Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:19:00 AM
-------------------------------------
Rant of the year.
>> Ok, you gotta love XboxAddict, and I agree 100% with a letter one of their
visitors sent them.
FUTURE SITUATION: 3 or 4 years from now, Xbox will be leading just in time for
Sony to release Playstation 3 too early. Playstation 3s sales will be dismal
compared to PS2s feverish release because everyone is anticipating Xbox 2s
release the next year. Xbox 2 is released (fully compatible with every single
Xbox game made because of the DirectX coding) and very quickly MS
surpasses whatever lead Playstation 3 had put together. Sony falls one step
behind MS and never, ever again will Sony or any console producer regain
lost market share. MS is chopping away at Sonys legs right now, and as
soon as Sony losses enough to where MS can reach its head--- BAM. Sonys
face is in the dirt and MS is stomping on it.
This is what MS does. This is why they are considered evil. This is why
XBox will dominate.
Anyways read the whole letter, its worth it, over at
XboxAddict. http://www.xboxaddic...hp?News_ID=1599
Posted by:: Saxx
December 10 2001 19:32 GMT+1 (yes.. 2001)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 10:28:00 AM
>> MS engineers are busy designing the second version of Xbox around an
AMD CPU, according to Fechtor Detwiler, the Boston-based investment bank.
Their channel checkers picked up this tidbit, and say that Intel won't be able
to snatch and grab the contract as easily as it did first time around.
"One of the primary reasons for the selection we understand," the firm says in a
research note, "was the close relationship of MS with Nvidia. We were
told that Intel's strategy of combining graphics capability with processor
function on the same device left MS with fears that they would lose the
ability to provide enhanced video features offered Nvidia or potentially
others."
Hmm. As Fechtor Detwiler points out this would be an "impressive win for AMD and
a noteworthy loss for Intel".
But the reasoning looks a little suspect; granted Nvidia and AMD are bosom
buddies, and granted that Nvidia and MS are new best friends, with plans
to jointly dominate digital entertainment in the home till Kingdom come. But
would Intel really jeopardise an important gig like X-Box for the sake of
integrating graphics onto its CPUs? More to the point, does MS really
think Intel would jeopardise the gig?
First time around with XBox, Intel won the deal because it underbid AMD at the
death. By dallying with AMD, MS is simply keeping Chipzilla on its toes. There
is still everything to play for.
from: theregister.co.uk
Posted by:: XanTium
March 21 2002 22:40 GMT+1 <
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:23:00 AM
>> From XboxAddict : http://www.xboxaddict.com/
"Well, it looks more and more each day that nVidia is comitted to the Xbox, even though MS continues to insist that they want to pay less for nVidida's chips. That is understandable, because MS is losing about $160 for every console they sell. However, nVidia is so comitted to getting in console chip making that they possibly will sell their technology even cheaper than previously thought. This is most likely because of other companies such as ATI and Via trying to unseat nVidia as the graphics producer for the Xbox 2."
Posted by:: XanTium
July 20 2002 11:38 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 10:29:00 AM
>> From reserve.co.uk : http://special.reserve.co.uk/news/story.ph...139&af=ur101002
| QUOTE |
The confession came when Allard was being grilled about the PlayStation 3, and the potential release dates of future consoles. Allard remarked "One thing we have learned that, and we'll promise, is that they [Sony] won't get a head start next time. And I'll just leave it at that." Wooo, exciting! This means that MS will be going hell for leather to get the Xbox 2 on store shelves before Sony release the PlayStation 3 - it may turn out to be an empty promise, but 'J' certainly seemed like he wanted to nose ahead of Sony in the console market next time round. It's no secret that Sony's massive success is partly to the 18 month-long headstart they had over the competition - they had no less than TWO Xmas's to themselves before any serious opposition came along. But, it looks as though MS have got their heads screwed on straight this time - the very fact that they're determined to launch before the PS3 (scheduled for a 2005 release) leads us to believe that work on the console infrastructure has already begun. |
If Xbox2 comes in 2004 that doesn't give alot of time for xbox1 ... so it looks like they already kinda gave up xbox1.
Posted by:: XanTium
October 12 2002 11:11 GMT+1 <
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 10:29:00 AM
>> From gamesarefun.com : http://www.gamesarefun.com/cgi-bin/newspro...039541663,52554,
| QUOTE |
According to Ohura, the "Xbox 2," as it has been so unoriginally dubbed by half the media (we prefer to call it NeXtBox; please laugh), will be much smaller in size than its predecessor. One of the largest complaints against MS's current hardware is that its much too big. There was a theory that a lot of Japanese people would not buy the Xbox based off of its gynormous figure. While we think that's silly, apparently MS is taking some stock in it; they want everyone to know, Xbox 2 will be smaller. Also, since MS is betting on Playstation 3 hitting retailers in 2005, they're hard at work on developing strategies to counter the consoles impending release. Presumably, MS wants to have its next-generation console out around the same time, to prevent Sony from having an enormous lead after a year on the market. |
Read the whole article here[gamesarefun.com].
Thanks to Jason for mailing us this link.
Posted by:: XanTium
December 10 2002 23:28 GMT+1 <
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 10:30:00 AM
>> hollywoodreporter.com posted a nice article about upcoming hardware releases.
| QUOTE |
The true next generation of hardware is pegged for a 2005 launch, with MS planning Xbox Next and Sony planning PlayStation 3. But 2003 might see a portable take on GameCube and cheaper variations of Xbox and PlayStation 2, Envisioneering analyst Richard Doherty predicted. Doherty expects an Xbox 1.5 that will be cheaper to manufacture and will be a smaller, lighter version of the current Xbox. He said it will retail from $129-$149. MS also might introduce a new combination Xbox-digital video recorder for about $199. Sony is on the third generation of PlayStation hardware, and the company is expected to ship its second incarnation of PS2 this year. "I believe you'll see the price of this PS2.5 drop as low as $99," Doherty said. And Sony is a TiVo investor, which leads Doherty and others to think there's a combination TiVo-PS2 device in the works -- possibly a $149 add-on to "fit into the back bay of the PS2," Doherty said. Little is known about Xbox Next, other than that it will ship before PS3 and likely will include UltimateTV technology (DVR and TV Web surfing), and it could serve as a PC for the living room. |
Read the whole articlehere[hollywoodreporter.com]
Posted by:: XanTium
January 2 (2003) 03:10 GMT+1 <
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 10:33:00 AM
>> From TheRegister : http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/29291.html
| QUOTE |
The next-generation Xbox (which many people speculate will be called "Xbox Next", based on recent domain name registrations by MS) is a much more broadly-focused multimedia device than the current console, he says. Some of this functionality could make it into the Xbox before a new console launch - several sources tell us that MS is considering major upgrades to the Xbox Dashboard in the near future, including a possible integration of Internet Explorer and Windows Media into the console. Next-gen features include "digital media capabilities such as video and photo editing" and "Internet capabilities without the need for direct connections through Wi-Fi," Billg says. This makes the Xbox 2 sound very like, well, a PC - indeed, if the system combines Internet, video and photo-editing functionality with a games console, it may become an attractive alternative to PC ownership for a lot of families. |
Read the whole article here
Posted by:: XanTium
February 12 12:42 GMT+1 <
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 10:36:00 AM
>> Is it true that on a recent visit to London you spent all night soldering circuits after blowing up an Xbox prototype?
Unfortunately, it is. Bill Gates announced we were doing Xbox and I was in London. We had these oneof-a-kind prototypes, all hand-made, worth between $30,000 and $40,000 each and I blew one up. We were up until 3am in the basement of the Metropolitan Hotel, soldering this thing back together.
When do you think the PlayStation3 will come out?
I don't know.
Do you really care?
No. Really, the Xbox represents the next big step forward in gaming and although I've already heard talk about the PS3, we think there is an awful lot we can do with the Xbox. We don't need to talk about the next one yet.
So, no Xbox2 on the horizon?
I didn't say that. I just said we weren't going to be talking about it.
You pushed MS towards the Internet. Does that make you a visionary?
I think that's a pretty loaded term. I prefer to think that was more of a rallying cry, and I was speaking for more than one person.
Does that dream stay alive?
Absolutely. You have to dream. If you don't, you have nightmares. When I came to the company, what I really wanted to do was integrate the Internet into society, in a way that could open new communication channels.
I thought that, if I got my mum on the Internet and sending me e-mails, I would have achieved my goal.
And what happened then?
After I achieved that goal, I always had a soft spot in my heart for games. I've always been a gamer - that's what introduced me to technology in the first place. Looking at what Sony and Nintendo were doing, I thought both were doing evolutionary things and it was time for the revolution, so we launched Xbox.
Is everyone that works at MS a millionaire?
I dunno.
How much money do you have?
Enough to keep me very happy with all my gaming.
Do you get letters from people asking for money?
No, I haven't really had much of that. I'm a pretty low-key guy.
Do you object to such letters?
No, feel free to send them on. It's important to give back to the less fortunate members of the community.
Does the job leave you with any time off. If so, what do you do?
I spend a lot of time snowboarding in the winter and have to admit I have an affection for racing go-karts and cars.
Does Bill Gates play games?
You know, he's not the world's biggest gamer, although he is starting to turn a new corner with Xbox. We're making him a believer now.
Any particular game?
He's hooked on Fusion Frenzy. He and his wife went down to Hawaii for a week, before we launched in the US, and he said: 'Y'know, I should really put my hands on this thing,' because we were going to send him to New York to play gamers. They ended up staying in the hotel most of the time playing Fusion Frenzy.
What about the Home Station, the other new rumoured MS product?
It's an old code name for a defunct product. Don't ask me where it came from - I have no idea how the press picked up on it, or why.
What's your current favourite game?
Gotham Racing. I've spent ages flying around Trafalgar Square in my F-50. It's a hoot.
What's your favourite game on the PS2 and Game Cube?
There's nothing I like on the Game Cube. With PS2, Jak And Dexter has some interesting game-play.
What game did you first play?
It was hockey on the Magnavox Odyssey, a 1970s game system. It was basically Pong.
Is there one thing you do every time you come here?
It wouldn't be the food. I'm a huge fan of British music. You guys get it right over here, especially dance music. I used to be a rabid New Order and Joy Division fan. I wish I could spend more time in clubs.
Didn't you have a clubbing description for the Xbox?
A rave in a nuclear reactor. Or the other one I've heard is 'better than a Norman Cook set on ecstasy'.
Is that from personal experience?
No. I just read about it...
Posted by:: XanTium
March 13 23:34 GMT+1 <
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 10:42:00 AM
>> From theregister.co.uk: http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/31189.html
| QUOTE |
MS has dropped Nvidia in favour of the graphics chip maker's arch-rival, ATI, as the provider of the graphics technology to be incorporated into its as yet unannounced next-generation Xbox console. So says a report on Internet gaming-oriented web site Spong, citing "senior development sources in the UK". Certainly MS and Nvidia haven't had any easily relationship during the life of the current Xbox. The highly competitive and price-sensitive nature of the console market required MS to be flexible on price. Nvidia is believed to have been decidedly inflexible when it came to helping the software giant achieve its pricing goals. MS wanted to pay less for its chips than originally agreed, but Nvidia (quite understandably) stuck to its guns. But more prosaic reasons may lie behind the decision - if such as decision has been taken. ATI has a Pentium 4 bus licence from Intel; Nvidia does not. MS would undoubtedly be looking at a more advanced CPU for Xbox 2 than the current console's Pentium III, and the P4 is a logical step up. If there is an ATI connection, then that would seem to preclude the use of an AMD chip, for which Nvidia would be the most logical partner thanks to its nForce expertise. Indeed, the current Xbox's chipset is essentially an nForce geared to work with a PIII. ATI is nevertheless a problematic partner for MS as it is already Nintendo's chosen graphics contributor for the next-generation GameCube. Or is that a problem? Spong suggests that Nintendo and MS are natural allies against market leader Sony - my enemy's enemy... - and this opens the door to co-operation between the two, with ATI as a third member of the alliance. |
Read the whole article at theregister.co.uk.
Posted by:: XanTium
June 13 16:32 GMT+1 <
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 10:42:00 AM
>> From reuters.com: http://reuters.com/financeNewsArticle.jhtm...e=hotStocksNews
| QUOTE |
TORONTO, June 13 (Reuters) - Rumors that ATI Technologies Inc. has been selected for a major contract by MS Corp. helped push up the shares of the graphics chip maker on Friday, but analysts were not buying the rumor. Shares of ATI rose 46 cents, or 5.8 percent, to close at $8.40 on Nasdaq. On the Toronto Stock Exchange, the stock finished 40 Canadian cents, or 3.7 percent, higher at C$11.18, while the broader information technology sector was down 2.4 percent According to a computer games Web site, ATI is said to have been selected by the world's largest software maker to supply graphic technology for the still unannounced next generation Xbox console. The Web site says MS will dump Nvidia Corp. because of its inability to work cohesively with the chip designer. |
Read the whole article at reuters.com
Posted by:: XanTium
June 14 19:51 GMT+1
<
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 10:43:00 AM
>> From TheRegister.co.uk: http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/31334.html
| QUOTE |
Internet gaming site Spong.com has claimed its recent story ATI will provide the chipset and graphics technology for the Xbox 2 has been confirmed by an unnamed "senior source close to Nvidia". According to Spong.com's source, "[Nvidia] didn't want to meet MS's demands for the floating design of Xbox Next. It didn't make sense to partner on the project. At this moment in time, ATI is working with MS." Assuming the source knows what he or she is talking about, the comment suggests that MS did offer the project to Nvidia. After the battle between the two companies over how much money MS should pay Nvidia for the original Xbox graphics and chipset technology, it was widely supposed at the time of Spong.com's first ATI/Xbox 2 story that the software giant was simply pissed off with Nvidia. But it's clear that sound business minds prevailed, and the longer-term benefits of working with an existing partner outweighed more momentary emotional considerations. Nvidia, however, doesn't seem to have been willing to be flexible, and now its arch-rival has the deal - if the source's comments are accurate. |
Read the whole article at TheRegister.co.uk.
Posted by:: XanTium
June 20 17:05 GMT+1 <
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 10:43:00 AM
>> From afterdawn.com: http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/4244.cfm
| QUOTE |
There has been all kinds of rumors about the Playstation 3 as well as MS Xbox 2. It has been rumoured that the next generation consoles would roll out rather soon, leaving the life-span of PS2 and the Xbox rather short. According to this statement the PS3 will not be launched during the next year. Sony: "All I can really say [about the PlayStation 3] is that it definitely won't launch in 2004." |
Read the whole article at afterdawn.com.
Posted by:: XanTium
July 8 15:18 GMT+1 <
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 10:43:00 AM
>> From gamesindustry.biz:
| QUOTE |
According to men on the Internet, Xbox 2 is being referred to internally at MS and trusted developers as "Xenon" - a rather more politically correct project codename than Project Midway, which is what the company called the original Xbox development work. Taking on the Japanese, see? As for the next generation Xbox, well, chances are we're still going to call it Xbox 2 until MS says otherwise. However, the system is actually unlikely to be called that when it finally arrives; MS is apparently concerned that consumers might assume that Xbox 2 would be less powerful than PlayStation 3 because of the version numbers. Current bets are on "Xbox Next" as the brandname. |
Read the whole article at gamesindustry.biz. http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page....me=dev&aid=1931
Thanks to DaCxKasD for the news.
Posted by:: XanTium
July 15 16:09 GMT+1 <
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 10:44:00 AM
>> From theinquirer.net: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=11064
| QUOTE |
A CHINESE WEB SITE claims that the Xbox Next will use a special version of Intel's Pentium M, it said. That followed news yesterday that ATI and MS, as earlier predicted, will cooperate together on the design of the Xbox. Sources yesterday told the INQUIRER that the ATI deal with MS includes a royalty deal that will mean the Canadian firm scoops up money "quarter after quarter", and isn't necessarily dependent on sales of the Xbox. That indicates a closer relationship with MS than the one between Nvidia and the software firm, which was, to put it mildly, troubled. |
Never heard of Pentium M(obile)? (http://www.intel.com/products/notebook/processors/pentiumm/) for more info about the cpu.
