new xbox 360 (shmup possibilities?)

[cavemaniac]

xbox 360 specs are might impressive. I wonder what shmup support there will be for this system. I totally dig the his res 1080i support. If only cave would make the technology jump to hi res games. but then again, I am just grateful they are still pumping out games like ibara.

close up shots here (looks like an external firewire harddrive):

http://ve3dboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=19686077

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/6412.cfm

Support for DVD-video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R/RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD, JPEG photo CD
-All games support 16:9, 720p and 1080i, anti-aliased
-Customizable face plates (picture below)
-3 USB2.0 ports
-Support for 4 wireless controllers
-Removable 20GB drive
-Wi-Fi ready

Custom IBM PowerPC-based CPU
-3 symmetrical cores at 3.2 GHz each
-2 hardware threads per core
-1 VMX-128 vector unit per core
-1 MB L2 cache

CPU Game Math Performance
-9 billion dots per second

Custom ATI Graphics Processor
-500 MHz
-10 MB embedded DRAM
-48-way parallel floating-point shader pipelines
-unified shader architecture

Memory
-512 MB GDDR3 RAM
-700 MHz DDR

Memory Bandwidth
-22.4 GB/s memory interface bus bandwidth
-256 GB/s memory bandwidth to EDRAM
-21.6 GB/s frontside bus

Audio
-Multi channel surround sound output
-Supports 48kHz 16-bit audio
-320 independent decompression channels
-32-bit processing
-256 audio channels

In addition Xbox 360 will have two types of Xbox Live -subscriptions -- Xbox Live Silver (free) and Xbox Life Gold (paid).

Features for Gold service
(S) Also for Silver
(O) Also for Offline

-Seamless transition to Xbox Live account from Xbox to Xbox 360
-Access to MMOs (additional fees may apply) (S)
-Free Xbox Live weekends (S)
-Multi player online game play
-Avatar for gamer profile(S)(O)
-Motto for gamer profile (S)(O)
-Personalized look for Xbox System Guide (S)(O)
-Offline achievements (S)(O)
-Online achievements (S)
-Access to other players' Gamer cards via Live (S)
-Cumulative gamer score (S)(O)
-Location/language profile (S)(O)
-Reputation (S)
-Enhanced matchmaking using above
-Skill level matchmaking
-Game play style profile (casual, competitive, etc.)
-Recent players list (S)
-Free and premium download game content(S)
-Free and premium downloadable movies, music, TV (S)
-Downloadable demos/trailers (S)
-Micro transactions (S)
-Custom play list in every game (S)(O)
-Play music from portable devices (S)(O)
-View images from digital camera (S)(O)
-Stream media from Windows XP (S)(O)
-Interactive screen savers (S)(O)
-Track info for CDs (S) (O)
-Communication with voice, video or text (S)

[futurespa]

I'm a shmup fan, but I'm afraid no shooter will ever see the daylight on the next-gens.
In terms of the specs of the 360 and more important the PS3, there is no reason not to emulate every older shooter ever made.

[visuatrox]

Well consoles may get better at pushing polygons and textures, but when it comes to good ol 2D sprites technology and developers have not made much progress. Except for Guilty Gear I can't remember any other 2D game making use of a highresolution (and then guilty gear actually has pretty low amount of animation frames).

[dave4shmups]

I seriously doubt that there will be ANY domestically released shmups on the XBOX 360, considering that there have been none on the XBOX.

Unless, of course, the elusive Xyanide shows up on this system; otherwise I wouldn't get my hopes up at all if I were you.

[freddiebamboo]

Yeah, cause the XBOX doesn't originate from Japan I don't think we'll be seeing much action on it.

Can't complain tho, with Mushi getting a port and all, it's not like we have a serious shortage of shmups on the PS2, even if their for the Japanese market.

[jiji]

Tetris The Grand Master 3, a Type-X game, is being ported by Arika, so I wouldn't be terribly surprised to see future Type-X shooters come to the platform (especially given Xbox's small-but-consistent support over the years).

[kong]

Both MS and Sony are going to want eye candy games for their next gen consoles. Launching a system is all about hype and being cutting edge. I'm sorry but shmups would bring negative publicity to the new consoles, they are considered passe by the majority of gamers. I don't think we'll see old school shoot em ups on the next gen till both systems are firmly entrenched and budget titles finally creep into the mix. I hope I'm wrong but I think the only shmups on the xbox 360 will be via a mod chip and mame/chankast.

[dementia]

The 16:9 format is not condusive to 3:4 games.

[cavemaniac]

Here is a dream.. a hi res 16:9 brand new xbox darius. droooool.

[ill6]

If the XBOX becomes the mainstream next gen standard (in the way that the PS2 is now) then you can expect shooters.

As to the comment that its a pity that Cave don't move high res... Thats would be terrible as I wouldn't be able to play them in my (lowres) cab!

[Super Laydock]

Custom IBM PowerPC-based CPU
-3 symmetrical cores at 3.2 GHz each
-2 hardware threads per core
-1 VMX-128 vector unit per core

Isn't this a hint towards a Next-gen Gradius?

Shoot the Cores!

[futurespa]

Like I said before, Cave are lazy arses with no innovation whatsoever.

[Nei First]

I kinda agree, I can't see it happening "yet" anyway.

Which reminds me, with Xbox360 and PS3 coming out soon, do you think smaller companies will soon take advantage of the Game cube's power, and start putting shmups on it instead?

Cos if that happened, who knows what they could do....

