Chris Pirillo » xbox

Chronicles of Riddick Game Review

Chris — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:49:30 +0000

Chronicles of Riddick Game Review is a post from Chris Pirillo

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My friend Michelle has done a few game reviews for us lately. She’s a gamer, and I am not! I figured it would be much better for all of you to get an idea what these games are really like from someone who knows what they are doing – and who loves to play. This time, Michelle is taking on Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena for the Xbox.

The graphics on this game are just amazing. I couldn’t get over how clear and awesome they are. This game is an FPS, with a theme involved. It’s based on the Riddick series, if you’ve seen the movies. You’re playing Riddick, and you can turn on various features to add to your game play.

In the dark corners of outer space, the predatory Merc-ship Dark Athena bides its time, waiting for its prey. But the ship’s merciless crew has little idea what they’re up against in the rugged and ruthless man known as Riddick. Get ready for a journey into an intense and dangerous science fiction world as you assume the role of this enigmatic antihero, relying on your stealth, speed and strategy to overcome the Dark Athena crew and do your best to cheat death.

Assume the role of the enigmatic antihero Riddick, played in the films by Vin Diesel, as you attempt to overcome the crew of the Merc-ship Dark Athena. Employ multiple forms of combat, including both ranged and melee, complete with counterattacks and stealth kills. Shoot your way through Riddick’s world, depicted with Hollywood-quality cinematic intensity. Share the horror with friends in new multiplayer and online options, available for the first time in the Riddick franchise.

Michelle claims she’s not normally “in to” FPS games, and that she’s not very good at them. However, she likes this game more than others she’s played. Instead of running around looking for bad guys to shoot at, you wait in the dark for one to come by. You then take them on, one-on-one.

One of the cool things with this game is that you can grab the body of the person you just killed, and drag it somewhere to hide. That way, when new bad guys come along, they won’t be alerted to your presence. That, in my opinion, makes the game a level above others of its type.

Michelle also notes that interaction within the game World is astounding. For instance, if you’re backing up and you run into a doorway, the character reacts appropriately – with the arm moving to show the contact with the doorway.

Michelle was lucky to meet Vin Diesel a few years ago, and states he is shorter than you would guess from the movies… but that he was a great guy. That meeting, and her love of the Riddick series itself, is why she has quickly gotten into this game. The graphics and the game itself kept her in it.

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Sacred 2: Fallen Angel Xbox Game Review

Chris — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:09:23 +0000

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel Xbox Game Review is a post from Chris Pirillo

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It’s a good thing I have a friend like Michelle here in Seattle. She’s a gamer – and I am not. I like to play casual games, but I just never quite got into RPGs. It would be silly for me to attempt to give a review of one, since I honestly don’t know how to properly play them!

Michelle’s been a gamer for years, and her specialty is RPGs. She admits to being hooked on Oblivion, although she does expect to spend quite a bit of time with this copy of Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. She loves the fact that the game gets into the storyline quickly, and gives her a lot of opportunities to kill things. Would you believe she’s an expert marksman in “real” life?! I do.

Sacred 2 is the superb 3D enhanced sequel to the original Sacred, and provides more action, monsters, scenes, weapons, combos and feedback for even more fun. The game features a massive, seamless and dynamic world delivering hundreds of hours of free-form exploration. You can choose to play on one of two campaigns: the “Light” or “Shadow” side (much like Alliance vs Horde in World of Warcraft). There are six different types of characters to choose from, each with their own look and capabilities.

The only real drawback that Michelle doesn’t like is the camera angle. She says the camera kind of is behind the character, and above it. She keeps having to zoom in while in combat, and the camera tends to just revert to being zoomed out on its own. The controls are apparently a tad different than with other games, but is easy to get the hang of.

All in all, Michelle thinks that this is definitely going to be a game you’re going to spend hours losing yourself in if you are into RPGs.

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Guitar Hero World Tour for the Xbox 360

Chris — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:16:34 +0000

Guitar Hero World Tour for the Xbox 360 is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I’ve long teased those of you who play Guitar Hero and Rock Band, so this video was a long time in coming. However, I had never played either of them. So, I decided it was high time to try it out for myself. Are you prepared for the awesomeness that is me?

