According to CNET, Microsoft will require that all companies who wish to manufacture and sell
Xbox 360 add-ons become licensed to do so. Furthermore, they'll need to pay Microsoft a share of revenues earned
on the sale of such devices That means more money for Microsoft and a more rigourous certification process
for hardware add-ons.
Consumers will be impacted by this in several ways. First, whenever manufacturing costs increase companies tend to pass at least a portion of these costs on to consumers. This will mean higher average costs on hardware accessories for the Xbox 360, but most of us won't even notice because the increases are likely to be modest.
Second, this will mean less diversity in the peripheral community. Third-party hardware manufacturers who don't want to play ball won't be given access to special code that will enable their devices to run on the Xbox 360. This will mean that some manufacturers may decide to exit the business.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, this should mean higher quality hardware components in general. Nintendo revitalized the games industry in the late 80s when it required that game developers obtain a Nintendo stamp of approval prior to releasing games for the NES. This was a direct response to the plethora of low-quality titles that flooded and eventually drowned the Atari console. As a result of Nintendo's quality program, consumers flocked to the console because they could be reasonably sure that they were going to get a quality gaming experience.
[via Xbox-scene]
