New XBox 720 to kill off second hand games?
 

I wont buy one if these rumours are true....and they probably are.




http://www.edge-online.com/news/the-...nd-new-kinect/




Microsoft’s next console will require an Internet connection in order to function, ruling out a second-hand game market for the platform. A new iteration of Xbox Live will be an integral part of Microsoft’s next console, while improved Kinect hardware will also ship alongside the unit.

Sources with first-hand experience of Microsoft’s next generation console have told us that although the next Xbox will be absolutely committed to online functionality, games will still be made available to purchase in physical form. Next Xbox games will be manufactured on 50GB-capacity Blu-ray discs, Microsoft having conceded defeat to Sony following its ill-fated backing of the HD-DVD format. It is believed that games purchased on disc will ship with activation codes, and will have no value beyond the initial user.

Our source has also confirmed that the next Xbox’s recently rumoured specs are entirely accurate. That means an AMD eight-core x64 1.6GHz CPU, a D3D11.x 800MHz graphics solution and 8GB of DDR3 RAM. As of now, the console’s hard drive capacity is said to be undecided, but Microsoft’s extended commitment to online delivery suggests that it will be the largest unit it has put inside a console to date.

Though the architectures of the next-gen Xbox and PlayStation both resemble that of PCs, several development sources have told us that Sony’s solution is preferable when it comes to leveraging power. Studios working with the next-gen Xbox are currently being forced to work with only approved development libraries, while Sony is encouraging coders to get closer to the metal of its box. Furthermore, the operating system overhead of Microsoft’s next console is more oppressive than Sony’s equivalent, giving the PlayStation-badged unit another advantage.

Unlike Nintendo, Microsoft is continuing to invest heavily in motion-control interfaces, and a new, more reliably responsive Kinect will also ship alongside the next Xbox. Sony’s next-generation console camera system is said to have a similar set of features, and is expected to be discussed at the company’s PlayStation event on February 20.

There's no way I would buy a console that wouldn't let me play second hand games. But I have a feeling that they'r going to back off on this. There's been too much backlash so far. I almost wonder if Microsoft floated the idea out there to gauge people's reaction before setting anything in stone.

This really isn't in Microsoft's hands anyway, it's in the hands of the publisher.

EA, for example, is ALREADY TAKING STEPS TO DO THIS, as anybody who has purchased an EA Sports title used can attest.

That being said, Microsoft has built functionality into Windows 8 that can be leveraged in the future to make them the preferred game distribution method on Windows, locking out others like Steam and essentially making Windows PCs an Xbox-like environment.

Old news. As I have said before media is going the way of the dodo. Everything will be downloadable in the very near future and drives will not be included in anything.

I really dont get the software industry. Anything else, you buy it, you can do whatever you want with it. YOur car, your clothes, toys, furniture,etc...there is usually a second hand market.

Why does the original owner care if they have already made their money?

Because people who buy used games aren't buying the same titles from them, therefore they are losing out.

Well, for one you can't copy that car you bought and give it to your friend for free...

They want the new car market AND the used car market so to speak.

Hopefully console gaming dies with this generation.

Not happening. In fact, Microsoft is taking steps with Windows going forward to make PC gaming look like console gaming.

I don't see much improvement as far as innovation is concerned with new consoles. What are they going to provide that we don't already have with the 360 or PS3?

Hopefully I'm wrong, but if there aren't those major innovations and they're just guts upgrades, I don't see why the scales won't start tipping in the favor of fully customisable PCs.

this upgrade in consoles will finally make post-game handshakes between coachs light years better in Madden.

No way they do that. M$ has already dealt with one antitrust case. If they pull something like this it would open the door to another.

what will this change if the game developers don't change their engines etc? serious question etc.

seems like a lot of games - aaheam.....EA - look the same year in and year out.
can the PS3/Xbox no handle anything else?

The major innovations are in content delivery. Microsoft and Sony are able to monetize every inch of the screen and every bit that travels the network.

The scales are already tipping AWAY from fully-customizable PCs because those are more difficult to monetize.

Content is the future.

All that the IE case did was make them smarter on how to skirt the system.

No worries, I'm sure a modchip would render that *Feature* useless. ;)

Going 100% downloadable digital media renders "modchips" useless.

Think of it as copy protection for the console itself.

this

The Hacking community always finds a way, see the JTAG and PSN hacks for examples. ;)

New playstation is going to do the same shit

So you have to have an internet connection to even use these new consoles?

Wow....that sucks for the poor ghetto kids.

I mean this is already happening now.... Except they do still hold some value, the makers just sell an online code like EA is currently doing.

Maybe they'll read more books?

