News & Rumors: Xbox One (codename Durango)

[Cyan]

wow, that's a fair number of extra characters for my handle...

As far as the plan when I left, there was no plan to use any GPU time for the audio and speech pipeline, and 24 GFLOPS seems like way more than would be needed even if they were doing the entire speech pipeline in the GPU. Considering they have almost that much available purely in the audio block vector units, I'd be surprised if they had to use extra GPU.

I have a feeling there is a lot of misinformation on the subject. That 2% reserved for Kinect is likely to be spent on GPGPU operations for Kinect and not sound.

There are many examples of misinformation out there in regards to this subject, and I had read a few headlines saying that Microsoft are working on a patch to free up GPU resources by making Kinect optional.

On a different note, Phil Spencer talks about new IPs and says that there are certain secret Xbox One games that have the scale and potential of Halo. :smile2:

http://www.totalxbox.com/70267/cert...me-scale-and-potential-as-halo-hints-spencer/

 

[Cyan]

Now with Gears on board and given the fact that Microsoft Studios has more IPs than I thought, wouldn't it be a good idea to create a karting or similar game that serves as a crossover from various series?

Say Marcus drives a kart and he has a power which casts a tank which starts shooting at other karts that get a flat tire and a mechanics has to fix it, Perfect Dark's agent Joanna Dark can take turns in a very stealthy manner, and Locust can create holes on the ground so opponents fall on them.

Also the Master Chief could use the Cortana item, which could override the electrical system of the opponent's cars.

That or either Cortana could drive a kart herself and disrupt other karts by appearing as an holographic figure on their dashboard, impeding their driving.

I would love to play a game like that very much. I'd rather prefer it to be similar to Mario Kart: Double Dash, which included to riders per cart.

Remember that game when I had a GC.

This is the complete list of possible Xbox One IPs -thanks to Cjail-.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Studios

 

[blakjedi]

i think like with so many other choices MS made since 2011, MS has painted themselves into a corner wrt to Xbox one power. I for one would have definitely preferred a box with GPPU power on par with PS4 plus Kinect. Xbox without Kinect isnt worth $399 based on non-Kinect silicon and hardware. At 12 CU's, GDDR3 and ESRAM its probably worth $299 maybe 329.. making the Kinect a very expensive proposition... no matter what.

Im happy Ballmer is leaving and the entire direction of MS is being corrected.

 

[liolio]

i think like with so many other choices MS made since 2011, MS has painted themselves into a corner wrt to Xbox one power. I for one would have definitely preferred a box with GPPU power on par with PS4 plus Kinect. Xbox without Kinect isnt worth $399 based on non-Kinect silicon and hardware. At 12 CU's, GDDR3 and ESRAM its probably worth $299 maybe 329.. making the Kinect a very expensive proposition... no matter what.

Im happy Ballmer is leaving and the entire direction of MS is being corrected.

Imo the issue is indeed power and the resulting price.
If the focus was services, apps compatible with all their OS, TV, human interface, etc. so a system with a broad reach, imo the system is too expensive, way too expensive.
The system + kinect had to be cheaper, specs have to go down.

they made wasteful and weird choices, like those 8 GB of RAM and then reserve as much a 3 for the OS/service. That is a crazy amount.
May be too big a constrain on power budget which translates in more hardware.
Super complex OS. Mandatory kinect.
US oriented product it is night impossible to offer the same service elsewhere, yet kinect is mandatory and they offer support for all the language in this world.
Want to be next to the TV, actually in between stb and the TV, the device that stealthy take control of your living room, result it is pretty big, with an pretty invasive device Kinect, and comes with a big PSU.

Too much ambitions which turned into being not focused enough. Wanting it all and no longer being able to decide what was the main goal of the device.

Now it is not a disaster either and some of those critics applies to the PS4 too.

 

[Rangers]

So, this supposed "confirmed" to be an insider by a mod new guy comes on GAF and starts spouting XBO secrets. Here's a compilation so far, big time stuff:

A bunch. I'm gonna take it a little easy because I'm sure someone is, or will be pounding their fist into a mahogany desk overlooking the Redmond campus.

What has me excited right now is the revisiting of Halo. So later this year we're gonna get Halo 2 Anniversary edition WITH ALL SORTS OF SHIT. On Xbox One. November 11th!

wut? so Halo 5 next year.

Originally Posted by ntkrnl

Yep.

