IGN makes predictions for Xbox in 2006
by Dan Choi 
{ Jan 11th 2006 at 5:20AM }
IGN has released the second part of its predictions for 2006, and --
together with the first part of the feature released the
other day -- there's quite a bit to chew on for fans of both Xboxes. Consider these prognostications:- Jade Empire 2 on PS3 and 360 by the end of the year,
- 40 and 80GB 360 hard drives announcement at E3,
- Xbox 1 at $99 by May, but no 360 price drop till next year,
- Prey steals Gears of War's glory this fall,
- Xbox Live Arcade prices go up (thanks to SFII:HF),
- The HD-DVD external
drive does the 32X
[connection here], and
- Grand Theft Auto 4 hits PS3 and 360 simultaneously in 2007.
Of course, claims like these are sure to come along with a few duds -- just look at last year's set of predictions that didn't come to pass, yet forced their
way onto this year's list (albeit in slightly mutated form):
So, yeah, we've heard a lot of these rumors before, but there's bound to be a few of these predictions coming true... sooner or later. What big changes or announcements have we missed for the new year?
So, yeah, we've heard a lot of these rumors before, but there's bound to be a few of these predictions coming true... sooner or later. What big changes or announcements have we missed for the new year?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
bearattack79 @ Jan 11th 2006 5:41AM
Oh really GTA on 360 and PS3 @ the same time eh? WOW that PS3 is losing some thunder.
Nfinit @ Jan 11th 2006 5:46AM
Aside from the usual Joystiq flamebaiting, is there any need to use the 32X to signify 360 news?
Dan Choi @ Jan 11th 2006 6:02AM
"Aside from the usual Joystiq flamebaiting, is there any need to use the 32X to signify 360 news?"
Er, you are aware, Nfinit, that IGN used that very image in its original story, correct? 'Cuz if you read the articles linked, you would know why we used the picture. See page 2 of Part 1 here:
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/680/680220p2.html
If it helps, I'll update the post to drive home the connection.
Cem @ Jan 11th 2006 6:09AM
I'm not sure about all those add-ons. Although I wouldn't be interested in the HD-DVD drive, I would like to have a bigger HD. So people who already bought an Xbox 360 will have a tiny HD in a couple months? And people who want to buy an Xbox 360 in the upcoming months probably want to wait a little more... this sucks.
G... @ Jan 11th 2006 6:09AM
Just so you know... the xbox can be bought in Ireland now for 99euro!!! dont' think it was an official price drop, but all the retailers have dropped their prices!
and games have dropped as well... the new prince of persia is only 30euro!!!
Not Impressed (Dmitri) @ Jan 11th 2006 7:07AM
Looks like IGN needs to do some searching. Because last I heard Sony had a signed agreement with R* to release any future GTAs on a PlayStation 6 months before any other console.
I could be wrong though. I do not know how long the agreement lasted. It could have been just between PS2 and Xbox.
Dt7 @ Jan 11th 2006 7:37AM
OMG It's a Disk-like addon! It must be like the 32X!
It's nothing like the 32X, the 32X tried to turn the Mega Drive into another console, while the 360's drive isn't even to play games, its to play movies.
What's with all the Xbox 360 - retro comparisons?
Matt @ Jan 11th 2006 7:46AM
GTA4 will be PS3 exclusive for 8 months, according to a R* insider.
Jeff @ Jan 11th 2006 7:58AM
"It's nothing like the 32X, the 32X tried to turn the Mega Drive into another console, while the 360's drive isn't even to play games, its to play movies."
Yeah, and?
It's an add-on. The point is add-ons have historically been major albatrosses around console manufacturers' necks. IGN/Joystiq could have just as easily put a picture of the PS2 HDD up there and it would have meant the same thing.
What the add-on actually *does* is totally irrelevant. Because the add-on itself is totally irrelevant. What's relevant is that the manufacturer is spending all this time and effort trying to make their system competitive by putting extra things out in the marketplace to bring the system's capabilities up to par with other systems. All it ends up doing is reminding people that those other systems have more features and/or performance out of the box, and it takes attention and marketing dollars away from the core system. That's just as true of the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive as it is of the 32X.
