Yet more details of Microsoft’s December 4th Xbox 360 update have been revealed… In addition to the “family timer” (yawn), we now get word that select classic Xbox game titles will be available for download. Initially, there’ll be seven “Xbox Originals” available for purchase, including Halo 1. However, given the large list of backwards compatible Xbox games it’s safe to assume more Originals will be on tap. At fifteen bucks a pop, I could see myself buying a game or two that I may have missed – though Major Nelson indicates these won’t offer Achievements and obviously the resolutions are old school 480p.
Speaking of the Fall Dashboard update, there’s no official word on additional media format support – though Xvid has been rumored for some time (and DivX is coming to the competing PS3). While we’re talking updates, I’d like to see a better organization of the video download area with more good content. And how about making the controller keyboard accessory useful by letting me type in titles to search for.
(Thanks for the tip, Hatter!)
Really makes me want to resurrect my Apple IIe – that machine had the best games (I played ‘Rescue Raiders’ and ‘Top Fuel Eliminator’ and ‘Conan the Barbarian’ for hours)
Load Runner?
Of course, and also Hard Hat Mack & Wavy Navy
Hard Hat Mack! I couldn’t remember the name, but that was the one I loved most. I think I liked Conan and Sammy Lightfoot too. However, my all time favorite game could be Lunar Lander on the TRS 80. ;)
I think a whole revamp of the marketplace is needed. on the topic of updates what ever happend to the iptv that was talked about @ CES?
Maybe Dec 4? :)
I think part of the problem is that there seems to be many different definitions or understanding of what IPTV is. The Xbox IPTV stuff discussed and displayed at CES was provider-based and all partner logos shown were overseas. There were rumors AT&T might provide IPTV via Xbox in the US, but I haven’t heard anything on that since maybe February. The Fall Dashboard update rumors did include an IPTV mention, but I dismissed it. We shall see…
An IPTV release in the US would be v-e-r-y interesting.
Presumably it would offer a channel lineup that would compete with your local cable companies. So you could drop your cable TV subscription, and just keep your broadband.
Whether they would somehow ‘traffic shape’ the service to the point that it wouldn’t really work is an obvious problem. Plus the fact that multicast doesn’t really work on the general internet. And you need serious bandwidth, at least a couple Gbps down just for one TV in a household using SD, and maybe 6Gbps to do one HD channel.
Had been hoping somebody like AT&T would partner with them and try and sell their channels over the top this way into Comcast/TW territories, but still waiting…
Not sure if this is clear from reading the above, but AT&T’s U-verse _is_ using Microsoft’s IPTV platform (Mediaroom/Foundation IPTV Edition).
They are the only provider in the US using Microsoft’s platform (and only have 2 dozen markets covered).
They are the sole provider (US) who “could” provide IPTV access via an Xbox 360 when launched.
Rescue Raiders is one of my all time favorites!
I am sure you are aware Rescue Raiders and Lode Runner and Wavy Navy and Hard Hat Mack and many more are available online via and Apple 2 web based emulator.
check out:
http://www.virtualapple.org/