Next-Generation Xbox to Be Media Hub

[Chaz]

Today's $10 marketing word is convivial.

Next-Generation Xbox Will Be More of a Digital Entertainment Hub Than Predecessor, Gates Says
By FRANK BAJAK
The Associated Press

May. 2, 2005 - Microsoft Corp.'s next-generation Xbox gaming console will be more of a digital entertainment hub than its predecessor, making it even more of a PC hybrid than ever, Bill Gates told a meeting of business journalists on Monday.

The console, code-named Xenon, is due to be previewed in an MTV half-hour special later this month.

Gates, Microsoft's chairman and co-founder, was vague on specific features of Xenon but said the company's consoles would be evolving to include improved communications tools for making multiplayer online gaming more convivial.

He told the annual meeting of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers that Xenon's software menu would be similar to that of the company's Media Center edition of Windows, which is designed for computers meant to be located in the living room.

"If you're used to that menu, when you use this Xenon you'll see a menu a lot like that that lets you get photos, TV, music and all those different things."

Video game players want to be able to chat with their buddies, know when others are present online, and will want to access their music and photos on their consoles in an interface already familiar to them, Gates said.

At a convention of hardware engineers last week, Gates said the company's investments in Windows Media Center software have paid off, with more than a million copies sold since the launch of the operating system's second version in October and a total of 2 million since the initial system shipped three years ago.

Gates also called the Web log phenomenon fantastic and joked that it's become more difficult than ever to provide a single company message to the public given the number of Microsoft employees who are now blogging publicly.

"I keep thinking about when am I going to start doing a blog," he said in answer to a question. "My rate (of posting) has proven to be irregular so far. When I turn out at least two a month they'll put me online," he joked.

The Microsoft chairman also drew guffaws when he took a dig at Apple Computer Inc. in response to questions about the rave reviews the competitor's newest operating system, Mac OS X "Tiger," received upon release last week.

The overwhelming consensus was that Tiger was far and away the best consumer operating system available now, with Microsoft not expected to match it in features in Windows until the end of 2006 at the earliest in its "Longhorn" system.

Gates said he was pleased that the media was getting excited about computer operating systems. And then he took his jab at Apple, whose share of the consumer market is nearly 4 percent.

"You can always tell if you're working on a Mac or a PC," he said. "Just take your applications and stick them in there and see if they run."

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Copyright © 2005 ABC News Internet Ventures

 

[Pariah]

He told the annual meeting of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers that Xenon's software menu would be similar to that of the company's Media Center edition of Windows, which is designed for computers meant to be located in the living room.

Had I not been laid-off from my previous position, I would have been at this SABEW conference. In fact, I wonder if there was just an empty display table with my name on it--I registered and paid, and I'll bet no one thought to cancel it.

 

[SweetD]

Does anyone know what the cost will be?

 

[Evil Ash]

Does anyone know what the cost will be?

Its been leaked that the cost of the basic system will be $300 and a "special" version with a bigger hard drive as well as other features will be priced at $500.

This is just rumor at this point ... the official news on PS3, XBox 360, and Nintendo Revolution will come out this week at E3

 

[Chaplin]

Its been leaked that the cost of the basic system will be $300 and a "special" version with a bigger hard drive as well as other features will be priced at $500.

This is just rumor at this point ... the official news on PS3, XBox 360, and Nintendo Revolution will come out this week at E3

Yep, I'll be there to check it out probably on Thursday morning.

 

[vince56]

Its been leaked that the cost of the basic system will be $300 and a "special" version with a bigger hard drive as well as other features will be priced at $500.

This is just rumor at this point ... the official news on PS3, XBox 360, and Nintendo Revolution will come out this week at E3

I'm not expecting much from Nintendo. The DS is absolute crap. Nice idea, guys, let's make a game where you have to blow into a microphone or rub your finger real fast over a crappy little screen. The sad part is they knew the PSP was going to be a great machine, yet Nintendo did nothing to improve their plans for the DS to actually compete with the PSP.

 

[CardFan67]

I had just heard a show where they were talking about the release prices going down but they are debating subscription charges for all differing types of media services... Annual fees, if not immediately then in the very near future... Left open all sorts of room for growth and expansion.

Supposed to be the reasoning behind the early release, rather than releasing and the show, they believe the New machine is not a simple gaming machine but more of a media center...

 

[Evil Ash]

I'm not expecting much from Nintendo. The DS is absolute crap. Nice idea, guys, let's make a game where you have to blow into a microphone or rub your finger real fast over a crappy little screen. The sad part is they knew the PSP was going to be a great machine, yet Nintendo did nothing to improve their plans for the DS to actually compete with the PSP.

I don't think anyone is really expecting much from Nintendo. They seem to be a mess and have no real clue as to what consumers want any more.

Just to add I saw some rumored specs for the PS3 as compared to the XBox 360 and all I have to say is wow (assuming its true of course). Sony is having their press conference at 3 pm pacific tomorrow to unveil it so we don't have to wait that long to find out if its real or not.

Here are the rumored specs

PS3

4.6GHz Cell processor, 234million transistors, with 9 cores.

512MB XDR DRAM, bandwidth of 64MB/sec

800MHz NVIDIA GPU

1080p, 1080i


Xbox 360

3.2 GHz PowerPC processor, 142million transistors, with 3 cores.

512MB DDR3 DRAM, bandwidth of 24MB/sec

500MHz ATI GPU

720p, 1080i