http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/121/1217393p1.html
NextBox, Xbox 720, Loop…whatever you want to call it at this point, Microsoft's upcoming unannounced successor to the Xbox 360 received a deluge of attention this week, as new rumors and unconfirmed reports created a firestorm of buzz around the system. Therefore, we've put together all the Xbox 720 reports from the week into one handy package. Read on for the full scoop.
Six Times as Powerful?Some of the hardware going into powering the device was leaked this week. As reported by IGN's own Scott Lowe, the new Xbox will feature AMD's Radeon tech powering its graphics. Specifically, the system will feature hardware similar in juice to the Radeon HD 6670, a chipset that offers DirectX 11, multidisplay output, 3D, and 1080p HD output with a market price around $79.99.
What this essentially means is that the system will offer raw processing power that is six times that of the Xbox 360, and 20-percent more powerful than Nintendo's upcoming Wii U. Also according to Scott's sources, dev kits based on the final configuration will be in the hands of developers in August.
The new system's graphics chip is believed to be similar to AMD's Radeon HD 6670 chipset.
Blu-Ray?Another report that came in this week was that the new console would include a blu-ray drive. Many will remember at the beginning of the HD format wars, Microsoft famously put their backing behind Toshiba's HD-DVD format instead of Sony's Blu-ray, opting to sell a HD-DVD add-on that would allow Xbox 360 owners to play high-def movies using the format. However, HD-DVD failed to catch on, and Blu-ray was the surviving format for HD movies. However, instead of pledging support for winning format, Microsoft opted to stress the importance of downloads and streaming rentals for films. A Blu-ray add-on for the 360 was long rumored, but never came to fruition.
Blu-ray technology has come a long way since it initially debuted, as their drives have gotten faster, allowing for more data to be streamed more quickly, storage has grown, and discs have become cheaper to produce. Therefore, if the new Xbox has a recent blu-ray drive in it, it could see larger storage capacity (allowing for larger, more high-resolution textures as well as less discs) and less of a need to install game data onto your hard drive, which is common on the PS3.
No Used Games?Perhaps the most controversial news to come out of this week was the rumor that the system would not allow used games to be played on it. The rumor is unconfirmed at this point, as are any specifics of how Microsoft would be able to prevent used games from working on the platform (whether or not it's through using one-time-use codes for authentication or some other means). Regardless of Microsoft's strategy for implementing this, it will no doubt be a controversial addition to the system should it prove to be true.
Publishers have been adamant in their belief that used sales are bad for the videogame industry, and fired a shot across the bow with the introduction of online passes a couple of years ago. However, the outright refusal to let used games play on their system would be a crushing blow to brick and mortar stores like GameStop who make a sizable chunk of their revenue from used games, or even retailers who have just recently gotten into the used games mix, like Best Buy and Amazon.
No More Microsoft Points?While it doesn't affect the next Xbox exclusively, Microsoft's phasing out of Microsoft Points would have some big ramifications for the upcoming system. Many gamers find Microsoft Points to be a cumbersome system that almost always results in unused points and "spare change" that can't be used on anything else. A straight money system has worked on the PlayStation and PC downloadable platforms for many years now, so why shouldn't Microsoft adopt a similar model?
There are a tremendous amount of eyes looking to Microsoft for official confirmation on these reports, but we will certainly know more on what the system will really offer in the months ahead.
