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Xbox Sequel Rumors
no1here writes "PC Format has an article about a supersecret device from Microsoft code-named HomeStation. Supposedly it will be the home entertainment system that Microsoft has always wanted. It will tie into Microsoft's .NET strategy, delivering video-on-demand, high speed internet connection, and communicate wirelessly with portable devices. It might even be able to play Xbox games, along with PC games."
this is old news. this info has been around since before the xbox release
drug law enforcement is modern day witch hunting.
This came up months ago, everybody had a laugh. In fact, Slashdot posted about it.
It's a hoax, though. But probably not too far off from what MS will eventually do anyway.
This has already been posted on slashdot.
2 25 9&mode=thread
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/09/06/232
-john
I rented one over new years.. I liked it.. of course, the last console I played on was an Atari, but I thought the graphics where cool.. the menuing system was kinda neat too within just the xbox itself. The controlers where nice although kinda big.
:)
I should say that it kills me to admit I like anything MS, but.. well.. it just shows that I am open minded I guess..
- Jimbob
Step 1) Microsoft develops a technology infrastructure to support a full range of set-top-box applications.
Step 2) Microsoft deploys a subset of those technologies in the form of a game console.
Step 3) Microsoft releases a packaged version of their set-top-box mislabeled as "Windows XP Embedded" to see how applications running under it work in the marketplace.
Step 4) Microsoft takes the lessons learned from both deployments to deploy a super-box.
Step 4 is the only one to not have happened yet, but it's a pretty obvious step in the progression. I mean, look at what's in XP Embedded and you can see that you could almost drag-n-drop to create the box under discussion. The real shame is that they're selling companies the tools to create cookie-cutter STBs all the while planning to squash them with M$s real deal.
This is pretty ridiculous. It's supposedly "super-secret" yet clearly Microsoft is intentionally leaking this information. Most of the features won't make it into the final product, because it's just hype. I wonder if this new "Home Station" will create revolutionary eco-cities like Ginger. And who knows, it might one day sell for $5, fit in your pocket, and double as an electric razor! Woohoo!
the thing w/a weblog is you want specific information., there are plenty of other places where we can read press releases from microsoft and speculate about them. spend story-energy here focusing the Linux developers, etc. rather than diffusing it in meaningless microsoft related arguments.
Goat sex free since 2001
I thought the sequel was going to be called the Special Edition X-Box, code named SEX-Box.
This fits in with Microsoft's recent trend to stick a 2 letter prefix/suffix on every thing (cf. Windows98SE, WindowsME, WindowsNT, WindowsXP etc)
I have a really novel idea, since it is related to the PC on many levels, and we ALL know PCs are evolving at an astronomical rate, Microsoft should do the following to prevent the SEX-Box from being quickly obsoleted..
Make the SEX-Box bigger, to allow internal components to be added..
Make the SEX-Box equipped with PCI and AGP slots so that it can be kept up-to-date with commodity hardware.
Make the SEX-Box compatible with off-the-shelf hardrives. Yeah i can see it now "No one will ever need more than 40GB"
Make the SE... wait a minute.. haven't I got one of these already??
-fc
. echo -e \\04 >
I don't think that the number of PS2 units outsold the xbox AND GC, but the number of games sold for PS2 was crazy.v ideogames_sales_dc_3.html
According to http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011227/tc/tech_
During early december, The ps2 had 8, ps1 had 4 gc had 2 , gba had 4 , gbc had 1 and Xbox had one game in the top twenty best selling.
Going by those numbers it's going to be hard for anyone but Nintendo to get rid of the PS2. At least Sega will be making games for every system, even if Shenmue 2 will only be for X-Box.
It will tie into Microsoft's .NET strategy, delivering video-on-demand...
I guess the jury's out on whether the article is a hoax, but this idea is pretty scary. Just imagine: they've trumped everyone else for the home desktop system, and so they dip into territory previously ruled by video stores, Pay Per View, and speciality movie channels.
Monopoly? Nah. Monopoly would be too good a word to use for them.
-------------------------------------------------
charlton heston is more of a man than yo
I read this article verbatim some months back, but cannot recall the source. Bottom line, this, if true, is not new news.
.NET stuff, and I'll be a happy camper!! Hell, I might even buy an MS OS if it makes me VERY happy! :)
Having said that, I very much like the idea of a all in one box that does the digital convergence thing. ReplayTV is close with a TiVo like device, but low end sells for @ $800. Ouch. Price this thing at $300 and let me connect it to my broadband connection and let me skip all the
Shenmue [one] sucked! Most expensive game ever [rumors] and it blew.
