What if the HD DVD player had its own memory pool and GPU?
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What if the HD DVD player had its own memory pool and GPU?
A genuine microsoft production, yes. Not neccessarily a genuine description of their next-gen gaming system. They would have an interest trying to keep even a non-accurate concept under wraps to avoid generating false expectations in the public of what their next system WILL look like...
Then you're wasting silicon, and therefore money. The original PS3 shipped with a mostly complete PS2, you'd think Sony would just have given developers access to those resources and turn a liability into a positive, but instead you saw the opposite happening.
Why the need for two chipsets in the Durango? Most games developed for Windows 8 via WinRT already support both ARM and x86, and some of those games support an Xbox controller.
The way I see it, Xbox RT will run Metro-style games certified to run on the big screen and use the controller. Durango will run these games as well as traditional games built specifically to the hardware (like what we have now).
Xbox RT - ARM SoC, runs Metro-style games
Durango - x86 SoC, runs Metro-style games and traditional disc-based games.
PC - ARM or x86 SoC (you know it'll happen at some point), runs Metro-style games and desktop-style games (via DD or disc) on x86
We've already seen some XBLA games like Rocket Riot and Hydro Thunder make their way to the Windows Store.
As a pure streaming device I don't see how an Xbox TV could hope to compete with Rokus or Apple TVs that don't require an additional $60/year service to use Netflix and the like. I assume they will also function as extenders for the 720 providing the whole house dvr access similar to the "Joey's" that come with Dish Network's Hopper DVR. In addition they could also let you pipe game play to any TV in the house. Most of this is described in the 2010 presentation that leaked, but at the time they were talking about a "Xbox 361" that presumably would have been a further power reduced version of the existing 360 chip set.
RancidLunchmeat
Veteran
I agree with Brad.
I don't see how this idea is even feasible. For starters, like it or not there are people who prefer one system over the other. And the overwhelming response of those who don't use the 360 as their primary console is that they would never ever ever in a million years pay for Live to do what they can already do for free on their current console or on their PC
So, I don't see who the target audience is for this Xbox desktop box. Those who are willing to pay for the benefits of Live already have a 360. The rest of the population either isn't interested or is steadfastly against it.
And to be quite honest, I don't know why I'd pay for Live to stream Netflix and the like (even Zune Movies or whatever they are calling it now), if I didn't already pay for Live because of the value it provides me in terms of cross-chat, etc.
So this does really make me shake my head, but then again, last I checked.. this was an idea that was leaked and no such system has actually been announced or produced.
I doubt it will be. I don't see the market.
The way MS is blurring the lines between Xbox and Windows sure brings up a lot of questions about why you're paying for what. For example, multi-player gaming using the same Live ID is free in a GfWL game, but would require Gold on 360. As far as I know the Metro Netflix app doesn't require a Gold account, even though Win 8 natively uses the same Live account as Xbox now. They're branding entertainment services for Windows with the Xbox name, and now they're maybe working on an "Xbox" streaming box which actually runs Win RT. So either it will require Gold, in which case it sure sounds like a bad deal compared to every competing device out there, or it doesn't, making the fact that Gold is required on a 360 for all the media application look very, very wrong.
deathindustrial
Regular
The obvious answer I think is that Microsoft buys Roku and either kills it off or changes the name to "Xbox TV".
Cheers
I've said for years, many posts on this forum alone, about how MS should spin off the movie renting etc, part of the Xbox to a stand alone set top.
It seemed obvious that it made no sense to include hot, expensive, video game hardware for people to get at the netflix and Zune stores, etc, which increasingly for many people, became the actual use of the console (similar to how my parents household's main, really only anymore, use of the Wii is as a netflix box). Those limited demographic that actually wants the core gaming stuff, can pay for it, seems very inefficient to force it on others.
That said, I cooled on the theory a bit the minute I learned of the concept of smart TV's. They limit the reason for set top boxes to exist at all.
But I'm not sure it's not still with some merit, even now.
It seemed obvious that it made no sense to include hot, expensive, video game hardware for people to get at the netflix and Zune stores, etc, which increasingly for many people, became the actual use of the console (similar to how my parents household's main, really only anymore, use of the Wii is as a netflix box). Those limited demographic that actually wants the core gaming stuff, can pay for it, seems very inefficient to force it on others.
