Whisper, i thought the towel trick intentionally makes it red-ring so that you can send it back to MS in exchange for a newer model (less likely to red-ring)?

The towel trick both fixes and breaks the console. If you have a working console, the towel will cause it to overheat and red ring. If you're console has already red ringed, overheating it again causes it to turn itself back on, albeit for a short period of time. I did it myself to play Rock Band for another week or two before sending it to Microsoft for repair.

I called the store ( I just woke up ) and they will exchange everything. I'll then go register my new xbox on xbox.com. Thank you all for your help.

I'm a bit scared now.. I have athree months warranty with xbox right? but what happens if I get the red ring after four? I just bought a -new- xbox and it died on me. It scares me to no end :P

You have a 3-Year warranty on your XBox. And seriously I didn't hear anybody complain about a new model broken XBox for quite some time. Mine is running without any problems for almost a year now, and I've been carrying it around back and fourth since.

Yeah, I haven't heard of these problems for awhile either too. I thought those days were over.

Yeah, it's rare for a new Xbox to die. They don't have the 33% failure rate the launch consoles had, you were just really unlucky. The second generation, the Zephyr, with a 65nm CPU had around a 14% failure rate. The third generation, the Falcon, is even more reliable (and is the likely console you'll find in stores today) and the new Jasper chip has a 65nm CPU and GPU and is said to have an industry standard 4.5% (if memory serves me correctly) failure rate, same as Wii and PS3. I'd imagine if you just bought it new right now, you could very well have a Jasper console. As for your console failing after the 3 year warranty, well I'd like to think if it's survived that long you have a none-faulty console. If you're that worried, just towel it after 2 years and 11 months and get a new replacement before your warranty ends :P

Edit: Did a bit of research, the Jasper chips are in 360's with a manufacture date of August 6 2008 or later, and the lot number 8031. If you're going to get a replacement in the store, see if they have one. I'd imagine all new stock will contain the Jasper boards.

Oh, Jasper's already out? Didn't even knew that, since even my Falcon runs smoothly :)

Well, it was scheduled to be out in August. I'm assuming they stuck by that schedule.

Silent Hill Origins (on the PSP) is actually good :o
Not much story-wise, but the rest is awesome.

PS - I'm playing it right now for the first time. Almost at the end.

The same can't be said for the new next-gen Silent Hill unfortunately, which has been getting pretty mediocre initial reviews.

Silent Hill 2 was the best.

Well, as a Silent Hill fanboy, the franchise pretty much ended by the time of 3~4. However, having ignored Origins until now, because it's not a Team Silent product, I actually think it's not as bad as I thought first.
Now, about Homecoming... The atmosphere/graphics look nice, but for me it's a totally *new* franchise xD
Not to mention that Arcade "adventure", ahah.

Every Silent Hill gets mediocre reviews. Most people like SH2 the most, but it only got reviews in the 7s.

I like the original game much better. It did everything better than 2 except for the big plot twist. You knew what was going on in 2, but it was still WTF in SH with Dahlia/Alessa. Most/all people just didn't get the plot of the first game until they played SH3.

Yeah, but SH Homecoming sounds like REAL shit. I mean you get a buch of combat options, including dodge, kicks and counterattack. Plus the mighty soldier can handle every weapon perfectly, and then you can even upgrade them.
Sorry, the new team obviously didn't understand what Silent Hill is about.
I bet my ass that that's why this game isn't Silent Hill 5 anymore, but Silent Hill Homecoming.

All of the Silent Hill's from 1-3 have average review scores in the mid 80's on Gamerankings. They seem to get a variation of 7's, 8's and 9's averaging around 85%. Homecoming is actually performing similarly, but it's average is just a bit lower at 77%. That could all change though as more reviews get out. Chances are, if you love Silent Hill you'll at least like it.

Funny though. Did any of you play the game? I did since my friend bought it when it came out. It finally gives me the feel 1 and 2 gave me back then and it's the reason I just moved to the next-gen. We only played it together for like 3 hours though so I don't know if I'll totally like it.

It's awesome that the team was able to recapture the whole feel you had back before 3. 3 still sort of had it but I disliked 4 and lost faith in the series with it.

Changing the way you fight the creatures is a crucial mistake for me. They did that with SH4 already, but in this game they totally changed it to something that's the absolute opposite of what Silent Hill is for me.

