New Info on Xbox2

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Not everyone has to wait around to hear details of Microsoft’s sexy new Xbox 360—and now, thanks to Kotaku, neither do you. An exclusive Kotaku source has revealed a bevy of facts about the next-generation console set to rock the Xbox world.

The original Xbox was a manly chunk of square black-and-green plastic meant to win over a generation of hardcore male gamers. The Xbox 360° will be about winning over gamers of all persuasions, with a customizable look and a kindler, gentler Circle of Light marketing campaign.

Our inside source says that the console is a sleek silver device worthy of countertop display, and features an inhaled design that turns the harsh angles of the original Xbox into sweeps and curves. The device will also be able to stand upright or on it’s side, much like the Playstation 2. The side of the 360° is dominated by an oversized, back-lit power button called the ring of light, and the rest of the case can be customized with colorful designer face plates that pop on and off. The 360°s dashboard will also be customizable, making each console a thing totally unique to its owner.

Some of the inner workings of the 360° have also been confirmed. The device will feature high definition audio and video and wireless controllers, and will come in two flavors—one with a hard drive and one without. The biggest shock is that while Microsoft wants to make their 360° backwards compatible, they haven’t yet been able to pull it off.

“They’re working on it,” said our source.

I wasn’t able to get any pictures of the 360°, but Gizmodo’s Joel was kind enough to do a mock-up of it’s face plate for us.

Stay tuned for more next-generation revelations.

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/gossip/xbox-2/xbox-360-revealed-033435.php
 
[quote name='Scorch']
The biggest shock is that while Microsoft wants to make their 360° backwards compatible, they haven’t yet been able to pull it off.
Click to expand...

MAKE IT shaq-fuing HAPPEN, BILL.[/quote]

Ashaq-fuingmen!
 
"Our inside source" probably had to sign a non-disclosure agreement and can have the pants sued off him if any of this is true. On the other hand, this could be a purposeful leak to create buzz. Either way, E3 2005 is only a few months away, so I can wait for the official EGM-exclusive story to hit the Internet early again this year because some idiot at a news stand broke the cover date once more.
 
Inhaled design?

Wow, every previous console had a warning label that read, 'NOT FOR INTERNAL USE.' that was required by the FDA.
 
Ring of light?

I think I'll skip buying one until a week or so after the first day of sale. I'd want see if the first day buyers mysteriously die seven days after seeing the ring.
 
[quote name='epobirs']Inhaled design?

Wow, every previous console had a warning label that read, 'NOT FOR INTERNAL USE.' that was required by the FDA.[/quote]

Get in my belly!!!

But seriously. I really dont care if its backwards compatible. Id rather they make a exponetially better product and make a compilation disk that is compatible with the new xbox 360 live
 
[quote name='sying'][quote name='epobirs']Inhaled design?

Wow, every previous console had a warning label that read, 'NOT FOR INTERNAL USE.' that was required by the FDA.[/quote]

Get in my belly!!!

But seriously. I really dont care if its backwards compatible. Id rather they make a exponetially better product and make a compilation disk that is compatible with the new xbox 360 live[/quote]

Exactly. While it would be nice to be backwards compatible, I already have an xbox.
 
[quote name='greendc27'][quote name='sying'][quote name='epobirs']Inhaled design?

Wow, every previous console had a warning label that read, 'NOT FOR INTERNAL USE.' that was required by the FDA.[/quote]

Get in my belly!!!

But seriously. I really dont care if its backwards compatible. Id rather they make a exponetially better product and make a compilation disk that is compatible with the new xbox 360 live[/quote]

Exactly. While it would be nice to be backwards compatible, I already have an xbox.[/quote]

So true. Plus, it may not be what it could be if they didn't make it backwards compatible.
 
[quote name='Trakan'][quote name='greendc27'][quote name='sying'][quote name='epobirs']Inhaled design?

Wow, every previous console had a warning label that read, 'NOT FOR INTERNAL USE.' that was required by the FDA.[/quote]

Get in my belly!!!

But seriously. I really dont care if its backwards compatible. Id rather they make a exponetially better product and make a compilation disk that is compatible with the new xbox 360 live[/quote]

Exactly. While it would be nice to be backwards compatible, I already have an xbox.[/quote]

So true. Plus, it may not be what it could be if they didn't make it backwards compatible.[/quote]

what does that mean?
 
I'm hoping for backwards compatibility because I don't have an xbox. I'm dying to play some of the exclusives like this Halo thing everyone is talking about...
 
[quote name='munch'][quote name='Trakan'][quote name='greendc27'][quote name='sying'][quote name='epobirs']Inhaled design?

Wow, every previous console had a warning label that read, 'NOT FOR INTERNAL USE.' that was required by the FDA.[/quote]

Get in my belly!!!

