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Barely a day passes now without some sort of fresh claim about the Next Xbox, but today’s are arguably some of the juiciest so far.
Kotaku has word of two claims. One, that the new machine will include Blu-ray disc technology. And two – it will implement some sort of anti pre-owned technology.
Of the first claim, although it would be a great headline it really wouldn’t be the most surprising news. The only alternative for Microsoft would be to develop its own high-capacity disc tech, and with Blu-ray sitting there ready to be licensed that would be uneconomical.
The second claim, however, is far more important.
There are so far no details of how this might work, though Kotaku reasonably speculates that the method could well involve locking a specific, individual copy of a game to a user’s Gamertag.
It’s also possible that a disc-tagging system could be implemented. This would require a console to someone write a small piece of information to the disc. If detected when inserted into another device the game could simply refuse to boot.
Kotaku’s sources also add that the New Xbox will ship with a spruced up version of Kinect that includes its own processing circuitry. And, interestingly, a smaller controller than the model we have become accustomed to.
"As an innovator we’re always thinking about what is next and how we can push the boundaries of technology like we did with Kinect,” a Microsoft spokesperson responded.
We believe the key to extending the lifespan of a console is not just about the console hardware, but about the games and entertainment experiences being delivered to consumers. Beyond that we don’t comment on rumors or speculation."