Even just unboxing the game was overwhelming for me. Keep in mind, I’ve never played something like this – I’m normally a casual gamer! Also, I just don’t have a musical bone in my body. Thank goodness I had a few hundred people hanging out in my chat room, giving me tips and pointers as to how to set this whole thing up. I’d have never made it!

If you’ve been following the game’s progress, you’ll already know how impressive the set list is. From Van Halen to Jimi Hendrix to Joe Satriani to Tool, the lineup of included tracks is mighty impressive. There are even a couple surprises on there, such as Willie Nelson’s live rendition of “On the Road Again”, which actually turned out to be one of the most fun tracks on the disc.
One pretty interesting bit about the track listing is that Activision and Neversoft managed to sign on Tool to contribute three songs. Fans of the band (including myself) are obviously pleased by this, but what’s really worth noting here is that Neversoft worked with the band to create something unique and different than the other content from the game. The songs are originally played in a Tool-specific venue that blends art and content from some of the band’s more recent album work and videos. You don’t even see any band members — it’s just the pulsing, undulating and flowing artwork and the note highways. It’s very cool to see that Neversoft was capable of working with the band so closely and that it was able to portray the art and mood so well.

Now that everything is set up and ready to go – it’s time to play! I already know I can’t sing my way out of a wet paper bag, so I guess I’ll get to that first. What’s your favorite part of Guitar Hero World Tour? Are you a singer? Do you whale on the drums? Or are you a future guitarist?

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How to (not) Play Guitar with Guitar Hero World Tour

Chris — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:48:46 +0000

How to (not) Play Guitar with Guitar Hero World Tour is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Now that I’ve become a master at singing and drumming on Guitar Hero World Tour, I decided I was ready to play the guitar. How hard can it be? It’s already obvious that I’m going to be giving up my day job in favor of touring with Nickelback.

I chose to play along with the same Kurt Cobain song. However, I must not have been doing something else right. It was recording strokes, but it wasn’t showing any hits. The guitar has to be defective! That’s the only answer that is possible. The game informed me that I probably needed to blame it on lag, and calibrate my television.

My live chat members informed me I needed to use my thumb and strum along at the same time. Ok! Now we’re cooking with gas! I did such an amazing job that I unlocked two achievements! I bet even Jimi Hendrix would be proud!

Guitar Hero Coupons & Deals:

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How to (not) Drum with Guitar Hero World Tour

Chris — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:22:38 +0000

How to (not) Drum with Guitar Hero World Tour is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Once I made the video of myself singing along with Guitar Hero World Tour, I decided to move up to trying to play the drums. I scored a 94% on the singing part, so maybe this whole drumming thing will be easy! I put the level on “Beginner”, and nearly had heart failure when the game tried to play the song at full speed. No way in heck. They must be on crack!

As the song started, I know people in my chat room were groaning and holding their head. I didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing! For one thing, the song was too slow. So, I sped it up. However, I still wasn’t quite sure. I mean, honestly. I don’t have any musical talent whatsoever. I wasn’t sure when or where to hit the sticks even! I begged for help, to no avail. So… I just kept smacking the drumstick how I thought it should be. It’s easy! Really!

Have you played Guitar Hero World Tour yet? If so, what’s your experience been like? What is your favorite part? Are you the next great drummer of our time? Drop me a line, and tell me all about your time as a Rock Star.

Guitar Hero Coupons & Deals:

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How to (not) Sing with Guitar Hero World Tour

Chris — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:58:27 +0000

How to (not) Sing with Guitar Hero World Tour is a post from Chris Pirillo

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With the recording of this video, I lost my Guitar Hero virginity. The first thing I wanted to attempt was to sing. It’s not that bad… right? I have the new Guitar Hero World Tour for my Xbox, so I had to play it live, of course!

