Xbox2 to be released in Europe in 2005

[edotherocket 0]

It's been known in industry circles for months, but the news is now finally starting to leak. You'll be able to buy the next generation Xbox in both America and Europe in 2005, say experts.

 

While internet news sources today have reported that Microsoft is readying to launch its next generation Xbox hardware in America and Europe in the fourth quarter of this year, Eurogamer has learnt that the specific timing for the machine's roll-out is late October or early November, and merely weeks after the US launch. The exact date is yet to be solidified.

 

Speaking under conditions of strict anonymity, senior American and British development, publishing and retail sources have confirmed the launch window in the past weeks.

 

It is also now widely known among British sources that Microsoft UK is currently in the planning stages of a spectacular and unprecedented launch event in central London for the winter release.

 

While it has been accepted for some time that Xbox 2, currently codenamed Xenon, would be released in America before the end of the year, the news of a Q4 launch in both the UK and Europe will send shockwaves through the industry and gaming community on this side of the Atlantic.

 

Many have expressed concern that Microsoft is forcing the next generation of console hardware too early, and that the current generation still has much to achieve. The most famous example of this came from then Nintendo of Europe MD David Gosen speaking at an ELSPA summit in London last October, where he lambasted Microsoft for pushing a next generation machine to market in 2005, and even went so far as to question Microsoft's motivation as profit.

 

"In every cycle, some manufacturer not profiting from the current cycle is eager to kick-start the next one," he said at the time.

 

EA recently confirmed that next generation Xbox titles would ship alongside current generation offerings later this year, although the certainty of a European release this side of 2006 has been muted: until now.

 

Microsoft has already publicly snubbed the suggestion of Xbox 2 being shown for the first time at GDC in March, and it now seems obvious that E3 will see the grand unveiling of the machine.

 

A Microsoft spokesman characteristically swatted away any next gen talk: "Microsoft has not made any announcements regarding the next generation. We are currently very focused on further building the success of the Xbox console today and are not speculating on timing for a future version."

 

However, it must be noted that with the current lack of Xbox console stock still proving to be a huge problem for retailers and the future Xbox first party release schedule having almost completely dried up, it's an interesting comment for Microsoft to make at the point when every publisher and their dog are busy leaking Xbox 2 software information.

 

Source: GamesIndustry.biz

 

 

Hopefully this means we get Halo 3 this year and that the next Xbox will be availabe in Australia by the end of the year too.

 

I'm guessing launch titles will probably be something like Project Gotham Racing 3, Madden 2006 and maybe a Splinter Cell port or something.

 

Anyone else interested in getting this console in 2005? Or will you hold off until next year when PS3 and Nintendo Revolution is out too?

[Guest Phenom]

I'm holding out. I don't want something that makes MS look desperate.

[AndrewTS 0]

The only consistent thing about the reports of the next X-Box system--it seems to be agreed upon that it will have a stupid name.

[Damaramu 0]

Isn't it not backwards compatible? Because that sucks.

 

And how big is the X-Box game library anyways? Seems to me like it doesn't have much. I regret the old one becoming obsolete so quickly.

[edotherocket 0]

I've also heard:

 

- Not backwards compatible

- No hard drive in this one

- It's supposed to be called Xbox Next isn't it?

 

Meh, the backwards compatability thing doesn't bother me too much. To be honest, as much as I like the idea of it, I don't revisit old games very often. My Dreamcast hasn't seen much action in the past three years and the same can be said for my Playstation1.

[AndrewTS 0]

I've also heard:

 

- Not backwards compatible

- No hard drive in this one

Ghey.

[Matt Young 0]

Backward compatibility is up in the air, as it's very difficult to implement when the systems are using completely different chipsets. There's likely going to be a version of the system with a hard drive and one without.

 

And yes, they're putting it out too early.

[Karnage 0]

All this next generation talk is a bit too early. I mean its not like the XBOX has been taken full advantage of yet.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

That backwards capability shit is just one of those rumours that people suddenly took on as truth. It's total speculation as of right now.

