This week on Ask Joystiq, we look at downloading foreign content to a foreign system, streaming content to an Xbox 360, and identifying one --or possibly two? -- obscure Argentinian NES games.
If you have any burning questions, unsolved gaming mysteries, or just a desire for musings from our knowledgeable cadre of writers, drop us a line at ask AAT joystiq DAWT com (and yes, we write it that way for a reason).
Q: I might be going to Japan towards the end of the summer and might pick up some games or a system. If I get a system, how would that work when I bring it back to the states and log on-line for a Wii, PS3 or 360?? Would a Japanese Wii let me log in to only US servers or would I be able to download Japanese games from the marketplace. Same question applied to the other systems... -- iwantmymtv
A: For the Wii, the region of the console corresponds to the region of the Wii Shop Channel -- Japanese systems will access the Japanese store, no matter where you plug them into the intertubes. You have to buy Wii Points that correspond to the system's region too, which means using a Japanese credit card or getting some Japanese Wii Points cards imported. [source]
Any PS3 will play downloads from any region, but each PSN account is locked to a specific region when you create it. Luckily, it's relatively easy to set up "dummy accounts" for each region you want to buy content, as long as you have a credit card from that country. Be warned, though: there is a significant language barrier for navigating the Japanese store.
Xbox Live users can also create dummy accounts to get around regional restrictions, but there are reports that Microsoft has been blocking downloads from accounts where this practice is detected. As always, let the international buyer beware. -Kyle Orland
Microsoft confirmed at Gamefest 2007 that developers working on server-based MMOs for Xbox 360 are allowed to request use of the hard drive. This is one of those "duh," but not explicitly ever stated things. Microsoft will bend the rules for these HDD required games on a "case-by-case" basis, but now with more ground rules compared to the Final Fantasy XI days.
The way it will work is developers will have to say how much space they expect their game to take and it will have to be explicitly stated on the box. Even if they don't think they're going to require all the space in the beginning, they're supposed to give the expected upper limit they'll need. As Ian Lewis, software design engineer at Microsoft said, "Feel free to require 30GB for your game; that's just going to make your potential audience a lot smaller."
Microsoft says designers can get around the console space issues by offering up lower resolution models and textures, make areas off-limits and stream assets from their server. Silver Xbox Live users will not be required to purchase a gold membership, however everyone will have to pay for the MMO's subscription fee separately from the Live membership. An MMO with a separate subscription fee still sounds like a tough sell on a console, but for the right game, anything is possible.
While we're going through the manual that came with the Hard-Drive Transfer Kit, we though we'd share some pics of the little devil. It connects to the underside of the Xbox 360 hard drive and to the console via USB. This kit did not come with the Xbox 360 Elite. Microsoft anticipates most customers purchasing the Elite will be new customers; however, if you're upgrading, they'll provide a free Hard-Drive transfer kit redeemable at Xbox.com. While that's working (estimated time: 42 minutes), here's some info from the process:
You need to snap your 20GB drive onto the Elite, and plug the 120GB drive into the Transfer Kit (yeah, we thought it was the other way around at first, too)
Despite the image on the CD sleeve and software screen, the manual says "be sure to connect the transfer cable to the back port, not a port on the front of the console."
This process does not copy your 20GB hard drive; it moves that data over to the 120GB drive and erases the 20GB drive
The preloaded content on the Elite will be erased and replaced with your old data (not Hexic! Not again! Our refurbed 20GB drive didn't have Hexic on it ... and now the Elite won't either)
XBLM and XBLA data will be moved, but the licenses "are tied to your console not your hard drive." This means you will only be able to play/watch those items while connected to Xbox Live. (Update: this only applies to switching consoles -- users upgrading to the 120GB drive on their existing console shouldn't encounter this shortcoming)
Movie rentals will not be moved at all and will need to be watched before transferring data.
Update: And we're done. The update took just under 40 minutes, and we needed to re-enter the network security settings for the 360's wireless adapter, but otherwise it went smooth enough. Our save games are intact and operable, our XBLA games are intact and semi-operable (as long as we're signed onto XBL, otherwise they behave like demos) and, whaddya know, Hexic remained on the drive!
If you're not buying Microsoft's excuses for why their 120GB hard drive costs $179, you don't have to buy the drive either. A mysterious hacker called "TheSpecialist" has released a new version of his program HDDHackr, which now allows you to make your own 120GB drive for the Xbox 360. It's not perfect -- you can only use a Western Digital SATA drive and you need a certain file from an official Microsoft drive. But with some time, effort, and around $80 for the drive, you'll get to keep about $100 of your hard-earned money in your nacho-cheese-stained paws. (With a little more work, you can even install the drive internally.)
Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft's group product manager, told Game Theory yesterday that the 120GB external drive for the Xbox 360 is not overpriced at $179. Said Greenberg, "If you compare what we are offering with a real plug-and-play drive the closest thing would be to take a 120-gig self-powered external PC drive, and in that case we are seeing those retail at anywhere from $160 to $200 for comparable laptop-sized external hard drives."
