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Tag: durango

  • Next Xbox To Feature Greatly Improved Speech Recognition [Rumor]

    Despite being one of the coolest features in Kinect, its voice recognition software was often overlooked in favor of arm waving shenanigans. That may not be the case with the next Xbox as Microsoft is rumored to be greatly expanding the software with new features and functionality.

    The Verge reports that the next Xbox “will support wake on voice, natural language controls, and speech-to-text.” The current Kinect can only recognize simple speech patterns that are pre-programmed into the software. The next Xbox will greatly expand this to include natural interaction – the kind of voice recognition that you see in Apple’s Siri and other similar software.

    So, what does this mean for games? The Verge uses the example of a user being able to ask the Xbox, “What are my friends playing?” and the system would immediately bring up the player’s friend list. Other examples include the user being able to ask questions with the system returning a relevant answer, no doubt provided by Bing.

    The real advantage here is if more games started supporting voice commands or interactions. The current Kinect’s voice sensor has only been used in a small selection of games, most notably Mass Effect 3. It would be far more interesting if something like Peter Molyneux’s ill-fated Project Milo were to launch on the next Xbox featuring natural interaction with an on-screen character.

    This rumor is just the latest to hit the net in regards to Microsoft’s next console. Just yesterday, a rumor came out saying that the next Xbox would feature an anti-used game system in the form of always online DRM. The console’s specs, which paint the system as being fairly powerful, has also been leaked.

  • Durango AKA Xbox 720 Specs Unveiled [Rumor]

    The first half of the year before E3 is always full of rumors pertaining to what the major players in the gaming industry are going to show off. It’s a little different this year, however, as we have two new game consoles on the way from Sony and Microsoft. All the attention will be directed at the new hardware, and the rumor mill in regards to these machines’ supposed specs is already churning.

    VGLeaks, a site that has proven to be more right than wrong in its reporting, claims to have gotten hold of the spes for Durango – the next Xbox. If true, Microsoft’s next console will be a pretty beastly machine, but it may also be pretty quiet.

    Digging into the details, it appears that Microsoft may be going for lower-power consumption with its next gen console. The machine will sport an eight core CPU running at 1.6 GHz. Is it slower than the Xbox 360’s 3.0 GHz tri-core processor? Not at all as this newest processor is able to execute more processes at a speedier rate than its predecessor. It’s similar to the Wii U’s processor in that it features a slower clock speed, but is able to do more with it. If anything, the new processor will make sure that the next Xbox is a quiet, cool machine.

    As for the GPU, It’s a custom 800 MHz graphics processor with support for Direct 3D 11.1. It’s not top of the line graphics processing, but consoles don’t need that to push impressive visuals. This chip will do nicely when it comes to pushing even more visually impressive games on the new hardware.

    As for memory and storage, the console will feature 8GB of RAM and 32MB of fast embedded SRAM. The console will also sport a SATA out for a HDD. It’s unknown what kind of hard drive will be used, however, as Microsoft may opt to use a solid state drive for its latest console, especially if it begins pushing digital over physical content.

    Speaking of physical content, the next Xbox will be outfitted with a Blu-ray drive. It was pretty much a given at this point, but it’s nice to know that Microsoft won’t be insistent on using DVDs or some other proprietary format in its next console.

    If you prefer a more visual take on the above information, here’s a system block diagram courtesy of VGLeaks. Of particular interest is the Kinect In port. The Kinect In port may imply that Microsoft may be selling the next generation Kinect device separately instead of building it into the device.

    Next Xbox Specs Revealed In Latest Rumor

    As always, these are just rumors and should be taken as such. We won’t know anything for sure until Microsoft or a certified third party confirms it as fact. We may not have to wait long though as Microsoft may reveal its latest console before E3, just like Sony.

  • Microsoft’s IllumiRoom Takes Gaming Beyond the Edge of the TV Screen

    Microsoft’s IllumiRoom Takes Gaming Beyond the Edge of the TV Screen

    Microsoft Research, Microsoft’s department for experimental computer science projects, has unveiled the “IllumiRoom,” a projector system that extends the action in video games beyond the edge of the TV screen. What’s most impressive about it is that it doesn’t require a flat white background to work properly. Microsoft is currently demoing the project at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES). From the Microsoft Research website:

    IllumiRoom is a proof-of-concept Microsoft Research project designed to push the boundary of living room immersive entertainment by blending our virtual and physical worlds with projected visualizations. The effects in the video are rendered in real time and are captured live — not special effects added in post processing.

    The system uses a Kinect for Windows camera and a projector to create the effects seen in the video below. It scans the geometry of a room using the Kinect, then uses its measurements to adapt its projected visuals “in real-time without any need to custom pre-process the graphics.” Microsoft claims the feature can extend the field of view beyond the TV, change the appearance of a room, or induce apparent motion.

    It sounds silly, yes, but give the video a look. This is the sort of impressive technology that gamers should hope is part of the next generation of console hardware. Also, it may very well be a precursor to the holodeck-style gaming experiences of the future.

