Xbox 2 To Be Unveiled on MTV May 12 445
An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft confirmed this morning that the Xbox 2 will be revealed on live TV on May 12. MTV will air a half-hour long special to launch the system. 'It doesn't make sense to unveil the product behind a closed door, at a trade-only event,' according to Microsoft corporate VP Peter Moore. 'We wanted to talk directly to the consumer first.'" More coverage available on GamesIndustry.biz and Press the Buttons.
Music? Television (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Music? Television (Score:5, Insightful)
The thing that makes me sad is that MS views people that watch MTV as their target audience. I don't even want people that ingest that filth sharing any sort of demographic with me.
Re:Music? Television (Score:2)
This is very un-shocking though... With the colony counting down to May 12th and Peter Moore (used to run Sega US...remember 9.9.99?) running the Xbox team, this just seems to make perfect sense.
Re:Music? Television (Score:2)
And then it just becomes an industry of... cool.
Lester Bangs -- Almost Famous [imdb.com]
Re:Music? Television (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Music? Television (Score:5, Interesting)
Elijah Wood will present the half-hour segment that'll be jam packed with celebs gushing over the console,
Yeah, cause Frodo was an avid gamer in the movies. :P
Seriously, celebs know dick about politics, economics, or video games. I don't think someone with an artsy-fartsy theater background or "duh captain of duh team" is qualified to review a game system or games.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Music? Television (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Music? Television (Score:5, Funny)
Wait, wait... Let me get this straight, there is MUSIC on MTV!? This must be like MTV Europe or something...
I heard a rumor that they were going to rename it Hip-Hop and Dumb Hotel Heiress Network.
I used to do my Econ homework with MTV on, now I can't stand the stuff (MTV, not Econ.)
Re:Music? Television (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Music? Television (Score:2)
I used to watch MTV2 (except I muted the rap videos) but I had to cancel my Satellite subscription so I've been without Satellite for a while. From the sounds of things, MTV2 is turning into another clone of MTV. Uggh.
Hopefully VH1 Classic is still around.Re:Music? Television (Score:2)
The only worthwhile shows are Friday Rocks, the Rock Show and some oldies at 10am.
Re:Music? Television (Score:5, Funny)
Kids watch MSNBC? (Score:3, Insightful)
I guess they think the biggest money is in the kid sales. Maybe it is. But I know a LOT of twenty-somethings that buy all this stuff and we're not watching MTV.
MTV was good when they had Music Videos of all types. Not, if you actually catch a video, it's crap eyecandy with all booty and no originality. But now it's all these shows, every one packed full with teenage girls that scream at whatever the next boy band is. No thanks.
Re:Music? Television (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Music? Television (Score:2)
I'm taking all bets (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I'm taking all bets (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I'm taking all bets (Score:5, Insightful)
Tee hee giggle snort. If it's funny 300 times, it's sure to be funny 301 times!
Frankly, I'll take a crash on Live TV over blatant lying about how many millions of polygons can be rendered per second. *Glares accusingly in Sony's direction.*
Re:I'm taking all bets (Score:3, Insightful)
Bullshit. Show me where Microsoft claimed 66 million polygons a second.
"Keep your dimwitted mouth shut you pussy. Got that dweeb?"
Translation: I love Sony so don't be digging up dirt on them!
Re:I'm taking all bets (Score:3, Interesting)
That was more of a poke at Sony than it was a literal challenge. I'm not saying it never happened, but I don't recall MS claiming the XBOX was 6 times more powerful than it really was.
PSP (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:PSP (Score:5, Insightful)
Microsoft has been keeping pretty tight wraps on the details. People will probably watch this to just see what the thing is all about.
