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Forums - Microsoft - XBox 360 new model released Quarter 3

Rock_on_2008 on 07 May 2008

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/05/05/xbox-360-overhaul-come-august

XBox 360 overhaul come August

BD player, new graphics chip

 

ACCORDING TO KNOW-IT-ALL EDN newspaper in China, Pegatron Technology (bastard offspring of Asustek, in case you’re wondering), has managed to grab the highly-denied “Blu-Ray for Xbox360” deal of the year.

We imagine Microsoft denied the existence of such unit, not to shield its upcoming launch from the competition’s prying marketeers, but rather because its staff were responding in default “mirror” mode whereby hacks that asked the Vole if they had plans for a BD add-on, they received a 100% flat/honest “No”. True. All things considered, it won’t be an add-on.

The newspaper adds that Pegatron will assemble Microsoft’s console with the in-built BD player, with units hitting the market in Q3/2008 – Mid-summer, as it were.

This goes head-on with Dean Takahashi’s info on the Xbox 360 “Jasper” platform that is scheduled for August of this year. We'd already mentioned this platform over here, btw. The Jasper will feature a shrunken 65nm ATI graphics core and “smaller memory chips”. This does make more sense if you’re using the new GPU core to aid you in decoding HD on Blu-ray, too.

So that’s about it, major Xbox 360 platform overhaul coming this summer, with some time to spare for Christmas - Blu-ray, faster graphics and what is likely to be an all-round cooler console – and the thing is assembled by Pegatron Technology.

This Xbox 360 "Ultra" (our word, not the Vole's) should be able to do a bit more than trail the PS3. Should make for an interesting holiday season this year

 

 



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Rock_on_2008 on 07 May 2008

Behold the 360 Version 2. Blu-ray model XBox 360 has been leaked. MS will release it August.



stranne on 07 May 2008

But at what pricepoint? If it's more expensive than PS3, sales will be really bad.



Rock_on_2008 on 07 May 2008

Check this out: http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2007/10/09/xbox_360_secrets_after_falcon_comes_jasper/

^XBox 360 with a new chip in it called Jasper. Cheaper cost of XBox 360, cost of manuafacturing consoles over time decreases. Expect a further price cut on 360 in NA by August/September.



Squilliam on 07 May 2008

Yup, as I predicted a while ago to myself.

I think we will see a new motherboard so expect also

1. Wireless certainly
2. Reliability

Might have

1. Native decoder from AMD - think cool n quiet playback
2. Integrated ED ram die into GPU; this is for a possible CPU+GPU mating act for next year when they shrink again to 45nm.

Other things to watch for

1. Larger drive on the Pro model, think 60-120gb... Depends if they want to one up Sony on the specs. I worked in retail so I know a lot of dummy consumers just add the numbers up and pick the bigger one taking into account the price/budget.
2. Arcade goes the way of the Dodo or gets repackaged/focused with the rumored Xmote.



Tease.

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Nintendo Zealot on 07 May 2008

I wonder if this will help the 360 much. It can't cost more than $400 or else it won't have much of an effect.



^Guy pissing on Microsoft Sign

UBISOFT BOYCOTT

Ail on 07 May 2008

Not gonna help the 360 much if it is true because there are 18 million of 360 out there without Blue Ray so all games will still have to come on DVDs...
Heck, due to that I fail to see any advantage they would get in releasing a Blue Ray supporting console...



PS3-Xbox360 gap : 1.5 millions and going up in PS3 favor !

PS3-Wii gap : 20 millions and going down !

Rock_on_2008 on 07 May 2008

Extend the life of the 360 is what the Blu-Ray XBox 360 will do and hold out until 2012 and release a new Xbox.



JPSandhu on 07 May 2008

Rock on 08- seriously you have to be the biggest fanboi idiot anywhere. where the hell do find crap like the link above. MS wont put a blu-ray player in anything cuz they aren't even selling that well and they have invested a lot of time into digital downloads, blu-ray is great for games but for movies its a different story. DVD's are more convenient then blu-rays because everyone had a DVD player and they aren't that different from blu-ray players. Plz as a favour to everyone disconnect your internet



 

Squilliam on 07 May 2008
Ail said:
Not gonna help the 360 much if it is true because there are 18 million of 360 out there without Blue Ray so all games will still have to come on DVDs...
Heck, due to that I fail to see any advantage they would get in releasing a Blue Ray supporting console...

 

They have two problems in this generation

 1. Sony has a fantastically strong brand in both gaming and consumer electronics

 2. Blu ray can sway customers away even if its not being used, as in good idea even if they dont end up buying the disks. This can be helped by having a drive.

As for price they can charge anything up to the price of the 80gb model PS3. Often a higher price will give a feeling of value to the rest of the lineup.

"So if the Xbox360 is equal in price to the 80gb one then the pro at $300 should be as good a unit at playing games as the 40gb unit." Or something like that. Halo effect does work in this stuff - Look at how many people buy Nvidia products because they have the best GPU... Even if their other products which they are buying have glaring problems.



Tease.