1110°

Durango Memory System Overview

The Xbox 720’s memory system has allegedly been revealed in a fresh leak outlining the internal components of Microsoft’s upcoming next-gen console.

StrongMan4052d ago ShowReplies(17)
Dms20124052d ago

I really hope these specs arent true, and MS does find a way to bump up to GDDR5 modules, and drop the silly move engines. From the looks of it Sony won't have any competition next gen power wise until PCs surpass it in a few years.

whoyouwit044052d ago

how the fuck you think they're not going to have competition? it takes more then ram to make graphics.

Datdude034049d ago

It's also about how fast those operations can be done. Based on leaked info, Xbox is going to process 1.23 tflops with a max 102 gb/s bandwidth compared to 1.84 tflops & a max of 224 gb/s bandwidth on ps4. Plus it's easier to move info with unified memory. I hope that's not the case either bc Xbox is my preferred system but I own all.

deadfrag4051d ago

"PCs surpass it"wtf are you talking about , gaming PC already are more powerfull than what ps4 is!

Kakashi Hatake4050d ago

In terms of specs yes, but we'll see better looking games than whats on PC now. Its all about optimization. As an analogy, What a console can do with 4, a PC will take 10 to do.

Xsilver4050d ago

I see your miss informed the way the PS4 is built their is no gaming PC right Now that can surpass it ok, it will take them two years then it will probally surpass it look it up, this has every thing to do with the unified memory which is Not in PC ,GDDR5 it matters.

kayoss4050d ago

Yes top end PC surpass what the PS4 can dream of. but lets look at this way. If the PS4 cost $500, can you honestly tell me that you can find a gaming PC with PS4 spec and power for $500?
So if you going to compare the PC to the PS4 you have look at the price point of both platform to make comparable. Its really unfair to compare a $2000 gaming PC to a $500 console. So let end the PC is better than PS4 argument unless you are talking about both platform at the same price point.

clarkdef4050d ago

A truck is more powerful than a car, yet the car goes faster haha

N0S3LFESTEEM4049d ago

DeadFrag you are completely right... Screw your disagrees.

Kakashi Hatake... PC already has the advantage over next console generation. These better looking games your talking about are already possible on PC but the 360/PS3 have the bigger market share so they dominate the quality. Nothing like having a game dumbed down to fit into the ram confines of this console generation then when it comes to PC all they do is add some cheap FPS hungry effects which you can't tell if their on or off not to mention the PC version always inherits the same engine limitations as the console version. Next gen consoles will be playing catch up... and PC gamers will finally see what their rigs can do.

MAJ0R4049d ago

Sarcasm, please tell me that's sarcasm... otherwise lol

jjank114049d ago

@kayoss....even the argument of price point is an invalid one.

The console market and PC market work in totally different ways. Its not apples to apples unless there is a way to normalize it. For example, maybe $1 you spend on a console is equivalent to $2 in the pc market.

jmc88884049d ago (Edited 4049d ago )

In which case Hatake a mid level year old graphics card can do 15.

A 2013 graphics card can do 20.

If you want to SLI you can get 40-70 (or 45-80) or thereabouts....and if you go really uber you can get well over 100 with Titan.

Actually no...I got a GTX 670 on launch for $399.

That's more powerful than a PS4 for 100-200 dollars less and I got it and have enjoyed it for almost a year now, and will have another half a year before my PS4 is delivered to me.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 4049d ago
JsonHenry4050d ago

Lol, you do realize that while 8gigs of ram is awesome it has a very lackluster and 2 generation old GPU in it right? (the thing that actually makes the graphics look good in layman terms)

And from the looks of it the way the architecture is the Xbox will probably be neck and neck again with the PS4. That ESRAM is sexy stuff. Its another win for all gamers.

popup4050d ago (Edited 4050d ago )

A 2 generation old GPU with no added fat though. Not only 'down to the metal' performance without being hampered and throttled by drivers and API's but dev's will be able to optimize the crap out of the console hardware as a whole without having to worry about the lowest common denominator and multitudes of hardware configurations. The creation is built on the intended platform and graphics still sell so they go the extra mile too.

You can take a low powered engine and build a light car around it and have a very fast car still.

N4g_null4050d ago

Most engines these days have a port or build button... Want it on android ok here ya go. It's called middleware and pcs have it also.

So basically we will be taking an old gpu and trying to meet the extreme with that while pc devs simply use all of that evolving hardware that is out there like gt690s and I7s.

