330°

Xbox 360 Slim: Coming Any Time Soon?

Xbox Evolved writes:

"Rumor has it that Microsoft is planning on coming out with a new design for the current Xbox 360. This new version will be the same in functions as the original model, but will be presented in a much smaller size. The guys over at Kotaku have gotten hold of a picture which shows that for the first time, the console will include the CPU and the GPU on the same chip, thus reducing the size. "

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ProA0075184d ago

I'd say right around Natal's launch for sure

Blaze9295184d ago

Yeah the slim PS3 launch did Sony wonders for rebranding. What else could kick off Natal but bringing a new system design along with it. Maybe with possible new features.

AridSpider5184d ago

No doubt they'll bundle some with natal. But I wonder if Natal could be built in...nah

Blaze9295184d ago

bundle likely - built in, no.

AAACE55184d ago

@AridSpider... Why do people keep making comments about Natal being built into the console? Natal is an external camera that you can place where you want. Do you know how much hell it would be to move a 360 around because the camera isn't pointed at what you need it to be!

Anyway, I also think it will release with Natal! Funny thing though... MS said they would release Natal like releasing a new console. So to me, this just feeds into the 360 redesign!

darthv725183d ago (Edited 5183d ago )

At first I was all psyched at the idea of a slim 360. It has been rumored for a couple of years anyway. So then I got to reading and thought about a few things. I am not sure if MS would really invest in a change of the physical attributes for some of their external accessories. Namely the wifi and the hdd.

Nice as it would be to have internalized hdd and possibly wifi, I am betting they may not make that radical of a physical change to the existing case. Maybe some cosmetic tweaks to accommodate the port layout but it would most likely still retain the same overall shape. Especially to use the hdd which (in its given design) would need to remain located in the same spot it currently resides.

Same goes for the wifi (sort of) in that the clip on design makes it really only fit in one place on the case. They could introduce some newly shaped variations of those if they redesigned the case for a slimmer look. An advantage of keeping the case the way it is would be for airflow.

We know how tight things are inside right now so reducing the board size and location of the main components doesnt always mean a redesign of the shell is warranted. Making the case smaller would only see fit to shrink the space inside thus resulting in a tight fitting unit all over again. Leaving room for airflow is a key to keeping the system quiet not to mention that (if possible) they could use the extra space to internalize the power supply. Chances are that a reduction in power would yield a reduction in heat generated as well as need for such an elaborate power brick.

I know that last part might actually cause heat to be an issue again with an internal power but it is just a thought. In all likely hood MS has been refining their board layout since the beginning and yet never changed the outer shell. MS might not be all about "slimming" their product like Sony does. That is their choice.

I am all for improving the system stability and reliability while cutting costs. How they do it will be interesting to say the least.

Here is a good question. When it comes to the type of "tray" for the discs. Which design is cheaper: tray or slot? They could even go so far as to make it a flip top like what the 3do FZ-10 and sega cd 2. Yet...that would defeat the ability to let it stand up.

Dave13515183d ago

This is the 21st century! put some dang wifi in that thing

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JasonXE5184d ago

I just hope it'll have:

- built in wireless
- disc loading slot and not a tray
- 2.5" standard SATA HDD that can be swappable.

Get that and I'd buy one in a heartbeat and sell my old ones.

AridSpider5184d ago

Just give me built in wireless and swappable 2.5" HDDs and I'm good.

Blaze9295184d ago

agree. Just hope since they arent trying to beat anyone to the punch or go cheap that the hardware will be as reliable as the Xbox 1. Could drop that thing off a cliff and it'll still be in-tact.

What Would Kratos Do5184d ago

You'd have to feel sorry for whatever it landed on.

MorganX5184d ago

I doubt the built-in wireless due to cost and you can absolutely forget about standard 2.5" HDD support. Absolutely no chance Microsoft gives up their HD revenue stream. None.

