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Supposed next-gen Xbox dev kit fetches $20,000 on eBay

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

"Microsoft Xbox Durango Development Kit" attracts 43 bids from 18 users through online auction site.

A supposed next-generation Xbox development kit sold for $20,100 in an eBay auction that ended yesterday. A total of 43 bids from 18 users were placed on the auction for a "Microsoft Xbox Durango Development Kit," which was sold by site user "superdae."

The supposed next-gen Xbox dev kit.

The supposed next-gen Xbox dev kit.

Asked about sharing further information on the development kit, the seller told GameSpot, "YOLO."

In February, multiple sources told Kotaku that Durango is the codename for Microsoft's next-generation console. Later that month, a Crytek developer tweeted, "Enjoying the Durango developers summit in London. So far, great swag and interesting talks." The post was pulled and the corresponding account deleted within hours.

The analyst consensus is that the next Xbox, as well as the PlayStation 4, will be on store shelves for holiday 2013. A recent 56-page document supposedly originating from Microsoft said the next Xbox would launch in 2013 at $299 bundled with the second iteration of the Kinect, among other updates.

As of press time, Microsoft had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment.

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

64 comments
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cynicalundead
cynicalundead

Did any of you ever wonder if this was, in fact, an actual dev kit, and Microsoft bought it to keep someone from leaking the Durango specifications and other details? $20K to MS is chump change.

Simba13
Simba13

 @cynicalundead No not really!

I know $20k is chump change to MS, but if this was really part of some top secret development by them, they wouldn't BUY it they would contact ebay and tell them it was stolen property and have the listing removed.

Then have the seller arrested for theft. It wouldn't cost so much to get a court injunction AND they would send a strong message to anyone that industrial espionage would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

That would discourage anyone else from doing it.

hemoleech
hemoleech like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

How about hooking up your PC to a high def TV screen, hook up a couple XBOX controllers via USB, and maybe add a couple headsets. You don't even need a shitty XBOX!

vader501st
vader501st like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @hemoleech After you apply about a dozen patches to keep performance steady, make sure that the game supports a gamepad and deal mostly with lazy ports riddled with low res textures, it'll be set to go.Yeah, easy does it. Who needs consoles, after all? rofl

Whitescarver
Whitescarver

 @vader501st 100% agree by the way, but just to argue. If you're truly willing to invest the money and are savvy enough to invest the time everything you just listed is like a drop in a bucket. Consoles are great machines, God knows I love my PlayStation, Xbox, and Wii on a daily basis, but as far as running even the laziest of console ports on a proper PC that can push a game for a far more fantastic experience, consoles can't compare. This is just the Pepsi vs Coke of the game world, there's no right or wrong here, some are just lazier than others.

Whitescarver
Whitescarver like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @vader501st Mhm, Microsoft really needs to start looking into breaking their Xbox LIVE services into tiers, I play my Xbox for the games and it's superior online capabilities, I don't want to pay an extra 5 dollars a month just so I have the ability to pay another company even more money to stream on my Xbox. I have Cable TV and the interenet, I don't need my Xbox as an alternative network TV box. Though, I do enjoy Xbox for their Halo, Forza, Fables, with some Gears on the side, I'm not very good at third person shooters with their cover systems and 10 foot high corner peaking cameras. PS3 on the other hand I've been in love with their Uncharted series, been a fan of MGS since the 90's, Killzones, LittleBigPlanets, Mod Nation Racers, and many more. I kind of agree with the Wii, it gathers dust sometimes, but after you've gotten your Zelda's, Marios, and plenty of other Nintendo titles that aren't given enough chances, the console becomes a great Retro gaming machine.

vader501st
vader501st like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @SSL_Syn That's the way I feel about it, also. XBL is great, but those extra services are of little to no use for me, too. Halo and Gears sold me on the X360, and Uncharted and MGS4 completely blew me away on the PS3. My Wii's dusty and abandoned, but some time ago I played the hell out of NMH and NMH2, both being hilarious. Happy times xD

Whitescarver
Whitescarver like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @vader501st You'll enjoy yourself, I know I have. ;p

 

