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TALES FROM MY ASS: Durango rumors discussed by anonymous source

C

CrunchinJelly

formerly cjelly
Seeing as this is the newest Durango dumping ground. Positive reaction from the BBC of all people.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-04-19-bbc-embraces-fan-content

What does Nashak see for the future? "I'm very optimistic for this next generation of consoles," Nashak said. "It's been awhile. I think we're going to see Microsoft, for example, really get it right - not that they haven't in the past. You're going to see this next Xbox be a true home entertainment system. I think they're going to have a system when you get into Xbox Live that's going to be very seamless; you'll see more frictionless billing."

One of the areas Nashak would like to see improved on consoles is cross-merchandising. "As a media company, for example, one of the things I'm interested in is can we cross-merchandise our stuff on the system? When you go to iTunes and you look up Dr. Who, you get the TV show, you get the app, you get audio clips - it's all there on the same thing. We sell and rent a lot of video on Xbox, through Netflix or through the Xbox video service. We have a great partnership with Forza where we've integrated it with Top Gear. We've been trying to do as much as possible cross-merchandising, so that people get a sense of all the different ways a brand can get into their life. Creating new strategic gateways into these brands is important, and if Xbox does its job right I think Microsoft is going to develop a great cross-merchandising place for us."
Click to expand...
 
E

ekim

Member
http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/29377369/next-xbox-in-2014?page=0

“I was talking to the clerk at this store and was asking her if they have heard anything concrete about the next XBOX. She said that their MS retail rep told them that the next XBOX isn’t expected until Fall of 2014 because there is simply no way that MS can launch a new console without any of its flagship franchises in tow..i.e. Gears of War, Halo and Forza. All three of these franchises just had new incarnations in recent months and to expect the developers to have next gen titles ready by this Fall is simply unrealistic,”
Click to expand...

LOL
 
McHuj

McHuj

Member
Charlie's got a new article, but behind the paywall. It will be free in 30 days.

Microsoft cedes consoles to Sony, gives up on gaming
XBox 720 loses badly because Microsoft didn't try
Click to expand...

Here's the free portion.

Some of the most watched topics for hardware enthusiasts over the past few years is what will happen to the next generation of consoles. The answer to that is now pretty clear, as is the winner, but we told you that over a year ago.

GDC this year made one thing clear, Sony wins the next generation console race, period. This came as a bit of a surprise, but the real shock was that Microsoft didn’t even show up to the fight. No, we are not joking, Sony made a gaming console in the PS4, Microsoft made all the wrong moves to counter with the XBox 720. What you end up with are two very different products, one with a purpose, the other without. Microsoft didn’t try this round.

Time and time again at GDC developers who had both consoles praised the job Sony had done with the PS4. There were several demos run on the PS4 dev kits too, the author saw at least one dev kit directly and knows of a few more at the show. XBox 720 kits were as absent as the praise directed at Microsoft, some devs even mocked the hardware Redmond is offering.

With a little bit of knowledge about the hardware one thing became very clear, why this happened was not actually a technical problem. Microsoft didn’t screw up, Microsoft didn’t misjudge the market, and Microsoft didn’t botch the design, they got exactly what they were aiming for. Anyone who has been following the company of late may see an eerie similarity to the rest of their business, management is so out of touch with customers that they don’t understand what to make anymore.

Lets take a look at what is coming and what it means. This will give you a good idea about why each party made the choices they did as well as why we are declaring a winner. Non-technical miscalculations can have clear traces in the tech itself, and those fingerprints can be quite easy to read.

...
Click to expand...

http://semiaccurate.com/2013/04/23/microsoft-cedes-consoles-to-sony-gives-up-on-gaming/
 
M

Master_JO

Banned
HalfBaked said:
Not sure how a race that hasn't started yet can already be won.
Click to expand...

Very easy. Just like xbox 360, Remember

Both console share almost exactly the same specs for god sake.( If rumors are true )

PS3 was more powerful then 360. What Happend to xbox? Didnt stop the 360 to succeed. Was the 360 out of the race then?

Remember....

media


What a joke.
 
R

Reiko

Banned
Master_JO said:
Very easy. Just like xbox 360, Remember

Both console share almost exactly the same specs for god sake.( If rumors are true )

PS3 was more powerful then 360. What Happend to xbox? Didnt stop the 360 to be succeed. Was the 360 out of the race then?

Remember....

media


What a joke.
Click to expand...

Never forget. *Sheds tear*
 
S

SniperHunter

Banned
Master_JO said:
Very easy. Just like xbox 360, Remember

Both console share almost exactly the same specs for god sake.( If rumors are true )

PS3 was more powerful then 360. What Happend to xbox? Didnt stop the 360 to succeed. Was the 360 out of the race then?

