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

[Canadish]

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!

Ah, don't we all love a good bit of ad-hom? Please just go away, you're being a short sighted corporate apologist and it's not adding anything to the discussion.

I'm sad to hear another rumor supporting this. If the guy on Twitter was anything to go by, Microsoft is utterly out of touch with the real world and is gonna suffer for it come release time I think. I think the community has matured past the brand-loyalty phase we saw at the start of this generation and is looking out for their own best interests now.

 

[fix-the-spade]

I honestly don't think these are true, however persistent the rumors are. Even Microsoft must have seen the utter failure of Onlive and realised that the infrastructure doesn't support always online yet. Granted built in DRM and full on game streaming are different things but the principle of requiring a constant connection or being left with a worthless hunk remains.

They must also know that the world press will go ape shit if they try it. Considering how much piracy and bad feeling exists around always on PC games, which the press outside of gaming largely ignores, a new generation of console requiring it will get the full on media assassination. It's practically asking for a market in cracked console to explode in size.

If it's true I'll be very surprised, but the again this the company that didn't need thermal cirtification and decided GFWL should be a paid for service, so it's not impossible.

 

[yankeefan19]

Looks like the PS4 is going to win the next generation if this is true. It's certainly what I'm buying instead. Alternatively, I might buy a gaming PC.

 

[Colt47]

You know what this rumor tells me? Sony is going to feel the love again! They deserve something after all of the events they had to deal with in the PS3 generation of consoles, especially the PSP, PSP Go!, and now possibly the Vita (though the Vita still looks like it can make a comeback as it's getting some good games over the next few months).

 

[Teoes]

Re: possible mandatory Kinect..

Sorry if this has been discussed already, but for those who count this as a big negative towards the console through the thought of being spied on - has anyone considered draping a blanket over it or leave it facing the corner with a dunce's cap on when it's not in use? I'm not being facetious, I wonder about this being a legitimate way around that particular unsavoury (possible) aspect.

 

[badmunky64]

You know what this rumor tells me? Sony is going to feel the love again! They deserve something after all of the events they had to deal with in the PS3 generation of consoles, especially the PSP, PSP Go!, and now possibly the Vita (though the Vita still looks like it can make a comeback as it's getting some good games over the next few months).

you may as well add the PS Vita to the list...

 

[SecondPrize]

You know what this rumor tells me? Sony is going to feel the love again! They deserve something after all of the events they had to deal with in the PS3 generation of consoles, especially the PSP, PSP Go!, and now possibly the Vita (though the Vita still looks like it can make a comeback as it's getting some good games over the next few months).

If these rumors come to pass, it's certainly Sony's game to fuck up. Something as simple as an extremely poor launch line-up, such as they've had for the Vita, PsP and PS3 would have us all scratching our heads and wondering how the monstrosity of a next-box could beat out the ps4 in hardware sales.

 

[Sidmen]

I think I've said it before, but in the event that some crazy Microsoft sentient worm is trolling the internet compiling opinions...

I like my Xbox. When the option to play a game on my Xbox or PS3 comes up, I always go for the former. I haven't once used it online, and can't imagine any situation that would change that... well, unless it could beam whores into the room through the internet or something.

Anyway. Throughout most of my life I've lacked high-speed internet, whether its because I can't afford it, live in a place where it isn't offered, or because it has ludicrous restrictions (really, AT&T 5gb/month limits?). So even if I now do have it, I can't be sure that I'll always have it - past experience has taught me that doing things on the internet is never guaranteed.

So I won't be buying it if true. Just means I'll have to do pick up a PS4 once games actually start coming out.

 

[Dryk]

In a world where smart TVs and cheap media centre PCs are starting to crop up everywhere, I can see Microsoft doing something this stupid and out-of-touch.

 

[razer17]

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!

Well congratulations! I hope you're enjoying your connected life of privilege and urban internet!

I mean, who the fuck cares about any country that isn't in the first world? Screw them, they don't need entertaining, bloody whining peasants. And all those people who live out in the country and still have shitty internet? Move to the City. You can have all the internet you like. We'll just urbanize everywhere, and then you won't have to live out in the sticks.

Oh, what's that? You want to move house, and won't get internet access for a month whilst you wait for someone to hook you up? I hope you like solitaire whilst your Xbox becomes an expensive paper weight for a month. You can't afford good internet AND a new console, you want one or the other? Get a second job you lazy bastard.

