Xbox 720 Ditching Optical Drive?

[VirtualLarry]

I think a cool idea would be the consoles ditch optical drives but come with a SATA "dock" on the side covered by a flap. Then each Xbox 720 would come with a small SSD, like 15-20GB. You take the drive to your local Best Buy or Target and they have devices there like the Red Box and the night before the release they've already downloaded the game and it sits in the box. When you buy a game, you stick your SSD into it and it loads the game.

Now that's an idea.

Didn't Blockbuster have some sort of deal with older console rigs, where they had programmable cartridges, and you would pay for the game that you wanted, and they would flash it to the cart? Or was I just dreaming that up.

Edit: I guess I wasn't dreaming it.
http://www.assemblergames.com/forum...The-Blockbuster-Game-Factory-cartridge-system

 

[zerocool84]

I'll guess that Flash readers are cheaper than blu-ray drives.

I think this rumor is true. The lowest end 720 model won't have a HD or a disk drive. It'll have that flash drive. If it means they can launch at $199, or maybe even cheaper...

Flash readers are cheap but flash memory is infinitely more expensive than optical media. This will not happen this generation.

 

[jpiniero]

Flash readers are cheap but flash memory is infinitely more expensive than optical media.

If using flash means they can cut the price of the console by $20, why not? So the games would cost $5 more, that's not MS's problem.

In this scenario, MS would also offer a higher model with a HD. It'll have the flash reader but MS would push Steam-like downloads for those users. Games would obviously be cheaper downloading, which is the point.

 

[Doppel]

I think a cool idea would be the consoles ditch optical drives but come with a SATA "dock" on the side covered by a flap. Then each Xbox 720 would come with a small SSD, like 15-20GB. You take the drive to your local Best Buy or Target and they have devices there like the Red Box and the night before the release they've already downloaded the game and it sits in the box. When you buy a game, you stick your SSD into it and it loads the game.

This will never happen. It's a hassle, people could lose them, etc. Far more likely, using some of your idea, would be still physically purchasing the game (disc or flash), but it's unusable until 12:01 am of release day after which point it's unlocked with an online code.

So the games would cost $5 more, that's not MS's problem.

It will be because they are purchased less.

BTW, this idea floating around that next gen will make buying used games impossible completely fails to realize the economics of it that many people buy a game knowing it can be sold used. I bought Skyrim for $60 on release day because I knew I'd play it for a while and offload it for $40. And that's what I did. If it cannot be sold used, I'll simply wait until it comes down to $30 or less and I am positive many will do the same thing. Not allowing used sales will put a strong downward pressure on game prices.

 

[Jules]

Not gonna happen.

 

[zerocool84]

If using flash means they can cut the price of the console by $20, why not? So the games would cost $5 more, that's not MS's problem.

In this scenario, MS would also offer a higher model with a HD. It'll have the flash reader but MS would push Steam-like downloads for those users. Games would obviously be cheaper downloading, which is the point.

But games downloaded are not cheaper for consoles save for the Vita. PS3 and Xbox, they're the same price.

 

[Doppel]

But games downloaded are not cheaper for consoles save for the Vita. PS3 and Xbox, they're the same price.

It's crazy. Especially now with the ability to sell used I'd never pay anything close to as much for a DL game as one new with a disc. Otherwise I don't much care; I have no need to horde physical media as long as I can download again if I have a system failure. But charging the same today is nutty.

 

[jpiniero]

But games downloaded are not cheaper for consoles save for the Vita. PS3 and Xbox, they're the same price.

Presumably the cost of the flash would help widen the gap.

 

[Modelworks]

They can put games on memory cards easily. Game size is in the 7-20GB range for the console market and that can easily be made to fit on a 16GB card with compression. Someone buying in bulk can get 16GB cards for $6 from the manufacturers. They could then do direct download to consoles or bring your flash drive to the kiosk in a store and download it there, take it home to your console and install to the internal drive.

I really wish they would go this route for all software. Optical disc are a headache and reading problems are always going to exist. Something like a game console in a home with kids always results in scratched disc and drives wear out fast, not to mention the noise level they create.

