A pair of Apple Powermac G5 Systems Running Xbox360 Demos and Games

[Oddmaker]

Anandtech.com (http://www.anandtech.com) a hardware analysis website has a little little review on what Microsoft were using to power the Xbox360 playable games and demos at E3.

A pair of Apple Powermac G5 systems were actually running the Xbox 360 demos and games, not the 360 console. The consoles in the kiosks weren't actually running, they were just for show - now you know why all the controllers were wired. Because the G5 systems can only use a GeForce 6800 Ultra or an ATI Radeon X800 XT, developers had to significantly reduce the image quality of their demos - which explains their lack luster appearance. Anti-aliasing wasn't enabled on any of the demos, while the final Xbox 360 console will have 4X AA enabled on all titles.
Get the full story here. (http://www.anandtech.com/tradeshows/showdoc.aspx?i=2420&p=5)

Erm.. intresting.

[chechenepiphany]

to say the least. i hate it when they pull this kind of thing. its like showing prerendered gameplay. or saying your console is done and showing people "playing" a video.

[aversion2k]

tsk tsk. But did anyone really think they would run all that stuff straight off the xbox 360. And I bet sonys "real time" stuff wasnt running off the ps3 either. I dont doubt the consoles are capable of it. But I guess they dont want to risk anything screwing up infront of a massive audience since both consoles arent quite finished yet

[Hewie]

Wow... So Microsoft's console wasn't ready for E3 and yet they expect it to be ready for the Christmas 2005? I think I'll hold off on picking up the Xbox 2 (I hate calling it the 360) until it's proven to NOT be a pile of steamy shit. Not to mention, there isn't a single killer app/launch title announced that I'm anticipating.

Sony, don't let me down.

[Phades]

I think it's odd that you see this as a bad thing. It simply means that the games will look even better. The thing doesn't come out for like another 6 months! Because of how cutting edge the graphics chip and CPU are supposed to be, it makes sense they're probably not completely done with it yet. If they already had finished consoles, the tech inside the system would already be at least 6 months old when it hit the shelves, that's quite a while in the tech world.

[sTubbs]

You guys, this was already wll known before E3 began. These G5s are in fact the alpha development kits. They run at about one third of the 360's final power. In other words, this is a good thing, as all of the 360 playable demos at E3 are running on hardware that is two thirds less powerful than the final system will be. Considering how good some of these games are already looking, that is pretty damn amazing.

[siz]

I find this to be good news for us Mac Gamers (all 20 of us). Maybe we wont have to wait a year before getting a port of a Xbox 2 game.

[Reanimated]

The games are running on the alpha development kits. I mean what the fuck else are they supposed to run the games on? Magic pixie dust?

[Skookum]

If Macs will run Xbox 360 games, will an Xbox 360 run MacOS? I'd pay money for that.

[Mason]

to say the least. i hate it when they pull this kind of thing. its like showing prerendered gameplay. or saying your console is done and showing people "playing" a video.

Not really, because this if anything presents things that are far uglier than what the X360 will put out. It just sort of doesn't make sense.

But don't you just know that any remaining Mac gamers will be jackasses for the next decade because of this?

[[HATE]MyLife]

Last year at E3, the DS systems that you saw were actually cabled displays and controllers for PC-based dev kits hiding in a different area. Maybe Microsoft should have just hidden their hardware a little better. That way people wouldn't freak out about the concept of a development kit not looking like the actual hardware.

[Gitaroomaan]

The games are running on the alpha development kits. I mean what the fuck else are they supposed to run the games on? Magic pixie dust?

Perhaps the system in question? I realize that it's insanity, but perhaps people thought the games would actually be running on the system advertised.

[[HATE]MyLife]

Perhaps the system in question? I realize that it's insanity, but perhaps people thought the games would actually be running on the system advertised.

Yeah. Ummm, game development doesn't quite work like that. Hate to break it to you, but nobody sends out a version of a game on release hardware prior to release. Especially not 6+ months ahead of time.

[Phades]

Perhaps the system in question? I realize that it's insanity, but perhaps people thought the games would actually be running on the system advertised.

Well at least you realize that it's insanity. I would've said stupidity, but insanity works.

When has any company with an upcoming system shown their launch games on final hardware? I can't think of a time.

[DiBiddilyBop]

This just in: The systems aren't finished yet. If they were, they'd be released. Why is this surprising to anyone at all?

[askheaves]

So you're saying that Sony's render farmed impressions of goals for future games blew the underpowered, yet operational development kits of MS out of the water? Eurogamer was so right. Not even a contest. Cell forever!

