The ONE and ONLY XBOX 360 Hype Thread

[davepeck]

Official Site

Xbox 360 Game Trailers - Xbox 360 Game Screenshots  

Xbox 360 News: IGN - Gamestop - TeamXbox

Xbox News: IGN - Gamespot - Gamespy - TeamXbox

List of Xbox 360 Titles that may make an appearance in some form at E3 2005:

Black
Developed by Criterion - Published by Electronic Arts. Black is being touted as a revolutionary first-person shooter that makes you feel as close to the power of your weapon as possible. It\'s being described as some as doing to the FPS genre what the Burnout series has done to the racing genre. The game has alread earned high praise from the media who were lucky enough to see an early build at E3 \'05.

Perfect Dark 0
Developed by Rare - Published by Microsoft. The original Perfect Dark on the N64 was one of the most highly-acclaimed FPS shooters of all time and this prequel has been one of the most heavily sought-after games in recent memory. Rare hasn\'t quite been the same as the Rare of old in recent years, but they can redeem themselve with a blockbuster release of PDO, which has been *heavily* hinted at by many Microsoft officials in the know. Story: A secret war has begun - between shadowy corporations bent on world domination. Joanna Dark and her father Jack are caught up in the fight for the future of the planet. A routine bounty hunting mission rips open a global conspiracy that will change Joanna\'s destiny - forever.

Halo 3
Developed by Bungie - Published by Microsoft. Whether it\'s touted as Halo 2.5 or Halo 3 (or both) another installment in the highly popular Halo franchise is guaranteed to be released early on in XBN\'s lifecycle because it\'s easily A) One of the most anticipated sequels of all time B) a lock to sell millions of units and console C) the one franchise that signle-handidly helped Microsoft compete with Sony and Nintendo. The story has purposely been left unresolved and many lofty features the Bungie team hoped to include in Halo 2 were left out.

Dead or Alive 4
Developed by Team Ninja - Published by Tecmo. The heads of Team Ninja and Tecmo have both expressed great admiration for Microsoft\'s upcoming next-gen console and have hinted at strong support. DOA4 has been confirmed by Itagaki himself and will feature the best graphics ever seen in a fighting game, online play, and (likely) new characters and moves. Where DOA Ultimate was essentially an online update to DOA3, DOA4 will be a completely new game in the popular franchise.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivian
Developed and Published by Bethesda. The sequel to one of the best-selling Xbox RPG\'s will yet again release early in the life of Microsoft\'s console. The developer promises an open-ended RPG with great depth and upgraded visuals, AI, and an even grander game world.

Ninja Gaiden 2
Developed by Team Ninja - Published by Tecmo. Ninja Gaiden for Xbox was one of the greatest action games of all time, sporting razor-sharp graphics, unbelievable combat, and great gameplay. The sequel will likely see the light of day towards the middle of XBN\'s lifecycle. Expect a whole new adventure for our hero, Ryu, with new weapons, new environments, updated graphics, and more online competitions. Many of the compaints of the first (difficulty and camera) will likely be addressed in this much-anticipated sequel.

Madden NFL Football 2006
Developed by Tiburon - Published by Electronic Arts. This upcoming version of Madden Football will be the only game that included actual licensed NFL teams, stadiums, and players. Say what you want about EA, but you have to admit that Madden series has evolved into an extremely high-quality product, with accurate graphics, gameplay and tons (and I mean tons) of modes. It\'s time for the Madden series to receive an engine overhaul for the next-generation of systems, so expect this XBN version to be as close to lifelike as you\'ve ever seen in a sports game. Online play will be awesome as well.

The Godfather
Developed and Published by Electronic Arts. You play as an original member of the Corleone family in this GTA-styled game based on the popular Godfather movie franchise and your goal is to successfully complete missions to rise in the ranks of power in the your mob family. EA wants to one up the GTA series with better graphics and a "create your own adventure" type of story where your actions and decisions result in a unique story centered around you. Will this be the first true GTA-killer? Did I just say that? I\'m such an ass.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Developed by EA Canada - Published by Electronic Arts. Anyone who\'s seen the early test renders of what a next-gen Need for Speed may look like can attest to the fact that this return to its roots can end up playing and looking awesome! The emphasis this time around will be on police chases like in Hot Pursuit because running from the police is cool nowadays, right? But don\'t think it\'ll end there. Expect multiple game modes, including old-school racing and a robust online mode.

