So, throughout today, Kotaku and IGN have posted some rumor articles detailing the social features of the new console.

1. You can follow people, rather than just befriending them. So: We can all follow Ryan and the gang on XBL, and see what pre-release stuff he’s playing. Is this in addition to having friends?. Hmm..
2. You can also capture video and share via UStream and Facebook. No Twitch?. Mm. You can also have your capture settings set to be recording when you get an achievement, or a headshot. Huh.
3. This stuff about DRM, though.

   1. “However, their sources indicate that this won’t be a requirement for all games, but will be left up to the publisher as to whether or not they want to make it a feature or not.”

Didn’t Sony say this, too? Destiny is confirmed to be always online. Including 360 and PS3 versions. That would mean campaign too. Still, why? Like, can you see neighboring internet battles off in the distance ala Journey?. Weird.

IGN: Next Xbox Rumored to Change Friends Lists, Allow Video Capture and Sharing

4. Achievements will be retooled. So post-release, developers can add achievements to a game without having to release DLC. Like to push people towards playing that multiplayer. So, I bet it’d be like

• 1000 points on release plus 150 post release. DLC points requirement-amount might get changed as well. Who knows..

IGN: Rumor: The Next Xbox Will Retool Achievements

Interestingly, Polygon further notes that Achievements can be added for “broader events,” like killing a specific amount of enemies in a given amount of time (such as over one particular weekend), and that the new, still-unannounced Xbox may even allow for “cross-platform” and “cross-title” achievements, the former already being done by Sony with PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita (with Trophies), and the latter tethering certain accomplishments in different – but related – games.

Polygon: The next Xbox rethinks DRM, Achievements and Xbox Live friends, our sources say

Kotaku has a story that Rare has a AAA game. I'm just hoping it something that sells well..

On his CV, a British freelance animator says he is "Currently Working on a AAA Next-Gen Xbox Release Title .. for 2013." In a post on his firm's Facebook page from last September, the animator states that he is "working with Rare … on a new title," but cannot divulge any details due to confidentiality agreements. However, he does generically hint that the game "will be big." Combining these two items together, it doesn't seem unreasonable to infer that Rare is probably making a launch window game for the next Xbox.

The Verge's Tom Warren reported a few weeks back that Microsoft's slate of "major launch titles" included "a family game set on an island with Pixar movie-style graphics," which doesn't necessarily seem outside of Rare's wheelhouse given their recent casual, family-friendly Kinect focus.

Kotaku: Superannuation: Is Rare Working On A Launch Title For The Next Xbox? Plus: More Gaming Secrets.

AAA Rare title, you say...

You have my interest...

Also, the timed achievements thing sounds pretty cool. I liked the timed challenges in Halo 4, which sounds like quite a similar idea

My three takeaways from this latest batch of rumors is

1. MS is watering down the meaning of achievements (lower than the little they already meant). Not sure how I feel about this. There is something really sleazy about getting an achievement for some cross game/platform promotion. The worst-case scenario I imagine is that Dorritos would sponsor some kind of weekend event in Halo. The player would log onto Xbox Live to see a bunch of crap ads, then get an achievement for playing a certain number of hours during the event.

2. The more I think about it, the less sense it makes for Twitch to ally exclusively with one platform. The best analogy I can think of is Apple and Youtube and/or Google Maps. For a while these were baked into each device now they are stand alone apps. Google has more control over ads for both. I imagine Twitch wants something similar. They will have dedicated apps for PS4 and Xbox. If they came baked in, the functionality may be better but they may not necessarily have as much revenue. Ustream, the less popular service, is willing to make this deal because they are trying to compete.

3. Glad to see Rare doing something beside avatars.

That follow feature seems neat and another one of those DUH moments where I wonder why no one has thought of it yet.

Rare died a long, long time age. There's no point getting hyped. Unless 'Viva Pinata: Nuts and Bolts Family Friend Time' turns you on.

@blu3v3nom07: I don't understand your issue with Destiny, have you never played an MMO before?

@megametaturtle: I heard it required Kinect at some point. So don't get your hopes up.

I won't fall for a Rare release title again, damn you Perfect Dark Zero!

