X360 team deving handheld

By Games Industry.biz Published 8 May, 2006

So says man in the know.

Author Dean Takahashi has claimed in his new book, The Xbox 360 Uncloaked, that half of Microsoft's Xbox 360 hardware team has already started developing a new portable machine designed to compete with the PSP and Nintendo DS.

Takahashi claims the team was split in two following the launch of the Xbox 360, leaving the other half to work solely on reducing production costs for Microsoft's next-gen console.

According to the writer, the portable is planned to be released halfway into Xbox 360's lifespan, a strategy to assuage the crippling costs of moving through hardware cycles.

A Microsoft gaming handheld has been long-rumoured, the latest occurrence adding fuel to this particular fire being the release of a movie for the company's Origami project. A promotional video for the handheld PC showed Halo 2 running on its screen.

Future-gazing aside, Takahasi's book contains a wealth of insider information on the creation of Xbox 360 and the team responsible for the project, including details on the departure of Ed Fries, Microsoft's VP for game publishing; the machinations surrounding decisions to work with the likes of nVidia and Intel with Xbox 360; and Microsoft's internal reaction to the announcement of PlayStation 3's Cell processor.

Watch this space for a full review of The Xbox 360 Uncloaked.

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Comments (31) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Darkedge #1 6 years ago

    err I'm sure I read about this 2 months ago.. I'm interested in the news but this ones very very stale.

  • dbeamish #2 6 years ago

    this has been rumoured for a long time.. months.. maybe a year. Will it happen? who knows..

  • drumbaby #3 6 years ago

    Microsoft's internal reaction to the announcement of PlayStation 3's Cell processor


    'Parp!'

  • ruttyboy #4 6 years ago

    "the machinations surrounding decisions to work with the likes of nVidia and Intel with Xbox 360;"

    I thought the 360 had an ATI GPU and IBM CPU?

  • ecureuil #5 6 years ago

    I really hope this isn't true. I just hate the fact that Microsoft want to force their way in to everything.. GBA, DS and PSP is already too many.

  • jmctavish #6 6 years ago

    Great. Looks like the handhelds of the future will be overheating and crashing. They would be better of using all their staff to inprove the 360.

  • _wii #7 6 years ago

    What ever Microsoft comes up with is bound to look over sized and ugly.

  • Carrybagma #8 6 years ago

    A promotional video for the handheld PC showed Halo 2 running on its screen.

    Did it show Killzone too?

  • Jokerr #9 6 years ago

    Great news. The handheld market could do with some more competiton.

  • Tweakmonkey #10 6 years ago

    A portable Xbox would be great but it's all a bit "me too".

  • Zuiyo #11 6 years ago

    They are basically going to develop an iPod that play games.

  • Calgon #12 6 years ago

    Microsoft's internal reaction to the announcement of PlayStation 3's Cell processor

    'weeee' "hahaha! wtf were they thinking"

  • assassinx22 #13 6 years ago

    http://ga metrailers.com/umwatcher.php?id=41

  • Xerx3s #14 6 years ago

    "I thought the 360 had an ATI GPU and IBM CPU?"

    They do, its for BC.

    "I really hope this isn't true. I just hate the fact that Microsoft want to force their way in to everything.. GBA, DS and PSP is already too many."

    err, the more the merrier. Competition in this buisiness is never a bad thing.

    "What ever Microsoft comes up with is bound to look over sized and ugly."

    But atleast it wont be a BBQ.

    "http://ga metrailers.com/umwatcher.php?id=41"

    Lol @ fakeass accents. ;p

  • byron_hinson #15 6 years ago

    Thought everyone knew this? Allard is working on it which is why you haven't seen his irritating mug anywhere recently.

