Xbox 2 coming in 2005!!

human5892 said:
For the record, I don't think the PS3 will be hitting the US a few months after the Xbox2, as many people seem to be assuming.

No one's assuming that. The general consensus, however, is that PS3 will be released in Japan in March 2006, with a US release probably several months later. That is basically what Sony has implied with their fiscal projections.
 
human5892 said:
Seriously. I never know why people refer to Perfect Dark like some kind of important popular franchise. It was only one game that came at the end of a dying console's lifecycle.

For the record, I don't think the PS3 will be hitting the US a few months after the Xbox2, as many people seem to be assuming.

EDIT: Also, chalk me up under "intrigued at what Nintendo's got up their sleeve". I don't think they can be automatically counted as a non-contender quite yet.

Perfect Dark was a great game (although overhyped) but I don't think Rare has the staff to create a worthy new installment. I'm also intrigued at what Nintendo will do but I hope all this secrecy doesn't scare away third parties since Nintendo has given nothing to them to work with.
 
Perfect Dark doesn't need to be a popular franchise already (though I'd say it's pretty well known regardless). All it needs to be is really good and really appealing as Halo was for Xbox.

I really can't wait to see what developers have got cooking for this thing.
 
Backwards compatibility is not that important if they have a good launch lineup IMO.

If they are launching with games like Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, Project Gotham 3, Perfect Dark Zero, Dead or Alive 4 etc then thats fine with me.
 
Wyzdom said:
Nah it's just that when you purchase a console, you wish it will be surported and you get new games. If they feel they become the left overs after a year or so, i suppose many will feel screwed. I hear people complaining they would by the PS2 but the PS3 is coming to fast EVERYDAY. Just imagine how some people may feel about their Xbox.
Personnally i would feel screwed. I would feel like Microsoft is sending me a big middle finger.

If you buy a console so late in it's lifespan you know it's got to be replaced soon, anyway most people buying an Xbox recently wouldn’t buy an Xbox 2 at launch.

Plus there is a huge catalogue of games to play; most hardcore gamers would struggle to play every single decent Xbox game.

People buying a console at this time in a gen would also be more focused on budget gaming, the new gen has very little to do with them.

The PS3 like people have said many times in looking to come out March 06 in Japan. With the yearly EA sports titles coming out around this time every EA just have to make there 05 line for the XB and XB2.

I mean coming out ninety days before the developers magically “jump” into the next gen isn’t a problem IMO.
 
Do The Mario said:
If you buy a console so late in it's lifespan you know it's got to be replaced soon, anyway most people buying an Xbox recently wouldn’t buy an Xbox 2 at launch.

Plus there is a huge catalogue of games to play; most hardcore gamers would struggle to play every single decent Xbox game.

People buying a console at this time in a gen would also be more focused on budget gaming, the new gen has very little to do with them.

The PS3 like people have said many times in looking to come out March 06 in Japan. With the yearly EA sports titles coming out around this time every EA just have to make there 05 line for the XB and XB2.

I mean coming out ninety days before the developers magically “jump” into the next gen isn’t a problem IMO.

You ASSUME it's ninety days here. And what you speak about is intelligent people. It's a rare breed out there. :( I swear most people don't know all that and obviously aren't buying an Xbox on that vision. My experience in retail also tells me that.
 
Wyzdom said:
You ASSUME it's ninety days here.


schedule.jpg


Come on, look at the chart. They are going to "premier" the system around the launch of the PSP in the US (end of FY 2004 - so sometime in March 2005). And if you look at the PSP chart, they have roughly the same time frame between giving developers the initial tool to develop with and releasing the system (a little over 1 year). I doubt you're going to see the PS3 launched much later than early spring in Japan.
 
I'm sure MS will do well next gen.

But I think a lot of gamers will take a wait and see approach to it, especially it if Sony & Nintendo are releasing less than a year later.

Also, unless they have a signifcant lead, I don't see them being able to lock up the exclusive titles as easy a Sony can.
 
If you purchase any of these systems now or any time in the future you should be aware that it has been out for several years and therefore will getting replaced sometime in the near future. In the case of the Xbox, it 3-6 mths sooner than the PS2.

