Recent Posts

1

Charlie Foxtrot Announcemets / Re: Charlie Foxtrot is dead! Long live Charlie Foxtrot!

« Last post by Fly on May 06, 2012, 06:24:37 PM »

CF will be back, we must all keep in touch.
Arma 3 incoming.
God bless you all
Fly out

2

General Discussion / What is Bullet Drop or Minute of Angle?

« Last post by mojo on March 25, 2012, 03:33:44 PM »

This can can a bit scientific but here goes. First the concept of what \"Minute Of Angle\" MOA is and how it affects the bullet\'s dispersion pattern as ranges are increased must be understood. I found this on another website and I believe it is close and can be helpful.

Quote

True Minute Of Angle, MOA, is measured by first determining the minutes of angle in a circle. We know that a circle contains 360 degrees and that there are 60 minutes in each degree. The minutes of angle in a circle is 360 x 60 or 21,600. The circumference of a circle is 2 x p x R where R is the radius of the circle in inches. Hence, for any range R, a minute of angle equals 2 x 3.1416 x R divided by 21,600 or .000291 x R.

Therefore, if the range R is 100 yards, a minute of angle would be .000291 x 100 x 36 or 1.0476 inches. Because the distance covered at 100 yards is so close to being exactly 1 inch, the fraction is usually disregarded for range work, and we commonly say that a minute of change on the rear sight will move the point of impact 1-inch at 100 yards. If we were shooting at 1,000 yards, a minute of angle would cover .000291 x 1000 x 36 or 10.476 inches. The difference between the true minutes of angle and the rounded minutes of angle becomes greater as the range increases.

So basicly 1 MOA equals = 1.045 inches at 100 yards, and increases as the range increases. Most round it to 1 inch - 1 MOA just to ease the process. And except at the \"benchrest or at extremely long ranges\" the 1\" works fine. At least for me anyway. Examples: 200 yards = 2 MOA, 300 yards = 3 MOA... so forth and so on. 500 yards is 5 minute of angle MOA.

To find the theoretical increase in elevation at 100 yards to hit line of sight - point of impact from 200 to 500 yards, divide the range by \"100\" and you get the MOA for that range. 500 yds is 500/100=5 MOA, 450/100= 4.5 MOA, 475/100=4.75 MOA etc etc. Just think of MOA as one inch, it makes it easier.

If your bullet drop at 500 yards is 62\", then divide 62\" by 5 MOA and you get 12.4\" or 62\"/5MOA=12.4\". Given this ballistics input(AKA: Dope), if you zero your sight at 100 yards to impact 12.4\" high, you theorectically should hit point of impact - line of sight at that range.

That is what the reticle takes into account in the scope. You wrote,

Quote

At the bottom it shows the reticle with standard corrections at 100 yards of 1.5\" at 200, 4.5\" at 300, 7.5\" at 400, and 11\" at 500 yards.

I compute similar data below manually.

Range - Bullet Drop - MOA
100 - zero point of

impact - line of sight
200 - -3.3\" 1.65\" below line of sight
300 - -13\" 4.3\" below lin

e of sight
In order to correct for the bullet drop at the farther ranges, simply zero your weapon at 100 yards, then crank the scope up the appropriate amount of MOA\'s or inches from above chart, and you can reasonably be expected to hit at the given farther ranges.400 - -32\" 8\" below line of sight
500 - -62\" 12.4\" below line of sight

I don\'t like using holdover, mildots or stadias, I much prefer what we call, \"cranking in the ballistics dope\" to achieve a \"line of sight - point of impact\" hit. That way, my reticle cross hair never leaves the desired point of impact.

You can also use the same method for determining the exact hold off for wind drift. Stadias and mil-dots can also be set-up to provide for that as well. But that is another thread.

The Bullet Drop Compensator BDC, does the same thing as above. It is pre-adjusted, geared I believe, and measured for the ballistic characteristics of a given round. All you need to do is estimate the range... crank to that range on the elevation turret, hold center and squeeze. Given a no wind situation of course.

