Gaming News September 2008

NewsSep 30, 2008June 29, 20140

Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, September 30, 2008
From joeygadget.com : According to the Xbox 360 DVD Drive Database , it appears Xbox 360s outfitted with the much-anticipated Jasper chipset have finally started showing up in stores and at online retailers. The key things to look for when buying a new Xbox 360 with the Jasper chipset is a manufacturing date (MFR) as early as 2008-08-06, Lot 8031 and up, and Team CSON. Full Story: joeygadget.com

More lessons from XBLA on why XNA Community Games won’t make you rich
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, September 30, 2008
From letskilldave’s blog : Kim Pallister (oh, hey, yet another Microsoft colleague that went to Intel), wrote a nice commentary a few days ago on the marketing of indie games on XBLA , referencing the postmortem of Go Go Break Steady as a lesson about how marketing is so critical to the success of a game. I’m not really talking about traditional marketing here, but am instead suggesting that word-of-mouth style marketing won’t merely be optional, but will become your #1 priority when it comes to XNA Community Games. The warning here is that you, as a Community Games Publisher, must be ready to launch promotions of your game to as many places as possible that will reach your target audience (hint: not a silly “teaser spot” on the Xbox that you might pay for Microsoft to promote). However, I’m not telling you to spam places like Kotaku or 1up either (Brian Crescente would kill me if that happened). Rather, you need to think through the kind of audience and message you want consumers to “get” about your game, then work with people that are experienced enough to help you market that game effectively, long before the game hits the Community Games Channel on the Xbox. What does this mean in the end? If you want your game to have big returns, you need to be prepared to have smart people help you promote the game. Full Story: letskilldave.com

What Microsoft-India Has To Say About Xbox 360 Slim
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, September 30, 2008
From theangrypixel.com : While we were present at the event and reported about the new bundle, we strangely never ran across any official (or unofficial) revelation of the slim avatar being in development or even a hint of hitting the shelves any time soon. We got in touch with Microsoft India, who made it clear that no such announcements were made. Below is an excerpt from the press release addressing the Xbox 360 Slim rumour: “We would not like to comment on any market speculation or rumor. In India, we have the Xbox 360 Core and the Xbox 360 Pro console currently available in the market. There are exciting new game titles like Gears of War 2, Fable II and Fallout 3 in the pipeline for the holiday season along with special promotions and festival offers.” Full Story: theangrypixel.com

More Details on Xecuter Connectivity Kit v3 Lite and Pro
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, September 30, 2008
From team-xecuter.com : As designers of the world’s first and best selling 360 DVD Connect Kits, we are pleased to announce the latest in our line of Xbox 360 Connectivity Kits. We are offering the option of a much cheaper alternative for those that are on a budget. * 360 Connectivity Kit V3 Lite. RRP $29.95 Feature List: – RS232 Support (Liteon Key dumping) – Powers ALL XBOX 360 DVD Drives – Mode-B on Hitachi 59 & Earlier (78/79 Require Slax Disc) – Compatible with already released tools (dvdkey/dvdkey32/toolbox etc) – Onboard ON/OFF Switch – Onboard Eject Switch – FREE SATA Cable – High Build Quality – Trusted Xecuter Design * 360 Connectivity Kit V3 Pro. RRP $49.95 Feature List: – USB Support (Liteon Key dumping) – Powers ALL XBOX 360 DVD Drives – Mode-B on Hitachi 59 & Earlier (78/79 Require Slax Disc) – Compatible with already released tools (dvdkey/dvdkey32/toolbox etc) – Onboard ON/OFF Switch – Onboard Eject Switch – FREE 360 Hard Drive Adapter – FREE SATA Cable – FREE USB Cable – High Build Quality – Trusted Xecuter Design Official Site:

Microsoft India: Slim Xbox 360 in the Works?
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, September 30, 2008
From gameguru.in : Microsoft’s planning to reveal a whole bunch of goodies for Xbox 360 loyalists. Here is a brief lowdown on the stuff that Microsoft is planning to reveal by the end of 2008 and early 2009. Slimmer Xbox 360 and new peripherals: The pictures that were released a day or two ago might have been fake, but Microsoft is indeed looking to cut on the size of the bulky Xbox 360. A detailed announcement of both the slimmer Xbox 360 and the list of peripherals accompanying it (perhaps a bigger hard drive) are going to take place right before Christmas 2008 to scourge on the holiday sprit. Full Story: gameguru.in

NXE ? Themes 2.0 and Friends Channel
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, September 30, 2008
From the Xbox PR Blog : Ahhh Themes – There’s been a lot of chatter about whether or not you can keep what you have, how they will look and how the new stuff will be different. We’ll be tackling all of that today so pay attention! Also in this week’s Developer Diaries, we’re going to show you more on the new Friends Channel – another area we got a lot of questions about after we first showed it to you at E3. This fall, themes are getting even more detailed with the New Xbox Experience. Themes will take over more than just the background of your Dashboard – they will be present on every channel in cool, dynamic ways. Yes, I said, “DYNAMIC.” Check out the screens that show the Underground Theme on the Dashboard and the Friends Channel. Every graphic on each channel will tie into your theme and change if you choose a different one. You can really see this on the Friends Channel – each of your friends’ Avatars will stand next to a different graphic or environment. These graphics will match the theme you choose and will change dynamically as you navigate from channel to channel. But that’s not all; the themes will be subtly animated. This is some pretty cool stuff when you see it. This is what your Dashboard and Friends Channel would look like with the Signature Theme – picture the bubbles in the background moving, shrinking, growing – you get the idea. Also on the Friends Channel , you’ll be able to see your friends’ Avatars rally when you host a LIVE party. You can see who is online and offline by what their Avatars are doing, too. Online? Your friends will emote and be able to wave you over to jump into their party. Offline? Well, they’re snoozing, of course. Finally (and many of you have asked us about this) don’t worry – you can still use the themes you previously purchased with the New Xbox Experience. They’ll look even better over the new UI, especially in high-definition. Below is what a current “Gears of War” theme would look like this .

Microsoft: New Xbox Experience in November
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, September 30, 2008
From xboxlive.ign.com : Don’t expect the New Xbox Experience to roll out for over a month. In an interview with Scott Austin, Director of Digitally Distributed Games for Microsoft, IGN was told that the New Xbox Experience will be pushed out to Xbox 360s in November. While talking about new ways that are coming to purchase Xbox Live Arcade games, Austin said, “One of the great things we have with the New Xbox Experience that we’re rolling out in November is that we now have web Marketplace available for our consumers.” Full Story: xboxlive.ign.com

Media Create: Xbox 360 Outsells PS3 In Japan Again
Xbox Scene :: Tuesday, September 30, 2008
From kotaku.com : For the second week in a row, Microsoft outsold Sony on its home turf, with the Xbox 360 beating out the PlayStation 3 on the Media Create weekly sales charts. That’s likely due to the console’s recent price drop in Japan and the effects of the one-two software punch of Tales of Vesperia and Infinite Undiscovery. ? Wii – 29,921 ? Xbox 360 – 13,777 ? PlayStation 3 – 8,156 [FS] kotaku.com

XCM HDMI Blaster Video
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From xcm-usa.com : As promised the video of the XCM HDMI Blaster is posted below. This is an converter for older (hdmi-less) consoles that will converts your old analog signal to the new High Definition standard digital signal (HDMI). Official Website: Download video in WMV: megaupload.com Official Reseller:

Microsoft Launches ‘Live Your Moment’ Campaign
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From teamxbox.com : Microsoft has launched its “Live Your Moment” Campaign for the Xbox 360. The software giant said that this campaign will be larger than those made for the launch of the original Xbox, the Xbox 360 and Halo 3. Full Story: teamxbox.com