Posted by:: XanTium
August 15 22:03 GMT+1 <
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 10:45:00 AM
>> By Fuad Abazovic on theinquirer.net: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=11296
| QUOTE |
PRECISE DETAILS of ATI's Xbox 2 are still harder to find than a pin on a 940 Athlon 64, but there's a while before the console of consoles arrives like 2005. Nvidia sold two chips to MS, one for graphics and one for the chipset but ATI will do something completely different, as the Monty Python refrain goes. ATI actually bagged a deal where it will simply send the marchitecture to the Vole, while another company will actually make it for the Xbox 2. All ATI is doing is giving away rights to its marchitecture to MS, while Nvidia had the not so pleasant job of designing and then getting the chips made for the Satan of Satans. So someone needs to make an Xbox 2 motherboard as well, and we speculate that ATI might include its good friends at Sapphire to do that job. It's just speculation. |
Posted by:: XanTium
September 1 18:15 GMT+ <
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:46:00 AM
>> From teamxbox.com:
| QUOTE |
Both ATI and MS executives are absolutely refusing to answer questions on the Xbox successor, but that didnt stop us in our mission to be the Insiders Choice for Xbox Information. Were proud to bring you today the very first info on the Xbox 2 GPU. Our highly placed source within the industry informed us that the graphic technology powering the Xbox successor is a derivative of the R500, the successor of the R420 to be unveiled later this year at Comdex. This graphic chip has been in design for longer than a year at ATIs Marlborough, Mass. office and much like the Xboxs nVIDIA GPU, the Xbox 2 graphic chip will also be a custom silicon that will have the R500 as its core technology. This graphic chip is aimed at the next version of the DirectX API, most probably called DirectX 10, which is already in development and simply code named: DirectX/LH. LH stands for Longhorn, the next major desktop Windows release, which will follow Windows XP. |
Posted by:: XanTium
September 10 00:00 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:46:00 AM
>> From teamxbox.com: http://www.teamxbox.com/news.php?id=4929
| QUOTE |
An anonymous source informed us today that MS and IBM have signed a multi-million dollar agreement under which IBM Microelectronics will manufacture a next generation CPU for the Xbox 2. Work on the new processor has already started, but the deal was inked just a few days ago. We also dont know if the chip will be manufactured using current 0.13 micron (a micron is a millionth of a meter) process technology or the upcoming 90nm fabrication process. At the moment we have no official confirmations about this information so take it for what its worth. A MS spokesman was unavailable for comment at the time of posting this story. Well certainly have more as things develop. |
If IBM makes the chip, it probably also means the 'Xbox Next' won't be based on the x86 architecture.
Update: The article has been removed by TeamXbox (the website that released this news as first). Were they forced by MS to remove it?
Thanks to gamester17 for the news.
Posted by:: XanTium
October 1 15:35 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:47:00 AM
>> From theinquirer.net: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=11996
| QUOTE |
THERE'S STILL SOME doubt about the future architecture of the Xbox console, but if ATI's involved, as it is, an IBM processor in there is unlikely. Nvidia's CFO reminded us a few days ago in a conference call that the current Xbox actually uses three key bits of semi technology the CPU, a graphics chip and a chipset. ATI therefore stands to gain in a couple of ways from its recent agreement with MS. Whoever makes the graphic chip for MS, is likely to have a chunk of the mobo and chipset real estate too. But will the future Xbox 2 use an Intel or an AMD chipset? We know that there are special bonds chaining Intel to ATI, but this, we suspect is a marriage of convenience. |
On the other side ... we received some anonymous sources confirming a deal was being closed between MS and IBM for the 'Xbox Next' CPU.
To be continued ...
Thanks to gamester17 for the newslink.
Posted by:: XanTium
October 8 14:43 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:47:00 AM
>> Gamester17 from XboxMediaPlayer(info)/XboxMediaCenter(info) wrote about his speculations, educated guesses, hopes and dreams for the Xbox2 (alias Xbox Next).
Check it out on the XBMC forums.http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.pl?act=ST;f=11;t=146
Posted by:: XanTium
October 10 14:54 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:47:00 AM
>> From theinquirer.net: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=12248
| QUOTE |
GAMES MAKER THQ has its nose to the grindstone readying games for the next generation of consoles heading for a high street battle in 2006, CEO Brian Farrell said. In a conference call to discuss THQ's latest quarterly results, Farrell said the company's Rainbow and Volition studios were already working on ideas for the consoles. "We still believe that the next generation will launch in 2006. That's our best guess as of today's date," Farrell said. But he added that he couldn't rule out an earlier launch date for either one, or both of the consoles. "We're certainly preparing in the event that there is a 2005 launch," he said. Having carved itself out a niche in the maket dominated by Sony, MS will live or die in the next round of the battle which has seen the Vole squeeze into Nintendo's shoes as the number two contender, Sega having given up the hardware ghost some time ago. The big two are likely to go head to head within weeks of each other, in a battle for the hearts and minds of nimble-thumbed youngsters everywhere. |
Posted by:: XanTium
October 21 15:46 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:48:00 AM
>> From theinquirer.net: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=12204
| QUOTE |
IT SEEMS ATi's Radeon 9100 integrated chipset has been just around the corner for well over a month, yet there is still no word about its availability. MSI has shown at least one, as our friends at UK gamer tested it, but the boards are still not in the channel and, as far as we are aware, there are no shops you can buy them at. Shuttle should introduce its XPC system based on this chipset as soon as it is ready and we remember that ATI told us that it will ship some of these machines with TV tuner and new Windows Media Centre Edition 2004. But where are they? We also know that ColorPower will have this board but there is still no information about them and even big boys such as Asus haven't yet introduced them and dont have them in retail - at least not in Europe - and we haven't read anything about its availability on the Interweb. We reckon that these machines will be ready soon, but how soon we have no idea. It's sure not so easy to make a Southbridge as ATI as well as Nvidia have learned. But still they need some practice for Xbox 2 chipset, don't they? Gates wants this Xbox 2 to be killer stuff and ATI's chipset to glow. If he dreams not of Linux, maybe Sony stirs his unconscious meanderings. |
Thanks to Gamester17 (XBMP/XBMC) for the link.
Posted by:: XanTium
October 24 14:25 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:49:00 AM
>> It was a rumor some weeks ago (http://www.teamxbox.com/news.php?id=4929) ... and now it's confirmed.
From gamesindustry.biz: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page....me=dev&aid=2493
| QUOTE |
MS has signed up IBM to manufacture chips for the "future" generations of its Xbox console. According to a statement offered by both companies, MS has "licensed leading-edge processor technology from IBM for use in future Xbox products and services to be announced at a later date". That's the same language used in the statement announcing MS's deal with ATI to use the graphics specialist's GPUs in future Xbox systems. It is widely believed that that announcement referred to Xbox 2, so it's a good bet that the IBM announcement does too. But which chips will IBM provide? The implication is that we're talking PowerPC processors. That seems unlikely given the current Xbox's foundation on x86 PC technology, but rumours have circulated of a compatibility break between the two generations of the console. If accurate, it's a bizarre move for MS to make, particularly since backward compatibility surely helped Sony sell Playstation 2. |
Read more about it:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page....me=dev&aid=2493
http://www.teamxbox.com/news.php?id=5075
http://games.slashdot.org/games/03/11/03/1...7.shtml?tid=211
Posted by:: XanTium
November 3 15:53 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:49:00 AM
>> From digitimes.com: http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/Article....ages=PR&seq=205
| QUOTE |
Silicon Integrated Systems (SiS) announced that it has entered an agreement with MS to supply media input/output (I/O) chips for use in future Xbox products and services, according to a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) today. Were integrating SiS cutting edge, media I/O technologies into future products to create innovative Xbox products and services that serve the digital entertainment lifestyle, said Todd Holmdahl, general manager of Xbox Hardware at MS. Both companies declined to detail the availability of the chips or the approximate launch of the next-generation Xbox game consoles. |
Thanks to StaTiK for the link.
Posted by:: XanTium
November 4 11:53 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:49:00 AM
>> From theinquirer.net: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=12476
| QUOTE |
BIG BLUE'S Micro division is pleased as punch about MS using one of its designs in a future Xbox. So pleased that when a spinner sent us a press release he outlined details of all sorts of stuff that isn't in the document. It confirms our position as undisputed leader in providing advanced chip technology for the gaming industry. We make the CPUs for Nintendo's GameCube systems. We are shipping in volume the GeForce FX advanced graphics processor for NVIDIA, the premier supplier of graphics chips for the gaming industry. We are working with Sony Computer Entertainment to develop the processor for its PlayStation3 system. And now we've won the next-generation Xbox. It may be a cliché, but this is an "IBM Team" effort. Many of our major operations will be involved in the project, including -- Rochester, Minn. for design, our Austin, Tx. Advanced Microprocessor Development Center and Raleigh, N.C. Technology Park for development, East Fishkill, N.Y. for manufacturing and packaging, and Burlington, Vt. for mask and test work. It exemplifies the type of business that we're starting to win -- deals that use the full capabilities of IBM's many resources. |
Read the whole article/press release on theinquirer.net.
Thanks to Gamester17 link the link.
Posted by:: XanTium
November 4 16:33 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:50:00 AM
>> After the press release that IBM will make the Xbox Next (alias Xbox2) CPU, Wired.com (http://www.wired.com/news/games/0,2101,61065,00.html) thinks IBM will use a PowerPC (cpu used in Apple computers).
| QUOTE |
MS's next-generation Xbox will ditch its Intel chip in favor of the same kind of chip used in Apple's Macs -- an IBM PowerPC processor -- IBM and MS announced on Monday. In a cryptic press release (http://www.ibm.com/news/us/2003/11/031.html) issued on Monday, IBM announced MS's intention to use an IBM chip in the next-generation Xbox, which is expected to debut in early 2005. The release studiously avoids naming the chip architecture, referring only to "IBM's family of state-of-the-art processors." However, IBM spokesman Scott Brooks said IBM's "family of processors" are all PowerPCs. He declined to name the architecture specifically, saying IBM had promised MS it would not do so. A spokeswoman for MS, which also issued a release (http://www.MS.com/presspass/press/2003/nov03/11-03XboxIBMPR.asp), declined to elaborate. "It's quite simple," she said. "It's an announcement of a technology agreement. There's not much more to be said." |
Read the whole article on wired.com.
Posted by:: XanTium
November 4 19:22 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:50:00 AM
>> Yesterday wired.com (http://www.wired.com/news/games/0,2101,61065,00.html) launched the idea that as MS chose IBM to make the CPU for the 'Xbox Next' chances were high it would be a cpu based on the PowerPC 970 (similar to the G5 processor that powers Apple's developed jointly by IBM, Apple and Motorola).
More articles came out today with other possibilities.
From newsfactor.com: http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/22622.html
| QUOTE |
Gartner analyst Martin Reynolds questioned whether the IBM supplied chip would be PowerPC architecture. Much of the Xbox software is based on Windows code, he said. "If MS goes away from an x86 processor, they're going to have to maintain a separate code base, and that just doesn't make any sense," he told NewsFactor. The IBM Xbox processor actually might be an x86 processor, he said. "IBM could get that license from AMD," he pointed out. "We know that IBM and AMD have a relationship, so it's possible that IBM could build the AMD architecture and deliver it in the Xbox package." As a possible alternative, IBM may have an opportunity to integrate the functions performed by more than one of the Xbox's chips into a single chip, providing significant cost cutting, Reynolds said. IBM will not actually need to rewrite the code for a PowerPC chip, but merely recompile it, Aberdeen analyst Russ Craig said. "My guess is that there's probably a fairly easy switch." Craig speculated that IBM will supply MS with the same processor it supplies to Nintendo, which is the PowerPC. Additionally, since IBM is developing an ultra-fast processor for Sony's Playstation, "it could be that IBM has done some tweaks to an architecture that may be better for game machines than a Pentium." To ensure backward compatibility, MS reportedly will use the Virtual PC technology it acquired from Connectix last year, although using Virtual PC technology would be a performance detriment, Reynolds said. |
Read more about it on newsfactor.com and also check out the article on theregister.co.uk (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/33741.html)
Thanks to Gamester17 for the links/news.
Posted by:: XanTium
November 5 17:59 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:50:00 AM
>> Another story about which CPU IBM will make for the Xbox2 ... they open a new possibility here though ... Xbox2 might aswell use the cell CPU IBM, Toshiba and Sony are currently developing for the Playstation3. Sony wouldn't be happy ... but can they do something about it?
From TheInquirer.net: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=12523
| QUOTE |
The most curious thing about the choice of IBM is that the firm is already producing processors for Nintendo and is designing the next generation of 'Cell' processors for the Playstation 3. So IBM effectively knows what all of the key players are up to, something that might not sit comfortably with the CEOs of the three main console firms. The Real Threat The biggest firm in console gaming by far is Sony with its Playstation 2. The juiciest leaks that have appeared about the Cell processor put that architecture a country mile ahead of any other mainstream processor performance wise. It looks likely to offer capabilities that will be well beyond the AMD64 and PowerPC variants when it is released, even taking into account the latter processors improving considerably over the next couple of years. That leaves MS with a big problem. If it chooses PowerPC or AMD64, it might end up trying to sell an Xbox 2 that at best offers only half the performance of the Playstation 3. A far from appetising thought. But then you need to think about just why IBM and Toshiba are involved with the Cell processor in the first place. Both firms are aiming to use it in high-power multiprocessor systems. In theory at least, both firms could supply Cell processor systems to whichever companies they liked. So then you end up with the last major possibility, that MS could well have chosen IBM to manufacture processors for the Xbox 2 because it has somehow persuaded the firm to supply Cell processors for the new system. There're no two ways around it, Sony would be livid if that was the case but it would also be stuck. MS has more than enough money to step into the breach if Sony decided to walk away from dealing with IBM over that happening. That's something Sony couldn't afford to allow because it would mean the firm scrabbling around trying to find a replacement architecture and Xbox 2 getting the Cell technology all to itself, with all that entails. |
For more information go read the whole article on TheInquirer.net (with more details about the AMD64 and PowerPC option ... that was already on the news here earlier).
Posted by:: XanTium
November 6 23:42 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:52:00 AM
>> From totalvideogames.com: http://www.totalvideogames.com/?section=Re...8&format=000005
| QUOTE |
Speaking to a German magazine, Robbie Bach, Senior Vice-President MS Game Division, confirmed that the company has yet to decide whether the Xbox2 will run Xbox games. Other details revealed by Bach confirmed that IBM have been enlisted to design the main CPU, although he believes the Xbox still has 2-3 years before well see the new machine. |
Posted by:: XanTium
November 7 23:08 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:52:00 AM
>> From http://www.petitiononline.com/xbox2/petition.html:
| QUOTE |
MS Xbox Hardware Development (www.xbox.com) has yet to decide if they are going to make the Xbox2 backwards compatible with existing Xbox games for the Xbox(1), this petition is a request to MS to make the next Xbox play the Xbox games of today. We urge you, existing and future Xbox owners, please sign this petition, hopefully MS will listen and hear the public demand and make the Xbox2 backwards compatible |
More Info/Sign Petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/xbox2/petition.html.
Posted by:: XanTium
November 10 17:06 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:53:00 AM
>> From gamesindustry.biz: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page....me=dev&aid=2534
| QUOTE |
Recent agreements signed by MS with a variety of companies to supply technology for the successor to Xbox reveal that the company is switching to the manufacturing model preferred by its rivals. Rather than buying devices which are effectively PC components from manufacturers, MS's next generation plan revolves around licensing technology designs from key suppliers such as ATI, IBM and SIS Technologies, and then arranging for the manufacture of these chipsets itself - effectively becoming a full-scale chip maker, albeit one without a fabrication plant of its own. This new approach means that rather than selling components to MS, as NVIDIA and Intel do, ATI and IBM will be receiving royalties for the use of their technology - but MS will have ultimate control over the manufacturing and final use of that technology, effectively giving the company far more control over its own platform, and the ability to make significant cost savings on manufacture. Another benefit for MS is that this form of technology licensing will make the Xenon platform into a far more proprietary system than the Xbox, thus making it far less likely that people will be able to hack the system to run PC software. This has been a major problem for the Xbox to date - the inclusion of PC components in the box was a red flag to a bull as far as software hackers were concerned, and it's thought that many Xboxen are now used as home media centres and emulators rather than as games consoles as a result. Although this will probably deter the hackers to some degree, and the business and manufacturing model open to MS will almost certainly save it significant amounts of money (with actual physical manufacture of the chips likely to be outsourced either to the Far East or back to IBM itself), it has its drawbacks. The company touted the Xbox as the easiest platform of its generation to develop on because it was so similar to the PC; this will not necessarily hold true for Xenon, which won't be based on an x86 architecture like the Xbox and the PC. Making life tougher for the hackers may also make it tougher for legitimate developers - and there are also major question marks over how this console will manage to maintain backwards compatibility and play Xbox games, with rumours abounding that MS has approached emulation specialists Connectix with a view to solving this thorny issue. |
Read the full article on gamesindustry.biz.
