1030°

Kinect 2.0 specs have been leaked

TruTechNoid writes "Additional specs of the Kinect 2.0 have been leaked on to the net from the site “noshitsherlock.com” as first reported by “Appy Gamer”

The reported new features are as follows:"

Read Full Story >>
trutechnoid.com
Knight_Crawler4033d ago (Edited 4033d ago )

The reported new features are as follows:

A mode for sitting or standing

Able to track players with a height of only one meter

Better detection of a players hand state

Tracking of six people up from just two

An improved field of view for a much larger play space

Higher resolution and quality RGB stream

Depth stream is much higher resolution which in turn enables resolve of much smaller objects, separate objects much better and able to capture depth curvature around edges much better

Active infrared enables tracking in low or no light

Latency has been improved by 33ms

USB 3.0

Frame rate up from 15fps to 30fps

Resolution up from 640×480 to 1920×1080

It is reported that the device will go on sale for around $99

Does not sound like a leak but more like educated guesses.

Oh well if true this debunks the leaked documents where Kinect is suppose to be integrated into the 720 " Always on ALways Connected"

Lets face it folks we dont know jack about the 720 and MS has done a great job on keeping it a secret...I mean no leak image of the controller, new Kinect or the system - remember the PS4 controller got leaked but we cannot get nothing but some documents about the 720 that were probably made up by some troll in his moms basement.

Edit - StrongMan what are you about, where did I say anything about leaks being good - I stated that this sounds like educated guesses rather than leaks.

Leaks and rumors should be taken as just and until MS confirms something we should just wait until ES but I know you want the always on always connected rumor to be true so you can sleep better at night.

stage884033d ago

I'm sure the PS3 controller was a controlled leak.
Look how much hype it bought for the Playstation Meeting.

MysticStrummer4033d ago

"Oh well if true this debunks the leaked documents where Kinect is suppose to be integrated into the 720 " Always on ALways Connected"

No it really doesn't. It shows that Kinect 2.0 will be available separately in case people want it on their PC.

omi25p4033d ago Show
Conzul4033d ago

@stage88
I'm sure nearly EVERY leak is a "controlled" leak.
I'm already where I replace the word "leak" with "tease" when I see it in headlines.

KwietStorm_BLM4033d ago (Edited 4033d ago )

"Lets face it folks we dont know jack about the 720 and MS has done a great job on keeping it a secret.."

Right. Except if it turns out the rumors are true, then we actually do know jack about the Xbox. You can't have it both ways, because like you just said, we don't know. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think the more coherent leaks are true, however, based on the accuracy of PS4 leaks from the same sources. The Dualshock 4 was partially leaked, yes, but we still don't know what the PS4 looks like, and we don't know who leaked the controller. Its not uncommon for manufacturers in the tech world to leak things themselves, to get free press and "user" feedback.

GameNameFame4033d ago (Edited 4033d ago )

720 Spec was not made up by some fanboy. MS's entire server was hacked. and MS had him arrested. you are just denying cause it is extremely weak. It was 100 page document in excruciating detail on how weak it is.

I love how you praise MS being tight lipped and secure.

U do realize their dev console went on sales on EBAY.. right? hahah

BattleAxe4033d ago

All I have to say about this is YUCK!

dcbronco4033d ago

@GameNameFame

One of the things mention SuperDAE mentioned was the Durango had a better design. If you trust what he leaked then you believe the 720 is better than the PS4 then?

vet_medic4033d ago (Edited 4033d ago )

We have plenty of leaks from vgleaks and their news were mostly spot on, other than 8gig for ps4 but even internal devs didnt know that, so its hard to believe that everything they reported on 720 is wrong.

So yes, we know quite a bit.

