anyone heard about this?....
THE NEXT XBOX
Graphics down the bottom
April 25, 2005 - This weekend more information was released concerning the Xbox 360 through Ourcolony.net. The site hooks visitors with cryptic blurbs of information, images, and some riddles. Gamers are encouraged to register with the site and either join a colony, or create their own. It is heavily emphasized that only players who work together and spread the message will be successful in advancing the game. The site features a leader board that awards points to colonies that sign up more members and answer questions correctly.
Fans of Halo 2 will remember the last 4orty2wo campaign that was based around Ilovebees.com. This URL was released along with the Halo 2 trailer in theaters and led millions of visitors on a wild goose chase. People who followed the game to its completion were given access to events on November 4th, where they were able to play Halo 2 before its release to the general public. 42 Entertainment's web site claims they create large scale "search operas," designed to cause consumers to look for the product.
Like the previous ARG, this one features a timer that counts down to May 12th. This is the date that the Xbox 2 will be revealed to the world on MTV. You can read more about the recently announced event here. The new system will be revealed to the world in less than a month's time, but so much information has already been leaked we decided to sum things up with a feature.
The Controller
The first puzzles on Ourcolony.net were solved to reveal partial images of a white controller. Basically, this piece of hardware is a streamlined version of the Controller S, with the black and white buttons moved to the top of the controller, just above the triggers. Developers have also reported that they are using current Xbox controllers to test software on the Xenon development kits, leading us to believe that both controllers are very similar.
The Game
Shortly following this puzzle a high resolution image of a car appeared on ourcolony.net. The car is a Ferrari 360 Modena, which can be interpreted as further proof of the system's name. It is also a hint pointing towards Project Gotham 3 as a possible launch title for the next generation system. The cover of the original Project Gotham Racing showcased a Ferrari F50 and the sequel featured a red Ferrari Enzo. Also, one version of the car picture that was constructed out of smaller, segmented images has a "3" inserted next to the headlamp.
After the car images appeared, we were presented with what appears to be a partial shot of the next generation Xbox console. Because the item depicted in this image is gray-silver color and includes a honeycomb mesh, early speculation linked these shots to the Xbox 360 development kits which are simply G5 towers. The tower is shown on the right with an orange background.
The Memory
This past weekend an incredibly hard puzzle on ourcolony.net was solved to reveal a small picture which seemingly shows a section of the memory card. There is a 64 clearly printed on the front of the card which leads us to believe that the system does in fact use 64 megabyte, removable memory cards.
This doesn't rule out the other big memory question regarding the Xbox 360, which is the inclusion of a hard drive. In a second leaked image which is apparently not from Ourcolony.net, the top of the system is shown in high detail. It is possible this image displays an attached hard-drive. The thin, rounded slit is most likely an activity light common on PC towers that shows when the hard drive is being accessed. On the side of this component there is also a block of text that says "40 GB", a pretty good indication that this is a 40 gigabyte hard drive attachment.
The Console
Later in the week, another, high resolution picture of the system surfaced on the internet. The exact source of these images is unknown and it is likely that they are not associated with Ourcolony.net. This image shows a complete front shot of console.
While the source of this image is questionable there are a number of factors contributing to its legitimacy. The image corroborates the design ideas we've heard about, with the system looking more like a PC or a TiVo than a gaming console. The system is rumored to have a single button and be able to be placed on its side like the PS2. Previously leaked information states that the system will be a metallic-silver color.
As we've been told the face shows two memory units slots, no controller ports, and a concave profile. Instead of the multiple green swirls shown in previous Microsoft ads, a large green circle appears on the right-hand side. A round-edged sliding disc tray appears above the memory units.
There are still unexplained aspects of the picture. The button next to the memory card slots has a small icon next to it featuring three curved lines. This is a common symbol for a Wi-Fi connection and would be an ideal place to put a reset switch for the wireless controllers. A similar version of the symbol is used on the PSP, Apple Airport, and numerous wireless modems to represent wireless capability. A Wi-Fi connection would enable the transfer of the large amounts of data that would be necessary for both controller functions and voice communication over Xbox Live.
Interestingly, Microsoft products using Bluetooth connectivity often have a small "B" next to their reset buttons, possibly ruling out a connection to that technology being associated with the button. Another interesting note on the system using wireless controllers is that it potentially expands the number of players the system can support at the same time. One of the cool things about EA sports games on the PS2 is that with the Multitap, up to eight people can jump into a game. Without hard linked ports, the player limit is only capped by the amount of transferable data and the software.
