A 3rd Xbox 360 SKU?

[Acert93]

In a recent thread it was noted how many leaks MS has had (which is a lot). Thinking back I remembered this rumor that so far has been 100% accurate:

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=19615
[quote="The 99% Unreliable Inquirer]The presentation, understood to have been given to analysts and market researchers in the UK earlier this year, plots a timeline for the introduction of the systems. Xbox Next and Xbox Next HD are planned for Autumn 2005, whereas the Xbox Next PC is pencilled in for Autumn 2006.

The standard Xbox Next will not include a hard drive, which will allow Microsoft to cut costs on this basic unit. Xbox Next HD, as you might imagine, does include a hard drive and will offer increased functionality based on this. Xbox Next PC is, according to the presentation, an entry-level PC that runs Windows and all standard PC software. It also includes CD Burner, Wireless keyboard, mouse and controller and will work best connected to a high-definition TV or PC monitor. Media Center functionality - like movies, music and photos - is also included. The device will also play most available PC games. [/quote]

Typically I would not give much thoughts to a rumor from TheInquirer.net... but, so far they have been dead one.

They claimed there would be 2 SKUs in fall 2005--one with a HDD, one without a HDD. They are DEAD ON.

And this is from November 2004

And with all the talk of media centers, extenders, etc... many of us are scratching out heads wondering, "Why is the 360 not getting more functionality? The XBMC had more features!"

So, do you think there is some merit to this rumor? Do you think we may see an "Xbox 360 PC" in 2006 or 2007?

Ps- I wanted to add a poll but seem incapable of doing so Oh well

 

[pegisys]

I was thinking the same thing when they announced 2 sku's and the fact that Bill said they can add a hd media format later, makes me think it will be a full media center version of the 360, which probally won't be bad for microsoft, because when the gaming life cycle of the 360 is over they can still sell a HD media center version and and make a profit, thats if they can get anyone to buy it

but that also remind me of what they said about letting other companies manufacter the xbox, they could let someone like dell make the media center editions, and just charge licensing fees

 

[Acert93]

but that also remind me of what they said about letting other companies manufacter the xbox, they could let someone like dell make the media center editions, and just charge licensing fees

True, I was thinking the same thing.

For the base console they cannot afford higher pricing... and no way DELL wants to lose money!

But if MS says, "Hey, you can make "Media Center" devices that use the 360 hardware--and can play 360 games--but you can add a HD-DVD drive, BR, whatever and add our 360 OS and all this media center junk and charge $700-800 for it and make a profit!"

I think MS has seen the 3DO model and how it worked--or rather it did NOT work. Market penetration is important for consoles to make money on software. But for a device that is more than a console they may entice DELL, Gateway, etc...

 

[Shifty Geezer]

If any of you remember Allard's talk of an XNA standard, with different systems having a rating like XB360 = level 5, top end $2000 PC in 2008 has an XNA rating of level 8, and software is sold with a badge for minimum requirements, this doesn't sound at all far fetched. However as someone obviously pointed out to me in another thread, it would require a COMPLETE OS REWRITE to provide XP or MC or whatever on XB360. They can't just recompile the code from x86 to XeCPU and expect any level of performance. And all the software would need to be recompiled. MS are in the same boat with Sony+Linux - the software won't be there.

Perhaps they could work an 'XB360 on a card' with XeCPU and Xenos. The GPU could be used by the PC through DirectX providing a graphics card when not using it to play XB360 games. It'd need a mega process shrink to get the motherboard onto a plugin card though!

 

[Megadrive1988]

Sega was working with its partners to make a Dreamcast on a card using the DC chipset or a single chip DC.

 

[Acert93]

Perhaps they could work an 'XB360 on a card' with XeCPU and Xenos. The GPU could be used by the PC through DirectX providing a graphics card when not using it to play XB360 games. It'd need a mega process shrink to get the motherboard onto a plugin card though!

I always thought that a "Console" Video card would be a neat idea. Would need some SERIOUS tweaking and tuning of course. And it would have a short life span becuase of how fast the GPU market goes (and I would have a hard time believing an Xbox 360 in a PC would be as stable/consistant environment as the console... unless the only things they outsources was the DVD players and everything was selft contained). Then there is the software issue... does it play Xbox games? Does it support DX? Xenos seems to lack a LOT of hardwired DX legacy, so that is an important Q.

What I am thinking is that MS has a NUMBER of custom OS designs.

Why not just create a new OS, "360 OS" that is designed to be a low end OS for media, etc... Offer some basic stuff like Internet Browser, Chat, Email, Word Processing, etc... basic CORE software people want/need. Maybe some video and picture editing software, etc.

As you pointed out, I cannot see the 360 running Windows.

If MS wanted the Xbox to run windows they missed their chance with Xbox 1!

