The Xbox 360 Thread
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Microsoft's Xbox 360 E3 event
>> A few hours after Sony's E3 Event - with the unveiling of the PlayStation3 it's now time for Microsoft's Xbox 360 E3 event in the Shrine Auditorium.You can see the video of the full conference online (1h22min): xbox.com(High), xbox.com(Low) or gamespot.com .
The official press release of the event is available on xbox.com
Here are the Highlights of the event:
* No exact launch date and price yet, but it will be launched this year (2005) and simultaneously in US, Europe, and Asia.
* Between 25 and 40 games for the system launch (within first ~90 days) and +160 in development.
* The Xbox 360 will be backward-compatible with top-selling Xbox games. Forbes.com kinda broke that story already - see previous news item. It's unknown yet which Xbox games will or will not be compatible.
* Square Enix, a longtime partner with Microsoft rivals Nintendo and Sony, will be bringing Final Fantasy XI to the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. (another story broken by forbes a few hours ago).
* More Xbox 360 games from Square-Enix are expected in the future! They showed footage of what seemed to be an unnamed Xbox 360 game.
* Xbox 360 users will be able to play Square-Enix Live-enabled games against PC players.
* Electronic Arts will have the largest commitment of games at launch in console history. At least 6 will be out this year: Need For Speed: Most Wanted, The Godfather, Fifa 2006, NBA Live 2006, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 and Madden NFL 2006. They have +25 games in development for Xbox 360, with more to come.
* Every game will have a minimum of 720p resolution (some will have 1080i), 16:9 aspect ratio and 5.1 surround sound.
* Microsoft will have 2 million Xbox Live Subscribers by the end of this fiscal (June).
* Xbox Live memberships will transfer seamlessly from Xbox to Xbox 360 when the new system launches.
* The free Xbox Live 'Silver' level will include Xbox Live Marketplace to download demos and trailers along with new game levels, maps, weapons, vehicles, skins, classic arcade games, card and board games, community-created content, and more to the detachable Xbox 360 hard drive. Players can also voice chat with friends as well as send and receive text and voice messages.
* The paid Xbox Live 'Gold' subscription will add online multiplayer gaming, online tournaments, Spectator Mode (example: watch a PGR3 race) and exclusive, original programming.
* P. Moore proposed a PGR3 tournament where thousands of gamers could pay $10 to compete in a race tournament for the chance to win $million.
* All Xbox360 owners will get 1 month of Xbox Live 'Gold' for free.
* Microsoft expects to connect half of all Xbox 360 consoles to Xbox Live.
* Xbox Live Arcade (with 'old school' games for casual gamers) will still be there (free?).
* iPod and PSP integration! Unknown yet what exactly you will be able to do.
* Xbox 360 is "digital entertainment amplifier" for other devices. You will be able to connect many digicams and music players to transfer/stream your pictures and music to your Xbox360. The console will also interact with Windows Media Center-equipped PCs. (Stream HD music/video, ...)
* J. Allard: "Xbox 360 is also the product that's going to push gaming back into the mainstream"
* Microsoft premiered footage for the anticipated 3D fighter Dead or Alive 4 (Xbox 360 exclusive), it 'wowed' the audiences with crisp, clean visuals running at 60 frames per second. Read More
* They talked about and showed several Xbox360 games, xbox.com has a short overview of each game.
* The original Xbox will get 200 new titles this year, with hundreds more in 2006 and later.
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Xbox360 Some Backward Compatibility and Square-Enix Brings FFXI to Xbox
>> From Forbes.com:One of the best-selling video games of all time, Final Fantasy, will be available for the first time on Microsoft's Xbox. The company also confirmed that some of the top-selling current Xbox games will work with the forthcoming Xbox 360, due out later this year. Typically, customers are forced to spend an average of $50 on new video games every time a new hardware console comes out.
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Free Windows software update will make digital content available on Xbox360
>> From Microsoft PressRelease:At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2005 in Los Angeles, Microsoft Corp. today announced it will release a free software update to Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 that will enable customers to take advantage of the Media Center Extender technologies built into Xbox 360 (TM) gaming systems to access and enjoy digital entertainment anywhere in the home. Every Xbox 360 will have Media Center Extender functionality built in and available out of the box. The Media Center Extender functionality, coupled with the software update for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, will provide customers with seamless access to digital music, video, photos, and standard and high-definition television and movies on Media Center Edition 2005-based PCs through any Xbox 360 game console in the house.