Posted by:: XanTium
November 10 17:46 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:46:00 AM
| QUOTE |
The first next-generation cross-platform development engine has today been announced: Acclaimed for its versatility, simplicity, power and user-friendliness, the engine [Blimey 1] enabled Climax to turn around PS2, Xbox, GameCube and PC games in double-quick time. And now, with a new generation of gaming platforms looming on the horizon, Climax has again stolen a technological march on its rivals by revamping the engine for PS3, Xbox 2 and PSP. Simply called Blimey 2, the new engine boasts a host of enhancements and improvements that will ensure Climax remains among the games development elite. "The Blimey engine has served us well over the last couple years, but Blimey 2 takes us to another level" commented Karl Jeffery, CEO of Climax. "It's more powerful, more adaptable and, most importantly, it keeps us ahead of the competition. We've already got games in development that are using Blimey 2 and we're ready now for PS3, Xbox 2, PSP and any other next generation games platform." |
For the whole press release: http://ve3dboards.ig...?topic=13982792
Posted by:: XanTium
November 17 19:14 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:47:00 AM
| QUOTE |
Speaking last week at the unveiling of a TV-sized supercomputer based on 1000 specially designed PowerPC chips, IBM vice president of technology and strategy Irving Wladawsky-Berger said the platform will be the foundation for next-generation consoles from Nintendo and Sony, according to a throwaway line in a Reuters report at the weekend. Of course, the possibility exists that Wladawsky-Berger inadvertently mentioned Nintendo when he should have referred to MS, or that Reuters got it wrong. Nintendo is working on future successors to the GameCube and the GameBoy Advance. It is expected to announce the former next May at the E3 show. Curiously, with GameCube development partners IBM and ATI now confirmed as Xbox 2 developers, speculation is mounting that the new Nintendo and Xbox 2 may be one and the same thing, with the two firms essentially offering two, individual products both derived from a common platform. Indeed, ATI has already been named by Nintendo as its future graphics partner - despite being signed by MS, nominally Nintendo's rival. It's hard to imagine to competitors being happy to share one key component supplier, let alone two, such is the risk that commercially sensitive information might be exposed to a rival. No, the only way they would happily allow this situation to exist is if they are working on the same console platform. That the two might co-operate against Sony has been the subject of rumour for some time. It may even herald an attempt to create a licensable platform on which both companies build a high-margin software business while others commoditise the hardware. |
Posted by:: XanTium
November 18 01:02 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:48:00 AM
| QUOTE |
A number of internet news sites have claimed that MS and Sony will take the wraps off their next generation console offerings at events in spring 2004 - but what exactly might be shown is not discussed. Rumour reporting site C&VG was first out of the blocks with a story stating that MS will show its next console, allegedly codenamed Xenon, at the Game Developers Conference in San Jose next March - ahead of Sony unveiling the PS3 at E3 in May. It's not unlikely that MS would choose GDC as the venue for its first official talk about the successor to Xbox, since the original announcement of its entry into the console market was made by chairman Bill Gates at GDC in March 2000 - almost exactly 20 months before the Xbox launched in North America. However, it's extremely unlikely that any seriously useful information about Xenon will emerge from GDC next March, even if MS does choose to announce the system there. At present it's expected that Xbox' successor will appear in late 2005, which would fit with the original timescale between GDC 2000 and the Xbox launch in November 2001 - but it's worth remembering what exactly MS did announce at GDC 2000. The Xbox product presented at that original conference had no final specifications, no software and no proper real-time demos. The prototype model presented was a PC running the very first NV15 prototype silicon and encased in a large chrome-finish "X", and at this point AMD was on board to make the CPU for the system. The demo reel included footage of Afro Thunder from Midway's Ready 2 Rumble talking about the power of Xbox animation. In the end, Ready 2 Rumble never actually appeared on the Xbox console. |
Read more on gamesindustry.biz.
Posted by:: XanTium
November 21 15:22 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:56:00 AM
| QUOTE |
The move to IBMs PowerPC chipset has implications far beyond the gaming industry: it stands to threaten the Linux open source movement. The biggest winner from this whole arrangement will likely be MS itself but not for the reason that people expect, Mr. Mantion says (analyst at digital communications market research firm In-Stat/MDR). He believes that by working with IBMs PowerPC platform, MS will be able to finally make inroads into embedded computing or software that is hard wired onto consumer electronics motherboards. Mr. Mantion believes MS may be able to tweak its Windows XP Embedded operating system by leveraging expertise gained from the Xbox. PowerPC architecture also is used in many corporate blade servers, the low-cost, high-power servers revolutionizing the server marketplace. Mr. Mantion suggests that the closer relationship between Windows and IBM in the Xbox could help MS quell Linux momentum in the space. |
Note that above article doesn't mention that it has NOT been confirmed yet that IBM and MS will use a PowerPC in the Xbox Next. Other CPU architectures are possible: x86 (with amd license), cell technology, ...
Posted by:: XanTium
November 21 16:26 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:56:00 AM
| QUOTE |
Xbox isn't at the center of what we do in the home. Xbox is critical and vital to what we do in the home, but at the center of the home, we believe is a Windows® computer, a Media Center computer, because at that center you want a place to store all your digital assets. You want to be able to put your photos, your music, your video, and your television recordings. You want something to manage the network and your multiple Internet connections. You want that central, multipurpose workhorse that, by the way, can also do a lot of productivity things as well, at the center of what you do in the home. Xbox then becomes the device that connects around that to provide great videogame entertainment. So Windows is at the core of what we do and around that, MS sees in the consumer space a set of connected devices. It's quite clear to us that over the next five years wireless networking will be very pervasive in the home. We're already seeing a lot of growth in that marketplace. Prices have come down. The technology is improving. Installation is easier and people are seeing the benefits of simple things, like being able to get to a printer, and the more exciting benefits of having multiple people on the Internet gaming against each other and communications. So we think the home is fundamentally a networked environment with a Windows computer at the center and a series of devices connected to that Windows computer. Now, one of those devices could be a Tablet PC, it could be a Pocket PC, it could be printers, or other intelligent devices. And certainly one of the important ones for us is Xbox because of its role in the videogame space and how central videogames and interactive entertainment is to what people do in the home. |
You can read the whole article here: http://www.MS.com/ms...04playtime.mspx
Related article on future WMC can be found: http://www.MS-watch....,1395326,00.asp
XBMC discussion here: http://www.xboxmedia...t=ST;f=11;t=146
Thanks to Gamester17 for the news.
Posted by:: XanTium
November 25 16:14 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:56:00 AM
| QUOTE |
According to remarks made in Japan by Steve Ballmer, MS CEO, the US giant will release Xbox2 (Xenon) in 2006. Whilst many had suspected that MS would try to gain the upper hand on Sony and launch in 2005, it now appears that MS are happy to squeeze another year out of the Xbox and launch on a level pegging with the Playstation3 in 2006. |
Thanks to Devil-Man for the link.
Posted by:: XanTium
December 5 14:36 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:57:00 AM
| QUOTE |
To sum things up, it is possible that the Xbox 2 might use an AMD64 processor (Athlon 64FX or the upcoming K9); probably a modified version, highly optimized for gaming purposes (ala Intel PIV Extreme Edition), that will be built by IBM using the most advanced manufacturing process available at the time the Xbox 2 ships; probably a 90-nanometer manufacturing process or, a 65-nm one, if the Xbox 2 arrives late 2005/early 2006. The chipset could be designed by ATI, using some licensed technologies from SiS. That would have ATI not only designing the graphic processor but also the chipset; just exactly as nVIDIA does nowadays by providing their NV2X GPU and nForce chipset for the existing Xbox. So there you have it. This is our small conspiracy theory. It is pure speculation but based on rumors, inside info, and technology facts. |
Read the full article on TeamXbox.com.
Thanks to Gamester17 for the link.
Posted by:: XanTium
December 10 12:00 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:57:00 AM
| QUOTE |
MICROPROCESSOR FIRM MS is looking for engineers who will work on hardware circuits for computer based game console systems or peripheral devices. The vacancy is in Mountain View, California, and the successful candidate will work on printed circuit board design, verification and testing, and detailed electrical analysis. You need to have one year of hardware engineering experience and a degree in computer engineering or electrical engineering. And you need one year's experience of analogue and digital system simulation. As you can read here. (http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=19468153&AVSDM=2003%2D11%2D18+09%3A19%3A00&Logo=1&col=dltci&cy=US&brd=1%2C1862%2C1863&lid=354%2C355%2C357%2C883%2C356&fn=&q=Electrical+Engineer) |
Thanks to Gamester17 for the link.
Posted by:: XanTium
December 10 12:44 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:57:00 AM
| QUOTE |
A job advertisement (http://www.MS.com/careers/search/details.aspx?JobID=5a0a79bb-f7bd-4161-878f-d1d6f414ca9a) which has appeared on MS's careers website suggests that the company may be considering moving to a proprietary disc format for its next console, in an effort to make piracy on the device more difficult. According to the ad, MS's Xbox team is seeking an engineer "to manage the design and development of the Xbox Game Disc for the next generation Xbox console," with the job description going on to mention anti-piracy as the first in a list of key factors for the new game disc specification. Although it's possible that the role will simply involve devising a copy protection mechanism for games on existing DVD media, similar to that used by the current generation Xbox and the PS2, the description of the role hints strongly at the company developing a more proprietary format. MS may be planning to follow in the footsteps of Nintendo, whose mini-DVD format which has been highly successful in preventing piracy on the GameCube. It's widely expected, however, that whatever media the next Xbox console (codenamed Xenon, apparently) uses will be the same size as DVD media, since the system will be expected to play back DVD movies and provide backwards compatibility with Xbox games. Although preventing piracy which results from the copying of game discs is obviously an important consideration, MS will also be thinking very hard about how to prevent piracy which uses the hard drive on the system. Many mod chips for the current generation of Xbox allow users to copy games to their hard drives and then play them without the original game disc, or simply download copies off the Internet directly onto their console - a new avenue for piracy which has potential to be hugely damaging if it becomes popular. |
Posted by:: XanTium
December 12 18:25 CEST
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:58:00 AM
| QUOTE |
MAKE NO MISTAKE, the top brass at AMD and Intel are going to need to live by Andy Groves' famous "only the paranoid survive" counsel. The two firms, along with VIA and Transmeta, are facing the biggest threat to their processor businesses ever: MS is moving in. The announcement that MS has chosen IBM to make a processor for Xbox 2 should be sending shivers down the spines of the execs of every x86 chip firm. Just about every newswire has concentrated on trying to figure out what type of chip is going to be used in the Xbox 2. Will it be a PowerPC derivative? A licensed version of AMD64? A modified Cell processor? It really only matters to gamers exactly which chip MS has chosen, everyone is looking at the finger when it's pointing to the moon. All of the x86 firms, but especially Intel and AMD, are going to have to be on their guard. If MS gets one piece of intellectual property into the next generation of x86 processors, you can bet that it won't be satisfied with just that. It will want to maximise its license revenues and that means getting more licenses in there. Oh, the first one will seem trivial, perhaps it will even be free of charge, but MS doesn't play softball. Sooner or later the x86 firms would find a hefty percentage of their gross margin heading Redmond way. MS is very smart indeed and it has become used to getting its 'tax' on pretty much every PC sold. The firm will be looking at this and similar techniques as an insurance policy; it has seen the spread of Linux and knows its revenue stream is under threat, if it has a stake in every x86 processor sold, Linux gaining ground won't matter so much. All in all, this is classic MS. And if the x86 firms' execs weren't sweating before they read this, they certainly should have been. The biggest problem they face is how to stop it from happening because MS will make its arguments very persuasive. |
Read the whole article on theinquirer.net.
Thanks to Gamester17 for the link.
Posted by:: XanTium
December 12 16:45 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:58:00 AM
| QUOTE |
ATI Technologies Inc. announced today its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2004, ending November 30, 2003. The graphics chipmaker reported record revenues of U.S. $469.7 million, a 40% increase relative to the first quarter of fiscal 2003. "Product leadership is enabling ATI to win new customers and penetrate new markets today," said KY Ho, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ATI. "Our focused execution on delivering our product roadmap is attracting new channel partners and establishing broader distribution for the future." Last summer, ATI announced it entered a technology agreement with MS to develop "custom, leading-edge graphics technologies" for the Xbox successor. |
Posted by:: XanTium
December 22 18:37 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:58:00 AM
Most expect market leader Sony Corp., as well as MS and Nintendo, to bring out new consoles in 2005 or 2006.
Sony's PlayStation 2 had a one-year head start on the Xbox and GameCube, an advantage that has proved insurmountable, in terms of installed base and market share. MS has of late been actively hiring engineers for its development efforts.
"Really, the imperative is to not give anyone a head start," Bach said.
He declined to offer further details on MS's announced partnership with International Business Machines Corp. or to discuss issues like whether or not the next Xbox would contain a hard drive, as the current unit does. Many analysts have cited the hard drive as a key cost of the money-losing console.
He also said it was unlikely MS would make any major hardware upgrades to the Xbox before the current business cycle ends, as Sony has done with PS2.
"They do their tuning with hardware, we do our tuning with software," he said.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on reuters.com. (http://www.reuters.c...storyID=4089338)
Posted by:: XanTium
January 8 2004 00:00 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:59:00 AM
| QUOTE |
MS has lately been active in recruiting staff to work on gaming hardware, although Gates declined to talk in much detail about the company's plans for the next generation of the Xbox, which is widely expected to come in 2005 or 2006. Market leader Sony Corp., which has dominated the current generation of consoles with its PlayStation 2, has been similarly circumspect about its plans for a PS3. "In terms of the next round, hey it's a new game. We're not showing our hand and I don't think Sony's showing their hand," Gates said. "We're doing some very cool work but that's really all we say at this point." Despite heavy competition, though, Gates said he was pleased with the market position of the money-losing Xbox, which was released in Nov. 2001 and has battled Nintendo Co. Ltd. for second place in the U.S. market. "Our goal in this generation was to be one of the leaders, and we feel like we've accomplished that very well," Gates said. |
Posted by:: XanTium
January 8 13:53 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 11:59:00 AM
| QUOTE |
TOKYO--MS Japan's new Xbox division chief Yoshihiro Maruyama says that his company's next generation machine, casually referred to by media outlets as the Xbox Next, will not see its shadow until 2006. Maruyama's comments support statements made by MS CEO Steve Ballmer last year, when he told the Nikkei Journal that the console will be released no sooner than 2006 in Japan. But whether the Xbox Next will be out before or after Sony's next generation machine is not decided, according to an interview with Maruyama contained in the current issue of Famitsu. One of the issues surrounding the original Xbox was the fact it was was considerably larger than other game consoles in the market. Rumors have been floating the Xbox Next will be considerably smaller and possibly uses notebook PC components. While Maruyama did not comment on specifics, he confirmed that the Xbox Next will indeed be smaller than the current Xbox. "In terms of hardware, we get a lot of requests asking us to reduce the console's size. Actually, I was thinking so myself before coming to MS. We promise that we'll make the new console smaller," Maruyama said. |
Posted by:: XanTium
January 10 00:24 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 12:00:00 PM
>> The petition that started several weeks ago asking MS to make the Xbox2 (alias Xbox Next) backwards compatible has almost reached 10.000 signatures! (9918 at time of writing).