Guitar Hero World Tour builds on the existing gameplay from previous Guitar Hero games, in which players attempt to simulate the playing of rock music using special guitar-shaped controllers. World Tour expands beyond the core guitar-based gameplay by introducing the ability to play drums or sing vocals, and supporting the ability for up to four players to play together in a virtual band through these different instruments. Successfully hitting notes increases the player’s or band’s score, as well as increase the “Rock Meter” that represents the song’s performance. Missed notes are not scored and negatively affect the Rock Meter. If the Rock Meter drops too low, the song ends prematurely, with the virtual audience booing the band off stage. Similar to Rock Band, the band shares a common score and scoring multiplier and band performance meter while each player has their own performance metric; the band also shares the same Star Power meter, and all members of the band must perform the appropriate moves at the same time to activate it. A player that performs poorly and reduces their performance meter to zero can still continue to play, but they drain the overall performance meter for the band, requiring the other players to make up for this. Successfully completing a song garners a three to five-star rating based on the accumulated score, and rewards such as in-game money to be used to buy new guitars and outfits for characters.

Guitar Hero Coupons & Deals:

RedOctane Guitar Hero Store - Free Shipping w/ $99 Purchase - Posted on 9/10/08 and Expires on 12/31/15
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What do you think? Should I be the next Kurt Cobain and head out on my own World Tour?

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Do You Like the Xbox 360 Dashboard Experience?

Chris — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:20:59 +0000

Do You Like the Xbox 360 Dashboard Experience? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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About two weeks ago, we saw the new Xbox Experience. The Dashboard was reinvented. If you ask what I think… I like it a lot. This is radically different from what I’m used to. It’s a richer experience.

The New Xbox Experience reinvents home entertainment from the inside out, changing the way we play games, watch movies and TV shows and interact with friends and family. It all begins this fall with a bold new look and feel that is fun, social, and simple to use.
The New Xbox Experience represents the first time in history that a mass market consumer electronics device has been reinvented through free software. Now you have more fun and intuitive ways to interact, play and enjoy entertainment. To get the free update, connect to Xbox LIVE® today.

The new Dashboard will explain how the new avatars can be integrated into your games. This is just so much easier to navigate and find where you want to be. Xbox 360 is the only game console to offer instant streaming of over 10,000 videos from Netflix, with approximately 300 titles in HD! I mean, how cool is that?

The new dashboard divides content, settings, and functions into eight categories, each represented by a horizontal row of boxes. The new look is clean, easy to navigate, and aesthetically pleasing. You’ll have a blast with all the new features.

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Have You Ever Raced an ATV?

Chris — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:47:34 +0000

Have You Ever Raced an ATV? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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This morning, I opened my front door and found the package waiting for me that contained the new game from Disney. It’s called Pure, and is for the Xbox 360. Pure is a racing game, where you race an ATV.

The formula for Pure is simple: Take one off-road vehicle– the quad– and use it to rewrite the rules on what “video game extreme” really means. This is not dissimilar to what the Tony Hawk series did with the skateboard.
On the foundation side of things, one trip to the fleshed out, create-an-ATV Garage section will make it clear that Pure’s concentration on just quads was a good move. Intricately detailed and fully customizable four wheelers are comprised of a dizzying amount of polygons and animated parts. Real-deal bits from reputable sponsors help users in-the-know create copies of the hot machines currently in the ATV scene. Top one of Pure’s ATV’s off with an uber-flexible rider capable of uncanny trick sets, and you have the basis for a top-tier, extreme off-roader.

A little while before recording this video, I went through the training in the game. The people in the chat room watched me play, and saw me come in 16h place. Yes, there were only 16 places, but come on! It was my first time playing! The problem with this game is that it’s so high-action and graphics intense, I don’t think my webcam picked it up very well.

The game has excellent graphics, great handling… and it’s just an awesome game. The soundtrack really rocks out, too! I played again, and tried my best to win. So I like riding on hills and smashing into things. Isn’t that what makes it fun?!

Anyway, Pure is now available for purchase. My recommendation is that you grab it as soon as you have a chance. You’re not going to be disappointed, and that’s a guarantee.

