Jordan Lund examines the current Xbox 720 rumors running rampant.
Excerpt: "First let me say, I hate the rumor mill. Seriously. People get all wound up and excited over news that isn’t even official yet and typically when things are “reported” this far in advance, from unofficial “secret” sources they’re inevitably wrong.
That didn’t stop news organizations and bloggers last week from discussing ad infinitum all the details about the upcoming Xbox 720. To give you a hint, we don’t even know that “Xbox 720″ is even a name. Yes, it appeared on arena signs in Real Steel and that’s about as far as it goes officially."
The gaming industry as a whole continues to see substantial growth, boasting estimated total sales to increase by as much as 10% annually through at least 2015. By then it would be well over a 100 billion dollar industry, but don’t be surprised if consoles as we know them today have faded out of the spotlight. Nintendo’s Wii U is expected to launch late 2012 and the speculation mill is turning surrounding the next gen XBox and Playstation. While technological advances have led to exciting new capabilities in console design and performance, they also make it increasingly difficult to market a system as a “unique” product. This and other factors will only increase the console’s obsolescence in the coming years.
Dude, Sony has already planned the Playstation 9!
http://www.youtube.com/watc...
Dreamcast: 11 M
PS2: 154 M
Xbox: 24 M
Gcube: 22 M
Total # of consoles sold in 6th generation: 211 M
Total # of Handhelds sold in 6th generation: 90 M
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Ps3: 62 M
xbox: 66 M
Wii: 95 M
Total # of consoles sold in (Not yet completed) seventh generation: 223 M
Total # of Handhelds sold in (completed) seventh generation: 212 M
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Demand for handhelds has skyrocketed, and consoles have also gone up.
Give up on streaming and DD overtaking hardware and physical media. The amount of data in games will continue to rise and graphical demand will continue. The world is ILL EQUIPPED for the necessary data streams required, and will be as demand rises and the phone companys' "secret weapon" continues to not be installed in even all urban environments.
Least Common Denominator, people. The cheapest console sells best 9/10 times. The most accessible console sells best 9/10 times. Do you really think big companies are going to say, "yeah, let's start a service that relies on technology that isn't readily available to the majority"?
And do you think ISP providers are going to drop limits....just because?
"Cloud" is too perfect, because people who think it's prime to overtake hardware within the next 2 decades have their heads up in the clouds.
Maybe, maybe not.
Cloud gaming is still in it's infancy, so that might render current hardware obsolete once broadband infrastructures worldwide catch up.
Who could have predicted modern day smartphones 10 years ago, back when phones barely had polyphonic ringtones? It will be nearly a decade away. So making predictions in technology that far down the line is kinda pointless.
cloud gaming is only viable for handhelds in my opinion. Vita shoulda been cloud based.
Cloud only gaming is so far away, maybe 20-30 years. There are people out there that still dont have the internet, let alone thinking of having a 50mbs connection. Im a very tech savvy guy and the best broadband i can get is 5mbs.
"Cloud only gaming is so far away, maybe 20-30 years"
Wow wow there, you are underestimating the fast pace of technology.
there's already quad-core smarphones coming this year.
advanced amoled displays, tablets, powerful multicore laptops, unbelievably fast broadband speeds.
technology today is way more advanced than it was in only 10 years!!!
And it only will accelerate through the coming years.
Onlive at the moment can be played with a connection as low as 1.5mbps, whilst a 5mbps is recommended for full HD gaming.
South Korea has an AVERAGE connection speed of 13.8mbps, whilst even a country such as Romania (which has a relatively low GDP) has an average connection speed of 6.8mbps. Broadband infrastructures are continually expanding & improving worldwide every day.
20-30 years is wildly inaccurate. Maybe in Mali or Somalia, but certainly not in most of the developed or developing world (aka the main gaming markets).
"Once broadband infrastructures worldwide catch up" is easier said than done. All tech companies care about is your money, not what we're actually capable of doing.
