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Engadget Podcast 119 - 11.21.2008
Back for more, eh? Well you've come to the right place -- the Engadget Podcast! Join Josh, Paul, and Nilay as they take you on a magical journey through the trials and tribulations of the BlackBerry Storm, investigate the legal situation of the Apple-cloning operation known as Psystar, dish on the latest Zune and Xbox happenings, and lament the forthcoming death of FireWire as it cedes its high-speed throne to USB 3.0. And just think, access to this treasure-trove of information is yours free of charge! Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, and Nilay Patel Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Paranoid 00:02:25 - BlackBerry Storm review 00:32:35 - Psystar's antitrust claims against Apple dismissed 00:53:59 - Microsoft revamps Zune Pass: keep ten tracks per month forever and ever 01:02:43 - Microsoft ratchets down pricing on flash-based Zunes 01:02:39 - NXE hitting 360s with red ring, freezing and sorta-sexy-avatar issues? 01:06:45 - Goodbye, FireWire 400 Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.
NXE reportedly causes sound issues for HDMI users
There's quite a thread going at the AVForums in which several 360 owners are saying that the New Xbox Experience has caused their Xbox 360 consoles to lose all sound. The problem seems to be isolated to those who use HDMI to connect the console to their television sets, although one user has complained of the same problem using a SCART connection. For the moment, a quick fix has been discovered that seems to work for many people. If you are experiencing this glitch try the following: While the Xbox 360 is turned off, remove the hard drive. Turn on the Xbox 360. Once the Dashboard loads, replace the hard drive. Reportedly, this fix only lasts while the Xbox is on. Once you turn it off, you'll have to repeat the steps above to make the sound work again. We've contacted Microsoft and the company is aware of the issue. We'll update this post when we receive more information.[Thanks, Daniel H]
That was quick: Avatar machinima (sort of)
The NXE just launched earlier this week, and already we have some of the first videos of people using Avatars to craft machinima. Okay, so maybe it isn't so much machinima as it is an amusing use of the limited control players have over Avatars, but it's funny so bear with us. Sure, you might have played around with your Avatar. You might have twirled its head around until it got dizzy. Maybe you figured out that you can slam its face into the screen if you zoom in close enough while taking your gamer picture. But, did you know that your Avatar can sing and dance? It's true. Just check out the video above (and another embedded after the break) and see for yourself.
First wave of new Avatar clothing will be free
You can calm your "will new Avatar clothes cost me Microsoft points?" worries, because Microsoft is committed to offering the upcoming Avatar fashion choices for free ... for now. Talking to German website dreisechzig.net, Boris Schneider-Johne (Microsoft's Xbox product manager in Germany) confirmed that the first few weeks of new Avatar clothes will be available for free, but doesn't go as far to say that all Avatar clothing in the future will be available for no charge. "More costumes will be made available for free in the next weeks" says Schneider-Johne, adding "what's going to happen as of spring is yet to be announced." So, feel free t put those Microsoft points back in your pocket ... for now.
The 'Rich and Famous' list of celeb Avatars
Our Joystiq counterparts put together a photo gallery of New Xbox Experience Avatar awesomeness. It's a photo gallery of the the gaming community's (rich and famous) elite, side by side with their custom Avatars. Go ahead, take a browse for yourself. You'll spot Xbox celebs like Major Nelson and the entire GSB crew as well as N'Gai, Godfree, CheapyD, FourZeroTwo and many more. Also, please excuse the numerous Joystiq and X3F blogger pics, because we're neither rich or famous. But we have to fuel our own personal egos somehow ... right?Ed. Note: Xav has been added. Rest easy, kids. Gallery: NXE Avatars of the Rich and Famous
Sony on 360 Netflix issues: 'Not specific to Xbox'
We're sure it happened to many of you out there who had preview access to the New Xbox Experience. You configured Netflix to run on your 360 and (naturally) the first thing you added was the anime film Paprika to your streaming queue. Who wouldn't, right? Let's say you watched most of the film and, for one reason or another, decided to finish it the next day only to find that it had been unceremoniously yanked from your queue. Early speculation held that the reason films were yanked was because they were owned by Sony which, as perhaps you've heard, is in direct competition with Microsoft.Sony has spoken to MTV's Multiplayer and, according to them, competition has nothing to do with the films being pulled. According to a spokesperson, "This issue is not specific to Xbox or any other individual platform." The spokesperson added, "Sony Pictures is currently in discussions with the relevant parties to resolve certain licensing matters related to the distribution of its motion pictures. Given the ongoing nature of these discussions, we don't think it is appropriate to comment further at this time." So, licensing problems it is then. Let's just hope these problems are resolved soon because we you really need to finish watching Paprika.[Via Joystiq]
Bungie: Just say 'NO' to NXE install of Halo 3
As we reported last week, Eurogamer noticed something fishy about its NXE HDD install of Halo 3 when investigating the performance of titles using this new feature: it was awful. Turns out that, with today's roll-out of the New Xbox Experience, more and more people are discovering this. Bungie has weighed in on the topic, revealing that, because of the way the game's designed, it really shouldn't be installed to the 360's hard disk.In a post on the Bungie forums, engineer Mat Noguchi explains that the slower loading after a full HDD install is a direct result of how the game was designed to use the HDD in the first place. "When Halo 3 runs, if a HDD is present, we copy maps from the DVD to the utility partition on the HDD," says Noguchi. "And as a result, it means that even if Halo 3 is already installed to the HDD, it will still copy maps to the utility partition."The problem: copying from the HDD to the HDD is slow. "Ultimately this is because for the HDD, you read and write through the same mechanism, i.e., the hard drive read/write head, and those reads and writes cannot occur simultaneously through a single mechanism," Noguchi explains. The moral of this story: don't install Halo 3 to the HDD and you'll be much, much happier. Bungie has no plans to issue a post-NXE launch fix because, as Naguchi writes, "The risks of doing that and the resources required has to be carefully considered against what could really be a rather insignificant change to the player experience."[Thanks, David] Curious about the New Xbox Experience? Check out our ridiculously informative nine-video feature, covering everything from Avatar creation, Netflix integration, and the 8-player party system to installing games to the hard drive, the new Marketplace, the Blade-like "Guide" interface, and more!