Xbox Live ad hints at November relaunch
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From news.cnet.com : While nothing has been confirmed by Microsoft, a suspicious Xbox Live in-dash ad definitely points to November for the long-awaiting dashboard relaunch. CNET sister-site Gamespot reports that an ad for Rock Band 2 blatantly claims to “Check out the New Xbox Experience coming in November!” Full Story: news.cnet.com

Xbox Calls on 3rd Parties to Open HQs in the Middle East to Tackle Piracy
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From mcvuk.com : Microsoft has called on third-party publishers to set up offices in the Middle East – in order for the industry to combat piracy in the region more effectively. The firm’s Xbox 360 has begun to see growth in the territory, but its success has been stunted in the region by illegal copying – not least in Saudi Arabia. Of all the biggest names in gaming, only Sony and Microsoft have headquarters in the region. Full Story: mcvuk.com

LIVE Scheduled Downtime September 29
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From the Xbox PR Blog : Ok boys and girls, Xbox LIVE is having a scheduled downtime on Monday, September 29 starting at 12:01am Pacific Time. It will be down for 24 hours as we prepare for the cool new stuff coming your way in the new Xbox experience. Keep checking back for more information on the goodies we have in store for you this holiday. *To clarify, Xbox LIVE will be down as will those sections on Xbox.com that rely on the service such as “My Xbox”. Also, the forums will be viewable but you won’t be able to post in them.

Xbox 360 sales up 32 per cent following UK price cut
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From gamesindustry.biz : GFK Chart-Track has told GamesIndustry.biz that sales of Xbox 360 hardware rose 32 per cent over the weekend of Microsoft’s latest price reduction. In comparison, sales of Sony’s PlayStation 3 were down eight per cent on the previous weekend. Full Story: gamesindustry.biz

mode_b and DVDkey32 update
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
An update has been released for the method to set mode b via windows, and the lite-on win32 based key retriever… I have written a new exe that uses a different PortIO driver. This new one seems far more stable than the Geek’s Hideout IO driver that I used previously, and as of now has not caused any BSOD’s.. The only disadvantage is that there is a small install that needs to be done, but it’s very simple, only needs to be done once and details are in the rar Official Site: n/a (by podger) Download Both Updates: here Forum threads: here and here

Obama leading McCain among Xbox voters
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From the press release: In one of the nation’s largest unofficial election polls, Senator Barack Obama leads the vote by a 12 percent margin, while 26 percent voted “undecided” or “other.” These results do not map to national trends, which show Senator Obama and Senator McCain to be pacing neck and neck, and provide insight into a unique subset of young engaged citizens. According to the results from Xbox LIVE’s poll, when it comes to deciding who should be the next President, the jury is still out for many. Nearly 100,000 LIVE Americans turned out to cast their “votes” in a poll over Xbox LIVE, making it larger than the combined samples from individual Gallup, NBC, and CNN polls. Part of an initiative to help register new voters for this year’s election, Xbox LIVE has partnered with Rock the Vote, turning the Xbox 360 into an unexpected political forum. Results from the first-ever poll over Xbox LIVE indicate the following: Obama \ Biden: 43% McCain \ Palin: 31% Undecided: 13% Other: 13% In its first two weeks of the program, more than 55,000 voter registration forms were downloaded through Xbox LIVE and xbox.com. Additionally, videos from the recent Democratic and Republican conventions were downloaded nearly 25,000 times. To-date, the Xbox LIVE community has downloaded more than 350,000 pieces of program-specific content, ranging from candidate gamerpics* to videos and Rock the Vote logos. That’s nearly five times the amount of people present at Barack Obama’s acceptance speech during the Democratic Convention in Denver.

BenHeck: Sneak Peek at the THQ Laptop
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From benheck.com : Usually I don’t show works-in-progress, but THQ wanted me to keep people in the loop so here’s a quick look at the Darksiders laptop. It’s similar in size to my previous Xbox 360 laptops but a little bigger. * A little more room allows a lot more features as this one includes a slot to insert a full-sized Xbox 360 hard drive. * Also both memory card slots are available, so taking your home profile “on the road” will be a piece of cake. * The Xbox Live camera is back, as well as Wi-Fi. * The 2 circles on either side will be the speakers. Also note all buttons are front-mounted, sync, eject and the remaining USB port. Full Story: benheck.com

6 Million 360s Sold in Europe
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From the press release: Microsoft today announced that the Xbox 360 has broken through the six million mark in Europe, thanks to strong momentum for the console across the region. A reduction in the estimated retail price (ERP) of the console last week has brought the entry-level ERP for Xbox 360 down to €179/?129.99. This reduction plus an incredible line-up of games and exciting and broad entertainment offerings means Xbox 360 is the true home of mass market entertainment, with something to offer for every interest and budget. Chris Lewis, Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business EMEA, said: “We’re very excited that more consumers in Europe are joining the ever-growing Xbox 360 community. We’re now the best-value next-gen console on the market with an entry-level ERP of €179/?129.99, and consumers have clearly responded to that offering. We’re supporting this momentum by putting launch-level investment into a European advertising campaign, launching this week, which shows how Xbox 360 is changing the way consumers experience entertainment. With the New Xbox Experience on the horizon, and great titles like Lips, Scene It?; You’re In The Movies, Fable 2, and more, there’s never been a better time to jump in to all that Xbox 360 offers.” From last Friday, 19th September, Xbox 360, which includes a 60GB hard drive and one wireless controller, has an ERP of €239.99/?169.99. The Xbox 360 Elite, which comes with a massive 120GB hard drive enabling consumers to store huge quantities of content downloaded from Xbox LIVE Marketplace as well as their own music, has an ERP of €299.99/?229.99. The Xbox 360 Arcade console, perfect for those wishing to make their first foray into the gaming and entertainment world of Xbox, has an ERP of €179/?129.99. The price drop has set the stage for a record breaking holiday season, and the launch later this year of the New Xbox Experience, which will reinvent home entertainment from the inside out, with a bold new look and feel that is fun, social and simple to use. It’s the first time in history that a mass market consumer electronics device has been reinvented through software, changing the way we play games, watch movies, and enjoy great all-round entertainment.

Peter Moore Interview: Epilogue – Microsoft Changed the World of Entertainment
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From guardian.co.uk : So here’s Peter, closing off on an extremely interesting and candid interview… “I am so fortunate to have been part of this industry at a time of technological advances that have changed the way we all play games. I am especially fortunate to have spent 4? exhilarating years at Microsoft, working with some of the most passionate, smartest people I have ever had the honour and privilege of working with. I guess you have to work there to truly appreciate what a unique and special company Bill and Steve have built, and I think gamers need to fully appreciate the positive impact that the Xbox consoles, and in particular Xbox Live, have had on our industry. I worked with a team of people so special and so near and dear to my heart, that not a day goes by where I don’t miss them in some way. Same with our studios – the flair and creativity of Rare, the sheer brilliance and focus of Bungie, the game-changing team at Lionhead, and all of the other brilliantly-talented teams that helped drive hardware sales with great software.” “Microsoft changed the world of enterprise and communications with Windows, and when all is done and dusted, I know the same will be said of the world of entertainment because of Xbox. The company is too focused, the people too smart, to achieve anything less, and I feel incredibly proud to be a tiny part of that legacy.” Full Story: guardian.co.uk

