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38.
 
Re: Morning Consolidation
Jan 22, 2013, 22:04
38.
Re: Morning Consolidation Jan 22, 2013, 22:04
Jan 22, 2013, 22:04
 
Creston wrote on Jan 22, 2013, 16:22:
jdreyer wrote on Jan 22, 2013, 01:49:
Given the dominance such a merger would produce, I suspect in the US anyway, that it would be blocked by the FTC.

I wonder if the FTC would care. It's not as if MS and Sony are Telcoms or Cable providers.

Creston

A joint venture would be reasonably unlikely for the FTC to intervene, although they would be likely to examine it to some extent. Keep in mind that Nintendo is still a non-trivial entity in the market, and such a joint venture would be done more out of cost consolidation to both parties (to minimize risk exposure) than to shut competitors out of the market.

Typically speaking, dominant market positions aren't by themselves grounds for concern, but rather what is done with them. In the case of FTC inquiry, Sony and MS would both point out Nintendo's presence in the market as well as the fact that the major publishers have been working more and more in the mobile space, and that the console gaming market is simply a sub-sector of the videogame market as a whole.
37.
 
Re: Morning Consolidation
Jan 22, 2013, 16:22
37.
Re: Morning Consolidation Jan 22, 2013, 16:22
Jan 22, 2013, 16:22
 
jdreyer wrote on Jan 22, 2013, 01:49:
Given the dominance such a merger would produce, I suspect in the US anyway, that it would be blocked by the FTC.

I wonder if the FTC would care. It's not as if MS and Sony are Telcoms or Cable providers.

Creston
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36.
 
Re: Morning Consolidation
Jan 22, 2013, 09:56
36.
Re: Morning Consolidation Jan 22, 2013, 09:56
Jan 22, 2013, 09:56
 
That XBOX article was genuinely hilarious
35.
 
Re: Morning Consolidation
Jan 22, 2013, 01:49
35.
Re: Morning Consolidation Jan 22, 2013, 01:49
Jan 22, 2013, 01:49
 
killer_roach wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 23:35:
Prez wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 22:13:
nin wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 20:23:
xXBatmanXx wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 20:13:
Thoguht for sure that xbox article would require a Patcher tag - but it isn't a Patcher article. Very surprising.

I agree - it certainly sounded like one.


Haha - I immediately assumed it was a Pachter projection myself. I can maybe see MS eventually wanting to stop losing money on Xbox, but being bought by Sony? Ridiculous.

If I were to put on my market analyst hat (probably no more accurate than Pachter, but I'm on record with a few hits as of late), I'd think Apple might be a buyer, but their recent market trajectory may make them a bit skittish. As a result, I would think that Microsoft's most likely play to minimize their downside exposure from the Xbox brand would be to enter into a joint venture with Sony, which would give both companies the benefit of considerable amounts of developer relationships and a nearly unassailable market position.

Given the dominance such a merger would produce, I suspect in the US anyway, that it would be blocked by the FTC.
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
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34.
 
Re: Morning Consolidation
Jan 21, 2013, 23:35
34.
Re: Morning Consolidation Jan 21, 2013, 23:35
Jan 21, 2013, 23:35
 
Prez wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 22:13:
nin wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 20:23:
xXBatmanXx wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 20:13:
Thoguht for sure that xbox article would require a Patcher tag - but it isn't a Patcher article. Very surprising.

I agree - it certainly sounded like one.


Haha - I immediately assumed it was a Pachter projection myself. I can maybe see MS eventually wanting to stop losing money on Xbox, but being bought by Sony? Ridiculous.

If I were to put on my market analyst hat (probably no more accurate than Pachter, but I'm on record with a few hits as of late), I'd think Apple might be a buyer, but their recent market trajectory may make them a bit skittish. As a result, I would think that Microsoft's most likely play to minimize their downside exposure from the Xbox brand would be to enter into a joint venture with Sony, which would give both companies the benefit of considerable amounts of developer relationships and a nearly unassailable market position.
33.
 
Re: Morning Consolidation
Jan 21, 2013, 22:13
Prez
 
33.
Re: Morning Consolidation Jan 21, 2013, 22:13
Jan 21, 2013, 22:13
 Prez
 
nin wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 20:23:
xXBatmanXx wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 20:13:
Thoguht for sure that xbox article would require a Patcher tag - but it isn't a Patcher article. Very surprising.

I agree - it certainly sounded like one.


