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Microsoft stuns with new Xbox
13/05/2005 09:31 - (SA)
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| This image released by Mirosoft shows the new Xbox360 game machine.(Microsoft, AP) |
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Redmont, Washington - Microsoft says its next version of Xbox will thrill hard-core gamers with mind-blowing graphics and lure in newcomers with free online games, slideshows, music and video chats with friends.
And the machine would be available for sale this Christmas.
The widely anticipated console will escalate the video-game platform war between Microsoft and Sony, whose PlayStation 2 still dominates the business.
Sony is expected to release a PlayStation 3 next year, but the timing will give Microsoft a headstart in the market for next generation machines.
Microsoft offered the first official peek at Xbox 360 on MTV on Thursday.
Xbox 360 looks nothing like its bulky, black predecessor. It's sleek and white, and it can stand on one end like a book or lie flat like a DVD player.
Its 20-gigabyte hard drive and three powerful processors will enable high-definition graphics and surround sound, making games seem more like movies.
Mike Sabine, a market analyst with International Development Group, raved about the lifelike look of a war game he saw in a recent preview offered to analysts and reporters.
"I actually expected to be a little underwhelmed," he said. "I expected it to be a leap or two better (than the original Xbox), but I was very impressed."
Another game Microsoft demonstrated featured NBA star LeBron James, his muscles flexing and his shiny tank top rippling in the light of a street lamp as he dribbles and shoots.
Set to close in on Sony
"Honest to goodness it was almost as good as video," said Van Baker, vice president and research director for Gartner.
Sony is expected to unveil a working version of PlayStation 3 and announce launch plans at the Electronic Entertainment Expo gaming trade show in Los Angeles next week.
Microsoft says Xbox 360 will arrive in North American stores around Thanksgiving and in Europe and Japan close to year's end.
Analysts said several months of lead time could help the new Xbox close in on the market-leading PlayStation, but they're waiting to see what Sony rolls out before making any bold predictions.
Sony now 43% of the US video game console market with PlayStation 2, compared with Xbox at 19% and GameCube at 14%, according to Jay Horwitz, an analyst with Jupiter Research.
He predicts the new Xbox will grab 38% of the US market by 2010, overtaking PlayStation 3 by 6 percentage points.
Microsoft has said gamers can expect 200 new Xbox titles by the end of the year, but hasn't said how many will be designed for Xbox 360 and whether the new machine will play games designed for the old model.
There's also no word yet on cost. The current Xbox sells for $149.99 (about R940).
Many Xbox 360 features are designed for non-gamers: watching movies, playing music, viewing slide shows or holding video chats. It has three USB ports to connect digital cameras, music players and other devices.
While current Xbox owners need to buy an attachment to play DVDs, Xbox 360 supports DVD playback out of the box.
- AP
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