Microsoft to Announce Xbox One S "All Digital Edition" in April [Rumor]

So this will NEVER happen, but if MS made iit $99 and they would sell a metric shit ton. They'll lose money on each console, but they will make it up on the digital spectrum. OTOH... you know it will come with a 500gb HDD which will suck. You'll constantly be deleting and re-downloading games. But won't happen. It'll probably be like $179 and maybe $149 by next BF or Xmas.

TBH tho, omitting the $20 BR drive isn't a huge deal in cost savings. This is purely a move to go all digital. And for some people with shitty internet or data caps (like, a LOT of the USA) this is not going to go over too well.


While I agree that $99 is extremely unlikely, it absolutely sell a ton of units. Even at $149, I think they could sell a lot. You're spot on that the lower retail price really has nothing to do with the cost savings of omitting the disc drive, and everything to do with the potential for higher profits in a digital only library. MS can risk breaking even or losing money on every console knowing that they stand to make good money by upping the adoption rates of digital games... especially if they can use it to push game pass. A low cost console that they can use to get people into long-term game subscriptions could be very lucrative. Even marketing it as high end 4K set-top box in hopes to sell games to people who don't normally buy game consoles could play out. There is lots of potential here, especially if they make it smaller and quieter in addition to cheaper.
 
Because when the next generation of consoles come out, your digital library is dead, or at least relegated to the old console. On PC you can just keep updating and replacing your hardware/OS and keep your games library.

Not really the case with the Xbox. Xbox 360 digital games moved over to the Xbox One. They even invested in making some of the original xbox games be digital downloads on the Xbox One. With all the effort spent on that and the cross system play now where most new Microsoft titles should also be Windows Store games. I think at least for the next generation or so it should be safe to say that they will carry that over and you will still be able to play your digital games on the new system. As for keeping your old games. I have many old games that are no longer playable as they don't support Windows 10. So no 100% of PC games are not playable forever as you upgrade hardware and software.

You're right, however soon I doubt anyone will have a choice in the matter, it'll be Digital or Nothing.


EDIT

I just wanted to add, that, unlike the PC where we have multiple competing marketplaces and weekly Sales. The Console Markets for PS and XBOX tend to continually sell games at full price long after release.

I always have bought SecondHand games for my PS4, mainly as that's the cheapest way to buy.

People keep saying that however I have always bought games on the Xbox store on sale. Just like on the PC, at the very least Microsoft has weekly sales also. Can't speak for Sony as I don't own a PS4.

meh. same reasons I don't support all digital on PC and even less compelling on consoles:

1. data caps and slow download speeds. now I have to dl the 60 GB game in addition to the 60 GB day one patch/ hi res textures/etc

2. expect "this realm is restarting for maintenance (patching)" to now affect all games. or "version incompatible"

3. probably can't lend/trade/buy used games.

4. absurdly, digital versions cost more than the physical versions

The games you download for digital download have the patches already installed. So you don't have to download a 60GB game and then a 60GB day one patch. Or at the very least I personally have never had that issue with any of the hundred games I have purchased and downloaded. Not even with any preorders that loaded a day or two before the street date. Never had an issue like #2. #3 is true because people didn't want lending / trading at least for the Xbox. #4 depends on what you are buying. I had found that was never the case with a single game I have purchased. I have always either paid the same or less.
 
How is that any different with hard copies? Backwards compatibility is limited among consoles, I don't see a case to be made that this is a problem unique to a digital library. If MS or Sony implement backwards compatibility in the upcoming generation, there's absolutely no reason why they couldn't carry over our digital libraries. I cannot see any logical reason to offer up backwards compatibility but limit it only to physical copies. I'd almost argue the opposite is more plausible, given that they could continue to profit on digital sales, but would not profit off the plethora of cheap used games.

Having your library confined to a single given console is part of owning consoles that has little to do with whether your games are owned physically or digitally. I don't see this as a deterrent for console gamers to avoid digital copies. At best you could argue that they cannot sell off their games when they cease to us the old console... but given what past generation console games sell for, you're at worst out the cost of a couple of McDonalds cheeseburgers. Rare/collectibles aside, physical video games seem to lose their value exceptionally fast. Quite honestly, with my past generation physical games, I'd rather put them in a box and never touch them again than let Gamestop pay me 50 cents a piece for them.


