Insider: Xbox 720 development is "pretty much Fight Club"

[Dodece]

@JEMC

A lack of security is also counter productive, and can actually be more damaging then the inefficiencies brought on by the secrecy. It goes beyond losing the element of surprise. It allows the competition to counter, copy, or even exploit the situation. Such was the case early in the previous console generation. When Microsoft caught wind of the planned PS3 price cuts, and component reductions.

Microsoft exploited the situation by publicly talking about what Sony was going to be doing, and when they would be doing it. Which in turn drove down the sales of the console in the proceeding months, and if that cost Sony the sale of a million consoles. Then Microsoft basically ended up costing Sony two hundred million dollars on top of the losses that following the plan would cost them. Plus Microsoft probably ended up costing Sony short term support, because those lost sales probably divested, or delayed third parties.

Microsoft didn't just exploit the situation. They turned Sony's own plan against them. They basically turned that free flow of information into a throbbing weak spot. Any savings gained through the efficiencies were lost many times over. What I find most interesting about this whole cloak and dagger situation. Is that Microsoft doesn't seemingly just play defense. They play a very active offense, and I think that there is a strategy being perpetuated in communities like this.

I genuinely believe that Microsoft is manipulating the flow of information. That they have shills actively putting out a story that they want to be told. The primary source for the majority of next box rumors has made claims that are just plain unbelievable. Yet they haven't been sued, gagged, bribed, threatened, criminally prosecuted, or denounced in a very public way. That basically tells me that the guy is being paid by Microsoft to say the things he says, and I doubt it ends there either.

There is a consistent thread in almost all of the Sony rumors, and it all promotes a singular view of the PS4, and that is of a fairly powerful piece of stand alone hardware. If I were Microsoft, and I knew for a fact that wasn't the case. This is exactly what I would do. Create a unrealistic expectation that can be dashed at the unveil. While my companies own product could live up to the hype. Think about how many Sony rumor mongers are going to feel betrayed even when Sony hasn't made a single promise.

You know something else. Microsoft has done the exact same thing before. Microsoft has paid shills to work online communities in the past, and there isn't any reason to think that it isn't happening now. Let me be crystal clear about my previous comment. Former Microsoft employees have publicly confessed to doing this. So what I am saying is that we probably shouldn't assume that Sony has leaks. It could very well be Microsoft is generating bullshit for its own self serving purposes. We don't actually have proof that all the ships aren't water tight.