The Xbox 720 might be more simply known as 'Xbox', according to the latest and last-but-one issue of Xbox World magazine. That's right, just like the original Xbox console Microsoft launched back in 2002.
The magazine which announced the rumour will soon go the way of Comet, but it's heading out with a bang by revealing everything it knows about the Xbox 720 in a special eight-page feature. It's important to note that all information it gives is still speculation, being based mostly on rumour reporting, a leaked document and talking to game developers.
One of the surprises it claims Microsoft has in store is a simplified console name. Could that be right? Apple named its latest iPad just 'iPad', so anything could happen. Maybe Apple has started a new trend. It does get a bit tiresome adding an endless succession of numbers after product names, especially when a company only launches a new console every few years.
The magazine's editor-in-chief seemed confident that he had his facts right, even implying a pre-E3 launch, which would see the console unveiled in the spring. "Unless something really dramatic changes, everything we reveal in our
penultimate issue will be revealed long before E3 in June," he told CVG.
In terms of specs, Kinect 2.0 is rumoured to come as standard, as will support for Blu-rays, which is something Microsoft ruled out for the 360 following its HD-DVD drive. Inside will be 8GB of RAM and a CPU with "four hardware cores, each divided into four logical cores," according to the magazine.
Back in June, we got our most comprehensive look yet at the next Xbox. A leaked document detailed the plans for Blu-ray, as well as saying it'll have 3D functionality. Kinect 2 was first tipped back then, and was described as being more accurate, with stereo imaging, better voice recognition and dedicated hardware processing.
A set of Google Project Glass-style specs was also revealed, but specifically for gaming. You'll be able to use them with the console, as well as away from it. Which opens up all kinds of possibilities.
What do you think of Xbox World's revelations? And how about the name? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
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Comments 13
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anonymous 19 November, 2012 12:20
Penultimate is a great word......
anonymous 19 November, 2012 12:55
All rumor....and the editor in chief......how can he be sure.....does he work at microsoft????
MattDoc30 19 November, 2012 13:06
On the basis that the article says it will have a Blu-ray drive I find it the rest of it highly suspicious. Unless game developers are crying out for the extra space a Blu-ray provides, then Microsoft has repeatedly stated that the future is downloaded or streaming content - Hell, it's not even included DVD support in the *home* version of Windows 8! What is more likely is that it will come with a large capacity HDD or SSD and the rest of your game will be downloaded!
WitchDrAsh 19 November, 2012 14:24
@MattDoc30
Really, you think it's suspicious because of the blu-ray drive?
Ok first thing, we are approximately 10 years away from no discs, the reason for that is not that the infrastructure on the providers side doesn't exist, it's because of the infrastructure of most users on their side, with download limits and horrible speed caps, especially outside major urban areas any company releasing a non-disc console is asking for trouble, take a look at the PSP Go, and the games on that were maybe 250 mb, we see games regulaly clocking in at 4 to 8 gb on the download game store in Xbox Live and PSN, many many people don't have the speed to realistically download that, or if they have the speed, their download limits or fair usage policy means that downloading more than 1 or 2 a month is absolutely out, and in multi-person households, even downloading one may slam you straight through your limits, so while this will remain an option, they will stick with discs.
Secondly on the blu-ray drive option. When the Xbox 360 and PS3s launched they were game machines, they had a few other bells and whistles, but you weren't going to get either if you didn't want to play games on it.
Now, it's different, both Microsoft and Sony are courting a slightly different market as well as their core is gamers, the media centre and av guys. The put this in your living room use it to play everything crowd; why? Because if you do that you open people up to buying their music off you, streaming your movies, if they have the connection, using your apps and casual games.
You mention the fact Windows 8 Home can't play DVDs, and that's a simple licensing issue, most people don't watch stuff on their computers. The computer, for many, is that weird beige box that lets them browse the net and do e-mails, it's uncomfortable and often unsociable activity, on relatively small screens, often in a small room in the corner of the house. Watching a movie on your tv, or playing music in your lounge through your hi-fi is a completely different experience. Both Microsoft and Sony have pitched their machines as the "centre of your living room", if you buy one of these you can play your DVDs through it, you can play you music through it, you don't need all these seperate devices, (oh and while you there you can buy some stuff off us too because it's so convenient!).
The problem is at the moment Sony has one massive massive advantage over Microsoft, if you have a PS3 you can do everything the Xbox can do, but also play Blu-rays, if you have the choice between 2 competing, equally good systems, and your interest isn't just games the PS3 pretty much wins by default, as the Xbox can't play your Blu-ray movies at all. In addition if you are an Xbox 360 owner and you want a blu-ray player, the PS3, for the cost, is one of the best you can buy, so you get one, then all of a sudden you're exposed to Sony's marketing, their online store, and also the option to buy whichever game is cheaper, I have plenty of friends who had they not wanted a Blu-ray player would be Microsoft exclusively, now they aren't and they have no particular loyalty except to their wallet, so the cheaper version wins.
