New Xbox One Digital Only?

[retro junkie]

I am starting to see a lot of hub bub concerning the possibility that Microsoft may release an Xbox One that will be digital only and no disc drive. Possible of a program where you turn in your games for a download code. Some of the argument is lower cost for the console. I started thinking about this and wondered, even though the $200 price point was thrown around, what price point would cause to go all digital? What would they have to sell the Xbox One "all digital" before you would lean in that direction? If they could come out with a killer game line up, which, too me, seems lacking at this point, would that tempt some gamers to jump on board? Is the time ripe? Digital download does seem to be a big part of the industry.

What say you?

[BLUEVOODU]

I know a lot of gamers these days will welcome it.  from 2000-2012, there was a major change in distributions to a more digitally distributed format, DRMs, etc.   Personally, I like physical media... but others have stated it's cumbersome... especially when you move or have to take care of everything.  It doesn't surprise me they are looking into this... especially so they don't have to pay Sony rights  on the Blu-ray Players.  Laptops, ipads, and many other devices have gone to loading the OS via USB, network, and other methods.  Loading from disk is becoming more and more rare.

With that said... it's only a matter of time.  IF THEY ACTUALLY accomplish this take, they will have to increase drive space and increase it well.  We could still rely on external hard drives like we have to now, but I think the would need to make the systems 3-4TB at minimum.  This would definitely increase the cost, though a 3-4 TB PATA drive is relatively inexpensive dollar to GB.

It would also take the focus of the Game Console and move it away from the "center of entertainment system" status a little bit.  OR you would have to plan on where to play your Blu-Rays, DVDs, etc.   This could be accomplished without much pain in an external player hooked up to your TV.  The negative is this adds one more device to your overall setup - which is less efficient.  More and more, your movies are moving to digital format.  THOUGH... services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc... don't have EVERYTHING ready to go at a moments notice.  You then have online rental services to fill in the gap.  Who wants to do that when you already pay a monthly fee for your other services?  Not me... but I guess that's another first world problem.    

Great topic... very interesting.  What are your thoughts @retro junkie ?    I guess my price point would have to be $200-ish...but it better have good storage built in.  Laptops and other devices no longer give a discount for no drive.  I'm can't say they ever did... but those devices have a much smaller device foot print now.  This has some value to it.  It's interesting to see some of the things playing out now that we talked about in the 2006 time frame, if I am correct.

[retro junkie]

I'm a feely touchy gamer as you may know. I like to have the media in my hand. I am retro in my gaming, love my carts. When it comes to the DVD, CD, Blu ray gaming systems, I am a bit reluctant, and feel screamish about forking over dough for that type of console. Something about moving parts that bother me. If I have a system like the Sega CD that dies on me, I dump it and sell the games. That will be the destiny of any of those type systems in my care. Backward compatibility will distance itself from the games that I loved to play over time. But for my retro there are the clones which are getting closer to the real thing, cough, analog consoles, cough.

With that being said,

In light of the minis that seem to be so popular, I can see the digital consoles making their way into the main stream of gaming, if they tread softly. If Microsoft offers this as a console variation of their main one then they will make an impact.

If I see games that draw my interest and the price is right, maybe at that point they are offering something at, lets say $129 ballpark figure,  I might bite. I would look at it as a configurable mini. I couldn't look at it as a serious gaming console.

[targetrasp]

Drive capacity is the only limitation. You MIGHT get 20 games per TB on current gen if you buy a lot of the big titles (COD, Red Dead, GTA, etc.). I cant say I've ever purchased more than 100 games during the time a system is on the market, but I continue to purchase afterward.

Digital content relies on online services. After those services go down what do you do? How would a collector continue to add to the system after the life span? How would I get my collection back in 5 - 10 years when the majority of hard drives start failing?

[retro junkie]

I don't think the mentality of the Game Companies are focused on the fact that we want to keep our games for our whole lifetime. I am used to picking up most of my gaming library after the end of a console's lifespan. I am a cheap gamer. I like picking up bargains in that special section of a game store. I like to touch and hold onto my games.

But I do think we are headed in the direction of digital media only. It is just how and when. There are a lot of issues that I think they will have to come to grips with before it is accepted by the gaming community. Then again it might be cloud gaming that takes the place of the present media.

Bear with me,

At my age, in my sixties, I have changed over the years in my perspective regarding how I view entertainment. I have went from TV antenna to cable and now back to antenna. But there are such a difference in the tech and the way I view TV. I went through all the Betamax and VHS archiving craze. Had a brief taste of the CED video records. Plunged into the DVDs and eventually Blu Ray. Now I have the HD antenna reception of around 50 channels, better quality than cable or dish. But the internet has affected my viewing habits. My Family and I spend more viewing time on our Roku TV with youtube, Netflix, and Vudo, and a few other apps. Our archiving is centered around purchasing, for example, a complete set of a certain TV series that we would like to keep for repeated viewing, favorites. Movies are no longer purchased on DVD because we did not see it at theater, but we rent it on Vudo. And as for some things that we find ourselves watching, you could never tell me years ago that I would be just setting and watching something like Metal Jesus Rocks, live webcam of a feline rescue centre, some amateur showing me how to do something, people doing stupid things,  or binge watching a TV series that just released on Netflix, etc, etc, etc. I could go on. We only occasionally reference the TV antenna programming. I don’t think our Family is alone in this. I have people that I am working around seeking a way to cut the cord.

That is why I think DVD and Blu Ray are at the end of their lifespan. I feel that the gaming console manufacturers know this. The media is just not capable of handling the new console technology. That is why we are waiting to load up everything before we can play a new game. The drives just cannot keep up with the demand of the games. That is why they keep nudging on digital as a viable media for gaming, that and it gives them more control. It is interesting to note that there is no new replacement tech being offered as an alternative for the present media. The sure sign evidence of its demise is in the bargain bins and cheap players on the shelves. In the past any outdated media always went this route before fading from the store shelves. And usually you have Sony throwing out there something new like 8mm video tapes. Wow that did not last long. Remember CED and laser disc? Watching things progress from Betamax to Blu Ray has been a bumpy road. I think the media issue is why we see Nintendo, at the moment, going back to carts. If anyone is successful in pulling off a plan that the consumer will bite into everyone in the gaming industry will jump on board, immediately. The question is, who will lead the way, Microsoft? Whoever does will set standards.

[CreepinDeth]

If anyone can pull it off, it's Microsoft. They're the only console company who is actually porting over past games to the latest console for free. Most even have 4K enhancements and some are even from the first generation Xbox. Nintendo and Sony are not doing that and I feel that's going to hurt them somewhat.

That makes having a digital console much more appealing, knowing that my titles from the past are more than likely coming with me. It needs to happen for consoles to evolve further. Less waste and smaller footprints. Microsoft should probably create a disc-less Xbox One S to test it out.

[targetrasp]

If my virtual console games would move from console to console i'd be interested.