Next Nintendo Console and Xbox 2

Nintendo's Next Console Put On Hold?
By James Brightman -- News Manager
Published 8:15 PM CDT, February 9, 2004

Gamers waiting for a successor to the GameCube will have a longer wait than they might think [Update: NoA denies report]...

Update: According to GameSpot, Nintendo of America's Beth Llewellyn says that the news is not true and is based on "a lot of speculation." She says that Satoru Iwata's quote had been taken out of context from a different article. When questioned about the timeframe for the launch of Nintendo's next console Llewellyn said "we will launch at the same time as our competitors. Our status hasn't changed."



According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and the Dow Jones news service, Nintendo has made an important decision regarding its home console business. Rather than trying to keep pace with Sony and Microsoft, the company will not be releasing a brand-new video game console for the time being.

Instead, Nintendo plans to diversify their offerings for the GameCube by providing new peripherals for the system and a wider, more appealing variety of software. No concrete details are available yet, but some of these peripherals are being planned for release as early as 2005 and are expected to utilize the handheld connection (with the GBA, and maybe the DS too).

Nintendo believes that improving graphics and sound is not as important as making sure the gaming experience is solid. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata thinks the current model offers plenty for gamers, and there's no need to rush into the next-generation. "Customers are fully satisfied with the performance of the current model," said Iwata.

Accordingly, Nintendo will focus on adding functions to the GameCube and offering more in the way of gameplay styles for the next 2-3 years. At the same time, however, in-house development of a new console will continue. What this means, therefore, is that the GameCube's lifespan just got extended. Don't expect the "N5" or whatever it will be called until 2006 at the earliest.

Link:
http://nintendo.gamerfeed.com/gf/news/5407/


Microsoft leaks details on Xbox Next


PLANS REFLECT HARD-FOUGHT BATTLE WITH SONY FOR GAMERS' DOLLARS

By Dean Takahashi

Mercury News


Microsoft has quietly circulated the specifications for its next-generation Xbox video-game console, indicating how the company plans to carry on its war against dominant player Sony.

The details suggest Microsoft is far more concerned about keeping the cost of its Xbox Next console low than it is with including dazzling technological features or driving its rivals out of the business, according to a variety of industry sources.

People familiar with Microsoft's strategy say the company apparently believes it can capture a much larger share of the market if it launches its machine before Sony fields its PlayStation 3 console in 2006.

A Microsoft spokeswoman declined to comment on strategy details.

The new Xbox reflects some tough lessons learned in the current console battle, in which Sony has outsold Microsoft 5 to 1. The Xbox has put Microsoft on the map with a generation of gamers. But it has also been a money loser, albeit a relatively small one for a company with $53 billion in cash.

Microsoft launched its Xbox console 20 months after the PlayStation 2 debut. By the time Microsoft sold 1.5 million consoles, Sony had sold more than 20 million PlayStations. To date, Microsoft has sold 13.7 million Xboxes, while Sony has sold more than 70 million. In the United States alone, console sales amounted to $3 billion in sales last year.

For gamers, the new Xbox will be impressive, giving them the ability to play fast-action, realistic 3-D games on a high-definition TV set. Microsoft's emissaries have told industry developers and publishers that the next Xbox will be ready to launch in fall 2005 with the following specifications:

• Three IBM-designed 64-bit microprocessors. The combined power of these chips means the Xbox Next will have more computing power than most personal computers. Earlier versions of these PowerPC chips are used in Apple Computer's high-end G5 PowerMac machines now.

• A graphics chip designed by ATI Technologies with speeds much faster than its upcoming R400 chip for the personal computer. This chip will help the next Xbox to display games with the resolution of high-definition TV.

• Compatibility with the original Xbox, which is based on Intel and Nvidia chips, isn't guaranteed. Microsoft 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.

``I can't imagine that Microsoft would be so insanely stupid as to make it incompatible,'' said Jon Peddie, an analyst at Jon Peddie Research in Tiburon.

Microsoft is leaving itself wiggle room to react to competitive moves by Sony and Nintendo. A few details are to be decided. In contrast with the current Xbox, the next one will have no hard disk drive -- unless Sony puts one in the PlayStation 3. Instead, the console will rely on flash memory to store saved games and permanent data, much like the current PlayStation 2.

