Games Master Magazine On The Next 3 Consoles., News Taking from gm mag Options

[zero129]

I wrote this up from this months issue of Games master magazine if anyone has not already seen it yet, so far the Xbox 360 one is done, i'll tr to get the PS3 and NR ones done later.

XBOX 360
Silver, sleek and leading the charge into the next generation battlefield!.

THE 360 SPIN
MS's E3 conference may not have had the thunderous fanfare of sony's own event and the
debut of ps3, but it did nonetheless show xbox360 to be thoughtful and well-organised machine.
Up to its single green eyeball in features, the unit is designed for maximum connectivity,
bringing together pretty much all digital aspects of living room entertainment into one smart bundle.
With the xbox, MS proved they could gain ground on sony despite being last to market, but just how will they cope now that they've arrived at the next gen-scene early?
Playstation overlord Ken Kutaragi called the 360 an 'Xbox 1.5' which is a little rich considering that the Xbox itself could easily be thought of as a 'PS2 1.5'/
Still, Japanese developers have embraced the 360 with open arms and a toothy grin for the budding machine.
But, above everything else, it's out this year. Nervous? Excited? Damp trousers? Oh yes...

BYE WIRE
Xbox360 will offer suport for upto four wireless joypads, each of which will have a rechargeable battery pack lasting over 20 hours.
A USB cable will allow you to tricke charge as you play.

CARVED CURVES
Designed by sculptors, the Xbox360's double concavity is inteded to make the machine look like it's breating in Eh? Why? is it having a massive pout? You'd best keep it away from the birthday cakes then.

BACKWARDS TO THE FUTURE
Backward compatibility for Xbox 360 it isn't that simple. It'll only be compatible with 'top' Xbox games at launch, and later. The reason for this is likely due to the differences in hardware.

USB SHELTER
Honestly, you wait generations for USB and then three come along at once.
Two for the 360's USB 2.0 slots are hidden here behind this flap, with a third located at the rear of the machine.

WELCOME HOME
The Xbox 360 joypad is , in layout at least, a refinement of the Controller S. So those unfriendly white and black buttons have now been evicted from their god-awful squat on the right prong, and now sit quite sociably above the triggers.

BAD PAD?
The Start and Back buttons now have a more accessible home, but that D-Pad from the original fat-bast Xbox controller, which looked (and felt) like a trying to push a soggy toffee down the plughole.

SMUG PLUG
A small port at the base of the controller allows for you to connect a headset - you old one will still work - for Live chatter, while that big fat hewel in the middle has multiple roles. As well as binding your wireless pad to the 360, it can be pressed - at any time - to take you into the 360's elaborate dashboard interface. And maybe order a pizza.

HARD BARGAIN
Prior to the Xbox 360's unveiling, the presence of the hardrive was a bit of a question mark, but now it's back, with the standed model weighing in at 20GB. It's detachable, making it likely that upgrades will appear in the future.

DRIVE TIME
The 360's drive can read the following formats: DVD-Video, DVD-ROM/R/RW. CD-DA/ROM/R/RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD and JPEG Photo CD. But it can't play records, or read Braille, barcodes, sheet music or fingerprints. Thats for Xbox 720.

GOING LIVE
This'll be such a big part of the 360 it's already being talked about like it's build into the machine rather then an external service. It's accessible at any time at the push of the Live button on the controller.
You'll be able to buy and sell items you've created in the marketplace, chat with friends and do everything you can in Live - Except play games - for free in the Silver service. A Gold account's needed for the main event - the games. They'll matchmake you more successfully with a stored gamer card of your playing achievements to date.

HIGH DEFINITION
MS has been banging on about the HD era for months. 360 will be the first games console to take advantage of the next-gen TV standerd that will give graphics the same resolution as you'd see on a PC monitor. Although, it has to be said that both 360 and PS3 will work on standerd sets too.

ABOUT FACE
Anyone who's played Forza will know the joy of colourful customisation, and owning a groovy 360 faceplate looks set to be as essential as a copy of halo 3. MS even gave a limited edition one out at their E3 press conference.