The ps4, Xbox, and wiiu will be fine if we are not basing our excitement off specs yet games.

Ju4050d ago (Edited 4050d ago )

We'll see how much "HSA" is actually in the PS4's chipset. From the looks of it, there is no such thing in the next xbox.

But really depending on which generation this goes, there is something like cache coherency between GPU and CPU in AMDs HSA (APU) architecture which goes so far that paged memory can be shared (memory pointers can be used AS IS between CPU and GPU).

And yes, while this will probably not beat the top end PCs down the road, it will allow engines to take quite a unique path down the implementation road; and will keep the PS4 competitive.

Games are made more and more by artists and designers and only a handful low level engineers (pity, but so be it). Engine front ends look the same across all platforms, but on the low level they could simply be implemented completely different (Physics will have tremendous benefits using HSA - not just the part which runs on the shader cores).

I'll be curious. But it's "not just a PC".

I'm not sure what to think about MS's approach. They control the OS which runs on it (what I mean, is, incl. the whole windows backend and dev tools). So, I would think they will try to hide as much as they can through their OS, otherwise it looks to me that devs will have a lot to optimize to fully take advantage of the architecture...it took them quite some time to really use the benefits of 360s EDRAM.

We'll find out eventually. I lean more towards the PS4, but I wouldn't want to write off the next XBox just yet. From the looks of it, it is far from being balanced between these two the next gen around.

imt5584049d ago

@ popup :

GPU in next-gen consoles is not 2 geneneration behind, it's one. PS4 GPU belongs to Southern Islands family.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4049d ago
Tzuno4050d ago (Edited 4050d ago )

Is the complexity of things they offer that counts not the power. Power vise do you think MS is that stupid? Think again. And how the whoyouwit04 said in the upper comments it takes more things to make graphic than ram.

1Victor4050d ago

ok can someone explain the article I read it the comments here and there 3 times and couldn't get it. can someone educate this old one, please no fanboyism thanks

Ju4050d ago

In short, MS tried to optimize it's design for specific sub task with a lot of "expert systems" compared to one big chunk of "jack of all trades".

Does this make sense? It's a common approach to solve problems. You use very specific "blocks" where they can perform best.

But, is it really? Some analysis must have gone into the approach to come up with this solution. But it's a little questionable from all we know.

Often it's based on the limitations we have at the time to come up with design solutions.

Two pools of mem in the PS3 - XDR vs GDDR. Rings a bell?

Separate Vertex and Pixel shaders vs unified shaders (RSX vs. Xenon), anyone?

Now MS and Sony make a 180. Weird. Lean and mean PS4 vs. cluttered NextBox?

So, well, what MS has done is, create sub systems which are good on their own - CPU has lower latency in DDR; the 68GB/s in DDR3 are actually quite impressive. But it has limits accessing the graphics side of things, GPU relies almost exclusively on a fast - shared - interface into DDR3 and buffers; no dedicated graphics RAM.

The GPU has "helper" chips - the Move Engines, video encode/decode engines and a fast EDRAM buffer. So, it is very specialized for graphics tasks.

IO has some dedicated HW - that is used to work with the rumored next gen Kinect because with high res images, the box must crunch quite some numbers from the video feed it receives from the camera.

But eventually all those "entities" must work together and this is where it will become tricky. Those interfaces are bottle necks where developers will have to pay attention to to maximize performance.

I agree that the design appears to be overly complicated compared to what made the 360 great: it's relatively simple and elegant design.

But, the result is not so easy to determine. The PS3 still outperforms the 360 (even if only marginally - see Tombraider as a multi platform baseline).

So, while going by raw bandwidth specs I'd rather give the PS4 the advantage. But specialization can possibly outperform it in some areas; I wouldn't want to make a final judgment until we see games on both eventually.

1Victor4049d ago

thanks Ju that was very informative.like you said lets wait and see what will be shown/unveil at E3.I hope for Microsoft sake they don't make Sony mistake since they don't have the backup of many high quality first party studios as Sony this gen
@nafon I understand some technology and when I don't get something I ask for help instead of been a idiot that think knows everything like you

Nafon4049d ago

lol another person who doesn't understand any technology

Kietz4049d ago

"Sony won't have any competition next gen power wise until PCs surpass it in a few years."

