Has the drop in the XBox price made you buy one? (1 Viewer)

[paul h]

I'll be getting one soon...have just won Halo on ebay for £25 so will be needing something to play it on
Looking on the HMV website they are selling the Gamecube at the price Nintendo suggested, £129, so may just have to grab one with Rogue Leader!
Interested to know if any other europeans on here will now take the plunge, apart from Dan

 

[Dan Brecher]

...apart from Dan

Son of a.... :frowning:
Dan

 

[Richard_c]

Aye i have, i'm really looking forward to playing Halo Just need to find the advanced scart tomorrow(fat chance, i know...)

 

[Derrik Draven]

I read/heard something about Halo not playing as fast/smooth on the pal systems? Is this true?!!? I certainly hope not. I don't want anything to tarnish the experience for you guys.

 

[Dan Brecher]

Derrik, the UK X-box has a 50hz and 60hz option. 60hz runs as the US incarnations do at their correct speed and so on, and unless a good conversion job is done, at 50hz games will be slower with black borders (not to be confused with widescreen) top and bottom of the screen. The 50hz Halo PAL conversion is a good one, and runs perfectly smooth, whilst running it 60hz yields some frame rate issues. 50hz it is!

Dan

 

[Richard_c]

Cheers dan, will remember that titbit.

 

[Iain Lambert]

Well, I'm finally back in the UK and online again after my break, and, err, wow there really has been a bit of news hasn't there!

Anyway, I thought I'd pop my head up and explain that the guys at Bungie explained in a thread on their forum that I can't find that the original NTSC version runs with an internal game clock of 60Hz. When they converted it to PAL they dropped the internal clock to 50Hz and changed all the movement code to compensate, which is why PAL60 movement looks jerky - its running faster than the animation. Its also why you can't network the two together. They apologise profusely, and realise what they need to do differently next time to avoid a repeat...

for the record though, I'm still not getting one as I need to get more use out of my PS2 that is only a month or so old.

 

[paul h]

Well i gave in and bought one at the weekend...hooked it upto my WEGA using the supplied leads and the picture comes through black and white. Didn't have time to sort it out though i hope it's not a problem with the box. Will have a good look tonight. Got Halo so i'll try that 50hz option.

Don't much like the controller much right now but hopefully i'll get used to it...hoping that smaller one is released here. Did look for the Advanced Scart but no luck, did see a 3rd party s-video lead though. Will the Scart give me a better quality picture than the s-video???

 

[Iain Lambert]

The Advanced Scart should be using RGB or Microsoft deserve a good kicking, so it will be a bit better than S-Video, yes. What you're seeing with the B&W though is probably just your TV being on RGB when its a composite lead at a guess, so don't panic yet.

Somehow, I've a horrible suspicion that I'm going to have to try Dan's X-Box when he gets it. This sort of thing always leads to expensive shopping (I'm really struggling with staying off getting a Monkey Ball fix on Friday, for instance).

 

[Dan Brecher]

Iain, any time dear friend. May draft in a 2nd controler for Halo.
This lack of advanced scart issue is bothering me somewhat. I want my 5.1 when I get the console in a couple of weeks, past two times I have been down to London I've had no luck finding one.
Dan

 

[Richard_c]

Got my XBOX today, & managed to get a joytech ultimate cable (£14.99 from game/dixons/pc world/currys), rushed home only to find the optical cable was missing... cue huge swearing fit. Back into town to get the fecking cable, but it was worth it, ohhhhhhhhhhhhh yes Halo is just stunning, its like stepping into one of those sc-fi novels you read when you were a wee sprog.

 

[Dan Brecher]

Richard, can you expand on the third party cable from Joytech? Is is a scart of s-video link up? Is it meant to include the optical cable?

Dan

 

[Derrik Draven]

when you were a wee sprog.

Is this how you guys say, "when you were a little fucker"?
Glad to see you're enjoying Halo, Richard. Trust me, it keeps getting better...and harder.

 

[Richard_c]

The joytech lead includes rgb scart, s-video connection, L-R audio connections & optical out on the xbox connection( the optical cable is included as well ) all possible variations short of rf & composite are taken care of. I just can't get over how stunning Halo is, even playing a FPS on a joypad is a joy within 10 mins it was so natural i'm not sure i'd want to change to mouse & keyboard.
Little f**ker is close enough mate

 

[Dan Brecher]

Oh wow, has every connection going then? Super! I shall plump for one of those then. Same price as the advanced scart cable but has all those extra bells and whistles! Is it exclusive to Dixons/PC World/Currys...etc?

I'm still trying to pick my game choices. Halo is a definate, but I want to grab two titles with the machine. Right now it is a toss up between Ralisport and Jet Set Radio Future... Anyone got any suggestions? Keep in mind I am a JSR veteran from the Dreamcast, not sure if this is reason to get JSRF immediatly or hold off a while.

Whilst we're on the subject, do we know the very best place to get X-Box games from in the UK as far as prices are concerned? Play247 still seem to be the best and even then the titles ain't cheap.

Dan

 

[Dave Falasco]

Wow, choosing between Rallisport and Jet Set won't be easy; they are both fantastic games (as you probably know). I don't think you would be disappointed in either, and with any luck you'll own both soon enough. The only thing I would offer is Jet Set is probably as far removed from Halo as a non-Mario videogame could be, so it might be a nice change of pace after losing yourself in the madness that is Halo for weeks on end. I know when my nerves are totally shot from a marathon Halo session and I am hearing Covenant Elites bark at me (Woot woot woot!) even when my Xbox is off, I like to pop in JSRF and chill out with DJ Professor K and pals to wire down.
Just a thought...but like I said, it's not like there is a wrong decision here!

 

[Dan Brecher]

It's naturally tempting to get BOTH with Halo, but I think 3 titles would be pushing it, especially given the disgusting amount of dvds I have coming and the price of UK X-box games... I'd like my 3rd title to be Spider-Man when it comes out here in June.

I do long to return to the world of JSR.

Dan

 

[Richard_c]

I don't believe the cable is exclusive to those retailers, but they're the only ones i found that stock it. I have rallisport as well ( ain't played it much, HHHHAAAAALLLLOOO ) but it's a bloody looker, fast as shite of a buttered shovel. You really have to pay attention to the co-driver on the rally sections or you'll be off sharpish, which is good in my opinion as most rally games the co-driver is usually a distraction, the car reseting in record time is bloody annoying though.

 

[Scott Van Dyke]

Richard,

That's the first I've heard anyone becoming annoyed with the car resetting itself. I couldn't agree more. I mean a good crash scene is sometime a lovely spectacle.

Great looking game, I love racing to my own tunes.

I also hear that once you beat the game, the downhill tracks open up for you. Anyone give these a go??? How are they?

 

[Richard_c]

It really does my fecking head in at times, you can be a split second from getting back on track but it resets you & you lose seconds instead. I haven't actually tried ripping my own tunes & using them yet, the music is usually the 1st thing i turn off in a game.