Rumor: Microsoft green-lights 360s from other companies

"They should of waited till the next generation to do this"

You mean like Sony does? Wait to release a game, a vibration controller, an online service that's any good, movie downloads, home...Should I continue? How long do you want to wait for stuff? This could be good or pointless. Compared to others who have tried this the 360 has an install base which they didn't have. this way you have a game console in many devices, people keep buying games for it long after it's a viable machine (PS2) and you keep making a profit off the games and LIVE subscriptions. Meanwhile you could release the 720 for us dumbasses who spend too much money on new hardware and the cycle begins to repeat. Could work, could tank but it won't effect the actual 360 if it tanks.

This paves the way for the ultimate console, a PS3 that plays 360 games by Foxconn or AsusTek.

Hahahaha, red ring joke, hahahahehell
MS designed some bad hardware and learned a lesson. RR or not, the 360 is still the console to own. Having a hawt looking Samsung Blu ray player with 360 capabilities is pure win.

Interesting. It's always been a software strategy for MS anyway.

This reminds me a little of N-Gage saying "screw it" to hardware and turning into a software platform.

yeah... Quarterman is an idiot, he is wrong like 90 percent of the time. Most of his rumors are just ridiculous and sensational so that people buy the magazine. I can guarantee that this is NEVER going to happen.

I can't be the only one who thinks this could lead to quiet and reliable 360s, packaged in a more stylish case?

As far as I can tell, the Xbox 360 is great console design, but poorly implemented. In the hands of a better hardware maker, things can only improve.

I saw this coming from Microsoft, considering the difficulties that they've had manufacturing their own stuff so far, and the nature of the company itself

I think that the next Xbox is going to go more along the lines of the 3DO (not success wise), that different companies can produce different models, but there will be a set of minimum requirements so that the majority of games can stay universal, but the next-box would be upgradeable, so that they could start the console at, say, Wii-level pricing, but also have a model that could stay consistent with PC gaming, if need be, and thus get the better of both worlds: Netting a core set of requirements to satisfy everyone, and letting the dedicated hardcore expand it's capabilities at will

You guys forgot to mention the JVC X'eye in your list of 3rd party hardware. It was a Genesis/Sega CD all in one unit. This was the only way I was able to get a Sega CD back in the day....


The only way I'll ever buy anything 360 is if MS decides to stop doing Games for Windows, and if developers stop releasing games on PC. (Hopefully this will never happen.) And for those of you out there about to flame me, I prefer my mouse and keyboard controls thank you very much.

Clever *sarcasm*

I'm sure other manufacturers will be queueing up to have their previously reliable products turn into a massive reliability nightmare...

Where do we sign up....

Sony Playstation 360 confirmed!

If MS turns my 360 into a PC I think I'm going to have to stick with Sony next time around...

Neo-3DO... Rise...

I think it's a good idea. Sure, there will be crappy ones, but there will be good ones, too. Certainly solves the "Bluray on 360" thing.

You all are OVERTHINKING THIS BIG TIME. All this does is allow Toshiba and others to make a BluRay player with the 360 included. Just like the PS3 is a Sony Bluray player with a Playstation built in.

Surprise will likely be more along the lines of the old Samsung TV with an Xbox (not 360) connector on the back.

There's no reason to make a 360 if you're a 3rd party, MS is already selling them at no profit, do you want to compete against them at that?

The lack of understanding of simple business practices show here is disturbing, but then I'm expecting a bit much from a load of pre-pubescent fanboy retards that consistently prove that they are about as smart as a sack of spanners.

If a 3rd party make a 360, they will have to pay roylities to Microsoft. That's pure profit to Microsoft. Those people who buy the 3rd party 360's will want games. Again, Microsoft take a slice from the game sales. The more 360 systems that are out there, the more games are moved and Microsoft makes more money.

The only danger is crap 3rd party machines damaging the 360 brand, but the 360 itself does a good job of that.

Who's going to pay extra money for a console that's "stuck" in something else (having a 360 inside a TV, for example, WILL raise the TV's price, after all)?

Just buy the two separately, and have more freedom with how you use them.

Someone at MS should talk to Trip Hawkins and learn about the 3do before they do this... I smell history repeating itself.