Xbox in Japan: A New Dawn?
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From edge-online.com : The strategy has served Microsoft well recently. While the Xbox 360 generally averages about 5,000 sales a week in Japan according to Media Create data, last month saw the release of Namco Bandai’s 360-exclusive Tales of Vesperia, which debuted at No4 in the country’s software chart after selling 108,000 copies during the week ended August 10. That same week, Media Create reported that the 360 had scored a notable victory on the hardware front in Japan, shifting almost 25,000 units to outsell the PS3 2.5:1. “The recent launch of Tales of Vesperia was a true catalyst for console sales, and in order to bring more gamers from a broader segment of consumers to the Xbox 360, we need to make the strengthening of our RPG lineup a priority,” said Sensui. “The recent launch of Infinite Undiscovery on September 11 saw sales of over 90,000 units in the week of September 8-14 according to data from Media Create, placing it the third-highest selling game in Japan in that period. Console sales also passed the Wii for the first time according to data for the same week from Enterbrain,” Sensui said. “We have similar high hopes for the upcoming launch of other RPGs such as The Last Remnant, Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope and Fable II. However, we have no plans to launch Final Fantasy XIII in Japan.” Full Story: edge-online.com

Activision Copyright Lawsuits NOT Based on File Sharing
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From gamepolitics.com : An attorney who has represented Activision in six recent copyright lawsuits involving video games has told GamePolitics that the legal actions were not related to file sharing. Karin Pagnanelli, a partner with Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, wrote in an e-mail: “While we don’t comment on litigation involving clients, we can advise you that we have never filed any litigation against a file-sharer on behalf of Activision.” Full Story: gamepolitics.com | techreport.com

Xbox spending ‘tens of millions’ on Xmas
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From mcvuk.com : Senior regional director of Microsoft UK Neil Thompson has told MCV that the recent price cuts are the opening gambit in a peak season which will see “tens of millions” spent on marketing the Xbox brand. “We’ve been talking to all of our retail partners about what we’re doing at Christmas and we’ve been very bold and ambitious about how successful we think we can be. “On marketing we’ll spend tens of millions – we’re going to engage in a very bold promotional push from now until Christmas.” Thompson also ruled out shortages of the console as sales begin to climb – stating that there will be plenty to go around: “I have been very bullish on supply for the UK market,” he added. Full Story: mcvuk.com

New Xbox Experience – What You Want to Know: Avatars
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From the Xbox PR Blog : We know many of you are very opinionated about the upcoming Avatars in the new Xbox experience. For this week’s inside look, Major Nelson has created a video to show how simple it is to create your online persona. Want to just pick any look and jump into a game? Fine – It’s easy! Want to really get into it and create a detailed Avatar? Go for it – This video will show you how.

Japanese Hardware: Actually, Xbox 360 Just Missed Wii Victory
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From gamasutra.com : Though Enterbrain asserts that Xbox 360 sales topped Wii in Japan this week, data from Media Create disputes, asserting that the Xbox 360 just missed that achievement, selling 28,188 units to Wii’s 29,686. It’s a significant jump for Xbox from last week’s sales of only 1,044, when stock was completely sold out in the country. On the other hand, it’s a 3000-unit sales fall for Wii, down from last week and placing third on the charts. Full Story: gamasutra.com

Rumor: XboxPure Name for a New Xbox 360 Model?
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 25, 2008
From cheapassgamer.com : I’m not completely positive how true this is, but most of the things GilZ sends my way are true. He was correct about the new price drops, new HDMI models, new Elites, and now a picture sent to us with clearly visible text, in what appears to be either the 360’s new name or the next xbox’s final name. “XBOXPure” is what looks to be the final choice in this document. Note: could the codenames “Xbox Lean” and “Xbox Granite” mentioned on the document mean this will be a ‘slimline’ version of the Xbox 360? It’s very unlikely to be the name of the ‘Xbox 720’ (project Phoenix) anyway (too early for that). Could just be completely fake as well of course ;) *UPDATE* Yea we know, it’s fake … heh. Full Story (incl. doc screenshot): cheapassgamer.com

Petition to remove activations based DRM from Stalker Clear Sky
3d Xtreme :: Monday, September 22, 2008
Everyone should know that any hardware changes prompt the game to re-activate and there is a limit per key for activations. Uninstalling does not revoke the key. OS changes will also trigger the need for a re-activation. So basically if you change hardware or reinstall ~5 times you will now need to get the key unlocked or a new one issued – to which GSC and Valve keep referring you to the other with neither company doing anything to resolve it.

Pure (X360 & PS3) Review
Gaming Heaven :: Monday, September 22, 2008
Pure is the new game from Black Rock Studio and focuses on over the top racing action and back breaking stunts. The big question … does it deliver something more enjoyable and worthwhile than their previous ATV offroad games?

Rumour: lots of MS announcements next week
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
From gamer.tm : It looks like next week could be a busy time for 360 fans, with an industry insider claiming that Microsoft is due to make several announcements next week. On Monday, a well place industry source informed us that Microsoft is planning to hold an event here in Europe next week, where – among other things – it was expected to announce a 360 price cut for Europe and new titles from Bungie and Rare. Following yesterday’s price cut announcement and denials from Microsoft that it’s planning to hold an event at all, we checked with our source again to see what’s what, with interesting results. Our source assured us that despite the price cut announcement yesterday, the event is definitely due to go ahead next week, and that Microsoft will make lots of announcements. Full Story: gamer.tm

Japan: Xbox 360 tops Wii in hardware sales
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
From edge-online.com : Microsoft’s Xbox 360 outsold Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s PS3 in Japan during the week ended September 14, Famitsu reports. According to an MCV translation of the report, weekly Xbox 360 sales hit 28,681 units, a massive jump on the 843 units shifted a week earlier (Media Create data pegged prior week 360 sales at 1044). In comparison, Nintendo moved 27,057 Wii units and Sony sold just 8,050 PS3s. A number of reasons were cited for the hike in Xbox 360 sales, including a recent price cut to the entire range of 360 models, the launch of a 60GB unit, and renewed stock following widespread shortages. The release of Square Enix’s Infinite Undiscovery, which reportedly sold 86,708 copies in its debut week, also contributed to the system’s weekly hardware victory. Full Story: edge-online.com

XNA Game Studio 3.0 Beta is GO!
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
From the Team XNA Blog : That’s right! You can download it now! We’ll be asking your help to put this baby through her paces as we lead up to the official release later this year. It is your input that makes us stronger, faster and better. Download XNA Game Studio 3.0 Beta at Launch Center If you do find any bugs or just have a suggestion on ways we can make XNA Game Studio 3.0 more awesome head over to Microsoft Connect (https://connect.microsoft.com/site/sitehome.aspx?SiteID=226 ) to submit them to us. Xbox 360 Changes: * Xbox 360 project templates (You will not be able to develop on the Xbox 360 until our final release. We felt this was important to include so that you could get projects converted over and look at the system, even if you are not able to run the games, yet). * Support for the Big Button Pad.