NewMonday4033d ago

not a KINECT fan but technically this a good improvement, the most important things here:

* Depth stream is much higher resolution
* Active infrared enables tracking in low/no light
* Latency has been improved by 33ms
* Frame rate up from 15fps to 30fps(<<this)
* Resolution up from 640×480 to 1920×1080

mix this up with AR glasses and you may get a new Wii like craze.

ziggurcat4033d ago

"Oh well if true this debunks the leaked documents where Kinect is suppose to be integrated into the 720 " Always on ALways Connected""

rumours are rumours, obviously - i don't take any rumour as anything until the info comes from the horse's mouth.

but this is MS we're talking about... (and i'm being facetious here) they could very well charge you extra for kinect 2.0 by selling it as a separate peripheral even if it might be required to use the next xbox.

frankly, i would be very shocked if that rumour turned out to be true - it just seems a little too far fetched.

DeadlyFire4033d ago

Pretty sure Sony wanted people to see their prototype PS4 controller early enough to swap it back to original design if they had to do so. They tried doing a new controller for PS3 and reaction was so bad they shifted back to Dual shock/Sixaxis design.

This Kinect improvement means games at 30fps for Kinect. Why would they even market it with 15 fps? Might actually look like an okay device in motion then.

Buff10444032d ago

Wow 47 disagrees for just stating what was reported. N4G a Sony fan website? Nah.

Gamer19824032d ago

That cam has the specs of a cam thats priced around £00 right now I seriously cannot see them being able to sell as low as £99/$99.. Those are either seriously wrong specs or the wrong price also makes me think if it does come with every console its gonna cost quite a bit more than the ps4 unless they cut back hardware. Kinect 2.0 could be what wins PS4 the next gen war..

GameNameFame4032d ago

When did i say i trust SuperDAE?

I trust the 100 page detailed documents that he hacked and was confirmed by the "inside sources" from IGN, EuroGamer Digital Foundry, Kotaku and etc.

Last time he checked he didnt even have as much as he had on PS4 as he did on 720.

Btw, Digital Foundry did a comparison. They say PS4 is better design. Now stop trying to deny it and make stuff up.

+ Show (14) more repliesLast reply 4032d ago
SDF Repellent4033d ago

Strongman and mysticstrummer, lol, always here to provide there in-depth analysis to anything Xbox related.

Gildarts4033d ago

if this is true then it would be a big mistake. it means kinect will not be bundled with the 720. which means not everyone will have it. Which means developers will have to make games seperately for the kinect owners. Which means less developer support. If the kinect is always there developers can always make use of it without worrying about it not being there, resulting in unique experiences only found on Xbox 720. Microsoft knows this. It might be the 720's killer app because it will be part of the 720 experience not just some optional pheripheral.

NeoTribe4033d ago

Kinect sucked this gen and will suck next gen. Making fps and resolution better isnt gonna save a boring gimmick. If thats the 720 experience count me out.

oof464033d ago

No, they sell it separately so when your kinect red rings, you can buy a new one.

4033d ago Replies(2)
4032d ago
+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4032d ago
GalacticEmpire4033d ago (Edited 4033d ago )

"It is reported that the device will go on sale for around $99"

This part makes me doubt this whole leak, it's far more likely that MS will bundle Kinect 2 in with xbox 3. If they want Kinect to get support from devs other than 1st party they will have to be certain that their entire userbase has one. Not sure if that's as smart a move as it seems because putting an extra $99 on top of a new console's price could be bad for sales.

Godmars2904033d ago

For one thing you might be able to use it with the 360, for another if its true you need one for Xbox3, it has to be connected, you'll need to buy another should the first break.

GalacticEmpire4033d ago

You're right, I didn't think it through all that well.

My point about the price bumping still stands. Kinect is a bit of a double edged sword in that respect, both attracting the casual gamers MS want so desperately to court but, at the same time, inflating the price of Xbox 3 making it less attractive to that same demographic.

If I were MS I'd try and fool the core into thinking Kinect 2 will be appeal to them, like they did last time. At least until the price drops into casual range.

MikeMyers4033d ago (Edited 4033d ago )

It might work on the Xbox 360 but limited since the Xbox 360 does not support USB 3.0

I would hope the new Xbox does not require this new Kinect. All that would do is inflate the cost. I understand that if it is in every system it will be much more likely to be supported by game developers but I'm still not convinced it has that much use in gaming.