Check it out: http://www.petitiono...2/petition.html.
If you agree with the statement and didn't sign yet ... do it now :-)
Thanks goes to Gamester17 for the info.
Posted by:: XanTium
January 10 05:57 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 14, 2004, 12:00:00 PM
| QUOTE |
Sony Electronics' PlayStation and MS's Xbox game consoles may include digital video recording (DVR) technology in future versions, panelists said during a discussion at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Despite lagging sales, DVR would be a hot consumer technology in the future, said speakers on a panel devoted to investigating future consumer electronics products and technology trends. In addition to MS and Sony bundling DVR technology into future game consoles, cable companies would be a major player in the DVR market as they added digital video recording capability into set-top boxes, panellists said. |
Posted by:: XanTium
January 12 06:16 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 16, 2004, 08:30:00 AM
| QUOTE |
Today we can confirm that the Xbox 2 CPU will be built using a 65-nanometer manufacturing process. Itll be built on a 65-nanometer process, a source confirmed to TeamXbox. IBM has already taped out experimental samples at its East Fishkill fab but it will take between 12 to 18 months for them to deliver commercial parts. Anyway, theyre way ahead of Intel. With the new 90nm manufacturing process, IBM broke the 2 Ghz barrier. The 65-nanometer technology will allow them to break the 3 Ghz barrier for sure and get closer to the 5 Ghz mark, our source further clarified and was quick to add, However, this is not just about clock speed. The more important thing here is what this baby and its specialized cores can do in a single clock cycle. For those really technically savvy, you may have noticed the same inaccuracy that we perceived. He used the word cores instead of units, which left us wondering is Sony the only one coming with a CPU that is made of small groups of cores working together to process tasks in parallel? Only time will tell. |
Go check the whole article on teamxbox.com! http://www.teamxbox....ews.php?id=5327
Posted by:: XanTium
January 16 15:48 GMT+1
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 21, 2004, 02:14:00 PM
| QUOTE |
A post on MS's official site is seeking a Software Development Engineering Lead to create cutting edge Artificial Intelligence systems for the next version of the Xbox. The position, which is listed under the MS Sports Studio, will help in creating Artificial Intelligence that not merely reacts to the user's input, but will anticipate and adapt. They are looking to develop AI systems that will "allow users to become the best-of-the-breed players in the league, yet continue to challenge them play after play." |
(Posted by:: XanTium)
(January 21 19:59 GMT+1)
Direct Link: http://www.xbox-scen...VZpHyjPCvfP.php
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 28, 2004, 01:25:00 PM
"It is our belief that the price on the consoles in North America could see a stepped drop this year, with both the PS2 and Xbox being cut to $129 between now and the May E3 trade show, with [MS] then cutting the Xbox further to $99 in the late summer," he wrote in a research note released Wednesday.
McNealy also believes MS will launch its next generation console in late 2005 a year earlier than has been previously rumored. That would put the Xbox 2 on store shelves up to a full year before Sony's PlayStation 3.
MS, when asked about the report, said it does not comment on rumors and speculation.
[/QUOTE]
More on money.cnn.com : http://money.cnn.com.../column_gaming/
(January 28 16:33 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on January 30, 2004, 05:39:00 AM
| QUOTE |
When we told the world that long-time rivals MS and IBM were teaming-up for Xbox 2, everyone thought we were kidding or clinically insane. One month after that, the partnership was officially announced and we sat back and smiled. Now, once again, its our word against logic. Our cracked TeamXbox spies (theyre everywhere) recently came up with some interesting info in regards to Xbox 2. Believe it or not, the Apple G5s you see in this picture are going to Redmond, and they wont be used by graphical designers or any other media content creators. Theyre going to be used by programmers; not for MSs MAC products, Virtual PC or any other Mac OS software. Instead, these three palettes of Dual 2.0GHz G5s are alpha kits; Xbox 2 alpha kits to be more specific. Yes, the forbidden Apple entering the MS paradise. Hard to believe, isnt it? We know. No one will believe us, but dont worry; time will tell. By the way, in case you're wondering; yes, the Xbox 2 will use a PowerPC architecture. |
TeamXbox.com was forced to removed the story from their website.
Anyone who still has the picture (in the browser cache from example) -> mail it to me. Thx
(January 30 15:41 GMT+1)
(Posted by:: XanTium)
MS CFO: Xbox will never be profitable
>> From theinquirer.net:
| QUOTE |
THE CHIEF FINANCIAL officer of MS told analysts earlier this week that the current Xbox console will never be profitable. In a very long presentation, John Connors told analysts in Boston: "There's no way to make money on the console in this first generation". He said: "The real crossover in terms of profitability delta is when we get to the next generation of the Xbox console." The key to making profits with the Xbox 2, he added, is how MS does the hardware and chipset design, and how it sets up the supply chain. |
Full speech on MS.com.
Thanks to Gamester17 for the news/links.
(January 30 15:38 GMT+1) - (direct link to article)
(Posted by
Post by: HSDEMONZ on February 01, 2004, 05:55:00 PM
| QUOTE |
Please remember this info isn't official and based on info from various sources. As the Mercury News article says, the Xbox 2 will use 3 64-bit processors. But we'll give you even more details. They'll be PowerPC processors, based on the PowerPC 976, the first dual-core 97x chip based on the POWER5 architecture, which will also be the first PowerPC built on a 65nm manufaturing process. Each core is capable of processing two threads, thus meaning the whole system can process six threads simultaneously. The graphic chip will be based on the the R500. This VPU has been in design at ATIs Marlborough, Mass. office. It'll be fully compatible with PS and VS 3.0 and the next version of DirectX 9: DX10, the same api that will be used in Longhorn. What nobody is telling you and you'll know about this first, here on TeamXbox, is the revolutionary approach of the Xbox 2 to deal with today's biggest problem in graphics chips: memory bandwidth. The graphic chip will contain not only a graphics rendering core but up embedded DRAM acting as a frame buffer that is big enough to handle an image that is 480i and can be 4 times over sampled and double buffered. Yeah, we all remember Bitboys but this time you can bet this if for real. This solution will finally make possible HDTV visuals with full screen Anti-Aliasing on. The technology also supports up to 512 MB of external memory on a 256-bit bus. However, current specs plan to use 256 MB RAM, big enough for next-generation visuals which are all about computational power rather than large storage. Compatibility with the original Xbox, which is based on Intel and Nvidia chips, isn't guaranteed. MS is concerned it would cost too much money in hardware or in licensing fees to enable the Xbox Next to play old Xbox games. This is risky in part because Sony's strategy has been to maintain compatibility with its old consoles. The current Xbox has an eight-gigabyte hard disk drive. That drive is useful for online games and storing game art, but many developers chose not to make use of it. As a result, MS seems to have decided that saving the $50 the hard drive costs outweighs its benefits. |
More on TeamXbox.com and mercurynews.com
(February 2 00:20 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on February 01, 2004, 06:02:00 PM
>> UPDATE from www.teamxbox.com : http://www.teamxbox....ews.php?id=5388
Don't believe everything you read. This is certainly the case regarding a lot of speculation that is currently flying around regarding the specifics of the Xbox 2. However, by collecting various bits of information it is possible to establish a few more than possible predictions of what is to come. Many have been discussing the rumors that the Xbox 2 will lack a hard disk, but this may not necessarily be true. Others have also been saying that a waiting game is being played between MS and Sony, in which one side is merely waiting to see what the other does before making a decision. Again, this is most likely not true. Both companies are sure to have pretty solid ideas of just how they want their console hardware to be designed. Many of our questions are more likely than not already answered, and the question that remains is when will these facts be officially supported by the designers.
While we cant give you any official information, we can give you a hint based on what we have come to know by deductive reasoning. Do you physically need a hard disc to store content? Consider this; in the case of Xbox Music Mixer, do you need the files to be stored in your Xbox?
Answer that for yourself and you might just have sufficient info to put this question to rest at least for now.
It may also be a false claim that the Xbox 2 will not be backwards compatible. Well, sort of anyways...
The fact is that Xbox 2 could be backwards compatible using emulation. MS already owns VirtualPC, which allows PowerPC architectures to run MS Windows applications. However, the problem is that, although MS owns the DirectX API and the Windows kernel, it doesnt own the nVidia chips found in the Xbox and since it is changing it graphics partner in favor of ATI, there are almost no chances of an agreement between the two companies being reached. This is more of a business problem rather than a technical issue.
(February 2 05:11 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on February 04, 2004, 08:13:00 PM
| QUOTE |
MS is keeping many (most?) details about its next-generation Xbox console under wraps, but at least one of the choices that Redmond has made public is stirring a spirited debate. Will Xbox Next, as it's now being called, play games designed for the original Xbox? Your answer depends on who you ask. Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO of Nvidia, says his guess is that the next Xbox won't be compatible with the old one. "It's virtually impossible on many levels," he adds. "On an intellectual-property level. On practical levels, too." When asked to explain (might this be sour grapes talking?), Huang says for cost reasons, MS isn't likely to be willing to put additional chips in the box to ensure hardware compatibility. Moreover, he suggests that current Xbox games make use of Nvidia's proprietary graphics shaders and that MS might have to license them to use them again. By contrast, Dave Orton, president of ATI, says, "It's not outside the realm of possibility to make a compatible Xbox." He didn't discuss specific products his company is making for MS, but he says that if you just consider the timing (about five years) between the consoles, then Moore's Law dictates that the new machine will be eight times as fast as the old one. With such an increase in raw processing speed, Xbox Next should have plenty of horsepower to emulate the old games via software. That is, the new hardware will be fast enough to execute the old games even if they have to run through software translation. On the processor side, MS might have to employ its Connectix software to get the Intel code to run on the IBM PowerPC. That problem raises the prospect of additional costs and engineering efforts. "It's not a trivial amount of work," says Dean McCarron, an analyst at PC chip market researcher Mercury Research in Scottsdale, AZ. "It will be a massive task of integrating different technologies." |
Read more on 1up.com. http://www.1up.com/a...,1511179,00.asp
Thanks to Vegita and JSmith for the news.
(February 5 03:43 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on February 25, 2004, 03:37:00 PM
| QUOTE |
Flash memory maker M-Systems announced on Wednesday that it has signed a contract to provide storage products for future versions of the Xbox, bolstering speculation that MS may ditch the game console's hard drive. M-Systems said in a statement that it has signed an agreement with MS to develop "customized memory units for future Xbox products and services." Ronit Maor, chief financial officer at Israel-based M-Systems, said the company could not discuss details of the contract. But Maor said the devices under development would be of significantly higher capacity than the 8MB Xbox memory units MS currently sells to save game and user data. "What we're going to offer for the Xbox doesn't currently exist," Maor said. Jay Srivatsa, a senior analyst at research firm iSuppli, said the Xbox hard drive so far has been used mainly for ancillary functions like saving progress in a game, not to improve the way games work. Sacrificing the hard drive could be a relatively painless way to trim $10 or $20 per unit from production costs. "I can see why they'd attempt to do that--the hard disk usage on the current Xbox has been pretty minimal," he said. "At some point, this has got to be a profitable business for MS. They have to draw some lines; look at what can they take out." |
Update: gamepro.com has more info about which type of memory will be used: http://www.gamepro.c...ews/33775.shtml
| QUOTE |
According to M-Systems, the memory will be "based on the Smart DiskOnKey platform," sharing the "same firmware and software components." |
(February 25 23:28 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on February 28, 2004, 12:43:00 PM
| QUOTE |
WE'VE JUST got word that the Software Development Kit (SDK) for MSs forthcoming Xbox 2 has now been released to Developers. As we reported earlier, IBM processors are indeed the Xbox 2 development platform of choice. The big news to us is that the XBOX 2 SDK has been seeded to developers on dual Apple Power Mac G5 systems running a custom Windows NT Kernel. The Apple Power Mac G5 is based upon two of IBMs 64-bit Power PC processors and features ATi RADEON 9800 Pro (R350) graphics. However the R350 is believed to be an interim solution and will, in due course, be superseded by the forthcoming ATI R420. Interestingly the SDK apparently also features an Apple logo on a side bar within the application. What we dont yet know is whether the custom Windows NT Kernel for the 64-bit capable IBM Power PC processors is 64-bit or 32-bit. Though as ATI is so clearly behind with even its iAMD64 device drivers for both Intel and AMD x86-64 platforms, we suspect that its 32-bit. |
Thanks to recondite and Dylan for submitting this news item.
(February 28 22:24 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on March 04, 2004, 06:04:00 PM
| QUOTE |
In an interview with Globe, M-Systems President and CEO Dov Moran confirmed what gamers have been speculating for months. Xbox 2 won't have a hard disc. When asked about its technology development agreement with MS Corporation, Mr Moran said: Its a cooperation agreement. The potential isnt clear, but its in the billions of dollars. MS has taken the hard disk out of its Xbox. The only thing left will be a CD; thats all. At some point, when users want to save their e-mail messages, copy music, or anything like that, the only storage theyll have is what we give them. Its worth hundreds of millions to the company, spread over a few years, and well be the main supplier for it; and I hope the sole supplier. |
More on teamxbox.com: http://news.teamxbox...ent.php?id=5518
Thanks to BiCx for the news.
Update from gamespot.com: http://www.gamespot....ws_6090737.html
| QUOTE |
When contacted by GameSpot, Xbox group product manager David Hufford said Moran was "talking way over his head." He continued, "Mr. Moran is aimlessly speculating, and we never comment on speculation. We've made no such announcements about future Xbox products and services. And we don't intend to for quite a while. Until we do, we suggest people take guesswork for what it is." However, if Moran's statements are true, the Xbox Next will likely not be backwards compatible, since it would be almost impossible for it to emulate how some games dump data onto the Xbox's hard drive. |
(March 5 01:19 GMT+1) -
Post by: HSDEMONZ on March 05, 2004, 10:53:00 PM
| QUOTE |
TOKYO--The consensus in the industry is that the Xbox Next probably won't be released until 2005--at the earliest. However, it looks like attendees of the 2004 Game Developer's Conference might get a sneak peak at the next-generation console's games in two and a half weeks. Bloomberg quoted MS Japan's Asako Miyata as saying that Chief Xbox Officer Robbie Bach will appear at the San Jose, California, conference on March 24. According to Miyata, Bach will outline MS's software strategy for the Xbox Next by discussing games that will run on the console and revealing some technical aspects about the console's format. Miyata also commented that MS has not yet decided when to reveal the specs for the Xbox Next. However, he did hint that the console's hardware will most likely not be unveiled during the Game Developer's Conference. |
(March 5 23:21 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on March 09, 2004, 04:22:00 AM
>> Source: www.xbox365.com & GamesIndusty.biz : http://www.xbox365.c...mplate/prof/dev
Speaking with Bloomberg, MS Japan's Asako Miyata stated that Robbie Bach will appear at GDC and will discuss the company's software strategy for Xbox Next, talking about games for the console and some technical aspects of its format. Miyata also stated that the console's actual hardware will probably not be unveiled at GDC, and that a decision had not yet been taken to as to when the technical specifications of the system should be released.
Some commentators have suggested that MS is holding back from a final decision on the RAM, and possibly on the inclusion of a hard drive, until it finds out what Sony is planning to do with the PS3 - so that the spec for the Xbox Next can be adjusted to out-perform Sony's system, at least in these areas.
It's already known that Xbox Next will feature six next generation IBM PowerPC processing cores, spread across three discrete CPUs, and an advanced graphics hardware solution provided by chipset manufacturer ATI. It's expected that the system will dispense with the hard disc drive in favour of a high capacity removable flash memory solution - effectively a large memory card.
Thanks to Nolga/System-Mods.com for the news.
(March 9 15:06 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on March 10, 2004, 06:14:00 AM
>> Xbox 2 firm says it's a breakthrough
By INQUIRER staff: Wednesday 10 March 2004, 15:34
ISRAELI FIRM M-Systems, which has a deal to provide technology for the Xbox 2, said today it has released a 2.5-inch ultra ATA 90GB solid state drive that can transfer data at 100MB/sec burst rate.
In sustained read/write rates it delivers 40MB/sec.
