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Week of May 11, 2008
New XNA Creators Club Online web site coming soon
>> From the XNA Team Blog:
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Next week, the XNA Creators Club Online site will be shut down for a short time in preparation for the launch of our new site featuring the Community Games on Xbox LIVE Beta. We're excited about the new design and functionality of the improved XNA Creators Club Online web site, and we eagerly look forward to your return! In the meantime, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause during the outage
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Analyst: Underwhelming 360 Sales May Force Price Cuts
>> From gamedaily.com:
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In the wake of the April video game sales data, EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich commented on what was admittedly even a surprise to NPD analyst Anita Frazier - that the hardware sales for both Xbox 360 and PS3 failed to reach 200K units during a month in which GTA IV was supposed to have driven console sales.
"This would...be the first time that Xbox 360 sales dipped below 200K since July 2007, which ended up resulting in an Xbox 360 price drop the following month (August 2007). It wouldn't be wrong to assume that Microsoft might follow a similar strategy as last year given that the Xbox 360 has dropped below the 50,000 units a week sold threshold mark," remarked Divnich.
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Full Story: gamedaily.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft's Take on April 2008 NPD Numbers
>> From majornelson.com (FYI: MS owned blog):
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Microsoft's Xbox 360 has sold 10.1 million units in the U.S., making it the first current generation gaming console to break the 10 million barrier in the U.S., and contributing to global sales of over 19 million. (April NPD data)
By the numbers: Xbox 360 is the most significant contributor to industry spending and growth
*188,000 Xbox 360 consoles were sold in April. (April NPD data)
*Xbox 360 has a record-setting attach rate of 7.6 games per console, the highest attach rate in history for a console at this point in its lifecycle. (April NPD data)
*Consumers have spent more than $9.7 billion on the Xbox 360 experience. (April NPD data)
*Xbox 360 titles accounted for $186 million of all third party game sales this generation, or 53% of share. (April NPD data)
*Xbox 360 games accounted for three of the top ten games in April, and secured the #1 spot with "Grand Theft Auto IV." (April NPD data)
*Not only are we selling more games, games play better on the Xbox 360. Xbox 360 has 91 titles with a Metacritic review score of 80 or higher, compared to just 50 for PS3 and 22 for Wii.
*Grand Theft Auto IV" on Xbox 360 snags top spot in April, boosts LIVE memberships to over 12 million
*In its first five days on the market, the Xbox 360 version of "Grand Theft Auto IV" sold 1.8 million units, outselling the other platform's version by nearly 2:1 in the U.S., and making it the top selling game in April. (April NPD data)
*Gamers eager to experience "Grand Theft Auto IV" online helped boost Xbox LIVE global membership totals to over 12 million this month. Fueled by an unparalleled combination of access to friends and family, the best online gaming features and the best entertainment content, the Xbox LIVE service has doubled in membership in only one year's time.
*Microsoft sales data shows Xbox 360 consoles saw a 54% lift week-over-week as a result of "Grand Theft Auto IV," and retailers are reporting that roughly four out of every 10 Xbox 360 consoles sold included the sale of a copy of "Grand Theft Auto IV." (Microsoft internal data)
*Beginning this fall, Xbox LIVE will be the only place gamers can go for exclusive "Grand Theft Auto IV" episodes.
*Grand Theft Auto IV" marked the beginning of what promises to be another landmark year for the Xbox 360 platform, with an all-star games line up in 2008 including "Gears of War 2," "Fable 2" and "Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise." Stay tuned for more announcements in the coming months.
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
April NPD: 360 188k, PS3 187k, Wii 714k
>> From gamasutra.com:
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Hardware numbers were up 26 percent to $426.2 million, with the Xbox 360 continuing its slim lead over the PlayStation 3 after two months behind. As above, the DS and PSP saw sales fall behind the previous month, but the Wii held on to its lead, easily outselling both consoles combined.
Wii - 714.2K (from 721K)
Nintendo DS - 414.8K (from 698K)
PSP - 192.7K (from 297K)
Xbox 360 - 188.0K (from 230K)
PlayStation 3 - 187.1K (from 257K)
PlayStation 2 - 124.4K (from 216K)
On the software side, April sales were up 68 percent to $654.7 million, with the release of Grand Theft Auto IV. The title sold a combined 2.85 million in its five days on the market, with the Xbox 360 version nearly selling double the PlayStation 3 version.