It's not like anyone could modify the firmware to tell it to ignore that protection or that it's already been done. ;)

Unrelated, but I learned today for the first time while researching a "box" to hook up to a tv-only setup that you have to pay for Xbox gold in order to use Netflix, etc? Wtf is that?

I'd gladly never buy anything from Microsoft ever again

Its 50 bucks a year, who cares

This is complete bullshit. It's not up to Microsoft to begin with and these same rumors were going around the PS4 a few months ago and were quickly shut down by Sony.

So basically your paying for your internet connection, your xbox subscription, and then your Netflix subscription? You dont see a problem here?

Sony doesn't charge you to access their network.

Na, consoles will never go away. It's the only way to provide the same experience for everyone. A PC game might play fine on your setup and play like shit on mine. Most people don't want to deal with that kind of thing.

EA has definitely been ahead of the curve on this. In addition to sports, they've been selling online passes for games in the rpg/action/horror genres for a couple of years now, so people who get the game second hand can't get into the mulitiplayer aspect of the game without paying.

I'm okay with it. My bigger concern is gaming turning more towards facebook, mobile and app-based stuff. Hopefully that's a fad that dies painfully.

Its because Sony's network sucks ass compared to Xbox live...

AAAAAaaaaand here we go with that stupid ass shit again.

Myth

Some like one, some like the other. Xbox live is more reliable imo. Also if PS owners want the same things that xbox has, well most of it, they have to pay 50 dollars a year for playstation plus. So I dont see the big deal.

On the topic of netflix only boxes, my Roku HD I have in my bedroom works great

I know. I ****ing hate how you have to buy a tv, pay for electricity and pay for cable! LMAO

I do, because I know how to build/setup a PC for about the same price as a console that will blow it away.

And maybe buy a tv stand damnit. Also having to pay rent to house it in, what a bitch. #sacrasm

Sure, PC games have their place in the world for people like you - those won't go away either. But 90% of the people don't want to build something. They want to take it out of the box and be playing their game 2 minutes later.

Playstation plus is not 50 bucks a month. Right now, you can get it for 50 bucks for a year, and they are throwing in three free months...so price wise it is very competitive with XBOX live.

hope not i dont like sitting at a desk to game anymore! im over that shit. I like relaxing on my recliner.

Thats what I meant to say, not 50 a month, a year. So its about the same as xbox live.

That is why I educate, we can convert the derps over to productive PC members. ;)

I love pc gaming, I have built a few of my own and my friends. But I got to the point where I got tired of them getting outdated. Its nice having a console where games are made specifically for the specifications that I have and I dont have to upgrade.

Other than sports games I don't play consoles at all, if those same games were on PC I would play them there but they aren't and that's the only reason. Also as the years go by it seems I have to upgrade less and less.

PS+ is a better deal than Live IMO.

I just think it's stupid how you have to pay for the Live service just to use Netflix. It's one thing to pay to play games online, even though PS3 is free and just as good no matter what they say, coming from someone who owns both consoles and plays both equally.

But the way they're going with gaming, paired with me getting older and caring about gaming less and less all the time, I just may not get the new consoles. Especially considering most of the newer games suck complete donkey dick anyway.

I have a 2nd Gen PS3 and highly doubt that i'll upgrade to the new console. The extinction of used games and my new love affair with my PC's (i have 3 at home that have been built in the last year or two) is enough to make me not wanna drop the cash for the new console....well....i shouldn't say that.....I might pick one up years down the road when the price has dropped considerably.

i think also, its easier for parents to buy games for their kids if all they need to know is if their kid has a wii, sony, or xbox. they don't want to have to look at minimum system requirements, and remember what shit their kid has. most people don't know enough about computers to build their own anyways, so consoles appeal to a lot of people.

The thing is, all the game makers are doing the same thing. Your ps3 games will be hard to trade in soon enough. Like I said, its already happening. Both my battlefield 3 and I think COD needed an online pass to work.

Looking forward to the next generation of consoles should be cool.

They'll be ready to go in about 3 years at this rate.

It gets even easier when all they have to do is buy "credits" and let the kid download whatever they want.

Yep, that's what I mentioned before.

If you buy an EA Sports title 2nd-hand, you have to pay $10-$15 extra to participate in the online community, which includes downloading custom rosters and sliders.

It's actually EXPLODING, mostly because the casual gaming scene is HUGE money just in sheer numbers alone.

I think they may be pushing them for late this year.

Oh, my bad.

I thought you were talking about the NEXT generation.

I already consider the PS4/XBox 720 to be the CURRENT generation since they're all but guaranteed to ship this Christmas season now...

Ah yea I gotcha.