If Microsoft would make a handheld...

Caporegime
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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?
 
Soldato
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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 ;)
 
Soldato
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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. :o That would be cool I guess, although I think games would drain the battery too quickly.
 
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Soldato
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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.
 
Soldato
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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.
 
Soldato
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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 :D
 
Soldato
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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.
 
Soldato
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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.

;) :D :p
 
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