GiantEnemyCrab5183d ago (Edited 5183d ago )

I would think the mobo pics that leaked would show a wireless chip unless it is some kind of daughter board or they bundle the adapter with it.

I don't think we will see any of those things.

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AridSpider5184d ago

Definitely see this launching with Natal. Announcement at E3? Probably but then again probably not. Too long of a gap from the launch for any real hype and media coverage.

midgard2275184d ago

why wud anyone want a slim version that is more likely to overheat and rrod? unless they actually put a fan on the gpu its useless.

failure rate wud be 89%.

just buy a dang ps3 and keep or old 360 if it isnt ur 8th one.

and we all know the new version is just some new chips like falcon prossessor and all that crap that they said stopped rrod but didnt. *shrugs ur call

Mike134nl5184d ago

Xbox360 had so much problems since it was a rushed product.It 's hard to imagine the xbox360 slim being a rushed product since Microsoft has taken more time compared to the ps3 slim too announce a xbox 360 slim.
And the steady increase in reliability of the xbox 360 models.

midgard2275184d ago

i c where ur coming from, but i think that increase in realiablity is because more people bought the ps3 and not as many are using the 360 besides the fanboys.

less people playing a system = lower fail rate because install is lower.

now with ps3 cheap we are seeing more people own a ps3 and 360, so they arent abusing their ps3 or 360 since its not their only console.

besides that, u wud be right only if MS was making the slim a long time ago, if they just started then its gonna be the same thing again

fr0sty5184d ago (Edited 5184d ago )

however, if the thing vents out of the side of the console like the pic of the supposed xbox 360 slim motherboard suggests (there is a standard fan/heatsink on the cpu/gpu, which blows up towards the side of the console, and not the heat pipe design the current ps3 and 360's use), they're still going to have a lot of problems when people put things on top of their consoles. folks that lay the console on it's side and then toss a game or magazine on top will not get proper ventilation.

if they did merge the 2 chips into one, it'll be one interesting device.... made by 2 competing processor manufacturers, AMD and IBM.

jjesso19935184d ago

I really want see one but lets hope it dont get RROD when they show it off. and if did build HDD in it i think they could start making games that have installs the ps2 never came with memory card and if the lower the hdd price get rid of the old 360's dont think that many people mind.

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500°

Kinect Technical Specifications & Xbox 360 Requirements Revealed

The most notable reveal would perhaps by the requirements of the Xbox 360 console itself. While Microsoft has insisted since the original unveiling of Kinect at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in 2009, then known as Project NATAL, that the device would be compatible with all Xbox 360 consoles, the revelation of a dedicated port included on the newly redesigned Xbox 360 model has sparked rumours of incompatibility, which were quickly debunked.

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electronictheatre.co.uk
5088d ago Replies(12)
lzim5088d ago

odd, i was led to believe it lacked an internal processor and so also needed a core to itself, if not 1-2 processing threads.

Wikkid6665088d ago

The article says nothing about whether the processor is internal or it uses the 360s.

darthv725087d ago

Also, the notion of a dedicated port really lends nothing to the idea of older units being incompatible. I believe the kinect port is a custom usb port (think the original xbox controller ports) but one that will feed power and data.

Older models will require a splitter that will run off a single usb port (prob the back one) that will work for the data but not the power. That is why they keep saying it will have an external power for those systems.

As for the processor, combo of both makes sense. Using 360 cpu/gpu power to help calculate the finished product on screen along with the cpu in the kinect.

Remember people...this is not a cheap usb web cam (like the original live vision).

Inside_out5088d ago (Edited 5088d ago )

They say they are using 10-15% of one 360 P4 cores. I know that the Kinect we see today is a watered down version of the patented tech they bought and own. Maybe one day the " real " tech will be cost effective. It still is very impressive tech even without a super computer running it.

wicked5088d ago

No, the previous artical said they removed a processor, but I would guess that it had more than 1 to start with. So it will have some form of processor still within it. Arm9 or Cortex M3, all dirt cheap now but powerful.