Finally, what ever ballistics dope you use, or method of acquiring and then applying that dope for the given load... you must then go to that \"given\" range, to confirm that it is actually right for your set-up. Then adjust, record for later use, and then practice, practice!

Know this: temperature, humidity, altitude, and even the distance to target all serve to change this dope in day to day varying conditions. I suggest that you keep a solid accurate record of your results each and every range visit, recording those variables. Then you will have built a solid mechanism for returning to the \"line of sight - point of impact\" desired under varying conditions and ranges.

I know this was wordy, and hope it is helpful.

Others probably have a better way of explaining this than I.

 
Read the full article

3

General Discussion / Reading Wind for Long Range Shooting

« Last post by mojo on March 25, 2012, 03:32:20 PM »

A mild, erratic breeze of 5 miles per hour can open up 100-yard groups over half an inch — in addition to whatever accuracy your rifle, load, scope and shaky self are capable of producing.  And that\'s when shooting a high-velocity rifle with a relatively heavy bullet with a high ballistic coefficient.  A .223 Remington with a relatively low-BC varmint bullet, or any rimfire cartridge, is much more susceptible to the vagaries of the wind.

Anything helps, even a strip of flagging tape hung from your chronograph, but when things get serious I haul out some Sinclair flags that combine a sheet-metal wind vane, a plastic \"sunflower\" that spins off the front of the vane, and a strip of flagging tape off the rear of the vane.  These will turn in the slightest breeze, and the flagging tape and spinning sunflower provide a very good idea of relative wind speed.



There\'s some minor controversy about where to set wind flags, but the consensus is that winds closer to the muzzle make the most difference, since they start working on the bullet sooner.  This is why flagging tape hanging from the chronograph can help a lot.  When using two of the Sinclair flags, I put one 10-15 yards in front of the bench, and the other about 60-70 yards out.

One technique is to watch the flags for a few minutes to find the prevailing wind \"condition.\"  After that you only shoot during that condition.  Even factory rifles will shoot some astounding groups when the shooter is aided by wind flags.  Among the \"plinker\" rifles in our house is a Bushmaster ORC in 5.56mm / .223 Rem. with a 16\" barrel and an A2 Bird Cage Suppressor.

The most basic measurement that a flag is good for is determining actual wind direction. This essential measurement will help you to determine what value to give to the wind; full, three quarters, half, or no value. Wind direction is determined relative to the shooter’s position using the clock face method, or using the angle measured in degrees. When the wind is blowing at 90 degrees (3 o’clock) or 270 degrees (9 o’clock) relative to your shooting position, we assign it a full value of 1. Wind blowing at 45 degrees, 135 degrees, 225 degrees, or 315 degrees relative to your position is given three quarters value. When the wind is blowing at 0 degrees or 180 degrees (12 o’clock or 6 o’clock) relative to your position it is disregarded and given no value.

Once wind direction and value is determined, it’s time to measure or estimate the wind speed. An anemometer is probably the most accurate device for measuring wind speed, but there are other methods that you can learn. If you find yourself without an anemometer, you can use the guidelines set forth in the Service Rifle Pamphlet produced in 1931 by the US Army Infantry Team. While the information is old, the guideline is as valid today as it was 79 years ago.

0-3 mph   Wind hardly felt, but smoke drifts
3-5 mph   Wind felt lightly on the face
5-8 mph   Leaves are kept in constant movement
8-12 mph   Raises dust and loose paper
12-15 mph   Causes small trees to sway

Flags can also be used as a rough estimate of wind speed. When observing a normal rectangular flag, estimate the angle between the flag and the pole and divide that number by 4 to get the approximate wind speed. For example, if a flag is flying straight out at a 90 degree angle, the approximate wind speed is 22.5 mph or greater (90/4). If the flag is limp and flapping in a breeze at a 45 degree angle to the pole, the approximate wind speed is 11 to 12 mph. This same estimation method can also be used for streamers and pennants.

