News & Rumors: Xbox One (codename Durango)

[Grall]

I'm still rather preferential to "loop" myself, for some reason. Of course, considering the amount of time this supposed name has been floating around the interwebs, there's approximately 0% chance it's the one they'll pick... *sigh* Oh well.

It's fun to be surprised too, sometimes. Unless MS "brilliantly" names their next-gen flagship something in the same vein as zune or bing - two of the truly most retarded product names ever thought-up, and from the same company no less. the mere thought's enough to make me shudder, weeks in advance of the reveal conference...

 

[Shifty Geezer]

What about Xbox 8? Has that been registered too?

I still think its just going to be called Xbox.

You can search any registration by typing into your address bar:

http://www.whois-search.com/whois/www.YOUR_NAME_SEARCH_HERE

Xbox8, XBoxLoop, Xbox 2, 3 and 4, have all been registered, in some cases clearly by hopeful cybersquatters (xbox2.com registered in 2000 for example). The moment any name outs, someone will snatch it up. Therefore one would expect any internal naming considerations to secure URLs early enough to protect against name grabs, which is where the dummy corporations come in, or presumably using the services of a third party to register a name on the (contractual) understanding that they'll transfer rights to the intended owner when the time comes.

Of course, surely MS will just use Xbox.com? www.ipad.com isn't Apple's product website for their product. Playstation3 and xb360 redirect to the appropriate parent websites, but it'd be no significant loss if those websites were taken. Everyone finds what they're looking for by searching now rather than full address. They'll type "Xbox Loop/Infinity/Eternity/8" in their browser bar and be directed to www.xbox.com. So I don't think domain name registrations are going to be much of an indicator.

 

[Billy Idol]

Isn't the name of the box the most uninteresting information? I don't care for the name, wonder which specs and which xbox exclusive titles will be presented...

 

[Rangers]

You can search any registration by typing into your address bar:

http://www.whois-search.com/whois/www.YOUR_NAME_SEARCH_HERE

Xbox8, XBoxLoop, Xbox 2, 3 and 4, have all been registered, in some cases clearly by hopeful cybersquatters (xbox2.com registered in 2000 for example). The moment any name outs, someone will snatch it up. Therefore one would expect any internal naming considerations to secure URLs early enough to protect against name grabs, which is where the dummy corporations come in, or presumably using the services of a third party to register a name on the (contractual) understanding that they'll transfer rights to the intended owner when the time comes.

Of course, surely MS will just use Xbox.com? www.ipad.com isn't Apple's product website for their product. Playstation3 and xb360 redirect to the appropriate parent websites, but it'd be no significant loss if those websites were taken. Everyone finds what they're looking for by searching now rather than full address. They'll type "Xbox Loop/Infinity/Eternity/8" in their browser bar and be directed to www.xbox.com. So I don't think domain name registrations are going to be much of an indicator.

I'm not sure how this works but I think in many cases a company can legally grab URL's they have a trademark claim too anyway. Such as Xbox Infinity I would think.

I've seen articles both ways, where MS went to some sort of a URL-governing commission and had url's handed to them on trademark grounds, but there was also a story a few years ago where a guy had registered a Halo URL that they settled with him. My conjecture would be since "Halo" is a word with multiple uses, the guy could claim some sort of defense along the lines of "I didn't mean the game honest" so MS had to pay him. Anything with the word Xbox in it I would assume if the theory above is right, would be pretty easy from MS to make a claim to.

So in that case any Xbox related domains they dont have but want, MS could seize them pretty quick anyway upon or near product reveal, possibly, so this whole thing might be meaningless. But personally I dont see it called Fusion.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I'm not sure how this works but I think in many cases a company can legally grab URL's they have a trademark claim too anyway. Such as Xbox Infinity I would think.

There are ways to challenge for them, but I don't see the point any more. It was important when the user's access to content was a URL, but now it's by keyword, domain names are pretty worthless identifiers. Obviously if it's a corporate identifier, like www.sony.com, then the company will want it, but specific products and the like can be placed within the main website and people will find it by typing what they're looking for. I think the web has moved on and the domains aren't a clue to much any more, but I may be mistaken - who can fathom the minds of the corporate executives??

 

[bbot]

I was thinking assuming that the leaked specs for Durango is a year old, can the peak compute performance of the gpu be increased by increasing the clock speed (would it take too long, in time for November)? From 800mhz to 1200mhz (1.85 TF)? 1600mhz (2.46 TF)?

 

[DieH@rd]

I was thinking assuming that the leaked specs for Durango is a year old, can the peak compute performance of the gpu be increased by increasing the clock speed (would it take too long, in time for November)? From 800mhz to 1200mhz (1.85 TF)? 1600mhz (2.46 TF)?

Those clocks are way too large. Nothing from AMD 7xxx series work at those clocks [high end 7970 card are sold with factory overclock from ~950 to 1050mhz].

