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Do Gamers Want An Xboy?

Posted Jun 21, 2006 at 6:38AM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: Xbox 360 Tags: Live Anywhere, Microsoft, Ninja, Sony, xbox 360 titles

For a good while now rumors have been making the rounds that the Redmond giant is plotting its first foray into the handheld market, these rumors are subsequently squashed by someone at Microsoft, simply to re-emerge a few minutes later. Only last month Xbox executive Neil Thompson stated categorically that "a pocket-sized Xbox isnÂ’t on the cards," and that Microsoft was "not even thinking about that at the moment." Of course it didn't take long for someone to fan the flames again, and this time it was the big guy himself, Bill Gates.

So as with many other things in the gaming world it seems to be on again, off again and super-duper top-secret, but who cares if Microsoft wants to make the darn thing, the real question is, do we want the device and if we do, what do we want from it?

When Microsoft launched the Xbox back in November of 2001 in North America, it was met with quite a bit of skepticism. Many weren't sure if the company behind Windows was gifting a Trojan Horse or offering a PC in a console box, they also questioned whether an American company primarily known for designing software could compete in the primarily Japanese dominated console hardware market. Fast forward five years, and the answer is yeah, they could. Now we ask ourselves, can they do it again?

Ever notice how a month after a new McDonald's opens a Burger King pops up across the street? The popular theory is that Burger King waits for McDonald's to spend the big bucks on all the market research in the area, then waits a wee bit to see if things are lucrative before jumping in. In a sense Microsoft are in a similar situation, Nintendo has done a huge amount of research in the handheld arena, and Sony in the short amount of time they've had their feet in the pool have done the same. Microsoft stands to benefit from the lessons learned by both companies and could introduce a product that incorporates all the positive aspects of their competitors products while removing the superfluous features and avoiding the pitfalls.

But what could we see from a Microsoft handheld? To answer that question we have to consider the company's pedigree, as well as question whether the portable system will bear the "Xbox" brand name just as Sony's offering bore the PlayStation brand, or create a separate identity for itself much in the same way Nintendo's Gameboy and DS lines established their own brands.

Considering Microsoft's pedigree as one of the worlds largest and most successful software providers, it stands to reason that a Microsoft portable system would be blessed with an abundance of multimedia functionality and productivity. This makes even more sense when we consider Microsoft's continuous push into the living room with both the 360 and Windows Media Centre PC's.

Will it bear the Xbox brand name? If so the implication would be that it would share features with the Xbox 360 or whatever Microsoft's console offering at the time may be, we can also expect Xbox Live Anywhere integration built into the unit. The risky thing about sharing the Xbox brand name is that there's always the danger of diluting the brand, and possibly even harming it if the product underperforms and gains a bad rep in the public eye. Creating an entirely new brand identity is more even more risky, and a lot more difficult, but also affords the possibility of expanding the company's product catalog.

If the Xboy does make a debut, do we want it to concentrate on games and games alone? Do we want more of a multimedia gaming device akin to Sony's PSP offering (assuming the few faults with the PSP hardware are fixed) that also offers portable versions of our fave Xbox franchises like Halo, PGR and Ninja Gaiden, or do we want something that moves in an entirely different direction, focusing more on the kinds of quirky innovative titles that populate Nintendo's current DS library?

As always, we'd love to hear what you guys think in the comments.

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woot?! From disc how big do you want this console lol. I dont want xbox 1 games, I want new games and live arcade games on the go. That would be fine. I have a ds at the moment, used to have a psp but sold it cuz it was a bag of sh1te, if the xbox handheld has lots of new games like the ds (not like the psp) then it would be great.

So yes Id have one if it wasnt anything remotely like a psp.

# . — Guest 2006-06-21 07:57

xbox standard technology + halo + xbox live on the go = portable heaven. :)

# yup — Guest 2006-06-21 08:10

yeah i'd get one

# YES — Guest 2006-06-21 08:21

Yep.I would like one.

