First ever HD South Park episode for free on Xbox Live Marketplace
by Kevin Kelly 
{ Mar 4th 2007 at 10:45AM }
This coming Tuesday is a big day for people that are both fans of South Park and Xbox 360 owners. Comedy Central is releasing the first ever high definition episode of South Park on the Xbox Live Marketplace to all members (we're assuming this means Silver and Gold) for free. That's right, everyone's favorite word -- free. It will be on Marketplace at that low, low, price of free for two weeks, and will also be available as a free HD-DVD to people buying a new Xbox 360 console or the HD-DVD add-on drive at Best Buy from March 20th through April 3rd.
The episode is a couple of years old, but it is definitely a fan fave. It's 'Good Times With Weapons' from the 2004 season ... better known as the "South Park Ninjas episode. The style changes from the traditional cutout look into anime style pictured above, and it will look, er ... extra-animated in HD. Couple this with the fact that South Park's new season starts this Wednesday, and new episodes will be on XBLM each following week, the fanboys and fangirls should be fairly happy.
Still, for the price, who can complain? Let's hope this trend continues. Give us some free HD Battlestar Galactica episodes already. The timing on this is pretty interesting as well ... right after the Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco. Does this mean Microsoft might be finally releasing the rumored Xbox 360 v2 with HDMI?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
modenadude @ Mar 4th 2007 11:05AM
If it's on Tuesday why are you telling me now... got me all excited.... You think Matt and Trey made this in HD?
Homer 918 @ Mar 4th 2007 11:11AM
"Still, for the price, who can complain?"
How about non-americans who don't have any access whatsoever to the video marketplace, let alone access to this free content!?
Febry @ Mar 4th 2007 11:12AM
And meanwhile here in England:(
Jesus @ Mar 4th 2007 11:21AM
Just create a silver account in the US
Homer 918 @ Mar 4th 2007 11:22AM
@Jesus:
Microsoft determines your region (for the video marketplace) by your credit card, so that method will not work.
KilgoreTrout XL @ Mar 4th 2007 11:29AM
Hey hey let's go kenka suru
Taisetsu na mono protect my balls!
Boku ga warui so let's fighting...
Let's fighting love!
Let's fighting love!
Smoke_Dawg_187 @ Mar 4th 2007 11:32AM
Yet another great reason to be an Xbox 360 owner.
vinchenzison @ Mar 4th 2007 11:37AM
I'm in England and I'll be getting it. You must have setup a US account haven't you? All it takes is a hotmail account set to US and just google an american adderss to set up!
Kevin Dixon @ Mar 4th 2007 11:36AM
"Just create a silver account in the US"
Step up and get a Gold account
Tim B. @ Mar 4th 2007 11:36AM
Homer 918,
Don't use your credit card number and just buy points from the store. It should work.
notsonic @ Mar 4th 2007 11:54AM
"You think Matt and Trey made this in HD?"
the show is made with vectors so it should be scalable to any resolution.
Asok @ Mar 4th 2007 12:01PM
Hah, I should try to get a 360 sometime in that timeframe. Not just for the south park episode, but because I've been meaning to get one for a while anyway.
SickNic @ Mar 4th 2007 12:18PM
Dammit, I just bought an HD-DVD add on on Friday. Oh Well, I'll have to DL it.
ScaryMovies @ Mar 5th 2007 1:56AM
"Still, for the price, who can complain?"
How about non-americans who don't have any access whatsoever to the video marketplace, let alone access to this free content!?"
You make an American account :|
Everyone should make one account for each region, one European, one American and one Japanese..I'm Norwegian and have all three, can't wait to DL the first HD SP episode ever :D
Eric @ Mar 4th 2007 12:21PM
Another great download for an already great system. XBLive puts the Playstation "Network" to shame. Guess the adage "you get what you pay for" holds true. Back to MLB 2K7....
OTAM @ Mar 4th 2007 12:20PM
How would this show be in HD? I mean..it's just animated??
Anonymous @ Mar 4th 2007 12:41PM
"Kickass!"
Mark @ Mar 4th 2007 12:51PM
Damn I JUST bought the SD version of that episode. :-(
LaughingTarget @ Mar 4th 2007 1:00PM
As much as I love South Park, this has got to be the worst use of HD ever. South Park isn't exactly quality animation.
josh* @ Mar 4th 2007 1:01PM
OTAM - It's at a higher res.
Phil @ Mar 4th 2007 1:05PM
This is cool, though I am still annoyed we won't benefit from this... Or this video marketplace up in Canada. I'm not sure why this makes the black HDMI 360 any more or less likely though. If they do release one who here will upgrade?