Haha - I immediately assumed it was a Pachter projection myself. I can maybe see MS eventually wanting to stop losing money on Xbox, but being bought by Sony? Ridiculous.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
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32.
 
Re: More Big Picture Details
Jan 21, 2013, 21:33
32.
Re: More Big Picture Details Jan 21, 2013, 21:33
Jan 21, 2013, 21:33
 
Beamer wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 18:52:
HorrorScope wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 18:31:
Beamer wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 18:28:
HorrorScope wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 17:24:
Both using x86 architecture.

You mean both using x64 architecture.

Nope, x86.

Nope, the Durango news today all said x64. Unless you know something others don't, you're going by outdated rumors.

Ok, I went bye an article as well, I honestly I just went with what it said, no big:

Jaguar:
"architecture promises to enable feature-rich multi-core x86 microprocessors with extremely low consumption of energy, but with improved performance compared to today's x86 micro-architectures"

But then wiki says this: x86-64 (also known as x64)

The point I was working towards was it's a pc architecture.
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31.
 
Re: Morning Consolidation
Jan 21, 2013, 20:23
nin
31.
Re: Morning Consolidation Jan 21, 2013, 20:23
Jan 21, 2013, 20:23
nin
 
xXBatmanXx wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 20:13:
Thoguht for sure that xbox article would require a Patcher tag - but it isn't a Patcher article. Very surprising.

I agree - it certainly sounded like one.

30.
 
Re: Morning Consolidation
Jan 21, 2013, 20:13
30.
Re: Morning Consolidation Jan 21, 2013, 20:13
Jan 21, 2013, 20:13
 
Thoguht for sure that xbox article would require a Patcher tag - but it isn't a Patcher article. Very surprising.
29.
 
Re: More Big Picture Details
Jan 21, 2013, 19:39
nin
29.
Re: More Big Picture Details Jan 21, 2013, 19:39
Jan 21, 2013, 19:39
nin
 
HorrorScope wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 18:31:
Beamer wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 18:28:
HorrorScope wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 17:24:
Both using x86 architecture.

You mean both using x64 architecture.

Nope, x86.

The rumor the other day was 8 gig total on the next MS, 3 for the OS and 5 for games...

28.
 
Re: More Big Picture Details
Jan 21, 2013, 18:52
28.
Re: More Big Picture Details Jan 21, 2013, 18:52
Jan 21, 2013, 18:52
 
HorrorScope wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 18:31:
Beamer wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 18:28:
HorrorScope wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 17:24:
Both using x86 architecture.

You mean both using x64 architecture.

Nope, x86.

Nope, the Durango news today all said x64. Unless you know something others don't, you're going by outdated rumors.
27.
 
Re: More Big Picture Details
Jan 21, 2013, 18:31
27.
Re: More Big Picture Details Jan 21, 2013, 18:31
Jan 21, 2013, 18:31
 
Beamer wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 18:28:
HorrorScope wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 17:24:
Both using x86 architecture.

You mean both using x64 architecture.

Nope, x86.
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26.
 
Re: More Big Picture Details
Jan 21, 2013, 18:28
26.
Re: More Big Picture Details Jan 21, 2013, 18:28
Jan 21, 2013, 18:28
 
HorrorScope wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 17:24:
"According to sources as reported by Eurogamer, both consoles will be powered by an eight-core processor clocked at 1.6GHz built using AMD’s Jaguar architecture. This type of CPU is typically used for low-power notebooks but will have double the number of cores found in portables as well as a few other customizations.

PS4 - 1.84 teraflops 4 gigs of ram
XBox 2 - 1.23 teraflops 8 gigs o ram"

How do they rate those? How can we rate our computers in tflops?

Both using x86 architecture.

You mean both using x64 architecture.

For comparison, a Radeon HD 7970 does nearly 4 Tflops.
25.
 
Re: More Big Picture Details
Jan 21, 2013, 17:46
25.
Re: More Big Picture Details Jan 21, 2013, 17:46
Jan 21, 2013, 17:46
 
HorrorScope wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 16:53:
jdreyer wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 16:04:
When I went from an Nvidia 460 to a GTX 670, I really didn't see a huge improvement in performance or fidelity.

Wow I did, what is your cpu? Before/after? Again I say both are about equally important right now.

I upgraded CPUs at the same time, from a 2.4 Core Duo to a 3.6 Core i5 (Ivy Bridge) with new a motherboard and went from 4 to 8 GB of RAM. A couple months after that I put in an SSD, and THAT'S where I really saw a performance increase, obviously in startup/load times. XBox and Sony could really add perf to their consoles by throwing in a modest 16-24 GB of SSD in a hybrid hard drive.
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
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24.
 
