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Forums - Microsoft - Rumor: Microsoft considering a smaller, cheaper digital-only Xbox to compete with the Apple TV

Illusion on 31 December 2015

Wouldn't abandoning physical media be really bad for console manufacturers relationship with retailers? Isn't it possible that many retailers wouldn't even want to stock a console that doesn't have accompanying physical games? You are definitely not going to have a lot of shelf space in stores to promote your product.

These are just some of my reservations with this move. I think going with something cheaper than an optical drive (such as an SD Card reader) would probably be best of both worlds and would still allow for physical games.



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theprof00 on 31 December 2015
ZhugeEX said:
theprof00 said:
If this actually happens, I so called it.
I believe there will be an xbox mini, eschewing the bluray player for maybe just a dvd or nothing at all, and MS will also release a tv wifi adapter like roku to stream games from pc to tv.
The patents are all there.
I called this like almost a year ago.

The rumour has been there since the Xbox One was announced. 

I thought that was the stingray rumor that happened around the same time as the xb1 unveil.
http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=158444&page=1

 

Anyway, my prediction was about a box that streamed to the tv, or a hookup that streamed from pc to tv. I think it's a bit different. I don't recall any rumours at release other than possibly having a sans-BR kit for 100$ cheaper, but that never came to fruition. I think that was honestly just forum expectations.





zorg1000 on 31 December 2015
ZhugeEX said:
UshiotheOmega said:

Apple TV will be 9 years old in 9 days and has shipped 25 million that's how tiny the set top box/micro console market is.  There is a reason Apple calls it a hobby since it's just the circuit board from an ipod in a plastic case it's cheap as chips to make.

 

You're making the classic mistake of dividing sales by years. For example did you know that 13 million of those units were sold in 2013 and 2014. 

Yep, in May 2013 it was reported that Apple TV had sold 13 million with about half in the past year so we can assume around 6 million at the beginning of 2012, then in January 2015 it was reported that Apple TV had sold 25 million. So Apple TV had sold close to 20 million in just 2012-2014, lifetime numbers are probably over 30 million by now.





When the herd loses its way, the shepard must kill the bull that leads them astray.

Azuren on 31 December 2015
AlfredoTurkey said:
bobgamez said:
i dont think apple tv is doing remotely well enough to warrant a reaction

Apple TV is second in market share.

They're actually 3rd, and that's behind Google who is a VERY distant 2ND.



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NathObeaN on 31 December 2015

Oh look, it's obviously the time of year for this rumor again... it's not going to happen people :)



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zorg1000 on 31 December 2015
Illusion said:
Wouldn't abandoning physical media be really bad for console manufacturers relationship with retailers? Isn't it possible that many retailers wouldn't even want to stock a console that doesn't have accompanying physical games? You are definitely not going to have a lot of shelf space in stores to promote your product.

These are just some of my reservations with this move. I think going with something cheaper than an optical drive (such as an SD Card reader) would probably be best of both worlds and would still allow for physical games.

 

It wouldn't replace the disk version though and things like Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Google Nexus/Chromecast get shelf space and the point of this device is to compete with those products.



When the herd loses its way, the shepard must kill the bull that leads them astray.

Azuren on 31 December 2015

Microsoft and GameStop likely don't have a very good relationship at this point in time. Even if they did make a digital only console, dropping the disc drive would only lower the cost, at most, by $50. Not worth it.



Watch me stream games and hunt trophies on my Twitch channel!

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ZhugeEX on 31 December 2015
Azuren said:
AlfredoTurkey said:
bobgamez said:
i dont think apple tv is doing remotely well enough to warrant a reaction

Apple TV is second in market share.

They're actually 3rd, and that's behind Google who is a VERY distant 2ND.

That's not true. Unless you're talking about quarterly sales?





jason1637 on 31 December 2015

Its not an Xbox One if it can only use the windows store.



thismeintiel on 31 December 2015
Madword said:
This rumour has been going around for a few years now... I think some Analysts keep bringing it up because they feel its a certainty and want to then claim they have sources... hah.

The TV market is crowded, not sure how anyone can go up against Apple/Amazon/Google right now, it was one of my biggest problems with MS's console launch where they were going on about this $400 device that could do TV, when you could buy a cheap stick to do the same thing.

Also as a consumer who has a Sony smart TV, an Apple TV device, console (netflix/amazon)... I'm not that impressed with most of the services offering half assed products/libraries. I don't need or want another store front selling me another limited range of products.

In fact this isn't a complaint of MS but of all TV services etc, they are really quite poor right now... which stops me from buying content. I wanted to watch a stupid crappy tv show, it was £22 to buy the series off apple, I actually could buy S1/S2 for £10 on DVD, which I then just converted and put on my Apple TV... they didnt even have S3/S4 on their service... absolutely rubbish.

We don't need another TV service, what we need is a TV service that has good content AND reasonable prices.

When has that ever stopped MS from entering another market?  Their problem is they always release 3+ years after the market has started to take off AND already has clearly defined leaders, thinking they can easily swoop in and take 1st or a close 2nd. 

Lrdfancypants said:

The fact that the OP followed up this story asking if Sony should follow and do it as well should answer the question if MS should do this. I mean if no one remembers Sony did this with PStv what on earth makes this a good idea for MS?

It would be an even worse idea for MS, since there's would be launching 3 years after PS TV launched (then Vita TV), which really was on the tail end of a reasonable time to launch.  Granted they will probably not half ass it as much as Sony did (really, Sony, no Netflix support?)  Of course, those two about equal themselves out, with being too late probably being a little worse.

Edit:  After looking at the numbers for the last 4 years, you are probably right.  In terms of overall sales, it is probably a very distant 2nd to Roku.  However, Chromecast will pass it very shortly, as it outsold it in 2014 and 2015, and looks like it will continue to do so.  Soon, the list will be Roku #1, Chromecst #2, Apple TV #3, Fire TV #4, and Sony #5.