neXtBox Speculation!

[JP]

I'd always thought the next XBox would actually be XBox branded & certified PCs rather than an actual console. Microsoft have tried to XBoxify (Real word, honestly!!) the PC this generation with Games for Windows, Windows Live, standard 360/PC gamepads but it's just not been done very well. Notice the 360 was labelled as a Media Center Extension rather than a Media Centre therefore requiring a PC to have full access.

I would't be surprised to see them wanting to sell licenses to PC manufacturers rather than hardware to people on the street. The PCs would need to contain a certain hardware configuration and to have passed tests with Microsoft to obtain the license and an some sort of exclusion to state that if the user modifies the harware that it's no longer garunteed to be XBox compatible.

I'd have thought it would have been a selling point for the PC manufactureres too if it's been XBox certified.

Maybe I'm thinking too far ahead and it won't be the next generation but I don't realy see Microsoft wanting to keep producing hardware.

Anyway, what do I want for future generations? I'm probably looking even furtehr ahead here but I don't want to be buying consoles, I want to be buying a controller that links wirelessly to my TV which plays the games on server side hardware. It'd be a little like have gaming channels so I could switch to the Microsoft Channel to play Gears of War 7 streamed over the internet and then switch over to the PlayStation Channel to play Gran Turismo 12.

There would be different ways for these channels to work, I could subscribe to these channels, rent the game or pay a one off charge to give me access to the game whenever I wanted to play it. I'd be able to play my games who's ever house I was in once I logged into my account as everything is streamed rather than downloaded.

Obviously, other media including music, films, etc would be available like this too.

It's a loooooong way off if it does ever happen though.

[Matt]

Not so long off, though I dare say the economic downturn will have a big impact on proposed releases.

[Salsa Party Animal]

I want next xbox box look like a high end DVD player and have more power and better colour system and no region coding and backward compatibility and much better reliability and keep the control same so I don't have to buy new stick/wheel/pad for it. If it want Wii style gaming, it must have an option for people who doesn't want to play it like a wii game.

[Cuber001]

The Wii could be great though. Before launch i was so pumped for it. The possibilities were great. I even chose to buy a Wii before a PS3. But about a month after i realised how crappy it was. I played RE4 and some might say that it aims better but really how is it more immersive. You can never kick back and relax as your always holding your arm at pointing on the screen. I think the PS3 has it right to a degree. It should be there but as a side option. Games like High Velocity Bowling and Flower are fantastic, and really use motion controls as they should be. All other games should be left alone. I never want to see motion controls standard.

And whatever MS do next gen they can stick it. After such a poor build quality and them not fixing it, i am never buying another console of theirs.

[Strolls]

The swinging motion stuff I could take or leave, but I do think pointers should become a standard for games consoles. Imagine how much better RE5 would be if the 360 had an IR pointer. Same goes for any game that requires precision aiming of any kind - not just shooters.

I really don't see this at all. I love FPS & I wanted to love the Wii, but the FPS I played on the Wii was no better than the FPS I've played on the PS3 (or Gamecube titles on the Wii).

I'd better say I haven't played RE5 & survival horror isn't my thing at all, so maybe I'm missing what you're getting at.

Stroller.

[Strolls]

The Wii ... some might say that it aims better but really how is it more immersive. You can never kick back and relax as your always holding your arm at pointing on the screen.

+1

Stroller.

[Strolls]

...
I'd always thought the next XBox would actually be XBox branded & certified PCs rather than an actual console. Microsoft have tried to XBoxify the PC this generation with Games for Windows, Windows Live, standard 360/PC gamepads but it's just not been done very well. ...

I would't be surprised to see them wanting to sell licenses to PC manufacturers rather than hardware to people on the street. The PCs would need to contain a certain hardware configuration and to have passed tests with Microsoft to obtain the license ...

Yeah, I've thought about this, too - for me the most compelling thing about consoles is playing them sitting on the couch with a joypad. It's as simple as that - it's comfortable.

The exclusive games are crucial, too, of course, and I always think about "compatibility" and the idea of the hassles of computer software & upgrades & bugs and all that. It is nice to be able to stick a disk in & not worry about some .dll bug or DirectX upgrade spoiling the experience for you. But ultimately I don't want to be sitting at my desk in the study playing games at my PC - I want to be on the couch in the living room.

I think the way to do this is not only to have a requirement that all "Games For Windows (tm)" have joypad support (I think that already is a requirement, right?) but also require branded games to have separation between joypad and mouse/keyboard players in online play.

Stroller.

[Ish]

I heard on the grapevine that the XBox 720 will resolve world hunger and the PS4 will bring world peace.

[JU!]

Just one massive HD PSX style (does anyone remember that? Dissappeared so fast!), for me would do with downloadable free region gaming ala PS3 without discs. Blu-ray would be fine too though. I don`t imagine everything will go like Wii as there is still big money to be made on games that need normal control, Street Fighter IV, MGS, GTA etc. I believe after this gen, next gen they will get more out of gameplay and be less graphics focused (at least that`s what I`m hopin). If they do decide to still focus massively on graphics I think we will be lookin at the same type of photo realistic Gran Turismo type stuff we see, with still poor A.I but as it`ll all be online will A.I be needed anymore? Not sure if that went anywhere with regards to a point, but I`m tired

[Brats]

Another reason why I think the next consoles are a few years away yet is because of downloadable content. The platform holders ideally want all games to be DLC - more money for them, no piracy, no second hand market. At the moment the network infrastructure isn't quite there for a DL only console, but by 2012, maybe?

I said before that I didn't think that a DL only console would appear because the platform holders still need Retail to sell the machines. But then it dawned on me when MS announced it was opening its own shops. Sony already has its shops in many retail centres.

I can see the next PS3 and XBox possibly coming in two flavours. A disc based machine with a small hardrive sold in Game and a no disc version with a massive hard drive sold by MS and Sony themselves, either through their shops or online. The online only machine would be cheaper.

[DANGEROUS-3]

I just hope that the nextbox allows you to carry over your gamertag from live and all your achievements.

[Ish]

They've made your identity such a core part of the experience I'd be frankly amazed if it didn't. And disappointed.

[Matt]

Yeah, I'm sure that will all carry over. Though they may decide to do a kind of Achievement reset, maybe having two scores - your cumulative score and a Mark2 score. I'm sure Achievements are here to stay for a long time

Regarding the DLC over Retail discussion, and this had never occurred to me before - surely a full move to DLC would hurt hardware sales? They'd be effectively no need for retailers, and the gaming sections in other shops would be nothing more than a few hardware items. Less total retail space = less sales, surely?

[charlesr]

I wonder if in 3 years time, monthly ISP download limits for most people will still be "capped". Which means many people won't even be able to download 1 whole DVD game in a month (e.g. 9GB on the cheapy 5GB monthly tarrifs).

[Cuber001]

Another reason why I think the next consoles are a few years away yet is because of downloadable content. The platform holders ideally want all games to be DLC - more money for them, no piracy, no second hand market. At the moment the network infrastructure isn't quite there for a DL only console, but by 2012, maybe?

This isn't really true. The PS3 i guess has that loop hole where you can share with up to 5 people. And quite a few people do it. I never would, but know a few who do. Sony had the right idea but wrong implementation. They should of made it free to do so, but have to ring up and ask for a code or something.