So in summary Microsoft have to include a blu-ray drive, the most believable thing in the whole article is that Microsoft are including a Blu-ray drive.
anonymous 19 November, 2012 16:57
stuff the Xbox I've had nothing but s@#t from the start with overheating, freezing, ring of death, scratched my games, no blue ray, pay for live, extortionate in game add-ons, ms points system is stupid and unbelievably bad customer service. F you Microsoft (Bill Gate named the company after his penis LOL) PS4 here I come!
andydandy 19 November, 2012 18:48
Good analysis WitchDrAsh. Then the X box also has Kinect and so wins by a head.
anonymous 19 November, 2012 19:15
WitchDrAsh, what you say is true. I hadn't owned a games console since the original Playstation/N64 and wasn't really interested in them anymore. When the PS3 slim came out in 2009 I bought it because the price for one of them was not a whole lot more than a stand alone Blu-ray player which was what I really wanted at the time. Once I started with the PS3 however, I bought games here and there, even bought a few from the Playstation store and eventually got back into gaming again. I think I would have been split between the PS3 and 360 if they had both had a Blu-ray drive so I don't think Microsoft would be foolish enough to leave one out of their next gen hardware.
MattDoc30 19 November, 2012 20:24
@WitchDrAsh some good points raised, but I want to raise some counter arguments:
You are probably right, we are 10 years away from being completely disc-less but you cannot deny that the age of streaming / downloaded media is here and will become the defacto method of consuming content in *less* than 10 years. For me that's already happened, I stream all my music from Spotify, I barely watch normal TV any more and instead opt to use my XBOX to watch iPlayer, LoveFilm, Sky, 4oD etc. So when a games console is expected to have a life-span of 8, 9, 10 years the designers cannot just think of the now, they need to think of what's next.
Also, you make the suggestion that people don't have good internet connections and are crippled by download caps. Personally I have recently changed to Plus.net's infinity service with a 250GB limit. Even though, I stream all my media, download and sync games (I'll come back steam momentarily), VPN to work and use, well, the internet - I have yet to go over that limit. Previous to that, I was on O2 Broadband, which was only a 10Mbps service but it had unlimited usage caps. There are plenty of people using that service or services like them relatvely cheaply (and if your not then you've not done you're research before buying broadband). Even if you do go on a capped service, most providers allow unlimited downloads between certain unearthly hours.
That's important because you're suggesting that no one will download a XXGB or XXXGB game because of their usage caps - not ture. 10Mpbs, it'll take too long to download!...No longer than it will take to ship form Amazon and again there are many people with access to faster services(and that will be growing - remember the console life-span) who will be able to 'have it now'.
After all, downloading fully fledge games isn't new either - I'm thinking 'Steam'! It's been around for a long time and people have been downloading 'relative games sizes' with their 'relatively speed' internet connections.
You also dismiss the fact that Microsoft have not included DVD or Blu-ray play back in Windows 8 as a mere licensing issue. That licensing issue was only a case of a $2 on the price of Windows 8, why not include such a feature for such a small price. The reason is that people will simply stream or download their movie content (yes people still use their laptops for such things). It makes sense that microsoft would not want to pay the [considerably more expensive] Blue-ray license fee on their loss leading entertainment device because most people will just stream / download the content.
I was one of the people who bought a PS3 because I wanted to play Blue-rays, then a month ago when the Blue-ray disc drive failed I didn't bother replacing it - why, because I can stream HD movies from LoveFilm and the XBOX video market place.
The other point you make is that the PS3 can do everything the XBOX can do as well as play BRs. Well if that was the case, why have they each sold 70 million consoles and why is that, when I had two machines, I choose to use iPlayer etc on the XBOX. The reason - it's about the experience. It's my opinion that the XBOX has a much more together and well thought out eco-system than the Playstation. If the XBOX doesn't come out with a BR drive, are you honestly telling me your not going to buy one?!?! I'll be buying one because Microsoft understands that content is king and it's got the software know how (most of the time) to deliver it. My point being that "if you're an XBOX '720' owner, and you want to play bluerays" you don't need to - just stream it (using M$ excellent streaming technology that Sony doesn't have) or download it.
The eco-system is another reason why M$ wont include a BR drive. It's just lauched Windows Phone and market place, Windows 8 RT and market place and Windows 8 and the windows market place. All of these market places will sell media, but importantly software. From small apps to fully fledge 'applications' and games. Microsoft is currently trying to unify it's products in the consumer space and shipping the next XBOX with a games store makes and pushing it perfect sense. Games on Demand isn't their by accident.
I can't believe that it'll come without DVD drive, admitidly, as many poeple have a large library of DVD's, but not many people have a large back catalogue of BRs.
Will the next XBOX ship with a BR drive, only time will tell but my bet is still on no!