# i'd definitely go for it — Guest 2006-06-21 08:25

looks good to me

a powerful portable multimedia system + games with a big screen

much better than psp

but i wouldn't like a cd on it. just upload games to the hd or memory

# Don't need it — Guest 2006-06-21 08:27

I have a DS and two PSPs, one is firmware 1.5 for homebrew and the other is 2.6 for the newer games. I definately don't need another handheld! Nintendo and now Sony are well established in the handheld market and I don't think there's enough demand for a Microsoft portable. They simply couldn't attract enough third party support for games if it was the only thing that would play them. Unless they make one that plays regular XBOX games, it would be a bad idea. Of course the thing would have to be huge and not as portable. Did you see that homemade one on this site? It was almost the size (and probably the weight) of a laptop.

# right — Guest 2006-06-21 08:38

#9 well obviously mr common sense, we should all just go buy a DS and 2 psps, that would be the smart thing for all of us to do with our unlimited bank accounts. And youre right, if MS were to release one, it would probably be just like the portable xbox that one guy rigged up in his basement. I mean, did you ever see the portable PS2s before the PSP was released? Man, sony definately shouldnt have copied those, they were huge!

By the way, you are an idiot, and sonys ***** if you actually bought 2 psps....sucker

The xboy would be nice if it had a big ass built in hdd, like 40gig at least, a nice big screen (psp style) and dual analog, but not as crappy as the psps analog. if only there were a way to put xbox analogs on it and still let it slide in your pocket. And i wouldnt want to see xbox games on it, id like to see NEW games. only ports id want to see would be sports games. AND XBLA would be awesome on it

# S'LD;LASMK — Guest 2006-06-21 08:38

xbox suck ass !!!!!!!!! Sony owns everything

# New pict — Guest 2006-06-21 08:54

Pict of the real Xbox handheld.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f173/Grumpy_SWE/BrbarXbox36.jpg

# as much as i love the psp — Guest 2006-06-21 09:02

i want something else, nothing nintendo course am a graphic whore and i know that microsoft will deliver on that. also i never bought an xbox/360 so this would be a good way for me to have something microsoft and i hate to say it but sony and its developers are bull*****ing with the games, all i've been playing lately is socom cause of its online play and now am waiting for ncaa 07 but thats it. so yes i want microsoft to get into the handheld market, atleast then sony will stop half-assin

# Xboy!! — h3inousguy 2006-06-21 09:11

If xboy was like psp, except with better games (homebrew would awsome, tho i doubt.) And it owuld have more multimedia features. I love PSP i have one, but Id like an Xboy to. Ohh by the way, another great article, thanks Chris C.

# mmm — Branden 2006-06-21 09:13

that looks pretty sexy.

# Company's that cry wolf — Cat Mac Daddy 2006-06-21 09:55

I'm tired of company's that say something and not go through with there part. Like Capcon talk, talk, talk. We as gamers don't want talk. Talk is cheap, They keep talking about Street Fighter. But nothing about when the game is released. Just like this XBOY or what ever they call it. Or when Nintendo was going to release a CD drive for the SNES then the N64. After awhile gamers just don't care.

# pshhh yes — Guest 2006-06-21 12:07

HECK YES I WANT ONE

# id be one of the 1st to buy — Guest 2006-06-21 12:13

i would get one deffinanately. and all you people that rag on xbox just had your *****s cut off in a pencil sharpener, and yo mommas a ho.

