If Microsoft would make a handheld...

PiKe · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:01

It would be something like this...

Flash based, decent sized clear lcd led screen with a long battery life, wifi etc.

The main feature is that you will load your XBLA games on to it via your 360 though USB or similar, using the device ID with DRM to make sure the games cannot be copied, as being signed in isn't really an option when on a hand held.

There will be no removable media available for it.

The achievements system will be inherited, making it the first hand held console with achievements... (afaik the PSP doesn't do trophies yet?).

Sound good so far?

Nismo · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:10

It would be a portable Xbox (original) with graphical enhancements and inherit the infrastructure of the Xbox 360 in terms of the dash and Live.

IMO

SiD the Turtle · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:11

Rumours around now and then suggest that rather than go to the expense of developing a whole hand-held to compete with the DS/PSP, they'd bundle in the tech to the Zune.

MonkieMann · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:40

would they have room for 3 red lights on this handheld?

EDDS · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:42

they already have a handheld, its called a zune...

not propa gaming machine atm but its just getting started.

Streeteh · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:42

I can imagine them making a handheld solely for XBL games, there would probably be quite a market for it too.

PiKe · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:43

Streeteh said:
I can imagine them making a handheld solely for XBL games, there would probably be quite a market for it too.

They'd have to 'make' on the hardware though unless they expect eveyone to pay for a 'hand held licence' for each game.

Weebull · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:44

Why would they make it Flash-based? Why would anyone?

It would almost certainly be scaled down Direct3D C/C++.

Also, you can't really have a handheld to play XBLA games. Those games aren't limited by any particular hardware constraints, and so you could have an Arcade game every bit as technical as Gears of War 2. The only thing thats limiting them is the download size and that they're made by small teams.

EDIT: Ohhhh, you mean flash-based as in the hard drive? Gotcha.

That would be cool I guess, although I think games would drain the battery too quickly.

Nismo · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:45

Weebull said:
Why would they make it Flash-based? Why would anyone?

It would almost certainly be scaled down Direct3D C/C++.

Flash as in memory/storage is how I interpreted it.

PiKe · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:46

Nismo said:
Flash as in memory/storage is how I interpreted it.

Correct.

House · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:50

Got a couple of games on my zune when I updated its firmware the other day.
Think one of them is hexic but i havent really had time to look into it yet.

Shame I still can't use their marketplace software to grab more because im a dirty limey and we cant be trusted (also known as record companys want us to pay more for our music than the yanks). The Zune subscription service in the US would be my choice if i could sign up for it.

I think games on the move will move more towards multi function devices like iPhone and Zune (and the much rumoured Zune Phone) in the future.

Weebull · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:52

Nismo said:
Flash as in memory/storage is how I interpreted it.

Aye, I edited.

Nismo · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:56

Weebull said:
Also, you can't really have a handheld to play XBLA games. Those games aren't limited by any particular hardware constraints, and so you could have an Arcade game every bit as technical as Gears of War 2. The only thing thats limiting them is the download size and that they're made by small teams.

I think MS set a very strict criteria for XBLA games, maybe not in terms of hardware performance, but they certainly have things like it must be perfectly playable on a boggo 14" TV for example.

Zogger · 22 Oct 2008 at 14:10

It would also make a constant whirring noise with special controls to make sure it's always louder than any game sounds it's making

Psyk · 22 Oct 2008 at 17:03

Pretty soon indie developers will be able to develop games for the Zune and sell them via a Live Arcade style system.

Noel Gallagher · 22 Oct 2008 at 17:04

I reckon it'd be good.

It'd have a dashboard and everything

NXE!

JUMPURS · 22 Oct 2008 at 17:18

Nismo said:
I think MS set a very strict criteria for XBLA games, maybe not in terms of hardware performance, but they certainly have things like it must be perfectly playable on a boggo 14" TV for example.

Yeah, but there are some which run on UE3, which i don't think a handheld would be able to do.

They would need to make only some games available on it, them it becomes a bit blah because the games that would be playable would likely be available on a CF PSP a homebrew DS or one of those mod happy handhelds that i can't remember the name of right now. Because it would boil down to the old NES and megadrive ports.

Jonnycoupe · 22 Oct 2008 at 17:31

Would it have a griddle like back? Could double up as a toaster then, just stamp your bread with it and hey presto.

PiKe · 22 Oct 2008 at 17:36

JUMPURS said:
Because it would boil down to the old NES and megadrive ports.

With achievements, which we all know are like crack... so people would buy them.

Joebob · 22 Oct 2008 at 17:48

If MS made a handheld...

It would come with standard AA batteries and you would have to pay extra for rechargable ones.
It would come without wifi and they would charge you extra for a wifi adapter.
It would come with tiny flash memory but you would have the option to buy extra storage at ridiculous prices.
Once you have the wifi and extra memory then they will charge you for using it online.
It would need tiny little cooling fans which would be cheap and VERY noisey.
It would be built by the company who put in the lowest tender and the quality would be somewhat dubious.
The thumb sticks would be in the wrong place and the D-pad would be crap.