Thats right! A new SKU (package) of 360s MIGHT be coming our way.  Apparently it will be named Xbox 360 Ultimate(anyone else think Microsoft is going overboard on all the names like this? Whats next, Legendary?)

RUMORED specs(main differences):

320 HDD(overkill to me)

Built in HD-DVD player

Built in Wifi

To tell everyone the truth I expect this to be a false rumor. I have added up the price for this (if ordered how it is now) and it ends up being around $700. Microsoft has already said it hates the PS3's price. Why would they match or go higher then that?

Expected Release: 8/??/08

To discuss in our forums click HERE

Grand Theft Auto IV, that's right, the 9th game in the Grand Theft Auto series has had it's release date delayed from 2007 to around April 2008 because of additional time needed to complete the title.

Why you ask? Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two, stated, “With Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar is setting a new standard for next generation video games. Certain elements of development proved to be more time-intensive than expected, especially given the commitment for a simultaneous release on two very different platforms. We all recognize that perfecting the game is vital and I can assure everyone it will be worth the wait. We owe it to the game’s millions of fans, to our dedicated development team, and to our shareholders to make sure that Grand Theft Auto IV is a groundbreaking gaming experience that takes maximum advantage of next generation technology.”

I guess all of us die-hard GTA fans will have to wait till next year untill we can get our greedy little hands on this baby. But, by the sounds of it, it's gonna be worth the wait. Check out screenshots and trailers here.

Full story here.

Yep, it is December 4th and the Xbox 360 Fall update is finally available. Just connect your 360 to LIVE and it should ask for the download. Simple as that. If by chance your 360 does not say there is an update available (rarely) give it an hour or so and try again. Then then update will come up. 

Also, DivX has been reported working. It is not 100% yet but more like 90%.  So for all the DivX lovers out there, this is a major update for you. In the tests, the 360 could play almost ALL the DivX movies we put on it. 

So what are you waiting for? Go UPDATE. 

Here is a link to the Full Changelog 

And here's the official press release issued by Microsoft about the fall 2007 update explaining the main new features:

As promised, Microsoft is bringing some early gifts to your Xbox 360 just prior to the holiday season. Beginning at 0200 a.m. PST on Dec. 4, the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update will be available for all connected Xbox 360 consoles free of charge, bringing an array of new features and enhancements to the leading gaming and entertainment system.

Among the key new enhancements are the previously announced Xbox Originals game download service, Family Timer parental control feature, and expanded social networking experiences. Xbox 360 owners can also look forward to enhanced navigation, profile and video features and Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits.

This free update will be digitally distributed over Xbox LIVE to the more than 8 million Xbox LIVE members worldwide (Xbox LIVE Silver and Gold) with no disc or hard drive required. Gamers without an Xbox LIVE account can easily sign up for the free network by connecting their console to a broadband internet connection. New features and enhancements include:

MORE DOWNLOAD OPTIONS:
* Xbox Originals – With this new service, announced on Nov. 13, consumers can download-to-own full original Xbox games that were previously only available at retail. The digital shelves will always be stocked with classic titles, such as "Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex" "Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge," "Halo," "Fable," "Fuzion Frenzy," "Psychonauts," and more as the catalogue grows over time, at 1200 Microsoft Points per game.
* Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits – On Xbox LIVE Arcade, the Arcade Hits program kicks off where some of the best selling Xbox LIVE Arcade games will become available at permanently reduced prices, making it easier than ever for everyone to build a library of downloadable games! The first games to become Arcade Hits will be "Bankshot Billiards 2" and "Lumines LIVE," which will be available for 800 Microsoft Points each, and "Marble Blast Ultra," "Small Arms" and "Zuma Deluxe," which will be available for 400 Microsoft Points each. With free trial downloads for every game and over 100 games to choose from, Xbox LIVE Arcade offers something for every member of the family.

NEW WAYS TO KEEP UP TO DATE AND CONNECTED:
* Inside Xbox – A new direct feed brings current news straight from Xbox.com into the Xbox LIVE Dashboard providing members an easy, predictable entry point where they can discover what's new in: game releases, events, and Xbox LIVE Marketplace offers.
* Enhanced online profile – Members interested in sharing a few more details about themselves will have the option to go beyond their motto and further personalize their profile with an expanded bio. The extended bios will be visible to "Friends Only" or the entire Xbox LIVE community. 
* Expanded Friends List access – A quick and easy way for gamers to expand their personal community on Xbox LIVE, members will be able to see the Friends Lists of other Xbox LIVE members, boosting their social networking experience on the service.

ENHANCED OVERALL EXPERIENCE AND CONTROL:
* Enhanced Parental Controls – Family Timer, a strong and flexible new addition to the Xbox 360 Family Settings, enables parents to set the amount of time their Xbox 360 can be used on a per-day or per-week basis by their children or other members of the household.
* New video features – The convenience of full-screen movie previews and enhanced video codec support further expand the options when it comes to the Xbox 360 entertainment experience.
* Easy-to-use navigation features – With several noteworthy changes in the Xbox LIVE Dashboard, from the new Game Store button to the Video Store button to enhanced visuals and descriptions in the video library, Xbox LIVE members can find what they want, when they want it. 

These features are just some of the new enhancements Xbox 360 owners can expect as part of the Fall Dashboard Update. On December 4th a list of all the new features and improvements will be posted at: http://www.xbox.com/live. 