The ATA-6 flash disk supports Ultra DMA 5 transfer modes, and will work at high altitudes, as well as in industrial and military applications.
The device is intended as a drop in replacement for ATA and SCSI mechanical hard drives. It complies with a number of military standards from the DoD, the NSA, the USAF, the US Army and the US Navy.
The products are already available, M-Systems said
News-Source: www.theinquirer.net : http://www.theinquir.../?article=14635
Thanks to kl0wn (irc)
(March 10 17:00 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on March 25, 2004, 09:08:00 AM
| QUOTE |
After remaining silent on the topic at GDC, MS is to finally unveil the next incarnation of Xbox this summer, according to a senior development source. Speaking to our correspondent on the GDC show floor today, the source revealed: "MS has told us, and other developers that it doesn't plan to show anything of Xbox 2 until the summer." Development kits, based on Apple's G5 hardware, are already in circulation, but MS has allegedly ordered devs not to allow them out of their studios, such is the firm's determination to keep a lid on information leaking out about its next move in the console race. "They've been incredibly strict about it," the source added. |
More on gamesindustry.biz.
(March 25 16:01 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on April 03, 2004, 04:50:00 PM
| QUOTE |
Digital Extremes, the Canadian developer that's worked hand-in-hand with the Epic Games to create versions of Unreal and Unreal Championship on various systems, announced today the development of a new and original game designed specifically for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 2. It's called Dark Sector. The trailer, we're told, is not CG, nor is it pre-rendered in any way. According to Digital Extremes, the footage shown here is entirely in-game engine. The new engine is built using potential specs from both future consoles, which are unofficially due sometime in late 2005 or early 2006. |
BitTorrent links:
Windows Media 9 version: http://dwl.xbox-scen...ser.wmv.torrent
or
QuickTime 6.5 version: http://dwl.xbox-scen...ser.mov.torrent
Or
try to download it from one of the mirrors www.darksector.com.
(April 3 16:49 GMT+1) -
Post by: HSDEMONZ on April 03, 2004, 04:51:00 PM
| QUOTE |
'It's a great time to be in gaming,' boomed a confident Robbie Bach, MS senior vice president and chief Xbox officer, during his keynote speech at last week's Game Developers Conference in San Jose. Unveiling his company's next-generation software development package, XNA, Bach, assisted by chief XNA architect J 'Mr Xbox' Allard, laid bare comprehensive plans to ensure the continued success of the Xbox brand and eventual (Bach believes) victory over Sony in the next generation. Delusions of grandeur? Well, despite Sony's clear dominance in the market, the general consensus is that, with XNA, MS has struck a significant blow in the next-gen race; it's hard to fault the company's efforts to facilitate development on its future hardware platforms, something that is certain to give Sony cause for concern. Shortly after Bach's keynote address, we were fortunate to pin the elusive CXO down for a rare interview with the consumer press. Today we present the first part of the frank, far-reaching discussion, where Bach further explains the thinking behind XNA, the convergence of Xbox and PC online gaming, and the shock departure of ex-MS Game Studios head, Ed Fries. |
They talk about the new XNA framework, the Playstation2/3 and the future of Xbox1/2 and LIVE.
Go read part1 of the interview on pcpro.co.uk[might require free registration].
Source: http://www.pcpro.co....ry.php?id=55740
(April 4 01:34 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on April 06, 2004, 01:24:00 PM
| QUOTE |
TAIPEI (Reuters) - TSMC, the world's largest contract maker of semiconductors, will make chips for future MS Xbox game consoles, the two companies said on Tuesday. TSMC now has a contract to make graphics chips for the second generation of Xbox game consoles through Canada's ATI Technologies Inc, the world's second-largest graphics chip maker. MS signed that deal with ATI, which outsourced manufacturing to TSMC. The next generation of Xbox is set for release late in 2005. |
(April 6 16:40 GMT+1) -
Post by: HSDEMONZ on April 06, 2004, 01:25:00 PM
| QUOTE |
The second and final part of our in-depth interview with MS's senior vice president. March 2004 has been and gone, with MS attempting to make the month its own with a display of intent at last week's Game Developers Conference in San Jose. Despite going to remarkable lengths in order to avoid the specifics of next-generation hardware, MS did, to all intents and purposes, show the first Xbox 2 software demos, albeit running on a souped-up PC. Today we have the concluding part of our interview in which Bach makes startling claims for Xbox's future success, speaks on the possibility of a handheld console and outlines his vision for the future of gaming. |
Go read Part2 of the interview on pcpro.co.uk[free registration might be required].
Those who missed the news posted earlier about part1, can still read it on pcpro.co.uk[free registration might be required].
(April 6 17:31 GMT+1)
Source : http://www.pcpro.co....ry.php?id=55804
Post by: HSDEMONZ on April 07, 2004, 06:03:00 PM
| QUOTE |
The likely fate of the game console's storage medium--the subject of ongoing speculation as MS closely guards details on the planned successor to the current Xbox--got a new twist this week from a patent granted to the software giant. U.S. patent 6,716,102, ( LINK granted Tuesday to MS, covers methods for storing data about games in progress. The patent specifically references "a gaming system (that) includes a hard disk drive for storing applications and other data," indicating MS may be more committed to equipping future Xbox configurations with onboard storage than previously thought. |
Read the full article on news.com. http://news.com.com/...ml?tag=nefd.top
Thanks to mathieuly and B.H. for the news.
(April 8 01:32 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on April 07, 2004, 06:05:00 PM
| QUOTE |
| Inventors: Whitten; Jon Marcus Randall (Sammamish, WA); Pirich; Christopher M. (Seattle, WA) Assignee: MS Corporation (Redmond, WA) Appl. No.: 802798 Filed: March 9, 2001 |
I'm sure I'm not the only one who noticed.. that the application was originally may in early 2001. That puts this story in another light.
It was likley meant to cover the first XBOX.. and future incarnations.. and not excusively XBOX2/NEXT/whatever.
Post by: HSDEMONZ on April 08, 2004, 01:31:00 PM
| QUOTE |
Here is what I'm fairly sure of: In less than five weeks, MS will start talking about its next generation home console. Here's what I'm not ruling out: In less than five weeks, Sony and Nintendo could have a few things to say about their own next generation consoles. May is never a calm time for the gaming industry. It's when the annual madness known as the Electronic Entertainment Expo (the gaming industry trade show) occurs. It's when holiday line-ups are revealed. And it's when a lot of deals get started. But it's only every fourth or fifth May that new console and handheld hardware gets introduced. |
Go read the full article on CNN.com with a roundup of what we already know about the new generation console and some speculations.
(April 8 12:51 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on April 08, 2004, 01:36:00 PM
| QUOTE |
MS Corp. this week was issued a patent (#6,716,102) for a hard-drive like storage device for a game console, according to Globtechnology.com. However, on closer inspection, the patent, while issued on April 6, 2004, was filed in March 9, 2001 -- several months prior to the debut of the first Xbox, not the second one. The patent filing, named "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING INFORMATION REGARDING STORED DATA IN A GAMING SYSTEM" and the concurrent image display the means for saving a game in progress storage. The lengthy patent further discusses the needs for improved storage and a device very much like the Xbox's hard drive. Again, on closer inspection of the detailed image of said device, it's clear the image is that of the Xbox itself. The first Xbox. As it remains, MS is still rumored to be in the process of finding a cheaper save-storage medium, and has an agreement with M-Systems to produce high-capacity removable storage devices suitable for Xbox Next. We'll have more on Xbox Next as soon as possible. |
(April 8 21:03 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on April 09, 2004, 11:00:00 PM
| QUOTE |
RUMOR: The Xbox Next will come with an external, palm-sized hard drive which can be used like the Apple iPod. Source: Tech-toy enthusiast site Engadget.com. http://www.engadget....69878333365299/ The official story: No comment. What we heard: Besides being a juicy rumor, this one is also an amusing story. Apparently, Engadget was contacted by a snowboarder who claims he had an interesting après-shred chat with none other than MS's J Allard in Whistler, British Columbia. According to the snowboarder, the newly dubbed Chief XNA Architect got quite gregarious after several rounds of Red Bull and Tequila concoctions, called "Hey Zeuses," and started gabbing about the Xbox Next. Allard supposedly said MS was planning to sell its next-gen console's hard drive separately, have it be self-powered, and infuse it with MP3 and WMA playback functionality. He allegedly boasted it would be an "iPod killer," as MS would sell it at a loss for a mere $100. While optional HDDs are undesirable from a development perspective (just look at all those PS2 HDD-compatible games!), the thought of a $100 handheld 40GB MP3 player and game storage device sounds like a geek's wet dream. However, a source at MS laughed the story off. "Any story told over 'Hey Zeuses' is most definitely a rumor," said the source. Bogus or not bogus?: We really hope it's not bogus. |
(April 10 05:55 GMT+1) -
Post by: HSDEMONZ on April 19, 2004, 07:34:00 PM
>> ComputerAndVideoGames.com has a interesting exclusive interview with J. Allard of MS.
The Xbox supremo goes in-depth on his company's plans to revolutionise game development on console and PC, ably assisted by Windows top brass Dean Lester.
Go read the interview on ComputerAndVideoGames.com[might require free registration].
(April 8 21:35 GMT+1)
Story: http://www.computera...p(que)id=103201
Post by: HSDEMONZ on April 19, 2004, 07:40:00 PM
>> The 2nd installment of Computer & Video Games interview with MS's J. Allard is now online:
"Will Xbox 2 have a hard drive? Will Xbox and PC gamers clash online? All this and more inside."
Go read the 2nd part on computerandvideogames.com[free registration might be required].
Those who missed the first part can read it here[free registration might be required].
(April 13 17:19 GMT+1)
http://www.computera...p(que)id=103229
Post by: HSDEMONZ on April 26, 2004, 04:18:00 PM
| QUOTE |
Sources at a number of key Xbox developers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have confirmed that when the company originally revealed the outline specification for Xbox 2 late last year, the company surprised its partners by suggesting that the new hardware would be in shops for Christmas 2004. The system has since slipped from that schedule - which also called for an unveiling of the specification at GDC, at the high-profile press conference which the company eventually used for the launch of the XNA development platform - but MS apparently still has hopes to get the new console out in mid-2005, ahead of the Christmas 2005 release anticipated by most commentators. "I think they underestimated how hard it was going to be to build a console that wasn't using PC architecture," one source familiar with the firm's console development efforts told us today. "But they're racing to get to the market as soon as possible - they really want to reverse the head start that Sony had last time." |
Read more on gamesindustry.biz. http://www.gamesindu...me=pub&aid=3348
(April 26 21:44 GMT+1) -
Post by: HSDEMONZ on April 26, 2004, 04:22:00 PM
| QUOTE |
A visitor of a Chinese BBS ( http://bbs.gzeasy.co...howtopic=149175 )revealed information that, he thinks, mirrors some architecture peculiarities of the MSs Xbox 2 console in addition to the date when the worlds largest software maker is expected to release the official details of the console. MS is expected to formally announce the Xbox 2 (the 'Xenon') on the 2nd of June 2004. The firm may adjust some parameters but will not change the overall structure of the console, the China-based web-site GZeasy.com ( http://www.gzeasy.com/ ) believes.  |
Read more on xbitlabs.com
Thanks to J.d.K. for the news.
(April 26 22:08 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on April 28, 2004, 04:11:00 AM
| QUOTE |
"It's not impossible that it's a MS document," one expert told us this afternoon. "But some of the figures seem very suspect, and the information included on the diagram looks to me like it reflects the available information about Xbox 2 rather than being a sensible set of information to put on a document for developers." He voiced particular concerns over the fact that while the document notes "256+ Mb" of main RAM, it doesn't start what kind of RAM will be used - a vital technical point - and also noted that the CPU diagram doesn't mention that the CPUs used will be dual-core (effectively making Xbox 2 into a six processor unit), another important factor. "There's a lot of detail here about stuff you could just guess or which we already know from public announcements, like some performance information about ATI's graphics chips. And then there's some really surprising missing detail, like the twin-core architecture and a few other really crucial things which MS has already talked to developers about but are missing from this diagram. I'd have to guess it was a fake," he concluded. Other developers familiar with the Xbox 2 architecture also voiced misgivings about the diagrams, with one pointing in particular at the information about the processor cache on the document as being inaccurate. "We've seen stuff about the cache on those CPUs from MS, and this isn't it," he said. "If this isn't a fake, the only thing I can think of is that it's an old internal document that was a work-in-progress and never meant to be seen outside MS." |
Read more on gamesindustry.biz. http://www.gamesindu...me=dev&aid=3364
(April 27 22:17 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on May 05, 2004, 02:49:00 PM
| QUOTE |
MS started work on the next version of Xbox right after the original shipped, to be ready when the next console cycle began. Said MS's Xbox boss, Robert J. Bach, in a recent interview: "We'll be there when Sony is there." Turns out he may have been underplaying his hand. BusinessWeek has learned that MS is planning to launch the next version of Xbox, code-named Xenon, in time for the holiday season in 2005, shaving a year off the typical five-year console life cycle. And while a Sony partner says the Japanese company is aiming for the same launch window, game developers say Sony hasn't yet nailed down the key technical details of its next PlayStation. Without that data, developers can't begin coming up with games, which typically takes 18 months. While Sony will not publicly discuss launch plans, developers believe PlayStation 3 will likely land on store shelves in Japan in the spring of 2006, and in North America six month later. If they're right, Xbox could hit the market as much as a year ahead of its biggest rival -- giving MS a big advantage. Says David Cole, an analyst with researcher DFC Intelligence: "That could push Xbox into the lead." |
More/Full News: businessweek.com http://www.businessw...19/b3882048.htm
Thanks to The_Titans for this link
(May 5 22:07 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on May 19, 2004, 01:08:00 PM
| QUOTE |
When asked (Allard) if, aside from the XNA demonstrations we've already seen, he had been privy to next-gen demonstrations, he said: 'There's some stuff that's just knocked my socks off. 'The thing we're looking at in the next generation is just an unbelievable amount of raw computing power - the architecture will be much more specialised,' he added. 'Right now you have your audio chip and your graphics chip and your CPU, and you're constantly trying to figure out the balances. In the next generation we're gonna have so much silicon, so much raw computing horsepower - developers are going to be able to use this in interesting and exciting ways.' He went on to describe some of the demos being created behind the scenes: 'I've seen demos of terrain and worlds, with no textures in them whatsoever and no geometry - it's just a program that's creating a scene for you,' Allard said. Going on to describe the time- and money-saving techniques facilitated by next-generation tools and hardware. 'There's a lot of new techniques,' Allard continued. 'Like what shaders have done for 3D, there are a lot of new next-generation techniques for procedural synthesis that's really going to change how game construction is done, but also what the environment looks like so it feels a lot less "cookie cutter" [i.e. repetitive].' Rather the like the 'Library' level in Halo, we'd imagine, where it was very easy to become disorientated by the repeated environmental features. |
Go read the full article on pcpro.co.uk[reg. poss. req.] http://www.pcpro.co....ry.php?id=57869
Thanks to Shadow_Mx for the news.
(May 19 16:21 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on May 27, 2004, 01:21:00 PM
| QUOTE |
The B/R/S Group, a California-based market research company that lists MS and the Xbox division specifically as clients, has been gathering consumer feedback on a device it refers to as Xbox Next PC "a videogame console system with a hard drive and a built-in fully functional PC." Mention of the device came on one of several slides shown to focus groups. One slide describes the unit, which would require a PC monitor or high definition television, as being backward compatible with current and next-generation Xbox titles. It would also play PC games and include a fully functional version of Windows, CD burner, DVD player (with remote control), built-in access to Xbox Live and a hard drive. Control-wise, the system would come with both a keyboard and mouse and a standard Xbox controller. The price point this particular study tested was $599. B/R/S officials declined to comment for this column, citing a strict confidentiality agreement with MS. Should MS move forward with a hybrid machine, it will likely come after a standalone Xbox 2 unit is released. As for when we'll see next generation Xboxes on store shelves - officially, MS isn't commenting, but it has been giving publishers guidance to plan for a 2005 launch. |
Go read the full article on money.cnn.com. http://money.cnn.com.../column_gaming/
(May 27 19:06 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on June 02, 2004, 03:08:00 PM
>> An anonymous person sent us a screen capture from the new Xenon (Xbox 2 / Xbox Next) alpha dev kits showing the new (XDK) Launcher.
