Xbox360 - Final launch lineup

Joshua Stubbles · Nov 2005

The official launch lineup has been given. Not a bad selection, either:

- Amped 3 (2K Sports)
- Call of Duty 2 (Activision)
- Condemned: Criminal Origins (Sega)
- FIFA 06: Road to the World Cup (Electronic Arts)
- Gun (Activision)
- Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft Game Studios)
- Madden NFL 06 (Electronic Arts)
- NBA 2K6 (2K Sports)
- NBA Live 06 (Electronic Arts)
- Need for Speed Most Wanted (Electronic Arts)
- NHL 2K6 (2K Sports)
- Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft Game Studios)
- Peter Jackson's King Kong (Ubisoft)
- Project Gotham Racing 3 (Microsoft Game Studios)
- Quake 4 (Activision)
- Ridge Racer 6 (Namco)
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 (Electronic Arts)
- Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (Activision)

I think I'll be nabbing Perfect Dark, Project Gotham and Madden '06 to start. GUN and Amped 3 will probably be the next ones I pick up. What are your guy's picks?

monster · Nov 2005

Need for Speed Most Wanted.

That's right, you can't catch me.

adam · Nov 2005

I'll probably wait a year until developers know wtf they're doing and produce games at Xbox's full potential.

I'll buy games now though and play them on the offices 360...

Ninjas · Nov 2005

Wow, they sure have their sports and racing titles don't they? I would play Gun, and Ridge Racer if somebody gave me an XBox 360, but from this I see no reason to buy one yet.

LordScottish · Nov 2005

I don't see any reason too for the next year. But I would propably buy cod2 and Gun if I had one, because my comp won't run cod2 with dx9 shaders

JKMakowka · Nov 2005

Not planning to buy one anyways, but that line up is pretty dissapointing in my eyes

Some (probably medicore) PC ports, a few boring EA-Sport sequels, and one or two good racing games is not what I call a good launch lineup.

Joshua Stubbles · Nov 2005

Err, what do you guys want then? Most of those games look great to me. I'm not sure what you're expecting here..

Thegodzero · Nov 2005

400 for the basic system? Hmmm when i see 300 on the price tag and it comes with a HD and a DVD remote then i'll get one. Untill then no.

nealb4me · Nov 2005

Too many damn sports games, need more racing games...

man_o_mule · Nov 2005

the ONLY game i would buy from that list is Condemned. that's the only original game that's not on the other systems that looks interesting. plus it's made by monolith, one of my favorite game companies.

nealb4me · Nov 2005

I'm very intrigued by it too, just hope you can get it going with mouse and keyboard.

sonic · Nov 2005

Microsoft said that you won't be able to use a mouse/keyboard for any ingame action, just for chatting in the games.

PGR3, Condemned, and PD:Z are the only games that look exciting that aren't already released for PC...

kind of a weak lineup IMO.

BoBo_the_seal · Nov 2005

Kameo is the only thing that looks good to me on that list. Maybe Gun as well.

- BoBo

gauss · Nov 2005

but Condemned looks to be a premiere hobo killing simulator! how can you go wrong!

nitzmoff · Nov 2005

[ QUOTE ]
Err, what do you guys want then? Most of those games look great to me. I'm not sure what you're expecting here..

[/ QUOTE ]

A Halo, a Soul Calibur, or a Mario 64. A game that unquestionably sells sytems. The X360 seems largely to me to fall into the 'buy it because it's new' genre of electronics. In my opinion, there's no killer app in that lineup, but we shall see.

malcolm · Nov 2005

Seems like a pretty standard launch line up historically speaking. I wasn't expecting much but I got to take a look at some games running the 360 consumer unit set to 1080i on a sony wega lcd 21", and holy fucking shit! I did not expect the games to look that good, the videos on the internet do not do the visuals justice. I am completely blown away by the quantum leap in visuals, keep in mind there a few launch titles that look very current gen though. I'm waiting until I ship my first 360 title before I decide whether I want one or not, certainly looking forward to starting the project in a week though!

Rhinokey · Nov 2005

wow 7 games that are not sports or racing..

aren't most of those games alreadyout on other systems? what giant difrence will be in the 360 version? i mean besides the extra 10 - 15 bucks on the price tag

JKim3 · Nov 2005

John Warner · Nov 2005

i think i'll wait a bit first..

Rhinokey · Nov 2005

only obvious dif i can see on 360 is higher rez maps,

so far at release the 360 seems like a collossol waste of cash

nitzmoff · Nov 2005

Yeah, those Gun 360 shots are more like Xbox 1.5 than anything else. I'd be leary of any game with that many sku's.

malcolm · Nov 2005

Have a look at the nfs most wanted 360 version, and nba live 2006. Those were the two games that stood out that looked next gen not ported up from ps2. Also I suggest checking them out in person to really appreciate the visual quality. I've downloaded some movies but perhaps the movies are not hi def, or were captured in standard mode? When more developers start to embrace robust lighting pipelines we'll start to see the visual quality go way up.

