Dylan Greene dot com

I was one of the lucky ones who got their XBOX 360 several days before launch. I won it through the Every Ten Minutes contest in which Pepsi and Microsoft gave away an XBOX 360 every ten minutes for two months straight. They gave away over 9,000 of them!

I would have posted something sooner, but I'm working like crazy on TeacherReviews, and the rare moment I'm not working, I try to eat something or get a quick game in on the 360.

Two friends who work at Microsoft are IM'ing me asking where they can go to get theirs. Even MS employees don't get the hookup on this one.

One of the many addictive features of the 360 is the Gamercard, which shows what games you've played and what "achievements" you've earned for those games. Here's my gamercard: http://www.xbox.com/member/dylan.

The XBOX 360 is coming this holiday season, possibly a full year before the PS3 and next Nintendo.

From Major Nelson:

XBOX 360 Release Dates:
North America: Tuesday, November 22.
Europe: Friday, December 2
Japan: Saturday, December 10

If you haven't pre-ordered already then you're probably out of luck unless you don't mind waiting line line at a Best Buy or Target the night before as pre-orders have basically sold out for months.

Or you can try to win one - every 10 minutes until launch day Pepsi and Microsoft are giving away an XBOX 360 - over 9000 chances to win. Amazingly, I won one in the first week of the contest. In addition to saving $400, they're promising to send them out to winners before it's out in stores. According to Major Nelson, the version they are giving away includes the hard drive and wireless controller.

Some new XBOX 360 videos:

• Video: the new hardware
• Video: Ghost Recon: AW
• Video: Call of Duty 2
• Video: Gears of War
• Video: Dead Rising
• Video: Montage of games for Japanese market

Wow, right after I posted how confusing Dell's multitude of computer offerings is, Microsoft repeats the problem with their XBOX 360. Why must there be two different versions at launch? I expect that the people who often buy these systems are parents and grandparents - how are they to understand which one is which and which one their child wants? What if the store only has the cheaper one - can they upgrade it to the more expensive version or is that impossible? What if the store doesn't have the accessories they need just to play a game?

I'm also disappointed that a hard drive, wireless controller, and HD cable are not standard with both versions. Common, this is next gen!

Here's the announcement, copied from MajorNelson.com.

Microsoft Announces Xbox 360 Price for Europe and North America: Starts at $299.99 U.S./€299.99/£209.99
Feature-packed system brings high-definition gaming to the masses this holiday season.
LEIPZIG, Germany — Aug. 17, 2005 — Ending weeks of speculation about which upcoming video game platform will give gamers the most bang for their buck, today at the German Games Convention, Microsoft Corp. revealed that consumers can get their hands on Xbox 360™ — the most powerful and feature-packed next-generation video game and entertainment system — for as little as $299.99 U.S./€299.99/£209.99 starting this holiday season. For gamers who want to experience the ultimate digital entertainment thrill ride, Microsoft also announced a model with hundreds of dollars worth of accessories for $399.99 U.S./€399.99/£279.99, giving consumers the definitive entertainment experience at an unbelievable value right out of the box.
The Xbox 360 and Xbox 360 Core System — along with an impressive lineup of high-definition game titles from the world’s best publishers and developers — will make their debut in North America, Europe and Japan in time for this Christmas holiday, several months ahead of the competition. Although details for the Japan launch will be addressed at the Tokyo Game Show in September, the unprecedented three-region launch signifies an industry first. The Xbox 360 platform will deliver the most powerful console, the best games, the next generation of the Xbox Live® service, and amazing digital entertainment experiences never seen in console entertainment.
“The sheer entertainment value of Xbox 360 cannot be overstated,” said Robbie Bach, chief Xbox officer for Microsoft. “While the system has the muscle to power awe-inspiring graphics, audio and online play, it’s also got the intelligence to serve as a one-of-a-kind entertainment device that plays CDs, DVDs, MP3s and digital content from an array of devices, including portable music players and digital cameras.”
With its built-in Ethernet port and free Silver level of service right out of the box, Xbox 360 also connects players to Xbox Live, the premier global online console games and entertainment network. With Xbox Live, gamers can chat with friends online, build and share gamer profiles, send and receive text and voice messages, and access Xbox Live Marketplace for new content such as game demos, trailers and casual games from Xbox Live Arcade. Subscribers to the Gold level of service will also enjoy access to online multiplayer gaming in their favorite games, as well as great promotional programs such as worldwide tournaments, the chance to play online with their favorite celebrities, and opportunities to win big prizes.

