Xbox 720 will launch next year without a disc drive

[retrojc]

Not going to lie, but a download only console from XBox would be great for me.

[RetroMartin]

Will have to see what Sony does....

During an interview with MCV, Sony CEO Kaz Hirai ruled out an all-digital future, at least for the PlayStation 4, saying the console will still use optical media.
Sony was generally criticized for launching the PSPGo handheld, which removed the company's proprietary UMD drives, and turned everything digital, forcing gamers to purchase and download their games through the PlayStation Store.

When asked if the PS4 would use a similar strategy, Hirai responded: "We do business in parts of the world where network infrastructure isn’t as robust as one would hope. There’s always going to be requirement for a business of our size and scope to have a physical medium."

"To think everything will be downloaded in two years, three years or even ten years from now is taking it a little bit to the extreme."

Then I know which console I shall be getting next gen. I found my PS3 got so much more use then my wii because of the nicer online setup and playing with friends for free as well as a nicer controller.

[DigitalDuck]

You guys do all realise that this is more speculation, right?

[RetroMartin]

Naturally, but without concrete evidence, its fun to plan around the speculation until you know more. Besides I probably wouldn't have bought the 720 anyway!

[learnedrobb]

An all digital console within the next 12 months? Can't see it myself.

MAybe onbe which uses solid state memory cards for games, similar to the PS Vita, but would developers be happy with that? If your game currently exceeds the capacity of a DVD on the Xbox you can make it a multi disc game for little expense, but high capacity, and presumably proprietry memory cards would be much more expensive than the literal pennies a DVD costs.

I'll be deeply shocked if MS don't include a Blu Ray drive as standard (Can't see developers wanting to continue to cram higher res textures and models onto DVDs for the next gen).

[crusto]

Re Broadband speeds...





Although it counts for very little when the likes of PSN MS are busy. It took me an absolute age to download my free stuff from psn after the hack, approx 15 hrs iirc. Things like that simply can not happen if these companies insist on the download only route. Make no mistake, we will be charged rip off amounts for the titles. So unless my stuff reaches me me quickly and cheaply I simply wont bother with it.

[speedlolita]

Sup.

[thevulture]

@Crusto:I'm going back to when PS3 had just been launched, but seem to recal someone contacting offical PS3 magazine and asking why PS3 took far longer to download same size file as their PC did-Answer seemed to be along lines of Sony restrict bandwidth, espically on files they know will get a lot of traffic (big name game patches, firmware updates etc) as not to crash the system.

Could well still be the case.Besides my ISP treats both PSN+XBL as a file sharing service and often throttles back bandwidth at peak times.B*astards.

[andyc]

That sounds likely, Sony don't have anything like the same kind of content delivery capability that Microsoft do. Compared to things like MSDN Subscriber downloads and the billions of PCs using Windows Update, delivering Xbox Live content is pretty much small fry. I'd actually be quite surprised if the next xbox doesn't go for download only. It'd be relatively easy to have a pre-order system that actually downloaded the content in advance and only had to unlock it on release day to avoid any kind of delay for A-list titles.

[RetroMartin]

In a way that's a good thing but in others it's a pain.

By the way - my speed based at 13:07 in the afternoon on a Monday at home....damn my flat mates shitty internet, I swear to god once my partner and I move out I will be glad to be rid of it and will get something much better. I used to be on BT at my old flat which was fine, but she has Virgin Media which is just yuck!

[crusto]

I know its not xbox, but ive just downloaded Y'S Chronicles for PSP. Its a meagre 915 MB, yet it has taken nearly 1 hour to download. Now im waiting for it to install...Needs to be better.

[speedlolita]

That doesn't seem right considering your speedtest result. Probably just connected to a duff PSN server.

[crusto]

Its always the case with PSN, im yet to have a speedy download from them. Apart from the occasional system update. XBLA can be very slow too when you compare it to how quick it can be done on PC. Mr Vulture reckons it is throttled back by Sony, I reckon he's right.

[thevulture]

Its always the case with PSN, im yet to have a speedy download from them. Apart from the occasional system update. XBLA can be very slow too when you compare it to how quick it can be done on PC. Mr Vulture reckons it is throttled back by Sony, I reckon he's right.

It was either Official 360 or Official PS3 magazine that replied to reader asking why console took damn sight longer to download same size files as his PC and answer was it was throttled back to prevent system crashing when people all trying to download patches/firmware updates at once.

Also heard claims that UK ISPs throttle download servers (which Sony use for PSN and downloads).  Virgin, Tiscali and BT are the biggest offenders, know Talk Talk do from exp.

Expect MS servers to be better (faster) as they've paying user base with Xbox Gold-doubt if PS+ much more than an fraction of XBL Gold users, so Sony less cash to invest in the online infastructure.

[pratty]

Not going to lie, but a download only console from XBox would be great for me.

Out of interest is that because you've been downloading games for around £1-15 at the moment? What if hypothetically the majority of major releases are priced at full RRP, at around £40-50?

I think what a lot of us disk huggers fear is that we'll face those sorts of prices consistantly, and with no way to return a game that doesn't deliver. Also some people, rightly or wrongly, feel obliged obliged to buy the latest yearly update of Fifa or whatever, and will feel their (say £45) purchase has become obsolete after just one year, with no way to soften the blow by selling last year's game on.

I think it could really change the ways people buy games, maybe buying Fifa every 2-3 years instead for exmaple.
And making people more cautious about there purchases in general, buying fewer games overall and less likely to take risks, and therefore sticking more to the same tried and tested genre's and series'.

Perhaps we should pay more for our games? Perhaps we shouldn't sell/buy old games? Perhaps we shouldn't be buying Fifa year after year? But even if all that's true it could still be too much of a culture shock for a lot of people.