As important as knowing how to read the wind is knowing your cartridge and how your load will be affected by various wind speeds. Many novice shooters simply do not understand, or do not believe, how much of an effect a cross wind can have on even the speediest of bullets. Consider a 55 grain .223 round fired down range at over 3,250 FPS for example. With only a modest 5mph cross wind that little .223 bullet will be pushed over 1/2? off target at only 100 yards. While that might not seem like much, consider that a 10mph wind will result in the same round being pushed more than 1 MOA at any range. Experienced shooters, having been frustrated by wind before, often have the opposite problem and tend to overestimate the effect wind will have on their bullet.

All bullets have a ballistic coefficient that is usually computed by the manufacturer. This number, combined with the flight time of the bullet, can help you determine how much your bullet will be affected by a given wind. By combining the wind direction and value, speed, flight time and the ballistic coefficient of your bullet, you can determine how much to hold over or how much to adjust the windage on your sights. Because of the fact that bullets with differing ballistic coefficients are affected to differing degrees by the wind, there is no hard and fast rule for calculating wind drift. I won’t get into the mathematics of computing wind drift using the ballistic coefficient and flight time of your bullet; wind drift charts and calculators are readily available for almost every cartridge load. Use a wind drift chart for your specific load to determine how much holdover or windage adjustment is necessary.

With the information from the appropriate wind drift chart, apply the wind value to determine the actual drift. For example: Say our chart shows that M2 match ammunition for an M1 Garand from American Eagle will drift approximately 5.8 inches at 600 yards with a full value wind at 1 mph. If we actually have a 10 mph wind blowing in at a 45 degree angle (1:30 o’clock) we assign it a value of 3/4 and do the math (5.8 inches X 10 mph X .75) to arrive at 43.5 inches of drift. If the wind shifts to be 30 degrees (1 o’clock) we would assign it a value of 1/2, resulting in 29 inches of drift. Doing the math, we correct approximately 5 MOA for wind at 1/2 value and 6.9 MOA for 3/4 value.

http://www.ballisticards.com/
Read the full article

4

General Discussion / Reading Wind for Long Range Shooting

« Last post by mojo on March 25, 2012, 02:34:59 PM »

A mild, erratic breeze of 5 miles per hour can open up 100-yard groups over half an inch — in addition to whatever accuracy your rifle, load, scope and shaky self are capable of producing.  And that's when shooting a high-velocity rifle with a relatively heavy bullet with a high ballistic coefficient.  A .223 Remington with a relatively low-BC varmint bullet, or any rimfire cartridge, is much more susceptible to the vagaries of the wind.

Anything helps, even a strip of flagging tape hung from your chronograph, but when things get serious I haul out some Sinclair flags that combine a sheet-metal wind vane, a plastic "sunflower" that spins off the front of the vane, and a strip of flagging tape off the rear of the vane.  These will turn in the slightest breeze, and the flagging tape and spinning sunflower provide a very good idea of relative wind speed.



There's some minor controversy about where to set wind flags, but the consensus is that winds closer to the muzzle make the most difference, since they start working on the bullet sooner.  This is why flagging tape hanging from the chronograph can help a lot.  When using two of the Sinclair flags, I put one 10-15 yards in front of the bench, and the other about 60-70 yards out.

One technique is to watch the flags for a few minutes to find the prevailing wind "condition."  After that you only shoot during that condition.  Even factory rifles will shoot some astounding groups when the shooter is aided by wind flags.  Among the "plinker" rifles in our house is a Bushmaster ORC in 5.56mm / .223 Rem. with a 16" barrel and an A2 Bird Cage Suppressor.

The most basic measurement that a flag is good for is determining actual wind direction. This essential measurement will help you to determine what value to give to the wind; full, three quarters, half, or no value. Wind direction is determined relative to the shooter’s position using the clock face method, or using the angle measured in degrees. When the wind is blowing at 90 degrees (3 o’clock) or 270 degrees (9 o’clock) relative to your shooting position, we assign it a full value of 1. Wind blowing at 45 degrees, 135 degrees, 225 degrees, or 315 degrees relative to your position is given three quarters value. When the wind is blowing at 0 degrees or 180 degrees (12 o’clock or 6 o’clock) relative to your position it is disregarded and given no value.

