Rumor: MS to announce third party Xboxes, new games at E3

by Richard Mitchell { Jun 26th 2008 at 11:45AM }

Geekpulp reports that some interesting things have come up during their attempts to schedule Microsoft appointments for E3 (note to self: schedule Microsoft appointments for E3). According to Geekpulp, Microsoft's appointment list is headed up by two slots for "Surprise Games" and a third slot listed simply as "Surprise Thing." We have to admit, we're really not sure what these surprise games are. We'd like to thing one could be Alan Wake -- it certainly would be a surprise to see it come out of hiding -- but we get the feeling they will be unannounced titles (Lips perhaps?). As for the surprise thing, that could be Avatars, Microsoft's answer to Nintendo's Miis.

The article also mentions an EGM rumor that Microsoft will soon begin allowing third parties to manufacture 360 hardware. In other words, companies other than Microsoft could cram 360 hardware into their products. Similar rumors were swirling around late last year, saying that a new "standard chassis system" had been created that would allow 360 hardware to be added to HDTVs. Could Microsoft be shooting for the Trojan Horse strategy of the PS3, getting consumers to buy their game console because it's built into another piece of desirable hardware (in the PS3's case, a Blu-Ray player)? Gasp! is that where the Blu-Ray 360 rumors keep coming from, a Blu-Ray player that just happens to play 360 games, too? The head reels at all the possibilities. Whatever Microsoft's new "thing" is, we're definitely intrigued.

Source - Geekpulp: Two New Microsoft Titles (and more) to be Announced at E3
Source - 1UP: Will Microsoft allow other companies to make 360s?

Tags: 3rd-party, e3-08, e308, lips, rumors

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Arnon @ Jun 26th 2008 11:49AM

Hmm.. I really want to see the year's E3.. Has me in more anticipation than any other.

bboston7 @ Jun 27th 2008 12:16AM

I know, this years E3 looks great.

I don't think that microsoft will allow 3rd party xboxes, sounds like someone would make an xbox that is easy to mod (not that they aren't already).

elmersglue @ Jun 26th 2008 11:55AM

Interesting take on it... it would explain why Microsoft has no problem denying the whole bluray thing, cuz if these rumors are true, it wouldn't be them implementing it. And since rumors about microsoft having a hard time getting the rights for bluray from sony, i'm assuming a move like this would mean they wouldn't have to deal with that anymore..

I have a feeling if that happens though, it won't be cheap. Maybe they can get Toshiba involved in the Bluray market with this. And man, can you imagine all the potential issues with two corporations having to deal with "bluray player's" red ringing?

I DeX I @ Jun 26th 2008 11:56AM

The XBOX 360 built into a TV sounds silly considering that the next NEXT GEN Box will be out in a couple of years.

Arno @ Jun 26th 2008 1:02PM

You have to think low tech. Yea the next gen Xbox will be it's own thing but think about it in the way that PS2 are now dirt cheap. Essentially 360 would down the line become one of those items you will just own, be it integrated into your TV or perhaps into your next desktop PC. Assuming all this is true, Microsoft's strategy undoubtedly will be to make money on the software. Going back to the PS2, the hardware is dirt cheap now and everywhere and certain people don't care for the latest and greatest which is why so many games are still sold on it. In effect that's what would happen to the 360 if this rumor is true. 360's everywhere for everybody, it won't be the latest and greatest as the next Xbox will be around the corner but it sure will move software units.

andyg8180 @ Jun 26th 2008 2:13PM

Red Ringed Plasma of Death... shyeaaahh... and monkeys will fly out of my butt!!

Imagine calling micrsoft to tell tehm your ENTIRE TV just red ringed?? awww man...

guidedbyvoip @ Jun 26th 2008 2:27PM

If RRoD was due to bad MS GPU design as rumors would have us believe, then newer generations of "360-Certified" units won't have this problem. I think this a great opportunity for MS and gamers alike. Samsung 360 + Bluray Player with 120GB HDD!!! I'd buy.

Magic Whiskey @ Jun 26th 2008 12:04PM

My only concern for this would be the regulation of standardized (?) play-ability for each 360 hardware bit a company makes.