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat
Developed by Digital Illusions - Published by Electronic Arts. The original uber-online World War II game, Battlefield 1942, was supposed to be released on Xbox, but never saw the light of day for whatever reason, unfortunately. To make up for it, Electronic Arts has scheduled a next-generation console release of a new version of Battlefield for XBN. Expect this game to feature tight graphics and center around the online experience (huge battles, clans, etc.). Don\'t expect controls or gameplay to be highly complicated because this franchise is surprisingly easy to learn, but difficult to master.

Fable 2
Developed by Big Blue Box - Published by Microsoft. Haven\'t had your fill of sequels yet? Good, \'cause here\'s another. Sure, Fable didn\'t live up to its hype--didn\'t deliver on its graphics, open-endedness, or much of anything else, but what it did do was create a fun little RPG that sold well enough (over 1 million!) to warrant work on a sequel. Eventhough this game took forever to come out, Big Blue Box still had features that were left out, and they will likely try to fit some of those things into the next iteration; whenever it comes out.

Burnout Revenge
Developed by Criterion - Published by Electronic Arts. What else can be said about a franchise that has improved with each iteration? The most recent, Burnout 3, was easily one of the best games of 2004, although sales were lackluster. With tons of cars, modes, and hours of fun to have, Burnout 3 proved its worth and Criterion proved its skill. Burnout 4 will raise the bar of super fast-paced street racing even higher.

Project Gotham Racing 3
Developed by Bizzare Creations - Published by Microsoft. Not much has been said about this new version of Project Gotham Racing, but hints have been all over the place, and all the signs point to a next-gen online-enabled PGR at launch. While PGR2\'s sales left much to be desired, its quality is unquestioned. It integrated online play and features like few games before it. The second-best selling Xbox launch title will have a sequel on XBN that will wow just as much as the first did on the Xbox.

Gears of War
Developed by Epic. What\'s being described as a third-person action game where you will be able to ride creatures and shoot stuff is yet another Unreal 3 engine-based game from Epic Games. You know it\'s going to look mindblowing. The question remains: How will it play and what will differentiate it from the rest of the 3rd-person action pack?

Code Chronus
Developed by Team Ninja - Published by Tecmo. Code Cronus will focus on the relationship between Kasumi and Ayane. It begins at early childhood and moves on throughout the course of their lives. It will be an Action-Adventure game for Xenon. (credit: Das Scotter)

Kameo
Developed by Rare - Published by Microsoft. "Blending the heady thrills of exploration and puzzle-solving with the adrenaline rush of real-time 3D battles, Kameo: Elements of Power is an ambitious title from the makers of GoldenEye and Banjo-Kazooie. The concept mixes combat action with creature transformations, letting the title\'s female star morph into monsters and use their special powers against others." -IGN This title was supposedly transferred over from Xbox to Xbox 360 dev kits in an extremely short period of time and probably made more "edgier" with some bits of generic rage sprinkled on for good measure.

Condemned
Developed by Monolith - Published by Sega. "You are an FBI agent on the hunt in this gripping and sickening hunt for serial killers. The game is played in first-person perspective, and with the use of the Havok 3.0 physics engine and other advanced techniques, players can utilize anything in the area as a weapon when they\'ve been cornered by their prey. -IGN" Early screenshots looked solid, though unspectacular (is that even a word? well, it should be).

Dark Sector
Developed by Digital Extremes. An early trailor showed Dark Sector off as a first-person shooter based in a futuristic, sci-fi setting. Digital Extremes are the well-known creators of the Unreal Championship franchise, so expect lots of brutality and guns. Dark Sector was also one of the first revealed next-gen titles and the early trailor showed high amounts of polygons per scene.

Quake IV
Developed by Neversoft/ID - Published by Activision. Continuing the Quake series from the second iteration, where you battled the Strogg, Quake IV now gives you access to vehicles and teammates to wage your war against the enemy on their homeworld. Using the beautiful Doom III engine and including a fast-paced Quake III style multiplayer mode, this new version of Quake should invoke all sorts of fond memories of the fragging days of \'yore.

More:

Shadowrun RPG
Mistwalker RPG #1
Avalon (vehicular combat)
Marvel vs. EA
FIFA Soccer 2006
NBA Live 2006
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 2006
SSX 4
Urbz 2
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
James Bond: From Russia with Love
FIFA Street 2
DOA: Xtreme Sports 2
Tony Hawk\'s Underground 3
Ultimate Spider-Man
Call of Duty 2
Retribution FPS
Splinter Cell 4
Tomb Raider Next
Prince of Persia 3
Mistwalker RPG #2
Q Entertainment Title #1
Bioware (Unreal Engine) Title #1
Ghost Recon 3
Fuzion Frenzy 2
King Kong
Killing Day (Ubi Soft)
Game Republic Title #1
Game Republic Title #2
Phantagram Title
Conker 2

