Greenberg attacks Sony on failure to live up to their promises
Continue reading Greenberg attacks Sony on failure to live up to their promises
Jasper 65nm chips could hit 360s by August [update]
According to Cens.com, the first 65nm GPU chip equipped Xbox 360s -- codenamed Jasper, the successor to current Falcon 360s, which incorporate a 65nm CPU but use a larger GPU -- will start showing up in by August of this year. IBM will reportedly manufacture and test the CPU chips, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has reportedly been contracted to manufacture and the graphics chips, which will in turn be tested and packaged by Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc. (ASE). Nanya will be responsible for supplying flip-chip packaging substrates (don't ask us). Furthermore, CENS reports that industry watchers are betting on TSMC to win contracts to manufacture chips for Japser's successor, Valhalla, which will combine both the CPU and graphics chips into one super chip.
The upshot of all this is that new chips should be arriving this August, making for cooler, quieter 360s everywhere. that's something we can all enjoy, right? Oh, and no, there was no mention of Microsoft cramming Blu-Ray drives into either the Jasper or Valhalla.
[Via Joystiq]
Update: Clarified differences between Falcon and Jasper units
Sony: European PS3 sales surpass 360's
The Sony PR machine just got its oil changed, is fully lubed and ready to fight. We know this because at their recent Playstation Day press event (which, we must admit, did bring some amount of good) we learn that Playstation 3 sales in Europe have surpassed Xbox 360 sales in the region ... or so says Sony. Seeing that Sony is a tad bit bias with their calculations (and we don't even get a pretty bar chart or anything), we can't be sure how much validity there is to their European PS3 number touting. But one thing we can be sure of is that Europe is a cut-throat console market where Microsoft and Sony are currently fighting to the death. Now let's wait and see if MS's PR machine is equally primed for battle ...Ghostbusters dev: 360 holding back PS3 version
It's worth noting that Ghostbusters is a Sony property. Feel free to consider that in your conspiracy theories. We'll just be hiding behind this flame-proof barrier if you need us.
[Via Joystiq]
Microsoft's Xbox division turns a profit (again!)
Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division (EDD) is one happy division, because for a second fiscal quarter they've turned a nice profit and are Microsoft's shiny badge of success.For the third fiscal quarter, Microsoft revealed that the Xbox 360's EDD turned an operating profit of $89 million seeing an operating income of $614 million which is a major improvement of last year's $746 million operating loss. Analyzing the numbers further, we see that third quarter EDD sales rose 68% to $1.58 billion (up 35% to $6.57 billion for the nine month period) and Microsoft shipped 1.3 million consoles in the third quarter alone. Oh, and the reason for such impressive numbers? High demand for the Xbox 360 which now has cumulative sales of 19 million units. A 74% increase over last year.
Rumor: Microsoft to establish retail stores
A key distinction here is that Microsoft doesn't have the same range of hardware that Apple produces, which makes one wonder exactly what will be on display. Of course, one would expect to see Zunes and Xbox 360s, but beyond that and a handful of PC peripherals, Microsoft is mainly a software producer. Maybe we'll see PCs loaded with MS software?
The only other question that remains is whether or not Microsoft can capture some of the mindshare that has been lost to Apple. If Microsoft can manage to make customers pay a ridiculously high price for socks, then they're on the right track.
[Via Trusted Reviews. Original Image by Fleur-Design]
Sony to MS: You've punched yourself out of the fight
In the interview, Steinberg decided to gloat about the PS3's upcoming catalog of games, console features and superb Blu-ray tech all while pointing out that their "competition has already leveraged all their big assets in the first couple of years" and doesn't have anything left to offer. A metaphorical knockout to one's self. Steinberg further went on to say that they "are the [HD movie] standard" with a "formula [that] is going to drive consumers to the PS3" ... amazing. So, we guess a hugely successful Xbox Live Arcade, a Video Marketplace, games like Halo Wars, Ninja Gaiden II, Fable 2, Banjo-Kazooie 3 and Gears of War 2 don't mean much to Mr. Steinberg and his magical, global warming ending, world peace bringing Blu-ray technology.
360 about to reach 2 million UK sales milestone
GDC08: Xbox 360 hardware sales reach 18 million
In an interview with Eurogamer, Microsoft's John Schappert sat down to discuss all things Xbox 360, mentioned that (to date) Xbox 360 hardware sales have eclipsed the 18 million unit mark. Not bad, but not amazing. January was the last time we were officially updated on units sold, when Microsoft announced that 360 worldwide sales hit the 17.7 million console mark. So, 18 million units by the end of February seems to fall in line with the 360's sales trend. Microsoft will have to be on their game in 2008, because warding off the RROD, dealing with the Wii's increasing North American sales and defending against a tricky PS3 who's gunning for second place will take some effort. Then again, who's really worried? We have GoW2, Fable 2, Halo Wars and a stellar XBLA lineup to ignite sales.January NPDs put PS3 in front of the 360
According to the just released January NPD sales numbers, the Xbox 360 has come in a disappointing third place in the console wars, only managing to sell 230,000 consoles while the PS3 moved 269,000 and the Wii sold 274,000. But before you storm the streets in a fit of rage, know that there is some sort of explanation for the third place outing ... there wasn't enough stock. You see, according to Microsoft, they haven't been able to replenish the retail channels quick enough post holidays, resulting in less Xbox 360s on shelves and less 360s available to consumers. So, if that theory makes you sleep better at night, then go with that and know Microsoft is producing 360s as fast as possible and should regain its sales lead over the PS3 come February NPD. Hopefully.