No, I can't, but I want to. I'm forbidden from playing games in my dorm. The only game I've played is Deathsmiles at the arcade. Me and some of my dormmates need some Rock Band 2. Karaoke is fun, but it's not Rock Band.

What console out of PS3/360 do you think has the most promising future ? I was thinking of getting rid of one of them but am not sure what one ? I've been so disappointed with the PS3, all the "big" titles were a let down and the next game I wanna play (Final Fantasy) is coming out for the two systems.. the genres I play mainly are racing, role play & fighting! I actually play ISS Pro Evo more than anything! so what's the best!!!!

No clue. But why get rid of one? There will always be exclusiv titles over the next years, and when a game comes to both system you can to decide which you want more.
Rock Band for example is earlier on the XBox, but Force unleashed has Tearing on XBox. Get the best from both.

The majority of games now are on both consoles, so it depends which exclusives appeal to you. I think it's quite hard to tell which will have the most prosperous future but I see nothing now that indicates that the 360 will lose developer support and the PS3 will gain it. So presently, with the 360 having the largest library, more than twice as many games rated >90% on average, huge third party support and yearly sales which are still beating it's direct competition (the PS3) I'm more inclined to say the 360.

With the genres you specifically pointed out, you'll probably be safe on both consoles. Fighting games tend to be on both consoles aside from the PS3 has Tekken and the 360 has Dead or Alive. Racing games, again, tend to be on both systems aside from the PS3's Gran Turismo and the 360's Forza and Project Gotham. Right now I'd say the 360 has the upper hand when it comes to RPG's. It has a huge catalogue of JRPG's both on the market and in development, a lot of which are exclusive, all the multi-system western RPG's such as Oblivion and Fallout 3 plus some nice exclusives in Fable 2 and the Mass Effect trilogy. As for football, well Pro Evo is likely going to be the same on both systems for the foreseeable future.

As golem said though, why get rid of one? Unless you're desperate for money, you're just cutting yourself off from certain exclusives. Sure the PS3 mightn't have delivered a particularly brilliant library thus far, but it's starting to pick up. You'd be missing out on Little Big Planet (the main reason I'll be getting a PS3 at some point). Same can be said for any 360 exclusives you'd miss out on. At the end of the day, if you want to presently own a better gaming system, I'd stick with the 360 no doubt. If you want a nice media system that can play Blu-Ray and is starting to pick up as a gaming machine, then keep faith with the PS3. Ultimately, I think in the long run you'll end up owning both anyway.

I don't got a PS3, but I'll definitely buy one. I surely don't want to miss on LittleBigPlanet, Heavy Rain and God of War 3!

I'll hold onto them for the time being then!!

golem09: Yeah I as expecting that to kill it for me, but it felt like they did the right thing. I'm not into being stressed only because I can't really move well with my character, you know? At least they succeeded for me, the fighting gameplay is solid.

ringo bingo: Final Fantasy XIII will take a while before being released on both, they'll only work on the port when they're done with the PS3 version, so you at least need a ps3 for that if you can't wait. Then again, only Mistwalker is giving me the feel I had from FF 4-5-6-7-8-9 soo.. dunno.
Personally though I think the PS3 will end up standing out quite alot. Also, Wipeout HD and Gran Turismo 5 (prologue -.-) are the best racing games ( for different reasons ) I've ever played. Hmm.

maou: That's really bad =( it's very weird that its forbidden.

I've not got Wipeout yet but I was really let down with Gran Turismo.. it looked lovely but it felt like it had no soul in it ? I still play and prefer the first one over it (PS1) GT3 (PS2) was the best next-gen GT for me.

He wouldn't have to wait. They're working on the port once the game is finished in Japan so that it can be "released simultaneously in North America and Europe on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360". The time between the JP and NA/EU release is usually between 8-12 months for localisation. This time will also be used to work on the port. Either way, don't expect to be playing the full game until 2010.

I find Gran Turismo to be quite boring. I think Forza is a much better simulation but I find it almost as boring (the crashes make it more fun) :p I'm more of an arcade racer fan.

:o No Whispa! you never said that! the original GT is my number one all time game, the current one sucks though so I'll let you away with that.

