MicroSofts new Console

Shinji

Thought I'd post this here, seems appropriate.

Rumours of Microsoft "shafting" their current partner, Sega, and developing their own console instead, have been floating around for weeks. However, digging a bit deeper reveals something much more interesting going on.

Verious clues point to MS trying to develop a unified console platform - wherby your PC, your set top box and probably your DreamCast can all play the same games. Unlike standard PC games, there'd be no installing to the hard drive - instead, the PC would get a "shell" OS, based on WinCE, which you load on top of WIndows. It replaces Windows completely, instead putting in a pile of DirectX stuff and prompting you with an "insert disc" onscreen. Put your games CD in the drive, and it works seamlessly, just like a console. DirectX 7 had a lot of stuff aimed at this in the betas, but they disappeared from the final.

The same games would play on a set-top box and (probably) on a DreamCast. This would eliminate the biggest problem with PC games - they have to be installed, and they can be a nightmare to configure. And as for what multitasking does to games software...

If this works out, Sony's Playstation2 could be in a lot more trouble than they imagine...

mobius

SEGA = BOOOOOO!!!
Microsoft = Hisssss...
sony = Waaaaaan!

Need I say more?

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-SMACK MY B1TCH UP-
www.gibworld.com/mobius

Shinji

I'll take Sega and MS over the prats at Sony any day of the week and twice on a sunday.

I respect Sony for having made gaming mainstream. However, I downright HATE their current attitude to gamers and retailers, not to mention developers. They think they're so big that they can treat everyone else like sh1t and survive. I really, really hope that Sega and MS give them a good kick in the gee and remind them that they still have to be competitive.

And how about roasting that smarmy suited git Chris Deering over an open fire while they're at it?

Ja,
Shin

Hobbes

I agree. I do not like Sony. After the sh1t I got from the EverQuest fiasco. Basically I put a support request in to help me and they spam me like crazy instead ("Our valued customer").

Sony are as bad as the others.

DickieDoo

Duuuh what???????

Are you all sad??? Sony rock. And by the way shinji jingi (who the f*** are you?????) Nintendo brought gaming to life not Sony... Or so my mammy told me and mammy is always right.

But don't listen to me, I'm a dumb F*** after all.

[This message has been edited by Shinji (edited 05-10-99).]

SantaHoe

Heeeey, relax dadio!
Chiiiill....theee....fuuuuc¦<....ouuuut...maaaan...
It's only a game...

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Ho ho ho!

Hobbes

At least your occupation matches your style of writing Dickie.

Hobbes

[oops]


[This message has been edited by Hobbes (edited 24-09-99).]

Asuka

OK, you know someones a muppet or a newbie when they ask who the moderator is
Sony got the marketing right but that doesnt mean that they rock - it just means that they can fool people like you.
Even if Nintendo did bring gaming to life (only an opinion) Sony undeniably brought it to the mainstream. Two different things.

So just quit being a wan|<er, ok?

As(maybe im walking on dangerous ground...)ka

Hobbes

heh heh, Nintendo, you can tell we are talking to a youngster here...

*takes out his computer history book*

The people to bring computer games to life (commercially) were Syzygy (who later renamed themselves to Atari).

The game they brought out was Pong in 1971 which they managed to sell 10,000 units and about 25 other companies sold 90,000 copies making it one of the most popular games of all time (Pac-man 2nd). *Note: I'm pretty sure Quake proberly beats this*

I should point out that PONG was not the first ever game (or console). The first ever console (in the broadst sense) was the Odyssey made by Magnavox. it could play Pong tennis, hockey, squash, etc. The system was so basic, it required plastic overlays to be attached to the television screen.

The first programmable (cartridge based) systems came out in 1977 and sadly killed our little friend called Pong.

*closes book*

Helv

I'd have to disagree. T'was Nintendo that really brought home system gaming to the mainstream. OK you had yer 2600 (heh remember the ad with the Yankee family..the 2600 from A-tar-i) and whatever the name of the system with the knob on the controller was, but it _was_ Nintendo that really caught the industry by the balls and basically, everyone followed.

[This message has been edited by Helv (edited 27-09-99).]

SantaHoe

'Hmmm, yeah Nintendo have been in the business a long time, SEGA have been around even longer... making "one-arm-bandits" dating from the 50's.
But that's besides the point...
Nintendo have been screwing us for £60+ per game, SEGA gave us a console that was left unsupported by every major software house (except sega itself).
In the CURRENT generation of consoles, sony have been the best in the business.
But if the Playstation2 turns out to be complete crap, then I'll go with SEGA or Nintendo.
Why stay loyal to one brand?
Who gives a F U C K, who got there first, or who was the best ten years ago.
The point is... they are all greedy $hitebags and deserve to go bankrupt if they make a $hite console.

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Ho ho ho!

Shinji

Sega got careless. They believed that Nintendos decision to stick to carts was commercial suicide (in a lot of ways, they were right) and that Sonys lack of experience in the games market meant they weren't a competitor.

The games market is now less about quality and mroe about your advertising - Sony realised that early, and hammered Sega and Nintendo as a result. However, ironically, Sony are now so confident in their superiority that they are about to make the same mistake Sega did. Look at the current Sony ad campaign - self-indulgent arty sh1te. Look at Sony's decision to milk the Playstation cash cow rather than releasing PS2 information. And look at the ridiculous specs on the PS2 - that's not a console, that's an expensive monster-machine that nobody really needs.

I guess thats what happens when marketeers run a company...

Ja,
Rob