Some questions answered (kinda) by GameSpy about X2

[Casper]

Question: Will Xenon have backwards compatibility?

Answer: This is, by far, the most common question that you guys have been asking. The short answer is that it's still being determined.

From what I've heard (and what several outlets have been reporting already), the original plans were for the system not to have backwards compatibility. From a numbers standpoint, it makes sense. More than a few publishers have told me that the feature isn't nearly as important as enthusiasts think; publishers feel that it's vital for the first year of the console's lifespan at best and only if the launch lineup is weak.

Sources tell me that Microsoft is now considering a backwards compatibility solution, mostly because of the marketing hit the system would take for not having it. It's almost not worth the trouble to omit the feature.

Question: Why is there only 256 MB of RAM?

Answer: The mistake many readers are making is to equate the amount of RAM to that of a PC. A console does not need as much RAM as a PC because it's a specialized device that serves a specific function and it does not need to run a full operating system.

That said, a few developers pulled me aside to tell me that they think Microsoft is upping the RAM to 512 MB.

Question: Will gamer profile information be used for sales and marketing purposes?

Answer: From what I've heard, there will be some opt-in features for gamers to receive information on products they might enjoy. The choice is entirely up to each user of the console and the selection will be saved in the gamer profile.

Question: Will there be 1080i games for Xenon?

Answer: Yes for sure.

Question: Will Xenon have wireless controllers standard?

Answer: More than a few sources have said that wireless controllers will be standard. A few have said that the design is pretty similar to the Type-S controller, but with the black and white buttons placed in a more optimal position.

Question: Since the hard drive is optional, will downloads be stored online or will the hard drive be required for downloadable content?

Answer: Nobody I asked knew anything about Internet-stored content. They all are under the impression that the hard drive will be required for downloadable content.

Question: How much will it cost?

Answer: None of my sources knew the cost of the system. Everyone expects the answer to this to be revealed this May at E3 2005.

http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/microso...html?fromint=1

[Sammael]

Wow thats not helpful at all!

[Chr0nik]

The backwards compatability issue is huge, especially from a parents standpoint. All the money that people have invested in their current gear and games, and it will be useless with the new system.

Think of all the people and parents who just bought Xbox's at Xmas, was it all for nothing? Now kids are going to want the new system that only play new games, the old xbox will find a spot in the back of the closet. Parents and consumers will be pissed that they spent all this money for nothing.

As a consumer I would like to be able to play my older games on my new system. If there is no backwards compatability, I am staying away from Xbox360 or whatever it will be called. I still feel the hurt of dishing out close to 900$ at launch for a few games, system, and couple of controllers. I have also bought a ton of games, my library is now close to 220.

[Variation-XBA]

I could have given you those answers :P

[CRAYMAN]

The backwards compatability issue is huge, especially from a parents standpoint. All the money that people have invested in their current gear and games, and it will be useless with the new system.
Think of all the people and parents who just bought Xbox's at Xmas, was it all for nothing? Now kids are going to want the new system that only play new games, the old xbox will find a spot in the back of the closet. Parents and consumers will be pissed that they spent all this money for nothing.

The parents are going to be annoyed either way, regardless of the BC issue. Should MS simply NOT produce a new system for fear of angering parents, who can't handle their children's whining?

As a consumer I would like to be able to play my older games on my new system. If there is no backwards compatability, I am staying away from Xbox360 or whatever it will be called. I still feel the hurt of dishing out close to 900$ at launch for a few games, system, and couple of controllers. I have also bought a ton of games, my library is now close to 220.

You're still going to be dishing out $$$ for the new system, regardless of BC. Furthermore, no one is forcing you to purchase a NEW console.

I also would like to play my older games on my new system. BC is a nice FEATURE to have, but certainly not a requirement for success.

[Sammael]

Where was the outcry about backwards compatibility from NES to SNES or from SNES to N64? I mean really it's not that important. How many people that own PS2's play PSone games on it...

[Casper]

Where was the outcry about backwards compatibility from NES to SNES or from SNES to N64? I mean really it's not that important. How many people that own PS2's play PSone games on it...

