Seven Upgrades the 360 Needs to Beat the Wii and PS3

[GameMaster]

http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadge...ps3-208853.php

1)Integrate the forthcoming external HD DVD drive and 100GB HDD into one console. Don't raise the price.

Click on for the rest...


2)Expanded codec playback. C'mon guys, show some undiscriminatory love.

3)HDMI output. Nuff said.

4)A better-organized Xbox Live Marketplace experience. We think browsing could be improved.

5)Make it easier to hack the 360. We like personalizing our PCs and gadgets. Interchangeable face plates doesn't cut it.

6)Give us a quieter system that won't overheat. If you want us to watch HD DVDs on our 360, the console's whirring needs to be toned down.

7)No one wants to be MCE's bitch. Give us IPTV.

Readers, feel free to add anything you think we left out or what you think would give the 360 an edge against the PS3 and Wii. – Louis Ramirez

You heard him, GameTaverners! Add more upgrade ideas to this list!

[Jonbo298]

Xbox Live's interface could use a little upgrade. As it is, its better then anything I've seen from Sony or Nintendo but I still like that.

A few of those are out of the range of possible. HD DVD AND a 100 gig HD at the same price? Thats MS getting a little too desperate I'd think.

Hacking the 360..MS won't just allow us to freely do so.

Don't know what to add in all honesty. I think MS has done well with the 360, even though it is pricey.

[gekko]

Louis Ramirez, remind me not to read his work again.

1)Integrate the forthcoming external HD DVD drive and 100GB HDD into one console. Don't raise the price.

This is real intelligent. Microsoft needs a 100GB HD to compete with PS3's 20/60 and Wii's 512MB? Also, I'd rather they don't integrate the HD-DVD player. Too expensive at the moment, and with way too many issues. Current HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players require firmware upgrades, can't even output at 1080p, and have HDCP issues. Many people are requires to use analog cables to get Dolby TrueHD because HDMI switching receivers are not popular yet.

Face it, the world isn't ready for 8 channel surround sound and 1080p. If you are, you have money to spend on a player.

2)Expanded codec playback. C'mon guys, show some undiscriminatory love.

Or why not encode the video into something even remotely standard, instead of your off-the-wall 3rd party codecs that are supported by 1 OS and 1 player.

3)HDMI output. Nuff said.

HDMI cables are avaliable for preorder on EB Games. Also, the first 1080p game has already been released for Xbox 360. Say hello to Splinter Cell Double Agent.

4)A better-organized Xbox Live Marketplace experience. We think browsing could be improved.

So do I, but I don't think Sony and Nintendo will get anywhere near it.

5)Make it easier to hack the 360. We like personalizing our PCs and gadgets. Interchangeable face plates doesn't cut it.

This is smart, make your product easier to hack. Trust me, you buying your second 360 to hack it will earn Microsoft so much more money than the thousands of players that drop subscriptions to MMORPGs and refuse to buy new games until after they find out if the cheaters have been stopped.

6)Give us a quieter system that won't overheat. If you want us to watch HD DVDs on our 360, the console's whirring needs to be toned down.

I'm sure your 7 channel surround system is turned down so low that you can hear the fan. Yes, the fan is the secret to beating PS3 and Wii. How did I forget?

[Jonbo298]

Damn you gekko! You got to play Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 before they pulled it off XBL Arcade...

I take back what I said now..didn't realize Microsoft decided to go ahead and release it. Last I had heard was it was a mistake ><

[Dyne]

Good post, Gekko.

Seriously though, how can he complain about HDMI? What the ****. They JUST announced several days ago that 1080p would be in the next software upgrade.

I also love how he mentions all those things and forgets to talk about the ****ty backwards compatibility.

Oh, and #7 went right over my head. What is he talking about and why should we care?

[Stonecutter]

I can cut this list down really quickly.


1) Eliminate the low end model, cut the price of the base model by $150.

Win.

[Typhoid]

Originally Posted by Stonecutter

I can cut this list down really quickly.


1) Eliminate the low end model, cut the price of the base model by $150.

Win.

Yeah, hell.
Cut the cheap version so the people who dont pull in enough money cant buy it and have to save up for a few extra weeks.
Good business call for the win.

[DeathsHand]

Originally Posted by Typhoid

Yeah, hell.
Cut the cheap version so the people who dont pull in enough money cant buy it and have to save up for a few extra weeks.
Good business call for the win.

And that's not taking into consideration the fact that cutting the price does not fall into the category of a system upgrade...

[Stonecutter]

Originally Posted by Typhoid

Yeah, hell.
Cut the cheap version so the people who dont pull in enough money cant buy it and have to save up for a few extra weeks.
Good business call for the win.

Actually, if you read the entire post, you'd see that the base model would actually be cheaper than the low end is now.

[Stonecutter]

Originally Posted by DeathsHand

And that's not taking into consideration the fact that cutting the price does not fall into the category of a system upgrade...

It'd be a hell of an upgrade for me....