Microsoft drops bombshells at E3 show

[maf3000]

Peter Moore, Microsoft's corporate vice president of Interactive Entertainment announced a new external HD DVD player for the Xbox 360 that will ship by the holiday season. The player, which does not have a price yet, is Microsoft's answer to Sony's next generation Blu-ray high definition DVD player that will ship with the PlayStation 3.

The pressure is on both Microsoft and Sony to win the format war, in effect adding immediate value to their gaming platforms while simultaneously rendering their rival's systems partially obsolete.

Bill Gates made his first-ever appearance at E3 Tuesday to talk about Microsoft's online gaming strategy, which will now span multiple platforms for the first time.

Dubbed Live Anywhere, the service extends Xbox Live's online communications and online gaming capabilities to personal computers running the next Windows platform Vista as well as cell phones running Windows Mobile.

Now users can take their gamer tag with them wherever they are, communicate across platforms to users on their friend list and in the case of games that appear both on the PC and console, play heads up for the first time. Halo 2 players will soon be able to go at it and decide if the PC or Xbox 360 is the better platform for games. And users will also be able to buy new content like weapons, levels or enhancements from any of the devices for their online games.

"Anywhere Live means you will have one online community as you move from one device to another," said Gates.

The service will become available sometime next year when Microsoft ships its next operating system, Vista.

Moore also announced a software coup by striking a deal to release the game Grand Theft Auto IV on the Xbox 360, when it debuts on Oct. 16 next year. One of the best-selling games of all times, Grand Theft Auto III appeared first on the PlayStation 2, two years before it made its way to the Xbox.

The company showed off some new games such as Gears of War, a bloody first-person shooter and Viva Pinata, a cartoon game where a player takes care of a Pinata animal. Microsoft also added a slew of titles to its Xbox Live Arcade vault, including classic titles like Pac Man, Frogger, Contra and Sonic the Hedgehog.


http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/05/09/BUG1VIOMR64.DTL

[ovaclock]

They can drop any amount of bombshell dem want. Microsoft lost the initiative with the xbox360 when they decided not to allow mouse and keyboard support. Which is fundmentally important for most FPShooters like myself.
Sony on the other hand has announced it's PS3 will most definitely suppory mouse and keyboard. The games coming out for the PS3 will also have support for M&Keyboard. so :)

[maf3000]

The Xbox 360 has mouse and keyboard support but it is up to the devs to use it.

[ovaclock]

it has limited keyboard support. Certainly not mouse.

[Zard]

after the initial price drops my money is on blu-ray still

[maf3000]

I remember reading in an interview that it has mouse and keyboard support and it's up to the developers to support it in the games. I only know about two 360 games that support keyboard doa4 and FF11 but i don't know any that support mouse.

[crosswire]

Interesting to know that PC games can go versus with console games

[dwightja24]

well all i can say more fighting between them
better things for us ......

[death777777777]

well that sounds great even more reasons to get a 360 now we r seeing the power of microsoft to capture the market by going in a whole new direction by bridging the gap between console and pc which is a very great thing because u have very dedicated pc gamers who r not interested in console and the same for console system now u can play against ur friend i think it is great real genius

hats off to bill gates for doing that

[maf3000]

^^ Finally someone gets it. :eusa_clap

[Electrotechnic]

So MS and PS warring over the format while Nintendo sticking to old school with CONTENT.....hmmm.....I guess it depends which is more important to you....

I mean seriously...while playing Super Smash Bros....do you care how links hair flows in the wind or how real he looks???? :icon_conf

[Nastrodamus]

Great Point Elec.

The think with Nintendo they stick to games that has REPLAY value. I am still play some Super Nintendo games today (Top Gear 2 + Contra 3 + Gradius 3 etc..)

Playstations games rarely have replay value. The ones that do have some semblance of replay value are games that had been ported from other consoles.

[ovaclock]

i hav no vendor loyalty . Whoever offers mouse & keyboard support 1st will have get my credit card #. Price certainly is'nt an issue, wen i justify it by the amount of $$$ i spend on a pc jus so i can play a game.

[Nastrodamus]

i hav no vendor loyalty . Whoever offers mouse & keyboard support 1st will have get my credit card #.

lol.

hhhmm... a console with keyboard and mouse support. esp Wireless, I can see this as an expansion for the x360, but thats for another thread ;)

[maf3000]

But how much of the games will support it. Remember developers do not like to add support for a feature for a small % of users.

[Nastrodamus]

But how much of the games will support it. Remember developers do not like to add support for a feature for a small % of users.

You would be surprised. Think FPS.

[maf3000]

Whats the % of FPS on consoles? Very small. RPG, Racing, sports etc. that is what is big on consoles. You will not see people playing Madden with keyboard and mouse on a console any time soon.

[Ropy]

Great Point Elec.

The think with Nintendo they stick to games that has REPLAY value. I am still play some Super Nintendo games today (Top Gear 2 + Contra 3 + Gradius 3 etc..)
It's not so much about the games but the experience that you have. With their innovative controller when playing you are virtually in the game. I've seen games where the character reacts to your physical movement. One such game is Red Steel.

