XLord007 Jun 13, 2009 (edited Jun 13, 2009)
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3174762
While I would love to see a new Xbox 360 in a smaller, quieter form factor with built in wi-fi, I'm not sure actually upgrading the specs is such a good idea. I realize the DSi and iPhone 3GS have already done the same thing very recently, but the whole idea of creating these half console upgrades just framents the userbase when they start releasing games that only work on the new platform. Nintendo did this with the GBC, and the games that were supposed to work on both the old GB and GBC generally didn't work that well on the GB.
The above article's GameCube to Wii comparison is completely off the mark because while the Wii may only be twice as powerful as the GameCube, it is a fully new console in the sense that absolutely none of its software will work on the Cube.
In order to prevent confusion, I think it's fine to launch a brand new console that has backwards compatibility with older consoles, but when you start confusing the identity of the console with minor improvements, the consumer can only be confused. The beauty of console gaming is that you know all the games will work on your system. You don't have to check your specs or worry about anything other than simply if you have a 360 and the game says Xbox 360 on the box.
That said, I whole heartedly agree that Microsoft should launch Natal packed in with a new version of the 360, I just don't think they should increase the specs until they're ready to launch a full blown Xbox 720.