The black port to the left of the memory card slots resembles a traditional infrared port which would be used for a remote control. This points towards DVD playback capability out of the box, although the remote could be sold separately. The purpose of the oval on the far right side of the system is also questionable. It appears to be an access hatch and it is possible this is where normal controller ports may reside, wires and all. Of course, none of this information has been confirmed and the final system specs and design remain up in the air.
When is the system launching?
All signs point towards a November 2005 launch window. This is a prime month for Microsoft to position Xbox 360 as the must-have holiday item
How much will Xbox 360 cost?
The sweet spot for the cost of a new console at launch is $299. This is a good estimate of what a core package will cost for Xbox 360. There is a possibility of a second bundle that includes a hard drive and some pre-loaded game content. It is likely that this would bump the price up to $399 smackers for the HDD system. The bundle has become an incredibly popular sales technique, so don't be surprised to see more comprehensive bundles that include controllers and peripherals for around $500.
Will Xbox 360 have a hard drive? How big will it be?
Yes, there will be a hard drive, though it will be optional. The drive appears to attach to the left side of the system (while lying down) rather than fitting into an internal opening like the PlayStation 2 HDD did.
What kind of disc drive will the system use? Will it employ or support Blu-ray or HD-DVD?
Xbox 360 will use a standard DVD drive like the original Xbox, though it's said that most games will be dual-layer DVDs, holding over 9GB of data. As such, it will support neither Blu-ray nor HD-DVD.
The reasoning is that even if Blu-ray or HD-DVD drives launch before Xbox 360, they'll be very expensive and would drive the system cost through the roof.
How fast will the DVD drive be?
16X DVD drives are extremely cheap these days, so it's likely it'll either be at or near that speed (maybe 12X). With all of the extra data that games will be loading, Xbox 360 is going to need the fastest DVD drive it can get.
Will we still need an add-on to play DVDs?
Very unlikely. As the system seems to already have an IR port built into the system, it's safe to assume Xbox 360 will play DVDs out of the box. Our assumption is that a remote will be available as an add-on to save system costs, though like the PlayStation 2, it very likely won't be necessary for playback.
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.
Who's supplying the hardware?
IBM is supplying the main processors while ATI will supply the graphics chip.
Tell me about the graphics chip...
Xbox 360's GPU is based on ATI's next-generation graphics chip, putting it at least one generation beyond its current X800 card for PCs. That's about all that's known it at this point. Oh, and it will be very fast. Yep.
How much RAM will Xbox 360 have?
The system will have at least 256MB of RAM, possibly 512MB. One theory currently floating around the ourcolony.net hubbub surrounds an image of a clock. The clock has its hands set to 5:00, or in other words, the little hand on 5 and the big hand on 12. Could this be pointing to 512MB of RAM rather than 5 o'clock? Time, as they say, will tell.
What about video RAM?
As is the case with the current Xbox, it's rumored that Xbox 360 will make use of a shared memory architecture. That means that the system's 256 or 512MB of RAM will be used for graphics and texture memory as well as things like sound, animation source and of course, the actual game code itself.
While the majority of the graphics data will be housed in the shared system RAM, like textures and the like, the video framebuffer will use NEC's dedicated embedded DRAM technology. Long story short, by embedding the framebuffer RAM directly onto the graphics chip, Xbox 360 will be able to perform post-processing features much more quickly, like anti-aliasing and motion blur.
Will Xbox 360 have a dedicated physics processor?
It's not exactly known for sure, though it's been vaguely hinted at by Tim Sweeney while talking about AGEIA's PhysX processor that next-generation consoles in general will have something that will offer similar physics performance to the PhysX processor. Be that a PPU (physics processing unit) of their own or just plenty of horsepower, there will be plenty of barrels for you to push around in the next generation.
Will Xbox 360 be backwards compatible?
The problem with backwards compatibility is that the original Xbox ran on a nVIDIA graphics processor. When software makes calls to a chipset to produce visuals it uses code specific to that hardware. Xbox 360 runs on an ATI graphics chip meaning that code from last generation games will need to be recompiled in order to work on the system. Does this mean that consumers will have to chuck their beloved Xbox libraries? Not necessarily. There is a chance that Xbox 360 will have the ability to emulate the old system. A more slick move would be to give the hard drive the capability to play games from the old system as an incentive to buy this component.
