It seems very likely that NextBox will run Windows. It's rumored, and it fits very nicely with the corporate strategy of using XBox to promote the Windows brand and battling PC competition from Apple, Sony and others. I am greatly concerned with this. Not because I think it will be a bad system. It might be kinda cool, I'm not sure, we'll know soon enough. It bothers me in the same way the PS3 Blu-Ray bothered me. As a gamer, it's not needed. Sony used its playstation fan base to shove blue-ray down everyone's throats. They sold a $600 machine that didn't need to be a $600 machine just because they wanted Blue-Ray to become the format of choice. It worked, though it probably cost Sony a tremendous amount of market share. In reality for gamers, all it did was cost us extra money and few games needed the extra capacity and those that did could have been spread across a few DVDs.

With NextBox it's rumored that the system will have 8gig of ram, windows and device connectivity. None of this will benefit us as gamers. The OS will add cost and eat up a huge portion of that RAM. The device connectivity will be used to promote Windows Phones and Surface devices and other swag from MS. The machine will be unessarily costly to make without additional gaming advantages. MS will either eat the cost in the name of the big picture or pass it on to consumers in the form of a high price or increased Live subscription costs. All of this concerns me as a gamer and consumer.

I was once a very happy PS2 and PSP gamer. When the Blu-Ray PS3 was announced it pissed me off and I bought a 360 which had most of the same games but was much cheaper. I have enjoyed my 360 for years and it's been my primary system. Now I am worried that I will once again be presented with a machine that has more in it than I need for gaming only so that it can forward its corporate owner's mission.

I am aware that any talk involving the new systems is pure speculation and jumping the gun somewhat, but I am curious what everyone thinks. I'm also not trying to start a fan-boy back-and-forth. I'm not a fan-boy of hardware, I just like good games and I like to objectively pick my best option to enjoy them on.

I have no problem with a version of Windows 8.x for the NextBox, it just makes sense.

Id be shocked if it wasn't running a windows 8 variant that will be certainly compatible with there new app store. I see no other reason for requiring 3gigs for the OS. I just hope it can get closer to the metal than its PC counterparts.

More bloat for the system just ups the costs, I agree with you.

Having said that, windows has its share of compatible games, so that could be worth considering, unless you own a gaming PC already.

Some extra costs might just give a system a few bumps at the start. In the end the cost will go down and the features added from the start might pay off.

Also, OP, I'm sorry you got a 360 because you thought it was cheaper.

With the amount of cash people paid for the Xbox Live throughout this gen+100$ I can buy a PS4.

Several hundred? Where? It was $100-$200, not several. You also had to pay $60 a year for XBL gold. In a few years you ended up paying more for a 360 unless you never had gold....well unless your system broke and you didn't get a free replacement from MS or had to pay for repair costs. The 360 was the most expensive system that gen.

I never purchased gold and I bought the system on a Shopping Channel special that included 6 games. Yes, I saved several hundred dollars over PS3...I'm quite good at math!

But yes, many people were fooled into thinking XBox was cheaper but spent upwards of $800 for the system once Live fees are added in. It's sneaky and I don't like it. It bothers me that MS is looking to further this model with the NextBox.