I suppose MS should wait for everyone to have their Xbox for a satisfactory amount of time (whatever that may be) before they release another system, right?
 
After Halo2 im done with this gen. Theres nothing thats going to generate the amount of excitement i felt waiting and playing Halo 2.

Now im ready for a new console and Perfect Dark Zero. God i cant wait to see the new batch of screens and videos running on Xbox 2 :D :D

Might even exceed the emotions i felt when Bungie showed off halo 2 at e3 2k3
 
Prine said:
After Halo2 im done with this gen. Theres nothing thats going to generate the amount of excitement i felt waiting and playing Halo 2.

Now im ready for a new console and Perfect Dark Zero. God i cant wait to see the new batch of screens and videos running on Xbox 2 :D :D

Might even exceed the emotions i felt when Bungie showed off halo 2 at e3 2k3

Shiiite! StarCraft Ghost and Advent Raising is still too come. With that said, I want the Nintendo Revolution with a Metroid done RIGHT.
 
hypothetically, if xbox 2 has no BC (like people are saying) do you really t hink these people are gonna be happy about buying all these games and a new system and 12 months later realize that they cant use them on the new one?

hypothetically if they just bought an xbox they won't rush out to buy the xbox 2 at launch. They are probably on the same cycle that the people who buy launch systems are on just later on in a systems life
 
I think it would be a bad idea for Microsoft to essentially panic and release Xbox2 in 2005. There's still the risk of Dreamcast syndrome - the hype for PlayStation3 will be HUGE. Also, if Microsoft launch early and don't go with blu-ray, they could be left with a console playing the 'wrong' movie format in the long-run.

Also, Xbox was sold to people on it's power. If Xbox2 launches first, and therefore likely to be the least powerful of the 3 next-gen systems, those who want the most powerful console again may jump to one of the other machines.

And lastly, Halo2 is a system-seller and the system will gain a lot of new owners this Xmas. It's got momentum at the moment, and that momentum will carry through into next year. New owners are not going to welcome Xbox2 next year, let alone buy one. And you launch a new machine when you are beginning to lose momentum, not gaining it.

As for what Nintendo will do, well God knows to be honest. Unless they can come up with something genuinely revolutionary like Mario64 I just don't see how they are going to make an impact. And there isn't the window of opportunity now like there was with the switch from 2D to 3D. It would take a software/hardware combination that offered something completely new and made the system stand out, and whilst Nintendo is the most likely of the 3 companies to be able to pull that off it's still a tall order.
 
I don't see what is so wrong with a late 2005 system launch for Xbox 2.

Ps2 will have been out by 5 years then and preparing to launch it's succesor in Japan in early 2006. If Microsoft were to wait for the full 5 years they'd be launching Xbox 2 right next to the PS3 in the US...that'd be practically suicide. No way MS would be able to build a launch lineup that would compete with a years worth of localised Japanese PS3 titles alongside the western launch titles. Casuals would be swayed by the game lineup and the promise of future titles (MGS4, FF13, GT5, etc) and it'd just be this generation all over again out the gate.


With a release in 2005 they stand to be on even ground techwise with the PS3 (if it indeed does launch in Japan in the Spring of 06) while guaranteeing that they will have a years headstart all to themselves in their strongest territory. They'll have the best versions of the EA titles for a full year as well grabbing the casuals attention...getting a nextgen Madden all to themselves as a launch title in 2005 would be a major deal. Add to that the promise of a new Halo at some point in the following year or two and you could possibly see a repeat of how the PS2 launched this gen just from that fanbase alone.

A launch in 2005 may also force Japanese devs to pay more attention to the Xbox 2 then they would if it were to launch alongside the PS3 in the US. They can choose to cater their titles to the PS2 fanbase that is preparing for next gen for the next year or try their hand at selling Xbox 2 titles in the US as it will be the only other option. (Yes I don't expect the Gamecube to factor all that much by that point in the US)

And if they did spring Halo 3 (or some new Bungie title) out to release alongside the PS3's US launch...

Though all they really need to do to eat the fanbase early on is get some form of Square support (taking advantage of a pissed off Square over the HDD phasing out to get FFXI on Xbox2 maybe) and a GTA for at least a 6 month exclusivity period at or near launch. They get that and next gen would be pretty interesting.
 
