ATI Going for Xbox2?
- Thread starter Dave Baumann
- Start date
CeiserSöze
Newcomer
It could be Nintendo too. IIRC the Nintendo/ArtX-deal was announced in spring 1998 - almost 3 1/2 years before the GCN-launch. The launch of a GCN-successor 3 1/2 years from now in 2006 is possible (imho) so a Nintendo-deal is possible too 
ATI now own the team who have designed the last two Nintendo consoles. Also you don't see Nintendo taking ATI to court to get them to drop the price of their Flipper chip do you? So what makes anyone think that ATI won't stick with Nintendo for thier next console involvement?
Why does this analyst completely ignore the idea that ArtX/ATI will continue with Nintendo? I suppose he's one of those morons that still thinks that Nintendo aren't making another console.
CeiserSöze said:It could be Nintendo too. IIRC the Nintendo/ArtX-deal was announced in spring 1998 - almost 3 1/2 years before the GCN-launch. The launch of a GCN-successor 3 1/2 years from now in 2006 is possible (imho) so a Nintendo-deal is possible too
Its probable that if Nintendo are looking for a new part that may well be considered 'in the bag' for ATI (although, not necessarily a given). A large payoff, such as being talked about here, is almost certianly down to new business.
CeiserSöze
Newcomer
What if this supposed third-party deal doesn't have to do anything with consoles? We know that ATi wants to get big in other markets, especially the handheld- and the set-top box / DTV-market (they purchased NxtWave Technologies last year for this).
Could well be for something else - as I put on the post in the mainpage to speculate on. The question is, what else is that 'big'? Dunno.
FYI, I don't think its set-tops because they have already downplayed the potential revenues for 2003 in their last CC.
FYI, I don't think its set-tops because they have already downplayed the potential revenues for 2003 in their last CC.
megadrive0088
Regular
ATi would indeed be going for the Nintendo contract, not the Xbox 2 contract. ATi, David Orton more specifically, has publicly stated their intent to grab the next Nintendo console contract. ATi has never mentioned XBox 2, but Nvidia has. I agree with Teasy, that the whole ArtX/Nintendo history has been overlooked, and ATi owning ArtX.
One can assume a very high likelihood that ATi will design the next Nintendo graphics chip, and Nvidia will design the XBox 2 graphics chip.
One can assume a very high likelihood that ATi will design the next Nintendo graphics chip, and Nvidia will design the XBox 2 graphics chip.
DaveBaumann said:
Could it be for the portable Gamecube everyone's been talking about? You'd think they'd need a pretty hefty redesign of Flipper to get it into a portable system. It seems as though the existing graphics system is pretty large for a handheld, even ignoring new power requirements, etc.
http://www.gamersassociation.com/gamecube/images/sp_ngc_board.jpg
CeiserSöze
Newcomer
I just don't think ATi getting the XBox2-contract is likely. As megadrive said ATi has stated several times that they have a great relationship with Nintendo and want to continue working with them on future consoles. Now imagine if they get the XBox2-contract... in could ruin their whole Nintendo-relationship (especially when you consider that a company like Nintendo is notorious for being pretty hard to deal with). Why would they want to risk this?
NVIDIA not getting the Xbox-2 contract would also ruin MS's relationship with the masses of PC enthusiasts... the Xbox got a noteable boost from communities like Anandtech, NVNews, etc. I know that if NVIDIA wasn't inside the next console I would be a little disheartened.
G
Guest
Guest
What will happen to backward compatibility then?
CeiserSöze said:
Why would it ruin a relationship? Does them having 3D parts for PC and other markets ruin the relationship?
If Nintendo are looking to produce new hardware then does that mean it needs to have similar / the same requirements as other console parts? Looking at their recent history would suggest not.
I would still think this incentive for Orton wouldn't be for a continuation of current business either.
chap said:What will happen to backward compatibility then?
Its called DirectX. What do you suppose there is in current XBox titles that couldn't be achieved on a part designed to be available in 2005? Probably the biggest concern would be the use of shaders but DX parts are already backward compatible.
I don't see backwards compatibility as an issue to changing to any 3D vendor (with some DX experience).
CeiserSöze
Newcomer
DaveBaumann said:
No, but getting a contract to develop chips / a chip for the console of a direct competitor could. I just don't see one IHV developing GPUs for two different next-gen consoles. And considering Nintendo's long standing relationship with the ArtX-guys (which dates back to 1993 when they were still working at SGI) I think the that possibilities of another Nintendo/ATi-console are higher than those of ATi getting the XBox2-contract.
I think it would be an issue if they were going for similar specifications at similar times, but given what GC is in comparison to it's competitors, is this a given?
I really don't see ATi getting invovled with MS and the Next box. Nvidia didn't only provide the the graphics chip. they provided the mother board design, Audio chip, among other areas. i think they are to interwoven at this point to be easily replaced.
I also don't think that just having direct-X will fix back wards compatiability. the version of direct-X in xbox is specific and optimized to the NV2A.
I have a feeling any sort of ATI annoucement has to do with another contract with nintendo or even possibly sony.
I also don't think that just having direct-X will fix back wards compatiability. the version of direct-X in xbox is specific and optimized to the NV2A.
I have a feeling any sort of ATI annoucement has to do with another contract with nintendo or even possibly sony.
CeiserSöze
Newcomer
A Sony-deal is very unlikely imho. They are probably going to use a design of their own because they like to do everything as unusual and as complicated as possible
I think this deal has nothing to do with consoles.
I think this deal has nothing to do with consoles.
CaptainHowdy
Regular
Yup, just like I said months back(and got called names for saying), MS goes for the most powerful card maker, and ATI is always ahead of its time lately, they are quickly becoming the superior hardware company these days)
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