Microsoft's New Money Gun: Xbox 720

According to leading technology website The Verge, Microsoft (MSFT) will launch the Xbox 720 with several new innovations, including next generation Kinect and Kinect Glasses, and a more accessible and targeted design for those who play casual games. The Xbox 720 is going to be a very profitable product that will increase Microsoft's revenues in the long-term.

[RuleofOne343]

Sweet can't wait , my wallet is ready.

[Belking]

Same here. I think the next xbox is gonna be really good.

[SilentNegotiator]

We don't know anything about the next Xbox....

[darthv72]

MS chose a different path in that they license a set of standards to other companies to develop their own 720 compatible units?

It would certainly take much of the pressure off MS in regards to them being the sole purveyor of the system and would create market competition between other mfg's.

the 3DO company (mainly Panasonic) licensed the rights to others to make 3DO units and even though the platform didnt do as well as they thought, the idea was still pretty sound.

With all the talk of a "steam" box laying the groundwork for other PC companies to make steam compatible units, it makes sense for there to be more wide distribution of general purpose machines than single units.

Like how you go to a store to buy a PC and you can choose from several different ones but they all have the same basic features. What sets each one from the next would be the amount of ram or hdd or cpu/gpu specs.

Where MS and the 720 are concerned they could make a set of standards and then companies can build from there. Maybe having varying sizes of hdd and mfg specific apps/features but in the end, all would be able to play the same 720 games and access the same live services.

Sony is a hardware company so the likeliness of THEM licensing their hardware tech is not as beneficial to them as it would be to MS. MS would make more off the $$ fees and not have to deal with the hardware overhead they currently deal with.

[ABizzel1]

I think the next Xbox will be more of the same, but vastly improved. Such as better similar, but better OS, similar but better Kinect, similar but better XBL, same but more first party exclusives, more integration with tablets and cell phones, and all backed by superior hardware.

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

Kinect 2 is really coming.
http://www.digitaltrends.co...

I hope kinect 2 blows away kinect 1's success to make xbox gamers even happier!

[Autodidactdystopia]

I think the next xbox will be different but the same, like similar but dissimilar.
kinda like better but also not better. or almost the same but not the same. maybe mostly alike but not as alike as mostly would portray. in a way equivalent but equivocal. very indistingushable but distinguished.

[TheGamerDood]

I love how respectful these people are when talking about the base. lol

[shoddy]

I think you still pay $60 to play online.

[decrypt]

A lot of people dont really understand this the Xbox division isnt Microsoft's money gun.

Microsoft's main business is their Windows and Office business. The Xbox Division is really nothing in comparison.

Its my opinion that there will be a drastic slowdown in Microsoft's business in the coming years and this really isnt related to their Xbox. Its mostly their cash cow, Windows and Office that are going to be tanking.

The signs are already there, there is a slow down in the sales of PC hardware. Uptake of Windows 8 is much slower than expected and this really isnt because Windows 8 has a learning curve, far from it.

The problem is the market conditions have changed since the times of Windows Xp or Windows 7. People dont want to be buying PCs at a regular interval any more, this is because 2-3 year old PC can already do what current software requires them to do. Hence the need for upgrading isnt there. People instead prefer Androids and Apple devices.

Ultimately this will hit Microsoft and not only in their Windows and Office sales but also their enterprise sales will be hit.

Xbox on its own will not be able to carry the whale named Microsoft. Xbox division is just too small.

Gloomy times are ahead for Microsoft, people will be surprised how quickly the slow down can hit them.

[aviator189]

Same here.
I've already set aside about $500 for the console and a launch game or two.

[lastofgen]

lol...I don't know why you got 3 disagrees for your statement, but I guess that's just how n4g is..

[MikeMyers]

People will disagree on anything here.

From the article:
"This trend suggests Xbox 720 sales will be higher than Playstation 4 sales. Moreover, the Xbox 720 is manufactured by an American company. On the other hand, the Playstation 4 is manufactured by a Japanese company. Most Americans prefer buying American made products at the moment, especially with the fiscal cliff looming."