The machine also will have about 256 megabytes of dynamic random access memory. But Microsoft will upgrade that to 512 megabytes if Sony puts in more. The previous Xbox had 64 megabytes. And lastly, it isn't clear if Microsoft will include the current DVD video technology or Blu-Ray, its successor. Blu-Ray will hold much more data, but it's unclear when it will be ready for market.

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, Microsoft seems to have decided that saving the $50 the hard drive costs outweighs its benefits.

In telling the developers what will be in the box, Microsoft is helping them get started on games that will be ready when the console launches. But it is also soliciting feedback, and some developers are pushing Microsoft to make changes.

``I would really like to see a hard disk drive in the box,'' said Tim Sweeney, chief executive officer of Epic Games in Raleigh, N.C., who has made his opinions known to Microsoft. ``For a console to really have a useful online component, it has to have the hard drive to store downloaded maps and other data.''

Sweeney says it is dangerous for Microsoft to wait until Sony reveals the details of the PlayStation 3 or to pay too much attention to cost issues.

``Sony isn't as motivated to launch a new console because it is No. 1,'' he said. ``If Microsoft waits for them, it is in effect allowing Sony to design Microsoft's box.''

Regarding cost issues, a Microsoft spokeswoman would only say, ``Microsoft is in this for the long term.''

Developers like Sweeney say they are pleased it will be apparently easy to develop games for Microsoft's new box. That was one of the main advantages that Microsoft has had over its rivals. Current information about the PlayStation 3, sketchy as it is, indicates that it could be extremely difficult for developers to master.

The top executives of both Electronic Arts and Activision said this week that they have not received formal ``software development kits'' from Microsoft yet, but they did say they have begun creating next-generation games. Internally, Microsoft has begun developing game prototypes, and it is using G5 systems to do so.

The same developers who have seen the Microsoft specifications say Sony hasn't shared as much data with them. Sony appears to be willing to wait until 2006, in part so that it can milk the profits from the current generation PlayStation 2. In the meantime, Sony is launching an all-in-one PS 2/video recording box dubbed the PSX and the PlayStation Portable.

Microsoft's schedule may change -- it has a big meeting coming up for developers this month. But for now it appears it will release information about the new box at both the Game Developers Conference in San Jose in March and at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles in May.

Link:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...ss/7849191.htm

Edit:

For easier reading color.

This new Xbox is gonn have equal ram and a better processor then me. What the fuck!? Consoles these days are resemblings computers more and more by the day. Better off buying a comp if you ask me. You can use it more then just games.

This new Xbox is gonn have equal ram and a better processor then me. What the fuck!? Consoles these days are resemblings computers more and more by the day. Better off buying a comp if you ask me. You can use it more then just games.

A console with the same stuff as a comp, will run a game 10x better.

The XBox 2 is gonna cost 700 dollars out of the gate. You just watch.

The details suggest Microsoft is far more concerned about keeping the cost of its Xbox Next console low than it is with including dazzling technological features or driving its rivals out of the business, according to a variety of industry sources.

I don't think it will be that high, but $300 isn't a bad bet either.

The XBox 2 is gonna cost 700 dollars out of the gate. You just watch.

I know it wont, Xbox plans to get it out before the next playstation and around at a good price. They wouldnt dare do something stupid like that.

A console with the same stuff as a comp, will run a game 10x better.

If a computer and console have the same exact specs, the console could only possibly run the game... like... 50% better. The operating system would be specifically for the game, and there wouldn't be background applications eating up minimal resources.

What other differences are there that would allow a console to run TEN TIMES better?

Thats bullshit. There is no reason to get an xbox anyway. All games for xbox will come out for pc. And with 700 bucks you can make a better pc. Its a fucking rip off. But then again... People are stupid ='[

If a computer and console have the same exact specs, the console could only possibly run the game... like... 50% better. The operating system would be specifically for the game, and there wouldn't be background applications eating up minimal resources. What other differences are there that would allow a console to run TEN TIMES better?

xbox runs graphics better than 2ghz with anything that is like GF FX 5600 and below... isnt the stats on that low as shit... it would runt he game way more than 50% way better

Well, Xbox is SOOOOOOOO copying the PS3. They're just gonna put stuff in if Sony does. What kind of crap is that? And not abeing able to play old Xbox games? I'm usre alot of people won't like that.

I love that logic actually. It's almost coherent.

