My first editorial: How to design a portable 360

fortunzfavor · 10-05-2008, 06:59 PM

It's not a Ben Heck style howto, no modding here. This is my recommendation to Microsoft on how to launch a killer portable platform (well, non-platform actually).

fortunz portable 360 concept

Quote:

Originally Posted by fortunzfavor

The 180 is a full 360 controller couched around a beautiful HD resolution screen, with virtually no processing power or storage space, but extremely powerful wireless communication protocols. The 180 won't have its own games because it doesn't even have its own hardware. It's simply a means of playing 360 games at a distance.

VNC capability is nothing new in gadgets. Even in gaming, the PSP offers a fatally flawed Remote Play that is sort of a good idea, but the execution is a hopeless failure. I'm not recommending a new platform, but an extension of the 360 platform in a VNC-based system. It means lower hardware costs, Cell Phone style hardware breaks thanks to data plan contracts, and no compromise gaming (unlike every portable platform in existence). You get full 360 games, in controls, gameplay, graphics, features, and expandability, and you get them in a tidy portable package. No portable could hope to compete with full, ungimped versions of GTA4, COD4, Oblivion, Lost Worlds, Halo, Bioshock, GoW, Mass Effect...etc, etc, etc.

It also gives Nintendo and Sony fanboys a less expensive route to experience what the 360 has to offer, and possibly to permanently steal them away. As well, the 180 is less susceptible to 360 hardware failures, a break for both MS and gamers, and the 180 servers give MS greater and more cost effective control over the real hardware.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fortunzfavor

Microsoft can [run] 180 servers located centrally that take the place of your 360 and a 180 Live! subscription. Rather than getting your games from your a 360 at home, you'd be accessing Microsoft servers to get gaming content, choosing from all the downloadable content you can imagine, depending on the plan you've chosen. ...these servers would be [easy] to equip with full retail games

How does MS profit without licensing new games? After all, they sell their 360 at a loss and recoup with software sales. There are several revenue streams to consider. An exclusivity agreement with a mobile data plan carrier (like Sprint's xohm/wimax) that gives that carrier a nice bundle of contracts for a new launch service can not only bring hardware price breaks to consumers, but can also line Microsoft's pockets. A larger revenue stream is the 180 server and Live! subscription fees. But by far the largest revenue stream comes from expanding the accessibility of the 360 platform. In the same way the 360 lets Microsoft sell software, the 180 will increase your access to their content to those times when you're not in your living room, and that increases your demand for their many entertainment options (including rentals and arcade style sampling).

I'm not unaware of the potential technological problems (most importantly, lag) the idea faces, I'm just convinced Microsoft can tackle them effectively. If they could, the saturated portable market would be blown wide open and permanently dominated, without distracting Microsoft or it's best developers from its already successful 360 platform.

Insults, flames, critiques, and commentary are welcome.

Jacksmith28 · 10-05-2008, 07:26 PM

Great concept, but it would require some work and some new technologies. I don't see anything like this ever happening.

11-05-2008, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacksmith28

I don't see anything like this ever happening.

Next gen maybe.

rabbitc · 11-05-2008, 06:58 AM

Not viable with existing communications technology.

Cyberwaste · 11-05-2008, 08:43 AM

Give 10 years for the tech-heads to get the 360 components to fit in your palm... Maybe. And as Charles said, wait till 8th gen consoles hit the shelves.

fortunzfavor · 11-05-2008, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacksmith28

Great concept, but it would require some work and some new technologies. I don't see anything like this ever happening.

I'd be pretty shocked to see it happen too. Happy shocked, but shocked.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyberwatse

Give 10 years for the tech-heads to get the 360 components to fit in your palm...

That's exactly what I was hoping to avoid.

Thanks for reading guys

Blasterpez · 11-05-2008, 06:49 PM

It's ok to dream fortunz. don't let them bring you down.

Actually, tech is moving so fast now days, it might be 5 years for some of that stuff. what do they say, every year and half technology doubles itself (or something like that)?

rabbitc · 12-05-2008, 04:28 AM

Actually - it's much closer than you think. Microsoft recently announced its intention to focus on precisely what David has discussed. If anything, M$ should pick him up as a designer/evangelist

fortunzfavor · 12-05-2008, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rabbitc

Actually - it's much closer than you think. Microsoft recently announced its intention to focus on precisely what David has discussed.

In what medium? You don't mean Microsoft's gaming division, do you?

Boost King · 12-05-2008, 09:05 PM

Wheres the Wii Mote in this bundle?????

Just stirring

fortunzfavor · 12-05-2008, 10:37 PM

If I didn't get at least one flame, it wouldn't feel right. You've always got my back boostie.

XShadowNinjaX · 12-05-2008, 11:19 PM

thats a good idea, but i think right now ms is focusing on putting games on the Zune

rabbitc · 15-05-2008, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fortunzfavor

In what medium? You don't mean Microsoft's gaming division, do you?

No, not yet - I was referring particularly to Application Virtualization which requires a much diminished refresh rate compared to the 30-60Hz you would need for gaming.

However, don't think that this will stay limited to applications by any stretch.
Microsoft is looking at the industry as a whole and working to develop application (and gaming) environments that are accessed through panels rather than equipment or transportable software.

You see many examples today such as Citrix, VNC and WebFX - it's only a matter of time before upgraded communication technology eliminates the need for proprietary equipment altogether.

The future as I see it will feature standardized 'viewing' consoles which will deliver full sight and sound as well as accept connections from a host of devices such as keyboards, cameras, mice, printers, game controllers, phone decs, etc.

All your media, television, phone, gaming, internet and applications will be delivered through these devices restricted only by the software that they run (which will be the future incarnations of Adobe Flash, Java and M$ Silverlight) and the products and services that you have purchased licenses to.

ElderScroller27 · 15-05-2008, 12:29 PM

I'm thinking that in a couple hundred years when they have nano computers you'll be able to store every byte of info from every library in the world as well as a full libray of all media and entertainment such as tv shows and movies. And it will be stored in something small enough that you would wear it as a ring on your finger. By then you will already have hardware in your body to monitor your health as well as microchips in your brain so that you can interact with the world. I'm also thinking that Nano stuff will spill over into being very pervasive in every aspect of life as we replace or enhance natural life to better suite human needs. Mabye we'll even try to recreate extinct life with engineered recreations. Somewhere close to this time in the next couple centuries you will be able to buy your consoles and games on something like a cellphone and it will wi-fi into your brain. I may even be your primary device in that you will use it to attend school remotely or use it to work remotely, it can be a phone and a tv and for data entry... etc etc etc.

This is just what I see Happening and your idea of a cellphone sized xbox 360 is mixed in somewhere along the way.