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Xbox 2 Concept Designs Leaked?

An anonymous reader writes "Two new images of what are reported to be Xbox 2 concept designs and logos , have recently been found on the internet. The designs are said to have been released by an anonymous tipster who claims to be part of a focus group for the Xbox 2. The anonymous member reports that he has more concept designs ready to release in the near future." Doesn't look to me like there's much credibility here, but they still look pretty.

191 comments

  1. Design by b0lt · · Score: 5, Funny

    I was thinking that it would look more like this

    --
    got sig?
    1. Re:Design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The XBox Borg?

    2. Re:Design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      A fitting design for a company like Microsoft...

    3. Re:Design by Directrix1 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yeah, me too. They've already assimilated enough people to be that size ;). But seriously now. Aren't we all passed this "console gaming fad" by now? Console software has gotten so mainstream, that it borders on the same bland universally applicable edge that modern movies do (or at least its getting that way fast). I thought consoles were great until I realized that the ONLY "innovations" that are really happening are just more polys/sec (wooh). Oh well, your money. Have fun.

      --
      Occam's razor is the blind faith in the natural selection of least resistance and in universal oversimplification. -- EF
    4. Re:Design by Planesdragon · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Who the hell plays consoles for innovation?

      Yes, there IS innovation--usually in the form of games that do something not done before--but that's not the point.

      The point is a cheap way to play games at home. It's a way for your children or spouses or guests to play a game without violating the sanctuary of your PC lair.

    5. Re:Design by remin8 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Obviosly this is counter-intellegence being used by M$ instead of the Gov't! Just like when US military intellegence released fake photos of the stealth bomber and fighter in the mid to late 80s to counter a real intellegence movement that was going on! This is great for M$, they genereate buzz without comprimising their new design.

      --

      "Initial success, or total failure!"
      remin8.com
    6. Re:Design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was thinking that it would look more like this

      Not enough woodgrain.

    7. Re:Design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hope they'll make it with huge HDDs and standard DVD-ROM, all ready for disassembling.

  2. Xbox2 Mod? by Stefan+Fredriksson · · Score: 5, Interesting

    One of the most important things that has made XBOX a somewhat sucess is the ability to mod it.

    Now, if you are a student for example now you need only one machine and you get a DVD player, a computer and a game-console in one box. All for a few hundred american money (inkl. harddrive and modchip)

    If they want to continue to grow they must make the XBOX2 "moddable".

    1. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by kryptkpr · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If they want to continue to grow they must make the XBOX2 "moddable".

      I think they're going to fight tooth and nail to make sure the XBOX2 is NOT moddable. They've traditionally sold the hardware at a loss, and made up for it in software. In their eyes, modchips are lost software revenue and only pirates use them.

      --
      DJ kRYPT's Free MP3s!
    2. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by Ianoo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      No, the reason the X-Box has been so successful is because of marketing - people think it's a good games console (and it is). Modding consoles is still a "minority sport", modders themselves accounting for a relatively small portion of total sales.

    3. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Back that up with some sources. The only figures I've seen (magazines performing questionnaries etc) point to almost 50% of all Xboxes being chipped/flashed/softmodded etc.

      60 per cent of hardcore Xbox gamers have had their machine chipped (but be sure to check this thread out in response to that)

      I don't know a single person with an Xbox that's not chipped, and I know quite a lot of Xbox owners. I have three myself - one in each room, connected via network to the computers so I can stream movies/music to whatever projector/tv-set I happen to be near by.

      I do happen to know a bit on how many modchips are sold world-wide, and, seriously. "Minority" isn't the word we're looking for.

    4. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by System.out.println() · · Score: 5, Interesting

      One of the most important things that has made XBOX a somewhat sucess is the ability to mod it.

      Actually, that made it a spectacular failure.

      Sure, there are a lot of XBox's floating around now, but don't kid yourself - Microsoft didn't make a dime on any of them. Console makers can offer such powerful systems for so cheap (both being relative, of course) because they traditionally take a loss on the system and make up for it in game sales and licenses. And owners of modded XBox's tend not to buy games.

    5. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      that's not what he meant by moddable, he meant moduleable. How did that get insight??

    6. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You see, that's not necessarily the markeet Microsoft was going for. They did include a DVD player but that doesn't make them money, streaming media doesn't make them money. If a person buys an XBox, mods it for media and doesn't buy games

      The only thing that can let Microsoft make money on XBox is games and peripheral licencing. From that perspective, they have no incentive to make modding easy. If Microsoft hadn't bought so hard into the idea that the base consoles always lose money, it might be different, but then the console wouldn't have been so interesting to mod.

      I'm not arguing against users doing mods. While MS might sell more consoles, because of the mods, a lot of those additional consoles sold fall outside their intended market. I think they'd rather sell fewer consoles than make the system hackable.

    7. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by Ma�djeurtam · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Since it will have a G5 and (if I'm not mistaken) and probably something from ATi or nVidia, so we can assume that it will be transformable into a Mac clone without too much effort.

      Contrary to the legend, there's nothing proprietary in today's Macs, except for the G5 itself. The rest is well documented (PearPC helped a lot in that array).

      *That* would be an interesting mod!

      --
      Instant Karma's gonna get you, Gonna knock you right on the head (John Lennon, 1970)
    8. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by EvilGoodGuy · · Score: 1

      Modchip is not needed. There are now ways to flash the internal BIOS stored on the TSOP. Or you can hack the dashboard.

    9. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by JustDisGuy · · Score: 1
      And owners of modded XBox's tend not to buy games.

      You must work for the RIAA. Anyone who listens to MP3's they didn't buy from Apple and anyone who plays their XBox games on backup must be thieves, eh?

      A decent XBox game goes for around $60 CAD when relatively new. Invariably, youngsters around my house scratch or otherwise damage the relatively easily damaged media. Should we be forced to pay another $60 to play the game further?

      Buying a modchip is just a little protection for the games we buy, allowing us to play them without fscking our original discs. What's costing M$ money is preventing owners of modded boxes from participating on M$ Live!. Oh, you can work around their restrictions if you are of a mind to do so, but I'm not going to spend the extra time just so I can spend extra money...
      --
      "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." - Hanlon's Razor
    10. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by System.out.println() · · Score: 1

      I said tend to, not invariably. For every person who backs up their legal games "so their kids don't destroy them" (tm), there are at least three who just never buy the games - and don't try to kid yourself by believing otherwise.

      And by the way, it's fairly well known that Microsoft has lost large amounts of money (many billions, IIRC) on the XBox.

    11. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by NonSequor · · Score: 2, Informative

      From what I can gather, the methodology of their survey was to ask how many people modded their Xboxes in an online forum.

      I would expect the sampling bias from this methodology to be tremendous beyond all comprehension.

      Reader surveys in magazines don't sound much better either.

      --
      My only political goal is to see to it that no political party achieves its goals.
    12. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by bbzzdd · · Score: 1

      My Xbox is used as an emulation station. I have no desire to play any Xbox games, but I certainly use it for NES, SNES, Genesis, and arcade games.

      I wish it had a tad more juice and memory under the hood to handle the more powerful arcade games. Alas 733Mhz and 64MB RAM does not cut it.

      If rumors are true, Microsoft is neutering the Xbox 2 by removing the hard disk and backward compatibly in an effort to thwart piracy and "non-standard use" of the console. Well, it was fun while it lasted.

