|
Week of January 11, 2009
Xbox 360, PS3 Chip Co-Creator Talks Consoles' Relative Strengths
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
Former IBM technical architect David Shippy, who worked on both the PS3's Cell-specific PPU chip and Xbox 360's Xenon CPU talks to Gamasutra as part of an in-depth interview, and shares his thoughts on the relative pluses and minuses of each console's architecture.
Gamasutra asked him about the relative power of the two systems -- since he worked so intimately on them, does he have an opinion on which was the more powerful?
"I'm going to have to answer with an 'it depends,'" laughs Shippy, after a pause. "Again, they're completely different models. So in the PS3, you've got this Cell chip which has massive parallel processing power, the PowerPC core, multiple SPU cores... it's got a GPU that is, in the model here, processing more in the Cell chip and less in the GPU. So that's one processing paradigm -- a heterogeneous paradigm."
"With the Xbox 360, you've got more of a traditional multi-core system, and you've got three PowerPC cores, each of them having dual threads -- so you've got six threads running there, at least in the CPU. Six threads in Xbox 360, and eight or nine threads in the PS3 -- but then you've got to factor in the GPU," Shippy explains. "The GPU is highly sophisticated in the Xbox 360."
"At the end of the day, when you put them all together, depending on the software, I think they're pretty equal, even though they're completely different processing models," he concludes.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: gamasutra.com | gamasutra.com (full interview)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft Stands By Add-On Strategy
>> From edge-online.com:
[QUOTE]
Xbox 360 group PR manager David Dennis told Edge, "Our strategy from the beginning was to have multiple SKUs with a very flexible offering so the customer can choose the experience that they want. If you don't need a hard drive, you're not forced to have one. If you don't need Wi-Fi, you're not forced to pay for one."
"The strategy of having a console that is $200 more expensive that has features that people don't potentially need or want but have to pay for--looking at [Sony's] sales numbers--I'd say it's probably not the winning strategy at this point, especially given the current economic situation."
In a game of PR ping pong, Sony PR manager Al DeLeon responded to Microsoft's claims in an e-mail saying, "We absolutely support consumer choice with the PS3, offering the entry-level $399 SKU and a $499 SKU that includes a larger hard drive and great gaming content.
"Where we differ from the competition is that we're committed to delivering the best gaming and entertainment experience with a system that not only has the latest technology like Blu-ray and Wi-Fi built-in, but is a reliable device with a 10-year lifecycle."
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: edge-online.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Mysterious dash update released. It's a mystery
>> From xbox360fanboy.com:
[QUOTE]
A handful of loyal X3F fanboys just sent word that a new Xbox 360 dashboard update has just been released. The update installs the new dashboard version 2.0.7363.0 (replacing the old 2.0.7357.0 version) and has been slowly releasing across all consoles connected to Xbox Live.
Nobody at Microsoft has announced the update's release. Those who have received it haven't been able to find anything new, so we're speculating that it's one of those behind the scenes / no new features dash upgrades.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: xbox360fanboy.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Dec 2008 NPD: 1.44M Xbox360, 726K PS3, 2.15M Wii - MS Response
>> These are the December 2008 NPD hardware numbers:
* Nintendo DS - 3.04 million
* Wii - 2.15 million
* Xbox 360 - 1.44 million
* PSP - 1.02 million
* PlayStation 3 - 726K
* PlayStation 2 - 410K
Update: Here is Microsoft's official response to the NPD data:
[QUOTE]
December NPD results are in and Xbox 360 highlights include:
* December '08 was the biggest month for Xbox 360 in history
* Xbox 360 sold more consoles, games and online entertainment experiences in 2008 than any previous year
* In the all-important holiday quarter, Xbox 360 outsold PS3 by more than 2:1
Despite a decline in overall consumer spending during the holidays, video games continued to shine as a bright spot, with Xbox 360 registering record-setting numbers in December, selling 1.4 million consoles in the U.S. (December NPD data).
Not only did the Xbox 360 see its weekly sales run rate increase 38 percent compared to November, it also continued to outperform the PS3 by two-to-one for the third month in a row (December NPD data).
With third-party game sales for Xbox 360 increasing from $298 million in November to $504 million in December, it's no surprise that Xbox 360 has generated more life-to-date dollars at retail for third-party publishers than the PS3 and Wii combined. "Gears of War 2," "Call of Duty: World at War," "Grand Theft Auto IV," "Madden NFL 09," "Left 4 Dead" and the critically acclaimed "Fable II" were some of the hottest Xbox 360 games in 2008. Three Xbox 360 games appeared on the top 10 list in December, including "Call of Duty: World at War," "Left 4 Dead" and "Gears of War 2." (December NPD data)
"Our goal for 2008 was to reach new audiences by bringing ground-breaking games and entertainment to Xbox 360," said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "Looking forward, new waves of innovation will extend our position as the global leader in interactive entertainment."
