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(Verge) Next Xbox will take over TV, interact with cable box

Ploid 3.0

Member
And you are a prime example of why MS's previous dudebro marketing will be somewhat harmful to them. Grow up.

Explain, I'm not much into dudebro games. I wasn't a target of any possible dude bro marketing. I never played Gears, and I didn't play Halo outside of Halo 1 at a kiosk. I have a kinect though. I don't like fps games also. Is it because I don't like always online? I bought Diablo 3 because I heard so much good stuff about D2, I knew it would be always online, but before D3 I played FFXI. D3 was not as consistent online. The game was made poorly and the fact there could be no mods to fix it made me sad. I then bought Sim City on an amazing deal. While I have had no problems with it I read about and witnessed other people having problems with it before I bought it (I bought it for the free game, and I only spent $40, and got a extra free game out of it somehow).

Edit: I noticed you bolded the "Xbox Next is going to be awesome for your mom and sister" part in my quote. I'll explain that.

The reason I said that is because they are examples of people that are less likely to be effected by online required to function. Non gamers, sure dad is probably a non gamer too, or maybe mom and sister game hardcore. In that case I'm wrong.. wait I'm not, they are examples I used for casual gamers, or non gamers that use the xbox next for american idol voting or something. If I was using xbox next for American Idol voting and I lost internet due to maintenance I would understand and just call in, use text on the phone, or whatever. Sure being used to saying, "Xbox Vote #4" is way too cool vs text and a phone call, but there's no internet at the moment :(.
 
this is what i don't get. it sounds really cool, but people like you and i don't pay for cable and have no interest in it anymore. is this really worth focussing on when people are trending away from it? i'm sure the majority of people are still with cable, but more and more people are cancelling their service as time goes on.

We're not the majority and there's still money to be made by MS to go after those who still have cable
 

Salz01

Member
I swear I think Microsoft just wants to confuse me and not get hyped by their product. All I want is, play a fucking game that I bought, or download a demo and play it. Everything else is just filler. I don't care about services or gimmicks just run my bought game, when I want. And then I'm reading about how I have to buy some 360 lite console that plugs into my Durango to play older stuff, but that's a separate cost. I swear its so anti gamer consumer friendly. They spreading themselves too thin going against Apple, Sony, Nintendo, cable companies....god knows what else. Nothing I have heard from them on next gen stuff makes me excited at all. I hope they show some epic shit at E3, or they can count me out.
 

blackflag

Member
I don't get it...I already have a cable box. Why would I run that stuff through Xbox when I can watch it through my tv and record it to my DVR? I'm sure I'm missing something.
 
Amazing. Nothing is above criticism for Derrick, so what exactly are his "true colors"?

You know, I'll apologize for the cheap shot and edit my post. However I thought that his argument, which he used to support his prediction that the next xbox was going to be the worst console ever, was baseless and frankly, pretty ridiculous.
 

Espada

Member
Wow, deals with content providers and functioning as an IPTV box? With Kinect functionality?

While it seems most gamers don't care about this, the move is a master stroke in making the console a multimedia center. They're going to market the hell out of this feature, and North American consumers will flock to it.

Potentially there's a lot of money to be made off of this.
 
this is what i don't get. it sounds really cool, but people like you and i don't pay for cable and have no interest in it anymore. is this really worth focussing on when people are trending away from it? i'm sure the majority of people are still with cable, but more and more people are cancelling their service as time goes on.

Why are you focusing on the cable aspect? Do you watch any other media through a different way? Streaming online maybe? The xbox does that now and I would assume that it's a pretty safe bet to assume the next xbox will expand on those features. The rumor that the box works with cable is a bonus for those of us that have cable. Your bonus is whatever MS has planned for streaming content.
 
It seems like Microsoft is more focused on primarily competing with Apple and Google with this new Xbox. Sony seems like a secondary competitor.

With more and more people cutting the cord, it appears that Microsoft is behind the curve yet AGAIN with this solution. Par for the course for them. This highly integrated initiative would have made more sense if it came out 3-5 years ago. It also seems to have unnecessary "fat" (e.g. Kinect).