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Would You Like to Fight Yoda or Darth Vader?

Chris — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:42:04 +0000

Would You Like to Fight Yoda or Darth Vader? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I grew up in a simpler time in respect to video games. Because of that, I’m still very much just a casual gamer. I don’t really go to arcades anymore, but I grew up with them. I have my own arcade in my office now. Soulcaliber IV is out for the Xbox 360 (and other platforms) now, and one of the characters you can play is Yoda! I grew up with Yoda!

Set to reveal many long-kept secrets, Soulcaliber IV takes place in the 16th century, and involves a legendary cast of characters, each motivated by a unique set of circumstances, but each with the same goal: to emerge victorious in order to claim the powerful Soul Swords, Soul Edge and Soul Caliber.
As you prepare to join this formidable lineup of combatants, you can customize your character and select fearsome, powerful weapons perfectly suited for deadly combat. Fight for the two soul swords with contenders from all over the World – and even beyond, as two new enigmatic characters from a galaxy far, far away make their dramatic appearance.

I realize that some of you are really into the whole fighting genre of games. I would consider myself as intermediate in terms of trying to fight, button mash, and try to defeat other characters. I had to try this out, and play Yoda. I wanted to unleash some of these moves in the game.

As I started to play the game, I noticed all the different modes and the fact that I could create a character and customize it if I chose to. Of course, I chose single-player mode. I started off at the training level, since I’ve never played this before. Yoda, of course, looks awesome. The graphics are amazing. I know my webcam isn’t able to keep up with the action very well, but the quality is just excellent.

I grew up as a Star Wars Geek. I remember playing The Empire Strikes Back on my Atari years ago. Playing this game is bringing back memories of that, and taking my game playing to a whole new level. Thumbs up… way up.

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Would You Like to be a Ninja?

Chris — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:11:51 +0000

Would You Like to be a Ninja? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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This, my friends, is my Ninja. This is the way of the Ninja – N+. This is a game that is coming soon to the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. It’s also available already on the Xbox 360 Marketplace. You can download it to your Mac or PC to try it out, as well.

In a futuristic world populated by inadvertantly homicidal robots, a lone ninja must use acrobatic skill and iron-clad guts of steel to survive in this fast-paced, balls-to-the-wall action-puzzle platform.
N+ features unique and freeing physics-based control, mind-blowing style, a built-in level editor and several flavours of sweet, sweet multiplayer goodness. Plus, save and view replays of high-score runs.
N+ virtually gaurantees a 38% increase in ninjas, robots, and your personal popularity. It’s time to show the world your inner ninja! So little to lose, and so much to gain.

Maybe you know of another game that’s similar to this, or even one that’s more fun. Be sure to let me know about it, and come visit us in our chat room. There’s always people there talking about gaming.

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What are your Xbox Friends Usually Doing?

Chris — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:36:23 +0000

What are your Xbox Friends Usually Doing? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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There are many of you who believe that there are no games for the Mac. That’s probably true if you consider there are a lot more available for the PC. What if I told you that you can find out what all of your Xbox 360 friends are doing right now? You can view all of their gamer cards very easily from within OS X, using Friendz.

Friendz allows you to see what all your Xbox 360 friends are up to, without having to turn on your Xbox. Friendz will:

Allow you to see which friends you have online.
Growl notifications for when you get new messages.
Growl notifications for when all/selected friends come online.
Give you the ability to send/reply to messages.
Give you the ability to view and delete messages.
Give you the ability to view Xbox Live GamerCards.
Allow you to send/accept/reject friend requests.
Let you delete friends.
Show achievements, including the games you’ve played, the number of them and the achievements you earned in each.

This is still in beta, and may have a few issues. However, it does work. I sent a message to my friend Jade earlier, and he instantly responded back to let me know it worked. There are some things that can be improved, of course. But it’s really nice to be able to connect and check these things out with my Mac.

Maybe… just maybe one of these days… you’ll meet my dog Pixie on the battlefield. She’s one heck of a gamer, you know. She pwns me at Halo on a daily basis.