    13. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by Fulcrum+of+Evil · · Score: 1

      Console makers can offer such powerful systems for so cheap (both being relative, of course) because they traditionally take a loss on the system and make up for it in game sales and licenses.

      Xbox and Dreamcast do not a tradition make. The Playstation series and Nintendo consoles were all sold for a profit.

      --
      "We returned the General to El Salvador, or maybe Guatemala, it's difficult to tell from 10,000 feet"
    14. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by Nathanbp · · Score: 1

      Not completely true. The PS2 and Gamecube were both being sold for a small loss at launch, but this was changed into profit fairly quickly as production got underway. The XBox was sold at a much larger loss than either of the other two, and thus maintained it's loss for far longer (Maybe it still is being sold at a loss? I don't know).

    15. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by SpectralOne · · Score: 1, Insightful

      One of the most important things that has made XBOX a somewhat sucess is the ability to mod it.
      An example of typical Slashdot mentality. The ONLY thing that makes the Xbox successful in terms of sales are the games, which feed off of a flexible platform. And even then it is apparently not profitable. If you believe the sales of Xboxes are driven by modders, you're nuts.

    16. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by SendBot · · Score: 1

      And owners of modded XBox's tend not to buy games.

      Funny that, after I modded my xbox, I found myself buying *more* games.

      Of course, they are for PC/PS2/GC/GBA

      On a more serious note, the xbox games I choose are mostly those that support online play, and the original media is required for those because you must disable your unsigned bios to access Live.

      Otherwise, I mostly use my modded xbox for emulation and storage/playback of video files.

      I like to "vote with my wallet" and I enjoy financially supporting good games and the middlemen attached to them like symbiotic parasites.

    17. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by CountJoe · · Score: 2, Funny

      only pirates use them.

      Yarr, me matey

      Sorry, just getting ready for Talk Like A Pirate Day next Sunday (Sept. 19th)

    18. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by Weirdofreak · · Score: 1

      No, the PS2 was sold at profit.

    19. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by aceadean · · Score: 1

      I would have to agree that marketing is their tour de force. It just goes to show that if you throw enough money at something it will be a success. I honestly thought after the first year the XBox was history, but they have certainly become a successfull game system. I believe that it's because they got so many systems out the door in the first year that they got so many great titles... well that, and their ability to flat out purchase anything they don't have (Bungie, Rare, etc.)

    20. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by startled · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "'One of the most important things that has made XBOX a somewhat sucess is the ability to mod it.'

      Actually, that made it a spectacular failure."

      I still haven't seen anything to pull me away from the third option: the small community of XBox modders hasn't had any significant impact on the success or failure of the XBox, or Microsoft's probability.

    21. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      Considering the price of the Box at launch I'd say Microsoft tried selling it at a profit but had to take losses to bring the device down to an actually affordable price.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    22. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by JFitzsimmons · · Score: 1
      --
      Beware he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master. -Anonymous
    23. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by microsnot · · Score: 1

      What's the reason for it's dismal performance in the Japanese market? I'm guessing this is due to the fact that "most" Japanese don't bother with mod chips and care about the games library. Surely a good games console also needs a good library of games.

      IMO, the reason it does well in other countries is because of it's inherent ease to mod and hack.

    24. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by Osty · · Score: 0, Troll

      Invariably, youngsters around my house scratch or otherwise damage the relatively easily damaged media.

      Why don't you learn how to parent, and teach the ankle-biters to respect other people's property? The excuse of, "I'm such a horrible parent, I can't teach my kids how to handle a DVD, and thus I should be allowed to make backups," is weak.

      (and if they're not your kids, it's time for you to grow up and move out of your parent's house.)

    25. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by badasscat · · Score: 1

      Since it will have a G5 and (if I'm not mistaken) and probably something from ATi or nVidia, so we can assume that it will be transformable into a Mac clone without too much effort.

      This assumes, first of all, that you believe the specs that leaked out a while back. Whether you choose to believe me or not, I know they were real at least at that time... which doesn't mean they haven't changed or won't change before the system is released. But for now, we'll assume those specs were/are correct and current.

      The problem is, just because it has "a" G5 doesn't mean it's a Mac. It has more than "a" G5 if you go by those leaked specs, it has three G5's, which each handle specific tasks (for example, half of the processing power on one of them is used for the audio decoding). It also has a custom DirectX-compatible graphics chip which may or may not support other API's - I'll bet it won't. And it's got a completely unique memory architecure that takes inspiration from the GameCube's use of 1T-SRAM as a sort of "in-between" cache.

      Also, MS told game developers at the same meeting these specs came from not to expect a hard drive built into the system. It may be available as an option, but it won't be built into the system. I assume this is a) to save on costs, and b) to possibly discourage modding - at least making it a little harder and/or more expensive. But that's another barrier - there may not be a hard drive available at all at launch.

      The Xbox 2 will be more proprietary than the current Xbox. The current model was designed very quickly to get something out there as fast as possible - hence its similarity to current PC's. The next Xbox has had a lot more time put into its design and will not be very similar to either PC's or Macs. It's true that there's nothing very proprietary about the Mac other than the G5, but there's nothing very similar about the Xbox 2 to the Mac except the G5.

    26. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Well, that was a very ignorant statement. You know nothing of this person and you just called them a bad parent, even though you admitted that you don't even know if they are a parent. Please think before you type.

    27. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by DeadScreenSky · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You know that Gord isn't actually a god, right? Just like he was wrong with the Gamecube, he is wrong about the PS2 (though less so, at least). To make it to the US release on time, most of the PS2 consoles were quickly shipped by air. Needless to say, this is very very expensive, and Sony in no way recouped that cost when selling the initial PS2 shipments.

      --
      There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. -- Francis Bacon
    28. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A small portion of the total sales, but virtually zero when it comes to accessories or even most games.

      I love my modded XBOX (goodbye load times), but too many people use "hacking" as an excuse to steal games.

    29. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by YOU+LIKEWISE+FAIL+IT · · Score: 0, Troll

      I thought it was quite reasonable. Do you expect such treatment to extend to other products?

      You wouldn't get far showing up at a sporting goods store with "Err, my stupid children broke my tennis racquet. Can I have a new one?" Learn to lock your things up, or teach your kids some respect for property. If they destroy the games, perhaps they'll be a little bit more careful with the next set of discs.

      YLFI
      --
      One god, one market, one truth, one consumer.
    30. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by Osty · · Score: 1

      Well, that was a very ignorant statement. You know nothing of this person and you just called them a bad parent, even though you admitted that you don't even know if they are a parent. Please think before you type.

      Not really. From the post, it's implied that the children are the poster's (warning: I'm going to assume the poster is male, and refer to him as "him", even though there's nothing that leads me to believe the poster is not female). That being the most likely case, for him to justify modding an XBox and backing up his discs (uh ... yeah, "backing up", sure) because he can't fucking parent his children is a lame cop-out. I threw in the disclaimer just in case the children in question weren't his. In fact, they may be neither his kids nor his siblings (about moving out of his parents' house), but those of his single-mother girlfriend, in which case he needs to grow a pair and either poperly parent the kids, or kick her and the rugrats to the curb (the latter being the "correct" response, though if he can't handle the kids, I doubt he'd be able to handle the mother either). They could be his grandkids, and they break stuff because his own kids inherited his shit parenting skills. There are any number of possibilities here, but I kept my post to the two most likely, given the forum.