Possibles:

Sabreman Stampede
B.C.
Sega Football 2K6
Killer Instinct
Rallisport Next
Citizen Zero MMORPG
New Banjo
New Top Spin
New Amped
New Links Golf
Brute Force 2
Amusement Vision Game
True Fantasy Live Online
Soul Calibur Next
Panzer Dragoon Next
Vanguard
Factor 5 Title
Silicon Knights Title
Sega Arcade Racing Title
Digital Illusions Title
City of Metronome
Huxley MMOFPS
Oddworld Fangus
Virtua Fighter 5
Darkness (Starbreeze)
Obsidian Title (Unreal Engine)
Omikron: The Nomad
F.E.A.R.
Infraworld (Quantic Dream)
Project DIMITRI

[davepeck]

game pics:

Kameo:


Godfather:


Project Gotham Racing 3:


Gears Of War:


Tiger Woods:

[davepeck]

[inertia1215]

Already have one reserved.  This ultimate system will be host to the future best game EVER. HALO 3 :holyshit:

[leith]

:yack2:
:vomit:          Microsoft

[davepeck]

say what you will about MS, with this \'generation\' of consoles coming to a close, as an owner of all 3 current-gen consoles since each of their respective launch dates, i can honestly say that the XBOX has proven to be the absolute best and most powerful of the three.

that said, only time will tell what the next-gen consoles will bring. we shall see.

[Spacey]

Tiger Woods is all I care about and that game looks sick.

won\'t buy either system but I will dream ....

[leith]

say what you will about MS, with this \'generation\' of consoles coming to a close, as an owner of all 3 current-gen consoles since each of their respective launch dates, i can honestly say that the XBOX has proven to be the absolute best and most powerful of the three.

that said, only time will tell what the next-gen consoles will bring. we shall see.

Yeah whatever. Like I\'m gonna listen to someone that does not even PLAY his games. Come On Guy! lol
But ser, I have almost broken down and gotten a refurbed Xbox but really it comes down to games and xbox nvr really had enough games that I liked to compete. Yeah sure they get GTA also but LATER than everyone else,I find more games and titles I have followed on Playstation than xbox. With the influx of kickass SW games though on xbox it is really making it hard to keep up the fight against microsoft.

[kindm's]

As a comsumer of many fine game consoles thru the years. I have finally made the jump to PC gaming and I dont think i will ever buy a console again. maybe. It is just that the PC is faster better graphics and can be upgraded if needed.

Buying console is too much throw away income IMHO. Especially for the early adopter. I have so many consoles that are only good for about 2-3 years before the newer better faster versions comes out. It reminds me of buying a laptop. You get locked in to the technology while the tech sweeps past you.

[Wolfman]

as an owner of all 3 current-gen consoles since each of their respective launch dates...

Does the XBOX 3000 collect dust more efficiently than the other systems, or will it collect dust at the same rate?

[davepeck]

High Res Pics of the Xbox 360 Dashboard:






Marketplace:



Friends List:




Downloads:



Arcade:



Music:

[Dan K]

purely amazing. I too am getting somewhat sick of laying down $300 every 3 years to get a new console, but i just cant help myself, there is too much cool stuff to pass up. Buying an Xbox was one of the better purchases I\'ve made in a few years. It really made Ps2 look silly. I don\'t care if Ps2 does have more games, Xbox has better games and more power. Halo alone beats Ps2 altogether. So, yes I will be getting one of these new uber xbox\'s...whenever it comes out. Sony should just give up, no one can compete with microsoft. Maybe xbox3 wont even have controllers, it will just plug directly into your central nervous system so Bill Gates can get a print out of all your thoughts on his home PC so he can better take over the world.

[davepeck]

Info posted on the IGN boards:

*Faceplates - Some faceplates will draw power from the USB port allowing it parts of it to glow, while others could have an integrated memory card that would have themes such as dashboard skins and related sound effects.
*Connections - Will come with standard cables, but VGA connections will also be available. (DVI would stand to reason also, if anything you can convert VGA to DVI using an adapter.)
*Two forms of rechargable wireless contollers - Fast Charge (1-2 hours) and Slow Charge (I am not sure what to make us this... maybe you can recharge the battery pack in two methods?)
*Ninja Gaiden 2 is a known XBox360 game in development at time of writing
*You will be able to have your own online shop selling various items such as addons for games (such as content and paraphernalia)
*In some games you will be able to design game content on the PC using tools that could be available on the DVD and then stream them over to the XBox360.
*In the future people may be able to play online arcross platforms (PC Users and XBox Users)
*Perfect Dark Zero will feature the spectator mode (PD0-TV)
*Soul Calibur 3 is a known XBox360 title as well
*20GB Hard Drive is standard and comes with every system

Controller extras...

