The disc-less rumor doesnt make sense

On the first hand, didn't Microsoft get enough input from consumer reaction when they first revealed their plans for a disc-less machine?

On the second hand, the contract to use the BluRay drive only said that they can use it for a few months?

On the third hand, isnt that like spitting in the mouths that already bought the XBox at at 499 price point?

All in all............points that the 500 price is killing M$

..........coupled with the fact that Win8 is selling below expectations:(http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/windows_8_selling_far_below_expectations_don%E2%80%99t_count_it_out_just_yet456)

................and the fact that they are calling it the next Vista:

(http://news.yahoo.com/microsoft-employees-reportedly-call-windows-8-vista-175427951.html)

..............and how they are now trying to rectify that:

(http://www.businessinsider.com/windows-9-2014-1).

Would this rumor be true?

I'm guessing no. But stranger things have happened. If it did happen, I think it might sit as an option for people who don't care about losing the discs, rather than replacing the current version on shelves.

Either way, all anybody can do for now, is speculate.

An Xbox One without a blu-ray drive is pointless. Imagine it got no blu-ray drive. For majority people in UK and around the world don't have super fast broadband connection.

So imagine installing digital games that are like 30GB+ along with patch for each game (example Dead Rising 3 13GB patch). Now on the other hand the Xbox One hard drive policy is turd. If you upgrade your console warranty is VOID. So imagine if your a gamer and you have many digital games installed. Lets say hard drive is full you get a new game, at the moment the dashboard only allows you to uninstall a game along with all of it's updates. Right, you uninstall a game and install new one. Say you want to play the uninstalled game, you will have to uninstall something else and install game with the patch. Those who have slow broadband this will be a problem.

To me Microsoft just fell apart since the launch of Xbox One. No idea what their doing. I think the best way forward is to launch a revised model;

- Smaller design with vertical orientation
- Removable/upgradable hard drive (without effecting warranty)
- Bring all features of Xbox 360 dashboard back
- Re-design the dashboard (clearly the Xbox One is not a Windows Phone 8)
- Make it available in two different colour black/white
- Remove the Kinect (make it optional purchase)
- Price for Xbox One Black = £329 / Xbox One White = £379

Call it "Microsoft Xbox One R"

Also for those who paid for the Xbox One, Microsoft should offer a simple replacement just for the console (revised model).

Adding a no drive option with a big hard drive makes plenty of sense (they're not going to stop selling a version with Blu-ray, nothing anywhere has even hinted at that, they'd just be adding an extra SKU).

That, and this thread has too many hands...

This is what I'm worried about but... I have no problem with them offering a disc-less console, but not if they have eventual plans to phase out the disc-based console. Yes it's very unlikely, but you never know.

I don't think they'll manage that anytime soon in the US, at least. While I would love to go all digital as far as my gaming. It's not an option where I live. Internet providers and bandwidth caps are something they'll have to reckon with.

@wg_mcfartypants: steam machines, all digital game systems. Microsoft has stated they wanted to release a disc less xbox one, but decided not to because of bandwidth concerns. If you think about it their whole instant game switching 24hour checkin system was based on a all digital setup. If the xbox was more like steam no one would ever complain you couldn't share and sell your games.

1 when did MS say they was going release a disc less xbox in the first place? They never did, Either way the option will be there for people spend the extra bucks to get the orginal model if true.

2: Who told them they can only use the blue ray for a few months? Ms most likely has a contract with whom ever they going through and i pretty positive they wouldn't singed one just for few months. Either way there is 17 companies that make blue ray drives last time i checked.

@hrt_rulz01:

Consoles are not in a position where they can stay relevant and survive without physical games. Too many people still want disc-based games. Too many people live in parts of the world where they can't afford, or can't even get a connection suitable enough.

Microsoft will have a hard time convincing retailers to stock their hardware if the disc market disappears. They would end up selling consoles alongside PC's and laptop. I cannot fathom how that could be sustainable.

A digital-only cheaper, smaller SKU could work as an option. I'm not worried that it will replace it any time. Discs won't be going away entirely, any time soon.

@k2theswiss: the whole bluray time table sounds like hogwash to me. I read in a interview a while back how they considered a driverless xbox. But because of large game sizes and bandwidth concerns they put a drive it. I can total see them releasing a drive less system since it was something they wanted to do in the first place. A drive less system won't be for everyone, I have a great ISP but even I'm not ready nor do I want to go all digital. I like having physical games, maybe of the games were cheaper I'd buy them digitally.

it was an ideal as pretty much everything is going digital but never went past that as the TC said " didn't Microsoft get enough input from consumer reaction when they first revealed their plans for a disc-less machine?"

If they could match at least pc prices and then give retailers to sell codes and competitive pricing, If they can do that a digital only box wouldn't be a bad idea