It would be nice, however, to know that Microsoft has built at least one prototype XBox360 by now and attempted to shove it into that little box.

[KNOTE]

This is what alpha devkits are people. No suprises here. Developers had their stuff running on alpha kits, and will soon be putting their stuff on beta kits. then final kits. then launch.

[Rommel]

I'm not surprised. Besides, we saw pictures of these powerMac devkits a few weeks ago. So at least we know that these are, in fact, truly the games being developed. I would say the same for the PS3, but we still have not actually seen their games since they chose to show video, not demos. I am eagerly awaiting when they do show real footage though.

[voodoo401]

yea but the system is going to be released in nov.
If it is made in Asia you have to tack on 3-4 weeks shipping unless you are going to fly them which would be costly. Plus there is nothing in the news releases that they are doing production runs of the CPU and GPU (remember nvidia's problems in manufacturing the last gen.)

I would say there is a very good chance it will be delayed or they will not ship the millions the analysis said they would.

[Reanimated]

Perhaps the system in question? I realize that it's insanity, but perhaps people thought the games would actually be running on the system advertised.


First of all Xbox 360 alpha kits ARE THE SYSTEM IN QUESTION as it exists today.

Secondly, there has never been a pre-launch E3 where final hardware was present and games were running on it.

Finally, you're an idiot.

[B_Money]

What does this say about MS's ability to get enough consoles ready by November? I don't think they want to risk repeating Sony's habits of shortages and spotty hardware releases.

[Mondopest]

E3 Has long used smoke & mirrors in their demos. Its just par for the course. Some years back the HALO demo was blowing everyone away when it turned out nothing was actually done by any AI at all. Every little detail had been scripted out as the team was not done with AI yet. Of course, showing a bunch of Covenant just standing around isnt alot of fun and *** wanted to wow people. It just happens.

[Thenetcase]

I fail to see why this is bad too... Come on, think about it. That's around $4500 or $5000 of equipment doing ALMOST what a $450 console can do. That's freaking amazing.

-TNC-

[Gitaroomaan]

First of all Xbox 360 alpha kits ARE THE SYSTEM IN QUESTION as it exists today.

Secondly, there has never been a pre-launch E3 where final hardware was present and games were running on it.

Finally, you're an idiot.

You're too kind.

I wasn't stating that the Alpha kits were not the same hardware or the same system, I was merely responding to your query of "I mean what the fuck else are they supposed to run the games on? Magic pixie dust?". Some people don't know that systems are generally not ready at E3, you didn't need to come down on them like that, that's the only point I was making.

[Bone]

Considering that all 3 new consoles are using IBM PowerPC chip variants, and the Mac has been using IBM PowerPC chips for years... I wouldn't be surprised if all 3 new consoles used PowerMacs for dev work.

Then remember that the graphics and CPU architectures of all the new consoles will actually be far more powerful than any current PowerMac. Mac gamers can sit down and resolve themselves to playing Breakout and Super Breakout again.

[bobbler]

Hey! Super Breakout is fun.

[Varsity]

Wait wait wait - MS are using Apple's hardware now?

[Furious Wang]

Sony fanboys grasping at straws to justify their jealous hatred of microsoft while defending the transgressions of Sony.

[bobbler]

Sony fanboys grasping at straws to justify their jealous hatred of microsoft while defending the transgressions of Sony.

What the...

[Hg-203]

A couple of things, just because MS, Sony, and Nintendo are using Power PC’s doesn’t mean that there will be easier/quicker ports to the MAC. This is because while these are Power PC’s they are running totally different OS’s. The dev kits just allow they developers demo and bug test their code so that the developers get a feeling for how the game will be.

Skookum just because MS will be able to run their custom Kernel on a power PC doesn’t mean that Mac will allow their OS to work on anything but a Mac mother/logic board. Remember Mac OS’s check to make sure the computer is a Mac.

Thenetcase remember when ever hard ware is sold, as long as its not a 3rd party developer, the maker takes a huge cut and can usually sell them under the cost of production. These companies make money off of the games which they sell above cost.

On the other hand for MS to be using alpha kits now is kind of disconcerting they are about 6 months till launch... given they are the only company that is actually available to demo any game on a kit, Sony and Nintendo probably have only pre alpha kits available. But for MS not to be working with beta kits means that the developers will have less then what 6 months to work with the beta and final kits. I would have hoped that Rare who’s working on the flag ship game to be using a beta kit to take care of any bugs by now so they can make the launch window in 6 months.

[Deadend]

Yeah, this time table seems a little tight.

but at least they have the gameplay working.
I also do not see anything that is really good coming out within several months of launch, as having so little time to make sure everything works right sounds almost insane.