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Dark Helmet · Dec 11, 2006, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

It no longer includes a Blu-Ray drive and obscure Power CPU?

Zing!

Ya I hate blu-ray and CPU at least as good as the 360's. They should make it a DVD drive with no DVD playback and the Wii's CPU.

That would rock.

Chuckit · Dec 11, 2006, 05:53 PM

I didn't say the CPU was underpowered. I just meant that IBM not dedicating enough resources to its CPUs is familiar territory for Apple users. And Sony ****ing up with its new media formats isn't exactly fresh ground either.

Hawkeye_a · Dec 11, 2006, 07:56 PM

True true.

Anyone else here amazed at the load times in Zelda..... absolutely crazy if you ask me.....there are virtually no load times at all....and i was taking it for granted until a friend actually pointed it out.

itai195 · Dec 11, 2006, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by goMac

I didn't notice either.

Obviously you guys just can't match my ability to defeat many enemies in a matter or seconds

I have seen it slow a touch in a couple dungeons, but the comment was tongue-in-cheek

goMac · Dec 11, 2006, 08:53 PM

Originally Posted by itai195

Obviously you guys just can't match my ability to defeat many enemies in a matter or seconds

I have seen it slow a touch in a couple dungeons, but the comment was tongue-in-cheek

Has anyone been in the Cave of Trials yet? That place is crazy for inflicting massive damage on hordes of enemies.

icruise · Dec 11, 2006, 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a

True true.

Anyone else here amazed at the load times in Zelda..... absolutely crazy if you ask me.....there are virtually no load times at all....and i was taking it for granted until a friend actually pointed it out.

I think they're concealed well. There aren't really many "loading" screens, but there are extended transitions that can be used to hide the loading of the next area. Good design.

Dark Helmet · Dec 11, 2006, 10:11 PM

Feel free to Wii mii!

MindFad · Dec 12, 2006, 01:31 AM

Before any Wiiing can be done with friends/folks/others, both consoles have to have each others' Wii numbers in the address book. Just a reminder.

Dark Helmet · Dec 12, 2006, 01:36 AM

Originally Posted by MindFad

Before any Wiiing can be done with friends/folks/others, both consoles have to have each others' Wii numbers in the address book. Just a reminder.

The ghay

MindFad · Dec 12, 2006, 01:42 AM

Obviously Nintendo's way to prevent us from spamming the **** out of Wii 5117 0402 9037 3375, but yeah, oh well.

Sam with e-mails, too. When you enter an e-mail address in your Wii address book, it sends that address a confirmation e=mail. All the person has to do is reply to it, and they are linked.

Dark Helmet · Dec 12, 2006, 01:48 AM

Originally Posted by MindFad

Obviously Nintendo's way to prevent us from spamming the **** out of Wii 5117 0402 9037 3375, but yeah, oh well.

Ya that happens all the time with the other online consoles

Hawkeye_a · Dec 12, 2006, 02:42 AM

My only disappointment with the Wii is region encoding and NTSC/PAL discrimination. very very frustrating. hopefully there'll be a hack that an get abound this.

It just occured to me that....apart from the virtual console.... there's that software thing, where they plan on selling the Opera browser.... for some reason i expect to see a DVD player, Media player (ala iTV maybe?). i really wonder if Nintendo will execute these apps.

Myself... im hoping for a larger VC library, some way to make these consoles region free, game trailers, game demos, online gaming (which im shocked wasnt possible with a single launch game (Excite Truck, im looking at you)).

Cheers

PS>>im still exploring this console so as soon as i figure out my Wii code, ill post it here.

Dark Helmet · Dec 12, 2006, 02:47 AM

When was the weather channel supposed to come out?

Chuckit · Dec 12, 2006, 03:36 AM

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a

PS>>im still exploring this console so as soon as i figure out my Wii code, ill post it here.

Click on the mail button and then the address book. I can't figure out what use the codes are, though. Are they just like really un-mnemonic e-mail addresses?

Dark Helmet · Dec 12, 2006, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Click on the mail button and then the address book. I can't figure out what use the codes are, though. Are they just like really un-mnemonic e-mail addresses?

Yep. Nintendo saw how much everyone hated the DS code system so naturally decided to do the same on the Wii.

If there is one way NOT to do it in a friendly and easy way... this would be it.

Hawkeye_a · Dec 12, 2006, 10:32 AM

Yeah... good point. what the hell ARE these codes for ?

Jawbone54 · Dec 12, 2006, 10:37 AM

Sending Miis.

Hawkeye_a · Dec 12, 2006, 11:34 AM

yippie

Dark Helmet · Dec 12, 2006, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a

yippie

Yup. That impossible to remember friend code is also great when you find out someone else you know got a Wii but when you want to tell him to add you neither one of you can remember your retarded friend code. Even when you do you both have to add each other and send 2 approvals.