Once wind direction and value is determined, it’s time to measure or estimate the wind speed. An anemometer is probably the most accurate device for measuring wind speed, but there are other methods that you can learn. If you find yourself without an anemometer, you can use the guidelines set forth in the Service Rifle Pamphlet produced in 1931 by the US Army Infantry Team. While the information is old, the guideline is as valid today as it was 79 years ago.

0-3 mph   Wind hardly felt, but smoke drifts
3-5 mph   Wind felt lightly on the face
5-8 mph   Leaves are kept in constant movement
8-12 mph   Raises dust and loose paper
12-15 mph   Causes small trees to sway

Flags can also be used as a rough estimate of wind speed. When observing a normal rectangular flag, estimate the angle between the flag and the pole and divide that number by 4 to get the approximate wind speed. For example, if a flag is flying straight out at a 90 degree angle, the approximate wind speed is 22.5 mph or greater (90/4). If the flag is limp and flapping in a breeze at a 45 degree angle to the pole, the approximate wind speed is 11 to 12 mph. This same estimation method can also be used for streamers and pennants.

As important as knowing how to read the wind is knowing your cartridge and how your load will be affected by various wind speeds. Many novice shooters simply do not understand, or do not believe, how much of an effect a cross wind can have on even the speediest of bullets. Consider a 55 grain .223 round fired down range at over 3,250 FPS for example. With only a modest 5mph cross wind that little .223 bullet will be pushed over 1/2? off target at only 100 yards. While that might not seem like much, consider that a 10mph wind will result in the same round being pushed more than 1 MOA at any range. Experienced shooters, having been frustrated by wind before, often have the opposite problem and tend to overestimate the effect wind will have on their bullet.

All bullets have a ballistic coefficient that is usually computed by the manufacturer. This number, combined with the flight time of the bullet, can help you determine how much your bullet will be affected by a given wind. By combining the wind direction and value, speed, flight time and the ballistic coefficient of your bullet, you can determine how much to hold over or how much to adjust the windage on your sights. Because of the fact that bullets with differing ballistic coefficients are affected to differing degrees by the wind, there is no hard and fast rule for calculating wind drift. I won’t get into the mathematics of computing wind drift using the ballistic coefficient and flight time of your bullet; wind drift charts and calculators are readily available for almost every cartridge load. Use a wind drift chart for your specific load to determine how much holdover or windage adjustment is necessary.

With the information from the appropriate wind drift chart, apply the wind value to determine the actual drift. For example: Say our chart shows that M2 match ammunition for an M1 Garand from American Eagle will drift approximately 5.8 inches at 600 yards with a full value wind at 1 mph. If we actually have a 10 mph wind blowing in at a 45 degree angle (1:30 o’clock) we assign it a value of 3/4 and do the math (5.8 inches X 10 mph X .75) to arrive at 43.5 inches of drift. If the wind shifts to be 30 degrees (1 o’clock) we would assign it a value of 1/2, resulting in 29 inches of drift. Doing the math, we correct approximately 5 MOA for wind at 1/2 value and 6.9 MOA for 3/4 value.

http://www.ballisticards.com/

5

General Discussion / What is Bullet Drop or Minute of Angle?

« Last post by mojo on March 25, 2012, 01:53:26 PM »

This can can a bit scientific but here goes. First the concept of what "Minute Of Angle" MOA is and how it affects the bullet's dispersion pattern as ranges are increased must be understood. I found this on another website and I believe it is close and can be helpful.

True Minute Of Angle, MOA, is measured by first determining the minutes of angle in a circle. We know that a circle contains 360 degrees and that there are 60 minutes in each degree. The minutes of angle in a circle is 360 x 60 or 21,600. The circumference of a circle is 2 x p x R where R is the radius of the circle in inches. Hence, for any range R, a minute of angle equals 2 x 3.1416 x R divided by 21,600 or .000291 x R.

