Xbox 2 is... a PC?
Video editing, Net access, the works, says Uncle Bill
The next Xbox is looking less and less like a games console, and more like a set top box PC if comments made by Microsoft uber-boss Bill Gates are to be taken at face value.
Talking to French national newspaper Les Echoes he revealed: "The next-generation Xbox will feature digital media capabilities such as video and photo editing in addition to games. It will also allow for Internet capabilities without the need for direct connections through Wi-Fi."
Erm, so which bits of the PC functionality won't be making it into the Xbox, hmm? We wonder if a keyboard and mouse will be supported this time.
Meanwhile, in the same interview he brushed off suggestions that Vivendi Universal Games was its next acquisition target: "As far as I know there are currently no negotiations in progress. If there were serious discussions regarding a buyout [of Vivendi Universal Games], I'd definitely know about it."
On the thorny issue of its failure to break the Japanese market, Gates offered: "We knew it was going to be difficult, and we will continue to invest in the Xbox there."
"Being a new player in this business, we're satisfied with the number two position behind Sony and ahead of Nintendo is the global console market. We think that's particularly significant because software developers have historically only supported the top two platforms. With the launch of Xbox Live, our console provides opportunities that Sony can't match right out of the box," he added.