Easily one of the first things I want to see in the next Xbox, to paraphrase Ronald Reagan: "Mr. Ballmer, tear down this paywall!". I'm not saying here that Microsoft shouldn't make money providing content. No, of course not. I am, however, saying that services like YouTube, that are already free from any PC, should not be available through the next Xbox on a paying basis. If I hooked up a PC to my television--easier than you might think, really--I'd have YouTube on a big screen at no charge. It's the same with some televisions and Blu-ray peripherals. In the same vein, why pay Xbox to access the content that I'm already paying Netflix or Hulu or anyone else to access?
But by like token, another thing I'd like to see would make a great addition to Microsoft's lineup: video content. Some have been suggesting that Microsoft might step into the ring as a content provider, or at least a content aggregator. There's a lot of content out there that is, as yet, currently unaffiliated, and that's a big opportunity for Microsoft to step in and get together some new content that can be a real draw for them. Between the stuff that Microsoft can develop on its own, and the stuff that's already out there waiting to be licensed, there's plenty of video out there, and Xbox Video--or whatever it's ultimately called--could be a huge step.
Finally, this is more of a personal thing, but with the next big console comes an array of launch titles. Perhaps my two biggest favorite titles over the last decade have been the Fallout series and the Elder Scrolls series. Being as we just got through an Elder Scrolls lineup recently thanks to Skyrim--the ultimate edition of which will be coming out soon at last report--the next one in the lineup will likely be Fallout. Whether we'll be looking at Fallout 4 or possibly Fallout: New Vegas 2 is somewhat unclear, but the fact of the matter is it's been years since our last go-round with the shattered nuclear wasteland, and it's high time we went back. A Fallout title of any stripe as a launch title would be a treat.
Those are just some of the things I'd like to see when the new Xbox makes its grand debut tomorrow. Hopefully we'll see some more between now and the big official launch date--indeed, between now and E3 in a few weeks--but still, it's looking like a great time to be a gamer, and hopefully we'll have plenty to talk about in the coming months.
