At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2005 in Los Angeles, Microsoft today announced it will release a free software update to Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 that will enable customers to take advantage of the Media Center Extender technologies built into Xbox 360 (TM) gaming systems to access and enjoy digital entertainment anywhere in the home. Every Xbox 360 will have Media Center Extender functionality built in and available out of the box. The Media Center Extender functionality, coupled with the software update for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, will provide customers with seamless access to digital music, video, photos, and standard and high-definition television and movies on Media Center Edition 2005-based PCs through any Xbox 360 game console in the house.
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Particularly impressive though was the volume of new franchises. We'll bring you more details on them all shortly, but SCEJ's Eyedentify was particularly impressive - a game that involves being the operator, your EyeToy-ed face splattered over comms devices and PC screens in-game, and talking to two very saucy female assassin-esque protagonists; as was WarHawks, with its fleets of aeroplanes and floating aircraft carriers streaming across the sky.
But the biggest impression was probably left by MotorStorm from UK-based Evolution, which threw so much mud and so many explosions at the viewer that we lost count. Mud would splatter the screen, the guy would glance at the speedometer, the wipers would come on - only for a bike to land on the windshield and the car to be propelled through the air and explode, and the camera move on to the next one. Hyperbole is inevitable, but it's difficult to express just how "exhilarating", "jaw-dropping" and all the rest this stuff really is in light of what we're used to on the current generation of machines.
In addition to what's on the list below, we also saw KOEI pledge two further games, Factor 5 talking about their support, and video of an as-yet untitled Rockstar game that smacked very heavily of Red Dead Revolver. Grand Theft Auto was alluded to at one point by Kaz Hirai, who said that it would be fascinating to see where franchises born on PlayStation (including GTA, Metal Gear and Gran Turismo) went next, but Rockstar and Sony stopped short of full confirmation.
Finally, while Square Enix showed off a video of the PS2's Final Fantasy XII (and spoke of a "fiscal 2006" release date), and pledged to take Final Fantasy to PlayStation 3, the highlight from them was a tech demo of the introduction to Final Fantasy VII shot in real-time on PS3, with Advent Children levels of detail. Square Enix is not remaking it, Yoichi Wada told us, but the audience certainly appreciated the sentiment.
The following list represents the full software line-up, most of which appeared in video form to some extent. We'll link to screenshots of as many of them as possible shortly.
Devil May Cry 4 (Capcom)
Eyedentify (SCEJ)
Fifth Phantom Saga (SEGA)
Fight Night Round 3 (EA Sports)
Final Fantasy (Square Enix)
Formula 1 (Liverpool Studio)
The Getaway "Screen Test" (Team Soho)
Heavenly Sword (Ninja Theory)
I-8 (Insomniac)
Killing Day (Ubisoft)
KillZone (Guerrilla)
Metal Gear Solid 4 (Konami)
Mobile Suit Gundamn (Bandai)
MotorStorm (Evolution Studio)
NioH (KOEI)
Oni (KOEI)
Tekken (Namco)
Vision Gran Turismo (Polyphony Digital)
WarHawk (Incognito)
XBMC is what i have now and its the best thing for the xbox just wish that they wouldnt require you to have a media center pc to get your media off windows.
And Xbox Live will be free!
Nintendo has just said that all it's games will be freely playable online on the Rev, as well as being able to download N64, SNES, and NES games to play.
Last edited by 57017 on 18 May 2005 - 02:36
XBOX360 is looking much better than the butt-ugly PS3..
Although the tech demo for the new PS3 showing the openning trailer to Final fantasy 7 had me in goosebumps... shame its only a tech demo :/
What this means is that if you had a Media Center Edition PC installed somewhere in your house, you could bring that experience and functionality to your TV through XBOX 360. Just like it is now with XBOX. However, what is cool is that the 360 will have it built in, so there is small bootup and load time and no special title that has to be in the XBOX to have this functionality.
With those 2 components in, you can definitely replace Tivo. But XBOX 360 alone will NOT DO IT. The hard drive space alone is a giveaway as it would hold very few hours of TV recording, even at regular definition (not to mention hi-def!)
It is all just marketting crap at this point, gang. Wait until there is something physically out there that you can buy and use and then ask questions.
It seems to me that it should just have 802.11 wireless and be able to play music and video from windows shares... i don't see why they have to go crazy with "extenders" and what have you...
This makes streaming media easy but at the same time restrictive.
It would be cool if they gave XP Pro the same media extensions - not sure if they have already done this.
the only thing that kinda weirded me out was there was no option for MOVIES on the plain xbox guide (yes movies was on the mce extender part).... maybe they just hadnt added it yet... yep thats it.. lolz..
so i repeat, MCE extender functionality is diff from the media hub that microsoft has been spewing with the 360. hello access to shares, and removable media.!
btw, looking at this pic makes my spine tingle http://bitterapple.mine.nu/mediacenter.jpg
Last edited by 60509 on 18 May 2005 - 01:56
This tool is streaming music, videos,... and so on to digital media receivers.
So why is it not possible to access this one with the xBox 360 too ???
- Primalgoo
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