I think there's a good chance that the PS4 will obliterate this new Xbox outside of the US, and may eventually do better than the Xbox in the US too if the Xbox's always-online component is too unreliable. There are even some casuals that are reacting negatively to the nextbox.

Apple TV will also do better than this new Xbox.

Microsoft BADLY needs a major shakeup in the upper management ranks. They need practical thinkers with a clue on real world trends in multimedia. Their last big success was Windows 7.

I'll be a happy person in my living room with my HTPC, PS4 and...in 12-18 months...Google Fiber (I live in Austin).
 

dkeane

Member
I don't get it...I already have a cable box. Why would I run that stuff through Xbox when I can watch it through my tv and record it to my DVR? I'm sure I'm missing something.
You'll still get xbox live notifications and be able to comment/share/interact with your friends while watching tv. If you're into that. I don't have cable anymore so this is all useless to me.
 

ismk

Member
Even after the new rumor about the 720 not always being online, this confirmed news doesn't bode well for gamers. MS is looking to throw gamers as second or third class citizens and are focusing on reinventing the TV.
 

buhdeh

Member
You'll still get xbox live notifications and be able to comment/share/interact with your friends while watching tv.

Shouldn't this be what an Xbox app is for? I'd spend more time trying to type on an Xbox controller than watching the TV.
 

blackflag

Member
You'll still get xbox live notifications and be able to comment/share/interact with your friends while watching tv. If you're into that. I don't have cable anymore so this is all useless to me.

Oh...well no thanks. HBO should sell subscriptions on there though so I can cancel my cable too.
 
Just an idea but what if you can sling content from the Durango to the Xbox 360? Then you can buy an Xbox for every TV in your house (now $99) and have access to everything on the Durango in every room. Remember you have to install games to the HDD, Durango won't play games off of disc, so you will have your whole game collection available over the network.
 

1-D_FTW

Member
Even after the new rumor about the 720 not always being online, this confirmed news doesn't bode well for gamers. MS is looking to throw gamers as second or third class citizens and are focusing on reinventing the TV.

Reinventing TV would have been releasing the IPTV they teased all those years ago. But that would require infrastructure without bandwidth caps. And since HD streaming eats through bandwidth, and the cable/phone companies control TV, they cut it off at the knees with the caps.
 
Just an idea but what if you can sling content from the Durango to the Xbox 360? Then you can buy an Xbox for every TV in your house (now $99) and have access to everything on the Durango in every room. Remember you have to install games to the HDD, Durango won't play games off of disc, so you will have your whole game collection available over the network.

Would be awesome if it worked like the DS. One game needed for local multiplayer. Would be really cool for dorms.
 

DopeyFish

Not bitter, just unsweetened
Complex how?

Check out what the Chumby was doing 2 years ago:

http://www.theverge.com/2011/9/8/2412828/chumby-netv-smart-tv

scaling the video [running in dash or with embedded "widgets"]

multiple services running at the same time

xbox event overlays

chumby is stupidly basic

At present we don't really have much of an idea what the level of complexity will be, so I'd rather wait and see rather than proclaiming this a technological revolution.

we have some

www.gameinformer.com/cfs-filesystem...-SiteFiles/images-news-xbox720/xbox720doc.pdf
 

Ploid 3.0

Member
I don't get it...I already have a cable box. Why would I run that stuff through Xbox when I can watch it through my tv and record it to my DVR? I'm sure I'm missing something.

Whatever Microsoft do, they better not call it XboxU, or Xbox TV. Learn from nintendo, focus on it being a new gaming system. Don't show only kinect as the controller navigating tv channels. I don't even know why I'd want them to do well if everything is true. Hurry up Steam Box if so, light fire under Sony's seat, don't let them sleep.
 

megalowho

Member
We're not the majority and there's still money to be made by MS to go after those who still have cable
We are a fast growing minority though, mostly college age or young professionals. The kind of folks that go out and buy new video game hardware at launch.

