Rumor: Zune to double as additional Xbox storage

Xbox360fanboy.com has a rumor about a solution that will make the Microsoft Zune compatible as an extra harddrive for the Xbox 360.

[Fishy Fingers]

Would be a nice idea, especially seeing you can buy a 120gb Zune here in the UK for £20 more than the 120 HDD (ridiculous I know).

But personally, I don't know a single person who owns a Zune or would even consider buying one. weren't they somewhat of a disaster?

[The Matrix]

That's kinda cool...

[cherrypie]

I've got a Zune 16 and Zune 120, and a Zune Pass.

They are exceptional players.

Zune is 2nd in HD-based player marketshare -- yes, a distant 2nd, but still 2nd.

[ruibing]

@cherrypie
Why do you have so many zunes? I'm still using my old Sansa mp3 player.

[wicked]

I didn't know the Zune was available in the UK, have you got a link to where you can get them from?

[BIGELLOW]

...and I bought one for my wife. They are just as good as iPods. I never recommend using the iTunes store or the Zune Marketplace to buy the music. Sure, it's a little bit easier as it is integrated... but with the iTunes store, you're locked into the iPod... and with the Zune Marketplace, you're locked into the Zune. It's better to purchase mp3s from a store like Amazon.com or Walmart.com and be able to put these songs on your iPod, your Zune, or wherever else you want them.

The only way the Zune was a "disaster" is the fact that the sales of Zunes didn't over-take the sales of the iPod... but the hardware, functionality, reliability, etc... is on par with an iPod.

[DevastationEve]

I have a Zune 80. I would like to see some integration with Vista/360.

*being compatible with Windows Sideshow would be nice, as it would have a beautiful screen and have its own controls. maybe even extending Windows Sidebar to show widgets docked on the Zune's screen instead of your main screen.

*being an external HDD to the 360 would really show promise for media, but maybe not so much for games. USB wouldn't be ideal for transfer rates.

Zune Marketplace beats iTunes Marketplace. To the ground.

[AAACE5]

I like my 30Gb zune, and hope it can be used, cause then I would be able to get some of my music off of my 360 HDD, so I can upgrade!

I admit, the Ipod has a better design than the zune, but beyond that, I haven't seen anything I can't do with my zune... except touch screen!

[Capt CHAOS]

"Just don't get too excited, because survey answer could have duel meanings. It could be referring to a Zune being used as official Xbox 360 storage allowing game saves and Marketplace downloads, which would be BIG news. Or the survey answer could be referring to the Zune being a portable media device and used as music and picture storage for use on the 360. If that's the case, this isn't news."

If we don't know, is is still news worth spamming n4g over?

[Royantk]

Its a rumor.

[SnprSlick]

If it were something to transfer your Live Accoutn with.... It would be awesome

[beans]

Well soon XNA games will be available on zune from 360, so I can see this as being a possibility.

[Lekumkee]

I can directly save full games to the Zune and use that as a secondary storage, then the Zune would be a viable purchase, other then that meehhhhhh....

[Qdog]

That would be about all the Zune was useful for anyway. It had a nice screen, but the whole platform has been an icon for how to drop the ball...

[Royantk]

Yeah, hopefully they mean a harddrive that works just as the original one, where you can save your games and such. :)

[cherrypie]

Qdog:

Actually, the Zune is very respected. And you're talking out of your "I hate all things MS" arse.

For anyone who *is* buying a DMP, you *owe* it to yourself to look at Zune -- they are the best player in the market, yes, better than ipod.

