Xbox??

[theYANK]

What's your guys' take on the XBOX? What's this deal about it's out in Australia but why isn't it out here?

[DiscoStu]

It wasn't planned to be released here until late 2002, as they expected it to sell out elsewhere in the Asia/Pacific region. However sales haven't been as strong as predicted, so it's going to be here a little sooner than expected.

Can't remember the exact date, think it has been brought forward to August.

[Genesis]

Damn is it August? I thought it was late July :( damn M$!

[[H]arls]

Wow, August thats cool. I was under the impression we were getting it late September.

I dont think its good that we seem to be one of the last places to get the Xbox, but at least when we do there might actually be some games out for it that make it worth buying.
HALO used to make me crave an Xbox, but ive read reviews and seen screenshots and its really not that impressive at all.

Oh but then theres that Tekki/Steel Battalion game (kind of a Mechwarrior type thing) that comes bundled with its own controller - Holy crap...now THATs a real game controller. :D

[theYANK]

I think you guys should boycot the XBOX anyway, I mean, kids in GREENLAND are playin Halo right now! Besides, who wants to pay that much for a POS computer that only plays games, isn't upgradable, and only plays at a 320x resolution? I'll just buy a Geforce4 Ti.

[Volodkovich]

good point...ive neva really clicked onto consoles...to expensive for wat they are IMHO...also, there pretty much gonna have worse graphics than a pc for quite a few years simply because a TV cant do very high res....
theYANK - i though a TV did 640 x 480???

[theYANK]

it's tricky cause tv signals are interlaced, but in comparison to computer resolutions its roughly 544x372. I guess I should do my homework b4 I open my fat mouth. :D
*EDIT* 640x480(interlaced) you were right. I guess the actual visible res comes down to 544x372.

[KingJackal]

Originally posted by Volodkovich
good point...ive neva really clicked onto consoles...to expensive for wat they are IMHO...also, there pretty much gonna have worse graphics than a pc for quite a few years simply because a TV cant do very high res....
theYANK - i though a TV did 640 x 480???

yeah, true - PCs look way better aye? Even with your crap GeForce3, right??? RIGHT????

:rolleyes:

Why do you guys bash consoles sooo quickly? When you get a little older you'll find that pretty much everything has a valid point for being around, or it dies. And consoles have plenty.

Have you SEEN Halo? It makes Quake3 look lame. As in REALLY lame. Yeah, yeah, Quake3's old - so what? We still play Quake3 engine games. Do XBox players? nope.

They get games with full pixel-shaded goodness. Something that we can't do with anything less than a $350 video card. Heck, the entire XBox will only cost about twice that once it comes out here! :eek:

Think about it. Is your $2000 PC ( or worse ) going to be more flexible and powerfull than a $700/$800 ( I suppose it'll depend where the dollar goes, lol ) console?

I would d@mn well hope so. Or you're REALLY wasting money in insane amounts.

Consoles do what they do. They are good in their market. They're not meant to compete with PCs directly, and neither platform can directly compete with the other.

Tell ya what - If PC's are so much better, I DOUBLE DARE YOU to budget out a brand new PC for under a grand that has:
- DVD Playback
- Networking Capability
- At least 8GB of hard-drive space
- At least a 733MHz processor
- Pixel shaders
- A couple of game controllers
- ( no monitor ), but TV-out

....AND includes OS!
On ya marks, get set, GO!!
:rolleyes:

*this'll be interesting*

[varkk]

Just a note about Halo: It was originally being developed for PC release, but then MS saw it and thought it would be a great flagship title for the Xbox(kinda like Sonic on the old Sega) so they bought the company and told them to keep making it but only for Xbox release...

[SilverPriest]

According to the official Bungie site here (http://halo.bungie.org/faq/mostasked.html#onlyonxbox), Halo will come out on the PC.
But they aren't releasing any dates, which comes as no surprise.
Halo is one of the few things that is keeping the X-Box afloat @ this point in time....
M$ aint likely to let go of it when they are losing as much money as is on the xbox @ the moment....

