mikeszekely

Yes... one of the pictures shown in this thread or in an article linked to this thread could be the actual finalized design for the Xbox 360 (did they even bother to focus-test that, or as was suggested, did Microsoft really just try to come up with a number bigger than 3?). The question is, which pictures? The first two pics Ladic posted look the best, IMHO... especially that 40GB hard drive, and all the juicy rumors that go along with it (like the part about it doubling as a detachable mp3-playing iPod killer). I can only hope it's the real deal. Especially that 40GB hard drive The third pic Ladic posted looks like the one that was "leaked" at OurColony.net, which for those of you who haven't heard, is Microsoft's new Alternate Reality game that's counting down to May 12th, the official Xbox 360 unveiling. However, it's a bit of a stretch to see the unit in the first two pics as being the same unit as the one from the OurColony pic. And given that OurColony is pretty much nothing more than a Microsoft ad, I'm going to say that this one is the most likely to be an actual picture of an Xbox 360. The last pics, from the Gamespot article, are from two different dates. The blurry one is a supposedly recently leaked photo of an Xbox 360. The much cleaner pic was leaked last September when the Xbox 360 was apparently being reffered to as the Xbox FS. Clearly, they're the same unit, but are they in fact what the Xbox 360 will look like? Despite the similarities that Gamespot apparently sees between it and the images leaked from OurColony, I think they look nothing alike. Personally, I hope they're demo units or dev kits, and not the actual Xbox 360... that monstrosity looks like a metal gas can with a Gamecube handle and a disc tray. Well, I guess we'll all know for sure in a few weeks...

Either that, or Tycho's got a really big stick up his ass. I mean, it's one thing to think that PA's been a tad on the juvenile side, but does he really think that anyone wants to read his pseudo-intellectual elitist grammar lessons?

Damn you guys are lucky. My wife bitches at me for buying one or two videogames a month, then turns around and spends $50-$100 on new clothes...

they are? I was just there on tuesday and they had a whole section and the prices were all 14.99. Are you sure it was 29.99? I called my local Best Buy to see how much they wanted for House of Flying Daggers, and they said $19.99.

used games Selection. Stores like Target and Wal-Mart maintain what's current. I like to buy games at Target sometimes, when they run good sales (I got Xenosaga II the day it came out for $37.77). But ever since I was little, I've bought most of my games at EB or Gamestop/Funcoland/Babbage's.

See, this is the one thing I don't get, and I'm sure Britai would agree with me on this point (I know that the guys at the EB upstairs do). We both have, at both of our stores, people the come in and tell us how great our store is and how much better our prices are and how they can't stand the other... but I'm really serious when I say this: aside from a few older or obscure games (who cares if EB sell Star Wars: Starfighter Special Edition for the Xbox for $9.99 and Gamestop sells it for $12.99?), our prices are THE SAME. Then are you sure it's not a regional thing? I swear to you as an avid shopper and price comparison person I have consistently found EB prices generally cheaper. In some cases it would be the same but usually by a couple dollars cheaper. There's still a difference to me from $49.99 to $52.99. It's possibel that it could be a region thing, and if that's the case, I'm sorry that the Gamestop in your area is hell-bent on ripping people off. But I swear to you, as an avid videogame shopper, I've never seen a game with a retail price of $52.99 outside of collectors or special editions, save EB's used Marvel vs. Capcom 2, which was going for 54.99-59.99. Locally, as I've mentioned, we'll usually drop a price first (for example, Metal Gear Solid 3 dropped to $39.99), and once you start going into the bargain basement stuff, it's really a toss up, since we both run games from $6.99-$12.99 in that catagory, but not necessarily the same ones.

See, this is the one thing I don't get, and I'm sure Britai would agree with me on this point (I know that the guys at the EB upstairs do). We both have, at both of our stores, people the come in and tell us how great our store is and how much better our prices are and how they can't stand the other... but I'm really serious when I say this: aside from a few older or obscure games (who cares if EB sell Star Wars: Starfighter Special Edition for the Xbox for $9.99 and Gamestop sells it for $12.99?), our prices are THE SAME.

This time, I wanna play too!

