Is the 360 a console?

[cimerians]

Interesting article:

 

http://kotaku.com/5288214/when-will-it-be-...-a-game-console

 

Well, the evil empire has succeeded in getting gamers to "want" their piece of garbage (which on the other hand plays lots of good games)

 

I wonder if a new category will be invented.

 

"Console"

"PC"

"Marketing Box"

 

I dont know but slowly the ads are getting a bit annoying on XBLA and the article does raise a good point.

 

I pasted it below:

 

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When Will It Be Wrong To Call The Xbox 360 A Game Console?

By Stephen Totilo, 11:40 AM on Fri Jun 12 2009, 10,285 views (Edit post, Set to draft, Slurp)

 

 

Kotaku recently asked Microsoft if the flourishing of non-gaming features like Netflix, Facebook, Last.fm and Twitter on the Xbox 360 will someday invalidate the classification of the device as a gaming console.

 

Since the original Xbox launched in 2001, Microsoft has worked hard to deflate suspicions that the company wasn't serious about video games.

 

Microsoft, skeptics assumed, was going to push gaming only as long as necessary to get Xboxes installed under every home TV. And then? The theory was that Microsoft would focus on the alchemy of dominating the set-top box market, with gaming as something less than the primary focus.

 

Much of that suspicion has been eliminated thanks to the Xbox 360's dominance with the hardcore gaming market and the platform's string of leading games. Microsoft has recently earned the reputation, in fact, of producing the premiere gamer's game machine of this console generation.

 

But non-gaming aspects of the Xbox 360 are on the rise. Netflix has become a big story for the Xbox 360 since it was integrated into the platform last fall. And this E3 saw announcements of Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm integration into the machine. Microsoft is selling movies and TV shows on the 360 and is in the midst of beta-testing a game show that would network thousands of homes. In the U.K. it will push the 360 as a new portal through which to watch major soccer matches and other Sky TV programming. Even Project Natal, which has been characterized as a next-level game controller was also shown at E3 as a next-level TV remote.

 

With all that in mind last week, we asked Shane Kim, Microsoft's corporate vice president of interactive entertainment strategy whether the "video game console" term was going to soon become invalid for the Xbox 360.

 

"The Center Of Home Entertainment," Kim responded, suggesting a more encompassing term. "It happens to be a great video game console. That's not going away."

 

Kim said the best sign of gaming's continued importance to the Xbox 360 was its lead position during Microsoft's E3 2009 briefing. The show started with games. "We want to make people understand that we're not leaving the gaming space. I definitely think that we can expand off that base, and that gaming is still going to be an important part of entertainment."

 

Two years ago, while speaking of Microsoft's entry into the console business, Bill Gates told Kotaku that "we wouldn't have done it if it was just a gaming device." He added: ""We wouldn't have gone into the category at all. It was strategically getting into the living room. This is not some big secret, Sony says the same things."

 

There was a time when comments about the Xbox's expansion beyond gaming would have panicked gamers. But it's worth re-assessing that fear. As Microsoft branches out from supporting a gaming-only home console, those who suggested that would be a bad thing don't seem to be speaking as loudly as before.

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[+HammR25]

Not suppose to post entire articles here.

 

What is their point exactly? Sony is doing the exact same thing. Video games make way too much money for them to go anywhere. It's not like MS is going to tell game developers to stop making games for the 360.

[moycon]

Not suppose to post entire articles here.

 

What is their point exactly? Sony is doing the exact same thing. Video games make way too much money for them to go anywhere. It's not like MS is going to tell game developers to stop making games for the 360.

 

This kotako article is all the more puzzling since in an article in Time magazine prior to or shortly after the 360 launch, reps from MS already stated this very thing, clearly and the article went on to state Sony was going to be attempting the same. These "skeptics" must not be a very smart bunch if they've been speculating about MS or Sony's actions after they specifically laid out their plans in an extremely popular and easily accessible magazine like Time years ago.

 

Maybe folks are just running out of things to write video game articles about and are regurgitating years old news?

[otaku]

I use it as a console but it does seem to have many uses. Reminds me of a htpc (??) anyway those boxes they used to call media center pcs.

[Hyper_Eye]

It is a console. The 360 and PS3 simply reflect the current evolution of consoles. I think people knew this was the direction things were headed back in the days of Sega Channel. At least I did.

[godslabrat]

Maybe folks are just running out of things to write video game articles about and are regurgitating years old news?