As announced by Microsoft last week, Xbox LIVE continues to experience rapid growth; online transactions over Xbox LIVE grew 84 percent in 2008 over 2007. More than 40 million downloads took place through the LIVE Marketplace in December alone (Microsoft internal data). With consumer appetite for immediate online entertainment growing exponentially, Xbox LIVE is poised for another great year in 2009.
[/QUOTE]
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Spread News: PermaLink
| Add us on: Twitter - Facebook - RSS
(Thursday 15 January 2009 22:08 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Microsoft: Xbox will keep edge, even if PS3 prices drop
>> From blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com:
[QUOTE]
Even if Sony cuts the price of the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360 will maintain its advantage in the market, predicts Aaron Greenberg, the director of product management for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live.
"I think they're struggling frankly because of the economic situation," Greenberg said in an interview last week. "We were fortunate to be able to drop to the $199 price point. They are stuck at twice the price."
"I think we feel good about the price point we're at today," he said.
"We're not too worried about it," Greenberg continued. "Our belief is we will be able to continue to deliver more entertainment ... at a better value even if they dropped (the price) by $100. We would still maintain a price advantage."
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Spread News: PermaLink
| Add us on: Twitter - Facebook - RSS
(Thursday 15 January 2009 18:49 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Games Already in Recession, says NPD
>> From gamedaily.com:
[QUOTE]
."Previously, people thought that games might be recession-proof," Klotz [NPD Group's senior account manager] said, addressing the elephant in the room.
August had 9% growth over last year. September saw a 7% decline. October had 12% growth, and November grew by 8%. Klotz believes that those numbers should have mirrored the blistering growth experienced earlier in the year.
"The game industry is growing, but it has been impacted by the recession," concludes Klotz. "We probably would have seen even more growth if it hadn't been impacted by the current economic climate in the U.S."
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: gamedaily.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Spread News: PermaLink
| Add us on: Twitter - Facebook - RSS
(Thursday 15 January 2009 00:52 EST) - (Category: GamingGeneral) - (Posted by::
)
Cygnos360 News Update and Guides
>> From cygnos360.com:
[QUOTE]
* Cygnos 360 about to hit the road!
Sometimes things take longer than you inteded but now we are almost ready to ship. We had to change our manufacturer which cost us time but now everything seems good!
* Downloads/Guides:
-Installation of Cygnos360
-Tutorial on Downgrading an xbox 360
-Cygnos360 NAND Tool v0.9
* What is Cygnos360?
Cygnos360 is a Modchip that allows you to have more than one kernel version on your xbox 360. Currently users can only have either a vulnerable kernel version (4532 or 4548) OR the current kernel version that is neccessary to use xbox live and play the newest games. Cygnos360 enables you to conveniently switch between your "live kernel" and your "homebrew kernel". You can also use Cygnos360 to switch between PAL and NTSC kernels.
NOTE: Cygnos360 does not contain any kernel image! It is shipped empty! Cygnos360 does NOT enable "backups" it is NOT for the DVD drive. You need to have an infectus programmer or another programmer to flash the Cygnos360.
Please note that some of the possible uses of Cygnos 360 require you to know your Xbox 360 CPU key. At the moment, this key can only be extracted by booting a vulnerable kernel, such as version 4532 or 4548. If your current kernel version is newer than 4548, you will have to downgrade, which is up to date only possible with non HDMI Xbox 360 models (as far as we know production dates earlier than July 2007 are safe)
A kernel version older than 4532 does not pose a problem, since it can be upgraded to either version 4532 or 4548. Downgrading the Xbox 360 as well as programming Cygnos 360 assumes the temporary installation of an Infectus 1 or 2 mod-chip.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://www.cygnos360.com
Pre-Order Cygnos360 ($40): divineo.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Spread News: PermaLink
| Add us on: Twitter - Facebook - RSS
(Wednesday 14 January 2009 22:08 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox 360 Dominates 2008 Game Rentals
>> From kotaku.com:
[QUOTE]
Seven of the top ten most rented titles in 2008 were Xbox 360 games, the remaining three were Wii titles, according to a survey by Rentrak and Home Video Essentials.
1. GTA IV (Xbox 360)
2. CoD4 (Xbox 360)
3. Halo3 (Xbox 360)
4. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas2 (Xbox 360)
5. Army of Two (Xbox 360)
6. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
7. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
8. Fallout 3 (Xbox 360)
9. Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360)
10. Mario Party 8 (Wii)
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: kotaku.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Spread News: PermaLink
| Add us on: Twitter - Facebook - RSS
(Wednesday 14 January 2009 18:39 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
MS Denies Reports That Zune Hardware Isn't Long For This World
>> From gizmodo.com:
[QUOTE]
Steve Ballmer's recent statements about the Zune seemed to imply that it didn't have much of a future as a hardware product. Microsoft has responded to such suspicions:
"Basically, what happened last week, Steve [Ballmer] said a couple of things about the category," said Adam Sohn, head of Microsoft's Zune marketing division, causing speculation that Microsoft would stop making Zunes. However, he clarified, "we're not getting out of the hardware business at all," adding that Microsoft is "deeply committed" to continuing to its Zune hardware strategy.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: gizmodo.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Spread News: PermaLink
| Add us on: Twitter - Facebook - RSS
(Wednesday 14 January 2009 16:24 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Microsoft Launches New Media Safety Education Campaign For Parents
>> From gamasutra.com:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft and several partners launched Get Game Smart, a new public service campaign providing families with resources and incentives to rules and guidelines for media use at home, particularly with video games on Xbox 360 and PC.