[raiden]

Which reminds me, with Xbox360 and PS3 coming out soon, do you think smaller companies will soon take advantage of the Game cube's power, and start putting shmups on it instead?

hardly. The reason most shmups get released on PS2 won´t change, especially not if the PS3 will be downward compatible again. Gamecube doesn´t have the Dreamcast advantage of Naomi similar hardware, and it doesn´t have PS2´s sheer number of units sold (plus, being an established shmup platform by now, similar to the Saturn and PC Engine in former generations).

Like I said before, Cave are lazy arses with no innovation whatsoever.

I hope they stay that way.

[japtor]

Like I said before, Cave are lazy arses with no innovation whatsoever.

who designed/made the sh-3 board theyre using now?

hardly. The reason most shmups get released on PS2 won´t change, especially not if the PS3 will be downward compatible again. Gamecube doesn´t have the Dreamcast advantage of Naomi similar hardware, and it doesn´t have PS2´s sheer number of units sold (plus, being an established shmup platform by now, similar to the Saturn and PC Engine in former generations).

kutaragi or someone said a long while ago that ps3 would be backward compatible, dont see a reason for them to back down on that. revolution will be too for that matter, so either ps2 or gc could be an option for a developer. most likely they'll go to ps2 for the user base, but gc might get some like it is now for whatever reason (ps3/rev sales may also affect this decision as well). maybe easier to program for or port to, for the smaller companies like milestone and stuff at least. and theres always the dreamcast!

[visuatrox]

Talking about backward compatibility, is the Xbox 360 backwardcompatible?

[Tony Gradius]

new xbox 360 (shmup possibilities?)

None. Sad, but I think so....

[The Bullet Dodger]

Yeah, cause the XBOX doesn't originate from Japan I don't think we'll be seeing much action on it.

The stone cold truth.

It's no wonder why so many in Japan hate Xbox.

[MASTER SATAN]

maybe on ps3 but DEFINATELY not on xbox

[FatCobra]

I don't know how a shmup would work on Nintendo's goofy little Revolution.

[raiden]

actually, I don´t really see the problem in bringing shmups to the Nintendo Revolution, even if it´s supposed to have some kind of VR glasses. Just blend in a tate Arcade monitor as a virtual 3d object, done.

shmup possibilities for the Xbox 360 aren´t that bad, either, as Microsoft plans to emphasize the XBL Arcade concept of bringing shareware to consoles, they already have Mountainking studios signed, maybe they can get Kenta Cho and Shanghai Alice, too.

But even then, no chance to compete with PS2. I don´t think any console will ever be able to beat the PS2 again, except for the PS3 if it´s downward compatible (if it is like the Nintendo DS, only compatible to PS2 games, but not to PS1, it won´t compete either, shmupwise).

[Nei First]

But even then, no chance to compete with PS2. I don´t think any console will ever be able to beat the PS2 again, except for the PS3 if it´s downward compatible (if it is like the Nintendo DS, only compatible to PS2 games, but not to PS1, it won´t compete either, shmupwise).

That's a scary thought, monopoly is always bad.

[japtor]

Talking about backward compatibility, is the Xbox 360 backwardcompatible?

not looking likely. if they go an emulation route, theyd still have to pay nvidia (and supposedly intel) some licensing fees or royalties. thats assuming they can get the emulation working properly enough to consider it. we'll find out for sure later today at e3, unless continue they tip toe around the issue ("we're looking into it").

revolution will probably just have motion gyros and hopefully some magical force feedback gyros (i want a new sega bass fishing if they do so). its backwards compatible so at the least itll at least have to have the ability to play gamecube games, so i doubt theyll go with a completely radical new control interface. that crappy vr concept video going around is fake. theyre not that stupid (or insane). but they could pull a sega, we'll find some more out tomorrow.

i think ps3 will be able to play ps1 games, but i only say that because the ps2 used the ps1 cpu as an i/o chip or something, if not through that, then emulation would be possible (without extra fees to sony). if it pretty much costs nothing to them, theres no reason to leave it out.

[raiden]

But even then, no chance to compete with PS2. I don´t think any console will ever be able to beat the PS2 again, except for the PS3 if it´s downward compatible (if it is like the Nintendo DS, only compatible to PS2 games, but not to PS1, it won´t compete either, shmupwise).

That's a scary thought, monopoly is always bad.

I wasn´t thinking about general success (although it isn´t improbable in that sense, either), but specifically about the question which console is best for shmups. Even if there is a slight renaissance to be felt recently, shmups will never be mainstream again, and PS2 isn´t great because of hardware design, but simply because it spans the longest timeframe of all consoles, especially with all the oldie collections.

[dave4shmups]

actually, I don´t really see the problem in bringing shmups to the Nintendo Revolution, even if it´s supposed to have some kind of VR glasses. Just blend in a tate Arcade monitor as a virtual 3d object, done.

shmup possibilities for the Xbox 360 aren´t that bad, either, as Microsoft plans to emphasize the XBL Arcade concept of bringing shareware to consoles, they already have Mountainking studios signed, maybe they can get Kenta Cho and Shanghai Alice, too.

But even then, no chance to compete with PS2. I don´t think any console will ever be able to beat the PS2 again, except for the PS3 if it´s downward compatible (if it is like the Nintendo DS, only compatible to PS2 games, but not to PS1, it won´t compete either, shmupwise).

Sony has said that the PS3 will be able to play both PS2 and PS1 games.

My question is: how many shmups will the PS3 (either import or domestic) see? I love shmups, but I don't think the genre will last that much longer-it won't be long until we have to start looking to past consoles for some shmuppin'.

[SheSaidDutch]

But how many PS1/PS2 will work with good compatibility onthe PS3?

Gradius Deluxe pack/Gaiden comes to mind.

[The Bullet Dodger]

I just hope the PS3 will be region free, so I can play both imports and NA titles on one console. But it'll never happen.