Microsoft's best undiscovered market niche

[Ainokeatoo]

Faceplates are the first step in customizing your console, but I wonder how hard it would be for microsoft to somehow make the case plates easy to remove like the faceplates, so companies who make Face Plates can make Case Plates that could easily be sold with Face Plates.

Basically allowing people to mod their cases, without actually breaking warranty. I mean Face Plates are pretty, but I mean, really, how much does a dark face plate match the rest of a white 360? Not very much. What do you guys think?

[Variation-XBA]

Maybe they will take what they've done with faceplates for the 360 and go a step further with the next system with case plates like you said. It's not impossible, but it's a very niche thing, that's the only problem.

[JarkMan]

i agree they would make alot of money off it but for them to do that they need to redesign the xbox to where if u take apart another area of the xbox it voids warranty

[Ainokeatoo]

i agree they would make alot of money off it but for them to do that they need to redesign the xbox to where if u take apart another area of the xbox it voids warranty

Well, I mean, if you open up the xbox, it looks like this.

http://www.hardware.info/images/articles/xbox360-open.jpg

If they could possibly put a hole filled cover, similar to the vents on the 360 case plates itself, over the open area of the 360 or their next console, then place seals over where the cover has the ability to be taken off. To where, if you actually wanted to mod the console as in, cheats and the such, you'd have to void the warranty to get to the guts.

Whereas, the outside plates, if you took them off, would not void the warranty so you can easily change out all plates except just the faceplate. I don't know to much about motherboards, chips, etc, but I think it's a good idea, no?

[Symmetric-XBA]

I hope that MS doesn't allow full case changing like that, I can understand the reasoning for having it, I just think it will turn the system into the video game smart car. ugh.

[BananaMan]

sounds stupid.

how many people would actually do it? 2-5% of all xbox owners?

i don't know anyone that even owns a faceplate around here.

[Ainokeatoo]

I hope that MS doesn't allow full case changing like that, I can understand the reasoning for having it, I just think it will turn the system into the video game smart car. ugh.

It's already being done, and people are paying good money for case mods, the only real reason it isn't huge, is because the risk of voiding warranty. And honestly, a dark face plate completely different color console. Or lame stickers that are a pain to take off, because first you need to get them off, then you need to get the adhesive off before you do anything else with it, or hope for a RroD (because apparently microsoft takes off the adhesive, well they did to mine)


sounds stupid.

how many people would actually do it? 2-5% of all xbox owners?

i don't know anyone that even owns a faceplate around here.

Every single person here that owns a 360 owns a faceplate.

[Hurr0]

Yurp I know a lot of people who will pay just for the colors alone. This site turned me on to a different perspective of graphics. Besides, anyone who wants to keep their system original just because of the warranty isn't willing to take a chance, do a dance, and say hey I got this done.. you really do own an xbox ORIGINAL. Me I do it for fun, and just to see what the outcome is :cool:

[GamerSince'76]

I just wish they would have put holes all over the case for ventillation. It would look cool and keep it cool.

[BananaMan]

It's already being done, and people are paying good money for case mods, the only real reason it isn't huge, is because the risk of voiding warranty. And honestly, a dark face plate completely different color console. Or lame stickers that are a pain to take off, because first you need to get them off, then you need to get the adhesive off before you do anything else with it, or hope for a RroD (because apparently microsoft takes off the adhesive, well they did to mine)



Every single person here that owns a 360 owns a faceplate.


true, a plain white one that comes with the console. i think i know of one person in my town that has a custom faceplate, and it's wood, and ugly.

[Unreal]

I own I believe 3 plates. A Gear's, Forza and Silver one. If they had a system case one I would probably not take advantage of the option. I think they should work on more important things myself. IMO of course.

[Symmetric-XBA]

I think they should work on more important things myself. IMO of course.
I totally agree. I'd rather have a better gpu and better vents instead of a case. I'm so tired of hearing about all the different generations of 360's, from launch, and then we got falcon, and then opus, and vallhalla. I think that i may have missed one or two versions but why can't ms just say "here's the best out there". I'm praying that ms spends more money on r&d than just "rushing" the system out. true they beat sony, however they also lost a billion dollars w/ repairs and even had times when they ran out of coffins for people whose system broke down.

[Unreal]

I don't think they will make the mistake next gen. This one is going to last longer then normal because of the economy. That gives MS more time to have the Xbox 720 in development :p