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Xbox Author Discusses Microsoft Handheld

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the xbox-in-your-pocket dept.

Dean Takahashi wrote an authoritative book on Microsoft's original console, called 'Opening the Xbox'. We're fortunate enough to be able to read a similar work on their next-gen console, a book entitled The Xbox 360 Uncloaked. Takahashi did an interview recently with Kyle Orland, of Videogame Media Watch. There he lays out the challenges of reporting on the industry, and getting publishers to understand the subject matter. Eurogamer reports that part of the book discusses a Microsoft handheld gaming system. From that article: "Takahashi claims the team was split in two following the launch of the Xbox 360, leaving the other half to work solely on reducing production costs for Microsoft's next-gen console. According to the writer, the portable is planned to be released halfway into Xbox 360's lifespan, a strategy to assuage the crippling costs of moving through hardware cycles. A Microsoft gaming handheld has been long-rumoured, the latest occurrence adding fuel to this particular fire being the release of a movie for the company's Origami project. A promotional video for the handheld PC showed Halo 2 running on its screen."

3 of 65 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Typical Microsoft by hal2814 · · Score: 5, Funny

    "the industry needs a 3rd handheld as much as they needed a third system, not at all."

    Yeah really. There's already the GBA and the DS.

  2. It's a brilliant strategy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    This way, Microsoft can fail at defeating the iPod and the Game Boy at the same time!!!

  3. Re:tsk tsk tsk - don't they ever learn? by otis+wildflower · · Score: 2, Funny

    I remember my "superior" Atari-Lynx, can you belive it? 16-bit, 4096 colors and games that would beat the living sh*t out every competitor around at the time, but it FLOPPED! Why? It drained the batteries after 1.5 hours, people simply didnt use it.

    I tend to think the size worked against it as well, as it was tragically released between the fashions of parachute pants and cargo pants, which are the only pants with pockets large enough for either the skateboard or the stereo chunk varieties. And yeah, that screen was as luscious as it was thirsty.

    (I had both, along with Warbirds, Bill & Ted, Klax, Rampage and like 15 other games :p)

    (and the DS Lite looks like what the Lynx (c|sh)oulda been, down to the 'one cart for all'..)