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Xbox Rumor Thread
- Thread-Ersteller Jubei
- Erstellungsdatum
Microsoft and Nintendo Ante Up
Details of Microsoft and Nintendos plan to take on Sony
By Johnny Du
It is safe to say that this round of the console wars have gone to the Sony PlayStation 2, as its rivals - the Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo GameCube - never closed the gap caused by its one-year head start, giving the PS2 a dominating share of the worldwide gaming industry. Now, with the next shots looming, Microsoft - whose Xbox has been outsold by the PS2 by more than a five to one ratio - has released the first details concerning their next console, tentatively given the name Xbox Next. With this information out there, it definitely seems as if cutting back production costs has become a bigger priority than innovative technology. Nintendo isn't sitting back, laying out some of their plans for the next couple of years.
Microsoft has slowly informed developers of a planned launch in fall 2005. The plan is to power the Xbox Next with three IBM-designed 64-bit processors, which would give it more power than most personal computers. These chips will be future versions of those currently being used in Apple's PowerMac G5 machines. The graphic chip is to be designed by ATI Technologies, which will assist the console in displaying video games with high-definition TV quality resolution. The system will be equipped with 256 megabytes of RAM (random access memory), four times the amount inside the Xbox. However, in what appears to be a game of one-upmanship, Microsoft is ready to double that amount to 512 megabytes if Sony increases the memory of its PS3. In a cost-cutting move, it is also likely that the new console will be produced without a hard drive, instead relying on flash memory to store game data, one of the characteristics on the PS2. But, like the issue of RAM, the Xbox Next would likely come with a hard drive if Sony were to put one in its upcoming PlayStation 3. Junior Derek Ng says that's a mistake. "Everything else looks good, but if they want to keep making better games and evolving, they should keep the hard drive in the next system," Ng comments in regards to the hard drive decision.
It is unclear what type of DVD video technology will be employed, as Microsoft hasn't decided whether to stick with the current version, or switch to the new Blu-Ray system. The question there is whether Blu-Ray will be ready in time to be included in the Xbox Next. Another question that remains to be answered is whether the Xbox Next will provide backwards compatibility for games designed for the original Xbox. Microsoft has wavered on the issue, as the cost of licensing and hardware may be too great for them. This would be a huge blow to any chance at Microsoft to put a dent in Sony's armor in the future, as one of the biggest reasons for the PS2's success is its ability to play games published for the original PlayStation.
The window of fall 2005 is a golden opportunity for Microsoft to make its move. Of course, none of Microsoft's official plans have been set in stone. More definitive details are expected to be announced at this month's Game Developers Conference at the San Jose Convention Center and at the gaming industry's biggest annual event: May's Electronic Entertainment Exposition (E3) in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Nintendo is not resting either. A Japanese newspaper has reported that Nintendo will reveal their next system at the 2005 E3, with the system coming out in the same timeframe of the Xbox Next and the PS3. Like Microsoft, Nintendo will enlist IBM to develop the CPU of their next console. It has also announced plans to release the Nintendo Double Screen ("DS") later this year, a portable system featuring two LCD screens. Also planned are peripheral add-ons to the current GameCube, the first which will be released around the time of the Xbox Next. These add-ons will help to expand the capabilities of the GameCube.
With a far and away leading position, Sony is more than willing to milk all the profits from the PS2 before turning to the next round in 2006. In order to make significant strides, both Microsoft and Nintendo will have to make the first moves before Sony and gain a head start, the way the PS2 did on its way to dominance.
http://www.my.highschooljournalism.org/ca/santaclara/whs/article.cfm?eid=1555&aid=19342
Details of Microsoft and Nintendos plan to take on Sony
By Johnny Du
It is safe to say that this round of the console wars have gone to the Sony PlayStation 2, as its rivals - the Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo GameCube - never closed the gap caused by its one-year head start, giving the PS2 a dominating share of the worldwide gaming industry. Now, with the next shots looming, Microsoft - whose Xbox has been outsold by the PS2 by more than a five to one ratio - has released the first details concerning their next console, tentatively given the name Xbox Next. With this information out there, it definitely seems as if cutting back production costs has become a bigger priority than innovative technology. Nintendo isn't sitting back, laying out some of their plans for the next couple of years.
Microsoft has slowly informed developers of a planned launch in fall 2005. The plan is to power the Xbox Next with three IBM-designed 64-bit processors, which would give it more power than most personal computers. These chips will be future versions of those currently being used in Apple's PowerMac G5 machines. The graphic chip is to be designed by ATI Technologies, which will assist the console in displaying video games with high-definition TV quality resolution. The system will be equipped with 256 megabytes of RAM (random access memory), four times the amount inside the Xbox. However, in what appears to be a game of one-upmanship, Microsoft is ready to double that amount to 512 megabytes if Sony increases the memory of its PS3. In a cost-cutting move, it is also likely that the new console will be produced without a hard drive, instead relying on flash memory to store game data, one of the characteristics on the PS2. But, like the issue of RAM, the Xbox Next would likely come with a hard drive if Sony were to put one in its upcoming PlayStation 3. Junior Derek Ng says that's a mistake. "Everything else looks good, but if they want to keep making better games and evolving, they should keep the hard drive in the next system," Ng comments in regards to the hard drive decision.