DosFlash 1.5/1.6
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
A new version of DosFlash(info ), a flashing utility for VAD6038 Benq Drives DosFlash and DosFlash32 V1.5 Beta ———————————– – now supports serial flash chip MT1309E with mediatek status 0x72 like the SH-D163B, SH-D162D, Asus DVD-E616A3, Asus DVD-E818A3, Sony Optiarc DDU1671S – SST25LF020A and SST25LF040A chip support added – DosFlash32.exe ported from MFC to plain Windows API, exe size is now 22 KB – new port i/o driver, because giveio.sys can’t be compiled for 64 Bit Windows – DosFlash16 changed slighly in manual mode, one parameter is added to support SST25LF020A and SST25LF040A – two new methods of BenQ soft unlock are now possible on all motherboards with only one power supply unit – 1st method is powered by Geremia’s unlock core, thanks for the complete idea, concept and source to Geremia – 2nd method is the Magic28 key send, this only works on BenQ VAD6038 firmware, thanks to c4eva and podger for the initial idea – the two unlock methods are send one after the other if the drive is a possible unlock candidate, first the Magic28 command, then Geremia’s unlock commands and after that the already known power brute unlock is send to the drive, you can cancel any of these methods before they are send to the target, this only applies to BenQ drives with a locked flash – DosFlash.typ updated – other minor improvements – DosFlash32 is now ready for – Windows 2000,Windows XP 32 Bit,Windows XP 64 Bit,Windows Server 2003 32 Bit,Windows Server 2003 64 Bit,Windows Vista 32 Bit,Windows Vista 64 Bit – Warning: Drivers for Windows Vista 64 Bit need to be signed, because we can’t afford the money to let portio64.sys sign you need to do the following: 1) Log on as Administrator 2) Enter the following command in a Dos-Box: “bcdedit -set loadoptions DDISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS” (we made sure there are no typos in the line above) Smiley 3) Press enter and reboot your PC 4) Press F8 key upon initial system boot up 5) Choose to disable forced driver signing enforcement for that boot session DosFlash and DosFlash32 V1.6 Beta ———————————– – fixed power brute unlock bug for VIA cards, this can stop your VIA from working with the power brute unlocking in Version 1.5 – for DosFlash16 in auto mode on DOS my VIA card works best if I do a cold boot and power up the drive short before or with the PC – for DosFlash32 on Windows my VIA card works best if I power up the drive short before starting DosFlash32 – for me the VIA works with internal and external connectors on DOS and Windows Official Site: n/a (by Schtrom) Download: here News-Source: xboxhacker.net

Mode_B
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
This nice little piece of software eliminates the need for slax, and will put a hitachi drive in modeb in windows! This exe is a win32 app that will put a Hitachi in Mode-B by sending cdb E7 H I T 30 90 90 D0 01 Be warned: This win32 program does not use the windows API. The exe writes directly to the ATA controller’s I/O ports (which requires Geek Hideout’s I/O dll, which I have included in the rarr). It also requires that you be using an ATA – SATA adapter to connect your 360 drive to your PC, or an SATA controller that has a legacy mode (try the BIOS setup options on your controller). This new method would not be possible if not for SeventhSon. Big thanks to him for sharing his work with others! Official Site: n/a (original code by SeventhSon, update by Podger) Download: here News-Source: xbox-scene forums

Rumor: ‘furious’ MS brought forward EU price drop
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
From gamer.tm : Microsoft was forced to bring forward its European 360 price cut following the now notorious Woolworths leak, a source has said. While the new price points came as no surprise, it seems that last week’s very public Woolworths catalogue leak – which showed the revised prices – forced Microsoft to bring forward the announcement. As one industry insider revealed to us yesterday, Microsoft had been due to announce the price cut (along with a new Bungie game) at a rumoured European event next week. So the article also states, Microsoft is “furious about the incident.” And with good reason. Full Story: gamer.tm

Rumor: Xbox Partnership with Sirius XM Satelite Radio
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
From analoghype.com : With some more features to be announced in the coming weeks, rumors are already circulating about the mysterious Xbox event September 25th, with the possible announcement of a free Halo 3 map pack, preview of GTA IV DLC and the partnership with Sirius XM satelite radio. Rumor has it, you will be able to stream Sirius radio on your Xbox without any other hardware, while playing games. If this rumor is actually true, it will make the Xbox the best home entertainment deal out there. Does Playstation 3 have a chance after this possible holiday massacre? Full Story: analoghype.com

So What Happened to the Newton Xbox 360 Motion Controller?
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
From seattlepi.nwsource.com : It has been a while since I have typed the name “Newton” as in the semi-secret Xbox 360 motion controller wand project. So what happened to Newton? There are two possibilities: 1. It was delayed and they are still working on it. Either the software or games is not ready. 2. It was canceled and it will never reach market. They might have decided that it was not going to work in the Xbox accessory lineup. They might end up using the research from the Newton project on project Phoenix (the third generation Xbox AKA 720) or it might be introduced in 2009. Full Story: seattlepi.nwsource.com

More Details on XCM Rapid Fire Gear – Lite
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
XCM released more details about their XCM Rapid fire gear – Lite: Announcing the XCM Rapid Fire Gear Xbox 360 Controller Case. This case will be a direct replacement for the existing Xbox 360 wireless controller case with an added rapidfire (turbo fire) feature. Now you’ll be able to dominate your competition using a standard wireless controller! Pictures will follow shortly, so stay tuned for more information. 　 Features: – Ability to program ANY button for rapid fire (turbo). – Includes new D-Pad button – Allows the D-Pad to scroll more smoothly – Built in LED lights to light up your controller! – Utilizing a special process the surface of the controller is extra smooth to the touch. – Compatible with Wireless Xbox 360 ? Controllers. Official Site:

Microsoft Confirms Price Cuts in Europe
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
From the press release: Imagine if friends and families had the ability to instantly watch movies and share pictures, live out their musical fantasies through “Lips” (iNiS Corp./Microsoft Game Studios) and “Rock Band” (Harmonix/MTV Games) and star in their own Hollywood classics with “You’re in the Movies” (Codemasters/Microsoft Game Studios) — all from one console, starting at an estimated retail price (ERP) of only ?129.99. That is the Xbox 360?, and Microsoft today announced the new lower ERP for its Xbox 360 family of consoles in Europe. Now with an entry-level ERP of ?129.99 and offering a plethora of exciting and broad entertainment in the living room, Xbox 360 is the true home of mass market entertainment with something to offer for every interest and budget. From Friday, 19th September, Xbox 360, which includes a 60GB hard drive and one wireless controller, will have an ERP of ?169.99. The Xbox 360 Elite, which comes with a massive 120GB hard drive enabling consumers to store huge quantities of content downloaded from Xbox LIVE? Marketplace as well as their own music, will have an ERP of ?229.99. The Xbox 360 Arcade console, perfect for those wishing to make their first foray into the gaming and entertainment world of Xbox, will have an ERP of ?129.99. The new ERPs are part of Microsoft’s ongoing strategy to open up the ultimate in high-definition gaming and entertainment to an even wider audience, with something for everyone. A major part of this strategy is a new Xbox LIVE online experience coming to Europe this autumn that will reinvent home entertainment from the inside out, with a bold new look and feel that is fun, social and simple to use. It’s the first time in history that a mass market consumer electronics device has been reinvented through free software, changing the way we play games, watch movies, and even become contestants in game shows. Along with the new Xbox experience, the Xbox 360 platform is offering a stunning games portfolio for all ages and interests this Christmas, with new titles for music lovers, family-friendly games, and exciting blockbuster titles for the committed gamer. “Xbox 360 has now sold over 20 million consoles worldwide and due to its unprecedented success, we are now able to pass on the rewards of that success to the consumer with a new retail pricing from ?129.99”, said Neil Thompson, Senior Regional Director, Microsoft UK. “With more games, more entertainment with Xbox LIVE and now even more value, we are looking forward to welcoming more customers into the leading Next Generation console, Xbox 360.” For EURO countries, the prices will be 179 euros for the Arcade, 239 euros for the 60GB “Pro” and 299 euros for the Elite.