I still think this has the potential to go badly for Microsoft whenever Apple decides to unveil their inevitable living room solution. That is the ecosystem the average customer will wait for and rally behind, especially those that don't necessarily care about big budget gaming. The new Xbox could end up stuck between a highly desirable, high end iTV device from Apple and the gaming focused, developer friendly PS4. A jack of all trades, master of none.

Just speculation before seeing details from Microsoft, but if that's the war they want to fight I think their mobile and tablet missteps will come back to haunt them. Time will tell.
 

Maximilian E.

AKA MS-Evangelist
This sounds cool and all, and has potential.. the problem is that, content wise, NA crushed everywhere else regarding XboxLive.

So this cable/live tv thing.. maybe outside NA it will not be as good/cool as it can be?

Cautiously positive.. but im still getting one...
 
That is the ecosystem the average customer will wait for and rally behind, especially those that don't necessarily care about big budget gaming.
Screw all of these "ecosystems". My platform is "the internet", and it doesn't rely upon particular hardware lock-in. Just an HDMI cable from my PC to my HDTV.

Its still the best solution.
 

SeanR1221

Member
Interesting. Maybe trying to beat Apple to the punch with this stuff. I just don't see why non gamer consumers will get this.
 
including the ability to detect eye movement to pause content when a viewer turns their head away from a TV
This could be the most annoying feature to ever exist in a console. Not the worst, just the most annoying. I'm sure it'll be optional, though.
 
Whatever Microsoft do, they better not call it XboxU, or Xbox TV. Learn from nintendo, focus on it being a new gaming system. Don't show only kinect as the controller navigating tv channels.

Based on their recent pattern of reviving old product names (Surface, Outlook.com, etc.) for new products I'd predict they will call it Xbox Media Center, but someone already took that name and URL. :)
 

Oppo

Member
Leaked picture of xbox mini

trmEXSS.jpg
 

Con_Smith

Banned
Last time I checked this feature didn't magically make the next Xbox unable to play games

Oh don't get me wrong I know that it will still be a gaming platform it just seems that games aren't the reason you would want this console unless you are just a diehard fan of the few first party selections. The features being presented for the Nextbox don't seem like something I'm interested in at all. I'm good with netflix, amazon insttant, youtube, ect but having it leech off my cable box for whatever reason doesn't make me think that this is a must have especially with an added paywall on top of my cable bill.
 

Espada

Member
It seems like Microsoft is more focused on primarily competing with Apple and Google with this new Xbox. Sony seems like a secondary competitor.

With more and more people cutting the cord, it appears that Microsoft is behind the curve yet AGAIN with this solution. Par for the course for them. This highly integrated initiative would have made more sense if it came out 3-5 years ago. It also seems to have unnecessary "fat" (e.g. Kinect).

I think there's a good chance that the PS4 will obliterate this new Xbox outside of the US, and may eventually do better than the Xbox in the US too if the Xbox's always-online component is too unreliable. There are even some casuals that are reacting negatively to the nextbox.

Apple TV will also do better than this new Xbox.

Microsoft BADLY needs a major shakeup in the upper management ranks. They need practical thinkers with a clue on real world trends in multimedia. Their last big success was Windows 7.

I'll be a happy person in my living room with my HTPC, PS4 and...in 12-18 months...Google Fiber (I live in Austin).


To be fair, Microsoft is right to focus on Apple and Google as their main competitors. They're the biggest threats to Microsoft's business, and are profiting in a market far more lucrative than video games. By comparison Sony is a dying company with diminished relevance whose best division is in a shrinking market (console gaming).

Microsoft dumping the machine's image as a video game platform for a multimedia device would help it compete against Apple and Google. We may not like these features but the masses will eat this up with the right marketing.

The days where you could sell a console by focusing on gaming are over.
 

railGUN

Banned
Why would I buy a "360 mini" to put under my TV, if I already have a 360 under my TV? To save a few inches of space?

My current 360 already has the added feature of acting as a space heater.

I must be missing something...
 
We are a fast growing minority though, mostly college age or young professionals. The kind of folks that go out and buy new video game hardware at launch.