It is unclear what type of DVD video technology will be employed, as Microsoft hasn't decided whether to stick with the current version, or switch to the new Blu-Ray system. The question there is whether Blu-Ray will be ready in time to be included in the Xbox Next. Another question that remains to be answered is whether the Xbox Next will provide backwards compatibility for games designed for the original Xbox. Microsoft has wavered on the issue, as the cost of licensing and hardware may be too great for them. This would be a huge blow to any chance at Microsoft to put a dent in Sony's armor in the future, as one of the biggest reasons for the PS2's success is its ability to play games published for the original PlayStation.
The window of fall 2005 is a golden opportunity for Microsoft to make its move. Of course, none of Microsoft's official plans have been set in stone. More definitive details are expected to be announced at this month's Game Developers Conference at the San Jose Convention Center and at the gaming industry's biggest annual event: May's Electronic Entertainment Exposition (E3) in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Nintendo is not resting either. A Japanese newspaper has reported that Nintendo will reveal their next system at the 2005 E3, with the system coming out in the same timeframe of the Xbox Next and the PS3. Like Microsoft, Nintendo will enlist IBM to develop the CPU of their next console. It has also announced plans to release the Nintendo Double Screen ("DS") later this year, a portable system featuring two LCD screens. Also planned are peripheral add-ons to the current GameCube, the first which will be released around the time of the Xbox Next. These add-ons will help to expand the capabilities of the GameCube.
With a far and away leading position, Sony is more than willing to milk all the profits from the PS2 before turning to the next round in 2006. In order to make significant strides, both Microsoft and Nintendo will have to make the first moves before Sony and gain a head start, the way the PS2 did on its way to dominance.
http://www.my.highschooljournalism.org/ca/santaclara/whs/article.cfm?eid=1555&aid=19342
Xbox Price to Drop to $149
In an effort to narrow the gap with Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft will cut the U.S. price of the Xbox by $30, to $149.99, at months end, sources told Video Store Magazine.
Xbox is dropping their price [between March 28 and April 1], a game publishing executive close to the retail community said. Thats verified. Theyve changed ad prices, they changed everything that price is coming down.
Asked for a response, an Xbox spokesperson said, Microsoft does not comment on rumors and speculation.
Xbox has been running a solid but distant second to PS2 in the console market, but may be concerned about Nintendos GameCube, which is in third place but has picked up considerable market share since cutting its hardware price to $99 last fall.
Retailers confirmed the Xbox move to game publishers while both were at Sonys Destination PlayStation sales meeting late last month. At that meeting, Sony officials said the launch of the PSP portable player has been pushed back until early 2005, but didnt mention any plans to lower PS2s $179.99 price. Sony did tell retailers and publishers they expect to sell between 5 million and 7.5 million PS2 hardware units in North America this year. But one source for a major video retail chain said that when Microsoft cuts its price, Id be surprised if Sony didnt match it right away.
http://www.videostoremag.com/index.cfm?sec_id=2
In an effort to narrow the gap with Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft will cut the U.S. price of the Xbox by $30, to $149.99, at months end, sources told Video Store Magazine.
Xbox is dropping their price [between March 28 and April 1], a game publishing executive close to the retail community said. Thats verified. Theyve changed ad prices, they changed everything that price is coming down.
Asked for a response, an Xbox spokesperson said, Microsoft does not comment on rumors and speculation.
Xbox has been running a solid but distant second to PS2 in the console market, but may be concerned about Nintendos GameCube, which is in third place but has picked up considerable market share since cutting its hardware price to $99 last fall.
Retailers confirmed the Xbox move to game publishers while both were at Sonys Destination PlayStation sales meeting late last month. At that meeting, Sony officials said the launch of the PSP portable player has been pushed back until early 2005, but didnt mention any plans to lower PS2s $179.99 price. Sony did tell retailers and publishers they expect to sell between 5 million and 7.5 million PS2 hardware units in North America this year. But one source for a major video retail chain said that when Microsoft cuts its price, Id be surprised if Sony didnt match it right away.
http://www.videostoremag.com/index.cfm?sec_id=2
oh... viele viele infos
thx jubei !
interessanterweise scheint microsoft sein system so zu konzipieren, das noch kurzfristig kleine änderungen vorgenommen werden können, falls sony auch noch mehr geld in die ps3 hardware steckt.
ist das "Blu-Ray system" eigentlich von Sony ? ... oder kommt das von einen Konsortium (wie damals die DVD) ?
