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Next-gen Microsoft: What the new Xbox can do for indies
The Xbox 360 accrued an arguably bad reputation in terms of indie games publishing over the past few years. Many vocal observers – players, mostly – saw Xbox Live Arcade as a closed, unsupportive platform that asked developers for thousands of dollars to update their own games, and Xbox Live Indie Games was a stagnant hole filled with Minecraft clones and zombie games. Microsoft may have to overcome this public perception with its next-gen Xbox conference today at 10 a.m. PT. But from an indie developer's standpoint, the issues in publishing with Microsoft are different – or nonexistent. "Working with Microsoft is great," writes James Silva, one half of Ska Studios and creator of The Dishwasher series of XBLA games. "I have heard a few stories that contradict my experience, and I know quite a few people who are happier on platforms other than XBLA, and that's fine for them. XBLA is a closed, carefully curated platform with its own set of fairly rigid standards and protocols." Ska Studios works with only Microsoft, publishing The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai after winning the Dream Build Play competition in 2007, and from there developing The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile for XBLA, I MAED A GAM3 W1TH ZOMB1ES 1N IT!!!1 on XBLIG and a version on Windows Phone, and now polishing another XBLA game, Charlie Murder. Silva makes enough money developing games for Microsoft platforms to support a life of developing games for Microsoft platforms. He says that with Microsoft as a publisher, he retains full creative control, and Microsoft supports him in terms of bug-squashing, meeting goals, play-testing, and even taking him to dinner when he's in town. "Shortly after The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai launched, I absolutely spent a night at my producer's cabin in Snoqualmie, drinking IPA and playing around with GarageBand," Silva says. "Yes, it was fine, it was fun, and it's unfortunate that 'everything's fine' doesn't really register as newsworthy, because there is currently a 'Microsoft is bad for indies' narrative trending in gaming news."
FIFA 14 goes next-gen in tomorrow's Xbox reveal event
The FIFA franchise will have a next-gen something to show off during Microsoft's Xbox reveal event tomorrow, according to the series' new Facebook cover image and event. "RSVP if you're ready to hear about the next generation of FIFA," the event description reads. "Tune in to hear news on FIFA 14 during the worldwide livestream of Xbox: A New Generation Revealed." FIFA 14 comes out on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC – and not Wii U – this fall. Microsoft is gearing up for a large next-gen Xbox event tomorrow, May 21, at 10 a.m. PT. We'll have live coverage from the event in Redmond, Washington, and we'll also be reporting remotely – here's hoping things don't get too Messi.
Yoshida: Sony did not consider an always-on PS4
The PS4 won't require an "always-on" internet connection, and it was never going to need one, Sony President of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida told Game Informer (via Gamespot). "Did we consider it? No, we didn't consider it," Yoshida said. "The main reason being that many countries don't have robust Internet connections. It makes sense for people to have Internet connections to play online games, but for offline games there are many countries that we saw [that] do not really have robust Internet." Fair point. Yoshida previously confirmed an offline mode in terms of the PS4's social and sharing features, saying, "Oh yes, yes, you can go offline totally. Social is big for us, but we understand there are some people who are anti-social. So if you don't want to connect to anyone else, you can do that." Developers, too, will be able to limit which aspects of their games players can share with the world. Sony's major next-gen competitor, Microsoft, is set to reveal its new console on May 21. The latest internal memo regarding the next Xbox's online functionality says that some features should "just work" whether a player is on- or offline.
Report: Internal Microsoft memo outlines 'always-on' connectivity for next Xbox
An internal Microsoft memo regarding the "always-on" connectivity of the next-generation Xbox reveals the hardware manufacturer's plans for modern connectivity issues, Ars Technica reports. Microsoft's primary focus: specific console functions will "just work" regardless of connection status. "There are a number of scenarios that our users expect to work without an Internet connection, and those should 'just work' regardless of their current connection status. Those include, but are not limited to: playing a Blu-ray disc, watching live TV, and yes playing a single player game." The memo also adds that Durango – the code name for Microsoft's next-gen console – is "designed to deliver the future of entertainment while engineered to be tolerant of today's Internet." Though the supposed memo does much to assuage fears the next Xbox system will be useless when in an offline environment, it still does not detail the depths of the console's offline functionality. Rumors of the console's always-on connectivity have persisted, leading one Microsoft employee to express his personal opinion on the matter before leaving the company after a public statement from Microsoft, which distanced itself from the comments. Microsoft's next Xbox is scheduled to be revealed on May 21 at an event in Redmond, Washington. Joystiq has contacted Microsoft for comment regarding the supposed memo, but has yet to hear back at the time of publishing.