GTX680 and an i5 processor says "hi".
Really, stop pretending this thing is high-end in terms of tech. Let alone the best thing available at the moment.
It's good for its price. That's it.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 4049d ago
DivineAssault 4052d ago

If MS uses DDR3, sony will b*tch slap em nx gen.. The exclusives will clearly outperform them & look better too.. Who knows tho? MS might have something we have no idea is coming but i doubt itl be something that gamers want.. They have clearly stated on multiple occasions that its more of a multimedia device than a dedicated gaming machine

whoyouwit044052d ago

you people need to stop acting like there is going to be a big difference in graphics cause there won't be I can promise you that. it will be the same as this gen graphical difference won't be noticeable but you can't tell you sony fans that just like we couldn't tell you that about the PS3 but what happened, you will make your selves look like a bunch of corporate ass kissers once again just wait and see.

DivineAssault 4052d ago

PS3 used the "cell" processor so it was a whole different world when developing games on it.. Very complex as well but they managed to get a lot of western games done despite being lead developed on 360 or PC..

I agree that it MIGHT not be that huge of a difference but i can pretty much PROMISE u that sonys exclusives will have significantly better polish than anything MS gets just like they do now.. All the multiplats nxbox gets might be scaled down a bit too.. Nx gen games will have the same basic coding since both systems will be using PC architecture but that extra memory & power will allow higher polygon counts, refresh rates, bump mapped textures, & smoother frame rates.. PS4 may be the lead platform & then ported over to the others..

Theres no corporate ass kissing here.. Ill be the 1st to admit that sony designed the PS3 very poorly however they still did a fantastic job with everything this gen regardless of the initial high price point, complex hardware, & inferior network.. PS Plus is an amazing value for customers that will attract MANY gamers nx gen.. PSN is FREE of charge to play games & cross game chat (vita).. PS4 has a great deal of publisher support already too as well as some great features.. Theres nothing u or anyone else who wants to hate on sony can do but sit back & watch it dominate.. Its the best value for gamers & has the most robust software choices in the industry.. Its a core gamers system & they will buy it

ILive4050d ago (Edited 4050d ago )

I own exclusives for both systems and I believe non of the 360's exclusives come close to uncharted 2 alone, bub. Heck, uncharted 2 still destroys most multiplat games. La noire and final fantasy 13 are the best looking multiplat games out there. If there is one thing the ps3 beats the 360 in is the graphics capabilities. When it comes to multiplats, there arent much differences.

Belking4050d ago

"They have clearly stated on multiple occasions that its more of a multimedia device than a dedicated gaming machine"

lol...wen then that say that? No, they never did. It was just people and rumors.

talisker4050d ago

It's not about excusives. They would look on PS4 better anyway because of the of Sony's first-parties. The real thing is - a multiplatform title developed on PC (or X720 as the lead platform) and ported directly to PS4 will have a significant improvement in performance over X720. We are talking here about very similar architectures and PS4 has an edge now. Why? Because of the design Microsoft chose: general-purpose, cheaper RAM with lower bandwidth, slower CPU and GPU. Why? Because they are building more of a DVR and a media server than a console AND they have to include the price of Kinect 2 in the cost calculation. Expect more cartoony games with Kinect controls. If they want to achieve some magic from the hardware, they need to hardcode this ESRAM, just like devs had to go through hell with Cell in PS3 (well, to a much lesser scale). There are two 'buts': a similar concept of embedded RAM was in X360 and it wasn't until Halo:Reach (IIRC) that somebody utilized this buffer to the fullest. Second 'but' is a rumour that Microsoft doesn't allow low-level programming with their new console as it goes against their concept of a media hub/server.

All this if the rumours are true, of course.

colonel1794050d ago (Edited 4050d ago )

Not necessarily, because Microsoft then will have a clause in their terms that no game will be released on Xbox if the game is not on par or better than the other consoles. Just like they did this generation.

Believe me, Microsoft will find a way to screw the competition, if they can't do it the right way.

DonFreezer4050d ago

Just like Sony has been in Japan for years.Stop it.

MYSTERIO3604050d ago

Then i guess no game (third parties) will be released on their system as most developers don't want to be held back by hardware again. Plus quite a few developers have already done this i.e EA with battlefield 3 with support for SPU-based deffered shading.

falcon794050d ago (Edited 4050d ago )

The cpu cache can slow your RAM down by tons and the cache is weak on both and the 8 cores are basic cores not powerful jaguar cores are slightly updated atom cores very basic,it's all to make you fanboys look at big numbers and get excited ??