Therefore, if the range R is 100 yards, a minute of angle would be .000291 x 100 x 36 or 1.0476 inches. Because the distance covered at 100 yards is so close to being exactly 1 inch, the fraction is usually disregarded for range work, and we commonly say that a minute of change on the rear sight will move the point of impact 1-inch at 100 yards. If we were shooting at 1,000 yards, a minute of angle would cover .000291 x 1000 x 36 or 10.476 inches. The difference between the true minutes of angle and the rounded minutes of angle becomes greater as the range increases.

So basicly 1 MOA equals = 1.045 inches at 100 yards, and increases as the range increases. Most round it to 1 inch - 1 MOA just to ease the process. And except at the "benchrest or at extremely long ranges" the 1" works fine. At least for me anyway. Examples: 200 yards = 2 MOA, 300 yards = 3 MOA... so forth and so on. 500 yards is 5 minute of angle MOA.

To find the theoretical increase in elevation at 100 yards to hit line of sight - point of impact from 200 to 500 yards, divide the range by "100" and you get the MOA for that range. 500 yds is 500/100=5 MOA, 450/100= 4.5 MOA, 475/100=4.75 MOA etc etc. Just think of MOA as one inch, it makes it easier.

If your bullet drop at 500 yards is 62", then divide 62" by 5 MOA and you get 12.4" or 62"/5MOA=12.4". Given this ballistics input(AKA: Dope), if you zero your sight at 100 yards to impact 12.4" high, you theorectically should hit point of impact - line of sight at that range.

That is what the reticle takes into account in the scope. You wrote,

At the bottom it shows the reticle with standard corrections at 100 yards of 1.5" at 200, 4.5" at 300, 7.5" at 400, and 11" at 500 yards.

I compute similar data below manually.

Range - Bullet Drop - MOA
100 - zero point of impact - line of sight
200 - -3.3" 1.65" below line of sight
300 - -13" 4.3" below line of sight
400 - -32" 8" below line of sight
500 - -62" 12.4" below line of sight

In order to correct for the bullet drop at the farther ranges, simply zero your weapon at 100 yards, then crank the scope up the appropriate amount of MOA's or inches from above chart, and you can reasonably be expected to hit at the given farther ranges.

I don't like using holdover, mildots or stadias, I much prefer what we call, "cranking in the ballistics dope" to achieve a "line of sight - point of impact" hit. That way, my reticle cross hair never leaves the desired point of impact.

You can also use the same method for determining the exact hold off for wind drift. Stadias and mil-dots can also be set-up to provide for that as well. But that is another thread.

The Bullet Drop Compensator BDC, does the same thing as above. It is pre-adjusted, geared I believe, and measured for the ballistic characteristics of a given round. All you need to do is estimate the range... crank to that range on the elevation turret, hold center and squeeze. Given a no wind situation of course.

Finally, what ever ballistics dope you use, or method of acquiring and then applying that dope for the given load... you must then go to that "given" range, to confirm that it is actually right for your set-up. Then adjust, record for later use, and then practice, practice!

Know this: temperature, humidity, altitude, and even the distance to target all serve to change this dope in day to day varying conditions. I suggest that you keep a solid accurate record of your results each and every range visit, recording those variables. Then you will have built a solid mechanism for returning to the "line of sight - point of impact" desired under varying conditions and ranges.

I know this was wordy, and hope it is helpful.

Others probably have a better way of explaining this than I.

6

General Discussion / Idiot down!

« Last post by robs456 on February 05, 2012, 05:06:14 PM »

http://www.youtube.com/embed/0MslPe0w_H4

7

General Discussion / Xbox 720 Rumors

« Last post by mojo on January 30, 2012, 12:13:38 PM »

There have been a lot of rumors flying around lately about the Xbox 720, and of course the dozens that were around last year, though those were mostly rumors about the announcement date and the eventual release date. To help simplify things, and to aggregate them into a single, comprehensive list, here’s a breakdown on the rumors that have been around over the past couple years about the Xbox 720.

Announcement/Release Date

The hot topic of the industry since early 2011 and even earlier for some, all kinds of rumors have been flying around. Job postings for the Xbox Console Architecture team were one of the earliest and strongest indicators that the next console is well on its way, but it seems that they could start working on this console at any time; not just a few months to a couple years before its release.