Sega is of course the most famous for dragging the Genesis down with the Sega CD and 32X, so they're always provided as the example from which to learn. But nearly every console manufacturer has had some sort of major failed add-on to their system, whether it's the 32X or the GameCube modem or the PS2 HDD or the N64DD or the Intellivision computer module or the Coleco Adam or whatever. In many cases these have only served as a tipping point to the console in question having "jumped the shark", and it's really pretty odd that MS would announce such a device so close to the Xbox 360's launch.
Ying Wei Ye Jr. @ Jan 11th 2006 8:25AM
Didn't someone from Microsoft say that they will have price drops on a yearly basis http://www.computerandvideogames.com/r/?page=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/news/news_story.php(que)id=125729?
kassad @ Jan 11th 2006 9:06AM
The xbox 360 is becoming more like a PC than a Console. The principal advantage of consoles over pcs always as that the consoles are a finish product. Until today...
Sense @ Jan 11th 2006 9:21AM
I agree with most of those assertions. The only one I take exception to is Prey beating out Gears of War. I just don't see it.
Art Guy @ Jan 11th 2006 9:57AM
Jeff - Those add-ons you mentioned all fragmented the user base because you needed them to play games, adding a HD-DVD does no such thing. Insinuating it is similar to the PS2 HD, 32X, N64DD, etc is unfounded and requires too many leaps of logic to have any validity.
The closest comparison is the DVD dongle on the Xbox, it added functionality that has nothing to do with games.
Mrs.EB @ Jan 11th 2006 9:58AM
"Xbox Live Arcade prices go up"
I'm a little dismayed by this, and the prices as they exist now are what's keeping me from buying more games on the arcade. Most of the games available on the arcade can be played in some form or another, for free, on the PC. I love bejeweled and is the only game I've actually bought, but realistically I can play the game for free on pogo (different same, same concept). I didn't need to at all, it was just something to keep me busy while the PC was being used. Any other game, I continue with the same reasoning... "well, I can play this for free on the emulators I've already got on the pc" (hence, no smashTV for me).
Dman @ Jan 11th 2006 10:21AM
Wait, so if you want an HD DVD player, why would you buy an add-on for the 360? If it doesn't come with it, I'd buy a HD DVD player that would work better as a stand alone then some clunky $200 add-on.
Microsoft announcing the 360 will have an add-on/update within 3 months of a console launch is not good sign, I don't care how much you guys defend that, history has shown thats an immediate sign of an impending flaw. Your consoles already cost $400, your Live subscription, plus you probably have two games by now for $50-60 each and those extra controllers. How much more do gamers need to pay for a video game system?
I'm not trying to say 360 is junk. I just think the whole game industry is headed for a flop. The price to play games is ludicrous. They're ripping everyone off and gamers need to realize that.
Jason W @ Jan 11th 2006 10:31AM
The Xbox Movie player was an add on, The PS2 had a add on online hook up, the PSP has add on Memory Sticks for movie play back, The GBA advance had add on lights until it became back light, The PS1 had a add on that allowed it to play VCD movies, The PS1, Xbox, PS2, Game Cube have all had add ons of LCD screens that let you play on the go, The ps2 had an add on battery for on the go play. None of these add ons had anything to do with game play (Net adapter excluded) so they did not fracture the base. Since the HDDVD is a add on for movies only (much like the psp uses large memory sticks) then i dout it has any parallels to the 32x that was ment only for playing games.
Ryan @ Jan 11th 2006 10:59AM
I think it's official. The 32X image must be removed due to an invalid comparison. Joystiq (and other sites) have really missed the mark with that connection.
DG @ Jan 11th 2006 11:54AM
By pushing a major add-on like that so quickly after the initial launch is to show a weakness if your original design. The HD-DVD add-on essentially brings your Xbox 360 up to comparable stature as the yet-to-be-released PS3. I think it's a bad move by Microsoft. Certainly, they knew they were backing HD-DVD when they designed the system. If such functionality is so important to them, perhaps they should have included it to begin with, right?