(June 2 04:45 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on June 02, 2004, 03:11:00 PM
| QUOTE |
Although its a year away, the hype surrounding E3 2005 is gathering pace impressively, with all three hardware manufacturers poised to show their new home console offerings at the key Los Angeles event. Indeed, Nintendo, Sony and MS have all openly - albeit off the record - stated that the intention is for a colossal hardware showdown next May, making E3 2005 the hottest date on the industry calendar. Although the Xbox 2 has essentially been decided upon already, the offerings from Sony, and especially Nintendo, still hold a great deal of interest. As you will recall, we exposed MSs deal with ATi exclusively here last year. Bolt the GPU onto a processor and motherboard, along with the as-yet undisclosed storage, and you have your Xbox 2. MSs headway into fields outside of gaming is where the real interest will undoubtedly lie. |
Go read the full article on spong.com. http://spong.com/det...&vid=&prid=6848
(June 2 18:04 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on June 11, 2004, 01:39:00 PM
| QUOTE |
Not to be outdone by Nintendo's oddball selection of potential initials for its upcoming DS handheld, MS has reportedly circulated some proposed names for its next game console. A study lately conducted by the SPSS research firm, received by a great many gamers and 1UP readers around the web, seeks to gather data on MS's behalf regarding which of several names might be the right one for the next Xbox. Some of the monikers mentioned in the survey as "being considered for the next-generation Xbox" are: * Xbox 247 * Xbox 360 * Xbox 2 * Xbox E * Xbox EV * Xbox FS * Xbox HD * Xbox NE Other questions evidently focus more specifically on the "Xbox FS" name, which lends itself to a certain amount of droll speculation regarding what "FS" might stand for ("Free Style," "Full Spectrum," "Fleet Sturgeon," or perhaps "Fo' Shizzle"). Some reports claim that the interactive survey includes an image of a proposed Xbox FS logo, although that's not confirmed as yet. |
(June 11 14:12 GMT+1) -
Post by: HSDEMONZ on June 14, 2004, 10:04:00 AM
| QUOTE |
Industry bosses speaking at the Piper Jaffrey conference in New York have sounded notes of cautious optimism about MS's next-generation plans, with EB president Jeff Griffiths saying that the system could win 30 per cent market share. "Yes, they could get a 30 per cent share, " Griffiths told the conference, speaking about the Xbox 2 console which is widely expected to launch by late 2005. "I think if they got less than that they'd be disappointed. If they come out earlier than Sony, if they have the breadth of exclusive titles like Sony had for PS2, I think they'd definitely have potential for market share leadership." |
More on gamesindustry.biz.
(June 14 18:35 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on June 15, 2004, 06:56:00 PM
| QUOTE |
The tentatively codenamed "Xbox Next" or "Xbox 2" is set to receive a name revision before its release because MS doesn't want consumers to assume it's inferior to PlayStation 3 based on end numerals, hasn't yet been given an official release date. But just because MS isn't yet talking doesn't mean developers working on early "Xbox 2" development setups are so keen to keep quiet. A major software company already prototyping software for MS's "Xbox Next" told IGN today that the publisher "definitely aims to launch the console in North America for Christmas 2005." A November time frame was given. A European release will follow in 2006, said the source. IGN contacted another software firm working currently working on "Xbox Next" software, who seconded the news. "Let's put it this way: A lot of developers crunching to get their games ready for a 2005 launch will be really pissed if MS doesn't get it out by then." |
Read more on xbox.ign.com. http://xbox.ign.com/....html?fromint=1
(June 16 05:29 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on June 18, 2004, 12:23:00 PM
| QUOTE |
Brit games business site www.gamesindustry.biz has posted a fascinating editorial asking whether MS is about to shoot itself in the foot over Xbox 2 by rushing to launch the console years ahead of its rivals' next-generation platforms. It's a pretty good analysis of how MS is thinking about this marketplace, and why they could be pretty drastically wrong - I work at a major games publisher, and a lot of people here are worried about exactly the same things, but it's rare to see anyone actually discussing them openly. Xbox has done pretty well so far, but MS could be heading for a disaster that even Bill's billions won't dig them out of... |
(June 18 22:57 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on June 21, 2004, 11:09:00 AM
| QUOTE |
GamesIndustry.biz has now learned that MS does not plan to provide any backwards compatibility in the next-generation Xenon platform - and indeed, that senior executives at the company don't believe backwards compatibility to be an important feature for consoles. According to a source close to the project, internal MS figures suggest that only 10 per cent of PlayStation 2 purchasers were interested in the console's ability to play titles developed for the original PlayStation. Although this still represents some seven million consumers on a global basis - which is around half of MS's entire installed base for Xbox - the company apparently believes that allowing consumers to play existing Xbox titles on the next-generation hardware would not be a significant deciding factor for Xenon purchasers. However, a report into the videogames industry published today by Wedbrush Morgan Securities senior vice president Michael Pachter disagrees with this conclusion - arguing that failing to provide backward compatibility could have the effect of alienating MS's existing Xbox installed base. |
Read the whole article on gamesindustry.biz. http://www.gamesindu...me=dev&aid=3645
(June 21 21:41 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on June 22, 2004, 01:19:00 PM
| QUOTE |
After a swell of controversy from yesterdays article ( http://www.gamesindu...me=dev&aid=3645 ) at Gamesindustry.biz regarding no backward compatibility between the Xbox 2 and the current Xbox platform, we have received an official statement from MS that appears to deflate many of the claims as pure speculation: Recent stories in the press about future Xbox products are nothing more than pulp fiction. MS hasnt made any announcements regarding the next generation, so its far too early to speculate about specifics, including backward compatibility. In fact, this media conjecture is irresponsible. The credibility of any publication willing to compromise fact in favor of a catchy headline must be questioned. Xbox fans are smart enough to distinguish truth from sensational reporting. While this statement doesnt definitively state that the Xbox 2 will or will not support backward compatibility, it appears that the feature is still up in the air at this point. |
Thanks to shizno for the link.
(June 22 23:30 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on June 23, 2004, 04:38:00 PM
| QUOTE |
Basic Hardware Specifications Xenon is powered by a 3.5+ GHz IBM PowerPC processor and a 500+ MHz ATI graphics processor. Xenon has 256+ MB of unified memory. Xenon runs a custom operating system based on MS® Windows NT®, similar to the Xbox operating system. The graphics interface is a superset of MS® Direct3D® version 9.0. CPU The Xenon CPU is a custom processor based on PowerPC technology. The CPU includes three independent processors (cores) on a single die. Each core runs at 3.5+ GHz. The Xenon CPU can issue two instructions per clock cycle per core. At peak performance, Xenon can issue 21 billion instructions per second. The Xenon CPU was designed by IBM in close consultation with the Xbox team, leading to a number of revolutionary additions, including a dot product instruction for extremely fast vector math and custom security features built directly into the silicon to prevent piracy and hacking. Each core has two symmetric hardware threads (SMT), for a total of six hardware threads available to games. Not only does the Xenon CPU include the standard set of PowerPC integer and floating-point registers (one set per hardware thread), the Xenon CPU also includes 128 vector (VMX) registers per hardware thread. This astounding number of registers can drastically improve the speed of common mathematical operations. Each of the three cores includes a 32-KB L1 instruction cache and a 32-KB L1 data cache. The three cores share a 1-MB L2 cache. The L2 cache can be locked down in segments to improve performance. The L2 cache also has the very unusual feature of being directly readable from the GPU, which allows the GPU to consume geometry and texture data from L2 and main memory simultaneously. Xenon CPU instructions are exposed to games through compiler intrinsics, allowing developers to access the power of the chip using C language notation. GPU The Xenon GPU is a custom 500+ MHz graphics processor from ATI. The shader core has 48 Arithmetic Logic Units (ALUs) that can execute 64 simultaneous threads on groups of 64 vertices or pixels. ALUs are automatically and dynamically assigned to either pixel or vertex processing depending on load. The ALUs can each perform one vector and one scalar operation per clock cycle, for a total of 96 shader operations per clock cycle. Texture loads can be done in parallel to ALU operations. At peak performance, the GPU can issue 48 billion shader operations per second. The GPU has a peak pixel fill rate of 4+ gigapixels/sec (16 gigasamples/sec with 4× antialiasing). The peak vertex rate is 500+ million vertices/sec. The peak triangle rate is 500+ million triangles/sec. The interesting point about all of these values is that theyre not just theoreticalthey are attainable with nontrivial shaders. Xenon is designed for high-definition output. Included directly on the GPU die is 10+ MB of fast embedded dynamic RAM (EDRAM). A 720p frame buffer fits very nicely here. Larger frame buffers are also possible because of hardware-accelerated partitioning and predicated rendering that has little cost other than additional vertex processing. Along with the extremely fast EDRAM, the GPU also includes hardware instructions for alpha blending, z-test, and antialiasing. The Xenon graphics architecture is a unique design that implements a superset of Direct3D version 9.0. It includes a number of important extensions, including additional compressed texture formats and a flexible tessellation engine. Xenon not only supports high-level shading language (HLSL) model 3.0 for vertex and pixel shaders but also includes advanced shader features well beyond model 3.0. For instance, shaders use 32-bit IEEE floating-point math throughout. Vertex shaders can fetch from textures, and pixel shaders can fetch from vertex streams. Xenon shaders also have the unique ability to directly access main memory, allowing techniques that have never before been possible. As with Xbox, Xenon will support precompiled push buffers (command buffers in Xenon terminology), but to a much greater extent than the Xbox console does. The Xbox team is exposing and documenting the command buffer format so that games are able to harness the GPU much more effectively. In addition to an extremely powerful GPU, Xenon also includes a very high-quality resize filter. This filter allows consumers to choose whatever output mode they desire. Xenon automatically scales the games output buffer to the consumer-chosen resolution. Memory and Bandwidth Xenon has 256+ MB of unified memory, equally accessible to both the GPU and CPU. The main memory controller resides on the GPU (the same as in the Xbox architecture). It has 22.4+ GB/sec aggregate bandwidth to RAM, distributed between reads and writes. Aggregate means that the bandwidth may be used for all reading or all writing or any combination of the two. Translated into game performance, the GPU can consume a 512×512×32-bpp texture in only 47 microseconds. The front side bus (FSB) bandwidth peak is 10.8 GB/sec for reads and 10.8 GB/sec for writes, over 20 times faster than for Xbox. Note that the 22.4+ GB/sec main memory bandwidth is shared between the CPU and GPU. If, for example, the CPU is using 2 GB/sec for reading and 1 GB/sec for writing on the FSB, the GPU has 19.4+ GB/sec available for accessing RAM. Eight pixels (where each pixel is color plus z = 8 bytes) can be sent to the EDRAM every GPU clock cycle, for an EDRAM write bandwidth of 32 GB/sec. Each of these pixels can be expanded through multisampling to 4 samples, for up to 32 multisampled pixel samples per clock cycle. With alpha blending, z-test, and z-write enabled, this is equivalent to having 256 GB/sec of effective bandwidth! The important thing is that frame buffer bandwidth will never slow down the Xenon GPU. Audio The Xenon CPU is a superb processor for audio, particularly with its massive mathematical horsepower and vector register set. The Xenon CPU can process and encode hundreds of audio channels with sophisticated per-voice and global effects, all while using a fraction of the power of a single CPU core. The Xenon system south bridge also contains a key hardware component for audioXMA decompression. XMA is the native Xenon compressed audio format, based on the WMA Pro architecture. XMA provides sound quality higher than ADPCM at even better compression ratios, typically 6:112:1. The south bridge contains a full silicon implementation of the XMA decompression algorithm, including support for multichannel XMA sources. XMA is processed by the south bridge into standard PCM format in RAM. All other sound processing (sample rate conversion, filtering, effects, mixing, and multispeaker encoding) happens on the Xenon CPU. The lowest-level Xenon audio software layer is XAudio, a new API designed for optimal digital signal processing. The Xbox Audio Creation Tool (XACT) API from Xbox is also supported, along with new features such as conditional events, improved parameter control, and a more flexible 3D audio model. Input/Output As with Xbox, Xenon is designed to be a multiplayer console. It has built-in networking support including an Ethernet 10/100-BaseT port. It supports up to four controllers. From an audio/video standpoint, Xenon will support all the same formats as Xbox, including multiple high-definition formats up through 1080i, plus VGA output. In order to provide greater flexibility and support a wider variety of attached devices, the Xenon console includes standard USB 2.0 ports. This feature allows the console to potentially host storage devices, cameras, microphones, and other devices. Storage The Xenon console is designed around a larger world view of storage than Xbox was. Games will have access to a variety of storage devices, including connected devices (memory units, USB storage) and remote devices (networked PCs, Xbox Live). At the time of this writing, the decision to include a built-in hard disk in every Xenon console has not been made. If a hard disk is not included in every console, it will certainly be available as an integrated add-on component. Xenon supports up to two attached memory units (MUs). MUs are connected directly to the console, not to controllers as on Xbox. The initial size of the MUs is 64 MB, although larger MUs may be available in the future. MU throughput is expected to be around 8 MB/sec for reads and 1 MB/sec for writes. The Xenon game disc drive is a 12× DVD, with an expected outer edge throughput of 16+ MB/sec. Latency is expected to be in the neighborhood of 100 ms. The media format will be similar to Xbox, with approximately 6 GB of usable space on the disk. As on Xbox, media will be stored on a single side in two 3 GB layers. Industrial Design The Xenon industrial design process is well under way, but the final look of the box has not been determined. The Xenon console will be smaller than the Xbox console. The standard Xenon controller will have a look and feel similar to the Xbox controller. The primary changes are the removal of the Black and White buttons and the addition of shoulder buttons. The triggers, thumbsticks, D-pad, and primary buttons are essentially unchanged. The controller will support vibration. |
(June 23 06:16 GMT+1)
---------------------------------------
Xenon Leaked Doc's Real or Fake?
>> Seems the media have been busy making up their minds and putting forth their theories, in reference to the Leaked Docs News posted less than 24hrs ago...
From www.1up.com: http://www.1up.com/a...,1616600,00.asp
| QUOTE |
The rumor mill churning out speculation and supposition about MS's next game console received another hearty turn of the crank today, with the publication on several message boards of a white paper purportedly running down specifications for the successor to the Xbox. Attributed to Peter Isensee of MS's Xbox Advanced Technology Group (he's real, even if nothing in the document is), it describes in general terms the capabilities of a system code-named "Xenon," in anticipation of a planned 2005 launch. Xbox Nation's Che Chou offers the interesting theory that the document could just as easily be a viral marketing plant by MS itself, designed to reinforce popular belief in certain areas (i.e., that its next console will possess plenty of raw technical power) and counter rumors shaping the conventional wisdom in others (particularly persistent reports that the console won't be backwards-compatible with the current Xbox). MS itself, of course, is offering no comment either way on the subject. Whether a genuine glimpse of the future or a clever exercise in fine-tuning the public's expectations, it's an interesting read. |
| QUOTE |
| Speaking of the Xbox 2 and what features it is or is not going to have, Xbox-Scene has posted up some new, probably fake, leaked specs for it (and we think were starting to get a little obsessed over the minutiae of a console that wont be out for at least another year and a half). We wouldnt necessarily give these any more credence than any of the other leaked specs which have surfaced, but these ones seem at least vaguely plausible, listing the next-gen Xbox as having a 3.5GHz IBM Power PC Processor, a 500MHz ATI graphics processor, 256MB of RAM, and a 12X DVD drive. No internal hard drive is listed (the decision to include a built-in hard disk in every Xenon console has not been made), though gamers should be able to add their own external USB drives or use the hard drive on a PC in a local network. |
From www.eurogamer.net
http://www.eurogamer...rticle_id=55873
and
www.gamesindustry.biz
http://www.gamesindu...me=dev&aid=3668 :
| QUOTE |
| Although the document, which claims to have been authored by Pete Isensee at the Xbox Advanced Technology Group, admits that many of its figures are subject to change, developers working on Xenon technology have confirmed to us today that the details it contains are genuine. Developers working on Xenon technology to whom we showed the document today confirmed that it tallies with what they have been told by MS about the specification of the new console - even down to the continuing procrastination over making a decision on RAM size and the inclusion of a hard drive, both issues which have not been solved as yet. "I've not actually seen this specific document coming from MS," one developer told us this afternoon, "but there's certainly nothing in there which doesn't fit with what they've been telling us. If this is a hoax, which I doubt, it's a hoax so close to the truth that it hardly makes any odds." |
(June 24 03:27 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on June 26, 2004, 12:54:00 AM
>> More info gleamed from the Leaked Docs that you might find of interest...
