News & Rumors: Xbox One (codename Durango)

[Alexct]

Rubbish. Devs are under NDA, and they don't want to offend the console company. So like we had Wii U talk saying, "it's a quite a powerful little machine," and, "the CPU isn't quite as strong as we'd like but the GPU is very capable," and general nondescript reports on the hardware, we'll only get politically correct feedback from devs (how many went on record and said Cell was a good awful mess, for example?). There's zero point in publicly reporting your machine isn't as powerful as your rival. Leave that to rumours and the niche that care about those thing. Focus your marketing on your experience and value irrespective of specs. Only a tiddly percentage of the market cares, like other CE devices as I've mentioned. When was the last time you bought a car on horsepower, engine weight, chassis material, blah blah? When was the last time you saw a car advert that dealt with specs instead of image or value? Or a watch? Or a camera? In fact specs are counter-productive to business, because if you can sell a product with a more prestigious image despite it being cheap to make, advertising it's lack of quality robs you of that image. You only use the specs when they are part of your strategy (high specs), or an essential part of the consumer language when comparing products (megapixels, GHz).

Seriously people, just accept it! The specs are of no interest to anyone outside the technologically curious, who are of zero importance to anyone's business strategy.

I do not agree the dev strongly criticized the ps3 and also ridiculed the low power of the WiiU.Just think about that a few weeks ago Mark Rein has openly teased WiiU on the fact that it is not able to use the UE4.Perhaps I am wrong to assume that the console users are much more intelligent of what industry professionals think but I think that Tflops, ram, etc. .. are an essential part of the consumer language in the console world and apparently the flop WiiU is showing that.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I do not agree the dev strongly criticized the ps3 and also ridiculed the low power of the WiiU.

What specs did they give? Like I say, there are comments for and against, but 3rd parties don't talk about specs when complaining. I can also only think of a couple of outright condemnations of Cell, and quite a few (often Sony 1dt/2nd party) articles saying how wonderful Cell was.

Perhaps I am wrong to assume that the console users are much more intelligent of what industry professionals

Almost none of the console users have the understanding of the numbers they wave around (in truth, even experienced engineers will have trouble understanding the whole system performance from paper specs). Give gamers a bigger number and they think better, same as every consumer. That's a reason to avoid giving out numbers. Specs are just as important in other CE devices (that is, totally unimportant). How's about you give me the clockspeeds and ISA of the processors in your PVR and your digicam? Can you tell me what a DIGIC III's specs are? How do they compare to Sony's BIONZ? Sure, you can go looking and sometimes find where this info has been disseminated as part of business talk with technical media or partners, but it's rare, and it's not advertised to the mainstream because the mainstream are both clueless and don't care.

think but I think that Tflops, ram, etc. .. are an essential part of the consumer language in the console world and apparently the flop WiiU is showing that.

They're an essential part of the console-war language so fanboys can argue over which machine has bigger numbers (see PS3 vs. XB360). This has no baring on real people buying a box based on its experience going by the adverts and the look of the games (many of which run better on 360 despite PS3's supposed bigger numbers). Bigger numbers gives your product one marketing advantage over your rivals, out of many. If you don't have bigger numbers to wave around, you can ignore them and communicate in other ways, which will have lots more baring on some consumers. How did Wii specs help sell Wiis? They didn't - Nintendo wisely ignored them and advertised the experience as family focussed.

 

[dobwal]

MS could just call it Xbox 720 given that this name is already popular.
Simply calling it "Xbox" would be a mistake IMO because they need to make clear that it's a new console, a evolution.
Xbox Infinity is a good name IMO but Shifty Geezer pretty much nailed all its negative aspects.

If I had to suggest a name I would suggest "Xbox Next"

I like either given that both would fit nicely if the name was based on an initialization or activation gesture.

 

[orangpelupa]

previously on PS2 and PS3 era. Sony use "analogy" to make common consumer understand the power of their console. Albeit their "analogy" is kind of a hyperbole.