I know it wont, Xbox plans to get it out before the next playstation and around at a good price. They wouldnt dare do something stupid like that.

They did it with the first XBox. Not 700 bucks, but 500 in some places.

They did it with the first XBox. Not 700 bucks, but 500 in some places.

It doesn't matter who gets it out first if no one buys it don't those fucking morons know that yet? Aren't the people in marketing supposed to make sure that doesn't happen or something like that???

Nintendo's Next Console Put On Hold? By James Brightman -- News Manager Published 8:15 PM CDT, February 9, 2004 Gamers waiting for a successor to the GameCube will have a longer wait than they might think [Update: NoA denies report]... Update: According to GameSpot, Nintendo of America's Beth Llewellyn says that the news is not true and is based on "a lot of speculation." She says that Satoru Iwata's quote had been taken out of context from a different article. When questioned about the timeframe for the launch of Nintendo's next console Llewellyn said "we will launch at the same time as our competitors. Our status hasn't changed." According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and the Dow Jones news service, Nintendo has made an important decision regarding its home console business. Rather than trying to keep pace with Sony and Microsoft, the company will not be releasing a brand-new video game console for the time being. Instead, Nintendo plans to diversify their offerings for the GameCube by providing new peripherals for the system and a wider, more appealing variety of software. No concrete details are available yet, but some of these peripherals are being planned for release as early as 2005 and are expected to utilize the handheld connection (with the GBA, and maybe the DS too). Nintendo believes that improving graphics and sound is not as important as making sure the gaming experience is solid. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata thinks the current model offers plenty for gamers, and there's no need to rush into the next-generation. "Customers are fully satisfied with the performance of the current model," said Iwata. Accordingly, Nintendo will focus on adding functions to the GameCube and offering more in the way of gameplay styles for the next 2-3 years. At the same time, however, in-house development of a new console will continue. What this means, therefore, is that the GameCube's lifespan just got extended. Don't expect the "N5" or whatever it will be called until 2006 at the earliest. Link: http://nintendo.gamerfeed.com/gf/news/5407/ Microsoft leaks details on Xbox Next PLANS REFLECT HARD-FOUGHT BATTLE WITH SONY FOR GAMERS' DOLLARS By Dean Takahashi Mercury News Microsoft has quietly circulated the specifications for its next-generation Xbox video-game console, indicating how the company plans to carry on its war against dominant player Sony. The details suggest Microsoft is far more concerned about keeping the cost of its Xbox Next console low than it is with including dazzling technological features or driving its rivals out of the business, according to a variety of industry sources. People familiar with Microsoft's strategy say the company apparently believes it can capture a much larger share of the market if it launches its machine before Sony fields its PlayStation 3 console in 2006. A Microsoft spokeswoman declined to comment on strategy details. The new Xbox reflects some tough lessons learned in the current console battle, in which Sony has outsold Microsoft 5 to 1. The Xbox has put Microsoft on the map with a generation of gamers. But it has also been a money loser, albeit a relatively small one for a company with $53 billion in cash. Microsoft launched its Xbox console 20 months after the PlayStation 2 debut. By the time Microsoft sold 1.5 million consoles, Sony had sold more than 20 million PlayStations. To date, Microsoft has sold 13.7 million Xboxes, while Sony has sold more than 70 million. In the United States alone, console sales amounted to $3 billion in sales last year. For gamers, the new Xbox will be impressive, giving them the ability to play fast-action, realistic 3-D games on a high-definition TV set. Microsoft's emissaries have told industry developers and publishers that the next Xbox will be ready to launch in fall 2005 with the following specifications: • Three IBM-designed 64-bit microprocessors. The combined power of these chips means the Xbox Next will have more computing power than most personal computers. Earlier versions of these PowerPC chips are used in Apple Computer's high-end G5 PowerMac machines now. • A graphics chip designed by ATI Technologies with speeds much faster than its upcoming R400 chip for the personal computer. This chip will help the next Xbox to display games with the resolution of high-definition TV. • Compatibility with the original Xbox, which is based on Intel and Nvidia chips, isn't guaranteed. Microsoft 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. ``I can't imagine that Microsoft would be so insanely stupid as to make it incompatible,'' said Jon Peddie, an analyst at Jon Peddie Research in Tiburon. Microsoft is leaving itself wiggle room to react to competitive moves by Sony and Nintendo. A few details are to be decided. In contrast with the current Xbox, the next one will have no hard disk drive -- unless Sony puts one in the PlayStation 3. Instead, the console will rely on flash memory to store saved games and permanent data, much like the current PlayStation 2. The machine also will have about 256 megabytes of dynamic random access memory. But Microsoft will upgrade that to 512 megabytes if Sony puts in more. The previous Xbox had 64 megabytes. And lastly, it isn't clear if Microsoft will include the current DVD video technology or Blu-Ray, its successor. Blu-Ray will hold much more data, but it's unclear when it will be ready for market. 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, Microsoft seems to have decided that saving the $50 the hard drive costs outweighs its benefits. In telling the developers what will be in the box, Microsoft is helping them get started on games that will be ready when the console launches. But it is also soliciting feedback, and some developers are pushing Microsoft to make changes. ``I would really like to see a hard disk drive in the box,'' said Tim Sweeney, chief executive officer of Epic Games in Raleigh, N.C., who has made his opinions known to Microsoft. ``For a console to really have a useful online component, it has to have the hard drive to store downloaded maps and other data.'' Sweeney says it is dangerous for Microsoft to wait until Sony reveals the details of the PlayStation 3 or to pay too much attention to cost issues. ``Sony isn't as motivated to launch a new console because it is No. 1,'' he said. ``If Microsoft waits for them, it is in effect allowing Sony to design Microsoft's box.'' Regarding cost issues, a Microsoft spokeswoman would only say, ``Microsoft is in this for the long term.'' Developers like Sweeney say they are pleased it will be apparently easy to develop games for Microsoft's new box. That was one of the main advantages that Microsoft has had over its rivals. Current information about the PlayStation 3, sketchy as it is, indicates that it could be extremely difficult for developers to master. The top executives of both Electronic Arts and Activision said this week that they have not received formal ``software development kits'' from Microsoft yet, but they did say they have begun creating next-generation games. Internally, Microsoft has begun developing game prototypes, and it is using G5 systems to do so. The same developers who have seen the Microsoft specifications say Sony hasn't shared as much data with them. Sony appears to be willing to wait until 2006, in part so that it can milk the profits from the current generation PlayStation 2. In the meantime, Sony is launching an all-in-one PS 2/video recording box dubbed the PSX and the PlayStation Portable. Microsoft's schedule may change -- it has a big meeting coming up for developers this month. But for now it appears it will release information about the new box at both the Game Developers Conference in San Jose in March and at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles in May. Link: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...ss/7849191.htm Edit:   For easier reading color.