Borat @ Mar 4th 2007 1:08PM
I don't think South Park is a show which will necessarily benefit from HD since it's so simple. Still a great freebie I agree, but something like an episode of BSG would be much better, and would probably convince more people to get HD content.
James @ Mar 4th 2007 1:13PM
If HDMI doesn't matter, the Xbox Hard Drive isn't too small, and Xboxes don't have excessively high failure rates, then why would MS be releasing a V.2?
nick @ Mar 4th 2007 1:33PM
If HDMI doesn't matter, the Xbox Hard Drive isn't too small, and Xboxes don't have excessively high failure rates, then why would MS be releasing a V.2?
HDMI offers a simplied cable connection, but introduces stricter security measures for DRM enabled content. It does not improve the look of games over existing HD cable options already offered for the 360. It would be great for HD movies once DRM is enabled, but I understand that's still a number of years off.
I don't think anyone will disagree that a larger HD needs to be an option. Microsoft has been mum on that one for a long time.
I don't know how "excessively" high the numbers are, but there have certainly been units that have failed. And to my knowledge, Microsoft has commited to replacing them. Luckily, the one I've owned for about a year has never had a problem. A friend of mine picked up one at Zero Hour. He hasn't had any problems either. We both use our systems practically every day.
As far as releasing a new model, has that been announced? I know's there's been speculation.
LaughingTarget @ Mar 4th 2007 1:32PM
Because HDMI is percieved to be better. It isn't superior to component or VGA. It is one of Sony's PR moves that is actually working the way it is intended.
ALH @ Mar 4th 2007 1:32PM
best south park episode EVAR.
shame its just for americans though.
Josh @ Mar 4th 2007 1:34PM
HDMI isn't any better? Good luck getting Dolby TrueHD, DTS-MA, and Linear PCM uncompressed audio transferred across optical.
Mr Khan @ Mar 4th 2007 1:52PM
"shame its just for Americans, though"
Welcome to a world run by Microsoft
A people ready world (for North American people)
guy @ Mar 4th 2007 1:55PM
could someone give me the name of the song they sing
or were to get the lyrics plz
Mr Khan @ Mar 4th 2007 1:58PM
Damn, cut off my post
I meant to add; its only fair, after all the years the Japanese got the best extra content
Leshrac @ Mar 4th 2007 2:03PM
Cool... Unfortunately, my 360 is with Microsoft now being repaired. Hopefully I'll get it back soon.
-Leshrac
http://alinktothefuture.com
LaughingTarget @ Mar 4th 2007 2:09PM
And since most people don't have that range in their hearing, HDMI is useless. To be able to truly enjoy that stuff, you have to be in the top 10% of hearing capability. That kinda means that 90% of them can't hear it.
As it stands, the primary reason HDMI even exists is to utilize new DRM that has alredy been cracked.
Mr Khan @ Mar 4th 2007 2:16PM
@ Laughingtarget
Why would there need to be DRM in a fuckin' video signal that's heading to your TV anyway? By the time you get the signal onto HDMI, that generally means you have already legally bought/illegally decrypted the signal
That seems needlessly excessive, if true
Viper @ Mar 4th 2007 2:21PM
I'm tryin to get the episode right now and.... ITS NOT ABLE TO DOWNLOAD! the only available download is for standard definition and its 160 Microsoft Points.... did I miss it? or whats goin on?
Will @ Mar 4th 2007 2:31PM
Uh, #33, try re-reading the article.
Virtua Fanboy @ Mar 4th 2007 2:39PM
Bullshit!!! I just paid for that episode?!!!1?!! I want my fucking points back. Assholes.
gtpunch @ Mar 4th 2007 2:47PM
"Why would there need to be DRM in a fuckin' video signal that's heading to your TV anyway? By the time you get the signal onto HDMI, that generally means you have already legally bought/illegally decrypted the signal"
@Mr Khan - because Sony et al. are worried that you are going to run that re-encode that signal, and distribute near-perfect DRM-free copies on teh interweb tubes.
Voryn @ Mar 4th 2007 8:19PM
@27
"A people ready world (for North American people)"
I wish it was N.A. But it's not in Canada either.
Dave @ Mar 4th 2007 3:03PM
"If HDMI doesn't matter, the Xbox Hard Drive isn't too small, and Xboxes don't have excessively high failure rates, then why would MS be releasing a V.2?"