- The Xenon Controllers will vary only slighty fronm the current models with a noted migration of the Black and White buttons to Left and Right Flipper Positions.
- Kits for Xenon Developement have double the amount of memory that the final console will have.
- Developers have been told that Live Games under Xenon will not be able to assume that a hard disk is present (at this time a decision to include a native built in hard drive had not been made) SAme developers have been told that Launch Titles for Xenon should not presume a HD is present either. They've also been told that there will be persistant storage on the majority of units.
- Interestingly enough.. Dev kits will have 80Gb or larger HD's.
- People who love speed.. will be happy to know that geometry processing is approx. 100x faster for shader performance, while memory bandwidth has been improved by 4x over the original Xbox.
- Media for the games.. a DVD variant (UDF 2.0 or higher) dual layer with at last 7GB across 2 3.5GB layers and might include support for multi game disks.
- People playing on Live on an Xbox will be ablbe to message and communicate and do other community activities with their newer Xenon friends. Live will also host persistant data for games.
- Code is being added to allow better control for developers and publishers to limit where a game can be played via localizations strings. Expect multiple version of the same game.. for differnet regions.
- Expect Beta Hardware and Software to be in the devs hands in Q1 of 2005.
(June 26 11:53 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on June 26, 2004, 07:32:00 AM
| QUOTE |
| We just read the other day that MS got their panties in a bunch when someone claimed a lack of backwards compatability with the original Xbox. Redmond argued that due to the early stage of development, that nothing is carved in stone as yet, calling the reports 'irresponsible'. Now, there is a supposed white paper leak a couple days later. Some are saying that this is a clever marketing tactic or ruse by MS, to simply keep the handle on the rumor churn moving like an airplane propeller. While others say, that if it's a hoax, it's really close to the truth in what we can expect. As to the validity of such information, it's anyones guess. Nonetheless, it sure is fun to read these things and speculate amongst ourselves. Take a look over at the Inquirer for the rest of the story. I just hope the 'anonymous emailer' didn't use his Hotmail account to spill the beans. |
From: www.ferrago.com
| QUOTE |
| The Xbox 2 - or Xenon - as it is reportedly code-named, has been unveiled a little further this week with the leak of what is rumoured to be specifications of the new system. Tittle-tattle has it that the leaked report was created by Pete Isensee of the Xbox Advanced Technology Group, and whilst many areas of the specification remain unconfirmed, a number of developer's have already been anonymously quoted as saying the facts tally with what MS have already been telling them. |
From: www.xboxusersgroup.com
| QUOTE |
| Opinion is divided as to whether the document, said to come from the pen of Xbox Advanced Technology Group Development Lead Pete Isensee, is genuine, but at least one site is claiming that software developers who have seen the whitepaper claim it's very close to what MS has been telling its development partners. |
XS was first to bring the LEAK to the public, and will continue to keep you informed.
(June 26 18:32 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on July 12, 2004, 08:31:00 PM
| QUOTE |
"According to the BBC, Sony are planning to officially reveal the PlayStation 3 at the E3 Expo in May 2005. They're obviously not wanting to be outdone by Nintendo, who announced the same plans for the GameCube successor, as well as Xbox 2's rumored debut around that time. Looks like E3 2005 is going to be a biggy." Worth noting that's not the ship date, but when people will see it. |
| QUOTE |
To date, MS has consistently refused to comment on any talk of Xbox 2, despite issuing numerous game developers with development kits, but with both Nintendo and Sony having made up their minds to use E3 2005 as an initial launch platform, MS will be mindful that it needs an event of its own which can generate as much attention without getting lost in the next gen crowd. The most logical assumption to make, is that MS will use X04, its annual industry event for Europe, as the means to reveal its intentions in the next generation console market, although at the time of going to press, MS has not yet confirmed that the event will be taking place this year. A mid September date is expected, however. As for when the console will be shown off for the first time, that role is likely to be fulfilled by either the CES show in January, or the Game Developer's Conference in March. The first 'hands-on' public unveiling will therefore be at E3 in May 2005, with a US launch following in October. |
Read the whole article on eurogamer.net.
(July 12 19:54 GMT+1) -
Post by: HSDEMONZ on July 30, 2004, 10:17:00 PM
| QUOTE |
MS CEO Steve Ballmer offers the quote of the year. July 30, 2004 - "There's no new Xbox in the next year, but, man, are we hard at work on that next Xbox." These words came from MS CEO Steve Ballmer at MS's Financial Analyst Meeting yesterday in Redmond, Washington. MS's future console -- which may be called Xbox 2, Xbox Next, Xenon, Xbox 360, The Big X, Next 'Box, X2: Electric Boogaloo, or something completely unexpected -- has been the source of endless speculation over the past year. Supposedly authentic internal memos and design specs leaked on the Internet over the past few months spurred rumors and cemented -- at least in the public mind -- that Xbox 2 was indeed a near certainty for 2005. Now it appears those assertions were false. Though Ballmer said Xbox 2 would not come in "the next year" it's unclear whether he meant the next calendar year (all of 2005) or MS's next fiscal year, which ends July 2005. MS declined to comment or offer any clarification on Ballmer's statement. If Ballmer was referring to the fiscal year, that would mean Xbox 2 could still be on tap for holiday 2005. If not, we can all enjoy an extra year of rumor, speculation, denial, and wishful thinking. IGN Xbox declines to have more on this story. No, just kidding, we'll have more once we can pry out extra info from MS or related parties. -- Hilary Goldstein |
(July 31 06:20 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on August 09, 2004, 02:23:00 PM
| QUOTE |
Senior industry sources, speaking to gamesindustry.biz over the weekend, have indicated that it is extremely likely that Xbox 2 - currently codenamed Xenon - will be unveiled during Bill Gates' keynote address at the International Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas on January 5th, 2005. Gates, MS chairman and chief-software-architect, was unveiled as the keynote speaker by the Consumer Electronics Association late last week, prompting speculation that MS would use the platform to unveil Xbox 2. However, high-level talk amongst industry insiders, including analysts and publishers, suggests that there's more to this particular rumour than idle gossip. MS has so far declined to comment, taking the line that it does not respond to "rumour and speculation", but has not issued a denial. |
(August 9 17:45 GMT+1) -
Post by: HSDEMONZ on August 18, 2004, 09:17:00 PM
| QUOTE |
GS: Are there any decisions you wish you could make over again? PM: Yes, but Im not going to tell you! [Laughs]. As you know, this industry is a fast-paced industry, and we make decisions whether to maintain content or kill content, whether to do marketing campaigns or not do campaigns, and how to do them. So youre making 20 to 30 decisions a day. Therefore, theyre not all correct. But youve got to make them. And I've got to say that it is incredibly motivating to work for a company like MS that is not afraid of making large investments very quickly. All the way to the top, from both Bill [Gates] and Steve Ballmer, [both men] are very engaged in the Xbox business. I was with Bill yesterday talking about where were at and where were going in the future, and he is incredibly enthused. He cant wait to play Halo 2! GS: For the record, has MS made an attempt to acquire BioWare? That seemed to be part of the pre-E3 buzz this year. PM: If we did, Im not going to tell you [laughs]. We have a great relationship with BioWare, so lets leave it at that. GS: Lastly, Xbox Next. Whats the word? PM: We wont be beaten to market by our competition. Thats about all I can say right now. The Xbox, right now, is doing so well, and there are a lot of legs in Xbox before we need to worry about the next gen. |
Go read the whole interview on GameSpot.com
(August 19 05:16 GMT+1) -
Post by: HSDEMONZ on September 02, 2004, 08:10:00 PM
| QUOTE |
MS TOLD me today at the ECTS show in London's Earls Court that it is preparing plans to make a common code base for PC games and for the Xbox, a shift from its past strategy. Whether this means that the Xbox II and future PCs will use the same code base is still unclear, however. MS, with the first iteration of its Xbox machine, made things so that it could sell different products on its hardware, although the usual protests were heard that it was just attempting to milk consumers. It appears that MS has listened to such plaints, and is considering a different direction in the future. |
Thanks to Gamester17 and Dom W. for the news.
(September 3 02:43 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on September 08, 2004, 02:08:00 PM
| QUOTE |
Speaking at the Smith Barney Citigroup 2004 Technology Conference, Nickerson made a short comment about the firm's involvement with next-generation console development for both Nintendo and MS. "The other one that's starting to become, I think, a factor when you're looking at it from an investment point of view, are game consoles," he told the conference. "We're actually winding down development on some of the MS product. Both Nintendo and MS will be royalties." While the comment is arguably open to different interpretations, the most likely meaning is that the design of the graphics part which will be used by the next Xbox console is almost complete, and is ready to pass off to the manufacturer - where, of course, a whole new set of challenges will have to be dealt with before the system actually enters production. This would tie in with the expected schedule for the launch of Xbox 2, which is expected to hit retail well before the end of 2005 in North America at least. It also suggests that developers, who are currently developing Xbox 2 titles on prototype development kits based on PowerMac G5 systems, could start seeing more advanced Xenon development hardware around the start of next year, if not sooner. |
(September 8 17:44 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on September 08, 2004, 02:10:00 PM
| QUOTE |
An online petition to convince MS of implementing backwards compatibility into its next generation Xbox is quickly growing popularity. More than 21,000 Internet users have already signed the petition. MS (according to a gamesindustry.biz report ) seems reluctant to give in to the users demand, even though recent leaks on the Xbox 2 (Codename: Xenon, aka Xbox Next) CPU specs reveal that contradictory to earlier beliefs the next Xbox WILL BE MORE THAN powerful enough to emulate its predecessor in software. MS has as of yet not given a public statement to confirm of deny these claims... |
Tom's Hardware has also an article about it. http://www.tomshardw...907_101432.html
If you didn't sign the petition yet: http://www.petitiono...2/petition.html
(September 8 17:55 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on September 12, 2004, 03:29:00 PM
| QUOTE |
MS will announce Media Center 2005 one month from today. If you want to be surprised just go away, otherwise, read on. It seems evolutionary, not revolutionary, with one big exception. The biggest thing they added was the concept of media center extenders, or specifically one of them called XBox. Yes, with a kit, the XBox becomes an extension of your media center PC. If you thought we were joking when we said MS doesn't care about games with the XBox, here is your proof. They want to own your entertainment, it just so happens that the easiest way is through a console. Sony should be very very afraid. What it does is let you take an XBox and play back all your MCPC media on the screen the console is connected to. One thing the XBox does not support though is HD content, anything you have on the full MCPC will be downgraded to normal quality for XBox playback, but it should occur seamlessly on the fly. |
Read more on theinquirer.net.
http://www.theinquir.../?article=18385
(September 12 14:36 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on September 13, 2004, 03:40:00 PM
| QUOTE |
A Silicon Valley startup claims to have cracked one of most elusive goals of the software industry: a near-universal emulator that allows software developed for one platform to run on any other, with almost no performance hit. Transitive Corp. of Los Gatos, California, claims its QuickTransit software allows applications to run "transparently" on multiple hardware platforms, including Macs, PCs, and numerous servers and mainframes. The company claimed QuickTransit eliminates the need to port software from one platform to another. Software applications written for one platform will run on almost any other, without any modifications to the underlying program. For example, Wiederhold - president and CEO - said QuickTransit will allow the next-generation Xbox (which will have a Mac-like PowerPC chip) to run first-generation Xbox software (which was written for an Intel chip). In demonstrations to press and analysts, the company has shown a graphically demanding game -- a Linux version of Quake III -- running on an Apple PowerBook. "One of the key breakthroughs is performance," Wiederhold said. "You can't tell the difference between a translated application and a native application." Transitive launched the software on Monday with versions for Itanium, Opteron, x86 and Power/PowerPC chips. |
Read the whole article on wired.com. http://www.wired.com...2,64914,00.html
Official Site: http://www.transitive.com http://www.transitiv...uicktransit.htm
Thanks to Todd and Brad for the news/link.
While this news is not confirmed by MS and it might have only been used as 'example' of what the software could do, it does looks like this company is working for MS to bring a software solution to make the Xbox Next (Xbox2 codename Xenon) backward compatible with the current Xbox.
On this page they show their services for game platforms. They don't mention the Xbox there, but they show a x86 system emulated on a powerpc based system...
(September 13 18:48 GMT+1)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on September 14, 2004, 03:34:00 PM
| QUOTE |
According to Gamestar.de, the graphics core is finalised and it may be used by both XboX 2 and a future Nintendo console. It seems that both MS and Nintendo will license the same marchitecture and it's possible we will end up with the same graphic chip for both consoles. Knowing MS, I dont see this happening and I would imagine that Nintendo might flee from ATI due to the nature of the MSATI deal. I dont think that MS would be happy knowing that Nintendo would have the same core. Last time I head, this chip was codenamed R500, not the R520 that will be used for graphic cards only and will be directly derived from the R520 "Fudo" chip. We can expect at least Shader 3.0+ compatibility but we are not sure about the chip's specification. You can find the original story, here. |
Thanks to Gamester17 for the news.
(September 14 17:10 CEST
Post by: HSDEMONZ on September 18, 2004, 07:09:00 PM
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The company today announced a new spin on the idea to take advantage of existing system memory rather then increasing on-board memory which recently reached 256 MByte on some cards - one reason being that the data transfer between the visual processor and the CPU was not fast enough for real-time graphics applications. HyperMemory, according to ATI, gives the company the option to deliver cards with less on-board memory and instead use system memory to handle the graphics storage requirements. The company's aid that the technology uses "intelligent memory allocation algorithms" to optimize the use of available local memory and ensure critical components are placed in fast local memory when required. Optimal assignment of data to local or system storage is determined dynamically to ensure the best user experience. HyperMemory also increases the performance of system bus data transfers, making accessing system memory faster than before, ATI claims. |
Note by Gamester17:
"Not direcly Xbox related but maybe indirecly releated to Xbox 2 as it's very easy to come to the conclusion and speculate that since ATI is highly involved in the chipset and grahpic structure of the Xbox 2 this new 'HyperMemory' shared memory technology will be used in the Xbox 2, maybe even ATI came up with the idea when they where researching and developing shared memory for usage in the Xbox 2 (and Nintendo's GameCube 2)."
It's very plausible ATI will use this technique in the Xbox Next. From internal documents we already knew MS plans to include a min of 256MB shared memory in the Xbox2.
Thanks to Gamester17 for the news.