Sound
What sort of surround sound support will Xbox 360 have?
Unknown, but you can bet $573 that it will support in-game Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Pro Logic II. DD, DPLII and DTS output during DVD playback is also a given.
So far as other in-game audio goes, we might see things like DTS ES, Dolby Digital EX or things of the like, but no announcements have been made yet.
What kind of audio connections will be available?
Both RCA stereo and optical like the OG Xbox.
Games/Software
What companies are signed on for Xbox 360 titles?
Among the publishers are all the biggest players, as well as a number of smaller houses which have already committed to the next generation, and are showing plenty of promise. They are:
2K Games
Activision
Atari
Bandai
Bethesda Softworks
Buena Vista Games
Capcom
Codemasters
Eidos
Electronic Arts
FromSoftware
InterServ International
KOEI
Konami
LucasArts
Majesco
Midway Games
Namco
Phantagram
Rockstar Games
SCi Games
SEGA
Tecmo
THQ
TWP
Ubisoft
Vivendi Universal Games
Webzen
Microsoft also has a strong lineup of developers set to create exclusive titles for the new Xbox system:
BioWare
Bizarre Creations
Bungie Studios
Epic Games
FASA Studio
Lionhead Studios
Rare
Yoshiki Okamoto's Game Republic
Hironobu Sakaguchi's Mistwalker
Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Q Entertainment
What titles are expected at launch?
Nothing has officially been announced, so even if we did have a definite lineup it couldn't be posted. However, there are a few standbys that appear at almost every console launch. The genres that should be covered are football, racing, an FPS, and a killer app. Judging by commercials shown during the draft, it looks like EA has Madden Next-Gen ready to come down the barrel. From images released on Ourcolony.net we are almost positive that Project Gotham Racing 3 will also be available.
It is hard to imagine the launch of Xbox 360 without Halo making an appearance in some form. Whether this is the third installment of the series or an upgraded Halo 2 project is anyone's guess. There are also a number of developers under Microsoft's belt that have been mysteriously quiet recently. One can only hope this means some surprise titles like a Perfect Dark sequel.
What is Microsoft doing about Japanese support this time around?
The above list includes a trio of Japanese star talent. Support from Mistwalker, Game Republic and Q Entertainment suggested good things for the next generation Xbox in Japan, but there's apparently much more. In an interview posted at the official Japanese Xbox site, Game Republic chief Yoshiki Okamoto suggests that Microsoft is working with companies besides these three on next generation development.
In comments from a recent interview, Okamoto states: "Sakaguchi (Hironobu Sakaguchi, Mistwalker), Mizuguchi (Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Q Entertainment) and of course myself are being put in the light like this, but I'm hearing that other developers will be joining [in development of next generation Xbox games]." This suggests that there are a number of surprises in store as far as developers are concerned. He goes on to state, "If the next generation Xbox lineup that's currently in development were seen, game users, and the entire game industry would be surprised. There won't be anyone who'd brush off buying the next generation Xbox once they've seen [the lineup]."
Xbox Live
Will Xbox 360 use the same Live network as Xbox?
This will be the same network, but it will be greatly advanced from the original Live structure. Gamer profiles will allow users to access information from a new interface that will remain consistent across all Xbox 360 games. These profiles track stats, friends' online presence, favorite songs, rankings and more. The new interface will also include an online store that will allow gamers to purchase in-game items through micro transactions that use their Live accounts. J Allard also announced at GDC 2005 that every game released for the Xbox 360 will be Live aware. When the system is connected to the internet it becomes part of a better developed online community than anything we've seen on a console.
Will we be able to message players on an original Xbox via Xbox 360?
Because this will be the same network, it should be possible for the old console to communicate with the new one. Microsoft isn't looking to cut people off from their services; they are looking to carry over a growing user base.
Will our Friends list transfer over?
The friends list should transfer over because Microsoft will want to use the same accounts that are currently active on Live. This fluid transition will keep gamers happy and money flowing from their wallets. Everyone wins.
What about the headset?
From our knowledge of the new controller, it looks as if they are missing a headset port. Because the controllers are most likely wireless, the headset can't be far behind.
How many players will the new Live support?
Most likely games will support 16-32 players, but expect this number to consistently grow. Recently we participated in a 50 player deathmatch in Black Hawk Down on the current hardware and Live setup. Also, Joint Operations on the PC supports 128 players, so if these numbers are possible now, expect similar results on Xbox 360.