"Frame rate up from 15fps to 30fps"

It only did 15fps? That's not very good.

4033d ago
Godmars2904033d ago

As part of a bundle I can't see it contributing more than $40-$50 to overall price. Then there will likely be leasing deals through cable/internet providers which will make it seem cheap to general consumers. Probably a lot of gamers too.

AngelicIceDiamond4033d ago (Edited 4033d ago )

That pretty much squashes the rumor about Kinect having to be plugged in for the console to function properly.

And if that's the case what if the thing breaks? Then you have to shell out an extra 100$, these rumors are stupid...

@Knight My bad these rumors are spinning completely outta control now. Even got me spinning in circles.

DragonKnight4033d ago

A rumour squashes another rumour?

SDF Repellent4033d ago

Another thing might be the chance of cross platforms play befweene the nextbox and pc. The x360 controller is alreadyq the standard for gamepad on the PC, now by making the Kinect a standard on PC, cross platform games like Battlefields can integrate this concept of controller and motion and voice control.If cross platform gaming is a reality with both Xbox and Games for Windows and Xbox Live tieing it together, that might be a killer feature for MS next gen.

DragonKnight4033d ago

"Another thing might be the chance of cross platforms play befweene the nextbox and pc."

That'll never happen. Microsoft will never be that open. They had every opportunity to do so this gen and chose not to. PS3 already has a couple of cross-platform games so expect more from the PS4.

"The x360 controller is alreadyq the standard for gamepad on the PC."

Says you. There is no standard.

"now by making the Kinect a standard on PC."

Also not gonna happen.

"If cross platform gaming is a reality with both Xbox and Games for Windows and Xbox Live tieing it together, that might be a killer feature for MS next gen."

Except that that's a fantasy that will never happen because it requires Microsoft giving up control and no one likes GFWL. Be realistic.

maniacmayhem4033d ago

@Dragon

"PS3 already has a couple of cross-platform games so expect more from the PS4."

360 has a couple of cross-platform games too. And with MS trying to integrate all their devices and OS I would think they might try more for cross play for the next Xbox.

"Says you. There is no standard."

A lot of PC games, especially ports from consoles on Steam use and support the 360 controller as default. So it could be considered standard.

"Be realistic."

How about trying to be optimistic. He's not saying this is written in stone he's just giving his thoughts on the topic.

JamieL4032d ago

@ maniacmayham
You are trying to reason with a troll. He obvious doesn't do any research, or have any clue what he's talking about. FF11 on the 360 even let you play with the 6 PS2 users who bought the game as well as the PC players. There are more than that, Shadowrun, even though it sucked did as well. I also think that the 360 controller is the standard gamepad for PC for the same reason you stated. You could make a full time job of tracking this guy and removing his foot from his mouth, but it's just not worth it. Let him live in his Sony run PS dream world, he's not hurting anyone.
I do have to admit it's strange such a blatent troll has so many bubbles, weird.

hazardman4033d ago

Not really, they can still have a sku that's not bundled with Kinect. They just have to make sure that all skus have large hard drives. Which is far more important to devs than kinect.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4032d ago
SlavisH24033d ago

i love how there are 2 articles a day about xbox specs LEAKED. Someone is lying :P

GadgetGooch4033d ago

:D I know what you mean but it's always the same when new hardware is on the horizon and I don't think it will ever change, There's got to be an element of truth within it all somewhere :)

Good_Guy_Jamal4033d ago

So it's gonna be sold separate from the main console? All these conflicting leaks.
I'm not going to believe anything I read about kinect 2.0 because I fell for the project natal hype and got burned pretty badly!

TheFallenAngel4033d ago

Man everybody did. They swore that milo was real and stuff like that. When my brother first got it, we were all excited but we got bored with it pretty quick. Same way with PS move, I got bored of it. I prefer the good old controller.

