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I'd just like to add that I'm pretty excited about LittleBigPlanet, too. It's more of a family/creative game, so I wouldn't expect to see much talk about it here, where people tend to enjoy FPS and action games more.

That's actually why I like it so much - it's less mainstream, and more fun. It's been a long time since games where just fun - without being explosive graphics showcases. LBP's graphics are awesome, but they add to the game more than define it (one of my big worries with KZ2). I'd buy a Wii for the fun games, but the control system is just stupid. There's a fine line between innovative and idiotic.

I'd just like to add that I'm pretty excited about LittleBigPlanet, too. It's more of a family/creative game, so I wouldn't expect to see much talk about it here, where people tend to enjoy FPS and action games more.

That's actually why I like it so much - it's less mainstream, and more fun. It's been a long time since games where just fun - without being explosive graphics showcases. LBP's graphics are awesome, but they add to the game more than define it (one of my big worries with KZ2). I'd buy a Wii for the fun games, but the control system is just stupid. There's a fine line between innovative and idiotic.

The wii controller is actually awesome for shooting games.

Try Resident Evil 4 for the Wii. You'll think that the game was meant to be played with the wii remote and nunchuck.

June 30 - July 6

Hardware

PSP - 56,439

DSL - 47,455

Wii - 44,525

PS3 - 14,359

PS2 - 11,768

360 - 4,776

Software

1. [NDS] Daigasso! Band Brothers DX - 47,000

2. [PS3] Initial D Extreme Stage - 43,000

3. [NDS] Derby Stallion DS - 38,000

4. [WII] Wii Fit - 31,000

5. [NDS] Nanashi no Game - 30,000

6. [NDS] Mario Kart Wii - 28,000

7. [WII] Tales of Symphonia Dawn of a New World - 27,000

8. [WII] Super Mario Stadium Family Baseball - 20,000

9. [PS3] Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots - 18,000

10. [PSP] Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G - 18,000

July 7 - 13 | 2008

Hardware

PSP - 56,998

DSL - 48,540

Wii - 41,768

PS3 - 12,458

PS2 - 10,405

360 - 3,807

Software

1. [PS2] Persona 4 - 193,000

2. [WII] Wii Fit - 30,000

3. [NDS] Densetsu no Starfi Taketsu - 29,000

4. [WII] Mario Kart Wii - 25,000

5. [NDS] Daigasso Band Brothers - 23,000

6. [WII] Biohazard Zero - 21,000

7. [NDS] Derby Stallion DS - 20,000

8. [NDS] Hanayori Dango: Koi Seyo Onago - 20,000

9. [NDS] Gegege no Kitarou: Youkai Daigekisen - 16,000

10. [PSP] Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G - 16,000

MGS4 drops to #15 but manages to pass the 600,000 mark in Japan. Biohazard (RE) Zero did better than I expected considering the little effort Capcom did to port it. Pretty much all profit for them, perhaps we'll see more ports of the other RE games for the Wii.

July 14 - 20 | 2008

Hardware

PSP - 74,024

DSL - 54,531

Wii - 40,803

PS3 - 11,253

PS2 - 9,535

360 - 4,208

Software

1. [NDS] Dragon Quest V - 643,764 (NEW)

2. [PSP] Gundam Battle Universe - 137,550 (NEW)

3. [PS2] Persona 4 - 40,680

4. [PS3] Tears to Tiara: Kakan no Daichi - 34,431 (NEW)

5. [WII] Wii Fit - 27,198

6. [WII] Mario Kart Wii - 23,992

7. [NDS] Daigasso! Band Brothers DX - 21,419

8. [NDS] Derby Stallion DS - 16,248

9. [PSP] Monster Hunter Portable 2 G - 16,040

10. [NDS] Densetsu no Stafi: Taiketsu! Dire Kaizokudan - 15,693

July 21 - 27 | 2008

Hardware

PSP - 67,452

DSL - 56,968

Wii - 41,024

PS3 - 10,692

PS2 - 9,291

360 - 4,941

Software

1. [NDS] Dragon Quest V - 190,438

2. [PS2] Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 15 - 83,855 (NEW)

3. [PSP] Gundam Battle Universe - 42,860

4. [PSP] Eiyuu Densetsu: Sora no Kiseki the 3rd - 38,805 (NEW)

5. [PS3] SIREN: New Translation - 34,532 (NEW)

6. [NDS] Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! - 31,546 (NEW)

7. [WII] Wii Fit - 29,607

8. [WII] Wario Land: Shake It! - 25,377 (NEW)

9. [WII] Mario Kart Wii - 25,359

10. [WII] Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 15 - 21,665 (NEW)

More Japanese dev support is the clear sign that the 360 is doing better. Sure it's not that great, but then again games sell systems.