Holy... crap... The collective IQ of this these comments has to be in the negatives by now. Idiots thinking this means MS is giving on on the 360, PS3 fantards making the tired RROD jokes (PS3 has no games! HURRRRRRRRRRRR), and everyone talking about 3D0 systems and the Japanese Gamecube/DVD player. Wow... Bravo for making a comment section "special" and sticky from fanboy juices.

You all have to agree that the 360 is better than the 3DO EVER was. It's like saying, "These cheap cars, like the Kia Rio, will NEVER sell because the Pinto was a piece of crap." I mean really... Get over yourself, you fantard. And, do you REALLY think this means MS can't make a good 360 or they are jumping ship? Yea... that is SO true, because they HATE monies. They are trying to EXPAND their business. If you don't think it would be good move to be able to play a 360 or PS3 game in any DVD/Blu-ray player/set-top box that supports it, then you are truly a fool. I'm glad you don't work for Nintendo, MS, or Sony.

PROTIP: Better to keep your mouth shut and have people think you are a fool than to open it and prove them right.

Now I'm going to take a shower and read a thick book. I'm feeling a little dirty and stupider than usual.

Wow.

This would be a major change in how the whole industry is run. Might lead to more of a dvd-player style system where content is guaranteed to work on a whole range of hardware from different companies.

It would also be a good chance for MS to leap into the lead in the console industry, by essentially creating a media standard that would be present in a huge range of machines. (and we all know sony took the losses on the PS3 to get the bigger potential income from Blueray licenses).

I guess the market has been primed by all the different levels of system available in the current generation, so customers are now kind of used to different levels of console with different add-on features.

Be interesting to see if it lead to a handheld xbox... i'd think it would...

I might actually buy an Xbox that's not made by Microsoft. I appear to be the only gamer in the world who sees something with with buying something that's so likely to break.

don't know why you mocking MS. sony hinted ages ago it would do the same. the CELL processor was design by sony,IBM, and toshiba. Toshiba were intending to put it in their tv's. only the processor but still potential for them to go further. only thing is, sony, like Apple, are tight gits who'd rather keep money for themselves than actual get a large install base with others help.

Microsoft wants a box with thier logo in everyones living room period, end of story. The XBOX was the first step to get there along with Media Center PCs.

Problem is that there are not 200 million gamers in the US. Media Center PCs are too cumbersome and difficult to get working properly. You can partially thank the cable companies for that. OK I pay for digital cable and my TV has a digital tuner but I still can't watch the channels without a box, hmmm assholes.

There are millions of people with a Pioneer DTV tuner , millions with a Scientific Atlanta, millions more with a RCA sattelite box. Far more than people with an XBOX 360. All of which have been more than paid for tens of times over. Wonderfull $10-20 a month lease fees for a box that costs about $80. No wonder the cable companies killed cablecard. If Microsoft can get Pioneer to put a 360 board into the next round of DTV boxes and get cable companies to buy and lease them, Microsoft will make more money than they ever did building XBOXs. Remember penny one has yet to be earned from teh division as a whole. A couple profitable quarters can't make up for the years of billion dollar losses.

Problem is that nobody cares what brand thier cable box is. As long as it works with the remote. The plan could be to integrate DTV services, games, and media streaming into one box that your cable company will rent you. Problem is that the cost is going to be very substantial. We already have $10 standard box plus, $10 HD upgrade with $20 DVR. Will XBOX add another $20 a month? Pretty soon you are looking at $50-60 a month just to lease a box from the cable company. Is anyone stupid enough to pay for that when you can buy a standalone console for $200-300?

When you truly look at it, the idea is completely insane. Microsoft is truly grasping for straws, trying to find anything that will stick in order to keep market dominance. The problem is that diversification has detroyed the company and is its downfall. The world doesn't need another version of windows and the world doesn't need faster computers for the time being. Power has outstripped the needs of 90% of computer users and all choices in OS already give everything needed to get a job done.

We really do not need a new operating core until computers become a built in part of every house with video displays built into every room, TV, coffee table, etc. The problem is that this scenario cannot be realized without a complete overhaul fo the entire infrastructure of every home. Can we tear down nearly every house in the country, every power line and communication line just to make it happen? The cost and magnitude of the undertaking makes it virtually impossible to ever get a standard system working.

That is why virtually every attept at full integration has failed miserably. It is simply too hard to get millions of people to come together on the same page.