Microsoft to officially unveil Xbox next, aka Durango May 21 (1 Viewer)

[Carlo_M]

No handheld consoles. My only on-the-go gaming happens on the iPhone 5, and even then just really dumb ones like Words with Friends and Slot Machines.

I really have only two games I play religiously: Halo and NCAA Football.

I like fighting games (Street Fighter, DOA and VF) but I don't play those religiously and most are now cross-platform so really exclusives probably won't decide the console wars for me, outside of maybe Halo 5. But if Bungie hits one out of the park with Destiny, then that's supposed to be cross-platform and it really won't matter then. If both PS4 and NeXBox (see what I did there ) are a draw, and Halo is only on one platform, I'll probably go with that one. But if PS4 is superior and Destiny lures me away from Master Chief's world, then I may only get the PS4.

 

[DaveF]

My 2008 Xbox is doing good. I bought it after all the reports were it was cooler and wouldn't die like prior models.I'm inclined towards Xbox. But I'll see what Sony brings out. And what prices are.

 

[Carlo_M]

Anyone else feel like this is the *worst* time for console game fans? By that I mean the time between knowing that both major players have new consoles coming but having absolutely nothing concrete to look at from either company?

It's kind of like that time for sports fans, after the NBA playoffs are over, but baseball is still in the early part of its 162 game season so there's no real drama yet unfolding. No football. No hockey. Nothing.

 

[JohnS]

Anyone else feel like this is the *worst* time for console game fans? By that I mean the time between knowing that both major players have new consoles coming but having absolutely nothing concrete to look at from either company? It's kind of like that time for sports fans, after the NBA playoffs are over, but baseball is still in the early part of its 162 game season so there's no real drama yet unfolding. No football. No hockey. Nothing.

It does suck not really knowing nothing.But I love the E3 week.They usually runs week long of E3 specials on MTV, G4.And I'm really looking forward to this years especially.I'm hoping this is some of the best E3 coverage were going to see, as this is going to be a major factor that gong to make up my decision.

 

[DaveF]

Any informed rumors on launch price? A check of Wikipedia reminds me that the PS3 started at $500 or $600 and the Xbox started at $400. With the intense pressure from iPad, plummet in PC sales, and general woes of consoles, will they launch at lower prices to drive sales?

I think a $299 launch price and I'm in day one. At $399, maybe it's Xmas & Birthday. At $499, I buy a new iPad

 

[Bryan^H]

The only thing, and mean only thing that will get me to buy one of the new systems is a new Elder Scrolls game(Morrowind, Oblivion. Skyrim etc.).
And that probably happen for a good long while so......

 

[Jeff Cooper]

The only thing, and mean only thing that will get me to buy one of the new systems is a new Elder Scrolls game(Morrowind, Oblivion. Skyrim etc.).
And that probably happen for a good long while so......

Be sure to add on at least a year after that happens for them to work out all the glitches, etc..

 

[Sam Posten]

Always on: Not required?
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/05/microsoft-next-xbox-will-work-even-when-your-internet-doesnt/

 

[Morgan Jolley]

The pricing for the PS3 hasn't been rumored about, but the Xbox has a big rumor: $500 for the regular one, a subsidized (and possibly lower-end model) for $300 that comes with a $15/month XBL-style service fee. This is basically the same as what MS did with the 360 in the last couple years. Sony found out the hard way that the PS3 was overpriced, so I can't see them breaking the $400 barrier this time unless they have a game included.

However, both companies will include the console, a camera peripheral, and a controller in the box. The added value of the camera peripheral may justify a higher price. That said, over $350-400 is pushing it. The Wii U will probably be $300 or less by then and have a few dozen games out. When parents go Christmas shopping as see a Wii U with 5 games for the same price as JUST a new PS4/XBI (I'm going with Xbox Infinity; it just sounds good for their ad campaigns, like 360 did) then Nintendo will have a good holiday.

 

[Carlo_M]

Personally speaking: $500 is too much, no matter how many peripherals they throw in there. $300-$400 I would think should be the target to get maximum consumer interest. There's too much now competing for consumer dollars in the gaming/electronics industry, and asking people who are just getting out of a recession to shell out half a grand on a gaming console is a bit risky.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Personally speaking: $500 is too much, no matter how many peripherals they throw in there. $300-$400 I would think should be the target to get maximum consumer interest. There's too much now competing for consumer dollars in the gaming/electronics industry, and asking people who are just getting out of a recession to shell out half a grand on a gaming console is a bit risky.