[Cyrax]

Man i might just buy a x-box just to play Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball....oohh images of bouncy boobies....(sigh)

[Volodkovich]

hmm, i'll take ur dare....
cpu - duron 1ghz, 128mb ddr, mobo, case barebones kit = $400
GF3 ti200 = $189
dvd drive = $89
NIC = $20
10gig = $100
98SE = free, but if ur picky - OEM $100
uhh, wot game controllers u want???
:) well thats $900...i could get at a whole lot cheaper if i didnt have to buy new parts...
Ohh, and i neva said that there bad priced or n e thing...i just said a pc id faster, and betta...mainly because u can buy older parts i.e. cpu, with it still being faster than a Xbox...

[KingJackal]

Originally posted by Volodkovich
GF3 ti200 = $189
dvd drive = $89
10gig = $100

Where? :confused:

[Volodkovich]

i have my contacts....

[KingJackal]

It hardly counts if others can't get the same deal.

Now can or can you not get the above machine new for under a grand? I suspect NOT.

The cheapest DVD drives go for in ChCh new is $140 ish. The cheapest pixel shading cards go for in ChCh new is $400 ish. And the cheapest 8GB+ HDD in ChCh would be around $170.... which makes your quote FLY past the $1000 mark...

Dude, I meant new, as in any bloke could walk into the store and buy at that price - NOT mates rates. I mean - do ya need a mate in the industry to buy an XBox for less than a grand? Nope.
:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

LOL, knew ya couldn't even come close to doing it... :p

[Volodkovich]

hmm, see KJ, for wat ur saying, the pc doesnt even have to be new...all it has to do is outpower a Xbox...its not really fair comparing the price of a Xbox to a computer because
1) M$ are loosing money on the xbox hardware
2) a computer can do a hella alot more!
u may be able to buy a xbox for a grand...and a NEW pc that would outpower it for $1,500ish...but think wat a pc can do compares to a xbox..quite a bit more, including outpower it...I bet you i can build up a system thats faster, second hand, for well under a grand...

[SilverPriest]

Ya just don't get it do ya Vol....

[KingJackal]

Originally posted by SilverPriest
Ya just don't get it do ya Vol....

lol - yeah, right over his head.

*WOOOOOOOSSHHHH*
:rolleyes:

---

Meanwhile, in other news:

I'll eagerly be anticipating the release of the XBox here. I probably won't be buying, but I'll be keen to see just how well it sells in a market as small as ours ( small enough that one company, Sony, can gain almost total saturation ) - especially given the interesting networking possibilities it has ;).

[NNA2m]

Oh ho ho!

Halo better than Quake3? Yes! I hate (vanilla) Quake3 like the plague, because I find it bland and boring. :P
Halo graphically better than MOHAA? Halo better than SOF2?
This is subjective, but I believe that those games have better graphics than Halo, yet these are Quake3 based games...
Yes, I have played Halo, so I sort of know what I'm talking about... The graphics are good, but not great.

Also, Microsoft can't release a new console for five years! Imagine how outdated the X-Box will be then?

Consoles are used for an entirely different purpose to PC's, so you can't really compare them...
I would buy one, but I may as well just play LAN.

Oh yeah, the X-Box doesn't come with DVD playback standard, you have to shell out for an extra 'adapter'. :D

The cheapest pixel shading cards go for in ChCh new is $400 ish.
WTF? http://www.denniswise.chelseafans.net/smilies/ID_EGO.gif

[eastwood]

I am the man with the cheap geforce 3 ti200

these babies are brand new they are $189 excluding gst

:D

[NNA2m]

Hey, keep it in the Buy/Sell, m8! :D

[KingJackal]

Originally posted by NNA2m
Consoles are used for an entirely different purpose to PC's, so you can't really compare them...

Ahhhh - so SOMEBODY does begin to get my point.... :D

Why you laughing so hard? Show me a store with pixel-shading cards in ChCh cheaper...

