Microsoft welcomes other consoles "to join us in the online space"

Microsoft has announced that more than four million people now make use of its Xbox Live service - predicting that the figure will rise to six million by June 2007.

Around 70 per cent of connected users are downloading content, and have downloaded 70 million items since the launch of Xbox 360.

Of that content, 12 million items have been downloaded from Xbox Live Arcade, with an average download-to-purcharse conversion rate of 24 per cent. Uno, with a rate of 50 per cent, is the most popular game.

Each week Xbox Live users send nine million voice and text messages, plus picture and video chat messages via the recently launched Xbox Live Vision camera.

According to Microsoft, users have cumulatively logged more than two billion hours since Xbox Live launched in November 2002.

"We openly welcome other console platforms to join us in [the online] space," the company stated. Sony and Nintendo are set to launch their own online services shortly, but unlike Microsoft neither company will charge for the privilege - which means Microsoft will likely to be looking to expand its first and third-party exclusive schedule to help drive Xbox Live Gold uptake.

At present, original Xbox title Halo 2 is still the most played game on Live, but eagerly anticipated 360 title Gears of War could move into the top spot when it's released next month.

Source =Gamesindustry.biz

If you have Xbox Live why don't you join the DCEmu Xbox 360 Leader Board ...

Xbox Live may have been down since Tuesday, but when it pops back up in the (very) near future, you'll be able to download Lumines Live! via Xbox Live Arcade.

The previously PSP-only puzzle game costs 1200 Microsoft points (GBP 10.20 / EUR 13.96), and for that you get classic puzzling, a time attack mode, online head-to-head play, and 12 different skins to work through. Skins of course change up the gameplay as well as the backgrounds.

On top of that, you can spend 600 Microsoft points (GBP 5.10 / EUR 6.98) on an "Advance Pack" which adds 22 new skins.

Microsoft also revealed this week that we can expect to see Contra, Gyruss, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mutant Storm Empire and Small Arms among others within the coming weeks of Xbox Live Arcade.

Source: Eurogamer.net
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kungpow12345 has posted an update about Yumi: Samurai Warrior, a BOR game that will be release commercially by GOAT store next year


Source: dreamcast-scene.com forums ...

About a week ago zodttd give the dcemu staff test builds of his PSX4ALL DC port (based on chuis original port), so far we have had 2 builds, and just to tease we have uploaded 2 videos of the emu running on the dc, Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy 4 ( a huge thanks to Skye for taking the videos) and also more pics of Silent Hill (taken by Kaiser)




what Kaiser had to say about the emu


2 videos (5 mins) and more pics, via the Comments

digg it ...

Middleware solution available for next-gen Xbox development

Valve's Source Engine is now available as a middleware solution for Xbox 360, where it will compete for market share with the likes of Unreal Engine 3.

Optimised to make the most of Xbox 360's graphical hardware, and to support Xbox Live, the newly refined Source Engine for Xbox 360 is suitable “whether [developers are] pursuing a traditional FPS, RTS, RPG or delving into new genres,” according to Valve boss Gabe Newell.

Valve is already using the Source Engine on Xbox 360 to develop Half-Life 2: Episode Two and accompanying titles Team Fortress 2 and Portal. Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One will also form part of the bundle.

That package is also due out on PlayStation 3, and being co-developed by Electronic Arts' UK studio, but a representative admitted last night that it was not currently working with Sony on middleware for PS3.

Source:gamesindustry.biz ...

PS3 development chief makes the case for next-gen discs

Launch titles for the PlayStation 3 are already "getting up close" to the 25GB limit on current Blu-Ray discs, according to Sony's worldwide studios boss Phil Harrison, who was responding to criticism of the PS3's adoption of Blu-Ray.

"Already, at our launch titles, we're getting up close to the 25GB limit that we have on our Blu-Ray discs this year," he claimed. "Next year we'll raise that to 50GB, and I'd expect that we’ll be getting close to that in the fairly near future as well."

Speaking in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz journalist Rob Fahey, Harrison decried suggestions that the Blu-Ray drive had been included in the machine purely to push Sony's agenda with regard to Blu-Ray movies.

"It's got nothing to do with movies," he responded. "DVD is not sufficient capacity to power the kind of data consumption, or to feed the data consumption needs of Cell and RSX - just purely as a gameplay device, we need Blu-Ray to supply the kind of data that PS3 games use."

Harrison also responded to questioning about the claim that the capacity of Blu-Ray will be used simply to provide more high definition movie sequences, effectively filling the discs - and games - with non-interactive content.

"It's not just about graphics," he said. "It's about 7.1 audio, it's about speech, it’s about having up to 1080p movies built into the game; it's high res textures, it's animation, it's everything that goes into making a very rich and varied next-gen experience. Partly it's visual, partly it's sound, and partially it'll be down to gameplay benefits as well - more levels, more detail, richer experiences."

However, he also defended the right of developers to include rendered video in their - a key feature of many titles, even on next-generation systems.

"I see nothing wrong with having non-interactive, full HD sequences as part of the game," he said. "That's all part of the production value and the experience that you get when you buy the game. I don't see that as a weakness at all."

The Blu-Ray drive in the PS3 has been blamed both for contributing heavily to the cost of the system, and for causing the production delays which ultimately led to the decision to move the European launch back to 2007. Microsoft has accused Sony of taking choice away from consumers by including Blu-Ray - the Xbox 360 will have an optional external HD-DVD drive, although this can only be used for movie playback and will not be accessible to game developers.

Meanwhile, some consumers have questioned the value of Blu-Ray to videogames, given the ability of developers to fit games on the scale of Xbox 360 and PC title Oblivion onto a single DVD - although it should be noted that Oblivion, despite its scale, is a relatively early next-gen title. Many early titles in the previous generation shipped on CDs, but DVDs were widespread within a year to eighteen months, as developers learned to exploit more of the systems' functionality and streamlined the content creation process.

Harrison acknowledged that some early titles will not make full use of Blu-Ray's capacity, but was adamant that the standard will be vital to the PS3 in the coming years. "Not every game is going to fill 25 or 50GB," he said. "I completely accept that - but there will be games that require that this year, and will push that further in years to come."

Phil Harrison was speaking in an exclusive interview on the PlayStation 3, which is currently being serialised on the recently launched ThreeSpeech website, with additional excerpts set to appear on GamesIndustry.biz in the coming days.


source:GamesIndustry.biz ...

SWAT have updated their robot dancer, 3DanCer to version 0.7.5 Beta

Download here

Source: dc-swat ...

Talken from an gizmodo.com article "Microsoft and Toshiba demo the Xbox 360 HD DVD and 2nd Gen HD DVD Players"

Source: gizmodo.com

Does this mean if someone does develop the software, there could be a very cheap HD-DVD player for the P.C. ? ...

Reports are "categorically not true"

Sony has told GamesIndustry.biz that reports the PlayStation 3 could be delayed in Europe until May next year are "categorically not true."

The rumours emerged after Spanish gaming site Meristation claimed Ken Kutaragi had warned that there could be a shortage of PS3 stock in Japan and North America - leaving European consumers with an even longer wait.

But according to a Sony spokesperson, "Any reports of a further delay to the launch of the PS3 in Europe are categorically not true.

"We are still fully committed to a March 2007 launch date. Ken Kutaragi has not done any media briefings since the Tokyo Game Show, and the story is not true."

The PlayStation 3 was originally due to launch this November in Japan, the US and Europe, but last month Sony announced that the machine won't arrive here until March. The company plans to ship 6 million PS3 units globally by the end of the 2007 fiscal year.

Source: gamesindustry.biz ...