IdleLeeSiuLung5088d ago

Does it matter? They showed Forza Kinect that looked amazing working with Kinect real time!

callahan095088d ago

Are you just talking about how the graphics are able to look amazing while working with Kinect? If that's what you're talking about, ok. The game itself, though, well... I think I'll stick with the real Forza, with an Xbox 360 control pad. The limited-control Kinect Forza they showed doesn't look like it's worth any attention, in my opinion. Why would anyone want to control a car like that, with hands held out and holding onto nothing, with no control over acceleration or braking? Just seems totally pointless to me.

CrawFail5087d ago

lol real time? I don't quite think it was real time.

Bigpappy5087d ago

You guy know that the motion tech is from prime sense right? Please go to their web site primesense.com,and have a look at what they say the tech can do. It can read fingers well enough to type with each finger and can be used while sitting. No one ever said it has to scan the entire body to work. What we have seen from kinect so far is not all it is capable of.

Reading these specs and trying to compare them to PSeye is pointless, because they are different types of cameras and provide completely differnt types of info to the consoles (Kinect is a 3D camera and provides 3D images. PSeye is a 2D camera and provides 2D images). Per Primsense, the camera is capable of providing video at 60fps, but the 3D is 30fps. The specs for 2 players active is for full body scans. There are no specs given for people sitting and just using their hands.

This tech is obviously a work in progress and has yet to be fleshed out. I suggest all you N4G Kinect experts, research before you post you doom and gloom so you atleast have solid facts for you skepticism. You can also relax and see what M$ does with the tech insteat of pretending to know more that the people developing the tech.

IdleLeeSiuLung5086d ago

The game was available for people to try on the show floor at E3 so yes it was real time. Wetter you like it for Forza or not wasn't my point.

That is up to the developer to figure out.

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Apolloeye5088d ago

So pretty much the same spec as the PS Eye, although I thought the eye went up to 120 Hertz...

Theonik5088d ago

The eye goes to 60Hz i think. Regardless the eye should be capable to do any Kinect shown so far with less lag. (they revolve on a 2D axis and only use the depth tracking to separate players.) I am really disappointed by the tech and how it is utilised thus far.

shoddy5087d ago

More or less powerful we need to see the product.
So far it seem the pseye can do anything kinect can do.
2d 3d I not yet see the advantage.

IHateYouFanboys5087d ago

no, the PSEye cannot do 3D tracking. Kinect can.

the PSEye does 2D motion recognition, Kinect does 3D motion tracking. they are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT things.

Sheikh Yerbouti5087d ago

Going from alkaline to lithium was a significant step for batteries, but at the end of the day it is just a battery. PSEye and Kinect are kind of the same way. At the end of the day it is a game camera - with camera games.

IHateYouFanboys5087d ago

@Sheikh Yerbouti: your example is not really on the same scale of difference as PSEye/Kinect.

a better example using batteries would be the jump from standard batteries to rechargable batteries. theyre both doing the same thing - being batteries - but one of them does things that the other one cannot possibly do, which is be recharged and used again. it does everything the standard battery does, and more.

Kinect does everything the PSEye does (2D motion recognition), and more (3D motion tracking). no amount of software updates can change the hardware in the PSEye, and the hardware is not capable of 3D motion tracking as it lacks infra-red.

IaMs125087d ago

Yes i see your point but how you guys feel about the PS3 can be said the same way.

The PS3 may produce better graphics and be more powerful then the Xbox360, but by the end of they day its still only a console. Also inferior to PC :)

PirosThe4th5087d ago

... PSeye can do 3d as you say... even eyetoy... they used shadows and other stuff to recognize it.
Move is also 3d...

Sheikh Yerbouti5087d ago

Lithium batteries are rechargeable batteries.

