Unlocked: The Next Xbox, IGN & You

IGN - The "new generation" of Xbox begins May 21, and the Locksmiths spend most of this show going over the potential of the event, what we know so far, and addressing your emails.

[Knight_Crawler]

Both consoles are going to be pretty much on par hardware wise, since they both have the same profit margins to play with. That is also why consoles are never any powerhouses matching the current PC lineup, since they then would cost you 2-3 times more and would sell less (while still having the same slim margins, making none of the companies richer).

The difference will mainly be through the software and attached services, not hardware. Accessories like Kinect 2 is something else and bought separately or to a higher bundling cost.

[CommonSenseGamer]

Sony/MS also factor in potential software sales into the equation. Something PC manufacturers can't do. I mean, how much royalties did HP or Fell earn from COD sales?

[Blackdeath_663]

true consoles heavily rely on game sales to be profitable thats why console games are £40 or $60 while pc games are half that at release skyrim was £26 on pc at release. also sales on services like steam and gog can see game prices reduced to almost nothing. i can buy three times the amount of pc games for the amount i spent on console games (not even including free to play games) i don't even have to pirate which is why i feel the only people who pirate these days are people who like to pirate not because they are short on money

[nukeitall]

The thing is, initially there is no hardware profit margin, or if you will negative margin. Who has the pocket book and willingness to stomach a bigger loss?

Accessories like Kinect 2 will likely be standard to ensure support across the platform.

You are right though, the differentiation will likely be in software and services more than hardware except for the possibility of Kinect. It depends on what Sony is able to do there with their camera to copy MS.

In short, I don't think Kinect 2 will be an "additional" accessory, but rather standard. I hope it will be, because saying "*Xbox Pause*, I have to pee" has been darn convenient.

[Thirty3Three]

People really need to STOP saying Sony's copying the kinect.

Sony released the PlayStation Eye (Which, by the way, did the same thing the kinect does...) back in the early 2000's with the PS2...

[talisker]

"Accessories like Kinect 2 will likely be standard to ensure support across the platform."

You're suggesting Kinect will be added to phones and tablets? Because that's "the platform" too.

"*Xbox Pause*, I have to pee"

You excuse yourself to a machine? That's hilarious!

[ma1asiah]

@Thirty3Three ummmm are you serious ok I agree with one point you made and that is that NO SONY is not trying to replicate Kinect or Kinect 2.0. But to blatantly say that the Eyetoy or Playstation Eye could do all that Kinect could do is completely false.

Does the eye have voice recognition or the ability to use it in place of a mic or headset ummm nope, could you use it to navigate PSN ummmm nope.

The only similarities are that they to some degree could both be used to play games by using body movements or gestures while standing in front of the camera rather than using a controller.

[Karpetburnz]

@ma1asiah

I agree that Kinect has more features than the PSeye, But people do got to stop saying Sony is copying Microsoft. The eyetoy was available on the PS2, If anything, Microsoft copied Sony.

[nukeitall]

@Thirty3Three:

When I say Sony are copying MS, I'm talking about the marketshare they are going for. MS followed Nintendo and took their marketshare, so Sony is just trying to do the same thing.

If you want to talk about the technology, PS Eye and Kinect is vastly different and Kinect is more of an evolution than a copy.

I'm assuming based on what Sony has shown that the next "PS Eye" is more Kinect like and therefore more akin to a copy than an evolution.

It's not bad to copy, it is only bad if you do it badly!

@talisker:

"You're suggesting Kinect will be added to phones and tablets? Because that's "the platform" too."

I'm not suggesting that at all, as we are talking about Xbox platform and nothing about tablets or phones, but there is no reason why they can't do it on tablets and phones too.

"You excuse yourself to a machine? That's hilarious!"

Since you likely don't have an Xbox 360 or Kinect, you wouldn't know, but we have an awesome feature where we can command the Xbox.

@Karpetburnz:

"I agree that Kinect has more features than the PSeye, But people do got to stop saying Sony is copying Microsoft. The eyetoy was available on the PS2, If anything, Microsoft copied Sony."

Having it first doesn't mean it isn't copying. Do you think Sony would be in this market if Kinect didn't make an entry?

Heck, Sony rejected the Kinect technology when presented to them. Sony didn't see the value in it. Turned out, MS understood the value and took away the Wiis market.