rec.autos.simulators

> Anyone have a link to some sales stats?

>  From what I've read, the XBox 2 will not be a PC based system such as
> the current Xbox.  So it seems unlikely that the next Xbox will be
> backwards compatible.  It's also unlikely that MS has the hardware in
> any kind of finalized form, no more than Sony does with the PS3.  That
> said, I've read that Microsoft is looking to have at least a 6 month
> headstart on Sony which may point to a Christmas 2005 release for the X2.

> Microsoft has been crushing Sony in sales for 2004, but that's probably
> due in large part to the saturation of the market with PS2's.  Ala,
> there's a larger market for new Xbox owners than new PS2 owners.

> > Anyone have a link to some sales stats?

> NPD Funworld (www.npd.com) would be the best place to find numbers, but
> they don't seem to publish sales numbers for consoles on their site.
> All I see is games and accessories.  The numbers I remember seeing from
> E3 were something like...  XBox 280K, PS2 190K, Gamecube 60K.

> After a few searches in google, console sales figures are downright

> Sony also claims to have shipped 35 million copies of Gran Turismo (I'm
> working on a story for a car magazine).

> For the Xbox figures, check MS's annual report.

> > > I'd be curious to see some example of the actual numbers that MS has
> been
> > > doing vs. Sony this year, as opposed to simply hearing it word of
mouth
> (so
> > > to speak) here at RAS.

> > > Anyone have a link to some sales stats?

> > NPD Funworld (www.npd.com) would be the best place to find numbers, but
> > they don't seem to publish sales numbers for consoles on their site.
> > All I see is games and accessories.  The numbers I remember seeing from
> > E3 were something like...  XBox 280K, PS2 190K, Gamecube 60K.

> > After a few searches in google, console sales figures are downright
> elusive.

> Besides, look at the history: MS sticks w. compatibility to a fault,
whilst
> Sony is ever ready to throw out compatibility with the proverbial
bathwater.

> Methinks you read wrong.

> > > Granted, granted (I meant you couldn't play the older titles on the
> newer
> > > h/w), and as to yer last point, true...unless they were planning to
> steal a
> > > march on Sony.  Are you willing to put money on Sony being out with
the
> PS3
> > > before the Xbox 2?  Me neither.  My guess is MS already has the h/w
> ready to
> > > go (unlike the PS3, they don't have to reinvent the wheel), so
whenever
> MS
> > > senses that Sony's U.S. release is imminent (as telegraphed by the
> Japanese
> > > release), voila, presenting the Xbox 2!

> >  From what I've read, the XBox 2 will not be a PC based system such as
> > the current Xbox.  So it seems unlikely that the next Xbox will be
> > backwards compatible.  It's also unlikely that MS has the hardware in
> > any kind of finalized form, no more than Sony does with the PS3.  That
> > said, I've read that Microsoft is looking to have at least a 6 month
> > headstart on Sony which may point to a Christmas 2005 release for the
X2.

> > Microsoft has been crushing Sony in sales for 2004, but that's probably
> > due in large part to the saturation of the market with PS2's.  Ala,
> > there's a larger market for new Xbox owners than new PS2 owners.

> Yahoo sez Sony claims to have shipped 100 million Playstations thus far
> (including 75 mil PS2s and more than 3 million PS1s so far this year).
> Here:

> http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1504&e=6&u=/afp/2004...

> Sony also claims to have shipped 35 million copies of Gran Turismo (I'm
> working on a story for a car magazine).

> For the Xbox figures, check MS's annual report.

> Besides, look at the history: MS sticks w. compatibility to a fault, whilst
> Sony is ever ready to throw out compatibility with the proverbial bathwater.

> Methinks you read wrong.

>> What would be the point of XNA if MS didn't envision platform
>> interoperability?  (And why are they interested in commonality?  To gain
>> market share through synergy.  It's the Beast of Redmond's way.)

