*** Official "X-BOX" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Sean_B]

James: Thanks for the information. I'm really pissed now. I had that in my hand at the checkout and was told that didn't have optical output

It really didn't look like it did all i saw were composite rca for audio and the s-video in the advanced a/v box. Guess its back up there!
Halo looks mighty impressive but I want the sound!

 

[James St]

Sean this is what you are looking for, right?
http://www.xbox.com/system/Advanced+...talog=cat%2Dus

 

[Sean_B]

James: Hmmm.. that is different than what was in the box at the store that was labled advance a/v pack. Where is the optical? You buy that seperate?

 

[BrianB]

I'd say 95% of the consoles sold got Halo.

Pre-orders were running at about 70% level...
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Nothing In Particular

 

[andrew steven wells]

Just got mine yesterday at Best buy,With halo and project gotham.I really want dead or alive 3 and can't wait to see how NFL2k2 turns out.Segasports on Xbox..drool...
I dont have the DVD playback kit yet.I was wondering if sny of you do have it,how well does the Xbox handle the layer changes? Thanks in advance.

 

[Shawn C]

I must say that the XBox, so far is better than I expected it to be. I LOVE the hard drive and being able to resume my games without much of a load time at all. Halo is just awesome.
I wasn't planning on buying Halo. I was planning on buying NFL Fever at the time I bought the XBox, but Wal-Mart didn't have any. So, Halo it was.
I haven't been able to dig up an 'advanced' connection kit yet, BUT, even Halo in regular old Dolby Surround still sounds pretty darn good!
I keep thinking of the line from that Major Payne movie while playing, "Killin' is my buisness and business is goooood."

 

[Kelley_B]

I keep thinking of the line from that Major Payne movie while playing, "Killin' is my buisness and business is goooood."

They should have stolen that line and put it into the game, as there is lots of killin'!
The Wal-Mart I waited in line at only had 10 copies of each game except Nascar, in which they had double that! Just goes to show you that Wal-Mart knows their shoppers!

 

[James Nguyen]

Shawn,
I fear for you once you get a chance to play Halo in its full Dolby Digital 5.1 glory. OMFG, wow, what a game. It's games like this that are great reminders as to why I enjoy playing games so much in the first place....a story line so well written and so well technically executed that I forget about the mechanics of gameplay, forget about framerates and polygon fills and just plain HAVE FUN. Ahh, to be young again and to have a brand spanking new xbox in hand.....kids these days.....have it so easy.
Halo is quickly consuming all my free time and all my free thoughts.....bah, who needs to be in the office on a Friday!?!?!?!?!

 

[AndyVX]

Well, now that I've had a little time to sleep after getting an Xbox I wanted to add my full impressions. Here goes...
System: Heavy, sturdy(I'm guessing, don't plan on actually testing that out), had that new electronics smell. All in all, a great peice of hardware.
Controller: For the most part, GREAT! Very comfortable, analog sticks are very smooth. I find though that the button layout is awkward. I find that I loose track of which button is which when things start getting intense. I think the Japanese Xbox controller will remedy this though. I'll be importing one as soon as they are available in Japan.
Halo: Wonderfull! DD5.1 is great. Gameplay is very good, and the default control scheme works very well. Just takes some getting used to. I haven't gone into change the control setup(can this even be done?) but I would love it if there were a "reverse mouse" option for the right analog stick. That would make things so much easier. As for the story, well it's pretty weak but the game is so much damn fun that I couldn't care less.
Dead or Alive 3: Again, wonderful. I loved DoA2 and this is just so much better. Controls seem a little more responsive then on the DC/PS2 versions. Anyone who says that the graphics aren't that much better is only fooling themselves. It's a whole world of difference.
Project Gotham Racing: Hard!...I'm having a very hard time with this game in terms of controlling the cars. I'm smashing into walls all over the place on turns. When I first popped in the game and played for a few minutes, I was wondering if I made a bad choice. After playing for a little longer I started to really like the game. I am getting better at the game(slowly), but on any sharp turns I run straight into the wall. I really only scratched the surface of the game though. I've just unlocked the "medium" tracks in the Quick Race mode and have gotten a new car. The music ripping feature though is such a cool thing for this game, and I hope more games use this feature in it.
I can honestly say though, that this is the most fun I've had with a game console since the Dreamcast came out, and before that the SNES.
Well, if anyone can offer me any suggestions for taking turns better in PGR please let me know.
Andrew
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ICQ# - 119869807

 

[Joel Mack]

Okay, I am now Bill Gates' bitch.

Took some doing, though. Every place I stopped on the way home last night had no XBoxen remaining. However, I stopped at Super Target on the way to work this morning, and scored one! When I expressed surprise that they still had some, I was told they actually did sell out yesterday, but got more in last night. Whee!
The moral: If you're still looking for one, don't assume places that are sold out will stay that way for very long. This definitely isn't the PS2 launch...
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"The internet is a place where people from all over come together to
bitch about movies and share pornography."

 

[James Nguyen]

Halo: Wonderfull! DD5.1 is great. Gameplay is very good, and the default control scheme works very well. Just takes some getting used to. I haven't gone into change the control setup(can this even be done?) but I would love it if there were a "reverse mouse" option for the right analog stick. That would make things so much easier. As for the story, well it's pretty weak but the game is so much damn fun that I couldn't care less.

