Looking Ahead: Xbox 360 in 2010 - What Needs to be Fixed

While the Xbox 360 has done alot of improving since it's release, that doesn't mean that there isn't room to grow or things to fix.  These are items that I'd like to see fixed for the Xbox 360 but don't necessarily mean they will be fixed in 2010. 

Dollar transactions for Xbox Live content

Microsoft Points have been on the more baffling and, at times, infuriating aspects of the Xbox Live experience.  Want to buy a game for 800 MS Points?  Well, first you have to buy MS Points in amounts of 1000, 1600, 4000 points or other denominations.  This ultimately leaves you with more points than you wanted.  Buying content in odd MS Point amounts like 160 or 240 only exacerbates this problem.  The Games On Demand service has shown that dollar transactions can and do work on Xbox Live.  The next step is for Microsoft to make this work across the rest of the service videos, content, and Live Arcade games. 

How likely will this happen in 2010? Somewhat.  MS execs have hinted at being open to this possibility and with the news that Microsoft is opening up Live to mobile platforms the confusing and frustrating nature of MS Points stand a good possibility of going by the wayside.

Speaking of Xbox Live Arcade games

Live Arcade games have been a cornerstone of the the Xbox Live service but the release dates of games are usually announced only a week or so prior to their actual release.  Sometimes, the games themselves are a surprise as they've barely been mentioned or heard of.  Granted, the nature of Microsoft's certification process is the result of this but consumers of Live Arcade games could really use a clue about upcoming releases and an approximate time of when they are being released much like how it is done with retail.  We've come to accept reasonable delays of retail games so there's no reason why we wouldn't be just as accepting for digital releases.

How likely will this happen in 2010?  A more retail like release schedule?  Probably not all that likely.  However, the last two Summer of Arcades have been a success in part because gamers knew what games were coming and when (on top of them being quality line-ups) so we can probably see an expansion of that program and perhaps additional programs.

Set third-party hardware free

Whether for security reasons, quality reasons, or monopolistic reasons, Microsoft has effectively locked out third-party hardware devices on the Xbox 360.  Want a measly 512 MB memory card?  That'll set you back at least $30.  You can get a 8GB flash drive for about the same amount.  Same thing with the hard drives and wireless adapters.  The retail price on Microsoft branded accessories is far more expensive then what you'd similarly find with non-Xbox 360 products.  The biggest solution to this issue would be to open up the Xbox 360 to third-party accessory makers. 

How likely will this happen in 2010?  Given that Microsoft recently blocked Datel's memory card solution, not likely at all in 2010 or the near future.

Update Facebook

Facebook has been an OK addition to Xbox 360 especially as far as being able to view photos that are shared on Facebook from the comfort of your couch.  However, all the other features that make Facebook Facebook have pretty much been rendered useless.  Did a friend share a link to a cool video?  Can't watch it through the Xbox 360.  Want to play Mafia Wars, Farmville, or another Facebook game?  You can't.  The limitations on the Facebook app for the Xbox 360 just don't make the experience as good as it could be to this point. 

How likely will this happen in 2010?  Well, the good news is that Facebook is software and can be updated.  MS execs have hinted at bringing updates to Facebook to enable more functionality.  How much functionality, we'll just have to wait and see.

Update Last.fm to play in the background

Last.fm is actually pretty nice addition to the Xbox Live service.  The caveat is that when it is running, you can't do anything else on your Xbox 360.   Microsoft needs to find a way for the Last.fm app to run in the background while users play games, browse the menus, or do whatever else.  You can already stream music from your PC while doing everything else so why not Last.fm too we ask?  The fact that the application has to stream from the potentially limited bandwidth of the user's internet connection probably has something to do with limitations but would still be nice to have.

How likely will this happen in 2010?  Not very, I think. The fact that Last.fm has to be launched as a separate app and is not integrated in the Xbox 360 operating system may be too big a hurdle to overcome.

Open up Indie Games and Create an App Store

Once again, the controlling nature of Microsoft strikes what could be a promising feature for end-users.  Indie Games has been around for a couple of years and gone through a name change.  Changes beside the name have been made to the service but it is still pretty restrictive as to what developers can do on the service and how much they can charge or if they want to charge at all and use ads or use micro-transactions instead.  This is where Microsoft needs to follow Apple’s lead and allow the Indie Game developers more freedom.  Also, create a separate section for all the non-game apps that are being developed. 

How likely will this happen in 2010?  Again, Microsoft’s controlling behavior makes this unlikely. 

More 1 vs 100 type games

1 vs 100 has undoubtedly been a hit on Xbox Live as it has drawn thousands and thousands of people together every night to compete for prizes.  Since Season 2 started, 1 vs 100 has only gotten better with more trivia theme nights.  Microsoft promised more “Prime Time Programming” for Xbox Live and it is time they follow through by announcing one or more new games for the service.

I'd also like to see perhaps a subscription for Silver members be made available as well so that they can join in on the fun.  Who knows, maybe it will entice them to upgrade to Gold memberships.

How likely will this happen in 2010?  This one is kind of iffy I think but a beta for a new game will hopefully pop up toward the end of the year.

Price Drop

Yeah, we just the Arcade version is at $200 and the Elite was dropped down to $300 with the removal of the “Pro” unit.  While this was welcomed the Xbox 360 Elite at $300 does no match up equally to the Playstation 3 Slim at $300 due to the lack of Blu-Ray and a built in wireless adapter.  Sales are beginning to reflect this and while the Project Natal motion camera will likely end up bundled with 360s when it is released, a price drop will do a better job of spurring sales.

How likely will this happen in 2010?  Fairly likely.  A combination of sales and hardware cost reductions should result in a price drop sometime around the fall.

That's All Folks

And that's it for what I'm looking ahead at for the Xbox 360 in 2010.  How about you?  What do you expect and what do you hope for?  Any surprise games or new announcements?  Share them in the comments below.

Back to Part 1 of Looking Ahead: Xbox 360 in 2010

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