XBOX 360

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2204969/xbox-film-downloads-uk-debut

Xbox movie downloads make UK debut


Microsoft
is to bring its Xbox Live Marketplace Video Store to Europe on 11 December.

Full-length standard definition films will be available to rent from 250
Microsoft
Points (£2), and high definition movies will start at 380 Microsoft Points
(£3.20).

The service will also offer more than 100 music video downloads from the
Ministry
of Sound,
Sony BMG,
Pias and
Vid Zone.


Microsoft claimed that the US launch of the Xbox Live Marketplace Video Store
had been a "huge success".

Arash Amel, a senior analyst at
Screen
Digest, said: "As Hollywood turns its attention to selling digital copies of
blockbuster movies, the delivery of movies over the internet has become a key
battleground for a broad range of service providers."

Amel predicted that the European movie download market will be worth €350m by
2012, up from €17m in 2007.

Robin Truchy, director of Xbox Live for Europe, explained that the launch
added to the number of entertainment choices European consumers had on their
Xbox 360.

"We want to give them the entertainment they want, in the format they want,
when they want it and at an affordable price," he said.

"We were already offering HD games, HD music videos and the option to enjoy
HD-DVD films. Now we are offering HD movies to download and rent as well."

Titles available at launch include Harry Potter and the Philosopher's
Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles, The Matrix trilogy, Zodiac, Ocean's
Eleven, The Perfect Storm, Swordfish, Three
Kings, The Good German, Training Day, The
Fugitive, Risky Business, Space Cowboys, Eyes Wide
Shut, Analyse This, Demolition Man, Eraser,
Executive Decision, Lethal Weapon 3, Lethal Weapon
4, Mars Attacks, Clash of the Titans, Superman
III and Dead Calm.

The Xbox Live service
celebrated its fifth
birthday earlier this month.

Well we will see what will xbox offer...all I care is cheao consoles, high quality and mor fun cheap games..

Big sh!t. Its not like your keeping the movies, your only renting them and you still have to pay. I'd rather keep a movie on my PC and download it for free then pay. Seriously.

Microsoft has signed a 'strategic partnership' with American media
conglomerate, Viacom which gives them access to the company's catalogue
of movies, videos, and games and allows them to distribute the content
via its MSN website and the Xbox live marketplace.


In return for the package, which includes access to shows on
the MTV network and BET and also movies owned by Paramount Pictures,
Microsoft will 'deliver advertising on Viacom Inc.'s network of
websites for the next five years'.


"
This landmark alliance brings valuable promotional power and increased
monetization to our wide portfolio of branded websites, which
collectively represent the leading entertainment presence online.
Microsoft's superior assets and expertise in the ad serving and sales
business will drive enhanced value to our digital operations," said Viacom chief executive Philippe Dauman.


President of Microsoft platforms and services, Kevin Johnson, added,
"Viacom's portfolio of original content and strong consumer brand
connections are a terrific complement to Microsoft's Web, gaming and
digital advertising assets. This deal is another milestone in our quest
to build a world-class advertising platform to serve the broad needs of
advertisers and publishers. If ever there was a 'win-win' partnership
across two companies, this is it."

Microsoft sold a lot of Xbox 360s in 2007. Halo 3 certainly helped
in that little endeavour. But, man, you should wait and see how many
they'll sell in 2008. They'll sell even more! Even without Halo 4!
Well, that's what Microsoft are saying, at least, Jeff Bell telling
Reuters: <blockquote>We will sell more consoles next year than this year.</blockquote>
Blunt, but effective. He also says Europe will be the key battleground
for Microsoft in the new year, where aside from the UK the 360 isn't
really taking off like MS would have hoped. Almost as if Europeans
aren't as interested in shooters and American sports games...

The year is at a close, which means the Blend
Games staff will gather this weekend to drink cheap whiskey and discuss
gaming in 2007. At some point a list of our favorite games for the year
will come out of the ordeal, but before we get to that it’s time to
look forward. After all, it was nice playing Crackdown
but it’s now time to get complacent with our gaming. There’s a brand
new stack of titles just itching to be played. Hopefully none of them
have any debilitating diseases that will require daily cream
application.
First up is the Xbox 360, a system that has been all too quiet on
its future. Peter Moore set the stage for Fall 2007 at E3 when he
emphasized Microsoft’s focus on the immediate future. But now we’re
glancing around and wondering what the hell could follow such a stellar
year for the system. Below you’ll find the games we’re most looking
forward to on the big white console. If you were wondering, the list
doesn’t assuage our worry that Microsoft’s first party lineup is
crumbling.