      As the other poster in reply to you said, kids abusing your property is not an excuse. It's the parents' job to instill respect for other people's property in their children, even if that property is the parents' (it's not the kids', so they should respect it). Likewise, the kids should have respect for their own property. If they smear PB&J all over their Disney DVDs, tough shit. It's called "life", and they have to learn about it sooner or later. Keeping multiple (shade-of-gray illegal, depending on interpretation of fair-use policies) backup copies of games or movies "just in case" the crumb munchers fuck up the original won't instill that respect, and cause them to grow up to be more bleeding-heart, "I'm entitled to ..." whiners. Just what the world needs.

    31. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My statement was that you cannot judge the person's ability to parent by one comment on the internet. Now you are saying the (alledged) children are a menace, and wrecking everything the come in contact with.

      So now I will get dragged into your argument on children.... Children break things, this is what they do, we try to teach them to respect peoples property and be careful, but it takes time for them to learn, and they are invariably very clumsy. What do we do? We provide them with toys that can be broken, and tell them to take care of them. This is exactly what this individual did, he provided them with (very legal) burnt copies of games. But people in their haste to seem knowledgable, jump all over him/her for bad parenting.

      Please do not try to judge a person's private life, without at least a little knowledge of the individual. That is all.

    32. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 1

      The original PlayStation was sold at a loss so it's not out of the question that the PS2 was.

      The company took a substantial loss on the first model, which retailed for $399, but today the cost is a third of what it was then. The most strategic action in this respect was that sales revenues were not all plowed into profit, but were used in moves that would lower the retail price.
      ...
      There was another strategic purpose in slashing the price of the PlayStation: to draw Sega into a price war. In fact, Sony lowered the price in stages to make it easier for Sega to take up the challenge.
      --
      Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
    33. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by Worminater · · Score: 1

      you forget the actual percentage of xbox owners who mod their system. its very vfery small. those who run linux? even smaller. making it "modable" just makse a small percentage of xbox owners happy, and thats it

    34. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by unclethursday · · Score: 1
      Given the huge numbers of ISOs of PS2 and Xbox, as well as PSOne and Dreamcast games on the Net (Warez sites, P2P, Usenet, easy to find), can you honselty say that everyone 'backing up' their games are doing it legally (IE actually backing up games they bought)?

      The answer is a resounding NO.

      I'd wager that the percentage of people using 'back ups' of games to play that never owned (or bought and copied and returned to the store if the store has a return policy like that, most stopped this) hovers at the 90% or higher range.

      In fact, most stores stopped the 7 day return policy on open console games simply because the same people would buy a game, copy it, return it within 7 days, lather, rinse, repeat ad infinium. Now they only allow you to trade it in for the exact same title or sell it back for a lower price than people paid for it to begin with if the game is open (they still allow refunds on unopened games, though).

      And, honestly, if the kids in your house are damaging disks so easily, then perhaps you should learn to put them somewhere where they can't easily get at them. Perhaps a lock on the place where you keep them would work?

    35. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by rasz · · Score: 1

      Console makers can offer such powerful systems for so cheap (both being relative, of course) because they traditionally take a loss on the system and make up for it in game sales and licenses.

      Actually ONLY Microsoft is selling at a loss, Sony is making a nice profin, Nintendo with GBA too.

    36. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by timts · · Score: 1

      xbox is not that successful, comparing to ps2, for product sales.

      but it certainly has good potential, some HD support for game, xbox live! etc.

    37. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by JustDisGuy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      LOL - well this has turned into a fairly interesting (if odd) thread.

      Because people appear to be interested in details - here they are. I am a parent, though not of the children who presumably scratch the discs. While said children (who were sired by relatives and friends of mine) are being supervised, the games are invariably handled with care and respect. Yet *somehow* they still get scratched - usually the fault of the invisible "Not Me!" ghost often referred to in the Family Circus(c) comic strip.

      IMHO - the damage being done to my property is unrelated to my parenting skills or possible lack thereof. It would not be reasonable to supervise children playing with a toy 100% of the time, especially when they are 'old enough' to be responsible for themselves and their own conduct. FWIW, I happen to think I'm a reasonable broad-minded yet firm parent, who is doing as good a job as possible, given my daughter's circumstances. If you are truly interested in those circumstances, go ahead and PM me but I suspect that you realize by now that this is not relevant to the topic.

      On the topic of the modchip - I don't really care what other people do with it. It shouldn't affect how /I/ use it, or whether it's legal for /me/ to do so. I have no interest in gambling on the odds of other people being honest, either. IMHO, you're probably right and the vast majority of users are thieves and miscreants. Nevertheless, modchips don't pirate software, people do.

      As for the suggestion of 'locking it up', well that's a real fine idea but makes the idea of having a distraction (a.k.a. 'TOY') available for visiting children a significant pain-in-the-a** where allowing them to play a backup is little or no trouble whatsoever. I have no incentive or interest in placing additional controls on the behaviour of visiting children while they're playing. BTW - the kids that play these games are actually only playing games /rated/ appropriate for their age! How often does that happen?

      In closing, I would respectfully suggest that those who take issue with my parenting based on the comments prior and above should likely have a good close look in the mirror. You likely have avoidance issues that relate to some of your own problems. I would suggest you seek professional help, but me diagnosing your mental state in a Slashdot forum is only slightly more reasonable than your treatment of me. In fact, I would guess based on your comments that you're only slightly older than the children I refer to - probably in your late teens with no concept whatsoever of what a good parent is - perhaps you're the product of a single-parent situation. It would explain a lot of your anger.

      Feels good to have other people making assumptions about you, doesn't it?

      Regards,
      JustDisGuy (*-yes, male!)

      --
      "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." - Hanlon's Razor
    38. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by SmittyTheBold · · Score: 1

      owners of modded XBox's tend not to buy games.

      They do tend to rent them though. Well, once at least. ;)

      --
      ± 29 dB
    39. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      They didn't include a DVD player; they included a DVD-ROM so they could have large games with MPEG2 FMV, and they sold a DVD player (or the unlock for it anyway) and a remote for twenty bucks, which is a pretty reasonable price all things considered - much more reasonable than paying $20 for a dongle that lets you hook up s-video and optical audio. Not that that's not worth it, but there's not even a coax audio solution! A cable that did that would be about five bucks retail if you bought it from someone other than monster or microsoft.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    40. Re:Xbox2 Mod? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      You mean microsoft's profitability? I agree they haven't made MUCH of a difference there but the fact is that while Microsoft is still producing consoles and taking a loss on them, every time you buy a console and then don't buy any games, Microsoft loses money. You can mod ANY Xbox - 1.5 and 1.6 require a modchip, prior versions can be TSOP-reflashed or you can use a cheapmod that costs about ten bucks. It might just be a drop in the bucket, certainly for every person who modded an Xbox there's some chump throwing down the big bucks at Fry's to buy microsoft orifice to offset the modder - and then some.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  3. Well by GT_Onizuka · · Score: 5, Informative

    The first link already got /.'d for the most part, but here's the Google Cache for the source site.

    --
    If you take out Country Kitchen buffet, old people won't know what to do.
  4. If this is true... by jmcmunn · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Then it certainly looks much smaller than the current rendition of the Xbox. And from the sixe in the pics, it looks like it probably does not have a hard drive in it. Unless of course they went with a laptop drive, or something smaller then the standard desktop drive.

