S
Sprite Scaler
Seung Ho Chung / Nobody's Perfect: I was wondering what you might be
thinking about the Xbox 2 now. with IBM probably providing a PowerPC
CPU and ATi's Marlborough team, which has former Lockheed Martin
Real3D engineers, doing the graphics.
You no doubt recall this part of an article on Sega's Saturn2 from
EDGE magazine and Sony Generation (NG) magazine, from 1995, that you
also posted in 1996-97:
"Now Sega has conceded internally that Saturn will face tough
competition from the Playstation and will not be able to match the
onslaught from the Ultra 64 in 1996. Lockheed Martin has therefore
been given the go-ahead to start work on Saturn 2, although it's not
yet known exactly what form it will take. The current understanding is
that the system will be a standalone console, but it's possible that
Sega could save money by using the existing Saturn as an I/O device,
CD drive and power supply. As with Sega's coin-op IG boards, Lockheed
Martin will be concentrating on the graphics side of Saturn 2,
providing a R3D/100 graphics chip which includes both a geometry
processor and a graphics processor. It's quite possible that Hitachi
will supply the front end (possibly PowerPC -based) - it was rumoured
that Yu Suzuki and other Sega coin-op honchos had wanted Lockheed
Martin to handle the whole project, but this was vetoed internally
because of delays with LMC's development of the Model 3 IG board."
Saturn 2 *was* going to be PowerPC + Real3D or Hitachi SH-4 + Real3D
Xbox2 *is* going to be PowerPC + ATI.
ATI *has* Real3D. If we can establish that, then:
Xbox2 *should* have Real3D technology in it, much like the Nintendo
GameCube has ArtX/SGI (owned by ATI) technology in it.
If I'm right, this is a good thing. Sega console games on an
ATI-powered Microsoft console with some Real3D heritige in it. With
Microsoft's funding, they will have a legit chance at smashing Sony
and the Playstation brand. Both in marketshare and in graphics.
I know the Sony fanboys will laugh but we Sega fanboys have to have
hope
Nintendo fans can be happy too, because N5 will also have ATI's
graphical goodness in it. thanks to the ArtX and Real3D acquisitions.
All ATI teams probably share the collective technology the company has
acquired. Together, the new MS and Nintendo consoles, powered by
ATi/ArtX/Real3D technology, will have a shot at ending Sony's
dominance.
thinking about the Xbox 2 now. with IBM probably providing a PowerPC
CPU and ATi's Marlborough team, which has former Lockheed Martin
Real3D engineers, doing the graphics.
You no doubt recall this part of an article on Sega's Saturn2 from
EDGE magazine and Sony Generation (NG) magazine, from 1995, that you
also posted in 1996-97:
"Now Sega has conceded internally that Saturn will face tough
competition from the Playstation and will not be able to match the
onslaught from the Ultra 64 in 1996. Lockheed Martin has therefore
been given the go-ahead to start work on Saturn 2, although it's not
yet known exactly what form it will take. The current understanding is
that the system will be a standalone console, but it's possible that
Sega could save money by using the existing Saturn as an I/O device,
CD drive and power supply. As with Sega's coin-op IG boards, Lockheed
Martin will be concentrating on the graphics side of Saturn 2,
providing a R3D/100 graphics chip which includes both a geometry
processor and a graphics processor. It's quite possible that Hitachi
will supply the front end (possibly PowerPC -based) - it was rumoured
that Yu Suzuki and other Sega coin-op honchos had wanted Lockheed
Martin to handle the whole project, but this was vetoed internally
because of delays with LMC's development of the Model 3 IG board."
Saturn 2 *was* going to be PowerPC + Real3D or Hitachi SH-4 + Real3D
Xbox2 *is* going to be PowerPC + ATI.
ATI *has* Real3D. If we can establish that, then:
Xbox2 *should* have Real3D technology in it, much like the Nintendo
GameCube has ArtX/SGI (owned by ATI) technology in it.
If I'm right, this is a good thing. Sega console games on an
ATI-powered Microsoft console with some Real3D heritige in it. With
Microsoft's funding, they will have a legit chance at smashing Sony
and the Playstation brand. Both in marketshare and in graphics.
I know the Sony fanboys will laugh but we Sega fanboys have to have
hope

Nintendo fans can be happy too, because N5 will also have ATI's
graphical goodness in it. thanks to the ArtX and Real3D acquisitions.
All ATI teams probably share the collective technology the company has
acquired. Together, the new MS and Nintendo consoles, powered by
ATi/ArtX/Real3D technology, will have a shot at ending Sony's
dominance.