Recent news stories report that Microsoft may design their own chips for the Xbox 2 design. This means that the manufacturers of the current Xbox console may be out of the picture. For the Xbox 1, NVidia had won the bid to supply the graphics chips for the Xbox, and Intel won the bidding war against the CPU manufacturer AMD.
NVidia and MS... the end of a beautiful relationship
Nvidia's share price rose after they reported doing quite well even though worldwide Microsoft Xbox sales were below expection. Insiders report that Microsoft didn't like Nvidia's refusal to lower the cost of their chip set, and apparently Microsoft is getting ready for legal action against Nvidia, based on a breach of agreement between the two companies.
XBox 2 is a DIY for Microsoft
The main reason for this move is of course the cost for Microsoft for the use of these components in the Xbox, which are largely responsible for the high price of the console, making it extra-hard for MS to offer the console at a reduced price. The surprising news is that Microsoft aims not only to develop and produce their own graphics chips, but also the main CPU, by which Microsoft plans to shake off its dependency on X86 suppliers.
Sources say that Microsoft has posted a request for quotation for a DirectX9/10 microcode engine, the part of the chip that decodes and processes DirectX instructions.
Rather receive than pay license fees
Microsoft's move into chip development and production was foreshadowed by their recent acquisition of Silicon Graphics patents. This means that they can implement many features into their chips that otherwise would require licensing, AND it means that other chip manufacturers like ATI and NVidia will have to start paying Microsoft license fees.
MSIL all the way
The CPU for the Xbox 2 is rumoured to be designed to be a processor that can decode and execute instructions in Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL) while at the same time being able to run x86 code, to remain compatible with Xbox 1.
Xbox 2, the real "home station?"
The Xbox 1 has underperformed in terms of projected sales. Forced to follow the price reductions of the Sony's and Nintendo's video game consoles, the Xbox price drop to $179 means that Microsoft is making at least $100 loss on each console sold. The plan is to subsidise this with increased software sales, but this calculation may only provide positive resuls in years to come, and perhaps only with Xbox 2. Not unlike Sony's drive to develop a "home station" that would function as the center of a home entertainment system, Microsoft plans to make the Xbox 2 the machine that will take over our living rooms, providing not only video game entertainment, but also online functions, and direct-to-disk digital TV recording. Microsoft has deep pockets and may venture on undeterred of the moderate success of Xbox 1, but it may take Xbox 2 or even Xbox 3 or 4 before Microsoft's plan for global domination of our living rooms becomes reality.
I think X-box should do somthing original, and entertaining before they think about an x-box2. Maybe use the potential there not. The x-box is the same damn thing as PS2 with sleaker graphics. The games that are exclusive to x-box arent very impressive. Maybe they should utilize what they have now before making more power that they'll never use. Thats bullshit for all x-box owners aswell. the system has been out what,two years? and there already gonna make fans cough up another 300$ for another system. Xbox is money hungary, i think the dollar signs blind the fans voice
__________________ "If you tell the truth, you never have to remember anything" -Twain
(sig by Scythe)
Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Chillin on the Beach
NO.....a PS2 is ALOT diff. Some of the games are the same...that's about it. XBOX is made like a computer........and PS2 is more like all the others. (My husband told me this the other day.....when I was like...XBox, GameCube, N64, PS2..their all the same damn thing.)
He can't wait for XBOX 2 and me too. I wanna see what's so special about it!
Registered: Oct 2003
Location: Huntington Beach, California
1st xbox isn't bad. Actually its the best of the 3 systems out right now. But if i had a chance to choose between PS3 and Xbox 2, i'd go with PS3 because of all the RPG games that they have. And i imagine by then PS3 will have 4 ports and a hard drive so it will be every bit Xbox's equal + the games i truly enjoy.
Nov 9th, 2003 02:10 AM
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Xbox 2?!
