RUMOR: Microsoft planning to release disc-less XBOX in 2019?

[MosesRockefeller]

1 hour ago, majob said:

I think a lot of people overestimate the "games play best on Xbox" marketing slogan. The reality is that most people haven't and won't pay half a thousand dollars for a console that only can make games look "slightly" better. Especially when those games are available on other platforms that are cheaper and many don't even have the 4k TV to even take advantage of that aspect in the first place. 

Sure, a lot of people don't care about the X or 4K (I don't). But there are still lots of people who play on Xbox because they don't care about Sony or Nintendo exclusives, and the Xbox is where their MP buddies are.

Microsoft is pushing "as a service" everywhere it can, and I have no doubt they will try the same basic concept again that they tried to do with the Xbox One launch. Their interpretation of that failure is almost certainly not that the concept was bad, but that the messaging and implementation was bad (and that it was too ahead of its time). They are trying to expand their presence in PC gaming with the Anywhere project, and don't tell me they don't look at Steam and drool at the idea of getting all-digital sales without the "Used games" aftermarket.

[soniq]

13 hours ago, TJ_Solo said:

 

It makes less sense once you realize that this means cutting out rentals, used games, physical sales, and physical gifts from others. Is the novelty of it all really worth saving 20-50 bucks off an optic drive?

Should have worded it differently. Makes sense for people who, like me, haven't bought a physical PS4 game in years and don't want to because it feels inconvenient. Downloading Red Dead 2 was faster than installing both discs. I only buy PS3 discs anymore if the game isn't available digitally on PSN. It also means less clutter around the house.

[TJ_Solo]

27 minutes ago, soniq said:

Should have worded it differently. Makes sense for people who, like me, haven't bought a physical PS4 game in years and don't want to because it feels inconvenient. Downloading Red Dead 2 was faster than installing both discs. I only buy PS3 discs anymore if the game isn't available digitally on PSN. It also means less clutter around the house.

 

What people are like you though? Why not just say it works for you without trying to speak for others?

In order to be like you we'd need to have no interest in any of the places physical games excel at used games, borrowed games, gifts, and retailer sales.

Download speed is another variable that isn't the same for everyone.

 

An optic drive on a console for you does nothing to benefit or harm your experience. And at this point would be a stupid thing to buy unless doing so just to spite the existence of physical games or for some weird bragging rights.

 

[AJ_-_808]

46 minutes ago, soniq said:

Should have worded it differently. Makes sense for people who, like me, haven't bought a physical PS4 game in years and don't want to because it feels inconvenient. Downloading Red Dead 2 was faster than installing both discs. I only buy PS3 discs anymore if the game isn't available digitally on PSN. It also means less clutter around the house.

 

What youre calling clutter, many others call a collection they display decoratively.  If it works for you, great, but dont act like you aren't in the minority when it comes to disc vs digital

[soniq]

11 minutes ago, TJ_Solo said:

What people are like you though? Why not just say it works for you without trying to speak for others?

In order to be like you we'd need to have no interest in any of the places physical games excel at used games, borrowed games, gifts, and retailer sales.

Download speed is another variable that isn't the same for everyone.

 

An optic drive on a console for you does nothing to benefit or harm your experience. And at this point would be a stupid thing to buy unless doing so just to spite the existence of physical games or for some weird bragging rights.

 

I assume that everybody here only speaks for him or herself because everything else would be presumptuous and arrogant. Everybody's circumstances are different, so of course I was speaking for myself. Maybe there's a cultural difference in how we articulate these things? It shouldn't be necessary to put an IMO after each sentence, imo.

 

Anyways, most people I know personally buy games digitally for themselves because, again, it's more convenient than having to go to the store and people don't want that stuff in their living rooms. Some have more than one console and want their kids to be able to play aswelll. Or live and work in different places and travel a lot without wanting to pack a stack of games.

Besides, digital sales are pretty good on older games and there's no risk of scratching a disc, making it unreadable and therefore useless.