I think it would be a bad idea for Microsoft to essentially panic and release Xbox2 in 2005.

it's not a panic. MS has been planning an 05 Xbox2 launch since 2000, before Xbox1 came out.
 
xexex said:
it's not a panic. MS has been planning an 05 Xbox2 launch since 2000, before Xbox1 came out.

Public perception is everything. Play your hand early with Sony, and you'll just get it bitten off. That's what happened with Saturn, Dreamcast and even the DS/PSP price thing. And what disc-format will they go for if they launch next year? That decision could be crucial in the long-run.

Their best bet is to aim to launch at roughly the same time as PS3 (2006 probably), and get Halo 3 ready for the same time.
 
Nash said:
Public perception is everything. Play your hand early with Sony, and you'll just get it bitten off. That's what happened with Saturn, Dreamcast and even the DS/PSP price thing. And what disc-format will they go for if they launch next year? That decision could be crucial in the long-run.

Their best bet is to aim to launch at roughly the same time as PS3 (2006 probably), and get Halo 3 ready for the same time.


Did you read this thread? The generally accepted industry ETA for the Playstation 3 is March 2006, 3 months after the US release of the xbox 2. I'd be surprised to see an xbox 2 launch in Japan before a PS3 launch there the way things are going. Of course, that will probably mean xbox 2 launches 8-10 months before PS3 in the US, but that's hardly a huge push-back.

And if they do go for a different format, it will be HD-DVD. There's plenty of controversy over which will become the "accepted" standard, but I agree that as long as both are backwards-compatible with the regular DVD that we have today, I doubt consumers will care.
 
Western launches need a big and varied line-up, that simply won't be there for Xmas 2005. And what is there would not be of the quality to pull people away from the current machines, or stop them waiting for PS3 which Sony will hype like never before.

It would be Dreamcast all over again, only worse in that it would be Dreamcast launching in the US first with VF3tb and that's about it.

And I think the public will mind when one of the movie formats fails, and their machine or prospective machine has the 'wrong' film format. The market will not support both in the long-run, so I think it's important Microsoft back the right one and they'd have a better chance of doing that if they don't scramble to get their next system out the door.
 
Wyzdom said:
You ASSUME it's ninety days here. And what you speak about is intelligent people. It's a rare breed out there. :( I swear most people don't know all that and obviously aren't buying an Xbox on that vision. My experience in retail also tells me that.

Are you sure their gonna still show the PS3 after the PSP launch?
 
Nash said:
Western launches need a big and varied line-up, that simply won't be there for Xmas 2005. And what is there would not be of the quality to pull people away from the current machines, or stop them waiting for PS3 which Sony will hype like never before.

It would be Dreamcast all over again, only worse in that it would be Dreamcast launching in the US first with VF3tb and that's about it.


:rolleyes

I'm glad that you not only know the launch lineup of the xbox 2, but also have played all the games to know that they are of inferior quality.

Ok, enough responding to you. It's easy to spot people who have an agenda - and you're clearly one of them. These dreamcast comparisons are getting ridiculous.
 
hey, I would much perfer MS to hold off until 2006, get a souped up R600 for graphics, 4-core CPU at 4 GHz, 512 MB RAM, Blu-Ray format, etc. and have a much more robust game lineup. but then that would put Xbox 2 launch *after* the Japanese PS3 launch. And I dont see that happening.
 
Nerevar said:
:rolleyes

I'm glad that you not only know the launch lineup of the xbox 2, but also have played all the games to know that they are of inferior quality.

Ok, enough responding to you. It's easy to spot people who have an agenda - and you're clearly one of them. These dreamcast comparisons are getting ridiculous.

Impressive, to be that patronising takes work!

And I assume you *do* know that a Xmas 2005 launch of Xbox 2 will produce an extensive array of polished and varied games that will blow people out of the water and make them stump up the cold hard cash for a machine even though they are quite happy with what they've got?

The public aren't craving next-generation hardware quite like some of the people on here are. They are quite happy ooohing over Halo 2, GTA:SA etc. And next year there will still be things like GT4, the new Zelda, the likely Xbox port of GTA:SA ...