*New XBox Live headset, with new adjustable boom microphone
*XBox360 Play and Charge Kit - 3m long AC charger that will recharge the controller while you play, and also allowing you to continue to use the controller when the power is low. Includes NiMH rechargable battery that recharges in 6-8 hours and has a battery guage to indicate power level.
*AA Batteries last 40 hours with force feedback enabled and the rechargeable batteries last 25-30 hours on a charge.

Xbox 360 Video Camera...

*640x480 at 8 frames/second capture resolution and 1280x1024 resolution with single frame capture. Stills can be taken for your use in the UI, game, or in the moment of glory

Memory/Storage...

*Comes with portable carry case that fits on your keychain
*Take your game saves, downloadable content, and live profile with you on the go!
*Take your Gamercard with you for quick and easy access to your game statistics, gamer settings, controller settings, friends list, and achievements!

Other Information...

*Wireless controller standard with come with non-rechargeable batteries.
*Worldwide launch in all major markets (NA, Europe, Japan) before Christmas 2005! (Europe launch roughly 10 days after the US launch and Japan closer to Christmas)
*All games will support custom soundtracks.
*Zones - Killing Trash, Zones, Families, Sports, etc...
*Gamercard - Grab a picture and put it in your gamecard
*Rep - Voting options such as liking or disliking a particular gamer
*Gamerscore - Something you accumulate, even before you go online... accomplishments will accumulate gamerscore online or offline.
*XBox Live Silver and XBox Live Gold - XBox Live Silver is free and XBox Live Gold can be purchased using credit cards, debit cards, prepaid retail cards... so a person can goto a retailer and purchase a card that has credit on it and you can use it on XBox Live to purchase content.
*XBox Live Silver is free and does not include normal online multiplayer, but you can pay for seperate subscriptions for things like MMORPGs and play those games through XBox Live, you can also take part in free "XBox Live Weekends" and download free and premium game content, make microtransactions, download free and premium movies and music. You can send and receive game invites, friend invites, text/voice/system messages, maintain friends lists as well as recent player lists... all free!
*XBox Live Gold is similar to the existing XBox Live subscription, except with all the previously mentioned services in XBox Live Gold and a few new features of it\'s own. All current XBox Live subscribers will be able to have a seamless transition of their existing account to XBox Live Gold. You will be able to enchance matchmaking and make use of review ratings, gamerzone features, Live Marketplace (a lot of games will support it from day one, and a lot will have pc based tools where you the author of the content on the pc and feed it over to your xbox 360 through the network)... though initially for the publishers to consumers, but eventually consumers can sell their things from their store fronts.
*MSN Messenger/Video Chats - Within 18 months from launch...
*Photos - Slide show to others on XBox Live, stream music from MP3 players to others through XBox
*Send vibrations and emoticons to each other
*Play games and video chat at the same time

Perfect Dark Zero...

*Set 4 years before the first Perfect Dark on the Nintendo 64, in full production for the past 2 years... plus another 3 years of on/off production
*Conceded that they needed to get games out on time
*No single player details until later this year
*Perfect Dark Zero TV (PD0-TV), logon and watch the best PD0 players do what they do best...
*64 Players Online
*Ranking System surpassing that of Halo 2
*Visually rock solid with textures on walls, objects, vehicles and floors that put halo 2 to shame.
*Game was not up on final hardware, expect a LOT of visual improvements.
*Size of maps increase or decrease depending on the number of players currently playing that map.
*Vehicles - Such as motorbikes, jetpacks, and carriers and the ability to repair vehicles
*Secret Mode - Dark OPs - OBjective based games
*Spawn - In area full of weapons, you tooled up and then jump into the map
*Weapon Balancing - Cant hold two big weapons at the same time
*Player armour physically deteriorates when shot.
*Hide and peek around corners
*Joanna automatically jumps over objects (no jump specific button)

[leith]

In case it\'s not known. There already is crossover play between PC\'s and consoles. It\'s called Final Fantasy XI.

[Spacey]

X-Box, IMHO, is the better of the two. I have always been a Playstation kind-of-guy but, I knew that microsoft has the potential to be the best. Partly because Bill Gates owns microsoft and the endless supply of money that comes with it. Also, because they build software and have worked with computers. X-Box, to me, is more of a computer without a moniter. I think in the long run X-Box will prevail, because eventually, they will have everyone making games for them because the money is better.