For gamers who want the ultimate experience (and the best value) right out of the box, Microsoft will offer the $399.99 U.S./€399.99/£279.99 Xbox 360 console. This premium edition — distinguished by signature metallic detailing on the console itself — comes fully loaded for the ultimate gaming experience, with components and accessories that would cost more than $200 if sold separately:
• Xbox 360 console. Sexy styling that packs a punch — three powerful core processors are poised to pump out 720p/1080i output, 16×9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound and DVD playback right out of the box.
• Xbox 360 Hard Drive (20 GB). 20 GB and detachable, the hard drive allows gamers to store their games, music, downloaded trailers, levels, demos and community-created content from Xbox Live Marketplace.
• Xbox 360 Wireless Controller. Hassle-free high-performance precision wireless gaming features the Xbox® Guide Button for quick access to digital movies, music and games libraries as well as a range and battery life of up to 30 feet and 30 hours of life on two AA batteries.
• Xbox 360 Faceplate. The removable Faceplate comes in stylish “chill” (white) and can be swapped out with custom Faceplates to reflect gamers’ personalities or decor.
• Xbox 360 Headset. This lets gamers strategize with teammates or trash-talk opponents while playing games on Xbox Live.
• Xbox 360 Component HD-AV Cable. This connects gamers to the world of Xbox 360 games and graphics through high-definition and standard-definition connections.
• Xbox Live Silver membership. With this, gamers can chat with friends online, send and receive voice and text messages, and access new content from Xbox Live Marketplace demos such as trailers and casual games from Xbox Live Arcade.
• A bonus Media Remote. Included for a limited time, the integrated control center for the entire digital experience lets consumers play DVDs, movies and music, as well as access their Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005-based PC’s controls with a single remote.

At $299.99 U.S./€299.99/£209.99, the Xbox 360 Core System comes standard with what consumers need to jump right into next-generation games and media, and is fully expandable to the complete Xbox 360 experience:
• Xbox 360 console. As with the premium edition, three powerful core processors pump out 720p/1080i output, 16×9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound and DVD playback right out of the box.
• Xbox 360 Controller. This wired controller features an extended nine-foot cable and a comfortable, enhanced ergonomic design.
• Xbox 360 Faceplate. Like no other console before, the Xbox 360 console allows customization and a removable Faceplate that comes in stylish “chill” (white), which can be swapped out with other custom Faceplates to reflect gamers’ personalities or decor.
• Xbox 360 Standard AV Cable. This connects gamers to the world of Xbox 360, delivering great next-generation graphics and games using standard-definition connections.

The Xbox 360 console also comes ready for customization. With an array of Xbox 360 accessories, gamers can trick out their systems to suit their individual tastes and personalize their experiences. In addition to an ever-growing selection of eye-catching Faceplates ($19.99 U.S./€19.99/£14.99), Xbox 360 Controller (estimated retail price $39.99 U.S./€34.99/£24.99*) and Component HD AV Cable (estimated retail price $39.99 U.S./€29.99/£19.99*), the lineup includes a wealth of accessories that brings next-generation gaming entertainment to its optimum:

• Xbox 360 Hard Drive (20 GB). 20 GB and detachable, the hard drive allows gamers to store their games, music, downloaded trailers, levels, demos and community-created content from Xbox Live Marketplace and more (estimated retail price $99.99 U.S./€99.99/£69.99*).

• Xbox 360 Memory Unit (64 MB). Easily portable, this lets gamers save games, in-game achievements and unique gamer profiles for quick and easy access on the go (estimated retail price $39.99 U.S./€34.99/£22.99*).

• Xbox 360 Wireless Controller. The same hassle-free high-performance precision wireless gaming that comes with the premium edition features the Xbox Guide Button for quick access to digital movies, music and games libraries as well as a range and battery life of up to 30 feet and 30 hours of life on two AA batteries (estimated retail price $49.99 U.S./€44.99/£32.99*).

• Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit. This allows plug and play for high-performance, precision wireless gaming with the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller. Gamers will be given ample warning when the end of battery life is nearing so they can connect the Play & Charge cable for uninterrupted play (estimated retail price $19.99 U.S./€19.99/£14.99*).

