Samsung starts producing GDDR6 RAM for next-gen graphics cards

You can start getting pumped about the next generation of graphics cards, as Samsung has announced that it's building the first-ever 16-gigabit GDDR6 chips using its 10-nanometer class technology. The news isn't a complete surprise, as Samsung previo...

Nintendo’s Iwata says being first in next-gen race is ‘not important at all,’ pricing is

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata recently talked about how the Wii U's second screen was nearly scrapped due to cost concerns, so it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to once again hear him talk about the importance of pricing. While unfortunately not divulging a specific number, Iwata tells Gamasutra that the "pricing of Wii U is going to be one of the most important elements when it is going to be launched," adding that "the environment is different. Wii U is going to be launching in a different environment than when the Wii was launched." He also talked about the timing of the console's release (coming well before Microsoft's and Sony's next-gen consoles), saying that "being first in the next generation race is not important at all." So why now? Iwata says somewhat immodestly that "one of the reasons we believe this is the time for Nintendo to launch the Wii U is it's going to be important for the world," adding that its "focus is on how we can make our new console different" than its competitors.

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Nintendo's Iwata says being first in next-gen race is 'not important at all,' pricing is originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 16:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alleged Xbox 720 document leak resurfaces, stirs rumors of Kinect 2, native 3D, AR glasses

Leaked Xbox 720 document resurfaces, stirs up rumors of Kinect 2, native 3D, augmented reality glasses

A document passing itself off as an internal Microsoft presentation about the future of Xbox has surfaced, and is stirring internet chatter with its possible hints at the future of the console. Despite turning up online over a month ago and potentially dating back to 2010, a few things mentioned that have since come to fruition -- like SmartGlass -- are earning it more attention. The proposed developments include cloud-based entertainment, native 3D, augmented reality "Fortaleza Glasses," scalable hardware -- all by 2015. If that's too long to wait, however, the time line also indicates we'd be seeing the next generation hardware in 2013 for $299 (more precise and four-player ready Kinect 2 included). The Xbox 720 package described includes such pie-in-the-sky bullet points as Blu-ray and whole-home DVR features, all from a low-power always-on box built on a "Yukon" ARM hardware platform.

Of course, even if this is legit and not just some business student's exercise, all the talk of value propositions, OEM licensing and developer profitability are proposals that could have changed. Need more reasons to be skeptical? Digital Foundry points out the extremely optimistic wattages listed and previous appearances of the illustrations included. Ponder over the full 56-page document for yourself -- taking into account the bored minds on the internet that are capable of cranking out this kind of stuff, like that infamous Nintendo Revolution video -- after the break.

Update: The document has been pulled from Scribd, apparently at the request of a Covington & Burling, LLP.

[Thanks, Leonard]

Continue reading Alleged Xbox 720 document leak resurfaces, stirs rumors of Kinect 2, native 3D, AR glasses

Alleged Xbox 720 document leak resurfaces, stirs rumors of Kinect 2, native 3D, AR glasses originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Jun 2012 10:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Epic senior technical artist Alan Willard talks Unreal Engine 4 for next-gen consoles

DNP Epic senior technical artist Alan Willard talks Unreal Engine 4 for nextgen consoles

There's no PS4 or Xbox 720 behind the curtain, Alan Willard assures a dark room full of eager video game journalists. Nope, it's just a current high-end piece of PC hardware. In spite of the company's position as a creator of one of the industry's leading game engines, Epic doesn't get a peek at Sony and Microsoft's next generation consoles before the companies are ready for their grand unveiling. "We won't know final hardware specs until everyone else does," the company's senior technical artist tells me after the presentation, adding with a laugh, "If they do, I don't know anything about it."

The company spent this year's E3 cycling media in and out of its small meeting room on the second floor of the convention center, dimming the lights and showing off just what Unreal Engine 4 has to offer -- or at least a pretty good idea of what it will offer when it's finally ready for prime time. It's clear from the excitement on the Epic employees' faces that all involved are relieved to finally show the demo off for gatherings of eager writers. No surprise there, of course. After all, the engine has been in development in some form or other for eight or nine years -- several lifetimes in the roman candle-like world of video game development.

Continue reading Epic senior technical artist Alan Willard talks Unreal Engine 4 for next-gen consoles

Epic senior technical artist Alan Willard talks Unreal Engine 4 for next-gen consoles originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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