I'm not sure about now but over here in the U.K last night there was no sign of being able to download T.V. shows, which we were told would happen as microsoft had supposedly done a deal with B.T
I have attached an article concerning the addition of Netflixs to Xbox live, which I think is a great idea. However, Sony doesn't want to play along, so they will not release their movies to Netflixs for digital download. Sony just keeps giving me more and more reasons not to like them.
Sony is already catching some bad press for this move. As far as Netflix is concerned, the 360 is just another networked client (like a PC or a TiVO) and they are said to be actively working on a solution. When all is said and done I wouldn't be surprised to see some agreement that will allow Netflix to show Sony content on the 360. After all, what company in its right mind would close the door on several million accounts worth of potential royalties, especially when their earnings have been so dire as of late?
The Netflix ability might just be the the thing that tips me into upgrading to a Gold membership finally. Once again Sony's stupid tantrum reminds me again why I chose an Xbox 360 over a Playstation 3.
The Netflix ability might just be the the thing that tips me into upgrading to a Gold membership finally. Once again Sony's stupid tantrum reminds me again why I chose an Xbox 360 over a Playstation 3.
I didn't look too closely at it last night, but I'm pretty sure there was also a free trial offer for Netflix. So, if you have one of those cards that lets you try Xbox Live Gold for free for 48 hours, you should also be able to set up a free trial Netflix account and see how it all works together before making a decision on whether to commit.
I already have a Netflix membership, but the xbox live membership is certainly a better value than Netflix's RoKu player which lets you download movies straight to your TV.
I think I actually have a one month trial of Xbox live when I first connected my unit to the internet (what was it, a couple of weeks ago?). I might then have a chance to explore it a bit. Unfortunately, my schedule is so cramped up until Thanksgiving that I know for a fact 48 hours isn't going to be enough time for me.
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
The Netflix thing is truly great. It takes only seconds to start playing, and the quality isn't horrible (not great, but I'll take it).
Watched What's New Pussycat? yesterday with it, hilarious film.
I had 800 Live Points in my account from a few weeks ago. I downloaded the new dashboard and now they're gone. X-( Do these points expire after time? Or did the new dashboard cost points? Or did the download erase them?
I also downloaded the Netflix application, but at no time did anything prompt me that it was going to cost points.
Mystery solved...It turns out I changed my gamer tag shortly after I set up my account. Unbeknownst to me, that incurs a 800 point cost! It never stated that my account balance would be affected (apparently it's stated in the terms and conditions). Anyway, for those of you who didn't know that...be informed.
Did anyone else get the update last night? I was just done transfering all the stuff on my old hard drive to my shiny new elite when afterwards up poped a message about another update which I thought may have been to do with the transfer, when it had ended there was about 2 gigs worth of stuff on my drive! including gamerpics and live arcade games as well as videos and stuff. I ended up spending another 15 minutes deleting it all again!
Congrats on scoring an Elite; I think you'll find it considerably quieter then your old model and the 120GB hard drive means you'll be able to install games there and save wear and tear on the DVD if you so desire.
When I transferred my files to my Elite I had the same thing happen. I think it checks your history and re-installs any XBLA demos that you tried but didn't buy. That's probably why you got all that stuff. I was playing Tomb Raider: Underworld til about 8:00pm EST last night and got no update messages; will definitely have to look into that tonight when I get home as I'm always up for a few freebies.
TR:U is a pretty good game by the way. I'm about 3/4 of the way thru and have had fun with it. The graphics are beautiful (Lara continues to look and move more and more realistically) and the environments are your standard Tomb Raider fare: lush jungles, underground labyrinths, abandoned ancient temples. The game also starts out with a pretty extensive underwater level where Lara scuba dives to find artifacts and advance the plot.
The biggest negative so far is that the camera can sometimes get in the way or hung up on a wall or other object, especially when you are in tight quarters. The combat is also pretty basic, as it was in prior TR games.
The game is very reminiscent of Tomb Raider: Legend in terms of looks and gameplay, which is not surprising as this is a sequel to that game. If you liked that one then you'll probably like this one as it is very much more of the same.
My wife has already claimed that she's getting me TR:U for Christmas, so my mind automatically wrote off the fact that I won't be playing it until then. Glad to see that it holds up well!
My wife has already claimed that she's getting me TR:U for Christmas, so my mind automatically wrote off the fact that I won't be playing it until then. Glad to see that it holds up well!
