New [x2] Next-Box Rumor/Report. Stop the Machines!!

Microsoft plans to launch two very different versions of the next Xbox, according to a Digital Foundry report onGamesIndustry.biz.

The first is described as a "pared down machine" to be released as cheaply as possible. It is likened to a set-top box, and will act as a Kinect-themed gaming portal.

The second is a "more fully-featured machine" with optical drive, hard disk and backwards compatibility. This would be aimed at hardcore gamers and released at a higher price-point.

Kinect, Digital Foundry has heard, will be bundled with both SKUs.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-11-24-microsoft-plans-two-versions-of-its-next-xbox-rumour

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Interesting. This kind of model is the one I kind-of wished for. KIND OF.

This just causes another problem. You are spliting your audience up.

This just causes another problem. You are spliting your audience up.

ShadowDeathX

[QUOTE="ShadowDeathX"]

This just causes another problem. You are spliting your audience up.

heretrix

I'm not digging this idea

I don't know, this rumor its a bit crazy IMO.

I heard that the cheaper SKU will only be capable of downloading XBLA games as it won't feature an optical drive of any kind but that sounds too unlikely.

I wouldn't mind if they went this direction and catered to both casuals and core markets. Just keep them very separate and everybodys happy.

Not liking the idea of a bundled Kinect though. It'd be going straight up on eBay.

I heard that the cheaper SKU will only be capable of downloading XBLA games as it won't feature an optical drive of any kind but that sounds too unlikely.

I wouldn't mind if they went this direction and catered to both casuals and core markets. Just keep them very separate and everybodys happy.

Not liking the idea of a bundled Kinect though. It'd be going straight up on eBay.

balfe1990

From what I read, the Kinect would only be bundled with the cheaper SKU, not the "core" SKU.

IDC, just release a new powerful console MS, I haven't been this excited for gaming in YEARS! Bout to build my new PC w/ an i5 2500k + GTX 570, certainly won't hurt to have some dope new console hardware to go along with it next year! BRING ON THE FUTURE OF GAMING, END THIS GEN FINALLY! IT'S BEEN SIX GOING ON SEVEN YEARS!-RocBoys9489-

From what I read, the Kinect would only be bundled with the cheaper SKU, not the "core" SKU.

EliteM0nk3y

If that's the case. then happy days.

[QUOTE="-RocBoys9489-"]IDC, just release a new powerful console MS, I haven't been this excited for gaming in YEARS! Bout to build my new PC w/ an i5 2500k + GTX 570, certainly won't hurt to have some dope new console hardware to go along with it next year! BRING ON THE FUTURE OF GAMING, END THIS GEN FINALLY! IT'S BEEN SIX GOING ON SEVEN YEARS!LustForSoul

Ridiculous rumour is ridiculous:

• The market isn't big enough for two separate consoles. If Zune/XBL was at iTunes-level popularity the budget SKU might have a shot as an AppleTV competitor, but that's clearly not the case.
• It would be confusing for consumers. Nothing builds goodwill like thousands of parents being told they bought the wrong Xbox for little Timmy, right?
• It would increase costs dramatically, as they'd have to both design and build two consoles and would lose out on significant volume discounts.
• It just doesn't make sense. You want as many users as possible to own Kinect to build up your install base (especially among early adopters and "hardcore" gamers), so why would you release a hardcore SKU (ie the one all the early adopters will get) without Kinect? And if Kinect is so expensive they have to bundle it with a stripped-down console, how underpowered and under-featured would that console have to be? There's no reason why they couldn't just do the usual $200 core/$300 pro split, bundle Kinect with both and still get a nice performance boost over the 360.

That would split the marked even more than what the X360 did, won't it? That would mean that the developers who want the most sales will have to make the game so it can fit on XBL, and not making a game with as much content as possible.

Not all games can be downloadable because of the size.

False rumor has to be false.

It just makes no sense to release your system with such radically different skews not to mention the massive ammount of ill-will they would get for cutting the cheap system buyers out of optical disc media period...unless they sold the media drives seperatly....oh god no.

Now everyone can feel like those poor fools who bought a Arcade edition Xbox to realise they need that hard-drive eventually and pay like...twice the money they thought they had "Saved"

Kinect may no longer be optional? :cry:

I bet there's some overlap between the fanbases of Kinect, and the fanbases of games like CoD, so I don't see how MS would go about seperating them while maintaining that this be a good idea.

My guess is that if this is true, there will be the xbox and a self sufficient kinect.