Meanwhile my friend tells me he just bought a 360. I say cool, add me my name is "Silly Hoe".

I get home, fire up the Xbox, it tells me someone with the name of "Whatever" wants to have me as a friend.. Approve/deny.

That's it.

No spam worries, no fuss, no codes.

Dark Helmet · Dec 12, 2006, 12:02 PM

Ok I forgot who ask for it but here is that software to make ALL PS2 games upconvert:

IGN: Xploder PS2 HDTV Player Update

icruise · Dec 12, 2006, 12:51 PM

I was the one asking about it. Here are some excerpts from the IGN review:

Games used for testing included Tekken Tag (4:3, 480i), Gran Turismo 4 (16:9, 1080i), God of War (16:9, 480p), Bully (16:9, 480i), and Wipeout Fusion (4:3, 480i). Xploder claims 99% compatibility, and in our testing the HDTV Player software caused none of these games to crash or become unstable. The actual usefulness of the software, however, was somewhat questionable.

The best results we obtained from the HDTV Player software were in de-interlacing 480i native games to 480p. Tekken Tag appeared sharper, as did Bully (in 4:3 mode) and Wipeout Fusion. We next tested these games in 720p mode via the HDTV Player software. The image produced among these games and in varying degrees stretched the images horizontally (so much so that about 15% of the image was out of frame on either side of the viewable screen) and compressed them vertically, to a degree that none of the 480i-native games were playable with the software set to 720p. 1080i settings produced a similarly distorted forced-widescreen image, except in miniature, only using about 60% of the viewable screen. We didn't find this setting acceptable due to the distorted image.

Our next test was in trying to use the HDTV Player software to up-convert God of War from 480p to 720p. For one reason or another, God of War was not stretched or squished and played in the correct aspect ratio and in the correct position on our viewable surface. We discovered, however, that while the middle 30% of the image, if divided vertically, appeared sharper, the 35% of the remaining image on either side of center was stretched, more and more noticeably to the periphery of the image. This gave the impression of viewing the world though a fish-eye lens as we ran down corridors due to the textures stretching as they reached the side of the screen. We didn't like the feeling this gave us and decided it was unacceptable.

After playing the variety of games we had available, we concluded that the only really acceptable settings for the HDTV Player software was 480p mode for games that didn't already offer a progressive-scan option.

So in short, while it can force games that aren't progressive scan capable into displaying in 480p, every other setting produces unacceptable distortion of the picture. And since the whole point of running games in HD is to get better picture quality, that seems rather ludicrous, especially since using the product entails booting with a separate disc before you play each game.

exca1ibur · Dec 12, 2006, 06:00 PM

Have any of you guys with an HD-DVD drive for the 360... tried under OSX running the new VLC? The newest version that came out a few days ago supports VC-1 and WM9 now.

Dark Helmet · Dec 12, 2006, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by icruise

So in short, while it can force games that aren't progressive scan capable into displaying in 480p, every other setting produces unacceptable distortion of the picture. And since the whole point of running games in HD is to get better picture quality, that seems rather ludicrous, especially since using the product entails booting with a separate disc before you play each game.

True enough but it is a game hack and shows that the PS2 hardware can at least output 1080i as some seem to be in denial that it works on GT4.

Peter · Dec 12, 2006, 06:24 PM

Clips: The Wii Safety Manual Gets a Narrator - Kotaku
hilarious

starman · Dec 12, 2006, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by exca1ibur

Have any of you guys with an HD-DVD drive for the 360... tried under OSX running the new VLC? The newest version that came out a few days ago supports VC-1 and WM9 now.

Don't you still need drivers to read the disc itself?

Calimus · Dec 12, 2006, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by starman

Don't you still need drivers to read the disc itself?

Nope, works already. Also DVD Player.app supports HD-DVD already, but doesn't support the VC-1 Codec.

Everything Apple: Xbox 360 HD DVD drive works in Mac OS X

Eug Wanker · Dec 12, 2006, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by Calimus

Nope, works already. Also DVD Player.app supports HD-DVD already, but doesn't support the VC-1 Codec.

Everything Apple: Xbox 360 HD DVD drive works in Mac OS X

Heh. I'm famous.

P.S. You probably want to check out this later post.

The drive works fine, but OS X 10.4 doesn't recognize the commercial HD DVD discs. Should work fine in 10.5 though.

However, VLC won't get around the encryption on commercial discs. Home made HD DVDs should be fine though.

the_glassman · Dec 12, 2006, 11:05 PM

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

Heh. I'm famous.

P.S. You probably want to check out this later post.

The drive works fine, but OS X 10.4 doesn't recognize the commercial HD DVD discs. Should work fine in 10.5 though.

However, VLC won't get around the encryption on commercial discs. Home made HD DVDs should be fine though.

How about the pre-release betas of 10.5?

starman · Dec 12, 2006, 11:08 PM

So.....we still can't use it to watch King Kong on a Mac, right?

