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<channel>
	<title>Video Games &#187; Benchmarks</title>
	<atom:link href="http://video-games.elliottback.com/category/benchmarks/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://video-games.elliottback.com</link>
	<description>PC, PSP, PS3, xBox, and Wii Gaming News</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:03:10 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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			<item>
		<title>Ultimate Game Quiz</title>
		<link>http://video-games.elliottback.com/ultimate-game-quiz/</link>
		<comments>http://video-games.elliottback.com/ultimate-game-quiz/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Aug 2006 22:51:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Benchmarks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://video-games.elliottback.com/2006/08/06/ultimate-game-quiz/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have validated myself as a gamer by taking the Ultimate Game Quiz and scoring a 90% on my first try, just as Aeropause didÂ :). There are 50 questions, and no time limit, so give each question your best shot.Â 
Â 
Follow the link to take the quiz.Â  Post your results here!
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have validated myself as a gamer by taking the <a href="http://www.bitpit.be/">Ultimate Game Quiz</a> and scoring a 90% on my first try, just as <a href="http://www.aeropause.com/archives/2006/08/test_your_gamin.php#comments">Aeropause did</a>Â :). There are 50 questions, and no time limit, so give each question your best shot.Â </p>
<p><img id="image361" title="ultimate-quiz.JPG" height="309" alt="ultimate-quiz.JPG" src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/ultimate-quiz.JPG" width="450" />Â </p>
<p><a href="http://www.bitpit.be/">Follow the link to take the quiz</a>.Â  Post your results here!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Unreal Tournament 2007 Screenshots</title>
		<link>http://video-games.elliottback.com/unreal-tournament-2007-screenshots/</link>
		<comments>http://video-games.elliottback.com/unreal-tournament-2007-screenshots/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 17 Dec 2005 20:58:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Benchmarks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PC Games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Previews]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://video-games.elliottback.com/2005/12/17/unreal-tournament-2007-screenshots/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Here are some Unreal Tournament 2007 screens, courtesy of Voodoo Extreme.   Here are some newer UT2k7 Screenshots.


]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/UT07-1.jpg" width="390" height="292" alt="" title="" /></p>
<p>Here are some Unreal Tournament 2007 screens, courtesy of <a href="http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/675/675450p1.html">Voodoo Extreme</a>.   Here are some newer<a href="http://www.playbomb.com"> UT2k7 Screenshots</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/UT07-2.jpg" width="390" height="292" alt="" title="" /></p>
<p><img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/UT07-3.jpg" width="390" height="292" alt="" title="" /></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>NEC&#8217;s paper thin, rapid recharge batteries, &#8220;ORB&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://video-games.elliottback.com/necs-paper-thin-rapid-recharge-batteries-orb/</link>
		<comments>http://video-games.elliottback.com/necs-paper-thin-rapid-recharge-batteries-orb/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Dec 2005 02:06:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Accessory]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Benchmarks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gadgets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hardware]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://video-games.elliottback.com/?p=99</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Engadget writes about the ORB and reports: &#8220;NEC has debuted some ultra-thin and flexible quick charging batteries named ORB, for Organic Radical Battery. We&#8217;re having a hard time deciding what is the coolest part about these; their 0.3mm thickness that allows them to be flexible, or the fact that they can be recharged in about [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Engadget <a href="http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000633071576/">writes </a>about the ORB and reports: &#8220;NEC has debuted some ultra-thin and flexible quick charging batteries named ORB, for Organic Radical Battery. We&#8217;re having a hard time deciding what is the coolest part about these; their 0.3mm thickness that allows them to be flexible, or the fact that they can be recharged in about 30 seconds. The organic radical materials inside the battery are in an &#8220;electrolyte-permeated gel state,&#8221; which is supposedly about halfway between a solid and a liquid. This helps ions make a smooth move (no, the other one), reducing resistance, allowing the batteries to charge faster. 1 square centimeter will give you about 1 miliwatt hour. That&#8217;s not enough to power your laptop, but according to NEC, one recharge of this battery allows an active RFID tag to transmit tens of thousands of signals. NEC plans on further developing the technology so it can one day be used in IC cards, RFID tags, electronic paper, wearable computers, and other such technologies stepping up to the plate in the coming decade.&#8221;</p>
<p><img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/ORB.jpg" width="172" height="165" alt="" title="" /></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Xbox 360 Coverage!</title>
		<link>http://video-games.elliottback.com/xbox-360-coverage/</link>
		<comments>http://video-games.elliottback.com/xbox-360-coverage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Nov 2005 15:56:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Backwards Compatible]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Benchmarks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Classics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hardware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Microsoft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Previews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Xbox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Xbox 360]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://video-games.elliottback.com/?p=78</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Well, due to popular demand, here is some more Xbox 360 coverage to sate your appetite!  Here is the best of Engadget, Joystiq, Kotaku, Xbox 360 Fanboy, Slashdot, and 1Up!