The Nintendo that once could is now the Nintendo that WILL.

[ovaclock]

But how much of the games will support it. Remember developers do not like to add support for a feature for a small % of users.

Small%??
I may be wrong, but i think the % would be in the high 60's for FPshooters.
I for 1 would never play a fps on a console with that controller. And a controller going up against a mouse user would definitely be FRAG-BAIT.

[juiceheadband]

thats true, its a high percentage! most console lovers have low spec PCs, so the'll pick up games like doom, halo etc for their consoles because their pcs cant support it. so a lot of ppl play shooters on consoles.

i luv this move to integrate PCs and consoles though, but as usual theres a caveat: it requires Vista. M$ getting richer!

[maf3000]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. sided with rival Nintendo Co. Ltd. on Wednesday in the fight to unseat video game leader Sony Corp., saying many consumers will choose to buy both of their machines for the price of one PlayStation 3.

The bad blood between Sony and Microsoft in the fight for dominance in the nearly $30 billion video game industry has escalated over the last few days, with both sides trading barbs at the E3 Expo, the video game industry's annual trade show.

Microsoft entered the next-generation game console market first with its Xbox 360 last November.

Sony aims to extend its market leadership with its upcoming PS3, while Nintendo plans to offer a new game machine called Wii in the fourth quarter.

"Tell me why you would buy a $600 PS3?" Peter Moore, a Microsoft vice president, said in an interview. "People are going to buy two (machines.) They're going to buy an Xbox and they're going to buy a Wii ... for the price of one PS3."

Microsoft predicted on Tuesday it will have 10 million Xbox 360 consoles in the market before Sony launches the PS3. The high-end Xbox 360 sells for $399, but it does not include a built-in high-definition DVD video player that comes with Sony's PS3.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/11/AR2006051100612.html

[gangstanerd]

I have no love for the devils residence(console) but i think that bridging the gap between people like me and ppl on the console is easily one of the best things that Microsoft could do, id LOVE to know that the pson who i just shot in the head and is now twitching on the floor is groaning on front of a TV instead of a monitor...plus, itll be EASY to cap fools in any FPS once theyre not using the heavenly tools of control(Mouse and Keyboard). I hope that Microsoft+Nintendo win this one...for too long i have listened to the whining of ps fans....now let te wrath be poured on them, im hoping that their ps3 with Blu-ray drive becomes like a betamax ;)(props if u kno the reference). Useful only to ppl who own one and noone else. may u al burn in console hell...pc transcends all....

[maf3000]

Elsewhere in that Word doc hosted on Xbox.com that listed all the upcoming accessories, was the (as yet still unannounced) Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows. What is the Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows? From the doc:

"Gamers can get the most out of current and future Xbox 360 wireless accessories with the new Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows. By plugging the compact receiver into a USB 2.0 port on the PC, the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 Wireless Headset and Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel can be used on a second platform (ERP TBA)."


http://img468.imageshack.us/img468/2977/360wirelessgamingreceiverforpc.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/11/use-360-wireless-peripherals-with-a-pc/

Wireless Racing Wheel on the pc :D

[tommytrouble]

hmmm mouse and keyboard support dude thats in the making boss--remeber the xbox wasnt realeased with a keyboard --well it has one now


keep in mind these new game systems are like pcs they are expandable dangeroulsy --mouse and keyboard supposrt is ther for the xbox 360 . its in the making people

[MhadbwoY]

WOW!!!!! XBOX FRAID SO DEM TEAM UP WID NINTENDO!!!!

HHHHAAAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA......WOW

i dieing over here......LOL....hope what dem trying works...cuz...PS3 is going to blow dem outta space... STR8

[xclusief]

I'm a diehard PS fan but i like knowing that I'm getting what I paid for.

(a) $600 for a PS3 as opposed to (b) an xbox 360 AND a Wii.

think i'll be going with option b, then get a PS3 later on when the price drop significantly.

[MhadbwoY]

I might buy the Wii b4 PS3 still......i like Mario titles....always colourful and cheerfull u zimi....play dem games deh when ur girl come visit :) she might like them :D

BUT PS3 will be the boss..Rrrrrrrr

[death777777777]

Electrotechnic made a great point i mean all this technology is great but we forgetting forgetting game play i think game developers r so worried about graphics and the most fundamental part is games most games now only keep ur attention for about 5 hrs but like he said it is not about link hair flowing in the wind but about game play and fun

[Malloc-X]

i think sony will win format because sony owns a lot of movie production companies, and most new dvds will be on blue ray. and i dont want to see M$ dominate another market because then they will start releasin lack luster products

[MhadbwoY]

DID they finish the Blue Ray Technology?? cuz i think i hear dsome stuff that its incomplete.

[Zard]

i think sony will win format because sony owns a lot of movie production companies, and most new dvds will be on blue ray. and i dont want to see M$ dominate another market because then they will start releasin lack luster products


they thought the same with the PSP's UMD and that format is failing so far