Gigapixel Not Out The X-Box Race

Hrm.

I just want to buy it because it looks like a giant X.
How cool is that?

Dopeman
(not very. shutup.)

I'm not disagreeing that it isn't a lock with Nvidia, in fact, on the contrary, I posted how it was NOT a lock in the original post. On the other hand, MS didn't set that up as charity if they decided to back out. The dates, if nothing else, make it very hard to switch horses that late in the game unless you have a significant lead in performance from whatever Gigapixel/3dfx comes up with, and then you have to factor in 3dfx's long delays lately unless they completely turn that around.

3-6 months to completely change chips for the box is very agressive. Just look at how long it took playstation to do the Japan release after samples went out to developers, and how much longer it is taking to produce enough product to handle demand for a US release. Then, you factor in that you want good, stable software, and that short time after a potential change to retest and tweek strains you on release product, which is critical in a console release, since that is ALL you buy the thing for.

$100 Million in ownership is a "business relationship" if I've ever heard one. I'd say it is about an 85%-90% probability that Nvidia is going to be producing the chips, and MS thinks so at the moment, or they wouldn't have agreed to structure it that way.

Also, if you look at the Gigapixel 3dfx merger document, there is a lot of talk about a WebTV chip. They may get that in the end, who knows.

Of course, MS has never delayed a big product before :)

Here is a thought, gigapixel produces, MS purchases, but not the chip, the failing 3dfx company thus getting everything they need for future console and 3d hardware products under thier roof. Still won't be in the X-box [too late to alter development at that point] but X-box2 and you know there will be one, may be a different story.

Here is the relevant Nvidia S-3 filing comments for a stock offering filed with the SEC 3/29:

On March 5, 2000, we entered into an agreement with Microsoft in which we agreed to develop and sell graphics chips and to license certain technology to Microsoft and its licensees for use in a product under development by Microsoft. The agreement provides that in April 2000, Microsoft will pay us $200 million as an advance against graphics chip purchases and for licensing
our technology. Microsoft may terminate the agreement at any time and if termination occurs prior to offset in full of the advance payments, we would be required to return to Microsoft up to $100 million of the prepayment and to convert the remainder into our preferred stock at a 30% premium to the 30-day average trading price of our common stock.

So, what it says is MS basically ordered $200 Million worth of chips from Nvidia, and gave them the money in April. If MS wants, they can cancel their agreement at any time, and Nvidia would pay them back $100 Million in cash and convert $100 Million into preferred stock at a price 30% above market (preferred being non-voting).

If they gave Nvidia $200 Million, that to me says that they are pretty sure they are going with them. Yes, they could back out at any time, but if they intended to do that, why would they make an arrangement to purchase Nvidia stock on the way out the door?

Who knows, but I doubt seriously that MS will change suppliers based on the above. It could happen, but I wouldn't go out and buy a bunch of stock based on it.

I wouldn't make this a reason to go out and buy a bunch of TDFX, but that is just me :)

I hate asking u guys for help, seems kinda corny, but I have no other choice.

Occasionally (getting more and more now) when I restart my comp, I get a message:

C:\windows\system\vmm32.vxd Missing/Unable to load.
Press any key to continue......

I checked the file in safe mode, it's there. So windows must not be loading it.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Give me 14 million and I'll pretend to work for the next two years too.

The X-Box will never make it into my living room. An Emotion-engine powered playstation 2 has as much power as a suped-up PC of today. And its not like I use my PC for productive things like learning or anything like that. So whassup? And if its powered by Windows of some sort, that means that there are going to be X-Box virii (virus') out there. There should be an option to install open source operating systems on the X-Box like Linux or BeOS (for those mac lovers who think an X-Box qualifies as a PC). Har.

Dopeman

If Gigapixel can get the design done, which they already have with the GP-1 and GP-2 (taking someone else's word on the second, I hadn't heard of this before), then they should be circumventing the 3dfx engineering issue anyways. They could have STB just manufacture the boards or even ask tsmc or some third party to actually fab them. THe problem at 3dfx, iirc, is that they can't design a board on time and that is competitive. This would all be done by gigapixel, 3dfx would just have to sign on the dotted line (if they have finalized the purchase of gigapixel) and possibly help them find fab capacity.

pimpstick....i think i love you! heheh but umm, not in that way. ;)
anyways...like wtf is the HL patch?