HOW POWERFULL IS XBOX 360?
Sony's claims that PS3 is twice as powerfull as the 360 is being heavily questioned. Due to complex technical issues relating to the chip architecture, it could be very close. All the 360 games currently shown have been on dev kits unning at 50% of the power of the finished console and they look like super high end PC games.

[Andy51]

That information... I knew about 100 percent... I would like to get a copy of the EGM so I can read up to the PS3 and the N5 information... and see what EGM has to say about the controllers...

[zero129]

PLAY STATION 3
The third coming of sony's miracle machine

THE PS3
The ps3 didn't so much touch down with a thump as an almight explosion of dizzying technical specs and reel upon reel of 'game' footage. The end of the world had come for sony's competitors, at least that's what they would have liked everyone to think.
For many, the PS3 was the star of the show, but it's a star that you'd have real trouble pointing out in the sky.
While the ps3 arguably has enough spec strength to dempen the Xbox 360's fire, the potential for sony's machine wasn't really confirmed, only hinted at.
And anyone who recalls the state of the PS2 - a console spouting more promises then a liar before a fireing squad when it debuted, only for the machine to limp off the starting blocks and take an age to establish itself as a superb games console - will be suitably cynical of the whole hubbub.
Still, we'd be fools to think that the PS3 won't be home to some incredible games, even if we're not yet sure where they'll be coming from.

GOOD PERSONALITY?
So, this is the successor to the Doul Shock, one of the most widely used and recognisable controllers ever made.
It looks like some third-party knock-off of the ps2 pad, but this curious crescent reminds us of a previous eyesore that turned out to be the business: the N64 pad.

BUM HOLES
The PS3's face isn't pitted with slots and ports. They're neatly gathered around the back of the unit: six (!) USB ports, Memory Stick slots, two HD outputs and room for a 2.5" detachable hard drive. add to the WiFi connectivity with your PSP and the fact that seven controllers can be used wirelessly on each machine, and we're scared to look inside the PS3's guts in case our brain gets melted.

STAND AND DELIVER
Being able to stand your games machine vertically seems to be an essential feature of the next-generation.

HUMPY DUMPY
The PS3 is really quite plump compared to the PS2, and doubly so if you've laid eyes on the recent slim-line PStwo special edition.

GET IT ON WITH THE PSP
It's not a surprise that these two will talk to each other, treansferring saves, movies and music wirelessly.
But the possiblities of accessing your PS3 through WiFi internet from anyware in the world and downloading stuff is a cool prospect.

SEMI-DETACHED HARDDRIVE
Say bye to your memory cards. Instead you'll be slotting in a hard drive that allows you to store gigabytes of saves, downloaded content, movies and music. This could be an optional extra though.

GOD'S OWN TELLY
PS3 uses the highest definition of HDTV available and can output two diffrernt images to separate screens at once. Ideal for ginormous screen GT or video chatting to someone while fragging them. One problem. you'll need teo HDTVs!/

SHARE ONLINE
Out of the box and always on, Sony want you to video chat, share saves and characters and even broadcast your own HD video homepages!.

DEMO-LICIOUS
An essential part of revealing new console hardware is getting it to flex its theoretical muscles in a bunch of 'What if...'scenarios designed to get the audience biting its fingers with ectasy...

APPLAUSE FOR EFFECT
Sony then compiled together a montage of what seemed like PS3 games which looked incredible. But were they just demos?.

WOLF!
With the Playstation 2, Sony has coaxed forth gallons of foamy dribble from the E3 crowds, but those promises proved to be a little hollow when the games became a living-room reality. Cast your minds back to these...(Then shows some images of ps2 e3 demos and then what the games ended up looking like)

OLD MAN FROM FF THE Movie
The first PS2 demos - claimed to be in real-time and to PS2 specs - were suitably wow-some

WATER DEMO
Mmmm... nothing says 'millions of physics' quite like a demo of water doing its rippling thing.

