Xbox 2 to sport Three 64-bit IBM chips, ATI R500

[DrAwesome]

M$'s Xbox 2 console - aka Xbox Next - will be powered by three IBM PowerPC G5-class 64-bit processors, with graphics driven by ATI's next generation of accelerator
chip.

All important link

[Bifta]

Originally Posted by DrAwesome

M$'s Xbox 2 console - aka Xbox Next - will be powered by three IBM PowerPC G5-class 64-bit processors, with graphics driven by ATI's next generation of accelerator
chip.

All important link

You see now ... if I could connect one of them up to a monitor and play in 1600x1200 I'd snap one up like a shot when they're released, but don't they stick to TV sized resolutions?

edit:Just noticed it'll do HDTV resolutions, this could be the first console I've been tempted by for years.

[Boom]

Only unfortunate part of the Next Xbox, is the fact that everyday it's looking more likely that the next Xbox will NOT have a hard-drive on release. Whether a HD is supplied as an add-on, is still uncertain.

[ic14]

Will it take advantage of the processing power though.

And do games really need that much power? No IMO.

[Bifta]

Originally Posted by ic14

Will it take advantage of the processing power though.

And do games really need that much power? No IMO.

q) come the release date how do you know that developers won't be able to create games that utilise the extra oomph?

a) you don't.

[Matt D]

Originally Posted by Boom

Only unfortunate part of the Next Xbox, is the fact that everyday it's looking more likely that the next Xbox will NOT have a hard-drive on release. Whether a HD is supplied as an add-on, is still uncertain.

Yeah

And if they do ditch the HDD, & just have one as an add-on, I think the add-on will flop. Just look at all the other past add-ons other consoles have had....If something is not released as standard, the developers generally don't bother doing much for it.

[Matt D]

Originally Posted by ic14

Will it take advantage of the processing power though.

And do games really need that much power? No IMO.

Why? How do you know?

Surely if the power is there, they'll take advantage of it. Why not?

Or do you think that there is no need for any consoles that improve on the current generation? Maybe all future games should just forever stay at the same XB/PS2/GC tech level that they are at now?

Besides, the 1st initial dev kits have already started to go out (although they don't utilise the actual XB2 hardware as it doesn't exist yet), so I'm sure that by the time the console itself has been finished & released, there will be stuff that takes full advantage of its power.

[grindkid25]

i dont know jack about is, but sounds powerful

[AmunRa]

Originally Posted by Tezcatlipoca

Why? How do you know?

Surely if the power is there, they'll take advantage of it. Why not?

Or do you think that there is no need for any consoles that improve on the current generation? Maybe all future games should just forever stay at the same XB/PS2/GC tech level that they are at now?

Besides, the 1st initial dev kits have already started to go out (although they don't utilise the actual XB2 hardware as it doesn't exist yet), so I'm sure that by the time the console itself has been finished & released, there will be stuff that takes full advantage of its power.

i agree.

[Zorilla]

Originally Posted by Boom

Only unfortunate part of the Next Xbox, is the fact that everyday it's looking more likely that the next Xbox will NOT have a hard-drive on release. Whether a HD is supplied as an add-on, is still uncertain.

My bet is that if there is no inbuilt hard drive as standard then either:

1) There will be an enhanced Xbox2 available for those that need/want the extra storage (leaving the basic model for those who want just the console)
[Not sure on this, but it has been rumoured somewhere]

2) It will link easily to your home PC, so that you can use your PC's hard drive to store large data

3) It will be able to write info to recordable disks

4) They will rely on some other form of storage.

I can't believe that M$ will neglect the need for downloadable content - They have put so much effort into Live that they would not risk it, by removing such an important part.

Also I'm sure that M$ want to see the Xbox2 become some sort of Home Hub entertainment system (eg games, movies, music etc) - that they will need to have some sort of mass storage.

[Zorilla]

Also came across this a few months ago:

Agilent helps test next generation gaming consoles

Not sure whether it relates to the Xbox or PS3 (or some other device), but the data rates seem very impressive.

[Ryan]

Eh heh? Am I the only one who's thinks it will have a HD?
LINK!!!(an all-important one, of course! )
http://xbox.gamespy.com/articles/519/519579p1.html

Cya!

[Matt D]

Originally Posted by Zorilla

My bet is that if there is no inbuilt hard drive as standard then either:

1) There will be an enhanced Xbox2 available for those that need/want the extra storage (leaving the basic model for those who want just the console)
[Not sure on this, but it has been rumoured somewhere]

Perhaps (see Ryan's link, plus the end of my reply)

I think that would be a better idea than another possibility I've heard: HDD available as a separate add-on [which, IMO, could easily go the way of the MegaCD, 32X, 64DD, etc].