    I must say, I don't like the silver too much. I like the black of the current game systems, they blend into the rest of the entertainment center as is.

    it will be interesting a couple years from now (or next year?) when the next generation systems start coming out if this is what it really looks like. I don't believe for a second that this would leak out on accident, I would bet if these are real pics they were let out on purpose to see what reaction they get before they start making them for release.

    1. Re:If this is true... by karlowfwb · · Score: 3, Informative
      I like the black of the current game systems, they blend into the rest of the entertainment center as is.
      Except that most home theater equipment seems to be coming out in silver these days. Walk around Circuit City and you wont find hardly any black components anymore.
    2. Re:If this is true... by Animats · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Yeah, the industry switched from silver to black around 1990, and from black to silver around 2000.

    3. Re:If this is true... by Fulcrum+of+Evil · · Score: 1

      Yeah, the industry switched from silver to black around 1990, and from black to silver around 2000.

      Yeah, it's a conspiracy to get us to rebuy our whole stereo every 10 years! Or, if you want a decent stereo, go to a stereo shop, like Myer Emco. Lots of black there.

      --
      "We returned the General to El Salvador, or maybe Guatemala, it's difficult to tell from 10,000 feet"
    4. Re:If this is true... by jmcmunn · · Score: 1


      As I walk around Circuit City I see...black TV's, black stero recievers, black Dvd players, black cd changers...oh and lots of black speakers and speaker stands. Show me the majority of silver subwoofers?

      Yea, there are definitely silver ones there too, but it is still easier to find black most of the time in my opinion.

    5. Re:If this is true... by Keeper · · Score: 1

      Guess that means I won't be replacing any of my av equipment for another 10 years or so ... the silver shit is fugly ...

  5. Re:Site's dead....some post a link! by ZenPirate · · Score: 2, Funny

    Obviously Microsoft is stopping us from viewing TEH SEKRIT PIKTURS!!1 OMG It's a ploy

  6. Re:4 post... by jmcmunn · · Score: 3, Informative


    Yes, Google does of the second link

    http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:rSxfAbK0YuA J: gaming.engadget.com/entry/9253838747326816/+&hl=en

  7. Re:Site's dead....some post a link! by kjamez · · Score: 5, Interesting

    yet another opportunity for me to point out that i think slashdot should mirror a site for 5 or 6 hours at least immediately as they post the link. or maybe just the images. cachedot.org

    --
    you can't have everything, where would you put it?
  8. pics on engadget by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative
  9. Could be Real by shplorb · · Score: 4, Funny

    They could very well be real.

    After all, they're so ugly and tacky they just have Microsoft Design Department written all over. =]

    1. Re:Could be Real by ceeam · · Score: 1

      Uhm, no. It's a new NGage.

    2. Re:Could be Real by tolan-b · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nah it's too small

  10. Silly article, really by 0x0d0a · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Okay, at the moment the webserver is spitting out 503s, but let's consider the nature of this content. It's what the game console's *case*, a bit of molded plastic, might be made to look like. To be blunt, why does this matter? What gamer is concerned whether or not his game console has a red stripe or a blue stripe on it?

    Not only that, but even the technical specs (which haven't, AFAIK, been finalized yet) *still* wouldn't mean that much, even if they're a titch higher than the competitors (especially given the least-common-denominator nature of ports). I've played some awfully good games on low-spec systems (Heck, Tetris and Sobokan can be played on character-based systems, and the two still beat a ton of modern games in terms of fun and hours of enjoyable gameplay.)

    Even the previews that you get of games rarely have useful data in terms of informational content. No, it isn't until this beast is out and reviews for games start coming in that there's going to be really useful data about the XB2.

    1. Re:Silly article, really by 88NoSoup4U88 · · Score: 2, Interesting
      "It's what the game console's *case*, a bit of molded plastic, might be made to look like. To be blunt, why does this matter?"

      Maybe because that was one of the 'biggest' (gotta love the pun) problems with the first X-box ? It was considered -way- too big.

      I agree that at the current stage of development, the case is most likely (maybe even more so now) to be changed ; The new Gameboy DS also did a very quick overhaul in a few months ; and most of the changes put through there were based on the comments they got on the various trade shows.

    2. Re:Silly article, really by Lispy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "To be blunt, why does this matter?"

      Err, because it might be sitting in my livingroom?

    3. Re:Silly article, really by kryptkpr · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Maybe because that was one of the 'biggest' (gotta love the pun) problems with the first X-box ? It was considered -way- too big.

      Who really had this problem? I have an X-box, and I really couldn't care less that it's 3 times the size of my playstation.. as long as it fits on a shelf in my entertainment center and has a nice black color scheme to match the rest of my components. Are these people carrying their X-boxes around with them or something? It's a console.. 95% of people bring it home, set it up, plug it in, and don't move it ever again.

      --
      DJ kRYPT's Free MP3s!
    4. Re:Silly article, really by hatrisc · · Score: 1

      Don't blame Bush. Blame how you voted in the last election (or didn't vote).

      I didn't have to vote, my state didn't vote for Bush. It was Florida's fault.

      --
      I write code.
    5. Re:Silly article, really by bluk · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I could point out that the usual response is that Japanese homes and other urban enviornments are limited in space and it was one of the biggest turnoffs for Japanese buyers. Without Japan, game consoles have traditionally not done well, etc., etc.

      But closer to home, the Xbox is probably the first console that many people did take outside of their homes because of the system link/network functions. If you've ever been to a college dorm or a place where there are lots of gamers, you should have seen at least a few multi-Xbox Halo parties or some other game. Compared to the Gamecube, moving the Xbox was a huge hassle. A Gamecube and controllers could fit in a backpack. The Xbox by itself would take up an entire backpack.

      It may not be a huge problem that would change someone's mind about purchasing the console, but it's one of those industry design things where it would be a lot nicer and more appealing if they did design it right. The Playstation 2 was hyped up better because it did look sleek and cool.

    6. Re:Silly article, really by mpcooke3 · · Score: 1

      It's what the game console's *case*, a bit of molded plastic, might be made to look like. To be blunt, why does this matter? What gamer is concerned whether or not his game console has a red stripe or a blue stripe on it?

      Girls.

    7. Re:Silly article, really by NanoGator · · Score: 1

      " It's what the game console's *case*, a bit of molded plastic, might be made to look like. To be blunt, why does this matter? "

      Because I'm curious. I don't need a better reason than that.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    8. Re:Silly article, really by Corngood · · Score: 1

      I could point out that the usual response is that Japanese homes and other urban enviornments are limited in space and it was one of the biggest turnoffs for Japanese buyers. Without Japan, game consoles have traditionally not done well, etc., etc. Which is bullshit, the size might be a fashion issue, but no one is seriously going to miss that litre of extra air that the xbox takes up in their apartment.

    9. Re:Silly article, really by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      I'm still waiting for video game console systems to take on the same form factor as A/V equipment. If they do this then it can be stacked. It makes it less portable but as video game systems gain hard drives and such they are less portable anyway, who wants to drag that all over the place and bang it into submission? The only problem with this idea is cable management, but that's easily solved by going to USB controllers and putting USB on both the front and the back of the system. Microsoft says the Xbox 2 controllers are going to be PC compatible so they may already be doing this. You can always restrict the controllers supported by the system to make the connector type irrelevant.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  11. "Focus Group" by PhrostyMcByte · · Score: 4, Informative

    Microsoft did hold an XB2 dev group at building 20 recently so maybe these are real.

