E3 Gaming news!!! X-Box 2, PS3, Nintendo Revolution stuff

[TD30]

You gotta get one of these for your xbox.

[Nick C.]

Originally Posted by TD30

You gotta get one of these for your xbox.

what is that? one of those boards so you can just download games to your hard drive?

I am thinking of buying one already with a Mod chip that has NES and Sega games on it. yet I already have a NES and thinking of buying a Top load NES to last me for a few years. all the damn games I want for NES are very exspensive however.

sorry to get kind of off topic.

[TD30]

Yeah it's a modchip get one of these and a bigger hard drive then just back up games, only one's you own wink, wink.

[Nick C.]

Originally Posted by TD30

Yeah it's a modchip get one of these and a bigger hard drive then just back up games, only one's you own wink, wink.

would it be feasable for me to have something to back up other game systems on the X-box or is that pretty hard to do?

[TD30]

Originally Posted by Nick C.

would it be feasable for me to have something to back up other game systems on the X-box or is that pretty hard to do?

I'm not sure if your talking about running emulator programs on your xbox (like nintendo etc.)? If so that can be done it just depends on what your trying to do. Theres all kinds of different things you can do and you dont have to get a modchip it's just easier. You will need a HD and unless you want to do a less stable soft mod you need to have the ability to sauder. Check out www.xbox-scene.com they have alot of info in the forums sections. Not sure if this helps, let me know if you have any questions.

[Nick C.]

Originally Posted by TD30

I'm not sure if your talking about running emulator programs on your xbox (like nintendo etc.)? If so that can be done it just depends on what your trying to do. Theres all kinds of different things you can do and you dont have to get a modchip it's just easier. You will need a HD and unless you want to do a less stable soft mod you need to have the ability to sauder. Check out www.xbox-scene.com they have alot of info in the forums sections. Not sure if this helps, let me know if you have any questions.

Cool thanks alot, I am pretty good with Electronics I repair my own systems and such so with directions I am sure I can do what ever I have to.

[alkemical]

Has any one gotten NHL2k5 by ea yet? I'm going to end up getting it, i think NHL2k4 by EA sucks ass though, lots of stuff missing... (team reports, injury reports, etc) -

[Nick C.]

Damn This month has to be the best month in gaming history without the release of a new system that is.

We got GTA Coming on PS2, Halo 2 for Xbox
SFII Anaverseary collection, MKekapatation.

And to top it all off we have the second wave of Classic NES series games for the GameBoy Advance. and it is even better then the first.



Can't wait for that ****!








Hot Damn!

We also have GTA:Advance droping the same day(10/26/04)

We have the long awaited follow up to "Paper Mario" in "Paper Mario 2:The Thousand year door"

[TD30]

Originally Posted by amesj523

Has any one gotten NHL2k5 by ea yet? I'm going to end up getting it, i think NHL2k4 by EA sucks ass though, lots of stuff missing... (team reports, injury reports, etc) -

Just got it and it's alot of fun.

[alkemical]

thx!

[Pezman]

*Rumor Report*

Microsoft to release three versions of Xbox 2

A SLIDE from a non disclosure agreement (NDA) presentation seen by the INQ points towards Microsoft launching three versions of the Xbox 2, one of which is a fully functioning PC.

The presentation, understood to have been given to analysts and market researchers in the UK earlier this year, plots a timeline for the introduction of the systems. Xbox Next and Xbox Next HD are planned for Autumn 2005, whereas the Xbox Next PC is pencilled in for Autumn 2006.

The standard Xbox Next will not include a hard drive, which will allow Microsoft to cut costs on this basic unit. Xbox Next HD, as you might imagine, does include a hard drive and will offer increased functionality based on this. Xbox Next PC is, according to the presentation, an entry-level PC that runs Windows and all standard PC software. It also includes CD Burner, Wireless keyboard, mouse and controller and will work best connected to a high-definition TV or PC monitor. Media Center functionality - like movies, music and photos - is also included. The device will also play most available PC games.

System outline specifications note that internet browsing and instant messaging would be key applications, and that the entire unit will be smaller than the current Xbox, although it will not be possible to upgrade the shipping memory or processor.