Because it wasn't known about til Sony marketed off of it with PS1 -> PS2. I'd prefer it, honestly, I have a bunch of games for the XBox that I would like to play on the console that the same company makes - like my PC games. That, and I'd prefer not to have 2 consoles from the same company under my TV.

[Trulyvile]

[QUOTE=Casper-XBA]Question: Will Xenon have backwards compatibility?

I have roposted some of your answers on uk and dutch forums and websites.

Keep up the good work


www.sebahattin.tmfweb.nl/forum.htm

[Chr0nik]

Where was the outcry about backwards compatibility from NES to SNES or from SNES to N64? I mean really it's not that important. How many people that own PS2's play PSone games on it...

Pricing was a big difference when you compare it to the price of current consoles. I remember picking up my SNES for about 120$. Compare that to the price of new consoles, like I mentioned, Xbox at launch, two controllers and two games ran me close to 900$.

I think MS is shooting itself in the foot if they decide to forego backwards compatability.

[LynxFX]

For me backwards compatibility is just a matter of convenience not necessity. If it has it, fine I can sell my xbox or stick it in another room. If it doesn't well then, I can still stick my xbox in another room or sell it. I doubt I'll keep my xbox after the next gen is released. But no BC is definitely not a dealbreaker for me.

Hell if Xbox2 doesn't have BC, that should keep the value of the original Xbox higher for a longer period of time.

[AlphaRaptor]

Athough BC would be a nice feature, its really only for convinience sake. If you want to play old Xbox games, just break out your old Xbox and play away. Simple as that. I don't think it holds enough weight at all to make you not get the Xbox 360.

[skorp]

Question 2 is one thing I agree with, and what a lot of people still don't understand.

Pricing with the system will be an issue.... But not much when your the only one coming out the same year. XNA will help lower prices in the game department. Hopefully...

[ll Mista GT ll]

I will not buy xbox 2 if It doesn't have BC. Also, if it's more that 500$, forget it.

[Whisper]

yep.. no BC = no buy for me..

also a decent question.. will Xbox Live be the same as it is for the 2nd system.. like if it DOES have BC.. can I play Halo 2 online through X2, or do I have to use the old system

[LynxFX]

Out of curiousity, for those that have said that they will not buy an Xbox2 if it doesn't have BC, what exactly is your reason? Does this mean you just won't play any next gen games for the next 5 years because the system can't play games that you can already play with the current Xbox?

[Variation-XBA]

Maybe cause they think that's the defining feature? I don't understand it as well. Why did ya buy an xbox when there was no previous software, or a SNES when it didnt play NES, or a 64 when it didnt play SNES? /shrug

Then again it's whisper sayin it too so, take it for what that means :P

[Duke]

Agree w/ Lynx. I could care less about BC. Sure, it's nice, but it's a feature I wouldn't use often. Hell, I've got a pile of games sitting around as it is that I've beaten but held onto because I figured I'd want to play them again someday.

Well I haven't, mostly because there's always something new to divert my attention. And I certainly won't be picking them up once there's an entire new generation of games to play.

[wbio]

Out of curiousity, for those that have said that they will not buy an Xbox2 if it doesn't have BC, what exactly is your reason? Does this mean you just won't play any next gen games for the next 5 years because the system can't play games that you can already play with the current Xbox?

I'm wondering that too, if you don't buy any next gen console, just because you can't play your old games on it, that seems like a stupid reason. And if you are planning on buying one, but since Xbox doesn't have BC, you buy PS3, what's the point of that? You would still have to use 2 consoles to play your old Xbox games. I just don't get how BC could be the dealbreaker for some people.

[ll Mista GT ll]

Well, for me, I'm a 12 year old kid who is lucky to get 500$ for his B-Day. My parents say that If I want't this "Xbox Crap", I have to buy it myself. Before I had Xbox, I had Nintendo 64. Then My couzin bought the Xbox, so I did as well. I wasn't too addicted to the Nintendo, so I really didn't care.

So, what I'm thinking is, if Xbox 2 doesn't have BC, Then, I have to keep my xbox to play Halo 2, and I can't sell it to get some money back. Ya know?

Basicly, Money is what I'm keeping in mind.