... und die Preissenkung ? ... heisst das, hier wirds auch sinken ?
vielleicht nicht gerade dem Kurs entsprechend, aber immerhin...
da werd ich ja fast gierig auf ne dritte xbox
thx jubei !
interessanterweise scheint microsoft sein system so zu konzipieren, das noch kurzfristig kleine änderungen vorgenommen werden können, falls sony auch noch mehr geld in die ps3 hardware steckt.
ist das "Blu-Ray system" eigentlich von Sony ? ... oder kommt das von einen Konsortium (wie damals die DVD) ?
... und die Preissenkung ? ... heisst das, hier wirds auch sinken ?
vielleicht nicht gerade dem Kurs entsprechend, aber immerhin...
da werd ich ja fast gierig auf ne dritte xbox
Bloodflower
L13: Maniac
- Seit
- 19 Dez 2002
- Beiträge
- 3.030
Mehr Infos findet ihr hier:
http://www.speicherguide.de/magazin/glossar.asp?theID=141
Und jetzt bitte langsam wieder zurück zu den Gerüchten um den XKlotz.
http://www.speicherguide.de/magazin/glossar.asp?theID=141
Und jetzt bitte langsam wieder zurück zu den Gerüchten um den XKlotz.
Microsoft denies Xbox 2 showing at GDC
Kristan Reed 10:33 18/03/2004
We don't really believe them, though.
Speaking yesterday to our sister site Eurogamer.net, Microsoft Europe has issued a surprise statement that categorically denies the rumoured unveiling of Xbox 2 at the Games Developers Conference next week.
A senior Microsoft Europe executive responded to increasing speculation that it will launch its successor to Xbox at the San Jose show by saying: "Its fair to say we won't be announcing a hardware platform at GDC".
This news will come as a blow to those expecting that the show would mirror the role played by the event four years ago, when MS chief Bill Gates emerged on stage decked out in an Xbox baseball jacket to herald the company's arrival in the console market.
But despite all evidence and logic to the contrary, the company's appearance at the show is set to be limited to talking about games, with J Allard and Robbie Bach presenting two keynote speeches at the event. "It's fair to say that we are going to be discussing the role of software in games development," the source confirmed.
Indeed, the programme of events at GDC lists Bach and Allard's 'Getting To The Game' keynote on March 24th as being essentially no more illuminating than telling development attendees "how we can help you finally turn innovation into impact," and discusses a "faster path to Game of the Year accolades and to the hearts of the mass market".
Interesting stuff, but many had expected them to also add tantalising new information regarding Microsoft's future plans in the console market - with many commentators claiming that the GDC show would be the "coming-out party" for Xbox 2 and anticipating a full unveiling.
However, several senior sources have cast doubt on whether Microsoft is issuing denials so as to avoid spoiling the impact of its announcements at next week's show in San José, and despite this denial, it would still be surprising if the next-generation console was not discussed in some form at the showcase event.
One interesting possibility is that Microsoft will make the official announcement on Xbox 2 outside of GDC at its own separate press event nearby - thus eliminating the chance of information leaking out ahead of the show, as tends to happen at such big events.
Whatever the truth of the situation, Microsoft hasn't at any point shied away from the fact that it is working on a successor to Xbox, and with the possibility of a late 2005 US launch mooted, for the timeline to follow that of its original console an announcement now is essential.
Industry watchers expect - at the very least - software demos to be shown off to give an idea of the machine's potential capabilities. Essentially, that's all Microsoft did at GDC 2000, with some rough specs to allow developers the time to work on producing a quality launch line up.
Much the same was expected this time around, and for the console to be completely off the agenda would be a major surprise given the importance of the event - after all, launching developer specific information at E3 would be a strange tactic. It's possible that Microsoft's denial of a GDC showing for the console is simply designed to quell the more unlikely reports of a full unveiling, which has never been on the agenda for the show.
Indeed, the Microsoft Europe statement follows comments made recently by Microsoft Japan's Asako Miyata, who confirmed that while Robbie Bach would discuss the new console, Xbox 2 won't actually be unveiled at the event and the specs may not even be revealed, in a move apparently designed to ensure that the machine outperforms the PS3.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=dev&aid=3135
Kristan Reed 10:33 18/03/2004
We don't really believe them, though.
Speaking yesterday to our sister site Eurogamer.net, Microsoft Europe has issued a surprise statement that categorically denies the rumoured unveiling of Xbox 2 at the Games Developers Conference next week.
A senior Microsoft Europe executive responded to increasing speculation that it will launch its successor to Xbox at the San Jose show by saying: "Its fair to say we won't be announcing a hardware platform at GDC".
This news will come as a blow to those expecting that the show would mirror the role played by the event four years ago, when MS chief Bill Gates emerged on stage decked out in an Xbox baseball jacket to herald the company's arrival in the console market.