New Xbox 360 Controller Hands On
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
From eurogamer.net : If there’s one thing wrong with the Xbox 360 (apart from being about as robust as a pillar of flour in a hurricane), it’s that the directional pad on the otherwise-excellent controller is useless. It’s hard enough to navigate the dashboard menus: scrolling through lists, the cursor flies off to adjacent boxes as the d-pad decides it’s been angled left or right; and inputting text with the on-screen keyboard is like driving one of those carnival bicycles where the handlebars and front wheel turn in different directions. For games like Pro Evolution Soccer, Street Fighter II and Pac-Man Championship Edition, it’s necessary to fall back on the analogue stick – a weaker option for precise, reflexive directional combinations, but in the 360’s case still a dramatic improvement. That’s why Microsoft’s decision to rejig the Xbox 360 d-pad for a new version of the controller, due for release in October, drew so much attention when the pad mysteriously appeared on Konami’s PES stand at Games Convention in August – and why the manufacturer’s apparent disinterest is baffling. It wasn’t just announced with little fanfare; it wasn’t actually announced. We had to drag a statement out of Microsoft to confirm it was even new, and at the time of writing the company has been unable to give us a detailed explanation of how the pad’s reported 32-direction input will be implemented in games, whether it will be available for developers to patch for retrospectively, or even whether PESFan’s claim that the new d-pad will be included in all future Xbox 360 controllers – not just the limited-edition lime-green version due out next month – is true. If you ask us, whoever designed the Xbox 360 d-pad in the first place was having a bad day. Or perhaps they didn’t realise what it was for. But after a couple of days testing, it’s clear that the replacement will need software designed to take advantage of whatever magical advances live beneath its bright green exterior, because while it feels a bit different beneath your thumb, the physical change alone is insufficient to improve your average Xbox Live Arcade game. Although for some reason we do like the colour. Full Story: eurogamer.net

Peter Moore about his Career at Microsoft
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
From mcvuk.com : “The highlight of my career so far has been being part of the creation, launch and success of the Xbox 360 platform, comprising the best integration of hardware, software and services the industry has seen to date,” he explains. “What we did at Microsoft during that period was not perfect – nothing that complex ever is. We all agonised over the quality issues that some of our consumers were experiencing, but I was proud that the company took a very bold – and expensive – position to rectify the issues and make good on the problems we had caused for those who experienced hardware problems.” “We were planning the investment levels it would take to make a serious run at the top spot in the next generation, whilst seemingly making a hundred decisions a week,” he adds. “It is with pride that I can say I was a part of that team.” Full Story: mcvuk.com

Rumor: Euro 360 price cut next week?
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
From gamer.tm : Speaking to GAMER.tm, the industry insider – who understandably wishes to remain anonymous – said that Microsoft is to announce the price cut at a European event the company is due to hold during the week of 22 September. According to our source, the price cut was due to be one of Microsoft’s major announcements at the event. Although our source added that it may not have the same impact now, following last week’s leak. Our source confirmed that the prices shown in the leaked Woolworths catalogue image – GBP 129.99 for the Arcade, GBP 169.99 for the 60GB model and GBP 229.99 for the Elite – were official. Full Story: gamer.tm

2K: Microsoft’s Toolset is the Best
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
From gamasutra.com : Do you concentrate on any platform internally? Jeffrey Thomas (2K’s VP of sports development): Internally, we develop on the 360, because the toolset that Microsoft provides is a better toolset, but we also concurrently work on the PS3; so the development is going on at the same time, and there are people specializing on both. But a lot of the development that can be across the board is done on a 360, and Microsoft’s toolset is a lot better of a toolset than Sony’s. Full Story: gamasutra.com

Hidden Costs of Gaming
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
From digitalspy.co.uk : It’s a well-known fact that the big three console manufacturers – Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft – all want your money. Once you fork out a few hundred notes for a console, they have you in their mighty grip, and bleed you dry with their capitalist agendas. In some cases, this can be as much as ?300 over the next five years, not including essentials they don’t include with the console. Electricity Costs Xbox 360 – 120.45 kWh – ?19.21 a year Controllers Xbox 360 – There is no rechargeable option out of the box – a Play & Charge kit retails for ?15, and additional wireless controllers are ?30 a pop. That’s ?60 for two charge kits and an extra wireless pad. However you can save by getting a Wired controller for ?25. Television Cables Xbox 360 – Comes with component for HD out of the box, also doubling up as composite cables for those with normal tellies. While there are better SD and HD options, these options will do you just fine. Connecting to the internet Xbox 360 – Ethernet port only. If you want to get a plug in Wi-Fi receiver, it’ll set you back ?60. Other Additions * Xbox Live subscription – While the Wii and PS3 online services are free, full Gold membership costs ?40 a year on the 360. Without it, you cannot play online with others or access certain content. * Keyboard – The Wii and PS3 have full USB keyboard support for text input, whereas the 360 keypad costs ?25. Alternatively, you can spend an entire hour entering a message via the d-pad. * Downloadable Content – This is subjective, as many games offer additional content that perhaps should be in the full product, but are not on the disc. But when games such as Beautiful Katamari (360) ask you to pay to unlock things already on the disc, it reinforces the point that you have to be a millionaire playboy to get the most out of everything. Summary It should be noted that these are all optional costs – you don’t need to buy another controller, to purchase a Live subscription or run your console every day for the next few years. But many people do, and if you are thinking of getting a new system for yourself or someone else these little costs add up to something fierce. The Xbox 360 is the worst for those hidden costs, although the others aren’t exactly innocent either. When you consider this doesn’t include what you actually bought it for – the games – it shows that this hobby is a costly thing indeed. Full Story: digitalspy.co.uk

Microsoft fires game test contractor who talked to VentureBeat
Xbox Scene :: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
From venturebeat.com : Robert Delaware was the only named Microsoft worker (a contract employee) who talked — without permission — to VentureBeat for our story last week on the Xbox 360 defects. Microsoft had him fired on Wednesday. Delaware worked as a game tester at Microsoft but was employed by the temp agency Excell Data. He reported directly to a Microsoft manager, who told him he was being let go because of the VentureBeat article. Delaware, a 29-year-old Seattle resident, expects to face civil charges from his former employer VMC (which tests games for Microsoft) and Microsoft as well. He will likely have to hire a lawyer. Microsoft spokesman David Dennis said the company does not talk about personnel issues. “I don’t regret it,” he said in a phone call on Thursday. “I’ll fight it. If they want to come after me, bring it on.” Full Story: venturebeat.com

Maximus 360 Xtractor Tool – Dumps Liteon Keys
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 11, 2008
From maximusgames.net : The new ALL-IN-ONE Tool, It supports POWER KIT + SERIAL RS232 + USB Tool, throw away anything else you have been using, this is all you need to update/reflash your drive safely. After endless hours of design and testing we are proud to offer this high quality product. Feature List: – RS232 Support (Liteon Key dumping) – USB Support inside Windows (Liteon Key dumping) – Power Feed all XBOX 360 Drives – Automatic Mode-B on Hitachi 59 and earlier (78/79 require slax) – Compatible with already released tools (dvdkey/dvdkey32) – Native Toolbox support soon – Onboard ON/OFF switch – Onboard Eject tactile switch – High Quality and Heavy Duty Parts – Safe and Tested Design – Other small features to be released will be announced later START SHIPPING ON 29 Sept 08 PREORDER NOW !! Official Site: maximusgames.net

10 Xbox 360 tricks Microsoft doesn’t tell you
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 11, 2008
From techradar.com : Essential hacks, tricks and secrets for Microsoft’s supposedly closed system 1. Connect your Xbox 360 to two screens at once 2. Play your own music in original Xbox games 3. It can write its own blog 4. Play Xbox 360 games online for free – without a Live account 5. Interact with your Xbox 360 music 6. Connect your Xbox 360 to a wireless network without an official adaptor 7. Play music from your iPod 8. Reset your Xbox 360 video settings 9. Play any media file, plus online videos on your Xbox 360 10. Use any HDMI cable and still get digital surround sound Full Story: techradar.com