# very ambitious — Guest 2006-06-21 13:24

Bill Gates talks too much and even blabs off what he doesn't know. He thought Bungie wouldrelease Halo3 in November with the launch of PS3... hey guess what, it's not going to happen... you guys need to understand that Microsoft handheld will only be bought by hardcore fanboys thinking they are getting the

zomguberultimat e gaming portable machines, let's face it, even Sony is struggling to find a better use for their UMDs and make it last 5 years in a life cycle a built in HDD has it's limitations and the pitfall for this handheld

# AHHAAH — Guest 2006-06-21 14:43

PSP SUCKS... ALL OF YOU CAN LICK MY BALLS. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH . PORTABLE'S MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A KING F.A.G... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHH AAHHA

# 21 is the man that every other man rides — Guest 2006-06-21 15:54

but externalizes his own problems

# Answer to "Xboy"=YES. — CarXCrashXHearts 2006-06-21 18:02

Do we want an "Xboy?" Yes, we do. We've loved Xbox's for a while and would love to get an Xbox Portable.

There's much to say about an Xbox Portable:

Controls- Same as Xbox, but smaller, is perfect. We NEED the two joysticks. Sony (definitely) made a mistake in putting a single joystick in their PSP. What good are FPS's without two joysticks (ex. HALO!)?

Games- Games like Halo, PGR, Ninja Gaiden, and Elder Scrolls for a Portable Xbox would be a perfect idea. I personally hate the quirky, innovative titles that the DS has at the moment. I understand that the DS is a completely different idea for a portable and everything, but many of the titles for the DS aren't too fun. And don't forget how these games would be playing on an Xbox Portable. UMD-type media is already an idea taken. DS-type cartridges (or any cartridges in that matter) are a bad idea. I'd probably say just discs would be efficient. Now I don't know much about power in gaming systems, but the disc-itself thing is a good way to go besides hard drive memory. I think storing games in a hard drive is a bad way to store games because of the memory being provided. Gamers who like a big selection of games would have to buy less games because games cost a lot of memory, and a portable system with a lot of memory would cost a lot of money anyway. Also, that would affect the cost of the system because of the memory itself. So just little discs is a pretty good way to store games for an Xbox Portable.

Graphics- I don't know if this will be possible at all, but if there can be Xbox graphics on an Xbox Portable, besides prices, I don't know who wouldn't want to buy one. But if that isn't possible, then going a little higher in graphics than the PSP is a good idea because the PSP graphics are good, but not good enough.

Multimedia- I may not do this, but I do know people who use their PSP as an MP3/WMA player as well as a movie player and gaming system. It's just that many people like to be able to do lots of things with one little device. But to be able to play movies and music, we'd need either a hard drive or memory stick type thing. I'd personally like a hard drive in one of these things (only for other media than games) because storing gamesaves and media onto a hard drive has already be represented by Microsoft and it's been a good idea already.

Compatibility- We like compatibility. Being able to make our GBA communicate and do stuff with the Gamecube was pretty cool. Being able to make the Xbox 360 communicate with the computer for media is pretty cool, too. But having an Xbox Portable communicate with our 360 (and maybe Xbox) and computer will be revolutionary.

Internet- We like the Internet. We like online multiplayer. We want both for this, definitely. I mean, why not? It's been done already. This thing needs an internet browser and online multiplayer. Or else it's just not a good system.

Last but not least, the look. A big screen is what we need. Something like a PSP-size screen is good. We don't need a touch-screen, but having that (at least for menus only or something because Microsoft wouldn't like to copy Nintendo) will make this thing the most popular portable system ever. We also don't like big, we like small. It's supposed to be handheld, anyway. Lastly, it just needs to look cool. We wouldn't want to play a big, brick-like portable system.

Well, that was one of my "Opinion Insertions." I hope you liked (or did at all) reading it. Please agree or disagree with me if you want to. Thanks.

# TOTALLY FREAKING AGREE WITH #23 — Mdubz 2006-06-21 19:34

AND FOR THAT SAKE I'M REPOSTING WHAT HE SAID! PLEASE MICROSOFT, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD READ THIS!!!!1

Do we want an "Xboy?" Yes, we do. We've loved Xbox's for a while and would love to get an Xbox Portable.