But despite all evidence and logic to the contrary, the company's appearance at the show is set to be limited to talking about games, with J Allard and Robbie Bach presenting two keynote speeches at the event. "It's fair to say that we are going to be discussing the role of software in games development," the source confirmed.
Indeed, the programme of events at GDC lists Bach and Allard's 'Getting To The Game' keynote on March 24th as being essentially no more illuminating than telling development attendees "how we can help you finally turn innovation into impact," and discusses a "faster path to Game of the Year accolades and to the hearts of the mass market".
Interesting stuff, but many had expected them to also add tantalising new information regarding Microsoft's future plans in the console market - with many commentators claiming that the GDC show would be the "coming-out party" for Xbox 2 and anticipating a full unveiling.
However, several senior sources have cast doubt on whether Microsoft is issuing denials so as to avoid spoiling the impact of its announcements at next week's show in San José, and despite this denial, it would still be surprising if the next-generation console was not discussed in some form at the showcase event.
One interesting possibility is that Microsoft will make the official announcement on Xbox 2 outside of GDC at its own separate press event nearby - thus eliminating the chance of information leaking out ahead of the show, as tends to happen at such big events.
Whatever the truth of the situation, Microsoft hasn't at any point shied away from the fact that it is working on a successor to Xbox, and with the possibility of a late 2005 US launch mooted, for the timeline to follow that of its original console an announcement now is essential.
Industry watchers expect - at the very least - software demos to be shown off to give an idea of the machine's potential capabilities. Essentially, that's all Microsoft did at GDC 2000, with some rough specs to allow developers the time to work on producing a quality launch line up.
Much the same was expected this time around, and for the console to be completely off the agenda would be a major surprise given the importance of the event - after all, launching developer specific information at E3 would be a strange tactic. It's possible that Microsoft's denial of a GDC showing for the console is simply designed to quell the more unlikely reports of a full unveiling, which has never been on the agenda for the show.
Indeed, the Microsoft Europe statement follows comments made recently by Microsoft Japan's Asako Miyata, who confirmed that while Robbie Bach would discuss the new console, Xbox 2 won't actually be unveiled at the event and the specs may not even be revealed, in a move apparently designed to ensure that the machine outperforms the PS3.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=dev&aid=3135
Ghost Recon 2 Exclusive Posted by Rocky on Sunday, March 21 2004
You've heard the rumours, now here's the fact - Ghost Recon 2 is coming, and it's not far away! We have already heard second hand information that Ghost Recon 2 will be aired at E3 in May, but that's not all. GhostRecon.net has also heard directly from the horse's mouth that Ghost Recon 2 production is well underway and the Ubi Soft marketing machine is about to swing into full force!
http://ghostrecon.net/ (credit: http://www.areaxbox.de/)
You've heard the rumours, now here's the fact - Ghost Recon 2 is coming, and it's not far away! We have already heard second hand information that Ghost Recon 2 will be aired at E3 in May, but that's not all. GhostRecon.net has also heard directly from the horse's mouth that Ghost Recon 2 production is well underway and the Ubi Soft marketing machine is about to swing into full force!
http://ghostrecon.net/ (credit: http://www.areaxbox.de/)
Wandhydrant
L15: Wise
- Seit
- 8 Apr 2002
- Beiträge
- 8.252
Fett. Ich liebe Ghost Recon.Jubei schrieb:
First Xbox 2 software to be unveiled tomorrow
Rob Fahey 17:46 23/03/2004
Is Microsoft planning a very unconventional coming out party for Xbox 2?
With just over 24 hours to go before Microsoft's Xbox press conference at GDC, word has reached us that the company may be planning to unveil the first demonstrations of Xbox 2 software in San Jose tomorrow.
It's been known for some time that Microsoft plans to use the GDC press conference, which happens tomorrow morning at 11am Pacific Time, to talk about the Xbox 2 for the first time in public - but what exactly the company will be showing off is not known.
Development sources today indicated that Microsoft is not prepared to discuss details of the specification of the console in its announcement tomorrow, and will not be unveiling the actual hardware design either. It's thought that the company is holding back on commenting on exact specification details until it has more concrete information about Sony's plans for PlayStation 3.
Instead of hardware, then, Microsoft is expected to talk about software - and today sources indicated to us that when Chief Xbox Officer Robbie Bach takes to the stage in San Jose tomorrow morning, he will be accompanied by demonstrations of the first confirmed titles for Xbox 2.
A number of key Microsoft developers are thought to have prepared demonstrations for the event in video form, and fingers are pointing to companies including British developers Rare and Climax to have created content for the announcement. MechAssault creators Day 1 Studios are also known to be working on Xbox 2 software, so they're another obvious contender - but Bungie and Lionhead (or Big Blue Box rather), both slaving away in the latter stages of key Xbox titles, are thought to be unlikely to have anything to show off.