I finished the game today. In the end, it was pretty easy, other than a couple of odd jumps and a few tricky puzzles. There was also some backtracking involved in a few of the levels that got a bit tedious at times. The game incorporated a pretty useful help system and a not so useful sonar utility for viewing your surroundings. Oddly, there were no boss battles this time around, though personally I was fine with that as I've always preferred the exploration aspects of the Tomb Raider games.
Overall, an entertaining adventure that ties up all the loose ends and characters from Tomb Raider: Legend and Tomb Raider: Anniversary.
Well, I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had a broken 360 to work with and would possibly send it in to Microsoft for Xmas. Well, like everything else console related and me, that has changed. My brother turned over the keys to his PS3 this morning as he is working alot and doesnt have time to use it anymore, so now I have a PS3. Joy! MGS4 and Battlefield Bad Company are the only games I have for it at the moment, so if you have those, maybe we can play!
Sorry 0064, I don't have either of those games. the 360 is still my preferred gaming platform; currently, my PS3 library consists only of:
Unreal Tournament 3
Uncharted
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Dead Space
Even though it's a single player game, I'd strongly urge you to try out Dead Space. It was a pleasant surprise for me and is THE most effective horror/survival game I've ever played. The outer space angle is really handled well and it often feels like you've been dropped into the middle of the movie Alien. Give it a rental at the very least.
i am typing this on my ps3 which is making me very excited. This took forever but was well worth it. As for dead space? i dont like horror at all so i may pass that game up!
I like xbox360 but I don't have. I am keeping wii console and looking for mario kart but similarly wondering where to buy on cheaper rate. mario kart wii Gadgets
I picked up the new Price of Persia (PoP) game today. I put in a couple of hours and as to initial impressions, it's good for what it is but I'm not sure its an improvement over past PoP titles.
You play a carefree nomadic character who is drawn into a confrontation between the forces of good and evil. Together with your mysterious companion Elika you must defeat the dark god Ahriman before he plunges the entire world into eternal darkness.
The gameplay is simplified from prior PoP games and the platforming action (which was a staple of prior entries) boils down to moving the prince with the analog stick and tapping the appropriate button - jump or acrobatic - at the right moment. It's a very different feel from prior PoP games were you had real control over your character's movements and becomes more an exercise in timing than precision use of the control pad. Combat is likewise simplified and as long as you're patient and remember to block you can win every battle fairly quickly.
Continuing a trend being seen more and more lately, you can't die in this game. When you're about to fall to your death or be killed by one of the bosses, Elika comes to your rescue and the game either plops you back on the last platform or restores a bit of your enemy's health bar and you're off again.
The music is well done and the prince isn't nearly as annoying as some of the reviews would have you believe (his attitude is very reminiscent of the prince from the first PoP game on Xbox actually). Elika is also a helpful and likable character. The art style is OK but hardly memorable - just lots of indescript landscapes so far.
Overall its a good game and has so far held my attention but it does make a lot of concessions for the sake of the "casual gamer".
For anyone curious about the new Prince of Persia game, I just finished it and, grossly simplified controls notwithstanding, I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. In particular, I found the ending to be both touching and moving. What happens at the end is something of a cheat after all you went thru in the game, but I actually found myself identifying with the titular Prince's actions as I had come to care for the game's main characters, no small feat for a videogame.
As to the simplified controls, in the end I still think there was enough interaction to be found. The simplified scheme, coupled with the inability to die let me lose myself in the story (which is quite well told, BTW) and actually encouraged me to explore the areas and just take in the views since I didn't have to worry about replaying long stretches of the game if I made a bad jump or was killed by an enemy.
Overall, I'd give the game an 8 / 10. Not much replay value but a well presented, entertaining and even moving story with a bittersweet, almost melancholy tone throughout. Definitely a change of pace from most action/adventure games.
My only exposure to PoP was the GameBoy title back in the early nineties. It was enjoyable then, and I'm looking forward to playing the new title...it sounds like something the wife will really enjoy, as well. This one is on my 'to-do' list...thanks for the review, Tony.
My only exposure to PoP was the GameBoy title back in the early nineties. It was enjoyable then, and I'm looking forward to playing the new title...it sounds like something the wife will really enjoy, as well. This one is on my 'to-do' list...thanks for the review, Tony.