On another note, the MGS4 effect has ended, it did manage to sell pretty well in Japan, probably around 800k or a bit over by now, but it didn't do much for overall PS3 sales. Just shows what I've though, MGS is big in NA mostly.

Just shows what I've though, MGS is big in NA mostly.

Well I mean it's big in Japan too, one of the biggest selling 'hardcore' franchises. MGS4 even had a better attach rate in Japan than in NA. It's also still selling quite well in Europe. It's just that a lot of the MGS fanbase already owned a PS3.

360 bump is rather interesting. I mean it's not that much, but percentage wise it's fairly big (compared to what it was doing a few months back).

Well what I mean is that if you look at the numbers for the older MG and MGS games, they seem to sell less with each new version in Japan. That's what I remember seeing anyways. That's not to say it didn't sell well, I take 500k and higher as a success for any game really.

Well what I mean is that if you look at the numbers for the older MG and MGS games, they seem to sell less with each new version in Japan. That's what I remember seeing anyways. That's not to say it didn't sell well, I take 500k and higher as a success for any game really.

It's actually fairly on par with the other MGS games in Japan, especially when you consider the smaller userbase this time around. Last known numbers:

MGS1 - 674,000

MGS2 - 789,000

MGS3 - 819,000

MGS4 is currently at 622,000.

July 28 - August 3

Hardware

PSP - 61,181

DSL - 57,398

Wii - 41,109

PS3 - 9,508

PS2 - 9,045

360 - 5,359

Software

1. [PSP] Phantasy Star Universe - 342,000

2. [NDS] Rhythm Heaven Gold - 213,000

3. [NDS] Dragon Quest V - 112,000

4. [PS3] Soul Calibur IV - 75,000

5. [PS2] Powerful Pro Baseball 15 - 37,000

6. [360] Soul Calibur IV - 35,000

7. [Wii] Fatal Frame IV - 33,000

8. [Wii] Wii Fit - 32,000

9. [Wii] Mario Kart Wii - 23,000

10. [PSP] Gundam Battle Universe - 21,000

Also, PSP passes the 10 million mark in Japan. DS is also now at 23 million.

