View Full Version : Xbox 2: No Hard Drive
March 05, 2004 - In an interview with Globes Online, M-System's CEO, Dov Moran, confirmed that the successor to the Xbox will not include a hard drive. Here's the quote from the article:
"Microsoft has taken the hard disk out of its Xbox. The only thing left will be a CD; that's all. At some point, when users want to save their e-mail messages, copy music, or anything like that, the only storage they'll have is what we give them."
While Microsoft is mum on the subject, M-Systems was recently announced as the official supplier for the Xbox 2's flash memory units (memory cards). We don't know much about them, but they are said to be considerably bigger in size than current ones.
The lack of a hard drive implies several things. First, that either the new memory cards will be really, really big, or that Microsoft intends to expand on its server-side storage feature implemented in Xbox Live 3.0. Secondly, the lack of a hard drive means that we could see an end to custom soundtracks in games, as well as some of the other multimedia features showcased in Xbox Music Mixer and the like. Thirdly, expect the Xbox 2 to be significantly smaller than the current iteration.
With online play finally hitting its stride, it'll be interesting to see how Microsoft deals with downloadable content, patches, etc.
Could Microsoft release a hard drive add-on like Sony is doing with the PS2? It's entirely possible, but will users want to shell out another bill for the added functionality? Will certain games require its use? It's too early to answer any of these questions. Hopefully Microsoft will make some sort of announcement regarding the matter at this year's Game Developer's Conference or E3. Until then, savor every block of your Xbox's hard drive.
Source: IGN (http://xbox.ign.com/articles/496/496885p1.html)
It should be interesting to see what Microsoft does without a hard drive.
It should be interesting to see what Microsoft does without a hard drive.
heard about this couple months ago. interesting to see it confirmed now.
could hurt them tho cuz they built up how a hard drive is such a great thing. and then users will see it in the PS3 and not Xbox2.
Most likely they have found a differnt form of memory at a very good price.
Hero2
03-07-2004, 06:31 PM
NOOOOOOOOOOOoooo...... it cant be true. that ****en sux. ohh well looks like ps3 will be God for next gen consoles. unless nintendo pulls something big off and while that possiable Im not holding my breath. ohh well I still have my computer.
Happydude
03-07-2004, 06:33 PM
Most likely they have found a differnt form of memory at a very good price.
they better have.
TheGame
03-08-2004, 01:21 PM
Yuck, bad idea... but hopfully they follow through with another big memory format unlike Nintendo's SD card tease. I for one would much rather have a big card than some type of online online memory space.
Jonbo298
03-08-2004, 01:43 PM
Why can't MS use the HD's that laptop's use. Those are tiny as hell and can fit a good amount on it.
TheGame
03-08-2004, 01:47 PM
T think the reason they don't want a HD is piracy issues... I still say make a HD with just too little space to save the average full game. Oh, and have it be 100% unreplaceable or upgradeable ;)
bobcat
03-08-2004, 03:56 PM
I remember making a post about piracy and how MS shouldn't have put a HDD in it's console and concentrated more on piracy policies.
Now they listen :p
T think the reason they don't want a HD is piracy issues... I still say make a HD with just too little space to save the average full game. Oh, and have it be 100% unreplaceable or upgradeable ;)
too little space woudlnt work. What consoles need to build up to is the ability computers already have, which is mods for games. Be able to download them and play differnt modes. If consoles are ever going to keep up with online games and be able to play them online, actually have pc users and console users play together, is to be able to download the same things pc users do. so a small hard drive isnt the answer.
they can put other ways on there that would be a bit more effective.
problem is nothing is ever and will ever be totally piracy free
And Junbo, i dont think the actual size of the hard drive (size, not how much it holds) is the issue. thoes laptop hard drives cost more then normal hard drives. so that wouldnt really be good for em.
TheGame
03-08-2004, 05:15 PM
Well, Null, I was thinking big enough for a game update, but not big enough to hold a full game (like Xbox does)... thinking somewhere in the range of 500MB to 2Gigs
Jonbo298
03-08-2004, 05:27 PM
A 20 gig laptop HD would be fine for next gen. If mods were used more for consoles, MS could make it so you can upgrade to say a 40 gig, etc...
A 20 gig laptop HD would be fine for next gen. If mods were used more for consoles, MS could make it so you can upgrade to say a 40 gig, etc...
why would a laptop HD make any difference tho? thats just a more expensive HD then a normal one, which would boost up the xbox 2 price, and have no advantage at all.
