Updates-Schmupdates!

Just got the latest update for my 360 dash and it's got some nice features but I've also got two major (and admittedly spercific) gripes.

Windows Media Player 11 now shares my ENTIRE music collection which is incredibly unorganised due to them being Limewire downloads with all the info mixed up. Finding a song is almost impossible and because you can't make playlists made up of songs from your PC, you can't just make a set of songs you want to listen to.

The other is that it won't play my Battlestar Galactica episodes which is probably something to do with the file format.

Is it too much to adsk for these tiny little problems I have to be corrected?! Is it?!

Doing What We Do Best!

So, I've spent the summer months bricking myself because the forum has been so quiet. The funny thing is, I go through this emotional journey every summer of panicking because everyone's on holiday or out playing football but this summer seemed especially bad.

Because we're on the brink of this huge next-generation conflict there was literally f*ck all to do over the summer in terms of games and that only improved when Dead Rising hit.

Choosing to release a great game at the end of Summer was a master stroke, it got more coverage than every game of the summer combined and sold better thanks to it.

But now it feels like the forum is waking up again. The hardcore early adopters are selling 360's to those who were undecided and more of the "old skool" BXB crew are returning from console obscurity.

With hundreds of awesome games coming out over the next few months, I have no doubt that our forums will be full of many new and old gamers a-like, enjoying a good chin wag about all things gaming related.

We've also had a massive influx of new people over the last week (partly thanks to the Xbox Live Vision Camera competition) and they've been getting involved in the forum too.

Raising Awareness

In the past, I've not really strived to raise the awareness of BXB using popular online methods and preferred to get our exposure through print media and TV thanks our events, which has proven very successful.

Well, being as we're undecided whether we'll be hosting anymore LAN events, I've taken to using established means of raising awareness about BXB online.

Firstly, I've been striving to actually secure and follow up on real news stories that concern our community such as the SmackTalk Device and I also recently added our Xbox Live Vision Camera competition to sites like ThePrizeFinder.com. I've just charged Andy with finding review portal sites like Metascore to get our reviews out there!

I guess for some webmasters, this is all pretty standard stuff, but I've never been a fan of doing things the standard way and I think that BXB has grown greatly from my different approaches to self-promotion.

Cameras and Gears

I think it's time for an update on stuff on the front of BXB, despite the fact that if you're reading this, you've probably already seen it.

First up we have a cool Xbox Live Vision Camera to give away in our latest competition! Your chance to win can be found here. Get e-mailing that answer!

We've also just posted our Hands on Preview of Gears of War which can be found here. Gears had to be the most popular and frankly awesome game at X06.

I played both co-op and multiplayer modes and was impressed by both greatly. The stop and pop cover system is great fun and it's still a game with a great amount of action and drama.

Of course, it's the best looking game ever.

Can't wait for its release next month!

Don't Mind Waiting?

Well, I read an interview on GameIndustry.biz with Jamie McDonald from Sony who said that he was gutted the Playstation 3 had been delayed but "European consumers have shown that historically they don't mind that".

What!? We don't mind being treated as second class citizens?! I don't even want a PS3 as I'm happy with the 360 but this is taking the piss?!

Has he asked anyone in England? I'm sure there will be plenty of people who are annoyed that they have to wait for the PS3?

Why do these big gaming types believe that they can tell us what is best?

Crack the Smack Goes Global!

BXB's Crack the Smack Campaign has already hit headlines across the world including the massive gaming site Joystiq.com who say that the device will "let the pre-recorded sexism, racism and homophobia flow like the Nile".

Sadly, some less responsible sources are promoting this pointless and annoying device! IGN delights in the fact that the SmackTalk device "adds massive powers of annoyance" to Xbox Live. Even Gizmondo gave the device a fair review without even stopping to think that maybe it isn't such a good idea.

But we still have some support! Check out fellow XCN site 360Monster which is full of people moaning about this stupid peice of technology!

Not sure what Smacktalking is? Check out this useful YouTube video which I'm embedding onto my blog for the first time and hoping that it works!



So despite a few comment deleting nay sayers (This isn't racism by the way), BXB's latest campaign is taking off with a storm! And I've just got an e-mail back from Microsoft who have said they are looking into whether this device breaks the Xbox Live Code of Conduct!

Anyway, I'm off to re-read "Out of Harms Way" by Jack Thompson!

Crack the Smack!

As a journalist you do have to do a certain amount of meddling in other people's affairs to actually get a good story. Recently, I've been pretty annoyed at this SmackTalk device from Digital Innovations.

So, I've decided that BXB could run a month long "Crack the Smack" campaign to help try and root out and expose the worse smack talkers on Xbox Live.

Basically, my idea is this, when someone on BXB encounters a bad smack talker they add this person's gamertag to a thread on BXB. They leave them negative feedback and then ask other people on BXB to do the same.

At the end of the month, I e-mail all the gamertags off to Microsoft and complain about them smack talking!

The potential for pun headlines alone means this is something worth running! Here's a few initial ideas:

Smack Users Xbox Live Crackdown

Smacktalk gets Smacked down

Yanks Use Smack the most on Xbox Live

Keep your eyes on BXB for future developments and remember: Don't tolerate Smack Abuse in your Community!

And I'be just made a logo:



I'm totally serial.

Good Idea, Bad Idea

Ripping this idea from Animanics I've created my own Good Idea, Bad Idea feature for this blog entry.

Good Idea: Making Xbox Live regional spercific, so the Brits play with Brits, the Germans with the Germans and (most importantly) the Yanks with the Yanks.

Bad Idea...

Now, seriously, just stop and think for a minute. We witnessed the horror which Halo 2 Xbox Live play unleashed on the world (and is one big reason I barely play Xbox Live anymore) but to encourage the loud mouthed yanks to actually insult everyone else in the world more is down right irresponsible.

Doesn't this little gadget actually break the rules of Xbox Live? Well, after a few seconds of checking, you'll find it does...

"8. USE OF COMMUNICATION FACILITIES

Your use of the Service is subject to the Code of Conduct. You also agree not to do any of the following while being connected to the Service:

Defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten, or otherwise violate the legal rights (such as rights of privacy and publicity) of others."

How can this company sell this product when it clearly breaks the terms and conditions of Xbox Live use?

Exhausted and Ill...

Well, I'm getting towards finishing the content for X06 now! Got maybe two or three more articles to write and be published on the site over the next few days.

Since returning from Barcelona I've written a two part feature on X06, a hands on preview of Viva Pinata, made a video montage of footage and games from the event and written my favourite article called "The Untold Tales of X06".

I've since caught my brothers God awful cold and I'm now going to have end todays draining work on BXB and go and relax for a while and possibly eat lots of really unhealthy chocolate and sweets.

You can check out a round up of all my articles so far by clicking Here

Oh and one more thing, BXB's Reviews Editor Andy Gardiner also launched his own blog recently and that can be found here