Engadget
 Xbox 360 brings out the worst in people
Users report Xbox 360 &#8220;crashing like mad&#8221;
Unpacking the Xbox 360
Xbox 360 gutted!
Engadget Podcast 053 &#8211; 11.22.2005
Xbox 360 [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Well, due to popular demand, here is some more Xbox 360 coverage to sate your appetite!  Here is the best of Engadget, Joystiq, Kotaku, Xbox 360 Fanboy, Slashdot, and 1Up!</p>
<p><img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/Screenshots/_XBOX.jpg" width="300" height="202" alt="" title="" /></p>
<p><font size="4"><strong><u><br />
Engadget</u></strong></font></p>
<p> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000063069412/">Xbox 360 brings out the worst in people</a><br />
<a href="http://gaming.engadget.com/entry/1234000743069364/">Users report Xbox 360 &#8220;crashing like mad&#8221;</a><br />
<a href="http://gaming.engadget.com/entry/1234000147068421/">Unpacking the Xbox 360</a><br />
<a href="http://gaming.engadget.com/entry/1234000050068208/">Xbox 360 gutted!</a><br />
<a href="http://gaming.engadget.com/entry/1234000593069233/">Engadget Podcast 053 &#8211; 11.22.2005</a><br />
<a href="http://gaming.engadget.com/entry/1234000577067729/">Xbox 360 backward-compatibility list (1.0) released</a></p>
<p><font size="4"><strong><u><br />
Joystiq</u></strong></font></p>
<p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000903069264/">Microsoft to sell 3 million 360&#8217;s by year&#8217;s end?</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000347069209/">Joystiq Review: Kameo: Elements of Power</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000987069207/">Xbox 360 launch day blues</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000790069183/">Xbox 360 launch — Midtown style </a></p>
<p><strong>The Setup</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000710068346/">Unpacking the Xbox 360; hot unboxing action</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000043068367/">Our sweet test setup</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000157068707/">Our sweet speaker setup</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000247068712/">Our sweet screen setup</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000183068734/">Fuel for a 48-hour gaming fiesta</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000197068736/">Blockbuster &#038; Hollywood Video: 350 what?</a></p>
<p><strong>The Hardware</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000517068726/">Joystiq, PGR3 and faceplate. PGR3 and faceplate, Joystiq</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000823068733/">Invasion of the Xbox 360 faceplates</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000000068745/">Xbox 360 controller range: Can you hear me now?</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000180068746/">Side-by-side of Xbox 360 remotes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000230068750/">Titlefight: 480p v. 720p for the championship!</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000700068742/">Parasitic Play-and-Charge controllers get juice from Windows, but Windows gets nothing in return</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000200068840/">Xbox 360 heat concerns are no concern</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000503068848/">Xbox 360 fan noise ranked</a></p>
<p><strong>The Services</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000710068728/">Visualize this: Xbox 360&#8217;s visualizer taken for a spin</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000697068739/">Game trailers available on Xbox Live</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000850068748/">Live: best way to download game trailers</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000327068743/">Best and worst trailers from Xbox Live Marketplace</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000940068754/">Gaming trailers are insulting to gamers</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000673068752/">360 plays videos, but controls are lacking</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000290068760/">MP3s streamed to Xbox 360 via laptop</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000360068762/">Xbox Live arcade titles added: free to try, $5 to $15 to buy</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000440068824/">Our first Xbox Live friend: you like us, you really like us</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000373068936/">Joystiq Guide: iPod on the Xbox 360</a></p>
<p><strong>The Games</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000727068716/">3 copies of Kameo = MS wants us to play it</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000043068730/">2K on the 360: NBA 2K6, Amped 3, &#038; NHL 2K6</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000313068737/">Joyswag caption contest: win a copy of Kameo</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000767068797/">Joystiq review: Geometry Wars demo</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000023068789/">Joystiq review: Bankshot Billiards 2 demo</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000380068813/">Joystiq review: Gauntlet demo</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000627068776/">Joystiq review: Hexic HD</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000270068815/">Are we perverse? There&#8217;s nothing retro about this experience!</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000843068817/">Joystiq review: Joust demo, thy game is over</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000567068827/">Joystiq review: Bejeweled 2 Deluxe demo</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000117068830/">Kameo&#8217;s in the house, er… 360 tray</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000997068857/">Super-frustrating boss fight in Kameo</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000977068923/">Joystiq is better than GameSpot</a><br />
