I was really looking forward to this.
...the cameras too far back for my liking though.
Worth a rent I feel, unless the reviews say its longer than 10 hours.
Also why the hell did they not put online play in this, yet they did for the Wii?! Otherwise it would have been a must-have.
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. The integrated Xbox Live service allows players to compete online and download content such as arcade games, game demos, trailers, TV shows, and movies. The Xbox 360 is the successor to the Xbox, and competes with the PlayStation 3 and the Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.
The Xbox 360 was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged later that month at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). The console sold out completely at release (with the exception of Japan) and, as of February 22, 2008.[3][4][5], 19 million units have been sold worldwide according to Microsoft. The Xbox 360 comes in three different versions, the "Arcade" console, the "Premium" console, and the "Elite" console, each having its own selection of included and available accessories. Another version of the Xbox 360, called the "Core" which was available from launch, has since been discontinued for retail and replaced with the "Arcade".
[quote]Speaking at the Games Convention Developers Conference this afternoon, industry veteran Dave Perry (most known for his studio Shiny Entertainment and its games Enter the Matrix and Earthworm Jim), gave an overview of the games industry as he sees it today. When discussing the current console race, he brought up some interesting statistics that he obtained from research firm DFC Intelligence. According to Perry, Sony has lost more money selling PlayStation 3s than it made selling PlayStation 2s during the entire five years of its peak. So basically, all of the money Sony made on hardware last generation -- it's already spent more to sell the PS3 at a loss so far. Some estimates put that loss at $3 billion.
Of course, videogame manufacturers typically follow the Gillette razor blade model and sell their hardware at a loss (at least for the first few years) only to recoup the costs on software. (Nintendo's Wii is an exception -- it's estimated that even out of the gate Nintendo has already been making $40 per console). But Sony's PS2, the best selling videogame console of all time, was making a healthy profit on each unit sold as of a few years ago. Seemingly all of that went to fund the PS3 hardware that Sony has been selling -- and for the foreseeable future will continue to sell -- at a loss. (Some estimates at one point put it at $260 per console, though manufacturing costs have steadily come down in the past year).
Perry didn't use this point to take any particular stance on this console race -- though he did state that DFC Intelligence puts the Wii as the victor this generation, with the PS3 coming in first in terms of overall software sales -- but he did want to point out the extreme investment Sony is making in its hardware this generation. He (and DFC) predict Sony will extend this generation even longer than the PS2's because of this (making Sony's claims of 10-year life cycle a real possibility). Of course, the Xbox 360, especially considering its $1 billion in replacement costs for faulty hardware, has likely cost Microsoft just as much, if not more. But Microsoft's entire foray into the videogame business has been a costly multi-billion dollar investment (Microsoft lost $4 billion on its original Xbox alone), whereas Sony's games division has only recently been forced to spend so heavily to hold on to its status in the games market (and to force the adoption of an HD media standard).
Putting things in perspective, though, Sony did lose quite a bit on PS2 hardware in its first year or so -- likely not $3 billion, but still. If things continue to move in Sony's favor and the PS3 manages to have a healthy 10-year life cycle (it's possible...the 8-year old PS2 managed to outsell both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 last year), it's still possible, when all is said and done, that the company can break even on hardware costs this generation. Or maybe eventually even make a profit. At this rate it'd better; who knows what the PlayStation 4 could end up costing the company.[/quote]
:lol:
The PlayStation 3 (officially marketed PLAYSTATION 3,[7] commonly abbreviated PS3) is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game systems.
A major feature that distinguishes the PlayStation 3 from its predecessors is its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network,[8] which contrasts with Sony's former policy of relying on game developers for online play.[9] Other major features of the console include its robust multimedia capabilities,[10] connectivity with the PlayStation Portable,[11] and its use of a high-definition optical disc format, Blu-ray Disc, as its primary storage medium.[12] The PS3 was also the first Blu-ray 2.0-compliant Blu-ray player on the market.[13]
The PlayStation 3 was first released on November 11, 2006 in Japan,[14] November 17, 2006 in North America,[15] and March 23, 2007 in Europe and Oceania.[16][17] Two SKUs were available at launch; a basic model with a 20 GB hard disk drive (HDD) and a premium model with a 60 GB HDD and several additional features[18] (The 20 GB model was not released in Europe or Oceania.)[19] Since then, several revisions have been made to the console's available models and it has faced stiff competition from the other seventh generation consoles.[20] As of December 20, 2007, the PS3 is in third place in home console sales for its generation.[21]

17 days ago by
Sticky
:lol: pwnt
Right so when I create a table I then have to create a class that saves, creates, deletes and loads rows for it...which isn't a difficult task but its timely for something thats essentially a rename job with tweaks.
