Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tenchusatsu who wrote (96063)	3/1/2000 3:06:00 PM
From: Epinephrine	Respond to of 1570819

RE: <Games on the consoles have a different feel than games on the PC> Tenchusatsu, Escellent point! Maybe the reason that PC games will not be a drop in to the Xbox isn't technical at all but genre based. Can you imagine trying to play something like Diablo or Everquest which are largely mouse based on a playstation like controller. Yikes!... Then again an Xbox could have a keyboard and a mouse, and in fact would almost have to if the XBox was to be an effective internet device. So maybe both game genres (joystick/console controller and mouse/keyboard) could co-exist. It would raise costs though (or create a lucrative XBox peripherals market). It sure is going to be interesting to watch this unfold. Thanks, Epinephrine

To: Tenchusatsu who wrote (96063)	3/1/2000 3:12:00 PM
From: Scot	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1570819

Tench, I have two comments. That's another reason why I have a hard time seeing any possible success for X-Box. Game developers who make console games, like Konami, Capcom, and Square won't see any reason to develop for X-Box and the PC, because they're not going to find too many PC gamers who want to buy those types of "arcade" games. And PC game developers will have a hard time trying to make their "strategic" games more console-friendly. Ever try playing an RTS game like Command & Conquer on a console? Perhaps, but what are the fundamental differences that make RTS games better on the pc and arcade games better on the console? Controls and frames. IMO, I don't see the control issue as a problem. Most pc peripherals are about the same price as a single game. How much would an add-on keyboard cost for an X-box? $20? The game will also likely have a hard drive to save games. On graphics, one thing that makes consoles great for arcade games (besides simple controls and learning curves) are high frame rates. It seems certain that an X-Box will have excellent graphics and frame rates. If Kash is right about the software differences between PC and X-Box being more of a authentication/piracy issue, there may be even fewer barriers for developers. But hey, if Microsoft can successfully pull it off and reconcile the two genres into one X-Box, more power to them. At least MS has their work cut out for them, especially as Playstation 2 gets set to launch in Japan soon with a few million units in sales in the first month alone. (That's more than the number of Athlons sold in all of Q4.) Imagine the successes PS2 will have once it arrives in America, possibly in September. Remember Jerry's quote...to the effect of "we have more capacity than any of you (analysts) can imagine?" Imagine all of those Athlons inside the X-Box. Imagine the incentive that MSFT will have to tweak tools and OSs to the Athlon architecture, not to mention games. I still have concerns, however, about a fall 2001 launch date. That's a long way off and a year after the US PS2 release. -Scot