Re:PSP (Score:2)
Re:PSP (Score:3, Funny)
Re:PSP (Score:3, Funny)
Interested maybe, not, kinda? (Score:2, Interesting)
- internet browsing front end
- music playback
- video playback (mpeg1, 2, 4, wm)
- video recording using external capture box
- games
- a
Re:Interested maybe, not, kinda? (Score:5, Funny)
I'm SURE someone will hack it to do that stuff. (Score:3, Interesting)
The Xbox 2 is supposedly powered by 3 (three) PowerPC 970 (G5) chips, and some equally insane video processor. It would make quite the media-center PC if someone can hack it. I'm not so sure about
Accessibility? (Score:5, Insightful)
So they put it on a Pay-TV channel? Ok, maybe I'm the last person in the USA without cable. I'll just have to wait for the regular network commercials to tell me how cool this thing is that I don't really need, but will feel strangely compelled to buy anyway.
The Rationale: "We'll introduce it on MTV because it worked for Bill Clinton."
Things to look forward to:
target market (Score:2)
Re:Accessibility? (Score:4, Insightful)
Blue Music Video of Death
Some unknown girl/guy in the special will eventually rise to stardom for no apparent reason than they look good and/or can dance and sing
Days[You're a tool]Hours after the first XBox 2 hits a store shelf before Linux is up and running on one
First worm to hit XBoxes, which will be virtually impossible to remove due to the closed nature ot the system
Yeah.. cause all of those things happened with the first XBox..
Re:Accessibility? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Accessibility? (Score:2)
Own hardware (Score:2, Informative)
Recent news stories report that Microsoft may design their own chips for the Xbox 2 design. This means that the manufacturers of the current Xbox console may be out of the picture. For the Xbox 1, NVidia had won the bid to supply the graphics chips for the Xbox, and Intel won the bidding war against the CPU manufacturer AMD.
source: here [xbreporter.com]
Re:Own hardware (Score:2)
If IBM is providing the chips to M$, then of course M$ is going to have a say with the chip design.
Re:Own hardware (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Own hardware (Score:4, Informative)
I think you mean "spec" instead of "design". Chip design is not something that is within the realm of MS' ability. Sure they have bazillion dollars and can throw a lot of money at a problem, but designing chips takes talent and vast amounts of people that MS doesn't have and can't hire in time.
The last I heard, IBM was designing and manufacturing PowerPC chips for the Xbox2 [theinquirer.net]. In this way, the supplier - vendor relationship is no different than the Xbox. However, this time, the machine won't just be a modified PC with a modified Intel x86 processor. MS can be more specific about what the chip can do. In this way, IBM's relationship with MS is like Apple's relationship with IBM. Both companies tell IBM what they need the chip to do. IBM handles the details like where the memory and controller goes on the die, how the chip handles branching, etc.
Also ATI will make the graphics chips for the Xbox2. This was somewhat foreseable after the MS-nVidia relationship soured. But because ATI now supplies the GPU, there has been speculation that the Xbox2 will not be backwards compatible. nVidia's Xbox chips used proprietary technology that they probably don't want to license to MS and ATI.
Bad move... (Score:4, Funny)
Anyone who is going for the XBox2 Rush will be inline to see Starwars at some theatre that is not going to show it.
Re:Bad move... (Score:2)
Definitely Next? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Definitely Next? (Score:5, Informative)
There have been no official confirmation of something being chosen, however. Personally, I think they'll go with "The Sony Raper".
Re:Definitely Next? (Score:2)
Or does that sound too futuristic?
Re:Definitely Next? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Definitely Next? (Score:3, Interesting)
It's that bad? (Score:5, Interesting)
Why switch the perfect marketing model?
Re:It's that bad? (Score:2)
Re:It's that bad? (Score:2)
Because they don't want to share the stage with Sony's PS3 rollout. This way, at least for now, Xbox will be the toy gamers are talking about for a week before E3. Who knows, maybe Sony will counter with something else like a giving away a night playing video games with Pamela Anderson or something.
In the end, it probably doesn't matter much - when the actual hardware and software goes on sale will matter more as well as the caliber of the software.
