Microsoft Xbox 360

[van]

Do you guys know much about this? Haven't seen any posts so.. *shrug*

Gizmodo is reporting on a report about a report on the next Xbox, but due to our shitty work filters, I can't actually view the page that they've linked to.

Anyone feel like copying and pasting the text from the linked page?

[Shaneus]

Try this link: here. Proxy-safe filter thingy (which I use at work)

[Miles]

Sister site Kotaku has major, major news about Microsoft's next Xbox, the 360°. Among other details from our source is that there will be two models, one with a hard drive and one without, that the Xbox name is being deprecated and might be dropped entirely, as well as news that backwards compatibility still isn't locked down yet, even by Microsoft. Way to scoop the internet, Brian.

Also, just because I mocked up the design for the next console doesn't mean it's going to look like that. I mean, honestly, I was mostly just pushing the make-a-shape button until my computer bogged down.

This is single-source rumor time, mind you, but we're pretty sure about this one. This source was hands-on.

Not sure if I believe this, but hey, guess we'll find out soon enough.

[van]

Heh, wrong page both of you. I said I can read the Gizmodo page (such is how I knew to even post it here) but I can't read the page they're linking to! 'Sall good

[Miles]

Not everyone has to wait around to hear details of Microsoft’s sexy new Xbox 360—and now, thanks to Kotaku, neither do you. An exclusive Kotaku source has revealed a bevy of facts about the next-generation console set to rock the Xbox world.

The original Xbox was a manly chunk of square black-and-green plastic meant to win over a generation of hardcore male gamers. The Xbox 360° will be about winning over gamers of all persuasions, with a customizable look and a kindler, gentler Circle of Light marketing campaign.

Our Cali source says that the console is a sleek silver device worthy of countertop display, and features an inhaled design that turns the harsh angles of the original Xbox into sweeps and curves. The device will also be able to stand upright or on it’s side, much like the Playstation 2. The side of the 360° is dominated by an oversized, back-lit power button called the ring of light, and the rest of the case can be customized with colorful designer face plates that pop on and off. The 360°s dashboard will also be customizable, making each console a thing totally unique to its owner.

Some of the inner workings of the 360° have also been confirmed. The device will feature high definition audio and video and wireless controllers, and will come in two flavors—one with a hard drive and one without. The biggest shock is that while Microsoft wants to make their 360° backwards compatible, they haven’t yet been able to pull it off.

“They’re working on it,” said our inside source.

I wasn’t able to get any pictures of the 360°, but Gizmodo’s Joel was kind enough to do a mock-up of it’s face plate for us.

Stay tuned for more next-generation revelations

Not very exciting.

[van]

Naw? I think it sounds cool! Thanks for pasting

[Dan Syndrome]

All I know is that E3 this year is going to be verrrrrry interesting. And there was me last year booking my Eurotrip thinking "there's no need to swing by LA for E3, probably won't have major announcements." Oh yep, I'm a short sighted dumbarse.

[van]

Size comparison, next to the PS2: http://img216.echo.cx/img216/9817/xbox360size3yo.jpg

And some other pics here: http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000137041098/

Engadget is reporting that the latest image of the Xbox 360 is an ACTUAL image of the Xbox 360. They’ve checked with their very reliable sources and it’s been verified. So, what do you think? After all the hoopla, is it just another box? Need more info?

[emptyvessel]

Hmmm.. I'm going to have to see whether the name XBox 360 grows on me or not. After all, I like the initially-stupid names like Dreamcast and Gamecube.

[van]

I don't like the 360 name. Choc reckons it's a dig at Nintendo's Revolution thing, but it's a fucking shit name either way. It's like they officially consider 360 to mean revolutionary, but it's a totally different context. All it really means is to fucking spin around and wind up back where you started. Dicks.

But anyway, I think the console looks okay. It doesn't look awesome, but it won't fugly the hell out of my bedroom either. So I'll live.

[Nomis]

http://www.ourcolony.net

[van]

Ourcolony is such bullshit, I hate it.

[Nomis]

thats nice fag

[Adam]

This had better be quieter than the current Xbox. Fuck. Yesterday we were down the shops and heard this whirring sound, it turned out to be an Xbox in the Cook Islands.

[Miles]

Your xbox is incredibly loud.

My new one is whisper quiet.

My old one is somewhere in between my new one and your one.

[Adam]

Last night we put it in a cardboard box and threw a bean bag on top of it to cut out the noise, and it barely made any difference, and we spent the whole time worrying that it was going to overheat. After half an hour we had to take it out because it had started to overheat.

[cRINge]

nothing wrong with the xbox.
mine is quite quiet.
but, if it gets loud, just crank up the tunes dude.

[doyle]

or replace the fan with a pc one

[van]

Here's everything that IGN knows about it so far:

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/608/608394p1.html

[unfnknblvbl]

jesus christ, talk about your loads of rampant speculation being presented as facts...

[Ches]

Errr, isn't it more a case of rampant speculation being presented as rampant speculation? They're quite open about the fact that they don't know jack.

It's still interesting to see what could be.

[unfnknblvbl]

Inside the Box

What are the quick and dirty system specs?
# 3 PowerPC processors @ 3GHz each
# ATI graphics chip
# 256MB+ RAM
# DVD drive
# Optional HDD

3 processors?
Yes, Xbox 360 will have three processors, each running at a claimed 3GHz. Yes, we're talking 9GHz of total system juice. On top of that, each processor is capable of running two threads a piece, meaning that the console will be able to handle six instructions simultaneously. How difficult it will be to code for the system is unknown, though it seems quite obvious now that Microsoft's XNA project was made for a very specific purpose.

Looks like speculation being presented as fact to me..
Three 3GHz PPC processors? First of all, the number three for a number of CPUs is more than a little curious, secondly, 3GHz PPC? I doubt that very much, seeing as they don't even exist yet - Apple only just introduced a 2.7GHz Powermac.
Not to mention that "capable of running two threads apiece" kind of implies dual-core or Hyperthreading. I'd believe Dual-core, but not HT, as that technology requires a longer pipeline than the PPC class of CPU has. Dual-core is discounted for price concerns (not to mention that six is still not a Power Of Two) - if MS are going to launch the thing at $299usd, then they must be absorbing about a billion million dollars per machine if those specs are to be believed.

I'm betting that the "CPUs" are actually CPU + GPU/APU/PPU/WhateverPU

[unfnknblvbl]

or possibly CPU+CPU+xPU

[Miles]

3 3Ghz PPC CORES has been confirmed for a while, it's hardly speculation - if it's not that, I'll be very surprised.

It's not 3 separate CPUs, it's just one CPU, with 3 cores on it. Intel and AMD are already selling dual-core CPUs without too much of a price premium, and the PS3 is going to have 9 cores on the one CPU.

And it was also confirmed that it had hyperthreading.

Hyperthreading does not require a longer pipeline than the PPC has, and what makes you think it's going to be a stock PPC? It'll be slightly customised (like the Gekko was). Probably be stripped down and geared towards gaming. I also think that it's got a shared L2 cache (that the GPU has access to IIRC), which would cut down on die space significantly.

[unfnknblvbl]

confirmed? where?