Why the rush man!
 
:lol :lol Spong loses even more credibility. so late, and so ripped off :lol :lol


http://news.spong.com/x?art=7990

Xbox 2 dated – By the Internet!

16th Nov 2004

According to a segment of a question and answer section on IGN, Microsoft will be launching the successor to the Xbox, currently bedraped with the moniker Xenon, in 2005.

“Microsoft will release the successor to Xbox in 2005,” writes the site. “And by the way, if there is still any doubt about this happening, now's the time to put it to rest. I've seen some holiday 2005 plans from publishers and several of them have major Xbox 2 titles scheduled for next November. I could name specific franchises and brand new IPs. It's really happening. And from the looks of it, there are going to be some pretty impressive launch titles.”

Not really much to add to this really. If the report, which as you just read is highly assertive, is to be believed, it does make good on Microsoft’s commitment to release into the next generation before its competition.

Microsoft, of course, is refusing to comment on this: with the firm’s “We don’t comment on rumour and/or speculation,” line coming into play once again.

way to go Spong. you probably ripped it off of TXB or GAF. you wouldn't have even known about the Xbox 2 info from IGNCube mailbag if it wasnt for browsing the forums. :lol
 
I have a few questions about the Xbox 2 launch for you guys :)

1) Do you expect the Xbox to technically be far superior to current high end PC technology, or simply be much better because it's a fixed platform? Basically, do you think gamers everywhere will be floored by the graphics of this system? I know they've got the PPC core and they'll have a high-end ATI card, but will that be far beyond current tech?

2) How will publishers play the launch? Are Madden, ESPN, & NBA Live guaranteed? Will having Xenon versions kill the sales of the PS2/Xbox versions as a result of them looking like potential garbage next to the Xenon version? Who wants to buy sloppy seconds (no PS2 vs Xbox commentary, thank you ;) ).

3) What Xbox exclusives do you expect to be released in Q4 2005?
 
Do you expect the Xbox to technically be far superior to current high end PC technology, or simply be much better because it's a fixed platform? Basically, do you think gamers everywhere will be floored by the graphics of this system? I know they've got the PPC core and they'll have a high-end ATI card, but will that be far beyond current tech?

it really depends. Xbox 2 could end up being far superior to current highend PCs because of the new R500 VPU with embedded memory, combined with the new 3-core PowerPC CPU, and that it's a fixed platform. I do not see Xbox2 being so superior to future PCs with R600 and NV50 with top end CPUs. but compared to current PCs, Xbox2 should be a significant leap. it's hard to tell at this point in time. of course Xbox 2 will have the advantage of having games made specifically for it, whereas PC games will still have to be built for medium-end to lowend machines.

I expect a very nice leap from Xbox1 though. at least as much as from N64 to Dreamcast. if not more.

N64 (1996) DC (1998) is 2 years. Xbox1 (2001) to Xbox2 (2005) is 4 years. so.... i cant wait to see footage of real Xbox2 games. not in-development games on PCs or Macs, but real Xbox2 footage.
 
sonycowboy said:
I have a few questions about the Xbox 2 launch for you guys :)
1) I don't think we'll see a lot of differences visually with a very high end PC, at least if MS really forces all games to at least support 720p (thus losing the "advantage" of low resolution TV). But the processing before in the CPU may be quite a bit better than the 4 Ghz CPU we'll have in good PCs at the time.
2) EA is and always will be a mystery. Unless MS gives some very big money hats I really doubt EA will make a true next gen game before the PS3 launch.
3) I'd expect Kameo making a grand return, Perfect Dark Zero (heard it's called Perfect Dark Next as a code name), and some old friends making a comeback, like a racing game from Bizarre, a fighting game from Team Ninja, maybe Amped 3 and Links 2006 if the Salt Lake studio is still there. I'd love to see Top Spin 2, but the first one did not sell really well. And we do not know about Digital Anvil's projects, or what's FASA Studios or what's remaining of them is doing.
 