Re:It's that bad? (Score:2)
0001 - [Censored - NSFW]
0002 - [Censored - NSFW]
0003 - [Censored - NSFW]
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4657 - Play video games
Re:It's that bad? (Score:2)
Re:It's that bad? (Score:3, Insightful)
closed door? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:closed door? (Score:4, Interesting)
"talk to" implies discussion (Score:5, Insightful)
Make that, "We wanted to talk directly at the consumer first."
Sadly, you can't "talk to" anyone via TV (especially MTV-style networks). Let's just call this an (admittedly clever) uni-directional advertisement and be done with it.
Re:"talk to" implies discussion (Score:2)
Re:"talk to" implies discussion (Score:2, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:4, Funny)
Re:In Other News... (Score:5, Insightful)
The "M" is for "Marketing."
Marketing killed the video star.
Re:In Other News... (Score:2)
Actually, I'm sure this program will have a few game montages set to music. Halo footage set to some rock, GTA-ripoff set to some hip-hop, a new Project Gotham racer... They could easily triple or quadruple MTV's weekly music video quotient.
Subliminal Messages (Score:2, Insightful)
Shhhh, Microsoft has hidden a secret message in their viral marking website, ourcolony.net
bleh (Score:2, Insightful)
Paid Programming (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Paid Programming (Score:5, Insightful)
Viral Marketing (Score:5, Informative)
The rewards give out tiny glimpses of the Xbox 2. So far only the controller has been seen.
Re:Viral Marketing (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Viral Marketing (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Viral Marketing (Score:5, Funny)
What, they managed to fit the whole thing in one picture?
May 12 should be fine. (Score:5, Funny)
I've seen pornography that was less graphic than MTV in those shows.
Wardrobe Malfunction (Score:3, Funny)
Core Audience (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Core Audience (Score:5, Insightful)
You either overestimate the sophistication of Xbox users, or underestimate the age of folks watching Real World/Road Rules Challenge XXXTREME or whatever they're showing on MTV these days. In either event, there probably is a good amount of overlap in the target audience. They're trying to hook eyes of 14-40 year-old bored people with disposable income and lots of free time. MTV is as good a place for that as you'll find, these days.
Re:Core Audience (Score:2)
Letting the DS ship 6 million units before the PSP went on sale? Not including at least some paltry Memory Stick? Going with Yet Another Bastard Sony Media? Comparing a design flaw to a work of art (wow)?
I find it amusing tha
Re:Core Audience (Score:2)
No no, they don't want the mature market, they want the market that thinks of themselves as mature, i. e. the Britney fans.
Elijah Wood? (Score:2)
MTV -- Pimp my XBox (Score:5, Funny)
Re:MTV -- Pimp my XBox (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:MTV -- Pimp my XBox (Score:2)
The list gets longer (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The list gets longer (Score:2, Informative)
MS introduced a smaller controller a long time ago.
Re:The list gets longer (Score:3, Informative)
People buy this as a game console? =)
Seriously speaking, Xbox rules, but once you load the "proper" software onto it. XBMC, DVDX and MAMEoX has turned my once overpriced paperweight birthday present (Xbox) into a work horse. With the proper software one can watch region free, NTSC/PAL DVDs. Watch TV / tune to radio from other countries, play classic video games and have a quick glance at the weather forecast.
Now that XBox2 is comming o
Re:The list gets longer (Score:3, Insightful)
well.. at a trade show.. (Score:5, Interesting)
a show on mtv would be just one way, them pulling all the strings and saying whatever they want of the device - without the possibility for anyone to ask questions about it.
