Next-gen Kinect

Rumour: Next-gen Kinect will come as standard

Will it happen: Maybe

Regardless of what your thoughts are on Kinect, actually Microsoft is amazingly keen on the motion-detecting camera.

Yeah, we haven’t any idea why either. Still, expect to peer a brand new Kinect model launching alongside the brand new Xbox, this time new and improved.

Ignore the massive Brother suspicion for a second and you will see that mandatory Kinect implementation will be fantastic.

Sure, current-gen Kinect is just a little squiffy on the subject of motion detection, but at a far better resolution and with sharper senses, a next-gen Kinect may well be worthwhile.

If it’s mandatory then we’ll see plenty of developers developing with increasingly innovative ways of using the tech, and it won’t be the embarrassment it’s now.

• The resolution of the subsequent gen is declared to be upgraded to one,920×1,080, so that it will help it detect fingers and so on.
• It was suggested that the subsequent-gen Kinect can be bundled in with every New Xbox on release.
• Microsoft can be using ‘Illumiroom’ technology, which paints your walls with in-game action, will place confidence in this new and improved Kinect.

Always-on internet to fight second-hand sales

Rumour: The subsequent Xbox would require an online connection to work

Will it happen: Not likely

It’s always been a ‘burden’ at the games industry, and this argument won’t be dying out any time soon.

Is Microsoft seeking to implement some form of ban on second-hand sales?

The argument surrounding second-hand sales isn’t going anywhere soon, or even when the industry adopts digital games entirely we’ll still be having this discussion.

For now, however, the most recent rumours suggest Microsoft’s next console can have an always-on internet connection requirement when playing games, even if offline.

While plausible – it’d mean they might run games as services to prevent used games being sold on – in actual fact Microsoft simply couldn’t sell a console that was only playable with a web connection.

For some thing, gamers wouldn’t stand for it. Sure, there’ll always be some consumers in the market willing to run straight on the headlights, but when Microsoft really did force an always-on net connection, then many, ourselves included, would think carefully about buying the brand new Xbox.

• DRM means Digital Rights Management, and is somewhat software that checks your game is legitimate.
• PC gamers have needed to manage this type of problem for years; Diablo 3 and SimCity are two recent and infamous examples.
• A law was passed recently that made it legal to resell digital games. No such function is feasible yet, however.