Rumor: Portable Xbox to be shown at E3

The New Zealand Herald is running a story on the changing nature of E3, and part of their article returns to some age old console rumors including Microsoft is to show off a portable Xbox and the Wii will receive an Official hard drive solution.

quote:

- A handheld xBox will be displayed, along the lines of Microsoft's iPod rival, the Zune.

- PS3 debuts its Second Life-type online gaming platform called Home and announces a public beta is being launched

- PSP gets a redesign

- The Wii gets a proper hard drive storage solution

PS3 and Xbox Live will let gamers see what they've announced by posting stuff including game trailers to their online networks for console fans to peruse.

[gods army]

ms better have some good title if they are to do this, because it will end up like the PSP, which equals SHiIIYYYYYY

[Salvadore]

If MS releases a portable, they have just shoot themselves in the foot. Their can be more profitable if they work as a software company in the market.

[coolmatrix]

This is pure genius.

I guess this makes the "RED RING OF DEATH PORTABLE."

Dont worry Xbox360 fans, you will pay full price and get a refurbished HAND-HELD soon. You guys love crap!!

Hey dont worry, maybe you will get ALL Xbox 1 games portable.

But hey its just me.

How much is this rumour gonna cost?

More CRAP from MS. MORE HAPPY MS customers

[VirusE]

Cool something else for the DS to piss all over. MS would be brain dead to try this. The hand held market is OWNED by nintendo and has been since its dawn.

[QuackPot]

Especially when the sales in Ps3 start to increase over the next year or two.

Tying the PsP with the Ps3 would be a brilliant move to increase sales. It would be a must have add on when buy a Ps3.

[kspraydad]

...hardly a failure. Sony, luckily for them, is drawing from a HUGE install base of PS1/PS2 fans

The ZuneBoy though will be emulating Xbox One games I'd think...you have only an installed base of 24 million X fans (with ALOT of cross over to X360)...it'll be a much tougher draw.

If they can add the gaming functions to a solid music player (Zune is pretty good) as well as Remote Play functions like the PSP,then they may be able to make it work. If it is only and purely a game machine...forget it, the installed base of X fans is too small.

[gamerriffic]

portable xbox?
that just might be the dumbest rumor to get approved.
seeing that microsoft and 3rd party
has completely abandoned the 1st xbox.

[Umbrella Corp]

If Microsoft releases a portAble i doubt it would fail like the psp,think for a second....Xbox live,achievements better graphics and possibly a portable version of halo to play on xbox live sweet!

[gods army]

How many handhelds have failed in the eyes of Nintendo. Sega, SONY, NEO GEO, so on, NINTENDO IS the FAR superior company in this market, has experience has products, and MS will get NOOOOO penetration, and will loose billions,

In order to have a handheld you need kids games and MS has none, sorry RARE hasn’t been successful yet

Stupid MS.

[razer]

It's damn sexy and has everything in a portable game device I want. The DS is alright but I will never own one. I gave up on the kiddie games/girlie games of Nintendo a long long time ago.

I think MS could make a decent portable device and I think competition is good. However, I think MS are smart enough to stay out of the portable market and have learned the hard way with the Zune.

[Mr Murda]

The only thing I could see is them developing some games to work on the Zune. MS should leave the pure handheld gaming world to Nintendo. However, a few games on the Zune would be welcomed.

[gods army]

Microsoft Game studios should develope titles for DS and PSP, they will make money and i see no harm in that?

[Auron]

.

[Auron]

but I dont think handheld is the way to go at this point for Microsoft.

[Marceles]

I think all of these rumors will be debunked

[Daxx]

If there is going to be a portable xbox they better put Halo on it with online play. It would sell millions for sure.

[codeazrael]

Include WiFi, not to mention other usual suspects, the entire Xbox 1 library ported to smaller disc to play on the Xpod, as well as Xbox Live Anywhere, with the ability to download content on the go, hey, that could be pretty damn successful.