StrongMan4033d ago

Tell me about it. I'm still waiting to be able to scan my skateboard and other objects with Kinect and use it in game like MS promised. And what about MS promising 4 people can play Kinect at once? Now the leak is saying 6 players, yeah right. MS has made a reputation for over promising and under delivering and I won't fall for it again.

die_fiend4033d ago

I agree kinect is probably bull, wouldn't know tho cos I'm not a sucker. However, you're saying u won't fall for it again? U do realise MS aren't saying these things right? It's a rumour

Lvl_up_gamer4033d ago (Edited 4033d ago )

So much ignorance.

If you look at the video where you are getting the whole scanning of the skateboard feature, you will see in the bottom right hand corner @ 0:03 clearly saying:

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

"Product Vision: Actual features and functionality may vary."

It's called a disclaimer. The video is just a product vision that MS had for kinect.

Please show me where MS promised to be able to scan a skateboard?

Also, you clearly don't own a kinect or have used one let alone know what games are out there for kinect.

There is a FREE XBLA title called Kinect Fun Labs googly eyes.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...
http://www.youtube.com/watc...
http://www.youtube.com/watc...
http://www.youtube.com/resu...

You will notice you can scan ANY object and manipulate it within the game. So even though MS DIDN'T promise that so called scanning a skateboard feature, they DID produce a game where they live up to the scanning of an object and using it within a game...yes, even a skateboard.

As for playing 4 players at once. Ubisoft's Just Dance 3 DOES allow up to 4 players at once.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

So there you have it Strongman, your ignorance has been pointed out. So although MS DIDN'T promise anything, they have delivered on every negative aspect you were just complaining about.

So it would appear that MS DID live up to their expectations on what KINECT is capable of doing, you're just too ignorant to know better and would rather spread your BS FUD like usual.

You have been marked for trolling. Again, like usual.

Show all comments (130)
280°

Xbox's Preservation Step Sets A Much-Needed Example, Especially For Nintendo

Hanzla from eXputer inquires: "If Xbox can care about preserving its games and legacy, what exactly is wrong with Nintendo, trying to kill game preservation single-handedly?"

purple1012d ago

Ahh yes the good old game preservation of saving all your games to a removable hhd on the Xbox 360, taking it round your mates house, setting up multiple tvs to
Be met with “save data corrupted, please re download”

Or how about removing 360 games
From the store
, download them now or else, and, better hope to god that save data doesn’t corrupt, or it’s lost for ever

Nice one ☝️

Zeref1d 22h ago

It's better than what Nintendo and Playstation is doing. It might not be perfect but at least they are TRYING. Unlike the others.

DarXyde1d 20h ago

Trying? Take off the blinders for a moment, mate.

1. A failure to preserve games is just that: a failure to preserve games. Don't try to sugarcoat it: NO ONE is doing it properly. Better than awful is nothing to write home about.

2. At the time of this comment, isn't it the case that you need an internet connection to play Xbox games even if you buy physical discs that are hardly in circulation anymore? I don't have a Series X and I can't verify, but I think that is correct. I'm fairly certain you can at least play PS5 games at version 1.0 (not much of a win really when many games require day one patches). I think Microsoft's all digital, licensing approach is by far more aggressive than anyone else's. They really try to push you to game pass where you lose your entire library by umm.... Skipping a month of payments.

I don't think anyone is doing it right whatsoever. Don't get me started on Nintendo, who goes after anyone looking to preserve their games better than they ever would with extreme litigation.

Don't be a simp for any of these companies. Get it together.

PhillyDonJawn1d 20h ago (Edited 1d 20h ago )

@DarX never speak on Xbox again. You lost all credibility with your internet connection comment. Smh you have 0 clue and misinformed yet speaking on something you don't no squat about.

Einhander19721d 19h ago

What has Sony done exactly? You guys keep deflecting to Sony but I am not actually seeing any results, and ai am certain nothing that you can come up with even comes close to what Microsoft has done and what they have tried and failed to do, like tie all your disks to your account on xbone.