As I said, I'm more of an arcade racer buy. The likes of Burnout, Ridge Racer (in it's prime) and more recently Pure, and Project Gotham which is kind of a half-breed. I get much more fun and excitement out of them. I did play Gran Turismo back in the day, but I haven't purchased one since the PSOne days.

HAHA, I just made that post in another forum at the same time.

But for me it's because racing games in general are quite boring for me.
Except for unordinary ones, where you go ridiculously fast or use weapons.
Or Both.

Aw yeah, I'm a ridge racer fan hiding from the world.

On another note, I finally had time home and went to the store to bring back my xbox 360. They answered me with a smile and a tech support phone number. I've been in wait for like a hour now -.-. Tired of the same 1 minute song playing on loop. Is there any other way out of this?

NBA 2k9 coming out tomorrow.

I'm going to pick it up at gamestop in the morning. They have a deal where you can trade in 2 games and get 2k9 for 9.99. There are restrictions, of course. The games have to have a trade value of $8+.

I'm sure Eternal Sonata is gonna make the cut. Every other game I have is cheap though...Assassin Creed, Bully, NBA2k8.

Maybe NBA2k8 will do...

Sht, I went to Gamestop at 10 this morning and they actually Accepted both NBA2k8 and Assassin's Creed for NBA 2k9.

I ended up paying only 11 bucks for the game.

Now I just have to wait until MS sends me my console back.


EDdit- $(*&#$ I logged into xbox.com right now and my registered devices has disappeared! I entered my service request number and nothing showed up! What the hell happened?

I think the Xbox servers have been playing up today. I keep getting numerous errors. Probably just a glitch. If it doesn't reappear soon, just give em a call.

-------------------------------

Xbox Marketing Director for Japan talks about the Tokyo Game Show in a recent interview, particularly Microsoft's relationship with Square-Enix. In the last section of the interview he states; "With the benefit of having booths right next to each other, Square and Microsoft will be tied together. This time around, we are emphasizing a desire to to have as many people as possible play both of our games. Anybody that plays the demo's at both the Microsoft and Square booths will be entered into a draw. If your name is drawn, you will be invited into the Square booth and... well, the rest is for TGS". He also hints at a surprise announcement at the Microsoft keynote (tomorrow at noon Tokyo time).

Edit: Merged.

So the Tokyo Game Show opened yesterday with Microsoft's keynote

Attachment 2236

No huge surprises, but pretty nice overall.

New Resident Evil 5 trailer

And another

New Tekken 6 (for xbox 360) trailer.

The Last Remnant TGS trailer

StarOcean 4 TGS trailer

Halo 3: Recon debut trailer

Prince of Persia TGS Trailer

Bayonetta, from the creator of Devil May Cry looks rather nice, if a little... Devil May Cry.

I'LL SAY!:lol:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/41289.html *fapfapfap*

God, have to wait so long for Diablo 3...

Hell, might have to replace my laptop to play it when it comes out.

Don-don-don-donkii, donkkiquote!!!

While in Tokyo I got used copies of Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 4. The P4 copy is particularly awesome. While it's "used" it was never actually played. In fact the disk was never taken out of the case like it would have been at Gamestop.

I bought a game called BioShock and after playing it for about 3 minutes I near died with motion sickness, I hate it when that happens.:(
That's another seemingly decent game I'll never be able to play.

Serious, you actually get motion sickness playing games? I know it exists, but hearing someone here is affected by it...my sympathies.

Yeah, the symptoms are sweating, dizziness, and a pounding headache!! there really is no getting around it ? you just gotta power down and get to an open window for some fresh air.

That's sad to hear, it's nice to see that it hasn't stopped you from being an avid gamer though, with your 3 PS3, 10 xbox 360s, 30 Wiis.

Do most FPS give you trouble, or is it just Bioshock? I've never played the game, I thought the cover looked to much like a lego box. The name sounds like a Lego product too, no?

It's mostly just the FPS games that trigger the motion sickness & anything involving planes, flight etc.. but I'm good to go with the beat em ups and racing (my favorite genres) so it's not so much of a setback as it maybe could have been.

Did you get inside Rapture? Theres a lot of camera movement at the start of the game during the plane crash which I can understand setting off your motion sickness, but it goes into a standard, steady FPS view once you swim to the Lighthouse. Choobies, you should check out BioShock. It has one of, if not the best game atmospheres ever. The art style and story is simply sublime.

