alik_05
05-13-2005, 07:58 PM
Microsoft Touts Graphics on New Xbox 360 - [Console News]
----------------------------------------
Microsoft Corp. says its next version of Xbox will thrill hard-core gamers with mind-blowing graphics and lure in newcomers with free online games, slideshows, music and video chats with friends.
Xbox 360 looks nothing like its bulky, black predecessor. It's sleek and white, and it can stand on one end like a book or lie flat like a DVD player. Its 20-gigabyte hard drive and three powerful processors will enable high-definition graphics and surround sound, making games seem more like movies. Mike Sabine, a market analyst with International Development Group, raved about the lifelike look of a war game he saw in a recent preview offered to analysts and reporters.
"I actually expected to be a little underwhelmed," he said. "I expected it to be a leap or two better (than the original Xbox), but I was very impressed." Another game Microsoft demonstrated featured NBA star LeBron James, his muscles flexing and his shiny tank top rippling in the light of a street lamp as he dribbles and shoots. "Honest to goodness it was almost as good as video," said Van Baker, vice president and research director for Gartner Inc.
Sony now has 43 percent of the U.S. video game console market with PlayStation 2, compared with Xbox at 19 percent and GameCube at 14 percent, according to Jay Horwitz, an analyst with Jupiter Research. He predicts the new Xbox will grab 38 percent of the U.S. market by 2010, overtaking PlayStation 3 by 6 percentage points. Microsoft has said gamers can expect 200 new Xbox titles by the end of the year, but hasn't said how many will be designed for Xbox 360 and whether the new machine will play games designed for the old model. There's also no word yet on cost. The current Xbox sells for $149.99. Many Xbox 360 features are designed for non-gamers: watching movies, playing music, viewing slide shows or holding video chats. It has three USB ports to connect digital cameras, music players and other devices.
XBOX 360 SPECS
Source: Yahoo! News
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox360/factsheet.htm
----------------------------------------
Microsoft Corp. says its next version of Xbox will thrill hard-core gamers with mind-blowing graphics and lure in newcomers with free online games, slideshows, music and video chats with friends.
Xbox 360 looks nothing like its bulky, black predecessor. It's sleek and white, and it can stand on one end like a book or lie flat like a DVD player. Its 20-gigabyte hard drive and three powerful processors will enable high-definition graphics and surround sound, making games seem more like movies. Mike Sabine, a market analyst with International Development Group, raved about the lifelike look of a war game he saw in a recent preview offered to analysts and reporters.
"I actually expected to be a little underwhelmed," he said. "I expected it to be a leap or two better (than the original Xbox), but I was very impressed." Another game Microsoft demonstrated featured NBA star LeBron James, his muscles flexing and his shiny tank top rippling in the light of a street lamp as he dribbles and shoots. "Honest to goodness it was almost as good as video," said Van Baker, vice president and research director for Gartner Inc.
Sony now has 43 percent of the U.S. video game console market with PlayStation 2, compared with Xbox at 19 percent and GameCube at 14 percent, according to Jay Horwitz, an analyst with Jupiter Research. He predicts the new Xbox will grab 38 percent of the U.S. market by 2010, overtaking PlayStation 3 by 6 percentage points. Microsoft has said gamers can expect 200 new Xbox titles by the end of the year, but hasn't said how many will be designed for Xbox 360 and whether the new machine will play games designed for the old model. There's also no word yet on cost. The current Xbox sells for $149.99. Many Xbox 360 features are designed for non-gamers: watching movies, playing music, viewing slide shows or holding video chats. It has three USB ports to connect digital cameras, music players and other devices.
XBOX 360 SPECS
Source: Yahoo! News
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox360/factsheet.htm