Microsoft removed their whole indie section when they moved to the xbone because they were going to only allow games on the service that came from a publisher, id@xbox started after xbone launched and it only exists because Sony embraced indie and Microsoft was forced to cancel their plans and reverse course.

And every single game that was part of games for windows live including disk games (I have gta 4 on disk that won't work) so hundreds of games that use that DRM no longer work unless the company themselves patched it out which of course very few did.

MrBaskerville1d 18h ago

Not trying. Tried. they killed of the backcomp program years ago. They set something up again, but sounds like it's more of an attempt to save the current library on whatever they are planning next. With luck they save everything and more, but let's see. I could see them killing off parts of the OG xbox and 360 libraries. Can't imagine that they would allow us to play Forza 5-7 in the future.

With that said, I do like what they've done and really wish they could have done more.

shinoff21831d 10h ago

Zeref

So killing off physical media is trying what exactly. Ms don't really give a fk if you think they do your kidding yourself.

Profchaos1d 10h ago

They are not trying this team is established for forward compatability the team is. It interested in preserving Xbox or 360 games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1d 10h ago
isarai2d ago

Is that why Hellblade 2 is digital only?

Zeref1d 22h ago

Just because it's digital only doesn't mean you can't preserve it. Just put it on an external and you have the exact same functionality of what a disc does.

MrNinosan1d 21h ago

Guess you're trolling, but if you actually think that's how it works, I'd recommend buying some braincells.

mkis0071d 1h ago (Edited 1d 1h ago )

Volitile vs nonvolitile data. A disc will not corrupt either. A drive can be corrupted.

Einhander19722d ago

This is just a scammy PR move to distract from the fact they are going digital only and trying to push streaming and subscriptions only.

No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft.

Without discs there is no preservation, preservation can't be done by the rights holders it can only be done by the consumers, anything else is a lie.

2d ago Replies(3)
Einhander19722d ago

Anyone remember xblig which Microsoft removed their whole 360 indie section removing hundreds of games from people?

2d ago
2d ago
Zeref1d 22h ago

Do you know you can put your games on an external and preserve them that way? There are no benefits to discs. ZERO. Idk why some of you are still obsessed with them.

DarXyde1d 20h ago

Because games like Persona 5 exist. It's STILL V1.00. On Playstation, that's a win because 1.00 is installed on the disc—no need to download anything.

If a game does not require any updates, it's all on the disc.

Extremely low bar in the modern era, of course. It's not much of a win by any stretch.

But for now, physical media does have a purpose, at least on Playstation.

Einhander19721d 20h ago

That is factually not how game licensing works, try plugging your hard drive into someone else xbox, It's not going to work, and it won't work if the licensing servers ever go down.

Einhander19721d 20h ago

Anyone remember games for windows live.

I have around a dozen games, some on Steam itself that will not work because Microsoft shut off the licensing servers.

BehindTheRows1d 19h ago (Edited 1d 19h ago )

I do. I STILL have games (Gears of War being the big one) I cannot access because Games for Windows LIVE is total garbage and no one has held Microsoft accountable.

Zeref1d 18h ago (Edited 1d 18h ago )

You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership.

Chevalier1d 17h ago

"You don't have an Xbox apparently. Because you can 100 percent plug in your external and play games from it on any Xbox console lol. You just have to be logged in to prove ownership."

Damn how many times do people got to explain your idiocy to you? You can take a copy of Persona 5 like someone used as an example and play that game on ANY console WITHOUT logging in which means I can lend the game to a friend without internet and they can play my game. Can you lend your hard drive to anyone without logging in for them to play? NOPE. That is a huge difference and if you think otherwise then sorry you're an idiot.

Tacoboto1d 18h ago

"No gaming company has pushed harder to remove ownership than Microsoft."

Ubisoft is literally erasing games people bought from their libraries... My PS1-3 discs are useless on modern hardware. Nintendo's re-published and resold almost their entire Wii U library, and the eShop is completely dead with no BC mechanism in the Switch software. Microsoft publishes everything they make today day one on Steam and Xbox/Windows. Sony only brings to PC the titles they think you might want some years later and Nintendo won't even design a functional long-lasting joystick.

