Durango Developers Verify Xbox 720 Prototype Details

[Bazaalmon]

Xbox 720? We're just going in circles! *rimshot*
So it's more or less a midrange computer, but without all the customization that makes computers worth having?
You can buy a better gaming rig than the specs offered for less than a grand (and then you can make it better!). I'd like to see how much this new generation will cost.
Pretty soon these consoles are just going to be lame PC's with OS's tailored to a specific company and filled with bloatware.

Captcha: slippery slope
Well said captcha.

 

[mixadj]

The Xbox360 has 512 MB of RAM? How the hell does it even run games?

Consoles don't require anywhere near as much RAM as PCs due to the fact that they only run 1 very specific program at any given time, with a minimal system UI that takes up very little memory. PCs on the other hand have various programs and an entire complex operating system that requires vast amounts of RAM.

When the 360 first launched it was able to outperform many "high-end" PCs with 2GB+ of RAM because it has no complex OS to run in the background constantly and only a game to worry about. It is also always easier to optimize a game when you know exactly what hardware everyone is working with.

Absurd amounts of optimization, not using any sort of advanced technology (hell, shadows that don't look like shit is advanced in the context we're talking about) and a combination of a multitude of other things, like cutting down on the quality and quantity of models and animations wherever possible, or taking on a small scale where visuals and gameplay are concerned.

I guess I can imagine how someone would see the things the consoles pull off as impressive, but in some areas, the things have been showing their age since before they finished their first year.

Also this. Currently a lot of stuff is left out from PC games ported to console. Resolutions are lowered, etc.

I would agree with you on the optimization argument if the Xbox wasn't so ad heavy. Also if they really are essentially porting windows 8 the whole optimization thing falls apart...

In terms of hardware? I am running on a PC with last gen dumpster dived parts (AMD AM2 Dual core, E-machines mobo, and GT430 GFXcard) that is at least on par with that thing. Until I see some Processor and GPU specs I won't even think of this machine. Hell I was a PS3 user, jumped ship and went over to PC. The PS3 has been gathering dust in a corner until a console exclusive comes out. I have found once you have the basic frame, upgrading parts is actually pretty cost effective(especially if you go AMD).

I just realized, next gen might not be red rings. BSOD on Xbox anyone?

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Ok why would they have only a 64bit OS and then give it more than 8gb of ram? That is just plain stupid. Unless it is made to take advantage of it like the say Win 7 Ultimate.

Never mind I missed that this was supposed to be the Dev kit specs.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

Hmm, wait for this for about 2 years or buy a high spec gaming PC on Friday?

 

[piinyouri]

The PC Elitism in this thread makes me smile. Can't resist a chance to wave your e-penis at people, huh?

OT: Only one factor is important to me: Will it run used games? If not, and Sony does, Sony wins the next console generation on day one. Simple as that. If not, and Sony doesn't, gaming on console dies a horrible death. If they do, and Sony does, it's business as usual.

This is pretty much all that matters to me as well for the next set of consoles.
And maybe I'm overreacting or being crazy, but I also agree if Sony and MS enable the no used game policy, console gaming will be dead.
Sure the Wii will continue but..um.
Well.....
Yeah.

 

[starhaven]

I bet this increase in processing power should be giving the PC gaming elite a bit of a Crysis of confidence.

why give it a year or 2 and the pc will make this look out dated "again"

also considering the specs if legit this will cost the same if not more than a decent gaming rig with none of the upgrades that the pc user will be able to do

on the other hand as a pc and console gamer i will be happy to see the consoles catch up again this can only be a good thing for games

 

[Vanitas likes Bubbles]

Blah Blah, technical babble blah. Anyway, as someone who wants to join the PC gaming crowd but is just too damn poor to afford it, this is somewhat good news. If this is cheaper than a high end PC then I'll definitely buy it because game devs will most likely optimise their games for this type of build and then I will continue to save up for a high end PC so I won't have to buy the Xbox 1440 or whatever they'd call the next Xbox after this. Budgeting, simple stuff.

 

[octafish]

Yay for RAM upgrades! No more looooooooooong loading screens. Less pop up. More players, larger battlefields. All the good stuff that PCs have had for a while now. Except the free online, but PCs have to hold on to something. You guys are going to love it! I for one will be looking forward eagerly to the next gen PC ports.

 

[nodlimax]

I feel obliged to answer the accusation of "PC elitism" myself.

As the previous poster already pointed out I didn't mean to say that I'm better as a PC gamer simply because I have abetter machine. It's not hard to have more performance in a PC than the consoles have. The current console generation is about 6 years old. Even at release the top PCs were already ahead in regards of performance and now they have 10 times the power a console has.

But this doesn't make me feel elite. It's just the nature of consoles. They have a specific set of hardware and that's it. The advantage for the user is, that they don't have to care about upgrading the systems getting new OS and so on. Turn it on and it usually works. That's fine.

But it also becomes a problem when these systems get to old like with the current generation.

Look at the game releases over the last 3 years. Where are the really interesting games? Most of the fresh ideas came PC only releases from indy studios. The triple-A productions were all multiplattform titles and far over 50% of them sucked....especially in the FPS genre.

We need interesting new ideas (open dynamic worlds for example) but it's impossible to realise this stuff with proper graphics if a console like the PS3 only 256MB memory.

So yes, I want to see new consoles so I can see some progress on pc gaming as well.