Rumor: Nextbox may not need to be online to play games and won't block used games.

[Requia]

This, and any other rumor, have about as much validity as rumors that it's nuclear powered and requires periodic human sacrifices in the EULA. This is stupid, artificial hype generated around a piece of hardware that will very likely be outmatched before it even hits the shelves. Wait until Microsoft makes the official announcement (I believe the date is May 25) and then we can either mock them or praise them on their decisions rather than speculation.

If it was nuclear powered I'd probably actually buy it.

 

[Epona]

The article mentions the Xbox Mini (the device that allows backwards compatibility) and how it is thought to work. It suggests that you insert an Xbox 360 into the Nextbox and you are then given a download of the game. I'm not sure how that would work though because you could just borrow a friend's games to get your own copy.

It'll probably refuse to run the on drive copy unless you have a disk, same as the 360 does if you install to drive.

If it can read the disc, why make people use up their hard drive space and bandwidth? If it's anything like the Xbox and the 360, you won't be getting a large hard drive. I mean a 20GB HDD in 2005 was pathetic.

 

[Requia]

The article mentions the Xbox Mini (the device that allows backwards compatibility) and how it is thought to work. It suggests that you insert an Xbox 360 into the Nextbox and you are then given a download of the game. I'm not sure how that would work though because you could just borrow a friend's games to get your own copy.

It'll probably refuse to run the on drive copy unless you have a disk, same as the 360 does if you install to drive.

If it can read the disc, why make people use up their hard drive space and bandwidth? If it's anything like the Xbox and the 360, you won't be getting a large hard drive. I mean a 20GB HDD in 2005 was pathetic.

Reading the data off the disc and running the code on the disc are two very different things.

 

[Epona]

The article mentions the Xbox Mini (the device that allows backwards compatibility) and how it is thought to work. It suggests that you insert an Xbox 360 into the Nextbox and you are then given a download of the game. I'm not sure how that would work though because you could just borrow a friend's games to get your own copy.

It'll probably refuse to run the on drive copy unless you have a disk, same as the 360 does if you install to drive.

If it can read the disc, why make people use up their hard drive space and bandwidth? If it's anything like the Xbox and the 360, you won't be getting a large hard drive. I mean a 20GB HDD in 2005 was pathetic.

Reading the data off the disc and running the code on the disc are two very different things.

The code in the download will be no different. What it really does is force people to trade in their physical games for digital ones if they want backward compatibility.

 

[Able Seacat]

A rumor that doesn't make Microsoft out to be evil monsters destroying the industry?

What sorcery is this!?

When will the nextbox actually be revealed? Do they have a conference set up?

21st May is the date I've heard to be the reveal for it.

OT: I feel sorry for the guy who has to try to tackle these 'always online' issues on stage, whether they be true or not and whether it'll be mentioned at all.

 

[Requia]

The article mentions the Xbox Mini (the device that allows backwards compatibility) and how it is thought to work. It suggests that you insert an Xbox 360 into the Nextbox and you are then given a download of the game. I'm not sure how that would work though because you could just borrow a friend's games to get your own copy.

It'll probably refuse to run the on drive copy unless you have a disk, same as the 360 does if you install to drive.

If it can read the disc, why make people use up their hard drive space and bandwidth? If it's anything like the Xbox and the 360, you won't be getting a large hard drive. I mean a 20GB HDD in 2005 was pathetic.

Reading the data off the disc and running the code on the disc are two very different things.

The code in the download will be no different. What it really does is force people to trade in their physical games for digital ones if they want backward compatibility.

Then the code won't run. At least not unless Microsoft sticks with a PowerPC processor, which seems unlikely at this point. You can't run PowerPC code on x86 processors. You can translate the PowerPC bytecode to x86, but that's resource intensive, not suitable for gameplay, especially not when there's also emulation to be done. Much easier to do the translation as a one time deal and shove all the translated code onto hard drive.

 

[Epona]

The article mentions the Xbox Mini (the device that allows backwards compatibility) and how it is thought to work. It suggests that you insert an Xbox 360 into the Nextbox and you are then given a download of the game. I'm not sure how that would work though because you could just borrow a friend's games to get your own copy.

It'll probably refuse to run the on drive copy unless you have a disk, same as the 360 does if you install to drive.