Greenberg probably doesn't want you to know that he's wrong, but he's wrong. Sure, you can pay $200 for a 120GB drive if you really want to, but as with most products, there are plenty of deals to be had; unless you're locked into buying peripherals from a single manufacturer that controls its monopolistic pricing with a proprietary vice-grip. Which, in the case of the Xbox 360 ... you are. Though if Greenberg had said, "We own you. Deal with it," that might not have been as good for PR.
So, a much bigger Xbox 360 hard drive is a good thing, right? Well ... not when it comes with some fairly crippling conditions. Wired has the skinny on some of the small print on Microsoft's new little "Elite" storage device:
You cannot put the data from two or more 20 GB hard disks onto one 120 GB hard disk. If you attempt to move multiple drives, only the last one you move will be stored.
You can only move data from the 20GB Hard Disk to the 120 GB Hard Disk. Transferring data in the other direction, or any other combination, is not possible.
Any data stored on the 120 GB hard disk will be automatically deleted.
Any data stored on the 20 GB hard disk will be automatically deleted after it is moved over.
Once you move the data over, it cannot be placed back on the original hard disk.
That first bullet point sticking out at ya, just a bit? It might rub a lot of people the wrong way, especially since Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg told everyone to buy two 20GB HDDs back when they released all of the TV and movie content, and people were worried storing everything. Zoinks.
It's hard to think about people not getting just a bit cheesed about this. If you have two hard drives, that Microsoft told you to buy, and then when they finally release the new bigger drive and then tell you that you can only put one drive's worth of good on it, that's a pretty bitter pill they're asking you to swallow.
We've contacted Microsoft to get some answers on how that data cable does its business.
As word spreads that tomorrow Microsoft will apparently confirm that Xbox 360 Elite is currently being manufactured in a plant somewhere in China, Sony PR sent around a welcome message, attributed to SVP of Marketing Peter Dille: "We think every PlayStation 3 owner should have an 'elite' experience, which is why we include an internal hard drive and HDMI output in every PS3 we sell, along with the 50 GB of storage capacity on a high definition Blu-ray disc. Sony has been the strongest advocate of high definition as the future of next-generation gaming. This requires high-definition components, including HDMI output, and large storage devices to deliver and store all that rich and vivid HD content. Microsoft's announcement today[er, "tomorrow"] not only legitimizes Sony's PS3 strategy, it moves us closer to adopting universal standards in the area of high definition gaming that will benefit game developers and ultimately the end user."
Clearly Dille and Sony are eager to seize this opportunity to play the leader. Sixteen months after launch -- 12 months ahead of PS3 -- Microsoft is suddenly playing catch-up. And, as Sony points out, even the 'Elite' efforts don't necessarily match up well against PS3; certainly for consumers also interested in high-definition video (on disc). Are the facts enough to sway consumers over to Sony's side -- or does PR also need to FedEx the beer and deploy the boats to win this console war?
Nintendo has spooned out a helping of its classic canned response, dismissing rumor that an external hard drive for Wii is in the works. GameIndustry.biz was force-fed a mouthful of "pure rumour and speculation" when seeking clarification about the would-be peripheral.
Originating from Japanese mag Gamelabo, the rumor claimed to cite undisclosed sources within Nintendo who allegedly revealed that an external hard drive for Wii is being readied. Regardless of the validity of this particular rumor or its source, the Wii hard drive question seems to be more an issue of when than if. Back when we still called the thing a "Revolution," Iwata openly confirmed, "practically any storage method can be used [with the console]." External USB hard drives have to be included in that sentiment, no?
As Wii users begin to fill the 512 MB of internal flash memory -- just imagine the burden of Saturn games and downloadable demos -- everyone's got an eye toward memory expansion. A pile of SD cards is one option; a hard drive is a better one. Here's the dilemma: if Nintendo releases a first-party drive, say for $100, then there's a risk of Wii being perceived as a $350 console. Whether or not Nintendo opts for dual SKUs, retailers would certainly bundle the "base" console and an external Nintendo hard drive together; in effect, damaging Wii's price advantage. Nintendo is likely looking at a hard drive solution, but don't expect the company to give up its R&S response until it's clear that a proprietary drive would be profitable. Our guess: expect third-party offerings later this year.
Sixty gigabytes not enough for you to store all your pictures and movies on your PS3? Sure, you could use a USB hard drive to expand the space, but that's much too easy. For those masochists that just need to have that extra storage inside the system casing, there's now a MySpace page with detailed advice on how to install any 3.5" drive in your system.
For those of you who just need to have every USB device you own hooked up to the PS3 at the same time, the site also has video instructions for installing a USB hub to expand the four ports included with the system. Personally, we're too busy playing Resistance: Fall of Man to take the time to do any of this stuff, but for the hardware fetishists out there, go nuts.
Speaking with Major Nelson, Microsoft group product manager Aaron Greenberg speculated that a version of Xbox 360 specialized for IPTV and DVR activity was certainly possible. Greenberg admitted that "[Microsoft] did not build [Xbox 360] to be a high-definition DVR," suggesting an IPTV upgrade (i.e. larger hard drive) and IPTV-specific console "configuration" were both possible solutions to the inherent dilemma. Greenberg did note that a larger hard drive would only be necessary for DVR functionality -- IPTV could function with or without a hard drive.