The year-long gap between the mooted introductions of the two standard Xboxes before the Xbox Next PC is an interesting decision, which suggests that Microsoft realises the time that the market needs to acclimatise to TV media functionality. Since the Vole expects to ship Xbox Next before the Sony PlayStation 3, two versions of the console allow it to get the first wave out before PS3, but to also spoil the launch of Sony's flagship by concurrently announcing the PC version. µ

[Pezman]

Playstation3 architecture revealed


SOURCES SAID that the architecture of the Sony Playstation3 is patently clear when you've found the US patent that it filed September 26th last year.

A reliable source close to Sony's plans explained the way the Playstation3 works to the INQUIRER.

He said that the computers are made of cells, each one containing a CPU, which will probably be a PowerPC, and eight APUs (vectorial processors) each with 128K of memory.

It will run at 4GHz, producing a not inconsiderable 256Gflops, with the cells connected to the central 64MB memory through a switched 1024 bit bus.

It's still not clear how many of these "cells" will be used in the Playstation3, but Sony reckoned some time ago it could be as many as one teraflop, probably making it a four cell architecture.

Optical links – perhaps even FireWire optical links – could be used to share computing power.

The Playstation3 architecture is similar to the Playstation 2 but with some improvements, such as a larger number of VPUs, each with more memory. The operating system, too, is much improved.

But Playstations will still be very complex to program well, although it's just as well that Sony doesn't want to take the Microsoft DirectX route.

This is a diagram of the system which is filed in the US Patents and Trademarks Office, and snapped from there, with acknowledgements

[TheManeMan]

Originally Posted by Pezman

*The standard Xbox Next will not include a hard drive, which will allow Microsoft to cut costs on this basic unit. Xbox Next HD, as you might imagine, does include a hard drive and will offer increased functionality based on this. Xbox Next PC is, according to the presentation, an entry-level PC that runs Windows and all standard PC software. It also includes CD Burner, Wireless keyboard, mouse and controller and will work best connected to a high-definition TV or PC monitor. Media Center functionality - like movies, music and photos - is also included. The device will also play most available PC games.

Sounds bad ass Pez...thanks for sharing...

[TD30]

Yippee winblows on my xbox. I could care less as long as you can mod it. You can do all that crap now if you just add a modchip and a bigger HD. Hey Nick I remembered you asked before about emulators for nes on xbox. They have em for all the systems my buddy had anything you could think of from activision to n64 and now there working on the ps2 emulator. Not to mention cool cache editors for Halo and Halo 2.

[Pezman]

Time to update this thread!

Now that the next-gen console rumors are running rampant, lets catch up on the latest scoop...

We'll start first with the latest on

Rumors have it that the future release from Nintendo could have a HDD? Hmmm... that would rock!

http://mxemu.com/news.php?newsid=1109199353

"In a press conference in Tokyo recently, Nintendo head Satoru Iwata confirmed that the next console will be titled 'Revolution', and, like the DS handheld device, promises to innovate in the field of entertainment. The 'new ideas' hinted at are not mentioned - Iwata fearing other manufacturers may steal their plans, however he did also reveal that the Revolution console will be far more than upgraded GameCube.

"What we need is not a next-generation machine but a next-generation way of playing games," Iwata commented. Iwata's words come just a day after European Nintendo head Dave Gosen slammed Microsoft for driving the industry towards new hardware too early, stating that the industry's cyclical nature is damaging and inflexible. The headline grabbing violence of GTA, the media's fascination with future hardware and ridiculously cheap game bundles also came under fire.

Hopefully we shall see some specs on this new Next-Gen console and hope for some early design diagrams. "

And in X-Box 2 News, some possible leaked photos have once again surfaced of what the new X-box could look like! Pretty freaking sweet if it is indeed the final product... Looks just perfect to kick around the house when losing at Ninja Gaiden



And here is more from Steve Ballmer on his outlook for the next gen X-box

“Xbox 2 is an Amazing Innovation”
Speaking to high-school students at the company's campus in Redmond, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer talked about the Xbox successor and the next generation console war, among other topics.