Blimblim said:
3) I'd expect Kameo making a grand return, Perfect Dark Zero (heard it's called Perfect Dark Next as a code name), and some old friends making a comeback, like a racing game from Bizarre, a fighting game from Team Ninja, maybe Amped 3 and Links 2006 if the Salt Lake studio is still there. I'd love to see Top Spin 2, but the first one did not sell really well. And we do not know about Digital Anvil's projects, or what's FASA Studios or what's remaining of them is doing.

I was talking about the first Xbox, not Xenon. Do you think the original Xbox will have much for holiday 2005?
 
I was talking about the first Xbox, not Xenon. Do you think the original Xbox will have much for holiday 2005?

nope.

I could be wrong, but I think MS and outside developers will be focused on Xenon.
 
Nash just so you know before Sega really hit the money troubles DC was beating the PS2.... Just a thought for you. Also, you don't compare a goldfish next to a whale. To continue this example Sega was the goldfish and Sony was a shark. Now we have the killer whale M$. Just wanted to clear that up for you.
 
sonycowboy said:
I was talking about the first Xbox, not Xenon. Do you think the original Xbox will have much for holiday 2005?
Ho sorry. I sincerely doubt Xbox will get any exclusive title after September 2005, if not before. Take a look at the MS 1st/2nd party planning, nothing much after the 2nd trimester.
Not that bad for US gamers who will get Xbox 2 before the end of the year, but for us europeans I sure hope MS won't let us without any new exclusive games for more than 6 months, that would be disastrous for their image.
 
Here is what I think:

Microsoft is focusing on Xbox 2. They already know that Xbox is a success and they already have got their foot in the door and they are content with second place for this current generation, so they are focusing on Xbox 2 like a laserbeam to be first. They do not want to be second next generation and they are pulling more and more current Xbox exclusives to Xbox 2.

A lot of people have been saying "Rare Sucks" because of titles not coming out on Xbox and I think this is not because of RARE, but because Microsoft moving titles on purpose to their Xbox 2. Besides Rare gets into the ground floor here and Microsoft is providing XNA tools here so it makes it easier for RARE to focus on gameplay.

I think that BC is still being worked on and Microsoft is trying to find an answer to, they may or may not have it depending on what happens internally. Microsoft knows people want this and they will try to get it but don't be disapointed if it doesn't happen.

A lot of people still compare everything to DreamCast. Dreamcast is a lot different than Xbox 2 as Xbox 2 will have Shader model 3.0+, but not full on Shader Model 4.0 like Windows Longhorn's Windows Graphics Foundation 2.0. The differences in technology are not going to be that great anymore. All platforms are going to be pretty much the same. PS3 might sound great because you can hook up to external sources for that power, but the developers have to write for that power.

This is where Microsoft has a big feather in their cap. XNA is not just hype, it's about lowering the costs of making games by providing tools and API's Companies like EA are going to want to increase profits while making things cheaper and this is a **** HUGE **** thing as well as the EA and Xbox Live moving forward.

Microsoft already has Xbox live, they already have XNA and they can continue to build tools and make things easier for developers, they listen for developers.

Those developers that thought Microsoft was going to be a flash in the pan are thinking differently now. Microsoft has learned a lot of hard lessons and will continue to learn, but the important part is that they have learned a lot.

Sony is going to focus on PSP and you can see developers are not all that happy as it is and if the DS starts to sell more than PSP, Sony is going to be hurt and developers are going to doubt and Sony can take their eye off the ball which is what Microsoft hopes sony will do.

We will see about Nintendo's revolution, I have been excited before and Nintendo did disapoint. They had a ton of promise and they were a 10 ton gorilla and they failed to really do anything significant.

I think those people that were supporting Nintendo (not Nintendo fans really but developers) will now turn to Microsoft and Nintendo's home console will get less 3rd party support and focus on Nintendo's DS and Gameboy Advanced.

Whatever happens this next generation is sure to be really interesting. Probably more so than anything other than the Genesis/SNES days.
 
hell, i'll thrown in my 2 cents.

seems to me that Nintendo (since they dont have the money for big budget technology spending) will have to look into other markets next generation. i'd like to see a true virtual boy. nintendo NEEDS to be the first into the VR scene if theyre going to stick around in the hardware industry.
 
