360 to output 1080p with fall update

cablekiller · 20-09-2006, 07:34 AM

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Shane Kim Talks 360 1080p Game Output
I had a chance to talk to Shane Kim, who recently named the corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, about the day's announcements over in Tokyo.

If you missed the news check out the full press release on the jump, but in a nutshell Microsoft announced the Japan price and date for the HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox 360. More importantly, they announced that the fall software update for the console will allow the console to output game and movie content in 1080p resolution. That's right I said movies and games.

The interview was exactly 10 minutes long, so naturally I spent nine minutes trying to figure out just how a console with no HDMI out would gain 1080p output with a software update.

Kim was clear that the console could support true 1080p out.

"If it is running at 720p we will up-res it to 1080p, if it it's already 1080p then we can display it in 1080p," he said. " This is a great example of our console's ability and the great advantage of being a software company."

Kim said that while the console will soon support 1080p out, it will not have an HDMI out.

"We have the ability to output either through VGA or component. We have no HDMI announcement now," he said. "We do have the capability to deliver the software and, if needed, the hardware."

I pointed out that some movie studios have said they will use HDMI output as a form of copy protection and Kim acknowledged that if a studio uses that scheme then HDMI will indeed be required.

While Kim expects that some third-party game developers will create 1080p games, he said that 720p will likely remain the norm.

"We believe 720p is the sweet-spot for high definition," he said, adding that Microsoft Game Studio titles will, for now, continue to be created at 720p.

While the release of a low-cost HD-DVD player for the 360 could help make the console more competitive against Sony's upcoming PS3, Kim things the main development that could help jumpstart 360 sales in Japan are game titles.

Kim said that Microsoft plans to have 110 titles available for the 360 by the end of the year in Japan and 160 in North America.

"It's all going to be about the content and how customers value the content," he said.

Hit the jump for the official press release with details on new Live games, the Pac-Man World Championships, Xbox 360's HD-DVD player, some new titles and XNA support in Japan. Brian Crecente

Microsoft Showcases Library of Nearly 110 High-Definition Xbox 360 Games at the Tokyo Game Show
"Blue Dragon" Leads Holiday Lineup of Games; "Pac-Man" World Championship, Xbox 360 HD DVD Player in Japan and 1080p Support for Xbox 360 unveiled.

TOKYO -- Sept. 20, 2006 -- Today at the Tokyo Game Show 2006, Microsoft Corp. delivered information on new and improved entertainment experiences for Japanese gamers, including details of the Xbox 360™ library of nearly 110 high-definition games available this holiday season in Japan, which will include the highly anticipated "Blue Dragon" from Microsoft Game Studios. Microsoft also paid tribute to NAMCO BANDAI Games and "Pac-Man," announcing that the first "Pac-Man" World Championship will be held in early 2007 using Xbox 360 and Xbox Live® Arcade. Microsoft also revealed details of other entertainment offerings enabled through Xbox 360, with availability date and pricing provided for the Xbox 360 HD DVD player in Japan, as well as news of an update that will allow the Xbox 360 console to output full 1080p games and video.

At the best-attended gaming convention in the world, Microsoft showcased games that will boost the Xbox 360 software library in Japan to nearly 110 titles by holiday season 2006 as well as more titles coming well into 2007. The Xbox 360 games showcased include "Blue Dragon" (Microsoft Game Studios), "Lost Planet: Extreme Condition" (Capcom), "Dead or Alive: Xtreme 2" (Tecmo Inc.) and the newly announced "Trusty Bell" (NAMCO BANDAI Games), and a host of anticipated Xbox Live Arcade titles. For 2007, Microsoft also announced a pipeline of great games that include the epic role-playing game (RPG) "Infinite Undiscovery" (Microsoft Game Studios).

"The key to winning the hearts and minds of the Japanese market is great games, and this great lineup demonstrates that Xbox 360 has those games in spades," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "Our lineup of role-playing games from the acknowledged masters of the genre is proof positive that there has never been a better time for Japanese gamers to jump in and pick up an Xbox 360 system."

Many game titles, including the much-anticipated epic RPG "Blue Dragon," will be playable for the first time in the Microsoft® booth at the Tokyo Game Show. Other playable titles include "Lost Odyssey™" (Microsoft Game Studios) and "Viva Piñata™" (Microsoft Game Studios).