I'm not sure that the failure rates are "excessively high"--but one advantage of releasing a new version, from Microsoft's point of view, is the reduced cost of the smaller chip. Their cost goes down due to die reduction and reduced cooling/power requirements. Larger hard drive capacity may not have been necessary in the past, but it will help them with their VOD plans going forward.
ToRo @ Mar 4th 2007 3:12PM
Big deal. Its not like HD is so good looking that you need to go out and buy a new TV. Not for now. The south park part seems fun though.
SuicideNinja @ Mar 4th 2007 3:36PM
"Because HDMI is percieved to be better. It isn't superior to component or VGA. It is one of Sony's PR moves that is actually working the way it is intended."
Wow...someone who actually knows what they are talking about. The difference between component and HDMI is so miniscule that all the hype is a joke. It's like the difference between VGA and DVI on PC's....it's not worth the trouble and most people don't notice a difference.
Guess what...downloaded content from XBLA in HD look better than the Blu-ray movies I bought and played on my PS3 (even with HDMI). No HDMI required for the XBLA content; component works great. That also means no HDCP hassles.
I'm starting to wonder about the fuss on hard drive sizes. I'll never use the 60GB in my PS3 (Linux, worthless demos, and a couple of gamesaves...that's it), and I still have 6GB on my 360 (had it since launch). Music? Just stream it. The PS3 will support that properly someday...
Arturo @ Mar 4th 2007 3:31PM
@35:
Sounds like youre saying that anytime you buy something, MS can no longer offer it for free to anyone else if they want to. That's just bad luck/timing on your part, bud.
Chichok1080 @ Mar 4th 2007 3:43PM
I'm stoaked
GoonieGooGoo @ Mar 4th 2007 3:52PM
Which is a better idea:
1) An all new 120GB HDD.....with no way to attach the old 20GB HDD?? Iffy way to copy items from old HDD?? Waste of old HDDs??
or
2) An attachment for the current HDD that expands storage by 100-120GBHD?? No copying needed or redownloading of stuff.
LaughingTarget @ Mar 4th 2007 4:01PM
Mr Khan
Ask Sony, they're the ones that artificially limited BluRay resolutions over component and VGA cable when component and VGA clearly have the bandwidth to display those resolutions. Called business. Why make the PS3 run on a SDTV when they can cross-promote their $5,000 1080p sets with HDMI?
HD-DVD and BluRay companies need those HDMI cables to fit the DRM information in there. They want to sell new televisions, pure and simple. Our older HDTV sets without HDMI aren't good enough for them.
CanadianZero @ Mar 4th 2007 4:38PM
i thought MS chechs you IP address?
i they dont, all i have to do is make a US hotmail account?
Ted @ Mar 4th 2007 4:55PM
As a fan of animation, this should be really cool. SP is not a vector based show, it's actually done in Maya, a 3D package, which means raster based. They actually use construction paper textures on the characters to simulate the old days when Matt and Trey did stop motion animation with paper cutouts.
One thing everyone is forgetting is that the change from SD to HD will not only improve resolution but it will also change the aspect ratio. They aren't going to crop the original image, they're going to add more to the sides. Should be easy since it's all saved as Maya files. I've heard they've spent the last couple months going through the old episodes and adding the content. I can't wait to see the results.
James @ Mar 4th 2007 4:55PM
Laughing Target: the PS3 runs high def just fine over component. Blu-ray, games, everything. What the hell are you talking about?
Lord Chako @ Mar 4th 2007 5:02PM
"HDMI isn't any better? Good luck getting Dolby TrueHD, DTS-MA, and Linear PCM uncompressed audio transferred across optical."
Og my god, whatever will I do?
I guess my pioneer elite receiver with 5.1 surround sound is completely worthless, and outdated.
I better throw it away, buy a new receiver. Plus, I'm gonna need two more polk rti's for 7.1, because what's the point of having a 7.1 receiver, with only 5 speakers?
Add to that a playstation 3, because that is the only way possible to get Dolby TrueHD and 1080p.
I suppose my sony hd crt tv isn't any good either, because it doesn't do 1080p, only 1080i (and 720p) and it only has DVI, not the almighty HDMI.
I guess my entire system is completely outdated and worthless. I better upgrade everything, the playstation 3 is here!
Time to start working two jobs, just like Ken said.
I think you forget, for most people, playing video games and watching movies, is a hobby/past time. It's not their life.
Isn't that why the playstation 2 did so well, because it was affordable and appealed to the most people?
Zachary Hinchliffe @ Mar 4th 2007 6:05PM
I wish we had Engadget's ranking system here so
I could vote up #47.