I don't get the notion that just because Dreamcast failed, every other console that attempts to enter market before sony will fail. xbox 2 and dreamcast are NOT in any way comparable, not to mention sega and MS.

I also wouldn't put too much faith in Rare, i just considered them done for now but wouldn't mind pleasantly being surprised by them. MS still will have a lot of quality 1st and 3rd party titles for launch, lots of PC developers revamping their engines for the next gen of PC hardware will be able to release their games on Xenon too.
 
hell, i'll thrown in my 2 cents.

seems to me that Nintendo (since they dont have the money for big budget technology spending) will have to look into other markets next generation. i'd like to see a true virtual boy. nintendo NEEDS to be the first into the VR scene if theyre going to stick around in the hardware industry.

that'll probably be N6 or N7. I'd be surprised if N5/Revolution was going the VR route. it's too soon, because I don't think VR technolgy has radicially improved in quality AND dropped in price enough to get into the $200-$300 magic pricepoint.

then again, who knows what Nintendo has cookin' with Revolution :)
 
well i wont pretend to know much about the cost of a VR unit, but i thought Nintendo might have minor knowledge with its work with the GB games. Such as kirby's tilt and watch him roll game. i would think a similar sensor is all that is needed for head movement simulation. but maybe the real cost is in the 3d engine that runs in harmony with your head motion.

hell if i know
 
A virtual reality headset would have to be absolutely lawsuit free before Nintendo even touches that idea again.

What will they have in store for Revolution?

Holograms ... j/k.

I'm thinking there will be a new type of control input, like the DS has with the touch screen, only more console specific.

Nintendo seems hellbent on introducing new ways for non-gamers/beginners to get into gaming with more intuitive control mechanisms ... ie: pounding on a drum to control Donkey Kong for instance.

It will be interesting to see what they come up with.

I feel like Donkey Konga comes pretty close to being playable for anyone, even those without game experience.
 
CaptainStrong said:
well i wont pretend to know much about the cost of a VR unit, but i thought Nintendo might have minor knowledge with its work with the GB games. Such as kirby's tilt and watch him roll game. i would think a similar sensor is all that is needed for head movement simulation. but maybe the real cost is in the 3d engine that runs in harmony with your head motion.

hell if i know

I think a VR unit around its cheapest is about $1000 or so (can't remember precisely). People in colleges and in the military have been using them. Some of the people in colleges were developing games and programs (I think there was a Super Mario program with N64-like graphics). From what I understand, unless you can have a "rumble suit," you wouldn't be able to actually feel anything. Meaning, holding a gun in a FPS would mean you couldn't feel how cold it is, or the textures.

A huge, huge problem I see with VR is the outcry from parents and political activists who will proclaim them killer-training-machines (if FPS games come out). Of course, it's possible nothing could happen, and the company to develop it will get a ton of free publicity. However, in today's America, the religious right would win.
Again.

I feel like Donkey Konga comes pretty close to being playable for anyone, even those without game experience.

For the first time, my grandpa watched me play it. He was fascinated by the thing. He thought I had to keep up to DK on screen. He was also surprised by the balloons and things that went moving up on the screen if I did something really good in the game.
 
I'm not a religious tight wad by any means, but yeah I would say I would have some issues with a young kid or even a teenager playing a FPS type of title in VR with realistic graphics for several hours each day.
 
soundwave05 said:
I'm not a religious tight wad by any means, but yeah I would say I would have some issues with a young kid or even a teenager playing a FPS type of title in VR with realistic graphics for several hours each day.

Me too, but these people would probably just ban the entire machine and not the game.
 
Yeah, but it wouldn't just be a single type of game.

Imagine many of today's more popular title's with near photorealism graphics in VR ... Grand Theft Auto? Rainbow Six? Resident Evil? Enter the Matrix? Silent Hill?

I dunno man. I think its a bit of a gray area, its hard to say whether or not such a technology would or would not have an adverse affect on people.
 
VR is definitely not something to think about even halfway seriously for at least another generation. The technology is far too expensive and primative right now to even consider making a mass market console out of it.