Inclusion of Media Center Extender technologies in Xbox 360 represents Microsoft's latest effort to provide consumers with seamless access to the same great experience provided in Media Center Edition PCs on any TV in the house. The Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 experience will be accessible on Xbox 360 systems by pressing the green button on the new Xbox 360 remote control. And, for the first time ever, the extender technologies that are built into Xbox 360 will enable customers to enjoy high-definition entertainment. For example, Xbox 360 will let players stream high-definition TV and movies stored on Media Center PCs, allowing them to watch a high-definition sports event while they chat with friends in other parts of the country who are watching the same game. Or they can receive a friend's invitation to play a game while watching live television.
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Mountain Dew and Microsoft to Give Away an Xbox 360 System Every 10Min
>> From a Microsoft PressRelease:Today at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2005, Microsoft Corp. and Pepsi-Cola North America announced a U.S. promotion to put the Xbox 360 (TM) next-generation video game and entertainment system from Microsoft into the hands of thousands of lucky people before the console hits store shelves. Beginning Aug. 28, Mountain Dew, Pepsi's intense citrus soft drink, and Xbox® will select a winner of an Xbox 360 console every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for nine weeks straight in the "Every 10 Minutes" promotion.
To play, consumers will collect codes found under the caps of Mountain Dew and other participating Pepsi products, and enter codes in a personal online account at http://www.every10minutes.com. Participants will be able to choose which 10-minute drawing to enter, and can spread codes across different drawings or stockpile codes and put them all toward one drawing. In addition, codes entered will automatically earn the participants points toward obtaining collectible merchandise and gear.
Xbox 360 Title Pricing Revealed?
>> From xbox360.ign.com:Our sharp-eyed web-checkers have just reported that online retailer EB Games is now listing all announced Xbox 360 titles for pre-order. Most interesting, however, is that the company is listing the titles at $60 -- only ten dollars above the typical game price for this generation. EB Games is also listing a ship date of November 1 for the titles.
However, keep in mind that the pricing is purely speculative, and the November 1 date obviously a placeholder.
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Hello
And Jeff Minter returns, with Neon built in to the X-Box 360! http://www.llamasoft.co.uk/neon.php
Steve
And Jeff Minter returns, with Neon built in to the X-Box 360! http://www.llamasoft.co.uk/neon.php
Steve
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Xbox 360: More Power?
>> From TeamXbox.com:Of the recent Xbox 360 gameplay footage we’ve seen so far, the one major concern has been that of the sometime sluggish framerate. In a recent discussion with a number of Microsoft executives, we managed to learn that all current Xbox 360 games that were shown at last night’s E3 press briefing are still running on alpha development kits that are not a true representation of what we can expect when the console launches this holiday season. Estimations are that the current kits are running at only 25-40% of the maximum power that the Xbox 360 will possess. Beta kits are scheduled to hit developers within the next 2 months and final hardware should arrive in early July.
It’s no surprise that Microsoft lost money on nearly every Xbox sold due to the price point that the console came to market at, but Ballmer assured that they’ve since learned their lessons. Not only has Microsoft had the luxury of a three year planning window, but they’ve since strengthened retail relationships that were being formed when the Xbox launched. It may seem odd, but before the Xbox, Microsoft did not sell one product directly to retailers and so there was definitely a learning curve involved. Every aspect and feature of the Xbox 360 was thoroughly planned for to ensure profit, including the somewhat recent jump to 512 MB of memory.
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Interview with Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft
>> JoyStiq has an interview with Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft. Here's a short excerpt:* There are going to be some more surprises on the hardware end?
Could be! Look, for us to say we’re going to go through a whole generation without an HD capacity drive—I think that would be naive to assume that we’ll be sitting here at the end of the Xbox 360 generation and no such device will have shipped. On the other hand, we haven’t announced anything, Sony’s announced something, and who knows? You know, they could have announced support for Beta instead of VHS. We’re trying to watch and really be agile on our feet, relative to the issues between HD DVD and Blu-ray. As a platform provider we’re trying to make sure our software standards are well-supported in both places. As the provider of the Xbox, we’re sitting there saying, “Look, we’re shipping NOW.” This was not an option. Neither one of these things were an option for our first shipment, so it’s kind of a moot point. Sony’s saying, “Who knows what the standards are, but we’re going to commit to what we’re going to commit to.” I think we can be nimble and agile and that’ll be important.
* Regarding backwards compatibility, it seems like that’s going to be on a kind of a selective basis from what we gather—is that correct?