THE NEXT XBOX
Graphics down the bottom
April 25, 2005 - This weekend more information was released concerning the Xbox 360 through Ourcolony.net. The site hooks visitors with cryptic blurbs of information, images, and some riddles. Gamers are encouraged to register with the site and either join a colony, or create their own. It is heavily emphasized that only players who work together and spread the message will be successful in advancing the game. The site features a leader board that awards points to colonies that sign up more members and answer questions correctly.
Fans of Halo 2 will remember the last 4orty2wo campaign that was based around Ilovebees.com. This URL was released along with the Halo 2 trailer in theaters and led millions of visitors on a wild goose chase. People who followed the game to its completion were given access to events on November 4th, where they were able to play Halo 2 before its release to the general public. 42 Entertainment's web site claims they create large scale "search operas," designed to cause consumers to look for the product.
Like the previous ARG, this one features a timer that counts down to May 12th. This is the date that the Xbox 2 will be revealed to the world on MTV. You can read more about the recently announced event here. The new system will be revealed to the world in less than a month's time, but so much information has already been leaked we decided to sum things up with a feature.
The Controller
The first puzzles on Ourcolony.net were solved to reveal partial images of a white controller. Basically, this piece of hardware is a streamlined version of the Controller S, with the black and white buttons moved to the top of the controller, just above the triggers. Developers have also reported that they are using current Xbox controllers to test software on the Xenon development kits, leading us to believe that both controllers are very similar.
The Game
Shortly following this puzzle a high resolution image of a car appeared on ourcolony.net. The car is a Ferrari 360 Modena, which can be interpreted as further proof of the system's name. It is also a hint pointing towards Project Gotham 3 as a possible launch title for the next generation system. The cover of the original Project Gotham Racing showcased a Ferrari F50 and the sequel featured a red Ferrari Enzo. Also, one version of the car picture that was constructed out of smaller, segmented images has a "3" inserted next to the headlamp.
After the car images appeared, we were presented with what appears to be a partial shot of the next generation Xbox console. Because the item depicted in this image is gray-silver color and includes a honeycomb mesh, early speculation linked these shots to the Xbox 360 development kits which are simply G5 towers. The tower is shown on the right with an orange background.
The Memory
This past weekend an incredibly hard puzzle on ourcolony.net was solved to reveal a small picture which seemingly shows a section of the memory card. There is a 64 clearly printed on the front of the card which leads us to believe that the system does in fact use 64 megabyte, removable memory cards.
This doesn't rule out the other big memory question regarding the Xbox 360, which is the inclusion of a hard drive. In a second leaked image which is apparently not from Ourcolony.net, the top of the system is shown in high detail. It is possible this image displays an attached hard-drive. The thin, rounded slit is most likely an activity light common on PC towers that shows when the hard drive is being accessed. On the side of this component there is also a block of text that says "40 GB", a pretty good indication that this is a 40 gigabyte hard drive attachment.
The Console
Later in the week, another, high resolution picture of the system surfaced on the internet. The exact source of these images is unknown and it is likely that they are not associated with Ourcolony.net. This image shows a complete front shot of console.
While the source of this image is questionable there are a number of factors contributing to its legitimacy. The image corroborates the design ideas we've heard about, with the system looking more like a PC or a TiVo than a gaming console. The system is rumored to have a single button and be able to be placed on its side like the PS2. Previously leaked information states that the system will be a metallic-silver color.
As we've been told the face shows two memory units slots, no controller ports, and a concave profile. Instead of the multiple green swirls shown in previous Microsoft ads, a large green circle appears on the right-hand side. A round-edged sliding disc tray appears above the memory units.
There are still unexplained aspects of the picture. The button next to the memory card slots has a small icon next to it featuring three curved lines. This is a common symbol for a Wi-Fi connection and would be an ideal place to put a reset switch for the wireless controllers. A similar version of the symbol is used on the PSP, Apple Airport, and numerous wireless modems to represent wireless capability. A Wi-Fi connection would enable the transfer of the large amounts of data that would be necessary for both controller functions and voice communication over Xbox Live.
Interestingly, Microsoft products using Bluetooth connectivity often have a small "B" next to their reset buttons, possibly ruling out a connection to that technology being associated with the button. Another interesting note on the system using wireless controllers is that it potentially expands the number of players the system can support at the same time. One of the cool things about EA sports games on the PS2 is that with the Multitap, up to eight people can jump into a game. Without hard linked ports, the player limit is only capped by the amount of transferable data and the software.
