Many changes are on the horizon for the Xbox. One rather seemingly small issue, the sound, will also be getting an overhaul. Expect to see this update sometime in the fall.
The codec we used when we first launched was a low bit rate codec and we stuck with that. We launched and we said we required broadband. We required a 64k connection, which not many people think of as broadband any longer. But that was the minimum requirement to run the service at the time. It’s time for us to move on. Especially if we want to think about broadening – a crackly headset on the top of your head – not what people think of when they talk about popular entertainment."
- Jerry Johnson, Xbox Live Studio Head
I’ve had a mixed experience with sound on Xbox Live. There are times where it is very crisp and times when you hear nothing but static. The headsets themselves should also take a fair amount of blame. Using the default headset can be a complete crapshoot. One minute it works fine, the next it completely dies. Regardless, this is a welcome change.
4mm Games, Terminal Reality and Def Jam Interactive recently announced seven additional tracks that will be featured in the highly anticipated release of Def Jam Rapstar.
New Confirmed Tracks Include:
1.) P. Diddy Featuring The Notorious B.I.G., Lil’ Kim & The Lox-It’s All About The Benjamins
2.) DJ Khaled Featuring Akon, T.I., Rock Ross, Fat Joe, Baby & Lil’ Wayne-We Takin’ Over
3.) Method Man Featuring Mary J. Blige-You’re All I Need
4.) Nas Featuring Diddy-Hate Me Now
5.) Nelly-Hot In Herre
6.) Public Enemy-Fight The Power
7.) Yung Joc Featuring Nitti-It’s Goin’ Down
The game, which will hit stores October 5th, will also be packed with exclusive instrumental beats by DJ Premier, Just Blaze, Cool & Dre and DJ Khalil as promised.
The amazing minds at Rockstar Games have released a Behind-the-scenes look at the Red Dead Redemption soundtrack. The video itself contains a interesting look at wide range of instruments used and the unique recording techniques used to produce the soundtrack. The video also features composers Woody Jackson, Bill Elm and Harmonica and Western movie soundtrack legend Tommy Morgan. Make sure to check out the video and admire the music made for this beautiful game.
Steam apparently has it on good authority that the new Deus Ex will be releasing next year in February. While Amazon has a more specific date of February 28, 2011. Either way, it looks like part of February and early March will be dedicated to this amazing looking title from Square Enix.
Achievement Unlocked! Vince Curley, an Engineer at Xbox, just wrote an article on the Xbox Engineering Blog about achievements and how they’re unlocked. The lengthy article discusses the actual software behind making achievements and therefore is lightly based on code. Hit up the links below for the article and the sound you love to hear (the same one that is heard 4 million times a day.)
Nick posted a few days ago that The New Xbox 360 has already started shipping. But a newer slimmer look was not all the changes to the Xbox 360. On the old version if there was a hardware failure you would get the RRoD, or the Red Ring Of Death. On the new version you will now get the “Red Dot of Death”!
Hey is this major news? Well, no, but since I had Photoshop open and I never post here I thought I would give Patrick a heart attack!
Need some new shoes? Now you can skate with a pair of the Jameson 2 shoes in real life and in EA’s Skate 3. Today Electronic Arts announced their partnership with etnies to bring you the Jameson 2 skate shoe and the etnies in-game GvR skateboarding contest. The shoe is “super thin” consisting of both the logos of Skate and etnies. You can pick them up at Zumiez and look for them with the GvR contest in Skate 3. Full PR after the break
The US Supreme Court has rejected the NFL’s claim to be immune from antitrust laws by a unanimous 9-0 vote. The NFL has been arguing that they are a single business entity and thus do not fall under any antitrust laws.
The ruling came in American Needle Inc. v. NFL, a case that resulted from the league’s decision in 2000 to award an exclusive contract for hats and caps featuring NFL logos to Reebok International Ltd.
You may have heard that Alan Wake is a pretty scary game. If you, like me, prefer to play games like this in the comfort of your own home, I don’t blame you.
But what if you had to play the game in what’s been called the most haunted location in all of Australia? Would you still play it?
Y’know I try not to get most limited editions, as they usually just aren’t worth the money, and they usually cost more than the game does. Record of Agarest War The Really Naughty Limited Edition though costs the normal price basically and it’s just one that i couldn’t pass up at all.
The game itself is one from Japan obviously and it’s a Strategy RPG game. I’m sort of fond of RPG games, but not all, I do however like those from Japan. The ones here from US companies just don’t seem as good. There are exception though of course as with anything, but for the most part, the Japanese know how to make an RPG game better than anyone else!
So today I have for you a sort of pictorial unboxing, be warned though it might be considered NSFW depending where you are.. but I don’t think it is..
The codec we used when we first launched was a low bit rate codec and we stuck with that. We launched and we said we required broadband. We required a 64k connection, which not many people think of as broadband any longer. But that was the minimum requirement to run the service at the time. It’s time for us to move on. Especially if we want to think about broadening – a crackly headset on the top of your head – not what people think of when they talk about popular entertainment."