We are working very hard to get compatibility. Of course the prioritization in our technical work is in the leading selling games from the first generation, just like the PS2 didn’t run all PS1 games, it is unlikely we’ll ever be able to say the 360 will run all Xbox 1 games. I think there are some games if we get them to run that means many, many other games will run, and I think rather than give some statement that is either too conservative (because the engineers can do better), or a bold statement we can’t live up to, we thought we’d make our strategy clear that as we get further down the road and as our engineers do more work, the execution will speak for itself.
* Are there going to be multiple configurations for the box? Will there be version with a built in TV Tuner and an expanded hard drive?
[laughing] We love the one configuration we’ve announced and we’re creative guys and I think you’re creative guys and so the notion that there might some day be other configuration is eminently possible. It’s a little bit like the discussion about HD DVD type storage. Will we have it? Sure. It’s not like by the next generation there won’t be a way to get massive storage on an Xbox. You’ll get it. And there will be other configurations that come to market. When and how and exactly which ones… when there’s news I’m sure we’ll be happy to trumpet those. Right now we love our one configuration that we got in market for this Holiday.
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J Allard and Xbox Project Article on Wired.com
>> Wired.com posted a very interesting article about J Allard, Microsoft's Corporate Vice President and Chief XNA™ Architect, and Xbox project a few days ago:Allard is all about uphill climbs. He helped drive Microsoft's entry into the Internet arena in 1994 and, in 1999, persuaded Bill Gates to build a videogame console and take on the powerhouse of the gaming business, Sony. Now, after a six-year ascent, Allard claims he can finally see the crest of the hill.
...
Allard is not exactly your typical Microsoft employee. Spend a bit of time with the man and you begin to see him as a wag on the loose inside the Microsoft campus, saying and doing his own thing regardless of whether it jibes with corporate strategy. He uses an Apple PowerBook, fires off rambling, profanity-laced emails to his superiors, and has a knack for, well, thinking different. He also has the respect of Gates and Ballmer.
So when Allard cooked up another unlikely proposal in 1999 [note x-s: the orginal Xbox project], his bosses paid attention. Ballmer remembers thinking that Allard's proposal was over-the-top. "Bill called me up and said, 'Let's get this thing fired up.' I said, 'Um, this is pretty different, pretty bold.' Actually, 'wacky' was probably more like it," Ballmer remembers. "I didn't say, 'Stop,' but I pushed back pretty hard. There's no way to muscle in on guys like Sony and Nintendo using just sheer resources."
...
He believes that for the Xbox platform to thrive, it must first trounce Sony in the gaming space. That means getting the hardcore gamers on board. "If we can get the first couple million Xbox 360s into the hands of the serious gamers, we can get to 10 million first," he says. "And the first guy to sell 10 million units wins."
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From: Not all those who wander are lost
Cheers Gary 
Post #71 confirms my thoughts exactly, I knew MS wouldn't have 'left out' HD DVD/Blu Ray from the initial released specs without good reason. Smart move, covering ones backside 
Sony have taken a gamble, remains to be seen if it pays off. Either way, MS have it covered.
Post #71 confirms my thoughts exactly, I knew MS wouldn't have 'left out' HD DVD/Blu Ray from the initial released specs without good reason. Smart move, covering ones backside Sony have taken a gamble, remains to be seen if it pays off. Either way, MS have it covered.
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Xbox360 Backward Compatibility: No Recompiling
>> Unlike what several news-sources reported earlier, Major Nelson (alias Larry Hryb, the Xbox Live Director of Programming) posted on his blog Xbox top-titles will work directly on Xbox360 (emulated) - no recompiling needed:Ok, let’s stop this right now. There is some serious wrong information floating around, so I need to clear this up. I grabbed my favorite PR dudes, and they are saying what I was telling a few of you in email:
“We’re not sure where this came from, and is incorrect. At launch, Xbox 360 will be backward compatible with the top Xbox games. Our goal is to have every Xbox game work on Xbox 360. You will NOT need to purchase a new ‘version’ — your original games will work on Xbox 360.”
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Xbox 360 retail price could be higher than expected
>> From TheRegister.co.uk:Goldman Sachs expects the Home and Entertainment division of Microsoft to break even at the end of fiscal 2007. The research outfit said that this "will depend on competitive pricing by Sony, but we feel this is probably about right, resulting in the elimination of about a 5% drag on overall Microsoft earnings."