I could not take it at all! even just turning left and right kills me.. my brother has been playing the game though and from what I've dared to watch, he's at a point called Mercury Suites looking for an elevator code of some sort.

Whisper, just how much of the saying that Bioshock is a ripped-off System Shock 2 story? I've played a bit of both SS games, Bioshock not at all (I believe my system is just not up to date anymore XD), but never got really far...

I've never played either of the System Shock's so I can't say how similar the stories are. They can't really rip the story off though, since they created both games. BioShock is absolutely perfectly presented, both graphically and in the telling of the story so I don't care how similar it is to their past games as long as what they do is done well. Plus System Shock doesn't take place in the brilliantly realised city of Rapture so while they may share story traits, BioShock at least looks wholly unique, from what I've seen of System Shock anyway.

I know it's from the same team and exactly therefore it seemed weird to me. So that's why I was asking... Both System Shock games take place on abandoned space stations though, isn't Rapture something like "abandoned underwater city"?
It looks stunning, I'll agree on that. That's also probably why I didn't even dare to get/install it on my machine, actually :D
SS2 is a bitch to get running under XP/Vista so if you ever decide to play it, feel free to ask me anything... that just on a side note :)

Rapture is not so much an abandoned underwater city, the inhabitants just went a bit crazy, to say the least. I just think the team like and are good at making games that are isolated, claustrophobic, tense and dripping with atmosphere. I dunno if I'll ever get around to checking out System Shock 2 (too many other games coming out and limited time) but if I do and I get stuck installing, I'll let you know thanks :) Isn't there a popular mod for it which vastly upgrades the models and textures?

Yes there is, I've played it with all that installed... but of course it doesn't look all high-end nowadays even with those patches. The folks responsible did a very good job, though :)

In a way, I want Heavy Rain to suck, so I don't have to buy a PS3 ;_;

Wipeout HD is brilliant!! the tracks have all been lifted from the PSP version but it's fantastic fun anyway!!

Bioshock is fucking fantastic. But as I heard it's not like system shock 2, it IS system shock 2. Even the main plot twist is the same.
But not having played SS2, this doesn't make Bioshock worse, because the gameplay holds up to everything else and changes all the time. And of course the weird hunt for big daddies.
The story is great, the music is great and the atmosphere is great. Definitely my game of the year 2007.

Bioshock is a really good experience when you put yourself in the mood. But you have to be in the mood.

Had a drunken Rock Band night last night. The Nirvana pack is sooo awesome but my jaw is really hurting from shouting.

I don't like Nirvana, but I've seen you playing Rock Band. The Dashboards should be able to tell that your drunk, too xD
That would be cool.

I played Dead Space. Which is amazingly awesome and has the best sound effects since BLACK (if you remember it) and even surpasses it by far.
It's just WAY to easy. I played for half an hour and wasn't even hurt ONCE.
And I'm bad at console shooters, even worse than at pc shooters.

I really want to play Dead Space. It's getting brilliant reviews. I was expecting it to be a solid 8, but it's getting 9's and higher and some are claiming it to be the Game of the Year so far. It's just a shame it has came out so close to the release of Fable 2, Far Cry 2, Fallout 3 and Gears 2. I'll probably get it for Christmas.

Does it not have a harder difficulty?

It does, but I'm somehow lazy to restart^^

I bought Far Cry 2 today and yet again the motion sickness kills me :(
it seems to be pretty good though, so perhaps I'll get the fan on my face and endure the pain ?

I've been playing Far Cry 2 today too and really enjoying it.

More importantly, I am again in the middle of another Rock Band night (seriously... best game ever (until Rock Band 2 comes out next month)). Seriously, it's like being in a real bloody band. Tonight we've argued about the set-list multiple times, had a guy quit drumming because he's too drunk to play and complained because somebody keeps playing the same 6 songs over and over again. You know your band is in trouble when the guitarist says to the singer "If you play 'Black Hole Sun' one more time I'm going to beat you to death with a hammer-head shark" :huh::huh::huh:

Hammer-head shark's need to be talked about more often. They are odd...

guys, guys, a moment of silent please.