Xbox Live Arcade and the "Pac-Man" World Championship
The creator of "Pac-Man," Toru Iwatani, announced onstage with Moore that Microsoft and NAMCO BANDAI will host the first "Pac-Man" World Championship in early 2007. The top 10 players in the world for "Pac-Man" on Xbox Live Arcade will compete for the title in New York City. More details, including how to qualify for the championship, will be made available in the coming months.

Continuing its tremendous momentum, Xbox Live Arcade has also announced in Tokyo a host of exciting new games, including some that will be exclusive to the Japanese market. Gamers will have the opportunity to try a host of new games on the show floor, including the classic side-scroller "Contra" (Konami Corp.), the space-shooter "Gyruss" (Konami), the enemy-popping classic "Dig Dug" (NAMCO BANDAI Games), arcade favorite "Track & Field" (Konami), "New Rally-X" (NAMCO BANDAI Games) "Rush'n Attack" (Konami), a favorite 1980s side-scroller, and the inimitable "Ms. Pac-Man" (NAMCO BANDAI). In addition, the Japan-exclusive Xbox Live Arcade game "Yie Ar Kung Fu" (Konami), one of the very first fighting games, was announced for release in 2007.

Xbox 360 HD DVD Player and 1080p Support
Microsoft announced pricing and availability details for the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player in Japan. The accessory will launch on Nov. 17, 2006, priced at ¥19,800 (estimated retail price), and will come with an Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote.

"Xbox 360 and the HD DVD Player together deliver the most powerful and affordable games and movie system for Japanese consumers," Moore said. "The freedom to choose their entertainment experiences is extremely important for consumers as they enter the next generation."

In addition, Microsoft announced that its fall software update, scheduled for release later this year, will allow all Xbox 360 consoles around the world to output game and movie content in 1080p resolution.

XNA
Demonstrating its pledge to democratize game development for tomorrow's game developers, Microsoft announced that four Japanese universities will use its XNA™ Game Studio Express software in educational material and research within their course offerings. The XNA software allows hobbyists, students and independent game developers to create games for Windows® and, for the first time, Xbox 360 with the goal that user-generated games made with XNA will arrive on Xbox Live Marketplace. Tokyo University, Tokyo Polytechnic University, Ritsumeikan University and Osaka Electro-Communication University join the dozens of universities worldwide that have pledged support for Microsoft's XNA vision and are recognizing the potential of XNA Game Studio Express as an educational tool. As a result, these four schools will integrate XNA software into their game development curricula, labs and games-related research.

"As I turn my attention and passion toward teaching the next generation of game developers, I am thrilled with XNA Game Studio Express and related products," said Toru Iwatani, a lecturer at Tokyo Polytechnic University and original creator of "Pac-Man." "I believe that these products are attractive and effective because they create a development environment that matches the skill level and area of expertise, widening the entry of future developers into game development."

XNA Game Studio Express beta was made available to users worldwide on Aug. 30, 2006. The final version of XNA Game Studio Express will be made available this holiday season.

Shane Kim Talks 360 1080p Game Output - Kotaku

ChuckSteak0331 · 20-09-2006, 07:52 AM

I am extremely glad I have my 360. Ever since I bought it at launch, its been nothing but good news on the horizon.

Scotracer · 20-09-2006, 09:41 AM

Wow, just wow. This is the best news I've heard in a while for the Xbox 360, now Sony can't claim they have the only true-HD console.

BLaz · 20-09-2006, 12:08 PM

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Originally Posted by ScotRacer

Wow, just wow. This is the best news I've heard in a while for the Xbox 360, now Sony can't claim they have the only true-HD console.

Yes they can....by saying true HD out of the box. If you buy this HD DVD add on for the 360, a premium 360 costs just as much as a premium PS3 now.

Fanta · 20-09-2006, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLaz

Yes they can....by saying true HD out of the box. If you buy this HD DVD add on for the 360, a premium 360 costs just as much as a premium PS3 now.

Either way it isnt the only true HD console and that factor will be for your choice, not thrown at you regardless.

Scotracer · 20-09-2006, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLaz

Yes they can....by saying true HD out of the box. If you buy this HD DVD add on for the 360, a premium 360 costs just as much as a premium PS3 now.