ElDiabloJuanCarl 19 November, 2012 20:37
Wouldn't it be great if they gave us the option to buy it with, or without a Blu Ray drive. I'd be happy to download games (downloading 8 GB would be faster than a trip to the shops or waiting for Amazon to eventually dispatch). But I guess most console gamers are not really interested in this level of customisation .... maybe it's time I went back to being a PC gamer (far higher set up cost but cheaper games with better graphics)
WitchDrAsh 20 November, 2012 13:06
@MattDoc30 but this is the point, by providing blu-ray in the box Microsoft show you don't have to go anywhere else to play all you media, in exchange you will see adverts about their movies and music every time you go to play a blu-ray.
On your second point, people like us understand speed and what a particular cap can achieve, we pay a premium for the quickest broadband and highest download caps we can get, or at least high enough we know we're safe, most people in areas where it's available either are just interested in price, don't understand why 70meg downloads are amazing, or simply don't care, they don't want to think when they buy a console if their £7 a month broadband is going to cope, until everyone gets 50/60 meg broadband with caps so high they effectively don't exist any attempt to move fully over to a no-media future wont happen. In addition most people in Microsoft's (and Sony's) target markets are unlucky enough to not live in an area where ultra-fast broadband is A - available, B - affordable.
The thing about the shipping is fairly simple, if I want a game now, I can go out to the shops and buy it, if I want to order it from Amazon I can get it tomorrow, if I download it and my net connection isn't that quick I can't use my connection for anything else for several hours, or I have to leave my console on over night.
Steam is a weird one in my book, as it's aimed at PC gamers, who, by definition are techy, they are likely to have fast broadband, they're likely to understand the ramifications of what they're doing, and more importantly, their options are really really limited as to where to buy their games, most high street stores carry a token number of games, and lots require you to register on Steam for DRM anyway, so why not just go direct to source.
$2 on millions of copies of Windows 8 is a substantial saving Microsoft can make, when I suspect, their metrics suggested hardly anyone used Windows 7 for DVD play back, and they also need a way of differentiating the different version (I don't know if the pro version of 8 comes with DVD playback, I have the pro version but I don't think I've played a dvd on my computer in 8 years).
Of course I will buy one, I'm a big gamer, but I'm also a big movie fanatic with a dedicated home cinema and my Xbox currently sees no use whatsoever, Netflix is done via an Apple TV, Blu-rays via the PS3, the Xbox cries in a corner until I want to play Borderlands 2.
I completely disagree with the Blu-ray drive:
Microsoft have already maxed out DVDs, software devs and smashing their head repeatedly on the ceiling and are crying out for more space, so they either need to go with Blu-Ray, or with a custom blue laser disc solution, the first is a heck of a lot cheaper, they don't necessarily have to enable blu-ray playback, but since they're aiming at the media centre market they'd be mad not too, otherwise Sony simply go, hey we've got all their stuff, and you can blu-rays too! The fact that some of the implementations on the PS3 are awful (looking at you ITV) doesn't come into the equation, because by the time you find out you've bought the console already. The eco system benefits from the blu-ray drive, as very few people just decide to go fully digital, they kind of slip in to it, my wife is an avid CD buyer, well was, she found iTunes entirely by the fact she got an iPhone to put her CDs on, and now buys far fewer, she didn't look at the iPhone and go, "awesome, now I can just download all my music from Apple", it just kind of happened. If people have a large blu-ray collection (me) the ability to playback Blu-Rays is a must, and buying videos etc online is something I've experimented with and it's kind of cool, but the drm is comes wrapped in scares the hell out of me, no one can come and take my blu-rays off me unless they break into my house, my copy of Captain America and The Hunger Games are far less secure.
anonymous 21 November, 2012 03:23
The next gen xbox console will definitely have a blu-ray the simple reason is next gen games are going to require massive space to fit all the new crisp graphics on and now with console players wanting bigger maps and and more players in multiplayer games a blu ray is a most as your not guna fit next gen games on a hd DVD disc simply just to much to fit on a he DVD disc just look battlefield 3 for example it pushed the xbox 360 to its limit and required 2 discs now if the next gen xbox was not to have a blu ray wot would the point in it being a next gen console, could you imagine playing a new battlefield 4 but your next gen console required it to have 4 discs?
_naz 23 November, 2012 00:05
To call it Xbox, is just too simple. Microsofts naming conventions are massively skewed - expect something ridiculous.
anonymous 20 January, 2013 01:55
i have both ps3 and xbox but i can say for sure 360 is better. better games better online community and the 360 controller is so much better it dont creek and it isnt flimsy. and most important it isnt small so you can relax more and you dont get cramp also the buttons feel like they have purpose nice smooth press in and the triggers are actually triggers not so bumper things that your fingers slip off plus the xbox friend system is clear and simple where as ive always have hated ps3s friend list thing