The next Xbox

[KALEL114]

Blu-Ray sort of had an impact if you think about it. Just in a more indirect way: Sony pushed the PS3's release date back to add a BR drive, which caused the huge retail price when it was released and held back sales. MS saw an opportunity to get a jump on Sony and rushed out the 360, which was the root cause of the RROD issue. t:

As far as the new Xbox, I don't believe the Tablet stuff. However, they are really going to push Windows 8, so I can see W8 tablets being compatible in some way with the new system. I think BR is almost a given as well. They want to be the center of the living room and I think having BR helps them deliver that.

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

Screw Bluray discs. I own a BR and have to say that the technology sucks. Faulty BR playing, constant updates. No thanks. I hope MS opts out of BD completely. Now that people can install games onto their system, maybe this will alleviate the bigger games that require 3 Discs.

They should stick with HD download, streaming, and rentals for movies.

If they go with BD it means only one thing: BD players have gotten cheap enough to include into the system. I think a main reason why they have not included them is pricing.

 

[Iceman]

The Windows streamlined system would appeal to me. I was going to be apple with a mac, iphone & itunes but I'm cool with converting to pc, windows phone (already switched) & Zune to go with 360, 720 & tablet 720 if it happens like that.

 

[Benstamania]

I enjoy BD but I'm telling you it's a big lie. I remember Sony hyping up BD by saying "imagine all of your TV seasons on one or two disks! Imagine the shelf space you'll save.."

Meanwhile my Band of Brothers and Pacific BD box sets are still NINE DISKS LONG!

 

[Soapy]

Did they really say that? If they did I'm surprised anyone believed them. Higher definition video and audio and all that interactive menu stuff is obviously going to take up a lot more space. Technology isn't magic.

 

[Benstamania]

Yeah, they said it.

I didn't expect an entire mini series to be on one disk however, 4 disks should surely be possible.

 

[hippie_hunter]

No blu-ray definitely didn't play a big role in the generation wars obviously since Microsoft has still had more sales than the ps3 and Microsoft had absolutely nothing to do with hd-dvd failing.

Actually you can argue that Microsoft's lukewarm support of HD DVD helped kill the format. Microsoft just simply wanted to prolong the HD Format War in order to speed up the adoption of digital downloads, which would benefit Microsoft in the longer run.

More and more studios started siding with blu ray because it was the better of the two.

The studios didn't side with blu-ray because it was the better format. Sony Pictures Entertainment was forced to adopt it because of Sony's involvement in the development of blu-ray. MGM was forced to adopt it because Sony owned a major stake in the studio. 20th Century Fox and Walt Disney Studios supported blu-ray due to the security features it offered (which failed by the way). Universal and Paramount were forced to adopt blu-ray because they had no choice, HD DVD became a dying format once Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema went blu-ray exclusive.

Also, right before Warner Bros. became blu-ray exclusive, they were on the verge of going HD DVD exclusive and effectively kill the blu-ray format. Even though Warner Bros. sold their films on both formats, they had a preference for HD DVD because they got a small chunk of the royalties involved in HD DVD technology. Parent company Time Warner was a founding member of the DVD Forum and had a small role in the development of DVD, which HD DVD was based on.

Toshiba and other members of the DVD Forum were offering Warner Bros. incentives to go exclusive and Warner Bros. accepted on the condition that 20th Century Fox would join them. 20th Century Fox also accepted the offer of money and they felt burned that blu-ray's security features were cracked mere days after being released. Toshiba and the DVD Forum had a huge event planned at CES to announce Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox going HD DVD exclusive.

However, the Blu-ray Disc Association aggressively brought 20th Century Fox back into the fold at the last minute. Without 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros. had no desire to go HD DVD exclusive. In the end, HD DVD just didn't have the support needed to take off with just Paramount and Universal being the only major studios that were exclusive to the format and due to aggressive marketing by the Blu-ray Disc Association sales of blu-ray discs were starting to surpass HD DVD discs. Sales of blu-ray players were starting to catch up to HD DVD players. With so much in the consumer market against HD DVD, Warner Bros. decided to take the Blu-ray Disc Association's offer to go blu-ray exclusive. Sister company New Line Cinema went blu-ray exclusive a few days later.

Toshiba and the DVD Forum were completely shocked that such a thing occurred at the last minute right behind their backs. As a result, they cancelled their CES event completely because Warner Bros. essentially single handedly killed their format.

 

[Benstamania]

I have a few friends that still insist that HD DVD was the better format. I honestly don't know but they tend to know their stuff tech wise.

 

[Fenrir]

I have a few friends that still insist that HD DVD was the better format. I honestly don't know but they tend to know their stuff tech wise.

If nothing else, to me HD DVD was superior because it was region-free. I wonder when entertainment companies will wise up that we are living in a world with no boundaries and drop already this relic of the 90s that is region-encoding. It's pointless and it's annoying to consumers.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

I have a few friends that still insist that HD DVD was the better format. I honestly don't know but they tend to know their stuff tech wise.

I had both, at the same time, and couldn't really tell a difference. Who knows? I do know that that format war wasn't decided by users but by the movie studios. It was a really odd "battle".


I agree with what Mydnyte Sun had to say on Blu Ray tho. It really seems to be a s**t technology. Iv owned 4 or 5 diff Blu Ray players and outside of my PS3 they all suck something fierce. The ps3 is easily the best Blu Ray iv used though.

Im not sure if MS will go Blu Ray, actually id be surprised if they did. I think everyone moving forward will aim more towards digital media. I at least, much rather have my seasons of the Big Bang Theory on a digital space rather than actually taking up space on a shelf.