I think Nintendo is toying around with some kind of different control scheme for the Revolution, but I also get the impression that it will be a "standard" console as well (i.e., similar enough to the Xbox2 and PS3 that it can receive ports). I don't think Nintendo would so alter an aspect of the system (such as control) that they would effectively be cutting off all non-exclusive third party support (or at least make it a chore for a port to take place).
 
It's not about how Dreamcast compared to Xbox, or Sega compared to Microsoft. It was a lesson in the power of hype. Sony promised the the moon on a stick, and they will do so again. Also the PlayStation brand is even stronger now than it was back then, and will only get more exposure because of PSP in 2005.

The point about Xbox2 is they have to start making inroads into Sony's marketshare. Launching next year may sell it to the hardcore Xbox owners, and some GC owners, but I really don't think you are going to pull too many people away from the PS2. Not when Sony will have started the PS3 hype-machine rolling. They will just wait for that, as they waited for PS2. Also Xbox2 wouldn't be seen as the most-powerful console anymore, which is a reputation which has served it very well uptil now.

Personally I still think the best chance Microsoft would stand is to tackle Sony head-on in the US with a highly polished Halo 3 at launch. The machines would be seen more as equals, and Halo 3 could outgun any of Sony's launch options, giving people an obvious reason to buy one over the other even if they'd previously had a PS2.

Launching next year is a gamble, even more so with the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray question. It might pay off, but if it doesn't it could put Microsoft in quite a difficult position.
 
hmmmmm... Before I had to sell my Xbox, I looked foward to it's successor... not that I wanted to sell it, I was sad to let it go, but it seems my anticipation has left me...

..maybe there's a little antenna hidden in it to control minds or something...

...I'm now looking at it from an IMO, more level perspective:

I'm a racing fan, the Xbox had a great selection of racers, but only 1 was special, PGR1. I've since lost hope in bizzare... so now I'm taking a wait and see approach, because what I want are epic racers first and foremost. with GT alone, PS3's a no brainer. but this time around I'll wait for something compelling on Xb2. I mean by compelling not something that hopes to compete with the establishment (like forza does), but a clear contender, wich is something that was promised time and time again on Xb, but it never really came.
 
There's still BIG things we don't know about Xenon so we can't say one way or another. At first, I thought the system would be "Microsoft's GAMECUBE" of sorts, now I'm thinking, that if they do things right they can have a Genisis style system on thier hands. The BIG things we don't know which could effect Xenon's chances for better or for worse:

POWER
- If it is significantly in Sony's favor then MS loses one of thier biggest edge's and thusly selling point is lost, not only that, but could PS3's power make ports to Xenon more difficult as well?
+ If there really isn't much difference in power except on paper then only us forum nerds would care, the casuals (who shape this market) won't be as concerned as long as the games look on par with each other on screen

LAUNCH GAMES
- If they can't get heavy commitments early on than the early launch will be veiwed as premature and will cause alot of people to at least wait for PS3 for fear of a bad investment in Xenon, and if the userbase isn't there, they lose thier power "edge" from this generation (wether significant or not, it will be picked on as a negative) and thier "headstart" ends up not giving them any kind of lead before PS3 launches then the whole launching early will be veiwed upon as DC-esque (wether it's true or not, the masses are stupid, they'll believe it)
+ If they do get early & heavy support from the get go then it put's pressure on Sony, could cause them to make mistakes or rush to market and people will compare thier launches to one another and if Xenon's launch "stacks up" better than PS3's (on top of the fact that MS will line up heavy hitters to combat PS3's launch) then the tables could possibly turn and the early launch would be brilliant for MS

FORMAT
- In a perfect Sony controlled world HD-DVD will absolutly fail making MS's choice of the format look bad, MS could choose BR or DVD, but I think HD-DVD is thier most likely choise, which means that if it ends up not being the "next format" for entertainment than PS3 gains an edge over Xenon there
+ But, at the same time, consumers may not be all gung-ho for a next generation entertainment format already, or...if they are, then they'd likely go with the one that get's the support first...and if HD-DVD is X-BOX months and months before BR is in PS3 then that could really work in Xenon's favor

BC
- No two ways out of it, if they don't offer BC for Xenon, then that's a feature they will lack that the competition will exploit...we can argue this all day, but lacking a feature the competition will have is bad
+ However, less money on a built-in HD and BC would work in Xenon's favor, and for those people out there who REALLY want them, they can buy an add-on which is more money in MS's pocket...if they're smart they will offer this add-on at launch, but it's still too soon at this point, with the rumors of MS releasing 3 different level Xenon's (much riskier than an add-on & IMO a BIG mistake if they do it) and whatnot who the hell knows what they'll do?

