A string of unsubstantiated rumors have begun to swarm across the Internet regarding Microsoft’s future plans for the Xbox brand. According to CNN Money’s Game Over column the company has been using market research group B/R/S to conduct studies into the consumer appeal of a hybrid Xbox and PC gaming device.
The device would reportedly be compatible with current and next generation Xbox software, PC games and multiplayer gaming service Xbox Live. It would run a version of Windows, a CD burner, a DVD player, as well as a hard disk and standard Xbox controller. It would operate through a PC monitor or high definition television and retail for $599.
It is not known exactly how such a device would be positioned next to the next-generation, stand alone, Xbox console, but the obvious comparisons to draw are between the PlayStation 2/3 and the PSX.
Other rumors today concern possible plans for a portable Xbox branded machine, which seem to have their origin with an interview by British trade paper MCV, with Xbox Euro boss Eduardo Rosini.
In this he emphasized the gaming potential of Windows-based ‘Portable Media Centers’. These vague comments though certainly give no indication that Microsoft is planning a specific portable gaming device in the near future.
Source:
CNN Money, et al.