The black port to the left of the memory card slots resembles a traditional infrared port which would be used for a remote control. This points towards DVD playback capability out of the box, although the remote could be sold separately. The purpose of the oval on the far right side of the system is also questionable. It appears to be an access hatch and it is possible this is where normal controller ports may reside, wires and all. Of course, none of this information has been confirmed and the final system specs and design remain up in the air.
When is the system launching?
All signs point towards a November 2005 launch window. This is a prime month for Microsoft to position Xbox 360 as the must-have holiday item
How much will Xbox 360 cost?
The sweet spot for the cost of a new console at launch is $299. This is a good estimate of what a core package will cost for Xbox 360. There is a possibility of a second bundle that includes a hard drive and some pre-loaded game content. It is likely that this would bump the price up to $399 smackers for the HDD system. The bundle has become an incredibly popular sales technique, so don't be surprised to see more comprehensive bundles that include controllers and peripherals for around $500.
Will Xbox 360 have a hard drive? How big will it be?
Yes, there will be a hard drive, though it will be optional. The drive appears to attach to the left side of the system (while lying down) rather than fitting into an internal opening like the PlayStation 2 HDD did.
What kind of disc drive will the system use? Will it employ or support Blu-ray or HD-DVD?
Xbox 360 will use a standard DVD drive like the original Xbox, though it's said that most games will be dual-layer DVDs, holding over 9GB of data. As such, it will support neither Blu-ray nor HD-DVD.
The reasoning is that even if Blu-ray or HD-DVD drives launch before Xbox 360, they'll be very expensive and would drive the system cost through the roof.
How fast will the DVD drive be?
16X DVD drives are extremely cheap these days, so it's likely it'll either be at or near that speed (maybe 12X). With all of the extra data that games will be loading, Xbox 360 is going to need the fastest DVD drive it can get.
Will we still need an add-on to play DVDs?
Very unlikely. As the system seems to already have an IR port built into the system, it's safe to assume Xbox 360 will play DVDs out of the box. Our assumption is that a remote will be available as an add-on to save system costs, though like the PlayStation 2, it very likely won't be necessary for playback.
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.
Who's supplying the hardware?
IBM is supplying the main processors while ATI will supply the graphics chip.
Tell me about the graphics chip...
Xbox 360's GPU is based on ATI's next-generation graphics chip, putting it at least one generation beyond its current X800 card for PCs. That's about all that's known it at this point. Oh, and it will be very fast. Yep.
How much RAM will Xbox 360 have?
The system will have at least 256MB of RAM, possibly 512MB. One theory currently floating around the ourcolony.net hubbub surrounds an image of a clock. The clock has its hands set to 5:00, or in other words, the little hand on 5 and the big hand on 12. Could this be pointing to 512MB of RAM rather than 5 o'clock? Time, as they say, will tell.
What about video RAM?
As is the case with the current Xbox, it's rumored that Xbox 360 will make use of a shared memory architecture. That means that the system's 256 or 512MB of RAM will be used for graphics and texture memory as well as things like sound, animation source and of course, the actual game code itself.
While the majority of the graphics data will be housed in the shared system RAM, like textures and the like, the video framebuffer will use NEC's dedicated embedded DRAM technology. Long story short, by embedding the framebuffer RAM directly onto the graphics chip, Xbox 360 will be able to perform post-processing features much more quickly, like anti-aliasing and motion blur.
Will Xbox 360 have a dedicated physics processor?
It's not exactly known for sure, though it's been vaguely hinted at by Tim Sweeney while talking about AGEIA's PhysX processor that next-generation consoles in general will have something that will offer similar physics performance to the PhysX processor. Be that a PPU (physics processing unit) of their own or just plenty of horsepower, there will be plenty of barrels for you to push around in the next generation.
Will Xbox 360 be backwards compatible?
The problem with backwards compatibility is that the original Xbox ran on a nVIDIA graphics processor. When software makes calls to a chipset to produce visuals it uses code specific to that hardware. Xbox 360 runs on an ATI graphics chip meaning that code from last generation games will need to be recompiled in order to work on the system. Does this mean that consumers will have to chuck their beloved Xbox libraries? Not necessarily. There is a chance that Xbox 360 will have the ability to emulate the old system. A more slick move would be to give the hard drive the capability to play games from the old system as an incentive to buy this component.