Saber and Certain Affinity have been contracted again

.

You will get Crackdown 3, unlikely announcement at E3 this year, as it is a 2016 release date.

Forza Horizon: "Fall 2014, probably September. Super sexy weather system and... shit tons of co-op/social stuff. 1080P and open-world, so you can road trip with your bros."
White Xbone incoming.
Why all the leaks? Scared you might get caught? "I am incapable of fear. Plus, this is such exciting stuff, and me talking about it ahead of time isn't going to hurt anything, truthfully. We're all chomping at the bit for it to come out. This is not bad. "
Halo Anniversary 2 will be 1080p, iffy on the 60fps, maybe not.
Quantum Break is Holiday 2014
Multiplayer confirmed for HA2, same devs as Halo Anniversary.
Sunset Overdrive is Fall 2014
Is not Phil Spencer
Black Tusk cancelled project was called "Shangheist." May have involved stealing stuff from the Chinese (though I think that may have been a reference to the name and maybe not the gameplay? Not sure...)
Fable Legends is Summer 2015
Halo 2 Anniversary includes beta for Halo 5
Gears of War will probably need a 2.5 year dev time.
First Titanfall DLC is 45 days from release, then another one 120 days from release.
No Crackdown 3 news this year most likely, since it's a 2016 title.
A list w/dates of the rest of the Tier 2 and Tier 3 countries that Xbone will release in this year.
No info/idea on what Rare's up to, sadly.
$399 XB1 this year? "Maybe one without an Optical Disc Drive."

Hi Tom, you're making me show off.

White Console plus Sunset Overdrive and a fancy ass controller in October.

Also a limited edition 1TB box after that in November.

Disappointing to me mainly so far that no concrete plans for a 399 SKU (come on MS, you cant expect to stay competitive in the sales race at 499), and no Halo 5 this year???

We will see if this guy is right or full of BS. I dont much trust GAF "mod verification" anyways.

 

[Rangers]

Here's the insider's list of supposed non tier 1 countries XBO release dates

Might not be completely up to date, as I tend not to care about anything other than NA and Europe.

April, 2014
-
Japan
South Korea
Taiwan
Singapore
Hong Kong

Russia
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Denmark

Colombia
Chile
Argentina


October, 2014
-
China
Poland
Czech Repub.
Hungary (yes, I am. Almost lunch.)
Greece
Portugal
Slovakia

Turkey
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
United Allied Emirates
Israel

India
Indonesia
Egypt

Also a few people at GAF have questioned who would be in a position to know such wide range of infos. So take with salt.

 

[-tkf-]

Here's the insider's list of supposed non tier 1 countries XBO release dates

Also a few people at GAF have questioned who would be in a position to know such wide range of infos. So take with salt.

April! Phew, not so bad as feared.

 

[Billy Idol]

Imo the issue is indeed power and the resulting price.
If the focus was services, apps compatible with all their OS, TV, human interface, etc. so a system with a broad reach, imo the system is too expensive, way too expensive.
The system + kinect had to be cheaper, specs have to go down.

they made wasteful and weird choices, like those 8 GB of RAM and then reserve as much a 3 for the OS/service. That is a crazy amount.
May be too big a constrain on power budget which translates in more hardware.
Super complex OS. Mandatory kinect.
US oriented product it is night impossible to offer the same service elsewhere, yet kinect is mandatory and they offer support for all the language in this world.
Want to be next to the TV, actually in between stb and the TV, the device that stealthy take control of your living room, result it is pretty big, with an pretty invasive device Kinect, and comes with a big PSU.

Too much ambitions which turned into being not focused enough. Wanting it all and no longer being able to decide what was the main goal of the device.

Now it is not a disaster either and some of those critics applies to the PS4 too.

I think a big problem is that MS did not prepare and offer a Kinect Killer app for launch. They should have made one of their devs focus on a AAA Kinect game offered at launch to blast all doubts away. Up to now, it is only a funny gimmick and hence it is difficult to argue the added value...especially at 100 more than the direct competition, which shows in sales.

I also do wonder if MS has a AAA Kinect title/application in the oven...do we have news about this or any rumor?

 

[Rangers]

The GAF leaker has now mooted a "Titanfall" edition XBO SKU, complete with a bad photoshop mockup.

While probably pretty guessable, at least we shouldn't have to wait too long to determine some level of veracity.

