Xbox 360 System Update Preview

[Hylands]

Too bad they are doing it for US only. For the Kinect beta, it was open to multiple countries. I would have thought they would have added Canada at least.

[Unimatrix Xero]

BD support?

[HawkMan]

Too bad they are doing it for US only. For the Kinect beta, it was open to multiple countries. I would have thought they would have added Canada at least.

by disc distribution issues I'm guessing they mean licensing and region issues.

[ozgeek]

This is why I don't go on my Xbox360 much. Changing for the stake of change. Please make a UI and STICK WITH IT. STOP changing things around all the time :(

[Bryer]

It looks like they are changing the file system and improving the security in the latest update. Also bringing possible closer intergration with Windows Phone 7. Hopefully Skydrive and IE9 support too.

[Sikh]

This is why I don't go on my Xbox360 much. Changing for the stake of change. Please make a UI and STICK WITH IT. STOP changing things around all the time :(

You assume that. Pretty sure this ui is here to stay since it works well with kinect.

Op: thanks for posting I'm glad I was home to. 5 more minutes and I would of been gone. Applied at 335pm cst hopefully I got in early. Been in the past 4 betas excluding kinect

[HawkMan]

This is why I don't go on my Xbox360 much. Changing for the stake of change. Please make a UI and STICK WITH IT. STOP changing things around all the time :(

what ? it doesn't say anything about a UI update, and there's only been one UI update, from the original Blades to the NXE, then there was NXE 1.1. which is pretty much identical to the NXE except for slightly tuned graphical elements. So I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about. And are you saying the change form the Blades to the NXE was change for the sake of flame ? o_O

[George P Global Moderator]

We know the WP7 connectivity is on the way, they showed a video of it back at CES, or was it MWC? I forget. Anyways, this could add/update a load of stuff and thus needed a CD/DVD and also it could be so they run a disc check since people figure there's a DVD drive security update in there. So it makes sense, but we'll just have to wait and see.

[BajiRav]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-1gb-360-disc-upgrade

Source: Xbox new disc format gains 1GB

March 29th, 2011

A highly placed development source has confirmed to Digital Foundry that the new disc format being beta tested in a new dashboard upgrade adds 1GB to the storage of Xbox 360 game discs.

The maximum space allocated to game data on the current disc format is just 6.8GB out of a maximum of 7.95GB on a standard dual layer DVD, with over 1GB dedicated to a DVD-Video partition that also contained anti-piracy security sectors. Astonishingly, this meant that the last generation PlayStation 2 had a higher level of raw storage available to games developers than the newer Xbox 360. It seems that this video partition has either been drastically reduced or omitted completely in the new format Microsoft is looking to roll-out.

Beta testers of the new dashboard get a free copy of Halo: Reach once they are accepted into the new preview programme. We can assume that this isn't just a generous gift on Microsoft's part - more likely it is a disc pressed using the new format, and Microsoft is looking for data on performance on as many different systems as it can. There is no one standard Xbox 360 DVD drive: the platform holder has used drives from Samsung, Hitachi, Benq and Liteon across the console's five year history.

Halo: Reach occupied 6.6GB of space on the old format disc. Either padding or additional content will have been added to this new edition, or it may well simply be the case that the data is allocated into certain physical areas of the disc the video partition would have previously occupied.

It would make sense that the video partition would have been pressed into the inner-most area of the disc - the part that would be the slowest to read in data. So while developers will be able to make the most of the raw storage potential of the dual layer disc, they may well have to factor in slower read speeds in the freed-up space.

Regardless, a 14-15 per cent boost in the space available to Xbox 360 developers is a very welcome advance, and some might argue it is somewhat overdue bearing in mind that the security scheme currently in place has proven to be inadequate for several years now. Tossing away the current system may also give Microsoft the opportunity to deploy a brand new anti-piracy strategy bearing in mind that its latest AP 2.5 system was defeated within a couple of weeks.

Xbox 360 DVD firmware hacker "Commodore4eva" adding weight to the story by suggesting that the latest developer XDK confirms the changes:

"MS will introduce XBG3 - this will add more AP checks, CVI (content integerity) checks, increase the disc size and adds a new layer for protection issues - all in the 20500 sdk! bring it on," he posted on IRC.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

God I remember so many people arguing their faces off on Neowin to say games could use the whole 7.95GB... Sorry for straying a bit but that **** was so annoying back then, people just refusing to read facts put in front of their faces. Guess they can't argue now :rofl:

Good news anyway, MS need all the space they can get from the way things are going.

[HawkMan]

The available storage has been known pretty much since the start so I'm not sure why you're arguing about that here.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

The available storage has been known pretty much since the start so I'm not sure why you're arguing about that here.