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Full Story: gamasutra.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Kim 'very happy' Microsoft never launched a handheld
>> Speaking to eurogamer.net at the Microsoft Gamer's Day, Xbox boss Shane Kim talked about a handheld Xbox:
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"I'm very happy we didn't get into it, because launching a handheld platform is like launching another Xbox 360," he said. "You have to be fully committed, as an organisation, from a resource standpoint, to doing that."
"Frankly we've got a lot on our plate with Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. We don't have any experience in that space. Our content assets don't naturally lend themselves to driving success in that particular market. So we're happy to let Sony and Nintendo slog it out."
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Full Story: eurogamer.net
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Analysts Unmoved By 360's 10 mln US Milestone
>> From next-gen.biz:
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On Wednesday, Microsoft announced that Xbox 360 has sold over 10 million units in the U.S. SVP of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick stated, "History has shown us that the first company to reach 10 million in console sales wins the generation battle."
But analysts quizzed by Next-Gen question the logic behind the "first to 10 million wins" idea.
Mike Hickey with Janco Partners says that he sees "little significance" in Microsoft's announcement, calling it little more than "a corporate catalyst for a press statement and a last-chance chest-pounding moment."
"It's unclear to us if Microsoft considers the Wii console from Nintendo to be a competitive product, but we expect the Wii's installed base will likely eclipse the Xbox 360's installed base in CY08, and eventually win the console war by a wide margin."
Michael Pachter with Wedbush Morgan Securities simply called Microsoft's announcement "spin," adding, "Nintendo will pass them this month."
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Full Story: next-gen.biz
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox Live BanHammer Specialist on 'theGAYERgamer' GamerTag
>> From stepto's blog (FYI: MS employee):
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I've gotten some questions today regarding a recent name change my team issued against the gamertag "TheGayerGamer". As I have mentioned before, the community brings content that may potentially violate the terms of use to our attention via the complaint system.
For text and profile complaints we actually review every complaint against the Code of Conduct and Terms of Use to determine whether the complaint is accurate. We DO NOT take action based off the number of complaints, or how often people complain in a given day. All complaints we get into the system against a Gamertag or content are reduced to one so that our agents merely review the content against the terms of use. Whether it's one complaint or 20, we will look at it the same way. That's the metric we use and that we have publicly communicated that we use.
And the Terms of Use clearly disallow content of a sexual nature:
"[a member may not] Create a Gamertag or use text in other profile fields that may offend other members. This includes comments that look, sound like, stand for, hint at, abbreviate, or insinuate any of the following: profane words/phrases, sexually explicit language, sexual innuendo, hate speech (including but not limited to racial, ethnic, or religious slurs), illegal drugs/controlled substances, or illegal activities.
Emphasis mine.
We recieved a complaint on the Gamertag and determined that it did indeed contain sexual innuendo. Now granted, there could be an argument that the text is not pejorative to homosexuality and should therefore be allowed. But there is no context to explain that. Gamertags are visible to everyone and it would be hard for me to defend to a parent of a young child who saw it that the name did not contain content of a sexual nature.
We view these situations objectively during our review under the terms of use. To answer the question another way, yes "TheStraighterGamer" or "TheHeterosexualgamer" would have gotten the same treatment and would have been found to be in violation and forced to be changed. We've actually done that to tags like that before.
Racism, hate speech, bigotry, homophobia, all these things have no place on Xbox Live and are in violation of our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct. My team works hard reviewing the complaints every single day and taking action on them where appropriate. We also work very hard to be present in our LIVE community actively playing and looking for bad behavior so we can take action when we see it (for some proof of this you can check the Xbox Forums each morning for people complaining about their suspensions and that they were only 'kidding around'!) The good news is that I have said before complaints as a % of our total users still remains a tiny tiny fraction. But be sure if you see bad behavior to let us know via the complaint system!
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox 360 First System to Reach 10M in U.S. Console Sales This Generation
>> From the press release:
[QUOTE]
Microsoft Corp. today announced that the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system has sold over 10 million units in the U.S., making it the first current-generation gaming console to break the 10 million mark in the U.S. The U.S. install base contributes to global sales of over 19 million, more than any other current-generation console.
"This year will be the largest in the history of the video game industry, with Xbox 360 leading the charge in the U.S. and abroad," said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "History has shown us that the first company to reach 10 million in console sales wins the generation battle. We are uniquely positioned to set a new benchmark for the industry."
