Report claims Microsoft's new console demands always-on broadband to fight piracy; system will include Blu-ray drive, ship for Christmas 2013.
Gamers will need an Internet connection to play next-generation Xbox titles, if a report proves accurate. VG247 cites sources who claim the next Xbox will require a constant Internet connection as a method of fighting piracy. No further information concerning this was offered.
Other details in the new report include word that the system will ship with a Blu-ray drive. This matches up with news from January, but jars with a report from last month, which said the next Xbox would ditch a disc drive entirely.
As for specs, multiple tipsters told the site that the next Xbox will sport two graphics processing units (GPUs), with one source saying, "It's like two PCs taped together." Graphics cards in the system are believed to be equivalent to AMD's 7000 series GPUs, but "not CrossFire or SLI."
If a report from last week proves accurate, the next PlayStation--the Orbis--will also be powered by AMD technology.
Additionally, the site reports that the Xbox 360 successor will use "four or six" cores for processing. One is for the Kinect and one for the operating system, according to the site.
Lastly, the next generation Kinect is said to be built into the machine as a standard feature. Microsoft blogger MS Nerd last week said gamers shouldn't expect the next iteration of Kinect until 2015.
As for a release window, the site says the next Xbox will be on store shelves during the 2013 holiday season. A 2013 release for the system falls in line with previous reports, which suggested the mystery console would ship during that window.
A Microsoft representative issued the following statement to GameSpot:
"Xbox 360 has found new ways to extend its lifecycle like introducing the world to controller-free experiences with Kinect and re-inventing the console with a new dashboard and new entertainment content partnerships. We are always thinking about what is next for our platform and how to continue to defy the lifecycle convention. Beyond that we do not comment on rumors or speculation."
For more on the next-generation Xbox--as well as the PlayStation 4 and Wii U--check out GameSpot's rumor roundup feature.
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
I have a question though are they going to give us Live for free???? MS so I do need to have internet at all times and over that I need to pay for live???? I been an XBOX user since XBOX live was in diapers and I won't buy your next console if you force me to online only shitty DRM, I guess I will be back to PC gaming for next generation
Ok I don't like being forced online, but people comon. Your PC's are connected most if not all the time, correct? I don't see you guys ditching the PC. Do you use cable, direct tv, fios? There always connected. You going to ditch tv now to?
Welcome to the tech age guys.
@DP1130 Do PC games ALL require always online? Do you play solitaire or chess master with your computer connected? To transmit a video by streaming requires a connection to a server (said video is not on your hardrive). To play a game for which you have a disk with all the component files has for the most part never REQUIRED a internet connection (like most of last gen). Games are different from other forms of entertainment given that you have to pay for the game itself via retail purchase. Also you said it yourself you don't like being forced online.
1 Like The game developers and producers should support GAMERS from PAKISTAN and other asian countries. It costs too much here to buy GAMES because there price rate is set accordingly to US $. 1$ is a big sum of money here in PAKISTAN. 1 US$ is equal to 92 rupees of PAKISTAN. So Consoles, Games and other similar things are very very expensive here in pakistan. so people have to do things like piracy and all those things. So please if someone can read this message and help asian gamers. it will also stop piracy here if the rates are lowered.
NO way NO way if the next xbox come only online can not work offline or with lan i wount buy it and i think there will be millions of people don't like this
@m4a5 Great good luck with that...I don't care and besides that only cowards do report...it's a thing of ethics but I don't expect you to understand that... Eh so long...cya around...
@Darnasian Hahahahahaha! You are trying to bring this up again?! Get over it man, I stopped caring 3 days ago. Ps. If you want to clearly insult someone (which is clearly an offense by whatever code there is for comments), expect to be flagged/reported/whatever by anyone reading it. Heck, I even asked you to keep it down and you kept going. So don't try pitting the blame on anyone but you. This is the last time I care to comment on this article btw.
@m4a5 Nope sorry to tell you but that contradiction is purely legit considering the structure of the sentence...The "only" right over there makes it viable and it doesn't make me look bad...but eh I guess you didn't know that... Oh BTW next time you want to end a conversation try not to report me to the moderators so I get silenced for only 3 days ok? It was either you or that noob vader501st
@Grimkillah LOL, at this point I wouldn't be surprised if that's basically the next headline.