    1. Re:"Focus Group" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      55901?

    2. Re:"Focus Group" by unclethursday · · Score: 1
      They also held a focus group that somehow decided the monstrous controller was the best controller evar. Then they released the Controller S due to gamers seeing the Japanese controller, and lo and behold! The S exponentionally outsells the monstrous one at retail, and now Microsoft packs the S in with the system.

      So, when we know they're holding focus groups, we should also know that whatever they decide in those focus groups will be the exact opposite of what the general gaming public wants.

    3. Re:"Focus Group" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I liked the original controller.

      imo, they need to make the stock neXtBox controllers wireless. That'd kick all sorts of monkey ass.

    4. Re:"Focus Group" by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Those of us with large hands still think the original Xbox controller is the best. controller. evar. For some reason I use the controller S to play emulated games, but I use the full size unit to play any Xbox games. Admittedly I'm a fucken mutant but that doesn't change the fact that I think they're great. I do think it was stupid of them not to offer the Japanese controller here from day one, though. They should have sold Xboxes without a controller in the box, with a coupon for a controller, so you could get the one you wanted. Then once the public had spoken they could bundle the more popular one with the system (the Xbox has been rebundled several times now) and keep selling the other one in limited quantities.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  12. A Coral mirror by slux · · Score: 4, Informative

    A Coral mirror of the site that first published these. Couldn't get the article link to load on coral anymore, but this is where they got it.

    1. Re:A Coral mirror by BobPaul · · Score: 1

      The coral cache of the article link loaded fine for me. Try it out!

  13. So... by Viceice · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is like pointing at a random article of concept art in a car manufacturer's library and saying "Introducing the new 2006 Chevy."

    Could it be? Yes, but so are the other 1000 art pieces. Would it be? Highly unlikely.

    A chance snapshot of a working Xbox2 prototype would be news, but this is Concept Art! Heck, I could go fireup LightWave and make you a new Xbox2 as well.

    --
    Sometimes I wish I was a plumber, then I'd know how to deal with other people's shit.
  14. You Got It All Wrong by The+Lost+Supertone · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    No no no, we know this isn't the new Xbox because they look to GOOD to be M$! People they may not look like something out of Apple or Sony, but come on, the top one looks like it could be a Wireless router or something. It's not that ugly, the second one... I dono, but either way that thing looks to nice to be M$ made... I mean come on, when it looks like it's made by fisher price that's when we know it's legit. Oh and by the way, doesn't look like two G5s could fit in that either.

    1. Re:You Got It All Wrong by hatrisc · · Score: 1

      Oh and by the way, doesn't look like two G5s could fit in that either.

      Have you seen the new iMacs? It really doesn't look like a G5 would fit in there and apparently it does.

      --
      I write code.
  15. Slashdotted all right and Google doesn't cache by dusanv · · Score: 1, Redundant

    images so it's kind of worthless since the whole point of the article are the images.

    1. Re:Slashdotted all right and Google doesn't cache by jjshoe · · Score: 2, Informative

      Rather then mod you down i figured i should mention that i see images in the google cache

      --
      -- botsex is {grep;touch;strip;unzip;head;mount} /dev/girl -t {wet;fsck;fsck;yes;yes;yes;umount} {/de
    2. Re:Slashdotted all right and Google doesn't cache by ricotest · · Score: 4, Informative

      RTF (cached) A. The images are on another server. Thanks to the Google cache we can see them through the site.

  16. Just the Normal MS Marketing by 4r0g · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I think that this is just normal MS marketing practice to "leak" out information of an upcoming product to keep it in the headlines. Makes it more interesting when it finally ships. Just look at Longhorn, XP, 2000 (NT5 anyone?) and the rest.

    --
    - 4r0g
  17. other concepts.... by kc_cyrus · · Score: 5, Interesting
  18. Slow news day? by bbzzdd · · Score: 5, Funny

    Slashdot has taken to posting the fake Xbox2 pic of the week now?

  19. Unless we can verify someone got in trouble. by ILKO_deresolution · · Score: 1

    come on this sys was hacked so hard you know it aint real!

    --
    I tip toe like rats on vouge runnways.
  20. Xbox FS by PhotoBoy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Xbox FS could be a genuine name, a few months back I had an email from a GameSpot affiliated company asking if I wanted to participate in a questionnaire about "next generation consoles" (I guess I forgot opt out of emails from GameSpot affiliates).

    It didn't specify which next gen consoles in the email but most of the questions were about the next Xbox and what I thought of potential names, it also offered a potential logo which was like the current X logo but wrapped around a sphere.

    The other names that I can recall were Xbox HD, Xbox 360 and Xbox 247. Xbox 2 and Xbox Next weren't offered as options.

    1. Re:Xbox FS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought it was going to be called the YBox.

    2. Re:Xbox FS by toddestan · · Score: 1

      Okay, I get XBox HD (High definition), and XBox 360 (360 degrees), but what does XBox 247 supposed to mean?

    3. Re:Xbox FS by Rosyna · · Score: 1

      Okay, I get XBox HD (High definition), and XBox 360 (360 degrees), but what does XBox 247 supposed to mean?

      It is physically bigger than all the other consoles 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

      In all seriousness, it probably would be a tie-in with Xbox Live or something. Just saying you can play 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Just remember to eat, drink, shower, and use the toilet.

    4. Re:Xbox FS by 503 · · Score: 1

      Is that "FS" or "F5", as in the Windows keyboard command for "Refresh"?

      Or would that be too nerdy an inside joke for a mass market product?

    5. Re:Xbox FS by PhotoBoy · · Score: 1

      It was FS, so when it asked for my opinion on the name I said it reminded me of "file system" rather then evoking a mental image of a next generation system.

      I also said Xbox HD reminded me of "hard drive" and that it was a bad idea to call it that since allegedly the next system won't have a hard drive!

    6. Re:Xbox FS by DeathoP · · Score: 1

      What about "Fake System"? That's the first thing I thought of when I saw heard about it.

    7. Re:Xbox FS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Totally OT, but I really have a pet peeve against "24/7" and other numerical abbreviations (9/11 comes to mind...) Are we so strapped for time that we have to use inane marketingspeak for everything?

  21. highly derivative by tverbeek · · Score: 4, Informative

    The supposed Xbox 2 logo looks heavily "inspired" by Sony's recent Walkman logo, plus the Cingular logo, and a bit lile Microsoft's Office:mac logos (and the whole Aqua motif). Unless MS is going for the "me too" look, I don't think that one'll happen.

    --
    http://alternatives.rzero.com/
    1. Re:highly derivative by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't forget about Tech TV as well.

    2. Re:highly derivative by solowCX · · Score: 0
  22. Xbox F5 by Stanistani · · Score: 0

    The bottom one - (next to the F5 logo) looks like a higher-tech version of a tape degausser we used in the 1980's to wipe round tapes for the old Burroughs and Univac mainframes.

    I'd kick that one to the curb.

  23. Hmm... by kjones692 · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Hey, isn't that... an iMac G5 in the background?

    --

    Love the Third Amendment?
  24. On the point of 'modding' by 88NoSoup4U88 · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I hope they will make it possible for custom content (like amateur mods) to be imported, and played on the Xbox 2 : I am sure that the demand to mod games like it is happening on PC's atm, will only increase in the future ; ifnot also raise gamesales, if customers know there is more content once the game is released.

    One free chance to be innovative for once for MS ;)

    then again, IIRC, they weren't going for a harddisk in there this time around (don't know for sure if this still stands) ; and this would make custom content (defenitely at the sizes mods come these days) nearly impossible.