On top of that, a lot of speculation revolves around MS focusing too little on gaming and too much on TV, movies, etc. and making their next Xbox into a general entertainment device rather than a gaming console. I think it's a good idea to a degree, but people won't replace their DVRs or tablets or laptops or whatever, so trying to get them to do so is pointless. It's one thing to say "We have Netflix!" but it's another thing to say "You should check Twitter on this!" like they did with the 360.

 

[mattCR]

Lots of speculation to the negative for something we haven't seen. . I will wait and see

 

[JohnS]

There is a new rumor going around that Playstation might make Xbox push their release date to 2014.Sony has it in their contract that they have an exclusive to the bluray drive and can have first excess to it over anyone else.In which case they can make Xbox wait a good six months before they can release their new system.This might be payback for exclusive rights to Call of Duty stuff.Plus Sony will have the only system out for Christmas 2013.

 

[mattCR]

There is a new rumor going around that Playstation might make Xbox push their release date to 2014.Sony has it in their contract that they have an exclusive to the bluray drive and can have first excess to it over anyone else.In which case they can make Xbox wait a good six months before they can release their new system.This might be payback for exclusive rights to Call of Duty stuff.Plus Sony will have the only system out for Christmas 2013.

That wouldn't hold. The Blu-Ray consortium has multiple members, and the exclusivity on Blu-Ray died a long time ago, as all consortium members have the right to the format, of which Microsoft is one, along with groups like: Apple, Samsung, Panasonic, Toshiba, etc. If Sony were to try this legal maneuver they would get stomped.

 

[JohnS]

That wouldn't hold. The Blu-Ray consortium has multiple members, and the exclusivity on Blu-Ray died a long time ago, as all consortium members have the right to the format, of which Microsoft is one, along with groups like: Apple, Samsung, Panasonic, Toshiba, etc. If Sony were to try this legal maneuver they would get stomped.

Supposidly Sony has rights for "game consoles" so there's a fine line.
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/465061/20130507/xbox-720-durango-infinity-release-date-specs.htm

 

[mattCR]

One of hose 'I heard it from someone who heard it from someone' stories without a shred of documentation. I don't think Sony could uphold that first gen exclusive now. I'd be very, very surprised

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I'm going to call that complete BS. If anything, Microsoft would be having software or hardware delivery issues holding the release of their next console back, not rights issues regarding Bluray.

 

[JohnS]

Supposedly the next Xbox is called Xbox Infinity.
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/09/the-next-xbox-is-reportedly-called-xbox-infinity?utm_campaign=twposts&utm_source=twitter

 

[DaveF]

I hear that opening the disc drive causes a tear in the fabric of space/time to an era when video game consoles were popular.
http://mysteriousdrx.com/

 

[DaveF]

The pricing for the PS3 hasn't been rumored about, but the Xbox has a big rumor: $500 for the regular one, a subsidized (and possibly lower-end model) for $300 that comes with a $15/month XBL-style service fee. This is basically the same as what MS did with the 360 in the last couple years. Sony found out the hard way that the PS3 was overpriced, so I can't see them breaking the $400 barrier this time unless they have a game included. However, both companies will include the console, a camera peripheral, and a controller in the box. The added value of the camera peripheral may justify a higher price. That said, over $350-400 is pushing it. The Wii U will probably be $300 or less by then and have a few dozen games out. When parents go Christmas shopping as see a Wii U with 5 games for the same price as JUST a new PS4/XBI (I'm going with Xbox Infinity; it just sounds good for their ad campaigns, like 360 did) then Nintendo will have a good holiday.

$500 launch price I believe, but seems too high given the iPad as competitor. But a $15/mo fee? What in the world for? Does it replace my TiVo?On the kinect and such camera thingies: do they rest on top of a flat screen TV? I'm puzzled where I'd put it in my living room. I've seen the wii bar, and its really small. But my impression was the kinect was quite the beast, needed a gymnasium-sized living room, and so wouldn't work with a normal setup.