Kinect isn't a true 3D camera - it can't render a picture of your butt if you are always facing front. It makes an approximate 3D model using visual cues. The PSEye can do the same, although it will be cruder.

Plus, just because the technology is different, doesn't necessarily mean gameplay will be.

@lams12
Yes, you're right. Similarly Kinect will have some good games, different from PSEye, only if Microsoft makes them. But they haven't made games too different from the PSEye.

Theonik5087d ago

Which is what i meant from the start. None of the games they have shown so far could not have been on the PS Eye.

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Xwow20085088d ago

"Tracks up to 6 people, including 2 active players"
I think now its official that just 2 ppl can play at the same time.

Godmars2905087d ago

Love that you're quoting something and you're getting disagrees.

Sheikh Yerbouti5087d ago (Edited 5087d ago )

Only room for two anyway when you think about it...
but it can keep track of six people during a game in regards to facial recognition. I think that's impressive.

I would love to have Kinect built into my laptop, so only I can get in even without a password. Why is Microsoft wasting this on the XBox again?

Ilikegames765087d ago

still couldn't play it sitting down. Honestly, some guys are so easily impressed by copy cat technology.

blackpanther255087d ago

i was at the engadget show and kudo showed its 3d tracking and when two people where on screen......one person would be red while the other would be green.......but as soon as a third person steped into the camera view two people automatically turned gray and it couldnt read their movements well.

what i took away from that event is that the kinect is pretty kool but for right now it can only work with two people(they could still be working on it)

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150°

Kinect Re-Appears on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon & Miranda Cosgrove

Xbox Evolved:

"Microsoft is holding no breaks in making sure the general public knows all about Kinect. What cooler spot to also show it than with Jimmy Fallon? "

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Coded-Dude5095d ago

although i usually watch fallon. i'll have to catch an internet clip of it later.

ProA0075095d ago

it's nothing you have to see. trust me. zzzzzzz

tokoshix5095d ago

I'm sure it's just the usual marketing stuff, so nothing really interesting. Pretty much learned everything about the device at E3.

Tony P5095d ago

The more I see this targeted at non-gamers, the sadder I get.

I want a Kinect game I can be *proud* to own as a gamer. One day.

sonarus5095d ago

I saw it full of lag. The girls was standing there and her character just started twitching out of control.

Plus you can clearly see the game is full of Lag. Regardless though i don't care...its a piece of tech directed to casual gamers so kudos to MS for this. Unfortunately i don't fall into the casual crowd so this does not interest me one bit.

What does interest me though is a cheaper 360 slim with a hard drive and wifi capablities for 50 or maybe 100 bucks cheaper

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Blaze9295095d ago

was pretty funny. same demos they showed at E3 though. Nothing new. But they sure are marketing it quick.

AridSpider5095d ago

Yeah they did the same thing the day after they announced Natal last year with Good Morning America and Fallon back when it was called Natal. No doubt this thing will sell I suspect. Will it succeed technically though is the question

ProA0075095d ago

well they did say they are launching this like the launch of a new xbox.

AridSpider5095d ago

Well they price has not been 'confirmed' yet by anyone....

AridSpider5095d ago

wow first that girl's co-worker hosts the Kinect event and now she's her playing it. I see the audience Microsoft is definitely going after with Bieber, Cosgrove and McCurdy - teenage pop audiences.

Cueil5095d ago

it's that female crowd that they would love to hook into...

JasonXE5095d ago

She's kind of hot.

/pedobear

Boring show.

SpaceSquirrel5095d ago

Interesting. They did the same last year as well.

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200°

Hey Microsoft, Where Are The Core Games For Kinect?

Meodia writes, "So about a year ago when Project Natal was first starting off, many Xbox 360 and even other gamers were worried about the future of their console. A local shovelware dumping ground didn't sound quite appealing and Natal looked like it would serve extra servings of it. But Microsoft reassured us, holding our hands and telling us that everything would be alright. Since then, nothing has changed. After that "conference" at E3, we were shown nothing but how to please little girls."

xHarvey5099d ago (Edited 5099d ago )

Kinectimals. Raising a tiger isn't hardcore? lol

ipwnall5099d ago

Bubbles to you sir.