<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000773068963/">And the best Xbox 360 launch title is…</a></p>
<p><font size="4"><strong><u><br />
Xbox 360 Fanboy</u></strong></font></p>
<p><a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/22/nintendo-and-sony-line-up-in-support-of-360-launch/">Nintendo and Sony line up in support of Xbox 360 launch</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/22/quake4-struggles-on-360/">Quake IV struggles on the 360</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/22/pdz-upgrades-planned-through-xbox-live-marketplace/">PDZ upgrades planned through Xbox Live Marketplace</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/22/some-games-not-backwards-compatible/">Some games not backwards compatible?</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/22/metareview-perfect-dark-zero/">MetaReview: Perfect Dark Zero</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/22/its-here/">It&#8217;s here!</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/21/xboxs-corporate-celebrities/">Xbox&#8217;s corporate celebrities</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/21/line-up-to-meet-bill-gates-hes-dreamy/">Line up to meet Bill Gates (he&#8217;s dreamy)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/21/ebay-catches-360-fever/">Ebay catches the 360 fever</a><br />
 <a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/21/xbox-360-as-long-tail-video-platform/">Xbox 360 as Long Tail video platform</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/21/hdtv-buying-guide-xbox-360-edition/">HDTV Buying Guide: Xbox 360 Edition </a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/21/get-podcasts-on-your-360/">Get podcasts on your 360</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/21/microsoft-hype-machine-still-rolling/">Microsoft&#8217;s hype machine is still rolling</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/21/whats-tsop-doc-is-the-360-hackable/">What&#8217;s TSOP doc? Is the 360 hackable?</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/21/square-enix-responds-no-ff-and-dq-on-360/">Square Enix responds: No FF and DQ on 360</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/21/touring-the-xbox-360s-motherboard/">All &#8220;aboard&#8221;: touring the Xbox 360&#8217;s motherboard</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/21/make-your-own-xbox-360-vga-adaptor/">Make your own Xbox 360 VGA adaptor</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/21/microsoft-game-studios-gm-shane-kim-speaks/">Microsoft Game Studios GM Shane Kim Speaks!</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2005/11/20/halo-2-on-xbox-360/">Xbox 360 Loves Halo 2 </a></p>
<p><font size="4"><strong><u> Kotaku</u></strong></font></p>
<p><a href="http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/xbox-360/360-crashes-and-crime-139238.php">360 Crashes and Crime</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/xbox-360/didnt-get-a-360-heres-five-things-to-do-139245.php">Didn&#8217;t Get a 360? Here&#8217;s Five Things to do</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/xbox-360/xbox-360-premium-set-going-for-100000-139229.php">Xbox 360 Premium Set Going for $100,000?</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/xbox-360/yet-another-guess-on-cost-to-make-360-139225.php">Yet Another Guess on Cost to Make 360</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/xbox-360/mossberg-misses-the-mark-on-360-review-139223.php">Mossberg Misses the Mark on 360 Review</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/machinma/xbox-lives-free-videos-139006.php">Xbox Live&#8217;s Free Videos</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/xbox-360/microsoft-eats-126-of-every-xbox-360-139085.php">Microsoft Eats $126 of Every Xbox 360</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/xbox-360/hours-old-and-pgr3-crashing-like-mad-138978.php">Hours Old and PGR3 Crashing Like Mad</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/xbox-360/xbox-360-gets-executed-138946.php">Xbox 360 Gets Executed</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/best-buy/best-buy-soldout-shenanigans-138929.php">Best Buy Sold-Out Shenanigans?</a></p>
<p><font size="4"><strong><u> Slashdot</u></strong></font></p>
<p><a href="http://games.slashdot.org/games/05/11/24/1352243.shtml?tid=211">MS Responds To 360 Glitches </a><br />
<a href="http://games.slashdot.org/games/05/11/23/1714216.shtml?tid=211">How The 360 Works </a><br />
<a href="http://games.slashdot.org/games/05/11/23/1549209.shtml?tid=211">Microsoft Loses $126 Per Unit on XBox 360 </a><br />