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    • Nope. That lack of surround sound capability (analog) won't fly with me. Sure, I use headphones most of the time, but still.
    • Creative Sound Blaster AE-X PCIe review: your headphones will love it by Steven Parker If you have been reading Neowin for any length of time, you may remember that I reviewed the Sound Blaster Audigy FX Pro back in April. I found it to be an excellent budget sound card, even though it lacked support for formats such as DTS over the included SPDIF port. Anyway, Creative reached out to me again asking if I was interested in reviewing the Sound Blaster AE-X. It is a card mainly targeted at headphone wearers, which I'll get into a bit later. Before we get underway, here is a disclaimer: Creative Labs provided a free sample without any review pre-approval. Here are the full specs of it: Creative Sound Blaster AE-X Dimensions: 179 x 126 x 18 mm Weight: 263g / 9.28 oz Platform: PCI-e DAC: ESS ES9039Q2M Connectivity Options Side: Rear: 1 x HD Audio Front Panel Connector, 1 x ⅛“ Headphone port, 1 x RCA Line-out (Left) port, 1 x RCA Line-out (Right) port, 1 x Coaxial SPDIF-out port, 1 x ⅛“ Mic in/Line-in port, 1 x TOSLINK SPDIF-in port Surround: No DNR / SNR: THD+N: 0.0001% Dynamic Range 130 dB Recording Resolution: PCM up to 32-bit / 192kHz (Stereo) Direct Mode: Line Out (Stereo): PCM up to 32-bit  384 kHz Coaxial SPDIF Out: PCM up to 24-bit 192.0 kHz Headphone Amp: PCM up to 32-bit / 384kHz (Stereo) Native DSD: DSD64, DSD128, DSD256 Output Impedance: 1Ω, Supported Headphone Impedance: 8–600Ω, IEM: 0.5Vrms, Low: 1.5Vrms, Mid: 3Vrms, High: 6Vrms, Maximum output power: 350mW @ 32Ω (High), Maximum output voltage: 6Vrms (High) Front Panel Headphone Amp: PCM up to 32-bit / 192kHz (Stereo) Native DSD: DSD64, DSD128 Output Impedance: 10Ω, Supported Headphone Impedance: 32–300Ω, Maximum output power: 40mW @ 32Ω, Maximum output voltage: 1.9Vrms ASIO: ASIO 2.3 Total Harmonic Distortion: THD+N: 0.0006% Dynamic Range: 114 dB Scout Mode: Yes EMI shielding: No (but it passed all the FCC emission tests) Operating temperature: 0–45°C Input Power: 12V⎓0.5A Warranty: 1 Year (MSRP) Price: $179.99 / £169.99 The Sound Blaster AE-X was announced at the end of May, and it becomes clear that it is mainly for headphone wearers. I should also note that the card does not support DDL/DTS encoding technology, but it is said to support decoding through the coaxial SPDIF port. I was able to test this working with the classic Windows Sound properties, but I could not get a DTS (decode) signal through my Logitech Z906, it defaulted to 3D sound whenever I played DTS content through Plex or Emby. In addition, this card only supports two channels (stereo) over the speakers. The surround support is limited to the Headphone Amp, so before I get underway, what we have here is a card mostly intended for headphone use, especially with its SPDIF In (Toslink) port where you could connect another device like a console. So what about the highlights of this card? The AE-X is powered by the ESS SABRE DAC (ES9039Q2M), which is capable of a 130 dB dynamic range. In addition, it supports 32-bit/384 kHz playback for deeper detail and clarity. The headphone amplifier delivers up to 350 mW @ 32Ω, which admittedly far surpasses standard onboard audio, offering support for studio-grade headphones. DSD256 and ASIO 2.3 are also supported. What doesn't it have? No support for What-U-Hear, Super X-Fi, or the SmartComms Kit No EMI shielding, but it passed all the FCC emission tests (from the FAQ) I also want to make it clear that I am no audiophile. For me, it's purely subjective and it should just "work" out of the box. First impressions As I said in the introduction, I was a bit sad to see that the AE-X only supports stereo output, meaning it would not be on par with my ALC1220 over my speakers, as I mentioned it seems like this card is marketed toward headphone users. Since I am not an avid gamer that would rule me out as a potential customer, but I can still test its capabilities! The card arrived in a nice-looking box, as shown above. It's quite a bit larger than the Audify FX Pro that I reviewed back in April, and at first I thought the covering meant that it was EMI shielded, but it isn't as mentioned above in the highlights section. What's in the box: 1 x Sound Blaster AE-X PCIe card 1 x 3.5 mm CTIA TRRS to Dual TRS Headset Splitter Cable 1 x Quick Start Guide Aside from the Quick Start Guide, which someone at my age (I guess) needs a magnifying glass to read thanks to the tiny fonts, Creative Labs also has the manual online, which first requires you to prove that you're human in order to access it (so I can't direct link it). Anyway, the box is mostly made up of cardboard, and the only plastic in it is the anti-static bag for the card itself. Design Top Bottom The card itself looks pretty cool and actually wouldn't look out of place in an all-white build. There's only one connector, and for some reason it is awkwardly placed on the side (front-facing) that is for the front panel audio connector, which will let you use the headphones through the front PC audio jack. Since the front panel Headphone Amp has