RSSMicrosoft Replaces NVIDIA with ATI for Next Xbox
By David Worthington | Published August 14, 2003, 8:29 PM
After a long, tumultuous relationship with NVIDIA, Microsoft has switched directions and penned an agreement with key NVIDIA competitor ATI Technologies. ATI is now set to become one of the key vendors to supply Microsoft's gaming division. The two firms have commenced a technology development agreement to foster in a new graphical engine that will power future Xbox products and services.
According to the company, Microsoft awarded the contract on the basis that its technical vision was close bedfellows with ATI's own product roadmap. ATI, which provides the graphics processor for Nintendo GameCube, seems to be in complete agreement with the software giant's appraisal of its technologies.
Citing his company's common desire for "cutting edge innovation," ATI Chief Executive Officer K. Y. Ho commented, "Our success working with Microsoft in the past gives us great confidence as we move forward, and our broad experience and wealth of engineering resources will ensure that we deliver."
"This agreement cements ATI's position as the prime graphics supplier for the future of the games industry," said Ho.
For its part, rival NVIDIA maintains that is not wearing cement shoes. Company spokesperson Derek Perez downplayed today’s announcement to the level of any other OEM licensing agreement.
However, its previous agreement with Microsoft compromised between 15 to 20 percent of NVIDIA's overall sales.
"We looked at the next-generation Xbox product as we would other OEM opportunities, i.e., the economics have to make sense for both parties. In this case, we were not able to reach an agreement," Perez told BetaNews.
Perez refused to comment any further as to how this agreement affects future relations or the business prospects of either party.
Beyond the tight lips, NVIDIA and Microsoft share a torrid past. Slumping sales, inventory adjustments and changes to Xbox hardware left NVIDIA with slews of useless chips. This excess inventory triggered a recently resolved contract arbitration in which both companies claimed legal victory.
Despite parting ways, Microsoft and NVIDIA both remain industry leaders. With its new partner, Microsoft marches on, struggling to find high ground in the gaming console market.
If they would make the change from Intel to AMD for the XBox2 then I might have to break down and buy one :)
Alister
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|That's sad, it's not like it's any less of a product because it uses an Intel chip... get real.
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|Nah.. It's less of a product because it was mostly conceptualized by people that are not true gamers and, thus, it is not a gaming console. It is merely a watered-down PC that has some attractive API's and bucks for developers wishing to join the evil inner circle of Microsoft and the ritualistic XBox followers. ;o)
In any case, most people get mad when I say these things but, let's face it, XBox lacks variety and the few good things it has were stolen from other systems such as Dreamcast and PS2. Only middle-aged men and sports fanatics (essentially the same thing) truly enjoy XBox. I've found most of the X titles to be quite lukewarm. Out of the 80 games they had a few months back, I only TRULY enjoyed a select few and there were only two or three exclusive titles that made me a bit tempted to get an XBox for myself so MEH...
Did you know that XBox originally had no hardware design but was being displayed at computer shows and electronic entertainment conventions in spite of that? There was the empty XBox shell, a ubiquitous symbole accompanied by graphics rendered on a computer that were supposed to somehow be a benchmark for the actual machine's processing power yet, at that time, Microsoft was STILL tossing around ideas on partnerships, design paradigm, etc.
Did you also know that XBox was the brainchild of a Microsoft exec whom, on his way home on an a plane, he decided it would be cool to have a dedicated entertainment system with the power of a PC; this while he was playing Solitaire, of all games. It was also originally concieved as a mobile system and, well, very little about the XBox is portable as it is clunkier and more volatile than it's competing consoles.
Everything about the XBox screams "patchwork" and "scam" to me. I'll never remember the XBox as a memorable system, a gaming legacy.. Systems like the Atari 2600, Colecovision, NES, SMS, Genesis, Super NES.. THOSE were memorable systems and not just because of nostalgic effect; I will still enjoy MANY of those old games over XBox crap. Sure, XBox is powerful and can produce some impressive graphics but, then again, so can my PC.
Enough MS bashing, though... The partnership with ATI is definitely great news and, hopefully, it means that Microsoft is really getting things together. As I keep saying again and again, M$ is a little skewed in their mental processes and you just HAVE to wonder what they have in mind when they make crap product after crap product. The next XBox may be worth buying for me if it is cheaper, backwards compatible, and they get a more diverse library. At this point, they have nothing on GameCube and PS2's distinct offerings, IMHO. 8)
...And, no, Halo is NOT enough to make me go buy the system.. I do love DOA3, however, but I can always play it on my Dreamcast and get all the bouncing boobies and wh00p-arse that I need there.. Or I can wait for Soul Caliber II's release next week. God, I love when things work out in one's own favor. YAY! =o]
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|"changes to Xbox hardware left NVIDIA with slews of useless chips. "
Somebody dropped the ball at NVIDIA.. I know if I was the MS rep for NVIDIA I would be on the phone with them every day...Cause MS is famous for unannounced "changes" ....
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|Bunnie Haung cracked the xbox for an MIT project. It was useing a RC4/128 cipher (whatever that is) For whatever reason the encryption was on the nvidia card. So microsoft decided to change the encryption, and left the bill with nvidia...leaving them with a load of usless chips.
The irony is that the new encryption was hacked less than 24 hours later by andy green!!
So nvidia were not to blame by the sounds of things!!
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|RC4 (I think that's seen often on RISC processors, if I'm not mistaken.. haven't done any hardcore hacking/cracking in a while) is basically a bit pattern much like MD5 except different encoding, of course. 128 is the bit rate and 128-bit encryption is pretty much the de facto option when it comes to encryption; especially since 256-bit encryption means you need a stronger processor and bus to avoid massive system slow downs. That's the problem with security: it's almost always a trade-off. You have security or performance but you can't have both at the maximum coexisting together.
Cracking code is surprisingly easy if you have the right progs.. NT hashes, for example, were quickly decoded back in the NT4 days and people would have their passwords discovered in a matter of seconds, even with a password over 10 characters. I would often test that out and use Unix-standard passwords; it only slightly slowed down the process. In the end, security is meant to keep away the casual intruders; the experts will always find a way if they REALLY want to.
Whatever the case may be, cracking that code means bootlegging is THAT much easier cause now the system is easily footprinted and easier to emulate. Fun stuff.. I just love reverse engineering. 8)
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|Take that so-called graphzilla!!!!!
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