The 32X by Sega was a dumb move, trying to up the Genesis to 3D0/Jaguar level. The Xbox 360 HD-DVD add-on is similarly stupid. And I like the picture.
Shad Genki @ Jan 11th 2006 12:12PM
I think you guys are focused on the wrong thing. I wanna know who confirmed that Jade Empire 2 is gonna be on PS3? :D That could be a selling point for me, heheh.
mike @ Jan 11th 2006 12:44PM
Is Joystiq aware that Jade Empire was an incredibly horrible boring game?
Why a sequel?
Evil Inside @ Jan 11th 2006 12:44PM
I think the Xbox 360 HD-DVD/Blu-ray/whatever add-on drive is a great idea for a few reasons(besides lowering system cost) that will benefit gamers in many ways:
1) HD-DVD and Blu-ray are not even available yet and no one knows the future of either format. One format could win, or both could be rejected by consumers or at least have such a slow adoption rate, that it becomes a moot issue until the next, next-gen systems(Xbox 720, PS4, etc). Remeber, Sony has had a long history of releasing new formats that have not taken off or have been restricted to their own product lines(MiniDisc, Memory Stick, UMD). So don't assume Blu-ray will win any format war(remember Betamax?)
2) The Xbox 360 could have any format weither it's HD-DVD, Blu-ray or other format since it will probably be a USB 2.0 external drive and thus could be used with a Mac, PC or other device for movie playback or other uses. So I can't see comparing it to the 32x to be very accurate or fair. In all probability, it will work with Windows PCs and should be viewed as a external USB DVD drive or CDRW drive.
3) The 360 HDD should be viewed as a larger version of a memory card, which have always been an accessory and a useful at that. I think having a 20 Gb for music, a 80Gb for game DLC and a larger drive for movies/DVR/etc is a great idea. The more options for users, the better IMHO.
darryl @ Jan 11th 2006 1:52PM
"1) HD-DVD and Blu-ray are not even available yet and no one knows the future of either format. One format could win, or both could be rejected by consumers..."
Who cares... The point is that the PS3 will always have a Blu-ray drive; game studios can take advantage of that with loads of content, on one disc. If Blu-ray fails, it'll change nothing for the gamer.
If I bought the HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox, and the HD-DVD format fails, then I have another paper-weight to go along with my 32X add-on.
"2) The Xbox 360 could have any format weither it's HD-DVD, Blu-ray or other format..."
Oh great, why not buy them all! Awesome logic when all these drives will do is play MOVIES! Stupid. No thanks, I'm not interested in throwing money away.
"3) The 360 HDD should be viewed as a larger version of a memory card..."
Sad. 80 GB should have been available at launch, what am I supposed to do with 13 GB!? Microsoft knows you'll now go out and buy yet another drive for you over-priced console... They're counting on it.
You should go work for them as a spin doctor... maybe you already do.
n3rrd @ Jan 11th 2006 3:00PM
Why does everyone assume that developers are going to take on the additional cost of developing and pressing Blu-Ray discs for games? I am pretty sure I've read some where that the first generation PS3 games are going to be on DVD-9 anyways. Hell, the X360 has games pushing $70 CAD already and it's on DVD-9.
I still can't believe that a physical format has so many people up in arms in a time when many developers are taking advantage of the internet to update games when needed. Take Guild Wars for example. Yes, it's a PC game, but it downloads areas and updates as it needs, instead of forcing you to download every minor update every time you log in, regardless if it affects you or not. Valve is pushing the episodic style updates... While these examples are on PC, I don't believe that makes them completely irrelevant as these next-gen systems are becoming more and more like our desktop units every release...
I do agree that it's rather silly to be adding an entirely new upgrade for the X360 only a few months from launch. The hard drive upgrades aren't as bad, though. There are plenty of people who feel restricted by the current drive anyways.
Huey2k2 @ Jan 11th 2006 3:33PM
I think what some of you fail to see here is that you do not HAVE to buy the HD-DVD addon for the 360. It will simply be an optional addon for those of you who want to watch HD movies. Wether or not you have it will have NO effect whatsoever on your games. I do not understand why so many people are freaking out about it.