WELL, I decided to challenge myself and create a class that automatically get the tables fields and then manages the methods for me.
Someone on google might find this highly useful :)
[code]<?php
/*
$object = new Mimic('Post');
$object->Delete(1); //without the row called
$object->Save();
$row = $object->LoadByField('id', 100004);
$row = $object->Create(array(NULL, 'whut whut', 1, 2, '81.101.88', '_TIME', '_TIME'));
$row->Delete(); //with the row called
$objects = $object->LoadAll(0, 15);
*/
class Mimic {
public $classTable;
public $classFields = array();
function __construct($classTable) {
$db = Database::GetInstance();
$query = $db->query("SHOW COLUMNS FROM $classTable ");
while ($row = $query->fetch_object()) {
$this->classFields[] = $row->Field;
}
$this->classTable = $classTable;
}
public function LoadByField($field, $variable) {
try {
$db = Database::GetInstance();
$result = $db->query("SELECT * FROM ".$this->classTable." WHERE `$field` = '$variable' ");
if($result && $result->num_rows > 0) {
return self::LoadByArray($result->fetch_object());
} else {
throw new ApplicationException("Could not load table: ".$this->classTable."; field: $field; variable: $variable");
}
} catch(DatabaseException $e) {
throw new ApplicationException($e->getMessage(), $e->getCode());
}
}
public function LoadByArray($results) {
try {
foreach($results as $key => $value) {
$this->$key = $value;
}
return $this;
} catch(DatabaseException $e) {
throw new ApplicationException($e->getMessage(), $e->getCode());
}
}
public function LoadAll($from=NULL, $to=NULL, $fields=NULL, $where=NULL, $order=NULL, $count=0) {
try {
$db = Database::GetInstance();
$from = ($from == NULL) ? 0 : $from;
$to = ($to == NULL) ? 0 : $to;
$fields = ($fields == NULL) ? '*' : $fields;
$where = ($where == NULL) ? NULL : "WHERE $where";
$order = ($order == NULL) ? NULL : "ORDER BY $order";
if($count == 1) {
$query = $db->query("SELECT 1 FROM ".$this->classTable." $where") or die($db->error);
return $query->num_rows;
}
$query = $db->query("SELECT $fields FROM ".$this->classTable." $where $order LIMIT $from, $to") or die($db->error);
if($query && $query->num_rows > 0) {
$results = array();
while($q = $query->fetch_object()) {
$object = new self($this->classTable);
$results[] = $object->LoadByArray($q);
}
return $results;
}
return false;
} catch(DatabaseException $e) {
throw new ApplicationException($e->getMessage(), $e->getCode());
}
}
public function Save() {
try {
$db = Database::GetInstance();
$string = NULL;
foreach($this->classFields as $field) {
$string .= "`$field` = ".$db->safe($this->$field).", ";
}
$result = $db->query("UPDATE ".$this->classTable." SET ".substr($string, 0, -2)." WHERE `id` = ".$this->id);
if(!$result) {
return false;
} else if ($db->affected_rows >= 0) {
return true;
} else {
return false;
}
} catch(DatabaseException $e) {
throw new ApplicationException($e->getMessage(), $e->getCode());
}
}
public function Create($values=array()) {
try {
$db = Database::GetInstance();
$theFields = NULL;
$theValues = NULL;
if (count($values) != count($this->classFields)) {
throw new ApplicationException('The value count differs from the class field count.');
}
foreach($this->classFields as $field) {
$theFields .= "`$field`, ";
}
foreach($values as $value) {
if (is_null($value)) {
$theValues .= "NULL, ";
} else if ($value == '_TIME') {
$theValues .= "".time().", ";
} else {
$theValues .= "".$db->safe($value).", ";
}
}
$db->query("INSERT INTO ".$this->classTable." (".substr($theFields, 0, -2).") VALUES (".substr($theValues, 0, -2).") ") or die($db->error);
if($db->affected_rows > 0) {
return $this->LoadByField('id', $db->insert_id);
} else {
return false;
}
} catch(DatabaseException $e) {
throw new ApplicationException($e->getMessage(), $e->getCode());
}
}
public function Delete($id=0) {
try {
$db = Database::GetInstance();
if ($id > 0) {
return $db->query("DELETE FROM ".$this->classTable." WHERE `id` = $id ");
} else if ( empty($this->id) ) {
throw new ApplicationException('You must select a row before trying to delete.');
} else {
return $db->query("DELETE FROM ".$this->classTable." WHERE `id` = ".$this->id);
}
} catch(DatabaseException $e) {
throw new ApplicationException($e->getMessage(), $e->getCode());
}
}
}
?>[/code]
Jacks gotta have something to say on this?
