An Xbox for the rest of us?

By Kip Kniskern on January 16, 2012 3:02 PM

11 comments

A number of rumors have surfaced over the past few months about a next generation Xbox, and about Microsoft’s push into the living room using the popular gaming, and now entertainment system. In fact, a few months ago we speculated that while a truly full on next gen Xbox might not be ready until 2013, a new Xbox/Kinect/Bing hardware system coming before then could be a big hit next holiday season (and potentially beat Apple and Google to the punch):

And we doubt that Microsoft is quite done yet, either. While there has been lots of speculation about a new Xbox gaming console (the proverbial “720”), what we want to see, and for next holiday season, is a next gen living room Xbox. Powered by Bing and (perhaps a built in?) Kinect, a set top Xbox TV controller could be a big seller next year, without having to replace your existing flat screen TV, and building on today’s announcements. There’s a fanatic market out there for the latest shoot-em-up games (as evidenced by the sales of Modern Warfare 3) but the audience for a Live TV/casual game subscription/media controller could be far and away greater. Of course squeezing another year out of the Xbox 360 for gamers before unleashing an ultra-high end gamer box in 2013 could make an interim Xbox profitable as well as popular. Wishful thinking?

A few days ago some new information, if it’s true, seems to have granted our wishes. The Daily posted some unattributed information on what it believes may be coming for Xbox/Kinect, in the form of a 4 page infographic, saying that “The Daily has learned that Microsoft is pushing forward with a Kinect-enabled set-top box”:

The infographic details a set of codenames for the purported project, “Live Xbox, Kinect Box, or Kinect HD”, and offers some “news” on the launch:

Originally scheduled for early 2012, it has since been pushed back. Expect to see it before the next-gen Xbox, though. It’ll be priced under $200, likely closer to $150

Of course a next holiday season launch would tie right in to the Windows 8 / Windows Phone 8 launch timing, made possibly even more attractive if this mythical new Kinect Box was running a version of Windows 8 and able to run WinRT / Metro style apps.

A new, “Kinect Box” could promote Kinect and Bing as the way of the living room future over an Apple or Google TV, offer entry into the world of Xbox Live with plenty of upgrade opportunities, and provide a low cost way consumers with existing HD TVs to upgrade their systems. An Xbox for the rest of us?

via Neowin.net

Posted in News | Tags: Kinect, TV, Xbox

Comments

Anonymous

I hope they don’t release a set-top box that does different things than the “real” Xbox 360. This would only bring fragmentation to this system.

But a cheap new version of the Xbox, designed as a set-top box with built-in Kinect that is fully upgradable, compatible and has the same gaming performance would be the right next step, IMO.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Shameer-Mulji/1685212657 Shameer Mulji

Maybe they could position this so-called “Kinect Box” as a competitor to the Apple TV box. Meaning it will do everything the Xbox does but without gaming. Those who don’t care about gaming but want access to movies, music, tv, social apps, etc.. can make good use of a device like this. Being integrated with Bing & using Kinect as the navigation could potentially make for a slick user experience.
cpsltwr

My guess: there will be a “new” XAML-based app platform / store for Xbox 360 (or rather an evolution of the one that came with the Dec 2011 update, but perhaps they’ll open it up to a wider, more mobile-app-store-like range of developers than the small number of partnerships that currently have access to it). Apps written to it will run on both 360 and this new set-top box, but “real” 360 games won’t run on the new box.
rojo

I think a set-top that only plays casual games (like on the phone) would be a great idea. Perhaps fragmentation can be avoided if they all run the same software. The XBOX OS could be architected in such a way as to that the portion of the OS that runs hard core games only runs on XBOX 360. The part that runs apps and casual games, runs on the set-top.

Scott

Really hope do something to bring me a new interface to media center capabilities. I’m still using that tired interface to browse recorded TV.
Scott

It’s kind of like the iPhone. I have to bring up the Media Center Extender ap to check out recorded TV. Integrate it, just like you’ve integrated stuff on Windows Phone. All my recorded TV should show up under video. Also, allow me to play all Codecs. I don’t think there is one movie codec that works for a PC and XBOX360. That’s just inconvenient.
http://twitter.com/AndyD33 Andy D

I actually was pondering if we would see some type of new Xbox device this fall last night. Be it the 720 or not, it only makes sense. With Win8/WinPhone8 coming out this fall, it only makes sense to start unifying the platforms then.
http://twitter.com/cwa_worx Chris

I am a little concerned that the “Live Xbox, Kinect Box, or Kinect HD” will have features which will not supported by the current Xbox 360. Such featues like Xbox Marketplace, deeper integration with Win7/8, WHS and WP7/8. If the plan is really just to offer a Xbox without gaming functionality for those who doesn’t care about gaming, then I appreciate this solution. But I hope the current userbase of the Xbox 360 will not have any disadvantages.

Other idea:
Wouldn’t it make sense to offer the Xbox/Windows/Bing ecosystems to other TV manufacturers like Samsung, Panasonic? (Of course, that would be a solution for those which buy a new TV.)

Then we can really talk about the “war of ecosystems”. Otherwise every TV manufacturer has his own (mostly not so intuitive) enviroment. In my opinion, they can build great hardware, but the firmware/software is not on that level…
Anonymous

Months ago (even before MS announced their content deals), I was saying they need to release a STB. I suggested it be called Windows Live TV. If such a “tweener” product comes to market, I think it would need to have most , if not all the XBox’s functionality + a cable card tuner built in.
Unless of course MS does what it should do & hook us up with “a la carte” programming that takes the cable company out of the equation.

Scott

A la carte would be nice, but only if I’m able to pick up local sports channels. So much of the techie options are all about network TV or cable shows. If you don’t have LIVE Sports, you don’t have me as a customer.

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