But seriously. I really dont care if its backwards compatible. Id rather they make a exponetially better product and make a compilation disk that is compatible with the new xbox 360 live[/quote]

Exactly. While it would be nice to be backwards compatible, I already have an xbox.[/quote]

So true. Plus, it may not be what it could be if they didn't make it backwards compatible.[/quote]

what does that mean?[/quote]

Sorry, I knew I should have worded that better. The Xbox '360' could be more advanced and more powerful if they did not make it backwards compatible.
 
If I had to pick between them making the XBox 360/Next/2/WTF it's called light-years beyond the current stuff and the supposed next-gen stuff, or make it less impressive to make it backwards compatible, I'll vote for blow-my-socks-off amazing any day of the week.

Their main problem with making it backwards compatible is that they're going from an Intel CPU/Nvidia video & audio solution to a IBM PowerPC/ATI video (+ audio?) solution. Whole different architecture, not so easy to do emulation.

I'm surprised that they haven't figured out how to do it as an "Xbox on a board" solution and toss it in there besides the new guts.
 
Personally, I think I am looking forward to Xbox 360 more than the other next gen consoles. I'm sure all will deliver great visuals, so it is the little things that will differentiate them, i.e. the wireless controllers. I am freaking psyched about those.
 
[quote name='Tromack']Personally, I think I am looking forward to Xbox 360 more than the other next gen consoles. I'm sure all will deliver great visuals, so it is the little things that will differentiate them, i.e. the wireless controllers. I am freaking psyched about those.[/quote]

I kind of agree with you, but the more i think about this generation of consoles, the more i like nintendo. I looked at my games the other day, and it dawned on me that i have twice as many GCN games than xbox. and, the only games i plan on buying in the future are GCN games. A main reason for this is i love the GCN controller. also, nintendo just makes quality games. the revolution will probably be the first console i get, after the price drop of course :D
 
Being the old bastard that I am, there's one thing that I've learned from a new generation of consoles... 80% of the time, they'll break. A lens will go bad, it may overheat, etc etc. So I'll play what I have through the first wave, and ask for alcohol for christmas instead
 
[quote name='evilmax17']I wish it had a better name.[/quote]

They should call it Shooter Box with all the FPS and 3rd person shooters they put out.
 
[quote name='Skylander7']Being the old bastard that I am, there's one thing that I've learned from a new generation of consoles... 80% of the time, they'll break. A lens will go bad, it may overheat, etc etc. So I'll play what I have through the first wave, and ask for alcohol for christmas instead[/quote]

If I end up buying the consoles at launch I'll definitely get an extended warranty for PS3, probably for Xbox 360, and not for Revolution. I know there were some problems with GCNs just like the other consoles, but for now I still trust Nintendo not to make perishable goods.

Folks at Evil Avatar suggest backwards compatibility may be a rights issue. Even if Microsoft wanted to put an Xbox inside each Xbox 360, they don't have a deal with Nvidia, and can't emulate all their exclusive* technologies.

*re: Just different enough to be patented.

And Xbox Next sounds better.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']If I had to pick between them making the XBox 360/Next/2/WTF it's called light-years beyond the current stuff and the supposed next-gen stuff, or make it less impressive to make it backwards compatible, I'll vote for blow-my-socks-off amazing any day of the week.

Their main problem with making it backwards compatible is that they're going from an Intel CPU/Nvidia video & audio solution to a IBM PowerPC/ATI video (+ audio?) solution. Whole different architecture, not so easy to do emulation.

I'm surprised that they haven't figured out how to do it as an "Xbox on a board" solution and toss it in there besides the new guts.[/quote]

The technical side is not the major obstacle in offering backward compatibility. Due to the rushed design phase of the Xbox Microsoft opted to let Nvidia provide a ready made solution in a upgraded version their then current high-end PC chip. (The XGPU has been called GeForce 3.5 since its design puts in roughly that position between GeForce 3 and GeForce 4.) It got Xbox to market fast but it also meant that Nvidia completely owned the internals of the chips they provided. It was all proprietary IP they owned and Microsoft merely purchased on a per unit basis.

Emulating a P-III 733 MHz isn't a big deal, nor do any of the other Xbox chips present any great challenge. Being a static platform it is much simpler than PC emulation since the behavior can be finely tuned to behave exactly right, even reproducing flaws for the sake of consistency. The problem is that many games bypass the DirectX APIs and go direct to the metal to improve speed on critical functions. A chip that doesn't respond identically to the code in those games will fail to run them. Normally, the solution would be to have a subsection int he GPU that traps instructions used in the backward compatibility mode and correctly translates them to what will work correctly on the new chip. Speed allowing this might be done in software, lending itself to upgrades if the shipping version doesn't run every last game properly.

But...

Microsoft and Nvidia had a falling out over chip prices, which is why Nvidia isn't the partner for the new machine. Nvidia is sorely uninclined to give Microsoft a free license to their IP for the XGPU (especially sinc eit would be ATI acting on that data) and they'd probably asked too much for a license in terms of how it would affect the cost of the new console.

The Bleem factor.

