AfterDawn: News

Analyst: Xbox 8 will cost just $99 with TV subscription contract

Video game industry analyst Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan says the upcoming Xbox 8 will likely sell at a huge discount since it will come with a two-year contract.

The biggest feature of the new console will be its ability to be "all-encompassing" for media entertainment needs.



Says Pachter (via CVG): "Console will have to be multiple purpose devices. The Xbox 720, this is my prediction, is going to be your television as well [as your game console]. You'll be able to tune into television through it.

You wont need a 'smart TV' when you've got an Xbox 720, it will be your television and your internet. It's going to be open architecture and I think it's real trick will be that one Xbox will be able to display television to as many screens as you have in your possession."

If true, Pachter believes the console will be completely integrated into Windows and Windows Phone, making for a wonderful ecosystem:

"The next Xbox will be Windows for sure, and you'll be able to open up multiple TV channels in different windows and you'll use SmartGlass to shoot off different channels to how ever many screens you want. That is happening, that I'm certain of.

"I'm pretty confident that in the US Microsoft is going to partner with a cable TV provider, so I expect that the console will be priced like a smart phone. I expect you'll be paying $99 for the console with a cable TV subscription."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 11 Jul 2012 0:39

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• 16 comments

• bigdan45

  Wait, so it'll REQUIRE a contract? If so edited by ddp that.

  11.7.2012 01:19 #1

• cdxanti

  I want a game console not a cable box

  11.7.2012 01:34 #2

• Mr_Bill06

  Originally posted by bigdan45: Wait, so it'll REQUIRE a contract? If so edited by ddp that. No it wont, but if you want the new Xbox for $99 or maybe even less you will have to get a subscription service. They are doing it now with the Xbox 360 for $99. You have to sub to 2 years of Xbox Live at an inflated price. I guess if you are needing TV service it's not that bad of a deal, depending on what the terms are and how long and how much you are having to pay.

  11.7.2012 02:00 #3

• Burnasty

  I am sure glad i recently converted to pc gaming. This will prove to be a mistake on microsofts part.
  

  Buy the ticket, take the ride. -H.S.T.
  

  11.7.2012 02:30 #4

• bigdan45

  Originally posted by Mr_Bill06: Originally posted by bigdan45: Wait, so it'll REQUIRE a contract? If so edited by ddp that. No it wont, but if you want the new Xbox for $99 or maybe even less you will have to get a subscription service. They are doing it now with the Xbox 360 for $99. You have to sub to 2 years of Xbox Live at an inflated price. I guess if you are needing TV service it's not that bad of a deal, depending on what the terms are and how long and how much you are having to pay. Huh, well, depending on the "inflated" rate of XBOX Live I might have to do that. lol

  11.7.2012 03:00 #5

• Mr_Bill06

  Originally posted by bigdan45: Huh, well, depending on the "inflated" rate of XBOX Live I might have to do that. lol You will be paying $15 a month with the contract for 2 years. If you had an Xbox 360 already it is $9.99 a month, $24.99 for 3 months, and $59.99 for a year.
  

  11.7.2012 08:05 #6

• molsen

  This is an analyst speaking. I willing to bet this might be a option some people might like. Personally, I have an 360 for kinect games for my daughter. I do not subscribe to gold, but if there are good games coming for either 360 or new xbox, I might reconsider.

  11.7.2012 09:18 #7

• Hrdrk20

  Originally posted by Burnasty: I am sure glad i recently converted to pc gaming. This will prove to be a mistake on microsofts part. You don't need to fully convert to PC gaming only. Just be smart about the money you spend. I purchased a PS3 slim last January and only buy games that are $20 or below. PS2,Xbox and Gamecube iso's are the price or your internet service ( free in some cases). I won't be an early adopter for the new Xbox but will consider it after soaking up a few months to a year of information.

  11.7.2012 12:21 #8

• ThePastor

  Quote:"I'm pretty confident that in the US Microsoft is going to partner with a cable TV provider, so I expect that the console will be priced like a smart phone. I expect you'll be paying $99 for the console with a cable TV subscription." This is the real "meat" in this article. "With a cable TV subscription".
  This at a time when everyone is trying to get the hell OFF of cable TV.
  Cable TV can easily pad their price to pay for this subsidy. Then you end up with the same crap that you have with phones!
  Want to switch from Comcast to Uverse? Too bad. You have to get a different version of your X-Box and pay an early termination fee... ect... ect...
  "Microsoft is going to partner with a cable TV provider"
  "A" provider... One... That means that if you happen to live where that one provider is and you don't mind paying the stupid fees and don't care how bad the service is then you can get this service.
  The rest of the country is out of luck. (same with phones)
  
  This is a terrible, terrible idea.
  
  A much, MUCH better idea is for Congress to tell the cable companies that they need to stick to the standards that they are SUPPOSED to be sticking to which would allow people to buy ANY cable tuner, Microsoft or Motorola or otherwise.
  I'm sick and tired of these "deals"
  
  

  Oh, Im sorry... Did the middle of my sentence interrupt the beginning of yours?

  11.7.2012 13:21 #9

• eggbert52

  Christ. When I read this I was certain it was an article dug up from April 1st.
  

  Egg

  11.7.2012 13:39 #10

• TBandit

  Tired of hearing from this idiot can he just go die. Blu ray to the 360 GTFO

  11.7.2012 17:31 #11

• A5J4DX

  Originally posted by cdxanti: I want a game console not a cable box
  exactly!
  

  11.7.2012 19:51 #12

• bigdan45

  Originally posted by Mr_Bill06: Originally posted by bigdan45: Huh, well, depending on the "inflated" rate of XBOX Live I might have to do that. lol You will be paying $15 a month with the contract for 2 years. If you had an Xbox 360 already it is $9.99 a month, $24.99 for 3 months, and $59.99 for a year. Got me a 360 and love it....minus the Metro Dashboard. And I agree with the above comment....I want to console NOT a cable box!!!
  

  12.7.2012 10:03 #13

• Askar

  It all sounds ok to me as long as you still can buy one as a stand alone product. For some people a subscription service for tv might be something they want anyway and could get an xbox at a lower price with it.
  
  I for one would never do it. I have DirecTv and as long as they have an exclusive on Sunday Ticket, that isn't going to change.

  13.7.2012 17:12 #14

• 8686

  xbox live 12 month memberships hover around the $45 on Amazon.
  
  This was a "Prediction"? No one saw this coming? Come on. They are doing this now. It will never be called a "Media" anything by me if I still cant dump mp3's onto the xbox's hdd.
  
  They should just make a "Media" box and another dedicated gaming machine.

  16.7.2012 15:49 #15

• deak91

  first you have to understand xbox live what can it offer that you dont already get without the xbox at lest with the ps3 last i heard not too sure in game ads to pay for cost for the network going straight for the player is a dick move
  

  16.7.2012 18:38 #16