RIDGE RACER 5
And at the PS2 launch, this is what we actually got - a crisper, more stylish ridge racer.

AND NOW
Of course, PS2 games these days do look beautiful, but it's taken, ooooh, five years or so.

HOW POWERFUL IS PS3?
Thirty five times as powerfull as the PS2 and twice as powerfull as the Xbox 360 according to Sony.
But the truth is, no one knows yet. The complexities of the processor design and the way the other chips and software impact on performance means it's far too early to tell.
Untill more developers get their hands on both machines and we see games running on both machines, the only safe bet is to say it's much more powerfull then any current console.

This post has been edited by zero129: Jul 4 2005, 10:35 PM

[spearfree]

Well this guy is full of shit. It's been said that dev kits have used 25-40 % of 360's power, and he claims that it was 50? LOL

I think this MAG is full of shit as the guy that wrote it! lol

As for ps3 part...it's HDD will be same shit as PS2's (go over www.us.playstation.com and search forums 4 more info)! It has been comfirm that MC will be used for saveing games NOT hdd (fucking idiots)!

This post has been edited by spearfree: Jul 5 2005, 12:50 AM

[zero129]

Well this guy is full of shit. It's been said that dev kits have used 25-40 % of 360's power, and he claims that it was 50? LOL

I think this MAG is full of shit as the guy that wrote it! lol 

As for ps3 part...it's HDD will be same shit as PS2's (go over www.us.playstation.com and search forums 4 more info)! It has been comfirm that MC will be used for saveing games NOT hdd (fucking idiots)!

Dude, magazines are not as "Upto date" with the latest news as the internet , by the time they would have had all that wrote most of the stuff you said was most likely not confirmed.

And atleast he said it wasn't using the full power of the xbox 360, something alot of other mags have left out all together .

Plus atleast he also didn't go on about the PS3 like it's going to be the holygrial of gaming .

And exectly how was the whole thing bullshit?, going from the time it would of been wrote up it seems pretty ok to me.

But then maybe you would of been much more happier if it went something like

"After looking at most of the xbox360 games i have to say im not very happy with them", and leave out the part about the dev kits being under powered all together.

or maybe they should of hyped up the PS3 more by saying stuff like "You wont believe your eyes when you see what the ps3 can do"

Would that of made you more happy?.

Lol it's funny how when a magazine Finaly doesn't hype the ps3 up to it's eyeballs, and does give the xbox alot of credit, that it's bullshit just becos he said "50% of the power instead of 25% .

But the is one other thing, how do you know you wont be able to save games onto the ps3 hdd?.

[spearfree]

After looking at most of the xbox360 games i have to say im not very happy with them", and leave out the part about the dev kits being under powered all together.

Dude u r am idiot! I NEVER munchen anything to make u think that I am ms's or sony's zombie (I know u didn't say exactly 'zombie", but it looks like that)! Where da fuck did u come up with that! NO ONE have had hyped any console. I just said that it's full of shit (this mag)

If u have read my post u would know what I am talking abaout!

But the is one other thing, how do you know you wont be able to save games onto the ps3 hdd?.

Again, it seems u have not read my post...!


Here is to Nex-gen

This post has been edited by spearfree: Jul 5 2005, 02:23 PM

[Carlo210]

He is saying that you think the mag is shit because its overhyping the ps3 and downhyping the xbox360 with innacruate info, but the truth is that it isn't overhyping any system, especially compared to other mags and journalists. Being 10% off of the alpha kits isn't a big deal, heck he didn't even display any bias. All the journalist did was provide info.
spearfree, u r am Idiot!

This post has been edited by Carlo210: Jul 5 2005, 03:55 PM

[Andy51]

It's a very unbiased review of each system, although theres no N5 in there..

[zero129]

He is saying that you think the mag is shit because its overhyping the ps3 and downhyping the xbox360 with innacruate info, but the truth is that it isn't overhyping any system, especially compared to other mags and journalists. Being 10% off of the alpha kits isn't a big deal, heck he didn't even display any bias. All the journalist did was provide info.
spearfree, u r am Idiot! rotfl.gif rolleyes.gif

Thank you .