<a href="http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/22/1746251&#038;tid=211">Xbox 360 Launches In U.S. </a></p>
<p><font size="4"><strong><u> 1Up</u></strong></font></p>
<p><a href="http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3145821">Xbox 360 Officially Launches in North America</a><br />
<a href="http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3145829">Lining Up for Xbox 360</a><br />
<a href="http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3145843">Microsoft Loses Money With Each Console &#8211; Again</a><br />
<a href="http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3145776&#038;did=1">Perfect Dark Zero Tops Most Anticipated Xbox 360 Game List</a><br />
<a href="http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3145811&#038;did=1">Challenge J Allard on Xbox 360</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Xbox 360: Details, Resources, And Rumors</title>
		<link>http://video-games.elliottback.com/xbox-360-details-resources-and-rumors/</link>
		<comments>http://video-games.elliottback.com/xbox-360-details-resources-and-rumors/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Nov 2005 04:13:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Backwards Compatible]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Benchmarks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hardware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Microsoft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Online]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Previews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rumor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Software]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Xbox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Xbox 360]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://video-games.elliottback.com/?p=70</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We know quite a bit about the Xbox 360, due to be released in exactly 4 days (Nov. 22), but what we don&#8217;t know for certain is even more interesting.  Several important rumors, and many more facts, have surfaced concerning the Xbox 360.  
1) The Xbox 360 has been rumored to feature in-game [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We know quite a bit about the Xbox 360, due to be released in exactly 4 days (Nov. 22), but what we don&#8217;t know for certain is even more interesting.  Several important rumors, and many more facts, have surfaced concerning the Xbox 360.  </p>
<p>1) The Xbox 360 has been rumored to feature <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000550067289/">in-game ads</a> in order to subsidize costs.  This rumor started when Bryan Lee, chief financial officer of Microsoft&#8217;s Entertainment and Devices subdivision, hinted the possibility of partial costs of the Xbox 360 being subsidized by ads, in certain extra-North American markets (yes, it&#8217;s quite vague).</p>
<p><img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/Screenshots/_XBOX.jpg" width="300" height="202" alt="" title="" /></p>
<p>2)  The Xbox 360 has been rumored to support custom, in-game<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000173067275/"> music </a>.  The rumor was specifically that </p>
<blockquote><p>at any time, during any game, the player could access a custom music selection and stream it into the playing field. However, speaking at Atari&#8217;s GoPlay event in Lyon, an Eden Studios representative suggested that developers could control the use of custom music, just like on the original Xbox. He stated that Eden would not allow players to stream in their own music during the studio&#8217;s upcoming horror-themed action title, as doing so would ruin the ambience of the game.
</p></blockquote>
<p>This is a smart move for developers, and hopefully they will be equitable in their judgments concerning the extent to which the player is able to control his music.</p>
<p>3)  The Xbox 360 will have a high-resolution <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000973067364/">software emulator</a>, enabling the 360 to be backwards-compatible with many of the original Xbox games.  Below is Halo 2 emulated on the Xbox 360:</p>
<p><img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/_HALO%202%20360%20EMULATION.jpg" width="300" height="168" alt="" title="" /></p>
<p>4)  Tying in with the last tid-bit, the Xbox 360&#8217;s software-emulator seems to be <a href="http://xbox360.joystiq.com/entry/1234000780068666/">region specific</a>, with the number of original titles supported on the 360 seemingly proportional to the general popularity of each region:   </p>
<blockquote><p>while the US Xbox 360 will be compatible with over 200 Xbox games right out of the box, [...] the Japanese list featured a paltry 12 games. Do these number corollate with the popularity of the console in each region? It might appear that way, especially with the list of European Xbox games compatible with the 360, released today.</p>
<p>The list features 156 games &#8211; not as many as the US, but still 13 times the number of BC Japanese games. The list, as with all regions, will be constantly updated as they get more original Xbox titles to work on your 360.