• Xbox 360 rechargeable battery pack. This provides up to 25 hours of gameplay for wireless gaming fun (estimated retail price $11.99 U.S./€14.99/£9.99*).

• Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter. With this, gamers can chat with friends and play games via Xbox Live, as well as stream videos and music to Xbox 360 from a Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005-based PC, all without the clutter of wires (estimated retail price $99.99 U.S./€79.99 /£59.99*).

• Xbox 360 Headset. This heightens the Xbox Live experience by letting gamers strategize with teammates or trash-talk opponents while playing games (estimated retail price $19.99 U.S./€19.99/£14.99*).

• Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote. Sold as an accessory, this integrated control center for the entire digital experience lets consumers play DVDs, movies and music, as well as control a TV and their Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005-based PC controls with a single controller (estimated retail price $29.99 U.S./€29.99/£19.99*).

• Xbox 360 S-Video AV Cable (U.S. only) Xbox 360 SCART AV Cable (Europe only). This versatile cable works for both high-definition and standard-definition TVs that use S-Video or composite video inputs. It provides optimal audio and video signal transfer (estimated retail price $29.99 U.S./€24.99/£17.99*).

• Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable. Gamers can experience high-definition gaming on flat-panel TV or VGA monitors. This cable provides optimal audio and video signal transfer (estimated retail price $39.99 U.S./€29.99/£19.99*).

“With both the Xbox 360 and the Xbox 360 Core System, we’re offering consumers real choice and real value,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of worldwide marketing and publishing for the Home Entertainment Division at Microsoft. “We’re bringing true next-generation experiences into gamers’ living rooms this Christmas holiday.”

*subject to change

What do you think?

I'm at Microsoft, using a PC at their museum to add captions to the Gnomedex pictures. I'm 200 emails 2500 blog posts behind, but already a couple people have asked who's who in the photos, and I better do it now before I forget who's who.

This morning I visited Larry Hryb, aka Major Nelson, or officially Director of Programming for XBOX Live. He presented me with an awesome Major Nelson XBOX Live headset, and showed me the original XBOX working prototype. He didn't have an XBOX 360 to show off, but we did have a good chat about Gnomedex, which he wasn't able to attend, and upcoming features for the next XBOX.

While I'm very excited about the next generation XBOX, the XBOX 360, I hate the official web site at XBOX360.com. I'm boycotting the web site until they fix these problems:

1. It asks us what content, country, and language we want every time we go to the site. It should just default to our user's computer's language setting and not waste our time.
2. One you choose a language it opens another window. Use the same window, what was wrong with it?
3. The new window is full screen. Why full screen? So I can't check email, pause my mp3 player, or do anything else but look at the 360 site? That's fairly arrogant. Never make the browser full screen - in fact never change the size of the browser. I liked the size it was, thank you very much.
4. While the site loads there is no progress bar with % complete. Is it going to take 10 seconds or 20 minutes? Who knows? It's anyones guess - welcome to download roulette!
5. Before the site even finishes downloading the sound begins. Sound you can't turn off because it doesn't give you an obvious way to lower the volume. After the site loads you do get a fairly hidden graphic (look to the right) that will mute the sound. But I just want to make it softer. Why not?
6. Okay, now to the actual content. This is what we see:
   
   
   A few seconds later this is what it looks like:
   
   
   The reason everything is positioned different is because everything on the page is rotating (360, get it?). Nothing is labeled, even if you move your mouse over the various circles, dots, and rectangles. So while there might be lots of cool stuff on this site, finding it is too much work for me to bother with.
7. The final problem effects all sites that ridicule themselves to using Flash for their entire content: there's no way for me to give you a link to any particular bit of information on that site. So even if I did find something cool, the only way I could show you is via a screen shot. I couldn't even tell you how to get to the page, because there's no labels on the floating circle things.

I really hope more thought is going into the design of the XBOX 360. This site is a huge disappointment, especially for a marketing site trying build interest months before the product will be available.

