Seriously, you can't believe this. That's a nearly insane marketing strategy.

The most logical explanation for these rumors is that they are true. MS, being a big powerfull company, got trapped in it's own hubris, and thought that consumers will be accepting of this idea (They might be for all i know).

This happens all the time with companies of that size and influence.

http://www.neoseeker.com/forums/24801/t1841440-rumor-microsoft-acquires-p2p-torrent-software-developer-pando-perhaps-related-to-next-xbox/

Israeli business website Calcalist is reporting that Microsoft has acquired peer-to-peer torrent software developer Pando for $11 million. Pando is perhaps best known for developing the Pando Media Booster, software widely known for its use in League of Legends and other PC games, which allows for peer-to-peer transfer of the game client or large updates. According to a loose translation, Calcalis says that Microsoft is planning to us Pando's software in the next-gen Xbox.

It should be noted that Pando doesn't exactly have the best reputation with gamers. Pando Media Booster has been referred to as "borderline malware" on occasion by players and tech sites alike. For example, the small application is installed with League of Legends and will run in the background as you're downloading the game and also afterwards -- potentially devouring your bandwidth. Disabling peer-to-peer can stop the process, but uninstalling the "booster" is the only sure way to stop it.

While a business website reporting that Pando was purchased by Microsoft is likely reliable, any statements they make about gaming should likely be taken entirely as rumor. While the article does say the software is planned to be used in the next-gen Xbox, how can we know for sure before Microsoft has even unveiled the thing? Maybe Microsoft just wanted Pando's patents for peer-to-peer transfer. Maybe it's nothing at all.

Calcalist also says that the next Xbox console is planned to be shown off in June. Now it should be fairly obvious just how much a stretch some of these statements are. Truth or rumor, don't be surprised if Microsoft has some interesting ways in which it connects to the internet when it's finally announced. If the Durango is permanently online, it has to be fast, right?

I know it sounds crazy, but to me that is more viable than M$ going always online. I just refuse to believe, at least until I see them announce that they would go always online. No matter how big they may be in the console market, they just can't make such a ridiculous move and cut their marketshare drastically. I just can not forsee how this can ever benefit them in the long run.

I'm not even getting a 720 whether it has always online or not, but I still have trouble believing this.....actually scratch all that I said. M$ were the ones who started charging for online play when it was always free. So I can kind of see why they could be trying to do this as well thinking they can radically change the console space with such decisions.

There is some logic to that strategy when you look at it from MS's point. They want a mediacenter, not a console but a mediacenter which plays games. The best way for them to generated cash (or influence) is when those devices are online - eshop for games, movies and the rest.

The current customers who do not pay or use XBOX live at this moment, are in that aspect a bit irrelevant. To the "mediacenter" strategy, forcing out the non- online customers would be a small loss - they would bring in less revenue overal.

At least, that's how i would see it, from their point of view.

Microsoft might really believe this strategy could work. I doubt it will, but i can see why they would potentially implement it.