Figure that they only do that so that you buy the damn discount card. 10% off is almost another $5, and a $10 difference is suddenly more appealing. What's more, coupons are often run in those magazines you get with the discount card, for 10% more off. Also, they need to still be able to make money when they run the buy 2 get one free deals. Examples? It's been my experience, as both an employee and a customer, that both stores average about $5 less than the new for games between $24.99 and $45.99, and $17.99 for a game that'd be $19.99 used. In the long run, Gamestop tends to drop prices faster, EB tends to drop them lower and toss them in that bin that looks like they're trying to do clearance. Besides, last time I checked (which admittedly was a few months ago), you couldn't find a copy of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 at Gamestop to save your life, but if you did it would be $29.99. EB had plenty... because they wanted $59.99 for it. Ask and ye shall recieve. Well, I actually have seriously mixed feelings about the whole thing. On the one hand, if I had any sort of company loyalty, I'd suppose it's a good thing for us that we own our most direct competition. Plus, like the article stated, it'll put us closer to Wal-Mart it terms of competition. Besides, if the EBs in your areas are anything like the ones in mine, they're cramped, disorganized stores staffed by people who actually know litte about games. Oh, and since there are a lot of EBs in malls where there aren't Gamestops (it seems like we prefer strip malls, lately), a lot of the EBs should be able to change over to Gamestops and the employees can keep there jobs. For the ones that can't, I feel for them, but they have at least a year to find something else (more on that later). On the other hand, though, I think anytime consumers have fewer choices, the consumers lose. I mean, even after I started working at Gamestop, I still shopped occasionally at EB to hunt for a good bargain, a game we didn't have, or for stuff we don't carry, like Dreamcast games. Also, Gamestop has had some real problems with our district, regional, and corporate managers lately. (Sick of having Gamestop salespeople pitch reservation, subscription/discount deals, etc at you? Blame the district managers, not the store clerks. Believe me, we don't want to push that poo on you guys, but we do want to keep our jobs. And before you ask, yes, we really can get fired for not selling you that crap... our dm wants us to can one of our assistant manager over it, but I don't think we're going to.) See, I worked at Ames for four years. When Ames bought out Hills, that's when the poo hit the fan. With all the other problems Gamestop has, I'm afraid that they're actually just going to take EB down with them. Then where will I go to get games? Target? Well, I did talk to my manager about all this, and although everything should go through okay, the deal isn't actually finalized until August. Before then, other companies have a chance to outbid Gamestop while the buyout has to be approved by shareholders on bothsides, plus some anti-trust group. From August until sometime in 2006, we'll own EB, but the EB stores will still remain basically the same while the company does their research and figures out which stores to change to Gamestops, which EBs to close, and which Gamestops close because the EB location was better. All-in-all, it'll be around a year before all the dust settles.

Hey, Britai, did they say anything to you about the buyout? For those of you who haven't heard, Gamestop bought EB. I'm off today, but I'll see if they're telling us anything tomorrow (I work at Gamestop, so... welcome to the family, Britai... I guess...)

I had to go with Voyager. Even though I think Picard definately made for the best all-around captain, he had kind a lame crew. Someone in the captain thread compared Riker to Kirk, but I think it's only superficial... yes, they were both prone to impetuous action, and they both tried to be the ladies man... but where Kirk pulled it off in a kind of James Bond sort of way, Riker just struck me as that guy who acts tough and pretends to be cool by day, but cries into his pillow for his low self-esteem at night. Most of other characters were alright, but failed to really take off. Worf had his moments, sure, and Data was pretty interesting, but that's about it. The DS9 crew was an interesting mix, to be sure, but I admit to getting bored with the show before they ever really got to do anything. The original crew was an extremely close second choice. Kirk, Bones, and Spock kicked ass. They got docked, though, because Scotty and Uhura were both underused, and Chekov didn't really strike me as a kick ass chacater until the movies. Enterprise probably has the worst crew of them all. They are all the epitome of mediocrity. Now Voyager... while 7 of 9 is a bit overrated, and Janeway is definately not one of my more favorite capitans, the show still had some intersting characters. No one will be a better half-Vulcan than Spock, but Tuvok was a nice contrast to him, at least. And for all the half-Vulcans running around, Torres was a nice change of paces as a half-Klingon. Not to mention that Paris was the bad-ass that Riker always wanted to be. But the real clincher for me was the EMH, the Doctor. For a character that was supposed to be a pre-programmed hologram, he evolved into one of the most dynamic characters in the entire Trek universe, and more or less made Voyager for me.