This announcement comes on the heels of one of the biggest entertainment launches in history, "Grand Theft Auto IV," on April 29, 2008. Gamers eager to experience "Grand Theft Auto IV" online helped boost Xbox LIVE global membership to over 12 million this month. Fueled by an unparalleled combination of access to friends and family, the best online gaming features, and the best entertainment content, the Xbox LIVE service has doubled in membership in only one year's time.
"Reaching an installed base of 10 million consoles in the U.S. is a significant achievement and an essential milestone on the road to market leadership," said Billy Pidgeon, research manager at IDC. "Perhaps more important is the Xbox 360 worldwide online base -- 12 million Xbox LIVE gamers is the largest community in the connected console games sector, which represents the greatest growth opportunity in the console market and where Microsoft has been the leader for two generations."
Xbox 360 leads with the industry's highest software attach rate, more than any other console this generation, and is home to the best-selling games. With the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV in April, Xbox 360 is now the home to more than 16 platinum titles that have sold through one million units or more including hits like "Halo 3," "Madden NFL 07" and "Madden NFL 08," "Gears of War," "Guitar Hero II" and "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" and "Call of Duty®2, Call of Duty®3 and Call of Duty®4: Modern Warfare™," giving Xbox 360 two times more platinum-selling titles than the Wii and a 16:2 lead over the PlayStation 3 in game titles topping one million in sales.Games not only sell better on the Xbox 360, they play better, too: Xbox 360 has 91 titles with a Metacritic review score of 80 or higher, compared with just 22 titles for Wii and 50 titles for PlayStation 3.
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
'Gay' Player Name Banned By Xbox Live
>> From consumerist.com:
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Reader Grant says that his gamer tag "theGAYERgamer" was recently banned by Xbox Live. He hoped that a call to customer support would sort things out but all he received was a confusing explanation from an Xbox Live supervisor. According to the supervisor, it wasn't that she found the name offensive, but it was the "greater Xbox community" that found it offensive.
We think you deserve a better explanation than this. Despite what this Xbox Live CSR told you, we're not convinced that it's the "greater Xbox community's" job to classify offensive material. At best it sounds like this "supervisor" was trying to pass the buck. At worst, it's downright homophobic discrimination. Would "theHETEROgamer" also be banned?
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Full Story: consumerist.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Shane Kim 'Confident' 360 will Last 7 Years
>> From computerandvideogames.com:
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Microsoft is "confident" that the Xbox 360 will live out at least a 7 year life-span, accommodating all three games in the Too Human trilogy, Microsoft Game Studios boss Shane Kim told CVG.
"We said from the beginning that we expect the Xbox 360 to have a long tail," he said. "Clearly we didn't do that with the original Xbox, which was a strategic decision we made. Admittedly, we don't have any experience doing this, but we're pretty confident 360 will have a long tail."
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Full Story: computerandvideogames.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Rumored Spring08 Update Touts 'Motion Sensor' Features, Game Installs, ...
>> From kotaku.com:
[QUOTE]
If Microsoft follows the same schedule it did last year, the Spring system update for the Xbox 360 should be right around the corner. Today, an alleged and wholly unconfirmed list of changes included in the "Q2 2008" update was sent to us, supposedly forwarded from an internal source. The full list features about 80 new feature additions, tweaks and changes but was purported to be incomplete and subject to change.
Some are simply interesting as curiosities, such as an option to purchase Xbox Live memberships for charities and the addition of a Media section for audio delivered through feeds, such as podcasts. Others sound more feature robust, such as Windows Live Mail integration and an expanded "Inside Xbox" with news, weather, entertainment, help and community features.
Perhaps the most interesting additions are "Calibration options for motion sensor devices" for the Dashboard and "Support for titles to store installation data on Storage Device for faster loading" for Games.
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Full Story: kotaku.com (incl. full rumored changelog)
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
It Looks Like Microsoft’s 'Lips' are Still Sealed
>> From 8bitjoystick.com:
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Microsoft's Gamerday 2008 event is wrapping up and it looks like they are not going to show off either the "Newton" or "Lips" accessories at this event.
They are still coming. They are real hardware projects that the engineering team at Xbox is working on. I don't know when they are going to officially announce them.
It looks like they are going to save all new hardware announcements for their media event before this years E3 media expo.
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Full Story: 8bitjoystick.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft Says no new Slim Xbox 360s in 2009
>> From engadget.com:
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Sounds like that rumor about a new, smaller Xbox 360 coming next year might have a shorter life than a red-ringing console. Specifying the release of "slimmed down SKU in 2009", Microsoft representative let us know today that "While we don't normally comment on rumors like this, we can tell you that we have no plans to release a new console in 2009".
