Gaming Discussion

Chibi_Zero · **Chibi_Zero**

Ok?
*has not played Perfect Dark in a few years*
Anyway I need a new game so I can stop Playing Metroid Zero Mission XD
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Martin_the_Wise · **Martin_the_Wise**

Don't know if its in your ally, but I just got Baldurs Gate II a coupla weeks ago, and I highly recommend it.

dougisfunny · **dougisfunny**

Andromaton · **Andromaton**

Comcast Corp. will pay $300 million to purchase TechTV, Wired reports. The cable giant says it will fold TechTV into its own games channel, G4.

Nobuyuki · **Nobuyuki**

Microsoft to Reduce Price of Xbox by $30
By ALLISON LINN

SEATTLE (AP) - Microsoft Corp. is hoping to draw a broader audience to its Xbox game console - and away from rival Sony's PlayStation 2 - by cutting its price by $30.

The Redmond-based company said Monday it would begin selling its Xbox for $149.99 in the United States. It is making a similar price reduction in Canada and dropping the Xbox price by about $45 in Mexico.

Microsoft also said it was dropping prices on several games and on its Xbox Music Mixer software, which turns an Xbox into a karaoke machine. The cuts take effect Tuesday.

The company said it wants to attract a wider variety of potential buyers, beyond just hardcore gamers. Microsoft, better known for its business software and operating systems, is competing fiercely with Sony's PlayStation 2, the industry leader.

Teresa Weaver, a spokeswoman for Sony Computer Entertainment America, said Sony has not announced any price reduction plans for PlayStation 2, which sells for about $180.

"Considering that we are the market leader we are not inclined to react to competitive moves,'' she said.

Sony says it has shipped more than 70 million PlayStation 2 game consoles worldwide. That compares with 13.7 million Xbox consoles shipped worldwide as of the end of last year.

Microsoft's other main rival, Nintendo, said it has sold almost 15 million units worldwide of its GameCube, which costs about $100.
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Andromaton · **Andromaton**

Seek a surgeon that likes to play videogames and odds are the doctor is less likely to make a mistake. The Associated Press reports that in a recent study, researchers found that doctors who spend at least three hours a week playing videogames made about 37% fewer mistakes in laparoscopic surgery and performed the tasks 27% faster than their counterparts who did not play videogames.

Dr. James “Burch�? Rosser, 49, demonstrated the results of his study at Beth Israel Medical Center on April 6, 2004. “I use the same hand-eye coordination to play videogames as I use for surgery,�? he said.

During laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon operates a tiny camera and instruments controlled by joysticks outside of the body. Surgeons watch an external video screen as they manipulate the mini-video camera inserted into the patient and surgical tools by remote control. Surgeons practice their techniques through video simulations.

Rosser demonstrated he uses the same skill playing a SUPER MONKEY BALL game that he needs to, “go into a body and sew two pieces of intestine together.�?

Researchers with Beth Israel and the National Institute on Media and the Family at Iowa University conducted the study on whether good videogame skills translate into surgical prowess. The study tested 33 fellow doctors – 12 attending physicians and 21 medical schools residents who participated from May to August 2003.

“With a videogame, you can definitely develop timing and a sense of touch, as well as a intuitive feel for manipulating devices,�? said Kurt Squire, a University of Wisconsin research of videogame effects on learning.

Rosser has created a course called “Top Gun,�? in which surgical trainees warm up their con coordination, agility and accuracy with a videogame before entering surgery.

Force-Attuned_Krogoth · **Force-Attuned_Krogoth**

Yay for Super Monkey Ball!
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Krogoth uses Berserk.
Attacks are enhanced but defense weakens.
"Wait, that's not the cure button ... "

Andromaton · **Andromaton**

I now know what I should ask my doctors before I let them do anything.

Nobuyuki · **Nobuyuki**

Honorable · **Honorable**

Doctors are crazy...atleat mine are..

Zer0 · **Zer0**

People may notice that I have posted rigurously on this game, so err......I will post and run away quickly. Metal Gear Solid 3 release date : November, 2004 Smile

Andromaton · **Andromaton**

Chinese website GZeasy revealed an alleged blueprint of Xbox 2, labeled Xenon System Block Diagram, earlier today. The diagram is believed to be the basic concept for the next Xbox, which is either codenamed Xenon or will, in fact, be called Xenon. Though some aspects of Xenon may change slightly over the next year, the diagram is believed to be a close representation of Xbox 2.