fewer capabilities than the rear headphone port, I decided not to use it. Rear of card PCI-e interface The rear of the card is completely open and is normally where you would find the front panel connector. The PCIe interface side is completely covered, which initially made me think it was EMI shielded. I/O panel Side (front-facing) with Front panel connector On the outer rear bracket side we have the TOSLINK SPDIF in, Coaxial SPDIF out, RCA line out (Right), RCA line out (Left), Headphone out, and Mic/Line in ports. On the front facing portion of the card itself is the F-panel connector. Usage Test System Our test system consists of the following: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Gigabyte X870E AORUS MASTER (BIOS F12) Corsair RM1000x (2024) Thermal Grizzly Kyronaut (33x33x0,2mm) 2x 32GB Kingston Fury Beast RGB DDR5 6000MT/s CL36-38-38-80 T-Force Z540 2TB (PCIe Gen5) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition (NVIDIA) Creative Sound Blaster AE-X Windows 11 25H2 Pro I installed the card into the Gigabyte X870E AORUS MASTER which includes the RealTek ALC1220 onboard audio. For our subjective listening tests, I used the Coaxial SPDIF port to my Logitech Z906 speakers. For headphone tests I used the OneOdio Studio Max 2 Wireless DJ Headphones that I reviewed last month. After installing the audio driver, I installed Creative Nexus, which is a relatively new app designed for the latest Sound Blaster cards. Then I discovered the AE-X needed both a driver update from 1.00.15.0001 to 1.01.09.000 and a firmware update from 1.00.06.0000 to 1.00.06.0002, then I was set to go. It should be noted that the card did not work without the driver (not Plug and Play). As you can see above, you can manage the firmware, driver, and inputs via Advanced Settings on the Device tab. By default Nexus enabled "Direct Mode". Upon clicking on Acoustic Engine, the Equalizer can be enabled and set to four different presets, which are: Gaming Music Movies Footsteps Enhancer There's also a dedicated Scout Mode for gamers. I mainly used Tidal and Spotify in the past week to listen to some of my Liked Songs (which now total over 700) in Shuffle mode; there were no pops or interference that I could hear. I also found a 5.1 Surround Music playlist on Tidal that sounded really great over Studio Max 2 headphones. When I reviewed the Audigy FX Pro, I went out and purchased a Logitech Z906 set second-hand for €100 specifically to use with the card, but in this instance all I could get on the AE-X was the 3D output of surround sound through Coaxial SPDIF and although it still sounded great, it isn't quite as good as DTS Interactive via my onboard Realtek ALC1220. Conclusion So what have I learned? The AE-X lacks multi-channel support for 5.1/7.1 setups and drops support for modern surround technologies like Dolby or DTS, functioning strictly as a stereo output device. So to really benefit, you will need Studio-grade headphones to "hear" the benefits of this card. With that being said, I can imagine it will appeal to gamers who are switching between console and PC. By utilizing the SPDIF in port, you could just plug your headphones into the AE-X (front or rear port) and then switch between PC and Console without having to move the headphones to a different port. As I said in the Sound Blaster Audigy review, the EQ in the Creative Nexus app offers safe presets, which allows a user to further tweak the lows, mids, and highs for a personal listening experience. Of course it all depends on the headphones you hook up to it. Speaking of headphones, I kind of wish I had higher-quality Studio-grade headphones to really test this card with; I'm not usually wearing headphones in my day to day duties. The only time I will wear them is if I want to listen to music very late at night and I don't want to disturb my neighbors, so my rating (verdict) is based on this fact. Someone with a PC/Console setup and wears headphone religiously to game, and consume media will benefit much more than I from the high-quality Headphone Amps that are included in the AE-X. Once again, I do feel like Creative could have gone the extra mile to support the S/PDIF port a bit more. Why include it if you're not supporting the main popular digital formats? It seems like the decision was more of a legacy-based one, offering uncompressed 2-channel PCM audio, for users with high-fidelity audio systems and external DACs. Maybe I will be lucky enough to review a card that truly includes all these features in the future. I am sure readers with far more knowledge on audio systems than me will correct me in the comments below. I'll just say I am happy to learn what I don't know! Where to buy The Sound Blaster AE-X is available to purchase now in preorder for $179.99 on the U.S. Creative website, or for £169.99 on the Creative UK website and will start shipping to customers from June 25.
    • $80 or 90%, anything else would be financial suicide one way or another.
    • Or... just use Bitwarden. Free, and has on-prem option as well. Works both on desktop and mobile, wherever you are. The age of local password files is over.
    • Thanks
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