It’s big, but does it perform? I aim to find out.”
Analyst: 10-12mln 360s by Year-End
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Analyst P.J. McNealy with Amtech Research said in a report today that Microsoft is on track to sell 6 million Xbox 360s by the end of June, and 10-12 million by year-end. The mid-year forecast is greater than Xbox boss Peter Moore’s January predictions of 4-5.5 million sold by the end of June.
Amtech and McNealy also conducted a survey involving 125 retailers last week. Twenty-six of them had Xbox 360 units in stock, although all but five of them only had the non-hard drive Core units. Stores that did have the $400 Premium Packs late last week sold out of units very quickly. The report still said that stores with consoles in stock only had a paltry 1-3 units each, with only two of the surveyed stores having decent stock; one with 10 Premiums, and one with seven Premiums and six Cores.
Microsoft Sees Positive Outlook for Xbox 360 in Korea
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
To Microsoft’s surprise, the initial batch of pre-order units in Korea sold out in only nine hours. Alan Bowman, general manager of Microsoft Entertainment & Devices Division in Asia Pacific and Greater China Region, Microsoft is confident the Xbox 360 will perform in Korea better than in Japan.
Microsoft Korea officials explained that given the taxes, the price of Xbox 360 in Korea is highly competitive compared with pricing elsewhere in Asia. The retail price for the Xbox 360 Premium Edition will be 419,000 Won (~433usd or ~363eur). The Core package is priced at 339,000 Won (~351usd or ~294eur). Bowman also explained they have already learned a few lessons after the unfortunate Japanese launch. “We will make more games in Korean, and the important part of our success is to have Korean developers localize games,” Bowman said.
Microsoft Releases New Xbox 360 Stats
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
The company has reiterated that it is on track to meet its shipment goal of 4.5-5.5 million units by June, and assembly will be further boosted by third manufacturing partner Celestica, joining manufacturers Flextronics and Wistron – though it made no official comment on recent reports that Infineon Technologies’ memory chips were the particular constricting factor in the slow Xbox 360 roll-out to date.
A particularly interesting area reported by Microsoft were selected highlights from yesterday’s January NPD report for North American hardware and software sales. These include news that Xbox 360’s software attach rate is 3.7 games per console. This apparently remains the highest attach rate ever for the first three months of a console launch in the U.S., but is obviously positively affected by the supply problems of the console. In addition, Xbox 360’s accessory attach rate is 2.9 accessory units sold per console with a wireless controllers attaching to almost every console.
Activision ordered not to show ‘misleading’ Call of Duty 2 ads again
OCModshop :: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld complaints from three television viewers that adverts depicting scenes from Activision title Call of Duty 2 and its current generation console counterpart CoD2: Big Red One were misleading, and declared that they must not be shown again in their present forms.
The adjudication, published today, is likely to send shockwaves through the industry as it focuses on the question of whether pre-rendered footage is an acceptable representation of a computer game – in its defence, Activision didn’t argue that it was, but rather that using pre-rendered footage was “common practice”. In this case, the ASA received three complaints – two concerning Call of Duty 2 (PC, Xbox 360) and one concerning Big Red One (PS2, Xbox, Cube), both of which argued that the graphics used in the advert were superior to that of the game itself, and that viewers were being misled on those grounds.
