The 360 thread!

[Anders]

Finally picked up Battlefield. All the connection issues were apparently because of the trial. (Trial didnt allow creation of a EA ID - no ID, no game.) So either you had to run a different EA game first then switch to Battlefield or you had to buy the game. So obvious!

Oh, so that's why the demo wont connect? I deleted it last night, thinking it was a piece of crap, when I couldn't connect.

[Bod]

Microsoft has laid out its plans for its upcoming dashboard update, due this fall. The update details don't include their plans for Last.fm, Facebook, Twitter or the Zune HD store, but what it does detail is some pretty awesome stuff - of which, select Xbox Live members will have the chance to test out the next week.

Updates :

Netflix

Now you can watch movies with your friends no matter where they are and manage your queue from the comfort of your couch.

* Movie Parties – Xbox LIVE Gold members can sit together in a virtual theater with up to seven friends no matter where they are while your Avatars watch a movie, flirt or even throw popcorn at each other.
* Manage Your Queue – Browse the Netflix Instant Watch video catalogue, choose from the most popular movies and genres and add to your queue all from the comfort of your couch – no computer required.
* Enhanced Playback Experience – Enjoy a smooth viewing experience when your internet bandwidth fluctuates.
* Friends Info – Richer information is now displayed in the Friends channel and in the Guide showing what you and your friends are doing.

Avatar Marketplace

Express yourself! Deck your Avatar out with the latest clothing and props from the top brands and game franchises. Please note that only limited content is currently available in the preview.


Clothing

Download premium items, including branded apparel from your favorite fashion labels and Xbox 360 games such as "Halo."

* Props – You can now equip your avatar with animated items they can carry around and interact with.
* Awardables – The ability to earn Avatar clothing and props as rewards within games has been added. Please stay tuned for an update on supporting titles.

Games on Demand

Please note that Games on Demand will be available in the preview beginning early August.

Enjoy 24 x 7 access to a growing online library of popular full game titles on Xbox LIVE whenever you want them, in the comfort of your living room.

* Purchase Options – Browse and download a great selection of full Xbox 360 games using Microsoft Points, direct debit, or credit card.
* Game Manuals – Game manuals for Games on Demand titles can be viewed, downloaded or printed on Xbox.com.
* It's Yours Forever! – As with other Xbox LIVE content, Games on Demand titles are linked to your Xbox LIVE account, so you can delete and re-download anything you have already purchased to the same console or another console.


User Ratings

User ratings help you find games that other people think are awesome!

* Rate it – You can now rate every game on the Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace using a 5-star system.
* Sort and Find it – Now you can easily find the games that everyone's been raving about by visiting the Top Rated games in the Browse All category of Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace.


Xbox LIVE Parties

Everyone loves to Party! Check out the new and improved Xbox LIVE Party features.

* Party Reconnections – If you are accidently disconnected from your party, Xbox LIVE will automatically reconnect you.
* Streamlined Party Invites – Invites are now just one click away! No need to click through multiple screens to get all your friends together.

Video Display Options

We've made it easier for you to see your entertainment in the highest resolution possible on your TV using an HDMI connection.

* Display Discovery – Make sure you can see and hear your entertainment in the highest resolution and sound quality possible with the option to override and select audio and video formats independent of the information your television sends to your Xbox 360 console.

Other Improvements

We're always listening to you for feedback, and this Xbox LIVE update will include numerous dashboard updates.

* Gold Member Veterans – Xbox LIVE Gold members get to show it off with a stamp on your Gamer Card that tells people how long you've been a Gold member.
* Indie Games – Xbox LIVE Community Games has been renamed Xbox LIVE Indie Games. We feel this new name better represents the independent spirit of these titles.
* Achievement Browser – We've revamped the Achievements browser so it's now easier to read through all the achievements while playing a game. You can now also launch a game directly from the browser.
* Achievements Tracking – A new view inside the profile panel which includes a summary of Achievements earned across all the games played, and shows of all your completed games.
* Streamlined Navigation - Streamlined navigation, including new entry points in the dashboard for Active Downloads, redeeming codes, recovering Gamertags and more.
* Voice Messages – No more blank voice messages! When recording a voice message, a warning will pop up if no audio is detected.
* Friends List Sorting – It's now easier to find your friends! Find and sort your friends by activity, Gamertag or online status by pressing the Y button while viewing the friends list in the Guide.
* Memory – Time stamps now appear in the memory area, which particular handy when managing saved games.

Account Management

We've made some changes to make your life easier.

* Subscription Notification – If your Xbox LIVE subscription is about to run out, you will now be notified when you sign into Xbox LIVE.
* Updates for Invalid Windows Live IDs – If the Windows Live ID you provided has expired, you will now be prompted to update it the next time you sign into Xbox LIVE.
* Account recovery – We've enhanced the account recovery process to make it faster and more reliable.

