Rumor: Next-Gen Xbox Will Cost $300-$500, Be Always-Online

[Steven Bogos]

Rumor: Next-Gen Xbox Will Cost $300-$500, Be Always-Online

Noted Windows blogger Paul Thurrott claims that a "subscription based" next-gen Xbox will cost $300, and the standard model will be $500.

The Xbox 720/Durango/Next-Gen Xbox will launch in November of this year, and set you back $500 for the standard edition, or $300 for a "subscription based" model, claims noted Microsoft insider Paul Thurrott on the latest episode of What The Tech. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01qrzaZg7_g#t=54m44] He described the platform overall as "expensive."

Thurott also confirmed rumors of the next Xbox's always-online requirement, which was strongly hinted at earlier this month by comments on Microsoft executive reportedly stops functioning [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/123098-Microsoft-Exec-on-Always-Online-Consoles-Deal-With-it] if its internet connection is dropped for more than three minutes.

"But is that a bad thing?" What The Tech host Andrew Zarian asks Thurrott regarding the always-online requirement. "I don't know," he replies, "because I don't know what it means." Thurrott claims that the wording of the system notes could be interpreted in any number of ways. He warns us to not be quick to jump to conclusions. He does state that his current Xbox 360 experience is almost entirely online, mostly playing online games or using it as a media center connected to an online service.

Most surprisingly though is the revelation that a new Xbox 360 console will be released alongside the next-gen Xbox. Microsoft is planning a $99 "Stingray" Xbox 360, which Thurrott claims is because the next-gen Xbox will not be backwards compatible with Xbox 360 games. A media center-only Xbox codenamed "Yumo," which could not play games at all, was reportedly in development but eventually scrapped.

We will have to wait until May 21 to have these rumors confirmed, which is the date Thurrott says Microsoft will reveal more information about its upcoming console.

Source: Gamespot [http://www.gamespot.com/news/subscription-based-xbox-720-priced-at-300-with-500-standard-model-6406544]

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[Ed130 The Vanguard]

Just when the Adam Orth Twitter mess was dying down this pops up.

And only 3 minutes? I've had my internet spazz out for half an hour at least once a month.

 

[Legion]

If it literally does not work without the internet, then combined with a high price and a subscription based model, they are going to fail horrifically. I can see one or maybe two of them being let slide, but together it makes it a complete waste of money. Unless they have such a fantastic line up that people can't resist (and when was the last time that happened at the beginning of a generation?).

I only see the die-hards and the "must have it because it's new" crowds being interested in it the way they are describing it.

Although my opinion is based upon these rumours. They may yet surprise with something that actually makes people interested.

 

[Ironside]

If it literally does not work without the internet, then combined with a high price and a subscription based model, they are going to fail horrifically. I can see one or maybe two of them being let slide, but together it makes it a complete waste of money. Unless they have such a fantastic line up that people can't resist (and when was the last time that happened at the beginning of a generation?).

Dont forget the rumours of banning used games and possibly requiring a kinect to be connected at all times as well. I would have thought Microsoft would be wanting to confirm or deny at least some of these rumours as soon as possible, because at the moment it just sounds like their console is going to be bloody awful.

 

[The White Hunter]

Just when the Adam Orth Twitter mess was dying down this pops up.

And only 3 minutes? I've had my internet spazz out for half an hour at least once a month.

Half an hour is nothing, every six weeks or so BT digs up something and my connection is flopping about dying for a week as a result of them even though they aren't my ISP. Not to mention the fact the ISP forces their shitty routers on us and won't let me use custom firmware for the stupid thing.

OT: Do not want? Building my new PC soon for around the same price and it'll make the the thing look like a pocket calculator.

Edit: I thought I'd pop back over here to note that you should care about always online just because it may kick you from your game sometimes, you should however be deeply concerned about the reuired kinect and that constant connection because I can almost guarentee it will be used for spying to market stuff back to you.

Microsoft already archives everything you do and say on Skype and having a permanently connected camera and microphone mandatory for the next xbox to function could be their way of data farming you and could lead to some nasty licencing DRM bullshit. Not to mention a horrific intrusion of piracy, especially when the law in many countries views "the cloud" as out of your privacy, with "the cloud" meaning anything not local to your system.

Say for example, 4 people are watching a movie on netflix, and your buddy comes in the room, kinect could recognise that and say hey he leaves or you pay another $2 for a licence or no more movie.

[sub]Edit edit: I don't have a tin foil hat, I have a copper hat to block the microwaves.[/sub]

It's bundled with a mandatory kinect. Mandatory being 'it has to be plugged in and watching you'.

Welcome to the tin foil hat bunker. We have tea and cupcakes and encrypted telecommunication services.

 

[Gordon Freemonty]

Not phased by the always online requirement; I live in a 1st world country with a reliable always-on internet connection. I'm also not prone to acting like a whiney *****. Roll on the next gen!

So people without the stellar internet connection you must have are 'whiny bitches', right?

Its alright for you to say that you don't care, it isn't so much to insult those that do.

 

[TheComfyChair]

Not phased by the always online requirement; I live in a 1st world country with a reliable always-on internet connection. I'm also not prone to acting like a whiney *****. Roll on the next gen!