Yet, between this and the constantly churning rumor mill of the industry, people started to believe that the next generation Xbox could launch as early as 2013 at E3; in fact, for a while, some people even suspected it could be unveiled at CES 2012 and launch as early as fall of this year.

Developers for the console claim that they were told by multiple sources, including such ‘reliable’ information hubs as chip manufacturers and middleware firms, that the console would arrive in 2013, but considering that none of this seems to come from Microsoft themselves, it’s a little sketchy.

Without so much as an announcement (much less the massive marketing campaigns that typically come before such a release, or the hints and hype that comes before an announcement), it seems unlikely that we’re going to see the next generation Xbox launch any time soon.

Yet, we’re certainly not far away from an announcement, at the very least. People are eager to see the new console, even if they’re not ready for it to hit the shelves just yet.

Rumor: The Xbox 720 will be on shelves by Fall 2012

Verdict: No chance

Rumor: The Xbox 720 will be on shelves by Fall 2013

Verdict: Uncertain, seems slightly unlikely. Announcement, however, seems very likely.

Codename: Loop

A Microsoft blogger with the handle MS Nerd claimed back in October 2011 that in 2013 we would see the announcement of an Xbox Loop. With few products other than the Kinect even sharing the Xbox name without actually being another Xbox, it seems as though the Xbox Loop is being suggested here as the name. But, this is one of the few instances of it being named; other than a few details about what the console might or might not be like, this was the only real information given about the name.

Rumor: The Xbox 720 will be called the Xbox Loop, or is codenamed the Xbox Loop.

Verdict: About as likely as any blogger’s rumor, MS Nerd or no. Still, remember that the Kinect was named Natal for months before the actual name was revealed.

The Xbox 720 will be six/eight times more powerful than the previous console

Rumors have abounded between IGN and Microsoft both apparently having said, to one person or another, that the new Xbox will be six- and eight-times as powerful, respectively. These aren’t really rumors, to tell you the truth; more like guesses. Of course the new console will be more powerful; today’s gaming PCs have far and away reached new levels of power since the release of the 360.

By today’s standards, computers that are on the shelves are probably already out of date. PC games are being made for technology that won’t even be available until shortly before they’re launched. Except for those few with the will and the cash to buy a $1500 PC every year or two, the high-end graphics settings on games are typically either out of our reach or run at 5 FPS, unless the game takes place in a small, closed room with a mouse bein the only thing on screen that moves.

So a console that’s well over five years old is definitely behind. But at the same time, people still say they haven’t coaxed out the most they can from the current generation. And the fact is that graphics have gotten to the point where there isn’t as much of a difference; comparing side-by-side screenshots definitely gives a difference between playing a game like Battlefield 3 on the console to playing it on the latest and greatest PC, but aside from that, the differences are only just barely noticeable in most cases.

If anything, it seems likely that we’ll see a much smaller leap in graphics from this generation to the next, nowhere near as significant as jumping from SD to HD. Instead, this power will probably go toward features like improved performance, maybe even coaxing a solid 60 FPS out of most games if we’re extremely lucky, or maybe the ability for developers to design better AIs.

Still, what the power will be used for is just more speculation; one thing is for certain, with all the technology that comes out every year, the next Xbox is going to have a lot more power inside.

Rumor: The Xbox 720 will be 6x or even 8x as powerful as the 360

Verdict: It’s a no-brainer that it will be more powerful. Saying 8x more powerful, even, doesn’t seem that far off when you consider that we’ve got five-plus years of technology (and growing by the day) to implement. Probable.

The Xbox 720 will be entirely digital, and will not have a disc tray

The world is moving to digital, for better or for worse. Netflix has moved to streaming, services like Steam and OnLive are giving us tastes of what it’s like to have everything you own at your fingertips (or at least a couple hours of downloads away), and the Xbox 360 even has a Cloud storage option currently.

But actually moving to a completely digital distribution for a console is a bit of a stretch, for several reasons. For one, even when games are available from Xbox Live many people prefer to have a disc for the fact that it’s a physical representation, and can’t be deleted. Of course, there are just as many who love the idea of digital delivery for the fact that they don’t want discs, so it’s a split market.