Remember....

media


What a joke.
Click to expand...

Power argument is worthless in the console space and PS3 wasn't more powerful than 360....people were writing off 360 because the Xbox was a dismal failure compared to PS2
 
I

Ironchef3500

Banned
Ken Masters said:
PS3 launched with 100% PS2 BC, how did that turnout for them?


the average consumer isn't buying nex gen consoles to play games for system they already own
Click to expand...

I will never understand this thought process. I sure as hell am looking for BC. Who has room for ten consoles? I sure WISH I did, but I dont. BC to me is one hell of a selling point.
 
McHuj

McHuj

Member
R dott B said:
That BBC article is interesting.
Click to expand...


It seems that Durango is generating a lot of positive buzz for people who want to sell stuff, but a lot of negative buzz for people who are actually going to be buying stuff.

We'll see. Only 28 days until the rumored reveal.
 
I

Izick

Member
All of the Xbox stuff sounds like it will be more interesting for the broader audience that wants an entertainment box as much as a game console.
 
C

CrunchinJelly

formerly cjelly
Master_JO said:
Very easy. Just like xbox 360, Remember

Both console share almost exactly the same specs for god sake.( If rumors are true )

PS3 was more powerful then 360. What Happend to xbox? Didnt stop the 360 to succeed. Was the 360 out of the race then?

Remember....

media


What a joke.
Click to expand...
Microsoft announces first: Dreamcast 2.0
Microsoft announces last: Xbox is doomed.

Games journalism in a nutshell.
 
M

Master_JO

Banned
I don't know if this is relevant, But I will post it righhhhht here.

AMD (AMD +2.6%) updates its G-Series embedded processor line by launching an SoC that combines a Jaguar CPU core (found in AMD's next-gen console processors) with a Radeon 8000 GPU - AMD claims a major performance edge over Intel's (INTC) Atom CPUs (naturally, Intel isn't standing pat), and says GE will use the SoC in new rugged embedded systems Also, an ARM-based embedded CPU is promised. AMD has promised 20% of its revenue will come from embedded/semi-custom solutions (includes console chips and SeaMicro, among other things), and has set a long-term goal of getting 40%-50%. Given PC industry conditions and Intel's aggressive spending, there's a logic to that strategy.

Any Idea what Console they are talking about?
 
T

twobear

sputum-flecked apoplexy
derFeef said:
You should give them money to see all the shocking personal opinions that guy has based on the well known rumors.
Click to expand...
As compelling as that sounds, I suspect I can get a similar experience for free at the local sewage treatment plant.
 
K

Key2001

Member
TheKayle said:
yeah but ps4 dosnt have any 8000 serie gpu in


anyway more info

http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/23/amd-reveals-g-series-x-embedded-chips/

and its called "X" serie....uhm

every chip
4 jaguar cores +8000 series gpu

9-25 w

smell of multi soc? booh
Click to expand...

You're reading too much into it. It doesn't state that either console has or is going to have a 8000 series GPU. It stating that they are taking the Jaguar CPU core that is found in the PS4 and Durango and combining it with a 8000 series GPU to give it a edge over Intel's Atom CPU's.

There are a lot more products besides the PS4 and Durango that is going to use these APU's. If it was for the Durango why would they mention it giving them a edge over Intel's Atom CPU's?
 
X

Xater

Member
Master_JO said:
''Updates its G-Series embedded processor line by launching an SoC that combines a Jaguar CPU core''

Is this the same thing?
Click to expand...

It's a system on a hip that uses the same processor as the new consoles. That is all this says. It means nothing fore these consoles.
 
T

TheKayle

Banned
Key2001 said:
You're reading too much into it. It doesn't state that either console has or is going to have a 8000 series GPU. It stating that they are taking the Jaguar CPU core that is found in the PS4 and Durango and combining it with a 8000 series GPU to give it a edge over Intel's Atom CPU's.

There are a lot more products besides the PS4 and Durango that is going to use these APU's. If it was for the Durango why would they mention it giving them a edge over Intel's Atom CPU's?
Click to expand...

i think that it could fit good in the yukon doc

in fact also at the end of the article they asking themself

" but that "X" in the logo is an intriguing statement of intent."
 
T

twobear

sputum-flecked apoplexy
colinisation said:
Yea

^Charlie has been right on a number of things
Click to expand...
He might be right, I don't know. But he seems to be basing his opinion a) on rumours and b) about some insider info he claims to have gotten which we have no independent way of verifying. How are we supposed to know if he's got it right until at least when MS even acknowledge that there is a new Xbox, let alone detail any of its features?
 
