While the Consumer Electronics Show is the biggest trade show in the world, it has always been a big geek fest. It really is still a geek fest, but since the fall of E3, the show has become more attractive to game companies. While CES is far from being a game trade show, some companies have begun to show their wares there, and last year Microsoft had a pretty solid presence as a game company. They're back at CES this year, and it seems that they have some "important" Xbox 360 news in store for us.
The Seattle Times says that Bill Gates is set to make an "important announcement" regarding the Xbox 360 at the 2008 CES, which will take place January 7-10. Unfortunately, that's all that Billy G. and the gang give us.
The Times thinks that they may be announcing a new Xbox 360 SKU with HD-DVD playback. They also mention possible licensing of the Xbox 360 platform to other electronics companies.
"Microsoft may be preparing to license the Xbox gaming platform to consumer-electronics companies," says Seattle Times columnist Brier Dudley. "In particular, Microsoft could work with Toshiba to develop a digital video recorder with a hard-drive, high-definition HD-DVD drive and Xbox gaming capabilities."
"Microsoft could also make a splash by announcing plans to give the Xbox 360 an internal HD-DVD drive, putting it on par with Sony's PlayStation 3 that has a built-in Blu-ray drive."
These are fair guesses, but they bring me back to last where where we guessed similar things. What do you think Microsoft has in store for us?
Destructoid will be on the show floor, elbowing our way through 150,000+ attendees all next week to bring you news from Microsoft and others.
[Via CVG]
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21 comments + 95764 views
Heres all the stuff were going to add AFTER you bought one! How cool is that!??!
weedgan - hahah
I clearly remember hearing a couple of Mircosoft people saying they were never going to release a 360 with the HD-dvd drive built-in?
My God a giant Corporation lied to me. But WHYYY?!?!?!?
i heard they were launching an online gaming service that works!
"Here's a very big and important announcement for our Video game console....something that has abso-fucking-lutely nothing to do with video games"
Fuck all this Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, DVR bullshit. I bought a fucking VIDEO GAME console, how bout focusing on that fucking aspect. AND HURRY THE FUCK UP WITH IKARUGA ON XBLA.
GOD IM ANGRY TODAY! I'M GONNA GO TAKE A NAP!
Actually, I heard a rumour that the real rumour is.
Surfer girl, has been assasinated.
Actually, they are probably just going to take out software emulation of orignal 360 games and instead make you buy all of them on XBLMP.
That and since they discoverd the power of "overheating" there going to add two slots for some toast right where the fan goes, they don't fit bagels yet, but a patch should be released with the spring update.
If my 360 dies, I might buy the HD-DVD one since my 360 is about up on its warranty.
People should never want to watch DvD's on there 360s, the thing gets so damn loud.
Thats the one thing about ps3, it is literally SILENT, when compared to the 360.
You want HD and blueray? Go get a dual player that plays both, then get an A/b box for your lazy ass, then all will be well.
Discalimer: Not specificlly aimed at anyone indivdually based upon another persons personal choices....
I hope it's the new Force Feedback Codpiece!
I know what it is, Friends list is being upgraded to a capacity of 101!
MGS4 for 360!
Maybe they'll announce that they resolved the red lights of doom one and for all.
I wish I could go to CES with you guys. Maybe next year.
It’s going to be an announcement about a smaller processor and video processor plus a price drop. I still don’t understand why the hell they didn’t use a slim line DVD player and put a fan on the heat sink, would have save all this overheating business.....
What game is that guy playing?
Maybe I can combine all my old XBoxes with this one to create the Ultra-Megazord-Xbox-Supreme.
Any of those things would be rather epic.
The secret is in the sauce, but they'll never tell...
It's going to be something stupid. Like a new bigger hard drive that nobody will care about.
Mr. Gates will announce that all 360 owners may remove the condoms from their behinds.
Just kidding!
Actually, he'll say you have to keep them in for the next console's release, in early 2009.
Fuck that. Everybody knows Bill Gates doesn't use a condom.
oh em gee guys, it's obviously going to be Bill announcing PRS^D for the 360.
It's a pity that if it does come with an HD-DVD drive, it will be pointless as they won't make use of the storage space as it would shaft a LOT of users... after all this is M$, they care about their customers!
/sarcasm
120 GB HDD for less than $50 (because at $179, it cost too GD much). Otherwise, I'm seriously going to try this if I can find an inexpensive SATA drive:
http://www.modchip.com/xbox360/x360usborder.php
Also, MGS4 coup would be awesome.
HD-DVD drive to me is rather pointless. The only way i'd care about it is if it started having some impact on the games I played. And it cannot, thus - I care not. Last I looked at the movie aisle, there were well over 12 Movies on Blu-Ray for every HD-DVD. If they're trying to push an HD-DVD sale, they waited far too long to introduce something like this in and should have done it before the seasons.
On the other hand, wasn't there rumor that Microsoft was going to announce motion sensing control for the 360?
120 GB HDD for less than $50 (because at $179, it cost too GD much). Otherwise, I'm seriously going to try this if I can find an inexpensive SATA drive:
http://www.modchip.com/xbox360/x360usborder.php/
Also, MGS4 coup would be awesome.
(sorry for the repost)
It is gonna be the new motion CUNTroller. You know they have to keep up with the joneses. If sony can release a newer one(dual shock 3), than Microsoft can too. So I am sure they will have some new game that does motion CUNTroll. I know he will talk about market penetration, how succsessful the 360 is, and how customizable the console is. Maybe we'll see a new RARE game. Oh and I bet he can't leave the stage w/o bringing up the Zune.
Tetris championship edition!
