Tek Syndicate - Last fall, we learned that Windows 8 will feature a Xbox live application, similar to Windows Phone 7’s current option. While Microsoft never said that we’d be able to just play Xbox games on our PCs, that would still be a great option should it happen. But what about the next Xbox? While there isn’t a lot of news about the next step in Microsoft’s console venture, what if the Xbox 720 ran Windows 8?
And, for once, some of what it can do looks genuinely useful.
Microsoft is laying off more employees, a new round after they cut thousands last year. It seems like many big tech companies are doing the same.
The blog post reads, “We’re introducing a new WhatsApp app for Windows that loads faster and is built with an interface similar to the app's mobile version.”
That would be a game changer. I doubt it though, since it opens all sorts of doors for piracy and hacking. They want to be able to charge for all the features. No one will buy xbox live to play netflix if they can use it free.
I strongly doubt that this will be the case. For starters, it will completely undermine the XBox Live! Gold membership and the reasons for buying into it. THen we can assume that the clever little devils that know how to hack/cheat will be all over this like a fat kid on a smartie.
Now, that brings me to the next point.
What COULD happen is that the XBox OS will have some minor similarities to Win8 purely to allow 3rd party developers and potentially Indie developers a more seamless crossover for developing games and/or allowing cross platform gaming between PC and Xbox. Further to that point, perhaps that underlying similarity to Win8 would allow for developers to make games for the PC BUT also having that same disc be compatible on an Xbox through a micro transaction/patch on the Xbox.
I know my ideas above are more than likely just a pipe dream or wishful thinking but that would truly make the the Xbox 720/Infinity/Whateveryoucallit a real game changer.
"There would be cross platform multilayer, as the platform would be the same, and those of us who want to put a keyboard and mouse into the Xbox will be able to."
Those were never problems related to Xbox hardware of Software, those were problems related to Microsoft's policy's and I doubt they're going to change.
"Console ports would still exist in a sense; the only difference would be that instead of having to remake a game to work on the PC, developers will just have to spend that money on optimizing the games for the better hardware modern PC gamers will be sporting."
That's what they do already... The whole reason that Xbox 360 is able to compete at all with PC games is because of it's custom hardware, as general purpose parts can be stripped out and replaced with components that aid the gaming experience.