I never got the panic over backwards compatibility. You still have your old console that plays them and to be honest most will be too busy playing with the new console to worry so much about the old stuff. Irrational fear.
 
Lastly the name is stupid. Call it Xbox One Online edition or something. I would say "Arcade" edition but they already did that.
No, no, as bigdady92 pointed out, "Xbox S.A.D. Edition" is easy to remember and flows well.

They very much are a thing in the USA, is the USA a third world or developing nation?
Trick question.
 
Don't see the point as the new xbox isn't meant to be too far off.
 
I'm interested in seeing where they go with this. To be quite honest, I am not sure why console gamers are so apprehensive to give up their optical drives

Because I cant download a game when the internet is down/slow or when your servers are fucked up or when you discontinue the service because the console is too old. On the other hand I can take my NES and plug it in today and put a cart in and play w/out ever worrying about that. Same for the PS1/2/3.

Digital content can be ephemeral, disks are something that can last...and I can make backups of them (yes I know sometimes you have to modify the console to use backups...but its still doable).
 
Don't see the point as the new xbox isn't meant to be too far off.

Dollar bills, yo. This is an experiment from MS to see if we'll be OK with being digital only before they lock in the plans for next gen.
 
One of the larger points of failure on consoles are the disc drives. And games will outgrow bluray discs eventually anyways. On top of that, you put the disc in and it just ends up downloading the whole game from the internet anyways if it is any older than 30seconds from release time.

You all should be absolutely okay with this, the more watered down console gets the more gamers will start to move toward pc for the choices again. :)
 
Because I cant download a game when the internet is down/slow or when your servers are fucked up or when you discontinue the service because the console is too old. On the other hand I can take my NES and plug it in today and put a cart in and play w/out ever worrying about that. Same for the PS1/2/3.

Digital content can be ephemeral, disks are something that can last...and I can make backups of them (yes I know sometimes you have to modify the console to use backups...but its still doable).

All things that pc gamers stopped giving a shit about 10 years ago, and its been just fine.

Im almost more comfortable with the longetivity of digital goods. We've never seen a digital distribution platform go under, so theres really no basis to the fear that all your games will go away one day. Meanwhile physical copies can be lost or damaged.
 
A bunch of you on here act like you haven't used Steam or bought games on Steam lol
what M$ is doing is nothing new, or a new concept.
 
All things that pc gamers stopped giving a shit about 10 years ago, and its been just fine.

Im almost more comfortable with the longevity of digital goods. We've never seen a digital distribution platform go under, so theres really no basis to the fear that all your games will go away one day. Meanwhile physical copies can be lost or damaged.

Just because you have never seen it happen doesn't mean it wont happen or hasn't happened. Steam shut down its video platform. The Wii Shop Chanel shutdown and the only wya to save was to download before hand...and you could never transfer them again. So you're literally fucked if that hard drive dies. Ganxy (e book distributor) shutdown. Razer shut down their game store just ten months after it opened. Ultraviolet is shutting down.

There is always a risk. PC gamers werent given a choice. I always order the physical copy if it exists.
 
I have had far less problems with digital platforms than I have with a scratched disc. Tried playing some older games a bit ago (daggerfall and star trek final unity actually) star trek was almost unplayable as the disc kept kicking back read errors (disc actually had no scratches). Tried cleaning it and ripping it so got pissed and threw it away lol.

Nothing is perfect, choice is nice which is what this still is, no one is forced to buy such a console.

I would like the idea of digital platforms for games but the option to download to a physical backup (not sure how to authenticate without a connection though).
 
Im almost more comfortable with the longevity of digital goods. We've never seen a digital distribution platform go under, so theres really no basis to the fear that all your games will go away one day.
That's like saying because a smoking volcano has never erupted, it's completely safe to live near it. First, while not a distribution service, we've seen Microsoft drop Games For Windows Live, leaving a lot of games bricked without cracks. We've seen EA kill multiple games that depend on online access. We've seen Microsoft kill its Xbox multiplayer and their Zune music service. I don't get why you think games would be some special exception. If the store is profitable, they'll keep it up. If it's not, they won't.

Also, not all digital is equal. Again, anything you get from GOG is basically yours for life, since you can back it up yourself. Others can be gone before you know it.

Bottom line: if you can run your game without having to connect to the company server, it's safe. If you can't, it's not. It's really that simple.
 
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