One that is not split, however, is the market of both retailers and consumers who are set to lose out if a console decides to go completely digital. In this article on digital delivery, I elaborated on all the money that stores like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and GameStop are set to lose out on if they can’t sell discs. So why would any of these stores sell the consoles? There would be almost no money in it for them beyond the initial sale. And many people can’t or don’t connect their consoles to the internet. How are they to get these games?

I won’t recant the entire article, but I gave a cursory and very rough estimate of 35 million consoles not connected to Xbox Live, which would be 35 million consoles that either can’t purchase games, OR can’t access games purchased on other consoles. That’s over half of the current number of 360s on the market.

Unless that number somehow jumped up to at least 90% before the Xbox 720 came out, there’s no way Microsoft would throw away all that potential revenue.

Rumor: The Xbox 720 will not have a disc tray

Verdict: Impossible, or next to it.

The Xbox 720 will use Blu-Ray for movies and games

Oddly enough, a rumor that gives yet another reason why it won’t be digital, but that’s not the point. The Xbox 360 made a mistake, that’s a plain and simple fact. They bet on the wrong horse, and because of that, their early-game peripherals for HD DVDs are now essentially little more than expensive paperweights. Whether it’s good or bad, the Blu-Ray discs prevailed over the HD DVDs, and they’re here to stay until the next big media comes along.

The Xbox 720 will almost certainly use Blu-Ray, if only to appease the customers. It’s possible many customers on the fence bought a PS3 just because they would rather pay the extra $100 for a PS3 so that they didn’t have to buy a gaming console and then a Blu-Ray player on top of that, which would almost certainly be more than the price difference. Gamers aren’t typically very happy when they open up a disc case and see that they’ll have to switch between three separate discs just to play the same game PS3 users get on one, either.

Even if it gave them an advantage, Blu-Ray players may not be only Sony soon. Microsoft will probably put it in kicking and screaming, but if they want to stay current, and if they want to keep others from going to Sony just for the movie playing aspects and the decreased hassle of disc management, they’ll likely have to add this in.

Rumor: The Xbox 720 will use Blu-Ray discs and play Blu-Ray movies.

Verdict: It’s a smart move, but it depends on how stubborn they want to be. Likely.

The Xbox 720 will not play used games

No, no, no, no-no-no-no. While you’ll never hear me accuse any corporation of being overly smart, killing off the second-hand gaming market is not the move of any company with common sense. For one thing, this wouldn’t stop the determined; there would still be those who would crack their consoles, just as there exist PS3s which have been hacked. And for another thing, this is one sure-fire way to piss off the consumer.

The fact is that a lot of people don’t buy new games until they’ve been out for a while, or until they find a used game for cheap. You can get a $60 game for just under $50 if you buy it from GameStop with a membership card. You can get a $50 game for $35 or less, depending on popularity. The fact is, people don’t like the $60 price tag. And if it goes up to $70 or more with the next generation, even less people will be willing to buy games new.

Eliminating used games would make it impossible even for legitimate users to sell their Xbox 720 games at a garage sale, or the like, and would thus lower the number of slaes through the simple fact that gamers wouldn’t want to make such a final decision. At least if you don’t like a game you buy, you can trade it to your friend for one of his, or if it’s from GameStop you can even take it back within a week for no reason other than the fact that you don’t like it.

Gamefly, Blockbusters, Red Box games, Netflix (if it ever had plans to, or decides to start renting games), and every other service that rents games will be S-O-L. GameStop will easily lose 50% of its revenue, if not more, when used games become not just unliked but completely unusable.

More importantly, console sales will drop. And adding this feature in won’t improve them; nobody is going to buy the Xbox 720 because they chose not to support the secondhand games market. If anything, floods of Microsoft fans will run to Sony (assuming they didn’t add the same feature), screaming and raging all the while over the ludicrous removal of used games.

The point is, Microsoft should be much, much more worried about making the consumers happy than they should about the developers. Yes, the developers are important, but there would be a very noticeable dent in console sales if this happened – and wouldn’t that, too, decrease game sales?

