HDD Support - A Sign Of Things To Come?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.xbox (More info?)

I was afraid this would happen. Gabe Newell of Valve is complaining
about the HDD issue on the X360.

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/9103/Gabe-Newell-Xbox-360-Makes-My-Life-Worse/

"It's like, Xbox 360 doesn't make my life any better, and in fact, it
makes it a lot worse, as you're telling me I can't count on having a
hard drive."

 

[Jordan]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.xbox (More info?)

It's looking more and more like they're treating "High Definition" as a
buzzword and not a technical term with actual meaning.

A lot like the Windex commercials with "High definition windows!"

Or this ad that's been running in my local newspaper for the last week
or so:

http://www.readtheo.com/

A newspaper featuring "High Definition News".

Next time they have an open Q&A people need to ask them "What's the
point in having a 'high definition' console without DVI or HDMI
support?"

"Hey, will the DVD player do progressive playback this time?"

- Jordan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.xbox (More info?)

> and in fact, it makes it a lot worse

Yup, also add only 2 controller ports, oh wait 1 in the back, and shady
backwards compatibility.

I remember XBOX owners cussing PS2 owners for only having 2 controller
ports, no hardrive and having the weaker system. Funny how the XBOX 360
resembles the inadequacies of the PS2.


"Robert P Holley" <holleyrp@delanet.com> wrote in message
news:1125335232.973958.108740@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
>I was afraid this would happen. Gabe Newell of Valve is complaining
> about the HDD issue on the X360.
>
> http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/9103/Gabe-Newell-Xbox-360-Makes-My-Life-Worse/
>
> "It's like, Xbox 360 doesn't make my life any better, and in fact, it
> makes it a lot worse, as you're telling me I can't count on having a
> hard drive."
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.xbox (More info?)

carrajo wrote:

> Yup, also add only 2 controller ports, oh wait 1 in the back, and
> shady backwards compatibility.
>
> I remember XBOX owners cussing PS2 owners for only having 2 controller
> ports, no hardrive and having the weaker system. Funny how the XBOX
> 360 resembles the inadequacies of the PS2.

You have a good point. Tho the backwards compatibility is still mainly a
niche feature that no one but a tiny percentage of gamers will care about
after the console's been out a year. And the 360 supports four wireless
controllers (or you can mix and match up to three wired and one wireless,
and only end up paying $10 more than you would for four wired controllers.)

But they deserve to have the HDD bite them in the ass. They should have made
one config, for $399, with a hard drive. Period. IMO Microsoft is in danger
of fumbling the ball. Let's see if Sony is smart enough to pick it up and
score a touchdown.

-Z-

 

[perfect]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.xbox (More info?)

"Robert P Holley" <holleyrp@delanet.com> wrote in message
news:1125335232.973958.108740@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
>I was afraid this would happen. Gabe Newell of Valve is complaining
> about the HDD issue on the X360.
>
> http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/9103/Gabe-Newell-Xbox-360-Makes-My-Life-Worse/
>
> "It's like, Xbox 360 doesn't make my life any better, and in fact, it
> makes it a lot worse, as you're telling me I can't count on having a
> hard drive."


A sign of things to come? No, not really. There have been quite a few
developers that have gone on record to say how pleased they are with the
Xbox 360 platform. This just happens to be one of the few comments that
isn't 100% positive. Traditional PC developers have always struggled w/
console development, nothing new here, I wouldn't expect Newell to do
anything but bitch and complain over Xbox 360 development. When someone
like Itagaki starts complaining that a certain platform makes his life
worse...then it's time to worry. The thing that bothers me most over
Newell's comments is that he's bitching mostly about policy and not about
the platform itself. He'd still have to develop with the idea that the HDD
might not be present even if 100% of Xbox 360 owners world wide have the
"ultimate" bundle w/ hdd included this holiday season.

In any event, the main function of the HDD in the original Xbox is for
caching. It'd be very easy to allow Xbox 360 games to use the HDD for
caching when detected, that's not a poblem for developers to implement.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.xbox (More info?)

carrajo <carrajo@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I remember XBOX owners cussing PS2 owners for only having 2 controller
> ports, no hardrive and having the weaker system. Funny how the XBOX 360
> resembles the inadequacies of the PS2.

Microsoft always emulates other companies' successes. Windows was just a
rip of the MacOS' interface (granted, Apple got their ideas from Xerox...)

So Microsoft sees the PS2 as being successful with only 2 controller ports
and no HDD. Result: XBox360 is more PS2-like. Including the "Hard to
program for" complaints we all heard about the PS2 prior to its launch.


I'm only half joking here... Microsoft had several opportunities during
the previous generation to be aggressive and put a dent in Sony's
dominance in the console market, but in almost every case, Microsoft just
sat back, waited for Sony to make its move, and then Microsoft followed
suit. I honestly don't think Microsoft knows how to genuinely compete in
a market where they AREN'T the 8000lb gorilla...

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.xbox (More info?)

Jordan <lundj@earthlink.net> wrote:
> It's looking more and more like they're treating "High Definition" as a
> buzzword and not a technical term with actual meaning.

> A lot like the Windex commercials with "High definition windows!"

Saw an ad for contact lenses that claim to give you "HD Vision"

I somehow think we're just begining to see the marketdoids starting to
abuse the "HD" moniker. I'm waiting for McD's to introduce its "HD Menu",
for instance.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.xbox (More info?)

Doug Jacobs wrote:
> Jordan <lundj@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>> It's looking more and more like they're treating "High
>> Definition" as a buzzword and not a technical term with
>> actual meaning.
>
>> A lot like the Windex commercials with "High definition
>> windows!"
>
> Saw an ad for contact lenses that claim to give you "HD Vision"
>
> I somehow think we're just begining to see the marketdoids
> starting to abuse the "HD" moniker. I'm waiting for McD's to
> introduce its "HD Menu", for instance.

Saw a billboard ad for the local newspaper. The Sunday paper
is being touted as "High Definition Sundays".

--crymad

 

[Jordan]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.xbox (More info?)

Interesting, that's the same thing that the Oregonian is doing. Is your
paper owned by Newhouse News Services too?

- Jordan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.video.xbox (More info?)

Indeed it is. I tried to email you directly, Jordan, but the
message came back as undeliverable. Contact me offlist, if you
don't mind.

--crymad

Jordan wrote:
> Interesting, that's the same thing that the Oregonian is doing.
> Is your paper owned by Newhouse News Services too?
>
> - Jordan
>