XBox 2 Is An Apple PC

[nocturnx]

Funny thing. Microsoft is sending out development kits of the xbox 2 to game designers so they can start making games for the system for when it launches in "November 2005". Thats not the funny part though, although I think that release date is a joke, The funny thing is the kits that Microsoft is sending out are actually Apple G5 computers with Xbox 2 emulation software installed. I bet Steve Jobs finds this very amusing.

Full Article: http://xbox.ign.com/articles/523/523582p1.html

[DragonNOA1]

I've heard the reports and find it "different" that they will be using Apple computers. Whatever works, just as long as it is fast. Now what about the graphics card?

[citercian{007}monk]

they are getting it designed by ATI i heard. THat's a good thing!! take that PS2!!! Muhaaaaahahaaaaa

[nocturnx]

Well the PS3 is supposedly the most powerful of the 3 coming out although it will be the last one to come out. Xbox 2 will not be backward compatible and will not come with a hard drive, sounds like they are taking a step backward to me. ATi is also working on Nintendos next console for its GPU. Supposedly even the next nintendo console will even be more powerful than the xbox 2. lol Of course this is all speculation right now. So take that xbox 2?!?!? This thread is not to be turned in to a flame war so please refrain from that nonsense.

[icallmedan]

Where did you read that XB2 is not going to have a HDD? That would be so dumb....

[GimmeDaMic]

nocturnx, your information is unconfirmed and mostly still just rumors people have spread and things MS has been thinking about. I've heard no such thing of PS3 being the most powerful of the three. I'm not trying to start up an argument or anything, but your post sounds like a passive way of a PS2 fanboy.

[ScurrilousPrune]

Well then there's this: http://home.btconnect.com/hgi/ps3/speculation.html
But yeah, it probably is speculation. Remember all the stuff they said about PS2? "Oh it's so great it will tie your shoes and clean your dishes! Even pleasure your wife when you're not home!" I mean c'mon. PS2 is great but it got hyped up too much.

[nocturnx]

lol Did you not read the article I posted at all? By saying that the PS3 will be the most powerful makes me a fanboy? It says exactly what I put in my post in the article, read it if you dont believe me, because it also lists reasons why. I dont care which is more powerful because I love my PC games, I just thought many people here might find it interesting. It is just news on the next generation consoles. Yes most of it is unconfirmed but "rumors" from "good sources". So take it anyway you want it.

gimmedamic: I asked that this thread does not get turned into a flame war. I dont take either side, I have all 3 consoles and plan on getting all 3 of the next consoles. I am just stating what is in the article.

icallmedan: In the article I posted it says "Multiple software houses involved with "Xbox Next" development stand by rumors the console will not feature a hard drive, which would suggest that it might not be backward compatible with current Xbox software." It is speculation but the rumors come from good sources so take it anyway you want it

ScurrilousPrune: There is also talk about this in the article. It says PS2 suffered from being the first system to be released giving Nintendo and Microsoft the advantage to make their systems more powerful/advanced. Now if Xbox 2 comes out in 2005 and PS3 comes out in 2007, dont you think sony will take the time to make its system more powerful just as microsoft had done to them? I would say for certain that they would. Taken from the article: "The downside to launching "Xbox 2" in 2005, say insiders, is that it puts Microsoft in the position of being the first next-generation console to market, which historically also means it could be the least powerful of the three from a technical standpoint. Sony's PS2 is a perfect example of such early positioning."

[icallmedan]

Originally posted by ScurrilousPrune Well then there's this: http://home.btconnect.com/hgi/ps3/speculation.html But yeah, it probably is speculation

Not it probably is speculation, it is, I mean it says it right in the address....lol...



Also: I heard it wansn't going to be backwards compatable, but I thought it would still have a HDD, or else what are they going to make you do, buy memory cards?

[AerynSedai]

can anyone give a reason why it would not be backwards compatible? unless they are designing their own chips, it should still be the same x86 (IA32) IS. even if they go to a 64 arch, the IA64 IS has legacy support. Microsoft used to be all about backward compatibility, as much as the uninformed public likes to think to the contrary.

as per the harddrive, solid state memory sticks are cheap, especially if they stick to standards (which they won't) and mass produce (which they will). really, they should have ditched the HD in the first gen and added it on the second gen. but the HD was a selling point for the moron marketers. if they pushed their live! capabilities then by the time the second gen came out no one would need the portability of the memory card, which the PS2 enjoys.

but, hey, i don't have my MBA, what do i know?
my rant is done, but seriously, why will it not be compatible?

AS

[icallmedan]

No, backwards compatible as in playing XBOX 1 games on an Xbox 2.....