In response to the first question regarding the next Xbox, Ballmer said:

"When you see the new Xbox, you're going to think it's un… -- well, let me say it politely -- unbelievable. Just unbelievable. The graphics, what it can do, the way things look, huge innovation. Rumors are that we'll see that product sometime soon. I couldn't comment, of course, on those rumors. But it's an amazing, amazing innovation."

When asked about the next-generation war and how he thinks the Xbox successor will perform against Nintendo and Sony, Ballmer said:

"I think we’re going to blow by Sony with our next box. I absolutely think we’re going to kick their backsides, so to speak. I think Xbox 1 has been a fantastic product. We’re not market leaders yet. There’s Sony, there’s us, there’s Nintendo. When we get Xbox 2 in the market, there’s going to be Xbox and the other guys."

In what it is by now his trademark style, Ballmer raised his voice until he noticed he was pulling off a Jerry Maguire, as the audience laughed and applauded. "I'm feeling a little frisky on this topic right now!" said Ballmer and concluded his answer.

This is not the first time Ballmer goes on record about the Xbox successor. Last year, Ballmer said in an interview with C|Net News.com that "We've generated something brand new. I bet we can take Sony next generation. I am betting we can take Sony in the next generation."

Finally, the same person who made the previous question asked what would make the Xbox successor stand out over Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Revolution. Here is what Ballmer said.

"Why do people buy one game console over another? As we say around here, 'Duh, it's the games.' Partly they're great games because they have great graphics, they have great processing, they have great this, they've got great that, but it's about getting great games. So, there's two parts to that: Number one, we have to make sure we have a great environment, software environment for people to write games, games that connect to one another, games that are social, games that are hard-core. We've got to make sure we let people write great games. But then, number two, we, Microsoft, have to write a number of really great games to show it off. What is 'Halo 2?' It's the greatest video game ever written. It shows off Xbox 1, and we’ve got some more games coming that will be the greatest video games ever written, and they’ll show off Xbox 2."

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/7645/X...Steve-Ballmer/

[TheManeMan]

Wow...Nintendo is always on top of their ****...I definitely cant wait to hear more news on that...The X-box2 looks nuts...Thanks Pez for sharing, you da man!

[Pezman]

I think its interesting that Nintendo will be rolling out such a different system considering the specs. I wonder if they are shooting for a more grown up market again, considering that the X-Box really found a nice demographic in the 22-30 year old console bracket

[TheManeMan]

Originally Posted by Pezman

I think its interesting that Nintendo will be rolling out such a different system considering the specs. I wonder if they are shooting for a more grown up market again, considering that the X-Box really found a nice demographic in the 22-30 year old console bracket

They have to because with the GC, they've missed out on that demographic BIGTIME...They lost all the loyal Nintendoites...The 22-30 bracket were guys that all grew up playing Nintendo...This should be interesting competition once both consoles are on the market...I know forsure I'm buying that Revolution...HD Gaming...

[Kid A]

Nintendo is going to have to work really hard to sway the older demographic from Sony and Microsoft. I fully expect the Revolution to be a sweet system, but almost everybody has it in their minds that Nintendo is for little kids thanks to the Gamecube.

Are the rumors that XBox2 won't play original Xbox games true? If so, that would really suck. But I'd still buy one anyway.

[alkemical]

Originally Posted by Kid A

Nintendo is going to have to work really hard to sway the older demographic from Sony and Microsoft. I fully expect the Revolution to be a sweet system, but almost everybody has it in their minds that Nintendo is for little kids thanks to the Gamecube.

Are the rumors that XBox2 won't play original Xbox games true? If so, that would really suck. But I'd still buy one anyway.

as of today, it's a rumor -

but i saw a write up for a game called 'condemned' by sega - for PC & the xbox2 & it looks bad ass -

[TheManeMan]

Man O man...do I have some new for you guys...I have a lot of info to share...but, trust me its awesome news...

First things 1st... Xbox 360 specs revealed


# CPU - Xenon's CPU has three 3.0 GHz PowerPC cores. Each core is capable of two instructions per cycle and has an L1 cache with 32 KB for data and 32 KB for instructions. The three cores share 1 MB of L2 cache. Alpha 2 developer kits currently have two cores instead of three.

