Yeah, a 32 direction d-pad seems entirely pointless when there's an actual analogue stick sat right next to it. I would have thought a decent, 8-directional microswitched effort would be an infinitely better idea.

Whilst this is true, a greater ability to detect direction should mean that it can intelligently work out which direction you're trying to go in on those that use the 8-directional set up, like Street Fighter for example. At the moment, it's so annoying hitting the d-pad to the right and because you don't get it perfectly to the right, you have a smidge of 'up' in there too, it decides to register it as a jump, or right and jump.

Like I say, it could be just as bad, but fingers crossed that they've managed to improve.

Fucking nonsensical.

If the only goal of releasing a new controller is to improve d-pad function, why not grow a damn brain and go all the way with a traditional controller. At least have the d-pad where the analog stick is, since location is part of the problem.

OK, so there's not really a proper new controller on the way, unfortunately:
[ source ]

Who on Earth uses the d-pad to play Pro Evo?

I might actually pick this up anyway. The colour doesn't bother me and the last Pro Evo game I got was 06.

I swapped a headset at Christmas for ProEvo 08 and from the little I've played of it, not all that impressed. Not much improved over 06, which is fairly average and lacking in features, and has some pretty terrible frame-rate issues at times.

If the D-Pad is better though I might consider trying to grab one of these controllers.

Edit: Eurogamer now have a video preview of it up (here) and it doesn't look good. In fact, it sounds pretty useless, and is clearly based on the same underlying mechanic as the current one, which is why it's shit. Oh well.

News on the new dashboard for Live:
[ source ]

Slightly disappointing, but not at all unexpected. To be honest I wouldn't be surprised to see this slipping further, possibly into 2009.

Have they said anything at all about when they plan to allow game installs to your HD, or is it part of that update?

That's going to be part of the new dashboard update, whenever that will roll around.

Did anybody see this over on GS? Xbox 360 failure fiasco explained in-depth - GameSpot News Blog - Gaming News and Videos If the Xbox 360 was reliable, I would have ditched my Wii long ago and purchased one.

If the cost is really $1.15 billion, what are your thoughts? Given that Xbox 360 sales are somewhere around 10 million (probably higher by now), that's a cost of $115 per unit. Microsoft could have spent an extra $115 on every Xbox made (adding features, reliability, whatever) or it could have charged $115 less, and it would have broke even compared to the current state of affairs. It's interesting (yet sad) to see this kind of business process roll along with the inertia of a mile-high :katamari:

Try to pick the right thread next time, charlie.

yeah but at least jokebox has more games than the dildo console. does it have gears of war huh huh huh

Also been playing Mercs 2 which is broke as hell. Just blowing shit up. May rent IU for lulz then actually start Vesperia.

On an added note, Velvet Assassin looks good. Anyone going to pick the title up?

Massive rumour time on the New Xbox Experience launch:
[ source ]

Not sure I believe all of that, especially since the last thing mentioned put the release of the new dashboard in November sometime, but if it hits at the end of this month that'd be ace.

Good lord.

The worst part about all this is joystiq running it gives the crack addled retard who makes this shit up just the sort of recognition he wants. "Toned it down", the source says. Yeah, sure there buddy. These "news" blogs get worse every fucking day.

I wonder if I can get any traffic here by fucking saying something completely random like "PSN to get FF7 rerelease with trophy support" and having you submit it to these guys, Omagnus.

Might be worth it for an experiment.

Why would they release 6 free games, when I have no space for such on my and most others measly 12 gb hdd. Best news would be 120 gig hdd at most 99 dollars.

fucking a joke, with all the hd content now

Oh I know, it's most likely complete bullshit made up by someone who has misread or misheard something or other. But you know every now and then these crackpot rumours, or part thereof, turn out to be true (if by luck rather than judgement in some cases).

Halo 3 has a new update. The gamerscore has been boosted to 1750 points, but you have to purchase the legendary map pack costing 800ms point to obtain these new achievements.

For more information; Clicky

Hmm... Most of the ones that actually give you a score seem easy enough to do. Nothing that you don't already do in every other map.

Still gotta pick up this game though. ;_;

Yeah, we need to get a party going on this. I still haven't managed to catch any GFFers playing :(

A party specifically for achievement whoring? Or a party in general? Either way, I'm down. Post in the pick up games thread and hopefully someone will notice it.

I'm down for this too (though would need to grab the Legendary pack).

You not got the Legendary maps? I could have sworn I played with you on them...

A party in general. Though, I'm sure we'd get some achievements along the way. I too need to purchase the Legendary pack, Omagnus.

I've got the Heroic map pack, I imagine that was what we played on. I've not paid for a Halo 3 map pack yet.

Additional Spam:
Xbox Live will be going down for 24 hours o n the 29th:
[ source ]

So, like, my elite has just got the RRoD (3 red lights). I'm proper fucked off!