 

I've always wondered why magazines like Time and Newsweek continue to print so many articles on video games, when their facts always end up being outdated, inaccurate, or (at the very least) just plain useless. Every single one I've seen in the last ~10 years or so has been an exercise in them trying to form an opinion on a topic they clearly are not qualified to comment on.

 

Our country is at war, our school system is a mess, several major industries are in need of an economy-changing overhaul, and our faithful press spends its resources writing about what a freaking xbox can do. This is exactly, EXACTLY why I don't read newsmagazines or newspapers anymore.

[moycon]

I've always wondered why magazines like Time and Newsweek continue to print so many articles on video games, when their facts always end up being outdated, inaccurate, or (at the very least) just plain useless.

 

But see, you're wrong.

The article I read in Time (and I could find it I'm sure if you are REALLY interested) stated exactly what was going to happen a couple years BEFORE it did.

Why anyone now is confused why things turned out the way they did is confusing, because they did exactly what they said they were going to, and I'm guessing it turned out like they wanted it to because people are buying into it. At the time the article wasn't outdated (It hadn't come to pass yet) It wasn't inaccurate (It's exactly what happened) and (at the very least) it not useless, they foretold the future. (Not really. They just stated what they wanted to do....and did it)

[Video]

It is more a all in one Media box (kinda in the vein of what CDi was trying to do, only successful)

 

Me? I consider it a console, it's for me a dedicated console that I use to play full games on, don't care about Netflix, or XBLA, or online chat or any of that crap, I got my computer for all the other media, other than watching movies cause I don't have another HD player, I only really play games on it.

 

But don't get confused, this isn't a "microsoft's an evil bastard" type of thing, Sony and Nintendo are doing it too (though the Wii has the disadvantage of not at bare minimum at least playing DVD movies) Next Gen will be more open with even more useless features (and a few kick ass games to give you a real reason to upgrade) so I figure it'll kindof justmush together, eventaully they'll open up so you can do the whole internet browsing and all that too, and then they will truely have the ultimate media box.

[Jetboot Jack]

Well I have 3 Xbox 360 systems - one of which is used for gaming 50% of the time, the rest of the time it either streams music or video from my server or relays live/recorded TV as an MCE extender. The other two 360's are purely used as media streamers/Extenders to watch movies (I have converted around 500 titles to M4V), recorded or live TV around the house...

 

They are infinitely better than my PS3 for media, and given that I also use apple TV/airtunes I find them a great compliment to my media network...

 

sTeVE

[carmel_andrews]

You could say it's a pc without a keyboard

 

Or a modern version of the xegs (less the keyboard) with a hard drive and a dvd drive

 

Don't have one though and I haven't seen anything that would make me buy one

Edited June 13, 2009 by carmel_andrews

[Jetboot Jack]

Why is it a PC w/o a keyboard?

 

What makes it PC like? Because MS developed it?

 

In my experience of developing for it it is no closer to a PC than the PS3 or Wii is...

 

And the XEGS analogy seems odd, what basis can you use for that, is the Xbox an old 8bit computer repackaged in a new box?

 

sTeVE

[+FujiSkunk]

The PS2 was also a DVD player.

 

The Dreamcast could be a VCD player, and was bundled with a web browser.

 

Consoles all the way back the Atari 2600 either had or were planning to have networking of some sort, for everything from chatting to online games to other entertainment.

 

This is news?

Edited June 15, 2009 by skunkworx

[Warriorisabouttodie]

The PS2 was also a DVD player.

 

The Dreamcast could be a VCD player, and was bundled with a web browser.

 

Consoles all the way back the Atari 2600 either had or were planning to have networking of some sort, for everything from chatting to online games to other entertainment.

 

This is news?

 

 

Yea good point, you took the words right out of my mouth.

[ovalbugmann]

You could say it's a pc without a keyboard

 

There is a regular size 360 controller with a full keyboard between the handles?, I think, as I've seen a picture of one.

 

Yes, I think the 360 IS definitely a very powerful console, because it's main focus and system design is to play games. Those "Alien" brand PCs are built with gaming in mind but the 360 seems streamlined & specifically built as a game console in comparison to those kind of PCs. The 360 is built with propietory processor chips & MoBos it also has a streamlined OS just for it. A PC "can" be a game machine but it's not specifically made to do so, you have to buy an "Alien PC" or the like or add hardware to support the very newest games. As long as games are the primary focus of the 360 by design - it is a games' console, but there is definitely nothing wrong with lots of multimedia and various communications types of features too - to be the center of YOUR entertainment in addition to it's primary chore of games playing.