PS2 are super powerful. It can show emotions on games! thats why we named it Emotion Engine and Graphic Syntesizer. It synthesis the emotion into graphic!

or something like that

on PS4. Sony seems not doing that. On the ps4 reveal they did not say that PS3 have super big memory so it can remember whole human name on earth. They just stated the 8GB on .pdf file.

 

[AzBat]

Paul Thurott on next Xbox...

Here’s what I know about the next Xbox (along with some clearly identified conjecture).

Early announce. The initial reveal date was pushed back from April 24 to May 21 so that Microsoft could better position the device against the PlayStation 4, which Sony announced in late February.

Full (end user) announce. Microsoft will fully reveal details about the next Xbox, including the launch lineup of games, on the eve of the E3 tradeshow in early June 2013.

Developer announce? It appears that Microsoft will discuss the next Xbox developer platform at the Build conference in San Francisco in late June, based on clues on the Build website.

Launch. The next Xbox will launch in early November 2013.

Windows 8 Core. The next Xbox is based on the "Core" (base) version of Windows 8. This suggests a common apps platform or at least one that is similar to that used by Windows 8. It also suggests that Microsoft could open up this platform to enthusiast developers. (That last bit is supposition on my part.)

Price. Microsoft will initially offer two pricing models for the console: a standalone version for $499 and a $299 version that requires a two-year Xbox LIVE Gold commitment at an expected price of $10 per month.

No entertainment box. Microsoft originally planned to offer both a “full” version of the next Xbox (with video game playing capabilities) and a lower-end entertainment-oriented version, code-named “Yuma,” that didn't provide gaming capabilities. But plans for Yuma are on hold, and no pure entertainment version of the next Xbox will appear in 2013 (or possibly ever).

Blu-ray. The next Xbox will include a Blu-ray optical drive.

Internet-connected. The next Xbox must be Internet-connected to use. This is the source of the “always on”/“always online” rumors and isn’t as Draconian as many seem to believe.

Another Xbox 360. Microsoft will also deliver a third-generation Xbox 360 console this year that will be significantly less expensive than the current models. The new Xbox 360 is code-named “Stingray,” but it’s not clear whether this device is required because the next Xbox isn’t backward-compatible or because Microsoft simply wants a low-cost entertainment box alternative. (A third possibility—and to be clear, these possible reasons are all speculative—is that the Xbox 360 simply has life left in it and with dwindling component prices in the 8 years since the original launch, the firm can still make money selling such a device.)

http://windowsitpro.com/paul-thurrotts-wininfo/here-comes-next-xbox

Nice summary of what we already knew, but it's another source that Xbox TV is most likely dead.

Tommy McClain

 

[Cjail]

HDD size is the only "spec" that really sands out when you buy a PS3 or 360.

 

[Grall]

And it flopped, after I complained about how rubbish a name it was.

I think there's a certain logic in the name - aside from wanting to be associated with the wii; nintendo's most successful non-portable console ever. It does not flow when spoken though, maybe in japanese but not in english methinks, and certainly not in swedish...

Don't they just use the English name?

Yea, but some english product names work very poorly in foreign languages, for example nintendo renamed the "nintendo ultra 64" into "nintendo 64" because it would have been wonky for the japanese to pronounce it. With "infinity" having quite a few syllables (well, four), it opens the door for similar wonkiness; it could work, and it might not - or the word when spoken could sound similar to other words in that language, unfortunate words if you're unlucky...

 

[poobik the hare]

from the Paul Thurott post, i'd say my wife will like it very much if she can play win phone games on Xbox. via Kinect or Smart-glass.

with the two price models i take it, $499 and a yearly sub for LIVE or $299 and a 2 year contract of £10 month.
contract is the way then.

as regards internet connected, not a real problem at all for me, unless it's always on to be able to play games and then it could be a slight problem.

 

[Scott_Arm]

previously on PS2 and PS3 era. Sony use "analogy" to make common consumer understand the power of their console. Albeit their "analogy" is kind of a hyperbole.