Microsoft: Xbox 360 sales surge on price cut
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 11, 2008
From seattlepi.nwsource.com : Microsoft said today that Xbox 360 sales rose significantly following the price cuts announced by the company last week. The company said retailers are reporting that sales of the video-game console increased more than 100 percent over the weekend, compared with the prior weekend. Of course, it remains to be seen if those bumps will be temporary or lasting. Full Story: seattlepi.nwsource.com

GG2 Creator: Easier for a Small and Mid-sized Developer on 360
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 11, 2008
From siliconera.com : * How come Guilty Gear 2is an Xbox 360 exclusive? This game looks like it could be a PlayStation 3 title too. * Daisuke Ishiwatari: It was easier for a small-and-mid-sized developer like us to develop a game for XBOX360 than PS3. Also, since the main feature of the game is the network battle, XBOX 360 with organized network infrastructure was considered more suitable for the game. This GG2 was the first title that we took the overseas development into consideration and since Xbox 360 had been widely used especially in the U.S., we wanted to challenge the system. Full Story: siliconera.com

New Xbox 360 games copied to HDD won’t load much faster
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 11, 2008
From gamersglobal.com : Xbox Product Manager Germany Boris Schneider-Johne states in a utmost interesting interview with Golem.de that this [quicker load times when playing games from HDD] won’t be the case for the majority of 360 games. “We now allow the customer to install games on their hard drive. This is optional, you don’t have to do it. But if I do it, these games will load faster because a DVD-drive with seek operation does have load times every now and then. There are prominent examples, for instance: Project Gotham Racing 3, one of the first games for the Xbox 360. There the load times have been very long; those are going to get reduced immensely. Recent games are already optimized; there the gain is relatively small.” Full Story: gamersglobal.com

Bach: Xbox Biz Unaffected by Slumping Economy
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 11, 2008
From edge-online.com : Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division, says his unit hasn’t seen a slowdown in consumer spending in the face of the economic downturn. Bach went on to add that the Xbox business has been doing very well. He said that the videogame industry moves on new release cycles rather than economic ones and predicted a strong holiday shopping season for Xbox. Full Story: edge-online.com

Xbox Live Makes Adweek’s Digital Hot List
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 11, 2008
From kotaku.com : Adweek has just released their Digital Hot List – a yearly list of top digital destinations for advertisers – and right up there with the big boys like Google, Facebook, and…Stardoll, is Microsoft’s Xbox Live service. Measuring statistics such as year over year growth, pages viewed per users, and time spent on pages, along with factors like ad innovation and cultural influence, Adweek has ranked Xbox Live as number 7 on its list, falling neatly between YouTube and The Huffington Post. Full Story: kotaku.com

Midway admit Xbox 360 European concern
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 11, 2008
From play.tm : European Midway chief Martin Spiess has conceded in a new interview that the publisher are somewhat concerned by the performance of the Xbox 360 console in Europe. “I don’t know what it’s like for other companies, but the market is not as big as the US market, so naturally we have lower attachment rates,” Spiess offers. “But it could be growing to the same size as the US – the only problem we have right now is that we see in certain territories Microsoft is lagging behind. Sony has become very strong, Nintendo has become very strong, but the Microsoft market in certain territories is concerning.” Full Story: play.tm

PR: Xbox LIVE Creates New Political Forum
Xbox Scene :: Thursday, September 11, 2008
From the press release: The online entertainment service best-known for great multiplayer games like “Halo 3” is creating a forum fueled by a different type of passion: the 2008 U.S. elections. Starting Tuesday, September 9, Xbox LIVE members will receive an early opportunity to cast their vote – via a Gamerpic download – with poll results posted next week on Xbox.com. Gamerpics are visual representations of gamers’ personalities, available for download through Xbox LIVE. “Voters” will have the option of downloading a Gamerpic for McCain, Obama, Other or Undecided. When the download is complete, they will be automatically entered for a chance to win a Gibson? guitar for their part in rocking the vote. With more than 12 million active LIVE members worldwide, this unofficial poll could serve as a sneak peek into young Americans’ perspective leading into November’s elections. The breakthrough partnership with Rock the Vote allows Xbox LIVE members to quickly and easily register to vote, which removes one of the biggest barriers, especially for first-time voters: research. With only two U.S. states providing online voter registration (Arizona and Washington, respectively), Xbox LIVE is going where young voters are, online – and simplifying the registration process. In less than five mouse clicks, a young American can have their voter registration information complete, along with information where to send via U.S. mail. This fall, Rock the Vote aims to help register two million young voters.

Interview with Phil Spencer – new head of Microsoft Game Studios
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From oxm.co.uk : * You’ve got the Halo franchise, and you’ve got GOW 2… do you think you need to develop any new kind of hardcore gaming franchises? Obviously you’ve got Lips and you’ve got You’re In The Movies, do you have any other kind of new platform exclusive hardcore titles coming? Do you think that’s important? * I think it’s very important, and the next game I’m shipping is a core brand new IP franchise. The amount of new IP that we’ve brought to the market on the 360, it’s one of the things I’m proud of. Gears for me is an interesting case study. Two years ago, nobody had played a game like that, played a version of Gears of War. Now, people kind of talk about it as a franchise that’s been around forever, as if it’s an old IP or an old franchise, which I think is the strength of that brand that’s been built. Our history to date on our platform; Crackdown, Gears of War, Too Human, games that really want to focus on the core, I think our track record speaks for itself there and it can continue to be part of Microsoft Game Studios. * So you will have new exclusive IPs coming? * Absolutely, absolutely. * What will you do differently to Shane Kim for Microsoft Game Studios? * The evolution of the platform for me opens up interesting opportunities for us content creators. The new Xbox experience that we announced on Monday, Live continuing to grow, the majority of our Live customers being gold customers, allows us to push beyond just retail games, which we’ve already done with DLC and different experiences, with people continuing to buy maps or whatever we deliver… but stepping back and really thinking about that connecting gamers and the entertainment experiences that we can bring. The primetime stuff that we showed, that we announced at the briefing was a great example of that, of a new gaming experience, of this idea of programming certain timeslots, and certain experiences like the one vs. 100 game, not just for that but for all types of games, creating interesting opportunities. Full Story: oxm.co.uk

Gamefest 2008 Presentations now Available Online
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From the Team XNA Blog : This year’s Gamefest included exciting announcements about Games for Windows – LIVE and Xbox LIVE Community Games . Now, you can enjoy the interesting and informative Gamefest 2008 presentations from the comfort of your own home! We’ve posted many of the presentation’s slides and audio at XNAGamefest.com Enjoy!

