Xbox One

[p_rushing]

Re: Xbox 720

The only way I see a sports game working with this system is this:

The TV screen would have to be only the court zoomed in maybe the first two rows or so on screen, while the rest of crowd would be put onto the walls.

The whole problem is that it is not a 360 environment. If you look left, your player isn't looking left. If the player looks left when you do, then it creates a circle where you can't stop it and what you were looking at on the left would move to the tv. Then when you look back at the tv, the screen should rotate again.

They have to solve how to handle things off the screen. In a FPS, if you try to shoot someone on your right, will it allow you to shoot them even though your player is looking straight ahead? Do you have to track the bad guy from the wall to the tv until you can shoot him?

[adice15]

Re: Xbox 720

Does anyone else think they're gonna call this the Xbox 8? They have Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, etc. They all have the same design to it so why not?

[rspencer86]

Re: Xbox 720

Does anyone else think they're gonna call this the Xbox 8? They have Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, etc. They all have the same design to it so why not?

I guess they could, but it sure would be odd since there haven't been seven previous generations of XBox.

I don't see 720 happening either.

[CaptainZombie]

Re: Xbox 720

I guess they could, but it sure would be odd since there haven't been seven previous generations of XBox.

I don't see 720 happening either.

Maybe as many have said in the past, Xbox Infinity with the 8 still used but being turned into the Infinity symbol.

[BlueNGold]

Re: Xbox 720

Does anyone else think they're gonna call this the Xbox 8? They have Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, etc. They all have the same design to it so why not?

Because there's been 8 versions of Windows. This is only the 3rd Xbox.

[CaptainZombie]

Re: Xbox 720

Eric Mejdrich Sr Director of SOC Architecture and Principal Architect Xbox at Microsoft

Some of the following have been discussed by Sony Game engine developers for the PS4. It's possible that some may show up in both consoles to allow software developers an easier port between platforms.

In any case I believe some of the following are the special sauce being discussed. The file dates for hardware features are all by Dec 2011 which is when SemiAccurate stated the Xbox 720 started tapeout.

http://www.faqs.org/patents/inventor/eric-o-mejdrich-2/

20110285709 Allocating Resources Based On A Performance Statistic - A method includes rendering an object of a three dimensional image via a pixel shader based on a render context data structure associated with the object. The method includes measuring a performance statistic associated with rendering the object. The method also includes storing the performance statistic in the render context data structure associated with the object. The performance statistic is accessible to a host interface processor to determine whether to allocate a second pixel shader to render the object in a subsequent three-dimensional image. 11-24-2011

20110285710 Parallelized Ray Tracing - A method includes assigning a priority to a ray data structure of a plurality of ray data structures based on one or more priorities. The ray data structure includes properties of a ray to be traced from an illumination source in a three-dimensional image. The method includes identifying a portion of the three-dimensional image through which the ray passes. The method also includes identifying a slave processing element associated with the portion of the three-dimensional image. The method further includes sending the ray data structure to the slave processing element. 11-24-2011

20110289485 Software Trace Collection and Analysis Utilizing Direct Interthread Communication On A Network On Chip - Collecting and analyzing trace data while in a software debug mode through direct interthread communication (‘DITC’) on a network on chip (‘NOC’), the NOC including integrated processor (‘IP’) blocks, routers, memory communications controllers, and network interface controllers, with each IP block adapted to a router through a memory communications controller and a network interface controller, where each memory communications controller controlling communications between an IP block and memory, and each network interface controller controlling inter-IP block communications through routers, including enabling the collection of software debug information in a selected set of IP blocks distributed through the NOC, each IP block within the selected set of IP blocks having a set of trace data; collecting software debugging information via the set of trace data; communicating the set of trace data to a destination repository; and analyzing the set of trace data at the destination repository. 11-24-2011


