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Gates Shows Off Xbox Media Center, Discusses Consoles
Thanks to Reuters for its story reporting on Bill Gates' announcement of an Xbox Media Center Extender kit at the CES show in Las Vegas, discussing the add-on "that will extend the functions of its Windows XP Media Center Edition to the console, turning it into a set-top box that allows the playback of live and recorded video, music and photos." 1UP has a couple more details, noting the add-on "will combine an Xbox DVD title with a dedicated remote control [and] currently carries no release date or price point", and the Reuters interview with Gates has him noting of the Xbox: "We are pushing the boundaries in terms of expanding what people think of as what the device can do." He's also confident but secretive about the next generation of consoles, suggesting: "In terms of the next round, hey, it's a new game. We're not showing our hand and I don't think Sony's showing their hand. We're doing some very cool work, but that's really all we say at this point."
Ugh. Microsoft everywhere. MSNBC, Xbox, WMA-enabled DVD players, V-ports on RCA TVs, WinCE everywhere, etc.
I don't want to think about what influence Microsoft will have on content when America inevitably allows them to control every medium in existence. He who owns the bridge controls who and what can pass, and at what price.
the thing is that this is a feature why the thing should have been more open from day 1, up until now(and still!) you MUST mod your xbox to take advantage of it as a common media player(also to have more enjoyable playing from hd).
This is a feature that is addable to xbox at NO COST AT ALL, without a need for an extra dvd title you switch in(like on the ps2 equivalent of this thing).
though, the same thing happens on lots of other devices by other manufacturers as well, on gba's it's handy to have just one big cart you dump your games on(which is of course something that nintendo wouldn't advise you on doing), with n-gage as well to properly enjoy it you have to find cracks to the games so that you can just dump them on one big mmc(along with other stuff) so that you don't need to change the mmc ever. I guess it's the same with few dvd players just as well and with pc games you need to find cracks so that you don't need to be switching the damn cd in the drive all the time.
and oh, as for Microsoft support. I got a ms sidewinder force feedback pro joystick that is an excellent stick, but one that microsoft dropped official support when moving to xp/2k(it's possible to get it working with the forces though, but you need to fiddle around way too much, have some other game with a force feedback menu usually to enable it - because ms is just a dick when it comes to supporting even their own hardware).
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Adding this capability does cost money-
Support
If they added these features on day 1- they would make the Xbox more complex, and more difficult to support. If there were problems, they would have opened themselves up to a huge shitstorm of negative reviews.
They would have spent money making sure everything worked- possibly delaying the Xbox launch.
Consoles are supposed to 'just work'- and the only way to really make that happen, is to have a tightly controlled environment. (yes, I know there are occasional crashes...)
No reason to lie.
"I don't want to think about what influence Microsoft will have on content when America inevitably allows them to control every medium in existence. He who owns the bridge controls who and what can pass, and at what price."
Yeah, because Microsoft makes a monopoly out of everything it touches. For example, the XBOX, the PocketPC, Ultimate TV, Front Page, IIS, Microsoft Network Cards...
"Derp de derp."
"the thing is that this is a feature why the thing should have been more open from day 1, up until now(and still!) you MUST mod your xbox to take advantage of it as a common media player(also to have more enjoyable playing from hd)."
So long as it opens the possibility for the machine to play 'pirated' games, then there's no 'should' about it. Don't get me wrong, I agree with you, but the reason game companies don't like you modding is that they don't want you burning ISOs and playing them. Remember, it's a game machine first.
"This is a feature that is addable to xbox at NO COST AT ALL,"
Not true. Microsoft loses money on every console. They make it up again with games. In theory, this 'feature' could make for a lot of XBOXes to be sold without plans to buy games for them. Microsoft risks losing serious money on something like that. Yeah, I know none of you care, but it does take the wind out of the whole "Microsoft's just being dumb" argument.
I'm not saying I agree with Microsoft. I think they're being overly protective of the system. It doesn't help, though, that everybody expressly hates Microsoft and would do anything they can to try to 'punish' them.
"Derp de derp."
Microsoft didn't get in to the cosole business just to lose a but load of money in a market larger than movies.
The WHOLE point of the Xbox, isn't to provide a games platform, but to be the box that runs everyone's TV. It was Windows 1.0. With the way Sony treats North America, he might even be able to swing it.
From the outset, everyone knew where the Xboxes were going to end up. He's not copying anyone, but rather moving on to a less mysterious Phase II.