What I would like to see:

1. A blog written by people on the XBOX hardware, software, marketing, and/or developer relations staff. One entry a day at most, once a week at least, like what Bungie.net did leading up to Halo 2. It must have an RSS feed, other sites must be able to link direct to the blog entries, and should include updates such as links to the newest 360 videos and announcements. This will get people to go to XBOX360.com on a regular basis and will get other sites to link to the 360 site more frequently.
2. Lots of pictures of the new hardware. I found rotating zoomable images on XBOX360.com but I have no idea how to find them again. More of that. (Downloadable backgrounds with these images must be the size of our desktops - so 1600x1200 is expected, not 800x600 like the site current has.)
3. Lots of techie info for the geeks. Lots. From memory bandwidth to RF frequency.
4. Explain, in non-geek terms, what people need to enjoy the XBOX 360 the fullest. Don't just say "HDTV" - say what inputs need to be available, because if people plug their XBOX 360 to their $3000 HDTV using S-Video, their XBOX 360 won't be doing HD. Give links to example products at Samsung, Panasonic, Toshiba, etc with photos of which connectors to use. Kids need to know what to tell their parents to start saving for and justify getting a system with multiple component or HDMI inputs.
5. Link to trusted often-updated community web sites like TeamXBOX.com and XBOX employee web sites like MajorNelson.com.

I wrote this post directing to XBOX360.com, but a lot of this advice can be applied to almost any commercial web site.

From MTV:

Elijah Wood will host a half-hour global premiere, with a performance from The Killers, airing exclusively on MTV channels around the world on May 12 and 13.

In the US, it's 9:30 PM in every time zone. For international folks, you have to figure out this slightly overwhelming chart.

There's a couple "leaked images" from this event. We'll have to watch to find out if they are real and if so what we are seeing.

From ActiveWin:

Word is that these image were leaked by MTV and the press... Microsoft doesn't comment on rumors, and officially the next generation XBOX hasn't even been formally announced yet, so they're being hush-hush... for now....

The next generation XBOX will debut Thursday, May 12, at 9:30 p.m (every time zone), on MTV, in a big media event with Elijah Wood and the Killers.

New downloadable multiplayer maps for Halo 2 are now available. To get them, go to "Downloadable Content" within Halo 2's XBOX Live menu.

Bonus Map Pack: Containment and Warlock are free.

Killtacular Premium Map Pack: Turf and Sanctuary are $5.99 together, or wait till late June and they'll be free.

Click the names of the maps for full previews with videos. I haven't purchased the premium maps yet, but I had great fun with the two free ones and I hear Turf and Sanctuary are even better.

And despite rumors saying otherwise, you will not lose your friends list by downloading the maps.

First there were Graphics Cards to add graphics to your PC.

Then there were Sound Cards to add sound to your PC.

Then there were 3D cards to add 3d graphics to your PC.

Now Ageia is coming out with PhysX - a physics card for your PC and maybe even the next generation game systems.

TeamXBOX has a great interview with Ageia's CEO.

This is one of the coolest things I've seen in a while. I love the physics in games like Half Life 2, it would be great if that kind of realism was available to every game.

I don't care how many video games and systems you have, this dude has more.

Lots of rumors about the next XBOX floating around. Not even the real name is known yet, but here you go:

From Gamespy:

CPU - Xenon's CPU has three 3.0 GHz PowerPC cores. Each core is capable of two instructions per cycle and has an L1 cache with 32 KB for data and 32 KB for instructions. The three cores share 1 MB of L2 cache. Alpha 2 developer kits currently have two cores instead of three.

GPU - Xenon's GPU is a generation beyond the ATI X800. Its clock speed is 500 MHz and it supports Shader 3.0. Developers are currently working with an alpha 2 GPU. Beta GPU units are expected by May and the final GPU is slated for a summer release. The final GPU will be more powerful than anything on the market today; in game terms, it would handle a game like Half-Life 2 with ease.

System Memory - Xenon will have 256 MB of system RAM. Keep in mind that this number should not be equated to typical PC RAM. The Xbox has 64 MB of system RAM and is a very capable machine.

Optical Drive - As many have speculated, Xenon will not use Blu-Ray or HD-DVD. Games will come on dual-layer DVD-9 discs. While the media is the same as that of the current Xbox, the usable space on each disc is up to 7 GB. The drive is slated to run at 12X.

Memory Units - Xenon will use 64 MB to 1,024 MB memory cards. 8 MB is reserved for system use, leaving a 56 MB to 1,016 MB for user data.

Hard Drive - As many have speculated, Xenon's hard drive is optional. 2 GB of the drive will be used as game cache. The final drive size is still being determined.

