What do you think will be different about Xbox2 from Xbox?

[Fox5]

I think it will be significantly smaller. The original xbox was nearly a PC, I expect the new one to have a much simpler design now that microsoft is dropping the PC baggage. I expect a design somewhat similar to the gamecube, though not as small, and the memory controller, sound chip, and graphics probably won't be all on one chip.

I expect the xbox2 to produce at least 50% more heat than the original. Depending on clock speed, the cpu may or may not produce more heat than the xcpu, but I don't see how it can be equipped with a top of the line gpu and not generate significantly more heat than the xgpu.

I would not be surprised to see the xbox2 have a weaker gpu for the time period than the xbox1 did, but a faster cpu for the time period.

Online will play a bigger role, and cost more.

 

[Inane_Dork]

This is all just speculation, but I bet the X2 will be more powerful than the X1. Don't quote me on that, though. I don't want to spook my insider source.


EDIT: Forgot to add the serious part.

I do expect it to be smaller than the current Xbox and I expect it to get drastically cheaper to produce as time goes on. I also expect a lot more ties between the X2 and Longhorn than X1 and XP had. Just what those are and if they're any use, I don't know.

I also expect to see a divide between PC game tech and console game tech and console titles get built around streaming to overcome small RAM while PC titles get built around their far larger expected RAM and rather lack streaming because developer cannot depend on it being in the hardware.

 

[Blade]

That's the last time I'm telling you anything, Dork. Now Microsoft won't talk to me anymore.. *sigh*

I think the next Xbox will be just like the old Xbox, but smaller and with a good controller at launch.

I would also suspect that MS will try harder to get Japanese developers and Japanese market-share for its system. The game supply on the Xbox is great, but a lot of the better games are by Western developers. MS has the resources to win all 3 major territories. Tecmo was a step in the right direction, but if MS can secure a major Capcom title for launch.. or more preferably Square-Enix.. they'll get off on the right foot in Japan.

They should work towards that.

 

[Fox5]

This is all just speculation, but I bet the X2 will be more powerful than the X1. Don't quote me on that, though. I don't want to spook my insider source.

But will it be more powerful in comparision to the hardware that was available when the system launched? Will xbox2's graphics chip be faster than anything on the PC when it launches?

 

[Inane_Dork]

But will it be more powerful in comparision to the hardware that was available when the system launched? Will xbox2's graphics chip be faster than anything on the PC when it launches?

I think the answer to the second question is "yes." It may not have the absolute highest fillrate and polygon throughput and memory bandwidth and and and, but practically, it will be the best card out there (likely until the PS3 ships).

Overall, I'd say the X2 will be more powerful than the X1 (in relation to their respective times) because MS has lots more experience this time. They can afford to lose as much money (and maybe more) per unit at launch as before because they've planned it to shrink in price faster than X1. Plus, the X2 has efficiency as a design point more than the X1 did.

 

[Riddlewire]

I think the hardware will perform similar to the way Xbox did relative to the PC at the time of its launch. Nothing mindblowing on the horsepower front, but with features that actually see use in games rather than just being printed on the back of a videocard box.
I think there will be practically no exclusive titles for Xenon. None by third parties at all and few by Microsoft themselves. Every game for the system will be at least Xenon/PC. In other words, there won't be a single game that you can play ONLY if you own a Xenon (With the exception of maybe PDZ and PGR3).
I think there will be a lot of features that only 15% of the userbase will get any use out of (yet everyone will have to pay for).
I think Microsoft will focus far too much on the lost cause of the Japanese market. The controller will be a tiny nightmare. All the games will be focused primarily on Xbox Live play, which will turn off the 85% of Xenon owners who don't have XBL and would prefer a good single player experience.
I think there will still not be a power/dvd remote included as part of the default package. There will not be a HDD, but there will be a small supply of flash memory onboard, although I suspect it will be far too tiny for lots of game saves.
I think the first games will look pretty bland and then Wreckless 3 will come out in February '06 and blow everybody away (although the B3D boards will whine incessantly about how it's just a cut and paste job).

 

[AlNom]

I don't think they'll call it Xbox 2.





I believe they'll have more than one standard colour for the box too.

 

[Megadrive1988]

1. multi core CPU
2. on-die ~ edram on V|GPU
3. no harddrive
4. not a wintel PC.

