Ask Joystiq Xbox: Don't trust rumors edition

Hey look, it's another edition of Ask Joystiq Xbox. It's like we do one of these every week! In this installment, we discuss regional compatibility, chatpad support for games, Xbox Live voice issues and more. Also, we take a look at Xbox 360 hardware rumors. Not the credible ones, either.

Got a question for Ask Joystiq Xbox? Maybe you have a story or some information you'd like to share? Send it all to ask [att] xbox360fanboy [dawt] com.

Hello, love the site, I browse it daily.

But anyway I was just wondering, can you use the chatpad from the messenger kit (or a USB keyboard) to yell voice commands on Team Fortress 2 such as "Spy", "Help", etc?

Thanks, Reece.

I won't bother asking about the big update that is supposedly coming soon, I know it'll be released on the same day as Duke Nukem Forever.

As far as we know, no, you can't use the Chatpad in Team Fortress 2. We've been asked before if developers could implement the Chatpad in such a way, and Major Nelson he wasn't aware of any reason they couldn't. That said, it looks like Valve didn't implement support into Team Fortress 2. Considering every person playing on Xbox 360 should have a microphone -- not the case on PC -- it's not that surprising.

Also, we think you might be too optimistic regarding the release date for the next Team Fortress 2 update for Xbox 360.

Hi,

I have been seriously considering getting an xbox 360 for a while now, however I have heard rumours of a new (slim?) xbox coming out in the near future and was wondering if you could help clarify this or not, and whether I should bite the bullet now or wait for the new one?

Thanks a lot,
Max.

As a matter of fact, there are rumors that a slim Xbox 360 is on the way. There were also rumors of an Xbox 360 with a built in HD DVD drive. Oh, and there were also rumors of an Xbox with a built in Blu-Ray drive (or an external Blu-Ray drive). Then, of course, there was the rumor about televisions with an Xbox 360 built in. The one thing all those rumors have in common is that none of them have proven to be true (not yet, anyway). In short, no, don't wait for a slim Xbox 360 that may or may not exist (we're leaning towards the latter).

Why wait when you can have tons of great games right now? You could be playing online with friends as we speak! Seriously don't put it off any longer, especially for a rumor. If it makes you feel any better, the likelihood of a slim Xbox 360 anytime soon is pretty ... slim.

Hi X3F,

Longtime reader, 6th question and counting. So, I sold my old non-HDMI 360 and bought a brand new 360 Arcade for -$5 (profit) but now I have a confusing question that you might be able to help me with.

The old xbox 360 that I just sold was one that I purchased broken intentionally last year. As you may already know I had to create an xbox live (Live Account #1) account to register the console and send it in for a repair. After I received my newly repaired console from MS, I created a GOLD xbox live account (Live Account #2) which is not tied with my first "dummy" account. I bought several things via xbox live with my Live Account #2 but that DLC is tied down to my old xbox and now I need to transfer it over to my new 360.

So here is my problem. I do not have my old xbox 360 registered under my Live Account #2 which is the one I always use but rather it is still registered to Live Account #1 which I never used. How can I do a license transfer from my old xbox to my new one? Do I call MS and unregister my old console from my dummy account and reregister it to my new account? Any help would be appreciated!

BTW, I already used the Microsoft Tranfer Kit to move my stuff from my 20GB HD to my 60GB HD.

Thanks fellas, you the best!

Sincerely,
Latin Trident

P.S. Justin McElroy, how about tossing that RE5 Collector's Edition my way? Please!!! MY B-day is coming up! Thanks

Have you ever considered writing professionally? You should, considering you just sent us a novel! Just kidding.

The long and short of it here is that it shouldn't matter what console you downloaded your content to. Regardless of the console used to download it, your content should be tied to the Xbox Live account that downloaded it. If you've downloaded content on even four or five consoles, you should still be able to transfer all those licenses to a single console. As long as everything you downloaded on your old Xbox was downloaded with your Gold account (account #2), you shouldn't have any problems using Microsoft's license transfer tool to move your content licenses.

