Hmmm, I see a gap in the market for a games console that just plays games and does it well.

Sell it at a low price and add some limited Modding capability and you have a winner.

Steam is different, because you can still install the Steam client on multiple PCs and let your household play your games with separate saves. I wouldn't want family to touch my Xbox Live profile, but without it they couldn't play the games I purchase. In other words, households with two Xbox One consoles for the kids would need to buy the games twice.

Steam Box?

Are you people serious?

None of this always on drm or not being able to play used games was mentioned at the conference once but because it wasn't mentioned that must mean that they're going to be there right?

Doesn't that use Steam?

Not really. As has been said earlier... the money they'll make from "casuals" will balance this deficit out. It's unfortunate. Gone are the days where you could share things, if you so choose to, with other people.

"Xbox Live is about to become the next water cooler," says Nancy Tellem, formerly of CBS and now head of Xbox TV studios, is on stage to talk about television integration.

whjat does this even mean the next water cooler ?

Why would you need two consoles in the same household? You can have multiple accounts on one console.

It's actually exactly the same. Yes, you can have the steam client on multiple PCs, but you'd only be able to share games if you share your steam account. Likewise, you can only share games on the Xbox now by sharing your xbox account.

Convergence within technological devices is a great idea, but it will only work if every aspect still remains to sufficient quality. As consoles are branching out into multimedia territories, it seems as though they are losing their way with the very gaming aspect of things. It is the same as when smartphones first launched, but the phone part of them was weak with poor call quality (iPhone had this issue I believe). Besides, if I wanted a truly multipurpose device, then I'd buy a PC. It's still more flexible than anything that Xbox One can offer and I can plug it into the big screen still.

You do know that at least 2 people have posted links which show that this is a thing, right?

For example.http://www.computerandvideogames.com/407912/microsoft-confirms-pre-owned-fee-for-xbox-one/

It's no different. The games are tied to your steam account. Games will be tied to your Xbox Live account. You can sign in anywhere and play them.

If you have kids, they may want their on consoles in their own rooms.

It's official! PC TIME! (Still keeping my Xbox 360 though).

I took it to mean a sort of staple that most houses have.

Best news is CoD has a realistic dog, then a guy in this thread calls us morons then says watch the offensiveness. This could be a long running show. Don't forget the popcorn.

Seriously though and on topic, why so little in the way of games? Really? All this 'broadness of appeal', is it actually going to sell? Aren't all the apparently dreaded casual gamers using phones and pads? Just read Ledgend's comment as I was thinking the same. Is making a console totally devoted to gaming and doing it really well really going to fail? That would be a product I would buy, as opposed to an 'entertainment centre'.

I don't anyone that has a water cooler in there house.

We just use taps.

Hell I use a tap and I live in Galway!

They will have enough box-slaves, still, who will abide every stupid rule and restriciton. Who will then have the camera always on in their apartment, following you and listening to your voice. What a perfect little box.
Exaggerating a little bit, but still =) Hate their trying to monopolize so much.

E3's next month. That's why they showed so little in the way of games.

What people do at work to talk about [censored] reality tv... dancing with star american idol...

It's a really bad metaphor, saying that xbox live is going to be the next social gathering place.

Why is it a bad metaphor? because the water cooler is only a social gathering place when you're at work. It's not a social gathering place at home or between friends.

Water cooler = social gathering spot. They're talking about the social features.

So the fee for used games originally came from Wired and has not been conformed by Microsoft yet. Stow your pitchforks and torches for now people.

I think he's gone now.

I think because at the end of the day, we know what games are. They'll get bigger and prettier, but they are just reaching the ceiling METAPHOR TIME! Imagine the ceiling is rubber, so that ceiling is stretched and stretched, but it looks like we're there. Did the new Forza look any different from the others? Not really.

We know Halo will be Halo-ish, that CoD will be CoD-ey, that Battlefield will still be Battlefield. Each will be nicer and bigger, but still the stuff we know. We're not onto holograms and virtual reality yet (but give it about four years...)

You know how clingy we get to rumors around here.