Well, the operative phrase in that article is "over the next couple of years." While computer monitors will probably drop the fastest, I'm thinking that lower LCD costs will just coincide with the regular price drops on videogame hardware.

I went with Picard, but Kirk is a very close second. Kirk kicks ass the same way James Bond does... he charges headlong into danger, beats the bad guy, and then gets the girl in the end. And although Bones and Spock were his trusted friends and always there for him, he wasn't one to hide behind them or his crew. He's the kind of man's man you'd want leading the troops on the front line. But Picard... well, he's kinda like Optimus Prime. He's a negotiator who always looks for the peaceful solution first. He's the kind of guy who doesn't shy away from the tough decisions, and he gets the respect of his crew not by commanding it, but by giving them the same respect and showing both wisdom and compassion in his leadership. If Kirk's the guy leading the troops on the front line, then Picard's the guy you'd want for President, to hold the country together and to negotiate the peace after the war's over.

Nintendo does have a large inventory of games that people can use with the GB systems, however, the downside is that it limits the number of new games that will sell fairly well. Most people aren't going to buy a new game that copies an already existing game, when they can find orginal game at some sort of second hand shop. I think the PSP might rival the next GB when it comes to attracting people from the teen or adult crowd. Of course Nintendo probably should try to get ahold of or produce more new games for their new GB soon, they aren't doing to well console wise and Microsoft will probably start making its own portable systems sometime down the road once the Xbox gets pretty well established in the console market. However, the PSP is a nice little device. I would buy one if I had the money and thought that I would actually play games on it a lot. A lot of trouble with people speculating about the next Gameboy is that they're making two assumptions: 1.) That there even is a new Gameboy coming out within the next year. Remember, this was predicted by analysts, but Nintendo hasn't said beans about this. However, this assumption does seem likely. 2.) That the next Gameboy will be leaps and bounds beyond the current GBA or the NDS, or that it will be more in line with the PSP. This assumption seems born of the fact that the NDS, despite it's explosive launch, doesn't really seemed poised to compete with the PSP, and that if Nintendo does release a new Gameboy, it must be so it can compete with the PSP. This assumption seems more of a stretch, though. As one IGN staffer suggested, it will probably be a GBA SP with a better backlight (instead of the current washed-out front light) and a standard headphone jack. The Gameboy line is set to stay competetive not by sheer processing power, but by remaining under $100.

When you say the new Gundam: One Year War controls like a FPS, do you mean like last year's Transformers game, or more recently, like Star Wars: Battlefront or Mercenaries? That sounds like it'd be pretty cool. I also have a lot of respect for the games Namco develops, although I'd go so far as to say that they either have a hit on their hands or a turd when they develop a new game. I've played some awesome games by them, but I've played some games I've hated, too... but rarely a game by Namco that I thought was kind of just "eh." A.C.E has been intriguing me for awhile, not so much for the other mecha, but for the Gundam mecha. Also, I've heard that it plays fairly similarly to Zone of the Enders. I loved both Z.O.E games on the PS2, although I thought they were both ridiculously short. If you've played both A.C.E and Z.O.E, would you say that they're similar? As for the Gundam SEED games, I'm going to take a pass, for now. SEED is Bandai's cash cow, both in Japan and in the States. They've got a SEED game coming out domestically in June. I might check it out then.

To be truthful, I'm terrible with strategy. Usually, anything with the words "strategy" or "tatics" in the description is an instant turn-off for me. I appreciate the suggestion, but I think I'll have to take a pass on that one.

Okay, as a Gundam fan, I'm thinking about importing some Gundam games for PS2 However, their track record has been less than stellar. Of the American ones, I've tried them all except for Battle Assault 3. I loved Feddie vs. Zeon (and preordered Gundam Vs. Z Gundam), enjoyed Encounters in Space, and pretty much hated Journey to Jaburo and Zeonic Front. Oh, and I did import AEUG vs. Titans already. Now, of the Japanese games... it just seems like there's so many. Which ones were the ones that got renamed and ported over here? Of the remainder, which ones are good, and which ones are less than good? If a good number of them are rehashings of the One Year War, what makes the good ones worth playing? Does anyone know if the newly released One Year War game was any good? And what's up with these Gundam the Best games? On a semi-related note, is A.C.E - Another Century's Episode any good? I was going to buy it when it came out, but my import shop never stocked it. Is it worth $68 from NCSX? Might as well ask this too, but has anyone dealt with NCSX before? Are they good to order from?