What's all this obsession with RAM,Havok have just released technology that allows textures to be compressed by x10 look it up,if you need say 1GB of texture memory you can have it for 100MB so memory isn't an issue in game design with todays technology ??

WiiU has 1GB or 2GB for games all we know is it has 4GB it was always speculation that half of that was in retail no one said this only 4GB of RAM so i'm thinking it uses 1GB or 2GB RAM on games which is enough for any game.

Ju4049d ago

Oh, look! Wii want to play U ;)

Sorry. I couldn't resist. Reading your posts have a certain entertainment value, that's for sure.

I'm wondering if it's your hobby to feed the trolls or if you really believe what you are saying.

stiggs4050d ago

Please link to a Microsoft source that stated the next XBOX is "more of a multimedia device than a dedicated gaming machine". Oh wait...you can't since MS hasn't even officially announced the next XBOX.

"Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life son."

4050d ago
THEDON82z14049d ago

stiggs it looks like you and your dumb comment got owned!!!!!!

stiggs4049d ago

As I stated in my initial post "link to a MICROSOFT source".

You responded by citing a quote from an indie developer who holds a grudge against MS for some kind of perceived mistreatment during his development of the oft delayed Braid. He pissed and moaned about the way MS handled the release of Braid yet it turned out to be the best selling Live release of all time.

He also threatened that he would "kill himself" if his game was not completed and/or successful.

So excuse me if I don't take his word regarding anything related to the XBOX console as the gospel truth.

stiggs4049d ago

Owned? Is that what happened? I got "owned"?

What are you, 12?

Try to THiNK before you respond in the comment section. That way, you won't look like an ignorant tool.

Good luck with that...

nukeitall4049d ago

Before quoting stuff, one should really examine the source. Blow (Braid Dev) blabbered about thing, but conceded in the same article (yes, the *full* article from the original source) that he knows nothing about MS plans, and just based it off the leaked rumored news!

"Some were technical – we [Braid Devs] haven’t officially been disclosed on Microsoft’s next console, but we do see the same leaks as everyone else has, and they seem plausible."

http://www.edge-online.com/...

Top it off with a displeased developer and you get the idea!

Alright, so who is going to apologize to stiggs? After all he is right, nobody knows MS direction except MS. Even the relevant partner only get the relevant data, not the entire picture!

falcon794048d ago (Edited 4048d ago )

I speak truth fanboys the point is RAM means nothing these days when tech like HAVOK allows compression with added detail by x10 makes RAM not important as every game uses HAVOK,plus its the Cache these days,and wiiu has a cpu with eDRAM cache and lots of it here's what cache does.

Cache (pronounced cash) memory is extremely fast memory that is built into a computer’s central processing unit (CPU), or located next to it on a separate chip. The CPU uses cache memory to store instructions that are repeatedly required to run programs, improving overall system speed. The advantage of cache memory is that the CPU does not have to use the motherboard’s system bus for data transfer. Whenever data must be passed through the system bus, the data transfer speed slows to the motherboard’s capability. The CPU can process data much faster by avoiding the bottleneck created by the system bus.

As it happens, once most programs are open and running, they use very few resources. When these resources are kept in cache, programs can operate more quickly and efficiently. All else being equal, cache is so effective in system performance that a computer running a fast CPU with little cache can have lower benchmarks than a system running a somewhat slower CPU with more cache. Cache built into the CPU itself is referred to as Level 1 (L1) cache. Cache that resides on a separate chip next to the CPU is called Level 2 (L2) cache. Some CPUs have both L1 and L2 cache built-in and designate the separate cache chip as Level 3 (L3) cache.

Right this is normal Cache with no eDRAM ect and less memory as well the wiiu cpu has 3MB of this which will make the cpu very powerful.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4048d ago
+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4048d ago
kevnb4050d ago

meh, its the least interesting thing to think about despite what sony says.

TheKayle4050d ago (Edited 4050d ago )

dme ? best way to resolve bw issue.....genious

same perf of gddr5 without spendind that much...and plus resolve stall and gpu idle time....and gddr5 latency ;)

ps this document r 1 year old ...just to let u know eh

but i think most of u dont understand what theres wrote over there

PFFT4050d ago

Exactly!!! most of this stuff has changed might be for the better or might be for the worst. We wont know till they unveil their system.

