Home Gaming Fresh Next-Gen Xbox rumours!

Fresh Next-Gen Xbox rumours!

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Speaking in his “What the Tech” videocast, Paul Thurrot; famed blogger and author behind the Windows Supersite has revealed the information he knows about Microsoft’s next generation Xbox – and what he has to say probably won’t be too well received by gamers.

You can watch the videocast here, or read a full transcription of the thing courtesy of All Games Beta. Here’s the stuff that I found interesting. 

According to Thurrot, the next Xbox is going to be pretty pricy; coming in at $500. apparently though, Microsoft will be extending its successful cell-phone like subscription model, which will bring the console down to a more palatable $300. He also re-iterates that nasty always online rumour.

“Durango is going to be expensive [laughs], you know $500, $300 for the subscription model, that kind of thing, but you know, Blu-ray, blah blah blah, but the thing that interest me, going back and looking at some of the stuff I got a long time ago, it actually says ‘must be internet-connected to use’ in the notes. And that’s all I have, but it does say that.”

He says the console will be released in November this year, and will be shown off extensively at E3 this year – and that, aside from the always on requirement, everything is rosy, and you should probably stop moaning about the thing. Even though it runs Windows 8.

“So I think there’s a lot information to come, but I look at all this stuff that I’ve seen about Durango and I think, ‘it’s all positive.’ I don’t really see any bad news here at all. Like to me, everything I’ve seen about this is really positive.

“It’s amazing to me that, based on like no information at all, everyone is like freaking out about everything. Aside from this online thing, by the way, the number one question I’ve gotten from people is, ‘What does it look like?’ Who gives a shit what it looks like?

“I’ve actually heard from, by the way not one or two people, several people who’ve said, ‘based on what I’ve seen, Sony is going to blow them away.’ Based on what you’ve seen? You’ve seen nothing. What are you talking about? No, but you’ve seen literally nothing from Microsoft.”

The biggest take away from Thurrot though is one of Microsoft’s general attitude to the Xbox and its market. He’s convinced that Microsoft’s really pushing for the next Xbox to be a general entertainment device – not quite as gamer focused as many of you would hope.

“The problem Microsoft has has nothing to do with Sony or Nintendo anymore, it’s Roku and AppleTV. The market for hardcore video games, the market of people will always buy the next Gears of War game, the next Halo game, the next Call of Duty game, it’s fairly finite. It’s a decent market, yada yada yada, it’s not the market for tablets, it’s not the market for smartphones.”

Of course this, and just about everything you hear about the next generation Xbox should be taken with great big bags full of salt. According to Thurrot though, we can stop with the rumours and speculation next month – because the announcement’s been delayed.

“Originally, they were going to announce this thing in April 24, now they’re going to announce it May 21. We know there are events occuring this year where we’re going to learn more about Durango.”

Last Updated: April 8, 2013

43 Comments

  1. Admiral Chief Erwin

    April 8, 2013 at 13:14

    header lulz

    Reply

  2. Lourens Jordaan

    April 8, 2013 at 13:19

    I prefer my entertainment systems/media centers/consoles/Blu ray players to work even when Telkom takes a dump.

    Reply

    • Captain_Guz

      April 8, 2013 at 14:15

      Or when Pirates drag their anchors over the seacom cable again

      Reply

    • OVG

      April 8, 2013 at 14:16

      Microsoft only care about the already SOLID American demographic that has a SOLID install base on a solid XBOX LIVE with solid and cheap internet connections (Ill throw EA in there to boot).

      Europe and Japan are still SONY and it looks like the rest of the world will be soon while Microsoft concentrate on the American Living rooms with Apple as their direct comp.

      Reply

      • Jonah Cash

        April 8, 2013 at 15:44

        I read Gamespot quite a bit, and you should see the comments over there on this subject…. The one article has had over 16200 comments and not 1% of those were positive!! Apparently their internet is also not so hot outside of the big cities, who knew?!?!?

        Reply

    • Brady miaau

      April 8, 2013 at 14:26

      comment of the week. Well made

      Reply

  3. Rincethis: Microsoft President

    April 8, 2013 at 13:29

    RAGE!

    Reply

  4. Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

    April 8, 2013 at 13:32

    Wow, this guy really wants to have MS succeed. But the fact is rumours hurt and instead of Microsoft dealing with certain rumours, they are instead keeping mum, which makes it seem like it could really be possible.

    And urm yeah, perma online for a console is bad. No matter how you look at it bud. Sorry to say

    Reply

    • Mark Treloar

      April 8, 2013 at 13:50

      Microsoft’s goal is to go all digital. First step is get everyone perma connected then drop all titles as digital only

      Reply

      • Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

        April 8, 2013 at 13:54

        And that’s a bad idea.
        1) You are cutting out anyone who doesn’t have internet or who’s internet is simply not good enough or too expensive to afford.
        2) You are over complicating things by needing servers that are on 24hours a day all year round. Any amount of donwtime will cause so much hate it’s not even funny.

        Now, if they went this digital path but still allowed offline options then they expand their userbase and everyone is happy

        Reply

        • Mark Treloar

          April 8, 2013 at 13:56

          Except is most developed countries in the world internet cost and connection issues are pretty much irrelevant

          Reply

          • Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

            April 8, 2013 at 14:01

            That’s just the thing. It is not really.

            In South Africa we only have roughly 15-20% of the population with access to personal internet. Most of those are people who have internet on their cellphones.

            Take in to consideration then that the minority are people with access to fast enough internet and your userbase in South Africa is shockingly small. Now take in to account how few will actually buy an x-box?

            And this is true across the world. Even in the US. Just because internet is reasonably easy to get hold of and mostly affordable, doesn’t mean that everyone has.

