Next Xbox to drop optical disc drive

Guru3D News · **Next Xbox to drop optical disc drive -** 03-10-2012, 09:30 | posts: 6,352

DailyMail claims Microsoft's next-gen Xbox will no longer have a disc drive. The console said to be slated for a 2013 launch date will focus on digital distribution but will offer compatibility with...

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Chillin · 03-10-2012, 09:36 | posts: 5,884 | Location: Chilling

I call BS on this, for the simple reason that it will need a optical drive to maintain backwards compatibility with Xbox360 games.

Stukov · 03-10-2012, 10:15 | posts: 4,829 | Location: South Dakota

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chillin

I call BS on this, for the simple reason that it will need a optical drive to maintain backwards compatibility with Xbox360 games.

So what you are saying is that MS would never ever think to not include an optical drive, so that if you want to play "classic" X360 games, you are forced to download them off MS's Live network, thereby buying the game again? Certainly MS would never do something so underhanded.

k3vst3r · 03-10-2012, 10:15 | posts: 2,403 | Location: Manchester UK

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stukov

So what you are saying is that MS would never ever think to not include an optical drive, so that if you want to play "classic" X360 games, you are forced to download them off MS's Live network, thereby buying the game again? Certainly MS would never do something so underhanded.

true story

Rich_Guy · 03-10-2012, 21:05 | posts: 6,679 | Location: UK

Quote:

Originally Posted by k3vst3r

true story

bro

(.)(.) · 03-10-2012, 10:29 | posts: 2,190 | Location: Logd n jst 2 change avatar

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stukov

So what you are saying is that MS would never ever think to not include an optical drive, so that if you want to play "classic" X360 games, you are forced to download them off MS's Live network, thereby buying the game again? Certainly MS would never do something so underhanded.

True, Sony's doing it on the vita with psp titles

Zboe · 03-10-2012, 13:02 | posts: 531 | Location: USA

This will never fly. Once ISPs stop limiting bandwidth we can consider it but for now too many people have caps for this to ever really work well. And if you aren't capped out right then you're stuck with "high speed" internet that's like 3-7Mb on average. Unless they only want city folk (I mean that in the nicest way possible) using Xbox with their fiber lines...

I know where I live I'll be lucky to ever see 10Mb. I have 7.something now and 10 is considered a "business" line and cost 3 times as much a month. My computer now doesn't have an optical drive but since I'm not bandwidth capped I just DL my games while I'm asleep.

thatguy91 · 03-10-2012, 14:28 | posts: 2,763 | Location: Australia

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zboe

This will never fly. Once ISPs stop limiting bandwidth we can consider it but for now too many people have caps for this to ever really work well. And if you aren't capped out right then you're stuck with "high speed" internet that's like 3-7Mb on average. Unless they only want city folk (I mean that in the nicest way possible) using Xbox with their fiber lines...

I know where I live I'll be lucky to ever see 10Mb. I have 7.something now and 10 is considered a "business" line and cost 3 times as much a month. My computer now doesn't have an optical drive but since I'm not bandwidth capped I just DL my games while I'm asleep.

Yes downloading 40GB wouldn't be fun on limited bandwidth. Sure, you might well be able to do it, but who wants to wait around for the download to complete before they can play the game? Also unless they have some sort of block/hash checking like bittorrent, it wouldn't be feasible. It would really suck downloading 40GB only to find the downloader gets stuck or something else happens and you have to start off from scratch. Its bad enough when patches are online download only.

Sever · 03-11-2012, 12:52 | posts: 4,826 | Location: Land of the Great Downunder

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chillin

I call BS on this, for the simple reason that it will need a optical drive to maintain backwards compatibility with Xbox360 games.

who said anything about backwards compatibility?

Quote:

Originally Posted by (.)(.)

True, Sony's doing it on the vita with psp titles

well originally, there was a UMD passport program. it still exists, but only in asia. only Sony EU and US ditched the idea.

personally i think its a silly idea. not every country has unlimited downloads at a reasonable price, nor does every country have high speed internet.

i for one dont like the idea of leaving my console on for 4 days to download one game, only to have it overheat, crash and reboot on day 3.

thatguy91 · 03-10-2012, 10:19 | posts: 2,763 | Location: Australia

Not only that, I would say the majority of Xbox gamers aren't in the position in some way, shape, or form, to be able to download games that are potentially several tens of gigabytes large.

H83 · 03-10-2012, 14:42 | posts: 1,029 | Location: Mars

Quote:

Originally Posted by thatguy91

Not only that, I would say the majority of Xbox gamers aren't in the position in some way, shape, or form, to be able to download games that are potentially several tens of gigabytes large.

My thoughts exactly.

I think that the next consoles will still have an optical drive, specially the PS4 because of the blue ray.

But the next generation will probably drop the optical drive and work like steam or some cloud based system.

Redemption80 · 03-10-2012, 16:23 | posts: 13,433 | Location: Glasgow

Maybe they are planning a couple of different systems like last time, might even make the one without an optical drive cheaper to encourage those who are in the position to turn all their games DD.

