March 2007 Issue

danizduhman · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:21 pm Post subject: March 2007 Issue

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danizduhman · Last edited by danizduhman on Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:27 pm; edited 1 time in total

AMD planning Xbox 360 graphics on handhelds

No, this isn't another rampant portable Xbox 360 rumor, but the somewhat indirect linkage is indeed notable. Reportedly, AMD is planning to bring "Xbox 360 quality graphics to handheld devices" by utilizing the company's next-generation mobile graphics technologies. Although no real specifics were handed out, AMD is purportedly "working with content developers now in preparation for the arrival of phones" powered by the forthcoming set, and should be made available to handset manufacturers through "discrete media processors as well as through IP licensing agreements with semiconductor suppliers." Already released is a developers toolkit that includes support for both the OpenVG 1.0 and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics standards, and it will incorporate the same Unified Shader Architecture that's behind the scenes in your Xbox 360. Sadly, we've absolutely no idea which companies (if any) are already on board with this promising technology, but we just have to wonder if Dell won't reconsider its handheld gaming system considering the already amicable relationship with AMD.

Source

danizduhman · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:24 pm Post subject:

Peter Jackson to Develop Xbox 360 Games?

Eugene Huang, GamePro Thu Mar 8, 7:00 PM ET

Peter Jackson, auteur of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong, is reported to have signed on with Microsoft to create two interactive series for the
Xbox 360 to be released in episodic format. According to a piece from gaming blog Joystiq, reporting from Wednesday's second annual "Blogger Breakfast" event at GDC, one of the series will be based on the Halo franchise while the other will be a brand new IP.

Shane Kim, head of Microsoft Game Studios, was on hand at the event to reveal the news, stating that Jackson's two projects are still in the very early stages of the design phase. However, he also hopes that they will set a standard for other Microsoft developers to follow, confirming that the company is backing the idea of episodic content on the Xbox 360 wholeheartedly.

This news coincides with earlier reports stating similar information, confirming that the games will not be part of the direct line of Halo FPS games.

"It's not Halo 3," stated Scott Henson, Director of the Game Development Group at Microsoft in a phone conversation with Joystiq last September.

The only known detail at this point is that development for the game will be handled by Wingnut Interactive, a new studio created with the help of Peter Jackson and production partner Fran Walsh.

Source