 

As a matter of fact I think it is very cool to be able to use my gaming equipment & hardware for all kinds of other things! - these are usually multimedia, various communications, and internet. There is nothing wrong with that and that's why M$(hehe) strives for the 360 to be the real centerpiece of your entertainment.

 

.

 

.

 

Now,..I'm an Atari Jaguar fan, and Atari saw this trend too, and they tried to add on all kinds of multi-media/communications features like; an Mpeg cartridge to play movies(mpeg-1) and show digital photgraphs - the JagCD supported the new(at the time) CD based games and could play digital Kodak picture discs(with the mpeg cart), a voice modem was finished, for talking to another player while playing a game(Ultra Vortek has this feature), the web "Cortina" for internet, the VR Helmet for interesting virtual reality gaming with friends using the voice modem, a stereo out attachment was made. The Jagcd player plays audio CDs with the Virtual Light Machine graphics, it plays CD+(computer)Graphics discs. The Catbox & Scatbox offer RS232 communications ports to link up several Jaguars' for network play and they have a host of A/V connections, the Jaglink can connnect you to a PC for a variety of things. There was going to be user-editable games, many different controllers and other attachments were going to be offered.

 

So you can see Atari saw the future too, and since consoles are really dedicated games computers anyway, why not have your game machine do everything for all your entertainment needs- that's kinda neat I think. Again, as long as games remain the primary design function of the unit it's OK, as were all games first and formost - you can still use your machine for any other specific function as you wish - if you just want to use it as a HD-DVD player only or for email only - so be it! It's nice to have a variety of capabilities available to you.

 

Just don't confuse the issue here - some people don't like today's games because they are half-game and half-movie with all the beautiful FMV in them (I love it as well as the classics too)- that's a software preference - we are talking about hardware capabilities here and how far they should go.

 

Ok, enough of this rant.

 

[cimerians]

Well....I came to the conclusion that its a console and forget all the rubbish.

 

Consoles simply couldnt stay as video game players forever.

[roland p]

I use an xbox 360 for playing games, blu-ray player for movies, cd-player for playing music, satbox for tv, laptop for browsing, phone for making phone calls. I guess I'm old fashioned.

 

But I do like additional features if they make sense:

-Downloading trailers and demos of new games on a console.

-Blu-Ray Live, I haven't tried it, but it could enhance the movie experience.

[Jetboot Jack]

I used to be like that, but the new convergent devices and services (iTunes, iPod Phone, Airtunes, Windows Media Center, MCE Extenders) has transformed my media consumption - I can't really imagine going back to buying physical media or watching linear TV broadcasts, I don't want to go back to unconnected sound systems in separate rooms, whole house audio is the way forward as is watching a film or show, pausing it downstairs and resuming it in the bedroom!

 

sTeVE

[roland p]

I can't really imagine going back to buying physical media or watching linear TV broadcasts

 

When streaming services are mature enough to match the quality and practicality of blu-ray I might think differently (I already wired my house with cat6). Untill then, never underestimate the bandwidth of a 5 minute walk to the video store

[atarian63]

You could say it's a pc without a keyboard

 

Or a modern version of the xegs (less the keyboard) with a hard drive and a dvd drive

 

Don't have one though and I haven't seen anything that would make me buy one

That;s how I view it.

[Red 5]

When streaming services are mature enough to match the quality and practicality of blu-ray I might think differently (I already wired my house with cat6).

 

It's called Vudu (and I love the hell out of mine.)

[Lord Helmet]

When streaming services are mature enough to match the quality and practicality of blu-ray I might think differently (I already wired my house with cat6).

 

It's called Vudu (and I love the hell out of mine.)

 

The Vudu is pretty slick. I personally have an Apple TV and love the hell out of it. When you've got a couple of terabytes of HD space full of movies, its even better

[cimerians]

Wow I didnt know about the Vudu.

 

Thanks for that link.

[cimerians]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-xbox...ole-next-autumn

 

Another damn rumor about a new Xbox system next year

Seems like the above rumor could have merit as the new controller would make sense with a new system.

[AtticGamer]

To me it's still a console because its hardware is primarily made to run games, as opposed to a PC. A PC from 2005 can't run Halo, yet an Xbox from 2001 will, that's my point. Plus they're cheaper and don't have Windows to consume resources.

[Starscream]

Being that it currently is the only system without a web browser, it's really the only true console on the market