(September 18 16:09 CEST) -
Post by: HSDEMONZ on September 23, 2004, 02:28:00 PM
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Recently, GameSpot sat down Windows Graphics and Gaming general manager Dean Lester and discussed the current status of Longhorn, MS's next PC operating system, due in 2006. MS is already working with major hardware manufacturers such as Nvidia, ATI, and Intel (along with OEM manufacturers) to create pre-packaged PCs with varying levels of mid-range to high-end hardware, with appropriately varying price points. Under such a plan, pre-packaged PCs with certain processor speeds, amounts of RAM, and certain types of video card would be given a simple classification or "level." In essence, this system would let newer PC game players be able to quickly and easily determine that they need a computer of at least "level 5 or higher" to play a game with certain specific requirements, rather than trying to figure out exactly how much RAM they have. Longhorn will natively support the XNA development system, and Longhorn-based PCs will directly benefit from this. "Xbox 2 peripherals will all work on PC," said Lester, clarifying that Xbox controllers, steering wheels, and other console-related peripheral functionality will all be brought into Longhorn's portfolio, as will Xbox Live functionality. For game players, this will make for, if nothing else, an added convenience, since playing a game on their PC or their Xbox will [ideally] come down to little more than unplugging the controller from one, and plugging it into the other. For game developers, MS hopes that the introduction of XNA will help standardize development on both platforms, ideally to an extent that "you won't have to choose between Xbox or PC" to develop games...and ideally, so that players won't have to choose between the two platforms to play them. Then we asked Lester one final question: Considering how the next version of DirectX released with Longhorn will essentially be a new development platform similar to a new console release, would Xbox 2 be based on Longhorn? Unfortunately--but unsurprisingly--Lester declined to comment. |
Read more on GameSpot.com. http://www.gamespot....ws_6108247.html
(September 23 18:28 CEST) -
Post by: HSDEMONZ on September 26, 2004, 02:22:00 PM
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RUMOR #5: The Xbox 2 will use Virtual PC 7 for backwards compatibility for original Xbox games. Source: Self-explanatory site Geek.com. The official story: MS reps said they would "track down" the source of the rumor, but had not as of press time. What we heard: According to Geek.com's Apple Insider subsection, the reason for the delay of the latest version of Virtual PC 7 is that "MS has given this project exclusively to the Xbox team." Why would they do such a thing? "Because the next Xbox will include an IBM PowerPC 970, and current Xbox game developers are shipped G5 PowerMacs," says Geek.com. While not confirmed by MS, it sounds like a much more plausible scenario than last week's Xbox 2-backwards-compatiblity rumor, which had a Silicon Valley startup providing universal emulator middleware for the next-gen console. Bogus or not bogus?: Probably not bogus. |
(September 26 20:16 CEST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on September 28, 2004, 10:21:00 AM
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The Xenon lives, thanks to a job posting on MSs website, with an advert for a software engineer confirming the development name for the Xbox successor for the first time. Want to help create a new feature for Xenon not available on any other platform? MS Game Studios Publishing is looking for an SDET with server experience to Cool. And theres more dumplings in the stew, with all manner of revelations emerging. Check this the successful applicant will create, a spectator mode for many Xenon games, Xbox TV - with tickers at the bottom of the screen featuring recent high scores and game highlights, a tournament system, and tradable trophies. Meaning that the Xbox 2, or Xenon, or whatever it will be called when it finally rolls onto shelves, will have a load of cool online features on an uprated Live service. |
Read the whole article on spong.com. http://spong.com/det... revealed by MS
You can see the job offering on MS.com http://www.MS.com/ca...66-317b3b9a5918
(September 28 15:54 CEST) -
Post by: HSDEMONZ on October 01, 2004, 05:50:00 PM
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ATI Technologies is expected to roll out a new GPU, codenamed R500, for the Xbox 2 in the first quarter of next year, according to market sources. The R500 will be built using a 90nm process at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and will deliver performance similar to ATI's next-generation high-end graphics chip, the R520, the sources said. |
Read the whole article on digitimes.com http://www.digitimes...40930A7056.html
(September 30 07:48 CEST) -
Post by: HSDEMONZ on October 06, 2004, 12:42:00 AM
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BERKELEY, Calif.--MS Chairman Bill Gates on Friday started out a busy day in the Bay Area by talking to college students about a range of topics, from open-source software to malaria to the next Xbox. Asked about MS's biggest contribution, Gates said it is the creation of the software industry that came with the PC. But he also said the Tablet PC--a pet project of his--is pretty neat, too, as will be the next version of the Xbox. The next Xbox "may not be good for productivity, but it will be fun," he said. While not offering too many details on the device, he said communications will play a bigger part in the gadget, as will the idea of having an audience in addition to just players. "It's not just one person sitting there shooting at artifacts," Gates said. |
Read the whole article on news.com http://news.com.com/...ml?tag=nefd.top
(October 2 00:02 EST) -
Post by: HSDEMONZ on October 06, 2004, 12:43:00 AM
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1UP has a decent ol' article up that features 11 industry types chipping in on 8 pre-chosen areas that will supposedly help drive the Xbox Next to victory over the Playstation 3 in the next-generation console wars. |
* Lesson One: Strike First, Strike Hard, and Look Good Doing It
* Lesson Two: Design Matters Matter
* Lesson Three: Quality Always Trumps Quantity
* Lesson Four: the Harder They Come...
* Lesson Five: There's No Such Thing as a Free Videogame Console
* Lesson Six: Stay Focused
* Lesson Seven: the Sun Still Rises in the East
* Lesson Eight: Find Your Cool--And Keep It
Go read the whole article on 1up.com http://www.1up.com/d...ure?cId=3135080
(October 2 17:05 EST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on October 06, 2004, 12:46:00 AM
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MS-owned developer Bungie has finished work on the hugely anticipated Xbox exclusive first-person shooter Halo 2, according to the latest weekly update from the team, with the game on track for a November 9th launch in USA (11th in Europe). "It's finished and shipped to a nebulous region known as RTC (Release to Certification)," according to the update, "where it will be dumped from eight digital tapes onto a DVD and go through some final testing." "After Halo 2 we are planning to do something different," Bungie studio manager Pete Parsons told the BBC recently. "We will do something else and we have a few ideas." This will, of course, raise speculation that Bungie may not be planning to do a Halo title as an Xbox 2 launch title, as had been widely expected, since for a new Halo game to be ready for the launch of MS's next console - expected in late 2005 - work would have to begin right away. |
Go read the whole article on GamesIndustry.biz. http://www.gamesindu...ge.php?aid=4720
(October 4 08:21 EST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on October 06, 2004, 12:54:00 AM
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Commenting on the next generation, MS Corporate Vice President Peter Moore says, "We'll not repeat these mistakes next time." MS plans to learn from the mistakes, and will be starting Xbox 2's design from scratch, making it smaller and simpler. Moore plans for strong software from the start, along with titles targeting the Japanese market. Also, Moore reveals once again, "We will not be later than our rivals." Moore also reveals one hint at progress on game development for the next generation system. Apparently, the company has already finished distributing support tools for game development to software companies. It's unclear if these are specific Xbox 2 development tools, or just tools to get started with work on machines that reflect the Xbox 2's planned specifications. |
Read the whole article on xbox.ign.com. http://xbox.ign.com/...4/554097p1.html
(October 5 11:21 EST) -
Post by: HSDEMONZ on October 06, 2004, 12:54:00 AM
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Xbox 2 may make use of the HD-DVD format, if some Japanese electronics giants have their way. Today, at the CEATEC Japan technology exhibition, now ongoing at the Makuhari Messe convention center, just outside of Tokyo, a manager at NEC revealed that his company is working to get MS to use the format in the successor console to Xbox. A separate interview with Toshiba president Tadashi Okamura revealed a similar course for the electronics giant, with Okamura stating, in reference to HD-DVD, "We'd of course like them (MS) to use it." Both Toshiba and NEC are strong proponents for HD-DVD (High Definition Digital Versatile Disk) becoming the successor to DVD. The format is in competition with Blue Ray, which is backed by Sony and a number of other companies. This move would seem to be a direct counter to recent news that Sony Computer Entertainment plans to incorporate Blue Ray into its PlayStation 3 console. Interestingly enough, Toshiba is actually working with Sony on the Cell processor, a key component of the PS3. |
Read the whole article on xbox.ign.com. http://xbox.ign.com/...4/554095p1.html
(October 5 11:29 EST)
----------
Gates confirms plans for Xbox Live spectator modes
>> From GamesIndustry.biz:
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Comments made by MS founder and chairman Bill Gates during a lecture at the University of California, Berkeley, have confirmed that the company is planning to add spectator modes to Xbox Live in the future. It's expected that the system will not only allow users to spectate on games but will also provide additional graphics and displays, similar to a sports TV channel. However, it's still not clear whether Xbox Live TV will be implemented in titles for the current Xbox platform, or if it's planned as a feature for the next-generation Xbox console. |
Read the whole article on GamesIndustry.biz.
(October 6 11:31 EST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on October 08, 2004, 11:52:00 AM
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Electronic Arts' CFO Warren Jenson has told an investment conference in the USA that the company currently expects the Xbox 2 and PS3 to launch within six months of each other, in a window beginning in late 2005. While Jenson did qualify his statements by saying that EA doesn't have all the information about the launches as yet, and that the information they do have isn't perfect, his comments will be seen as further confirmation of the widely rumoured Xbox 2 launch timescale. |
(October 8 09:43 EST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on October 20, 2004, 05:36:00 PM
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The Consumer Electronics Show has confirmed that MS chairman Bill Gates is set to give a pre-show keynote speech in Las Vegas on January 5th next year - with a public announcement of Xbox 2 widely expected. Gates will speak on Wednesday, January 5th at 6.30pm PST, the night before the opening of the CES event - which is the largest trade show of any description in North America, and is expected to attract 130,000 professionals from 110 countries over its three-day span. |
Read the whole article on GamesIndustry.biz.
(October 18 11:25 EST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on November 01, 2004, 11:42:00 AM
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themuffinking writes "IBM (the manufacturers of some of the parts for the PS3 and Xbox 2) told Alex Albrecht that the processors they are putting in the new PS3 and Xbox2 are going to be the same processor, with the parts around it arranged slightly differently. Alex pried this information out of an IBM employee, likely while interviewing him for the show on which Alex is a cohost, The Screen Savers. Alex equivocates by saying "Now again, this is a rumor... so no Slashdotting". Too late for that, but keep in mind this is just hearsay at this point. |
While both CPUs are developed by or in co-operation with IBM, note that officially the PS3 should be a CELL-based CPU and the Xbox2 a PowerPC-based CPU.
Unless Sony gave up CELL there should cerainly be atleast some difference between the 2 CPUs ... IBM, Sony and Toshiba didn't invest so much money in CELL for nothing ...
(November 1 13:18 EST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on November 11, 2004, 07:43:00 PM
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The Inquirer is today reporting MSs intention to release three models of the Xbox2, one of which appears to be a fully functioning PC device, whilst the other two are based closer to a home console one with a HDD, the other without. Its believed that the leak stems from a presentation held within the UK, suggesting that the Xbox 2 and Xbox 2 HD are planned for release in Autumn 2005, followed by the launch of the Xbox 2 PC in Autumn 2006. |
Read the whole articel on
http://www.totalvide...article_id=6732
http://www.theinquir.../?article=19615
http://www.gamesindu...ge.php?aid=5435
(November 11 09:28 EST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on November 18, 2004, 05:16:00 PM
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According to a segment of a question and answer section on IGN, MS will be launching the successor to the Xbox, currently bedraped with the moniker Xenon, in 2005. MS will release the successor to Xbox in 2005, writes the site. And by the way, if there is still any doubt about this happening, now's the time to put it to rest. I've seen some holiday 2005 plans from publishers and several of them have major Xbox 2 titles scheduled for next November. I could name specific franchises and brand new IPs. It's really happening. And from the looks of it, there are going to be some pretty impressive launch titles. |
Read the whole article on Spong.com. http://news.spong.com/x?art=7990
(November 16 10:31 EST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on November 21, 2004, 12:53:00 PM
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* RUMOR : The Xbox Next will come in three different models. * Source: UK hardware site/online tabloid The Inquirer. * The official story: "MS does not comment on rumors or speculation"--MS spokesman. * What we heard: The past two weeks, Xbox rumors dominated the forums, the most juicy of which said that there will be not one, not two, but three versions of MS's new console: The hard drive-less Xbox Next, the Xbox Next HD, which will come with a hard drive, and the Xbox Next PC, which will be both an Xbox and an entry-level PC. And there's some substantiation to this scenario, since supposedly customer testing of an "Xbox Next PC" occurred earlier this year. * Bogus or not bogus?: Here's hoping this rumor is not bogus. |
(November 20 02:00 EST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on November 23, 2004, 10:29:00 AM
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Junji Nakamura, president of Japanese publisher Tecmo, has slammed Sony's plans for the PlayStation 3, accusing the firm of allowing its ambitions in the home appliance space to overshadow its commitment to games. Speaking to investors at a conference held by the firm to mark its half-yearly results, Nakamura-san also expressed his confidence in MS's ability to build on its experience with Xbox and succeed in the next generation. "There's not much information from Sony," he told a questioner who asked about the firm's progress on next-generation development, according to a report on Bloomberg Japan. "The situation with MS is very different.". Nakamura-san opined that the American giant would "be able to use their experience of the current machine's failure to succeed, even in this country." |
Read the whole article on GamesIndustry.biz.
(November 23 08:52 EST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on November 30, 2004, 12:35:00 PM
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The report "Game Consoles 2004: Waiting for the Next Generation", from high-tech market research firm In-Stat/MDR, expects the Xbox successor to arrive in late 2005: "The first next-generation console should hit the market in the fourth quarter of 2005 with the introduction of MS's Xbox 2. Sony, however, is not likely to give MS too much lead time before launching its PS3 console, which should occur by mid-2006. Nintendo will try to launch its next-generation GameCube 2 console either before, or simultaneously with Sony, which Nintendo considers to be its primary competition." |
Read the whole article on TeamXbox.com
(November 30 11:26 EST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on December 04, 2004, 07:35:00 AM
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The Internet is like dry brush and it doesn't take much to set it ablaze. Such is the case with WarDevil - Unleash the Beast Within, a next-generation title from UK-based Digi-Guys. The official website does not specifically state this title is for Xbox 2, however, several key pieces of information make it an almost sure thing. Though the trailer appears to be CG cut-scenes, Digi-Guys seems to suggest that the in-game visuals won't differ much. If this is true, WarDevil would rival today's current PC graphics, truly putting Xbox 2 on the console cutting edge. The cinematic experience of WarDevil is intentional, as the title will also become a CGI high-definition short film. |
Read the whole story (with trailer and screens) on xbox.ign.com.
(December 3 10:19 EST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on December 04, 2004, 07:36:00 AM
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Electronic Arts chief financial officer has told a US investment conference that the next-generation home consoles will feature wireless hubs, effectively putting wireless network access into millions of homes. "You're going to start seeing increments of online-related revenue creeping into the revenue stream over the coming years," he commented. "As we get into the next generation of consoles and further globalisation, this becomes a much bigger deal." |
Read the whole story on GamesIndustry.biz.
(December 2 23:38 EST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on December 08, 2004, 08:17:00 PM
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SPOnG can exclusively reveal this morning that MS is planning to lift the lid on its most sensitive XBox 2 plans next month, with various media and software partners scheduled to attend a keynote briefing. At the meeting, to be held in Seattle on January 17, MSs Xbox team will seek to outline its key branding direction, underlining launch plans and what it perceives as its target demographic. Its worth bearing in mind that this news, 100% confirmed this morning by a senior source under conditions of anonymity, does throw weight behind the new console seeing daylight on January 5 at the Consumer Electronics Show, where Bill gates is set to make a keynote address. |
Go read the whole story on Spong.com.
(December 6 12:27 EST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on December 08, 2004, 08:18:00 PM
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Well, we haven't talked about the next version of Xbox. But people know we're working on it, and people have to assume it's going to be the world's best game console. That's the place where it needs to start. But we do think there are going to be opportunities to enable what we've called "integrated innovation" scenarios. You can assume that everything we do -- the gaming side and things that integrate with other forms of entertainment -- is going to get better and better and better. Certainly, there's the idea that you're going to want to share what I'll call for lack of a better phrase your digital memories, whether that's digital photos, digital video or broadcast video. Music is clearly a scenario that everyone is focused on. Certainly, Apple has done some good work there. But we're still very early in the curve of what's possible and what people want. Communications turns out to be a very important scenario as well, whether that's chat, messaging, blogging, telephony. All those things are important scenarios, and there will be things that MS will be doing to deliver those. Now in some of those, we may be an infrastructure player, rather than a direct consumer player. There are tons of ways where software can play a role. Being a consumer-electronics company today isn't just about having some cool hardware technology. iPod is a great example. The actually technology in the iPod isn't very innovative. What's innovative in that product is the design, no question; the software, no question; and the way the design and the software and the hardware integrate with each other. That's the underlying thing that has fundamentally changed. |
Go read the full interview on businessweek.com http://www.businessw..._5618_tc185.htm
(December 8 15:31 EST)
Post by: HSDEMONZ on December 01, 2005, 06:27:00 PM