Graphixbrew's Official Signature Contest – Details

Did you ever make a signature that was breath-taking? Or have you ever wanted to make one?
Well now you can enter that sig and get it judged, At
Graphixbrew's First Official Signature Contest. See below for details

Prizes
1st Place gets

-Custom title (a reasonable one)  **MAYBE**
-mentioned on the front page
-Custom Userbar

2nd Place gets

-mentioned on the front page
-custom userbar

3rd Place gets

-custom userbar
=====OR=====
-Mentioned on the front page

Rules
1. No ripping, you will be disqualified and banned if you do.
2. It has to be your own work
3. Must not exceed 530×150 Pixels
4. This is a freestyle Contest
5. Renders and C4D's May be used
6. All material in the renders must be appropriate for viewers under 18.
7. No racial or sexual content
8. You may ONLY submit ONE signature

Contest starts November 25th, 2007 and ends December 20th.

Enter HERE

We MIGHT be able to issue custom titles, however if we cannot, we will have a different prize for you.

Dont have Photoshop or a decent paint program? if so PM ME.

Well I noticed it was almost Christmas around here and a lot of people want a Xbox 360. So I decided to break everything down for the people who want a 360 but do not understand all the packages.

 Notes:

* The Core model has been discontinued. The $199.99 price tag is based on the GameStop refurbished price.
** See explanation below

*** Hard Drive required 

 Zephyr, Falcon, Jasper … Can you explain all these different chipsets? 

Zephyr is the name giving to the first upgrade of the Xbox 360's motherboard, which started showing up in retail consoles July 2007, and sported an HDMI 1.2 port and an improved heatsink.

The Falcon chipset will sport a smaller, 65nm CPU — theoretically, this means cooler temperatures and less energy usage. These chips are expected to find their way into consoles by the end of this year. The rumored Jasper chipset isn't expected until August 2008 and will reportedly feature a smaller, 65nm GPU.

Except for checking for an HDMI port (included in all Zephyr and later chipsets), there is no easy way to tell which chipset you have.

  "Microsoft has no intention of telling you which box has 65-nanometer chips on the inside," Dean Takahashi (Mercury News) said. "All Falcon-equipped Xbox 360s have HDMI ports, but not all HDMI-enabled 360s have Falcons. I really don't know how you're going to be able to tell the difference. If you're buying an Xbox 360 without HDMI, then for sure you aren't getting Falcon," he said. 

Why isn't the Core or Arcade model backwards compatible?

A hard drive is required for backwards compatibility, both for holding the emulation software and to act as a storage space for original Xbox games to use (remember, the original Xbox had a hard drive). It's important to remember that if you buy an Arcade or Core SKU and want to be backwards compatible (or just store more than 256 MB), all you need to do is buy an HDD from Microsoft at your local Video Game seller.

So there you have it. Thanks to Joystick for some of the info. 

It's awesome how little has actually changed within the internal design of the console, obviously some components have changed but the general layout remains the same after two years.

Here's what's interesting: the CPU, GPU and eDRAM die all seem to have gotten smaller, but at different rates. The CPU sees the biggest reduction in size, the new core being about 75% the size of the old one, while both GPU components are around 85% the size of their predecessors.
It's possible that all three chips are now 65nm, or a mixture of 65nm and 80nm.Needless to say, the chips are all smaller, which should yield some nice power savings.

Ok, we are trying to get this site up and running again as all of you know.  So we have a question for everyone. Do you want us to post news just concerning Homebrew for the Xbox line (which is few and far between) or post articles concerning just about all Xbox and 360 news?

 This can make a change to the site and we want this site to suit every person's wants and needs. So post a comment and tell us what you want.  

 Also, we are posting new forum rules. So everyone have a look at them and see what you think.

Well, heres two things i never thought i would see together. Seems ESPN and Microsoft have teamed up to provide all Xbox 360 owners (connected to Live) to enjoy ESPN content. This is awesome news.

"ESPN and Microsoft Corp. today announced an agreement that will add high- and standard-definition full-length games, television shows and video game programming to Xbox LIVE, the online games and entertainment network on Xbox 360. Effective immediately, fans of all ages can access a growing catalog of marquee sporting events and timely programming, including full-length NCAA college football and basketball games, Summer X Games 13, "World Series of Poker," "The Contender," "Madden Nation" and much more on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, the leading high-definition video download service.
"Establishing this relationship with Microsoft on Xbox 360 provides an innovative way to reach our target demographic through this dynamic next-generation entertainment console," said Matt Murphy, senior vice president, Digital Video Distribution, Disney and ESPN Media Networks. "This agreement embodies our mission to deliver the best sports content to fans, and does it through an exciting and robust platform that reaches millions of people."
Through this agreement, Xbox LIVE users can download a variety of popular events and shows available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace each week, highlighted by the best matchups from the world of college football and basketball.
For video gamers, ESPN content on Xbox LIVE will include the 2006 and 2007 seasons of "Madden Nation," an ESPN reality series taking fans inside the world of Madden NFL football competitive gaming. Additional programming will include the 2007 "World Series of Poker," the 2007 season of "The Contender," the full-length high-definition surfing documentary "Down the Barrel" and some of the best college football bowl games."
     "This is a natural fit for us, as so many Xbox 360 owners are huge sports fans," said Ross Honey, senior director of the media and entertainment group at Microsoft. "We are dedicated to providing our diverse community of Xbox LIVE users the premium entertainment content they want, and partnering with ESPN is a great example of our continued dedication in the video-on-demand space, especially in high definition."
Currently offering more than 3,200 hours of premium entertainment content from more than 30 studios and networks, Xbox LIVE Marketplace is the only online service offering downloadable movies and TV shows in high definition. More information about the great ESPN content being offered on the service is available at http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/marketplace/moviestv/?WT.svl=nav."

This is very nice for us sports fans. Just thinking about baseball games, football games, and every other sport on my Live account one day will be nice. Out of area Sports games while traveling will be a breeze now. We will see more in the upcoming months.

This is opening the doors for a lot of other TV companies to bring in their shows.