</p></blockquote>
<p>It seems like Microsoft is trying to compensate for their overly generous Japanese <a href="http://video-games.elliottback.com/2005/11/01/japanese-xbox-lounge/">Xbox 360 Lounge</a>.</p>
<p>5)  Here&#8217;s quite a negative rumor, and it&#8217;s a bit disappointing.  &#8220;Every single Xbox 360 launch title is <a href="http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=27249">single threaded</a>. Apparently during a talk on multithreaded programming, a Microsoft speaker mentioned that all first generation Xbox 360 games will not take advantage of the Xbox 360&#8217;s two other cores. This probably isn&#8217;t worrying Microsoft too much, since they&#8217;ve given developers plenty of time to perfect their games before the PS3 and Revolution launch sometime next year.&#8221;  Despite that many preview screenshots of the launch titles are breathtaking, it&#8217;s troubling that the games could be, in theory, three times the quality.  Here&#8217;s a few choice screenshots of launch titles:</p>
<p>Test Drive:<br />
<img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/_testdrive.jpg" width="300" height="180" alt="" title="" /></p>
<p>Madden:<br />
<img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/_madden.jpg" width="300" height="168" alt="" title="" /></p>
<p>Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion:<br />
<img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/_elderscrollsIV.jpg" width="300" height="168" alt="" title="" /></p>
<p>Need For Speed:<br />
<img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/_needforspeed.jpg" width="300" height="168" alt="" title="" /></p>
<p>6)  So while the Xbox 360 seems to be the clear choice for any enthusiastic gamer, the NY Post (via <a href="http://xbox360.joystiq.com/entry/1234000230068463/">Joystiq</a>) gives 5 good reasons why not to buy the Xbox 360 on the launch day:</p>
<blockquote><p>
1)  <strong>Too expensive</strong>. If you want backwards compatibility a la the hard drive, it&#8217;s gonna cost at least $400 bones.<br />
2)  <strong>Lack of games</strong>. Most console launches suffer from a lack of games, the 360 is no different.<br />
3)  <strong>Wait and see what the competition will do</strong>. Before you rush out and buy one, learn a little more about PS3 and Revolution. Also, a mini-price war is eminent.<br />
4)  <strong>Hidden costs</strong>. Don&#8217;t forget the cost behind an HD set and your Xbox Live monthly subscription.<br />
5)  <strong>Older consoles are not dead yet</strong>. The GameCube, PS2, and original Xbox still have and will continue to have quality games for at least 6 more months.
</p></blockquote>
<p>It should be noted that these reasons are applicable to any new console release in the video-game industry.  Given that the 360 is a ground-breaking system, I feel that it would be money well spent for the hardcore gamer.</p>
<p>7)  Microsoft has officially released the launch-titles in North America, so no more speculation!  Here&#8217;s the big 18:</p>
<p>Amped 3 (2K Sports)<br />
Call of Duty 2 (Activision Inc.)<br />
Condemned: Criminal Origins (SEGA Corp.)<br />
FIFA Soccer 06 Road to 2006 FIFA World Cup (Electronic Arts Inc.)<br />
GUN (Activision)<br />
Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft Game Studios &#038; Rare Ltd.)<br />
Madden NFL 06 (Electronic Arts)<br />
NBA 2K6 (2K Sports)<br />
NBA LIVE 06 (Electronic Arts)<br />
Need for Speed Most Wanted (Electronic Arts)<br />
NHL 2K6 (2K Sports)<br />
Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft Game Studios &#038; Rare Ltd.)<br />
Peter Jackson&#8217;s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (Ubisoft)<br />
Project Gotham Racing 3 (Microsoft Game Studios &#038; Bizarre Creations Ltd.)<br />
Quake 4 (id Software and Activision)<br />
Ridge Racer 6 (Namco Ltd.)<br />
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 06 (Electronic Arts)<br />
Tony Hawk&#8217;s American Wasteland (Activision) </p>
<p>Here is the <a href="http://www.pro-g.co.uk/news/nid/1837/">official European </a>line-up.</p>
<p><img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/_UNVEILED.jpg" width="300" height="143" alt="" title="" /></p>
<p> <img src='http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif' alt='8)' class='wp-smiley' />  Joystiq has covered the <a href="http://xbox360.joystiq.com/entry/1234000637067771/">Xbox 360 allocations </a>for Best Buy by store:  </p>
<p><img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/_ALLOCATE.jpg" width="300" height="99" alt="" title="" /></p>
<blockquote><p>
Wanna know how many Xbox 360s are coming to your local Best Buy? Find your store number(s) off Best Buy&#8217;s official store locator, then check out the list for the right store for you to camp out next to on the 22nd or 21st.</p>
<p>Of course, knowing how many units have been allotted to the store of your choice doesn&#8217;t guarantee you a system on launch day, but it is touching to know that being an official launch sponsor does indeed mean more boxes at launch than the other guys (up to possibly a tenth of total U.S. numbers).</p>
<p>So if these figures are correct, Best Buy&#8217;s getting 40,770 systems in the U.S. total, split exactly 70-30 among Pro and Core systems. And as for those few anomalous stores with at least 100 Pro and 30 Core units? Just those among the 12 Best Buys around the nation slated to open their doors at midnight to sell the 360