You're absolutely trolling and not serious if you think Microsoft today is the worst offender.

shinoff21831d 10h ago

Yay steam

Not everyone fks with computers though. The disc is still the best way as a console player. Period.

Tacoboto1d 8h ago

How do Sony and Nintendo feel about these discs from 2001-2013?

Don't be stupid, you know Xbox is the best at this today.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1d 8h ago
Hofstaderman1d 23h ago

Nobody wants this. Sales or the lack of it in the case of XBOX is very telling. I wonder how the adorably all digital series X will fare. Adorably dismal perhaps?

crazyCoconuts1d 19h ago

Only time will tell, but for from someone like me suspecting that Xbox is trying to gracefully exit the console market, that "forward compatibility" team is trying to get Xbox games playing on Windows PCs. I mean, it's nice that they're not planning on exiting with a "enjoy your games while the hardware still works" message, so that's nice. They still have a brand to protect via Microsoft so probably feel obligated to have a better exit strategy.

Xeofate1d 15h ago (Edited 1d 15h ago )

That is not their plan, their plan is to transfer users accounts to the cloud.

Phil Spencer himself said as much a few months back, plans could have changed but I think people are reading way too much into one statement where Phil said he would allow Epic on xbox because he wants to be able to sell xbox games directly on other platforms. Aka, instead of selling Sea of Thives through PSN he wants to have an xbox store to sell his games on PlayStation without giving PlayStation any money.

Again, it's extremely unlikely that Phil plans to put PC on xbox and licensing would prevent them from just giving out other publishers games purchased on xbox copies of thier games on PC, Microsoft does not own their games.

crazyCoconuts20h ago

The thing that doesn't align with the cloud strategy is the giving up on exclusives. You'd still need strong exclusives for cloud streaming - it's still a "platform" , just with a lower upfront hardware investment. I feel like they've learned what PS learned with PSNow long ago. We're not ready to stream games and it's only gonna lose them money to try at this point

FinalFantasyFanatic1d 4h ago

I would love that, I'd buy up some of the Xbox games if they could run on PC, like the Rare Replay, Lost Odyssey and Dead or Alive Ultimate, probably a pipe dream though.

Show all comments (43)
370°

Could Xbox Soon Become The Next Dreamcast?

Microsoft's future in the video game space is murky right now, so let's break it all down.

Read Full Story >>
thegamer.com
ApocalypseShadow14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

Not anytime soon. But they're on that path.

One thing not mentioned in the article is Microsoft's money bags. If Sega had Microsoft's money, they would have still been around as a hardware manufacturer. Xbox as a platform only survives because of the money bags. They can continue making consoles for the core and port to PC.

The multiplatform strategy is only the result of arrogance and misguided leadership that blew up in their face. They thought gamers would jump on Xbox in droves if they knew that many of their favorite games would be only on Xbox. But that's not happening at all. Sales didn't increase. They decreased. Why? Because the dumb asses thought giving away these expensively made games in a cheap service would also turn the tide.

Gamers on other platforms are willing to buy quality. They don't need to be handed nearly free games in a service that aren't even finished and sometimes average in their development. Gamers buy Nintendo games. They buy Sony games. Microsoft groomed their base to not buy games. Even the quality ones. It has always been their plan to go digital. But most gamers still like single player gaming. Still like physical releases.

Microsoft's problem has always been that they don't produce high quality games at the same output as Nintendo and Sony. Actually, they should be producing quite a lot more because they're worth over 2 TRILLION. How they don't have more is ridiculous and no excuse. Buying publishers to take away from competition only backfired. Because it still takes millions of dollars to continue to make those games from the publishers they snatched. Their only choice was to crawl back to their competitors to help sustain those developers because Nintendo and Sony platforms were the ones buying games.