I'm extremely aggravated about this Kinect business. I mean, look at the image in the article. Those are the games for Kinect's future. Do we want to be playing those?

B-Real2065099d ago

They told you to wait till gamescom and now you will wait.

005099d ago (Edited 5099d ago )

But you won't be when that tiger mauls you.

ShinMaster5099d ago

"Wait till E3" they said.
Well E3 has come and this is the result.

Moonboots5099d ago

LOL! +bub for funny on that one!

PS: I love you Skittles! Don't eat me!!!!

BiggCMan5099d ago Show
HolyOrangeCows5099d ago

"Wait until E3"
"Wait until Gamescon"
"Wait until release"
"Wait until next E3"
"Wait until...."

So if we want core games, the best option is the waiting game?

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 5099d ago
Alcon Caper5099d ago (Edited 5099d ago )

hey ms remember this list from tgs 09?

Activision Blizzard, Bethesda Softworks, Capcom Co. Ltd, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Konami, MTV Games, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ Inc. and Ubisoft

>:(

Imperator5099d ago

Behind closed doors being shown to paid celebrities who could care less about gaming.... if there's even any at all.

Mr Logic5099d ago

It needs buttons. There is only a limited a limited amount of things you can accomplish through gesture recognition.

Inane_Asylum5099d ago

I heard Kevin Butler say buttons existed in the future...

...I believe him...

Moonboots5099d ago (Edited 5099d ago )

Obviously Kinect is a casual device designed for those gamers first and foremost and that is the message MS wanted to send at E3 much to the angst of the core. And they have been saying all year that is what to expect.

I am going to give it some time because I don't think MS are going to ignore their core for long. And in the mean time enjoy my controller on games like Gears 3, Reach, Fable 3, Kingdoms, Black Ops, etc etc on the 360.. Not even going to mention my plate for the other systems I own.. There is just no time to play it all. (heaven?)

Redempteur5099d ago

Don't you see ? hardcore games are coming ..just now they annonced .. BURGER KING !!

............

neverming .

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Arnon5099d ago

It's funny because after the Microsoft conference, we actually saw some. In fact, I'm surprised that they showed off the shovelware they did, and then an hour later Sonic Freedom Riders and Child of Eden were shown off and completely destroyed what Microsoft displayed.

Imperator5099d ago (Edited 5099d ago )

Child of Eden is a multiplat, and do you have any gameplay vids of Sonic (I honestly want to see how it works).

@Orange Juice, Ah, I see. Looks kinda simple though. wouldn't really call it a core game.

@Arnon, if that's the case then Kinect really does have the edge in that game... but that's just one game. MS needs to show a LOT more.

Orange Juice5099d ago (Edited 5099d ago )

http://n4g.com/news/546595/...

There you go

EDIT Now that I watch the gameplay closely its most likely a game for kids. I couldnt see an adult "hardcore" gamer playing this game for an extended period of time.

Erotic Sheep5099d ago (Edited 5099d ago )

Eyetoy Antigrav says hi..

Arnon5099d ago (Edited 5099d ago )

Child of Eden is multiplat, but it's exclusive to Kinect in regards to motion controls. The developer Tetsuya Mizuguchi does not have a dev kit for Move.

http://www.computerandvideo...

HaVoK3085099d ago

If core gamers are anything like me they could careless about them.

pimpmaster5099d ago

gotta agree, MS is exactly like nintendo 2 years ago. hey, what ever happened to that dumb ass vitality sensor.

gynecologistcobra5099d ago

Like Nintendo two years ago? As in, raking up a fuck ton of cash?

pimpmaster5098d ago

as in having nothing to offer for the hardcore audience. and only for casuals

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