...( and I'll probably buy one, lol ;) )

[eastwood]

Excellent :D

i have heaps of other cheap stuff, and if you want real! cheap i can always contact my dealer in the U.S :D

[Gh0s7 L3mUr]

I know what you mean KJ, I'm looking foward to seeing their strategy as well when they hit the market. I personally think they've either gone too early (should have released just before PS3) or have gone too late (should have been released nearer to the PS2). The result is Sony have sold masses of PS2s and have a strong market position, which is shown by the fact that while XBox and GameCube have both been slashed in prices trying to tempt the console gamers, Sony haven't felt the need to move their prices. The only move in PS2 prices is the natural market forces move that all products go through in due course. Obviously Sony feel comfortable in the fact that they have already secured a large enough market share and that those customers wont move so quickly.

As for what Volodkovich was trying to say I can completely understand. And I have actually seen an article in one of the comp mags (I think it was APC?), in which they painted a cardboard box black and stick an X on the side and then filled it with the equivelent components. The two points I got the impression the article was trying to make was that the technology although supposedly high by console standards (I don't play consloes personally so don't know what the standards are like) was out of date pc tech, and that for the same price you could get the equivilent pc for less.

I personally take the line (knowing a lot of console gamers), Consoles have a place based on the generalization (and yes as a generalization there is allways the exception to the rule) that console gamers have differnet priorities to pc gamers. They don't want to tweek (although they'll happily pay in order to have their console modded in order to play backup games etc), they don't want to play with the hardware. All they want to do is boot up, play game, shut down. Now there can't be anything wrong with this, each to there own and all that. So I say let those who want consoles have 'em.

And yes I have played the occassional console, I just don't se the big fuss with them. I want to be able to tweek, upgrade, OC, etc

[Agent666]

for me anyway it comes down to the fact that if the games are available for PC and XBOX I know what I would want to get........ PC anyday


Having said that the recent news that the xbox encyption has been cracked by some student at berkely.... means that you could in the future run any OS on the XBOX..... it would make a great platform for DVD/divx/mp3 etc etc........ the possibilities would be endless

[DiSCLAiMER]

I personally like game consoles, and when the XBox becomes readily availiable in NZ I will go out and buy one.

Every g33k with a computer usually goes on about how PC's are far supriour (in their opinion) compared to XBox games. But I feel they forget a few important points:

- The general type of game played on a console is different to a game played on a computer. Personally I don't like playing any sort of car racing game on a computer as an example. Also I tried once I think to play Red Alert or something on a PlayStation, which was a joke - it was much better on the computer.

- The enviroment is different when playing a game. When you are using a computer, its usually only one person using the computer. The computer is on a desk, has a smallish screen (in comparism to a good sized tv), and generally its just that one person playing the game by themselves. Of course they may be playing a multiplayer game against others, but the others are on their own computers. With a console its plugged into a TV, the console itself probably sitting in the ground in the lounge, and you sit back, with possibly a few mates on a comfy couch and play the games. Personaly I like this part - taking turns playing each other at games, and maybe gettin on the piss/ston um er at the same time. I find it alot more relaxing in this sort of enviroment then sitting at a desk. I sit at a desk and use a computer at work, I wanna relax.

- The controls I prefer to the traditional pc keyboard + mouse. Some say the controls are limtied in what you can do with a PC, but again because of the type of game, and the games being targeted to the control, then I don't really see it as a problem. You can also get controls that mimic that of the PlayStation for a PC, but I've never used these, and don't know how well they work with most PC games.

With consoles there is usually never any screwing around. You put the game in the drive, turn it on, and it loads a hell of alot quicker than using a PC. There is no setup, no driver problems, no other issues, everything is simple as it should be. No issues that may be caused by other use of the machine, as with a PC you may use it for multiple purposes, and if it screws up, you can't use it for anything. There may of course be the occasional hardware problem, but I'm sure these are few, and should be easy to get repaired in most circumstances. If I want to use the Internet, then I'll use my computer. Screw havin to do anythin that requires a good resolution on a tv. Imagine having to browse websites in 640 * 480, or do anything useful. Basically I don't expect my toaster to be able to grate cheese.

The games with consoles are targeted towards a certain specification. There is no chance that you'll buy a game only to find out it runs too slow on your PC, and you have to upgrade. As any game that runs too slow on your console, will obviously run too slow on all other consoles of the same type, and would probably flop in the market. Due to them having to stick to a certain hardware configuration, the developers seem to learn tricks as they go along, and learn to optimize stuff better and better. This is how say version 3 of a game for the playstation may be heaps better than version 1, even thou the "hardware requirements" have not changed. The upgrade cycle is also traditionally less than that of computers, and each upgrade is cheeper, so its alot easier on the pocket.

