Xbox 720

[The NZA]

 

so, since MS was first out the gate this gen, naturally people're talking like japanese schoolgirls about the next big thing, and the rumors put it at christmas 2011 or so (that's summer '15 AU). Personally? I agree with bish; MS just started seeing a profit on this thing, plus they're potentially debuting their new avatar/netflix system later this month. There's talk of the hardware falling behind, but that's in terms of media and not what's under the hood - in my eyes, the only way to resolve this is gonna be mandatory hard drive installs next year, but that's just a guess.

 

Still, this shouldnt deter wild speculation! So here's what's being claimed/guessed at now:

• faster blu-ray drive
  
• Terabyte (1,000 GB) of storage space, for all those digital downloads/entertainment (makes sense since both companies want to see a lot more of this, looking at their online stores)
  
• rumored Intel processor to give horsepower push (i dont think anyone expected them to go with the wii's method of last-gen processors).
  
• also, a cell processor like the ps3, but more utilized
  

Said article also talks about a few industry heads saying they dont think there will be a next-gen, which i think is silly with all the money being made. Trick is, its slower than last gen, as 1) the $ is being spread by all 3, not just sony's ps2 anymore, and 2) the pricepoint on xbox and ps3 are still too high for many consumers to buy in yet. Which is why i think both sony & MS want to wait as long as possible to recoup lost investments on the kind of install base theyll get when they can afford to manufacture their respective consoles at $200-250. These analysts think one way or another, its going to jump forward by 2011/2012, but we'll see.

 

Meanwhile, what do you expect from the system? I'll guarantee you one thing: it'll be built like a fucking tank.

[Jables]

This is the concept image that's been bandied about for a while, first caught it in Edge magazine but yeah, I'm curious to see where they go next with this. A cross between Sega's VMU & the PSP'd be a nice touch for the next gen-ie aside from being able to use a portable to play on your home console, being able to unplug and continue away from the console(seriously, tech'd prolly be a killer but even with scaled down graphics, if you could retain/copy/transfer game saves and/or info from your PSP to your PS3 back & forth the appeal'd be undeniable). Hell, even being able to play live arcade games or whatever your sonystore games are on a portable that syncs with your console'd do pretty well. It wouldn't do well as a standard(look to the initial resistance Nintendo caught for the price of wiimotes & nunchuks), but as a perk it'd be unstoppable, I reckon.

 

[archangel]

IN BRIGHTEST DAY, IN DARKEST NIGHT!

[the division of joy]

IN BRIGHTEST DAY, IN DARKEST NIGHT!

 

Microsoft can properly compete now

[The NZA]

IN BRIGHTEST DAY, IN DARKEST NIGHT!

 

haha, win. seriously, what the fuck am i looking at?! kill it; kill it with fire!!

that looks in no way portable. it looks like something that hungrily wants discs put into it to cannibalize them for parts, in an effort to produce miniature versions of itself.

 

oh, but yeah, in my head its a given that any next gen system will feature both integrated achievements as well as some form of waggle control.

[Jables]

Idunno... Let's see these new motion sensors for the Wii and we'll talk about that shit next gen. Unless it gets a serious overhaul it's gonna remain a party feature at best.

[The NZA]

yeah, look, i dont want anything less than 1:1 ratio either, but between the easier interactivity attracting casuals (if even just leaving your system open to having mini-games for them), and some FPS fans saying if they cant get a mouse and keyboard (which honestly, im not sure why they cant since we've had USBs since PS2), RE4 and other games show them they want shooters with pointing more than control sticks...i still see it as a given, something the next market wont want to leave itself out of. itd have to be standardized & packed in, id think, unless say sony wants to keep milking accessories (you just know theyre sad they cant sell memory cards no more).

 

plus, i got more faith in MS & Sony's hardware people at this point to do motion controls right. if it remains a gimmicky afterthought, oh well.

[Jables]

 

I'll settle for nothing less.

[The NZA]

that is brilliant, and im better for having seen it.

[Iambaytor]

 

I'll settle for nothing less.

 

It's so bad!

[archangel]

the fuck ? did they make a real life version of Captain N or something?

[Iambaytor]

No you fool! Find the knowledge you seek, here

[The NZA]

such bullshit.

an arcade with the NES version of Double Dragon, and this autistic kid gets 328,000 points or something in the time it takes the other kid to piss.

[Jables]

SOmewhere, we got seriously o/t here. I gotta watch The Wizard.

[Newtype]

I say it will red ring right out of the box and it will have less HD space.

[Jables]

I say it will red ring right out of the box and it will have less HD space.

 

Ooh, clever boy. Maybe it'll take Sony's approach and copy MS's at-that-point last gen and have achievements and stream music from an audio device insteada trophies and copying onto the harddrive like some kind of primate. SHit, I just revealed the two biggest new features didn' I? Ya heard it here first, girls.