[Qdog]

Sorry, my feelings for Microsoft are irrelevant, as I have had two zunes, 3 ipods, one ipod touch, two palms, 1 pocket pc, and I have a laptop, and a computer that both run Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate(SP1). I would say all that compliments my being the owner of an Xbox 360. As well, it puts me in a fair position to judge a product I have not only owned twice, different models of Zune, but also all of it's competitors. i have weighed pros and cons, and trust me, the Zune is pretty much only useful as an external HDD. As for the Zune being well respected...fine that is your opinion, but I like my other army brothers, dont share that opinion. Never have I or my buddies had to clear so much sand out of an electronic device after a deployment, and never have I had to get my product replaced because of faulty software from the manufacturer while simultaneously my team leader was going through the same thing. I'm not even going to mention the fact that I had pictures of my son on the zune when I sent it off, and yes I backed those pics up on a laptop, but as fate would have it, the laptop got blown to pieces in a mortar attack, and six months later after a three day patrol with no sleep, i come back to find my same zune without my sons pictures on it, and an explanatiion from the service tech that it was software related. i would have to say, before you call me a liar by attempting to deface the value of my words, you should try going through that. I dare you... Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

[BIGELLOW]

...I'm really sorry to hear about your experience with the Zune (and your laptop and pictures of your son)... I would also like to say that I appreciate all of the work you and your fellow army brothers do, as well as all other branches of the military.

With that being said, it's also fair to say that for those who are not spending so much time in the desert and not under almost constant mortar attack, the Zune is pretty comparable to the iPod.

[Qdog]

Thank you for you gratitude, and as well that is an opinion, and I can respect that. It's nice to talk to a civil person.

[dericb11]

Funny they don't just make Open Source Hard Drives for the system. All this would do it force you to spend more money on something people are not buying. I know most people will say Zune is cheap to get so this is good. But really MS would make you buy the newest generation Zune which would end up being like $300 USD.

[Aclay]

You can already use an Ipod's hard drive to transfer media back and forth on the Playstation 3. I know that the Ipod Touch doesn't work with the PS3, but most of the other Ipod models do.

Microsoft should just lower the price even more of the still overpriced hard drives, problem solved.

[KingME]

We're talking about the Zune and the 360 right now. Perhaps we'll talk about the PS3 when it's a PS3 story. Okay... Thanks :)

[The gaming GOD]

You have a point KingMe.

But xbox fans do the same thing Aclay did on a regular basis. With that said, I hope you tell those xbox people the SAME thing you just said to Aclay when they post about MS orientated things in Sony orientated articles.

[Danja]

If this is true then the only reason I see M$ even wanting the the Zune to be used as a HDD for the 360 would just to boost Zune sales...given that it really need all the sales it can get..

They need to lower the price on there over-priced HDD..

[rimbreaker]

anybody who says a zune sucks is ignorant. I have had both a zune and an ipod and the zune is far better. Not because of the hardware or because of the os or what have you because those facets are basically meaningless, but because of the zune marketplace and the 15 dollar a month subscription. For 15 a month you download all the music that you want whenever you want. That is a hell of a tool i tell you what

[lokiroo420]

Are you comparing microsofts music service to itunes, good luck.

[beans]

This must have something to do with Live anywhere and the soon to come XNA games from 360 service which will make it a great portable music,video, and game player. Nobody seems to be talking much about XNA but it might turn out really good as we start to see tons of games made and put on Zune from your 360. Heck we might see hundreds of full games out of nowhere which sounds interesting.

[cherrypie]

I dont doubt that MS is going to move XNA / Xbox LIVE Arcade games to Zune. Seems 100% smart thing to do.

Do you have any more info on this? Link to news?

I suspect they'll do this, but havent seen any confirmation of it...

[beans]

Sorry cherry but this is the only link I could find. If you haven't seen it hope here's a quick view of whats next.

http://www.gametrailers.com...

[cherrypie]

That's terrific.

I've got both a flash and HD Zune -- and Zune Pass.

Love them, if MS makes them file storage, I'll be geeked.

Moreover, If MS gets Xbox LIVE Arcade titles (or Community Games) to run on Zune, I'll be very happy.

I want more Zune / Xbox 360 integration. The faster the better.

[VMAN_01]

Maybe they should dobule their sales.