coresx Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 No doubt Microsoft and partners are way into development of the next console. I do wonder if they will release an Xbox 360 mini or just go ahead and release a next gen console with 100% BC. Either way, it's kills the bad image of unreliable 360s which I think sticks in consumers mind. Microsoft will certainly want to add some Wii/Motion functionality but taken to the next level and I think releasing that on the 360 we see today would look rather copy cat and pathetic whereas a new Xbox model would look quite new and fresh. Here is an out shot, they have the hardcore and casual but Wii has the masses which there are desperately trying to grab but ultimately failing. Solution ? You create an Xbox 360 Mini, relaunch with your new motion camera control or whatever. Price is cheaptastic for masses. You have a massive library of games. You then create the next generation Xbox which is 100% BC with all software, hardware and services. More powerful, more refined, has motion control too. Microsoft have the most powerful masses console, Xbox 360. They also have the most powerful hardcore, casual console. Make money hand over fist either way. Why peg hole a powerful next gen console into the cheap market at the start of it's life when it's so unlikely to happen. This way they win. I think that would be a great two tier strategy since the 360 has so much life in it. You just alter it's perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sethos Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 That is actually very interesting thinking there, Mr. WooHoo - it does actually sound very plausible they would try to directly compete for the Wii's user base by creating their own little 'party' console, would love to see that happen! Not that I would ever buy it, that's a different matter :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad. Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 That is actually very interesting thinking there, Mr. WooHoo - it does actually sound very plausible they would try to directly compete for the Wii's user base by creating their own little 'party' console, would love to see that happen! Not that I would ever buy it, that's a different matter :p Totally agreed. I'm becoming more and more excited for E3 now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted April 29, 2009 Author Subscriber² Share Posted April 29, 2009 (edited) I think people are looking too much into the hardware side of things, at least in terms of actual consoles. I think E3 this year is going to be a massive focus on software and Web 3.0, aka, trying to take gaming and social concepts to the next level, user generated content, ways to interact and publish content as a home owner, etc. As much as half this board hates myspace/facebook/chat rooms/Home/etc, these things can be massive revenue generators and attract the larger audience outside of the hardcore. Also don't mix the above up with "casual games", I don't really mean announcing In the Movies 2 or stuff like that. Due to superior online capabilities its something Sony and MS can excel in and trample on the Wii with, giving them a massive catch to hook casuals ouside of trying to create mini games and bang on motion controlling. Even if we get HD gaming with awesome motion controls, the Wii has just become renounded as being the device to swing your hips with. You'd need a mammoth marketing budget to try and change perceptions. So while it's worth trying to grab some of that audience with some sort of motion device, I think the main aim is to start a new "craze" with something the masses like doing. For hardware I think you'll see a push for 3D gaming, motion controls and my wildcard something portable for MS focussed on gaming to link to XBLA. I think it's possible MS will link the a new more powerful Zune into XBLA to try and compete with the iPhone/iPod touch gaming capabilities. With Sony going digital only on the PSP also it's not a bad move as having no disc/catridge to put in the Zune will mirror the new PSP and iPhone/iPod, it's not as if they're taking a huge risk being digital. Would be an outlet to tap into the market without plundering all the cash necessary for R&D on a standalone handheld gaming device. That's my wildcard bet for E3. A new Zune focussed on gaming. That or an all out handheld, but I don't think they'll blow the cash to enter the handheld market this generation with a standalone games device. I think MS and Sony have blown so much money developing then catering for these current consoles banging out a new console after a few years in an economic crisis is far from trying to obtain profitability, it's a sureshot way to put yourself in more "debt". There's been job losses, worst financial reports in "x" amount of years, etc coming from the giants HQ's. At a stretch, slimline consoles, I'll be admitting defeat to the board if a new console arrives, but I'm extremely confident it's far too early and is an impractical business decision. We just don't need new consoles in the typical sense right now, iterations I'll listen to, but it depends what's changing. Would we have to REPLACE current hardware, or ADD to it with extra components? Edited April 29, 2009 by Audioboxer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo Gil Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 I hate myspace/facebook/chat rooms/Home/etc. :p Bold claims from MS, even though these last years have been fairly good. Let's see what's on their sleeve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green_Eye Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 I look forward to being impressed (Y) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyLarry Veteran Posted April 29, 2009 Veteran Share Posted April 29, 2009 So right after I posted in here, I left and wrote this... https://www.neowin.net/news/gamers/09/04/29...oner-than-later Lots of interesting ideas in here though the whole party Xbox is really a pretty intriguing one and very plausible for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted April 29, 2009 Author Subscriber² Share Posted April 29, 2009 (edited) So right after I posted in here, I left and wrote this...https://www.neowin.net/news/gamers/09/04/29...oner-than-later Lots of interesting ideas in here though the whole party Xbox is really a pretty intriguing one and very plausible for sure. Nice write-up and layout! I totally disagree though, but I enjoyed reading your piece :p I just do not think the console audience will salivate all over marginally improved graphics this early when we have such future proof consoles - While PC games do look better and always will, consoles games look fantastic for most people sitting in their living rooms, most likely people who can't afford high end gaming rigs in the first place and won't really be thinking "oh hey, Crysis has better textures than Killzone 2". Plus we have many years left for developers to squeeze out more. I put a bet on some jaws on the floor at how good some of the upcoming games at E3 look! Heck the best selling console this generation is one that doesn't even do HD... But hey that's the interesting thing about predictions, everyone can share them, then we wait ;) Earliest bet for me for a new console, E3 2010. Earliest release end of 2010/2011. The Xbox could have gone longer than 4 years if it wasn't for the PS2. That being said I most certainly put MS releasing their new console before Sony, and I most certainly believe it will run on Blu Ray or some proprietary discs, not DVD. One main reason being HD audio, if developers can put it in PS3 games just now, you can bet MS will support 7.1 and HD audio with the next Xbox. Secondly for Blu Ray movies, people can bitch about HD films vs SD films as much as they like, but by the next generation MS will most certainly want to remove some of that advantage Sony currently have of being an all-in-one box under your TV. edit: Costs and economy need to be considered also, look at these figures Sony Nintendo Microsoft Total Y/E 1998 $902,811,090 $1,023,333,867 $1,926,144,957 Y/E 1999 $1,102,563,557 $1,301,350,000 $2,403,913,557 Y/E 2000 $722,738,949 $1,368,207,547 $2,090,946,497 Y/E 2001 -$449,776,290 $677,576,000 $227,799,710 Y/E 2002 $629,101,056 $895,872,180 -$1,135,000,000 $389,973,237 Y/E 2003 $935,569,253 $834,333,333 -$1,191,000,000 $578,902,586 Y/E 2004 $627,195,212 $993,161,303 -$1,337,000,000 $283,356,515 Y/E 2005 $419,888,799 $1,056,056,202 -$539,000,000 $936,945,001 Y/E 2006 $69,129,058 $774,478,055 -$1,339,000,000 -$495,392,887 Y/E 2007 -$1,970,923,859 $1,914,666,388 -$1,969,000,000 -$2,025,257,471 Y/E 2008 -$1,079,994,103 $4,322,637,887 $426,000,000 $3,668,643,783 Y/E 09Q1 $51,113,208 $1,124,452,830 $178,000,000 $1,353,566,038 Y/E 09Q2 -$379,471,154 $1,278,759,615 $151,000,000 $1,050,288,462 Y/E 09Q3 $4,395,604 $2,737,879,121 -$31,000,000 Total $1,584,340,380 $20,302,764,330 -$6,786,000,000 $12,389,829,985 Full Year Average $173,482,066 $1,378,333,888 -$1,012,000,000 $907,815,953 Profitable Years 8 11 1 9 Non Profitable Years 3 0 6 2 Average in Loss Year -$1,166,898,084 N/A -$1,251,666,667 -$1,260,325,179 Average in Profit Year $676,124,622 $1,378,333,888 $426,000,000 $1,389,625,094 do note: Microsoft is one quarter behind Sony and Nintendo on that chart. They are the first to report their 2009 calendar Q1 earnings (which they report as Q3). Nintendo and Sony reported their 2008 calendar Q4 earnings in January (which they report as Q3). MS will most certainly want to focus more on 360 profitability before they go dump another ton of money in R&D/marketing/etc releasing a new console. I don't think many people remember how much money the Xbox lost them. Edited April 29, 2009 by Audioboxer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corris Veteran Posted April 29, 2009 Veteran Share Posted April 29, 2009 I just hope the conferences aren't as lame as they all were last year. I also hope the biggest thing to come from Microsoft isn't that they have managed to get what was an exclusive, when that is the biggest and pretty much only big news that came from the conference, its a bit lame. Show us something exciting from them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad. Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Hmm, Larry, if the new console would be released late 2010 wouldn't there already be prototypes? Unless of course, they're shown at E3 :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pygmy_Hippo Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Well if it's "transformational" how about this..... Windows 7 - 360 Edition Transform your console into a fully fledged PC. 7 can be run on netbook specs so there shouldn't be any issues with the low memory availability and it would be a fixed architecture so it could be optimised to the hilt. Put out a bigger HDD and just add in some compatability with MS keyboards and mice and you have the makings of a fairly capable system. If the PS3 can install linux wouldn't it be nice if the 360 could do an MS OS? :) Of course I could just be confused! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoadorable Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 it's a no brainer that they're referring to the next Xbox and that it will come out late 2010. This doesn't mean the end of the 360 at all, this time they'll follow the Sony model and support prev gen a bit longer. By late 2010 the 360 will be five years old and pressure from software partners will continue to mount - they need better hardware to deliver better titles. Don't we want better games? Better graphics? If you think the goal of this industry isn't something like the matrix, you're plain wrong. And why would they stop at 2005 technology? People who claim current consoles are as good as it gets puzzle me. Maybe they should re-read stuff like War of the Worlds and Brave New World, you know, from authors who facepalmed themselves every time their contemporaries chimed in with a "we've discovered everything there is to discover!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted April 29, 2009 Author Subscriber² Share Posted April 29, 2009 People who claim current consoles are as good as it gets puzzle me. Maybe they should re-read stuff like War of the Worlds and Brave New World, you know, from authors who facepalmed themselves every time their contemporaries chimed in with a "we've discovered everything there is to discover!" Not as good as it gets, hardly anyone if anyone is saying that. I'm certainly not. As good as the majority need/want it to be right now is what most of us are saying. The graphics we have this generation are very life like, not like the blocks/smudges of last generation. We have graphics that are going to age great right now, in 3/4 years they'll still look very playable. You take it to certain peaks before the casual audiences who make up the biggest part of your install base are not going to be rushing out to slap down another $400 just for some better textures. Someone else made a good point about HD TV sets, most people will own 720p sets, which is what most games run in. HD is here for a long time, and we won't be seeing mainstream TVs exceed 720p/1080p for a while. TVs aren't like PC monitors that by default go to crazy resolutions therefore pumping out games supporting 2000x2000+ resolutions isn't necessary. With some of the console graphics we have right now the next literal step is "real life". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sethos Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 The graphics we have this generation are very life like, That's stretching it a mile and a half ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted April 29, 2009 Author Subscriber² Share Posted April 29, 2009 That's stretching it a mile and a half ... Life like as in human representation looks in proportion, hair is modelled realistically, animations are good, etc. The small things that were overlooked on previous consoles as it was hard to do. You know fine well I don't mean photo realistic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoadorable Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 must agree with my arch nemesis here. you're really giving them too much credit AB, i'd say the generational increase for consoles has typically been 50%, by my perception. This is dating back to the Atari 2600, Master System vs Genesis, PS1 vs PS2 etc...therefore next gen can see something along those lines of improvement and i'd be happy. I don't think the current graphics will age any better than games of any other era. I'd love to see games rendered native 1920X1080 or higher, i'd love to be rid of texture update/pop, i'd love to see more extensive damage modeling in game environments...in all of these, what we have now is cosmetically more pleasing than prev gen, but not essentially different. Neither will the next gen! But we have to keep going. As for the cost, sure, but that's only an issue if you keep stereotyping gaming as a teenager pursuit. it was never the kids drove this industry, i'm sorry to day. it was their parents and the parent age group. Besides, costs could come down, and in two and a half years $400 (US) for a new, advanced console won't seem like that much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted April 29, 2009 Author Subscriber² Share Posted April 29, 2009 (edited) must agree with my arch nemesis here. you're really giving them too much credit AB, i'd say the generational increase for consoles has typically been 50%, by my perception. This is dating back to the Atari 2600, Master System vs Genesis, PS1 vs PS2 etc...therefore next gen can see something along those lines of improvement and i'd be happy. I don't think the current graphics will age any better than games of any other era. I'd love to see games rendered native 1920X1080 or higher, i'd love to be rid of texture update/pop, i'd love to see more extensive damage modeling in game environments...in all of these, what we