</p></blockquote>
<p>9)  The ninth point on this list isn&#8217;t a rumor or detail; it&#8217;s a resource.  For any fanatic willing to shell out the big bucks,  eBay auctioneer richman723 is offering to &#8220;fly to your location, camp out for 24 hours in front of your local XBOX 360 retailer, and personally deliver the new game system to your front door on release day next week.&#8221;  With one day till <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&#038;item=8234236091">the auction </a>closes, you&#8217;d better hurry down to your bank and make that bi-weekly deposit, because the auction is over $2,100.  But if you&#8217;ve got the moolah and you&#8217;re too lazy to get one for yourself, richman723 is the man&#8230;</p>
<p><img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/EBAY%20XBOX.jpg" width="225" height="159" alt="" title="" /></p>
<p>With all the previous details in mind, we can expect support for our High-Def TVs, control over what we listen (to some degree), and a plethora of other benefits.  This will be unquestionably the biggest and most demanded gift of the holidays.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Half Life 2 Steam Installation Too Slow!</title>
		<link>http://video-games.elliottback.com/half-life-2-steam-installation-too-slow/</link>
		<comments>http://video-games.elliottback.com/half-life-2-steam-installation-too-slow/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2005 10:51:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Elliott Back</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Benchmarks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Person Shooter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PC Games]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://video-games.elliottback.com/?p=38</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I am checking out Half Life 2 over Steam, and the installation is too slow!  Take a look at these download speeds:

I am getting ~500KB/s on a connection that regularily sustains 1.2 MB/s.  What gives, Valve?  Don&#8217;t have a great online content distribution network, or what?
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I am checking out Half Life 2 over Steam, and the installation is too slow!  Take a look at these download speeds:</p>
<p><img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/half-life-steam-kinda-sluggish.jpg" width="450" height="83" alt="Half Life Steam SLOW" title="Half Life Steam SLOW" /></p>
<p>I am getting ~500KB/s on a connection that regularily sustains 1.2 MB/s.  What gives, Valve?  Don&#8217;t have a great online content distribution network, or what?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Nintendo Revolution: The Facts</title>
		<link>http://video-games.elliottback.com/nintendo-revolution/</link>
		<comments>http://video-games.elliottback.com/nintendo-revolution/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Oct 2005 18:24:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Backwards Compatible]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Benchmarks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Classics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[E3]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Nintendo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nintendo Revolution]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://video-games.elliottback.com/2005/10/30/nintendo-revolution/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Joystiq reports what they know about the Nintendo Revolution.  If what they say is credible, which I believe it is, then the Revolution might be the best new console.  Here are the details:

Release is sometime in 2006.
Prototype shown is larger than final unit.
Nintendo is still determining final colors for the console.
All-Access Gaming, which [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/Screenshots/_NINTENDO%20REV.jpg" width="300" height="208" alt="" title="" /></p>
<p>Joystiq <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000667043658/">reports </a>what they know about the Nintendo Revolution.  If what they say is credible, which I believe it is, then the Revolution might be the best new console.  Here are the details:</p>
<blockquote><p>
Release is sometime in 2006.<br />
Prototype shown is larger than final unit.<br />
Nintendo is still determining final colors for the console.<br />
All-Access Gaming, which refers to backwards compatibility to 20 years of Nintendo games, NES, SNES, N64. We don&#8217;t know particulars of how it&#8217;ll be accessed or what, if any, the cost structure might be.<br />
Downloadable to 512MB of flash memory.<br />
SD memory card slot.<br />
Wireless controllers.<br />
Two USB 2.0 ports.<br />
Built-in WiFi.<br />
WiFi used to interface with the DS.<br />
DS likely to enhance future games.<br />
Self-loading optical drive that will play 12cm Revolution discs and smaller GameCube discs<br />
Self-contained attachment for playing media content, including DVDs.<br />
No controller was shown. So even though the box looks a lot like the one leaked over the weekend, the accompanying controllers were not presented. So was it a leak, or a really good guess?
</p></blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000760043637/">Engaget </a>also covered the E3 Nintendo Revolution event.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Half Life 2: Lost Coast</title>
		<link>http://video-games.elliottback.com/half-life-2-lost-coast/</link>
		<comments>http://video-games.elliottback.com/half-life-2-lost-coast/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 29 Oct 2005 01:35:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Benchmarks]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://video-games.elliottback.com/2005/10/28/half-life-2-lost-coast/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Gamespot reports that Valve has released &#8220;Half Life 2: Lost Coast&#8221; on their Steam client.  Gamespot sums up the gameplay:  
If you&#8217;ve played through Half-Life 2, the gameplay in Lost Coast isn&#8217;t going to set the world on fire. You fight your way up a sheer cliff face, trading fire with those pesky [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Gamespot <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/6136768">reports </a>that Valve has released &#8220;Half Life 2: Lost Coast&#8221; on their Steam client.  Gamespot sums up the gameplay:  </p>
<blockquote><p>If you&#8217;ve played through Half-Life 2, the gameplay in Lost Coast isn&#8217;t going to set the world on fire. You fight your way up a sheer cliff face, trading fire with those pesky Combine soldiers every step of the way. You&#8217;ll occasionally have to deal with some of the more vicious sorts of headcrabs, and at the end you&#8217;ll have to bring down a Combine gunship with Gordon Freeman&#8217;s trusty rocket launcher. You&#8217;ll have to solve a couple of light physics puzzles as well, which we won&#8217;t detail for the sake of preserving at least a little of the surprise. You&#8217;ll even get to talk to an old man at the beginning of the level, who provides you with the impetus to head up into the hills and engage the Combine in the first place. </p></blockquote>
<p>Lost Coast also features new High Dynamic-Range Lighting, which is a significant improvement of graphics.  Caveat Emptor:  Valve says that the system requirements of this game are &#8220;very high&#8221;, meaning that this game may not run well, or function at all, on a computer that <em>was</em> able to run Half Life 2.  Luckily, the Steam client does prompt the user if his PC is not up-to-snuff.</p>
<p><img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/_lostcoast.jpg" width="300" height="224" alt="" title="" /></p>
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		<title>PS3 to run at 120 frames per second?</title>
		<link>http://video-games.elliottback.com/ps3-to-run-at-120-frames-per-second/</link>
		<comments>http://video-games.elliottback.com/ps3-to-run-at-120-frames-per-second/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Oct 2005 23:34:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Benchmarks]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://video-games.elliottback.com/2005/10/28/ps3-to-run-at-120-frames-per-second/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi claims that the PS3 will be able to run at 120 FPS.  Despite the fact that most new TVs aren&#8217;t capable of refreshing their screens 120 times per second, Kutaragi says his PS3 will be able to take advantage of any TV with the capacity, whenever advances in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi claims that the PS3 will be able to run at 120 FPS.  Despite the fact that most new TVs aren&#8217;t capable of refreshing their screens 120 times per second, Kutaragi says his PS3 will be able to take advantage of any TV with the capacity, whenever advances in technology allow for it.  Even as the refresh rate of TVs increases, it is unlikely that a TV of that quality will be a commercially viable option for the majority of gamers in the near future.  Kutaragi says that the PS3&#8217;s chip is a work in progress, and he is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/6136786">hoping </a><br />
that it could eventually</p>
<blockquote><p>take advantage of the technology in many ways, such as displaying newspapers in their actual size, showing multiple high-definition channels on the screen at once, and video conferencing. He emphasized that the Cell can be used to decode more than 10 HDTV channels simultaneously, and it can also be used to apply effects such as rotating and zooming. </p></blockquote>
<p><img src="http://video-games.elliottback.com/wp-content/Screenshots/_playstation-3-bpad.jpg" width="233" height="300" alt="" title="" /></p>
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