[Covenant]

In reply to both of you: Agreed. That would be sweet. Also imagine streaming content between the portable and the 360. Imagine it with Media Center compatibility and Live Anywhere.

The potential is unlimited, but will it sell?

And, I have to crack a little joke: This would be an MS gaming machine, with a screen. So...red screen of death? (Intended in good fun). :)

[nobizlikesnowbiz]

Hahaha that pic is funny.

[Kokoro]

these are freaking ugly. But they should let the PSP and DS battle it out and see how it turns out...not that we already dont know.

[zonetrooper5]

It would be pretty cool to play Halo 1 and Halo 2 on the go though. But the design of it must be good and it must have games if they annouce it. Maybe it will be called the XBP, Xbox Portable or Xbox Boy Portable.

[PS360WII]

Would be interesting if it pans out. I'm not sure if it would be worthwhile to them though with the Zune out there. If anything they should make the Zune a gaming platform as well. That way they wouldn't have to invest a bunch of money on a handheld that may or may not sell well.

Handhelds are quickly becoming more in vogue. I can see MS wanting to do that. With the interconnecting it can do with the home console along with gaming on the go. I think it would be a good move on MS's part. Yet like Sony they would have to realize that it's a Nintendo world in the handheld field. We'll see though it's so close to knowing ^^

[the worst]

i think this site is throwing stuff like this up in the air
just 2 hear people fight about it

[ASSASSYN 36o]

If microsoft launches a wifi xbox. Im sold. On-line portable Starwars battlefront anyone or rainbow 6?

[Creepa at GameManx]

I smell BS

[ItsDubC]

Given MS's reputation in Japan, I think an MS portable would fail miserably in the face of the PSP and DS. Especially if MS's portable is nothing more than a portable version of a home console like the PSP is. I personally don't think I'd want to spend a significant amount of time playing multiplayer Halo on a handheld.

The DS is successful because it was designed from the ground up to be a handheld console instead of just a portable version of a home console. An MS portable may have a chance if it provides a truly unique and innovative experience. The DS does this w/ its dual screens and stylus control.

[witchking]

This is the third year in a row we've heard rumors of an "Xboy." It's getting as old as Duke Nukem Forever.

This falls more under wishful thinking than an official rumor.

[MaximusPrime]

xbox portable? good news for bricklayers.

[Laka]

If it has mp3 player enable, I'm inline getting one of these babies.

[ALIEN]

The first game on XBOX portable is going to be "HALOportable". I bet HALO is going to be on XBOX portable. (joke)

[Jen5en]

Why would Microsoft even bother making a portable version of their abandonned child, the Xbox? They're making success with the Xbox 360, and that'll be their focus. Trying to beat both Sony and Nintendo on the portable market is about as wise as playing Russian Roulette with a semi-automatic.

[Sphinx]

Ugh, oh well. Either way, if there were to be an "Xboy", I would certainly hope it could go online, play Arcade games transferred from the 360, have Xbox 1 graphics, and two analog sticks.

[dale1]

iv,e seen the xbox portable with my own eyes that aint no sh*t
its a 360 with wheels saves the backs of the customer for returns
just a little bit of humour

[kewlkat007]

new MS products will continue to have DOUBTS.

I mean with the way Sony was crushing everything the last 2 generations of Video games, certainly the same DOUBTS were cast on MS for coming into the Video Gaming Business, and of course some continue to DOUBT the 360, which have made great strides amongst "giant beasts" (Nintendo/Sony).

MS has money to burn, now why do I care? A lot of us are not share holders. Hey I love technology and I like competition, so bring it on. It's not like I have to buy it. You will always have other choices. Yeah Nintendo owns that Market, but while I do have a PSP and DS, I wouldn't say the DS is for a Hard-Core gamer, just as the Wii is not looking like it is either.

The DS/Wii is in a world of their own. Sony and MS can still compete.