Anyone in this thread read EGM, and see the current issue's Vs? For those who aren't familiar, every issue they have a small vs. box where they have a game go up against something that sounds like the game (my personal favorite was Donkey Kong Jungle Beat vs. Beating a Donkey in the Jungle). The current match was Star Wars: Republic Commando vs. Arnold in Commando. A1, you'll be happy to know that Arnold won by a large margin.

I couldn't resist... I got that bastard tuna right in the face...

That seems odd, but I can offer maybe one suggestion, because my friend had a similar problem. When you load the mp3 onto the PSP, after the computer looks like it's done and after the loading bar on the PSP is full, wait a few more seconds. My friend said that it looks like the computer and the PSP are done, but it's still accessing the Memory Stick.

From what I read, the movie Ghost Rider will borrow elements from both the Blaze Ghost Rider and the Ketch Ghost Rider... but it'll be Nick Cage as Johnny Blaze as Ghost Rider. Not a Ketch in sight.

I'm with Max. The original Ghost Rider story was the kind of cheesy one-shot that you'd expect in a book dedicated to cheesy one shots... which it essentially was (Marvel Spotlight #5-11). Even though the Blaze/Zarathos Ghost Rider launched the series, the Dan Ketch/Noble Kale Ghost Rider was much more suited to a superhero book. If I'm reading things right on the net, the Dan Ketch Ghost Rider story was never fully resolved, and they just kind of launched into a volume 3 with Johnny Blaze again possessed by Zarathos and transforming into the Ghost Rider. While the bike in the upcoming movie looks a lot more like Blaze's bike than Ketch's, Blaze's bike was largely unremarkable. With the demonic bone and skull design, I'd go so far as to say that it actually reminds me a bit of Vengeance's bike.

Christopher Walken in any movie/TV show/commerical appearance with Christopher Walken.

This is way better than my stuff. In hindsight (which is always 20/20), I would've made the variable Spartan more like the original, with the fighter and gerwalk modes looking more boxy and utilitarian. think of it this way- Which looks more sleek and sophisticated, the F-22 Raptor or the A-10 'Hawg? Now, which one looks like a tough hombre who can kick some mean ass, the F-22 Raptor or the A-10 'Hawg? If I were to do it again, I would go for more of an A-10 feel. p.s.- on a side note, when I did the Variable Spartan, some member (I can't recall whom) thought the idea of a Variable Destroid was silly. The, a couple of months afterwards, the same guy couldn't stop talking about how much of a genius Kawamori was for designing the VB-6 Konig Monster... WDC, let me start by telling you that your Variable Spartan design looks awesome. I have to ask, though... what role would it serve? Whereas most Destroids seem to have a specialized role, the Spartan always struck me as a sort of jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none mass-produced alternative to the VF-1's Battroid mode. Take a Spartan, add the costly transformation system, and I'd kind of think that we're back at VF-1. I'll say, though, that your Variable Spartan looks more heavily armored than a VF-1, more like a VF-3000. And you did already draw a comparison between the F/A-22 and the A-10. Would you have a Variable Spartan serve more of an attacker role? Sorry if I sound a little critical... I honestly do like your Variable Spartan, and I do think it's a better idea than a Variable Glaug. As for the VB-6, the fact that it has a Battroid mode is a waste. I mean, what for? The idea of a Monster that can turn into a shuttle/bomber to get from point A to point B makes sense, though.

Niether did I until I turned off my firewall. It's actually a link. Very strange... Anyways, I've never regretted getting a Saturn just to play that game. Makes me want to hook it up and spend the weekend flying my valk. Was there honestly a huge difference between the Saturn version and the PSX version? I got the PSX version... I'm suprised no one's mentioned those keychains. I sure as hell wish I had a super-deformed Macross hanging from my keys...