have now is cosmetically more pleasing than prev gen, but not essentially different. Neither will the next gen! But we have to keep going. As for the cost, sure, but that's only an issue if you keep stereotyping gaming as a teenager pursuit. it was never the kids drove this industry, i'm sorry to day. it was their parents and the parent age group. Besides, costs could come down, and in two and a half years $400 (US) for a new, advanced console won't seem like that much. Right now the best selling console doesn't even have HD graphics. Seriously, people wanting textures more realistic than what we have right now are probably primarily PC gamers, or enthusiasts. Most of my friends boot up some games like GoW/MGS4/GT/KZ2 and say they've never seen anything like this before. Why? They ain't PC gamers, at least not PC gamers with PCs worth hundreds of pounds. They don't know what it's like to play Crysis in 1480p or whatever you want to call it. They play consoles, buy games for their HDTVs and are wowed at what they are seeing compared to the PS2/Xbox era. And neither are most console owners, consoles bought for the fact they are the cheap option. It's unlikely Johnny is getting Crysis and a ?800 PC for Christmasand> a 360, then is going to say a few months later the 360 needs a graphics update. I just don't see these people racing out to spend another ?300 next year when a lot of them have just got a 360 this year. People wanting a new 360 next year for graphics are waaaaay out IMO - Not in terms of what you want, want whatever you want, in terms of being realistic of what the gaming industry as a whole wants and what's a good business/financial decision as it stands for MS. If a new Xbox comes next year it's going to have to be much more than a slight graphics bump, but then going more advanced also means MS plundering a lot more money into development. Is it worth them doing that in this economic crisis, during staff losses and record financial losses? Next hardware we'll see IMO will be a slim 360, redesigned, possibly things like a slot drive and other changes, but no internal hardware bumps. Edited April 29, 2009 by Audioboxer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sethos Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 You know fine well I don't mean photo realistic. No, I don't. When you talk about the graphics being life like, then you are pretty much referring to the realism of the graphics. Two of the points you made have **** all to do with graphics and has more to do with previously lazy developers or the fact the software to create lifelike animations hasn't been available, which is a gift to the new generations but has NOTHING to do with graphics - That's purely textures, colours, the underlying engine and all that shabang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoadorable Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 with all due respect, so far the industry proves you wrong. The push for better performance is palpable. It's why you have the gear you have now. I don't know these people you mention, the gamers i'm in touch with all clamor for better visuals and complain about the problems that persist. You're taking it to an extreme, nobody expects Enter the Matrix by 2010 or even 2040, it's all in the journey. I haven't gamed on a PC since late 2006 and i too feel the need to upgrade my Xbox experience. In another year and a half, it'll certainly be time to move on. Again, you're taking a certain age group, with no purchasing power to call its own, and projecting it on the entire gaming populace. The Wii i feel is besides the point here. Corrollas also outnumber Lexus GS430's or whatever ten to one...it doesn't mean the next gen Lexus will drop down to 200 horspower because it's good enough for the soccer mom crowd - a fair analogy to the Wii crowd. BTW i don't know a single person with a Wii, it just occurred to me, and i know dozens of people. Most aren't gamers, but the ones that are, have 360's and PS2/PS3. Who's buying these Wii's, aliens? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted April 29, 2009 Author Subscriber² Share Posted April 29, 2009 (edited) No, I don't. When you talk about the graphics being life like, then you are pretty much referring to the realism of the graphics. Two of the points you made have **** all to do with graphics and has more to do with previously lazy developers or the fact the software to create lifelike animations hasn't been available, which is a gift to the new generations but has NOTHING to do with graphics - That's purely textures, colours, the underlying engine and all that shabang. Okay we've cleared it up. The overall experience is more life like and much more age proof. People thought FF7 looked lifelike, 5 years later it looks like ****. Games this generation you can say look lifelike, 5 years later they still will to some extent as proportions/image/and subtle details are present. That's still going to be a decent representation of a human in 5 years. This was never a decent representation of human ever, although obviously at the time heralded as gorgeous. My point is we're plateauing out to a point where things look great and will age well. with all due respect, so far the industry proves you wrong. The push for better performance is palpable. It's why you have the gear you have now. I