    1. Re:On the point of 'modding' by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      custom content (like amateur mods) to be imported

      Mmmm yea. I want amateur models on mine, too!

    2. Re:On the point of 'modding' by TheGavster · · Score: 2, Insightful

      That's exactly what MS wants to prevent. There is no money in having someone else make software for your system without paying licensing costs to be a mainstream game. Just because fan-generated content is often more innovative or stimulating than that which is pumped through the XBox marketing machine, does not mean that it fits the business model of the XBox (which is to practically give the hardware away, and then rake it in on selling 'official XBox' game status).

      --
      "Because Science" is one step from "Because old book". Try "Because of my experiment testing my falsifiable assertion".
    3. Re:On the point of 'modding' by 88NoSoup4U88 · · Score: 1
      I see what you are saying ; but doesn't the point i raise also make sense : I have alot of friends who eventually bought Q3 (vanilla Quake 3 not being their kind of game) after I told them there are alot of mods around that change the gameplay ; and maybe change it in a game they like.

      And since you agree on that they want people to buy the games : This is exactly what would happen.
      Keep in mind, to play a 'mod' : you -have- to own the original game (if you want to play online.. yadda yadda)

    4. Re:On the point of 'modding' by TheGavster · · Score: 1

      I guess my point was more for fully independant games; for mods I agree totally that they really stimulate sales of games that may be mediocre on their own.

      --
      "Because Science" is one step from "Because old book". Try "Because of my experiment testing my falsifiable assertion".
  25. Both are an improvement by Xargle · · Score: 0, Redundant

    on the current "gay car battery" design.

  26. Make it a real Media Center by FerretFrottage · · Score: 3, Interesting

    How's that for a desgin concept? I love the xbox because for ~$200 I can get a reburbed unit, a mod chip and a cheap 100+GB HD. Now I have the ability to view my family pics, my ripped CDs, camcorder pics on any tv I have the xbox connected to...many thanks to the developers of XMBC. I just started adding Linksys NSLU2 devices as file servers and the whole setup is getting that much more smaller (footprint wise) and quieter. Now is MS wasn't so anal about the "Not Invented Here" cause we control the world and its $$$, they could have really made some major market share in TV/PC convergence.

    I'm sure the xbox2 will be more locked down than so until espn 2k7 or Madden 2k8 really rocks over the current offers, its great to have the xbox.

    --
    "Look Lois, the two symbols of the Republican Party: an elephant, and a fat white guy who is threatened by change."
  27. FAKE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This is fake.

    The XBox2 has a new connector for controller. This photo features traditional XBox controller connectors.

    1. Re:FAKE! by grumbel · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Will they use USB this time? Always wondered why neither Playstation2 nor XBox used USB for the controllers, after all they already have USB on board so why not use it and go proprietary instead? Do they really make any additional money out of this, especially since PC users can't use the gamepads for PC use without buying a converter first? Or is this just to lock out 'unworthy' gamepads in advanced so that users don't plugin their PC gamepads with not enough buttons into the console and then complain?

    2. Re:FAKE! by jerw134 · · Score: 1

      The Xbox does use USB. The only thing proprietary is the connector, but you can get around that by swapping a few wires.

  28. This is news for nerds? by segmond · · Score: 4, Interesting

    pictures of an external box? i want specs, internal pictures, no one cares about how it looks.

    --
    ------ Curiosity killed the cat. {satisfaction brought it back | it didn't die ignorant | lack of it is killing mankind
    1. Re:This is news for nerds? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean you don't care about how it looks. Unless you speak for the whole world and I missed a memo.

  29. I like the logo by 88NoSoup4U88 · · Score: 2, Informative

    The new logo (if it -is- the new logo) looks quite cool ; If this a hoax, still some pretty clever design of the logo there.
    I don't like the current logo too much ; it doesn't really 'evoke an emotion' with me [/hippy shit]

  30. Photos also at engadget.com by FinalCut · · Score: 3, Informative

    you can see images of the "leaked" designs at: http://www.engadget.com/entry/9253838747326816/ they have pretty good bandwidth so will hopefully be less likey to be subject to the /. effect

  31. Because we like pretty things. by neuro.slug · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Obviously you don't get out much. Why do you think people buy BMWs when they could simply mod a Honda Civic and get the same performance? It's the experience of having a damn sexy car that feels damn good to drive. We, as a society, like pretty things (iPods, IKEA, Jaguar). Even *gasp* hardcore gamers love to make their PC pretty--in their own way--with neon lights and other mods.

    If we didn't like pretty things so much, our economy would collapse pretty darn quickly. The presentation of the new X-Box is not necessarily a deciding factor, but it's definitely a persuasive one.

    -- n

    1. Re:Because we like pretty things. by kayak334 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Why do you think people buy BMWs when they could simply mod a Honda Civic and get the same performance?

      Because that's not reality?

      Most of us don't like to pour an additional $20,000 into an already shitty looking car to make it look shittier, sound like crap, and not actually perform as well as the car it is trying to be. Not to mention the hours of time one has to put into modding an entire car to make it into anything decent.

      Don't even get me started on the spoiler.

    2. Re:Because we like pretty things. by 4r0g · · Score: 1
      Obviously you don't get out much. Why do you think people buy BMWs when they could simply mod a Honda Civic and get the same performance? It's the experience of having a damn sexy car that feels damn good to drive.
      Right. Mod a Civic to handle as well as a BMW???
      --
      - 4r0g
    3. Re:Because we like pretty things. by Fulcrum+of+Evil · · Score: 1

      Why do you think people buy BMWs when they could simply mod a Honda Civic and get the same performance?

      Because it'd cost $50k and have no warranty?

      --
      "We returned the General to El Salvador, or maybe Guatemala, it's difficult to tell from 10,000 feet"
    4. Re:Because we like pretty things. by 0x0d0a · · Score: 1

      Because a Jag is an expensive status symbol, and an XB2 is not.

    5. Re:Because we like pretty things. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh come on you know that a giant carbon fiber whale tail on a front engine front wheel drive car is absolutely essential to maximize straight line speed.

    6. Re:Because we like pretty things. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      don't factor time and money into the equation. he's only saying that it's possible, and yes it is possible. so shut the fuck up!

    7. Re:Because we like pretty things. by i64X · · Score: 1

      FYI I owned a 94 BMW 325is with the sport package, and recently after that bought a 95 Acura Integra GSR (which is on the same platform as the 96-00 Honda Civic) and modded the Integra GS-R to the point where I'd feel comfortable racing any BMW on a curvy road short of an M. My 325is cost me over $10,000 and the GS-R cost me $8,000 mods included, and the GS-R performed far better than the 325is ever coudl have hoped. The only BMW I ever ran across that could hold a candle to the GS-R as far as handling was a M3, which cost someone $53,000. Granted their car was a lot nicer than mine, but the GS-R could outhandle it for $45,000 less.

      Don't underestimate the potential of Hondas/Acuras when they're modded by someone who knows what their doing and not by some 16 year old ricer.

    8. Re:Because we like pretty things. by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      While the honda is not a good example, there ARE vehicles for which you can get a street legal turbo kit that does not void the warranty. The boxster is one of those vehicles...

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  32. Controller Ports? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    What is Microsoft doing going with controller ports. I would think after the success of Nintendo's Wavebird, everyone would be going with wireless controllers.