Glad you found it useful Darenhat. If you're curious about prior PoP games, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is another masterpiece of the platforming genre worth your attention. It has some beautiful, colorful art, a wistful, almost dream-like tone, and some clever play mechanics thanks to a dagger that lets you control time for brief periods. The old Xbox version is backwardly compatible with the 360 (if you have a hard drive) and if you ever come across a copy, I'd suggest you to try that one as well. Here's a review of the old game: PoP:TSOF on IGN
Thanks, Tony...I'll keep an eye out for the Sands of Time.
Is there an easy way to know which games are backwards compatible? Sometimes I see a good deal on an xbox game, but I don't know whether to purchase since I'm not sure of the compatibility.
Absolutely, here's MS's page on all backwardly compatible games. MS terminated its BC program back in November of 2007, but there are still a lot of good games on the list.
Santa was pretty generous with the 360 games this year as Star Wars The Force Unleashed, Mortal Combat vs DC Universe and Rock Band World Tour Special Edition were under the tree. In addition, my daughter got me the QoS 360 game which I will be checking out.
The Mortal Combat vs DC Universe game is being played now, my son is playing as Sub Zero and is fighting Wonder Woman. Last I saw it was one round each.
The Mortal Combat vs DC Universe game is being played now, my son is playing as Sub Zero and is fighting Wonder Woman. Last I saw it was one round each.
Tell your son that hardcore gamers should only play as Green Lantern.
I used to have the Star Wars: Force Unleashed game for the 360; one of the better Star Wars games released, although the ending was a bit of a downer. Visually, the game sometimes had trouble keeping up with all the action but if you were into it, it wasn't all that noticeable. I just read that a bonus level taking place in the ruins of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant has been released on Xbox Live at a cost of 800 points.
Make sure to post some impressions of QoS; I'll probably be picking that one up as soon as there's a price drop.
Made it through the first three levels of QoS. my skills are a little rusty as I haven't played much lately, but I am having fun. I am playing at the second level, field agent I think, and the game seems fairly difficult. I had a hard time at the Opera House, using the scope rifle against a number of adversaries. I am a little slow with the scope, so while I am scoping one guy somebody else was blasting me. I can't review game play as well as Tony or others, but at times the control seem to lag when I want Bond to move, which is a little frustrating when you are trying to take cover. It seems taking cover is key in this game as you just can't run out in the open and out blast the other guy. I have noticed and enjoyed the music that accompanies the game. Those are my thoughts so far, I will share more as I progress.
Comments
www.scottacademymartialarts.co.uk
The Netflix ability might just be the the thing that tips me into upgrading to a Gold membership finally. Once again Sony's stupid tantrum reminds me again why I chose an Xbox 360 over a Playstation 3.
I didn't look too closely at it last night, but I'm pretty sure there was also a free trial offer for Netflix. So, if you have one of those cards that lets you try Xbox Live Gold for free for 48 hours, you should also be able to set up a free trial Netflix account and see how it all works together before making a decision on whether to commit.
I think I actually have a one month trial of Xbox live when I first connected my unit to the internet (what was it, a couple of weeks ago?). I might then have a chance to explore it a bit. Unfortunately, my schedule is so cramped up until Thanksgiving that I know for a fact 48 hours isn't going to be enough time for me.
Watched What's New Pussycat? yesterday with it, hilarious film.
I had 800 Live Points in my account from a few weeks ago. I downloaded the new dashboard and now they're gone. X-( Do these points expire after time? Or did the new dashboard cost points? Or did the download erase them?
I also downloaded the Netflix application, but at no time did anything prompt me that it was going to cost points.
Did you try logging into the XBox Live website on your computer and see if the points show up there.
If not XBox has a great helpline, (always helped me) that you can call 800-469-9269. If you have a gamertag have it ready when you call.
Hope that helps.
Barry is right - call for help.
Barry is right - call for help.
www.scottacademymartialarts.co.uk
When I transferred my files to my Elite I had the same thing happen. I think it checks your history and re-installs any XBLA demos that you tried but didn't buy. That's probably why you got all that stuff. I was playing Tomb Raider: Underworld til about 8:00pm EST last night and got no update messages; will definitely have to look into that tonight when I get home as I'm always up for a few freebies.
TR:U is a pretty good game by the way. I'm about 3/4 of the way thru and have had fun with it. The graphics are beautiful (Lara continues to look and move more and more realistically) and the environments are your standard Tomb Raider fare: lush jungles, underground labyrinths, abandoned ancient temples. The game also starts out with a pretty extensive underwater level where Lara scuba dives to find artifacts and advance the plot.