  • Microsoft Buys R2 Studios, Begins Countdown to Big E3 Announcement

    The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Microsoft has purchased R2 Studios, a home automation technology startup. According to unnamed people “familiar with the matter,” the company will become part of Microsoft’s Xbox unit. The cost of the acquisition has not been revealed.

    R2 Studios, fully named id8 Group R2 Studios, was founded by Blake Krikorian, the co-inventor of the Slingbox. The company is reportedly working on solutions for integrating media and home automation technology. The company holds some patents related to its goals, and the Journal reports that Microsoft has also purchased the patents.

    A previous report in mid-December 2012 held that Google and Apple were also interested in R2 Studios and its technology. Judging by Google’s failed Nexus Q, Microsoft’s Smartglass, and Apple’s still-rumored HDTV, technology companies are searching desperately for a way to move into consumers’ living rooms and beyond.

    By acquiring such a company for its Xbox division, Microsoft is demonstrating more than ever that it expects its next-generation Xbox console to be at the center of an integrated living room (or home) multimedia experience. Just this week Xbox evangelist Larry “Major Nelson” Hyrb posted a countdown to Microsoft’s big E3 conference announcement. It’s expected that the next Xbox console will be unveiled at that time, which would fit with rumors that suggest the console will be released in time for the 2013 holiday season.

  • It Looks Like The Next Xbox Is Launching Next Year [Rumor]

    Going against tradition, Nintendo was the first to launch a next generation console this time with the Wii U. Sony and Microsoft are still trying to squeeze a few more years out of increasingly aged hardware, but it looks like Microsoft will also be launching the next Xbox next year.

    Bloomberg reports that the next Xbox will be launching in time for the holidays next year. To be more specific, people close to the company said Microsoft plans to have the next-gen console ready for Thanksgiving sales which indicates a late October or early November release date.

    So when we will see the next Xbox in the proverbial flesh? People close to Microsoft say the company is still trying to decide when to reveal the new console. E3 is a logical choice, but game publishers are increasingly turning to private events for product announcements as it’s easier to control the message. If you recall, the Xbox 360 was revealed via a special on MTV. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to assume Microsoft would do something similar for the next Xbox, most likely on Spike TV.

    The Bloomberg report lends some credibility to past rumors saying that the next Xbox would launch next year. Unfortunately, the report doesn’t dive into any of the hardware rumors that have been at the forefront of the conversation for quite some time. For now, most of the information we know comes from a leaked internal roadmap that revealed the next Xbox would feature six to eight 2GHz processors, 4GB of RAM and a single GPU clocked at 1GHz.

    As for Sony and its rumored Orbis console, we still don’t know anything beyond a few unconfirmed rumors floating around the Internet. The only solid piece of information came back in April when sources close to Sony said the company was hoping to have Orbis out before the next Xbox, but Sony later said that at E3 that it wants to be better, not first.

    For more rumors and information, check out everything we know about the next Xbox so far.

  • Next-Gen Xbox to Feature an “Innovative” Controller [RUMOR]

    Not much has been revealed about Microsoft’s upcoming next-generation Xbox console since the rumor back in September that the device might be delayed due to manufacturing difficulties. In fact, not much has been revealed about the console since the massive leak of a Microsoft planning document back in June.

    Now, the upcoming Xbox World magazine issue is devoting several pages to all of the rumors surrounding the next-gen Xbox, and have included a mock-up of what the console could look like (seen above). CVG managed to nab an interview with Xbox World Editor in Chief Dan Dawkins, who slipped them a few rumors that hadn’t been revealed yet.

    The new console will evidently take a page from the Apple playbook and simply be called the Xbox. It will come with Blu-ray capabilities, directional audio, and the Kinect 2.0. Current developer kits for the console have a quad-core CPU and 8GB of RAM.

    One very interesting detail revealed in the CVG report is that the new Xbox will feature an “innovative” controller. While this could simply refer to new motion controls being included in with the classic Xbox controller design, it’s safe to say that gamers could be worried that Microsoft will try to re-invent the current, perfectly good, controller design. The Wii U GamePad may be an innovative controller, but it’s unlikely that Xbox gamers will want to use something that heavy for the type of multiplayer gaming the Xbox is famous for.

    (Image via CVG)

  • Next-Gen Xbox Console Could Be Delayed [RUMOR]

    Everyone is expecting a new game console from Microsoft next year. Nintendo is set to kick off the next console cycle with the Wii U later this November. The beautiful games shown at this year’s E3 make it painfully obvious that new hardware is coming soon. The leaks pertaining to the next Xbox, codenamed “Durango,” are becoming more frequent. All the while, retail game sales are down, gamers are waiting out the end of the cycle, and PC gaming is seeing a resurgence.

    All signs point to Microsoft launching a new gaming console next holiday season.

    Today, though, the website SemiAccurate published a story stating that the manufacture of processors for the Durango is going at a snail’s pace. According to the report, the chip is codenamed “Oban” and batches are taking around 8 weeks to manufacture.

    SemiAccurate’s unnamed sources claim that September 2013 is the projected launch date for Microsoft’s new console. Apparently, Microsoft has around two months of give in its semiconductor shipping schedule before the console release date will have to be pushed back. The company is evidently scrambling to find semiconductor fabricators who can expedite the chip manufacturing process. Meanwhile, SemiAccurate is reporting that Microsoft executives are holding the line and claiming that everything is on schedule.