JKim3 · Nov 2005

Eh. Personally, $400 isn't something I'm willing to shell out for just graphics when I can get a current gen version. However, is this one of the larger launch line-ups in recent times? At least the ports are good for that.

For any of the ports, do the next-gen version have different gameplay?

Dio · Nov 2005

Lot of nay-sayers here. Its great line-up going by numbers and that does count for something. It says that developers are jumping on board, eager to produce content for it.

Im not really interested in anyone of the games but there is reason for hope. Nintendo has the brand recognition titles but developers seem to only be interested in their hand-helds. What were the killer apps for the PS2 and PS1? I remember getting 'Destruction Derby' when the PS1 launched, and I thought it was great. When the PS2 came about I poped DD in and couldnt believe how lame it was compared to the newer games of the day. Halo, as I recall, was not anticapated to be the killer app it was.

What has me salivating is Oblivion, which when released will percepitate my purchase of the 360.

Toomas · Nov 2005

Dio most of the devs jumping aboard are just porting their games over.
Nintendo have devs "interested" in GC aswell, for ports that is.

To make my point clear, 13 of those games are ports and 3 are made by MS Game Studios so that leaves 2 games that i am unsure wether they appear on other systems or not (Contemned and Ridge Racer).

KeyserSoze · Nov 2005

[ QUOTE ]
Halo, as I recall, was not anticapated to be the killer app it was.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you kidding? I remember Halo being hyped long before Microsoft even decided to get into the console business, when the game was originally being made for the PC market (I think it was actually being built on and for Mac OS, but I think they also planned on a Windows release). Halo was hyped for years before it was ever released on the Xbox. I remember downloading videos of Halo back in the late 90's, and the visuals blew me away. I'm pretty sure the sole reason that Microsoft bought Bungie was so that they could have Halo as an exclusive Xbox launch title.

_Shimmer · Nov 2005

hmm sad, saints row didnt hit the shelves on launch. Anyway, cool looking games. maybe I´ll buy a console... never had one. so..

rawkstar · Nov 2005

i have some serious doubts about some really good innovative games coming out for the xbox/xbox360, I mean with 360 out the regular xbox is gonna be pretty much dead development wise most people will switch over, or be made to switch over by M$, most of the really cool console games I've played were on the ps2, and you know what I'll probably still play them, for some reason I really don't mind the graphics so much being a tad outdated, as long as the art is good. I mean what good is all this power if ur not using it right and don't have any good artists?

I'll probably buy this anyway, but most likely sometime around march (or whenever gears of war comes out)

hawken · Nov 2005

been playing gun on PC. It's good, but it wouldn't make me buy an xbox360, neither would any of the other games.

I just started playing resievil4 on the GC and thats light years ahead in terms of graphics than Gun anyhow.

Seriously, sometimes the environments in gun look like they are from quake 1.

Soul_Reaper · Nov 2005

Bah, looks like Dead Or Alive 4 slipped.
I'll probably wait then until I actually can afford one.

KDR_11k · Nov 2005

Bah, looks like Dead Or Alive 4 slipped.

Not only that but DOA slipped from their backwards compatibility list as well.

Joshua Stubbles · Nov 2005

The backwards compatibility is in software. It's all emulated. There are 200 games at start, that are backwards compatible. Doesn't mean that MS won't release an emu download in the future for DoA. I sure as hell hope they do, anyways

KDR_11k · Nov 2005

Yes but knowing MS I have a feeling they won't patch in games that could compete with new games from their lineup before those gaes have seen a decent number of sales. So you have an X360, perhaps even traded in your XBox and a few of your faviourite gaes aren't supported yet. Then comes along the new version of the game that may not be that much better but it'll work now, not later. You're more likely to buy the new one becaue you can't tell yourself "I have the old one already, that's good enough".

Soul_Reaper · Nov 2005

I'm keeping my old Xbox anyway, so that's no big deal for me.