20110316855 Parallelized Streaming Accelerated Data Structure Generation - A method includes receiving at a master processing element primitive data that includes properties of a primitive. The method includes partially traversing a spatial data structure that represents a three-dimensional image to identify an internal node of the spatial data structure. The internal node represents a portion of the three-dimensional image. The method also includes selecting a slave processing element from a plurality of slave processing elements. The selected processing element is associated with the internal node. The method further includes sending the primitive data to the selected slave processing element to traverse a portion of the spatial data structure to identify a leaf node of the spatial data structure. 12-29-2011

20110316864 MULTITHREADED SOFTWARE RENDERING PIPELINE WITH DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE-BASED REALLOCATION OF RASTER THREADS - A multithreaded rendering software pipeline architecture dynamically reallocates regions of an image space to raster threads based upon performance data collected by the raster threads. The reallocation of the regions typically includes resizing the regions assigned to particular raster threads and/or reassigning regions to different raster threads to better balance the relative workloads of the raster threads. 12-29-2011

20110317712 Recovering Data From A Plurality of Packets - A method includes receiving a plurality of packets at an integrated processor block of a network on a chip device. The plurality of packets includes a first packet that includes an indication of a start of data associated with a pixel shader application. The method includes recovering the data from the plurality of packets. The method also includes storing the recovered data in a dedicated packet collection memory within the network on the chip device. The method further includes retaining the data stored in the dedicated packet collection memory during an interruption event. Upon completion of the interruption event, the method includes copying packets stored in the dedicated packet collection memory prior to the interruption event to an inbox of the network on the chip device for processing. 12-29-2011

20110320719 PROPAGATING SHARED STATE CHANGES TO MULTIPLE THREADS WITHIN A MULTITHREADED PROCESSING ENVIRONMENT - A circuit arrangement and method make state changes to shared state data in a highly multithreaded environment by propagating or streaming the changes to multiple parallel hardware threads of execution in the multithreaded environment using an on-chip communications network and without attempting to access any copy of the shared state data in a shared memory to which the parallel threads of execution are also coupled. Through the use of an on-chip communications network, changes to the shared state data may be communicated quickly and efficiently to multiple threads of execution, enabling those threads to locally update their local copies of the shared state. Furthermore, by avoiding attempts to access a shared memory, the interface to the shared memory is not overloaded with concurrent access attempts, thus preserving memory bandwidth for other activities and reducing memory latency. Particularly for larger shared states, propagating the changes, rather than an entire shared state, further improves performance by reducing the amount of data communicated over the on-chip communications network. 12-29-2011

20110320724 DMA-BASED ACCELERATION OF COMMAND PUSH BUFFER BETWEEN HOST AND TARGET DEVICES - Direct Memory Access (DMA) is used in connection with passing commands between a host device and a target device coupled via a push buffer. Commands passed to a push buffer by a host device may be accumulated by the host device prior to forwarding the commands to the push buffer, such that DMA may be used to collectively pass a block of commands to the push buffer. In addition, a host device may utilize DMA to pass command parameters for commands to a command buffer that is accessible by the target device but is separate from the push buffer, with the commands that are passed to the push buffer including pointers to the associated command parameters in the command buffer. 12-29-2011

20110321049 Programmable Integrated Processor Blocks - An integrated processor block of the network on a chip is programmable to perform a first function. The integrated processor block includes an inbox to receive incoming packets from other integrated processor blocks of a network on a chip, an outbox to send outgoing packets to the other integrated processor blocks, an on-chip memory, and a memory management unit to enable access to the on-chip memory. 12-29-2011

The following is software and was discussed by a Sony game engine developer.

