AnandTech: E3 2005 – Day 1: The Xbox 360 Update — Microsoft pulls the old gambit of using alien hardware to do its demos. This is an old trick that goes back decades. Most companies hide it better than this. Good job by the Anandtech folks for uncovering this “scam.”
A pair of Apple Powermac G5 systems were actually running the Xbox 360 demos, not the 360 console. The consoles in the kiosks weren’t actually running, they were just for show – now you know why all the controllers were wired.
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That’s pretty shocking considering the 360 is supposed to be released within 6 months. If it’s not done yet, merely for a preview running demos, how in the heck are they going to get it done in a few months?!
Maybe Microsoft is outsourcing its work to Infinium Labs?
Wouldn’t people be better off buying Macs instead of Xboxes? They look better, for one. If Steve could make them cheaper, everyone would get them instead of Bill’s pseudo-market-killer…
Steve, make’m cheaper. Yes, cheaper and more powerful than the mini. We still want cheaper and more powerful.
Miguel, I hate to be the voice of reason, but the article metioned two tidbits that don’t favor Apple. First each pretend 360 used TWO Macs. And second, even though TWO Macs were used, the resulting graphics were inferior.
Macs are expensive enough, but if I have to buy two of them and still get less quality than one Xbox 360, I think I’d buy the infinitely 360.
Miguel,
You may get your wish. Rumor has it that Apple is going to cut a deal with Intel soon.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-5716580.html?tag=nl.e589
Reread the Article, Ima — they brought along [or bought, locally?] a couple of Macs that used their stock graphics card. NOT the graphics card or protocols they developed the XBox software for. That’s why they had to turn the anti-aliasing off.
I have to wonder why developers switch around, from month-to-month on graphics gewgaws? Whichever of the only two hardware companies left — is ahead, any month — they always seem to switch positions a month or so, later.
Plus, the 3-core PowerPC chip that we’re told will be used for the XBox will be the sort of dedicated gamer chip that has a couple of functions x 2 or 3 that are needed — and a lot of other goodies needed for all around performance by the rest of the computing population are left out.
It sounds to me that the sum of what was needed to run the software [which was actually developed on PowerMacs] required the 4 cores of the 2 “normal cpu’s — leaving the bits “extra” to gamers’ needs to mumble to themselves.
Still and all, your first question is the one that counts.
Hey John,
I found photos that some other folks who attended E3 shot and they’re hilarious. One even shows that the XBox360 isn’t even plugged in.
You know it really makes me wonder just how far along M$ isn’t with repsect to the XBox260. I mena they claim this product is going to be ready before Christmas but they don’t even have a working demo model they can show… hmmm.
I call bullshit! Something doesn’t smell right here!
even though TWO Macs were used, the resulting graphics were inferior.
From the article:
“Because the G5 systems can only use a GeForce 6800 Ultra or an ATI Radeon X800 XT, developers had to significantly reduce the image quality of their demos – which explains their lack luster appearance.”
Four single-core processors (in two seperate chassis) not keeping-up on software written to run on three dual-core processors is one thing, but I found it amazing that the two top-notch PC video cards from both ATI and Nvidia were dismissed so easily. Wasn’t it just a few months ago that the Unreal 3 technology demos were running on a 6800 Ultra – and it was the only consumer video card that could do the job?
The fastest game PCs are going to get sand kicked in their face by the new Xbox and Playstation.
OK, the final FACT is that the Xbox 360 isn’t revolutionary, ground-breaking or earth-shaking. That’s the truth! There may even be no Xbox 360 yet, but what’s the point? What’s the point of making one if it’s not in *any* way innovative? The specs I’ve read so far make it look like a good (ish) console for today – not for the next 5 years or more. MS should follow the Sony lead and AT LEAST TRY to come up with something that is (or seems) out of the ordinary – something that beats the crap out of your top-of-the-line PC while costing a third or less. Something that, when hacked, would make a hell of a cheap PC. THAT’S what I would call ground-breaking. *This* is just sand in the eyes. It should be called XBox 180, IMHO.