Am I sorry for Microsoft? Hell no! They deserved last place for putting in the least effort. They deserved the fallout for buying up the industry and didn't make a single blip on the radar against their competitors where they now need those same gamers they took away games from to support them. Part of it may have been to cash in on their competition. But the result is the slow death of their platform. They may go 3rd party. They may keep making hardware. I don't give a shit about them to worry about it. I only give a shit about the destructive nature of their industry moves that only negatively affect gamers. They could sell and drop out of the industry and I wouldn't blink. Probably laugh. But not blink. They deserve whatever comes to them. At least Sega put in the effort when it came to games. They just had poor leadership. Microsoft has poor leadership and barely makes memorable games. That's a killer combination. And not in a good way.

Cacabunga14d ago

That would be an insult to Dreamcast.. it had a crazy line up of legendary critically acclaimed games.

Crows9014d ago

I was thinking the same. Dreamcast had incredible games in such a short amount of time. It was truly exceptional.

darthv7213d ago

...and yet all those great games were not enough to sway people from the looming release of the PS2 at the time. Sony just has that kind of brand loyalty.

Cacabunga13d ago

Darth

I do not agree.. Sony had even better games thanks to an unprecedented 3rd party support..
DC had amazing lineup but 90% were arcade games..

88313d ago

@darth:
And Sony showed off "The Emotion Engine" and their real time demos that made everyone think they would miss out on REAL next gen 128bit magic if they jumped in before PS2s polygon pushing monster (and early lack of anti-aliasing with a healthy heap of shimmer + DVD playback) stepped up. PS2 was a fantastic system though with amazing games.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 13d ago
blacktiger14d ago

That's not true. Just because Microsoft has the money doesn't mean Microsoft can allow xbox to bleed entire Microsoft money. It doesn't work like they. Also SEC will be watching and investor won't allow it. Lot of reasons why Microsoft can not continue even if they wanted to. SEC regulations is expensive.

fr0sty14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

Exactly this... Microsoft is a publicly traded company, mostly owned by their shareholders (Approximately 59.24% of the company's stock is owned by Institutional Investors, 7.73% is owned by Insiders and 33.03% is owned by Public Companies and Individual Investors.). Their shareholders call the shots on the business decisions, and their shareholders want one thing and one thing only, for their stock price to go up. Losses do not make stock prices go up... so if the division continually posts losses on hardware, but shows profits on software and services (which has been the case with Xbox its entire lifespan, for over 20 years now), the shareholders are going to grow impatient and demand they stop making hardware and focus on the only thing that has ever made them money, software and services.

When Microsoft bought Blizzard and Activision for almost 100 billion, I knew that was the nail in the coffin for Xbox as a console... as the shareholders were going to expect a quick return on that investment, and when it didn't materialize, they were going to be out for blood... out to force Xbox to sell those games on as many consoles as possible, "and while you're at it, sell those first party exclusives that aren't selling well on other consoles as well... hell, just stop making consoles and sell games."

If there is another Xbox console generation, it will definitely be the last, but I doubt there even will be one at this point. I think the Xbox division planning on it just in case, but I don't think the project has been greenlit from Microsoft itself. The rumors that they have not yet even secured the chips needed from the chip fabrication facilities ties into this.

shinoff218314d ago

While I usually agree with you . Alot of what was said can just also be asked before any of that.

How long will the shareholders wait? It doesn't appear long at all

Babadook713d ago

I think I get your point. Like just because MS has money does not mean they are content to throw it away on a dying ecosystem. Xbox has to be profitable or “what’s the point?”

ifinitygamer13d ago

Money bags, yes, but are we ignoring that Xbox actually makes a profit on games and GamePass? Hardware is often a loss leader, and they're probably making profit 4 years into the life cycle, but games and services revenue have been very profitable while other parts of Microsoft's business is struggling. Say what you will about the quality of those games, of course, but this is kind of a reverse Dreamcast situation, where the console was dragging down the company and put it at risk of shuttering entirely. Killing that console saved the business and allowed it to continue to make games on multiple platforms. In this case, the service is very profitable, as are the games, and they're also double-dipping into Multiplatform to extend this further, while their hardware is just sort of what they believe to be the best for gamers and their own titles (whether that is the case or not...)

fr0sty13d ago (Edited 13d ago )

The issue is, they aren't selling enough hardware to make their exclusives profitable, and now that they've bought half the gaming publisher/dev industry, they have no choice but to go third party to make a profit... and that is making their shareholders take a real close look at their hardware division under the microscope... why keep making the hardware if the software is all that is making them money, and they continually, generation after generation come in dead last with hardware sales?