And yes, the REAL numbers showed more PS2's sold than Xbox or GC.
Rememeber? GC [nintendo] said they sold so many more than the xbox, but the same day M$ said they sold so many more GC's.... in reality the numbers showed PS2 sold only slightly higher amounts than the GC or Xbox.
Either way, I'm sticking with my DC, Linux box[en] and XPbox... no home station for me!
Get your Unix fortune now!
Supposedly it will be the home entertainment system that Microsoft has always wanted.
Isn't it true that Bill has a system in his home where wall sized monitors change as he walks through the house? If someone can find some links to stuff in his house I'd be interested.
Although I hate M$ - I do love Bill Gates. Here is why.
* Ugly nerd [reminds me he could have ended up a BSD guy]
* Techno-speak [Acts like any buzzword is actually real! Even if he made it up!]
* Criminal [And nothing stopped him yet!]
* Funny [Remember the commercial when he couldn't get change for the coke machine?]
I wish he had never invented his "MS-DOS", but he seems to be kinda cool.
Maybe it was that Pirates of Silicon Valley movie. I love the guy that played Jobs, but that shit about the kid pisses me off more than Bill G raping us everyday.
**Yes this is offtopic - the discussion is on a three month old rumor**
Get your Unix fortune now!
Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
Note that alot of these stories came out over the weekend of Sept 8 - 10 , 2001. (not all are listed here). So it is understandable that folks might not remember that news in light of subsequent events.
0 11 120008951.htm
8 03
h tm l
7 .s html
5 3
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November 2001
http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2001nov/gee20
October 2001
http://www.pcformat.co.uk/news/detail.asp?id=30
Sept 2001
http://slashdot.org/articles/01/09/06/2322259.s
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20010907/09724
http://evem.org.au/clan.nsf/docs/20010908094632
July 2001
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/21536.h
And yes, the spaces in the URLs are not there originally/
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
Not only is this the same type of story,,,, it's on the same web page as your old story!
I just noticed when I finally decided to click on the link. It is the same exact article.
Where is the person who submitted this? Let's kill them!
Get your Unix fortune now!
This is old hat, however, it makes perfect sense with the moves ms has been making lately.
.Net provides the framework for content delivery and tracking, also giving developers a ready platform for producing apps.
First they break into the consumer electronics biz with the Xbox, and develop a loyal following. Next, they offer online services with your xbox games (and other entertainment features) via broadband.
Then, with the shares they just dumped into the AT&T cable deal, they have a hand in cable content delivery, as well as satelite content delivery (cant remeber if its echostar or dtv that they have invested in). Never mind the fact that they have something like 36 billion (with a b) cash in the bank to invest in further content mediums and conduits.
Once they have all the pieces in place, voila, unleash this hardware on the public, and possibly an upgrade offer for owners of current xbox's.
Interesting strategy, and again proving Gates's intelligence in market entrance for his products.
"Moving through the masses like a fish through water." syrup
Then, people can bid it up to $1,000, and whine when they don't get their new shiny XBOX^2 in the mail.
Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
I personally quite enjoyed an idea a friend of mine had that was quite the opposite of convergence. Remember all those digital pictureframes? Well, buddy-o-mine thought that hooking one up to a network connection and having it download porn off of a secure connection nightly, thus giving the user an all new set of adult entertainment. Charge a monthly fee and help people get their porn fix with minimal hassle.
He called it the Pornpliance.
Probably not such a bad idea, since illicit entertainment seems to be the only internet-based business model that has ever made any money...
I wish I had a kryptonite cross, because then you could keep Dracula and Superman away.
Just what I need, Microsoft connected to my TV...
Whats next?
-Microsoft Regeneration Chamber
-Microsoft NanoProbes(TM)
-MS HiveConnect '05
-MS UpgradeLimbs (USB w/ Serial adapter)
crazy dynamite monkey
I've seen Halo and Gotham racing...both looked sweet but that isn't nearly enough to make me want to buy one. The only thing I get from that is the feeling that M$ missed the boat when limiting Halo to Xbox. I am a dedicated gamer on a PC platform. I've got all the goodies, racing wheel, flight yoke and pedals, 64 mb GF3 card, and a really nice 24" monitor. I just can't see limiting myself to any console...