I'm not arguing anything here, merely commenting that were was a small troop of people on Neowin about a year or so ago that gave me and some others an incredibly hard time for posting that only 6.8GB was available for games. They tried to use torrents and a whole host of other arguments to say otherwise.

So no, no arguments from me, I knew I was right all along :happy:

[Neo003]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-1gb-360-disc-upgrade

I don't know why they came out 2.5 XGD, it was waste of time :wacko: . But good news that now 360 life is extended somewhat with getting additional space, I always wondered why they would leave out 2GB of space on the disk (which I still don't know). Can anyone care to explain?

I think this is how they store data but if anyone has correct info please do tell

Levels - 2GB (+.75MB)

Textures - 1.5GB (+.25MB)

Models - 512MB

Video - 1GB

Audio - 384MB

Other - 128MB

-----------------------

Total - 6GB (+1GB)

[Crisp]

I can't see why this is such a problem? Can't game developers just add 2 discs in the case? Like Forza for example.

They could always make multiplayer content a download.

[what]

I can't see why this is such a problem? Can't game developers just add 2 discs in the case? Like Forza for example.

They could always make multiplayer content a download.

Because it looks bad compared to PS3 games. The more pro-PS3 arguments Microsoft can remove, the better. Besides, if they can now get a game on one disc that was previously on two, what's the problem? Would you rather they wasted more time on avatars instead?

[Crisp]

Would you rather they wasted more time on avatars instead?

I never said it was a problem, infact that's what I asked.

I would rather them work on IPTV for the 360, the PS3 is currently MILES ahead with catch up services. Most of all, rather them just work on a new console so we can get full non-watered down PC games.

[Neo003]

Because it looks bad compared to PS3 games. The more pro-PS3 arguments Microsoft can remove, the better. Besides, if they can now get a game on one disc that was previously on two, what's the problem? Would you rather they wasted more time on avatars instead?

It has nothing to do with PS3, 2 disks not only take time to produce but it cost an arm and a leg to manufacture and in the end you can't charge more than any regular game. It's all about the money, of course BR has 1up on space but 360 has numbers.

[HawkMan]

I never said it was a problem, infact that's what I asked.

I would rather them work on IPTV for the 360, the PS3 is currently MILES ahead with catch up services. Most of all, rather them just work on a new console so we can get full non-watered down PC games.

How is the PS3 miles ahead. the 360 actually has a fully fledged IP TV service, and severel providers use it, it's just a matter of getting more to use it. it also has a far more mature movie service through Zune.

[what]

It has nothing to do with PS3, 2 disks not only take time to produce but it cost an arm and a leg to manufacture and in the end you can't charge more than any regular game. It's all about the money, of course BR has 1up on space but 360 has numbers.

How can you say it has nothing to do with PS3? PS3 games don't require multiple discs, some 360 games do. It's a simple fact and they're starting to correct it.

How is the PS3 miles ahead. the 360 actually has a fully fledged IP TV service, and severel providers use it, it's just a matter of getting more to use it. it also has a far more mature movie service through Zune.

PS3 has free iPlayer, ITV Player and 4oD. Hence better catchup services.

[Crisp]

How is the PS3 miles ahead. the 360 actually has a fully fledged IP TV service, and severel providers use it, it's just a matter of getting more to use it. it also has a far more mature movie service through Zune.

BBC iPlayer

4OD

5FWD ITVplayer

LoveFilm

Hulu Plus

Netflix

PS3 Films

Crackle Movie

Web Browser to watch YouTube.

What's the 360 got?

Sky Player (rip off), Netflix and Zune.

[Jan Veteran]

Let's not start a 360 vs PS3 war please, keep that to the official threads.

[giantpotato]

It has nothing to do with PS3, 2 disks not only take time to produce but it cost an arm and a leg to manufacture and in the end you can't charge more than any regular game. It's all about the money, of course BR has 1up on space but 360 has numbers.

It costs a few pennies for manufacturers to press a DVD :whistle:

[metal_dragen Veteran]

Major Nelson just updated the blog post about the preview program to state that is now closed for registration:

Update: Thank you for your interest in the Xbox LIVE Update Preview Program! Sorry, at this time we are no longer accepting registrations for the program as we have reached our target audience volume. Please be on the lookout for additional opportunities in the future to participate in Xbox LIVE Update Preview programs. For those of you that have successfully completed registration we will be reaching out to you once we have completed the selection process for participation ? within the next 2 weeks. You can check on your status my referring to your Connect Dashboard page and the icon in the upper right corner.

If you see Xbox LIVE Update = Pending then you have successfully registered and now you just need to wait for a follow up mail.

[Ayepecks]

Good thing I applied yesterday (Y)

[Tharp Daddy]

woo! I had sent myself an email yesterday so i would remember to do it today, but i ended up just doing it last night and good thing i did!