If these rumours - which are absolutely in the realms of speculation for now - turn out to be true, then Microsoft would indeed have chosen an unconventional but telling manner in which to reveal its next generation plans. New platform announcements generally focus strongly on hardware rather than on software support; by revealing its software line-up before it has even finalised details of the hardware, Microsoft would be delivering a strong statement of intent regarding its commitment to remain focused on game software for its next platform.
Last week Microsoft Europe denied that the company was planning to show off the Xbox 2 at GDC - but earlier statements from the company's Japanese office confirmed that Bach does indeed plan to discuss the next generation platform tomorrow.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=3172
Rob Fahey 17:46 23/03/2004
Is Microsoft planning a very unconventional coming out party for Xbox 2?
With just over 24 hours to go before Microsoft's Xbox press conference at GDC, word has reached us that the company may be planning to unveil the first demonstrations of Xbox 2 software in San Jose tomorrow.
It's been known for some time that Microsoft plans to use the GDC press conference, which happens tomorrow morning at 11am Pacific Time, to talk about the Xbox 2 for the first time in public - but what exactly the company will be showing off is not known.
Development sources today indicated that Microsoft is not prepared to discuss details of the specification of the console in its announcement tomorrow, and will not be unveiling the actual hardware design either. It's thought that the company is holding back on commenting on exact specification details until it has more concrete information about Sony's plans for PlayStation 3.
Instead of hardware, then, Microsoft is expected to talk about software - and today sources indicated to us that when Chief Xbox Officer Robbie Bach takes to the stage in San Jose tomorrow morning, he will be accompanied by demonstrations of the first confirmed titles for Xbox 2.
A number of key Microsoft developers are thought to have prepared demonstrations for the event in video form, and fingers are pointing to companies including British developers Rare and Climax to have created content for the announcement. MechAssault creators Day 1 Studios are also known to be working on Xbox 2 software, so they're another obvious contender - but Bungie and Lionhead (or Big Blue Box rather), both slaving away in the latter stages of key Xbox titles, are thought to be unlikely to have anything to show off.
If these rumours - which are absolutely in the realms of speculation for now - turn out to be true, then Microsoft would indeed have chosen an unconventional but telling manner in which to reveal its next generation plans. New platform announcements generally focus strongly on hardware rather than on software support; by revealing its software line-up before it has even finalised details of the hardware, Microsoft would be delivering a strong statement of intent regarding its commitment to remain focused on game software for its next platform.
Last week Microsoft Europe denied that the company was planning to show off the Xbox 2 at GDC - but earlier statements from the company's Japanese office confirmed that Bach does indeed plan to discuss the next generation platform tomorrow.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=3172
Dead or Alive 4 für Xbox?
24.03.04 - Möglicherweise erscheint Dead or Alive 4 von Tecmo für die Xbox. Das geht aus einer Ankündigungsliste des Händlers Gamestop hervor.
Am 31.01.04 hatte Tomonobu Itagaki von Team Ninja in der Famitsu Xbox hingegen keine Angaben zur Hardware-Plattform des Prügelspiels gemacht - letztes Jahr sollte es laut dem Entwickler noch für Xbox 2 erscheinen, davor für eine 'Next Geneation' Plattform.
Den Erscheinungstermin gibt Gamestop mit 01.02.05 an, was allerdings ein Platzhalter sein dürfte. Tecmo hat Dead or Alive 4 bislang nicht offiziell für die Xbox angekündigt. Wahrscheinlich wird sich auf der E3 endgültig klären, auf welcher Konsole es erscheinen wird.
http://www.gamefront.de/
24.03.04 - Möglicherweise erscheint Dead or Alive 4 von Tecmo für die Xbox. Das geht aus einer Ankündigungsliste des Händlers Gamestop hervor.
Am 31.01.04 hatte Tomonobu Itagaki von Team Ninja in der Famitsu Xbox hingegen keine Angaben zur Hardware-Plattform des Prügelspiels gemacht - letztes Jahr sollte es laut dem Entwickler noch für Xbox 2 erscheinen, davor für eine 'Next Geneation' Plattform.
Den Erscheinungstermin gibt Gamestop mit 01.02.05 an, was allerdings ein Platzhalter sein dürfte. Tecmo hat Dead or Alive 4 bislang nicht offiziell für die Xbox angekündigt. Wahrscheinlich wird sich auf der E3 endgültig klären, auf welcher Konsole es erscheinen wird.
http://www.gamefront.de/
Citizen Zero Near?
The mysterious massively multiplayer game may make it after all.
March 25, 2004 - We can't officially refer to a marvelous technology demonstration by the BigWorld division of MicroForte as Citizen Zero, the PC/Xbox title that's been rumored to be on the way from MicroForte for years now, because there's no publisher just yet for the alleged game. However, the action we saw in the demo we'll call Not Citizen Zero was impressive enough to grab our attention and it should do the same for other Xbox fans out there.