4G, for example, is the biggest scam in the US. Engineers have a very specific definition for what qualifies as "fourth generation" technology. US Cell phone companies lobbied the hell out of Congress (because ya know if you have money you can get any law passed that you want) to re-define "4G" as what engineers recognize as essentially a watered-down, slower version of their definition. Like, an order of magnitude or two slower. So, with that new definition, they can continue to use the crap infrastructure we have now but re-brand it as something fancy and new.
So, all of you tech hipsters out there that think your "4G" is all boss are paying extra for something that really isn't as fast as it could be for the next generation. Congrats on being duped.
And that is part of the reason why cloud gaming, as cool as it could be, is still a long ways off. All it will take is just a few people getting dropped mid-game or not being able to access the streaming when they want to game for it to blow up in everyone's face. Techies never think about practical application issues like that, it seems.
As a science instructor, the other thing that people conveniently ignore in this discussion is the impact of variable cycling solar flares on satellites. Eventually mother nature is going to catch up to our dependence on satellites and an extended outage will piss the hell out of people. Often? Not really. But enough to really anger people who want instant 24/7 access to streaming.
um no they will just incorporated with other medias, like what they are doing now. Its like saying the ipod is dead because its on the iphone.
From the PlanetXbox360.com feature report:
"It has been an exciting couple of days for Xbox fan-boys and an exhausting last couple of days for video game journalists. An abundance of rumors have hit the web regarding the Next-Box, Xbox 720, Xbox: The Third, etc. We’ve decided to compile all of the noteworthy rumors into one nice package, as well as provide commentary on what these rumors could mean for the next generation of gaming, if they prove to be true."
Hmmm. If Sony goes all out again next gen it seems there will be a vast power difference among each console. The Wii U, the Nextbox, and the PS IV (Sony might change the name since 4 is unlucky in Japan).
Wii U a slight upgrade to this gen.
Nextbox a step up from this gen.
PS ? a leap up from this gen.
It seems affordability is the keyword for each console manufacturer, since they don't want another Wii running away with their money due to being 1/2 the price.
Wii U : $300 (at this point it should be $200 - $250 based on tech)
Nextbox: $300 - $400 ($300 casual, $400 Kinect version)
PS ?: $300 - $500 (I'm thinking $400)
I wouldn't put all my faith in this rumored graphic card configuration. AMD themselves said the next box would have avatar like graphics. Even with extreme optimization I doubt this card would even come close to this. Now it was also rumored the new box would run some sort of dual gpu. Perhaps 2 of the these chips running fully optimized could pull this off. Also keep in mind that epic and unreal work closely with Ms. The Samaritan demo was to show console developers what they expect out of the next gen. Epic did this once before in 2004 with screens of a game that look unbelievable at the time. A few years later we learned those screens belonged to Gears of War.
I'm sure MS is looking to strike a balance between power and price. But I highly doubt that a company who is known for horse power in their console would release a underpowered system.
http://www.industrygamers.c...
http://www.techdigest.tv/20...
Xbox 360 in the last couple years has moved more and more into entertainment beyond games, and it would appear that trend will continue with next-gen. According to analyst and marketing expert Scott Steinberg, Microsoft has an advantage over both Sony and Nintendo because of this broader entertainment focus.
Xbox has momentum now for sure, but it's too early to say what will happen in next gen.
what do you mean by momentum? every Christmas the 360 sales in America put it first in the worldwide sales. this is swiftly followed by the PS3 outselling the 360 every week for the rest of the year... and this year too so far. that's momentum
once again you and others are being fooled by a site only concentrating on American sales.