Michael Dougherty, head of Xbox Advanced Technology Group, has his name attached to the document, though that doesn't make it any more legitimate. However, the diagram was confirmed as the real deal by a developer close to Microsoft. "We were very surprised to see that leaked," a source, who wished to remain anonymous, told us this morning. "I'm sure Microsoft is freaking out because this is the same stuff [developers] have now."

Other sources have claimed that the document is not real and claim it is a fake. The main point of contention is that the document doesn't state what type of RAM will be used, something that's quite important for development considerations. A Microsoft representative stated, "Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation" -- but Microsoft's legal department requested that IGN does not reprint the schematic on its websites. While most signs suggest that the document is authentic and of high importance, note that it is also possible the leaked blueprint is an older document never meant for the public eye and that the current architecture of Xbox 2 is quite different.

What does the fancy diagram that Microsoft doesn't want you to see mean? Though it doesn't offer cold hard facts as to what "Xenon" will be capable of in terms of full processing power, one thing is clear -- this baby will be quite powerful. Xenon is divided into essentially two sections. The section on the left of the machine, the South Bridge, is standard stuff. That's where your DVD, Ethernet port, and potential hard disk go. Note that the hard disk is not confirmed, even in this diagram, but if it is to be used, expect 20-80 GBs capacity.

The more interesting parts of the diagram are on the right. Think of the North Bridge as your highway of importance and everything attached to it -- graphics, sound, AI -- are all of the information needed to run a game. All of that needs to get pulled onto the highway and brought to the South Bridge. There are wide open lanes to the North Bridge from every area, incredibly wide, with 10.8-33.2 GBs per second bandwidth able to be transferred along the pipeline. That is unbelievably fast.

Of course, a quick pipeline means nothing if there isn't processing power behind it all. Taking a bike onto an empty freeway still isn't going to get you anywhere quickly. The first and most important item to note is the upper box on the diagram. There are three 3.5+GHz CPU chips. Each of these will likely be used to handle different aspects of Xenon processing. Each also has its own separate cache and a global cache. All of this means that while Xenon will likely use grid processing or some form of collaborative "cell" processing (IBM does something similar with "Butterfly" very well), as opposed to the more common dual-processing. Each CPU can then work independently to govern different game needs, but because of the shared cache, and because each is a Virtual Processing Unit, programmers will see it as, essentially, one unit. They won't have to meticulously program specific functions to each processor, but instead can rely on Xenon to choose where to distribute everything. None of that Sega Saturn insanity here.

Below the North Bridge is the all-important graphics chip. The 500MHz clocked core chip has 10 Megs of dedicated EDRAM, which will likely be used for more specific special effects. While that doesn't sound like much, Microsoft's current console has no graphics-dedicated RAM. Those 10MBs will keep a majority of the 256 MBs of main RAM free for other applications. This chip, presumably still of ATI make and specially created for Xenon, looks to be beyond the best graphics available on PC now or in the foreseeable future, but should be comparable to those high-end cards by the time Xenon is release in 2005 (unless it's delayed).

To the right of the North Bridge is the Main Memory, which at 256MB may seem small compared to your personal computer, but remember that Xbox only has 64MBs and does not have any memory specifically dedicated to graphics or special effects. All of that memory can be pumped across the system bus at 22.4 GBs per second. More bandwidth across the board means less choke points, which translates to higher performance.

If this diagram is real, reasonably up-to-date, and if this is the blueprint for Xbox 2, then gamers are in for a whale of a machine, one far more powerful than any current generation console.

ToonamiL · **ToonamiL**

I love you, Majesto....

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/04/29/news_6094825.html

Majesco today announced that it will publish the Xbox version of Arc System Works' Guilty Gear X2 #Reload in North America this summer. The 2D fighting game, which features a roster of more than 20 "Gear" characters enhanced with animal DNA, will boast Xbox Live support for head-to-head online play and real-time global rankings.

"Our ability to identify select properties, with an established audience, and [then] publish them at an attractive price point is an advantage we hope to exploit. And Guilty Gear X2 #Reload certainly meets those criteria," said Ken Gold, vice president of marketing for Majesco Sales. "With hardcore 2D fighting enhanced by compelling multiplayer support via Xbox Live, we are excited to add Guilty Gear X2 #Reload to our product portfolio."

Guilty Gear X2 #Reload will feature a total of nine different gameplay modes, including arcade, versus, survival, story, mission, training, and medal of millionaire. Each of the 20-plus playable fighters in the game will boast his or her own signature instant-kill moves, as well as numerous combos, psych bursts, and overdrive attacks.

Guilty Gear X2 #Reload is expected to carry a suggested retail price of $19.95 when it arrives in stores this summer. We'll bring you more information on the game as soon as it becomes available.

By Justin Calvert -- GameSpot


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