GOD just descended from the heavens.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122531701276881747.html

Ohshitohshitohshitohshit. I honestly never thought it'd happen. I eagerly await details. I'm hoping for a Beatles edition of the game, but a best of DLC would be fantastic too.

That is great news, not just because it would be a great addition to the repertoire, it would also help bury Guitar Hero.

Live blog of the Beatles/Rock Band event. It's only just begun, I'll update live here and comment when necessary, although I'm probably talking to myself because there's not many people online;

"7:10 -- Jeff Castaneda, MTV PR whiz, takes the line, introducing MTV's Judy McGrath.
7:11 -- Alex Rigopulos of Harmonix is also on the line. There we go.
7:12 -- McGrath is talking up the success of Rock Band 2. Calling today's partnership the "boldest move yet" for Rock Band."

Shit, it looks like this mightn't even have the Rock Band branding (though I'm sure it'll play similarly):

7:13 -- Van Toffler, president of MTV Music and Logo group, takes the mic. "Today, we're announcing an exclusive partnership with Apple Corps, MTV Games, and Harmonix to create a brand new video game featuring the music of the Beatles." Emphasis mine: So, this is a brand new game, eh?
7:14 -- Talking about how fans will be able to experience Beatles music in an "interactive, new way." Giles Martin, son of George Martin, to serve as music producer on the project.

7:16 -- Actually, it's Jeff Jones, CEO of Apple Corps, talking next. "In MTV and Harmonix, we see partners who admire the Beatles and Apple's original spirit and vision." Talking about introducing Beatles to new generation of fans and giving existing Beatles fans a new interactive way to experience the music. Giles Martin, he says, will "bring the same passion" to the development of the videogame as he did the Beatles Love soundtrack and show. And he's on the call today.

7:17 -- Alex picks up. "This is not just a Rock Band expansion pack, it is much much more than that." A "ground-up" project, a journey through the band's imagery and how the band evolved through their time together. This is a tall order.

Holy shit!

7:18 -- Q&A starts. First question -- it's not a "Rock Band" branded title, says Rigopulos. Will be released holiday of next year.
7:22 -- Game will take us all the way through the Beatles' first album "Please Please Me" all the way to "Abbey Road."

7:23 -- The music will be based on the UK releases. Martin says: "We are trying to keep to, as much as possible, is for people to play the songs as though they're playing the originals... More of a way for them to interact with what they know very well as opposed to us remixing as we did in Love."
7:24 --Rigopulos: "A visual exploration of the Beatles' history is a big part of this project."

7:27 -- Talks between Harmonix and Apple Corps started 17 months ago, says Rigopulos.

7:28 -- Press release just went out, check out these quotes:
"The project is a fun idea which broadens the appeal of The Beatles and their music. I like people having the opportunity to get to know the music from the inside out," Sir Paul McCartney said.

"It gives me great pleasure to be part of The Beatles / Apple and Harmonix / Rock Band partnership,” said Ringo Starr. “The Beatles continue to evolve with the passing of time and how wonderful that The Beatles’ legacy will find its natural progression into the 21st century through the computerized world we live in. Let the games commence.”

“It’s cool. I love it and hope it will keep inspiring and encouraging the young generation for many decades,” said Yoko Ono Lennon.

"People are having so much fun playing Rock Band. Combined with The Beatles tracks, it is a great way to either listen or participate,” said Olivia Harrison. “If you like the music, it doesn't take much persuasion to get you to play."

7:29 -- Those four people will be involved "every step of the way creatively and musically." Apparently they've all seen the game running already.

7:30 -- This shit be exclusive, says an MTV exec (I am paraphrasing.) No Beatles in Guitar Hero, guys.

lol

7:36 -- Why not call the game "Beatles Rock Band?" Because they're going into new creative territory, says Alex. "new creative exploration of their music and a celebration of their legacy... deserves a fully dedicated title."

Basically, it will sell more copies if it's called "The Beatles: The Game".

7:37 -- "Game takes advantage of the Rock Band platform in many ways that we'll discuss down the road."

7:38 -- Last question. It'll be a worldwide release, no specific date. Not talking specific songs, but they want to address the entire catalog of the Beatles.
7:39 -- They're going to address the question of digital distribution of Beatles catalog. "All I can say is that we're still working out the details, we have no announcement to make, no date or any information," says Jeff Jones.
7:40 - It's over!