Deals: Free MS points with 360 purchase, 15usd games and more
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From xbox360fanboy.com : If you’re going to take advantage of the new price cut, we advise heading over to Circuit City where they’ll toss in a free 1600 Microsoft point card with any console purchase. They’re also selling GRAW2, Saints Row and Dead Rising for $15 and giving away a free tshirt and $10 gift card with the purchase of Force Unleashed. Full Story: xbox360fanboy.com

Google TechTalk: The Xbox 360 Security System and its Weaknesses
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
Here’s a video of the Google Tech Talks titled “The Xbox 360 Security System and its Weaknesses” by Michael Steil (mist) and Felix Domke (tmbinc): “After the disaster of the original Xbox, Microsoft put a lot of effort in designing what is probably the most sophisticated consumer hardware security system… ” News-Source: xbox-linux.org

Xbox 360 defects: an inside history of Microsoft’s video game console woes
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From venturebeat.com : Microsoft knew it had flawed machines, but it did not delay its launch because it believed the quality problems would subside over time. With each new machine, the company figured it would ride the “learning curve,” or continuously improve its production. Even though Microsoft’s leaders knew their quality wasn’t top notch, they did not ensure that resources were in place to handle returns and quickly debug bad consoles. There were plenty of warning signs, but the company chose to ignore them. The different parts of the business weren’t aligned. Microsoft’s strategy depended on beating its rivals to market. It couldn’t afford to stop and delay the launch in order to solve its quality problems, or so upper management believed. What Microsoft’s leaders didn’t realize was that getting to market first with a flawed machine would only win them a battle; and it risked the loss of the war. “They got enamored with the idea of the Microsoft army rolling everything out at the same time,” said one knowledgeable source who asked not to be identified. The quality problem negated much of the advantage of going first, and it has delayed the company’s plan to aggressively market the console and slash its prices. (Microsoft disputes this point; it cut the price of all three versions of its Xbox consoles by $50 to $79 on Wednesday. And the company believes it will sell more boxes than Sony will. But prices ought to be lower still during this stage of the console life cycle). That has stopped the company from reaching the broader market of consumers that Nintendo has won over. It has lowered its ambitions, hoping instead just to get a clear edge on third-placed Sony. The future profits that the company once hoped for are now likely to wind up in Nintendo’s pockets. “Fundamentally, their thinking shows that they are a software company at heart,” said one veteran manufacturing executive. “They put something out and figure they can fix it with the next patch or come up with a bug fix.” Full Story: venturebeat.com (6 pages)

The Red Carpet Rolls Out for ‘Xbox Live Film Club’
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From the Microsoft press release Xbox today announces a unique initiative that will enable entertainment fans to see some of the most anticipated new movies before their theatrical release. The “Xbox LIVE Film Club” will be delivering a number of sneak preview screenings to a select group of Xbox fans in an exclusive setting, giving them the chance to see brand new movie titles before anyone else. Commenting on the new programme and the films lined up, James Houlton Xbox LIVE Marketing Manager, Microsoft UK said: “We’ve got some truly compelling blockbuster titles and HD content on our Xbox LIVE Video Store service, with recent smashes Cloverfield, Stardust, Beowulf, The Kite Runner and I Am Legend all resonating extremely well with our audience. Now with the launch of the “Xbox Film Club”, Xbox fans will be able to get the jump on their friends and see some of the biggest films of the year before anybody else.” But it’s not just the lucky Xbox LIVE Film Club winners who get see great movies, as a raft of new films are being constantly added to LIVE Video Store. The past couple of weeks have seen the addition of No Country For Old Men,10,000BC,The Bucket List and crime classic Bullitt to name a few. For more information on how to win the chance to get involved with the Xbox Film Club, head to www.xbox.com/filmclub

Tokyo Game Show – John Schappert Keynote Address Details
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From gamerscoreblog.com : Tokyo Game Show 2008 is quickly approaching, and we wanted to take a moment to let you know that Microsoft Corporate Vice President of LIVE, Software and Sales, John Schappert will host a keynote address, Thursday, October 9 at 12:00 p.m. Titled “A Canvas for the World,” Mr. Schappert will provide an in-depth look at how Xbox 360 will bring more people together than ever before to enjoy the next wave of interactive entertainment experiences. As a reminder, we will not take RSVPs for the keynote this year in accordance to TGS regulations. Keynote attendance will be determined on a first-come, first-serve basis, depending on when you register for the conference. For more information on registration, please visit TGS Keynote Address with John Schappert When: Thursday, October 9 at 12:00 p.m. – 12:50 p.m. Where: Makuhari Messe International Conference Hall

Rumour: Intel wants Larrabee in Xbox 720
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From tweaktown.com : Intel is pulling out all the stops to get its Larrabee GPUs inside Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox (Xbox 720) or another console, according to The Inquirer citing unnamed sources. As rumours go this doesn’t sound too off the mark. MS needs a graphics chip for the Xbox 720, and Intel, along with NVIDIA and AMD, will have suitable parts available. The bigger surprise would be that MS refused to even hear Intel’s sales pitch. But the Inq has gone further to say that Intel is doing everything it can to table an deal MS can’t refuse, going so far as offering to do the engineering work on thermal design (hopefully ensuring we won’t ever see a repeat of the RROD nightmare), and is even prepared to hand over the rights so that MS can get the chip manufactured at any fab it chooses. The main motivation behind all this for Intel is developer support. The PC graphics card installed base is dominated by NV with around 60% and AMD with 30% (according to the Valve Hardware Survey), and it’s just basic economics that games developers will devote most of their resources to design and test their new titles on these two families of cards. Full Story: tweaktown.com

Can Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Hold its Second-Place Ranking?
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From schaeffersresearch.com : According to an interview with The Wall Street Journal, a Microsoft exec noted that about 75% of hardware sales take place following a price cut below $200. What’s more, GameStop (GME) has boosted its expectations for Xbox 360 sales following the price drop, telling BusinessWeek that it expects sales to jump “anywhere from 1.5 times to 3 times current levels” as a result. But while MSFT expects to continue to outpace Sony’s PS3 sales, Nintendo may already be untouchable. In an interview with BusinessWeek, Don Mattrick, senior vice-president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business, said “I’m not at a point where I can say we’re going to beat Nintendo.” Full Story: schaeffersresearch.com

Microsoft says no Xbox 360 ‘price drop’ in the UK
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From pocket-lint.co.uk : Microsoft has said that it won’t be passing on the price cuts in the US to its Xbox 360 console to the UK Pocket-lint has learnt. “Pricing is handled on a region-by-region basis. We do not have a price drop in this region to announce”, was the official word. The news means that the Xbox 360 Arcade official price is now ?48 more expensive in the UK than the US. Full Story: pocket-lint.co.uk

US Xbox 360 Price Cut Official! Arcade 199, 60GB 299, Elite 399 USD
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From majornelson.com : It’s official: We’ve got an Xbox 360 price cut coming to the US. Our friends in Japan announced their price cut earlier this week, but now it’s time to roll one out here. As of September 5th, the new prices will be as follows: Xbox 360 Arcade $199 Xbox 360 $299 Xbox 360 Elite $399

Analysts: Japan Xbox 360 Price Cuts Precursors To North American Cuts
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From gamasutra.com : Though Japan has traditionally been a weak market for the Xbox 360, Microsoft recently applied price cuts of about 30 percent there, following a complete sellout thanks to the launch of popular RPG Tales of Vesperia. The basic Arcade SKU was discounted to to ?19,800 ($183), the 60GB Pro to ?29,800 ($276), and the 120GB Elite to ?39,800 ($368). Says Sebastian, “We believe the Japan announcement is a likely precursor to more aggressive pricing of the Xbox 360 in the U.S, and we continue to expect a lower $199 price point on the base Arcade SKU (below the $249 Wii price point), as well as lower $299 and $399 prices for the 60GB and 120GB versions, respectively.” Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter says comparisons to previous console generations show “room for significant sales growth” this year if price cuts are implemented. Pachter currently sees “relatively stagnant demand” for Xbox 360, and pegs September 7 as the date speculated for Microsoft to reduce prices. Full Story: gamasutra.com

Xbox Japan Honcho Says Price Cut Leak Was ‘Disappointing’
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From kotaku.com : Yesterday’s big announcement at the Tokyo Xbox Media Briefing 2008 was across the board Xbox 360 console price cuts. But that news was leaked early! Whoops. Microsoft was left with announcing, hrm, what exactly was Microsoft left with? After the event, we tracked down Xbox Japan honcho Takashi Sensui: * Was it disappointing that the console price cuts leaked before you could announce it? “It was disappointing. Very unfortunate.” * That was your only big announcement today. “That was one of our big announcements.” Full Story: kotaku.com