If you'd like to double check before using the license transfer tool, you can open up your purchase history on Xbox.com. Just log in using your gamertag for account #2 and then open "Purchase History" from the My Account section. Any content you see listed there should be transferable to your new Xbox.

Let us know if you have any problems. Oh, and if you really think Justin McElroy reads this screed, you've got another thing coming.

So in August I will be moving from the UK to Canada for a gap year, and I'm planning to take my HDD, buy an Arcade, plus games, then play as I always have been here in the UK. Will there be any issues with my Gamertag, my XBLA games, or anything else you might know of?

Thanks.
Sam

God be with you, Sam. As far as we know, hard drives are region free, so yours should work in the new console. What we don't know is what happens when you mix save data from games with different regions. It could work fine. It might not work at all. It might explode. We have no idea. Any help for Sam out there? Drop it in the comments.

Hi all,
ever since Xbox Live Parties and great teammates on L4D, i fond myself utilizing my headset more and more often. Now, first it is to be known, yes, I am an older teenager, and I am know to my friends as one with a deep voice, so why does it seem, especially hearing "echoes" through friend's TV's, that my voice is an octave or two too high? Is there some voice distortion effect that renders those under 25 with speech impairments? Older Survivors/Rivals/Allies all seem to be exactly what they should be; middle aged gamers living in so-and-so Nebraska, USA.

Cheerfully and deeply yours,
Anon Emousse

First, cute alias you have there. Second, everybody's voice sounds different over Xbox Live. Even the manliest of men are likely to sound a bit squeakier than normal. This is also why those with already squeaky voices sound nearly unbearable (sorry kids, but it's true). That weird, high-pitched garbled noise you occasionally hear? That's actually what it sounds like when someone is whistling.

We're just theorizing here, but chances are that echoes sound higher to you than to your friends. Your voice already came out higher on their end, echoed back into their microphone and then got even higher on its way back to you. Kind of like making a copy of a copy, it probably gets worse every time. Anyhway don't worry about it. Also, if you're getting a lot of echoes from your buddies, tell 'em to turn down the game volume on their end. The echoes should stop.

Hi, fanboys and girls. I have a question about mixing DLC and RPGs. So I just bought "Mass Effect" (though you could insert "Fallout 3," "Fable 2," etc.) and I'm curious: when should I purchase the DLC? Are you free to buy it and insert it at any time? Are these new locations seamlessly added to the storyline(s) in these games, or do they appear as separate choices on the start menus or what? Is the intention that you should play through the retail version, THEN take your veteran character to Knothole Island or whatever? I guess this question would also apply to the "Lost and the Damned," though it sounds like it is more of a standalone game.

I guess I'm asking because I'd hate to miss out (or have to play the whole game again) if the intention was that the player was supposed to just drop these bonus chapters into the game from the beginning.

Thanks,

Andy in Atlanta

First and foremost, you should know that in the case of Fallout 3 and Mass Effect, you cannot play the DLC with a completed game save file. In fact, you'll have to have a save prior to the finale section of either game (or a new save altogether). According to our own Alexander Sliwinski, you need to be in an "open" section of the game. Since Fable II allows you to continue your adventures after completing the game -- what a novel idea! -- you can play its "Knothole Island" DLC at any time.

As for when you should play them, that's personal preference. Our Xav de Matos says that "Operation: Anchorage" for Fallout 3 can be beaten early in the game, but it makes more sense after the main story is complete (before the finale, of course). Fable II's "Knothole Island" can really be played at any time. Joystiq head honcho Chris Grant suggest you level up a bit before tackling Mass Effect's "Bring Down the Sky" but says it isn't terribly difficult. Again, just make sure you haven't reached the finale or you'll have to start a brand new game to access the DLC.


That's it for this week, folks. Keep sending your questions to: ask [att] xbox360fanboy [dawt] com.