Andy,
yes you can change butotn configurations...they have several pre-designed with names like "The Southpaw" or "Jumpy" that reassign button locations. As far as reverse mouse options, yes, that's available in the settings menu as well. As part of the game's initial sequence, you should have been put through a series of machine "diagnostics", including a targeting excercise...first w/ the default control scheme and then with reverse mouse turned on.....you should have been then asked which setting you wanted. I chose inverse mouse and haven't batted an eye since, my transition from keyboard/mouse to dual analog sticks has been overall quite smooth..

 

[Wolf Jenkins]

Pre-orders were running at about 70% level...

I didn't pre-order it - but after I got a hol do the reviews, I picked it up last night (cancelled Shrek - good move, right?)
Buzz is huge around Halo - it does appear to be a 'system seller' in the vein on Soul Calibur and Mario 64 before it...

 

[James Nguyen]

Buzz is huge around Halo - it does appear to be a 'system seller' in the vein on Soul Calibur and Mario 64 before it...

now, if I can only get my fellow marines to holler something about my soul still burning each time I died.....

 

[AndyVX]

James, thanks for the help.
When I picked up my Xbox I basically only had time to come home and hook it up. I then had to go to work (which I was already late for...I got in a few rounds of DoA3 )
Well, when I got home from work my brother had already been home from school for a few hours, and was the first person to play Halo. SO I never got to do that initial config stuff, and he neglected to mention it to me. grrrr!
I've taken the next 4 days off from work so I'll have plenty of time to set my Halo controls up the way I want.
INVERSE MOUSE--->HERE I COME!
COVENANT---->YOU'RE DEAD!

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ICQ# - 119869807

 

[Dave F]

not to mention windows XP- you've got to pay more to play back DVDs and to encode MP3s

You do realize that including those types of features & software with an OS is part of what is pissing off the DOJ, right? Of course, it's okay if Apple does it.

-Dave
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DVD List
"The page you are looking for is here no more. Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'"

 

[Rachmat Hartono]

I'm completely blown away by XBox
I bought DOA3, Halo, as well as the HD-Pack and hooked it up to my 56H80. I cant even describe how it looks. It's just so good, I ended up staring at the demo for DOA 3 for quite some times. The graphics are sharp at 480p, and the 5.1 sound is top notch. You can hear enemy behind, left, right on Halo and the big screen TV experience is unbelievable. PS2 does not even compare to XBox from the graphics stand point. I can only imagine how the future games would look at 1080i

 

[StaceyS]

you've got to pay more to play back DVDs

There is a VERY big reason DVD playback is not in Windows by default. To have a DVD player, you must be a DVD licensee. If your key gets hacked like the Xing, you are liable for all damages. Real should be out of business because of the Xing fiasco. They are a small company so not a big deal and they were slapped on the wrist. MS is a big target and people would go out of their way to get that key.

 

[Shawn C]

James Nguyen,
Yeah, I need to pick up that advanced cable set. I'm heading to San Francisco this weekend for a little vacation so I guess I'll need to pick it up afterwards. I'm not a youngin' anymore! 29, married 9 1/2 years and got my first kid on the way! I picked up the XBox as my last bit of frivolous spending before having to start saving money for the baby and all of the related stuff. (8 months away)
I'm going to be the king of XBox rentals, since I really don't think ANY game is worth $49.95. Well, maybe HALO is worth it. I would like to see a lower price point, may $39.95 or even $34.95 for new releases and $24.95 or $19.95 for older titles.
I'm happy that my Yamaha RX-V1000 has svideo and an optical connection, and the std. rca inputs on the front panel. Makes it alot easier for hookup. I will probably end up moving all the cables to the rear when I get the adv. cable setup. Not sure about that yet.

 

[Dean Cooper]

It also allows you to play cd rips stored on your harddrive in game, correct? So when you play your custom rips in game, is it remixed/encoded to 5.1? If so how does it sound? Could someone post some info on this please.

Its sounds exactly like it would in a car. That’s the best way I can describe it. Very well done indeed.
Turning in PGR is about controlled power slides. A quick snap to the brakes and then rip on that handbrake you'll be flying around those corners. Another note is that every car has different handling physics so you might find more success with a different car. I seem to have the best results with the Mini Cooper and the Beetle right now and I have unlocked up to the BMW roadster so far. I love that I can record my perfect playbacks to the HD and not have to worry about filling it

Dean

 

[James Nguyen]

Shawn,
wasn't implying that you were.
Was saying just how good young kids have it these days compared to when I was a wee little one with my 2600 oh so long ago. Frightening to think that almost my entire natural life I've been using computers and playing video games (24 going on 25 by the way).
But seriously, after enjoying hours of Halo last night it just struck me that I hadn't simply had FUN playing games in a long long time. I was awed by the graphics and sound sure, but then after a bit, I got used to it and it just pulled me in....I just expected to be visually and audibly engrossed by the game. I'd find the challenge high but never frustrating. The storyline just kept me there, stuck in my tracks, not wanting to turn it off so I could play JUST ONE MORE CHECKPOINT! Ah, if only I didn't have to work today, I'd still be trying to woop some covenant ass in their spaceship....