Not Citizen Zero is played from an over the shoulder perspective where the main character takes up roughly 25 percent of the screenspace on the left side. It borrows a ton of conventions from the almighty Halo, including two weapons per character, two grenade types and separate shield and health meters; which make the whole thing feel like an online massive multiplayer version of Brute Force. It's class-based so you'll see a variety of weapons like a .44 magnum pistol, scorpion energy weapon, sniper rifles and rocket launchers designated for different types of characters. The biggest departure from the Halo/Brute Force convention is the selection of "powers" different classes will have available to them. There are also specialized weapons that mimic some of the super powers different characters.
In the demo we saw, one character had the ability to heal both the shield and the super power reservoir for his teammates while another character could turn invisible at will for a short period of time. The healer also has the ability to jumpstart deceased troops on the battlefield who haven't disintegrated. Yet another character has the ability to fire a slowing shot that will incapacitate the legs of human enemy soldiers. There was also a "draw fire" super power that allowed an extra durable "tank" type character to get any enemy he targeted to turn and engage him automatically. This would allow teammates to easily dispose of those enemies, yet it has to be quick enough before the character drawing fire draws too much heat and dies. If he survives, it's no problem for the healer to replenish his shields and super powers quickly.
The whole concept of Not Citizen Zero would be to have dozens of players (we hear 40 per game is the goal) having to work together as a team to accomplish goals. In the mission we saw three characters assaulted a futuristic prison taking on increasingly difficult waves of enemies until they confronted the all-powerful warden. You capture spawn points along the way so players won't have to start way back at the beginning should they die. But it's still about watching each other's backs and using your special abilities intelligently to assist your comrades and assuming they'll do the same for you. The intention is for the action to be fast paced yet still require the player to use some smarts and some strategy to get the most out of the gameplay system.
As we said Citizen Zero isn't the name of a massively multiplayer online game for the Xbox and PC, just yet. We've merely seen a mighty impressive demo of BigWorld's massively multiplayer technology that MicroForte has been working on. IGN will have more on Not Citizen Zero or any other Xbox that might be lurking about as soon as there's more to have.
-- Aaron Boulding
http://xbox.ign.com/articles/501/501985p1.html?fromint=1
The mysterious massively multiplayer game may make it after all.
March 25, 2004 - We can't officially refer to a marvelous technology demonstration by the BigWorld division of MicroForte as Citizen Zero, the PC/Xbox title that's been rumored to be on the way from MicroForte for years now, because there's no publisher just yet for the alleged game. However, the action we saw in the demo we'll call Not Citizen Zero was impressive enough to grab our attention and it should do the same for other Xbox fans out there.
Not Citizen Zero is played from an over the shoulder perspective where the main character takes up roughly 25 percent of the screenspace on the left side. It borrows a ton of conventions from the almighty Halo, including two weapons per character, two grenade types and separate shield and health meters; which make the whole thing feel like an online massive multiplayer version of Brute Force. It's class-based so you'll see a variety of weapons like a .44 magnum pistol, scorpion energy weapon, sniper rifles and rocket launchers designated for different types of characters. The biggest departure from the Halo/Brute Force convention is the selection of "powers" different classes will have available to them. There are also specialized weapons that mimic some of the super powers different characters.
In the demo we saw, one character had the ability to heal both the shield and the super power reservoir for his teammates while another character could turn invisible at will for a short period of time. The healer also has the ability to jumpstart deceased troops on the battlefield who haven't disintegrated. Yet another character has the ability to fire a slowing shot that will incapacitate the legs of human enemy soldiers. There was also a "draw fire" super power that allowed an extra durable "tank" type character to get any enemy he targeted to turn and engage him automatically. This would allow teammates to easily dispose of those enemies, yet it has to be quick enough before the character drawing fire draws too much heat and dies. If he survives, it's no problem for the healer to replenish his shields and super powers quickly.
The whole concept of Not Citizen Zero would be to have dozens of players (we hear 40 per game is the goal) having to work together as a team to accomplish goals. In the mission we saw three characters assaulted a futuristic prison taking on increasingly difficult waves of enemies until they confronted the all-powerful warden. You capture spawn points along the way so players won't have to start way back at the beginning should they die. But it's still about watching each other's backs and using your special abilities intelligently to assist your comrades and assuming they'll do the same for you. The intention is for the action to be fast paced yet still require the player to use some smarts and some strategy to get the most out of the gameplay system.
As we said Citizen Zero isn't the name of a massively multiplayer online game for the Xbox and PC, just yet. We've merely seen a mighty impressive demo of BigWorld's massively multiplayer technology that MicroForte has been working on. IGN will have more on Not Citizen Zero or any other Xbox that might be lurking about as soon as there's more to have.
-- Aaron Boulding
http://xbox.ign.com/articles/501/501985p1.html?fromint=1
Microsoft confirms Xbox announcement for tomorrow
By Abby Dinham, ZDNet Australia
29 March 2004
Microsoft Australia confirmed today that it will be making an announcement tomorrow relating to its video game system Xbox, following predictions by US analysts over the weekend that a price cut for the games console is imminent.