Show all comments (190)
280°

Xbox's Preservation Step Sets A Much-Needed Example, Especially For Nintendo

Hanzla from eXputer inquires: "If Xbox can care about preserving its games and legacy, what exactly is wrong with Nintendo, trying to kill game preservation single-handedly?"

purple1012d ago

Ahh yes the good old game preservation of saving all your games to a removable hhd on the Xbox 360, taking it round your mates house, setting up multiple tvs to
Be met with “save data corrupted, please re download”

Or how about removing 360 games
From the store
, download them now or else, and, better hope to god that save data doesn’t corrupt, or it’s lost for ever

Nice one ☝️

Zeref2d ago

It's better than what Nintendo and Playstation is doing. It might not be perfect but at least they are TRYING. Unlike the others.

DarXyde2d ago

Trying? Take off the blinders for a moment, mate.

1. A failure to preserve games is just that: a failure to preserve games. Don't try to sugarcoat it: NO ONE is doing it properly. Better than awful is nothing to write home about.

2. At the time of this comment, isn't it the case that you need an internet connection to play Xbox games even if you buy physical discs that are hardly in circulation anymore? I don't have a Series X and I can't verify, but I think that is correct. I'm fairly certain you can at least play PS5 games at version 1.0 (not much of a win really when many games require day one patches). I think Microsoft's all digital, licensing approach is by far more aggressive than anyone else's. They really try to push you to game pass where you lose your entire library by umm.... Skipping a month of payments.

I don't think anyone is doing it right whatsoever. Don't get me started on Nintendo, who goes after anyone looking to preserve their games better than they ever would with extreme litigation.

Don't be a simp for any of these companies. Get it together.

PhillyDonJawn2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

@DarX never speak on Xbox again. You lost all credibility with your internet connection comment. Smh you have 0 clue and misinformed yet speaking on something you don't no squat about.

Einhander19722d ago

What has Sony done exactly? You guys keep deflecting to Sony but I am not actually seeing any results, and ai am certain nothing that you can come up with even comes close to what Microsoft has done and what they have tried and failed to do, like tie all your disks to your account on xbone.

Microsoft removed their whole indie section when they moved to the xbone because they were going to only allow games on the service that came from a publisher, id@xbox started after xbone launched and it only exists because Sony embraced indie and Microsoft was forced to cancel their plans and reverse course.

And every single game that was part of games for windows live including disk games (I have gta 4 on disk that won't work) so hundreds of games that use that DRM no longer work unless the company themselves patched it out which of course very few did.

MrBaskerville2d ago

Not trying. Tried. they killed of the backcomp program years ago. They set something up again, but sounds like it's more of an attempt to save the current library on whatever they are planning next. With luck they save everything and more, but let's see. I could see them killing off parts of the OG xbox and 360 libraries. Can't imagine that they would allow us to play Forza 5-7 in the future.

With that said, I do like what they've done and really wish they could have done more.

shinoff21831d 20h ago

Zeref

So killing off physical media is trying what exactly. Ms don't really give a fk if you think they do your kidding yourself.

Profchaos1d 19h ago

They are not trying this team is established for forward compatability the team is. It interested in preserving Xbox or 360 games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1d 19h ago
isarai2d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref2d ago

Just because it's digital only doesn't mean you can't preserve it. Just put it on an external and you have the exact same functionality of what a disc does.

MrNinosan2d ago

Guess you're trolling, but if you actually think that's how it works, I'd recommend buying some braincells.

mkis0071d 11h ago (Edited 1d 11h ago )

Volitile vs nonvolitile data. A disc will not corrupt either. A drive can be corrupted.

Einhander19722d ago

This is just a scammy PR move to distract from the fact they are going digital only and trying to push streaming and subscriptions only.

No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft.

Without discs there is no preservation, preservation can't be done by the rights holders it can only be done by the consumers, anything else is a lie.

2d ago Replies(3)
Einhander19722d ago

Anyone remember xblig which Microsoft removed their whole 360 indie section removing hundreds of games from people?

2d ago
2d ago
Zeref2d ago

Do you know you can put your games on an external and preserve them that way? There are no benefits to discs. ZERO. Idk why some of you are still obsessed with them.

DarXyde2d ago

Because games like Persona 5 exist. It's STILL V1.00. On Playstation, that's a win because 1.00 is installed on the disc—no need to download anything.

If a game does not require any updates, it's all on the disc.

Extremely low bar in the modern era, of course. It's not much of a win by any stretch.

But for now, physical media does have a purpose, at least on Playstation.