If you have a stable connection, then the next xbox wont pose an issue to you. Don't dismiss the many other people who don't as being 'whiny'.

We'll soon see how whiny everyone can really be when those servers get taken down for maintenance. Dayum. That's gonna be fun. Or the first day login issues? I can put up with it in an MMO like Guild Wars 2, it's somewhat par for the course to have occasional issues. But a new console? one which doesn't need to be online? Hmph.

It's a good job i'm not someone who feels like they *have* to have a console. I'll be sticking with my PC, after all, it's next-gen since 2009 AND i can play offline! I don't need to because my internet is stupidly stable (not even a blip in the last 18 months), but if i DID need to i can.

The PS4 may get bought if there's some good exclusives though.

 

[Paladin2905]

I wonder if the $300 is an internal number, it seems too high for an opening price point. I would be surprised if Microsoft didn't end up subsidizing the price of the console down a hundred or so; price difference can make a big deal in how a console performs against others. As it stands now; I'd say the real value/$ of the console sounds too low to guarantee a good sales pool.

 

[TheComfyChair]

I wonder if the $300 is an internal number, it seems too high for an opening price point. I would be surprised if Microsoft didn't end up subsidizing the price of the console down a hundred or so; price difference can make a big deal in how a console performs against others. As it stands now; I'd say the real value/$ of the console sounds too low to guarantee a good sales pool.

It's bundled with a mandatory kinect. Mandatory being 'it has to be plugged in and watching you'.

 

[SecondPrize]

I hope, for their sake, they've got the last generation of teen kids fully locked in on the brand loyalty train because these are the opposite of selling points for me.
Even without your system being a brick if any condition other than electricity is not met, at a $500 price point Microsoft will lose with me against the official steam box if it comes close in it's pricing and I already own a PC on which I play games.
On the off chance I come anywhere close to resembling the average console consumer, Sony can win big by just pushing forward with no big surprises, a non-ps3 price and an adequate selection of launch titles.
EDIT- If this online requirement sticks, I would love nothing more than for Sony to get their hands on one of these and demo it in their E3 booth with no internet connection.

 

[CriticalMiss]

Wait, so you have to pay for the hardware, then pay a subscription to USE the hardware and also pay for an internet connection so that it works at all? Not to mention that you are being spied on by your mandatory Kinect and having adverts pushed in your face on the dashboard (if the current XBL is a sign of what is to come). I don't think Microsoft like their customers much but love their money.

 

[baconsarnie]

He described the platform overall as "expensive."
Everyone panic, man the battleships, alert the president , go to DEFCON 2.
"He warns us to not be quick to jump to conclusions."
Or maybe wait until it's confirmed.

 

[Timmey]

The more I hear the more I pray that Sony doesn't copy them. If they let Microsoft do their thing, and Sony run it the normal way, then there can only be one winner. Just sat praying Sony doesn't think, oh that's a good idea lets do that too!

 

[Britisheagle]

And so begin the "I need a PC" messages. Steam requires you to be always online, it does work offline, yes, but barely. My internet went down last week and I thought Shogun would be a good game to play during this down time and it wouldn't launch as I had not updated it when I installed it because I wanted to go on something else.

Also, you can't get preowned games on PC, at least some console games allow split screen to differ to this.

So cheaper games? Yes that would work. An always online console would be welcome if we could have always online prices, that would get a purchase from me. If not, PS4 it is.

I would also like to say I am a PC gamer as well as Xbox and I love my PC far more than my console. I am just stating that it does have it's moments, such as Steam servers going down mid way through a ranked match and getting a loss, no preowned market and games that you pay money that then don't work for whatever reason (and receiving no help what-so-ever from Steam and having to spend time on forums looking for player support instead). Overall it is a far superior platform, however, and if Microsoft believe that they can match, if not better, this system then I would like to see them try.

 

[Riobux]

I could cope with a subscription based model, or maybe the Always Online model, but the idea of combining subscription based model along with an Always Online model? Are they insane? Do they cackle as they chalk up world domination plans, with the end goal being to spread the maximum amount of misery as possible? This can't be serious, this can't be reality.

 

[Darkong]

Well its safe to say that if these rumours turn out to be true then this console will tank, big time, Neo Geo levels of failure.

 

[rodneyy]

Wait, so you have to pay for the hardware, then pay a subscription to USE the hardware and also pay for an internet connection so that it works at all? Not to mention that you are being spied on by your mandatory Kinect and having adverts pushed in your face on the dashboard (if the current XBL is a sign of what is to come). I don't think Microsoft like their customers much but love their money.

that is what i have been wondering, is the subscription one a bit like what they did a wile ago buy 2 years (or whatever) of gold membership and get the console cheeper, bit like a mobile phone. or is that subscription needed to play at all? as its always online do you need something the equivalent of gold to do anything or will at least the always on DRM bit be free if you dont want to play multiplayer games and then if you want you can upgrade as you can now to play with others online.

guess we'll just have to wait and see like he said

 

[Trilliandi]

...Well, this just made my morning if it turns out to be true. I have never liked X-Box, it never had any games that made me want it, it's online community scared me to no end, and I want nothing to do with it's controller. So having said that, awful nice of Microsoft to do themselves in like this if it's true.