The Video Game Critic

As of today MS you can get the great new variation of Xbox a disc less machine. Yep this is their new download only console. So it is half the price or two thirds the price? No. It actually looks like you can get better deals on the xbox 1 with a disc. I feel another psp go moment coming up. When I heard about this I thought it was the perfect chance to make it portable. It would need to be a lot smaller. They have not done this either. It is hard to work out who it is aimed at. If I was going to get an Xbox 1 S I would buy the one with the disc drive as I could watch blu rays or dvds. The only thing the new console can do is stream and the S can do that also.

It will be interesting to see if anyone is stupid enough to buy this.

BlasteroidAli wrote:As of today MS you can get the great new variation of Xbox a disc less machine. Yep this is their new download only console. So it is half the price or two thirds the price? No. It actually looks like you can get better deals on the xbox 1 with a disc. I feel another psp go moment coming up. When I heard about this I thought it was the perfect chance to make it portable. It would need to be a lot smaller. They have not done this either. It is hard to work out who it is aimed at. If I was going to get an Xbox 1 S I would buy the one with the disc drive as I could watch blu rays or dvds. The only thing the new console can do is stream and the S can do that also.

It will be interesting to see if anyone is stupid enough to buy this.

He is going to hate it.

Not familiar with the MSRP of their current system bundles, but if it was cheaper, it's a smart option for them to offer. While I'm happy that the majority still seem to appreciate having a physical disc drive, a substantial minority are barely using them these days. Makes sense to offer them a cheaper option.

But I don't think Microsoft is serious here with this particular sku succeeding in a big way, as witnessed by the lack of a redesign to reduce the footprint and cost of manufacture. Rather, I see this as a low cost/low risk way for them to test the waters for the next-gen. If this is warmly received like Microsoft suspects it will be, they will offer a choice on day 1 with their next-gen system.

I suspect we'll see a system with all the bells and whistles, including the traditional disc drive with full video playback capabilities and compatibility with Xbox Next and supported legacy discs. But alongside it will be a significantly slimmer and at least $50 cheaper alternative option without the internal disc drive.

Everyone always mentions the psp go as the example of why diskless systems will fail, but the psp go was released 10 YEARS ago! The download scene was very different back then. Heck, smartphones were barely a thing yet. The iPhone was only introduced 2 years previously.

The point is the psp go was introduced too early, that's why it failed

Now, almost every game on the Xbox has a download version. I would guess at least half of every current console is ONLY available digitally.

GameStop is continually cutting their stock because sales are dropping. Like it or not, this is the future.

I believe physical games will eventually become niche, not the norm. Much like cds and records.

bluenote wrote:Everyone always mentions the psp go as the example of why diskless systems will fail, but the psp go was released 10 YEARS ago! The download scene was very different back then. Heck, smartphones were barely a thing yet. The iPhone was only introduced 2 years previously.

The point is the psp go was introduced too early, that's why it failed

Now, almost every game on the Xbox has a download version. I would guess at least half of every current console is ONLY available digitally.

GameStop is continually cutting their stock because sales are dropping. Like it or not, this is the future.

I believe physical games will eventually become niche, not the norm. Much like cds and records.

Gamestick,
Nvivdia Shield
The Ouya
All had a bit of money behind were download only and all sank without a trace.
Oh I forgot to say it is exactly the same price as the one with the disc. Where is the sense in that?

Saying that Nvivdia Shield sank without a trace would not be accurate. It premiered in 2015 and is still in production. It continues to be supported with updates, and can now run 4K video. Used ones sell for almost the same price as new ones on Ebay. It's considered an emulator powerhouse.

BlasteroidAli wrote:

bluenote wrote:Everyone always mentions the psp go as the example of why diskless systems will fail, but the psp go was released 10 YEARS ago! The download scene was very different back then. Heck, smartphones were barely a thing yet. The iPhone was only introduced 2 years previously.

The point is the psp go was introduced too early, that's why it failed

Now, almost every game on the Xbox has a download version. I would guess at least half of every current console is ONLY available digitally.

GameStop is continually cutting their stock because sales are dropping. Like it or not, this is the future.

I believe physical games will eventually become niche, not the norm. Much like cds and records.

Gamestick,
Nvivdia Shield
The Ouya
All had a bit of money behind were download only and all sank without a trace.
Oh I forgot to say it is exactly the same price as the one with the disc. Where is the sense in that?

I don’t think those consoles are nearly in the same class as Xbox in terms of 3rd party support and money behind them. I’ve never even heard of gamestick!