[Newtype]

Ooh, clever boy. Maybe it'll take Sony's approach and copy MS's at-that-point last gen and have achievements and stream music from an audio device insteada trophies and copying onto the harddrive like some kind of primate. SHit, I just revealed the two biggest new features didn' I? Ya heard it here first, girls.

 

You mean like how MS is copying the wii.

[Jables]

Yeah pretty much. At least it's current gen tech though. COmpletely fucking useless current gen, but nonetheless, MS isn't making their shit cassette compatible here.

[Iambaytor]

Yeah pretty much. At least it's current gen tech though. COmpletely fucking useless current gen, but nonetheless, MS isn't making their shit cassette compatible here.

 

That's only because they know the superiority of 8-Tracks

[archangel]

It is true, though: while Microsoft is, essentially, putting nipples on their breast plate Sony is still going to battle wearing a potato sack and Newt is bitching at MS?

 

Really?

[Jables]

Well, ask Shumacker: Batskates and rubber nipples really don't come cheap. My lactating 360 and I shed a milky tear for PSl33ts like Newt though, sad fuckers they are. :P

[Newtype]

It is true, though: while Microsoft is, essentially, putting nipples on their breast plate Sony is still going to battle wearing a potato sack and Newt is bitching at MS?

 

Really?

 

I have every reason to bitch.

 

3 RROD in 1 year and then the 360 quits on me.

[The NZA]

wait, why are we using analogies of Sony & MS in battle? hasnt sony outsold MS almost every month this year here in the states, while both are getting equally robbed by nintendo? again, this is why the fanboy talk makes no sense: unless you own stock, you're equally losing.

 

Newt - fuck are you doing to those things? were any refurbs? i forget where the xbox is in your setup, is it well ventliated/laying flat? manual says at least 4" to vent as i recall. jesus man, my elite's still ticking, thankfully.

[Newtype]

Newt - fuck are you doing to those things? were any refurbs? i forget where the xbox is in your setup, is it well ventliated/laying flat? manual says at least 4" to vent as i recall. jesus man, my elite's still ticking, thankfully.

 

It wasn't a refurb

 

As for the venting. Look at the pic and you'll see nothing around it.

[The NZA]

ok, well talk of this came up again recently, in regards to Project Natal.

 

1UP are reporting a rumour that while Natal will be released next year for existing 360 consoles, it will also be released next year as a standard inclusion with a new Xbox console, due out in the Fall.

 

This console won't be as "new" as we're accustomed to with console generations; rather, 1UP say it'll be a slight improvement over the existing Xbox 360 technology, with games able to run with slightly faster framerates, or with slightly better graphics than those on the "older" 360 consoles.

 

Sounds crazy, but as 1UP point out, it's not that different to what Nintendo did the Wii; repackage existing hardware and re-release it in a new casing with a new control method.

 

I don't know how I like (or put much stock in) the idea of two 360 consoles, especially two with varying hardware configurations; what's to stop developers from optimising for the more powerful unit and leaving owners of the older 360 with a sloppy, sub-standard product?

 

Hopefully that's not a problem, and if true, the "new" console is just a rebranded, repackaged 360. Maybe in a smaller box, with a snappier name. First impressions, fresh start and all that.

 

We've contacted Microsoft for comment, and will let you know if/when they get back to us.

 

ok, for MS to bundle Natal with a 360 seems like a given, especially for market saturation of a periphrial. again, i know everyone likes rumblings of the nextbox or whatever, but i stand by MS just starting to turn a profit like wha, 2 years ago? i dont think they (or any of the big 3) are in a hurry to move on & rush to the next gen anytime soon. I could be wrong, i woudlnt be surprised if MS did want to keep their lead on Sony that way.

 

now, a higher framerate system on the market with the 360...as long as its not like the DSi where games are made exclusively for just it (thereby making it the inevitable 32x?), it could work. itd be odd, given that hardware revisions are usually for smaller, cheaper-to-produce parts, rather than horsepopwer, but i suppose its possible, much as itd get a lot of people pissy. But itd still feel like a stepping stone between now and the 720.

 

...unless.

unless, like kotaku said, with the wii as an example, MS really does want the next gen to have similar specs, and be straight profit for them. i know theyre trying to get the casuals on board, and a new system at a low price'd fare well in a few years, but could they manage the delicate balance of still having a cutting-edge system with only minor tweaks to the engine? this tactic'd really leave sony questioning shit, or truly designating their position with whatever comes next as the big tech guys, but then that'd possibly get them reemed on sales unless they could justify the costs to the devs, magically. the more i think about it, the more this wii-like strategy might change things for everyone, given how much sony's lost thsi gen as well.