Eug · Dec 13, 2006, 12:45 AM

Originally Posted by starman

So.....we still can't use it to watch King Kong on a Mac, right?

Well... Bootcamp will work.

Dark Helmet · Dec 13, 2006, 02:17 AM

I just got an PS3 1.31 update. Is this new and what is in it?

starman · Dec 13, 2006, 02:20 AM

Nobody knows yet. You should bookmark this:

PLAYSTATION®3 General - PlayStation.com Forums

icruise · Dec 13, 2006, 02:27 AM

Sony, like Apple, could be a little better about telling people exactly what's in these updates.

Dark Helmet · Dec 13, 2006, 02:34 AM

Installed it. See nothing different and that bug if you don't have 1080i enabled it goes to 480p is still there.

goMac · Dec 13, 2006, 02:45 AM

Originally Posted by icruise

Sony, like Apple, could be a little better about telling people exactly what's in these updates.

My guess is they did a real time version change for massive patchage.

Hawkeye_a · Dec 13, 2006, 05:22 AM

or it might be that spyware anti-copy thing that will help your PS3 open up to viruses and hackers, ala the Sony music CDs

Eug · Dec 13, 2006, 10:17 AM

Hmmm...

Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360 is 1080p:

Blue Dragon runs in 1080p (if you have the pricey kit), but even in 720p (the not-quite-so-pricey kit we're playing on) it looks good enough to give our retinas an anatomy-defying orgasm. There are huge wilderness areas with lovely elemental effects on show, contrasting with intricately designed villages, towns, and bulbous spaceships. It's a world full of rich colour - but more importantly, it has a consistency that's rarely seen outside of Nintendo's finest Zelda games.

The great thing is, Blue Dragon has the looks and it has the gameplay. The battle system is a work of twenty years' fine-tuning, assuming that Sakaguchi still remembers what he got up to in the '80s. There are skills to learn, accessories to acquire (and these affect the attacks at your disposal), and levels to be upped.

icruise · Dec 13, 2006, 10:20 AM

I'm expecting my copy of Blue Dragon to arrive any day now.

Dark Helmet · Dec 13, 2006, 11:24 AM

Blue Dragon is a perfect example of the type of RPG I can't stand.

icruise · Dec 13, 2006, 11:37 AM

Which is what?

Dark Helmet · Dec 13, 2006, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by icruise

Which is what?

Turn based fighting with skill points etc.

I liked Secret of Mana and crono trigger but even Knights of the old republic turned me off huge as you needed to first earn "32 skill points" to open a regular old door.

ort888 · Dec 13, 2006, 12:14 PM

I haven't played an RPG in years and years. I just don't have the time.

Also, something about Blue Dragon's art style makes me wince. It looks graphically amazing, but the characters all look incredibly lame.

ort888 · Dec 13, 2006, 03:08 PM

FOXNews.com - Cross: Stop the Gaming-Console Madness - Technology News | News On Technology

smacintush · Dec 13, 2006, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by ort888

FOXNews.com - Cross: Stop the Gaming-Console Madness - Technology News | News On Technology

So basically, since HE isn't getting caught up in the console frenzy, that NO ONE ELSE SHOULD. Got it.

DuckRacer1 · Dec 13, 2006, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet

I just got an PS3 1.31 update. Is this new and what is in it?

Supposedly, it fixed web browser issues, improved backward compatibility, and allowed HDD-necessary PS2 games like Final Fantasy XI to be played. And, of course, there's the "security" updates.

Jawbone54 · Dec 13, 2006, 04:16 PM

I'm not impressed with the art design in Blue Dragon either. They really could've used someone else.

Jawbone54 · Dec 13, 2006, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by smacintush

So basically, since HE isn't getting caught up in the console frenzy, that NO ONE ELSE SHOULD. Got it.

Actually, the guy makes a lot of sense. I just read through his entire article, and the end has some particularly good points.

Chuckit · Dec 13, 2006, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by smacintush

So basically, since HE isn't getting caught up in the console frenzy, that NO ONE ELSE SHOULD. Got it.

His point seems to be that people are getting so caught up in evangelizing for or against their chosen hardware that they're forgetting about, you know, playing games. I think it's a valid criticism.

smacintush · Dec 13, 2006, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

His point seems to be that people are getting so caught up in evangelizing for or against their chosen hardware that they're forgetting about, you know, playing games. I think it's a valid criticism.

By that standard then ANYTHING is a valid criticism. HE feels one way and he seems to think that everyone else is out of place for feeling another.

His only valid point is the one about the USA today headline, except that he seems not to notice that 90% of the main news stories in most of the newspapers are crap.

Chuckit · Dec 13, 2006, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by smacintush

By that standard then ANYTHING is a valid criticism. HE feels one way and he seems to think that everyone else is out of place for feeling another.

So you feel that partisan bickering actually is the point of video game systems, rather than playing video games?