It's a very unbiased review of each system, although theres no N5 in there..

Thats cos i have not posted it yet .

This post has been edited by zero129: Jul 5 2005, 06:42 PM

[zero129]

REVOLUTION!
The most mysterious of all the consoles...

THE REVOLUTION
Nintendo. Ah Nintendo. Last but not least, eh? While Sony and MS head butt one another in a noisy display of muscles and manliness, you still stand clear of it all, doing your own thing.
And this year's E3 was no different. Nintendo did indeed reveal the Revolution, but not really - they only flashed a prototype and muttered a few short but delicious details about its special powers, before promising to bring it back next year for a proper unveiling.
Still, Nintendo's philosophy behind the Revolution seems saner then most - it's a machine that won't be preoccupied with graphical grunt, but blending innovation with ease/cost of development. As per usual, Nintendo seems to have its fair share of sensible ideas, even if its not willing to yell and stomp its feet about them. So allow us to help out...

SUGAR CUBE
Revolution will be able to play GameCube titles as its drive will be able to read dinky little discs as well as Revolution games.
Rumour has it that a small flap somewhere on the machine will lift up to reveal slots for Cube pads, whice begs a question: is the Revolution controller not going to feature the standed setup of analogue sticks, buttons and triggers? Hmmm.

EVERYTHING NINTENDO
No games have been properly revealed for Revolution as of yet- although new metroid, Zelda, Mario and Final Fantasy titles are in the works for it - it may not need them.
One of the more tempting aspects of Revolution is it will be able to play every game from Nintendo's back-catalogue including SNES, NES and N64 titles.
Just how they'll be delivered to the player -pay-per-game downloads, or in software bundles, or even both maybe - is still a mystery, but one that we're very eager to see explained.

OTHER BITS
It looks like the Revolution'll come with a stand that allows you to stack it at a strange angle - something that we really like the look of. And there are the obligatory next-gen features: Wireless controllers, two USB ports, WiFi compatibility.
We're guessing the price tag of the Revolution won't be as hefty as its competitors, though.
But a tasty price tag is worth nothing if the games aren't there.

DEATH TO WIRES
The DS was the first wireless console and Revolution will be similarly equipped.
Nintendo are now firmly committed to cheap online gaming and promised WiFi multi player gaming and downloadable content.

FLASH MEMORY
Something Revolution will have is 512b of flash memory. Ideal for storing saves and downloaded characters or new levels. As well as the much less porky, memory-wise, games of yesteryear.

HOLD ON TIGHT
The only thing we know about the revolution's controller is that it's shaped like a big, fat question mark.
It's supposedly so innovative that Nintendo refuses to show it at this early stage in order to prevent anyone stealing its ideas, and is key to Nintendo's next-gen philosophy of 'It's not what you play, but how you play'.
Any suggestions? We're guessing it'll be some kind of balloon, operated by kisses.

FAKING IT
Every E3 brings with it a wave if 'leaked' fakes and other fan-fuelled attempts to get people worked up over nothing, but this year one effort in particular caught everyone's attention and nearly - very nearly - got mistaken for the real thing.
Created by a disgruntled fan in protest at the lack of innovation in gaming, the 'NintendoOn' was claimed to be Nintendo's new console, and was accompanied by a trailer that was nothing less then a masterwork of devotion.

HOW POWERFUL IS THE REVOLUTION?
We don't know yet.
All that's been confirmed is that ATI are making the graphics chip called Hollywood and IBM the processor, named Broadway.
No other tech specs were unveiled but Ninty promise they will be. Soonish.

AND THE WINNER IS...
As much as this sounds like a copout, we simply don't know enough about these three machines to put any one of them out in front.
MS has a machine that's virtually ready to go.
And while its tech specs may not be future-proof, its got a wealth of big-name developer support and has a forward-thinking approach to the possibility of being used to do far more things then just play games.