# GPU - Xenon's GPU is a generation beyond the ATI X800. Its clock speed is 500 MHz and it supports Shader 3.0. Developers are currently working with an alpha 2 GPU. Beta GPU units are expected by May and the final GPU is slated for a summer release. The final GPU will be more powerful than anything on the market today; in game terms, it would handle a game like Half-Life 2 with ease.

# System Memory - Xenon will have 256 MB of system RAM. Keep in mind that this number should not be equated to typical PC RAM. The Xbox has 64 MB of system RAM and is a very capable machine.

# Optical Drive - As many have speculated, Xenon will not use Blu-Ray or HD-DVD. Games will come on dual-layer DVD-9 discs. While the media is the same as that of the current Xbox, the usable space on each disc is up to 7 GB. The drive is slated to run at 12X.

# Memory Units - Xenon will use 64 MB to 1,024 MB memory cards. 8 MB is reserved for system use, leaving a 56 MB to 1,016 MB for user data.

# Hard Drive - As many have speculated, Xenon's hard drive is optional. 2 GB of the drive will be used as game cache. The final drive size is still being determined.

# Camera - Xenon will have a USB 2.0 camera. It's capable of 1.2 megapixel still shots and VGA video. Photos can be used in-game and for gamer profiles. The camera can also be used for video chat. It's unknown if the Xenon camera will allow for EyeToy-like gameplay. Developers are currently using a simulated camera driver.

# Sound Chip - Xenon does not have an audio chip in the traditional sense. Decompression is handled by hardware, while the rest of the chores are handled by software. DirectSound3D has been dropped in favor of X3DAudio. The former was deemed too inflexible.



Raymond's Reaction - The Xenon is an extremely impressive piece of hardware. It will allow gamers to see things like complex lighting in gameplay, amazing details through high-level shading (impeccable clouds, fur, grass, cloth, water, marble, ground, etc.), incredible textures, and new post effects (increased motion blur, heat distortion, depth of field, light blooms, etc.).

While people have already been correctly speculating about the removable hard drive and the standard DVD media, I was surprised at the inclusion of the camera. I haven't heard a single rumbling about a Xenon camera prior to GDC. The optional hard drive is a bit understandable; the only gamers that care about it will buy it anyway, while casual gamers won't care about the performance and convenience gains a drive offers. The standard DVD isn't too surprising considering that HD-DVD drives will be too expensive for inclusion in a console system in 2005.

The Software


Microsoft is requiring developers to make all Xenon titles Live enabled. One of the key reasons for this will be revealed in the second part of this story.

Developers are being instructed to plan their games for high-definition. The baseline is 720p at 1280x720 for gameplay and video clips, 16:9 aspect ratio, 5.1 Surround Sound, and anti-aliasing. These features are the current minimum requirement.

All Xenon games can be played using custom soundtracks. Owners can also play their own music directly. Supported formats are MP3 and WMA. Files can be encoded up to 320Kbps CBR or VBR stereo. The system is branded a Music Player Service.

For gameplay movies, Xenon uses Xenon Motion Video (XMV). XMV is based on Windows Media 9 and uses the mandatory codec for HD-DVD. The goal for video is 720p running at 30 frames per second with 5.1 Surround Sound.



Raymond's Reaction - Mandatory Live "awareness" isn't a big surprise. Online is one area where Microsoft is trouncing the competition. Microsoft's progression with online console gaming has progressed wonderfully (see Halo 2) and the future plans are even more interesting. (Again, see part two of this feature tomorrow for more information.)

It's nice to see that Microsoft is being aggressive with HD performance. Having all games run at 720p (potentially) makes for an incredibly engrossing experience -- particularly owners of HDTV sets. Users with standard televisions needn't worry; 16:9 content will be letterboxed to fit within a 4:3 aspect ratio by default. Developers are being instructed to make sure that any critical text will fit into and look good in 4:3.

Part II of this article

[TheManeMan]

GDC: Xbox 2's High Def future trumpeted

Microsoft executive J Allard today ushered in a new era of 'High Def' (HD) gaming, and used his keynote address at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco to assert that Microsoft's next generation console was in a postion to be at the very centre of driving this new "HD Era".