There's much to say about an Xbox Portable:

Controls- Same as Xbox, but smaller, is perfect. We NEED the two joysticks. Sony (definitely) made a mistake in putting a single joystick in their PSP. What good are FPS's without two joysticks (ex. HALO!)?

Games- Games like Halo, PGR, Ninja Gaiden, and Elder Scrolls for a Portable Xbox would be a perfect idea. I personally hate the quirky, innovative titles that the DS has at the moment. I understand that the DS is a completely different idea for a portable and everything, but many of the titles for the DS aren't too fun. And don't forget how these games would be playing on an Xbox Portable. UMD-type media is already an idea taken. DS-type cartridges (or any cartridges in that matter) are a bad idea. I'd probably say just discs would be efficient. Now I don't know much about power in gaming systems, but the disc-itself thing is a good way to go besides hard drive memory. I think storing games in a hard drive is a bad way to store games because of the memory being provided. Gamers who like a big selection of games would have to buy less games because games cost a lot of memory, and a portable system with a lot of memory would cost a lot of money anyway. Also, that would affect the cost of the system because of the memory itself. So just little discs is a pretty good way to store games for an Xbox Portable.

Graphics- I don't know if this will be possible at all, but if there can be Xbox graphics on an Xbox Portable, besides prices, I don't know who wouldn't want to buy one. But if that isn't possible, then going a little higher in graphics than the PSP is a good idea because the PSP graphics are good, but not good enough.

Multimedia- I may not do this, but I do know people who use their PSP as an MP3/WMA player as well as a movie player and gaming system. It's just that many people like to be able to do lots of things with one little device. But to be able to play movies and music, we'd need either a hard drive or memory stick type thing. I'd personally like a hard drive in one of these things (only for other media than games) because storing gamesaves and media onto a hard drive has already be represented by Microsoft and it's been a good idea already.

Compatibility- We like compatibility. Being able to make our GBA communicate and do stuff with the Gamecube was pretty cool. Being able to make the Xbox 360 communicate with the computer for media is pretty cool, too. But having an Xbox Portable communicate with our 360 (and maybe Xbox) and computer will be revolutionary.

Internet- We like the Internet. We like online multiplayer. We want both for this, definitely. I mean, why not? It's been done already. This thing needs an internet browser and online multiplayer. Or else it's just not a good system.

Last but not least, the look. A big screen is what we need. Something like a PSP-size screen is good. We don't need a touch-screen, but having that (at least for menus only or something because Microsoft wouldn't like to copy Nintendo) will make this thing the most popular portable system ever. We also don't like big, we like small. It's supposed to be handheld, anyway. Lastly, it just needs to look cool. We wouldn't want to play a big, brick-like portable system.

# WTF? — Guest 2006-06-21 19:56

um... 24, Controls like Xbox? Perfect? are you on crack? Xbox has the worst controlls. Buttons in awkward places and depending on wich controller you have the humungus one or the S, the black and white buttons are in totally different locales. Garbage. They finally got it right for the Xbox360 though. Perhaps, that's what you meant?

# ..errm no — Guest 2006-06-21 20:34

MS have already said many times they are not going into the portable market..if they do it'll look stupid in shops..sony was pushing it alongside nintendo but it as worked out..just imagine all the game shops having to make yet again more space for a new platform and games. they gotta do this for PS3 for a few years untill PS2 dies out

# Ha. — CarXCrashXHearts 2006-06-21 20:54

To #25, what Mdubz put there was actually a repost to what I typed. Look above his comment.

But read it again to realize it says SAME AS XBOX BUT SMALLER. Not LIKE. I didn't mean that the controls should be fat, ugly, and as big as the Xbox controls. I meant that the controls should be smaller, better placed, and actually prettier altogether.

THAT'S what I meant.

And thanks, Mdubz. I hope Microsoft reads that, too.

I think I should be writing articles on QJ.net. Haha.

P.S.: Sorry I used Caps, I don't know if this comment thing lets me use Italics or not.