5. Splinter Cell Conviction



The fifth entrant into the series got a boost of confidence from the masses when it was delayed. Yup, here’s an example of a good delay. Hell, after Double Agent a permanent delay felt like a decent move. But with Ubisoft’s impeccable Montreal team at the helm once more, and a little Assassin’s Creed crowd mechanism thrown in, the latest Fisher story may just be the shot in the arm a fledgling series needs.

4. Too Human



The controversy of the lawsuits, bad previews and all around
comedy of errors the game became in the past is all over. It’s now time
for Silicon Knights to unleash their gestating child and see if it
stands or falls into a big bag of meat on the floor. Everything is
there to make the game great, and we only have precious few months to
wait. A delay into 2009 would be a prime example of a bad delay. Just in case you were wondering.

3. Devil May Cry 4



Nero and Dante and fast, furious, intense action is all we
really need. From the looks of things Capcom has the formula down to a
science and part four of the series won’t likely disappoint fans. And
for any Xbox fans who have missed past iterations, think of this as
sort of like Ninja Gaiden with guns. Capcom is unleashing the game in the winter (just like last year’s surprise Lost Planet), and DMC4 appears to have made a standard follow up into a must have gaming experience.

2. Resident Evil 5



Hello Capcom, nice to see you again. If you need any proof that
Capcom is going to have a banner year in 2008, look no further than the
trailer for Resident Evil 5. We’ve heard very little about the
game since its official announcement. That’s kind of OK – except for
the fact we’re aching to hear more, but we’re expecting nothing less
than the greatness of RE4 in ridiculous high definition blood
splattering glory. It doesn’t matter whose head you’re blowing off when
they are intent on eating your arm.

1. Ninja Gaiden 2



The only title coming down the pipe for the 360 that could hope to match the flawless design and gameplay of Super Mario Galaxy is Team Ninja’s Ninja Gaiden 2.
The sequel to arguably the best action game of the last generation, and
even one of the best of all time, is set to come out soon. How soon?
We’re still saying a Spring 2008 release is on the horizon.

We’ve all seen the gory spurts of blood coming from dismembered enemies in the videos, and that’s enough to get any Gaiden
fan on board. But Itagaki has indicated the game will force players to
finish off their foe, rather than leaving them a flopping torso. In Ninja Gaiden 2 you will have a replenishing health bar, but only if you kill all enemies in a battle. Your limbs now belong to Ryu Hyabusa.

Other titles we have our eye on: Fable 2, Halo Wars, Alan Wake, Fallout 3, Rainbow Six Vegas 2

I'm looking forward to a game called EndWar.

Type it in YouTube for vids. Looks awesome.

is it this one?

Yep, and you command everything through your voice. No need to press any buttons during the entire game.

wow.. that sounds impressive..

Well, i hope it isn't a let down. But previews suggest the voice system is excellent.

What a week for rumour mongering. Metal Gear Solid 4 on the Xbox 360,
Crysis on the Xbox 360, and now the imminent arrival of the new Xbox
360 ‘Ultimate.’ What will Friday bring, we wonder?
With Mr. Bill Gates expected to launch a departing bombshell during
his final keynote as Microsoft chairman at next week’s upcoming CES
show in Las Vegas, industry commentators have been speculating wildly
about exactly what he might unleash.
Well, if today’s rumour from Stuff magazine is to be believed, Microsoft’s concerted efforts to quell the challenge of Sony in the gaming arena are about to shift into overdrive with the arrival of the all-new ‘Ultimate’ Xbox 360 console.


Not content with the Core, Premium, and Elite models, Microsoft is
apparently preparing the autumnal introduction of its Ultimate edition,
a 320GB behemoth that comes equipped with 1080p HDMI, onboard Wi-Fi
connectivity, HD audio output, cool-running 65nm hardware, and an
almost imperceptible ventilation fan.


Furthermore, it will also be able to take advantage of the Xbox IPTV
service, which is expected to be in full flow well before the end of
the year. And, if you’re presently wondering whether the Ultimate will
offer enough oomph to crush the PlayStation 3 beneath Microsoft’s
stomping corporate boots, then you should also factor in that the new
console will come armed with a built-in HD-DVD player too.


Presently, there is no price accompanying this particular rumour.
That being said, however, if Microsoft intends to use the Ultimate to
pull prospective consumers away from the Blu-ray-equipped PS3, then it
needs to release it close to the current price tagged onto Sony’s
top-tier 80GB model – $599 USD.
Presently, the top-tier Xbox 360 Elite, which offers 120GB of
storage and an HMDI port, but is without a HD-DVD player, retails for
$479 USD, which leaves Microsoft with a margin of $120 USD to play with
when it prices the Ultimate if it wants to undercut the 80GB PS3.
It’s also worth noting that the Xbox 360’s freestanding HD-DVD
player is currently priced at $179,99 USD (Amazon.com) but has been
priced as low as $129,99 during 2007.