Bloomberg: Next Xbox has X86 AMD chip
Microsoft will match Sony's example and use an X86 series processor from AMD in its next console, according to Bloomberg's anonymous sources. The still-unannounced console is said to use a "Jaguar" CPU with integrated GPU, abandoning the IBM PowerPC tech used in the Xbox 360.That means, like the PS4, the new Xbox will have difficulty emulating its predecessor, since it will be built on different architecture. The good news, however, is that with both of those consoles (allegedly) using similar architecture, and PCs also similarly laid out, multiplatform game development will be much easier.Except for the Wii U, of course.The Verge reports that Microsoft is holding some kind of event on May 21, believed to be an Xbox event.
Microsoft: Valve isn't a threat to consoles; everyone is wary of Apple
Microsoft doesn't view Valve as a competitor in the console universe, Microsoft President of Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick said during Microsoft's TechForum. Valve is "doing some innovative stuff," Mattrick says, but when it comes to direct competition, "no.""The scale of products and things that are being brought to market are probably a little bit richer when I look at Sony, Nintendo, Apple and Google," Mattrick says.Valve boss Gabe Newell recently noted that Apple is the Steam Box's biggest threat, since it already controls such a large portion of the market with the App Store. Nat Brown, the man who gave the original Xbox its name and former Microsoft leader, also sees Apple's potential to own the console game."Apple, if it chooses to do so, will simply kill PlayStation, Wii U and Xbox by introducing an open 30 percent-cut app/game ecosystem for Apple TV," Brown writes.Valve's foray into the console space includes an emphasis on cheap, in-home streaming systems and Linux. Valve's PC distribution client, Steam, launched its Linux service in February and during that month it claimed 2.02 percent of all Steam users. By comparison, Mac users accounted for 3.07 percent in February.
Report: Assassin's Creed 4 to feature 'connected' single-player systems on next-gen
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is a next-gen game (gasp!), and will feature a few new, special systems on console versions, such as a "connected" single-player mode, creative director Jean Guesdon says in an internal Q&A unearthed by All Games Beta."Next-gen versions will bring to the players new, connected features allowing them to feel that even if they remain 'single player,' it will be better to be a 'single connected player,'" Guesdon says. "I mean that next-gen Consoles will allow players to have a solo experience that benefits the presence of a huge community."Guesdon doesn't go into detail about the connected systems. He does outline a few more tidbits about the game, including the "horizon system," which provides characters aboard the ship with "pirate opportunities," side-quests specific to an individual player's progress. Ubisoft has six studios working on Black Flag: Montreal, Singapore, Sofia and Québec working on single-player content, and Annecy and Bucharest developing multiplayer.
Rumor: Stripped down Xbox planned for 2013
Rumors of a new Xbox have been swirling for quite some time now, though they are now taking a slightly different shape. The next Xbox hardware won't actually be a generational leap, according to anonymous blogger MS Nerd, posting on Reddit. Instead, the console will actually be a stripped down version of the current Xbox, which will concentrate on "Arcade-style games" and Kinect apps. This is apparently the same ARM-powered console that MS Nerd first discussed in November of last year. The device will be "price-competitive" with Apple TV and is apparently slated for a late 2013 launch.Meanwhile, the "true successor" will launch sometime after with the same media apps and support for more core game experiences. Furthermore, the next generation of Kinect will supposedly launch sometime around 2015. At this point, keeping track of the next Xbox is becoming something of a chore, with estimates for a new launch ranging from late this year all the way out to 2014. For Microsoft's part, the company says there will be no talk of new Xbox hardware at this year's E3.