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Full Story: engadget.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Microsoft Showcases 2008 Blockbuster Lineup
>> From the press release:
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Today Microsoft Game Studios (MGS) and industry luminaries from the world's top development studios will be on hand to show off the latest features of the year's most in-demand titles; present will be Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski, Lionhead's Peter Molyneux, TECMO/Team NINJA's Tomonobu Itagaki and Silicon Knights' Denis Dyack. This year, the visage of Marcus Fenix joins the likes of Ryu Hayabusa, Banjo, vivacious piñatas, cybernetic gods and a hero with a loyal dog sidekick in the all-star 2008 MGS lineup that promises to make Xbox 360 the console of choice for players everywhere.
Attendees of the MGS San Francisco showcase event will witness the first extended taste of "Gears of War 2," the sequel to the blockbuster third-person tactical action game that sold nearly 5 million units. Epic Games Design Director, Cliff Bleszinski, will demonstrate dramatic new gameplay elements and stunning visual effects in a campaign sequence from early in the game - where Marcus Fenix and COG forces engage in pulse-pounding firefights between two Derrick transports, fend off vicious Reaver fly-by attacks and rabid Brumaks - all in the same rollercoaster ride of a level. As the most anticipated Xbox 360 exclusive title of the 2008 holiday season, "Gears of War 2" offers an unforgettable gameplay experience that blends a gripping story with visceral combat on a grand scale.
MGS will also crack open "Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise," set to appear on store shelves this September. Developed by the creative masterminds at Rare, this sequel to the colorful, sleeper hit builds upon the gameplay of the original and adds innovative twists to the mix. In an effort to help Piñata Central rebuild their computer database of piñatas, players will send piñatas at full candiosity to parties all around the world while using their creativity and imagination to attract, capture, protect, train and manage more than 100 newly discovered and existing piñata species. An exciting, new "Just for Fun" setting makes getting into the game fast and easy. For the first time, players will be able to collaborate together on a garden through a rich co-op experience, connect and play with others online via Xbox LIVE as well as instantly introduce new piñata species to their garden through an innovative new feature utilizing the Xbox LIVE Vision Camera.
MGS will also pull back the curtain on another beloved franchise with the triumphant return of Banjo, one of Rare's most successful characters, in "Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts." Defying the laws of nature, a bear, a bird and a backpack team up to embark on another incredible adventure this November. MGS is breaking the rules of traditional platformer games by putting the power to invent new abilities for Banjo directly into the players' hands. By using their ingenuity to build imaginative vehicles that can be combined with infinite variations, gamers help Banjo successfully complete missions through multiple terrains. Through exploration, discovering hidden secrets and solving puzzles to win rewards, players will continually find increasing ways to customize and improve their contraptions, creating an unprecedented level of user-generated content and emergent play for a 3-D adventure game.
These instantly recognizable franchises join the enviable company of "Fable 2," "Too Human" and "Ninja Gaiden II" from Team NINJA/TECMO, making Xbox 360 the home of the best blockbuster game experiences this year.
Other news and features of 2008 Xbox 360 blockbusters:
* "Fable 2": The wait is almost over for the sequel to THE biggest action role-playing game in Xbox history. Swords, guns and now the newly unveiled magical power round out the combat in this action RPG from acclaimed developer Peter Molyneux and Lionhead Studios. Players will have even more choices to continuously shape who their characters become in a world 10 times the size of the iconic Xbox game. "Fable 2" introduces a host of exciting new features for gamers, including a first-of-its-kind Xbox LIVE Arcade experience, and a genre-stretching multiplayer experience, allowing gamers easily play "Fable 2" with friends and family side-by-side from the comfort of a living room couch. Players can immerse themselves in this vibrant world that only Lionhead and Molyneux could create, beginning this holiday.
* "Too Human": Today, MGS and Silicon Knights will confirm that the wait is almost over - "Too Human" will be available on August 19 in North America and August 29 in Europe. "Too Human" is an epic, highly anticipated action game with integrated RPG elements and features a rich storyline with deep character development, both hallmarks of Silicon Knights' legendary tradition of video game development. Additionally, Silicon Knights is showcasing for the first time, the title's online cooperative play via Xbox LIVE; allowing gamers to experience "Too Human" with friends in a multiplayer setting.
