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Unboxing the Xboy
Written by Cody Musser on Wednesday, October 25, 2006
We examine why Microsoft should (and shouldn't) enter the handheld fray. And no, Zune isn't "good enough."
...Continued From Page 1 Microsoft is facing yet another staggering difficulty in bringing a handheld to the market, and it's probably the most significant difficulty they've faced in the console market as well. Japan. Japan's refusal to welcome the Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles into their homes is a sure sign of difficulty in the potential acceptance of a Microsoft handheld device, and that's not even mentioning the fact that the Japanese most likely won't even notice a Microsoft handheld amidst the seemingly unending assault of DS sales. Preaching what would surely be one of their handhelds greatest features, connectivity, is going to be doubly difficult when their console system has reached as few homes as it has in Japan.
However, connectivity will undoubtedly be something that sways many potential customers to their handheld in regions that have widely accepted the Xbox 360. Microsoft will no doubt deliver this connectivity through what they've revealed as Live Anywhere. The service which will bring together the Xbox 360, PC's, mobile phones, and eventually the Zune, will obviously make a huge impact for a handheld gaming machine. Microsoft will have no reason not to tout this feature upon the eventual release of their handheld gaming platform, as it should be well in use by the point they even announce any system.
The Live Anywhere service is also going to be the proponent of bringing what has, as of yet, been fairly separate from handhelds. Community. Both Nintendo and Sony have faltered somewhat in bringing community to a handheld device. The potential of Nintendo's WiFi service was dashed by their embracing of the friend codes system, and while there is no guarantee they will implement it, Microsoft is lucky enough to have a large scale community already built for their handheld. The potentials of Xbox Live for a handheld are almost difficult to imagine, but for one example, playing something like a Live Arcade title could be possible not only through an Xbox 360 console, but it could also be downloaded to a handheld, and played wirelessly, against those playing on their 360's. It lies only on Microsoft's shoulders to embrace the possibilities.
A Microsoft handheld will need to focus on community to stand a chance
The early reports of Microsoft's efforts in the handheld market are promising in some facet, but worrying in others. Claims that they are preparing a device to battle Sony, Nintendo, and the Ipod have been reported by Dean Takahashi, reporter for the San Jose Mercury News and author of The Xbox 360 Uncloaked: The Real Story Behind Microsoft's Next-Generation Video Game Console. The idea of a device to battle nearly every major handheld electronic, gaming or otherwise, is surely an impressive one, but is it true?
posted October 26, 2006