Can't really say much for exclusives in Microsofts court, you can count them on one hand compared the the dozens that Sony and Nintnedo hold, The consoles do still have an appeal though, Xbox is the console I buy all my third party games, and also use for it's amazing Xbox Live support no matter how silly the prices have gotten even though I have no interest in the services they're bumping the prices for, ESPN, pass... PS3 has it's fantastic library of games that go leaps and bounds the distance to tickle my fancy. Than there's the Wii, even though most don't consider it worth having, I have to say it's my favorite. It's underpowered and has motion controls, but some how Nintendo still pulls through and gives me an experience that I couldn't hope for with the Xbox and PS.

vader501st
vader501st

 @SSL_Syn  I agree, I'm about to upgrade my good old GTX 295 and can't wait to check out some DX 11 games in their Ultra Settings glory. However, both 360 and PS3 have some great exclusive games and features to them that make owning both worthwhile.  I just find mind boggling that people who think their favorite platform is untouchable  still exist these days.

Dark_Arcitekt
Dark_Arcitekt like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @vader501st Idk what year you live in but xbox  games actually applies more patches than games i've ever played on the PC.Every game outside of a few MMOs support controllers.Also, PC has way way way higher resolutions than the Xbox can push.I love my 360 and all but everything you said is silly.Get with the times.

vader501st
vader501st like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @Dark_Arcitekt For someone who *claims" to be along with the times, you should know that development for the PC platform requires a lot more tweaking than on consoles, which pretty much have the same hardware. On 21st Century computers, there's a wide assortment of CPUs, GPUs, video drivers and mobos out there, which require PC games to be further tweaked than their console counterparts for them to work on optimal performance.  And given the fact that nowadays most games are console ports, many of them are a mess, to say the least. (Ever heard of Ubisoft?)Now, I'm not saying that one platform is better than the other. All of them have their pros and cons, but stating that console are a POS is as stupid as it could possibly get, especially these days.It's time you upgraded your Voodoo 5 card, dear sir.   

kawaiiflonne
kawaiiflonne

It is brilliant, make like a $2000 dollar computer, than sell it for 10 times the price and call it a tool kit. Hopefully they spent at least a bit on the computer and it isn't some piece of crap 300 dollar computer for 20k.

Simba13
Simba13

 @kawaiiflonne I suppose that depends on whether you are the buyer or the seller?

If your the seller working a scam anyway, then you might as well just sell a cheap pc, with an expensive sounding name!

 

The "toolkit" it refers to is obviously meant literally as a kit for TOOLS to buy! LMAO

jhcho2
jhcho2 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @kawaiiflonne 

The thing is, I doubt building a convincing next-gen Xbox would even cost 2000 bucks.

steelmouth
steelmouth

So for $20K what does this thing actually do

HonorOfGod
HonorOfGod like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

This means nothing.. show us an actual Xbox 720 or the graphics it can handle who cares about some tower that wont do any justice in a few years or even now. Most people's rigs already crush the PS4 and 720's graphics ability.

rudymarks3
rudymarks3 like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @HonorOfGod I believe I read somewhere that the new Xbox will have Radeon 6600 series graphics (which is not much really, AMD's APUs come with that and the current cards are the 7000 series as I'm sure you know). It's no secret that consoles cannot compete graphically with PCs, and the next gen consoles, while they will have better graphics then the current ones, will still not compare to PCs graphical abilities, but that's not really the point. The point is a simple, all in one gaming console to appeal to and connect the masses. 

Rovelius
Rovelius like.author.displayName 1 Like

Whoever bought this must feel like the biggest idiot on the planet right about now lol

ender707
ender707 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

Just tried to find this on ebay to check out the item description, and there is another one from the same seller currently at 9000 dollars. 

 

All the description says is 12gb memory, intel cpu, and dedicated graphics...

 

Why didn't I think of making cheap PCs and ebaying them for tens of thousands of dollars?

Kendog87
Kendog87

I highly doubt this is a dev kit, its a prank.

godzillavskong
godzillavskong like.author.displayName 1 Like

I don't really know why anyone would pay that for it? Maybe for collection purposes, but other than that, there really aren't any uses for it. No games. I would think it would be legit, especially if someone forked out that much $$ for it. What does YOLO mean?