Einhander19722d ago

That is factually not how game licensing works, try plugging your hard drive into someone else xbox, It's not going to work, and it won't work if the licensing servers ever go down.

Einhander19722d ago

Anyone remember games for windows live.

I have around a dozen games, some on Steam itself that will not work because Microsoft shut off the licensing servers.

BehindTheRows2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

I do. I STILL have games (Gears of War being the big one) I cannot access because Games for Windows LIVE is total garbage and no one has held Microsoft accountable.

Zeref2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership.

Chevalier2d ago

"You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership."

Damn how many times do people got to explain your idiocy to you? You can take a copy of Persona 5 like someone used as an example and play that game on ANY console WITHOUT logging in which means I can lend the game to a friend without internet and they can play my game. Can you lend your hard drive to anyone without logging in for them to play? NOPE. That is a huge difference and if you think otherwise then sorry you're an idiot.

Tacoboto2d ago

"No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft."

Ubisoft is literally erasing games people bought from their libraries... My PS1-3 discs are useless on modern hardware. Nintendo's re-published and resold almost their entire Wii U library, and the eShop is completely dead with no BC mechanism in the Switch software. Microsoft publishes everything they make today day one on Steam and Xbox/Windows. Sony only brings to PC the titles they think you might want some years later and Nintendo won't even design a functional long-lasting joystick.

You're absolutely trolling and not serious if you think Microsoft today is the worst offender.

shinoff21831d 20h ago

Yay steam

Not everyone fks with computers though. The disc is still the best way as a console player. Period.

Tacoboto1d 17h ago

How do Sony and Nintendo feel about these discs from 2001-2013?

Don't be stupid, you know Xbox is the best at this today.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1d 17h ago
Hofstaderman2d ago

Nobody wants this. Sales or the lack of it in the case of XBOX is very telling. I wonder how the adorably all digital series X will fare. Adorably dismal perhaps?

crazyCoconuts2d ago

Only time will tell, but for from someone like me suspecting that Xbox is trying to gracefully exit the console market, that "forward compatibility" team is trying to get Xbox games playing on Windows PCs. I mean, it's nice that they're not planning on exiting with a "enjoy your games while the hardware still works" message, so that's nice. They still have a brand to protect via Microsoft so probably feel obligated to have a better exit strategy.

Xeofate2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

That is not their plan, their plan is to transfer users accounts to the cloud.

Phil Spencer himself said as much a few months back, plans could have changed but I think people are reading way too much into one statement where Phil said he would allow Epic on xbox because he wants to be able to sell xbox games directly on other platforms. Aka, instead of selling Sea of Thives through PSN he wants to have an xbox store to sell his games on PlayStation without giving PlayStation any money.

Again, it's extremely unlikely that Phil plans to put PC on xbox and licensing would prevent them from just giving out other publishers games purchased on xbox copies of thier games on PC, Microsoft does not own their games.

crazyCoconuts1d 6h ago

The thing that doesn't align with the cloud strategy is the giving up on exclusives. You'd still need strong exclusives for cloud streaming - it's still a "platform" , just with a lower upfront hardware investment. I feel like they've learned what PS learned with PSNow long ago. We're not ready to stream games and it's only gonna lose them money to try at this point

FinalFantasyFanatic1d 14h ago

I would love that, I'd buy up some of the Xbox games if they could run on PC, like the Rare Replay, Lost Odyssey and Dead or Alive Ultimate, probably a pipe dream though.

Show all comments (43)
370°

Could Xbox Soon Become The Next Dreamcast?

Microsoft's future in the video game space is murky right now, so let's break it all down.

Read Full Story >>
thegamer.com
ApocalypseShadow14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

Not anytime soon. But they're on that path.

One thing not mentioned in the article is Microsoft's money bags. If Sega had Microsoft's money, they would have still been around as a hardware manufacturer. Xbox as a platform only survives because of the money bags. They can continue making consoles for the core and port to PC.

The multiplatform strategy is only the result of arrogance and misguided leadership that blew up in their face. They thought gamers would jump on Xbox in droves if they knew that many of their favorite games would be only on Xbox. But that's not happening at all. Sales didn't increase. They decreased. Why? Because the dumb asses thought giving away these expensively made games in a cheap service would also turn the tide.

