Recent Comments:
Engadget's Black Friday giveaway, part ten: win an HP Envy 15! {Engadget}
Nov 27th 2009 10:43PM *praying*
Engadget's Black Friday giveaway, part six: win an HTC HD2! {Engadget}
Nov 27th 2009 2:49PM I want to put Windows Mobile back in style...i'm that influential.
ARM shows off its Mali mobile processors with impressive 3D demos, also bowling (video) {Engadget Mobile}
Oct 21st 2009 9:41AM you thought battery drain was bad before...get ready to charge your phone every hour when watching streaming HD 720p while on a 3G or LTE connection.
Editorial: A slimmer, cheaper, better PS3. Was that so hard? {Engadget}
Aug 19th 2009 6:46PM Also XBL still does not allow user created modifications via its service. Games like Pro Evolution Soccer and Unreal Tournament can be edited in the PS3 version but not on XBL. It is really cool updating the kits of the uniforms and adding attributes and better facial scans or updated boots/colors of the players- the fan community is extremely active especially on sites like pesgaming.com where you can download user option files with all the updated summer transfers and new uniforms and apply them to your game so you don't actually have to do the editing yourself. It is unfortunate that XBL does not support this but it is great to see that it is at least offered in PSN and hopefully it is something that will be added to XBL in the future. And you have to admit that the currency level Microsoft points thing is just stupid and a better system is in order now converting points to cash is annoying and it is these little things that get really irritating. Again an editorial or a feature exposing the faults of the 360/XBL is in order.
Editorial: A slimmer, cheaper, better PS3. Was that so hard? {Engadget}
Aug 19th 2009 6:14PM @atx1980
I love the new features that are coming out for XBL. I have NetFlix and a Gold account; but I only have a 1.5mbps DSL connection so I will not be able to get HD movies streaming via NetFlix. PSN is adding new features too and I don't find the XMB nearly as laggy as the Dashboard. I am not trying to say that PSN is better than XBL- I just don't believe it is 50.00/year better- and I don't have issues with the service- I was just replying that my service is a lot more stable on PSN than it is on XBL in a reply to the previous commenter who had network issues with PSN and the service "sucking ass." My experience with PSN (service-wise) is a lot better than XBL but I would not use the words "sucking ass" to describe any of the online offerings provided by the respective console- but I would say that one service has been superior to the other as far as server maintenance/service than the other in MY experiences. I am also not praising either platform's current offerings- there are plenty of problems with both. And I am going to have to disagree with you on saying that XBL is worth the money...it in some ways is BETTER than PSN; but again, I bring up the point that PSN is MUCH better than the Wii's online services but you don't see Sony charging 25.00/year because it is better than the Wii's online platform but not as good as XBL.
But maybe I am too scared of seeing this as a trend and worrying that the xbox720 has a 100.00/year XBL Platinum option and paying 69.99 for standard editions of new releases.
Editorial: A slimmer, cheaper, better PS3. Was that so hard? {Engadget}
Aug 19th 2009 5:36PM @Anticrawl
XBL is notorious for going down for server maintenance sometimes for an entire day...they always have issues whenever a big title comes out like Halo or Gears and they always have problems during the holidays when there is more traffic. PSN goes down too but compared to XBL- I have a much better experience on PSN as far as server maintenance/connectivity issues goes.
XBL is a great service and I find that the gamertag integration is superb. But things like the dashboard where I am waiting for my games library to pop up and shifting thru menus with the lag is very irritating.
XBL is FREE- XBL Gold is not. When they have those weekends where XBL Silver members can play online the system doesn't crumble from lack of funding. I know there is a big difference with select weekends and running it 24/7 for free- but maybe XBL should look on how the PC, PSN, and Wii are doing it.
There is great content on the PSN- including movies/games/dlc JUST like XBL. In fact Braid is coming out onto the PSN. Games like SuperStardust HD and Wipeout HD are perfectly functioning on the free PSN. I don't know why your online experience "sucks ass" on the PSN or if you are getting constantly disconnected- but my own works fine.