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Do Xbox Live Marketplace Games have Problems?

Chris — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:14:57 +0000

Do Xbox Live Marketplace Games have Problems? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I came across an article the other day on Wired, titled “Microsoft: Don’t Cut Off the Long Tail”. In the article, Xbox Live general manager Marc Whitten said that Microsoft will soon begin to delete some Xbox Live Arcade games from the service. Says the article:

The rationale is, to put it nicely, paper-thin: To “focus on quality over quantity” and “make it easier to find the games you are looking for. Unless, of course, the game you’re looking for is the one that’s been deleted.

I’d argue they need to make it easier to find the games that you’re looking for. They also need to make it easier to find the games you’ve already purchased should you change machines you are using. The author is also noting that Microsoft has no plans to continue to support games that are being shut out from the Xbox Live marketplace. I think this is a really bad move. Even if they refunded my money… it still kinda sucks.

One of the games they are considering dropping is Asteroids Deluxe. Just because it’s not as popular as a game on the Marketplace like Zuma, doesn’t mean they should get rid of it. There are some die-hard Asteroids fans. If I want to play Asteroids, I just go to it. What are they going to do when they pull it? Will they let me download it to play indefinitely? Are they just going to cut it off and make all of us fans of the game suffer without it? Microsoft hasn’t made it clear yet what is actually going to happen.

It’s a good idea for them to focus on quality. They need to focus on more high-quality content, yes. But, that said, it’s all about creating choice as well as quality. Even if only 500 people pay for a particular game… why would you get rid of it? It’s still something that there is a demand for, and money is being made for, no matter how small. I just don’t understand not allowing us access to games we may love. I like having the games I’ve bought, or I wouldn’t have bought them. To take that away casts a shroud of doubt about downloading games as a whole.

It’s a big black eye, in my opinion. If anything, leave us our old games that we love… and focus more on quality of games for future releases. What are your thoughts, everyone? What will you do if one of the games you’ve paid for and love is one that may be yanked?

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Wits and Wagers Trivia Game for the Xbox 360

Chris — Wed, 14 May 2008 05:44:26 +0000

Wits and Wagers Trivia Game for the Xbox 360 is a post from Chris Pirillo

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My neighbor just happens to be Jeff, who is the CEO of Hidden Path Entertainment game company in Seattle. They just recently launched a new game into the Xbox Live community called Wits and Wagers. This is a trivia-based game, based on a board game that was created around 2001.

Wits & Wagers is the fun trivia party game where you don’t need the right answers to win! For each question, bet on the answer you think is closest to the truth, whether or not that answer is your own.

With up to 25 hours of unique questions, local and online play, plus the ability to link one group of local users to another group via “couch-to-couch” multi player, Wits & Wagers is a party waiting to happen.

Get 700 questions, great character costumes and dance moves, catchy music, achievements, leader boards, support for the Xbox LIVE Vision camera, the Xbox Big Button Pad, and more.

Features of Wits and Wagers include:

Engaging social play: Wits & Wagers is easy to play and yet strategically deep for advanced players. Some win with their knowledge of trivia, others with what they know about their friends.
Fun questions: The first question pack of 700 questions is included, providing hours of game play. Games consist of seven questions for a quick and casual round of fun.
Connecting couches: The game supports one to four players at one console, or two to six players online. Invite your friends over to your house, or invite your friends online.
Peripheral support: Wits & Wagers supports both the Xbox LIVE Vision Camera and the Big Button Pad controller.