Spokespeople for Microsoft remain tight-lipped about the details of the announcement, however US analyst Tony Gikas has stated that he expects Microsoft will cut the price of its Xbox game console by US$30.
The Xbox consoles debuted on the Australian market at a retail price of AU$649, with the price dropping to AU$399 mid 2002.
The console currently sells for a standalone price of AU$299, however bundle price packages that include games and various pieces of hardware are also on sale.
First-release Xbox games retail from around AU$89 to AU$99 depending on the vendor; there has been no mention of a reduction in games prices.
Microsoft's biggest competitor in gaming, Sony Playstation 2 (PS2), says it has no plans to reduce the price of its console if Microsoft lowers Xbox prices.
A spokesperson from Sony Computer Entertainment Australia said the company already has a discount offering available, with a retail price bundle of AU$329.95 that includes a platinum game and DVD remote, equating to saving of around AU$100.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/hardware/0,2000061702,39118996,00.htm
By Abby Dinham, ZDNet Australia
29 March 2004
Microsoft Australia confirmed today that it will be making an announcement tomorrow relating to its video game system Xbox, following predictions by US analysts over the weekend that a price cut for the games console is imminent.
Spokespeople for Microsoft remain tight-lipped about the details of the announcement, however US analyst Tony Gikas has stated that he expects Microsoft will cut the price of its Xbox game console by US$30.
The Xbox consoles debuted on the Australian market at a retail price of AU$649, with the price dropping to AU$399 mid 2002.
The console currently sells for a standalone price of AU$299, however bundle price packages that include games and various pieces of hardware are also on sale.
First-release Xbox games retail from around AU$89 to AU$99 depending on the vendor; there has been no mention of a reduction in games prices.
Microsoft's biggest competitor in gaming, Sony Playstation 2 (PS2), says it has no plans to reduce the price of its console if Microsoft lowers Xbox prices.
A spokesperson from Sony Computer Entertainment Australia said the company already has a discount offering available, with a retail price bundle of AU$329.95 that includes a platinum game and DVD remote, equating to saving of around AU$100.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/hardware/0,2000061702,39118996,00.htm
Xboxworld.nl meint von einem Überraschungstitel erfahren zu haben, den Microsoft auf der diesjährigen E3 zeigen würde. Der Titel des Spiels "BREACH" tauchte auf einigen Händlerlisten auf und soll Gerüchten zufolge ein neues Bungie Projekt sein, dass bis jetzt unter dem Codenamen "Phoenix of Fantasy Siege" bekannt war. Wieviel an dem Gerücht wahr ist wird man wohl spätestens auf der diesjährigen E3 im Mai erfahren.
http://www.xboxworld.nl/index.php?show=news&id=4980&PHPSESSID=8562e048e3a1145389c44241fa40e1ed
http://www.xboxworld.nl/index.php?show=news&id=4980&PHPSESSID=8562e048e3a1145389c44241fa40e1ed
Brute Force-Macher plant Xbox 2-Spiel
30.03.04 - Die Digital Anvil Studios haben ein Spiel für die Xbox 2 in Vorbereitung. Das geht aus einer Stellenausschreibung auf der offiziellen Microsoft Homepage hervor.
Gesucht wird ein Programmierer, der bei der Erstellung von Grafik auf der 'Next Generation'-Hardware mithilft. Außerdem sucht man einen 'Senior Programmer', der sich um technische Aspekte von Xbox Live für Xbox 2 kümmert.
Digital Anviel Studios haben bislang u.a. das Actionspiel Brute Force entwickelt.
http://www.gamefront.de/
30.03.04 - Die Digital Anvil Studios haben ein Spiel für die Xbox 2 in Vorbereitung. Das geht aus einer Stellenausschreibung auf der offiziellen Microsoft Homepage hervor.
Gesucht wird ein Programmierer, der bei der Erstellung von Grafik auf der 'Next Generation'-Hardware mithilft. Außerdem sucht man einen 'Senior Programmer', der sich um technische Aspekte von Xbox Live für Xbox 2 kümmert.
Digital Anviel Studios haben bislang u.a. das Actionspiel Brute Force entwickelt.
http://www.gamefront.de/
How Microsoft planned Xbox 2 for Christmas 2004
Internal schedules at Microsoft as recently as last November called for the Xbox 2 to be launched in time for Christmas 2004, sources close to the company have revealed - and the firm is still thought to be considering a launch by mid-2005.
Sources at a number of key Xbox developers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have confirmed that when the company originally revealed the outline specification for Xbox 2 late last year, the company surprised its partners by suggesting that the new hardware would be in shops for Christmas 2004.
