Pic of the next generation 360, some statistics from engadget.

[Hokers]

Why you might want a bigger HD on your 360:  http://on10.net/Blogs/tina/you-heard-it-people-carbon-is-real/

I would only use it for some HD content since I have a Tivo that I 

[HaemishM]

Point is though, IF they want to release a Wiimote ripoff, they could. They could mimic the best that Nintendo has to offer -- With more shiny. The capability is there just in case, and that's better than not having it at all. Don't be a dick.

No, they don't. It is not as "free-flowing" as the Wii's motion sensing controls. They won't be able to mimic the Wii's capabilities with more shiny, they'll be able to have some gimmicky uses of the motion-sensing and that's it. It'll be decent for driving games, maybe on shooters for ducking behind cover and not much else. And if they want to release a Wiimote knockoff, then you have the "not everyone has the PSMote" problem.

[stray]

Huge reply, lost it.  Funny how that saps your will to restate your awesome ideas.

Damn shame. We need huge replies in this thread. It's so much more interesting to read about than Brad McQuaid.  

Hand-optimization now, improved compiler or perhaps a separate PS2-style optimizer later.  Like most other compilers, I assume.  Launch games will eternally look like shit compared to later-life-cycle games.  Reference any other console.

As far as I can tell, the best thing in the works is IBM's Octopiler, which will help streamline SPE scheduling for the Cell. But they're moving slow. It's like Sony and IBM are still basically in the alpha stage as far as compilers go.

On the other hand, some developers have come out and said it's already easier to work with than the PS2. Mainly because of Sony embracing OpenGL and Cg, and the already large variety of middleware. Nor does anyone have to use all of the pecularities of the Cell to get power from it (it'd be nice though).

[stray]

And if they want to release a Wiimote knockoff, then you have the "not everyone has the PSMote" problem.

Yes, I'll agree with that. I don't really expect a general purpose ripoff though. Future motion sensing capability might be more along the lines of game specific peripherals like the Eyetoy or Guitar Hero (successful gimmicks in their own right for sure....but nothing truly competitive with the Wiimote). But it's better to have the groundwork laid than to not have it at all. If anything.

[Yegolev]

As far as I can tell, the best thing in the works is IBM's Octopiler, which will help streamline SPE scheduling for the Cell. But they're moving slow. It's like Sony and IBM are still basically in the alpha stage as far as compilers go.

IBM is just slow, period.  I have personally discovered and reported bugs to them in AIX (the xlC.rte, coincidentally), which is retarded considering it's a commercial enterprise OS.

The AIX xlC compiler has some very aggressive optimization that it can do, enough that I noticed the difference when compiling Vim for Power5, so IBM will get there eventually.  In the end, though, programmers will have to know how to write the code.  Right now I think xlC is at version 8, so maybe they will have something halfass in a couple of years for the PS3.  I'm actually kinda relieved that IBM is working on it rather than Sony, for only vague reasons, perhaps due to familiarity.

[stray]

Hmm...On the bright side of things, I guess it's also good for the extending quality and performance during the later years of these consoles' lifespans too. Developers can already squeeze out great results with what little multithreading they are doing, and by the time they make the full transition, console games might still seem impressive after 3 or 4 years, and more (unlike previous generations).

Makes me wonder about the next generation too. With all of these tools and techniques in place by that time, games will utilize more power from the get go.

Either way, multicore is the way to go. Whether it's consoles or PC's. Too bad the hard work has to fall on software developers now (i.e. those who need their jobs to be as simple as possible....for everyone's sake).

[Yegolev]

Well, yeah, multi-CPU has been going on in some environments for years and it's coming to the home now.  I'm not surprised the bleeding-edge (game devs) are the first implementors.  Now that hardware costs for multi-CPU setups are within the grasp of normal people, it should become the norm soon enough.

[WindiaN]

So is it stupid to buy Xbox 360 now? I'm about to buy a HDTV and I'm definitely going to want to use HDMI if I can, I wish there was some way I could figure out if I would get screwed by not waiting. Guess I will at least have to wait for the official announcement to see how exactly M$ is implementing this.

[schild]

I'm not sure the rumors - of exactly what we've been hearing - are true. Maybe they are, but I'm just doubting it. They put too much work into the HDDVD player as it stands. As such, ehhh, get one and get a service plan. Of course, I'd recommend that either way.

[stray]

I really doubt HDMI is coming. If they were going to announce it, it would have been this week at CES. Instead, they've taken all the time to talk about IPTV and how the Zune is good for gaming.

[WindiaN]

I'm not sure the rumors - of exactly what we've been hearing - are true. Maybe they are, but I'm just doubting it. They put too much work into the HDDVD player as it stands. As such, ehhh, get one and get a service plan. Of course, I'd recommend that either way.

There was a video up on youtube that showed the whole thing being hooked up to a tv, it showed the slower loading opening screen which was supposedly proof that it was HDMI. The video also linked to a site (which I now cannot find) that showed a modified motherboard among other changes.

How would a service plan prevent me from getting screwed if they release a new one with a bigger HD and HDMI (and maybe even HD-DVD) which would be cheaper than an upgraded old one?

[Viin]

I don't think my service plan includes replacement for a newer version, but I suppose it could have a "defect" and need replacing.

[schild]

All I know, is if your system needs replacing and you have a service plan, you can "upgrade" to the new one. Sure, it may be because I'm tight with Gamestop folks and don't treat them like dogshit and preorder _everything_. But ya know what, companies pulling shit like this is the reason I don't lose sleep at nights when these things happen.

[Yegolev]

The three-year service plan I have from Target on my PS3 specifically warrants against normal wear and tear.  You should be able to use that one anytime, even if it's full of dust or something.  If you can't do that, get it at Wal*Mart, they just don't give a shit about exchanges.

[NiX]

I find it kind of shady that the video of the HDMI 360 came from a site that does 360 hacking. Just sayin'.

[Sky]

I have a question I'll just dump in this thread...I'm running on DVI gear, I don't know squat about HDMI except that it bundles audio and video. How does that work with a non-HDMI receiver? Are there adapters that break the audio out from an HDMI cable and pass the video via HDMI into the monitor? Or is there a seperate optical port for audio that works alongside the HDMI (and is there a latency issue introduced with either?)? How about HDMI -> DVI, is how would the audio go to the receiver in that case?

Just something that I've wondered about for a while now but didn't care to ask.

[murdoc]

I have a question I'll just dump in this thread...I'm running on DVI gear, I don't know squat about HDMI except that it bundles audio and video. How does that work with a non-HDMI receiver? Are there adapters that break the audio out from an HDMI cable and pass the video via HDMI into the monitor? Or is there a seperate optical port for audio that works alongside the HDMI (and is there a latency issue introduced with either?)? How about HDMI -> DVI, is how would the audio go to the receiver in that case?

Just something that I've wondered about for a while now but didn't care to ask.

Right now I just have my DVD player hooked up to HDMI and there's a setting on the player itself to send sound out via an optical cable. The HDMI just does video. So I have the HDMI hooked straight into the TV and an optical cable going into my receiver. Most things that have HDMI out should have an option somewhere to send sound out via optical. I also think that some A/V components recognize when an optical cable is plugged in and automatically send sound out that way, no matter what other cables are hooked into it.

[stray]

Yeah, my TV will just default to optical if that's used.

[Sky]

Cool, thanks.