Xbox 720 document leak reveals $299 console

Scott Tortorice

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Here it comes....

[h=1]Xbox 720 document leak reveals $299 console with Kinect 2 for 2013, Kinect Glasses [/h]
Microsoft outlines a competitive differentiation for its next-generation Xbox, including support for Blu-ray, native 3D output and glasses, concurrent apps, and additional sensor and peripheral support. Alongside a promised 6x performance increase, there's also mention of true 1080p output with full 3D support and an "always on" state for the console. A slide on core hardware indicates that the next Xbox will be designed to be scalable in the number of CPU cores and their frequencies. Microsoft appears to have been debating whether to use six or eight ARM or x86 cores clocked at 2GHz each with 4GB of DDR4 memory alongside three PPC cores clocked at 3.2GHz each for backwards compatibility with existing Xbox 360 titles.
 

kawaiku

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Interesting. I think backwards compatibility is a must for future systems by Sony, Ninetendo, and obviously Microsoft (almost called em Xbox lol). And if those 3D Kinect goggles work well enough we could see some legit Roleplaying and Adventure games along the lines of Myst and such. What do you think Scott? Too soon for a new console system to replace the 360? I feel like the 64 and obviously the PS2 had been around much longer though a quick search says the average life span has been about 5-6 years. Has the 360 really outlived itself? I feel like the XBOX didn't live its full potential until the 360 came out. Meanwhile the PS2 is what... around 12 years old and still selling games and consoles (all the best games are near impossible to find! It's taken me 3-5 years to collect the games for mine alone!) But then again that's all coming from someone who doesn't own any of the current gens so what do I know :(
 

Scott Tortorice

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No, I think it is long past the time for the consoles to upgrade. PCs have already made the leap to 64-bit architecture already, and all that unlocks, but the consoles are still stuck at 32 bits. I am amazed at how much devs have squeezed out of the current console generation, but there has been a significant leap in hardware since the 360 and PS3 came out. It's time to take advantage of all that new tech.

Not only that, but Sony and MS have learned a great deal about what gamers want and expect. I mean, compare the early, modest titles that first arrived on the 360 to the far more sophisticated games that are the norm today (titles such as Skyrim). Once upon a time there was a real division between console and PC gaming, but can we honestly say that division still exists? In days past Skyrim would have been considered an example of PC gaming and not console gaming. Clearly, that is no longer the case. Now that the distinction between PC and consoles begins to fade, both MS and Sony need a new platform that can better bridge that shrinking gap in expectations.
 

SkaterMcgee

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My concern, why is it only $300? Unless that is the equivalent to the Arcade version of the 360.. I paid over $600 for my 360 after taxes when it came out... Looking at it, I am actually not excited for it like I was for the 360...
 

Scott Tortorice

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I think MS understands that in the current economic environment, people are not going to shell out those high prices again. Also, seeing how well the 360 sold over its lifetime, they are probably more confident that they will be able to make a profit over its lifetime at a lower price point.
 

prymus

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I know that I'll continue to do the same thing I've always done.Blow off the consoles and upgrade my PC. I know the gap is closing. But in my opinion it is still considerable. And by the time you get the console,accessories, and games, I can have a vid card that kicks the snot out of any new gen console.I know, let the flame begin. I saw my son play Skyrim on PS3, and played it myself on my Notebook and Desktop,and they both looked and performed better than the PS3.But believe me, I know the day is coming that the PC as a gaming platform will be obsolete.With AMD and Intel doing all they can to put an end to discrete video cards it's just a matter of time.Oh well, I'm a dinosaur and I'll hang on to my PC gaming experience til they pry it from my cold dead hands.
Lastly,one of my problems with the current and next gen consoles is that I don't want something to become my total entertainment experience.I don't have Netflix anymore and won't ever get it again,I don't want the app experience or Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest on my TV. Dang, if I have all that crap on my TV I'll never move from in front of the thing.
All just the opinion of a cranky old fart anyway.
 

Scott Tortorice

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I know that I'll continue to do the same thing I've always done.Blow off the consoles and upgrade my PC. I know the gap is closing. But in my opinion it is still considerable. And by the time you get the console,accessories, and games, I can have a vid card that kicks the snot out of any new gen console.I know, let the flame begin. I saw my son play Skyrim on PS3, and played it myself on my Notebook and Desktop,and they both looked and performed better than the PS3.But believe me, I know the day is coming that the PC as a gaming platform will be obsolete.With AMD and Intel doing all they can to put an end to discrete video cards it's just a matter of time.Oh well, I'm a dinosaur and I'll hang on to my PC gaming experience til they pry it from my cold dead hands.
I think you are being a bit pessimistic. I don't think we'll ever see the end of the PC...well, not until we have wearable computers. :) But until that happens, the PC as a gaming machine will stick around. It's all cyclical. When the consoles came out, everybody was jumping ship from the PC and saying it was dead, but then the consoles got old and now the PC is enjoying a renaissance (due in no small part to the indie community). I am sure when the new consoles come out the pendulum will swing back the other way again, but only for a limited time. And once again, the PC will be there to pick up the pieces when the consoles tire themselves out.

Personally, I think the time is coming when consoles and PCs will cease to be a meaningful distinction. The trend is towards a single, seamless platform - what I expect will be a tablet with cloud-based gaming capabilities. That is the real future of gaming (come to think of it, that sort of would be a wearable computer!). MS and Sony are fighting this off because they have so much riding on their platforms, but I think the writing is on the wall. Once inexpensive high speed wireless internet is the norm the world over, and services like OnLive and Gaikai get the kinks out and prove to offer a reliable gaming experience, it is all going to be tablet and cloud-based - one cloud to rule them all! Some people don't like this future, but I do. I think the merits of cloud-based gaming outweigh the negatives. For a start, game devs can blow the specs out of the water because the user will not be running the game locally. This fact alone should trigger a quantum leap in gaming technology - not to mention the money saved by devs in not having to create separate versions of the same program for each platform. Second, being cloud based, you can take your gaming from the tablet, to your big screen TV, to your subway commute, all seamlessly. What is more, being cloud based, the social interaction of a Youtube or a Facebook would be part and parcel of every game. Cloud-based gaming probably will prove to be a boon to indies as well as 1) not needing to focus on one platform gets them a bigger audience, 2) the cloud service will act like Steam, simplifying distribution of their game, and 3) piracy is effectively dead.

So, yeah, I am not at all concerned about the coming gaming singularity. :)

BTW: Stardock echoed my opinion, but with greater specificity:


Stardock Takes Aim at "Primary Threat" to Future of PC Gaming

"We maintain that the primary threat to the PC (and gaming consoles) comes in the form of Apple's AirPlay combined with Bluetooth 4.0+ controllers. A Windows 8 failure may buy enough time for Apple to release displays (and get partners to release displays) with embedded AirPlay. The 'computing' will be done on an iPad/iPhone, the keyboard/mouse handled by Bluetooth and the display via AirPlay."
They didn't mention the cloud, though. But I believe that is the key to unlocking this future.
 

SkaterMcgee

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I have had Sal, my 360, since 2005, I have yet to see him tire Scott... He is a leaf blowing machine, but not tired, oh no, not tired...
 
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