  • Calgon #16 6 years ago

    @ http://ga metrailers.com/umwatcher.php?id=41
    You know Im so glad Im not part of whatever crowd they are in lol... you know when you find yourself cringing at someone repeatedly? ack! they look like a bunch of Geeky Wiids to me :D

    I may reconsider the wii and just stick to the 360, MS seem to be the only ones delivering so far, others make promises(well atleast Nintendo dont hype too much and try to deliver unlike sony)

    Oh and just so people know, if you thought 360 was a bit on the warm side just you wait for that PS3 to arrive, you geeky little bitches will melt by the sounds of it. Sony still have the worst record out of the 3 console makers for reliability, no matter how many Sony Zombies claim otherwise(they talk complete shit mostly anyways, look at blackdog... delusional!).
    Edited by 3 at 08/05/06 @ 17:40

  • jozz #17 6 years ago

    I'm guessing that an Xbox fell on his gerbil as a kid and he has to console him self by preaching his blinkered gospel to the world.
    Either that or he is quite possibly the worst PLANT! ever seen. I just hope he atleast gets paid for all this shameless pimping :)

    I doubt there is enough room for another handheld on the market really. The PSP has the UK market and the DS has the US and a pretty dominant position in Japan.

    I suspect it will go the way of the Gizmondo quite easily tbh.

    -Edited out the rude bits ;)
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/06 @ 18:05

  • snick #18 6 years ago

    Thats a bit harsh, they've only come into the fold one generation after Sony, and have certainly made their mark. Putting Sony in the same category as Nintendo was until recently a major faux-pas, how long until microsoft are allowed to become part of the establishment?

  • jozz #19 6 years ago

    You really think the other companies don't copy each other, aren't in the industry to make lots money and aren't responsible for ports being delayed/downgraded?

    :D

    They did kill the Xbox off too early though. It was to get a head start on Sony. Although at the expense of the people who don't want /can't afford a 360 yet unfortunetly :|

    Still, the PS2 had a very good run and the Cube was indeed in need of a refreshment too I'd say.
    Edited by 3 at 08/05/06 @ 18:26

  • tengu #20 6 years ago

    "Oh and just so people know, if you thought 360 was a bit on the warm side just you wait for that PS3 to arrive, you geeky little bitches will melt by the sounds of it. Sony still have the worst record out of the 3 console makers for reliability, no matter how many Sony Zombies claim otherwise(they talk complete shit mostly anyways, look at blackdog... delusional!)."

    Can someone please explain to me what any of this has to do with a Microsoft handheld?

    It never ceases to amaze me how pathetically insecure some fanboys are that they need to attack other consoles and their fans constantly, no matter how off topic they have to go to do it.
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/06 @ 19:22

  • manic_mouse #21 6 years ago

    "It never ceases to amaze me how pathetically insecure some fanboys are that they need to attack other consoles constantly, no matter how off topic they have to go to do it."

    *remembers Xbox 360 launch, and the EG comments section*

    *agrees wholeheartedly with the statement above*

  • Xerx3s #22 6 years ago

    "I'm sorry but I'm starting to HATE Microsoft. They have done nothing to the gaming industry apart from copy others and make Halo. Which, although good, is extreamly over-rated."

    One word. Bullshit.

    Did they copy live? No. Sony and ninty laughed at them and now copy them.
    Did they copy xbl arcade? No. Sony and ninty copy them.
    Did they introduce a good storage medium? Yes. Sony and ninty laughed at them and now copy them.
    Did they have some good games? There are over 500, take you pick.
    Is Bill gates in fact Jezus christ & J Allard, Maria Magdalene? Yes.*
    AoE2? One of the best MP rts games ever.



    *Might not be entirely true, but they do have the ring of light & 2 halo's.

  • ManicDrunkMonk #23 6 years ago

    Why is it all gamers seem to do these days is whine?

    Most of the arguments make no sense anyway.

  • drumbaby #24 6 years ago

    you know when you find yourself cringing at someone repeatedly?

    Oh yes Calgon, I know that only too well with your posts.

  • jozz #25 6 years ago

    Ha!

    I'm sorry but you are not exactly one to talk.

  • Mr_Brown #26 6 years ago

    Would be a good move. Would be hard to compete with DS and PSP though...unless they have a huge amount of Xbox games available for it and you can download and play Xbox Live Arcade games on it and trailers and music from Xbox360. Perhaps transfer saves with it also...connect to Xbox Live and play Xbox games online with it also...

    Lets face it Microsoft could do all these things and it would be very welcome to me. Perhaps this could be one of Microsofts big E3 surprises...would definatly (along with Halo 3) steal the show for sure and lets face it for the 360's sake, they need to dominate this show.