Another factor to add in is Nintendo. Why do I (despite being a Nintendo fanboy) consider them a major wildcard next generation? Because people have already counted them out. People expect:
-Revolution's "revolutionary" feature to alienate players
-Revolution to have a fisher price controller
-Revolution to be pastel colored
-Revolution to be shaped like a toy
-Revolution to not go online
-Revolution to be the least powered system (despite possibly coming out last)
-Nintendo to forever focus only on kids
-Nintendo to fail
-Nintendo to ultimatly bow out of hardware

Microsoft & Nintendo really both came into this generation thought they would bowl right over each other. They really didn't take Sony on, they merely split the N64's audience by underestimatling each other. Microsoft is CONTINUING to not take Nintendo seriously, I think they EXPECT Nintendo to make the exact same mistakes next generation. Nintendo (or, should I say Mr. Yamauchi's Nintendo) completly ignored X-BOX going into this generation 'cos they were too Japanese focussed and they knew that (in Japan) MS didn't have much of a chance. Problem is, where X-BOX slacked in the Asian markets they leaped over Nintendo in the Western ones...not just a slight lead in marketshare...more in the sence that they're more significant in Western publishers eyes. So while MS continues to ignore Nintendo, Nintendo realizes that they can't ignore MS in the West as they did in Japan. I think Nintendo will surprize all next E3 'cos so many people expect them to just flat-out fail.
 
I think one comment that no one else has mentioned is that the new MS console can only come in and work in a very narrow price bracket (maybe not in the US) but in Europe/Australia/Japan - early adopters were burned by MS for buying into XBOX too soon. If I remember correctly - the price cut is now at 33% of its original price; and consumers will remember the difference. There is a combination of factor for the price cut - MS's need to get a base established and consoles not moving off the shelf.

That said, I think the price point factor on Xenon will have a massive impact on whether it sells or not. This is coupled with the excellent points that the others have raised in this thread makes Xenon as interesting as N5 next gen in the sales challenge. One other thing to note is the fact that XBOX is a very competent console and still has games which trump everything else out on the market. Question then is... will they burn their fanbase by moving onto the next console so soon? I mean the xbox has been out 2 1/2 years? That's a very very short time for a machine as robust as xbox.
 
I don’t understand why people think that the PS3 will be vastly technically superior to the XB2, like people have been stressing in this thread the matter of roughly ninety days between the XB2 and PS3 launches would hardly result in any difference in power.

If anything the Money M$ has would make the XB2 more powerful, anyway I will sit back and watch the respective console launches from Australia then make my mind up.
 
I think PS3 will be somewhat more powerful than Xbox2, but in practice, they'll both be pretty much on equal footing. nothing like Dreamcast and PS2.

I believe the extra raw power the PS3 will likely have over Xbox2 will only have to go towards doing in software what the Xbox2 has in hardware. I don't have much faith that Sony are better graphics architects than ATI. ATI has some of the vast experience from the brain-trust of Silicon Graphics Inc, Lockheed Real3D, Number9 and others. Sony has Sony, and Toshiba.
 
xexex said:
:lol :lol Spong loses even more credibility. so late, and so ripped off :lol :lol


http://news.spong.com/x?art=7990



way to go Spong. you probably ripped it off of TXB or GAF. you wouldn't have even known about the Xbox 2 info from IGNCube mailbag if it wasnt for browsing the forums. :lol
1. Posting verbatim is a breach of TOS
2. Yes, we picked this up in this forum, I think...
3. How it's ripped off I fail to see. This was said, we reported it.

I think you jumping up and down with your cock in your hand damages your own credibility far more than us picking up on a piece of news and reporting it. Though perhaps I'm wrong and you're right, you never know. Funny things, opinions.

Back to Wild Divine for me - my enhanced spirituality is coursing through me body*

*Not really
 
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