The system has since slipped from that schedule - which also called for an unveiling of the specification at GDC, at the high-profile press conference which the company eventually used for the launch of the XNA development platform - but Microsoft apparently still has hopes to get the new console out in mid-2005, ahead of the Christmas 2005 release anticipated by most commentators.
"I think they underestimated how hard it was going to be to build a console that wasn't using PC architecture," one source familiar with the firm's console development efforts told us today. "But they're racing to get to the market as soon as possible - they really want to reverse the head start that Sony had last time."
A launch in mid-2005 would probably give Microsoft a full year's head-start on Sony's PS3, and possibly even more, as some commentators have suggested that Sony could allow the PS3 to slip further in order to allow the PlayStation Portable to hold the limelight for longer.
One consequence of Microsoft's eagerness to launch a next-generation console so soon is that the firm has allegedly encouraged developers to move to next generation development ahead of schedule. While few if any companies have moved their PS2 teams onto PS3 projects as yet, discussions with developers over the past week have revealed that quite a few are wrapping up work on the Xbox with their current projects and are moving on to Xbox 2 development imminently - or have done so already. It's not a universal trend by any means, as several companies are still planning to start new Xbox titles in the coming months, but it's certainly a different landscape from the thriving environment that is PlayStation 2 development.
Of Microsoft's internal big-name studios, it's seemingly planned that Halo 2 will be Bungie's last Xbox title before moving on to Xbox 2 development, while UK-based Rare is already working on Xbox 2 software - with the highly anticipated Perfect Dark follow-up apparently planned for the next-generation hardware. The firm's range of XSN Sports titles have also been cancelled in 2004 and will now appear in 2005 instead - quite possibly as early Xbox 2 titles, thus giving the new console a full range of sports games from the first stages of its lifespan.
This is a risky gamble for the company. If they can launch the Xbox 2 in mid-2005, they'll certainly have an impressive head-start and will have the only next generation platform on the market for at least six to nine months. However, Xbox users may feel unhappy with the short life-span of their console as the flow of original titles for the platform dries to a trickle in 2005 - and if no new console is forthcoming until late in the year, then 2005 begins to look very barren for Microsoft.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=3348
Xbox 2 Hardware Architecture Revealed?
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/5728/Xbox-2-Hardware-Architecture-Revealed
Internal schedules at Microsoft as recently as last November called for the Xbox 2 to be launched in time for Christmas 2004, sources close to the company have revealed - and the firm is still thought to be considering a launch by mid-2005.
Sources at a number of key Xbox developers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have confirmed that when the company originally revealed the outline specification for Xbox 2 late last year, the company surprised its partners by suggesting that the new hardware would be in shops for Christmas 2004.
The system has since slipped from that schedule - which also called for an unveiling of the specification at GDC, at the high-profile press conference which the company eventually used for the launch of the XNA development platform - but Microsoft apparently still has hopes to get the new console out in mid-2005, ahead of the Christmas 2005 release anticipated by most commentators.
"I think they underestimated how hard it was going to be to build a console that wasn't using PC architecture," one source familiar with the firm's console development efforts told us today. "But they're racing to get to the market as soon as possible - they really want to reverse the head start that Sony had last time."
A launch in mid-2005 would probably give Microsoft a full year's head-start on Sony's PS3, and possibly even more, as some commentators have suggested that Sony could allow the PS3 to slip further in order to allow the PlayStation Portable to hold the limelight for longer.
One consequence of Microsoft's eagerness to launch a next-generation console so soon is that the firm has allegedly encouraged developers to move to next generation development ahead of schedule. While few if any companies have moved their PS2 teams onto PS3 projects as yet, discussions with developers over the past week have revealed that quite a few are wrapping up work on the Xbox with their current projects and are moving on to Xbox 2 development imminently - or have done so already. It's not a universal trend by any means, as several companies are still planning to start new Xbox titles in the coming months, but it's certainly a different landscape from the thriving environment that is PlayStation 2 development.
Of Microsoft's internal big-name studios, it's seemingly planned that Halo 2 will be Bungie's last Xbox title before moving on to Xbox 2 development, while UK-based Rare is already working on Xbox 2 software - with the highly anticipated Perfect Dark follow-up apparently planned for the next-generation hardware. The firm's range of XSN Sports titles have also been cancelled in 2004 and will now appear in 2005 instead - quite possibly as early Xbox 2 titles, thus giving the new console a full range of sports games from the first stages of its lifespan.
This is a risky gamble for the company. If they can launch the Xbox 2 in mid-2005, they'll certainly have an impressive head-start and will have the only next generation platform on the market for at least six to nine months. However, Xbox users may feel unhappy with the short life-span of their console as the flow of original titles for the platform dries to a trickle in 2005 - and if no new console is forthcoming until late in the year, then 2005 begins to look very barren for Microsoft.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=3348
Xbox 2 Hardware Architecture Revealed?
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/5728/Xbox-2-Hardware-Architecture-Revealed