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Allard refused to reveal any direct information relating to Xbox 2, insisting that the big unveiling would be saved for E3. The XNA boss instead focused on the bigger picture of the important role that high definition TV displays would play and how the "Remix Generation" wanted to personalise every aspect of their entertainment experiences. He noted that the games industry was in the perfect position to take advantage of the apparent consumer thirst for customisation in every area of their lives.

"In the HD Era the platform is bigger than the processor," Allard said. "New technology and emerging consumer forces will come together to enable the rock stars of game development to shake up the old establishment and redefine entertainment as we know it."

Embarrassingly for Microsoft, the keynote announcement was leaked several hours before his address by Dutch PR firm Citigate today and detailed all the major points of Allard's keynote. In the address, Allard stated that Xbox 2 is designed to make life easier for developers - supporting familiar tech "such as DirectX, PIX, XACT and... XNA Studio", and wresting control of key Xbox functions like voice chat, Friends lists and custom soundtracks out of their hands in order to ease the production process and let them "focus on creating games, not developing for technical certification requirements (TCRs)."

In other words, things like voice communication, in-game Friends list management, custom soundtracks and the like will become standard features of the console - controlled, we're told, "at chip level" - and apply to every game regardless of whether or not the developer would have included them otherwise. During the keynote Allard used the soon-to-be released Forza Motorsport to give a fair indication of what to expect in the next gen, with new features such as in-game alerts providing instant feedback to new challenges from friends, and asserted that the whole user interface would be standardised to make it an easier, more intuitive experience for end users.

Meanwhile, with yet more reference to the "HD Era" the official release from Microsoft stated that Xbox 2 will represent "a significant leap to high-definition graphics" - reflecting reports that the console will shoot for HDTV/progressive scan support as standard - as well as "multichannel, positional audio fidelity so clear and precise that players will be able to hear the faintest enemy footsteps sneaking up behind them" and "an abundance of on-demand content for game consoles".

Allard also promised Xbox 2 would deliver "more than a teraflop of targeted computing performance" thanks to "a multicore processor architecture co-developed with IBM" providing "developer headroom and flexibility", and mentions the custom graphics chip from ATI which Microsoft has itself already announced.

That ties in with a second report that emerged earlier this week claiming to confirm that Xbox 2 will feature optional hard disks, dual-layer DVD-9 discs as standard, memory cards ranging from 64MB to 1GB, and 256MB of system RAM. Microsoft said it would not comment on "rumours and speculation" when confronted with those details.

Xbox 2 will also feature a central "Marketplace" resource where user and developer-made bonus game content is sold for sums as little as 99 cents, doing away with the clunky Downloadable Content facility currently used by Xbox Live titles, as well as "Gamer Cards" - essentially expanded Xbox Live profiles storing game preferences and other personal information input by the user to help people track down like-minded opponents, today's release declares.

Meanwhile, the continual reference to the "HD Era" by Allard throughout his keynote was expanded upon as a clear move out of the "3D era" into a whole new one. He also talked of the "guide", described as an "entertainment gateway that instantly connects players to their games, their friends and their digital media".

Allard's unveiling elements of Xbox 2 today somewhat mirror the way Microsoft announced the original Xbox at CES in 2001 rather than the traditional platform of the Electronic Entertainment Expo. However, it's now 100 per cent clear that E3 will be the platform for the console's full unveiling, ending months of frenzied rumour and guesswork.

The full text of the official press release issued follows:

SAN FRANCISCO — March 9, 2005 — Today at the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC), Microsoft Corp. announced the first details of its next-generation Xbox® video game system platform, highlighting how hardware, software and services are being fused to power enhanced game and entertainment experiences.

Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Chief XNA™ Architect J Allard further outlined the company’s vision for the future of entertainment, citing the emergence of an “HD Era” in video games that is fueled by consumer demand for experiences that are always connected, always personalized and always in high-definition.

“In the HD Era the platform is bigger than the processor,” Allard said. “New technology and emerging consumer forces will come together to enable the rock stars of game development to shake up the old establishment and redefine entertainment as we know it.”

Building on 10 years of innovation with the DirectX® API, the Microsoft® Windows® and Xbox platforms will enable ground-breaking game experiences in the HD Era. Illustrating what that means for gamers, Allard shared the first details about the next-generation Xbox guide. Persistent across all games and media experiences, the guide is an entertainment gateway that instantly connects players to their games, their friends and their digital media.