 

[dmoney1980]

They can put games on memory cards easily. Game size is in the 7-20GB range for the console market and that can easily be made to fit on a 16GB card with compression. Someone buying in bulk can get 16GB cards for $6 from the manufacturers. They could then do direct download to consoles or bring your flash drive to the kiosk in a store and download it there, take it home to your console and install to the internal drive.

I really wish they would go this route for all software. Optical disc are a headache and reading problems are always going to exist. Something like a game console in a home with kids always results in scratched disc and drives wear out fast, not to mention the noise level they create.

So you're going to sit in front of this kiosk for 10-20 minutes waiting for the 15 or so gigs of data to get written to this portable flash drive? I' don't think this country is ready for a media free console. Don't get me wrong I hate DVD drives, I wish I could buy a nice PC case with it!

 

[juiio]

Times 1xx million units?

The licensing costs would obviously be factored in to the price of the console, so yes, even in 1xx million units.

 

[Atty]

This could just mean that Microsoft is moving to all video games being available via online download. Pre-order through the marketplace and it downloads to your console at 12:00am on launch day. You would still have in store copies, perhaps on a flash drive or blu-ray (more likely blu-ray, but flash could happen) but that would set the stage for the next iteration of the Xbox.

I can definitely see this rumor as Microsoft has tipped developers that it wants to deliver all games through an online service as well as the physical disc service. Why not? Those that can will and those that can't still rely on Gamestop, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and the likes.

 

[JackBurton]

Ah, wrong thread.

 

[BenSkywalker]

They can put games on memory cards easily. Game size is in the 7-20GB range for the console market and that can easily be made to fit on a 16GB card with compression.

Why stop there? Why not just go back to 128KB games if we are going to freeze progress in the name of making things more expensive for consumers.....

I am trying to think of how going with no optical is a good idea, and I can't, not in any way. The amount of cost a BRD would add to a console would be added, at a minimum, to *every* single game you bought for the system. I'd rather pay the whopping $10 up front for the console then an extra $10 for every single game I'm going to own over the entire lifespan.

Also, the cost estimates are factoring that games aren't going to increase their assests more then the current generation- if that is the case forget any sort of large scale improvement in games in terms of graphics/sounds/CG etc.

BTW, this idea floating around that next gen will make buying used games impossible completely fails to realize the economics of it that many people buy a game knowing it can be sold used. I bought Skyrim for $60 on release day because I knew I'd play it for a while and offload it for $40.

Further- I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you spend that $40 from Skyrim on *more games*. That is the element the makers don't seem to be taking into account.

 

[Doppel]

Further- I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you spend that $40 from Skyrim on *more games*. That is the element the makers don't seem to be taking into account.

Yep, in fact I shortly thereafter bought another used game 🙂

 

[SunnyD]

If they're ditching the optical drive in favor of digital content delivery - is Microsoft going to pay my ISP bill and cover cap overages?

 

[cmdrdredd]

because a bd player with wifi and features like netflix is the same price as a PS3. and my wife who's not a techie can tell the quality difference between a dvd in the x-box and the PS3. that's how good it is. and it gets constant firmware and feature updates unlike consumer BD players

my only complaint about the PS3 is that they stopped with netflix, hulu and a few other movie rentals. i was hoping they would get amazon video and most of the features of Roku but it probably won't happen.

which is why i'm hoping next gen x-box goes BD. i'll sell both, buy new x-box and a roku box as well

And I'll still have every system. They will all have exclusive titles you may want.

These are video game consoles first and foremost. The other crap is what I have a PC, a blu-ray player (PS3 in the bedroom) and a cable box with on demand for.

 

[rayfieldclement]

They can put games on memory cards easily. Game size is in the 7-20GB range for the console market and that can easily be made to fit on a 16GB card with compression. Someone buying in bulk can get 16GB cards for $6 from the manufacturers. They could then do direct download to consoles or bring your flash drive to the kiosk in a store and download it there, take it home to your console and install to the internal drive.

I really wish they would go this route for all software. Optical disc are a headache and reading problems are always going to exist. Something like a game console in a home with kids always results in scratched disc and drives wear out fast, not to mention the noise level they create.

The PS3 drive is not THAT loud! Now the 360 MAY be something different...