New Xbox-Next Rumours Add Credence to Always Online Console Speculation
Tech blogger Paul Thurrott has been churning the Xbox rumour mill over the weekend, suggesting that Microsoft is indeed going with an always online console strategy for the next Xbox, as well as scrapping a second disc-less SKU.
The reveal of Microsoft’s next gen strategy seems to be a long time coming, doesn’t it? Especially since we know so much about what Sony has got planned for us come the Autumn. Tech blogger Paul Thurrott claims to know more than most about what Microsoft has got up its sleeve, and has been talking to the What The Tech podcast (which you can find over at All Games Beta) about all things Xbox Durango.
Thurrott talks first about a second disc-less console that Microsoft supposedly had planned, but idea has since been scrapped;
“That device was code-named ‘Yumo’ and they’re not making it. They may make one in the future, but it’s not happening this year.”
Speaking about what the next Xbox would be called, Thurrot had this to say;
“So the new Xbox that comes out this year will [called] just be the Xbox,” he added. “And I mentioned before they’re also going to sell a new Xbox 360 code-named ‘Stingray’ that will be $99.
“And you might look at that as two things: backwards compatibility, obviously, suggesting – I don’t actually know this for a fact, but based on the fact that they’re making one – I don’t think that the new Xbox will play 360 games. But that I don’t actually know.
“But, the other one is that, $99, that’s a real cool price. And so we know that the Xbox 360 does Netflix, Hulu Plus, yada yada yada, and you can make the argument that’s kind of a low cost entertainment device, too.”
How much will this new Xbox cost? Thurrott has all the answers..
“Durango is going to be expensive – you know $500, $300 for the subscription model, that kind of thing,” he added. “But you know, Blu-ray, blah blah blah, but the thing that interest me, going back and looking at some of the stuff I got a long time ago, it actually says ‘must be internet-connected to use’ in the notes. And that’s all I have, but it does say that.”
He also claims that plans to reveal the machine in April have been scrapped.
“Originally, they were going to announce this thing in April 24th, now they’re going to announce it May 21st,” he said. “We know there are events occurring this year where we’re going to learn more about Durango.”
“So I think there’s a lot information to come, but I look at all this stuff that I’ve seen about Durango and I think, ‘it’s all positive’,” he argued. “I don’t really see any bad news here at all. Like to me, everything I’ve seen about this is really positive.
“It’s amazing to me that, based on like no information at all, everyone is like freaking out about everything. Aside from this online thing, by the way, the number one question I’ve gotten from people is, ‘What does it look like?’ Who gives a shit what it looks like?
“I’ve actually heard from, by the way not one or two people, several people who’ve said, ‘based on what I’ve seen, Sony is going to blow them away.’ Based on what you’ve seen? You’ve seen nothing. What are you talking about? No, but you’ve seen literally nothing from Microsoft.”
Thurrott makes a couple of good points here, until we actually here from Microsoft first hand, it is foolish to assume Sony will walk away with the next gen prize. Its also interesting to see further evidence (if you can call it that..) that the next Xbox will require a constant internet connection, following on from the embarrassing comments by an Xbox Exec over the weekend on Twitter.
Got any thoughts on today’s rumoured revelations? Let them be heard in the comments section below.