PAX 08: A few fresh New Xbox Experience tidbits
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From xbox360fanboy.com : What exciting dash goodness? Check the list below: * Holy beautiful transitions! This latest Fall update build included never before seen transition effects including nifty fades, smooth sweeps and (our personal favorite) the guide pop up animation. We can’t explain the transition effects, but trust that their addition definitely enhances the overall dashboard experience. Yum! * Dashboard themes will now instantly load a preview when hovered over. And, as an added bonus, the preview loading effect is sexy as hell. * While in a party, each person’s gamer picture is placed on the top right hand side of the dashboard. When alone and party-less, only your gamer picture and gamercard are displayed. * Your overly Wii-like Avatar’s comic-style text balloon displays your gamercard’s motto. * EVERY Xbox 360 game’s Xbox.com information (including game description, features and screenshots) is pulled into the dashboard while browsing the Xbox Live Marketplace. Full Story: xbox360fanboy.com | bootleg recording of presentation

Microsoft: Exclusives ‘a little less important’
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From gamerush.zoomshare.com : Boris Schneider-Johne, product manager for Xbox 360 at Microsoft Germany, explained the company’s stance on the importance of exclusive titles. “That is difficult to assess. In the past, in the eighties and nineties, that was a major issue. I remember the big ‘Mario vs. Sonic’ debates. What we see today is that the influence of exclusive titles on the sales curves becomes ever smaller,” Schneider-Johne told Golem.de in an interview. “In addition, we are in a situation that there is a head-to-head race on several consoles and that nobody is super clear in leadership – especially in matters of the PlayStation 3 against Xbox 360.” Full Story: gamerush.zoomshare.com

XCM Bestilt 2.0
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
XCM announced a new version of Bestilt – a device that adds tilt sensitivity to the Xbox 360 controller: We just upgrade the XCM Bestilt to 2.0 version, it can be compatible with the current wireless 360 controller now. Official Site:

Maximus 360 Firmware Toolbox v4.8
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
Maximus released a new version of his 360 Firmware Toolbox(info )(info ). What’s new/fixed (since v4.6): * ADDED: Custom Spoofing Option on “Tools->Spoof Firmware” option (it asks for your 96 bytes inquiry.bin), this could be safer for spoofing drives to Liteon because appears Liteon drives have per-drive specific inquiry response. If you lost you inquiry.bin file and cannot redump it, then go ahead with listed Liteon spoofing option (it will work but you will not have the factory value). * ADDED: You can now open key.bin file from main window instead of manually type the key (will ask for a 16 bytes file). * FIXED: Clicking on firmware file didnt open properly on toolbox. * ADDED: Spoofing drives to Liteon DG model * ADDED: Detect/Remove Hardware (DVD-ROM) (on File Menu) * ADDED: Ixtreme 1.4 No-Check Bit firmware for 79 Drives * FIXED: Several bugs. * Note: The No-check bit option for 79 drives is not set as default firmware on Smart hack patcher option, you need to choose it from the list on the Special Firmwares section, the reason is it could be unsafe and lead to M$ detection. *Note – At this time, it is currently not confirmed safe to use a samsung or hitachi in place of the lite-on. This is due to a specific identification tag that is generated with the SS. There will be firmwares released in the next few weeks to account for the correct values! -Iriez Official Site: (thx to hitman43 for the news) Download: here

Microsoft Japan to cut price of Xbox 360 console by 30 pct
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From tradingmarkets.com : The Japanese unit of U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp plans to slash the price of its Xbox 360 home video game console by nearly 30 percent in a move that will undercut the more popular Wii machine from Nintendo Co, the Nikkei reported on Monday, without citing sources. Microsoft will lower the price of the Xbox 360’s Arcade model by 8,000 yen ($73.50) to 19,800 yen, making the device the first among competing consoles to carry a price tag less than 20,000 yen, the business daily said. The company will reduce the prices of the two other models as well by 5,000 yen to 8,000 yen, the report said. Full Story: tradingmarkets.com

GoW2 Producer Talks about Used Xbox360 Potential
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
From gamasutra.com : Gamasutra: We’re getting a few years into the Xbox 360 lifespan experience; where do you think we are, technologically, in terms of the potential of the system, this generation? * Rod Fergusson: That’s a good question. I mean, I’m not the technical guy, so my ability to speak to where the engine goes is — all I know is that with the two to three more years of optimization that we’ve had, we’re much further along than I think, three years ago, we thought we were going to get. So I think we’re certainly approaching the upper end of it, as far as what developers are able to do with it, but just looking at all the demos we saw today — ours and others — it’s clear that all the games just keep improving, and keep pushing that bar. I think it’s just a matter of, you know, it’s a slow cycle; you only get a kick at it every couple years, and so it takes a while for people to see that progress. There will be games in development that won’t ship until 2010, and I’m sure they’ll look killer, just because, again, they’ll have more time with it, and learn from mistakes and optimizations of others. So, I don’t know; I think we’re getting up there, but I still think there’s room to grow. Full Story: gamasutra.com (6 pages)

DVDKey32 Lite-On Key Retriever
Xbox Scene :: Monday, September 08, 2008
>>A Software/Hardware combination method has been discovered on how to extract your drivekey for a lite-on drive… This exe is a win32 app that extracts the drive key from the Lite-On 360 drive via Serial. Be warned: This win32 program does not use the windows API. The exe writes directly to the ATA controller’s I/O ports (which requires Geek Hideout’s I/O dll, which I have included in the rar). It also requires that you be using an ATA – SATA adapter to connect your 360 drive to your PC, or an SATA controller that has a legacy mode (try the BIOS setup options on your controller). Geremia – initial concept C4eva – the CDB’s and how to send them Podger – for the code Seventhson – for the userspace parallel ATA driver *Please note that this is NOT a firmware hack for a lite-on drive. It is just a way to retrieve the key from the drive for use with another drive (samsung, hitachi, benq) that is capable of being modified. This release is a revision of the original DVDKey released by Geremia for use within a windows operating system. You can find the original DOS based version by Geremia here DeViLs360 has written a thorough tutorial using the DOS based version of DVDKey here , and should be updating shortly to include DVDKey32. The tutorial includes the creation of the RS232 Serial cable to connect to the drive, getting the key from the lite-on and spoofing it to work with another drive. Official Site: n/a (by c4e, podger and Geremia) Download: here News-Source: xbins

SumoSac Sultan Luxury ‘Beanbag’ Chair Review
The Tech Lounge :: Friday, September 05, 2008
“Endurance gamers will love the Sumo Sac Sultan. The huge pillow easily accommodates nearly any size human, and at least two average- sized ones. If you are looking for a man-chair to add to your furniture fold, consider the Sultan. Apartment residents wanting to save space and avoid shoving a couch up three flights of stairs may find a Sumo Sac a suitable alternative. The Sumo Sultan will suffice for basically any application you can think of for a huge bag of comfort… just don’t operate heavy machinery after use.”

Mercenaries 2: World In Flames (X360 & PS3) Review
Gaming Heaven :: Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Mercenaries 2: World In Flames is set to appeal to the destructive side of everyones nature. You can blow up buildings, destroy tanks and set things on fire. So far it sounds good, but can this game stand out from the pack and grab your attention, long term? We aim to find out.

Verbatim PhotoSave DVD Review

OCMS News September 2008

Related posts

FSR 4.1 Black Flag Resynced | Driver Update Disaster

Xbox layoffs (PARODY) | The real reason they’re shutting down

The Steam Machine Problem Nobody’s Talking About