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Thurrott: Xbox One without the Games still in the pipeline

N

Nero3000

Member
I assume there are a few people here who, like me, are impressed with the software and capabilities of the Xbox One and it media integration but still prefer the PS4 this generation for gaming.

There have always been rumours of an Xbox One "Mini" (for lack of a better name) that would compete with Roku, Apple TV etc. but it seemed that idea was shelved from a launch debut.

http://winsupersite.com/xbox/gamer-changers said:
Spin-off devices. As I exclusively reported previously, Microsoft originally planned to ship a second Xbox One unit focused solely on entertainment, but temporarily killed this effort earlier this year. That device is still coming, will be much less expensive, and will dramatically outsell the Xbox One. Which of course is why they held off.
Click to expand...

I would be interested in something like this especially once they get their shit sorted out in the UK.

Move to OT if OT, wasn't sure.
 
M

Miles Quaritch

Member
So would this eventually go on to stream games or be a nothing more than a set top box?

Seems pretty short-sighted to just make a STB...
 
J

jem0208

Member
I bet if this released at the same time as the Xbox One there would be some seriously shitty Christmases for some kids. Getting that instead of an actual Xbox would suck
 
A

Aztechnology

Member
feint_ruled said:
So they would ship a version of the One that didn't even play games? That is beyond parody.
Click to expand...

How so? It would potentially be a much smaller device specifically for basic streaming usage, browser, and possible kinect capabilites for voice and gesture control. I feel there would be a significant market for that.
 
Q

Quasar

Member
feint_ruled said:
So they would ship a version of the One that didn't even play games? That is beyond parody.
Click to expand...

Well I'd consider one for the right price and if its app library was good. Hell I bought a ouya purely for the plex client (sadly the hardware was not beefy enough for it to run well).
 
P

Pop-O-Matic

Banned
So would this literally be the same hardware as the regular Xbone, Kinect and all, just without the gamepad and disc drive? Because, if so, then how the fuck do they expect that to compete with the fucking Roku. It'd be at least $400.
 
L

lupin23rd

Member
Knowing Microsoft, they're waiting for Apple to release it's own next-gen set-top box that will sell billions and leave their own unit shut out of the market.
 
V

Vashetti

Banned
MutonCommander said:
Will Sony also release a PS4 without games?

Oh wait, they already did :badoomtish:
Click to expand...

ps4-vs-xboxone-games.jpg
Click to expand...
.
 
BibiMaghoo

BibiMaghoo

Member
But..

Who is going to pay a sub for a gimped Xbone? Presumably, you would still need the other subs to work (netflix etc) and so it just then becomes a less expensive box, with an equally expensive sub, that can do far, far less than it's competition.

That, makes no sense to me at all. Perhaps the gold fee would be less than standard, that's the only way I can see this may work.
 
N

Nightengale

Member
The thing about this 'Xbox One without Games' is that there is no rational way that MS can sell this product competitively while still keeping apps locked behind a Gold paywall.
 
F

feint_ruled

Member
Aztechnology said:
How so? It would potentially be a much smaller device specifically for basic streaming usage, browser, and possible kinect capabilites for voice and gesture control. I feel there would be a significant market for that.
Click to expand...

Such a device might have its uses (though hopelessly late to the party). But what does the "XBox" branding even mean then?
 
T

Toski

Member
Nightengale said:
The thing about this 'Xbox One without Games' is that there is no rational way that MS can sell this product competitively while still keeping apps locked behind a Gold paywall.
Click to expand...

This. If Microsoft wants to treat gaming as an app, I am now wondering why they no longer attend CES when the Xbox One primarily fits that show better than E3 now.
 
J

Jburton

Banned
feint_ruled said:
So they would ship a version of the One that didn't even play games? That is beyond parody.
Click to expand...

MS want a living room device that uses their software and services ........... games have only ever been a Trojan horse, if they can get a mass selling box and not have to make of fund games they will.

Their investors are also more interested in this.


MS where only ever in this to get in the living room, games are not their primary concern.
 
C

Claude Kenni

Member
It obviously would be much cheaper (don't need a GPU even close to as powerful, as much RAM, etc. as it won't generate graphics) as well as not use the XBL system in regards to a paywall.

The question is how well they will do when faced with even more competition than they face in the console market. I'm not confident in MS's hardware design but I'm not aware how easy it is or isn't to make a profit with these devices, could make them money or be another MS failure like Surface.

Does make me wonder what the future holds for Xbox though.
 
G

ghst

thanks for the laugh
BibiMaghoo said:
But..

Who is going to pay a sub for a gimped Xbone? Presumably, you would still need the other subs to work (netflix etc) and so it just then becomes a less expensive box, with an equally expensive sub, that can do far, far less than it's competition.

That, makes no sense to me at all. Perhaps the gold fee would be less than standard, that's the only way I can see this may work.
Click to expand...

i feel like the appeal of the xbone is going to live or die on the desirability of its attempt to create an effective "living room OS". games will be there, sure, but the console gaming market has so often been a pyrrhic victory that they're being used to articulate a completely different kind of device. given sony's console is far more suited for the task of gaming and comes at a lower price, i can only imagine ms further marginalising this aspect of their product if their exclusives don't have the "must buy" impact which both consoles are missing right now.

the question is, does anyone want one?
 
N

Nero3000

Member
Pop-O-Matic said:
So would this literally be the same hardware as the regular Xbone, Kinect and all, just without the gamepad and disc drive? Because, if so, then how the fuck do they expect that to compete with the fucking Roku. It'd be at least $400.
Click to expand...

Unlikely to be exactly the same inside. If you take the APU in the Xbox one and redesign it down to 2 CPU cores, 2-3 CU's in the GPU, 4GB of DDR3 (the rumoured allocation for the OS) and put 32GB of eMMC flash instead of the HDD, then you can save cost on the silicon, cooling, box and the OS is done.

The kinect would still be included, but if they can hit $199, I can see it being competitive with a much cheaper but simpler Roku.

koutoru said:
Unless it's cheaper than a Roku, I don't see how exactly this is going to work.
Click to expand...

If its within $100 of the Roku and is more functionally complete, then I can see how it would compete.
 
E

erawsd

Member
Nightengale said:
The thing about this 'Xbox One without Games' is that there is no rational way that MS can sell this product competitively while still keeping apps locked behind a Gold paywall.
Click to expand...

I remember him talking about this on his podcast sometime ago. Back then he said it would likely be in tandem with some of the big cable/satellite companies. If thats the case they could easily hide the XBL fee in a month to month cable bill.
 
F

FyreWulff

Member
It feels like a DVR-centric 360/Xbox in general has been in development hell since about 2004 or so.

Sounds like a good way to get brand confusion as well.
 
H

Hoo-doo

Banned
I'd love this. PS4 for the games, and the cheap barebones Xone for the media/TV/DVR stuff.

I wonder what it would do to actual Xbox One sales though.
 
C

Cheech

Member
Calling something an "Xbox" that doesn't play games isn't going to at all confuse the customer base. There's no way they would do that.

MicrosoftTV 2.0 incoming!
 
R

RulkezX

Member
"Hey remember that exclusive I had that I was totally wrong about ? Well I wasn't wrong , it's totally right , maybe , probably I guess."

Thurrot has been wrong with almost everything he has said about Xbox in the last year.
 
N

NHale

Member
Microsoft would never release a device that doesn't play games and call it Xbox.

They aren't dumb like Sony.
 
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