 

What do you mean by bragging rights? Besides, I'm all about having options. Just because I think that a Xbox without an optical disc drive would be a good fit for my situation doesn't automatically mean that I want all consoles to never ever have an optical drive built in. That would be insane. We are talking about a third option for people who don't want to invest in physical games library at the tail end of a console generation, not about having a new version that's worse replace all previous versions.

[Super-Fly Spider-Guy]

44 minutes ago, TJ_Solo said:

 

What people are like you though? Why not just say it works for you without trying to speak for others?

In order to be like you we'd need to have no interest in any of the places physical games excel at used games, borrowed games, gifts, and retailer sales.

Download speed is another variable that isn't the same for everyone.

 

An optic drive on a console for you does nothing to benefit or harm your experience. And at this point would be a stupid thing to buy unless doing so just to spite the existence of physical games or for some weird bragging rights.

 

Outside of the odd exclusive due to ridiculous digital pricing, like 95% of every game I've bought on Switch is digital. 

 

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but games going all digital is the way of the future. Just like how barely anyone buys CDs anymore, how barely anyone buys DVDs anymore, etc. Console games are just the last major hold out of major adoption due to their size / internet requirements, and ludicrously unfair pricing in comparison to many in store deals.

 

Steam has already shown that all digital isn't the end of the world. It's only a matter of time, really. 

[soniq]

20 minutes ago, AJ_-_808 said:

 

What youre calling clutter, many others call a collection they display decoratively.  If it works for you, great, but dont act like you aren't in the minority when it comes to disc vs digital

Sorry if it came off like that. English isn't my native language so meaning and intention can get lost in translation. Again, everything I'm saying is only my personal opinion from my own perspective.

If people are happy with collecting games good for them! It's great that games, which would have been download-only a couple of years ago, are seeing beautiful physical releases, like Shantae or Sonic Mania. Limited Run is doing a great job with their special editions.

But in the same way that some people are happy to have these things on their shelves, I'm happy that I don't have to.

[TJ_Solo]

Quote

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but games going all digital is the way of the future.

 

People say that and the only markets that have went entirely digital are either phones because it was digital to start or PC whose games never had much of a rental or used market do to one-time use keys. Products that have used, rental, and physical retail markets still have physical versions despite adding digital distribution long before console gaming did. 

 

You say it's inevitable but I'm still waiting for the day I can no longer buy music or books physically. What will happen and continue to happen for a long time is that the two will co-exist despite some companies trying to force the issue which in turn causes some people to push back equally.

 

One day maybe. I wouldn't bet on it though.

[AJ_-_808]

10 hours ago, soniq said:

Sorry if it came off like that. English isn't my native language so meaning and intention can get lost in translation. Again, everything I'm saying is only my personal opinion from my own perspective.

If people are happy with collecting games good for them! It's great that games, which would have been download-only a couple of years ago, are seeing beautiful physical releases, like Shantae or Sonic Mania. Limited Run is doing a great job with their special editions.

But in the same way that some people are happy to have these things on their shelves, I'm happy that I don't have to.

No worries, the real issue is Microsoft has been trying to push all digital for a while now. They aren't releasing this discless console as an extra option, they're doing it to promote their agenda and be the first one to establish that trend.  Its not going to work (for a number of reasons) on the large scale they're desiring.  I think they're just going to have yet another PR trainwreck with this idea

[Blood-Stalker1]

So what is new about the Xbox one S expect that it is all digital 

[voodoo_eyes]

On 4/17/2019 at 6:01 PM, Blood-Stalker1 said:

So what is new about the Xbox one S expect that it is all digital 

 

It loses it's 4k optical blue-ray drive and offers 3 games loaded onto the system (Minecraft, Sea of Thieves and Forza 3) + something "special". The "special" is something that Microsoft haven't actually figured out yet, but had to throw in something extra as the 250$ price tag did not go over well when it got leaked before the actual reveal.

Edited April 18, 2019 by voodoo_eyes