>> Besides, look at the history: MS sticks w. compatibility to a fault,
>> whilst
>> Sony is ever ready to throw out compatibility with the proverbial
>> bathwater.

>> Methinks you read wrong.

> Last I heard, Microsoft was considering a PowerPC based system. Methinks
> I read correctly.  Whether they choose IBM, Intel or AMD for the core
> processor is known only to Microsoft but they did enter into a licensing
> deal with IBM for XBox2 chips.

> You really need to climb down off of the Sony bandwagon.  Sony is not
> the end all, be all of *** systems.

> > Not much of a challenge.

> > Yahoo sez Sony claims to have shipped 100 million Playstations thus far
> > (including 75 mil PS2s and more than 3 million PS1s so far this year).
> > Here:

> whats with all the PRO MS sentiment here?

> pez

> > What would be the point of XNA if MS didn't envision platform
> > interoperability?  (And why are they interested in commonality?  To gain
> > market share through synergy.  It's the Beast of Redmond's way.)

> > Besides, look at the history: MS sticks w. compatibility to a fault,
> whilst
> > Sony is ever ready to throw out compatibility with the proverbial
> bathwater.

> > Methinks you read wrong.

> > > > Granted, granted (I meant you couldn't play the older titles on the
> > newer
> > > > h/w), and as to yer last point, true...unless they were planning to
> > steal a
> > > > march on Sony.  Are you willing to put money on Sony being out with
> the
> > PS3
> > > > before the Xbox 2?  Me neither.  My guess is MS already has the h/w
> > ready to
> > > > go (unlike the PS3, they don't have to reinvent the wheel), so
> whenever
> > MS
> > > > senses that Sony's U.S. release is imminent (as telegraphed by the
> > Japanese
> > > > release), voila, presenting the Xbox 2!

> > >  From what I've read, the XBox 2 will not be a PC based system such as
> > > the current Xbox.  So it seems unlikely that the next Xbox will be
> > > backwards compatible.  It's also unlikely that MS has the hardware in
> > > any kind of finalized form, no more than Sony does with the PS3.  That
> > > said, I've read that Microsoft is looking to have at least a 6 month
> > > headstart on Sony which may point to a Christmas 2005 release for the
> X2.

> > > Microsoft has been crushing Sony in sales for 2004, but that's
probably
> > > due in large part to the saturation of the market with PS2's.  Ala,
> > > there's a larger market for new Xbox owners than new PS2 owners.

> > What would be the point of XNA if MS didn't envision platform
> > interoperability?  (And why are they interested in commonality?  To gain
> > market share through synergy.  It's the Beast of Redmond's way.)

> > Besides, look at the history: MS sticks w. compatibility to a fault,
whilst
> > Sony is ever ready to throw out compatibility with the proverbial
bathwater.

> > Methinks you read wrong.

> Last I heard, Microsoft was considering a PowerPC based system.
> Methinks I read correctly.  Whether they choose IBM, Intel or AMD for
> the core processor is known only to Microsoft but they did enter into a
> licensing deal with IBM for XBox2 chips.

> You really need to climb down off of the Sony bandwagon.  Sony is not
> the end all, be all of *** systems.

>> Right.  The PS2 is the technically inferior platform.  And GT3 is a game
>> superior to anything MS ever even dreamed of...from the perspective of
>> one
>> who has been a car guy all his life, has driven everything from the Oscar
>> Meyer Wienermobile to the Rover Turbine that ran Le Mans, who raced in
>> the
>> RW Trans-Am, who was the Editor of Car and Driver in the 60s and the
>> founding Editor of PC Computing in the 80s, who has reviewed console
>> racing
>> games for auto magazines going all the way back to Papy's original
>> Indianapolis 500: The Simulation, and who has written the strategy guides
>> for CART Racing/ICR2 and Grand Prix Legends.  And your credentials
>> are....?

> I like your writing, but do you ever read the posts to which you
> respond?  I reply that Microsoft is considering using a PowerPC
> processor and you rant about my credentials?