Goldman Sachs expects Microsoft will move approximately 3 million Xbox 360 units in the December quarter, "with demand exceeding supply". Goldman noted that the console could be sold at a retail price that is more than it had expected.
"With the worldwide availability in the December quarter, likely strong initial demand, and the added cost of the hard drive [estimated at $30], we might see a higher initial price."
On a similar note, GamesIndustry.biz reported Sony hinted at a retail price "less than 50,000 yen" (~465USD or ~368EUR) for the PS3 in Japan. And the Playstation3 might launch first outside Japan - would be a fist time for Sony.
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Details of ATI's Xbox 360 GPU unveiled
>> The guys over at techreport.com released some architectural details of the ATI GPU that will be used in the Xbox360:Feldstein, the Vice President of Engineering at ATI, cited several major areas of innovation where the Xbox 360 GPU breaks new ground. The first of those is the chip's unified shader array, which does away with separate vertex and pixel shaders in favor of 48 parallel shaders capable of operating on data for both pixels and vertices. The GPU can dynamically allocate shader resources as necessary in order to best address a computational constraint, whether that constraint is vertex- or pixel-related.
On chip, the shaders are organized in three SIMD engines with 16 processors per unit, for a total of 48 shaders. Each of these shaders is comprised of four ALUs that can execute a single operation per cycle, so that each shader unit can execute four floating-point ops per cycle.
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More about the Xbox 360 User Interface
>> BetaNews.com got a demonstrated behind closed doors of the Xbox 360 user interface:The Dashboard, which can be customized using themes, offers access to four main panels: System, Games, Media and Xbox Live.
System contains standard configuration options for the Xbox 360, including linking up with network devices and setting parental controls.
The action starts from the Games panel, which displays the user's GamerCard containing their reputation, Gamerscore and Zone.
The Games panel also offers access to already downloaded content such as demos and trailers, as well as listing played games and accomplishments.
Xbox Live serves as the center for connectivity on the Xbox 360. The main screen lists messages and contacts, and a link to the Xbox Live Marketplace. The Marketplace is Microsoft's new clearinghouse for selling virtual in-game merchandise, interface themes, and game add-ons such as maps.
You can view their exclusive screenshots of the interface here.
Thanks to xsicxtransitx and Kapsel for the links.
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Xbox 360 vs. PS3 - Comparison by Microsoft
>> On the last day of E3, the Microsoft PR department comes with another 'hardware news update'. They compare a few parts of the Xbox360 performance with the Playstation3. You should of course understand that this article has been written and made by Microsoft and not by an independent source or so - but it can still be an interesting read nonetheless.Here's the summary:
There are three critical performance aspects of a console:
* Central Processing Unit (CPU) performance:
The Xbox 360 CPU architecture has three times the general purpose processing power of the Cell. Cell's claimed advantage is on streaming floating point work which is done on its seven DSP processors.
* Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) performance:
The Xbox 360 GPU design is more flexible and it has more processing power than the PS3 GPU. In addition, its innovated features contribute to overall rendering performance.
* Memory System Bandwidth:
Xbox 360 has 278.4 GB/s of memory system bandwidth. The PS3 has less than one-fifth of Xbox 360's (48 GB/s) of total memory system bandwidth.
When you break down the numbers, Xbox 360 has provably more performance than PS3. Keep in mind that Sony has a track record of over promising and under delivering on technical performance. The truth is that both systems pack a lot of power for high definition games and entertainment.
However, hardware performance, while important, is only a third of the puzzle. Xbox 360 is a fusion of hardware, software and services. Without the software and services to power it, even the most powerful hardware becomes inconsequential. Xbox 360 games—by leveraging cutting-edge hardware, software, and services—will outperform the PlayStation 3.
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Xbox360 games at E3 on Powermac G5s
>> Anandtech.com has pictures showing the Xbox360 game demos at E3 are running on Apple Powermac G5s.Each kiosk had a wired Xbox 360 controller connected to it, running into the base of the kiosk that only had one small window showing off a Xbox 360 console.
But the console itself wasn't on, looking at the right of the kiosk you get to see the actual power behind the demos:
Because the G5 systems can only use a GeForce 6800 Ultra or an ATI Radeon X800 XT, developers had to significantly reduce the image quality of their demos - which explains their lack luster appearance. Anti-aliasing wasn't enabled on any of the demos, while the final Xbox 360 console will have 4X AA enabled on all titles.
a bit naughty all the same.