Justin @ Jan 11th 2006 4:35PM
i think u guys are all missing the point between the comparison between the the HD-DVD drive and the 32x...
the comparison is simply based on the fact that the 32x came out and bombed and the HD-DVD drive will come out and bomb becase HD-DVD is most likely going to lose the DVD format because its is inferior to BR.
Sure it my be around for a while but there is a real good chance, and im betting, that it will end up losing the format war.
therefore this add on drive will be obsolete and will have bombed just like the 32x became completely obsolete after like 10 games and bombed...the comparison is as simple as that...some of u people get way to deep into the meanin of this.
i also have another prediction for you people. MS expected the shelf life of the 360 to be what? 10 years at least?
I really really doubt games will be on DVD9 in half that time, 5 years. Look at oblivion all kinds of rumors that it wasnt going to be on one disc and they just confirmed they were able to "squeeze" it on to a single disc and it has no CG renderings that im aware of.
if a game like Oblivion is pushing the DVD9 single disc limit for a game then forget about it theres no way in 5 years games will still be coming out on DVD9 unless u want to buy games that come on 5 discs.
Sony has already future proofed there system with BR. Now MS is sayins the HD-DVD is strictly going to be for movies well guess what...incorrect. Wether HD-DVD loses the format war or they are able to hang with BR the drive is eventually going to be needed to play games. It's almost common sense.
I wouldnt be surprised, after a few 360 price drops, to see an XBox360.5 or XBox360HD or something like that come out that will bump the price back up to 399 but include the HD-DVD drive.
sorry this is so long but to sum it up regardless of wether HD-DVD wins or loses the format war this drive will be essential to play games at some point duing the life span of the 360
Dman @ Jan 11th 2006 4:37PM
And lets, say the HD DVD drive succeeds and sells to 60% or greater of 360 owners. Do you really think developers are going to sit there and not take advantage and try to special editions of games?
Gamers are getting screwed by corporations forcing technology that isn't even in existence. If there is no current standard; why release an update? HD DVD add-on could be released this year (and will), if the format flops by Xmas, you and many others will be pissed about your new $200 paperweight for your $400 console (I was with my 32X). If HD DVD succeeds, PS3 will still have its games produced on BluRay and DVD discs just like the Dreamcast and its own GD-Disc format unaffected by majority of consumers. Again, I'm not saying the PS3 is going win or is better. Just speculating.
Slave @ Jan 11th 2006 5:03PM
Technically... GTA4 was Vice City, it would be GTA6, I believe.
DetoX @ Jan 11th 2006 6:22PM
no... gta vice city was gta vice city
how the hell did u get the idea it was gta4?
just because u think its the 4th installment?
Technically... (by ur meaning of it), gta4 was gta3(ur forgetting gta london) it would be gta 8, i believe.
GTA
GTA London
GTA II
GTA III
GTA Vice City
GTA Sand Andreas
GTA Liberty City Stories
Toys for Rob @ Jan 11th 2006 7:24PM
Justin - Oblivion only fills 60% of the DVD-9, somewhere around 5-6GB of the 9GB disk, and half of that is pre-recorded voice acting for the multitude of characters. That's hardly "squeezing" or "pushing the disk to it's limit." They could have fit the entire game three times if they used two disks, six times if they used text rather than several hours of worth of voice acting.
It is estimated Blu-ray will add at least $100 to the cost of PS3 vs using a DVD drive. As you know, rumors are that the PS3 will retail for $500. Since most of the HDTVs already sold are not DRM compliant and therefore will not be able to play high def movies off the PS3, you would be paying extra money for a feature that only a fragment of a fragment will be able to use. Blu-ray forces you to pay extra even though many will never be able to use or need to use the extra space offered on Blu-ray disks.
Dman - If Blu-ray flops, you will have paid extra for a console for no benefit. You are right about one thing however, if Blu-ray flops it will be just like the DreamCast.... Sony will bleed even more money than they already have and might leave the hardware side of the business.
Slave @ Jan 11th 2006 9:35PM
@DetoX (#27)GTA London 1969 = an expansion pack, although a full game, never considered a full game because then they would have made GTA 2 and 3 titled GTA 3 and 4.
