just saw on one of the Rumor sites the new XBOX will come without a Media drive... DIGITAL BABY!!!!! No more consoles for backwoods homes.. no more PIRATE software.. the alwasy on to verify DRM is .. here to stay and ANNOY.. This ahd been guessed as MS is killing the non XBOX LIVE stuff in a descrete and quite manner right now.. LIVE games for windows is, and has been dead for awhile.. many said this is MS's "force it" baby move.. to own thier next gen console you will have to get your content from them, use thier service. if you cant break into the digital download service with quality and content.. Use your muscle, MS way.. Sony has been working with Valve and will have steamworks, and ... (in very UN SONY way) anybody else (origin?) who confroms to guidelines.. so an open digital download platform... VS MS Closed... (its worked for apple quite well).

of course this is all rumors an MS wont comment but the source is considered good (its from a major XBOX exclusive software house)

Personlaly i love digital.. but there are a BOATLOAD of issues.. HD space is the first. My Steam drive is a 2TB and I am alwasy removing games to install new ones. I know what you are saying.. you cant play that many game.. and I cant.. But with games being 5-10 GB in size downloading one is a few hours. I come home and really want to play MAJESTY (personal favorite RTS of mine).. and its not installed.. i dont play it.. With media (especailly in consoles) i want to play TO HUMAN... i just throw it in and play.. in the all digital world that option is no longer supported.. not installed, no instant play. Small sacrafice but its a sacrafice. And as much as we all talk about "connected" homes.. many low income people are going to be left in the cold, bandwidth or just connection wise. I have just been hit with the "bandwithc" thing.. my local cable company has changed rates on useage.. and I live in a location where my options are a: bend over with lube made out of sand or B; bend over without lube.. or C;' local phone company so I have to play for a PHONE i never use... in the end they all suck. I can forsee this being more and more an issue.. 2 person household (roomates) and we both use netflix alot, and STEAM.. my GB used is .. probebly not hte average.. but now I'm goign to have to watch it.. and as more things go totally digital this will just increase.. No more buy and play... wait and wait..I already see issues with STEAM when a HUGE release is done.. consider consoles whre sales are normaly 2X as much.. no more play on release day.. "server is busy, try again later".. No more play whatever game you randomly think about.. it has to be installed. No more play on a camping trip with an inverter (rare i know).. or other odd location.. no net, no play. No more using my XBOX 1 disc in my XBOX 2..

NO MORE EMULATION.. the DRM will be cracked im sure.. but its really going to be great to stop pirates (some) but hurt in other ways. The future is here.. and its good, but not great.