Probably the one thing he's said that makes me suspicious, is that Halo 2 Anniversary will also include XB1 ports of Halo 3 and 4 (which he neglected to mention, kind of a big detail to slip). Kind of hard to believe, even if they are simple HD versions rather than a full redo ala Anniversary.

 

[Rangers]

The Verge seems to have verified some things the leaker has stated

http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/29/5359540/xbox-one-dashboard-update-white-console-release-date

Microsoft is preparing to release its first major Xbox One dashboard update in March. Sources familiar with the plans have revealed to The Verge that the update will focus on fixing a number of issues with the Xbox Live service on the console, alongside other system fixes. Party-chat problems and issues with the usability and placement of social features of Xbox Live will be improved with the update. The update timing was first revealed by a forum poster at NeoGAF, and The Verge has verified it separately.

"Xbox One without a disc drive rumored"

The anonymous forum poster also claims Microsoft will release a white version of its Xbox One console in October alongside the launch of Sunset Overdrive. A 1TB version of the Xbox One is rumored for release a month later in November. The Verge can confirm Microsoft is indeed planning to release its white employee-only Xbox One this year. Other rumors shared by the anonymous forum poster include the possibility of an Xbox One without a Blu-ray drive, a Bluetooth adapter, and launch dates for the console worldwide. While it's unclear if a disc-less Xbox One will make it to market, The Verge can also confirm Microsoft has been testing versions of its console without a Blu-ray drive.

Microsoft is said to be releasing Xbox One in April in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina. An October launch of Xbox One is also rumored to follow in China, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, Portugal, Slovakia, Turkey, Saudia Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Israel, India, Indonesia, and Egypt.

We’ve reached out to Microsoft for comment on all the Xbox One rumors, and we’ll update you accordingly.

 

[DuckThor Evil]

At least Belgium, Switzerland and Netherlands are for whatever reason missing from that list...

 

[Devious]

Of course they plan on releasing a white XB1 as soon as I buy one. -__-

 

[fehu]

Only now I see it...

 

[Deleted member 13524]

It should be interesting to see how a drive-less xbone compares to a ps4 in price.

 

[mrcorbo]

The Verge seems to have verified some things the leaker has stated

http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/29/5359540/xbox-one-dashboard-update-white-console-release-date

Even though my preference is to be digital-only for this generation, I am more reluctant to buy a disk-less SKU now, even at a discount, then I would be if they had launched as digital-only with no disk-based content.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Drive should only add something like $30. Plus savings for smaller box and less transport/storage I guess.

 

[Cyan]

So, this supposed "confirmed" to be an insider by a mod new guy comes on GAF and starts spouting XBO secrets. Here's a compilation so far, big time stuff:





.








Disappointing to me mainly so far that no concrete plans for a 399 SKU (come on MS, you cant expect to stay competitive in the sales race at 499), and no Halo 5 this year???

We will see if this guy is right or full of BS. I dont much trust GAF "mod verification" anyways.

The news is perfect for me, if true. I rather prefer Halo 5 to be released in 2015 --2 years in development isn't much time, especially when the hardware is new.

And I also get my favourite Halo, which is Halo 2 (perhaps it was because it was my first Halo ever which was bundled with my Xbox back in December 2004)...

Halo 2 was the game I completed more times than any Halo game, in different difficulty levels, playing solo.

I couldn't complete if fully on Legendary, because of the Hangar level -had to decrease the difficulty level to Heroic, complete the Hangar level and increase the difficulty to Legendary again.

Oddly enough I played Halo 1 later and I began it on Legendary, I found it so easy by comparison. Halo 1 Legendary was like Halo 2 Heroic to me.

 

[Tap In]

Drive should only add something like $30. Plus savings for smaller box and less transport/storage I guess.

true, and then add in extra digital store sales and perhaps it's close to a wash and allows justification of a second, price parity sku, on the shelf

 

[mrcorbo]

The Verge seems to have verified some things the leaker has stated

http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/29/5359540/xbox-one-dashboard-update-white-console-release-date

Even though my preference is to be digital-only for this generation, I am more reluctant to buy a disk-less SKU now, even at a discount, then I would be if they had launched as digital-only with no disk-based content.

Edit: Not sure what caused the double post.

 

[Xalion]

Drive should only add something like $30. Plus savings for smaller box and less transport/storage I guess.

Might be easier to justify a loss leader on a driveless SKU though, as they know they will be getting revenue back through live and purchases through their store.