Vice City DOES qualify as #4 in the series, and the new one will qualify as #6 if you forget LCS and "Sand Andreas".
But either way, it doesnt bloody well matter because you know that they wont name it with a
number!
:)
Pretty Obvious @ Jan 11th 2006 10:39PM
Sony and Rockstar inked a 5 year deal with the GTA franchises. You guys also forgot to mention a simultaneous release of Resident Evil 5 for the PS3 and 360.
John @ Jan 12th 2006 12:08PM
If a blu-ray drive is so expensive...and games are already $50+ when they're released (I'm assuming at least taht 360 games are more expensive at the moment...) And everyone needs to make a profit off games...How much will a PS3 game cost? From the sounds of it a PS3 game will cost IMHO $75-$85... This is what's so ridiculous...when you pay for the console on your 4th or 5th game. I could care less about an HD-Drive right now anyway... I have a media center desktop PC...I'll put the drive in there :)
Le_Chupacabra @ Jan 18th 2006 8:16PM
I think the smartest thing to do is wait and see which way the market place decides to go and then buy . If you buy a PS3 and Blueray flops then games are going to be very expensive. Or they will come out on DVD and then you might as well of bought the Xbox360 and had an extra year of HD gaming!
YourWack @ Jan 18th 2006 9:37PM
According to Peter Moore, Corporate Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division.
Moore revealed the company's Plan B to Japanese-language website ITmedia last week, saying at the same time that there are no plans to ever integrate an HD DVD drive into a revision of the Xbox 360, either. Many onlookers have suspected that Microsoft would add an HD DVD drive to the Xbox 360 in a later hardware revision, but we suspect that the added cost of doing so is prohibitive. While Sony many be willing to take substantial losses on the PS3 in order to seed the world with Blu-ray players, Microsoft isn't interested in doing the same for Toshiba and friends.
They are lending a hand, however. The company is going to release an add-on external HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360 sometime later this year, as Moore revealed at CES 2006.
"The new drive will offer millions of Xbox 360 owners the ability to easily enjoy HD DVD movies and will provide consumers with even more choices for experiencing high-definition content, in either physical or digital form."
Pricing and availability haven't been announced, and we'll be lucky to hear anything before this year's E3 show in May. HD DVD players will arrive in US stores this spring, and will carry initial price tags of $499 and beyond. It may be 6 months or longer until Microsoft considers offering an add-on drive. Even then, they may be surprisingly expensive.
Nevertheless, the openness to Blu-ray, if you can call it that, does not represent an about face for Microsoft. Once officially choosing sides last September, the company made it clear that it will press on with its support of HD DVD through thick and thin. Recently revealed plans include the company using financial incentives to promote HD DVD among original equipment manufacturersa move that has many crying "foul." Yet even Microsoft cannot sway this format war. Nay, it will be player penetration, pricing, and launch titles that make or break either standard, and while Blu-ray has all of the corporate logos lined up, it's still not clear which standard, if any, will have a breakaway sprint this year.
Microsoft will continue to put its money on the HD DVD until it's abundantly clear that it's backing the wrong horse. Only then will the company consider adding an external Blu-ray drive, and it's a move that will be described as "me too" at best. If it ever comes to pass, that is.
scarfist @ Jan 19th 2006 3:36PM
People here need to remember the difference of doing things as an add-on, or doing things as a complete package from the get go. This is where Sony has a definite advantage. Look at how them including a DVD drive in the PS2 surged DVD sales to all time highs and gave the world access to what was once inaccessible to most in a great package (remember at the time DVD players themselves were very pricey and it only cost $100 more to have the PS2 which had a good, easy-to-use DVD drive, plus the gaming capability). The same is happening here with Blue-Ray vs. HD-DVD. One is included for quite a nice price, while one is an add-on that will cost over $100 more easily. Here are the rest of the clinchers for Sony right now: backwards compatability, Blu-Ray being re-writable with plenty of extra space (you don't need an HD when you can just re-write everthing directly to the disc itself) and a Cell chip that will link to all of your other Cell chip imbued electronics and add extra power to which ever needs it the most.