360 has been ahead WW ever since Kinect launched go check Sony/MS financial reports for proof.
what are you talking about? the gap has reduced from 8 million to 3 million and continues to shrink. what are you going to say when the PS3 is even by the end of this year? are you still going to believe that nonsense? where are you getting this idea from? you just can't keep convincing yourself of these things.
no offence but weve been hearing the ps3 going to surpass 360 argument for the last 3 years fact is AMerica is the biggest consumer in the world fact is Microsoft saturates the market with advertising and makes the american consumer think its aweosme and fact is they have a good product with a few flaws that stop me buying a new one. Paid online and lack of titles i want to play are the reason i will not buy another 360. but they do know how to market
how many of those 360s still work though? the rrod was bad, i bet the actual number of working 360s are lower than that of the ps3
disagree all you want its true, i went through 5 originals and 1 resident evil one and im not the only person that its happened to,the new machines are better but rrod still happened to the originals, if it wasnt for micro replacing the systems i wouldnt be a 360 gamer anymore. like it or not the number of working 360 systems will be far lower than the 66 mill they have sold.
2007 was supposed to be the year of the PS3. Then 2008. Then 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Next gen will roll around, and Sony fans will STILL be saying "this will be the year of the PS3, just you wait".
Cocozero this is N4G you know they ignore the facts, and reality.
Regardless of when/whether ps3 overtakes in WW sales the fact is the market share has swung dramatically in MS favour. Considering they were outsold by 100 million units last gen they've really established the Xbox brand this time around.
"2007 was supposed to be the year of the PS3. Then 2008. Then 2009, 2010 and 2011."
The games released and to be release definitely corroborate that statement. The sales data from those years definitely corroborate that statement.
Have they lead the way this generation? The last? I see MS has that bullsh*t machine humming along nicely.
brosy, dear chap. noone said they didn't lead over the PS3. just keep your eyes open when that gap keeps on shrinking and don't pretend otherwise. that's all that annoys me. it's easy to call someone a fanboy in order to discredit them, but a fanboy is someone who just won't accept the truth. the truth is that the gap has shrunk because the PS3 has outsold the 360 for the last 4 years. please, for goodness sake stop this. it's embarrassing to watch people like you going through it.
the momentum is driven by their advertising and continued persistence to be in the popular culture. Both good press and bad. MS is trying to do what Sony did with being showcased in movies and tv shows.
Granted Sony had the edge because it was almost a guarantee that you would see a PSX in a sony picture. MS is counting on this not so obvious type of advertising to keep the momentum going.
Creating buzz around such things as the kinect to get people to "jump in" that have not yet moved from the ps2 gen into current. MS has been working on the tv media center thing since the days of the web tv. So no surprise they are leveraging their experience in that with windows and making their live service more entertainment center oriented.
Sony is no slouch either. Their experience in making rock solid systems the last couple of gens is still something people look for as well. Both companies are learning from each other and trying to blur that line between gaming that was always associated with just kids (aka fun & games) and making a real effort to having everyone get involved.
Lead does not necessarily mean sell the most but more about getting things done that others take notice of.
Excellent assessment of the MS strategy. The Xbox is now the go to name for casuals and outsiders when they refer to a gaming system. How many times have we seen a console get so much press in regular, everyday news? They have done a great job, business-wise, of placing themselves in the competitive position to lead the next generation. However, the caveat to this is that now THEY will be in the position to actually lead. They now have the mind-share and that comes with a huge responsibility. The focus will be on them...much like Sony coming into this generation. They will now have to prove that they ARE a leading company and not just in it for the cash grab. Sure, all businesses are in it for money...but along the way some actually DO try to leave industry better than when they arrived. Either way, it should be interesting.
Momentum? Xbox is a joke that has dwindled its user base down to casuals that love to flail. It is a joke.
You guys that think the 52% of the original MILLIONS of machines that are still counted as operational count towards a lead are delusional.
I really hate the fact that an inferior console is king of my home (USA). Its really shameful.
I am sure by that you mean the Wii? It isnt uncommon for the system that is out in front is the least powerful of the pack. It has been that way since the 2600.