Debunk: Xbox720.com, Playstation4.com aren't owned by Microsoft, Sony
We'll wait while you click these links -- Xbox720.com and PlayStation4.com -- to see that they do indeed redirect to random technology-news pages. We'll even wait a little longer as you open a new tab, type both of those addresses in and see that we weren't lying, and they really do redirect to unofficial sites. Now we'll take a few seconds to get over the fact that you didn't trust us. Without trust there is no love; remember that.Yesterday Xbox720.com redirected to the US PlayStation website, but it appears the domain owner has used the attention gained from that to open his own blog, Fusible reports. Xbox720.com now redirects to a tech-news aggregation site and was previously monetized via Google's Adsense program; before that it hosted random sites dating back to 2006 at least. In November 2011, the site was registered to Jeremiah Germany, but that information is now protected through Whois Privacy.PlayStation4.com redirects to a PlayStation news and cheat site.It appears the redirections aren't as vindictive as the ModernWarfare3.com debacle, in which a Battlefield fan used the domain to convert Call of Duty players to his shooter of choice. We don't even know what the next Xbox will be called -- considering the first Xbox wasn't called "180," it's not set in stone that the third iteration will follow in the 360's footsteps. However, Microsoft's Xbox360.com redirects to the main Xbox site, and Sony's PlayStation3.com heads to the US PlayStation page, so it follows that they would want similar sites to do the same. [Image credit: Joseph Dumary]
Report: Don't expect next-Xbox announcements this year
The marketing director of Microsoft France has said the 360 still has some life left in its hard drive, and Microsoft won't be unveiling anything new this year. "Xbox 360′s cycle is not at all finished. The proof is that we don't see the logic in cutting the price this year," Cedrick Delmax said in a French-language interview with Le Point, according to Develop. "E3 is still premature. What's certain is that there'll be nothing new in 2012."We contacted Microsoft for clarification and a spokesperson provided the following statement:"We're always thinking about what is next and how we can push the boundaries of technology, as we did with Kinect. We believe the key to extending the lifespan of a console is not just about the console hardware, but about the games and entertainment experiences being delivered to consumers. We have made no announcements regarding a next generation console and do not comment on rumors or speculation."Rumors are of course rampant about the next Xbox launching in 2013, with the latest report suggesting mass production of its GPU will begin at the end of 2012.
Report: Next-gen Xbox to launch October/November 2013 with this GPU
The next-gen Xbox's GPU will derive from 2011's AMD 6000 series, similar to the Radeon HD 6670, which supports DirectX11, 1080p HD, multi-display output and 3D, IGN reports, citing sources close to the project. Mass production of its GPU will begin at the end of 2012, IGN says, with a full-console launch scheduled in October or November 2013.With these specs, the next Xbox will have six times the processing power of the Xbox 360 and is expected to support performance 20 percent greater than Nintendo's Wii U, which is using the R770, a chip that is competitively stronger than the GPUs of both the Xbox 360 and PS3.Previously uncovered Microsoft resumes listed gesture and voice input, which suggests some form of Kinect integration will be present in the coming Xbox model.
Designer imagines the next Xbox
Designer Joseph Dumary dreamed up this interpretation of the next Xbox console, which he calls the "Xbox Prestige." It's slightly curvier than the Xbox 360 Slim, suggesting it's from the future. It also includes a built-in "KinectIn" sensor for menu navigation and to scan cards for purchased games -- buy the card, put it in front of the system, and either download it or play it streaming. Inside the hypothetical console is a 2TB hard drive for storing those games, and a tuner for live TV. It is, in general, much nicer than the real system will be.
Rumor: Next Xbox slated for 2013
With Nintendo revealing its Wii U console at E3 2011, many speculated that Microsoft would be pressured to unveil the next Xbox at the next E3 in 2012. According to Develop sources, we might have to wait a little bit longer, until 2013 to be precise. The site reports that various sources "from processor chip manufacturers to middleware firms" are expecting an E3 2013 reveal of the console, followed by a launch later in the year, though it could be as far away as early 2014. Apparently Lionhead is busy working on a project named "Fable Next," for the new console, which certainly doen't seem like a stretch. It also gels with a report earlier this month about Alan Wake 2 and other next gen projects. Furthermore, Develop believes that Epic will unveil a new Unreal Engine before 2014, the date recently predicted by CEO Tim Sweeney. Finally, sources still seem to believe that EA is already in possession of development tools for the next Xbox, despite the publisher claiming otherwise. Our prediction? The Xbox 1080 will be announced by Microsoft next week. The unit will feature an integrated Kinect sensor and will support PlayStation 4 emulation using a heavily modified version of Bleem.
Next generation Xbox pops up in Microsoft resumes
While there's no doubt that Microsoft is hard at work on some form of new Xbox console, we may have a new glimpse into those who are actually making it. A handful of resumes and documents were discovered by Superannuation, listing various employees that may be working on the new hardware. Among these is Jeff Faulkner, with Gematsu reporting that his LinkedIn profile had him listed as "Xbox Nex Gen Creative Director," though the profile seems to have been altered since the discovery. Faulkner is set to speak at London's Typo expo, however, and the event describes him as "Creative Director for Xbox Next Generation, where he guides the vision for Xbox's User Experience Design across Social Media, User Experience, Entertainment, Gesture and Voice Input, Information Design and Brand and Visual design." Also listed is senior creative director Jonathan Harris, who is busy "designing the next generation of entertainment."