That said, I cooled on the theory a bit the minute I learned of the concept of smart TV's. They limit the reason for set top boxes to exist at all.
But I'm not sure it's not still with some merit, even now.
imo they should really probably seperate everything but online gaming off the paywall.
But I'm sure their accountants shudder at the loss of revenue that might create.
Obviously that would be the next best thing (compared to losing the charge for everything) but everything they do makes it clear they are terrified of losing that $1+ Billion a year in free money and will continue to lock as much behind the pay wall as they can to prop up it supposed value...
Hey, if it works, as a Microsoft fanboy, I'm not against it
Just like all the Apple fanboys get giddy whenever their Co wins a BS, choice limiting, patent case. Or the Nvidia fanboys are ecstatic to see AMD go out if business so that Nvidia is going to dictate all their video card pricing.
I'd just like to see MS use that money to subsidize the hardware a lot more. Meaning the 360 should be a whole lot cheaper right now.
If somebody, like I do, more or less buys a console then pays for 5 years of Live, they're basically giving MS $250 dollars over the life of that console that (especially pre-PSN plus) competitiors dont get. Not that running an online service is free, but you'd think they could kick at least $100 of that back off the hardware price, and still have money left over.
Twould be a pretty ruthless tactic to increase hardware market share, but it seems pretty clear MS isn't interested.
As one of those who loves their 360 (despite multiple console deaths) and does NOT have a Gold account, no matter what MS does, I am not paying for it. What annoys me is the Netflix paywall. Either that paywall disappears or it does not. If it doesn't, I am still not paying for Gold. If it does, then great. What would be very hard to defend is keeping the paywall for the full Durango console and removing it for the "set top" cut down version. How they would justify that is difficult to see.
Part of me thinks this is a nice idea. Especially if the shared hardware is considered upgradeable (not user upgradeable, but something that will be often upgraded to keep up with phone/tablet hardware).
Part of me thinks this is a nice idea. Especially if the shared hardware is considered upgradeable (not user upgradeable, but something that will be often upgraded to keep up with phone/tablet hardware).
I see Microsoft going subscription only on the set-top. The device is free but you pay a monthly fee to use it for 2 years. Now I don't think it will be Gold perse. I believe Microsoft will finally create another Live tier for just media & app services that's separate from the gaming. So I see a free service, premium media service & a premium game & media service. Maybe the media service is about $20-30 a month? That could be seen as a nice cable alternative.
Tommy McClain
Tommy McClain
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A subscription that gets you the equivalent of a cable package or a sub required to run Netflix, Hulu and other subscription services for which you'd pay separate subscriptions?
They really need to try to break the link between big content and the MSOs. Otherwise the cable cos. have the switch to kill any streaming/cut the cord product.
They really need to try to break the link between big content and the MSOs. Otherwise the cable cos. have the switch to kill any streaming/cut the cord product.
As noted, it's going to be very hard to make that fly (for the Verge rumored set top box) when the likes of roku boxes are out there, that dont require any sub. As well as two other consoles (PS3 and Wii)
No links, but I'm sure I've seen surveys that more people watch netflix on PS3 than 360, and it's obviously because the former lacks a paywall since the latter has sold more units.
Mind you, I'm sure MS can keep charging for online gaming, and probably keep the same current model for Durango. But this set top box is another story.
Even if more people use PS3 for Netflix than Xbox 360, Sony isn't getting a dime for its use. But Microsoft is probably laughing all the way to the bank even if a hundred subscribers pay for Gold just for Netflix access. One thing Microsoft has always done with its video services is having unique experiences that you can't get with all the other free devices. Right now they have Kinect & Bing services across the apps. I don't know any other devices that have anything similar. BTW, is it possible Microsoft might give Netflix & other providers kickbacks or a percentage of the subscriptions? They may be able to sustain subscriptions fees if they do.
Tommy McClain
Tommy McClain
Roku, Google TV and WiiU all offer cross service search like Xbox Bing. At no extra charge. I can voice control my Roku with the free android app. Can Siri control an Apple TV? These features aren't unique, and will become less so, which is why MS is scrambling so hard with things like IE and Smart Glass to try and justify Live Gold's cost.
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