[fog]

I couldn't give toss about 99% of that list TBH. I just want something that's easier to navigate and fast enough to be usable.

[PVB]

I couldn't give toss about 99% of that list TBH. I just want something that's easier to navigate and fast enough to be usable.

Also, I'd like to be able to delete/copy/move multiple items on the hard drive in one go, rather than one at a time.

Deleting multiple saves is a right pain in the arse at the moment.

[SiN]

I couldn't give toss about 99% of that list TBH. I just want something that's easier to navigate and fast enough to be usable.

That 1% is user ratings & Indie Games, right?

Cheers,
Mo

[fog]

I couldn't give toss about 99% of that list TBH. I just want something that's easier to navigate and fast enough to be usable.

That 1% is user ratings & Indie Games, right?

Cheers,
Mo

Nope, I'm really looking forward to being able to buy branded apparel from my favorite fashion labels for my Avatar. Ok you win

I hope I'm interpreting this wrong though:

* Sort and Find it – Now you can easily find the games that everyone's been raving about by visiting the Top Rated games in the Browse All category of Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace.

As that sounds like users browsing will still see "New Arrivals" and "Most Popular" first and "Top Rated" will be hidden an extra layer down on the Browse tab. I do hope "Top Rated" replaces "Most Popular" as the system used for calculating that is severely flawed and doesn't help the image of Community/Indie Games IMO.

[chub]

So it's time for the Summer of Arcade, and here's what's coming:

22nd July - 'Splosion Man (800 points)
29th July - Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (1200 points)
5th August - TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-shelled (1200 points)
12th August - Trials HD (1200 points)
19th August - Shadow Complex (1200 points)

'Splosion Man is getting loads of hype, but I don't know much about it yet except that it's a platformer and has explosions.

I'm looking forward to Trials though, as it looks like my kind of game. It has a level editor too. Will it be as good as Kikstart 2 though?

[Flabio]

Shadow Complex could well be the best of that lot, although MvC2 runs it close.

[fog]

So it's time for the Summer of Arcade, and here's what's coming:

22nd July - 'Splosion Man (800 points)
29th July - Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (1200 points)
5th August - TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-shelled (1200 points)
12th August - Trials HD (1200 points)
19th August - Shadow Complex (1200 points)

Shadow Complex I'm really looking forward to. Hardly the most exciting "Summer of Arcade" line-up though.

I'm looking forward to Trials though, as it looks like my kind of game. It has a level editor too. Will it be as good as Kikstart 2 though?

I didn't like the PC version, but then I've never got on with the controls in the million-and-one similar Flash games either. If you like those then you'll no doubt love Trials.

And it's certainly no Kickstart 2.

[Phineasfool]

kinda meh summer of arcade as compared to last year. TMNT is about the only one I'm interested in and I'll wait for it to come to the PSN.

[Flabio]

People need to be more up for Shadow Complex. It's Super Metroid for the 360! (hopefully).

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09 ... plex/50946

[Phineasfool]

People need to be more up for Shadow Complex. It's Super Metroid for the 360! (hopefully).

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09 ... plex/50946

The video from E3 didn't interest me very much.

[chub]

As always, I'll try the demos before deciding whether to get any of them. Of course I'll need to get some more Points first before I can buy anything.

I think it's nice that different people are looking forward to different things.

[Anders]

So it's time for the Summer of Arcade, and here's what's coming:

22nd July - 'Splosion Man (800 points)
29th July - Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (1200 points)
5th August - TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-shelled (1200 points)
12th August - Trials HD (1200 points)
19th August - Shadow Complex (1200 points)

'Splosion Man is getting loads of hype, but I don't know much about it yet except that it's a platformer and has explosions.

I'm looking forward to Trials though, as it looks like my kind of game. It has a level editor too. Will it be as good as Kikstart 2 though?

All of those games look really good. I just hope they don't screw up TMNT. It's been so very long since there was a decent one.

[chub]

If anyone fancies any of the Namco XBLA games, the Namco Museum collection is currently £9.99/€12.99 in the play.com sale:

http://www.play.com/Games/Xbox360/4-/60 ... oduct.html

It includes these XBLA games: Dig Dug, Galaga, Galaga Legions, Mr. Driller Online, Ms. Pac-Man, New Rally-X, Pac-Man, Pac-Man Championship Edition and Xevious. It also includes 25 other retro games as well, like Pole Position, Pac-Mania, etc.

I know it's not as good as the Sega Ultimate Collection, but if you haven't bought those XBLA games already, it's a good price.