A place to discuss games consoles, gaming, hardware and software.

20 days ago by
azz0r
I've just decided with the deadline so close I'm going to have to assign someone else to work on the competition part of the new site, bearing in mind it has to be totally dynamic, its a nightmare.
So I've started making a doc with information for the users to follow...the more I write the more difficult it seems its going to be!
[code]<?php
/*
VITAL INFORMATION
Tables:
Competition
General information.
Prize
the following fields on this table are used to select how many of what and what database table it refers to: `has_count` ,`has_type` ,`has_table` ,
Competition_Prize
competition_id + prize_id. One prize could be used on another competition, so prizes are linked to competition via this. The place field refers to what place this prize is about.
Competition_Winner
competition_prize_id + user_id. From this you can select the prize details and the competion details aswell as who it was who won!
*/
switch($action):
case 'latest_competitions' :
break;
case 'view_competition' :
$competition = Competition::LoadByField('id', $id);
if($competition->expires < time()) {
//competition details
} else {
Competition_Winner::LoadByCompetitionId($id);
//SELECT * FROM Competition_Winner cw JOIN Competition_Prize
}
break;
case 'latest_winners' :
break;
endswitch;
?>[/code]
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE) is a publicly traded, privately controlled integrated media (focusing in television, Internet, and live events) and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in the professional wrestling industry, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales. Vince McMahon is the majority owner and Chairman of the company and his wife Linda McMahon holds the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Together with their children, Executive Vice President of Global Media Shane McMahon and Executive Vice President of Talent and Creative Writing Stephanie McMahon-Levesque, the McMahons hold approximately 70% of WWE's economic interest and 96% of all voting power in the company.
The company's global headquarters are located at 1241 East Main Street in Stamford, Connecticut. It has offices in Los Angeles and in New York City; its international offices are located in both London and Toronto. The company was previously known as Titan Sports before changing to World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc., and most recently becoming World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.
WWE's business focus is on professional wrestling, a simulated sport and performing art which combines wrestling with theater. It is currently the largest professional wrestling promotion in the world and holds an extensive library of videos representing a significant portion of the visual history of professional wrestling. The promotion previously existed as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, which promoted under the banner of the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), and later the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). WWE promotes under three brands: Raw, SmackDown! and ECW. WWE is also home to two of the three current world heavyweight championships recognized by Pro Wrestling Illustrated and the ECW Championship, which is not recognized by PWI.
WWE's revenue in 2007 was approximately US $486 million, with a net profit of approximately $52 million. As of August 2006, the company's market capitalization is over $1 billion. Its stock is traded on the NYSE as WWE.

16 days ago by
azz0r
I like Punk :p
Anyone here given it a chance?
Too expensive for my liking, but its awesome.
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. The integrated Xbox Live service allows players to compete online and download content such as arcade games, game demos, trailers, TV shows, and movies. The Xbox 360 is the successor to the Xbox, and competes with the PlayStation 3 and the Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.
The Xbox 360 was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged later that month at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). The console sold out completely at release (with the exception of Japan) and, as of February 22, 2008.[3][4][5], 19 million units have been sold worldwide according to Microsoft. The Xbox 360 comes in three different versions, the "Arcade" console, the "Premium" console, and the "Elite" console, each having its own selection of included and available accessories. Another version of the Xbox 360, called the "Core" which was available from launch, has since been discontinued for retail and replaced with the "Arcade".

azz0r
Posted 1 month ago
60 views
567 words
As my work project advances I create new things that are useful for the wuggawoo codebase so I develop them on Wuggawoo first and then port them over. The problem with this is that its easy to over-ride some custom code that is specifically coded for my project.
To combat this I made an extension folder in the Class, controller and template directories. However, this is unorganised and the team who are going to be helping soon will find it overly complex and rightly so. Therefore, I made an extensions folder in the root with its own class/controller/template directories.