OT: Well, rumours are just rumours, but it's seemingly pretty likely the next Xbox will be always online. So I guess I'll be moving from 360 to PS4, or maybe just stick to PC.

 

[loa]

The "current xbox 360 experience" is almost entirely online?
What.
That terrible terrible dashboard and the subscription based online multiplayer has prevented that from happening quite well for me.
An entirely subscription based console won't come into my house, that's for sure.
I got enough bills to pay each month already, no need for more possibly easy to get and hard to cancel constant income leeches.

 

[Entitled]

And so begin the "I need a PC" messages. Steam requires you to be always online, it does work offline, yes, but barely.

Then don't buy from Steam!

Wonders of PC gaming: you are not obliged to accept a single specific first-party publisher's measures. Some publishers might be more influential than others, sure, but there is always a way for playing outside the system.

 

[Vhite]

Microsoft seems to suffer from a bad case of wishful thinking if these rumors are true and they this this is what we want. Recently I was also on their developer conference (Techdays) and they really kept pushing how everyone loves Windows 8 and their app market.

 

[Mr.Mattress]

You know what this rumor tells me? Sony is going to feel the love again! They deserve something after all of the events they had to deal with in the PS3 generation of consoles, especially the PSP, PSP Go!, and now possibly the Vita (though the Vita still looks like it can make a comeback as it's getting some good games over the next few months).

Yes, it looks like it might be a Nintendo/Sony competition again, with a 3rd company (This time Microsoft) in a very distant third. Unlike the N64 vs. PS1 however, I have a feeling the WiiU's probably gonna keep the lead on the PS4, at least for a majority of it's life span.

 

[Fasckira]

Lots of angry people here in response to my post! Was merely highlighting that I'm not one of those who have taken to excessively moaning about this feature without even knowing the full details. Apologies of course as I can see how many will have misunderstood my point as I didn't expand it.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

I've had a lot of fun with my Xbox 360, and I'm sure I will continue to do so for many years to come, but if these rumours are true, then it's a definite 'No Deal' for me.

I can't guarantee that the place I'm about to move to (or the place I currently am for that matter) will have a constant and stable internet connection, and I am simply not going to pay that kind of money for hardware I can only use when the whims of the Wi-Fi fairies are in my favour. I am also not going to spend hundreds on hardware just so I can continue to keep paying some kind of 'subscription' for it. Mandatory Kinect can fuck right off, as can no backwards compatibility.

This is actually really sad for me, because between this, the PS4 and WiiU in no way impressing me, and me in no way being able to afford a halfway decent gaming PC anytime soon (I'm about to become a student in the UK, which is going to put my disposable income in negative figures in a matter of weeks) it seems I'm going to have to pretty much sit this generation out.

 

[Britisheagle]

And so begin the "I need a PC" messages. Steam requires you to be always online, it does work offline, yes, but barely.

Then don't buy from Steam!

Wonders of PC gaming: you are not obliged to accept a single specific first-party publisher's measures. Some publishers might be more influential than others, sure, but there is always a way for playing outside the system.

I don't always buy from Steam. In fact Shogun was bought as a hard copy that REQUIRED an online connection and Steam. Same as when I bought Company of Heroes years ago.

 

[MetaKnight670]

No, but thank you Microsoft. I'll just spend my money somewhere else, since you clearly don't want it. My home internet will sometimes go out for a week & when it does I like to play games but you know.

The subscription thing would also be a downside to add to my internet connection. I presume that even if my Xbox is just sitting there being a paperweight I am still charged for my subscription. Wouldn't be getting the $500 one either because spending that much on a console just seems insane to begin with.

Also, no backwards compatibility? That's another point & it ticked me off about this one so no. Yes, I do know that most games are backwards compatible but some still aren't.

There is my 2 cents.

 

[TwistedEllipses]

Rumours are rumours, but at the moment saying it might use babies as power is pretty much the way for it to sound more like a step in the wrong direction...

...I mean, why have nearly all the recent consoles failed to be backwards compatible? Is it on purpose?

 

[MacSkops]

If these rumors of the pricing and always online prove true, Microsoft are going to be REALLY cutting down on the amount of potential customers. I mean, not everyone can simply drop $300+ and have a crystal clear internet connection to support the system.