I think that Gigapixel still has a serious shot at the X-box contract.

Yes, it's true that 3dfx has been busy shooting themselves in the feet lately but I doubt they will do anything to jeapordize the Microsoft deal. In fact having 3dfx's resources behind them, Gigapixel may be able to pull a fast one over on Nvidia.

Gigapixel is still basically a separate company, so saying that they will fail like 3dfx because 3dfx now owns them is a bit narrow-minded.

Gigapixel had the lead in the x-box race until Nvidia snatched it away. And as that agreement with Microsoft shows, Gigapixel is still in the race.

Things can change drastically in a years time. Just look at a year ago when Nvidia and 3dfx were basically on equal ground.

3dfx has the talented people and the money... they just need to execute instead of slowing down. Maybe Gigapixel can guide them out of the darkness...

In any case, all this competition is good.

figure i'd throw in my 2 cents. i seriously doubt 3dfx can pull it off. they have been pretty consistently blundering things lately and i just cant imagine microsoft willing to risk their debut of the x-box getting miffed up by some chipset problem that 3dfx missed.

a lot changes in a year though...

I went to BestBuy yesterday, they had a space on the shelves for 3dfx V5 and GTS Pophet, 3dfx was $299, the Prophet was $360

Steve... i do see your point on the blunderings as of late, however...Gigapixel has already been deep in development of *that* chipset/board for the x-box for quite sometime without any intervention from 3dfx. Yeah i realize 3dfx can just go in and just fuck it all up but i really doubt they would wanna mess with such a design that had been praised. Just my 2 cents.

They will probably end up with 3dfx making their chips because Microsoft realized that console buyers probably don't know how to fuck with the drivers like they would have to if Nvidia made the chip!

Buhahahahahahaha!!!

This could actualy put 3dfx back in the race, unless
they poop on themselves again.

Al Gore = weed

Al Gore - if you don't win the presidential race, will you follow Bob Dole's path and promote medicine that relates to you, like he did?

Bob Dole = Viagra
Al Gore = Paxil?

Boogieman

Moo.

baaaa







.

As a side note...6.4Gb's is all for an *NV25* related product? Ugh....wtf are they thinking? Sounds like it may be another memory bandwidth card that cant reach its full potential...

Doom3 or the XBox which will come first?

Nvdia x box chip spesifications are very lacking in one crucial area,memmory bandwidth,6.4 GB/sec.If 3dfx gigapixel can finish the gp4 chip (on time!?)with their tiling tecnology = something like 40-50 GB/sec memmory bandwidth ( i read some where,gigapixel web site i think)they will very likely get the xbox contract. Yes i own 3dfx stock :)

Something like this goes to prove that Microsoft will do anything it needs to in order to get to (or stay at) the top. How many times have we seen companies (not just hardware, but game companies as well) stay with what they consider "slightly outdated" technology because they either "started it that way and will finish it that way" or because of contractual (is that a word? :o}) issues?

I'm not saying that nVidia is "outdated" (not by a long shot), I'm just saying that in a way, it's good to see Microsoft saying "Wait a minute. If we can get better, kick-ass gfx from someone else, even though we made 10 announcements that nVidia is our man, why should we be obligated to them?".

I'm a game freak, as many or most of you all are. I want to see the Xbox be as much of a killer system as the next guy. If it takes stepping on a few toes and hurting some feelings, I say go for it.

Then again, I could be wrong ... I DID just wake up. o_O

Love, peace and hair grease,

-Xak

portable x-box
x-laptop-box ?
chuckle

SPICY!
This is gonna make them work even harder and WE will get better graphic cards! (again :)

You boys need to READ that document:

It seems that this is an agreement for a product later on down the line if MS likes it. Possibly more web based appliances, who knows. Maybe X-box2, though DOUBTED highly. June 2001 is date to show hardware off, isn't nvidia's due date like January?

Before you even start, SHUT UP DAVID!