Mondrath Nothing you say holds water. Anybody anywhere can commit crimes. There is nothing to stop them and making the xbox 720 online playable only is hurting everybody who is innocent. but wait we will put everyone under house arrest before they commit crimes
i find myself coming to this site less and less ....There has got to be more to video gaming then these silly articles ...
Plz, if a system requires you that, then you should just give up, right? Unless you can pay for it smiling, which is doubtful.
@ryukoken6791 In my last post, I clearly said that obviously "not everyone pirates games". That would mean (to a certain degree) you. So, problem solved!
Come on Gamespot, do you really need to publish every single unsubstantiated rumor about the next gen consoles? Wake us up when you have something from the horse's mouth. Until then this is pretty much just trolling.
this is like putting all the poor people of the world in concentration camps wth microsoft
--con-- Secondly its about reliability and availability... High speed net is not available everywhere, and some places where it is, its to expensive to afford. THere are only two ISP providers in my area, the one I canceled was 12mb and was going to hit 80 a month.... the other wants 60 a month for a 1.5mb connection... no way in hell... On top of that I have had plenty of issues with having a constant connection. Many times when I was online the internet would go out... Scheduled maintenance... or random outages.... Im sorry but when I want to play a game I dont want to be on the ISP's time.. I sit down at 1 am to play a game it had better play, or at 5 am or at noon... or at any other point in time! I will be damned if I I pay for a stand alone gaming console and not beable to use my game cuz I got no internet... Already refuse to buy ANY dlc for the 360 untill MS stops the DRM for set console... I have gone through at least 3 of the old ones and have just upgraded to the new smaller console and ALL my XBLA and dlc is unusable now... had the same problem after the last white 360 was repaired... Untill they unlock the dlc so its locked to a gamertag only I wont even buy dlc (if I did have a high speed connection.)
@Mondrath You are WAY WAY off base there buddy... First off not everyone who is complaining about having a constant internet connection is a crook or theif... I got rid of my internet connection 2 years ago july because the company kept upping the price... When it cost more for the net then it did for cable and phone together they gotta go... I havent had my 360 online sine july 2010. Guess what I aint a crook. The crooks are the ISP's and gaming companies... I buy my games... ALL my games. and guess what I have had to download a few no cd cracks to actually get them to play on my PC... why? because the DRM on the PC games keep it from installing.. Sim City 4, was one I had to actually find the whole game to download... because for some reason the game I bought would not install.. was missing files... You want to know why people pirate PC games? because usually the hackers who upload the pirated versions have removed the crap DRM off of it so it will play. --con--
@stan_boyd I agree with you on the DRM and gaming issues but that is not what my post was about. It was about the consoles becoming like PC's and being very much less consumer friendly. How do these changes attract new gamers? I see none. I played my first computer game in 1982 and PC gaming has always pretty much been the same....except for the recent history of a few titles that require online activation. PC gamers accept this caveat (a.k.a Steam) where as console gamers never had to have internet to play a game let alone have it for every game! What happens if my internet goes down? Cannot game? Totally unacceptable. For the most part PC games that do require an internet connection is just to activate it and then you can play offline. This is not the case with next gen consoles!
Ahhh...rumours. You know it's from a reliable source when they talk about PCs being "taped" together.
I dont think i want this system either then. I have internet (i wouldnt b able to type this if i didnt) but 4 the ppl who dont have it or dont play multiplayer games, this hurts them. Not every1 has a system 2 play online games. Some ppl actually bought their systems to play the single player. So i dont agree with this decision.
These rumors are trial balloons "leaked" to get the masses used to the negative stuff before they announce the facts and start the hype machine. They know Pavlov's dogs will be slavering to get whatever they feed them. They're not looking for reactions on forums. They don't care what anyone here says. If they want to know how the public will react to requiring a constant Internet connection, they've already done market research, surveys and focus groups.
The only thing dumber than these development decisions is the droves of brainless zombies who don't care WHAT Microsoft does them as long as they can get their MW fix. games are worse than heroin If some company announced that their games will come with armed gaurds that hold a gun to your head while you play, people will go "oh no problem. they gotta defend themselves, duuurrr. I can't wait for THAT game"
@famekiller Dude it was a joke. All this talk about the possibility of gaming getting impacted by slow internet connections...
