The message from the X05 press conference, other than that air-con is a *good thing*, was that hi-def gaming on the 360 is the future, or something. What that appears to mean so far is prettier versions of established genres. Movie after movie was shown but all seemed to conform to a tired sci-fi stereotype, usually with musclemen shooting aliens (although Gears of War did look nice) or a spruced up sports/racing game. Only the seemingly gorgeous Kameo looked to buck the trend. Of course, the real deal will be later on tonight when we get to go hands-on with a lot of the launch titles. But the hi-def thing is interesting. All the games here are being shown on lovely hi definition screens – and there's no doubt that the games look good. How much their impact will be dulled on the conventional TVs that the vast majority of owners will play them on remains to be seen.
An impressive feature at the conference was the demo of the 360 dashboard, which looks clean and inviting – 360 owners will not be able to avoid online gaming. Luckily an Ebay style reputation score – to helpfully wield out annoying teenagers who blight a lot of the games – and a host of causal puzzle and arcade games preloaded should tempt in more reticent gamers. The music and photo capabilities were also shown, though Microsoft was perhaps too keen to stress that the 360 is all about the games. I'll post some hands-on impressions of these later..