Let's say Toshiba, RCA and Samsung all make 360 players. Who is to say one of the three may not have standard, 'play by the rules' tech under the hood? What if, say, the Samsung 360 can run cooler, read off the HD faster and also play Blu-ray movies? Wouldn't that ultimately hurt the gamers at-large?

This could feasibly make 360 units cheaper, and handled by companies that actually MAKE hardware (we know MS isn't really the first best choice for it), but come on. This is what happened to PC gaming; each computer on the market can't handle every new game. Some can, some can't.

I don't know about you, but I find a sense of comfort in that whether or not the game is a sack of crap, at least I know my 360's hardware is up to spec to PLAY it. I'd hate to have a third-party 360 and wonder, "Can my RCA 360 player play 'COD 6:Tech Wars' or not?"

Oh, and also it confuses the already muddled consumer. We're a world of consumers that enjoy and buy into icons; the Wii, the iPod, the Nike Swoosh logo. We like our brands branded. If the Xbox 360 (or 720, etc) isn't uniform, then the consumer might really opt not to deal with the options and choices presented to them. Instead, they'll go for the tried-and-true competitor's consoles they at least recognize by brand name.

elmersglue @ Jun 26th 2008 12:11PM

I think the concern with compatibility should be pretty much nonexistent. I'm pretty sure microsoft isn't THAT stupid. It's not pc gaming, it's a 360, thats the whole point. Therefore there would likely be a "standard chasis system" like the article mentions, pretty much meaning it doesn't matter who's manufacturing the bluray players, they'll have the same 360 components in them and should function exactly the same way..

with that said, I still don't think this is going to happen. It seems too out there.

JerkfacedFed @ Jun 26th 2008 12:16PM

i disagree with almost all of your points!

the hardware regulation is going to obviously be there. microsoft owns the IP to its chips and is going to be selling those directly to whoever wants ot include them on their motherboards. all of the games will be designed with the minimum xbox 360 spec in mind as they have from the start.

if there is going to be added functionality that will work WITHIN THE DASHBOARD, it will have to be designed by microsoft.

anything that is a proprietary technology will have to be done in a separate OS. for instance, if toshiba creates a tv tuner service that records to hard drive, it will be booted from toshiba's interface if microsoft does not create an interface to this tech from within the xbox 360 dashboard. (think of it the same way as media center mode)

i dont see this decreasing the price of the xboxes in any way. it will increase the 3rd party devices. microsoft subsidizes the cost of the 360 by selling software. toshiba cannot make up money from selling xbox games

this is a great idea. just let the idea of branded consoles go and realize opening up something is always for the better.

JerkfacedFed @ Jun 26th 2008 12:05PM

awesome, now the xbox platform will be like the windows platform, just a software solution. great idea since it has such a great interface and following already.

TekTro @ Jun 26th 2008 12:07PM

I dont think they will do it. Microsoft are too greedy, if a third party had a very good xbox design idea then everyone would buy that and not the official Microsoft one. Surely they would lose money if they let third party company's make xbox's even if they get a share of the profit.

Arnon @ Jun 26th 2008 12:08PM

If MS is allowing this, then they get the majority of the profits from any XBOX sold (considering they own the franchise).

Johnny @ Jun 26th 2008 12:26PM

What profits? Only the wii makes a profit on the hardware. The profits come from the games.

Ian @ Jun 26th 2008 1:29PM

Incorrect. 360's have been sold at a profit for the past year or so.

Sean @ Jun 26th 2008 1:37PM

@Johnny

You are wrong. The 360 has been making a profit for a while now. At launch, it did lose somewhere between 50-100 dollars each box but they reduced the cost with newer chips and econmies of scale losing about

@TekTro

Actually, Micrsoft would still make a lot of money. Microsoft gets a cut of every piece of software sold that runs on the Xbox. For games at 60 bucks, Microsoft takes a $12 cut (It's a license to run on the system). Sony and Nintendo both do the same thing.

This fee is reduced or waived if they are trying to lure a game to exclusivity (or out of exclusivity). I'm sure for instance that GTA IV did not have to pay the full fee.
So either way Microsoft makes money.

Miguel @ Jun 27th 2008 10:21AM

Well what Microsoft may be doing here is a restructuring of their business plan. They may be deciding that they arent fit to create the whole hardware solution. So far, with the rampant problems of RRODs, returns, exchanges, repairs, etc., the hardware solution may be hurting them. Doing this would be similar to the "Intel Inside" approach. If Microsoft feels that other manufactures can create and support the hardware more efficiently they may end up abandoning the hardware business altogether. Couple this with the rumors of the 360 price drop and it furthers this theory.