If it can read the disc, why make people use up their hard drive space and bandwidth? If it's anything like the Xbox and the 360, you won't be getting a large hard drive. I mean a 20GB HDD in 2005 was pathetic.

Reading the data off the disc and running the code on the disc are two very different things.

The code in the download will be no different. What it really does is force people to trade in their physical games for digital ones if they want backward compatibility.

Then the code won't run. At least not unless Microsoft sticks with a PowerPC processor, which seems unlikely at this point. You can't run PowerPC code on x86 processors. You can translate the PowerPC bytecode to x86, but that's resource intensive, not suitable for gameplay, especially not when there's also emulation to be done. Much easier to do the translation as a one time deal and shove all the translated code onto hard drive.

So you are saying that they are going to have an x86 version of every 360 game (they should already have PC versions of many games)?

 

[Signa]

So, one rumor has technical documents leaked to go with it, while the other rumor just says "nuh-uh." Yeah, I know I'm a hater, but I'm not taking this seriously. Not until MS says otherwise. As stated above, a rumor this caustic should have been quelled a long time ago.

 

[Requia]

So you are saying that they are going to have an x86 version of every 360 game (they should already have PC versions of many games)?

It'd be the only way to have backwards compatibility with an x86 processor unless that processor is beefy enough to handle translation, emulation, and the game at the same time.

As for every game, I don't know the state of MSs PowerPC-->x86 tech, if its as good as Apple's tech on the same front it might be every game, if its more labor intensive to use it might be limited to things that still have sales potential. (Or there just might not be any backwards compatibility, these are just rumors after all).

 

[DazBurger]

I wonder if Sony ever starts rumors about Xbox, and vice versa?

 

[Hades]

For the moment i am doubtfull for every good rumor surrounding the nextbox. If there was no always on DRM it would make little sense of Orth to behave like a jackass. The guy wouldn't be getting defensive if it wasn't true...unless he really is an idiot.

 

[BrotherRool]

So according to the Penny Arcade guys, the people who've been leaking that the Nextbox will be always online are actually really certain of their sources, and all the qualifiers and rumour flags are more because everyone is struggling to believe why something so bad would ever be the case.

But I think the idea that everyone was getting confused with the mini is believable if only because an always online console is such a stupid idea. Where's the benefit in it? Sony has always kicked Microsofts arse in the less American parts of the world but always online would basically shut Microsoft off from every single developing market

For the moment i am doubtfull for every good rumor surrounding the nextbox. If there was no always on DRM it would make little sense of Orth to behave like a jackass. The guy wouldn't be getting defensive if it wasn't true...unless he really is an idiot.

I could believe that


EDIT: I like to think this all proves Sony made the smart choice about releasing their console details early though. Now the very best press the 720 is getting is 'it's rumoured that the next xbox might not suck so bad that no person on earth would ever consider buying one'

 

[Buizel91]

Finally a good rumour, and something that i can see Microsoft doing.

If it is similar to Steam in the online department, it could turn out for the better, so long as you have the option to sign out.

can't wait for May to come along, most of these rumours are getting out of hand

Better than what?

You know...i actually don't know, i was tired when i wrote this no idea what i was thinking lmao

 

[ohnoitsabear]

You know, when the initial rumors of an always online Nextbox started coming out, I felt that, with the way stuff was worded, it was more likely that it was talking about a system with the capability of being always connected to the internet, instead of one where it is a requirement. As in, the system can sit and download patches and updates while it's on standby, which would actually be a pretty darn good feature (assuming you could turn it off). Of course, the words "always online" have such negative connotations within the gaming community that the instant people saw them they started assuming the worst.

Now, don't get me wrong, an always online requirement is still a very real possibility, and there certainly is evidence to support it. At the very least, I'm sure it was something that was considered at some point during the Nextbox's development period. I just don't think they would be stupid enough to actually go through with it.

But really, we're going to have to wait until the thing's actually announced. Way too many assumptions about this thing are being made based off of possibly baseless rumors and speculation. Now, I don't have high hopes for the Nextbox based off of the way Microsoft has been going this console generation, but please, let's just wait a little.

Although the more and more discussion on the Nextbox that I read, the more and more I can see that they're doing serious damage by waiting to announce the thing. The more bad press that builds up before the announcement, the harder it's going to be to convince people to buy the thing, regardless of if the bad press was true or not.