We also wanted to mention that not only has Call of Duty 4 claimed the number one sales spot selling another 330,900 copies in January, but Rock Band made its top ten NPD sales debut too. You can review the rather gloomy NPD ranks and numbers after the break, though we advise keeping one thing in mind. It was lack of stock at retail ... lack of stock at retail ...
US 360 shortage acknowledged by Microsoft
After weeks of reports that Xbox 360s were nowhere to be found in the United States -- we've been discussing it on the Fancast for about a month now -- Microsoft has finally owned up to it. Speaking to Reuters, Microsoft's head of global marketing and comedian extraordinaire Jeff Bell cleared the air saying, "you could say we misjudged demand." Bell noted that many retailers have no stock at all, and in fact are dismayed by the state of affairs. Bell even says that 360 sales are likely to see a dip for January and possibly February, but he expects that Microsoft will be able to meet demand as spring approaches. We won't have to wait too long to find out just how much the shortage affected Microsoft's sales either, as NPD numbers are expected to drop later today. You can bet we'll be here to report them when they do.
For the moment, at least, it seems that any rumors of a new 360 model (or a new SKU entirely) have been put to rest.
[Via Joystiq]
Dead Space to be equal on PS3 and 360
Speaking at an event in London yesterday, EA executive producer Glen Schofield assured gamers that the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Dead Space will be identical. "The plan has to be, and it will be, on parity with the 360," said Schofield, responding to a question about any potential differences between the two versions. When asked about the challenges of multiplatform development, Schofield responded that it was "difficult." He added, however, that while development thus far has been lead on the Xbox 360 version of the game, the team plans to shift to the PS3 as the lead platform within "a month or two." Schofield noted that one of the reasons that multiplatform games often look better on 360 (something seen in several EA games) is that developers have had more time with the 360 and also that the PS3 does present several difficulties. "It's a beautiful machine and it is very powerful. It's just it's not as easy to develop for right now," said Schofield. He assures gamers, however, that the 360 version of Dead Space won't be "gimped" because of programming difficulties presented by the PS3. Let's hope not.
[Via Joystiq]
Wireless 360 controller tops battery life test
According to a feature from the folks at GamePro, Xbox 360 owners can expect more gaming bang for their battery-life buck. Multiple tests on the Xbox 360 wireless controller, SIXAXIS and Wii Remote were conducted to see which one would last the longest. Scraping the bottom of the battery-life barrel was the PlayStation 3 SIXAXIS which only held out for 18 hours and 41 minutes; mainly due to the lack of auto-off functionality. Second place went to the Nintendo Wii remote, doubling Sony's time at 36 hours and 43 minutes. Xbox 360's wireless remote topped the list at 56 hours and 56 minutes. While the article states that the Xbox 360 dashboard battery indicator isn't as accurate as the PS3 or Wii, a single-day charge and play session always lasted longer on Xbox 360. In case you were wondering, the irony that anything associated with the Xbox 360 won a reliability test was lost on no one.[Thanks, marklar. Via Ars Technica]
EA predicts 360 sales to lag behind PS3's in '08
For whatever reason, the analysts over at EA decided to put their betting chips on the PS3 as the predict its sales to eclipse the 360's in 2008. For reals.EA released their 2008 hardware sales estimates saying that the Wii (not surprisingly) is predicted to outsell all consoles, but EA's second place prediction is what has our heads confused. In Europe alone EA believes the PS3 will move 5-6 million consoles while the 360 only sells a measly 1.5-2.5 million units. EA goes on to predict that North American sales of the two consoles should be equal and, after the dust settles, worldwide sales in 2008 should put the PS3 at 9.5-11.5 million while the Xbox 360 will only manage 6-8 million. Either EA is smoking a lot of illegal drugs, simply decided to agree with Sony or they've gone off the deep end, because we do not see the 360's 2008 hardware sales to be that bleak. Eesh, eesh, eesh.
360 attach rate now 7 games per console
The Wii may consistently take the console sales crown, but there is no denying that the Xbox 360 sells the most software. As if to drive this point home, Microsoft CFO Chris Liddell recently told CNBC that the Xbox 360's life-to-date attach rate now rests at seven games sold per Xbox 360 Console. As Eurogamer points out, the latest attach rate is significantly higher than the 5.3 attach rate reported last January. Further illustrating just how momentous this feat is, Liddell pointed out that 360 owners are now spending more money on games than an Xbox 360 itself. It's an important point to make, especially for third party publishers. After all, companies want their games where the money is.[Via Eurogamer]