Best info in all of this wall of text:

Worldwide release

Fallout 3: Yay or nay?

I bought Persona 4 in Tokyo, but still can't play it until I get home. :(

Fallout 3 is very good and more like 2 than I imagined with all this FPS look.

Almost at the end of Mother 3. Such an impressive game, Itoi is great <3

The Gears 2 reviews are rolling in. I'll do a round-up considering it's my biggest want of the holiday season, and I know at least golem is getting it...

X360 Magazine - 10/10
Giant Bomb - 5/5
GameSpy - 5/5
Videogamer - 10/10
1up - A
Team Xbox - 98%
Gameplayer - 9.5/10
Gametrailers - 9.5/10
IGN - 9.5/10
Eurogamer - 9/10

Some choice quotes:

It was my fav, too, but now I'm curious if it can beat Dead Space. Because that one is really awesome.
The only advantage gears has to offer so far is splitscreen coop.

And the best Action game ever is still God of War :P
Stupid gears got no chance against a GOD

God of War Trailer 2

What happened to good old 2D games, with interesting storylines and complex post-modern views of the world~

@video in golem's post: I love 0:46 to 0:48.

Well since you mention it Shinji, what oldies are your faves? :)

I've recently played The Pandora Directive. Finished Under a Killing Moon a couple of times before - I've got the game really long now - but never got hold of Pandora... anyone remembers those?

What happened to games with no storylines? Games you can just pick up and play? :hmph:

A lot of people argued that that is exactly what the original Gears was. It's story was so vague it was essentially "Kill some bad guys, set off a bomb". That is almost literally it. It looks like they've beefed it up a bit for the sequel but it still looks to be mainly about just shooting things.

And world-class online multiplayer, Horde mode, action set-pieces on a whole other scale that put Dead Spaces to shame (based on the reviews I've read). Seriously, watch the GameTrailers review (no real spoilers). It's just insane "OMG" sequence after another and that's without them showing the real good stuff. I wouldn't like to compare it to God of War though. Not only are they thematically completely different, but the gameplay is too. I love God of War but nothing beats chainsawing a locust in half for me. I think Gears absolutely nailed the third person shooter control scheme. It's fun, simple, insanely intuitive and pretty inventive in it's own little way. The fact that they've perfected that, upped the scale insanely, extended the length of the campaign and made it look even more stunning says a lot. You get to control a frickin' Brumac!

I wasn't specifically talking about oldies, not at all. I was trying to direct the atention to games like Mother 3 or Earhtbound.
But yeah, in the old days, not Pong days, people valued some point-and-click games or any other type of game that envoled interesting storylines.
I'm a fan of the first 3 Monkey Island. Also, the first 2 Metal Gear count as oldies, I guess, and I think they are great.

What happened to them, you ask?
They are still all around and I can give you plenty of "most hyped and most sold" examples, that are not GOW or GOW.
Sample of an example: FIFA.
Sample 2: PES.

I already watch the GT review, and as you might know, I don't give a lot on competetive online play :)
Coop is cool, and horde is also cool, because it's another form of coop.
And there were a lot of omg sequences, yeah, but Dead Space is just another experience. The amtosphere is 100 bazillion times tighter and the scare factor is so much better.
As you said, it's "just an action game". The thing this actino game has to offer for me is splitscreen and online coop for the campaign. Dead Space doesn't but the overall experience is probably better.

Depends what atmosphere you want. It's a bit like Silent Hill vs. Resident Evil in they're both third person atmospheric action games, but Silent Hill definitely aims at a more creepy, tense atmosphere, and Resident Evil is more about jumpy moments and pure action. In that regard Gears campaign appeals more to me. I like well paced, group-based action games with huge set-pieces and high longevity via co-op. I'm sure I'll love Dead Space, but I can guarantee I'll enjoy Gears more and there's no denying it's a more complete package (even if competitive multiplayer doesn't appeal to you).

I bought LittleBigPlanet today and it's the most fun I've had for ages with a game! the way you can customize the character and the music and everything else, it's a lot of fun and I recommend it to everybody!!

Fallout however is a touch boring so I've not bothered with that beyond my first initial play.