Microsoft isn't out of options. They could have their connectix division work on doing it entirely in software. If their PPC CPU is equipped with the big endian/little endian conversion hardware found in the G4 that greatly simplifies the biggest issue in X86 emulation on PPC. (IBM's PPCs haven't had it to date, requiring a new version of Virtual PC to be produced.) The speed of the Xbox 2 CPU should be more than sufficient to perfectly duplicate a 733 MHz P-III if that function is there for the worst issue. The big effort comes in doing a black box emulation of the XGPU and XMCP that deals with micro code level compatibility while satisfying Nvidia's lawyers that the programmers involved had never been in contact with Nvidia's IP. Which is why the emulator could go through many revisions after launch. The testing involved in such a project is extremely time intensive and consequently costly. If that cost is too great it won't offer any advantage over an Nvidia license in that it could take years to pay off the cost on a console that is already subsidized at time of end user purchase.

It would be legal and free of Nvidia entanglements but it would be costly. On top of the development cost there would be the litigation expenses since Nvidia would inevitably seek to prevent its distribution. Nvidia would ultimately lose. There is ample courtroom precedent on that front but the cost of winning would still be considerable. It is legal costs that ultimately killed Bleem. Sony didn't have to win, they just had to keep their lawyers paid longer than the Bleem guys could.
 
I thought the PS2 being backwards compatible was a big deal until my second year of ownership, when Metal Gear Solid 2 and Gran Turismo 3 came out.

Point?

I think it was good ole Kenny K from Sony who said backwards capability is only important in the first year of a system's launch, and after that it isn't necessary. Once the AA and AAA titles start hitting the Xbox 360, including Halo 3 (or even a revised 2), then the wound will definitely start to heal. Trust me. It may take a year or two, but will be worth it. Besides, who's getting rid of their Xbox before Christmas of this year? Hang onto your consoles, folks.
 
[quote name='ArchangelOfWar']Besides, who's getting rid of their Xbox before Christmas of this year? Hang onto your consoles, folks.[/quote]

Not it... actually I thinking about modding my box when the new system comes out... a friend of mine has been modding his and I have to say... adding a remote controlled on/off switch is rather cool. Plus with the use of a 555 timer you can get your xbox to do the whole night ryder light thingy.

[quote name='Tromack']the wireless controllers. I am freaking psyched about those.[/quote]

Yup!

[quote name='javeryh']I'm hoping for backwards compatibility because I don't have an xbox. I'm dying to play some of the exclusives like this Halo thing everyone is talking about...[/quote]

I'm hoping too... but... like I said above... I will keep my box... its green.

[quote name='evilmax17']I wish it had a better name.[/quote]

Yeah... I'm sorry... 360... WTF... how is that "cool" :?: To be honest... it's name is lame?

The personalization of the console is cool... maybe we will be able to personalize the name too... :!:
 
Has anyone heard an approximate price yet? The PSP looks cool, however I could not justify spending that much on another game system.

It would be a mistake for the xbox next not to be backwards compatible, IMHO. Things get cluttered really fast if you have to have your "next gen" as well as older consoles hooked up to your tv to play the games that you want.

I am hoping that they do go with the wireless controller standard. I bought a pair for my xbox when costco had them, and would never go back to the regular ones. I have a tv stand with a glass door in front of the xbox, and keeping that door shut is no problem. This is especially important if you have an animal (or kids) that would try to get into the cords otherwise. (The cat is right there as soon as I open the door to insert a disk in the xbox.)
 
[quote name='daria19']Has anyone heard an approximate price yet? The PSP looks cool, however I could not justify spending that much on another game system.

It would be a mistake for the xbox next not to be backwards compatible, IMHO. Things get cluttered really fast if you have to have your "next gen" as well as older consoles hooked up to your tv to play the games that you want.

I am hoping that they do go with the wireless controller standard. I bought a pair for my xbox when costco had them, and would never go back to the regular ones. I have a tv stand with a glass door in front of the xbox, and keeping that door shut is no problem. This is especially important if you have an animal (or kids) that would try to get into the cords otherwise. (The cat is right there as soon as I open the door to insert a disk in the xbox.)[/quote]

All you need is the right piece of furniture. The $40 rack I got from Costco supported no fewer thean 12 consoles and a cable box comfortably. It wasn't the prettiest thing but much beeter could found for greater expenditures.

As I mentioned above, Xbox compatibility isn't necessarily a matter of choice but rather of legal entanglements.
 
[quote name='daria19']Has anyone heard an approximate price yet? The PSP looks cool, however I could not justify spending that much on another game system.
[/quote]
My guess is between $300 and $400, but keep in mind its just a guess.
 
[quote name='Kaijufan'][quote name='daria19']Has anyone heard an approximate price yet? The PSP looks cool, however I could not justify spending that much on another game system.
[/quote]
My guess is between $300 and $400, but keep in mind its just a guess.[/quote]

That's the price I would estimate.
 
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