Look at a game like Spiderman 2... if it had been an Xbox exclusive, with the amount it cost to develop, it would have been a huge failure... simply not enough consoles out there to sell it on. They would have been lucky to break even.

ifinitygamer13d ago

@fr0sty agreed completely, which is why they're hedging by releasing other games to multiplatform, plus they have PC to make up for the difference in a lot of ways, which is why their games are not complete money pits. It brings up the question of whether or not those exclusives would drive sales of consoles, though. Let's say Spiderman 2 was an Xbox exclusive, it would certainly have pushed console sales, though who's to say how much is anyone's guess.

fr0sty13d ago

That's why you can't rely on just one exclusive, Sony has always delivered on a wide range of solid exclusives, even this generation (even if they haven't been strong on the first party exclusives, they've made up for it with third party). They don't rely on just one "system seller", they have a portfolio of them.

13d ago
JBlaze22613d ago

ApocalypseShadow To be honest Sony has more of a chance to go 3rd party because like you said Microsoft has money, Sony does not. Sony does not have games, Only games they have come from 3rd party. Sony has been losing money for years and you. Saying Microsoft has been putting the least effort just proves you have no idea what's been going on. All Sony has done is repeat and recycle, never innovating or doing something new. All Sony has is brand loyalty nothing else and it shows.

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LG_Fox_Brazil14d ago

Not sure about that. It's been two decades and I still think about Power Stone, Shenmue, Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Seaman and others, but I'm not sure I'll remember Xbox Series X/S games in a few years from now... Maybe I'll remember about the franchises that the Xbox brand spawned, but I don't believe that the Xbox Series lives up to the late Dreamcast or even to the Xbox name itself. I do have great memories about the 360 with Blue Dragon, Gears 2 and Lost Odyssey though

isarai14d ago

Nah, sega actually makes good games

Becuzisaid14d ago

No, Dreamcast was ahead of it's time and most still have very fond memories of it that had one. It also had some good games on it even in it's short lifespan. Xbox has none of these qualities.

Profchaos14d ago

I remember it coming out at the time in a really bad place they hit the market before the PS2 but it was during this transitional time when Sony was promoting the power of the PS2 and so many of the Dreamcast games were awesome but often third parties simply ported the PS1 version increased resolution and performance but rarely fully utilise the capabilities of the console.

I think in the end bad marketing done it in and like the GameCube so many people are fond of it now but at the time it was looked at in the lense of the day and it didn't stack up.

Personally I miss Sega in hardware they took risks that many companies won't

Becuzisaid14d ago

I never owned it, and got the PS2 right when it launched. But there were certain games it had that I was always jealous of that I didn't have access to - Sonic adventure, crazy taxi, power Stone, code Veronica, shenmue, skies of Arcadia. I always thought it was a really cool machine though. I've never heard a bad thing about it though from those that had it.

FinalFantasyFanatic13d ago

I only ever saw one Dreamcast, and that was one my friend owned, pity I never got to play it, I wonder what games he had for it?

It would be nice if some of those games got ported to modern systems.

Profchaos14d ago

Oh man sonic adventure on the Dreamcast made me so jealous as a huge sonic fan on the mega drive who also moved to PlayStation 2 I never got the chance to play it back in the day either. The Dreamcast in Australia where I am was always relegated to the smallest corner of EB Games it was kind of a strong first indicator that things were not going well at the time.

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Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox and weekly streaks to be killed off soon

Microsoft has announced the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox will be discontinued in April and has confirmed that weekly streaks will also be coming to an end.

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