Gamers on other platforms are willing to buy quality. They don't need to be handed nearly free games in a service that aren't even finished and sometimes average in their development. Gamers buy Nintendo games. They buy Sony games. Microsoft groomed their base to not buy games. Even the quality ones. It has always been their plan to go digital. But most gamers still like single player gaming. Still like physical releases.

Microsoft's problem has always been that they don't produce high quality games at the same output as Nintendo and Sony. Actually, they should be producing quite a lot more because they're worth over 2 TRILLION. How they don't have more is ridiculous and no excuse. Buying publishers to take away from competition only backfired. Because it still takes millions of dollars to continue to make those games from the publishers they snatched. Their only choice was to crawl back to their competitors to help sustain those developers because Nintendo and Sony platforms were the ones buying games.

Am I sorry for Microsoft? Hell no! They deserved last place for putting in the least effort. They deserved the fallout for buying up the industry and didn't make a single blip on the radar against their competitors where they now need those same gamers they took away games from to support them. Part of it may have been to cash in on their competition. But the result is the slow death of their platform. They may go 3rd party. They may keep making hardware. I don't give a shit about them to worry about it. I only give a shit about the destructive nature of their industry moves that only negatively affect gamers. They could sell and drop out of the industry and I wouldn't blink. Probably laugh. But not blink. They deserve whatever comes to them. At least Sega put in the effort when it came to games. They just had poor leadership. Microsoft has poor leadership and barely makes memorable games. That's a killer combination. And not in a good way.

Cacabunga14d ago

That would be an insult to Dreamcast.. it had a crazy line up of legendary critically acclaimed games.

Crows9014d ago

I was thinking the same. Dreamcast had incredible games in such a short amount of time. It was truly exceptional.

darthv7214d ago

...and yet all those great games were not enough to sway people from the looming release of the PS2 at the time. Sony just has that kind of brand loyalty.

Cacabunga14d ago

Darth

I do not agree.. Sony had even better games thanks to an unprecedented 3rd party support..
DC had amazing lineup but 90% were arcade games..

88313d ago

@darth:
And Sony showed off "The Emotion Engine" and their real time demos that made everyone think they would miss out on REAL next gen 128bit magic if they jumped in before PS2s polygon pushing monster (and early lack of anti-aliasing with a healthy heap of shimmer + DVD playback) stepped up. PS2 was a fantastic system though with amazing games.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 13d ago
blacktiger14d ago

That's not true. Just because Microsoft has the money doesn't mean Microsoft can allow xbox to bleed entire Microsoft money. It doesn't work like they. Also SEC will be watching and investor won't allow it. Lot of reasons why Microsoft can not continue even if they wanted to. SEC regulations is expensive.

fr0sty14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

Exactly this... Microsoft is a publicly traded company, mostly owned by their shareholders (Approximately 59.24% of the company's stock is owned by Institutional Investors, 7.73% is owned by Insiders and 33.03% is owned by Public Companies and Individual Investors.). Their shareholders call the shots on the business decisions, and their shareholders want one thing and one thing only, for their stock price to go up. Losses do not make stock prices go up... so if the division continually posts losses on hardware, but shows profits on software and services (which has been the case with Xbox its entire lifespan, for over 20 years now), the shareholders are going to grow impatient and demand they stop making hardware and focus on the only thing that has ever made them money, software and services.

When Microsoft bought Blizzard and Activision for almost 100 billion, I knew that was the nail in the coffin for Xbox as a console... as the shareholders were going to expect a quick return on that investment, and when it didn't materialize, they were going to be out for blood... out to force Xbox to sell those games on as many consoles as possible, "and while you're at it, sell those first party exclusives that aren't selling well on other consoles as well... hell, just stop making consoles and sell games."

If there is another Xbox console generation, it will definitely be the last, but I doubt there even will be one at this point. I think the Xbox division planning on it just in case, but I don't think the project has been greenlit from Microsoft itself. The rumors that they have not yet even secured the chips needed from the chip fabrication facilities ties into this.

shinoff218314d ago

While I usually agree with you . Alot of what was said can just also be asked before any of that.