And game, that would prolly hold console updates of today. but trust me, once consoles get rolling into the online like they eventually will... wont be nearly enough. i've had game updates take up well over 500 mb in size
Jonbo298
03-08-2004, 06:44 PM
Im talking about using laptop HD's because they are alot smaller then standard PC HD's. Even though they cost a little more, thats why MS should've included like a 20 gig or something with the option to upgrade. Since after seeing that the original XB contains a standard PC hd that takes up half the size of the XB and how people hate the size, using a laptop HD would be a more sensible solution. Even though price is a big thing, MS doesn't give a damn about price it seems so they could've chosen to include say a 10 gig or 20 gig hd with option to upgrade.
Im talking about using laptop HD's because they are alot smaller then standard PC HD's. Even though they cost a little more, thats why MS should've included like a 20 gig or something with the option to upgrade. Since after seeing that the original XB contains a standard PC hd that takes up half the size of the XB and how people hate the size, using a laptop HD would be a more sensible solution. Even though price is a big thing, MS doesn't give a damn about price it seems so they could've chosen to include say a 10 gig or 20 gig hd with option to upgrade.
no. its costing them quite a bit more to do it like that. and a normal hard drive takes like a small percent of it. a quarter of it maybe, looking down upon it. the PS2 has a full size HD slot in it. and the GC could fit a hard drive in it. or maybe more like the GB addon for it would be about that size.
but no. its not a size issue. theres no need to make it that tiny right now and jack up the price.
TheGame
03-09-2004, 01:00 PM
And game, that would prolly hold console updates of today. but trust me, once consoles get rolling into the online like they eventually will... wont be nearly enough. i've had game updates take up well over 500 mb in size
lol... well, that just sucks then ;)
The only way I see MS implementing some type of big memory is if it can prevent piracy... or at least make it harder than it is now.
lol... well, that just sucks then ;)
The only way I see MS implementing some type of big memory is if it can prevent piracy... or at least make it harder than it is now.
or if they make it themselves and get it really cheap :p
bobcat
03-09-2004, 03:50 PM
you can't prevent piracy..........but you can minimise it
TheGame
03-09-2004, 03:51 PM
you can't prevent piracy..........but you can minimise it
yep, and tossing out the HD may make it less... sadly that's how they are probably taking it.
yep, and tossing out the HD may make it less... sadly that's how they are probably taking it.
not entirly so. just a matter of about how the system uses the hard drive.
MasterMind
03-10-2004, 02:29 AM
I think that its not really about piracy but more about pricing and profits.
I don't think they want to ship out another system where the end up losing money for each sale of a system. Isn't that how the XBox was? Next gen pricing can't be too outrageous or no one is going to buy them. If they include a hard drive, then they have to raise the price of the system in order to turn a profit.
At launch, the Xbox had to sell at PS2s price or else people wouldn't have bought them, even though it was worth more. I think that $300 for a new console is already pushing it, and I definately would not want to pay more than that for a new console.
I'd rather wait, just like I did to get my PS2. I'm in no rush to play new games if its going to cost me an arm and a leg. I can always play them later when they are cheaper and it will still be the same game.
bobcat
03-10-2004, 04:23 AM
yep, and tossing out the HD may make it less... sadly that's how they are probably taking it.
I think that's the case. Because Xbox got hit hard with piracy.
Piracy ruins gaming overall......
Jonbo298
03-10-2004, 05:06 AM
Piracy doesn't ruin my Dreamcast experience:D:p *already knows console is dead*...shaddup:mad:
bobcat
03-10-2004, 03:53 PM
Piracy doesn't ruin my Dreamcast experience:D:p *already knows console is dead*...shaddup:mad:
*sigh* the dreamcast. Had the best launch games this gen ever.
Powerstone, Soul Calibur, SFA3, Sonic.
*triple sighs*
TheGame
03-11-2004, 12:12 PM
*sigh* the dreamcast. Had the best launch games this gen ever.
Powerstone, Soul Calibur, SFA3, Sonic.
*triple sighs*
I would say Xbox had the best and DC just had the most over rated ;)
Dark Samurai
03-11-2004, 12:38 PM
I would say Xbox had the best and DC just had the most over rated ;)
I would beg to differ.
