M$ & nVidia a braccetto...

[DoomIII]

NVIDIA is very happy about the settlement.

The X-Box GPU is a very long term product for NVIDIA, and they are continually looking for cost benefits. Now that the bulk 0.15u process at TSMC is very mature, the cost for each GPU continues to decline. There have probably been several "quiet" revisions of the X-Box GPU that have helped to increase the overall yield and binning process for that product, and this again helps to decrease the cost of each GPU produced.


as soon as the cost crossover from 0.15 to 0.13 occurs. Right now the 0.13u process at TSMC is fairly expensive per good die, but as soon as the price crossover occurs then NVIDIA will make the switch. The smaller the die, the more die per wafer a manufacturer can stick in, and each die then comes down in price and helps to improve NVIDIA’s margins. This also fits nicely into possible future plans for the original X-Box.

Microsoft is continually assessing its X-Box platform, and the transition to a 0.13u product by NVIDIA could have a significant effect on Microsoft’s plans. If NVIDIA does decide to pursue a 0.13u X-Box GPU, then it will consume less power and also produce a lot less heat. This could lead to the introduction of a small form factor X-Box, much like what Sony did with the PS-1. Many would welcome a smaller, more industrial looking design for the X-Box, and once NVIDIA hits 0.13u with the X-Box GPU, this could very easily happen (but is not set in stone).

NVIDIA has worked very closely with Microsoft, and they fully expect to work with Microsoft again.

The current X-Box still has a lot of headroom left in it, and future titles will help to expose that headroom. The Halo series will again come to the fore in the next few months with the introduction of Halo 2. Now that developers are comfortable with programming for the X-Box, more graphically intense titles will be hitting the shelves very shortly. Halo 2 will feature some very impressive graphics by uncovering the advanced bump mapping capabilities of the X-Box GPU, as well as increased lighting complexity. The next generation of games will keep enthusiasts quite happy with the X-Box. This is a very natural progression for consoles, as the initial games are typically not as impressive graphically as those that come several years after. We have seen this with the PS-1 and now the PS-2, and the X-Box will be no different. Developers will find ways to introduce advanced rendering functions that were initially absent, and this helps to give that particular console a longer life as well as greater perceived value.