* "Ninja Gaiden II": Team NINJA/TEMCO will reveal today that gamers can get a head start on expanding and customizing their "Ninja Gaiden II" experience with the release of Gamerpics and Themes, available as PDLC on Xbox LIVE beginning today. The Gamerpics packs include five new images each, at 100 points per pack; and the Themes, which focus on heroes and bosses, are 150 points per pack. Soon gamers everywhere will follow Ryu Hayabusa's entire blood-drenched mission - through cities like Venice, New York and Tokyo - to avenge his clan and prevent the destruction of the human race. "Ninja Gaiden II" slashes its way onto store shelves on June 3 in North America and June 6 in Europe. Additional "Ninja Gaiden II" PDLC will be available for download on May 20, with subsequent releases throughout the summer.
* "Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One" on Xbox LIVE Arcade provides a first-of-its-kind RPG-Adventure experience based on the popular Web comic. The creative collaboration between Penny Arcade creators Mike 'Gabe' Krahulik and Jerry 'Tycho' Holkins, legendary game designer Ron Gilbert and producers at Hothead Games results in a 100-percent authentic Penny Arcade experience that pushes bizarre characters, outrageous combat and adult humor to the precipice of darkness. "Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One" will be available on Xbox LIVE Arcade May 21, 2008.
Microsoft Game Studios is the home to many of the industry's biggest franchises and continues to set the bar for top-quality entertainment experiences for players of all types. Characters from the game universes of "Gears of War," "Fable," "Banjo-Kazooie," and "Viva Piñata" have enthralled gamers young and old all over the world. In 2007, MGS made history with some of the biggest video game launches ever, including Halo 3," "PGR4" and "Mass Effect."
With games often among the highest rated in their class by critics, Microsoft Game Studios delivers the best and most complete game experiences exclusively on Xbox 360, fueled by the passion of 10 million gamers worldwide playing on Xbox LIVE.
This is just the beginning of what promises to be another landmark year for games on Xbox 360. Stay tuned for more announcements in the coming months.
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Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Rumor: Xbox to Unveil Accessory 'Lips' Tomorrow
>> From 8bitjoystick.com:
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A couple months ago I got a hold of a treasure trove of information straight from the internal working of the engineering team at Xbox.
Joystiq has a post up about how the dudes over at NeoGaf have found that Microsoft is scheduled to show off something called Lips tomorrow. Now that matches up with the reports that I've seen on the accessories development report coming out of the hardware team at Xbox.
* Lips : I really don't know too much about what it is going to be. I suspect that it is going to be a voice communication device and possible voice recognition in games.
Update: Or it might be a microphone for a singing game like Rockband, Karaoke Revolution and Singstar. I do know that Lips is a separate accessory project from the "Newton" wand.
* Newton : Newton is the Wiimote clone flying mouse that is going to bring the waggle willies to the Xbox.
* Radon iv : We don't know to much about it but I suspect that it is a cost cutting engineering revision to the Xbox wireless controller. So there might be a price cut coming for the wireless game pad once this is out. The "iv" part sounds like a cost cutting revision.
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Full Story: 8bitjoystick.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Pachter: PS3 Beat 360 in April, Software Boomed
>> From next-gen.biz:
[QUOTE]
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter believes that the PS3 outsold the Xbox 360 in the US during April, while monthly software sales hit $830 million, up 113 percent on last April's total.
Wedbush estimated April console sales (simExchange predictions):
Wii: 600,000 (734,000)
PS3: 290,000 (363,000)
Xbox 360: 275,000 (381,000)
PS2: 160,000 (n/a)
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Full Story: next-gen.biz
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
Valhalla Xbox360 Will Come in New Slim Case?
>> From tgdaily.com:
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A more dramatic and perhaps visible change will happen next year: TSMC plans to begin producing the Valhalla chip, which will be the foundation of the mid-cycle refresh of the Xbox 360, thus called 'Xbox 2.5' or simply 'Xbox 540' (360+180), in fall of 2009. We learned that this new chip is apparently much more than a die-shrink and end up as a system-on-a-chip design. This change is likely to enable to redesign the Xbox 360 casing and go towards a slim-design, much like what Sony did with the Gen1 and Gen2 PS2. We believe that TSMC will use a 45 nm process for this Multi-Chip-Module package (CPU+GPU+eDRAM).
There are also some interesting pieces of information that Microsoft is shopping for a more efficient cooling solution - efficient in more ways than just one: Several people close to the cooling industry told us that Microsoft approached them and asked for better and cheaper cooling than what is used in the Xbox 360 right now. Some may claim that the current Xbox 360 cooler design is already as cheap as it gets, but we have no doubts that Microsoft will find a way to drop the cost once again.
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Full Story: tgdaily.com
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com
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