 

I'll wait for Sony's next machine.

[AndrewTS 0]

That backwards capability shit is just one of those rumours that people suddenly took on as truth. It's total speculation as of right now.

 

I'll wait for Sony's next machine.

PSP, then?

[Guest Failed Mascot]

I can't imagine its too difficult or cost worthy to make a system backwards compatable when the new system is more powerful yet uses the same type of game(CD based or whatever they're technically called)

[AndrewTS 0]

I can't imagine its too difficult or cost worthy to make a system backwards compatable when the new system is more powerful yet uses the same type of game(CD based or whatever they're technically called)

I'm fairly sure X-Box uses DVDs...

 

If they change formats, they'd go with HD-DVD, which wouldn't be difficult to go backward-compatible with the first system's games.

 

I think we can safely say no way in hell will it use Blu-Ray.

 

I liked the rumored mock-up of the X-Box 2's controller that I saw, though.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I thought it was the X Box 360?

 

I also read that Microsoft was sticking with DVDs for their next console. Sony is 100% confirmed to be going with their Blu-Ray drive since they need to incorporate it into something that will immediately get them a large number of Blu-Ray players so they dont look like idiots for the millionth time trying to push their own format of something.

 

I think the not backwards compatible part comes from the fact that it wont have a hard drive. Most of the games on the X Box utilize the hard drive in some way, so how would they work if there's no hard drive on the next console?

 

I thought it was funny that everyones favorite feature of the X Box, the hard drive, is getting scrapped for the next console. "Wow, its so cool to be able to save games to the hard drive and rip music to it to play in games!"

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

- Not backwards compatible

- No hard drive in this one

 

This equals me not buying the system.

[Guest Flyboy]

If it doesn't have a hard drive... ugh. That's one of the reasons I love the Xbox.

[Scroby 0]

I can't buy any of the rumors put out by anyone that isn't Microsoft. Every rumor said about the console has been made from some site or some off beat company. Seriously why the hell would EA even make that kind of annoucement? It makes no sense and once a rumor of the system hits Gamespot they automatically think its true. I'll just wait till E3 and see if the system is even reviled there or not.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

That backwards capability shit is just one of those rumours that people suddenly took on as truth. It's total speculation as of right now.

 

I'll wait for Sony's next machine.

PSP, then?

Ick.

 

Make that the PS3, sorry.

[El Psycho Diablo 0]

What right does a Nintendo rep have to blast someone for something as stupid as a rumor?

 

*cough*

 

I'll wait for some official confirmation until I start saying anything about the next Xbox..

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Hopefully this means we get Halo 3 this year

Sing it with me!

 

o/` Dream on, dream on, dream on, DREAM ON, DREAM ON, DREAM ON.. o/`

 

Anyone else interested in getting this console in 2005?  Or will you hold off until next year when PS3 and Nintendo Revolution is out too?

I'm guessing that, just like the DS and PSP, I'm not going to buy until I see a game for it that I have to get.

 

I've had Gotta Have It Now syndrome with previous new systems, but SNES had Super Mario World which was worth the launch price, and Xbox and PS2 were simply so different from the previous generation.

 

These new machines, well, PS3 will put Sony in a better position spec-wise with Microsoft, but I don't really predict massive changes. They're now reaching the same plateau that the PC has been at for a while now.

[El Psycho Diablo 0]

Note: After all the problems the early-gen PS2's had, I can't see WHY anyone would want to get a PS3 right at launch..

[Scroby 0]

Note: After all the problems the early-gen PS2's had, I can't see WHY anyone would want to get a PS3 right at launch.. 

 

Same deals with the PSP. I have a feeling a lot of the U.S. launch ones will be screwed up as well.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

Haven't a horde of PSP units already been returned in Japan because the designers couldn't fit whatever works the response when a player hits a button right under the actual button? I'm positive I read that it lead to people having shoddy control problems, with a delayed response occurring during gameplay.