Bring it on..I like new sh!t, even though I think this is fake, though it has been rumored a lot.

[BIadestarX]

I can see how an Xboy can work...
Make it poweful enough that it can run all original xbox games on day one... All original xbox games available from the marketplace on day 1.

Allow XNA framework to work out of the box...

All xbox live arcade games available on the xboy from the marketplace on day 1.

Allow the xboy to have access to the movie marketplace, etc.

Allow the xboy to run xbox 360 downloable games and demos.... i.e. the same demos you can play on your xbox 360 runs on the xboy... obviously not the same graphics or the same defintion... and they don't have to be HD...

Big built in big hard drive.

[ItsDubC]

And how much do you expect something like this to cost?

Large solid-state drives that won't kill the battery life cost more, and a portable console spec'd the same as the original Xbox while fitting into a handheld formfactor would cost a lot in terms of development and manufacturing. MS's strength would most definitely lie in the software that would enable the things you mentioned.

[TheXgamerLive]

The Xbox for those that still have it would become useful again and the portable would spike all kinds of new sales for MS. I'd even by one for when I'm at work or school. Although my Xbox 360 would still be my main machine. If they tied a portable to the Xbox live and the 360's displays on live, well this would all be a good thing.

BUT, is it true?

[level 360]

If this news/rumor item was ever true, the main reason Microsoft is going to produce a handheld ( XBox ) console is to finally get into the Japanese market where they are a huge success. It's also quite popular on some parts of the globe, but Japan is the one market that would make them very happy.

[ChugMonkey]

the ability to WiFi transfer your own XNA built games and apps from your 360 and then share and play them with your friends. This would create a huge software modding scene and expand XBLA enormously. The best could be put on Live for everyone to share.

Having it with built in capacity to play original Xbox games would be a must too and Live anywhere so you could communicate online with Xbox Live friends.

I'm sure it would lead to it's own 'Mini Myspace' functionality.

[Shaka2K6]

After the zune flop?
No and no!

[aiphanes]

The Nintendo DS is very solid piece of hardware and so is the Sony PSP.

We all know sony is going to announce a slimline sony psp at this years E3 or at the latest TGS 2007...so microsoft might announce a new xbox or zune gamming device...

I welcome them to the party...its only the most logical move for microsoft...

But will the hardware be good?

[1ben2]

GET YOUR MINI TOWELS READY for your handheld devices!!!

hee hee

[ApocalypseShadow]

apple owns mp3.
nintendo owns and have always owned the portable market.
it's lucky sony was able to carve a portion out of the market for themselves when all others have failed.
microsoft would only have american support.and nintendo ds is smoking the market.

they would be dumb to release a portable.

[ben hates you]

if i had to pick from that picture one of the two on the left

[CrazzyMan]

i mean, we already have ds for casuals and some gamers,
and psp for hardcore gamers.

unless Xportable would give CG graphics on handheld, there is no need of that system on the market.

[BIadestarX]

Who knows... maybe it would be nice to see a handheld focused on games.. and unlike the PSP not designed to introduce UMD as a movie format... which killed the PSP battery life and increase loading time like crazy... mm... weird it almost sound as if Sony used the same strategy... with the PS3... but blu-ray seems to be working for them. The xboy would be nice if developing games for the xboy and the xbox 360 since they are using they same development tools and xna.. would be almost the same.. developers would love it.. If microsoft makes handheld developement vs console developement as transparent as possible... developers will support it. Probably even more than the PSP as least in America. If it comes with to analog sticks.. and not that sucky PSP analog stick... and make FPS playable... yes FPS sucks on the PSP.... it can work..

[andron]

I remember a MS executive saying that Sony was unwise to enter the handheld gaming field in competition with Nintendo DS.

If they now want to combat both DS and PSP, then bring on the pain ;)

[id dot entity]

Wouldn't be bad in my opinion. Any competition for Nintendo and Sony is welcome. Gears portable anyone?