Microsoft Sails into Portable Gaming with Argo?

[Hitman_Jim]

Rumors of a portable gaming device from Microsoft have been flowing unabated since late last year, when it was speculated that Xbox co-founder J Allard may be at the helm of Microsoft's effort to challenge Apple's iPod as well as portable consoles from Nintendo and Sony with one device. Last week, news sources reported on alleged music capabilities and services that Microsoft may plan to offer. Today, The Seattle Times dug up some more details about the portable device, which is apparently codenamed Argo after Jason's mythological ship.

According to Seattle Times writer Brier Dudley, Argo will indeed be a gaming device and will make use of Microsoft's XNA standard, intended to streamline cross-platform game development--provided, of course, the platforms in question are from Microsoft. Argo will also reportedly have wi-fi capability out of the box, no surprise given the feature is standard in both Nintendo DS and PSP.

Dudley also claims that Argo is not one product, but rather an ambitious line of Xbox-branded portable electronic devices and software products. This would suggest that the alleged product shot revealed today most likely does not depict a gaming unit, with its vertically oriented screen and distinct shortage of buttons.

Interestingly, Microsoft has not shied away from the portable gaming arena. So far, the company has supported Nintendo portables by way of first and third party developers. Microsoft-owned Rare has announced its support for Nintendo DS, and Backbone Entertainment's upcoming DS title MechAssault: Phantom War is based on a Microsoft-owned property and branded with the Microsoft Game Studios logo. It is unknown how heavily Microsoft plans to invest in the portable market as a platform holder, whether the company will indeed target core gamers, or whether it attempt to make further inroads into the casual market as it has done with its Xbox Live Arcade and MSN Games brands.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003116550_brier10.html

[disciple]

Microsoft's Argo and the master plan behind the portable media player -- and possible gaming unit
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3234

Engadget has posted a picture of what looks to be Microsoft's much talked about iPod competitor. The site claims that they were sent the image from an insider working on the project -- if true, they'll likely be looking for a new job if J. Allard gets wind of this. According to a recent article from The Seattle Times, the internal codename for the new portable media player (PMP) is Argo; Microsoft's homage to Greek mythology.

While most people have been talking up the audio and video capabilities of the player, Brier Dudley of The Seattle Times points out that Argo could possibly double as a portable gaming unit similar in spirit to the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS. The scarcity of front-side buttons plays against this idea, but anything is possible. Dudley also points out that Argo could serve as a showcase for Microsoft's XNA toolkit.

yuh know. .somehow it doesn't seem strange that MS is shafting all the hardware companies they got to license their PlaysForSure DRM  ( by DIRECTLY competing with them now..lol

side note, this topic has already been mentioned by someone else in gaming central.. how bout merging the two?