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Xbox 2 Specs Leaked By Mercury News |
by Elizabeth
2/1/2004 |
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Dean Takahashi, the dude responsible for the excellent Opening the Xbox has revealed details of Xbox Next. The highlights/lowlights include 3 IBM-designed 64-bit processors, ATI Graphics Chip, 256Mb Ram, No Hard-drive and the chance that Xbox Next may NOT be compatible with the current Xbox...
Here's the snippets from Dean's article
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. The 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 gigabytes 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.''
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.
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XBOX365 Says
With GDC coming up on the horizon (3/22), we'll see more details and specs coming up. The news of no hard-drive and possible non-backwards compatability will come as surprise to many. We wonder if Ed Fries recent resignation had anything to do with this...
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Family Guy
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X-box rules........yes @!*% to give my 10 cents...
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Family Guy
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the word they blanked out was f.i.r.s.t don´t no why?
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blueblaster_rd
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No hard disk f##k ya!!! THATS WHY I LOVE MY XBOX!!
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nubian818
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If MS does not put in a HD this will be a flop. Furthermore, they should up the memory to 512k hands down. Most PC games are now asking for 256K as a min on top games. In two years 512 will be the norm. If MS beats SONY to market SONY will have to put similar products in the PS3 and the systems will cost about the same. The PS3 may cost even more will the insane push to Cell technology. Only time will tell.
The1
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DANuke10
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these people are retarded if they take the hard drive off the next xbox.
if they release it earlier more people will by xbox next. PS2 sukcs so much A@S i ve gotten 8 of my freinds to trade their PS2 in for a XBOX. so i think if they release it earlier they will sell double the amount of xbox 1n´s debut. if they do everything else they saide they would change is good. they will also sell more xbox next´s if they make more halo games.
PS2 is horrible: dont you agree
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Notorious X
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• no hard drive, this could impact gamers dramatically. surely sony will install a hard disc in their elusive PS3...
• compatability?...shit! this is a must!...come on Bill, you must do what is right for all of us, more games too. i don´t believe it will be non-compatible, this is a mis-nomer.
• we need an input for the next BOX to go into our PC monitors too, for HDTV!
• and release halo 2 NOW!!!!!!!!!
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horngreen
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PS2 did fine without a hard drive but I would miss it for the in game soundtracks. They could make a small attachable hard drive part of the LIVE kit I guess. With all the crybabies bitching about paying for DLC maybe MS has decided they won´t make enough money off DLC to bother with it on the Xbox 2.
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Storm Shadow
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I am fine with the non backwards compatibility but without a HD then XBL for XB2 will suck..no new maps...no fixes for rushed games and no MMORPGs (where would you store the updates) very bad idea...HD are so cheap now adays that hell they could keep the 10gig ones for really really cheap
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Mr. Heckler
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Reguardless of what gets leaked, there is still no doubt to me that Xbox2 will play Xbox games and that it will contain a HDD. The HDD is the what gives Xbox Live it´s punch. They will not think for more than a minute to disguard it! Backwards compatibility is given. Write and damn API the triple 64-bit processors and pay the rights.... done... no maintanance cost, no-one bitching.
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judahin
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well.. NO HDD means NO BUY for me
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gatekeeper
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I DON´T BELIEVE THAT $H!T!!!!
I´LL WAIT FOR MORE NEW´S ON THE HARD DRIVE THING!!!!
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Lilclaw
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think about it this way, if its not backwards compatible and has no hard drive, then the best console online service may not continue, thats right think about life with no XBOX LIVE!!
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Jackanapez
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well thats not enough ram so hopefully it has 512mb of it or the sytem will be held back like xbox is strting to be held back now by a lack of ram, and no hdd that is completely retarded, hopefully this isn´t true.
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SeeVuPlay
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I think the information is distorted...a misdirection by MS perhaps?
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Nabeshin
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256mbsof ram? 512mbs of ram? For crying out loud my PC has 2gb of ram and its going to be more than a "killer console".
Hahahahahahaahahahahaaaa...
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TG
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The harddisk is a must or some type of storage save for maps,ect. Granted out of every game out their the HD isnt being that utilized like it should. Its TO BIG! If they decide to scrap it I really dont know how it would effect XBL.
I really like the idea of not spending money on simple memory cards. When I can save the game to the HD. Xbox M.cards are used to transfer data if anything. If they decide to put in the HD no more then 10G like this one.
Backwards compatibility.... I dont really care for it either way. I wouldnt sell my Xbox even if I had Xbox2.
Of course I think this entire article is Bull too. ;)
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j west
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The HDD May be a add on
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GameTag: GameYear
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nick
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why are so many people worried about backwards compatability? What, are you going to sell your Xbox when the new one comes out? I buy a new systems to play NEW games, not my old ones.
I hope they leave it out to save $ that they can spend on other things (ie keeping the HD intact) or for something else.
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psychomantis9m
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I agree with nick 100%
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You pussies don’t get it
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Xbox lifespan just got shortened you pussies
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Carmelo
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I swear, if xbox doesnt make its newer system backwards compatible with its current games you will see mine on ebay with all my (twenty in total)games i also own a ps2 with about half as many games if you only include ps2 games (cant forget my ps1 games) other wise its more of a three to one ratio, i like the xbox but its harder to want to own one when games like grand theft auto come out for the xbox a year later, when ive already play out/through it on ps2. granted xbox is an awsome system i play it more than my ps2 but on that note i am also able to buy psone games i wasnt able to get at an earlier stage in life and still play them on my ps2 which is what i still do from time to time. its one of those things that makes owning a ps2 over an xbox nice...well that and i dont have to buy a remote to watch dvd´s on my ps2 either. i may sound like i like the ps2 more but f**k no i dont. I love my xbox but with as much as i spend on it i couldnt justify adding yet another system to my cluttered shelf (six and all)not including my dvd player and all. point being and a good selling point to all, at least from my experiance working at gamestop a Big reason why people buy ps2´s over xbox is backwords compatibility.