I don't see how relevant that is given the history of gaming in America. From the Atari 2600 all the way to the Wii, Americans have supported both domestic and foreign gaming. How well has a RPG franchise like Mass Effect done in Japan? Now flip that around and ask how many Americans bought games from the Final Fantasy series? How about America who bought games from the Gran Turismo series? Now ask yourself how many Japanese gamers bought Forza.

Current hardware sales in Japan show PS3 sales in Japan at 30X that of Xbox 360 sales. The PS3 is not being outsold in America by 30-1. It's probably closer to 2-1 or less. Even the Wii is outselling the Xbox 360 right now by 8-1.

Even when Microsoft tried to capture the Japanese audience early on with exclusives like Blue Dragon and Lost Oddyssey they snubbed their noses at it. The good thing is they still got the Japanese developer support which is far more important. Especially since the region of Japan pales (sales) in comparison to Europe and North America.

I've tried many Japanese influenced games like Catherine and Disgaea. There are certainly some unique and great games from there.

[xursz]

Everything in MikeMyers comment is spot on. I don't know why you got that many disagrees.

+Well said

[IAMERROR]

lulz! Loved how my comment got flagged for trolling, I was simply implying he doesn't keep up with MS news since there are quite a few NEW IPs being made for the 720. So sick of the redundant HALOGEARSFABLEFORZA response from people (mostly sony fanboys), read up like you do to the company you're loyal to! lol

[miDnIghtEr20C_SfF]

I hear that witwicky... can't wait for the next gen to start!

Funny that the guy who got marked for trolling says your wallet is ready for Halo, Gears, Forza, etc..

It is! Those games are great!

Just like Sony guys are waiting for God of War 4, Infamous 3, Killzone 4, LBP 3, GT6, another warhawk, Uncharted 4 and so on.

Don't see a pattern? The games everyone wants the most are sequels.. even 3rd party games. COD, BF, Madden, AC, RE, GTA and the list goes on...

[FACTUAL evidence]

To be fair, 4 of those IP's you named were new this gen. Sony always brings new IP's in abundance so no argument there. Sorry. I still don't approve of that guy trolling the 360 though.

[Blaze929]

Pretty sure it's going to be called Xbox 8, or simply Xbox. But I wish this Xbox 720 name would really stop being used.

[KingKevo]

Is this 'my wallet is ready' a freaking running gag that always needs to be posted for an article about an upcoming console or game?!

[RuleofOne343]

Not a running gag or what have you but an honest to truth statement about being cash & credit card ready for the next Console no matter it's price tag day one .

@chukamachine no more ready than a ps3 fanboy is for UC4, GoW ?, MGS5,GT6,KZ4,R4 & ANYTHING MOVE .

[Intentions]

I'm ready for it, just that i won't buy it on release prob wait a year or two, unless a game catches my eye (exclusive or multiplat).

[Cam977]

"targeted design for those who play casual games"
Seems that they're pulling the same moves they pulled towards the end of this generation.

[ThatsGaming]

I hate that popularity of search graph. That could just mean that many 360 users are more interested and looking to the next gen than PS3 users that may not be expecting a new console as much next year.

[nevin1]

Kinect Glasses?

[OneAboveAll]

Augmented Reality.

[darthv72]

beer goggles

[Stoppokingme]

I think we should wait to see what the launch titles are before we can form any opinion.

[KrisButtar]

that is the smartest thing i read all day.

my opinon for the new consoles from sony and ms, if either of them are heavy on the motion controls(ps move/kinect) thats the system im going to avoid, i want a controller and if both go heavy on the motion controls then i would jump to the wii u as at least it has a pro controller

[xursz]

i have a WiiU but trust me you want to wait for the new consoles.

[DiRtY]

I don't see a problem with trying to get all three major markets done right.

IMO the three major segments of the market are:

Core games
Casual games
media functionality

IMO MS is in the best position to satisfy all three segments.