A few instances where the more technical has lead but mostly it is the least technical that sells the most.
sorry dude but the wii owns them both. beyond that 360 is a great product despite the huge stumbles it had in the beginning. both the 360 and ps3 have their flaws and their perfections which is why we need both. im not sure the 360 will lead next gen if it doesn't step it up in the software department, its lack of exclusives is becoming a little ridiculous at this point but it still wont stop me from buying the new one since i like the UI, controller, and live significantly better than xmb, psn, and the playstation controller. ill just do what i do now and buy multiplats for the next box and ps4 i will use for its exclusives
I was a sony fan for PS1 and 2 and never played a single game on the original xbox......but....
Sony have failed miserably this gen from a business side of things..... i think between last gen and this gen they have lost around 50% of their market shar to MS.......There online was horrific early this gen and although it's ok now i'd still prefer to pay for Xbox live....
The architecture of the PS3 was an absolute failure......just look at how long it took developers to get the most out of the system (except for some exclusives such as UC) MS has also gained multiplatform rights to some / most old PS exclusives and nearly all multiplats are better on 360.......failure sony.....why make it hard for developers...???? fail
The controller was such a bad design too......I always loved the ps2 controller...but....The triggers which are barely used are bypassed by developers as primary buttons in most cases......this is not by choice as i'm sure they're meant to be used like the 360 triggers.....
PS move......LOL....enough said......If sony could swap move for kinect would they? of course they would.......Fail again sony.....
To sony's credit they have invested heavily in producing some good exclusive games for the system over the last 2 years but i think this was in an attempt to try and claw back there losses from early this gen, not just for their fanbase.....Add to that the fact that PS3 exclusives sell very poorly such as Resistance 3!!! which is now dead!!!!
Online hack.........fail again
I know if i was an investor which company i'd be investing with......MS taking 40-50% market share in 1 gen makes MS the clear winner this gen......
If at the end of last gen, you told sony they would lose the amount of market share they have this gen, they probably would have laughed in your face.....
My loyalty isn't with one system / company and i'm glad that MS have now got the market share they have......Why......more competition means for money spent on us, the consumers.....
Bring on next gen..........
they want to lead the way without buying much studios and releasing timed dlc?not happening.
FROM HELLZSUPERNOVA
no offence but weve been hearing the ps3 going to surpass 360 argument for the last 3 years fact is AMerica is the biggest consumer in the world fact is Microsoft saturates the market with advertising and makes the american consumer think its aweosme and fact is they have a good product with a few flaws that stop me buying a new one. Paid online and lack of titles i want to play are the reason i will not buy another 360. but they do know how to market
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MICROSOFT may have saturated american consumers with their lies and OUTRAGES advertisments but NEVER!!!! once has it compeled me to buy a 360 plus pay online service killed me, having the thought of paying for what sony offer for free is CRAZY.
same here man, its sad though that many much of america is brainwashed so easily. well said.
Actually, it has worked thus far. MS has managed to assert itself as THE console to have. Mind-share is powerful marketing. When the average person thinks of playing games (not hardcore gamers, but suburban soccer mom) they now utter Xbox as the console of choice. This is HUGE marketing dollars and pop culture penetration at it's best. You don't really need games if your "target" audience doesn't truly care about games. This is NOT to say that it will work again. They will NEED the hardcore gamers to really launch their system. That will require their go to IP's AND something fresh and original.
I have not been convinced to buy and Xbox or 360. But, I have to admire what they have been able (somehow...someway) to accomplish in such a short time in the gaming industry.
cant wait to see how powerful it is at e3 and what the games look like
Funny they talk about lip reading after a pretty horrendous Avatar Kinect app that really didn't work. If it can't read what eyebrows are doing in 2011 how can it read lips in 2013?
'First let me say, I hate the rumor mill. Seriously. People get all wound up and excited over news that isn’t even official yet and typically when things are “reported” this far in advance, from unofficial “secret” sources they’re inevitably wrong.'
And yet you made a lengthy article about it.