[AerynSedai]

¡sí, comprendo!
¡no soy estúpido!
¿para qué?
¿why?

AS

[nocturnx]

im not sure why it wont be backward compatible. But I think because the xbox will be using an advanced form of media discs, the HD-DVD's. And supposedly PS3 will use the Blu-Ray media discs. So im wondering if PS3 will even be backward compatible? Maybe neither of them will, It maybe inconvenient or more expensive to include another laser just to play old games? The whole harddrive thing, I think the xbox 2 will be shipped without a harddrive but you will be able to buy one separatley maybe, Just because it would make the system much cheaper for the average user, plus the harddrives really arent used for much in the systems right now, unless you are a power user. I think that seems like a possible strategy. And if microsoft does this, sony will probly follow microsofts lead, is all i can figure. Maybe it will end up being a price war which will be a good thing for us. But again these are rumors so who knows?

[colecifer]

Originally posted by icallmedan Where did you read that XB2 is not going to have a HDD? That would be so dumb....

I hear its going to have flash memory that you can't change. To try to prevent some modding and to prevent people from swapping ot a bigger harddrive.

[mystvearn]

PS 3 will be backwards compatible...they will find a way to do that. Maybe someone already did an emulator for the ps2 games, sony just buy over the company, software solution is cheaper than hardware. This happen to the PS1 emulator being bought by sony. Its not the bleem emu, its connectix virtual emulator.
Finally a working DC emulator is out(though not all games), after years of waiting. 5 to be exact.

[nocturnx]

Interesting, i see how that could work.

You know what would be really kool is if they had usb ports that you could use your usb pen drives with as memory cards. Alot of people already have those and carry them around and they hold alot of memory. Of course then you would be able to transfer saves/software to and from your console to your pc which means someone will probly figure out a way to mod the system or copy games this way.

Yea thats the problem with harddrives is that it makes modding and piracy easier. Plus harddrives up the price of the system quite a bit.

[kstatefan40]

Personally, i am not concerned with the price of the system. I would rather have a HD on it and pay a little extra, then have to buy memory cards and pay alot extra. Its more practical to use HDs anyway, because they have a bigger memory capability. With the current price of hard drives, i dont see how they could NOT put one in the new systems, imo.

[ScurrilousPrune]

*Puts out the flames*
Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires!" - Smokey The Bear

And yes I agree about what you said about it being released later than XBOX2. I know its speculation, but it should be partly true, just like the PS2 rumors had some truth to them.

[AerynSedai]

¡Claro que sí!
hehe, i love those english to spanish dictionaries. i haven't the foggiest what i am saying, but it looks interesting.

will the ps3 have a HD? it would be interesting how sony handles the competition. they always were one of the best at marketing. (if you couldn't tell, i take interest in the marketing schemes of these companies more so than the hardware or software).

xbox still needs quality producers. if they keep pushing their live! product and get some lock-in, then more people will jump the bandwagon from sony to get the quality infrastructure of multiplay which sony is currently (its there but not good), but will soon enough catch up.

what is nintendos doing meanwhile?

AS

[nocturnx]

I agree Xbox Live is genious, the way it is setup. Just not all that many people have jumped on it yet. If it continues I think more people will make the jump when the next-gen consoles come out. I imagine Sony will do something similar to try and imitate xbox lives service, but we can only wait and see. Online gaming is where its at

Harddrives are good for mass storage all right. But you dont need that kind of storage for console games. The only game for a console I know of that is completely on a harddrive is FFXI. Plus what if you want to take a saved game over to a freinds house? You'll have to buy a memory card anyway. And they have 512mb pen drives so you know they can make small memory sticks that can hold plenty, are portable, and fast if it uses usb 2.0 standards. Then whats the point of having a harddrive? Even when you download roster updates for madden it stores it to the memory card and not the harddrive. You would think harddrives would be cheap by now but the sony harddrive for PS2 was $99, now tack this on to the price of a new system. I'd have to guess most young adults are not rich and depend on their parents to buy them their systems or they have to save their pennys for a long time. I would think that neither system would have a harddrive and that it would come out as an acessory for both systems. This seems more logical, otherwise the 300 dollar systems will be $400. And that is just crazyness, but we will have to wait and see as nothing is set in stone yet.

I can think of some good things they could do with harddrives but they arent even hadly using them for the current systems seems like a waste to pay for it and not use it. Whether you pay for it as coming built in to the system or as an acessory. Heck xbox only uses its harddrive as a big untransportable memory card, whats the point. And sony uses their harddrive just for FFXI.

[icallmedan]

I use my Hard Drive a lot to store music on it...and play it a lot when I have parties at my house....I also like playing them inside games...I think it would suck if it didnt have a hard drive.