    1. Re:Controller Ports? by lowe0 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Cost, no force feedback, batteries (unless you integrate rechargeable batteries, which costs even more), and the opportunity to sell you their own wireless controller a couple months down the road.

  33. And as an added side bonus... by Chmcginn · · Score: 4, Funny

    You can play a console game while running on the treadmill. Try doing that with a game that requires mouse & keyboard...

    --
    Have you been touched by his noodly appendage?
    1. Re:And as an added side bonus... by Achorny · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Try playing a game that requires a keyboard and mouse on a console...

      --
      @ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_`abcdefghijklmnopq rstuvwxyz{|}~
    2. Re:And as an added side bonus... by Chmcginn · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Okay, I know I'm ignoring the "Don't feed the..." signs, but... Why would I buy a PC for a grand or so, when I can buy an XBox for 150, do pretty much the same stuff, and have it on a much bigger screen.

      --
      Have you been touched by his noodly appendage?
    3. Re:And as an added side bonus... by TheTrueGStu · · Score: 1

      Feel free to try, and succeed.

      The mod does work as a functional controller, not just for linux running, as lots of Counter-Strike fans use this to play CS for X-box old-school style.

    4. Re:And as an added side bonus... by fabs64 · · Score: 1
      because that screen either cost you much much more than a new PC, or it's a normal piece of crap TV that only goes up to 800x600.

      Not to mention everyone knows PC games are better to play :P

      Hell, consoles don't even have the Total War series :|

    5. Re:And as an added side bonus... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Normal TVs don't even get close to 800x600. You can render 800x600 on them, but their actual resolution is nothing like that. You can realistically pull off about 640x400 tops, and many televisions don't even have an honest 400 lines, it's more like 370-something.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  34. Roll the slashdot presses!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Newer, correcter, leakier pictures of the Xbox2:
    _______________________
    looooooooXoXoooooooooool
    loooooooooXoooooooooooool
    looooooooXoXoooooooooool
    v______________________v

  35. Oh, he's changed his tune by WolfWithoutAClause · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    It used to be 'Dave Barry for president', now it's Jason Feeblehonker.

    What a reversal! Just shows how unfit Dave Barry was for the post; U turns like that, he's probably a better candidate for a taxi driver.

    Well, he's lost my vote.

    --

    -WolfWithoutAClause

    "Gravity is only a theory, not a fact!"
  36. Karma whoring mirror. by EvilCabbage · · Score: 2, Informative
  37. Still Moddable w/o a HD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If they choose a standard PC architecture again and use an IDE Disk drive, there's no reason you can't use a different cable and bios to attach a HD. It would most like involve a power supply mod as well, but it will be hacked.

    I just had my primary IDE controller fail on a PC, and I'm running a HD and a CD ROM off the Secondary IDE controller. If they use the standard PC architecture for chipsets, CPU, and memory; there's no reason it can't be modded.

    1. Re:Still Moddable w/o a HD by suckmysav · · Score: 1

      " If they choose a standard PC architecture again"



      Well, considering that the Xbox2 will have RISC CPUs and not x86, as well as FLASH memory rather than a HDD, then you can forget any thoughts you have about modding it like it is a PC.

      --
      "You can't fight in here, this is the war room!"
  38. Come again? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Okay, at the moment the webserver is spitting out 503s, but let's consider the nature of this content.
    Wait a second, are you talking about /.?
  39. ummm... by atari2600 · · Score: 0, Troll

    Doesn't look to me like there's much credibility here

    If you don't see credibility, ummm, why post it on slashdot or submit it to be posted? The true console :|

  40. Looks like a joke. by Zangief · · Score: 1

    It has a handle, just like the one on the gamecube which has been the target of many jokes. If MS does something right, is marketing, and they will know better than put something like that on their console.

    1. Re:Looks like a joke. by Chanc_Gorkon · · Score: 1

      I like the handle on the game cube. That makes it easy to carry from one place to another. I plan on taking mine down with me to my parents house during Turkey Day and playing games with my Neices and Nephews. It's a good idea especially if they are trying for the Nintendo set (usually younger gamers).\

      --

      Gorkman

    2. Re:Looks like a joke. by Zangief · · Score: 1

      Yeah I like it too, but most idiots who think they are l33t make fun of it.

  41. Silly comment, really by iamatlas · · Score: 1
    What gamer is concerned whether or not his game console has a red stripe or a blue stripe on it?

    Hi! Your post was about the look of a gaming machine- You must be new to these, I can tell. Let me show you around.

    1. Re:Silly comment, really by 0x0d0a · · Score: 1

      Those are luxury items. Expensive status symbols. The XB2 or any other game console is just a commodity item. You can't exactly show it off.

  42. Nah, the link's fine. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    And it's pretty cool that they're using a small red X on a white backgrond instead of a big green one on black as the logo.

  43. Re:4 post... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative
    For the HTTP impaired.

    link

  44. Hah by TheBot · · Score: 1

    Oops, i'm not anonymous...but...I played the Duke Nukem Forever Demo....I did, cross my heart.

  45. wait a tick... by aceadean · · Score: 1

    I thought this was the new case design http://www.apple.com/powermac/

  46. First Picture by xombo · · Score: 1

    Is it just me or does the first picture look a little like the old Phantom mockups?

  47. USB by EnglishTim · · Score: 2, Informative

    There's a few reasons:

    a) You don't want people plugging in all sorts of USB devices and then bitching because they don't work. Where are you going to get the drivers?

    b) The physical USB plug is not well suited to consoles. It's not always immediately obvious which way up it plugs in - remember young children haveto be able to put these things in and out. Also, they don't tend to 'click' in all that well - you don't want something that comes unplugged easily. Finally, because they are quite small, they're probably not as robust as most console plugs.

    1. Re:USB by WasterDave · · Score: 1

      This is a sack.

      First off the PS2 does have USB sockets. It's those little rectangular soc ... there ... there y'go, you've seen them now. Yes, it does fit your keyboard. And your webcam. And your mouse. And to the best of my knowledge Sony have had no problems with people ringing up and insisting that they deliver scanner drivers or some other shit.

      An Eye Toy plugs into it just fine though.

      Secondly - this business of a USB plug not being suited to consoles. I agree that it's not immediately obvious which way it plugs in, but I don't think it's a huge problem. It's not *that* obvious which way a playstation controller plug goes in either.

      I don't agree with USB plugs not being as robust as console plugs. My PS2 controllers get gunked up with shit just *all* the time (doesn't help having a toddler), plus they have really fiddly looking pins in them and don't have the bulletproof metal shielding found on USB plugs.

      Nah. I think PS2 plugs aren't USB plugs for two good reasons:

      1, Backwards compatibility with all their existing controllers which were made long before USB became the new trendy thing.

      2, The plug itself is probably patented, preventing third party manufacturers from making PS2 controllers without paying a license fee first.

      Anyway. Rant over.

      Dave

      --
      I write a blog now, you should be afraid.
    2. Re:USB by EnglishTim · · Score: 1

      First off the PS2 does have USB sockets. It's those little rectangular soc ... there ... there y'go, you've seen them now. Yes, it does fit your keyboard. And your webcam.And your mouse.

      Yes, and apart from a keyboard and mouse, you can (to the best of my knowledge) plug a grand total of two peripherals into them - the eyetoy and singstar.

      And to the best of my knowledge Sony have had no problems with people ringing up and insisting that they deliver scanner drivers or some other shit.