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
I meant that he put MS on it and sold it to IBM.
Then he took over the world.
Get your Unix fortune now!
> The project is *so* supersecret that it appeared on Slashdot three months ago.
Wow! The didn't even tell the editors about it!
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
http://slashdot.org/articles/01/09/06/232 2259.shtm l - Sept 06 2001
Therefore, we have a mental block that wiped from memory what would have been important news at the time, if it wasn't due to other events.
Since MS always wants to keep all of their plans secret, I guess you can call this a case of the "damndest luck".
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
It does seems sometimes kind of ludricous how we /.otters put attention to ALL RUMORS on the next thing that M$ will pull out... dont we have enough to do and enough to read about to spend so much freakin time in MICROSOFTs "leaks"?? /. HAS BEEN BOUGHT BY MICROSOFT AS A "LEAKING DEVICE!"
A CONTINOUS RUMOR SAYS
Does anyone make after market controller's ? I had the same problem with the N64. My mother really liked Zelda but the controllers were wrong for her hands. I couldn't find any aftermarket controllers at all :(
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
It's not really so super-secret. I saw a prototype of the HomeStation that was on display at the Microsoft TV booth at NATPE (National Association of Television Porduction Executives) in Vegas last year. It was running on a watered down version of the then Windows Whistler (XP) code. It had interactive TV capabilities as well as Tivo functionality. Looked very nice then, but was not fully functional, but the prospects looked very nice.
I would guess that someone would end up hacking the XBox to run arbitrary unsigned code before this is out anyways. Webserver anyone?
/a> for more info...
Check out <a href="http://www.xboxhacker.net">XBoxHacker<
æeee!
Halo is coming for PC. It's just on the XBox first. I enjoy a good PC game as well, but the XBox has excellent widescreen and Dolby Digital support which makes sitting on the couch in front of the 64" HDTV fun as well.
Dude, I hope you know that you're not funny. I mean, I'm not even offended by the obvious religious trash-talk, and I still find your comment pretty stupid.
Grow up.
Please mod this post only if you think others should/n't read this. I have enough ego^H^H^Hkarma. Thanks!
Here is the register's take on this PC Format story.
/* Half alive and half dead too, work is for suckers and the sucker is you. - "Half-life" by Local H*/
Fortunately, MS has a reputation for crashing. and it was somewaht tongue in cheek. maybe I should have added a smiley
On the other hand, it is not totally out of the question. For example, there is this old press release:
http://industry.java.sun.com/javanews/stories/stor y2/0,1072,10079,00.html
In which it is noted, "The next generation of products capable of utilizing an array of content from the network for information and communication will include: TVs, phones, PDAs and traditional appliances, such as air conditioners. "
You are also invited to look at the Universal Plug and Play Site: http://www.upnp.org
There is also this article where it is noted:
I also point you to This article on WhiteDot.org in which an anti-television activist infiltrated a meeting of Industry leaders trying to get organize "Interactive TV"That being said, and given MS's reputation for sterling and unblemished integrity, well, anything is possible.
Have a good evening. The original comment was somewhat tongue in cheek, but this does not mean it was devoid of facts. Unless you really do trust MS.
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
Well, the article's been Slashdotted, but this isn't particularly new news, so there's probably not any need.
There was an article in Wired awhile back about the contractor Microsoft was using to actually build the Xbox units. It had almost nothing to do with the console itself and more about the phenomenon of third-party electronics manufacturers, but if memory serves everything I'm about to spew forth is from there. (I think the Register has gone over it a bit, too.)
Of course Microsoft wants to take over your living room. How much money out there is spent on, say, DVD players, stereo components, video game consoles, and all the rest combined every day? It's a gold mine.
And I'm sure MS was thinking of this when they came up with the cute little name, too: Xbox? As in the variable X? Not just a cool-sounding letter?
COME ON, PEOPLE! It's a CONSPIRACY!
Moving on. It's kind of a shame for the game players, though. I admire Nintendo's philosophy when it comes to designing new systems: it's designed for games, not for running your home entertainment system. The more broad you get in your objectives, the less you're going to be able to specialize. You've gotta give and take when you're designing, and when you need to get both DVD functionality and game playing in one box, you're not going to be able to really push the hell out of the design of one aspect-- passable functionality is probably good enough. Note the apparently inferior quality of the PS2's DVD playback. This is the reason the GameCube doesn't house a DVD player (as well as the added benefit of the difficulty in duplicating a proprietary disc, but see the talk on Panasonic's "Q" from earlier today for that): Nintendo knows its place.