While this is hardly confirmation that a new version of Xbox 360 is inbound, Greenberg's statements may indicate that Microsoft is closing in on a strategy for 360 v2; one that won't upset early adopters (at least, not as much). Marketing v2 as an IPTV/DVR device (PSX, anyone?) might be enough of a diversion to excuse the original Xbox 360's lack of substantial hard drive space and HDMI output. If that is to be the case, it will be imperative that all of the v2 components are available for the original console, including a free IPTV software installation (with purchase of contract, of course).
Yesterday we showed you a photo of the rumored Xbox 360 v2 that should be coming down the pipelines soon. It'll supposedly have an HDMI port, and feature a 120GB drive in it, making it well worth it, particularly if it is priced the same as the current consoles. Now we have video of the system in question (codenamed Zephyr), and if you ask us it looks fairly real. Of course, as sister-site Xbox 360 Fanboy points out, the Linux penguin in the shot makes us very suspicious. Plus that plug/adapter setup at the rear of the 360 looks fairly nasty.
Normally when people mod consoles they add things like Christmas tree lights, liquid-cooling, and a built-in popcorn popper. Which doesn't mean that this thing is real, but so far we're still buying it, and we'll really be buying it when it hits a store near us. HDMI and a much bigger hard drive? Yes, please.
Microsoft's been doing the talking, Sony is doing the walking. PlayStation 3 is the console for those that value choice. From a standard three-pronged power cord to a standard hard drive bay, Sony's hardware is compatible with a vast range of products, including additional operating systems (e.g., Linux).
Already own a USB headset? What about a web cam? As Microsoft forces us to buy into -- often inferior -- proprietary devices, Sony welcomes us to use those peripherals we might already have lying around. Bravo!
Speaking with GamersReports, Xbox Group Product Marketing Manager Aaron Greenberg addressed concerns that Xbox 360's current 20 GB hard drive would not be sufficient for the forthcoming movie and television download service. When pressed for a solution, Greenberg offered up this workaround:
"I can tell you what people tell me they do to get around this. What they do is they put their Live account on a memory unit and then they have one hard drive that they put their games or related content on, and then they have another drive that they put their movies and TV on."
Of course! Why didn't we think of that? Duh, the 360 HDD is detachable -- just buy another! And $100 later, we've got enough room to store 5 hours of HD content on a separate drive. Wow, that's awful.
The good news is a larger hard drive will almost certainly hit the market. The even better news is there's already technology that will allow you to avoid buying any more of Microsoft's overpriced drives, big or small. Try Datel's XSATA ($49.99), which allows users to transfer data from the 360's HDD to another drive via PC connection. A quick search yields several 250 GB hard drive options hovering around the $100-mark. Do the math. That's more than 60 hours worth of HD movie and television content storage capacity -- for just $150. So much for Microsoft's "workaround."
The Nintendo Nsider Forums are lighting up with glee (and spilling onto Digg) at how horribly terrific it would be if Ridge Racer 7 required a 5 GB install on PlayStation 3's hard disk drive. Some generous (in favor of Sony) math calculates that the install would take 9 minutes and 46 seconds. The assumption is most PS3 games will require HDD dumps, forcing users to constantly install, erase, and reinstall -- these data chunks would fill up the drives fast; certainly the 20 GB model.
Here's what we know: Ridge Racer 7 will have an optional 5 GB HDD installation feature that's in place to speed up load times. Currently, Ridge Racer 7 and Genji (4 GB install) are the only games known to include this option. While this will almost certainly change, there's little reason to believe that HDD dumps will become a PS3 standard (unless you buy Sony's "it's not a console, it's a computer" mumbo jumbo).
Anyways, waiting 9 minutes and 46 seconds for data to install isn't as agonizing as we'd sometimes like to believe; especially if it's a one-time (or once in a while) procedure. On that note, let's wait this conundrum out for a while longer, watch how it develops.
Despite clear indication at X06 Korea, Microsoft insists there are no plans to release a 100GB hard drive for Xbox 360 next March. The official statement is as follows:
"The reference to a 100GB hard drive in a recent presentation in Korea has been misleading and in fact we have no plans to bring a 100GB hard drive to the market. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused."
When questioned, Microsoft reps did concede that a larger (more competitive) drive was still a possibility, but reiterated that such an accessory would not be announced in the near future.
This week on Ask Joystiq, we look at downloading foreign content to a foreign system, streaming content to an Xbox 360, and identifying one --or possibly two? -- obscure Argentinian NES games.
As 
Sixty gigabytes not enough for you to store all your pictures and movies on your PS3? Sure, you could use a USB hard drive to expand the space, but that's much too easy. For those masochists that just need to have that extra storage inside the system casing, there's now a 
Microsoft's been doing the talking, Sony is doing the walking. PlayStation 3 is the console for those that value choice. From a standard three-pronged power cord to a standard hard drive bay, Sony's hardware is compatible with a vast range of products, including additional operating systems (e.g., Linux).
