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Microsoft Xbox 360

Anyone here in the UK know if Geometry Wars 2 is out? My console stopped working so I cant check but apparently its out in the US and Australia but I cant find a EU date.
 
Anyone here in the UK know if Geometry Wars 2 is out? My console stopped working so I cant check but apparently its out in the US and Australia but I cant find a EU date.

Major Nelson said:
Content: Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Dash Text: [ESRB: E (EVERYONE)] Local Multiplayer 2-4, HD (High Definition). Experience an unbelievable adrenaline rush from playing the latest version of the frenetic retro shooter Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2! Newcomers and pros alike will be blown away by the screen-melting intensity and insane new features, including six action-packed gameplay modes, new enemies, new scoring strategies and a diverse list of exciting achievements! If that’s not crazy enough for you, try multiplayer mayhem for up to four players! Use power-ups in versus mode to boost your stats or handicap your opponent. Or team up with others in co-op mode. Play it all in razor-sharp 1080p to new pulse-pounding music! There are no refunds for this item

Ta da!
 
When the 360's new dash is launched, it'll cost you nothing to build an avatar. It'll cost you nothing to customise it, either, so if you throw on the wrong coloured pair of slacks, relax! Just change them over, no questions asked. But what about the future? VentureBeat asked Microsoft's John Schappert whether Microsoft were going to introduce microtransactions for the avatars, and got this response:

That may be in the future. In the near term, we want to launch these with great customization and a great library of accessories this fall. I think there is a lot more we can do with them. You will see us continue to add experiences that make use of the avatar. Our goal is not to create a sterile environment where you move furniture around. It's about how can we make our gaming experiences better.

In other words, bet your ass we'll start charging for avatar customisation, as soon as marketing gives us the green light. As an aside, it's great to see he could also slip in a dig at Home, something not easy when answering a question that's got nothing to do with it!
 
Not the world's most interesting thing, but anyways, I benchmarked an official MS 120gb HD against a WD 160gb HD I bought to clone the 120gb from so I can sell it on:

Official MS Xbox 120gb HDD
hdtune360hdsx4.png


WD 160GB HDD.
hdtuneclone160hdgy2.png


So the official drive has a 20% lower minimum speed than the WD and the average speed is 15% lower, top speed being 10% higher on the WD as well, so theoretically not only will I make money (160gh HDD in a 20gb case with the official 120gb sold) but it could also increase performance, especially considering we can install games to HDD with the Spring update :)
 
I got the impression that update is coming nearer the autumn
 
Rumor: More 360 price cuts in September


Take this mole guy from Ars Technica. See, he's the one who let's 'em in on industry see-grits, but they can't tell us who he is due to a blinding contract. His latest piece o' dirt is that the Xbox 360 is goin' down in September -- that's $399 for the Elite, $299 for the 60 gigger and $199 for the Arcade.
 
Not the world's most interesting thing, but anyways, I benchmarked an official MS 120gb HD against a WD 160gb HD I bought to clone the 120gb from so I can sell it on:

Official MS Xbox 120gb HDD
hdtune360hdsx4.png


WD 160GB HDD.
hdtuneclone160hdgy2.png


So the official drive has a 20% lower minimum speed than the WD and the average speed is 15% lower, top speed being 10% higher on the WD as well, so theoretically not only will I make money (160gh HDD in a 20gb case with the official 120gb sold) but it could also increase performance, especially considering we can install games to HDD with the Spring update :)

How do you put non MS HDD in the 360?
 
Obviously you need a casing (unless you want to internalise the HDD), then you need the hddss.bin from a 360 hard drive (different hddss.bin for the 20gb and 120gb versions) which is basically the security sector that the 360 reads to know the drive is legit, you apply that to a WD BEVS drive and bingo the 360 thinks your WD is a legit 360 drive :) So you can get a 120GB 360 drive for much cheaper than the official MS one, I bought this WD 160gb one for £35.99 delivered from Ebay, brand new and was delivered in only 4 days from Thailand - Sweden :)
 
So can make a 20 gig one more with the hddss.bin or does it have to be a 120 gig hddss.bin?

how does it plug into the 360?
 
If you have a hddss.bin from a 20gb 360 HDD you can clone a WD 20gb drive to be accepted by the 360, if you have a hddss.bin from a 120gb 360 HDD you can clone a WD 120gb drive to be accepted by the 360.

The easiest way to plug it in is to use the casing from the official 360 HDD, I'm buying a 2nd 20gb hand one from Ebay in Hong Kong, will remove the 20gb HDD and put in my newly cloned 160gb HDD.

The other way to plug it into the 360 is to "internalise" it, this involves soldering a few wires to connect the HDD to the 360 mobo and then putting the HDD inside the case (usually sitting it on top of the DVD drive): http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=575105
 
i understand that bit im just saying will it work if i put a 20 gig hddss.bin on a new 160 gig HDD?

Or can i only go over 120 with a 120 gig hddss.bin?
 
First images from 360 Avatar creator leaked
gam_avatariconrumor_490.jpg

We've all seen the adorably customizable lookalikes that we'll be generating with the Avatar system, due out with the Xbox 360 Fall update -- but we've yet to see the actual system that will let you let you create your virtual representation. However, a "super secret source" recently sent our green and white sister site, 360 Fanboy, a couple of images containing the icons used in the Avatar creator. Assuming they're legit, they give a great indication of what aspects of your avatar you'll be able to manipulate. Based on the images in the gallery below, it looks like our dream of walking through Xbox Live's virtual halls as a morbidly obese man in a rabbit costume might just come true.
avatarpage1-1.jpg

avatarpage2.jpg
 
Proof of the $199 Xbox 360 Rumor

494x_199sku.jpg


There it is (full size after the jump), according to VGChartz.com. (Thanks to eagle-eyed reader LoadedStatement). One of the site's members did a SKU inquiry on the 360 and got that screen, which shows the $199 price taking effect Sept. 7.

This apparently shows the SKU for the no-hard drive Arcade model. Other cuts are said to be coming for the Pro (60GB, $299) and Elite (120GB, $399), a development first reported by Ars Technica.

VGChartz follows the pic with a detailed analysis of what the new price points could mean for Microsoft, and the timing behind the price change. An excerpt:

The scheduling of the drop is telling as well. It takes place 1 week after Square Enix's 'Infinite Undiscovery' and 2 weeks before Harmonix/EA's 'Rock Band 2' - both exclusive to the Xbox 360 platform at the time of release and pricedrop (obviously, Rock Band 2 will ship in November for the other platforms).

The writer also peers into a crystal ball of sorts to guess at the production costs of the 360. Conclusion, down from $525 at launch to $140.15 to $182.19 today.
 
I've a UK "Halo Edition" Xbox 360, is there any way to play USA Xbox 360 games on it ? Is there anything like a swap magic disk or an action replay card which lets you use foreign games ?

If I can't does anyone have any tips on the best place to sell USA games in the UK ?

Thanks.
 
I thought all USA games were region locked on Xbox 360 ?

I assume if they're not region locked they'll work fine, and if they are they won't work at all ??
 
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