 

[Iceman]

HD DVD was great for extra features. I'm not too unhappy with blu-ray though, just annoyed at everyone involved for creating an unnecessary and wasteful format war. I gave away about 20 HD DVDs & the 360 add on to a friend.

Actually....
...
...
...format.

Good read

 

[Soapy]

An article on GamesRadar sort of backs up the "Next Xbox won't be a game console" theory.

 

[Benstamania]

Seriously, if it's not so much of a "games machine" and more of a "bull*****" machine I'll skip it. I can't help but think someone has their wires crossed though. I can see their being an Xbox console and also an Xbox Tab.

 

[Spider-Vader]

MS better not go all Nintendo on us. I have a good feeling that unless MS has amazing innovating gimmick (like the Wii did), that a casual console from them will fail. The Xbox was built upon Halo, Gears, COD & so on, MS better not forget that.

 

[Soapy]

The "Games" tab is the sixth one on the dashboard. That tells you everything you need to know about the direction of the Xbox brand.

 

[Benstamania]

Next gen is going to be interesting to say the least... Sony, you can bet, will have a totally revamped online system that will probably include party chat... Hopefully if Microsoft goes this route they still give me a reason to want to buy it.

Because.. I'm still not super hip to "tablets."

 

[Soapy]

I'll say again that I don't think the next Xbox is going to be a tablet, but it's a definite possibility that that it will include a tablet component. Microsoft's Metro UI design language is practically made for tablets, but hasn't appeared on one yet.

 

[Benstamania]

Agreed.

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

MS better not go all Nintendo on us. I have a good feeling that unless MS has amazing innovating gimmick (like the Wii did), that a casual console from them will fail. The Xbox was built upon Halo, Gears, COD & so on, MS better not forget that.

The reason Halo and Call Of Duty is popular is because they are casual and accessible. Thats almost entirely what the success of the Xbox is based upon.

Anyone can use a wii waggle. But at the same time, Call Of Dutys single player involves practically walking in a line watching scripted sequences go off occasionally playing wack-a-mole. Any bozo can it. It's about as simplistic and as accessible a FPS as you can get and it's basically became standardized.

Likewise with the multiplayer, when see people talk about it, it's not skill they are talking about, it's unlocks, xp. You can't loose and are always rewarded with grind similar to an MMO. Battlefield does this now as well. Not about team work or skill, just play the game, unlocke crap. Reward. Rewards. Rewards. Everyone wins. Again, standardized.

Accessible = sales

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

I hope Microsoft don't forget, because it's their gaming and their streaming collection that's becoming their strength.

 

[Benstamania]

The reason Halo and Call Of Duty is popular is because they are casual and accessible. Thats almost entirely what the success of the Xbox is based upon.

Anyone can use a wii waggle. But at the same time, Call Of Dutys single player involves practically walking in a line watching scripted sequences go off occasionally playing wack-a-mole. Any bozo can it. It's about as simplistic and as accessible a FPS as you can get and it's basically became standardized.

Likewise with the multiplayer, when see people talk about it, it's not skill they are talking about, it's unlockes, xp. You can't loose and are always rewarded with grind similar to an MMO. Battlefield does this now as well. Not about team work or skill, just play the game, unlocke crap. Reward. Rewards. Rewards. Everyone wins. Again, standardized.

Accessible = sales

My friends and I don't just "play to unlock crap."

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Is Spock really trying to call COD and Halo casual games?

If that's true, then there's no hardcore games, unless to Spock hardcore = unpopular games.

 

[Soapy]

Whether Halo is casual or not is up for debate as far as I'm concerned, but I think it's pretty much undeniable that Call of Duty is casual. The campaigns are extremely short, linear, and not very challenging. The multiplayer is designed in such a way so that it punishes skilled play and rewards sloppy play. Honestly, when you get down to it, Call of Duty is about as casual as a shooter can get.

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

If that's true, then there's no hardcore

Well yea, their was before and their was after. Most of them are on the pc and when they are influenced by the xbox specifically, they tend to get design changes. In the case of first person shooters it's usually health regen, frequent checkpoints, two weapon carry limit, simplified level design. Duke Nukem Forever is probably the best example of this. A game proposing to be decidedly oldschool but actually adhering to the conventions the xbox set.

games, unless to Spock hardcore = unpopular games.

Generally speaking, hardcore games do not have the budget or marketing or larger accessibility, so they are quite obviously not going to be as popular. In fact, much of the gaming media, don't even bother reviewing them or even acknowledge their existence because they themselfs want the website to be mainstream and accessible using whatever means to get traffic. So yea, I probably do play alot of purposefully niche games. The reason for that though is specifically because they are not having to bother with a mainstream auidence. This leads to more complex games with more depth. This is kinda offtopic though, you are consistently qeastioning my motives, this is not Cluedo. The main point was, the main reason for the xbox's success was making first person shooters casual and accessible to a larger audience. I'm sure Microsoft themselfs would quite happily acknowledge that. The wii just took in a bigger auidence because it wouldn't specifically one main genre that certain mainstream audience aren't interested in, not because they can't play it but because it just isn't very interesting. The wii-fit for example is far more appealing to a female than shooting up terrorists.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

When I think I hardcore games, I think games that take time to master. Despite what I think about COD and Halo (used to love both but I'm over both of them), it's not easy to be really good at those games. You're right about Xbox making them look casual and marketing them as casual, but I disagree about those games actually being casual games.