Sources close to gaming site Kotaku are saying that the Xbox 720 will come with a Blu-Ray drive when it is released and that there could also be some sort of anti used game protection built into the console (if so, watch out retailers like GameStop). Sources have also apparently said that a new version of the Kinect device will be unveiled alongside the new console.
Firstly, the Blu-Ray drive inclusion is hardly a revelation – were Microsoft ever going to ship the Xbox 720 without an optical disk drive or, even harder to believe, continue using the DVD format? That said, it will be interesting to see the extent to which the BR drive is tied in with the system – will we even purchase games on a disc when the ’720 is released?
The implementation of any anti used game protections is also an interesting one and I suppose there is any number of ways Microsoft could try and do this (the most obvious one being to tie all purchased games to a single Xbox Live account). As noted above, while game developers will be cheering, retailers like GameStop, who make good money selling second hand games, are likely to be a little worried.
The new Kinect version also makes sense – Kinect is becoming an increasingly integral part of the Xbox strategy and releasing a new version of the device along with a new Xbox console makes sense.
We’ll continue to post any new rumors about the next Xbox as they come to hand, and you can also check out all our previous posts on the Xbox 720 right here.
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*sigh* If there are any “protections” that stop me from buying/selling used games I will seriously consider switching back to PC gaming.