      Well, I'd suggest your knowledge doesn't extend very far in this case. You can't play eyetoy with any other cameras, you can't plug PC gamepads in, the only generic parts that will work are keyboards and mice - everything else is custom for the PS2. You could insist all you like that Sony write drivers for third-party peripherals, but they're not going to do it. Hell, I don't even think the PS2 has any system for storing drivers. Where's it going to store them? on memory cards? As far as I know, games which use USB peripherals have to have the 'drivers' compiled into the game binary.

      The reason the PS2 has USB plugs is simply so they had somewhere to plug more advanced devices into, as the control pads were backwards-compatible and therefore couldn't be used for generic (especially high-bandwidth) devices. The Xbox sockets are basically USB with a different and more suitable plug, so they don't require any seperate USB ports.

      I still disagree with you about the suitablility of USB for console ports, but each to his own. I would suggest that the Xbox sockets are a better comparison than the PS2 ones though, as I feel they are better designed.

  48. Gotta be fake by kilox · · Score: 1
    It has got to be fake. MS is *NOT* going to call the next gen Xbox, "2"

    They know if they have Xbox2 next to PS3, people will view it inferior.

  49. Bleaaachh! by payndz · · Score: 1

    Well, if they're genuine, the Xbox FS is even uglier than a GameCube (but probably five times the size), and the Xbox 2 logo looks like somebody just blew their nose onto a sheet of paper!

    --
    You must think in Russian.
  50. Only pirates use mods? by Amata · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Situation for ya. Not even hypothetical:

    I am an American citizen. Good ol' USA. Or something. I have a job that has me living in South Korea right now. So I either have to own 2 of every hardware that reads region-encoded media to deal with all of my perfectly legally purchased DVDs and games, both here and back in the states, or I can just buy one hardware and force it to read all regions. A nice byproduct being that I can get this one hardware to also read more types of media, but that's neither here nor there.

    In the near future my job could easily have me working in Europe. That's another region. So I'd either have to buy more hardware to deal with that region, or just use my regionless hardware that I already had.

    Doesn't sound plausible? Just ask any US Soldier.

    1. Re:Only pirates use mods? by kryptkpr · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yes, they want you to buy 2 of every hardware... In the game console world it's all about market share, and the more systems are "out there" the better.

      If this isn't what they wanted, then they wouldn't have forced region codes onto a console that has no trouble outputting whatever signal is necessary.

      --
      DJ kRYPT's Free MP3s!
    2. Re:Only pirates use mods? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doesn't sound plausible? Just ask any US Soldier.

      Rules can have exceptions. And I don't think the companies would approve of you modding hardware to evade region-lock any more than they would you modding it to play pirate software. Well, maybe a little more... but not much.

    3. Re:Only pirates use mods? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who cares what THEY 'approve' of. Do you think I care what Chevy thinks about me putting a non-factory exaust on my Car? Not one damn bit...

      I have a right to void my warranty, that doesn't scare me!

      I have the right to modify ANYTHING I buy ANYWAY I wish. They can't stop me and I don't care if they want to make me look like a Pirate... Why would you care what the company thinks? Of course they would want everyone thinking that the only reason to mod is to pirate... But most of us geeks mod because we are creative HUMANS!!!

      Shit, I'd put a LED on my flush handle if I was bored enough.

  51. Xbox Reloaded? by JazFresh · · Score: 1

    I saw the "Xbox FS" and thought it said "Xbox F5". F5 is the Reload button in most browsers. Xbox Reloaded?

    Oh God I hope not.

    1. Re:Xbox Reloaded? by Lewis+Daggart · · Score: 2, Funny

      Eh, next we'll have the XBox - Revolutions

  52. Here's my suggestion on the design by melted · · Score: 1

    Make it look like a solid block of brushed aluminum. No "curves", no "bio friendliness", no bullshit. It should look like a high-end CD player. A power button on the left, power LED on the right, DVD tray in the middle, four controller ports below it.

    But judging by these pictures we'll get a cheesy looking piece of Chinese-made crap again.

    1. Re:Here's my suggestion on the design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean crap like the posts you make?

      all those things you mentioned aren't what people look for in a games console.

    2. Re:Here's my suggestion on the design by corsec67 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I wish that ALL of the next-gen consoles would fit into a standard audio-rack, so that you can stack other devices ontop/below the consoles, like a reciever and amplifier, and maybe other consoles?

      But, naah, they need to make consoles that look like toys, not like something that belongs in a A/V rack....

      (and if you want portable, then get portable, like the PSP.)

      --
      If I have nothing to hide, don't search me
    3. Re:Here's my suggestion on the design by melted · · Score: 1

      PSP is going to be BIG I think. I hate being chained to a TV when I want to play a game, just as I have to be chained to my desk when I want to work on my PC. To fix the latter I have a laptop, but there's no real solution for gaming right now.

    4. Re:Here's my suggestion on the design by Zed2K · · Score: 1

      "But, naah, they need to make consoles that look like toys, not like something that belongs in a A/V rack...."

      Thats because they ARE toys. They play GAMES. That is their primary function. Expensive toys, but still just toys.

  53. You twats. by snester · · Score: 1

    It is Microsoft trying their designs...through an "ANONYMOUS" (say it like "Laser Beam") leak. You are all falling for the big m's viral marketing campaign..

    --
    A shrubbery
  54. It really is a conspiracy. by Animats · · Score: 1
    There is a central organization that makes the decisions about which colors are In and which colors are Out. It's the Color Association of the United States. Their primary focus is clothing and textiles. But there's also an "automotive/technology/health" trend package, available to members of the Color Association.

    "Leading professionals in the design community serve to select the colors that will be popular 20 months ahead." This provides the needed lead time for manufacturers. The dye plants start to make the dyes that the textile plants will use to dye the yarn that will be woven into the fabrics that will go into the clothing that will be worn in the next selling season.

    (Once, due to a somewhat strange chain of events, I had to learn more about the rag trade than I ever wanted to know. But that was back when the US had an apparel industry.)

  55. Handle on the X Box? by Lewis+Daggart · · Score: 1

    What good will that do without wheels?

  56. Playstation 3 pictures leaked by teko_teko · · Score: 2, Funny
  57. iPod, IKEA, Jaguar? by sita · · Score: 2, Insightful

    We, as a society, like pretty things (iPods, IKEA, Jaguar).

    IKEA is good design value-for-money, but it is definitely world class design. They are simply not in the game of groundbreaking nor exclusive design.

    Why do you think people buy BMWs when they could simply mod a Honda Civic and get the same performance?

    Indeed this is what you get when you buy IKEA. Modded second-class furniture that almost looks like first-class furniture. But it's good price-performance, so people buy it.

  58. Leaked? by Pan+T.+Hose · · Score: 1

    Why does every bloody Microsoft project always leak? Is it because they have so many holes?

    --
    Sincerely,
    Pan Tarhei Hosé, PhD.
    "Homo sum et cogito ergo odi profanum vulgus et libido."
  59. Space limitations in Japan by JavaRob · · Score: 1

    Which is bullshit, the size might be a fashion issue, but no one is seriously going to miss that litre of extra air that the xbox takes up in their apartment.

    You have clearly never seen or read about the average Japanese urban apartment. 1/3 of the housing in Tokyo averages 121 sq. feet. Think about it -- if it were square and all one room, that's 11 x 11. Most American living rooms are bigger than that.

    The size of the console matters.