If Microsoft manages to get everything I want in a system for a reasonable price, I'll probably buy it-- I won't discriminate just because it's MS. I doubt they'll ever be able to capture all of the quality in one box that you'd find in seperate components, and so my five hundred FutureBucks are probably secure for now.
With the rapidly increasing capacity of hard disk drives, it becomes feasible to download the current hot titles in advance. The "service" would then consist of playback from local disk. With a closed box (ie, Joe can't install unauthorized software), there's at least a fighting chance to restrict copying, a selling point that I'm sure MS would emphasize to the big movie studios. If you can keep 20 new-release titles on the disk, particularly if you make some intelligent decisions about viewer habits (eg, no chick flicks at Joe's house), such a service might be competitive with Blockbuster's outside wall and cable's pay-per-view. It might even be profitable, if you can get Joe to pay for the box, pay for the broadband connection, and the studios don't get too big of a cut.
This gives me my first glimmer of hope since the Bush the Younger administration emasculated the anti-trust suit against Microsoft.
Microsoft is now moving into and p---ing off entire new markets. Either they will compete legitimately one-on-one with the game console makers, and with the consumer electronics companies, in which case they will find themsevles back under proper market control (the ideal Laisser Faire solution), or they will leverage their monopoly into new monopolies and no administration will be able to ignore their blatant abuse of the law.
In other words, the thinner they spread themselves, the greater the chance they will lose their dominance.
They'll start making xbox games?
Seriously, this is a hoax as others have said -- but look out for future promises from console makers. Remember your history lessons of years past.
I wonder if xbox will ever get up to 100 games before 2004.
I'm not saying that Microsoft deliberately leaked information about HomeStation, or that they're not well on their way to making it a reality, but early announcement is a clever way of placing barriers to entry in front of their competitors. If you're trying to line up partners for deployment of your new all-in-one home gizmo, who's going to work with you if they know Microsoft is coming out with their own gizmo "any time now"?
Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
It's going to be called "My Videogame Box."
(not my joke)
Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.
What's this I hear about Xbox SQL? I didn't even know MySQL had been ported yet. That was quick. Can't wait until DB2 comes out for the Gamecube.
"Supposedly it will be the home entertainment system that Microsoft has always wanted. It will tie into Microsoft's
Funny, I heard the codename for this project was "Personal Computer"
Reminds me of another story. Mead Corp is developing a flexible input, storage and display medium capable of infinite resolution, consumes no power, and can be produced so cheaply that literally millions these objects can be produced for a few cents a pound! Theyre calling it, "paper".
Bowie J. Poag
soon we will have Billy greeting us every morning w/his daily thought. He will be there watching your every move and telling you what he wants you to eat for dinner.
Aside from the fact that I am paranoid that the XBox is just Bill's way of taking over the world I really don't like it for several reasons:
1. the god damn controller sucks. It is just so damn big and bulky. I tried to play some hockey game at Best Buy and I just couldn't control the damn guys. Too many controller sticks and pads. I don't have hands like Shaq or anything but they should be comfortable w/in the controller.
2. the game selection is iffy at this point. Yeah I know the PS2 was in the same boat at its release but I expected better from MS and their normal tactics.
3. did I mention that Bill is going to be on your TV when you wake up?
EXCELLENT! Now they have your fingerprints!
pr0n - keeping monitor glass spotless since 1981.
Yeah, sure, right - like Microsoft would turn on a web server by default on a desktop operating system unbeknownst to the clueless owner. GET REAL, PEOPLE!
pr0n - keeping monitor glass spotless since 1981.
Sony is a bit player compared to Microsoft. It's one thing to have a hold on dumb consumer electronic devices; it's another to subvert information and communication standards and become a massive repository for the planet's vital information, with the intent of exploiting that information for economic (and doubtless political) gain.
pr0n - keeping monitor glass spotless since 1981.
Hey, so would I. Here's an open offer to Microsoft: Set me up financially for life and I will forever spare you the awesome sting of my sarcasm and snide comments.
pr0n - keeping monitor glass spotless since 1981.
If Microsoft produces a superior product that people want, and people buy it, are they sheeple? No! They are being smart consumers, so don't use derogatory terms to describe them.