Now, I still think its a huge longshot that any of this will happen, especially msft abandoning hardware completely but if it happens I see these theories as the reasons thereof.

Magic Whiskey @ Jun 26th 2008 12:07PM

...If the next 'Call of Duty' game is called 'Tech Wars', I want residuals. :)

Deezul @ Jun 26th 2008 1:11PM

I think William Shatner would step up first and ask for his cut.

el swordo @ Jun 26th 2008 12:19PM

that sounds interesting and might actually make business sense. more people are going to need tvs than xboxes so in theory you could produce a tv with a disc drive in it. that way people who need a tv get one plus a hd movie player like blu ray and on a whim might go out and purchase a game making microsoft more money

Helloimbob @ Jun 26th 2008 12:17PM

360 in a TV will only really work is Sony decides to make 'em because Sony make such great T.V.s but that's very unlikely so I don't think the XboxTV will ever happen...

Wes Grogan @ Jun 26th 2008 12:18PM

3DO. Didn't work then, won't work now, and MS knows it. Highly, highly unlikely.

Exo @ Jun 27th 2008 5:33AM

3do didnt work cause it had no games, not because of their platform choices

Tony @ Jun 26th 2008 12:40PM

There's very little reason to be concerned about quality with 3rd party boxes in this sense. They'll have to be licensed, there will obviously be quality control (although we all know what that did for the original), etc.

It's worked fine for video cards, it works fine for PCs and it worked fine for other gaming units such as the MSX (which was also Microsoft designed).

Imagine if some company managed to make even just a 360 that didn't get the damn RROD lol.

Honestly, I'd welcome this.

mirage @ Jun 26th 2008 12:34PM

I doubt this will occur. M$oft is way too restrictive to allow this to happen. They don't allow user content, they only recently allowed third parties to use their proprietary wireless technology and this is only for actual game peripherals. They still have not allowed a standard third party wireless controller to be made. Why would they now, all of the sudden, make this giant leap to allow third party boxes? File this one with the Blu rumors!

Jason @ Jun 26th 2008 12:44PM

You guys are missing on key angle here... There are already TV companies out there like HP that are putting Media Center Extenders into TV sets... why not just put the whole damn 360 in there??? At the very least it adds THE BEST media center extender available to a TV. This really isn't that hard to believe... I think it would be a PERFECT idea that pushes the 360 install base to HUGE numbers.

Think about the video marketplace too... you can purchase movies right from your *TV* because it has the xbox built in... then they can add IP tv support over time through a software update and have a set top built right into the TV as well... this could easily be one of the best ideas MS has ever had IF ITS TRUE.

YoRone22 @ Jun 26th 2008 12:47PM

You know, this is the problem with E3. There's always hype around what's going to be announced, but when the actual day comes it's always boring stuff that we've known forever. Please have some of this awesome stuff come true.

protostar @ Jun 26th 2008 1:15PM

I could see this happening for a few reasons:

1. MS doesn't make profit on the systems. If they allow someone else to make them, they get royalties. PROFIT ON HARDWARE? LOOK OUT WII!!!!

2. Obviously MS *STILL* hasn't figured their hardware issues. (I just had my system repaired and sent back and it was still broken.) If someone else with even the slightest knowledge on building hardware can make systems, this would all but eliminate the #1 image problem for MS.

3. More time to focus on games. Game selection is the main thing that the Xbox has over the PS3. If MS has more time to focus on software (not just retail games, but also the Live interface, XBLA, DLC, etc.)

4. New hardware will sell, even to current customers. Think of all the Xbox 360 Fanboys (pun intended) who would buy a newly designed Xbox. And think of all the people who are on the fence because of hardware issues. A new system could sway thousands of consumers.

guidedbyvoip @ Jun 26th 2008 2:38PM

Microsoft is a software company that has experimented with hardware. How many MS built hardware devices are on the market? 360, Zune, and interfaces like mice, keyboards, and now Surface? They've not exactly succeeded in the new markets (360, Zune & MSN TV), so while I don't think its probable it may be possible.