I still think this has the potential to go badly for Microsoft whenever Apple decides to unveil their inevitable living room solution. That is the ecosystem the average customer will wait for and rally behind, especially those that don't necessarily care about big budget gaming. The new Xbox could end up stuck between a highly desirable, high end iTV device from Apple and the gaming focused, developer friendly PS4. A jack of all trades, master of none.

Just speculation before seeing details from Microsoft, but if that's the war they want to fight I think their mobile and tablet missteps will come back to haunt them. Time will tell.

That is very true but at the moment, no one has agressively pushed into the living room market and I don't think cable will lose the majority of Americans within the next console generation. MS is making no headway in mobile so I'm guessing they're going to try to push this real hard. I kinda doubt it'll work like you said, if Apple guns for the living room they have ecosystem to take it.
 

QaaQer

Member
Wow, deals with content providers and functioning as an IPTV box? With Kinect functionality?

While it seems most gamers don't care about this, the move is a master stroke in making the console a multimedia center. They're going to market the hell out of this feature, and North American consumers will flock to it.

Potentially there's a lot of money to be made off of this.

nothing to do with iptv. they sold that division off to Ericsson.
 
Interesting. Maybe trying to beat Apple to the punch with this stuff. I just don't see why non gamer consumers will get this.

Well the brilliance is that Xbox core fans will install it to get to AAA games. The social media features (Skype/Facebook/Twitter/Viggle) combined with Kinect enhancements to your cable box will sell to non-gamers. You will be able to set up a DVR recording on your cable box via voice search or watch TV with someone over Skype, get an update of how many people on your friends list are watching a live TV event and if you want see their hashtagged Twitter comments run in a crawl underneath the live broadcast. It makes live TV a social experience and then if your XBL friend jumps online he can send you an invite to play a game. Xbox is always on no matter what you're doing in your living room.
 

Satchel

Banned
being an in-between device (HDMI-IN/OUT) allows for some fascinating possibilities

Really excited to see what they've come up with

This.

Tis explains the two hdmi ports.

Really hoping it can record anything through its hdmi inut. Would be fucking awesome.
 

Oppo

Member
Well the brilliance is that Xbox core fans will install it to get to AAA games. The social media features (Skype/Facebook/Twitter/Viggle) combined with Kinect enhancements to your cable box will sell to non-gamers. You will be able to set up a DVR recording on your cable box via voice search or watch TV with someone over Skype, get an update of how many people on your friends list are watching a live TV event and if you want see their hashtagged Twitter comments run in a crawl underneath the live broadcast. It makes live TV a social experience and then if your XBL friend jumps online he can send you an invite to play a game. Xbox is always on no matter what you're doing in your living room.

Still sounds like they got a lot of these ideas from Chumby, to me. It even does the twitter crawl thing for "event viewing" you mentioned.

I think you are right in that it will insist on inserting itself quite literally into everything, which is a strategy I find both smart in a business sense, and really irritating as a user.
 

Valkyria

Banned
To be fair, Microsoft is right to focus on Apple and Google as their main competitors. They're the biggest threats to Microsoft's business, and are profiting in a market far more lucrative than video games. By comparison Sony is a dying company with diminished relevance whose best division is in a shrinking market (console gaming).

Microsoft dumping the machine's image as a video game platform for a multimedia device would help it compete against Apple and Google. We may not like these features but the masses will eat this up with the right marketing.

The days where you could sell a console by focusing on gaming are over.

WUT?
 

Roki6

Banned
I tried to read all 13 pages, but after 3 pages of "lol ads on ads...amurica box..." I had to give up.
Average IQ on gaming forums goes to shit during every console war.

Anyways what I dont understand is why would this overlay feature make it usa-only?
I'm in Europe and my IPTV box has HDMI out so it could be used same as in USA. Of course i would prefer IPTV/streaming client directly on the console, but until my provider makes one HDMI would be good too

I just dont see much use for this if there is no recording feature. If there is then how will xbox get EPG(scheduling) info over hdmi? How it will switch to the channel it needs to record?
Or the idea is just to add extra non-tv features like skyping while watching tv, web browsing? Basically turning every tv into smart-tv?


Edit: i would buy it day 1 if euro model had DTB-T/S built in..... and Alan Wake 2 on launch
 
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