I'll have to wait until we're closer to the release date and the rumors are confirmed or not. I have satelite internet and my internet comes and goes as weather permits(as my area doesn't have DSL, it's either dial up or satelite) Though I can't play multiplayer online i onle use it to download updates and check email. But just like the issue I have with my satelite dish provider - i want to watch TV when the weather is bad and I can't be outside, but when the weather is bad I have no tv service. Unfortunately, I have no choic. It's either satelite service or no service. If true Xbox won't be by next Gen Console. I'm sure they will make PS3 and xbox games for a long while after the next gen systems... I hope
Just be aware that the way they are using the terminology "To fight piracy" is nothing more than double speak. Remember publishers view used market as 'worse than piracy'(their words) so if they are going this route to fight piracy, what will this mean for used game market????
Anyone who thinks these rumors aren't true should realize that Microsoft isn't rushing out to dispute the ones that consumers clearly will not like, such as constant Internet connection and no used games. That they're not racing to put consumers at ease by declaring these things to be untrue speaks volumes right there.
I think i just got tired of the Next Gen fear mongering trends. I refuse to freak out until we have some hard facts. Then i will FREAK RIGHT OUT.
Come on Gamespot, you're slacking! Where is my Next Xbox rumor for April 3rd? Fine, I'll play the role of anonymous tipster for you. "Next Xbox likely to develop eating disorder if neglected - Report"
Lol too many rumors! I'm starting to realize that it's all negative too. No used games, bad graphics cards, needs online etc You'd think that when getting pummeled with a ton of rumors that somewhere in the mill would be some good news. The lack of good news is exactly why I just, regardless of how deviously sensible they may seem, just am going to disregard all these depressing rumors. I know one thing for sure though, if Xbox actually doesn't allow offline play, I'll just not buy it..simple as that.
This must be that XBOX 360 redesign that is basically an apple TV box. It makes sense. BUT for who IDK.
I don't think that Ms will do this it'l be horrible, and if it's True lol, Fight piracy and make Players Mad? it'l be funny when I play Something slash and dash game then my bro reset router because he need it what will happen? """four or six" cores "" more bs Intel Ivy bridge next gen processor will use 8-10 core and next xbox 6 core KK,
Im an xbox player but at this rate of horrible rumors im defo going to get myself a good gaming PC.
lol never thought i'd see MS drill holes in the bottom of their own ship like Nintendo does...
I'm fine with it; gaming machines do need to protect themselves; this doesn't hurt me in the least. I do wish they'd include the new Kinect; just so more developers would make, say, good games for it. I love Dance Central 2; but can only play it so many times. Here's hoping Steel Battallion somehow doesn't suck.
Well, this certainly makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, how else is my netflix/hulu viewer going to connect to netflix and hulu if it's not constantly connected to the internet? What a ridiculous story! ...wait, it's supposed to play poorly ported PC games too? That's adorable! When did Xbox start doing this?
Must say that even though they are rumours at the moment, I have a bad feeling about the new generation of gaming and where its going. Are we at the point now were gamers say enough is enough or will we still take up the ass. They got away with making a game 6 hours long and make us pay for extra content to get it up to 8hrs or recycled maps and the list goes on. If it is a rumour like with the PS4 thing then why are the PR teams from Sony and Microsoft not coming out laughing and putting peoples mind at ease
Rumor, rumors, and more rumors. Waiting for some cold hard facts. P.S. - A console having two GPUs akin to two PCs taped together? No. Just no.
Microsoft shoots down rumors of next-gen platform mandating always-on connection; "no, you don't always have to be connected. Gamers can calm down; we've got you covered."
Users who looked at this article also looked at these content items.
Microsoft confirms that it won't charge any fees for any titles eligible for resale. Full Story
Playing Xbox One games on somebody else's console will also require a check-in every hour. Full Story
Sony confirms a $399/€399/£349 price for the PlayStation 4 hardware, $100 cheaper than Microsoft's Xbox One. Full Story
Will be coming in 2014. Full Story
Pan's Labyrinth director praises Ken Levine and Irrational Games for latest BioShock, says he would consider large-scale Pacific Rim game "God willing." Full Story
Xbox boss Don Mattrick believes concerns over connectivity are overblown, recommends Xbox 360 for those without an Internet connection. Full Story
EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau describes new project as "open-world action adventure game." Full Story
Sony on why it won't hinder PS4 used games--flexibility creates value
PlayStation boss Jack Tretton says ability to freely resell games creates value in the initial purchase; PS4 won't require online check-in because many...