Avatars now available in Scene It? Box Office Smash
With all of the NXE excitement going around, it might have been easy to forget that Avatar support is now available for Scene It? Box Office Smash. It might have been easy to forget, except that we're totally reminding you about it right now. All you have to do is pop the game in and download the title update. Voila, instant Avatar support. And now, if you'll excuse us, we'll just go back to waiting for Avatar support in Left 4 Dead*. The freaky machinima possibilities alone will be worth the wait.*Avatar support for Left 4 Dead is not in the works and is something we made up (unfortunately).
OXM UK: Old Dash themes 'butchered' by NXE
When it was first announced, one of the most-asked questions re: the New Xbox Experience was, "Will my old themes work with it?" Microsoft's answer was "yes." The UK' Official Xbox Magazine's answer is, "Er ... not really."The magazine's staff has – along with creating a frighteningly accurate Avatar of Amy Winehouse – rounded up some of the themes that "work" especially poorly with the NXE. Its choices are strong, but have you found any more egregious examples? Or, conversely, which ones work especially well? Of course, there are always Themes 2.0. Curious about the New Xbox Experience? Check out our ridiculously informative nine-video feature, covering everything from Avatar creation, Netflix integration, and the 8-player party system to installing games to the hard drive, the new Marketplace, the Blade-like "Guide" interface, and more!
Bungie addresses Halo 3 NXE install performance
You may recall that a recent Eurogamer article profiled the performance of several popular Xbox 360 when installing them to the hard drive (one of the new features of the NXE). While some games received improved performance and shorter load times and others saw little to no improvement, it turned out that Halo 3 actually fared worse when installed to the hard drive. Apparently Eurogamer wasn't the only outlet to notice the difference, as Bungie has officially commented on the issue and explained why the load times are actually longer when Halo 3 is installed. The answer lies in how Halo 3 loads map data. Each map is cached onto a certain part of the HDD that is reserved for game use. Once the game is installed on the HDD, it has to read the data on one part of the drive and write it to the reserved section. While data can be read from the DVD at the same time the HDD is writing data, the HDD can't read and write at the same time. As such, loading from the HDD takes significantly longer. Bungie advises gamers not to install the game, especially if you play online, as all other players will have to wait the extra time it takes to load and cache each map. [Via Evil Avatar]
Top 10 things to do with the NXE
Now that you have had ample time to mess around with today's newly released New Xbox Experience, we figured we'd point out a few NXE features that you may not have discovered.Major Nelson created a list of the "Top 10 things to do when you get the New Xbox Experience", which pretty much covers a lot of the NXE's new additions and hidden bits. Didja know you can delete your zero Gamerscore games from your profile? Did you remember to look through the new Community Games? What about installing a game to your hard drive? Go get edjumicated!
The New Xbox Experience: What do you think?
Let's make this simple. If you have an Xbox 360 and you connected to Xbox Live today, you should have the New Xbox Experience. Assuming you do, you've hopefully had some time to fiddle around with it. Now that you have the NXE, what do you think of it? Are there features you really like? Is there something else you wish had been added? Do you notice any old features you liked that have been removed?Consider this the official post to offer your praise and criticism for the new interface. Tell us what you think in the comments below. Now would also be a good time to check out Joystiq's awesome video tour of the NXE, especially if you're stuck at work waiting to try it out.