Features of the guide include these:

Gamer Cards. Gamer Cards provide gamers with a quick look at key Xbox Live™ information. They let players instantly connect with people who have similar skills, interests and lifestyles.

Marketplace. Browseable by game, by genre, and in a number of other ways, the Marketplace will provide a one-stop shop for consumers to acquire episodic content, new game levels, maps, weapons, vehicles, skins and new community-created content.

Micro-transactions. Breaking down barriers of small-ticket online commerce, micro-transactions will allow developers and the gaming community to charge as little as they like for content they create and publish on Marketplace. Imagine players slapping down $.99 to buy a one-of-a-kind, fully tricked-out racing car to be the envy of their buddies.

Custom playlists. This feature eliminates the need for developers to support custom music in games. The guide instantly connects players to their music so they can listen to their own tracks while playing all their favorite next-generation Xbox games.

Typifying the HD Era game experience, the guide requires hardware designed with software in mind. System-level features of the guide such as custom playlists, the Xbox Live Friends list and voice chat are enabled at the chip level, liberating developers to focus on creating games, not developing for technical certification requirements (TCRs).

To support consumer demands for the HD Era, the next-generation Xbox is designed around key principles that let developers maximize real performance, using concepts they are already familiar with.

The next-generation Xbox hardware design principles include the following:

A well-balanced system that will deliver more than a teraflop of targeted computing performance

A multicore processor architecture co-developed with IBM Corp. that provides developer “headroom” and flexibility for the HD Era

A custom-designed graphics processor co-developed with ATI Technologies Inc. designed for HD Era games and entertainment applications

In addition, familiar software technologies such as DirectX, PIX, XACT and the recently announced XNA Studio — an integrated team-based development environment tailored for game production — complement the new hardware to help game developers unlock increasingly powerful and complex silicon.

The HD Era gaming platform will strike an elegant balance of hardware, software and services to power the new experiences consumers demand. Games and entertainment features such as the next-generation Xbox guide represent a shift toward more immersive and integrated consumer experiences. This shift will be further illustrated by a significant leap to high-definition graphics, where character movements and expressions are intensely vibrant and nearly indiscernible from real life; by multichannel, positional audio fidelity so clear and precise that players will be able to hear the faintest enemy footsteps sneaking up behind them; by richer online communications; and by an abundance of on-demand content for game consoles

[TheManeMan]

XNA Home

XNA is Microsoft's game development platform. Its mission is to enable developers to help contain costs while allowing developers to create better games, faster and across consumer platforms. By integrating the best innovations from across Microsoft with the best innovations in game development from across the industry, XNA is targeted to help contain the skyrocketing development costs and allow developers to concentrate on the unique content that differentiates their games.


Strategically, XNA covers three synergistic areas: Content Creation, Production Processes and Game Technologies. XNA is a long term commitment from Microsoft to partner with the game industry; expect to see familiar technologies improved and new technologies created in each of the three areas as we continually address the needs of game development in the HD Era.

Demand for high definition content and richer more involved game worlds will bring increased complexity to the process of creating next generation games. Game teams are already wrestling with the challenges of growing content requirements, larger and more specialized teams, and globally distributed resources. XNA Studio is the major new product in the XNA game development platform targeted at overcoming these challenges.

XNA Studio will enable enhanced collaboration between content creators, programmers, management and QA staff to speed the game production process. Based on Microsoft's Visual Studio 2005 Team System, the latest innovation of the flagship development platform, XNA Studio is the "Visual Studio" for game development; an integrated, team-based development environment tailored for game production.

XNA Studio will provide robust versions of key production tools such as asset management, defect tracking, project automation and work lists. These tools will work together seamlessly to automate common development tasks and present interfaces tailored to the different functions within the team. XNA studio will allow team members to collaborate quickly and effectively using familiar techniques and tools, even when elements of the team are distributed geographically, an increasing trend in game development. This all adds up to more developer time generating unique content and less time running the content process.