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Blu-ray Wins: HD DVD is Dead

Chris — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:01:00 +0000

Blu-ray Wins: HD DVD is Dead is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Up until recently, there was a huge high-definition format war in relation to DVDs. We had HD DVD vs. Blu-ray. Now… HD DVD has gone the way of the Dodo Bird. Nick is a community member who wrote in:

Yeah I know… the stupid debate about HD (physical formats)… but since it’s in the news, I’d like to get your comments about Blu-ray declared winner of this stupid battle against HD DVD (Samsung will focus on Blu-ray hardware, Panasonic will release Blu-ray reader/writer in Japan in February, Blockbuster and Wal-mart will go exclusive BD, etc). Who’s the real winner? How will Microsoft react?
I know online HD content is an option for those who want to avoid that conflict of physical formats (BD/HD DVD), but I still believe that the majority of average users will go for the physical format (discs). Companies like Seagate must be really happy to see the increase of downloadable HD content everywhere because users have to store content somewhere (HDD). But I still think that people will prefer having a physical disc instead of having something stored on their HDD (not to mention going online, downloading the contents, and waiting hours to get it). I think the real winner is probably the consumer with less confusion and more products (players / writers) available. But still, I guess we’ll have to wait 4-5 years before we see HD players/writers in most average users’ homes. Why? HD is really expensive and DVD is still doing pretty well (you can buy a DVD player for $99 and the quality of image and sound is still pretty good).

Well, it’s not a format war anymore. HD DVD is dead, and Blu-ray is the winner. I thought HD DVD was going to have it with the Xbox 360 external drive. I thought Sony was shooting itself in the foot by incorporating the Blu-ray player inside the PS3. I was wrong! Thank goodness I only have a couple of HD DVDs. Now we have to wait for Blu-rays to be everywhere on the market now.

The bottom line is that I was rooting for HD DVD. However, I’m glad the format war is over. Now there’s no confusion, and consumers won’t be hurt any further in trying to choose… and possibly choosing a loser. It’s now Blu-ray all the way… at least until the next format war arrives.

I do believe, however, that physical media isn’t going to be around for too much longer. I’ve already taken to storing my music in the Cloud… online. I’ve got a subscription to Rhapsody to download my music from online. I don’t have any mp3s stored on my hard drive. I have so many computers these days, I can’t keep up with all the content I have as it is. My music is there online if I need it. Why would I download all of that and put it onto a computer, only to move it to another when needed? It’s much easier for me to just have access to it online, no matter where I am or what machine I use.

Streaming media is coming. Downloadable media is coming. I guess I’m now going to be looking for an external USB or FireWire drive that is Blu-ray and DVD-X compatible. What’s the point in waiting? Format wars are over, in case you didn’t know. If you do happen to have HD DVD stuff, keep it. The drives will still work… there just won’t be anything new manufactured with that format.

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Xbox DVD

Chris — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:41:07 +0000

Xbox DVD is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I have 4 Xbox 360s, for the simple reason that I can share media throughout the house, or be able to play games wherever I am. I was lucky to win these a few years ago. I received an email from someone saying that they are considering selling their Xbox 360 to buy a PS3. What?!

The email was very thought-provoking. The writer states that he is thinking of switching because Blu-Ray is the winner in the format war. He has a feeling that a larger effort will go into raising PS3s power in the console world. Also, of course, we have the Virtual World coming this Spring. PlayStation Home is a virtual community of PS3 owners living together in both public and private environments. Users will be able to login, chat with both text and speech and play casual games together such as pool, bowling and even embedded arcade machines. And when the old stand-bys grow stale, users can invite one another into other PlayStation Network titles outside of PlayStation Home. Every user will have their own virtual apartment to decorate with furniture, their trophies from various games and content from their own PS3s.

The writer ends the email by asking me which console has the brighter future.

If you already have a handful of Xbox 360 games, why would you sell the console because another player already has a Blu-Ray drive? What’s going to stop Microsoft from developing a Blu-Ray USB drive? Nothing… that’s what. Just because there will be no new content on HD-DVD… doesn’t mean it’s completely dead and unusable. My prediction is that Microsoft will indeed come out with a Blu-Ray USB drive very soon, to bring the Xbox up to speed with the PS3 in that regard. Don’t sell your console just because of this. This has literally only come down the past few weeks. Give Microsoft a chance to develop something for the Xbox.

If you LIKE the PS3, and its options, better than the Xbox… then good on you. Buy the PS3 console. But why would you go to all that trouble just for new physical media? Trust me when I say Microsoft and other companies WILL catch up to the Blu-Ray craze. Don’t count them out yet.

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