A smaller, cheaper, quieter 720 might be a great thing for some people.

tsunami231 · 03-10-2012, 17:31 | posts: 2,288 | Location: USA

if games start to be distributed on say usb stick or flash drives this is ok, but digital distributions is way to soon, lot people still dont have broadband some broadband is just way to slow, no one want to sit there 5+ hours to download a 10+gb game for got about those 40 gb games.

but then i will never buy MS console, there hardware is always breaking and i fiqure this out long before xbox was conceived

The Laughing Ma · 03-10-2012, 23:25 | posts: 1,924

Stupid rumour is stupid, is there something in the water at the moment? Or is it just standard practice for jornos to launch b*ll**** stories. The middle of a recession and you have Valve making a console with specs so sky high you would have to raving mad to just believe the story and now you have MS apparently dropping the £5 optical drive in favour of going full DD. They are going to alienate a massive proportion of their user base in favour of saving a buck or two on console hardware and literally pennies on the DVD production but don't worry because they will be using a potentially proprietary SD card system, which you would have to be bat sh*t insane to believe would ever be cheaper than the current DVD drive and disc.

Given that madness seems to be the mainstay in current console related stories can anyone just make any old nonsense up about a next gen console?

Turns out Stardock has teamed up with EA and will be making a console that can beam images of the Lord Jesus Christ right in to your brain and what's more it will be free. Expect the launch some time round next week when a guy in a black suit will turn up and install the console, which is currently entitled 'The world beating ultimate console and you'll definitely get sex if you own one 234GT', for you.

CronoGraal · 03-11-2012, 10:40 | posts: 3,434 | Location: Sweden

hey guys i heard the next gen consoles will actually be good

*le giggle

Jae-So · 03-11-2012, 10:53 | posts: 6,679 | Location: Bristol, UK

They'll probs just have a massive drive on the console and have some sort of single use flash media to sell games on. I doubt that would cost more than selling on Blurays and would allow hem to make the console a little smaller

hallryu · 03-11-2012, 11:26 | posts: 10,842 | Location: England

What are these consoles you speak of? What new devilry is this?

Be gone with thee spawn of satan's arse!

thatguy91 · 03-11-2012, 12:27 | posts: 2,763 | Location: Australia

Actually it might be a good think if people are stuck downloading 40gb games at 200KB/s (a lot! of people would be less than that too, think ADSL1 users at 50KB/s - 100KB/s). People want to play games the second they become available, not wait 4 days for the thing to download!

Now 1 game might night seem much, but it is an annoyance for people. If anything, its possibly potentially a good thing for PC gaming.

deltatux · 03-11-2012, 12:39 | posts: 18,773 | Location: Toronto, Canada

Good luck getting as much success as Microsoft does in Canada and any country where tiny data caps are the norm. It'll simply cost too much for the end consumer if Microsoft went digital only.

In Canada, large service providers like Rogers, Bell, Telus, Cogeco et. al. control about 80+% of the Canadian Internet service market and they have an average of around 60 - 80 GBs of bandwidth each month for their mid-tier package. These packages often cost about $40 - 45/month before tax. Overages are about $2/GB (based on Rogers' rates).

Only small service providers like Acanac and TekSavvy offer 300+GB or unlimited caps. However, they're not available everywhere and only command about 5-10% of the Canadian Internet service market.

deltatux

kanej2007 · 03-11-2012, 19:57 | posts: 5,700 | Location: Dubai, UAE / London, UK

What about those who have slow internet connections?

Not everyone has 32mb+ internet...

CronoGraal · 03-11-2012, 20:07 | posts: 3,434 | Location: Sweden

i doubt DOWNLOADING would be the default way people will get games, it'll be on cheap flash drives

Redemption80 · 03-11-2012, 20:11 | posts: 13,433 | Location: Glasgow

Which are still too expensive, putting games on flash drives, even in 2014 will still add too much to the cost price of games, which will make them even more expensive than now.

Jae-So · 03-11-2012, 22:49 | posts: 6,679 | Location: Bristol, UK

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redemption80

Which are still too expensive, putting games on flash drives, even in 2014 will still add too much to the cost price of games, which will make them even more expensive than now.

Flash memory sticks (not SSDs) are quite cheap, not that much more than Bluray

Redemption80 · 03-12-2012, 00:55 | posts: 13,433 | Location: Glasgow

I don't know, while i haven't checked every online site out there, if a 25gb BD can be bought for 75p, then that is 3p per GB.

I don't know anywhere that does a 32gb flash drive for less than £1.

chilly willy · 03-12-2012, 05:02 | posts: 424 | Location: chicago area

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redemption80

I don't know, while i haven't checked every online site out there, if a 25gb BD can be bought for 75p, then that is 3p per GB.

I don't know anywhere that does a 32gb flash drive for less than £1.

increase in demand for flash memory will lead to cheaper and better products. the phasing out of optical media is inevitable. it will happen sooner or later might as well start sometime.