# meh.. — Guest 2006-06-22 00:22

To be honest... i don't want an Xboy... why? I want microsoft to focus on the 360... more. Not less. If they can't handle or bring new things to a console that's nearly a year old.. how can they handle a handheld and compete with the PSP and DS? They can't.

As mush as you think they will do better than the DS and PSP... they won't. I want microsoft to increase their focus on the 360 by another 100% Because at this rate.. come november.. the Wii and PS3 are going to ***** all over it.

# KEYBOARD — Guest 2006-06-22 01:21

cmon...just add the keyboard....the koreans are releasing a hand held device with a keyboard and persona;lly it makes sense....u can do all your typing on the move...and read pdf and text documents.

curently i can read a text document and the battery on the psp holds out for 15 hours.....that beats a laptop...i can watch movies on it....etc but theyve made it unusable for typing....

microsoft WWILL put this in because they KNOW the market....unless they wanna milk the umpc and hiku thing....

# yup yup and yup — Guest 2006-06-22 02:29

I have a ds a a psp, the reason being is that ds has way,way better games, even though those cartidges can't hold much, look at animal crossing or Metriod Primes. My psp is always in its bag, i never use it because the games are...(flush the toilet). An xbox portable released soon could take advantage of both potables because they are both really flawed.

DS- Barely enough graphics, not as much media capabilities

PSP- one analaog stick(on the wrong side!), really bad games, having a battery killling disk, etc.

What i would expect of an Xbox portable-(Xport)

Design:

# The Xbox portable (Xport) — Guest 2006-06-22 03:29

DEsign/ outside:******* *****

Clamshell design with lcd screen on the top and controls, analog sticks and buttons on the bottom. W/ (adjustable backlit screen)

Ipod-like outer shell that is shiny and durable.

Ergonomic and scaled xbox controls ( two analog sticks)

Usb mini port w/ inrared port for compatability w/pc and *compatibility w/ mini keyboard*

Li-ion battery( 3.6V 3600mA)- very long lasting battery

Media/ insides: *************

Hd-dvd/ Blu-ray (mini) disks able to store like 15 GB dual layer ( perfect for movies and games)***

System clock frequency greater or equal to 500MHz

Main memory: Memory stick duo, SD mini, flash, something small yet cheap

Embeded memory:256 MB

W/ 5 giga flops per second and

4 GB per second bandwith

40 million polygons per second

Wifi enabled : 802.11 g/(a) w/ internet software

Software/ Interface:***** *********

Gives options like psp ( photo, music, game, etc.)

Can be updated like psp.

includes built in software like calc, alarm, notepad.

Can be synced with pc or X360

can be synced with other Xport's or Xboy's or Xmini's (find a good name)

MOst importantly!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

let it be like a mini Xbox with the same but smaller* control scheme with clamshell design so that it goes smoothly into one's pocket w/ the analog sticks

and let it have halo games with good graphics and let it be innovative, like the ds, the fastest selling portable globally.

# also, — Guest 2006-06-22 03:35

let it have let it have way more pixels. Like one and a half times more than the psp for sharper images and a built in mic, 400,000 colors

# Xboy? XPlay? Nope. Nada. Zilch. — Guest 2006-06-22 07:09

Nah, that's ok. No thanks. Anything costing just as much as a home console is not good. Just ask PSP.

The names themselves for the handheld are much worse than Wii.

# WOW — Guest 2006-06-22 13:46

I woudl pay any amount of money to be ale to play Counter-Strike/Halo 2 on Live! on the go. OMG i would shat myself.

# MAybe — Guest 2006-06-22 15:24

I mean if it was powerful and had new original games, or even sequels like a new Halo or sumpthing, I probably would. It would be nice with Windows portable on it :-D, but it would def have to have a larger focus on games than sony's PSP. And DS is bleh, i never liked it cause it was too much for kids.

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