Sound
What sort of surround sound support will Xbox 360 have?
Unknown, but you can bet $573 that it will support in-game Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Pro Logic II. DD, DPLII and DTS output during DVD playback is also a given.
So far as other in-game audio goes, we might see things like DTS ES, Dolby Digital EX or things of the like, but no announcements have been made yet.
What kind of audio connections will be available?
Both RCA stereo and optical like the OG Xbox.
Games/Software
What companies are signed on for Xbox 360 titles?
Among the publishers are all the biggest players, as well as a number of smaller houses which have already committed to the next generation, and are showing plenty of promise. They are:
2K Games
Activision
Atari
Bandai
Bethesda Softworks
Buena Vista Games
Capcom
Codemasters
Eidos
Electronic Arts
FromSoftware
InterServ International
KOEI
Konami
LucasArts
Majesco
Midway Games
Namco
Phantagram
Rockstar Games
SCi Games
SEGA
Tecmo
THQ
TWP
Ubisoft
Vivendi Universal Games
Webzen
Microsoft also has a strong lineup of developers set to create exclusive titles for the new Xbox system:
BioWare
Bizarre Creations
Bungie Studios
Epic Games
FASA Studio
Lionhead Studios
Rare
Yoshiki Okamoto's Game Republic
Hironobu Sakaguchi's Mistwalker
Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Q Entertainment
What titles are expected at launch?
Nothing has officially been announced, so even if we did have a definite lineup it couldn't be posted. However, there are a few standbys that appear at almost every console launch. The genres that should be covered are football, racing, an FPS, and a killer app. Judging by commercials shown during the draft, it looks like EA has Madden Next-Gen ready to come down the barrel. From images released on Ourcolony.net we are almost positive that Project Gotham Racing 3 will also be available.
It is hard to imagine the launch of Xbox 360 without Halo making an appearance in some form. Whether this is the third installment of the series or an upgraded Halo 2 project is anyone's guess. There are also a number of developers under Microsoft's belt that have been mysteriously quiet recently. One can only hope this means some surprise titles like a Perfect Dark sequel.
What is Microsoft doing about Japanese support this time around?
The above list includes a trio of Japanese star talent. Support from Mistwalker, Game Republic and Q Entertainment suggested good things for the next generation Xbox in Japan, but there's apparently much more. In an interview posted at the official Japanese Xbox site, Game Republic chief Yoshiki Okamoto suggests that Microsoft is working with companies besides these three on next generation development.
In comments from a recent interview, Okamoto states: "Sakaguchi (Hironobu Sakaguchi, Mistwalker), Mizuguchi (Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Q Entertainment) and of course myself are being put in the light like this, but I'm hearing that other developers will be joining [in development of next generation Xbox games]." This suggests that there are a number of surprises in store as far as developers are concerned. He goes on to state, "If the next generation Xbox lineup that's currently in development were seen, game users, and the entire game industry would be surprised. There won't be anyone who'd brush off buying the next generation Xbox once they've seen [the lineup]."
Xbox Live
Will Xbox 360 use the same Live network as Xbox?
This will be the same network, but it will be greatly advanced from the original Live structure. Gamer profiles will allow users to access information from a new interface that will remain consistent across all Xbox 360 games. These profiles track stats, friends' online presence, favorite songs, rankings and more. The new interface will also include an online store that will allow gamers to purchase in-game items through micro transactions that use their Live accounts. J Allard also announced at GDC 2005 that every game released for the Xbox 360 will be Live aware. When the system is connected to the internet it becomes part of a better developed online community than anything we've seen on a console.
Will we be able to message players on an original Xbox via Xbox 360?
Because this will be the same network, it should be possible for the old console to communicate with the new one. Microsoft isn't looking to cut people off from their services; they are looking to carry over a growing user base.
Will our Friends list transfer over?
The friends list should transfer over because Microsoft will want to use the same accounts that are currently active on Live. This fluid transition will keep gamers happy and money flowing from their wallets. Everyone wins.
What about the headset?
From our knowledge of the new controller, it looks as if they are missing a headset port. Because the controllers are most likely wireless, the headset can't be far behind.
How many players will the new Live support?
Most likely games will support 16-32 players, but expect this number to consistently grow. Recently we participated in a 50 player deathmatch in Black Hawk Down on the current hardware and Live setup. Also, Joint Operations on the PC supports 128 players, so if these numbers are possible now, expect similar results on Xbox 360.