E

ekim

Member
Yay!
A new pastebin:
http://pastebin.com/ppNGCwsJ

Maybe since Pastebin counts as a legitimate source for Durango rumors now, I guess I might as well shoot down some of the ridiculousness out there, even if my credibility doesn't count for squat here. For what it's worth, I worked for a recently shuttered developer, working on the early stages of a next-gen PS4/Vita/Durango/PC downloadable project that will never see the light of day.

But with no way of proving that without risking my name and ability to get another job in this industry, it's probably irrelevant. You can choose whether or not to believe any of the following. But I will say this... Anyone notice how VGleaks posted a "rumor" about the Xbox 360 mini, that claimed that by attaching it to Durango, it would enable backwards compatibility? Anyone notice how they followed that up with a posting from Pastebin, claiming that the Durango itself would have backwards compatibility?

Don't fool yourselves. It's because both are wildly inaccurate, which should be obvious, considering their contradictory nature.

The truth is somewhere in between and a lot close to what the "bigger" sites out there are reporting.

First of all, the "mini" is real, although that name is nothing I've ever heard. It's a just a slimmed down 360, minus the disc drive, and nothing more. There is no point in Microsoft splintering the market by including something in the mini that the vanilla 360 doesn't have. The "mini" will release sometimes this fall, alongside a price drop and redesign on standard 360s. The mini will be replacing the hard drive-free 360, so as to avoid market confusion with too many varying SKUs with differing capabilities/features. The "mini" will supposedly have a few new features the CURRENT 360s don't have, but those features will be delivered via a dashboard update that applies to ALL 360s, not just the mini SKU. One of these features, is background downloading of games. Similar to Sony, Microsoft is pushing for games that download in segments, to get a user playing as soon as possible. Instead of being limited to the next-gen Xbox, where it's a requirement, it's being encouraged (but not mandated) for the current systems. Things like better download list management are also included, making it easier to compare what is and isn't currently installed on the system.

As for Durango, much of what Kotaku has reported lately is accurate. It requires a constant connection to play Durango games in an effort to cut down on piracy, and eliminate used games. The internet connection is not required for anything but Durango-specific games. Basic features, including 360 games, work with or without it. Yes, it is backwards compatible out of the box.

Known already, is that games are installed to the HDD. Plenty of sites have reported it, because it's true. As a result of this, and the always-on requirement, games can now be played without the disc in the drive. There is another reason behind that. Games can now be downloaded from XBLM for free, in addition to being installed from disc, once the retail disc is activated on your account. The disc is basically just for installation and activation purposes. In addition to that, developers are being told that a month of Xbox Live Gold is automatically applied to a user's account, once any new game is installed. This is essentially Microsoft's answer to calls for a free Xbox Live service while softening the blow of eliminating the used market. If you buy a lot of games, Xbox Live basically becomes free. Live subscriptions will remain available separately as well though.

Everything I'm aware of has pointed to that being the finalized approach Microsoft has taken. As of about a month ago, it was all accurate, although, bear in mind, things could have changed since then.

A few other things of note:

1. The 360-related hardware included in Durango which drives backwards compatibility is not available to developers. It's re-purposed for the OS while a Durango game is running, leaving the majority of Durango's power in the hands of developers. Essentially, anything that can be done in the dashboard of the current 360 can be done while playing a Durango game. While in backwards compatibility mode, functions are limited to those of the 360 in-game dashboard. It's supposed to provide an environment identical to that of the 360, for compatibility reasons, although some non-game Durango-specific features, like an in-game browser, can run on top of that.

2. The controller is fairly similar to the 360 controller. The d-pad is improved (although I can't notice much of a difference myself since I never needed to use the 360 d-pad much to begin with). It's a bit less bulky as well. It's a bit closer to the PS4's controller in size, but is still very close to the design of the 360 controller. Personally, I think it's their best controller yet.

3. Achievements are making a return, obviously, but with some tweaks. Games now come with two distinct scores. Arcade games are now set at 500, with 500 additional points for DLC, while full games remain at 1000, with an additional 1000 for DLC. Now a user's score list is now represented by two base scores for each game, on for the main game, and the other for DLC, as opposed to having them combined as they currently are.


-Four
Click to expand...

tl;dr :
- 360 gets a new revision with and without disc drive
- new 360 features like background downloading while pplaying via update
- internet connection required only for Durango Games
- BC included but 360 SOC not available for Devs but reserved for OS when Durango games are played
- free month of Xbox Live Gold for every major game bought
- new achievement system
 
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