Masenkoe
Masenkoe

great swag

 

Thats where I stopped.

MW2ismygame
MW2ismygame

and just wtf was this person going to do with it ? assuming its real, good chance its not.

 

dr_jashugan
dr_jashugan

Yeah, "YOLO" my "OUYA"!! :P

Donzacuceron
Donzacuceron

 @dr_jashugan Oh please that thing will never last + its specs are horrible the console is basically for playing indie games you really think its gonna get 3rd party support from the big guys like rockstar , ubisoft or activision the OUYA will wast for no more then 1 generation and will hardly compete with the 720 PS4 WII U and The PC

PixelAddict
PixelAddict like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

My guess?  A Microsoft employee (maybe a lawyer?) was the winner of this auction.

 

Which, if my guess is true, sure makes for an interesting exchange, no?   YOLO... behind bars.

Spartan_418
Spartan_418

It would be funny if someone tried to sell a "Sony PlayStation 4 Dev Kit" on eBay. When contacted by GameSpot, the seller would respond with "SWAG".

Razer361
Razer361

I don't think this is legit....

Simba13
Simba13 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 5 Like

I wonder if the bidders on that ugly empty pc case were born stupid, or they had to practice to Olympic standards?

To me the fact that the seller replied with "you only live once" means he was grabbing the once in a lifetime opportunity to scam big money out of people with fat wallets............ who carry their brains around in a bucket!

 

Some of the comments on here make me think some of you are so desperate to believe this crap is genuine, just because its called Devolo.  If I call a turd a golden nugget, its still a turd! Wake up and stop being so desperate for the new console, chances are it will have so many restrictions built in it to avoid piracy, like needing an "always on" net connection to play EVERY game, that many of us will hate it initially anyway?

Sorry to p1$$ on your fireworks and all that. LOL

 

Simba13
Simba13 like.author.displayName 1 Like

Sorry I meant to say Durango, not Devolo in my original post.

I must have been too busy laughing at the mentally challenged to pay proper attention.

thom_maytees
thom_maytees

Interesting in the item description section, the seller did not provide any.

TheArcade
TheArcade

Assuming this allows you to create Xbox games whoever has it is one lucky SOB.

steelmouth
steelmouth

 @TheArcade actully people who make games (developers) are given those things for free, I once downloaded Unreal Engine development kit

Pyrosa
Pyrosa like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

I'm sure there was a ton of legal paperwork that accompanied every kit, and that every one of them is serialized. This is a scam.  No one is stupid enough to actually think that MS's lawyers would just "leave it alone".

xcollector
xcollector

 @Pyrosa ...yeah, especially if ms is worried about reverse engineering and piracy

Kiaininja
Kiaininja like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

"YOLO" Sounds like a ghetto slang, a type of yoyo toy, or a chinese pirate's name.

ydnarrewop
ydnarrewop like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 6 Like

Interesting is all I can say. A major scam or someone is going to have some very valuable intel :)

Megavideogamer
Megavideogamer

YOLO what does that mean? Seem that even swearing obsenities has become "coded" But even if this Durango dev kit is real. The person is allowed to sell it. Or does Microsoft still "own" each indidvidual Durango kit? $20,000 if someone was willing to spend that much on a proto-type Xbox 720. Free enterprise is not wrong. Unless your not supposed to sell Durango dev kits to non developers. I'm guessing the seller doubled his money, If the Durango cost $!0,000.

Hvac0120
Hvac0120

 @Megavideogamer The seller was probably legally binded by a Non-Disclosure Agreement and other agreements that bare punishment for this type of exposure of the equipment.

 

I think that ties into the YOLO (You Only Live Once) response. They found it worth the $20,100 for the risk of being exposed and prosecuted. Someone who believes deeply in the concept of open source for hardware and software would be willing to break legal agreements in order to provide hackers the preemptive opportunity to begin work on cracking the next-generation console before it even hits the market. Of course, I am not aware of the intentions of the seller or their expectations. Just guessing.

ydnarrewop
ydnarrewop

@Megavideogamer Yolo means you only live once

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