  • Calgon #27 6 years ago

    @Tengu: oh please do shut up!, you're either seriously selective in what you read out of these comments("omg he said something bad about Sony", ignoring the rest) or you're every bit of a fanboy as those you complain about.

    drumbaby: Microsoft's internal reaction to the announcement of PlayStation 3's Cell processor


    'Parp!'

    jmctavish: Great. Looks like the handhelds of the future will be overheating and crashing. They would be better of using all their staff to inprove the 360.

    *needn't include Blackdogs comments I just cant take him seriously and I doubt many others will*


    So in that context, yeah, it was just as on topic as those posts, was it necessary? probably not but it seems to be the way these comments go time and time again and people like you seem to be oblivious to it(yet annoyingly pretentious when it suits you). I mean the only time you give a shit is when someone has a knock at Sony, is it a case of anything goes... unless it's Sony? Spare me the bullshit m8!
    Edited by 4 at 08/05/06 @ 23:22

  • tengu #28 6 years ago

    Quite honestly Calgon, I usually don't give a shit if anyone 'has a knock' at Sony(Unless it seems like obvious trolling perhaps), it's when people like yourself attack the people who like Playstation(Most especially in completely unrelated threads, like this one) for no other reason than their own elitist "everyone who doesn't like the same things as me clearly has something wrong with them" mentality.

    Most of your posts that I've read seem to attack Playstation fans for no reason, usually in great length too as I recall, and it's gotten beyond boring now, that's why I take issue with your post. Attack Sony all you want if that's how you get your jollies, but at least have the balls to do it in related threads and spare me your bullshit generalising of Playstation fans as "zombies" every time you post, eh?

  • NthSimulachum #29 6 years ago

    Competition used to be very useful in inspiring creativity. During the 15th Century, Renaissance artists vied against each other for patronisation by wealthy patrons(for a good example look up the competition between Brunelleschi and Ghiberti for the Baptistry Doors in Florence). However, more patrons did not mean better art, it just meant more of it. How many renaissance artists can most of you name? I will be suprised if you can name more than 25, whilst hundreds of artists(and numerous assistants) were active during this period.

    Whether the entry of Microsoft into the handheld market is a curse or blessing remains to be seen. However, the creation of such direct contests between developers I believe would greatly vitalise an industry often prone to playing it too safe, such as EA's market model(see many of its succesful but mediocre products). Bethesda and Bioware going head to head would certainly be interesting, to earn the full project.

    Or maybe we should Nationalise handhelds. Stranger things have happened. That horse becoming a senator for example. Cameron DS! Use your fuel most efficiently whilst traversing an ice-cap with the stylus.

  • Calgon #30 6 years ago

    Tengu it's painfully obvious what you're doing, it certainly looks like you give a shit too. I mean that post was all wraped up and didnt need anymore replies to it(you're the only one who seems to be so upset about it, desperatly trying to make an issue of it).

    I "attack" (infact no, I point out their errors or counter their quarrels with comparisons to the direct competition rather than simply "call them names" :/) TROLLS and thats all. I pointed out exactly where that post came from and you've basically ignored it as usual... its bound to go off topic when fanboys of other consoles constantly troll the 360s comments and threads. Also before you say it, YES!, I do know the difference between the odd bit of nagativaty on a particular subject and trolling and YES your pointless arguements with me are becoming boring.

    I dont have any problems with gamers who prefer one console over another thats expected(on the plus side theres been fewer that I would classify as Zombies or Trolls around here recently which is not the same thing, so don't even try and make out thats what I'm doing), it's the blatant trolling and bashing that goes on alot.. if I see bullshit like that Im going to pick it apart with solid reasons(which must be what sets you off huh?) since I'm reading through it anyway.

    it's when people like yourself attack the people who like Playstation(Most especially in completely unrelated threads, like this one) for no other reason than their own elitist "everyone who doesn't like the same things as me clearly has something wrong with them" mentality.

    Now thats just complete bollocks sorry(the first thing that springs to mind about you now is HYPOCRITE), you can paint whatever picture you like though, theres really no point in carrying this on as you're just going to carry on doing that, regardless of the real situation(whos trying so hard to make it personal here? lol I actually find you amusing). I dont think many others want to have to read through this shit either and btw its you thats gone so far off topic here!
    Edited by 12 at 09/05/06 @ 05:25

  • evade #31 6 years ago

    @Mr_Brown
    Sounds exactly like the rumours I've heard!