"Xbox 720" - My Expectations and What I Want to See

Since 2004 I’ve been a dedicated XBOX fan. The original XBOX was my first ever gaming console. In 2006 I bought the whole brand new back then, original XBOX 360 the version with 16GB HDD. For six years I and million other XBOX consumers have been waiting for the new "XBOX 720" (not an official name). In today's article we are going to be taking a look at my expectations of Microsoft's next generation gaming console.

In my opinion the third generation XBOX will be one of the best upgrades ever. It's going to have a lot of hardware upgrades and a whole new external design. Just before you read my "XBOX 720" rumors, I just want to tell you, that those are just rumors; they can be 50% true and 50% false, so please, keep that in mind.

First of all, the new XBOX will have installed "WiFi-N" antennas. I've been testing my friend's new "XBOX Elite 4GB", and the WiFi antenna wasn't that much good. So in conclusion we are going to definitely see an upgrade there. Another feature we may see is upgraded memory. It's rumored that the new XBOX will have a 250GB hard drive. That's really useful for users who have a big collection of games, and download things from XBOX Live store etc. Another thing I’ve heard about the console and have been discussing it with a friend is that, the new XBOX will support "Thunderbolt technology". I don't believe this rumor a lot, but it would be exciting if the new XBOX will support it. We'll definitely see an upgrade at the RAM, and we may see Intel’s Ivy Bridge on the new XBOX. Ivy Bridge would just be amazing, and it's one of the rumors I definitely want to see on Microsoft's new masterpiece. About the design, I don't know many things but definitely don't believe in those articles and Google images that show a glass-built XBOX. At least for this generation XBOX will be still made of solid plastic. 

Many people will ask the release date. Until now there isn't an official date release, but from my expectations and some really valid sources I have, the new XBOX will be released at between the summer of 2013 until winter of 2014.

With that being said, what's your expectations on the upcoming XBOX? Feel free to leave your opinions and questions in the comment section below or mention me on Twitter @OrestGPap. Thank you all for reading.

Twitter

Microsoft Kinect: Revolutionary or Just Another Wii?

As we all know, Microsoft's newest marvel, Kinect, is going to start being released worldwide next week. Question is, is it really worth our money?

Kinect was first announced on the 1st of June, 2009 at E3 under the pseudonym Project Natal. Not much was said except for the fact that it will be revolutionary, and that it will implement a camera and sensors that would allow you to play without the use of an actual controller.

This is the video demonstration of Project Natal as it was known back then, in action.

  

Despite the originality that Kinect had to offer, many critics spared no time and immediately shunned it as a "Wii ripoff". It has to be said, Kinect had an eerie resemblance to its Nintendo counterpart.

The main features that separated it from the Wii was the voice control, which allowed the player to give the Xbox simple commands, like turn on, play game, etc. Another was the fact that unlike the Wii, Kinect had absolutely nothing you could hold. It was all up to your hands, contrary to the Wii, which uses a remote and a nun-chuck. 

Personally, I'm ecstatically waiting for its release. With a price expected to be from around $100-$200 it shouldn't be that bad. Plus, with a lineup of games already prepared, it seems like it'll have a lasting effect for a while.

So with that being said, only time will tell if Kinect will pull Microsoft out of the gutter, or bring about their potential decline in gaming.

Is Kinect Worth the Expense?

Microsoft recently announced pricing and the bundles Kinect is going to sell with and it got me thinking. $149.99 for an accessory to a console that you can purchase for $200 (Arcade)? Though what Kinect allows users to do is quite remarkable, I have some speculations about how user friendly it is going be.

Microsoft Kinect Expectations

Microsoft's new Kinect, previously known as Project Natal, will soon be launching, so what are you expecting? It's very important that Microsoft can pull this product off with no problems or flaws, because it wouldn't be hard for another company to bring out another product very similar, and possibly even better than it.

Microsoft Kinect has huge potential, as it could easily destroy the Wii console and make the Xbox 360 more family friendly. However there is always the issue of price. Microsoft Kinect is priced at $149.99 which is around £140, so for something that is literally an add-on for your gaming console, it is quite expensive.

Requirements:

175 MB memory

Xbox 360

Xbox Live Gold Membership

Specifications:

4 microphones supporting single user voice recognition

Depth Camera 640 x 480 pixels at 30 fps

Colour VGA Motion Camera at 30 fps