Camera - Xenon will have a USB 2.0 camera. It's capable of 1.2 megapixel still shots and VGA video. Photos can be used in-game and for gamer profiles. The camera can also be used for video chat. It's unknown if the Xenon camera will allow for EyeToy-like gameplay. Developers are currently using a simulated camera driver.

Sound Chip - Xenon does not have an audio chip in the traditional sense. Decompression is handled by hardware, while the rest of the chores are handled by software. DirectSound3D has been dropped

More details according to Gamespy:

• GameSpy Part One page 1
• GameSpy Part One page 2
• GameSpy Part Two page 1
• GameSpy Part Two page 2

Sounds cool... I'm looking forward to the real announcement which may be at E3 this year. In the meanwhile, look for real information on blogs such as MajorNelson.com. The Major is the Director of Programming for XBOX Live.

It drives me nuts that there's no "player profile" feature on XBOX Live. It's great that I'm playing humans from all over the world, but who the hell are these people?

At bare minimum I would like to see the following:

• City, State, Country
• Home page, blog, journal, or MSN Space
• Job, occupation, and/or school/university
• Photo, avatar, icon, or image
• A note field that I can fill in with information like "how I know this person"

Why?

I bought a new XBOX to replace my stolen one, and I played Halo 2 last night for the first time in a month. My friends list is full of people but I forget who many of them are. Or I'm just curious as to who I'm playing against. Sometimes it's just cool to find out you're playing somebody in another country, or somebody down the street.

Off topic: MSN Messenger and Bungie.net are both saying my Friends List is empty. Bug? Must be, now I see them again.

After a very nice evening hanging out with my brother and some friends in Baltimore, I parked next to my brother's place about two blocks from Camden Yards. We played some late night Halo 2. I went back to my car and found the following:

Back window broken. Not a good sign.

Everything was there... except a large duffel bag.

The duffel bag has been my standard travel bag ever since I received it as a Bar Mitzvah gift. It's been to Israel, Europe, California, and every business trip I go on. Usually I put my clothes in there.

Inside the duffel bag was my XBOX, 5 controllers, and a CD binder.

The XBOX was an original "launch day" XBOX with an factory-upgraded DVD drive to get rid of the pesky "dirty disk errors." On the hard drive where hundreds of hours of saved games, preferences, my XBOX Live account, and lots of music for games like Burnout 3.

In the CD binder where about 30 games, XBOX Live Beta discs (useless but collectable), and small collection of of XBOX Magazine demo discs.

Also in the bag was the special memory card XBOX Live beta testers received as a thank you, several DVDs I was hoping to watch with my family, and a XBOX Wifi Wireless Access Point so we could have some Halo 2 action at my parent's house after the Thanksgiving Turkey.

Also taken was a loaner laptop from work. Fortunately, it was an old standby machine with nothing important on it (I used it to remote desktop back to my real machine at work). Hopefully my company has insurance for the hardware.

The biggest disappointment is going to be in the morning when I have to face my other siblings, Jared and Stacey. They've been looking forward to some classic Halo 2 and DDR Ultramix 2 sibling rivalry all week long. I think they're going to be more disappointed than I am.

I'm glad nothing else was taken. The only damage to my car seems to be the broken glass. I won't be able to get that fixed until after Thanksgiving, and hopefuly that won't be too much trouble. I had my camera, clothes, and other stuff in the trunk, and thankfully none of that was touched. Next time everything will go in the trunk.

For all my complaining about the problems with Halo 2 you'd think I wouldn't recommend the game.  Actually I've been playing just about every night and I'm totally hooked, even with the issues I listed, and I still strongly recommend the game. 

Having said that, Microsoft has been listening to the complaints (I wasn't the only one bitching) and has already made available an auto update for Halo 2.  Next time you sign onto XBOX Live with Halo 2 it will download and install.  It takes about 10 seconds and stores the files on the XBOX hard drive.

The fixes:

• Matchmaking fix - much faster find and connect time, one of my biggest complaints.
• 480p (HDTV) fix - some screens cut off the HUD.  This fixes it.
• Foundation - new multiplayer map with support for 4 team CTF.

They still haven't added a server browser. I still hope to see it because there are times I just want to play one or two friends on a server with 14 other people and nobody else on my friends list is online.  I'd also like to see even more maps.  Bungie (the dev team that made Halo 2) has announced that there will be more downloadable levels but hasn't said when.