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You pussies don’t get it
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People Buy PS2 because it´s made buy Sony an entertainment as opossed to MS which is a Software Company that plagued with Bugs in Windows
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You pussies Don’t get it
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People Buy PS2 because its made by Sony " An Entertainment Company" as oppossed to MS which is a Software Company Thats Pluaged with bugs and viruses in Windows.....Windows in X2 God help it.
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O’BRIEN
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I would rather pay for a better system, then get a half-done Xbox 1.5. Don´t cheep people out. I want quality. Sure cost is a facter, but so is quality. Why did more people bought a Xbox over a Gamecube? It wasn´t the price........Just my thoughts
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recall
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I think this is another Microsft scheme to build up the comments over the Internet, which is what´s been working so far for them. Remember SJRF combo? Then HALO lowering its price followed by HALO1.5?
Well I guess you haven´t figured it out. Microsoft is leaking this, or kind of misleading all of us to think the XBOX Next is not going to be backward compatible and with zero HDD and less RAM, but think of this...if you begin spreading the word that it won´t have those things and Microsft comes telling it WILL, everyone´s going to be preaching Microsoft for being soooo good to gamers everywhere, thus building more hype for the company and getting more people into believing the XBOX miracle....yes, I know haha I´ve exagerated some bits but hey I think I got it right...
XBOX Next is going to rock...and I think they´ll leave us impressed when they come up telling us it will have everything we think it won´t have.
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Gamer101
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What ever the case may be with the next xbox I think the big M will come correct with the tech specs! Sony is # 1 for a reason hype and fad!"
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Trini Ruffneck
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recall - I don´t think this is the same as those rumors you mentioned this was printed by the San Jose Mecury News.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/7849191.htm
Let me say flattly that no HD and no backwards compatibility signals a total change of statagy for the Xbox team. I am a big fan of the xbox, partially becuase I am a computer engineer and I think that a game console based on the x86 architecture** with a HD, a steller vidio card and great online service is hella cool.
All the cool true gamers that convinced the buisness minds in MS to make the xbox and sell it at a loss don´t work their any more. It is clear to me that the descisions being made now look good on paper and are probably being made by buiness men and not engineers.
If xbox2 is not Backwards compatable and does not have a HD I don´t think I will buy it. I am an xbox fan heck I was a beta tester for Live. The HD is impotant for many reasons @!*%ly DC secondly music theirdly the promise of improved functionality delivered in thr form of SW. Mostly its the little things having a HD allow like in HALO when it does not stop the game during a massive level to load ever, or how it remembers things in games like where a gun was left or dead body even on a really big level. Also I would think they would xbox 2 to be able to interface with tv and record shows and thing like a tivo how are your going to do that with no HD. Ok I am rambaling.
Backwards compatibilty is great selling point but I don´t think it really means that much to me. I allready have an xbox and if your using an IBM proccesor then backwards compatiblity would be waistfull of cpu cycles cus you would have to emulate the x86 in SW.
**not that I am big fan x86 but it makes sense to me cus MS has dominated all SW on x86 heck thats what they do.
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kungfu-rage
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if MS is asking the development studios for advice, then its more then likely there will be much more RAM in Xbox2; which from a development stand-point, is one of the most important aspects of game making- plenty of memory
the disk drive is nice, but not all that important (i want it though!!)
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Super Halo World
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Well I personally want a HDD drive. I can live without Backwards Compatability but the HDD drive is a must. If its making their machine so big, why not use Lap top Hardrives? I´m not going to be wasting my money on Memory cards which corrupt etc and have to buy hundreds of them and keep swaping em round. No, if Xbox do this and PS3 follow, I´ll buy neither and get N5.
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blueblaster_rd
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i think i said it best "no hard disk f##k ya"
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Cream
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I can´t belive Microsoft would take a back step and get rid of the harddrive. Apart from anything else it would be a backwards step for there online gaming. No downloads, no friends list no patches, no dedicated interlinked service. Trying to do all that on a memory card would be completly inpractical.
also the fact it may not be backwards compatable... This seems to be a big issue with a lot of people, personnaly I can´t see a problem with making it not backwards compatable. I would rather they pushed forward rather than looked back....
As for the rest of the spec I would imagin that will keep changing untill much closer to release date. Wasn´t the Xbox going to be a 600cpu? and they upped it to 733.
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RYAN
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THEY SHOULD GIVE US THE CHOICE OF GETTING A HARD DRIVE.
HAVE A SLOT FOR AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE.
IN ALL MANY SIZES.
WELL XBOX 365 MAYBE YOU SHOULD EMAIL THEM THIS INFO...
PLEASE...
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Cream
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No an Add on would be cr@p.. It HAS to be standard for the developers to use it..........
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BEN CRAWFORD
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if the xbox dont have a hard disc then the ps3 will win and pompey rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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doa3
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no hard drive,no DVD, no compatibility. sounds like a piece of junk.
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OBrien
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This is the turning point for MS. This will be their second attempt at the home console world. Anyone can have ONE wonder. Hell, Sega even had one good system for it´s time. THe question is if MS can get there thumbs out of their a@@es and produces what people want. We all know in advance that they are going to lose money on the hardware. It´s the software where ALL the money and profit is made. We need a system that we WANT to buy games for, not a half-a@@ excuse solely to increase profit......Just my thoughts Prince William Gates......
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