New Xbox 360 Jasper chipset could lower prices and kill Sony off
By Dave Parrack
Now that Xbox 360s with the new smaller and more reliable Falcon chipset are rolling off the production line, it seems Microsoft are already lining up a replacement. And this baby could potentially steal the Wii’s market, and leave the PS3 expensive and floundering.
The Mercury News Blog is reporting today that a new motherboard codenamed Jasper is being readied to replace Falcon by as early as next August, just in time for next year’s holiday shopping season.
Jasper consists of a smaller 65nm graphics card and smaller memory chips than the existing Falcon. The Falcon board was introduced as a way of reducing costs and also the chances of overheating, the cause of the so called Red Ring of Death that plagued early Xbox 360 consoles and is still costing the company money to solve.
It’s thought that the new Jasper chipset will further reduce this problem, and almost guarantee your beloved console won’t suddenly pack up and need to be sent for repairs.
The other advantage is of course the even lower costs of production, as the smaller graphics and memory chips will both lower how much it costs to manufacture each console. This could, and let’s face it, should be a saving that Microsoft passes on to its customers.
After the Falcon started shipping, the cost of an Xbox 360 was lowered by $50 so come next August that should be the least we expect to see happen.
If Microsoft can push Jasper out sooner than next August we could see two intriguing and important developments in the battle for console supremacy in the marketplace. For one, the Xbox 360 would come down in price nearer to the price of a Wii, and take it comfortably in to the realms of casual gamers everywhere. And secondly and most telling, unless Sony pull a severe price cut out of that top hat of theirs then the PS3 could be killed off as a contender for the top spot.
Seriously, if most people had the choice of a Wii or Xbox 360 for $300 or a $500 PS3, what would they do? We’re not talking hardcore gamers here, we’re now in the middle of kids and parents casual gamers heaven. The PS3 just wouldn’t be able to compete at that price and in that type of competitive marketplace.
Jasper may only be a chipset, but could it kill Sony off as the games hardware top dog?
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October 10th, 2007
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October 10th, 2007
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October 10th, 2007
[…] New Xbox 360 Jasper chipset could lower prices and kill Sony offThe Falcon board was introduced as a way of reducing costs and also the chances of overheating, the cause of the so called Red Ring of Death that plagued early Xbox 360 consoles and is still costing the company money to solve. … Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. […]
October 10th, 2007
[…] Alexander Sliwinski wrote an interesting post today!.Here’s a quick excerptNow that Xbox 360s with the new smaller and more reliable Falcon chipset are rolling off the production line, it seems Microsoft are already lining up a replacement. And this baby could potentially steal the Wii’s market, and leave the … […]
October 10th, 2007
I have a launch console that hasn’t had any problems, but I’m waiting. When the extended 3-year warrenty runs out, Jasper will be out (Around the same time). So this is something I will get just for the piece of mind, and to save energy costs in college.
However, I don’t think it will kill of the PS3, nor do I want it too. Despite the fact I will not be getting a PS3 for some time, a monopoly is never good for consumers, NEVER!
October 10th, 2007
[…] New Xbox 360 Jasper Chipset Could Lower Prices And Kill Sony Off - TECH.BLORGE.com Half Life SourceNew Xbox 360 Jasper chipset could lower prices and kill Sony offTECH.BLORGE.com, Australia - 1 hour ago After the Falcon started shipping, the cost of an Xbox 360 was lowered by $50 so come next August that should be the least we expect to see happen. Microsoft Adds Free Games To Xbox 360 Consoles InformationWeek Analyst: PS3 Cut Will Affect Xbox 360 Sales Only Minimally Xbox Today Publishers Flock to Wii, But Will it Be Enough? PC World Indiantelevision.com - TECH.BLORGE.com all 60 news articles […]
October 11th, 2007
xbox can’t sell in Japan, sony makes up a lot of ground in japan plus the Us, Europe, and anywhere else. xbox will never kill off sony.
October 18th, 2007
Of course 360 will never kill ps3 they already lost reliably around the world due to its high failure rate.The xbox 360 will forever be known for the RED Ring of Death.but it good they may finally fix the problem.
October 25th, 2007
No chance at killing Sony. I just purchased a PS3 due to M$’s negligence to cutomer service. I have a 360, that I’m expecting back today after a month in a half of waiting for M$ to take their time to fix my RROD. I’m tired of being a beta tester for M$. I want a product that I can enjoy.
Never, will the 360 kill off Sony. I’ve never looked at Sony in the past for games. Currently, in my house, I now have a PS3.
Kill of Sony? It looks like they just helped boost Sony’s Christmas sales.
Plus, factor in the amount of money it’s costing those who will buy a 2nd or 3rd 360 when the better chips come out. Way more than a PS3.
Buy a PS3 once for a little higher price in the beginning. Enjoy it for a long time.
June 7th, 2008
No, it won’t kill off the PS3. However, once it is marked down to a price comparable to the Wii (which the arcade already is), it will be open to a more available range of people.
As for enjoying a PS3 for a long time, I hope you mean just looking at it. Where’s the games?
Sorry, just had to. I know, I know, they’re coming… But just how long does Sony want to make people wait for their “games” to come around? And why do they still call it a video game console, isn’t it still just a cut down media PC?