Well, for starters MS did add both Comcast and Verizon's services to their Xbox Live offerings. And in Europe there is Sky functionality. The current 360 made headway, so I think it would only be natural to add in this next bit of functionality to make the next xbox a full set top box for certain providers.

I think there is a belief among analysts that they know the market.
But the market is much more diverse.

Also, if I have Skype already on my laptop and my iPad -- and even on my TV or BluRay Player -- why do I need it on my console?

By the way, the Vita can Skype. Has that helped sales?

It is not about apps. It is about games for games consoles.

Mike from Morgantown

yes, but not comcast's core service... just the small silver of the on demand service.

their core product still can't be viewed via demand services.  it requires a hard connection (not just internet connection) and to change comcast must either A) revamp their entire infrasturure to be internet based or B) keep using a hard connection.

in case B) comcast has nothing to gain by parterning with MS.  not the kind of gains that would lead to comcast subsidizingthe xbox.  don't forget that comcast currently charges it's customers for cable boxes and dvr recorders and makes a healthy profit off of that. 

in case A) comcast wouldn't restrict their service to MS.  they'd go out on their own and not share their profits with anyone else.

i just,. no.  not happening.  comcast won't subsidized xbox.

kowen rides in to give us a more balanced and reasonable assessment.  All is good.

I really don't think they will either, I was just offering some other views.

The released plans with 2015 being "enjoy full xbox experience anywhere from any device" will show that maybe at launch the 720 won't be a set top box, but within a few years after that the services will jump to many more devices, whether that is based on a streaming service like Gaikai, or a bunch of hardware built into TV's/Set top boxes, tablets, PC's, etc I am not sure.

Just some food for thought. I think MS and perhaps Sony as well are gearing up for this to be the last traditional console cycle, where the console experience will begin to move away from a set hardware spec every so many years and become an experience available everywhere, on anything, without upgrading.

Underestimating Nintendo and overestimating competence...whats new?

Seriously every person that thinks:

"All my friends that have XBOX LIVE GOLD on 360 are guaranteed to buy a next box and also have XBLG there."  Are really unsmart..... Same for PSN users.

So Pachters "online-service-install-base comment" doesn't make much sense.

PS4 cant play PS3 games nextbox might not play 360 games.

So the only difference is creating an account thats it.

When you think about it there is already a few hundred thousand Nintendo Network players that play games like COD etc. compared to not a single PS4 nextbox owner that plays online games right now. So according to Pachter's logic Nintendo Network IS the way to go.

I think it'll have some effect for those that really care about trophies/achievements but other than that I agree there's little to no reason for people being unwilling to change online services.  This especially holds true if pricing stays the same as I don't see as many people putting up with paid subsciption to play online when the competitor will be timely and more reasonably priced this time.  Some people just like to stick with what they go though, or they just like playing Halo with their friends and don't want to change.  I don't know it's a very hard number to nail down as far as how many people would factor this in.

can't really disagree much there.  i think we'll get some cool stuff day one and i think we'll get even more cool stuff each year.  i can really see MS having their own gaikai too.  actually, i can't see them not. (<3 double negatives). 

..i just can't see MS getting subsidized from anything but their own live subscriptions.