Launch titles for the DreamCast include Sonic Adventure, Virtua Fighter 3tb, SuperSpeed Racing, NFL Football, NBA Basketball, Geist Force, House of the Dead 2 and Sega Rally 2 -- as well as the third-party-developed PowerStone from Capcom, Ready 2 Rumble from Midway, Castlevania from Konami and Soul Caliber from Namco.
Titles: 12
Launch titles from X-Box include Azurik: Rise of Perathia, Dark Summit, Dead or Alive 3, Fuzion Frenzy, Halo, Mad Dash Racing, Madden NFL 2002, NASCAR Thunder 2002, New Legends, NFL 2K2, NHL Hitz, Nightcaster, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, Project Gotham Racing, Simpson's Road Rage, Star Wars Starfighter Special Edition, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2X.
Titles: 17
Your X-Box just has more titles than DC. I had more fun playing Sonic Adventure, than Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee.
I think the only games that the X-Box had going for it was Halo, which I admit is a good game. Some of them sucked, and some were better than others.
DC had new games never before seen on a console, new and old. I'd stick to my DreamCast if I had one.
The X-Box just had more titles than DC, not the best.
TheGame
03-11-2004, 01:29 PM
I would beg to differ.
Launch titles for the DreamCast include Sonic Adventure, Virtua Fighter 3tb, SuperSpeed Racing, NFL Football, NBA Basketball, Geist Force, House of the Dead 2 and Sega Rally 2 -- as well as the third-party-developed PowerStone from Capcom, Ready 2 Rumble from Midway, Castlevania from Konami and Soul Caliber from Namco.
Titles: 12
Launch titles from X-Box include Azurik: Rise of Perathia, Dark Summit, Dead or Alive 3, Fuzion Frenzy, Halo, Mad Dash Racing, Madden NFL 2002, NASCAR Thunder 2002, New Legends, NFL 2K2, NHL Hitz, Nightcaster, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, Project Gotham Racing, Simpson's Road Rage, Star Wars Starfighter Special Edition, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2X.
Titles: 17
Your X-Box just has more titles than DC. I had more fun playing Sonic Adventure, than Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee.
I think the only games that the X-Box had going for it was Halo, which I admit is a good game. Some of them sucked, and some were better than others.
DC had new games never before seen on a console, new and old. I'd stick to my DreamCast if I had one.
The X-Box just had more titles than DC, not the best.
Well... I could have sworn Castlevania was canned on DC, and VF3tb, Sega rally, and NBA 2k were delayed... taking the DC count down to 8.
Xbox had the advantage of being able to take on Ports from DC and Ps2, and that's why I feel it's better. Some of the same games on Xbox launch list would be killer apps on DC. For example, Tony Hawk 2x... Tony Hawk and THPS2 on DC got insane reviews, Xbox got a double pack with updated graphics and gameplay, and new levels... as a launch game!
Jonbo298
03-11-2004, 02:22 PM
God, I remember the oddworld launch game. MS hyped that more then Halo and people thought it would become the mascot for XB, but where did Munch go? I think M.C. took care of that:p
gekko
03-14-2004, 01:37 PM
How many times do I have to say Oddworld sucks ass before anyone listens to me?
Anyway, I want my HD. But you never know, maybe they'll make writable discs. No, bad idea. Bring back the HD!
GiMpY-wAnNaBe
03-15-2004, 10:56 PM
lol....writable disks....your trying to STOP piracy, right?
playa_playa
03-29-2004, 04:24 AM
Oh man, I remember posting something to this effect a long time ago (July of last year, as a matter of fact):
Unless MS conjures up a way to stop this deep-seated piracy, I see the potential profit margin of Xbox going down the toilet. While this may not phase MS initially, it will make their future console endeavors that much more precarious. Therefore, inferring that MS will not be able to offer as attractive offer as the Xbox for its successor would be a prudent deduction.
My guess as to the magnitude of the impact on MS? Let's put it this way: they certainly won't be hurting all that much nor will they give up their amibitions for console market domination (MS's total revenue is way to large for that to happen). However, it will reduce their options as to how they can approach their next console
Let's hightlight this part:
Therefore, inferring that MS will not be able to offer as attractive offer as the Xbox for its successor would be a prudent deduction.
And this Part:
However, it will reduce their options as to how they can approach their next console
I don't wanna gloat or anything, but was I right or what? :D
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