Here’s today’s hottest unsubstantiated rumor: Microsoft may allow third-parties to create hardware that plays Xbox 360 games. Boing Boing has extrapolated that to mean stand-alone third-party devices that just so happen to play Xbox 360 games.
For example, Company A could create a Blu-ray player with built-in Xbox 360 compatibility. Depending on how that’s marketed, as a video game system with Blu-ray capabilities or vice-versa, that could well succeed. Lord knows the PS3 is just finding its rhythm, if not a little later than expected.
But again, ’tis merely a rumor for now. Now let’s all watch Germany tear apart Turkey.
Funny how this reminds me of PC gaming.
Console manufacturers have done this in the past, and it’s never been a success.
The Panasonic Q
The Amstrad MegaPC
As consoles tend to be sold at a loss (or with very tight profit margins), with the main income coming from licensing on the games, 3rd party consoles just can’t be priced competitively to the 1st party ones, as the 3rd parties don’t see any of the licensing fees from the games.
When did the xbox360 jump the shark?
So the xbox360 is gonna go the way of the 3DO… ahh yes.. because that was such a huge success.. hmm no wait…