Rumor: The Xbox 720 will not play used games

Verdict: Only if Microsoft wants to simultaneously lose consumers, anger the ones that remain, and still cause developers to lose money through a shrunken consumer base. Even with developers likely putting pressure on console companies to do something, it still seems highly, highly unlikely.

The Xbox 720 will run Windows 8

While Microsoft, as any good software company should, loves their OS like no other, it seems unlikely that a console would ever run an actual PC OS. If only for the fact that this would make it ridiculously easier for hackers and pirates to steal software and make it run on their consoles, what we’ll likely see is a very, very dumbed down version of Windows 8, if anything. More likely, though, we’ll see yet another custom OS from Microsoft specifically designed for the Xbox 720.

The rumors seem to originate from Microsoft’s statements that it wants to create a unified ecosystem, combining Windows Phones, PCs, Tablets, and consoles, as well as basically every Microsoft product capable of being unified in such a way. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll be running the same OS; just that their OS will interface in a very easily compatible way.

Still, it’s not entirely impossible; with the proper security features, a legitimate PC OS could improve the functionality of an Xbox 720, especially with so many features that don’t revolve around gaming, like the ability to google, Netflix, Hulu, and dozens of other alternate services like ESPN. We’ll see what happens in the coming days, regarding Microsoft’s announcements.

Rumor: The Xbox 720 will run Windows 8

Verdict: Currently seems somewhat unlikely, but unclear. Watch carefully.

There you are. A rundown of most rumors about the upcoming Microsoft console. These are some fact, some opinion, so it’s likely that you will think some of these are more likely and some are less likely. Some rumors have been omitted because they seem less based on actual inside sources reporting, and more based on what people think (or hope) will happen with the next generation – for example, rumors have been circulating about a smaller controller, but these rarely seem linked back to a source from Microsoft or a closely associated company in the industry.

8

General Discussion / Steam for iOS and Android

« Last post by mojo on January 26, 2012, 05:08:43 PM »

First it was Microsoft to release an Xbox Live companion app onto the App Store, and now Valve is following suit with a similar piece of software--the Steam app--though it seems to be much more functional than Microsoft's.  The app allows users on the platform to keep in touch with their Steam friends via Steam Chat and also provides access to the entire Steam store. Like the Xbox Live app, players can browse their friends list and see who is online and playing what.

Of course the Steam app doesn't deliver mobile games to iOS and Android users, but the proven PC and Mac game-delivery service is wise to broaden accessibility over multiple mobile platforms, potentially paving the way for future software market endeavors.
The Steam app is currently in a closed beta and members can request access by downloading, installing, and logging into the app on either an iOS or Android device. That will start the process of receiving an invite.

9

General Discussion / Mass Effect 3 book pre-orders to reward DLC

« Last post by mojo on January 26, 2012, 03:34:53 PM »

A Dark Horse blog post reveals that anyone who pre-orders The Art of Mass Effect Universe, priced at $26.91 or just over £17, before February 20 will receive bonus content for multiplayer consisting of 'character boosters' and a Collector Assault Rifle.

The strategy from publisher EA continues after recent news of exclusive DLC bundled with Mass Effect action figures.

This content is currently only available for PC and Xbox 360 versions of the game, for unknown reasons, so unfortunately any artsy PS3 users will have to make do with the pretty pictures.
We're awaiting news as to whether this content will be available outside the US.

Full story @ Dark Horse

10

General Discussion / Foreign Data Unsafe From US Patriot Act, Says American Law Firm

« Last post by mojo on January 26, 2012, 10:12:02 AM »

A prestigious law firm warns non-U.S. businesses their data is unsafe from costly and invasive raids by American law enforcement even if they host their data in their own countries. The wide interpretation of the USA Patriot Act ensures U.S. cops can legally demand data from almost anyone, anywhere for any reason and countries and their citizens are largely powerless to resist. The advice has resonance with the arrest this week of Kim 'Dotcom' on alleged copyright violations in the U.S.