20120176364 REUSE OF STATIC IMAGE DATA FROM PRIOR IMAGE FRAMES TO REDUCE RASTERIZATION REQUIREMENTS - An apparatus, program product and method reuse static image data generated during rasterization of static geometry to reduce the processing overhead associated with rasterizing subsequent image frames. In particular, static image data generated one frame may be reused in a subsequent image frame such that the subsequent image frame is generated without having to re-rasterize the static geometry from the scene, i.e., with only the dynamic geometry rasterized. The resulting image frame includes dynamic image data generated as a result of rasterizing the dynamic geometry during that image frame, and static image data generated as a result of rasterizing the static image data during a prior image frame. 07-12-2012

20110320771 INSTRUCTION UNIT WITH INSTRUCTION BUFFER PIPELINE BYPASS - A circuit arrangement and method selectively bypass an instruction buffer for selected instructions so that bypassed instructions can be dispatched without having to first pass through the instruction buffer. Thus, for example, in the case that an instruction buffer is partially or completely flushed as a result of an instruction redirect (e.g., due to a branch mispredict), instructions can be forwarded to subsequent stages in an instruction unit and/or to one or more execution units without the latency associated with passing through the instruction buffer. 12-29-2011

20120192202 Context Switching On A Network On Chip - A network on chip (NOC) that includes IP blocks, routers, memory communications controllers, and network interface controllers, each IP block adapted to the network by an application messaging interconnect including an inbox and an outbox, one or more of the IP blocks including computer processors supporting a plurality of threads, the NOC also including an inbox and outbox controller configured to set pointers to the inbox and outbox, respectively, that identify valid message data for a current thread; and software running in the current thread that, upon a context switch to a new thread, is configured to: save the pointer values for the current thread, and reset the pointer values to identify valid message data for the new thread, where the inbox and outbox controller are further configured to retain the valid message data for the current thread in the boxes until context switches again to the current thread. 07-26-2012

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox 720

Game Informer Rumor: Next Xbox to be revealed around GDC in March

The magazine suggests that both platform holders will reveal the hardware around GDC, which takes place in San Francisco between March 25-29, before showing off next-gen titles at E3.

"We hear that both Sony and Microsoft are targeting special Apple-style press conferences to unveil their platforms near the Game Developers Conference in late March," reads the report in the magazine's February 2013 issue.

"E3 in June may be the industry's biggest event, but both companies want to give their systems their own limelight.

"That doesn't mean E3 won't be without its surprises. Next-gen games will be announced at the convention in preparation for the systems' release at the end of the year."

[Cyros]

Re: Xbox 720

Eric Mejdrich Sr Director of SOC Architecture and Principal Architect Xbox at Microsoft

Some of the following have been discussed by Sony Game engine developers for the PS4. It's possible that some may show up in both consoles to allow software developers an easier port between platforms.

I wish this made sense to me. Should've gotten a different degree...

[PVarck31]

Re: Xbox 720

I'm getting really excited now.

[Phobia]

Re: Xbox 720

I'm getting really excited now.

Myself!!!!! I traded in my PS3 during the game stop extra 50% bonus hardware/software trade in special. I received $247 bucks, so I am locked and ready for a new system to drop!

[Skyboxer]

Re: Xbox 720

Myself!!!!! I traded in my PS3 during the game stop extra 50% bonus hardware/software trade in special. I received $247 bucks, so I am locked and ready for a new system to drop!

I'll be doing the same IF I can get decent $.....

[Phobia]

Re: Xbox 720

I'll be doing the same IF I can get decent $.....

Thats why I took advantage of that 50%, they wanted 70 for the PS3 then after the bonus that came to 140. Then I got 53.50 from the games but with the bonus it came to 107. For a grand total of 247, that to me was worth it considering it was the first gen ps3 system.

[DickDalewood]

Re: Xbox 720

Damn fellas... A flurry of great games coming out Q1/Q2... you sold your systems too soon.

[Phobia]

Re: Xbox 720

Damn fellas... A flurry of great games coming out Q1/Q2... you sold your systems too soon.

I honestly never touched my PS3 other than movies in so long that it is not a huge deal to me. I just finish out this gen with the 360. The Last of Us was the only one I will be sad to miss!!!

[DirtyJerz32]

Re: Xbox 720

I tried my ps3 too. It was a Blueray player and I had Madden, that's it. I just anxious to see what the new system has to offer. I won't be selling my 360 until see what the hype is all about.