don't know these people you mention, the gamers i'm in touch with all clamor for better visuals and complain about the problems that persist. You're taking it to an extreme, nobody expects Enter the Matrix by 2010 or even 2040, it's all in the journey. I haven't gamed on a PC since late 2006 and i too feel the need to upgrade my Xbox experience. In another year and a half, it'll certainly be time to move on. Again, you're taking a certain age group, with no purchasing power to call its own, and projecting it on the entire gaming populace. The Wii i feel is besides the point here. Corrollas also outnumber Lexus GS430's or whatever ten to one...it doesn't mean the next gen Lexus will drop down to 200 horspower because it's good enough for the soccer mom crowd - a fair analogy to the Wii crowd. BTW i don't know a single person with a Wii, it just occurred to me, and i know dozens of people. Most aren't gamers, but the ones that are, have 360's and PS2/PS3. Who's buying these Wii's, aliens? Neo you're completing avoiding the business side of things. Consoles cost money, MS and Sony aren't in this to make the best looking graphics ever and take us to the Matrix, they're here to make money. No business is a charity, and while they love your loyalty and commitment, they love your ?/$ more. Without it they wouldn't exist, andsadly> for MS/Sony, releasing a cutting edge console blows a **** ton of money, and this generation has been more troublesome than any before with record losses and staff cuts. I do not think MS and Sony are sitting in board rooms talking about how our graphics need to be better next year, especially not when the console spanking their asses and earning Nintendo boat loads of money can't even do HD. Unlike the PC realm where every 2 years an external company can make a new graphics card to fit into your 4 year old motherboard and work with your 1 year old CPU, for a console to be updated, a whole new console is needed, every single part. That's the nature of consoles and why they will always trail PCs. Edited April 29, 2009 by Audioboxer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoadorable Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 you don't need to illustrate, i know what you mean. been gaming since four colors on the same screen were considered a marvel. the money side of things - i'm not avoiding it. of course they're not charities, and if you tell me they simply don't have the money to make new consoles, then that's something else. Dude i really hope i'm not coming across as putting you down, i'm not. but i had friends like you in junior high who said pretty much the same things when Cinemaware came out with Defender of the Crown and Rocket Ranger. The who needs more than this for a game! argument. Twenty some years later... Mass Effect, a game i love and am now replaying, looks ridiculous next to a paltry DVD capture. Is there a reason we can't expect games that look like a DVD image, animated? And that's not even close to reality perception, maybe half the distance. And people call me a doomsayer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted April 29, 2009 Author Subscriber² Share Posted April 29, 2009 (edited) you don't need to illustrate, i know what you mean. been gaming since four colors on the same screen were considered a marvel. the money side of things - i'm not avoiding it. of course they're not charities, and if you tell me they simply don't have the money to make new consoles, then that's something else. Dude i really hope i'm not coming across as putting you down, i'm not. but i had friends like you in junior high who said pretty much the same things when Cinemaware came out with Defender of the Crown and Rocket Ranger. The who needs more than this for a game! argument. Twenty some years later... Mass Effect, a game i love and am now replaying, looks ridiculous next to a paltry DVD capture. Is there a reason we can't expect games that look like a DVD image, animated? And that's not even close to reality perception, maybe half the distance. And people call me a doomsayer! What sort of question is that? :/ Maybe one day, but there are limitations. Haha, Neo, I genuinely believe you are wired into the matrix :p and if you tell me they simply don't have the money to make new consoles, then that's something else Of course they have the money, they'll always have the money. But in case you haven't been paying attention to business reports are you aware of how much money both have been losing and all the staff cuts going on? MS and Sony have been absolutely bleeding money left, right and center. There's a table on the last page showing you the millions/billions in losses. Releasing a new console is going to multiply those loses even more. They need another few years under the 360's belt to get the install base up, bring down manufacturing costs even more and earn more profit on the 360 lifepspan to put into the next Xbox. I think profitability and stability comes before a graphical upgrade to the console when the only people asking for an upgrade are a minority on some gaming forums. I'm sorry, I have my business hat on here, I'd love consoles that look like real life, but I'd also love cars that fly. It's just not wise as a business to go plundering millions into launching a new console early next year - Even late next year I still