Re:well.. at a trade show.. (Score:2)
The best part of MTV [or MuchMusic in Canada] is the big titted teenage chicks with low self-esteem. Nothing like the mute button to enjoy a good 30 min program
Tom
Re:well.. at a trade show.. (Score:3, Insightful)
This could be dangerous for MTV (Score:5, Funny)
How will they get in a word edgewise? (Score:5, Funny)
Bill Gates:
Welcome to the next level of home video game enter
ANNOYING POPUP!-HI THIS IS MEGAN FROM CRAPSMELL, NJ AND I LOVE JAY-Z, WOOOOO!
its processing power will make its extensive library of
RANDOM SNIPPET OF VIDEO!
the Xbox2 will retail for
HEY ITS CARSON DALEY, LOOK AT HIS HAIRLESS CHEST Aieeee!
SHOUT OUTS (Score:3, Funny)
HI, this is Steve from Redmond WA. WHUT WHUT. I'd like to give a shout-out to my homies back home - BILL, CLIPPY, AND ALL THOSE DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Should read: (Score:3, Funny)
There must be a typo. Moore's quote, in light of Sony's recent attempt to upstage Microsoft at E3 by showcasing the PS3 3 hours earlier, should read: "We wanted to talk directly to the consumer, first."
Reading between the lines (Score:2, Insightful)
If there was something interesting to say about the product, don't you think they would have mentioned that instead of "behind-the-scenes video" and "jam packed with celebs"?
When a Mareketing Manager is "ecstatic about our alliance with MTV" instead of ecstatic about the product. I begin to doubt. Is it me or does this article give off vibes of overhyping
Good Move (Score:2, Interesting)
Comment removed (Score:3, Insightful)
Microsoft marketing genius (Score:5, Insightful)
MTV may no longer play music videos, but they get great ratings, and specifically within those great ratings is the hard to reach demographic that the XBOX should appeal to.
Congrats to Microsoft for being the first to figure this out. Keep an eye out for Sony to follow their lead if this works out well.
MTV... (Score:3, Insightful)
Stupid argument (Score:3, Insightful)
I'll wait (Score:3, Funny)
Good move by Microsoft (Score:3, Insightful)
While I have my issues with the Xbox losing a ton o' money for Microsoft and not having a big enough library for my tastes (let me state: my personal tastes, so please so replies about the 10 Xbox games that are the "bestest evah!", thank you), at least they're working harder on the marketing for the Xbox 2 - more Japanese developers are announcing products, better viral marketing.
Now that the Sony and Xbox lines will be compatible in power and graphics, it will come down to the games and other features (like Blue Ray and such). Eh - I'm patient. I probably won't buy either system for at least a year after they come out.
Maybe
New Technology... (Score:2)
"Welcom to Microsoft MUD. It looks like you're trying to PK. Would you like..."
Re:"Press the Buttons"? (Score:2, Redundant)
Not that i expect a lot from blogs (god i hate that word), but come on, how about something a tiiiiny bit insightful, you know, a reason for existance.
Come to find out, the guy who runs press the buttons works for everything2.com, and guess who the registration contact in the whois information is:
Checking server [whois.easydns.com]
Results:
Registrant:
Blockstackers
8122 Main St
Dexter, MI 48130
US
Domain name: EVERYTHING2.COM
Adm
Re:Xbox2 is G5 powered!!! (Score:2)
The TiVo units use a PPC and so far no one has been able to run any MacOS on them.
By this logic, you should be able to run MacOS 8 and below on a Genesis or NeoGeo because they are 680x0 based.
There is a lot more than processors to make a computer.
Re:This will be running a G5, right? (Score:5, Interesting)
If we're taking bets, I'm going to guess ( for no good reason, without justification ) there's nothing like a Northbridge on this thing, so PPC Linux first.
Besides, you're not breaking a software EULA to get Linux working on your Xbox, doesn't that mean anything to you people ?
Damn, I need a sarcasm key for that last line.
And no, not a 'G5'. Something like it [teamxbox.com], but likely not actually a G5 [ibm.com]. A 64-bit PowerPC chip. Not a G5. Though the difference might be slight... it could be significant. The "Cell" for the PS3 is a PowerPC chip, too, but it's quite different from the PowerPC 970.