2) It will link easily to your home PC, so that you can use your PC's hard drive to store large data

Quite possible, I think, at least for media perhaps. M$ have already announced a "Media Centre Extender" for linking an XBox to a Win XP MC Edition PC.

3) It will be able to write info to recordable disks

I don't think so. Apparently the main reasons for (possibly) dropping the HDD are a) cost & b) to help clamp down on the mod scene. I don't think having a recordable drive of some sort would help that.

4) They will rely on some other form of storage.

Current rumour is still that they will use some sort of high-capacity flash RAM cards. Not as big as a HDD, but big enough for saves & content etc. Plus it gives M$ the ability to "do a Sony" & charge high prices for memory cards - memory cards which would be essential to own.

I can't believe that M$ will neglect the need for downloadable content - They have put so much effort into Live that they would not risk it, by removing such an important part.

True. I assume that if there is no HDD, the alternative storage method used instead would have enough space for DLC (most DLC is quite small, & even bigger things such as the PGR2 Paris DLC etc aren't really massive, & don't need something as big as the XBox 1's HDD)

Originally Posted by Ryan

Eh heh? Am I the only one who's thinks it will have a HD?
LINK!!!(an all-important one, of course! )
http://xbox.gamespy.com/articles/519/519579p1.html

Cya!

That's not really positive news regarding XBox2 having a HDD, though, IMO.

It's about a possible XBox2 version with HDD & other features, not about the actual XBox2 itself having a HDD. It's also just a concept they're testing interest in via market research.

Original article: http://money.cnn.com/2004/05/26/comm...column_gaming/

Originally Posted by CNN-Money

CNN/Money staff writer Chris Morris

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Two months ago, Microsoft spoke glowingly of bridging the gap between the PC and Xbox. Now the company is considering erasing that gap completely.

While Microsoft has publicly avoided discussing its next generation machine, it has been quietly conducting studies on the consumer appeal of a hybrid device that would play both PC and Xbox games.

"We would be remiss if we didn't look at consumer scenarios that take advantage of our strengths," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of worldwide marketing and publishing for Microsoft's home and entertainment division. "[But] this is one amongst many, many other consumer scenarios that we're looking at."

The B/R/S Group, a California-based market research company that lists Microsoft 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

(snip)

The point of the study that included the Xbox Next PC was to determine what consumers want to see in next generation machines – and what they're willing to pay for those features. Gathering pricing sensitivity data for products is one of the most challenging market research projects for hardware developers.

It's important to note that any product looked at in these sorts of studies is conceptual and may undergo dramatic feature changes before hitting the market – if, in fact, it manages to emerge from the doors of the R&D labs.

"If you put two and two together, there's no doubt there's a great opportunity to put the two platforms together," said Moore. "Obviously with a company like Microsoft this is something we have to look into and ask about. Is it actionable today? Probably not, but it's something we need to look at."

There is, of course, a greater question of whether consumers would have any interest in a console/PC hybrid. Game machines, historically, have evolved rather slowly. Large leaps haven't been rewarded. Sony learned this lesson with the introduction of the PSX, a combination PlayStation 2/Digital Video Recorder, which sold poorly in Japan and has yet to receive a U.S. launch date.

(snip)

Should Microsoft (MSFT: Research, Estimates) 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, Microsoft isn't commenting, but it has been giving publishers guidance to plan for a 2005 launch.

(snip)

[Ryan]

2005 launch? I hope so. I reckon I would rather pay £350 for that PC/XB hybrid than £200s odd HDD less Xbox 2! I mean, with backwards capability, you've already got a nice sized library, add PC games to the list, and you've already got me! I mean £350, for a console, is a hefty sum to pay, but, seeing as a CURRENTLY top end PC costs in excess of £1800, you are really getting a good bargain!

If this is Xbox NEXT, MS will lose a LOT of money, but I would DEFINATELY buy it!

[Matt D]

If M$ follow the same sort of schedule they did with XBox1, then the XBox2 release should be sometime in 2005 (for the US) I think.


I think a "hybrid" XBox2 could be very good, but I think it would fail if that was the only version they launched. They would lose out on all the people who only want a games console, nothing fancy, & who aren't willing to spend that much. I think M$ must know this, so if they do release some sort of super-duper XBox2 it would surely be in addition to a "normal" XBox2.

Also, after what they learnt from the launch of XBox1, I think they would be unlikely to launch XBox2 at such a stupidly high price as they did with XBox1.

And backwards compatibility with XBox1....Doubtful, I think.