think it's too early. GDC/E3 2011 at the earliest for release. Edited April 29, 2009 by Audioboxer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sethos Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 What about the people asking for motion sensing capabilities, improved reliability, perhaps even on-board HD-DVD which can serve as the next gaming format - A dead format which could in its own right be a proprietary format to be used in gaming, it's no worse than a DVD drive. You could add all of these on top of the much improved hardware and you'd be looking at a much larger userbase who'd welcome the upgrade. Especially the reliability issue, almost that alone could drive them to start a clean slate and do it properly. Perhaps Microsoft are planning on doing a Party / Hardcore console in one, a "Wii" like console with the ability to play superb looking games as well. Again, all speculations ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoadorable Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 what didn't you understand about the question? As the architect, people often find me confusing. Ergo, i won't bother explaining. i feel your arguments about cost vs progress, profitability vs innovation etc...but what if innovation is the key to sales and success? You keep saying the Wii doesn't have graphics..but in most ways it's more innovative than the other two. I said it! The cost of designing those plastic thingies, the ergonomics, the risk of alienating your established gamer base...that's no trifling matter. In most ways, all my beloved 360 and your precious PS3 did was throw more silicone at it and hope for the best, and i love them for it. but let's not go in circles, we've both made our points. you know i'm not the type to support anything with numbers and stuff, this is all opinion. But when i said in 2002 that pretty soon there won't be a single plant in the US capable of making a DVD player or PS2, i distinctly remember my friends at the bar laughing at me and waving it off. Look at those morons now! Bottom line, i'm always right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted April 29, 2009 Author Subscriber² Share Posted April 29, 2009 What about the people asking for motion sensing capabilities, improved reliability, perhaps even on-board HD-DVD which can serve as the next gaming format - A dead format which could in its own right be a proprietary format to be used in gaming, it's no worse than a DVD drive. You could add all of these on top of the much improved hardware and you'd be looking at a much larger userbase who'd welcome the upgrade. Especially the reliability issue, almost that alone could drive them to start a clean slate and do it properly. Perhaps Microsoft are planning on doing a Party / Hardcore console in one, a "Wii" like console with the ability to play superb looking games as well.Again, all speculations ... I've said earlier, additional peripherals or hardware that can compliment the 360 is something I'd be interested in, and almost a 100% given. That is much more different than releasing a physically new console, whether MS brand it a 360.5 or the next Xbox. You're going to see motion controllers/3D glasses and all that jazz, but for the current consoles. Also, MS using HD-DVD as the next gaming format would be absolutely stupid, who on earth is suggesting that? :laugh: what didn't you understand about the question? As the architect, people often find me confusing. Ergo, i won't bother explaining. i feel your arguments about cost vs progress, profitability vs innovation etc...but what if innovation is the key to sales and success? You keep saying the Wii doesn't have graphics..but in most ways it's more innovative than the other two. I said it! The cost of designing those plastic thingies, the ergonomics, the risk of alienating your established gamer base...that's no trifling matter. In most ways, all my beloved 360 and your precious PS3 did was throw more silicone at it and hope for the best, and i love them for it. but let's not go in circles, we've both made our points. you know i'm not the type to support anything with numbers and stuff, this is all opinion. But when i said in 2002 that pretty soon there won't be a single plant in the US capable of making a DVD player or PS2, i distinctly remember my friends at the bar laughing at me and waving it off. Look at those morons now! Bottom line, i'm always right. Okay :/ Innovation so far was the key to success this generation, but it came from a standard definition, gamecube 1.5 powered waggling console, not a boost in graphics to look like a pixar movie. That may still overhaul by the end of the generation if the 360 or PS3 does catch up, but releasing a new Xbox next year with better graphics most certainly not will be viewed as innovation, new graphics each generation are a given. Can I ask, what sort of boost would you even expect next year in a console? MS aren't going to add two ?300 SLI'd cards to a new Xbox. The immediate future of innovation IMO is coming from Software and Web 3.0 concepts and ways in which you interact with the console, not limited to peripherals or motion devices, and also digital distribution and content that you can view/play/create on your console. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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