Hmm, interesting stuff. Time will soon tell whether Lord Gates does indeed unveil yet another enhanced Xbox 360 at next week’s CES.

ok... if this happens.. i stop thinking about the ps3 and think more of the 360...

if sony dont reply to this upgraded console.. id say its game/set/match microsoft.

Wii is winning the war actually.

But i mean, ffs, why are you impressed by 'power'? Games are really what you should be judging a console by.

so far, 99% of the games are available on both consoles..

it doesnt hurt to have 320GB of HD .. especially when you think of the console as doing more than just playing games... you could actually download all your divx movies and tv series and watch them via the console.

another thing worth mentioning.. are the controllers

which do you guys prefer... for what games.. and why?

i still havent mastered using the analogue for PES08... i feel like i'd break it. i got heavy hands, and analogues need someone with smooth and cool movements.

99%? No they're not. 360 has far too many exclusives to ignore, as i've mentioned in previous thread. The only games available on both worth getting are probably cod4, pro evo and guitar hero.

I don't think i'd use an HD on a console, download most of my stuff to the PC. And you can't burn disks.

As for controllers, i like the 36-. Feels like you're actually holding something, plus it rumbles. Either way though, pro evo is one of the few games you can actually use a dpad with.

yeah the whole rumbling/vibrating thing was a major miscalculation by sony... i think the 360 is leading at the moment, and sony are riding their luck with ppl buying their consoles becuz they previously had the ps2 or ps1.. but if microsoft release the "ultimate 360" and keep slashing down prices... i dont see how sony could compete.

and whats worrying is that i havent heard of sony planning to release anything.. yet

Wii is outselling both of them in total.

M$ won't slash prices any time soon imho. They have $120 dollars to play with when competing with the premier PS3 (80gb).

But in other news, Blu-Ray is battering HDDVD in the next gen format war. I think Blu-Ray have 75% of the film producers exclusively on board.

yeah.. my prediction is for the hd-dvd to be around for another 5-8 years... and then start its decline, whereas bluray seems set to stay further, as we need and use more and more storage space per disc

Microsoft Considers Blu-ray for 360

Reuters posted a story this morning peppered with quotes from the group
marketing manager for Xbox hardware, Albert Penello, hinting that there
may be a new 360 peripheral in the works that would support Sony's
Blu-ray high-definition video disc format.

"It should be consumer choice; and if that's the way they vote, that's
something we'll have to consider," said Penello. This would be in line
with Microsoft's stated goal of letting consumers decide where their
entertainment needs lie, something it has pursued by making the HD-DVD
hardware totally optional while offering alternatives like the Xbox
Live Marketplace where users can download discless HD content.

In regards to whether or not the HD format wars would have an impact on
360 versus PS3 sales, Penello said, "I fundamentally don't think...
this has a significant impact on Xbox 360 versus PlayStation 3. With
the PlayStation 2, DVD was a big part in the beginning, but over time,
people were not buying it as a DVD player after the first year or two."


While no official announcement has been made from Microsoft on whether
or it is actually working on a Blu-ray drive peripheral for the 360,
the simple fact that the company offers the existing HD-DVD drive as an
optional peripheral puts it in a good spot for easily ginning up a new
drive using the Blu-ray format. Of course, we're wondering if it would
be worth it for Microsoft to bother with the costly research and
development of a whole new peripheral (traditionally add-on hardware
doesn't pull in huge profits) when 360 users can already acquire hours
of HD content using the Xbox Live Marketplace without the need of any
pesky physical media in the first place. Only time, and perhaps user
interest, will tell.

heck.. by the time they release the ps4 and xbox 3.. they'll probably both use the same system

i dont get why hd-dvds are still in the game?

the only way i can see them winning.. is if they REALLY slash their prices down.

otherwise... bluray has the upper hand

Discs are about the same price i thought?

I haven't started replacing my DVDs by buying Blu-Rays yet tbh. Although i hear Spider-Man 3 is supposed to be awesome in Blu-Ray so i might check that out.

But yeah, if M$ go with Blu-Ray then they'll have to make an 'X-Box Super-Core-Premium-Elite-Ultimate-Pro'...which would just be bloody stupid and annoying.

Seems no one has really thought about the demands of this current console war.

i dont think either company is willing to budge.. the fight is just getting started.