that just gives the Gamecube more time to rule over the other systems.

Well, Xbox is SOOOOOOOO copying the PS3. They're just gonna put stuff in if Sony does. What kind of crap is that? And not abeing able to play old Xbox games? I'm usre alot of people won't like that.

Heh, I certainly didn't know that until I just read it... That definitely is a HUGE turnoff to me. Gayness...

It's GOOD telling people BAD news. hehe


If they do sell that thing for the price of 500 bucks, it will go the way of the 3DO.

Yeah they are copy thats right, tho microsoft hasnt said a word about the new Xbox to even be able to "do it first", so I love how you are Sony biased

Read the whole article dude. It clearly says it in this paragraph.

Microsoft is leaving itself wiggle room to react to competitive moves by Sony and Nintendo. A few details are to be decided. In contrast with the current Xbox, the next one will have no hard disk drive -- unless Sony puts one in the PlayStation 3. Instead, the console will rely on flash memory to store saved games and permanent data, much like the current PlayStation 2.

Dan XIII has a nasty habit of quoting extremely long posts. As for the new systems, a few months after they come out I'll be able to buy a computer that's faster, has better graphics, and of course better games. Acer's arguement about consoles and PCs is flawed in one large way: consoles are made to run on televisions which have extremely low resolutions. The average computer monitor gets 1280x1024 or higher. That makes the graphics a WHOLE LOT more crisp and smooth. Halo on max settings for PC looks ten times better than its Xbox counterpart.

I've always wanted to get into PC gaming. I just never felt like doing all the extra stuff that is needed when getting a PC game. Don't ask what I mean because I'm not sure. I just know you need special stuff to play different PC games.


PC gaming is dying anyways. All the great games are coming out either for both PC and consoles, or just for consoles.