Editorial: A slimmer, cheaper, better PS3. Was that so hard? {Engadget}
Aug 19th 2009 4:51PM I am eagerly anticipating the 360 editorial- Finally a working (Jasper, Valhalla?), free online 360. Was that so hard?
I have a feeling that the Microsoft is FINALLY getting closer to permanently solving the RRoD and E74- Valhalla might finally be the platform. Unfortunately I know that the Xenon and Zephyr units are still circulating because I have friends who are still getting the pre-HDMI units back as refurbs (but one of my friends did get back an HDMI one). Microsoft has gotten a lot of praise by extending the warranties- but I think that was the LEAST they could do...imagine if they didn't and just left all the RRoD console owners stranded. Microsoft will get praise from me when they issue a recall; and yes, both Dean Takahashi's in depth report and Game Informer's recent study prove that the failure rate is at least 50%- a number that warrants a recall.
http://games.venturebeat.com/2008/09/05/xbox-360-defects-an-inside-history-of-microsofts-video-game-console-woes/2/
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/17/game-informer-xbox-360-at-54-2-percent-failure-rate/
People claim that there is nothing wrong with a 1, 2, or 3 week turnaround to getting your console fixed- but it is extremely frustrating especially once you get your console fixed and then you finally get it back only to see that your friend who you play online with the most just got E74'd and you then got to wait on him.
Now that both consoles are 300.00 (arcade 200) maybe we will see Microsoft bundle the wireless adapter or maybe drop the fee of XBL Gold. Or maybe even do both and announce it at E3 next year.
XBL Gold is a great service, but it is NOT worth 50.00/year or even 10.00/year; it really should be free. My rationale is that since they are no longer adding the Diamond card program as an incentive and they are adding Advertisements on Live they should drop the subscription price. The argument that XBL should cost more because it is a lot better than PSN is dumb; PSN is a lot better than the Wii's online service- but you don't see Sony charging 25.00/year because it is better than the Wii but not as good as XBL.
It gets dangerous for gamers when things become standard- the 360 ushered in the 60.00 game and multiple SKU's and Sony followed suit- their rationale being that it is the HD era...wasn't there a bigger shift between Super Mario World and Super Mario 64 then there was between Halo 2 and Halo 3? If Nintendo goes HD will we no longer see the 49.99 price point for new releases? What if Sony follows suit with their online offering? If PSN gets as good or better than XBL will gamers be OK if Sony charged for PSN? Will Microsoft's XBL get incrementally better for their next console and will they charge 100.00/year for XBL Platinum? Or we even OK with paying for XBL Gold when the xbox720 rolls around or will we be disgusted like we would probably be if again MS neglects to have wireless built in into their next console?
I love videogaming and I think Sony, Nintendo, AND Microsoft has made mistakes this generation- but I really do think Microsoft has gotten a pass from the majority of gamers. When you have editorials like the one that caught a lot of attention in Destructoid-
http://www.destructoid.com/sony-needs-to-just-stfu-139130.phtml#ext
I think it is only fair that we have editorials that highlight the problems that can STILL be corrected with the 360.
EEDAR: PS3's $299 price to become 'new standard' for next year {Joystiq}
Aug 18th 2009 10:40PM I don't find it awful...I find the D-Pad a lot better on the PS3 and I cannot stand the D-Pad on the 360- I also like the L1 and R1 buttons on the PS3 and find that the LB and RB bumper buttons are just too skinny/small on the 360 in comparison and are really frustrating on games like Madden. I love the triggers on the 360 tho; they are great for shooters- and if I am buying a shooter that is non-exclusive (CoD) I am buying it on the 360. But honestly, outside of shooters- I prefer the PS3 controller...but there are a lot of my friends who ONLY play Gears and Halo and I have a feeling that is reflective of a lot of the gamers today.
Tabulator: PS3 Slim and Phat sized up {Joystiq}
Aug 18th 2009 8:31PM They need to update the chart...the launch 60gb came bundled with Talledega Nights Blu-Ray
Blu-ray support coming with iTunes 9? {Engadget HD}
Aug 8th 2009 4:17PM I guess now you can add music/video to blank BD-R's and BD-RE's via iTunes...or maybe iTunes will finally allow DVD/Blu-Ray movie playback?