Avatar fashion selection to double in a few months [update]
Update: VG247 is reporting that Microsoft plans on releasing new fashion items every two weeks for 6 months! That's a lot of clothes.If you've started the Avatar creation process and found the clothing options in your Avatar Closet to be lacking in terms of variety, know that more apparel is headed your way in the weeks to come. We just came across an Avatar ad on the New Xbox Experience's Spotlight section (viewable above) that informs us that every two weeks new Avatar clothing will be available, which will double the current fashion selection over the next few months. And to keep everyone informed on the new goods, all new apparel will be marked with a yellow star when it's released. We should also mention that we are not sure if the the upcoming fashion choices will be free or paid content (please be free) as we've heard Microsoft express their willingness to monetize Avatars in the future. We'll just have to wait and see.
Sony blocks entire Netflix movie library from streaming to the Xbox 360 [update]
Update: Sony has released an official response, click here to learn more.In an attempt to foil Microsoft's plans of a flawless NXE Netflix launch, Columbia Pictures (a studio that's owned by Sony) has made sure that its entire Netflix movie catalog is blocked from streaming to the Xbox 360. How rude! According to Joystiq (and confirmed by MTV Multiplayer) Netflix has pulled all Columbia Pictures content from the Xbox 360 instant view library due to "licensing problems." But, wouldn't you know, all the blocked content can still be viewed online and through all other Netflix enabled TV devices except for the 360. Netflix hopes to license all the currently blocked content to the Xbox 360 in the near future. Now, that just isn't very nice of you Sony, haven't you been taught to share?
Reminder: NXE releases early this morning [update]
Update: The New Xbox Experience is now available, ENJOY!We're mere hours away from the public release of the biggest and newest Xbox 360 dashboard update, the New Xbox Experience. The dashboard update will start releasing at 5:00AM eastern (2:00AM pacific) when everyone connected to Xbox Live will be prompted to download the NXE and go through a relatively simple install process. Note that you may not receive the NXE at exactly 5AM eastern seeing that this is a "rolling update" that will take a while to make it to everyone's console. If you're still not sure what's included in the NXE, be sure to check out our comprehensive video analysis of all the NXE features and enhancements. The wait is almost over, the New Xbox Experience is almost here and Avatars, Netflix, and parties are all waiting for you. Our fingers are crossed in hopes that Microsoft's servers can handle the stress and that you, fellow fanboy, come to love the NXE. Bring on the update!
You got Avatar in my Xbox.com! [update]
Update: It looks like the online Marketplace is now viewable as well. Hey kids, remember the Xbox.com maintenance that went on earlier today? Oh, you say you were asleep. Well, it's not a big deal or anything, but we thought we would inform you that your Xbox.com profile page now displays your Avatar (assuming you have the NXE, of course). That's about it, really. As far as we can tell, the Xbox.com Marketplace still isn't open for business, so don't go thinking you can start blowing your Microsoft Points at work just yet. We expect that an any other major changes to Xbox.com will launch tomorrow alongside the NXE.[Thanks CapnJunkie]
New Xbox Experience now available for all who applied [update]
Protip: Click on a phrase on the image above to see the related video Update: Everyone who has signed up to try and get New Xbox Experience early can now download it. According to Major Nelson (via Twitter), "No more 'a few here and a few there' We decided to just add the whole bunch of ya'. Have fun. It may take a few hours as we go through and add everyone to the list." For those who didn't sign up (and why not?), you still have to wait another 24 to 48 hours. We're sure you can find plenty to do in the interim.
NXE given to everyone who signed up for preview
Major Nelson just sent word that EVERYONE who signed up for the New Xbox Experience preview a few weeks back will be receiving access to the NXE later tonight. That is, if you correctly filled in your console ID.We're told that the NXE will roll out within' the next few hours to every guy and gal that signed up for the preview. True, you'll only be getting NXE goodness a day early, but it's a day earlier then the masses which instantly makes you uber l33t. Now run along and go enjoy the NXE.
New Xbox Experience intro video is triptacular
Behold, fanboys, it's the New Xbox Experience introduction video that you'll be viewing on your own Xbox 360 this Wednesday when the NXE makes its official debut. The video is full of trippy and spectacular visuals (triptacular), a melting logo, some racing, intense tree climbing, a few musical things and a whirly wind of rainbow excitement. It's the NXE, it's exciting and it's an introduction video to the most newest xboxiest experience ... everest? Yeah, we'll admit, the trippy visuals have officially altered our state of mind.
Major Nelson acknowledges Xbox Live connectivity issues
As many chainsaw duelists likely already know, Xbox Live performance hasn't been exemplary over the past 24 hours. Players are reporting frequent disconnection from Microsoft's soon-to-be-updated online service, prompting the ever-watchful Xbox Live Director of Programming, Major Nelson, to issue a statement which discloses that engineers are working to "determine the root cause of this issue."We imagine the "root cause" has something to do with the bajillion people who are simultaneously trying to play Gears of War 2 -- though it could somehow be related to the upcoming launch of the New Xbox Experience. Speaking of which, we certainly hope whatever issues that are plaguing the service are hashed out by next Wednesday, as we're not certain that Microsoft took out "pitchfork-wielding rioter" insurance on their Redmond-based headquarters.