[skorp]

For those of you who are worried about backwards compatibility, might feel better about some info IGN compiled together from there own contacts concerning the Next Xbox specs, a bit similar to Gamespy [mentioned in bold below] ... But for a price...


System Hardware
Microsoft has yet to announce its hardware specs. Funnily enough, it has yet to officially announce its platform. Yet, for all intents and purposes, Xenon has been announced -- to developers anyway, and, through them, us. We've been piecing together their specs for a long time now and we had accumulated about 85% of the final specs, when our sister site, GameSpy, beat us to it. These hardware specs, according to GameSpy (see their article, "We Got Next"), are the official ones leaked from developers. As I've been saying, Microsoft would not officially comment on these numbers, reiterating its mantra, "we do not comment on rumor or speculation."

We have added more information to these specs, via our own contacts.




CPU: Xenon's central processing unit (CPU) has three 3.0 GHz PowerPC cores. Each is capable of at least two instructions per cycle and has an L1 cache with 32 KB for data and 32 KB for instructions. The three cores share 1 MB of L2 cache. Alpha 2 developer kits currently have two cores instead of three.


GPU: Xenon's GPU, codenamed Fudo, is a generation beyond the ATI X800, and designed at ATI's Marlborough, Massachusetts office. Its clock speed is 500 MHz and it supports Shader 3.0. Developers are currently working with an alpha 2 GPU. Beta GPU units are expected by May and the final GPU is slated for a summer release. In game terms, the final GPU will be more powerful than anything on the market today. It's compatible with DirectX 9's PS and VS 3.0. It's also compatible with the next version of DirectX (DX10).


System Memory: Xenon will have 256 MB of system RAM. This number should not be equated to typical PC RAM. PCs are multiprocessing machines, not just game machines, thus this number is more than sufficient for a dedicated console like Xenon. The Xbox has 64 MB of system RAM and is a very capable machine.


Optical Drive: Xenon will not use Blu-Ray or HD-DVD. Xenon videogames will appear on dual-layer DVD-9 discs. While the media is the same as that of the current Xbox, the usable space on each disc is up to 7 GB. The DVD drive is scheduled to run at 12X.


Memory Units: Xenon will use 64 MB to 1,024 MB memory cards. A total of 8 MB is reserved for system use, leaving a 56 MB to 1,016 MB for user data.


Hard Drive: Xenon's hard drive is optional. It's not built in like the current Xbox. A total of 2 GB of the drive will be used as game cache. The final drive size is still being determined. The Hard Drive will be a 2.5" form factor and sold separately. Microsoft's current plan is to require you to buy the hard drive to enable backward compatibility with current Xbox games. This way, Microsoft recovers the cost of its hard drive, plus it is most likely to give hard drive buyers Xbox Live subscriptions.


Camera: Xenon will have a USB 2.0 camera. It's capable of 1.2 megapixel still shots and VGA video. Photos can be used in-game and for gamer profiles. The camera can also be used for video chat. Developers are currently using a simulated camera driver.


Sound Chip: Xenon does not have an audio chip in the traditional sense. Decompression is handled by hardware, while the rest of the chores are handled by software. DirectSound3D has been dropped in favor of X3DAudio. The former was deemed too inflexible.


Wireless Options: Xenon will enable both wired and wireless controllers (like the Nintendo WaveBird or the Logitech controllers), and will come with RF receivers for wireless options. The system also supports an optional Internet router/adapter.


Controllers: The new controllers will be around the same size as the current S-controllers. Microsoft has eschewed the dual triggers for shoulder buttons, and the design is said to be a mixture between the current S-controllers and the current PS2 controllers. They will not feature slots for memory cards, which, we're told, are on the console itself. The system supports 64 megabyte memory cards. There are three controller slots, two controllers on front of the system, plus one USB on the back. Controllers have 2.5mm jacks for headset use.


Console Design: The Xenon console design is said to be much smaller than Xbox, which seems obvious. The new design is styled less like a Corvette and more organic in shape. Its size falls somewhere between the new slimmer PS Two and original PS2.


[edit]
Oops... Forgot about the source... For the people who haven't read it yet, it's on the second page of an intersting article on Everything You Wanted to Know About the Xbox 2...