 

Go Sony!

[Use Your Illusion 0]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/24/news_6116985.html

 

Hey, what do you know, I'm not hallucinating

[Matt Young 0]

As far as the hard drive goes, no, there is no confirmation as to whether or not one will be included. However, the rumor is that there will be no HD or there will be separate versions of the system, one with and one without, because of cost.

 

Microsoft is losing money on every unit sold right now. The cost of manufacturing the next gen system will only be higher. Supposedly, they'll be charging $300 for the system without the HD. They'd have to charge around $500 for a unit with the drive in order to break even.

 

It's all rumors at this point, and I truly hope they're unfounded, but that's what I've read on various game sites and in EGM.

[Guest Vitamin X]

If it doesn't have a hard drive... ugh. That's one of the reasons I love the Xbox.

Same here.

 

I liked the rumored mock-up of the X-Box 2's controller that I saw, though.

Got any pics or links?

 

Microsoft is losing money on every unit sold right now. The cost of manufacturing the next gen system will only be higher. Supposedly, they'll be charging $300 for the system without the HD. They'd have to charge around $500 for a unit with the drive in order to break even.

They'll have to think about how much more money they'll lose in not selling ANY Xbox units at all if they don't include a hard drive, and sell it at a decent price. I'd say the best way for Microsoft to profit off of the system is probably to expand its game library, since that is the only disadvantage the Xbox has to the PS2, and one of the reasons Microsoft is so antsy to jump out with their new system, so they can get a headstart on a next-gen user base.

[Matt Young 0]

I don't see how releasing the next Xbox first guarantees anything. We all saw what happened to the Dreamcast when the PS2 was released a year after the DC's launch. The DC was technically superior to the PS2 and, in my opinion, had better games, but that didn't exactly work out for Sega.

 

I agree with you though, X. They need to find some way to release a system with a hard drive for no more than $300, because that's the maximum most people are willing to pay, I'd bet. If there's enough quality first party software released, they can easily make up for the losses they'll take on the hardware.

[AndrewTS 0]

I don't see how releasing the next Xbox first guarantees anything.  We all saw what happened to the Dreamcast when the PS2 was released a year after the DC's launch.  The DC was technically superior to the PS2 and, in my opinion, had better games, but that didn't exactly work out for Sega.

That's not why Dreamcast died. It was a combination of:

 

a) Sega's bad reputation after the 32X/Saturn.

b) Sony going with the DVD format, which was more attractive with developers at the time.

c) Sony's proven track rate as a success with the PS1.

 

I forgot which came first--Saturn or PS1, but that point was rendered null and void because it honestly wasn't much of a time gap, and Saturn was dead in the water when Sony announced it was releasing it for 300 bucks in the US, 100 bucks cheaper than the Saturn.

 

Sony has no incentive to make the PS3 significantly more powerful than the X-Box, unless they can do it pretty cheaply. People will buy the PS3 anyway.

[{''({o..o})''} 0]

You really should've mentioned how easy it was to pirate Dreamcast games. I knew people who copied games that had a challenge using a zippo.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I agree with you though, X. They need to find some way to release a system with a hard drive for no more than $300, because that's the maximum most people are willing to pay, I'd bet. If there's enough quality first party software released, they can easily make up for the losses they'll take on the hardware.

It's not like Microsoft can't do it. All the first party games they've released have been top-notch.

[death_by_burrito 0]

As big of an XBox fan as I am, I hope Microsoft doesn't come out with XBox Next (or whatever it ends up being called) until sometime next year (more than likely Holiday season 2006).

 

Also, I wouldn't think it would make much sense for Microsoft to make their next gen system without a harddrive since that was one of the main reasons most bought an XBox in the first place (well I don't know about most, but that was one of my main reasons).

 

All in all, i'm looking forward to Microsofts next gen system, but not so soon.