Well, they can't claim to be it for games, as both the PS3 and Xbox 360 now support 1080p for gaming, the PS3 only has the addition of a HD media player, which you can buy if you want for the Xbox 360. This is a major coup for Microsoft and it should be exploited as Sony used the 1080p trump card MANY a time.

DMB14 · 20-09-2006, 01:32 PM

Cool! But how many TVs can actually display 1080p over component? Now we have the same problem that the 20gig PS3 has...

Scotracer · 20-09-2006, 01:44 PM

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Originally Posted by DMB14

Cool! But how many TVs can actually display 1080p over component? Now we have the same problem that the 20gig PS3 has...

Solution: VGA

DMB14 · 20-09-2006, 01:52 PM

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Originally Posted by ScotRacer

Solution: VGA

Great! I thought that might be it, but I wasn't sure because VGA and component are both analog.

My Xbox360 = Sexehness · 20-09-2006, 05:23 PM

Funny how microsoft said that "1080p was meaningless" but now the have it lol. I guess there just trying to get up to par with the PS3. typical from microsoft.

Grindstone · 20-09-2006, 05:34 PM

Meh, this is a non-issue, just as it was with the PS3.

First, how many have TV's that display 1080p? I don't, and 90% of the population doesn't either. (I have a nice TV, but not that nice)

Second, what real benefit is there to have games at 1080p? Not much. The quality difference is hardly distinguishible from 1080i to 1080p.

Lastly, it costs more to develop games at that resolution. So the likelihood of games being developed at a higher cost for a feature that a minority would enjoy seems frivilous.

Sure, it is nice that Sony's little horn has been stepped on, but the reality is that it'll be a feature I literally never use.

P.S. My Xbox360=Sexehness, if a chick claims to hate gaming, does she have a small penis too?

My Xbox360 = Sexehness · 20-09-2006, 07:30 PM

No she'll be fat

JB2 · 20-09-2006, 08:22 PM

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Originally Posted by My Xbox360 = Sexehness

Funny how microsoft said that "1080p was meaningless" but now the have it lol. I guess there just trying to get up to par with the PS3. typical from microsoft.

Serisouly man why are you on this site. You say you love the 360 but all you ever do is rag on it. Serisouly I have never seen you post anything positive about the system.

oneill · 20-09-2006, 09:24 PM

I chose to stick with non-1080p technology very intentionally for now, because it took all of these companies time to refine and perfect non-1080p displays, so to jump on the very first real flood of 1080p flat panels would be shortchanging myself, in my opinion. They have mastered signals up to 720p and1080i, so I want to stick with what has been mastered and wait a year or so until they have time to phase in 1080p.

O'Neill::

Fanta · 21-09-2006, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLaz

Yes they can....by saying true HD out of the box. If you buy this HD DVD add on for the 360, a premium 360 costs just as much as a premium PS3 now.

Awwww out of the box....except you have to buy a hdmi cable?

Glock 19 · 21-09-2006, 06:00 PM

and I just bought Hi def LCD has everything but 1080p.

psuedohippy · 22-09-2006, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JB2

Serisouly man why are you on this site. You say you love the 360 but all you ever do is rag on it. Serisouly I have never seen you post anything positive about the system.

Im not sure what you read but what did this poster say that wasnt true. I guess when it is stated that MS is being typical MS, that is just opinion. But the first statement is true. MS definately made statements downplaying 1080p and now they are adopting it. Im the same way as MS though, I tend to downplay features from cometitors of what I purchased until I have it myself, then my tune tends to change a little lol. Im just saying I dont think this posters statement was all that negative.

mpn · 22-09-2006, 01:02 PM

As mentioned earlier the majority of sets probably wont support 1080p anyway ..... if your tv didnt and you set the 360 to 1080p would it upscale the pic or would you just get nothing ?? Also what about vga ....... i heard using that would allow 1080p... but surely your tv can only display its native res.... and as mine is 1360x768 i think i will have to stick with 720p and keep dreamin about 1080p...... will there be that much of a difference though ??

DMB14 · 22-09-2006, 09:02 PM

Apparently Sony SXRDs allow 1080p over component. I'm glad that I'm getting one.

Lemme get this straight, after the update all games will be upscaled to 1080p and devs have the option to make games in native 1080p?