Moz · Nov 2005

Crap like this is still why my N64 is my most played system.

malcolm · Nov 2005

So my friend's brother won the 360 in a pepsi contest run here in Canada. He got the full package with hard drive and a copy of Kameo, we don't get to buy 360 until the 22nd so this was neat as I was able to try out the system tonight november 17th. Even on a standard tv Kameo looks great. A lot of next gen art going on. Reflections, refractions, normal mapped everything, real time lighting and the best use of paralax mapping I have ever seen, at least I think it's paralax mapping. The only flaw in the art is objects do not cast shadows on the terrain! This is not too bad given the art style which is cartoony. The part where there are 2000 orks on screen in real time is a solid 30fps with no exceptions. Unfortunately I don't recommend this game, it is really simple and extremely repetitive and after a few drinks we forced my friend's brother to play the game for us so we could just watch the nice art go by. He almost finished the game for us but we had to leave as it got too late. I doubt I will ever see the end of the game because of the repetitive gameplay.

jec1183 · Nov 2005

I am waiting for Gears of War to hit the shelves before I think about buying the system. As of right now none of the new games are true next get as the system is being billed. Call of Duty2 and king kong look practically the same on the ps2 and xbox. Call of Duty 2 as well as Gun can be bought for PC at 20 dollars less then the 360 games. Its going to be atleast a year before developers are using the system at its full potential. I saw Kameo at best buy and I am not impressed at all. It has the same problems as Doom3 had with normal maps with that high specular shine like some kid is looking at the world with a high powered flash light and everything is metal.

-Onyx- · Nov 2005

I don't own any consoles, and don't care to waste my money. I prefer to play games on my PC. Resolution is superior, and controls are a lot easier to use. You get more precision with your mouse than you EVER will with a thumbpad.

KDR_11k · Nov 2005

Onyx: Not all games require or even use absolute controls so the mouse is pretty useless for many of them. How would you play something like Super Mario Bros with a mouse?

sonic · Nov 2005

[ QUOTE ]
I don't own any consoles, and don't care to waste my money. I prefer to play games on my PC. Resolution is superior, and controls are a lot easier to use. You get more precision with your mouse than you EVER will with a thumbpad.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would sure hate to play Ninja Gaiden with a mouse/keyboard!

KDR_11k · Nov 2005

Well, you can add a gamepad to your PC, that's not the problem. The problem is that there aren't many genres that end up on the PC.

Joshua Stubbles · Nov 2005

Resolution might be better, but do you have a 42inch plamsa monitor? I didn't think so...
It's about the total experience. I'd rather be sitting comfortably on my couch playing CoD2, engulfed in HD video and superior audio, than scrunched over on my PC, staring at a tiny screen.
The controls are NOT an issue, either. It's how good you are at using them. I've schooled a shitload of buddies who are avid CSS and Quake players on Halo (Xbox). They were using the JoyFrag, and I was using the controllerS. If you set your controls properly, and can handle it well, you can school a PC player easily.

KDR_11k · Nov 2005

Resolution might be better, but do you have a 42inch plamsa monitor? I didn't think so...

Where do 42" plasma screens figure into that? My TV has maybe three inches more than my computer monitor.

The JoyFrag is limited, it can't give you the instant turns a native PC game can, it's more like controlling a spaceship in the Freespace games. Plus Halo is quite different from Quake or CS.

malcolm · Nov 2005

xbox360 runs 720p = 720x1280 and 1080i = 1080x1920 interlaced. I could have bought the console for the price of my equivalent video card. Also if you don't have an hdtv you can always just buy the first party vga adapter and play xbox360 on your pc monitor.

CMB · Nov 2005

When 360 comes out I'll be at friends playing oblivion...
Oh and wtfhax b1ll's homepage was updated

KDR_11k · Nov 2005

CMB: You remember that Oblivion was delayed?

man_o_mule · Nov 2005

stupid co worker is trying to convince me to play oblivion......i did buy morrowind, and i played it non stop for about a week. then asked myself whey the hell was i playing a game that mimicked an mmo without the people and wasn't fun. i soon traded it in.

my co worker somehow thinks that if i sit around watching him play it will make me want to play it. Why he wants this to happen i do not know. I would end up having to play it on his 360 cause i can't afford one.

ebagg · Nov 2005

I'll be waiting a while, let them work out any defects and get a bigger games lineup. That lineup looks pretty average to me, not to sound snotty but none of the games from that list really scream being worth the price of admission.

Joshua Stubbles · Nov 2005

Don't think there will be any defects at all. I bought my Xbox/PS2/GC/PSP on their launch days, and mine have never had issues. I don't think the 360 will have any issues with it, either.

I'll be out at Best Buy tomrrow morning @ 6:30am, if anyone here is in Reno :P

Lee3dee · Nov 2005

I heard best buy by me is selling advanced tickets for xbox360s, so you can pick them up tomorow. Nope!. There's a line of people in tents waiting for the 360s release.

Since there's only 2 games I really want "Gears of War & Oblivion" this will be my first new system launch that I won't be buying on the day its released. Seems like alot of places are only getting a small amount for tomorows launch. I bet if mountain dew hadn't of given 1 away every 10 seconds, there would be more to go around

Joshua Stubbles · Nov 2005

lol. Damn the Dew!

I think they just made a bad mistake, in launching world-wide, simultaneously. Sure, it's a GREAT idea on paper, but it leads to shortage problems like this. Lame.

Xbox360 - Final launch lineup

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