Re: More Big Picture Details
Jan 21, 2013, 17:41
24.
Re: More Big Picture Details Jan 21, 2013, 17:41
Jan 21, 2013, 17:41
 
I really don't see Sony buying Xbox. They don't have the cash, and it would be a poor decision to buy an adware inferior product line just to get rid of competition.
23.
 
Re: More Big Picture Details
Jan 21, 2013, 17:24
23.
Re: More Big Picture Details Jan 21, 2013, 17:24
Jan 21, 2013, 17:24
 
"According to sources as reported by Eurogamer, both consoles will be powered by an eight-core processor clocked at 1.6GHz built using AMD’s Jaguar architecture. This type of CPU is typically used for low-power notebooks but will have double the number of cores found in portables as well as a few other customizations.

PS4 - 1.84 teraflops 4 gigs of ram
XBox 2 - 1.23 teraflops 8 gigs o ram"

How do they rate those? How can we rate our computers in tflops?

Both using x86 architecture.
Avatar 17232
22.
 
Re: More Big Picture Details
Jan 21, 2013, 16:55
22.
Re: More Big Picture Details Jan 21, 2013, 16:55
Jan 21, 2013, 16:55
 
jdreyer wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 15:34:
Second, keeping the MHz low will mean low heat output, quieter cooling, and longer life. Everyone is scared of repeating the RRoD debacle that MS suffered through.

Third, I'm sure this proc will have a burst mode that will overclock it to some higher MHz level like 2.4 or even 3.0. Since 1.6 is so low, I'm sure there's lots of overhead built in, and the system will ramp up accordingly.

I agree with #2 and that was my first thought as well. But lets say #3 is accurate... I would advertise burst mode speed then vs base. But you are correct a smart console would have variable speeds, no reason to run it hot playing a blue ray or browsing.
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21.
 
Re: More Big Picture Details
Jan 21, 2013, 16:53
21.
Re: More Big Picture Details Jan 21, 2013, 16:53
Jan 21, 2013, 16:53
 
jdreyer wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 16:04:
When I went from an Nvidia 460 to a GTX 670, I really didn't see a huge improvement in performance or fidelity.

Wow I did, what is your cpu? Before/after? Again I say both are about equally important right now.
Avatar 17232
20.
 
Re: More Big Picture Details
Jan 21, 2013, 16:51
20.
Re: More Big Picture Details Jan 21, 2013, 16:51
Jan 21, 2013, 16:51
 
jdreyer wrote on Jan 21, 2013, 15:34:
First, I'd say that the GPU is usually the limiting factor in a game. CPUs have been long able to feed the GPU regardless of speed for many years now.

I would be with you years ago, but I've seen the CPU comeback and be very important these days. To me they are pretty equal right now.
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19.
 
Re: Morning Consolidation
Jan 21, 2013, 16:04
19.
Re: Morning Consolidation Jan 21, 2013, 16:04
Jan 21, 2013, 16:04
 
The more modest-sounding components of the next XBox (compared to the Sony) could be an attempt to make the hardware pay for itself instead of having it subsidized by game sales (blade sales subsidizing razor costs). And it sounds like MS entertainment is at least breaking even, no? You'll never see the profit margins on games that you do on Windows or Office sales b/c the number of each product sold is orders of magnitude smaller.

The one thing MS absolutely has to do is prevent another RRoD scandal. The design MUST allow for adequate cooling, and it seems like the more modest components are a part of this strategy. Especially since they were selling the 360 at a loss, they took a bath every time they had to replace one.

And there's some logic to a strategy of going with lower specs. Hardware has become so powerful that it's really game design, not graphics, that has become the more important selling point. When I went from an Nvidia 460 to a GTX 670, I really didn't see a huge improvement in performance or fidelity. I'm glad I'm future-proof, and can throw everything on high without worry, but it didn't make a huge difference.

Also, by making a baseline that's lower that Sony's, MS can ensure that games will be made to their spec, then ported to Sony, and less often vice versa. And by having games developed natively to XBox, they'll end up looking as good as the Sony, despite the latter's better hardware. The XBox will be the lowest common denominator, while saving MS money on the hardware in the process. Also, developers will want to develop for XBox due to the ease of porting to the PC (a growing revenue stream), given the commonalities. It's more difficult to go from the PS to the PC.
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
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38 Replies. 2 pages. Viewing page 1.
Newer [  1  2  ] Older