The PS3's specs ae supremely muscular, and the footage shown so far is definitely impressive.
But we have little idea of how its finished games will look.
And Nintendo - well, it was typically tight-lipped about the Revolution.
It's still the underdog - especially since it refused to join in the frenzy of chest-beating and war-crying that MS and Sony are so eager to take part in.
But it's one who's supremely capable of delivering a killer blow, albeit in it's own time.
The PSP is being trounced by the DS in japan as we type, and so the idea of nintendo having something hefty up its sleeve - a boxing glove on the end of a spring - doesn't seem so naive.

So for the time beingm we';; just have to tie a knot in it and wait until we've a better idea of of just what on earth is going on.
Indeed, with the PS3 and Revolution reaching japan in 2006, neither of them may make it out over here until the latter end of that year, and possibly beyond (Hello, Nintendo!).
Also, the cost of these consoles - and not to mention their games - is going to be crucial, but is still unknown.

It's a similar situation with the games. Some contain promise, and others contain nothing but fabricated mixture of hot air and sexy explosions.
Still, we'll be seeing and covering Xbox 360 games from now untill its release at the end of the autumn.
So even if we have no idea who's going to be winning the next round of console wars, we'll know just what weapons MS plans to use.

Until then, just sit tight, enjoy the ride while it all unravels and don't forget to hug your PS2, Xbox or GameCube on a regular basis.
They're not dead yet, and they still have some serious love to give. aw.

[spearfree]

He is saying that you think the mag is shit because its overhyping the ps3 and downhyping the xbox360 with innacruate info, but the truth is that it isn't overhyping any system, especially compared to other mags and journalists. Being 10% off of the alpha kits isn't a big deal, heck he didn't even display any bias. All the journalist did was provide info.
spearfree, u r am Idiot!   

What makes u say that I am an idiot? Because I said that MAGz are useless shit, and because I said that zero129 is dumb because he compare me to "zombies"?

U r just a ignorent piece of shit!

U know what...it's not even worth talking to pathetic people so I AM SORRY for EVERYTHING I said to ENYONE!!

[zero129]

What makes u say that I am an idiot? Because I said that MAGz are useless shit, and because I said that zero129 is dumb because he compare me to "zombies"?

U r just a ignorent piece of shit!

U know what...it's not even worth talking to pathetic people so I AM SORRY for EVERYTHING I said to ENYONE!!

Why don't you show me where i called you a zombie?.
see i never called you anything, but you called me dumb for nothing, and i could of replied and flamed back but i didn't.

Anyways, mags are what most people get their info from, as not everyone has the internet, so thats why it's good when a mag as popular as Gm doesn't over hype the PS3, and doesn't downplay the xbox, like alot of other mags does.

[crustyteacup]

who cares, its a magazine article, and it didn't tell us anything we didn't know already. and who cares about whats hyped and whats not, i know which console is best thats all i care about, the ps3 is shit.

[spearfree]

Why don't you show me where i called you a zombie?.
see i never called you anything, but you called me dumb for nothing, and i could of replied and flamed back but i didn't.

Anyways, mags are what most people get their info from, as not everyone has the internet, so thats why it's good when a mag as popular as Gm doesn't over hype the PS3, and doesn't downplay the xbox, like alot of other mags does.

THIS...

But then maybe you would of been much more happier if it went something like

"After looking at most of the xbox360 games i have to say im not very happy with them", and leave out the part about the dev kits being under powered all together.

Anyays, forget about it...it's just a stupid mag.

[spearfree]

who cares, its a magazine article, and it didn't tell us anything we didn't know already. and who cares about whats hyped and whats not, i know which console is best thats all i care about, the ps3 is shit.

U don't know what console is better (best), but it's ur oppinion to say which u think is better (best), and I have nothing against about it.

I am just pissed off at these MAGz and ppl that write me. Sinc begining, we knew the right information, and now when I see some1 overhyping or downhyping (saying 1 console is better than other)--just makes me SICK (I am talking about MAgs, NOT you or any1 else)!

Anyays, as u said, it's just a MAG.