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Its well known that the development boxes are PowerMacs (pics were about before the console ones were), so they haven't much to hide I suppose
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Originally Posted by Neanderthal
Watched a demo of DOA4 on the 360. Downloaded it from a bit torrent link but think it was from Gamespot.
Looks awesome
Looks awesome
For me a game can look as shiny as it likes but if it doesn't look realistic or feel right i steer clear....just my opinion mind
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box 360: Interface in Action (video) and Anandtech in depth Article
>> Two more interesting articles about the Xbox 360 console:* AnandTech.com has an interesting overview article. It puts lots of information released over the last few weeks in one nice article with lots of own pictures. It talks not only about the hadrware with:
-The Xbox360 Hadrware and Design where Microsoft told AndaTech the Xbox360 will be quieter than the current Xbox and that the backside design isn't final yet (outputs ports).
-The Wireless Controller that will be lighter than the current S-Controller and with a new connector on the backside (Microsoft is being very quiet about it atm).
- The Removable HDD adapter that was still empty in the mockup AndaTech got to see but that will probably be a custom interface to a 2.5" HDD.
But also about the new Xbox 360 Dashboard with:
-The new Xbox Live with the 'invite' pop-ups that can display in the middle of a game - AnandTech has screenshots of this.
-The GamerCard that displays the player's reputation (measured in stars), the GamerScore (counter of all achievements across all on- and offline games), the Zone (defines what sort of player you are) and an avatar (the can also be a picture taken with the Xbox360 camera)
-The Xbox Live Messaging that will not be compatible with 'e-mail' as MS didn't want spam on the Xbox 360. You'll also be able to keep a friends list and see what they are doing or which game they are playing.
-The Xbox Live MarketPlace where you will be able to download or purchase new content (demos, themes, levels, etc.)
-Xbox Live Arcade with 'old school' games.
The article also talks about the different devices you'll be able to connect with the Xbox 360 like digital cameras, mp3player, Ipods and also about Windows MCE PCs where the Xbox360 will act as a Media Center Extender.
* Xbox 360 Interface in Action (Video)
BetaNews.com posted a 2nd article about the Xbox 360 Interface/Dashboard. The first article already had some interesting info and pictures of the Xbox360 dashboard, but now you'll also get videos of Xbox Live and Xbox Live Messaging!
Go check it out on betanews.com
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MS Engineer Speaks on Xbox 360 Backward Compatibility
>> From TeamXbox.com:
Now that it's been announced at E3, I can finally reveal that the Xbox 360 feature I work on is... Xbox backwards compatibility!
With those words, Michael Brundage, a software engineer at Microsoft, kicked off this week’s update on his blog, finally revealing his latest assignment at the Xbox division. He first discusses the project and explains why it is so special:
Xbox backwards compatibility is a unique project in so many ways, and I feel very fortunate to get to work on it. I'm sure it will be the hardest technical challenge of my career -- I can't imagine what could possibly top it in terms of sheer technical difficulty.
This is part of what makes working at Microsoft so much fun -- the opportunity to work on magical projects and do the impossible. It's a lot of hard work, of course, but the challenge makes it fun.
With those words, Michael Brundage, a software engineer at Microsoft, kicked off this week’s update on his blog, finally revealing his latest assignment at the Xbox division. He first discusses the project and explains why it is so special:
Xbox backwards compatibility is a unique project in so many ways, and I feel very fortunate to get to work on it. I'm sure it will be the hardest technical challenge of my career -- I can't imagine what could possibly top it in terms of sheer technical difficulty.
This is part of what makes working at Microsoft so much fun -- the opportunity to work on magical projects and do the impossible. It's a lot of hard work, of course, but the challenge makes it fun.
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Xbox 360 to Use InterVideo's DVD Engine Playback
>> From TeamXbox.com:InterVideo has announced that Microsoft Corporation has chosen InterVideo to be the provider of its DVD playback software for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The partnership with Microsoft and InterVideo marks a significant step in PC/CE convergence, combining both video game consoles and home entertainment center together.
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Xbox 360 set to cost around $300; final pricing decision within months
>> From GamesIndustry.biz:Speaking to TheStreet.com, Allard said that he was "not sure" about the final price point, with a decision on pricing still "probably about two months away" - but confirmed that the price would "be in the neighbourhood" of the $300 price tag of Xbox at launch.
Regarding the exact date on which the Xbox 360 will arrive, Allard refused to be drawn - sticking to the oft-repeated games industry mantra of "when it's done" and stating that the full logistics of the worldwide launch have yet to be worked out.
