Should Xbox / PS go OEM? with hardware providers like Samsung Dell making their own boxes?

[onQ]

This is a different world from what it was when 3DO was on the market. Right now I think the important thing is to just get your online store into the living room & give people away to use the media that you are selling.

 

[blakjedi]

Why would LG, Samsung or Sony pay Microsoft for a Windows licence over what they have now?

Microsoft's problem is all they have is potential. What they need is inertia, a well-supported ecosystem and an actual selling point to make is attractive over GoogleTV or Android/linux derivatives. They need a better product and to give it away free.

They have that now in WinRT.

 

[eastmen]

They have that now in WinRT.

huh ? WinRT is basicly dead.

Look at it this way , Bay trail hit last year and was a 4.5 to 7.5watt chip.

Early next year Broadwell will occupy the same TDP as those chips.

Bay trail level chips should dip even further down.

Whats the point of arm tablets or phones at this point.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

They have that now in WinRT.

The lack of visible roadmap for RT would be a concern for manufacturers. At yesterday's event, where Microsoft unveiled Windows 10, they basically ignored RT. I'm pretty sure it's dead given Microsoft are pitching 10 to run on a "broad" set of hardware.

And if the future of that platform wasn't a concern, if you're Sony and Samsung now, why would you have your TV group, already familiar with Android/linux/GoogleTV, switch to an entirely different platform?

I have apps my on my Sony Bravia that aren't on WindowsRT or WindowsPhone.

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[blakjedi]

Rt just means windows running on arm devices.

Windows RT and windows phone are collapsing into one. Until windows phone starts running on x86...

 

[Pixel]

This is a different world from what it was when 3DO was on the market. Right now I think the important thing is to just get your online store into the living room & give people away to use the media that you are selling.

The environment is maybe worse now in that MS/Sony are competing against lossleader competition now days. Back in 1993-1994 before the arrival of the lossleading PS1, Genesis and SNES hardware were sold for a profit. Nowdays if Sony or MS decided to have OEM build their systems expect the $399 consoles they are selling at a loss (PS4 is according to sources $60 loss) to add at least another $100 or potentially onto the price tag just for the fact an OEM is building it, without any additional hardware amenities (eg larger hdd).

Also the more OEMs there are the more it reduces economies of scale. If there are 5 OEMS, the BOM parts cost may be greater.
Also the uncertainty of how their hardware build will compete vs other OEMs will force Dell, Samsung, Visio to create smaller orders thus decreasing the effect of economies of scale, thus increasing BOM cost per box. Dell may feel uncertain of how its PS4/Xbox would do vs the competition so may only order parts to manufacture half a million of them.