The campaign seeks to encourage parents to to practice healthy, balanced, and age-appropriate media use with their children. An official site was launched with information about parental controls tools, tips, and resources on how parents can make safer gaming choices.
The site features a blog designed to tackle issues such as "reducing family friction when it comes to video games" and to inform parents of trends to anticipate with video gaming and online safety.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://www.getgamesmart.com
Full Story: gamasutra.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Spread News: PermaLink
| Add us on: Twitter - Facebook - RSS
(Wednesday 14 January 2009 16:20 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Microsoft: Digital content is fastest-growing portion of games business
>> From gamesindustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft has said that digital content is the fastest-growing portion of its games business, and the company intends to capitalise on the phenomenon further in 2009.
"The silent phenomenon that's happening now for us is that consumers are starting the transition to digital distribution," commented Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg.
"We're seeing record revenues, particularly in the UK, of consumers spending money on digital content... It's quickly become the fastest-growing portion of our business. I think that will continue to accelerate at a rapid pace," he added.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: gamesindustry.biz
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Spread News: PermaLink
| Add us on: Twitter - Facebook - RSS
(Tuesday 13 January 2009 23:49 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox Live Likely Receiving Next Big Update At Christmas
>> From 1up.com:
[QUOTE]
Speaking with Eurogamer, Microsoft director of product management Aaron Greenberg said that they haven't specifically committed to doing just a spring and fall update. Instead, it looks like they'll be delivering smaller updates throughout the year.
For now, the team is focusing on Primetime, which will be ready to go in the spring. After that, Greenberg suggested that "for holiday perhaps, we'll do something big. But exactly how that will work remains to be seen."
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: 1up.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Spread News: PermaLink
| Add us on: Twitter - Facebook - RSS
(Tuesday 13 January 2009 21:29 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox 360 Community Developers Still Don't Know Sales Figures
>> From multiplayerblog.mtv.com:
[QUOTE]
While Community Games has launched without a hitch, the situation is more troublesome behind the scenes, Community Games developers told MTV Multiplayer, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The root of the problem: we know as much as developers do about how games have been selling. Official Xbox Live evangelist Major Nelson has released several top ten lists seemingly indicating Xbox 360 users would pay for quality indie games, but how many people are buying them? Our sources said those numbers haven't been disclosed to anyone outside of Microsoft, developers included.
Microsoft told MTV Multiplayer they are currently working on making sales data available to developers. "All Community Games developers will be able to access sales and download numbers through the [XNA Creators Club] Web site by March," said a company spokesperson in an e-mailed statement this morning.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: multiplayerblog.mtv.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Spread News: PermaLink
| Add us on: Twitter - Facebook - RSS
(Tuesday 13 January 2009 00:32 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Pachter: Xbox 360 and PS3 Price Cut in April - June?
>> From gamedaily.com:
[QUOTE]
"Once the PS3 is at a more affordable price point (we expect a cut to $299 in April), we think that sales of that device will once again begin to grow. We expect another cut in price for the Xbox 360, with the feature-laden Pro model likely to come down in price to $249 at or before this year's E3 show in June. We expect Nintendo to maintain Wii pricing at $249 until the company sees signs that demand is slowing, which means a price cut may not happen until late in the year, if at all," Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter said.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: gamedaily.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Spread News: PermaLink
| Add us on: Twitter - Facebook - RSS
(Tuesday 13 January 2009 00:29 EST) - (Category: Xbox360) - (Posted by::
)
Microsoft: those who really care will find the Jasper 360s
>> From arstechnica.com:
[QUOTE]
I ask point blank: has there even been a discussion about simply putting the model type on the box, making it clear for consumers? "Yes," Greenberg [group product manager for the 360] tells me, and then pauses.
He rubs his face and looks up. "I have to be careful about how I answer this," Greenberg says. "We have focused really hard on improving the quality of our products, including the internal components, new types of things internally. Unfortunately we don't get and share the exact specifics of that... I know your site and your readers are much more sophisticated than the average public, but for the most part, we believe the type of consumer that's buying an Xbox today, they should be able to buy with confidence. They shouldn't, you know, get hung up on the internal components of the device.
"However, I think your readers will figure out the way to know the difference, and there are ways to figure it out, and they'll buy the one that they want. How's that for a... am I going to get in trouble here?" he asks the PR lady in the room.
[/QUOTE]
Full Story: arstechnica.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