 

[Fodder]

Re: What do you think will be different about Xbox2 from Xbo

What do you think will be different about Xbox2 from Xbox?

Rare might get around to releasing a few games. :?

 

[hey69]

Re: What do you think will be different about Xbox2 from Xbo

What do you think will be different about Xbox2 from Xbox?

Rare might get around to releasing a few games. :?

you never know with those guys .......

 

[one]

I also expect to see a divide between PC game tech and console game tech and console titles get built around streaming to overcome small RAM while PC titles get built around their far larger expected RAM and rather lack streaming because developer cannot depend on it being in the hardware.

Rather, how about possibilities of convergence toward streaming-oriented in the both, if XNA or other middlewares have an abstraction layer for streaming? You'll see more ports, anyway.

Though PC has faster and bigger HDD, streaming is nice in PC too in terms of game experience. PC games developers can set their target specs even lower and get more audience, though it may not true in certain situations.

 

[wazoo]

Re: What do you think will be different about Xbox2 from Xbo

What do you think will be different about Xbox2 from Xbox?

Rare might get around to releasing a few games. :?

you never know with those guys .......

Before or after MS sell them to Nintendo for 20$ ??

 

[carpediem]

When it will officially annouced by Microsoft, that's what I wanna know!

 

[Inane_Dork]

Rather, how about possibilities of convergence toward streaming-oriented in the both, if XNA or other middlewares have an abstraction layer for streaming? You'll see more ports, anyway.

Though PC has faster and bigger HDD, streaming is nice in PC too in terms of game experience. PC games developers can set their target specs even lower and get more audience, though it may not true in certain situations.

I should have been more specific. I meant streaming from CPU to GPU. That kind of thing will not be dependable on PC in the near future. The X2 and PS3 should have it standard, though. I expect developers to utilize the streaming to overcome some memory binds.

 

[max-pain]

When it will officially annouced by Microsoft, that's what I wanna know!

this spring

 

[Akumajou]

Fox5 wrote:
What do you think will be different about Xbox2 from Xbox?

Most likely in a desperate move, MS will team up with the Erotic industry and offer a pack-in "Joy-Stick" and a "Joy-Hole"as an interactive controller for certain games aimed at the older gamer.

 

[Fox5]

Fox5 wrote:
What do you think will be different about Xbox2 from Xbox?

Most likely in a desperate move, MS will team up with the Erotic industry and offer a pack-in "Joy-Stick" and a "Joy-Hole"as an interactive controller for certain games aimed at the older gamer.

Only for the struggling Japanese market were such products might almost be considered normal. Hey, it's the next obvious step up from the kasumi love pillow.

 

[wco81]

Is streaming mostly a workaround for RAM limitations?

Or does it have technical merit on its own, i.e. it achieves better results than having a big RAM bucket and cache?

Also, MS is touting XNA as an advantage over the Cell (surprising they are doing this already) but could it end up being mostly a way to facilitate PC to Xenon ports given the different HW architectures?

 

[Inane_Dork]

Is streaming mostly a workaround for RAM limitations?

Or does it have technical merit on its own, i.e. it achieves better results than having a big RAM bucket and cache?

*shrugs*

If you generate polygons on the fly, you can compress the model data in RAM and then expand it on CPU to create the stream. This can be better some some duplicated things (like tree leaves) because you can vary color, deterioration and position per leaf. Now, you could do the same if the whole model were in RAM, but if the hardware is not meant to do such things, it may not be fast enough.

Bigger RAM is just an easy solution for kinda everything. Need more detail on the brick? Enlarge the texture. Need to keep track of more NPC's? Allocate more memory.

Also, MS is touting XNA as an advantage over the Cell (surprising they are doing this already) but could it end up being mostly a way to facilitate PC to Xenon ports given the different HW architectures?

I'm guessing the biggest use of XNA will be in Xenon development. The toolset should get most of its workout there. PC development will take second place, and porting between PC and Xenon will take third. All this is my opinion.

 

[AlNom]

Bigger RAM is just an easy solution for kinda everything. Need more detail on the brick? Enlarge the texture. Need to keep track of more NPC's? Allocate more memory.

How much more memory is it to include detail textures? :? (e.g. They really helped in masking those low res textures in unreal championship)