A core tenant of XNA continues to be strong partnership with the industry and we are gaining excellent support. Many companies throughout the game industry are thinking along the same lines. We are finding that developers from all areas of game production see the need for XNA and particularly XNA studio. Microsoft is in a unique position to partner with the industry to deliver solutions that address the challenges of next generation game development and unlock the opportunities in the HD Era.

"Software will be the single most important force in digital entertainment over the next decade. XNA underscores Microsoft's commitment to the game industry and our desire to work with partners to take the industry to the next level."
- Bill Gates, founder and chief software architect of Microsoft

[TheManeMan]

Microsoft Reveals First Details of Next-Generation Xbox

Company’s Chief XNA Architect Shares Vision for HD Era of Gaming

SAN FRANCISCO — March 9, 2005 — Today at the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC), Microsoft Corp. announced the first details of its next-generation Xbox® video game system platform, highlighting how hardware, software and services are being fused to power enhanced game and entertainment experiences.

Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Chief XNA™ Architect J Allard further outlined the company’s vision for the future of entertainment, citing the emergence of an “HD Era” in video games that is fueled by consumer demand for experiences that are always connected, always personalized and always in high-definition.

“In the HD Era the platform is bigger than the processor,” Allard said. “New technology and emerging consumer forces will come together to enable the rock stars of game development to shake up the old establishment and redefine entertainment as we know it.”

Building on 10 years of innovation with the DirectX® API, the Microsoft® Windows® and Xbox platforms will enable ground-breaking game experiences in the HD Era. Illustrating what that means for gamers, Allard shared the first details about the next-generation Xbox guide. Persistent across all games and media experiences, the guide is an entertainment gateway that instantly connects players to their games, their friends and their digital media.

Features of the guide include these:

Gamer Cards. Gamer Cards provide gamers with a quick look at key Xbox Live™ information. They let players instantly connect with people who have similar skills, interests and lifestyles.
Marketplace. Browseable by game, by genre, and in a number of other ways, the Marketplace will provide a one-stop shop for consumers to acquire episodic content, new game levels, maps, weapons, vehicles, skins and new community-created content.
Micro-transactions. Breaking down barriers of small-ticket online commerce, micro-transactions will allow developers and the gaming community to charge as little as they like for content they create and publish on Marketplace. Imagine players slapping down $.99 to buy a one-of-a-kind, fully tricked-out racing car to be the envy of their buddies.
Custom playlists. This feature eliminates the need for developers to support custom music in games. The guide instantly connects players to their music so they can listen to their own tracks while playing all their favorite next-generation Xbox games.
Typifying the HD Era game experience, the guide requires hardware designed with software in mind. System-level features of the guide such as custom playlists, the Xbox Live Friends list and voice chat are enabled at the chip level, liberating developers to focus on creating games, not developing for technical certification requirements (TCRs).

To support consumer demands for the HD Era, the next-generation Xbox is designed around key principles that let developers maximize real performance, using concepts they are already familiar with.
The next-generation Xbox hardware design principles include the following:


A well-balanced system that will deliver more than a teraflop of targeted computing performance
A multicore processor architecture co-developed with IBM Corp. that provides developer “headroom” and flexibility for the HD Era
A custom-designed graphics processor co-developed with ATI Technologies Inc. designed for HD Era games and entertainment applications
In addition, familiar software technologies such as DirectX, PIX, XACT and the recently announced XNA Studio — an integrated team-based development environment tailored for game production — complement the new hardware to help game developers unlock increasingly powerful and complex silicon.
The HD Era gaming platform will strike an elegant balance of hardware, software and services to power the new experiences consumers demand. Games and entertainment features such as the next-generation Xbox guide represent a shift toward more immersive and integrated consumer experiences. This shift will be further illustrated by a significant leap to high-definition graphics, where character movements and expressions are intensely vibrant and nearly indiscernible from real life; by multichannel, positional audio fidelity so clear and precise that players will be able to hear the faintest enemy footsteps sneaking up behind them; by richer online communications; and by an abundance of on-demand content for game consoles.

[TheManeMan]

Saved the best for last...This is a link to 4 clips of the new Unreal Engine 3...Not the best quality of video, but a MUST SEE...A little taste of next-gen capabilties...check out all the clips...but make sure you see clip # 4, if anything...




















Epic Games - Unreal Engine 3 Demos