The template class now checks if a file exists in the root template folder, then the extension template folder and then the theme folder. The main configuration folder lets the server manager to change the section and action so that the default page doesnt have to be the forum anymore.
Also worthy of note is how "Projects" can now become "extensions". Currently my major project is a PHP My Admin rip off, except light weight and more specific. I shall post pictures soon.
[b][u]Other Notable Changes[/u][/b]
The user URL was "user/username-userid" it has now become "user/username/userid-page" this will allow future use of comments being paged and it looks neater in my eyes.
Another big change that I'm kinda split on, is now Groups can be assigned to threads aswell as the forum id. This means threads can have two sets of meta data attached to them, really honing how specific it is. It also gives the user control to essentially create there own custom forum! This is great for users and the websites owners as it delivers more keywords, more accessibility an more user enjoyment and creativity.
It was achieved by adding group_id next to forum_id on the thread row. The reason I'm unhappy about this is because my master trainer would have insisted that it be
Table: Thread
Table: Thread_Group
Table: Thread_Forum
Which would mean a thread could in essence be tied to many groups and many forums. A one-to-many relationship. HOWEVER I opted against this as it meant a MAJOR overhaul of how threads work AND means users could overload a theads worse. The amount of headaches and query rewrites to accomplish it would have probably slowed down the site aswell.
[b][u]Current Problems[/u][/b]
I suck at Mysql. I've never been great and essentially I ride the wave of standard compliance with lack of proper indexes and slow queries on many joins. I should know how to set up proper indexes but I just don't. Reading would never teach me. I know no-one good at MYSQL with the patients to teach me. Its definetly the one area Wuggawoo falls really weak on. In essences its a huge crutch to, the main pillars of PHP development are
MYSQL
PHP Code
Javascript
Directory Strucuture
In my eyes atleast and currently the top pillar is being weakly done. For that I'm sorry.
Another problem is Javascript. I'm using the MooTools framework, alot of my javascript is weak as it is, but now theres a new version out that would require more rewriting and right now I'm comtemplating switching to jQuery when the mood takes me. However I don't want to even type about it, javascript and me don't get along.
- Aaron Out.

azz0r
Posted 3 months ago
120 views
481 words
I do feel slightly blessed to have my job. It's something I take for granted alot and it's slowly but surely I'm realising that I get paid to do what I enjoy, from the comfort of my own home with my family around me.
Are the long hours of staring at a monitor a plus? Not really, but you can factor in the fact that if I like the weather in my back garden (like I have in the last few days) then I can up and leave this desk and go and sunbath and then catch up on my hours during the colder night hours.
Does that mean I can laze around and do no real work? Not at all. I have projects set with a certain time-frame and a definite urgency and quality needed. :o
Infact, I have my own quality and standard I set myself to, they are: PHP 5, Error reporting set to E_ALL (not strict mind), CSS fluid design, Object Orientated, MVC set-out and modular.
So bearing that in mind, my work requires far more attention that most programmers? For you see all of the above give out are a high bar to reach but once they've been met they knit together and provide an App thats easy to understand, update and work with.
One thing I'm particulary proud of today is Tags and "Events".
[b][u]Tags[/u][/b]
Tags are there own object, they are an id, title, number and views. Mathetically speaking number and views are added together to provide the important and use of the tag. From there we have a table called Tag_Blog. When a user adds a tag while creating a blog all sorts of double checks are made to make sure the tag is created and then linked to the blog. Why make such a robust system? Well sooner rather than later I have to impliment products, stores and product categories. Each of those needs to be taggable. So by not making tags a character field on Blog, I have unleashed the system.
[b][u]Events[/u][/b]
One particular aspect of the project I'm working on (The Wuggawoo codebase will be used) is the ability to have a facebook-esque like notifaction panel. Did your favourite user make a topic? How about an email alert, or the option to not recieve an email about it, but to view it on your update wall. Now Wuggawoo isn't a great advocate of something like this, as there are so few posts. However when you get together thousands of bargain hunters who want to share deals and product information - this is a vital piece of the puzzle. The system is robust and template based to, with extremely well planned emails sent out so the server doesn't get bogged down.
That's all for now, no replies...I mean comments, I bet ;)
Sticky
No Title
Posted 14 days Ago
Your reputation thingy. It doesn't matter because of the four people on here, but still...it's green.