How long will the shareholders wait? It doesn't appear long at all

Babadook713d ago

I think I get your point. Like just because MS has money does not mean they are content to throw it away on a dying ecosystem. Xbox has to be profitable or “what’s the point?”

ifinitygamer14d ago

Money bags, yes, but are we ignoring that Xbox actually makes a profit on games and GamePass? Hardware is often a loss leader, and they're probably making profit 4 years into the life cycle, but games and services revenue have been very profitable while other parts of Microsoft's business is struggling. Say what you will about the quality of those games, of course, but this is kind of a reverse Dreamcast situation, where the console was dragging down the company and put it at risk of shuttering entirely. Killing that console saved the business and allowed it to continue to make games on multiple platforms. In this case, the service is very profitable, as are the games, and they're also double-dipping into Multiplatform to extend this further, while their hardware is just sort of what they believe to be the best for gamers and their own titles (whether that is the case or not...)

fr0sty14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

The issue is, they aren't selling enough hardware to make their exclusives profitable, and now that they've bought half the gaming publisher/dev industry, they have no choice but to go third party to make a profit... and that is making their shareholders take a real close look at their hardware division under the microscope... why keep making the hardware if the software is all that is making them money, and they continually, generation after generation come in dead last with hardware sales?

Look at a game like Spiderman 2... if it had been an Xbox exclusive, with the amount it cost to develop, it would have been a huge failure... simply not enough consoles out there to sell it on. They would have been lucky to break even.

ifinitygamer14d ago

@fr0sty agreed completely, which is why they're hedging by releasing other games to multiplatform, plus they have PC to make up for the difference in a lot of ways, which is why their games are not complete money pits. It brings up the question of whether or not those exclusives would drive sales of consoles, though. Let's say Spiderman 2 was an Xbox exclusive, it would certainly have pushed console sales, though who's to say how much is anyone's guess.

fr0sty13d ago

That's why you can't rely on just one exclusive, Sony has always delivered on a wide range of solid exclusives, even this generation (even if they haven't been strong on the first party exclusives, they've made up for it with third party). They don't rely on just one "system seller", they have a portfolio of them.

13d ago
JBlaze22613d ago

ApocalypseShadow To be honest Sony has more of a chance to go 3rd party because like you said Microsoft has money, Sony does not. Sony does not have games, Only games they have come from 3rd party. Sony has been losing money for years and you. Saying Microsoft has been putting the least effort just proves you have no idea what's been going on. All Sony has done is repeat and recycle, never innovating or doing something new. All Sony has is brand loyalty nothing else and it shows.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 13d ago
LG_Fox_Brazil14d ago

Not sure about that. It's been two decades and I still think about Power Stone, Shenmue, Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Seaman and others, but I'm not sure I'll remember Xbox Series X/S games in a few years from now... Maybe I'll remember about the franchises that the Xbox brand spawned, but I don't believe that the Xbox Series lives up to the late Dreamcast or even to the Xbox name itself. I do have great memories about the 360 with Blue Dragon, Gears 2 and Lost Odyssey though

isarai14d ago

Nah, sega actually makes good games

Becuzisaid14d ago

No, Dreamcast was ahead of it's time and most still have very fond memories of it that had one. It also had some good games on it even in it's short lifespan. Xbox has none of these qualities.

Profchaos14d ago

I remember it coming out at the time in a really bad place they hit the market before the PS2 but it was during this transitional time when Sony was promoting the power of the PS2 and so many of the Dreamcast games were awesome but often third parties simply ported the PS1 version increased resolution and performance but rarely fully utilise the capabilities of the console.

I think in the end bad marketing done it in and like the GameCube so many people are fond of it now but at the time it was looked at in the lense of the day and it didn't stack up.

Personally I miss Sega in hardware they took risks that many companies won't

Becuzisaid14d ago

I never owned it, and got the PS2 right when it launched. But there were certain games it had that I was always jealous of that I didn't have access to - Sonic adventure, crazy taxi, power Stone, code Veronica, shenmue, skies of Arcadia. I always thought it was a really cool machine though. I've never heard a bad thing about it though from those that had it.

FinalFantasyFanatic14d ago

I only ever saw one Dreamcast, and that was one my friend owned, pity I never got to play it, I wonder what games he had for it?

It would be nice if some of those games got ported to modern systems.

Profchaos14d ago

Oh man sonic adventure on the Dreamcast made me so jealous as a huge sonic fan on the mega drive who also moved to PlayStation 2 I never got the chance to play it back in the day either. The Dreamcast in Australia where I am was always relegated to the smallest corner of EB Games it was kind of a strong first indicator that things were not going well at the time.

Show all comments (72)
80°

Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox and weekly streaks to be killed off soon

Microsoft has announced the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox will be discontinued in April and has confirmed that weekly streaks will also be coming to an end.

Read Full Story >>
trueachievements.com