  5. OVG

    April 8, 2013 at 13:33

    NOT INTERESTED. If I want a multimedia HUB Ill get a PC.

    If the focus is Apple TV, KINECT FLIX and all that other bollocks then SONY is going to be my brand of choice as they seem to have concentrated more on the GAMERS that put them on top, instead of all that jumping up and down in front of your TV shit with big fake smiles and cuddly tigers.

    Far to expensive for a multimedia HUB that is only interested in making exclusives for the XBOX LIVE.

    Alan Wake was the last time that Microsoft was the Microsoft that I was sold on. DAM what happend to the console that had such kick ass games like Lost Odyssey.

    BLASTED KINECT.

    Reply

    • umar bastra

      April 8, 2013 at 13:58

      ahhh LO … won’t be seeing much of those type of games anymore

      Reply

    • Brady miaau

      April 8, 2013 at 14:25

      We find the X-box very useful as entertainment hub.

      By Torchwood or Doc Martin, rip to home PC and watch from X-box, via Media Streaming. Very useful.Or play DVD direct from Xbox, same quality as streaming. (well, to our eyes anyway)

      And, when the wife wants to sleep, I can play games.

      Reply

      • Skyblue

        April 9, 2013 at 09:19

        There are easier ways to do it and I for one despise using my X360 or PS3 for watching movies. A nice inexpensive media streamer with XBMC installed and I have my full catalog available to stream without any conversions required, zero delay and zero input from my side except for the occasional refresh.

        Reply

  6. FoxOneZA

    April 8, 2013 at 13:35

    What if, what if the Xbox does drop better graphics and better games at launch than the PS4 but it requires an always-on-internet connection. That’s going to stir things up.

    Reply

    • Marcus Vermaak

      April 8, 2013 at 13:49

      It’s going to fail, I HATE online gaming, I enjoy single player or split-screen co-op and thats that! And I know I’m not the only one!

      Reply

      • FoxOneZA

        April 8, 2013 at 13:51

        I feel the same too but I gotta come online to download freebies and game updates.

        Reply

  7. Anon A Mouse

    April 8, 2013 at 13:35

    I’ve had a feeling for a very long time, and it grows stronger the more I read about Microsoft, that they will go the way of Mac and Apple. Everything will have to go through their systems to work and everything else will be closed off. If someone want to sell something to a person using Microsoft in anyway, then Microsoft will want a large chunk of that money for that privilege.

    Reply

  8. Trevor Davies

    April 8, 2013 at 13:45

    The main purpose of a Xbox is to play games, the entertainment side like playing movies or whatnot is secondary. If you’re not buying an Xbox to play games then you have no need of an Xbox because you get dedicated media players/blu-ray players at a fraction of the cost & internet-enabled TVs.

    Reply

    • OVG

      April 8, 2013 at 14:09

      I would rather pay for a console like the XBOX CORE for R1999 back in 2006 when SONY were touting BLU-RAY THIS BLUE-RAY that for R6599.
      P.S. Why do they still call them consoles? They are PCs now… but more expensive.

      Reply

      • Brady miaau

        April 8, 2013 at 14:22

        they are consoles because of the dedicated hardware. It enables the OS developers to very tightly focus the device drivers and memory management, to essentially get way more out of the hardware. I have written device drivers and it would have been so much easier if everything was dedicated specific hardware. Faster too.

        Reply

      • Brady miaau

        April 8, 2013 at 14:22

        they are consoles because of the dedicated hardware. It enables the OS developers to very tightly focus the device drivers and memory management, to essentially get way more out of the hardware. I have written device drivers and it would have been so much easier if everything was dedicated specific hardware. Faster too.

        Reply

      • Brady miaau

        April 8, 2013 at 14:23

        And I bought the stripped down Xbox in 2009, R2400 and cheapest PS3 was still R5500. Blu-Ray

        Reply

  9. umar bastra

    April 8, 2013 at 13:57

    I kind of gave MS the benefit of the doubt but if this is true, then well next gen is going to suck ….. Xbox has already started the trend of making the Xbox into an all round multimedia device .,, sigh ………………….. let me just listen to this while I suck my thumb in the corner wishing I can go back to the good ol days

    Reply

  10. Deano

    April 8, 2013 at 14:12

    people still raging on here even thou no info is 100%, we know nothing concrete about the next xbox.

    Stop worrying until the official announcement.

    Reply

  11. HvR

    April 8, 2013 at 15:00

    Always on-line, Windows 8, social gaming, kinect required…..

    Putting it all together the new X-box will be a mid range PC on which you will only be allowed to play Farmville, Barbie’s CoD Dress Up and the Mickey Mouse Star Wars Adventure while flaying around your arms in the air.

    Sounds like so much fun.

    Reply

  12. Carl Angus

    April 8, 2013 at 15:06

    “Runs on Windows 8…”

    My nuts crawled back into my abdomen after hearing that.

    Well PS4 is winning the pre-war marketing, whatever it was, I’m too scared to even look at buying an Xbox now.

    Reply

    • Brady miaau

      April 8, 2013 at 15:07

      I hope it does not run on windows 8, really.

      Why?

      Reply

  13. Martin du preez

    April 8, 2013 at 15:21

    I think it’s time to jump out Xbros.Embrace Kaz into your hearts, he forgives all. Us Playstation okes will welcome you with warm embrace into the Sony family.

    Reply

  14. Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

    April 9, 2013 at 09:26

    I wonder what the delay means, are they going to try to PR-fix it or is this an attempt to clandestinely remove “online only” (I prefer this to “always online”) through a software fix? Surely, they should expect that devs would leak that. The internet would go crazy though.

    Reply

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