I don't have a decent TV at the moment, but will do once I get a console. When I get a decent TV, I'll also want a DVD player. The XBox and PlayStation 2 have the added bonus of being a DVD player, saving me buying one. Of course I could hook up a computer, but who wants a computer in the lounge? I suppose you could have the computer in another room and use something like ATI's video card that has a remote control, and use that from the lounge.

Personally I think the investment in a console will be worth it. For anyone that knows me, they'll also know that I don't play ANY games on my computer, so I could be a bit one sided on this one. This also has something to do with me not really having a good computer to play games on, and the fact that my computers are setup for work etc.

[NNA2m]

I don't play ANY games on my computer

*Shakes head sadly*

You don't know what your missing out on...
I agree that PC games tend to be more of a strategy (and less of an arcade, natch) nature, whereas console games tend to be straight out arcade, mostly due to the limits of the control system.

The X-Box is sooooo much better than the PS2 tho, I can't imagine the PS2 matching with its puny specs. Time will tell. :D

[[H]arls]

As fast and hi-tech as the Xbox may be, it doesnt really mean much if there arent any games worth playing out for it.

In the end though, does it really matter? If you want an Xbox - go buy one, if you think consoles suck, go buy a new video card and chip and be happy. Dont argue about which is better though, it just causes tension (AMD Vs Intel anyone? :))

I might just have to buy one because I think they look cool. :D

[KingJackal]

Originally posted by [H]arls
I might just have to buy one because I think they look cool. :D

Haha - good call.

And BTW, DiSCLAiMER - nice post. You seem to have the right idea:

Basically I don't expect my toaster to be able to grate cheese.

Sitting around at midnight playing resident evil, and laughing your ass off when one of your mates jumps at a cutscene ( it's real obvious on a couch :D ) and the like are experiences you just can't GET on a PC.

And yeah, the complete lack of hassles is a big selling point. Totally different market, and they're incredibly effective in their niche.

And as for you AMD/Intel fanb0yz:

My Motorola M68HC12 0wnz j00 all! 16MHz, 16!! Suck it! Onboard 10-bit ADC, and TWO registers. Count them: TWO!!! Bwahahahaaa....

....even the HC12 has it's uses. I'd like to see you try and integrate Durons into the infra-red sensors in security systems.

My point ( If it's too obscure ) is:

Basically I don't expect my toaster to be able to grate cheese.
:D

[jTs]

I saw them forsale in Aussie about April!

[NNA2m]

Guy I know got his from Aussie and I can't really see zoning being an issue as were usually counted in the same zone as them...

[p01s0n_p1e]

heh heh, that guys easy to shame out

xbox guy
"hey lets all go have a lan party at p01s0n_p1e's house, yea yea, we can play quake 3 arena and dungeon siege"

me
"lets go over to [name withheld]'s house and we can play halo, and the framerate will drop lower than his pants"

and the framerate thing generally is true.
imagine a huge tribes two battle, with bombbers, shrikes, explosians, and men dying, played over split screen powered by a gefore 2.(?)
the framerate can become non existant and it sucks. this is generally what co op halo is like. and at times it really sucks. i would much prefer playing halo on my pc across a lan.

just my $0.02

[KingJackal]

Originally posted by p01s0n_p1e
and the framerate thing generally is true.
imagine a huge tribes two battle, with bombbers, shrikes, explosians, and men dying, played over split screen powered by a gefore 2.(?)
the framerate can become non existant and it sucks. this is generally what co op halo is like. and at times it really sucks. i would much prefer playing halo on my pc across a lan.


OUCH :(

Is that co-op on one XBox? How much better is it co-op over a LAN? Ever had a chance to try it?
( I'm picking that'll be the mode that they've got optimised ;) )

[Antallica]

What I'd love to do is grab one of those XBox controllers and hook that baby up to my pc. That would be excellent for emulator games and normal pc games. Hope it's not a pain to do like N64 controllers. :D