By Nick - 03/20/13 at 01:58 PM CT
It appears we may now know a little more about what project Durango hides beneath it's speculative veneer. Everyone wants to know what Microsoft is going to have for it's next gen Xbox console, code named Durango. It appears the site VGLeaks has published what is believed to be a leaked installation for the new Xbox's documentation. This documentation has some interesting things in it, but who knows if this is actually real, or just an old copy long since changed. Either way, here is a quick run down of the most interesting points.
1. Durango will have improved hardware so it is more powerful, including a better CPU, GPU, and larger hard drive. Not that interesting, cause an Xbox basically is a computer, of course a new one is going to be better!
2. Every Xbox will have a mandatory Kinect sensor that has to be used. That way game makers know they can use the technology in their games and no gamer is left out. What it actually means is Microsoft (big brother) can watch you play games... if they wanted to. That is a creepy thought.
3. It will be online all the time. Your Xbox will never be truly off. That way system updates and game updates can happen seamlessly while not in use. What this actually means is Microsoft can watch you sleep, based on the previous note above about a mandatory Kinect. Big Brother could really watch you! That will surely make gamers think twice about their Anime porn addiction?
4. The documentation states "Play from the optical disc will not be supported." This is being construed as games will not be disc-based. This isn't true, games will still be on disc. What is does mean is that games will not be played from the shiny disc you bought from the store. The entire game will have to be installed on the HD, and then you play the game from the HD, without the need for the disc at all. This both makes sense, but is also stupid. Since games of today can be bought digitally with no physical disc at all, this makes things more simple. Everything runs off the hard drive. But two problems. The hard drive in the Durango better be huge. And I mean really huge, like 2TB. Since the new Durango Xbox will have blu-ray support, that could mean up to 50G of space per disc. That is a lot to copy onto the hard drive. Microsoft surely wants you to buy more than 10 games, right? Second, if the disc is not required to play, then things should load faster during game play. But what prevents me from installing my game from the disc and giving the disc to my friend since I don't need it anymore? My bet is you either still have to put the disc in, but it does nothing, or you have to activate some kind of online code that came with the disc, thus making the disc useable only once. Either way, I think used Durango games will not be a high seller at your local used game store, cause Microsoft will lock you out somehow.
Overall, the new Durango will probably be a train wreck with tons of scrutiny about Microsoft's greedy paws, new plots to take over the world, and partnership with our government to spy on you and your dog. The PlayStation 4 looks just as grim, I think the way to go will be simply using your PC, where you should still maintain some privacy and control over your gaming addiction.
Comments
Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/22/13 at 09:01 PM CT
Oh man, I hope all these rumors are true so I can see Microsoft fall flat on their face - train wreck? This will be a nuclear meltdown. Granted the PS4 isn't exciting me much either - but at least it's not looking like it will track you every second of every day.
Nelson Schneider - wrote on 03/22/13 at 05:03 PM CT
As someone with awesome Internet, I can't tell you how unexcited I am about the thought of a console that can decide to download massive updates and eat all my bandwidth even when it is OFF.
I would think the reason they're going with discs at all is because MS knows there are people like me (and even more poor bastards with 20GB monthly data caps) who couldn't/wouldn't download massive "AAA" games. Yet they're still allowing the thing to do stealth updates? At least with Steam I can tell it to knock it off with the updates when I'm trying to stream Youtube or something.
Since their core audience of Dudebros HATE Kinect games, I don't know why MS is pushing that as a core feature. Do they think they can steal the casuals that buoyed Nintendo last-gen? That ship has sailed to Facebook games and smartphone crap.
Matt - wrote on 03/20/13 at 07:46 PM CT
Your end conclusion is absolutely correct. It's becoming much better to just game on your PC. The console gaming industry does not know how to distribute games online or manage them either. So any attempt by a platform to do so scares me. Nintendo has botched it, and knowing Sony's track record they will too. And all the rumors about Durango don't bring me much hope for a Steam like online distribution system.