Bill Gates will come to the stage dressed as General MacArthur and announce that he is sick of competing against Sony. He then declares war on Finland....citing the decision is the result of months of sheer boredom. He then lights a cigar, puts on the oversized gold-rimmed sunglasses, and shoots Uwe Boll with a gold plated PP7.
Run Finland, run.
Hey Dickholes:
How about making XBL free like the playstation network, Wii network, Steam, etc...
I am going to go ahead and say that there is about a 99% chance that they aren't integrating the HD-DVD drive into the 360.
But I think it could be something with the whole IPTV thing that they were supposed to be launching. I wouldn't be surprised if they did something with cable companies with that. You know how cable companies lease the boxes with the service? Maybe they will start leasing out some box and a 360 that connect to eachother where the box has a huge hard drive and the input for the cable and then teh 360 can control it and what not. that way they would be have a higher chance of getting more 360s into more homes.
just a random thought.
Don't know about this one, last time they had something important to announce it turned out to be pac-man championship edition, whats this time round ? Asteroid deluxe championship edition?
Damn! My 360 broke 3 days after christmas. And ms Wants to charge me to fix it. So will I buy more shit that will inevitably break again?
I'm a little skeptical on the HD-DVD add-on too, although it's possible. MS would have a tri-fragmented customer base (Arcade, Pro/Elite/Halo 3, and Ultimate) with very different media capabilities. They couldn't produce games on HD-DVD. And unless they dropped the prices of all the systems substantially, the 360 isn't going to beat the PS3 in appealing to the AV crowd who is looking for a HD player first, and a game machine second.
MGS4 announcment? :P
A revolutionary new motion sensing controller?
I don't really buy my movies. I watch a ton, I just don't care to own them. Music and games I do, just not movies. So because of that I rent a TON of stuff. And recently Blockbuster (who I have a subscription with and where I pick stuff up locally) only has Blu Ray now. So a 360 with an HD DVD drive doesn't really interest me a whole lot. A DVR on the other hand, now that's tempting.
I'm a Blu-ray supporter but I've gotta say, about the only thing that could save HD-DVD at this point is a 360 with an internal HD-DVD drive. Provided, of course, that it is a standard feature and not part of a model that costs $100 more.
Blu-ray movies outsell HD-DVD 3:1 because of the PS3. HD-DVD just can't compete with that install base. If MS puts HD-DVD in every 360, within a year that advantage would be largely gone for Blu-ray.
I hope to God that doesn't happen though, because at this point the writing is on the wall for HD-DVD. If something like this happens all it's going to do is destroy both formats, keeping them forever locked in a stalemate while movie fans need to have both in order to be able to get whatever movie they want.
I know people are fanboys of one format or the other but it isn't in anyone's interest for both formats to continue forward. I really hope the rumors about Warner going exclusive to one format or the other at CES are true. Even if they decide to go with HD-DVD, at least the war will be over.
How about mouse capability you rotten bastards.....
I don't anticipate this 'important' statement will be anything worth hearing.
C’mon, guys...we all know it’s gonna be a Too Human Special Edition 360 Console. What’s that? The game won’t be out until 2023? Oh, um...in that case, it’ll probably be...well, I don’t know.
Putting an HD DVD drive in the console and pricing it at, say, $450 doesn’t make any sense — they couldn’t use the damn thing for games, and it wouldn’t be fiscally prudent to come out with yet another SKU that’s priced higher than the PS3. If they set the price at $400, though, that would be a kick to Sony’s nuts...
I've heard conflicting stuff from Microsoft about their hd-dvd player. I thought Microsoft was going to push for direct downloads more than the current format war. But that seems to far off to try and push it now. My guess since its ces...some kind of tivo service for the 360, or a built in hd-dvd player to at least try and level the playing field with Sony as far as the movie aspect of the systems go. I really hope its not the hd-dvd drive, I just want one format to be chosen, and all that will do is just extend the battle even longer.
Who cares anymore? The boxes we now have are ticking timb bombs of RROD and other diseases.
Not only is it getting old reading about people that have had RROD's and multiple consoles, it's getting old hearing crud coming from MS about what they are doing.
All of it ends up being yet another lane into our wallets..
-- $100 wireless adapter
-- $170 120 Gig drive
-- $50/yr xbl membership
-- Defective steering wheel
-- can't use any other PC peripherals or older xbox controllers like on some other consoles...
Sorry, but for this 360 fan, the issues I've run into make me almost want to go back to PC gaming from whence I came not too long ago.
My bet is a shitty new controller that senses in some fashion for a few crappy titles, possible a browser or something similar.
What I wish would be a slimmer totally silent 360 with the ability to add your own sata hard drive in the handy slot at the back.....if wishes were pishes we would all be soaked.
If this is motion control, I'm going to beat Steve Ballmer with an original Xbox.
With warner bros. set to announce their "permanent" allegiance to either HD or BR soon, and most likely end the lamest war since the war of 1812, its doubtful that a built-in HD-Dvd drive is on the menu. Considering IPTV was supposedly going to be revealed before the end of 07, there's a good chance that will be addressed now. And MS's suppossed motion sensing, which may not be so much a controller but more of a video interaction setup.
it's mrs pacman.
Internal Hard drive, once again, fucking over the people who already bought one.
101 friends, I'm telling ya. But yeah it better fucking not be motion controls.
I wouldn't get all of your hopes up, these big hype announcements always end in disappointment.
If this has anything to do with upgrading to superior functionality with new 360: they better offer a step-up plan for old xbox's, or I'll personally be kicking the person who thought of this a swift kick in the balls, considering I own two 360's. At least with PS3 they downgrade functionality with their newer models.
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