Xbox 360 Kiosk, Play and Charge Kit and Rechargeable Battery Pack
First there's the Xbox 360 kiosk with a 23" HDTV LCD screen posted on gokis.net. It will be available in gamestores around the world where it will allow people to try out the Xbox360 console and games. The image (click image for full view with text) also informs us people will be able to bring their mem card and download content from the kiosk.
Then there's the 'Play & Charge Kit' and 'Rechargeable Battery Pack' posted on playerone.be.
The 'Play & Charge Kit' (left) will connect the controller with the Xbox360 console and recharge the battery while you'll still be able to use the now wired controller to play - very useful if your battery runs out in the middle of the game.
The 'Rechargeable Battery Pack' (right) will connect directly to a powersocket.
News-Sources: gokis.net and playerone.be.
Thanks to j0k3r for the link/news.
More Interviews: Shane Kim, Peter Moore and Todd Holmdahl
* Peter Moore - Worldwide Marketing and Publishing Xbox.
Short excerpt from www.computerandvideogames.com:
Q (CVG): How important are the Japanese games and developers for Xbox 360's success?
A (Moore): I've spilt a lot of blood for Xbox in Japan. But when you see that we've got Sakaguchi, Okamoto, Mizuguchi and Final Fantasy XI on Xbox Live you can sense the shift in momentum for Xbox in Japan. We've heard so many different complimentary stories about how what we do things is better than how Sony does things. We're evangelical. That's the way Microsoft works. We call it 'dev love', in that without developers all we'd have is a platform. A great platform, but a platform without games all the same.
Q (CVG): So will Xbox 360 launch on the same day across the world?
A (Moore): Will you be able to buy the console on the same day around the world? Probably not. Will it be a week or ten days later? Probably. But it definitely won't be the six months and 479 Euros it was last time.
* Shane Kim - Head of Microsoft Game Studio
Short excerpt from xbox360.ign.com:
Q (IGN): I wanted to know at what point the development kits were, and at what level these games are being shown. Are these games being shown at only 20% to 30% of the Xbox 360's capacity? Are they running on the Xbox 360 graphics chip? Peter Moore was saying that the games shown at the conference, for the most part, were in-game generated using the latest dev kits, and are PC based, and using a PC-based graphics chip. So, can you tell us about where these games visually are now, versus where they'll be at launch?
A (Shane): I think a safer approximation is that we're probably at 25% of the power of that we'll really be. I think as we progress in the hardware, you'll see a tremendous improvement in terms of graphical fidelity. And I think from a development standpoint, we've been using the time very wisely because we haven't been trying to make the games look as great as possible necessarily on the hardware development kits that we have today. We've been really working hard on things like gameplay, things that we really push now. So, visually? Probably 25% of where we can be.
* Todd Holmdahl - Xbox Product Group (He's responsible for all the hardware development, hardware and semiconductor teams, manufacturing, and test teams)
It's a bit older interview that I missed, but it refers to homebrew development ... so it's worth mentioning I think. Here's a short excerpt from extremetech.com:
Q (ET): The original Xbox was home to a lot of homebrew development that Microsoft didn't really intend for. But that kind of thing has proven pretty popular, like with all the homebrew development happening around the PSP. Do you guys plan to embrace this notion more this time around, or is it too worrisome with Live always connected and the marketplace and so on?
A (TH): It's very important to have a very secure system, and we're making sure we have a secure system. It's a very private system, very secure.
Q (ET): Can you explain how you're locking it down?
A (TH): We're looking at it from a holistic standpoint, everything from servers to CPUs. We learned a lot from Xbox. We've architected the box to be very secure, and we started thinking about that from the ground up, and how to solve that problem holistically.
CIMTEK Inc Responsible for Testing Xbox 360
CIMTEK Inc., a Canadian company, has worked with Microsoft to design and implement a test strategy and deliver a global “Performance” solution for the most recent release of the Xbox.
CIMTEK utilized a variety of its Professional Test skills, from design for testability to prototype services, to lower the cost of testing. CIMTEK provided five (5) different testers with centralized control and reporting. These testers have been implemented across the manufacturing process and are helping Microsoft meet its production deadlines of moving the Xbox to market before the Christmas season begins.
CIMTEK's solution also incorporates Waterloo's PEER Group, which served to enhance the .NET capability of the remote reporting from China to the US.
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