    A delay past the 2013 holiday season would be fairly devastating for Microsoft. As the current console cycle is winding down, gamers are becoming jaded, and retail game sales show it. Also, many of what are sure to be next-gen launch titles have already been shown, meaning that a console delay would also put pressure on Microsoft from third-party game publishers. While not much is yet known or has been leaked about Sony’s next-gen console, it’s a given that any delay on the next Xbox plays to their favor. Looming over all of this are rumors that Valve is fed up with current gaming technology and is ready to make its own gaming hardware. This should frighten Microsoft and Sony, because there could be no exclusive launch title for a console bigger than Half-Life 3.

    (via BGR)

  • Next-Gen Xbox Dev Kit Sells On eBay For $20,000

    Next-Gen Xbox Dev Kit Sells On eBay For $20,000

    Microsoft doesn’t want to acknowledge it, but we all know a new Xbox is coming soon. The only thing we know for certain is that its codename is Durango. Everything else at this point is purely conjecture. We might know a bit more soon if an eBay listing that popped up over the weekend is legitimate.

    In what might be a first for the industry, a supposed Xbox Durango development kit has been sold on eBay for $20,000. Until now, the console has only been the subject of hushed rumors on message boards across the Internet. If the dev kit is real, we might be getting out first look at what Durango entails if the buyer is feeling generous.

    Unfortunately, the eBay listing itself doesn’t really say much. The only thing that can be gathered is that the dev kit in the picture is pretty standard. The specs of the machine will also not entirely match that of the finished console as dev kits require more power than the console itself will use. If real, it will provide a few clues as to what the finished console will be like.

    We must also take into consideration that this could all be a scam. The seller is brand new without anything under his belt. Selling a next-gen Xbox dev kit on eBay would also violate a host of Microsoft policies it has towards next-gen development. Many people were actually wondering when Microsoft was going to shut the auction down, but that never happened.

    One interesting theory is that Microsoft bought the dev kit to keep everything quiet. A cancellation of the auction by Microsoft would only confirm the legitimacy. By buying it, they can preserve the secrecy for at least a while longer.

    If everything works out, however, expect to see something on it in the near future. The winning bidder has won a number of computer supply parts in the past. Going off of past bidding history, he or she might be a programmer or hardware enthusiast. If they’re kind enough to the world, they might just share the first details on Durango with all of us.

    [h/t: Kotaku]

  • Kinect 2 Preview Photo Leaked Online

    The gaming industry is experiencing the first console cycle change-over to happen in the age of Twitter and other powerful social media outlets. Where in the past gamers had to wait for hardware manufacturers to announce upcoming console features, now they only have to wait for the leaks to occur.

    Just this week, a Microsoft job posting implied that the next generation Xbox console will be released within 18 months. 18 months is just enough time for game developers to ready a respectable launch title, and there is no doubt that major game developers already have access to early software development kits for the next Xbox. And with developers receiving SDKs for next-gen consoles and accessories, leaks are bound to happen.

    This week, Twitter user @superDaE posted a photo that is claimed to be a demonstration of what the next generation Kinect accessory will be capable of. Below is the original tweet and photo, which shows the demonstration taking place within an application called “Microsoft Xbox Studio for Durango.” Durango is a well-known code name for the next-generation Xbox console.

    The picture is not interesting simply because it confirms that a new Kinect is on the way. A different leak months ago clued gamers into the fact that the new Kinect would be launched alongside the next-gen Xbox. What is fascinating about the picture is how much more precise it looks than the current Kinect. It appears to have a much greater ability to separate players from background noise, and the fidelity of the device looks good enough to pick up individual fingers. Sign language-type commands could make the next generation of Xbox gaming very interesting.

  • Sony Hoping To Get “Orbis” Out Before “Durango” [Rumor]

    The war is on! The rumors are picking up and going into over drive! The next consoles are on their way from both Microsoft and Sony. It has already been confirmed by both Sony and Microsoft that there will be now new console announcement from either of them at this years E3. So that means unless something amazing happens, we will not get confirmation of a new console until at least 2013 and no new console from either of them until the holiday season of 2013 which is 19 months away!

    Sony started the process of making their new console about 2 years ago and feel as though they will be able to get it out before the next Microsoft version codenamed “Durango.”

    Sources at VG247.com had this to say: “Sony are completely in the belief that they have the jump on Microsoft this time,” they said. “You should be watching the timing of next year’s E3 keynotes, and who’s going to go first.”

    Sony has already let big name publishers in on what the console is going to be. “Top line publishers already know about it,” our source said. “Developers working with publishers – like Ubisoft, for example – already know what’s going on. They’re already working on it.”

    the rumor front had, until recently, been really quiet because most people believed that it would be 2014 at a minimum till we saw a new Playstation due to Sony’s 10 year console life plan.

    @patlike
    Patrick Garratt    Oh yeah. That Kotaku thing about PS4 being called Orbis? It’s true. Or it was, anyway. 9 minutes ago via HootSuite ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto