No Hard Drive in Xbox 2 Confirmed

[marconelly!]

Whatever it is, I doubt solid state memory can have comparable or lower size/price ratio to regular HDDs, now or in near future. Since MS is apparently doing this to save money, I think they will simply be selling large and fast memory cards that you will use for game saves, online downloads, etc.

On the other hand, I fully expect Sony to do the same, and perhaps sell HDD as an add-on for people who want to download movies, etc.

 

[passerby]

Making a guess.

There is no way not to notice Sony and Nintendo making a nice profit from memory cards - especially Sony. This venture will likely provide for the XB2's memory card/HDD - one that has high enough capacity to store some downloaded content and saves. However since it needs to be reasonably priced, it will likely not have high enough capacity that many users can stop at just buying one.

Hey I won't be surprised if Sony continues selling memory cards for PS3 as well - there's good profit to be had. Some time ago there was report of SCE(now defunct?) looking at memory stick technology.

 

[PARANOiA]

With that said, I don't think you can rightfully compare current technology and prices with technology that has yet to come. Let's wait till we hear what Microsoft announces before we start doing that.

Tommy McClain

That's true, but i don't think that we will see a 8GB flash drive for below 100$ in the near future (in 2-4 years).

How does that compare with the price of a system lifetime worth of memory cards? This isn't sarcastic, I just don't want different currencies confusing me. Also, what else does the flash card do that these cards wont?

 

[Geeforcer]

To put things in perspective, there is a $100 FFXI/40GB harddrive bundle for sale right now.

 

[PARANOiA]

To put things in perspective, there is a $100 FFXI/40GB harddrive bundle for sale right now.

Thank you.

 

[cthellis42]

At some point, when users want to save their e-mail messages, copy music, or anything like that, the only storage they?ll have is what we give them.

I guess indeed there won't be even the possibility of a hard drive--unless for whatever reason M-Systems make a typical one? Heh... Likely they wouldn't be building in a bay, since M-Systems will be concentrating on what they do currently with solid-state media. (Though I supposed it doesn't preclude them coming out with a PSX-like unit in the future if they feel like it.)

Smells of exclusivity worked up to keep costs down and perhaps renegotiate costs as they go along?

 

[Vince]

Heh... Likely they wouldn't be building in a bay, since M-Systems will be concentrating on what they do currently with solid-state media. (Though I supposed it doesn't preclude them coming out with a PSX-like unit in the future if they feel like it.)

True, but I'd like to have seen the market move in a way toward utilizing the next generation console itself as the base for a media cetre/PSX-like device. For example, sell a HDD alongside the Console for those who wish to have PSX like capabilities, perhaps reuse the PS2 HDD if you so wish....

In that regard this would appear to be a step backwards, or rather forward but 'forward' in Microsoft's eyes. Eyes which I can't paricularly agree with, but regardless... Hey, there's alot we don't know - I'll reserve judgement.

 

[bbot]

Microsoft is calling it "speculation":

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/03/04/news_6090737.html

 

[AlNom]

Microsoft is calling it "speculation":

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/03/04/news_6090737.html

time for the waiting game..........

 

[PARANOiA]

Time for MS to pull the leash on another company in their pocket.

:?

 

[cthellis42]

True, but I'd like to have seen the market move in a way toward utilizing the next generation console itself as the base for a media cetre/PSX-like device. For example, sell a HDD alongside the Console for those who wish to have PSX like capabilities, perhaps reuse the PS2 HDD if you so wish....

That's what I figured they'd be doing with Xbox Next, and what I'd assumed the PS2 would have pushed for earlier (in other than the Linuxy way), and I guess it still COULD be an option, with what Microsoft said in the just-linked article. I'm thinking not, as without reasonably big assurance I can't see any company making a full-blown announcement like Moran did, but I'm sure Microsoft wants to keep all their avenues open. Plausable denyability and all that.

 

[AzBat]

Whatever it is, I doubt solid state memory can have comparable or lower size/price ratio to regular HDDs, now or in near future. Since MS is apparently doing this to save money, I think they will simply be selling large and fast memory cards that you will use for game saves, online downloads, etc.

On the other hand, I fully expect Sony to do the same, and perhaps sell HDD as an add-on for people who want to download movies, etc.

Everybody who doubts the replacement of the hard drive with solid state memory always makes the comment that it's not a very economical solution(comparatively speaking). But that's always made under the assumption that Microsoft plans to include 8gb or more hard drive space to be used for user soundtracks or even TiVo-style recording. I'm still not convinced that Microsoft wants to allow users to store gigabytes and gigabytes of music and video on the standard-edition of the Xbox2 on their dime.

We've already heard the rumors of no backward compatibility and with the current specs it's kind of pointing that way. So it's totally possible that Microsoft nixed compatibility in order to go with smaller amounts of internal flash memory. Though I do understand that smaller internal flash memory doesn't preclude backward compatibility either. They could just include enough internal memory(2gb) to support the OS and game cache partitions. However, if customers are told it will be backward compatible then they're going to be expecting the same, if not more, internal storage than the current Xbox.

Personally I don't see it happening. I have a feeling Microsoft no longer wants to subsidize the cost of extra storage that's only going to be useful for large amounts of user soundtracks or video. In other words, if you want to store large music and video data, then it will cost you extra. Makes completely good sense to me.

Tommy McClain

 

[AzBat]

With that said, I don't think you can rightfully compare current technology and prices with technology that has yet to come. Let's wait till we hear what Microsoft announces before we start doing that.

That's true, but i don't think that we will see a 8GB flash drive for below 100$ in the near future (in 2-4 years).

Again, that's only under the assumption that Microsoft plan to have 8gb or more internal storage. That's a pretty big assumption.

Tommy McClain

 

[Ali-G]

There is no way not to notice Sony and Nintendo making a nice profit from memory cards - especially Sony.

True, but there is also no way not to notice how many XBox's will have sold because they had a HDD and PS2/GC didn't. So its swings and roundabouts here. MS can drop the HDD for memory cards and save money on the console plus make profit on cards. But at the same time they're removing an attractive feature that helped XBox distinguish itself from the pack.

 

[Fafalada]

We've already heard the rumors of no backward compatibility and with the current specs it's kind of pointing that way. So it's totally possible that Microsoft nixed compatibility in order to go with smaller amounts of internal flash memory. Though I do understand that smaller internal flash memory doesn't preclude backward compatibility either.

I think it still does. While XBox hdd wasn't a speeddemon or anything, last I checked(correct me if I'm wrong) solid state still hasn't nearly reached comparable transfer speeds.
That said, while at this point I am pretty firmly convinced Xenon won't be backwards compatible out of the box, I wouldn't exclude possibility of a later add-on that featered just that (with a large HDD and all).

 

[max-pain]

With that said, I don't think you can rightfully compare current technology and prices with technology that has yet to come. Let's wait till we hear what Microsoft announces before we start doing that.

That's true, but i don't think that we will see a 8GB flash drive for below 100$ in the near future (in 2-4 years).

Again, that's only under the assumption that Microsoft plan to have 8gb or more internal storage. That's a pretty big assumption.

Tommy McClain

I didn't say that it will be internal. I think itt will be external like Sony's or Nintendo's memorycards. MS wants to lose less money on the Xbox 2 and make money with the external flash drives/cards. But i think that the Xbox 2's flash drives/cards has much less capacity then the currect Xbox HDD.

 

[hey69]

i don't know anybody that bought an xbox because there was a harddrive inside....

OR they buy it for easy modding and customizing it OR they buy it for the games

 

[Florin]

i don't know anybody that bought an xbox because there was a harddrive inside....

Well, not having to buy additional storage cards for game saves is great. So is being able to record your own soundtracks for games. I think it's a wonderful feature.

OR they buy it for easy modding and customizing it OR they buy it for the games

Yeah, it also helps if you want to install Linux. Or copy your games to the harddrive and keep the DVDs nice and free from scratches. Or play movies. It'd be a shame if the next Xbox wouldn't have one.

 

[Teasy]

i don't know anybody that bought an xbox because there was a harddrive inside...

So everyone you know who owns an XBox couldn't care less that it has a HDD in it? I find that very hard to believe. Yes nobody buys an XBox only because it has a HDD in it, but nobody has said that is the case. The HDD in XBox is a feature that helps XBox sell, nobody can deny that.

 

[Qroach]

Florin,

Yeah, it also helps if you want to install Linux. Or copy your games to the harddrive and keep the DVDs nice and free from scratches. Or play movies. It'd be a shame if the next Xbox wouldn't have one.

Umm, isn't that everything you can do when you "mod" an X-box? I'd say that's not a valid reson for keeping the hardrive. Anyone pirating games shouldn't get a vote imo