First Real Life Locust found. Emergence day is not far away.

http://j4p543.just4play.biz/_langila...ausgspuckt.jpg

Ah, the NXE is so nice to move around. No more sluggish menu's FTW! And slick, to boot.

Here's Me:



Here's John Lennon:



And here's John Locke:

John Locke, OMG!
Currently downloading

i recently played guitar hero world tour. the one with the drums
they have no doubt's spiderwebs in there.
WIN.

Rock Band have a "Best of No Doubt" album coming out in less than a month. Double Win! :P

Congrats for your fist post in this thread. Buy Rock Band :P

sigh, more money out the door...

Oh, it'll be totally worth it. Not only that but we have Stevie Ray Vaughan's Texas Flood album coming in the next month, and Jane Addiction - Nothing's Shocking. Plus The Killers 'Mr Brightside' and 'Smile Like You Mean It' on the 25th. I love Rock Band DLC. There's so much of it and it eats away at my money.
Oh yeah, Rock Band 2 is 2 days! :D:D:D

The new premium themes are totally awesome. They're pretty pricey at 250 points, but I love the way they're totally implemented into the NXE and friends list. Check out the Forza 2 theme:



And Halo Wars:

hmm, somehow I want the old experience back. Is that possible somehow?

Seriously? I can't think of anything that isn't a vast improvement. The old dashboard is so sluggish and ugly. No, it's not possible to downgrade. You'll never see the old dashboard again!!! All new games require it and will auto-update so it's impossible for an Xbox 360 to keep it..

The Dashboard is cool, but the main menu is kinda useless, because it chooses style over handling.
And with handling I mean LISTS.
The focus beginning on the top and then going down, with the most possible information on the smallest space. Damn, my friends list was a lot longer, no it's just bigger. Feels like playing Oblivion without the HUD Mod.
Coolest feature I found so far is the party mode.

Pretty much anything I could get to in the dashboard, I can get to quicker in this one after navigating it for a few hours. The speed of everything, with no second delays when pressing the guide and such is just a godsend. And having big graphical indications of what I'm looking at is much more intuitive than a list of literally hundreds of items. The dashboard had outgrown itself, not being designed to cope with so many online items. For example getting to Rock Band DLC in the old dashboard would mean going through a few sub-menu's to get to a list of games, the scrolling down for 10 second to get to Rock Band (and probably scrolling past it) then navigating down a menu of over 300 songs. The way they have it now is so much quicker. And they essentially have the old dashboard as the new guide button anyway.

you seriously used the marketplace to download rockbandstuff?
I always used the ingame menu, because I was able to listen to the previews, and there was a nice sorting option. One thing I REALLY wanted to be fixed, was fixed finally. Scrolling description on xboxlive with the right analog stick. I mean seriously, how can you NOT implement that funtion i the first place?

Rock Band was just an example, it applies to any downloadable item for any game but I do use it a lot of I'm downloading a lot of songs because you can queue them up. Every time I try to go back in the in-game shop it cancels the download.

Having just made my first party, party mode is awesome.

I just completed Resistance 2 (U.S. import), overall I was pretty disappointed with the game, it never felt epic at all for me and there was a lot of graphical glitches too :( I hope Gears of War 2 is a lot better ?

I can't comment on Resistance 2 because I haven't played it, but from what I've gathered the campaign is pretty underwhelming. I and most reviewers found Gears 2 to be very epic, but it depends on your expectations. Have you played the first Gears? If so, imagine it 10x the scale with much more environment variety, much larger battles and much larger enemies. I think Gears 2 is one of the biggest scale leaps I've seen on a sequel on a same generation system. I mean the gameplay mechanics are pretty much the same, but everything else is so much more epic.

*gasps for air* little ....big....planet ....withdrawals *coughs and dies*

The new xbox screen is pretty neat, too bad all the themes cost money.

The great thing to come from this is that I discovered Tversity and can now watch most of my videos on the tv.

There are 4 premium themes that come free with it. 3 of them are pretty bland, but the "Night" theme is pretty nice!

Yeah, it's great!

Really, I don't get it :) Explain, now I'm interested :P

Bought Gears of War 2 today (Limited Edition) I'm away to play it now!! hopefully it'll

A: be better that Resistance
B: not give me any motion sickness