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Yes, suddenly a gaming console has turned into a phone contract in that the base cost will be cheaper with a "subscription." There is no word on what this subscription entails, but one may presume it has something to do with Xbox Live Gold.
Both The Verge and Microsoft analyst, Paul Thurrot, again mentions that the system will require an always-online component. He says that multiple previous design documents have mentioned this "feature" for the console.
"Looking at some of the stuff I got a long time ago, it actually says 'must be internet-connected to use' in the notes," Thurrot claimed. "And that's all I have, but it does say that."
The report that Thurrot has also points out two other Xbox branded machines. One has already been canned but was to be an Xbox that was purely for entertainment purposes with a reduced focus on gaming. The other is a new model of Xbox 360 priced at $99 (USD) that is due for release later this year. It is suggested that this new, cheaper Xbox 360 is an indication that the new Xbox will not be backwards compatible.
The new Xbox looks to be pushed as an entertainment system and not primarily as a gaming system.
As it is, how's the new Xbox shaping up for you? Always-online requirement has not been officially announced but it has been well documented in official Microsoft design documents in the past. The two-year subscription that you are locked into if you opt not to pay for the higher priced model. The Kinect 2.0 requirement, assuming that is true as well. The rumored specifications that are less powerful than the PlayStation 4's revealed specs.
What say you? Is the new Xbox still something gamers should be interested in?
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