I'm just waiting to buy this console Microsoft. I'm really not excited though which is weird. On may 21st i'll be in a orgasmic state, I Hope I am.

@benny: I put "Still, why? .. Weird." and shit, now I have an issue. ;

This stuff they talk about Rare's title looking like Pixar is funny. Knack doesn't really look like Pixars.' Would Rare's? I mean if they go with an all-out platformer, that'd be dope!

Already got my money in the pocket (as in, plenty of money in the pocket to account for enough even if its expensive as hell). For an Xbox next-gen feature I would LOVE internet TV gaming sharing (preferably Twitch TV though). I'm probably buying the console on release day so I would love to be able to go onto facebook and share my friends that same evening with the new games.

@blu3v3nom07: Apologies if I misinterpreted your post or was a bit vague, I just meant that often in massively multiplayer games that have campaigns like guild wars 2 etc. they are just considered part of the world, the campaigns are usually accessed through the gameworld rather than a menu.

What if it's Conker 2?

Character persistance

@starvinggamer: Character persistence. Huh. Like, does your guy become an NPC for others to watch from the distance while you sleep?. Or do you get like a cot, and you could draw phallic maps on someone's cork-board. "There's treasure there, its fine."

Even if Rare is working on an upper-tier title, they're not nearly the same studio they were when they were producing games like Nuts & Bolts.

Holy shit finally interesting Next Box rumors, fuck.

All of this sounds potentially neat. I'm interested in the Achievement innovations from mostly an academic standpoint but the rest I'm certainly interested to see that.

This, pretty much. The game is designed to be played online. Why would it not be always online? This isn't like SimCity where it's not really better online. This game is being designed from the ground up to be played with your mates. I mean, it's Bungie. They do not strike me as the type to go always online for no reason. Always online is probably to curb cheating and hacking.

Whatever Kinect Sports nonsense they're working on could probably be considered "AAA."

...I'm ignoring all rumors about whatever Microsoft's up to until May. I'm just finding it hard to care.

I suspect that 'successful' services like Twitch.tv and Youtube probably don't want the hassle. There's no money in random casters and opening your service to anyone with an Xbox who feels like streaming at any given moment would be a logistical nightmare I'd imagine, given that Twitch starts to fall apart whenever there's a major MOBA tournament. Think of the transcoder load for thousands of streams that no-one is really watching.

@blu3v3nom07: Your character is persistent between single-player and multiplayer. Allowing you to play the single-player portion offline would allow you to hack your character to your heart's content, thereby breaking the multiplayer.

EDIT: Sorry, offline, not online.

It's difficult for me to get excited about how cool the video capture/streaming being baked into a console is, when the Ps4 got out ahead on announcing that stuff first. To be honest, most of this stuff can only seem really amazing if you've had your head in the sand for the last 6 months when it comes to video game news.

Only cared about the AAA Rare game

I will lose my shit if a new Perfect Dark is made

That worked really well last time round

I have confidence in Rare. Nuts and Bolts was fantastic so I'm excited to see what they offer.

Wait, so is it really gonna be called Xbox Infinity? Like, shortened to X-Infinity, and even more, Xfinity? So it really is just gonna be a cable box then I guess... wow.

The sad part is that aside from the Kinect and avatar stuff (though Sports is pretty good for what it is) I feel Rare was delivering AAA 360 products last generation (Kameo, Viva Pinata and BK: Nuts and Bolts) but I feel so alone in thinking that and question how much the masses care about a "New "AAA Rare game".

As for achievements, I wouldn't be surprised if they upped the total points for a Next-Gen-Xbox. 2000, 5000 or even 10,000 points per game would make newcomers able to reach a "respectable" gamer points total.

This is ridiculous but I'm sure some people would like it and that a lot of current Xbox would be pissed off by this change...

Sounds interesting, I'm hoping Rare can still make a game on par with Nuts & Bolts...which is still one of my favorite games of the generation.

Rare game means nothing to me, its not the same company it was in the 90's.

If Rare was even the company it was 4 years ago after Nuts and Bolts I'd be stoked, but as far as I can tell they're a kinect/avatar making husk now.