 

[AlphaWolf]

Those clocks are way too large. Nothing from AMD 7xxx series work at those clocks [high end 7970 card are sold with factory overclock from 1000 to 1100mhz].

Fixed

 

[MarkoIt]

I don't think Microsoft needs an updated of the specs. The difference between the 2 hardwares won't be so big anyway: we are talking at the most of 20-30% .. It will be really hard to spot it for non-hardcores gamers. And i think we are talking of at least 100$ difference in the BOM of the 2 consoles.. it's huge. Microsoft will have a great advantage in the price positioning of the console. Which is what moves the bigger sales.

 

[Bagel seed]

I don't think Microsoft needs an updated of the specs. The difference between the 2 hardwares won't be so big anyway: we are talking at the most of 20-30% .. It will be really hard to spot it for non-hardcores gamers. And i think we are talking of at least 100$ difference in the BOM of the 2 consoles.. it's huge. Microsoft will have a great advantage in the price positioning of the console. Which is what moves the bigger sales.

I would hope so for their sake. But if the rumored $299 2 year $15/mo Live sub and $499 no sub box is true I'm not sure that'd be such a great advantage over a possible $399+ free online PS4. Look at the current gen. PS3 being $100+ (and even more at launch) than 360 held it's own worldwide and then some over the years.

Now, a $199 2 year sub and $299-$349 no sub Xbox.. that would make some bigger waves.

 

[warb]

I believe Xbox 360 was outselling the PS3 at a higher average price in the US.

 

[Cjail]

A change/upgrade of specs is unlikely to happen because MS would have to: spend even more money on R&D, break several contracts with suppliers, delay the console and the games, etc..
Developers are most likely already working on Durango games and (please correct me if I am wrong) to do that you need to know what are final specs.
Also a dev said that, I quote: "I can't talk too much about the next-gen Xbox, but I don't think a lot of people [are] going to be surprised. I don't think it's going to be huge news what's inside, no - seriously."

Take it for what it is but all signs points to no spec upgrade.

 

[Bagel seed]

I believe Xbox 360 was outselling the PS3 at a higher average price in the US.

Yup I read that elsewhere too, not sure on the exact figures though. But that's expected with the relatively large disparity in US userbase sizes from the get go. 360 has a bit of the momentum or "all my friends have it" factor. Everywhere else I believe it's a different story and PS3 gets away with a higher ASP.

 

[XpiderMX]

A change/upgrade of specs is unlikely to happen because MS would have to: spend even more money on R&D, break several contracts with suppliers, delay the console and the games, etc..
Developers are most likely already working on Durango games and (please correct me if I am wrong) to do that you need to know what are final specs.
Also a dev said that, I quote: "I can't talk too much about the next-gen Xbox, but I don't think a lot of people [are] going to be surprised. I don't think it's going to be huge news what's inside, no - seriously."

Take it for what it is but all sings points to no spec upgrade.

Well, it is a little bit ambiguous, but yes, I don't expect any upgrade.

 

[Bagel seed]

Most likely scenario on the 21st (or E3)... they completely ignore spec talk or just mention general architectural things. That's all the clue you'd need that nothing changed.

 

[Grall]

Also a dev said that, I quote: "I can't talk too much about the next-gen Xbox, but I don't think a lot of people [are] going to be surprised. I don't think it's going to be huge news what's inside, no - seriously."

What's the source for that quote?

 

[bbot]

If 1000mhz clock speed is possible, then the gpu wold have peak compute performance of 1.57 TF. MIcrosoft could compare that to PS4's "balanced" peak compute performance of 1.4 TF, and say, "see xbox outforms ps4", if only for marketing purposes.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

If MS can overclock, why can't Sony on the same architecture?

 

[dobwal]

Parity isnt just the product of equal hardware. There is no point for MS to pull out extra performance other than to create perceived parity. Developers aren't interested in the extra cost of creating a IQ difference distinguishable amongst mainstream gamers unless there exist a relatively hugh performance gap. All a 2.5 TFlop part from MS does is create a expensive part where the PS4 serves as a baseline for HD console titles. A small boost in clocks to create a smaller gap (1.4 vs 1.8 TFs) is probably all thats needed (1.2TF may be enough) to ensure that MS's hardware serves as a baseline hardware and make the proposition of Sony using first part titles as an IQ differentiator an expensive endeavor only suitable for its most successful titles.

Upscale versus native resolution probably isnt enough to serve as a differentiator for the majority of the market but upping the resolution will be a cheap way to make use of the extra flops of the better hardware. I can see MS throwing a few more Mhz at the gpu as anything more would be a worthless endeavor.

If MS was to go "full brute force scorched earth who cares about billions in losses" method in an effort to drive Sony and Nintendo out the market then using AMD next gen interface for apu directly connected to a discrete gpu may be a possibility. Personally i think thats a good idea.

 

[RudeCurve]

Personally i think thats a good idea.

Why?