 

[Farid]

About X360 PC, my answer from last march still holds true.
No signs and no rumors of a X360 PC from MS side.
The idea has been scrapped very soon in the process, since the machine would be clearly overlapping with other MS product (MCE), and it could also create tensions between MSFT and their hardware partner (Dell, HP, Intel...).

If there's anything in the works on the front of the X360PC, it's still in a Redmond's lab.
But I really think that they opted for the "Extension of MCE (And now Vista) Capabilities" for X360.
When you think about it, X360 is the best thing ever for boosting MCE sales.

 

[EndR]

http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22316&highlight=360-PC

 

[Inane_Dork]

Inq got lucky. They spread so much fertilizer, they're bound to cause a few plants to grow.
IMO, of course.

 

[µCOM-4]

As Vince would say, if you throw enough sh*t at a wall some of it is bound to stick.

 

[Pozer]

I always thought that a "Console" Video card would be a neat idea. Would need some SERIOUS tweaking and tuning of course. And it would have a short life span becuase of how fast the GPU market goes (and I would have a hard time believing an Xbox 360 in a PC would be as stable/consistant environment as the console... unless the only things they outsources was the DVD players and everything was selft contained). Then there is the software issue... does it play Xbox games? Does it support DX? Xenos seems to lack a LOT of hardwired DX legacy, so that is an important Q.

What I am thinking is that MS has a NUMBER of custom OS designs.

Why not just create a new OS, "360 OS" that is designed to be a low end OS for media, etc... Offer some basic stuff like Internet Browser, Chat, Email, Word Processing, etc... basic CORE software people want/need. Maybe some video and picture editing software, etc.

As you pointed out, I cannot see the 360 running Windows.

If MS wanted the Xbox to run windows they missed their chance with Xbox 1!

I wonder how many of those were produced. I thought that was neat concept back in 94-95.

 

[randycat99]

I can't imagine it was doing much more volume than the console itself. If you jump back to "today", I don't thing you will find a shortage of PC owners who firmly believe they can buy/build a PC that would be vastly more "powerful" than any next gen console. So that pretty much kills the impetus to consider a "console-on-a-card" product. Whether or not it is more powerful, who knows? It's more the "mindset" that defines a PC user who would bother to install a card- they would rather buy more hardware that actually augments their "rig", rather than buy a console-on-a-card (which to them is a step back in performance).

 

[Carl B]

I don't think there's anything inheretly wrong with the Inquirer per se; they just report on every single thing they hear. Obviously some of it must be real.

I was thinking about the INQ when I heard the multi-sku news as well, but as for the PC thing, it seems they've abandoned the notion; if it was ever anything more than one possibility among many to begin with.

 

[Acert93]

I was thinking about the INQ when I heard the multi-sku news as well, but as for the PC thing, it seems they've abandoned the notion; if it was ever anything more than one possibility among many to begin with.

Well the Xbox 360 PC was not be be launched until Fall 2006. Rarely do companies announce a product, especially if it could undercut immediate sales, with a long lead time. Even the multi-SKU news is appearing only 2 months before launch.

Obviously there are a lot of hurdles to overcome with the idea... but the fact that every detail of the rumor has come true so far is reason for an eyebrow raise. In the past I have totally ignored rumors because most are made up...

Yet MS has breathed new life to rumors! It seems more MS rumors end up being TRUE and than! I was going through GameSpots "Rumor" section and more of their rumors were true than false!

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Even the multi-SKU news is officially appearing only 2 months before launch.

Fixed

 

[Carl B]

Yeah but before when those rumors came out, it didn't seem that Microsoft would be pushing the whole media PC extender thing like they are; I don't even believe it was mentioned back then, Inquirer or not. In my mind, that would take the place of an actual 360 PC nicely (for their purposes), especially since Microsoft probably doesn't want to burn the PC makers too badly by offering an actual PC.

I mean I'm not saying it might not happen still, just that I think the chances at this point are low. If they did do it however, no doubt it would present a compelling product, especially if 'reasonably' priced. (~$500)

 

[Pozer]

I can also think of many many technical nightmares of producing a 'console on a card' that would make it much less cost efficient than the standard console sku. It would also eat into sales of the more profitable skus and the amount sold would be very minimal making it an overall bad business decision. Technically I doubt the PCI slot could handle a modern console's full output, unless you went with a VGA passthrough type solution or but modern consoles have HDs, memory cards, and NICs. Those would have to be on the card or use the PCs native devices which would be software/hardware engineering nightmare.

Thats not even taking it consideration new avenues of security and online cheating. Those possibilities alone make my head hurt. .

 

[Shifty Geezer]

If they were to do a card, which I highly doubt, you'd place it as a system on a PCIe slot and use it as the system RAM for the PC's CPU. Should be fast enough to act as standard DDR RAM. You'd be limited to 512 MB though.