The biggest negative so far is that the camera can sometimes get in the way or hung up on a wall or other object, especially when you are in tight quarters. The combat is also pretty basic, as it was in prior TR games.
The game is very reminiscent of Tomb Raider: Legend in terms of looks and gameplay, which is not surprising as this is a sequel to that game. If you liked that one then you'll probably like this one as it is very much more of the same.
I finished the game today. In the end, it was pretty easy, other than a couple of odd jumps and a few tricky puzzles. There was also some backtracking involved in a few of the levels that got a bit tedious at times. The game incorporated a pretty useful help system and a not so useful sonar utility for viewing your surroundings. Oddly, there were no boss battles this time around, though personally I was fine with that as I've always preferred the exploration aspects of the Tomb Raider games.
Overall, an entertaining adventure that ties up all the loose ends and characters from Tomb Raider: Legend and Tomb Raider: Anniversary.
Unreal Tournament 3
Uncharted
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Dead Space
Even though it's a single player game, I'd strongly urge you to try out Dead Space. It was a pleasant surprise for me and is THE most effective horror/survival game I've ever played. The outer space angle is really handled well and it often feels like you've been dropped into the middle of the movie Alien. Give it a rental at the very least.
mario kart wii
Gadgets
You play a carefree nomadic character who is drawn into a confrontation between the forces of good and evil. Together with your mysterious companion Elika you must defeat the dark god Ahriman before he plunges the entire world into eternal darkness.
The gameplay is simplified from prior PoP games and the platforming action (which was a staple of prior entries) boils down to moving the prince with the analog stick and tapping the appropriate button - jump or acrobatic - at the right moment. It's a very different feel from prior PoP games were you had real control over your character's movements and becomes more an exercise in timing than precision use of the control pad. Combat is likewise simplified and as long as you're patient and remember to block you can win every battle fairly quickly.
Continuing a trend being seen more and more lately, you can't die in this game. When you're about to fall to your death or be killed by one of the bosses, Elika comes to your rescue and the game either plops you back on the last platform or restores a bit of your enemy's health bar and you're off again.
The music is well done and the prince isn't nearly as annoying as some of the reviews would have you believe (his attitude is very reminiscent of the prince from the first PoP game on Xbox actually). Elika is also a helpful and likable character. The art style is OK but hardly memorable - just lots of indescript landscapes so far.
Overall its a good game and has so far held my attention but it does make a lot of concessions for the sake of the "casual gamer".
As to the simplified controls, in the end I still think there was enough interaction to be found. The simplified scheme, coupled with the inability to die let me lose myself in the story (which is quite well told, BTW) and actually encouraged me to explore the areas and just take in the views since I didn't have to worry about replaying long stretches of the game if I made a bad jump or was killed by an enemy.
Overall, I'd give the game an 8 / 10. Not much replay value but a well presented, entertaining and even moving story with a bittersweet, almost melancholy tone throughout. Definitely a change of pace from most action/adventure games.
I will have full report in about 12 days
Glad you found it useful Darenhat. If you're curious about prior PoP games, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is another masterpiece of the platforming genre worth your attention. It has some beautiful, colorful art, a wistful, almost dream-like tone, and some clever play mechanics thanks to a dagger that lets you control time for brief periods. The old Xbox version is backwardly compatible with the 360 (if you have a hard drive) and if you ever come across a copy, I'd suggest you to try that one as well. Here's a review of the old game: PoP:TSOF on IGN
Is there an easy way to know which games are backwards compatible? Sometimes I see a good deal on an xbox game, but I don't know whether to purchase since I'm not sure of the compatibility.
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/backwardcompatibilitygameslist.htm
The Mortal Combat vs DC Universe game is being played now, my son is playing as Sub Zero and is fighting Wonder Woman. Last I saw it was one round each.
Tell your son that hardcore gamers should only play as Green Lantern.
I used to have the Star Wars: Force Unleashed game for the 360; one of the better Star Wars games released, although the ending was a bit of a downer. Visually, the game sometimes had trouble keeping up with all the action but if you were into it, it wasn't all that noticeable. I just read that a bonus level taking place in the ruins of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant has been released on Xbox Live at a cost of 800 points.
Make sure to post some impressions of QoS; I'll probably be picking that one up as soon as there's a price drop.
Burnout paradise
star wars: tfu
elder scroll IV game of the year edition with both expansion packs
Whoo Hoo!
www.scottacademymartialarts.co.uk