PS2 are super powerful. It can show emotions on games! thats why we named it Emotion Engine and Graphic Syntesizer. It synthesis the emotion into graphic!

or something like that

on PS4. Sony seems not doing that. On the ps4 reveal they did not say that PS3 have super big memory so it can remember whole human name on earth. They just stated the 8GB on .pdf file.

... Powered by the new Hyperbole Synthesizer Engine!

 

[rockaman]

I do not agree the dev strongly criticized the ps3 and also ridiculed the low power of the WiiU.Just think about that a few weeks ago Mark Rein has openly teased WiiU on the fact that it is not able to use the UE4.Perhaps I am wrong to assume that the console users are much more intelligent of what industry professionals think but I think that Tflops, ram, etc. .. are an essential part of the consumer language in the console world and apparently the flop WiiU is showing that.

And then Epic came out and corrected their PR blunder and said UE4 can most certainly run on WiiU. What you are saying is only benefitting Shifty's argument.

The PR narrative to focus on positives is important for all involved in selling products here.

 

[dobwal]

Paul Thurott on next Xbox...



http://windowsitpro.com/paul-thurrotts-wininfo/here-comes-next-xbox

Nice summary of what we already knew, but it's another source that Xbox TV is most likely dead.

Tommy McClain

For $500, a Stingray better be included.

 

[Prophecy2k]

from the Paul Thurott post, i'd say my wife will like it very much if she can play win phone games on Xbox. via Kinect or Smart-glass.

with the two price models i take it, $499 and a yearly sub for LIVE or $299 and a 2 year contract of £10 month.
contract is the way then.

as regards internet connected, not a real problem at all for me, unless it's always on to be able to play games and then it could be a slight problem.

So you'll pay $299 and $10/month for two years straight just so your wife can play iphone games on your tv?

Seems like an expensive albeit redundant purchase to me. Why not just get a TV out cable for your iphone?

 

[wco81]

Or just get an Apple TV and then you can play iPhone games on the big screen through AirPlay.

 

[Tap In]

I think the fact that the logo (infinity) is displayed rather than the word, tells me that it will used as a market distinction only and for all intents and purposes will be known as simply "Xbox".

 

[Kaotik]

I think the fact that the logo (infinity) is displayed rather than the word, tells me that it will used as a market distinction only and for all intents and purposes will be known as simply "Xbox".

The one with inifity-symbol in the logo is "fan art", nothing official.

 

[expletive]

Early announce. The initial reveal date was pushed back from April 24 to May 21 so that Microsoft could better position the device against the PlayStation 4, which Sony announced in late February.

I wonder if this means a more mature OS/software or hardware?

 

[dobwal]

I wonder if this means a more mature OS/software or hardware?

Makes you wonder what MS did to better "position" itself against the PS4. Did they rethink their hardware/software approach or are they simply providing more time to developers in an effort to show off a deeper lineup?

 

[Grall]

It would make muchly sense if the delay is to let devs polish their game demos more, re-thinking either software or hardware (and especially the latter) isn't really something that can be done at this late stage. This thing has to be working NOW, so that devs have a stable platform to develop for, so that everything can be ready for mass production and release late this year...

 

[Rangers]

I think the fact that the logo (infinity) is displayed rather than the word, tells me that it will used as a market distinction only and for all intents and purposes will be known as simply "Xbox".

Yeah, and I saw some writeup about how even the announcement points to simply Xbox. Such as the wording of "the next generation of Xbox" etc.

Nothing's set in stone but I'm sure it wont be Xbox Infinity. For one I just think it's dumb, for another Comcast owns a similar trademark called Xfinity.

 

[Rangers]

Early announce. The initial reveal date was pushed back from April 24 to May 21 so that Microsoft could better position the device against the PlayStation 4, which Sony announced in late February.

Well honestly about the best fit is some combo of a clock/spec/RAM bump.

I mean honestly, what else would "better position against" mean? It could mean lots of things, but one is the most obvious.