What We Think the Xbox 720 should be…

Rumors on the next generation Xbox have been circulating around the internet like a wildfire out of control. Most people are calling the next Xbox, the Xbox 720, (how clever) and the rumors about what it can do are speculation at this point. Fortunately for us, that doesn't mean we can't break it down here at GameZone and dream about what features the Xbox 720 should offer.

Disc Based or Streaming/Downloadable Games?

Although eventually, discs will probably be gone forever, replaced by downloads and streaming, the Xbox 720 should still be disc based at launch. That being said, Microsoft has to let go of the HD-DVD/Blu Ray debacle that ended with Blu Ray being touted as the successor to the DVD and HD-DVDs hitting the clearance bin to never be spoken of again.

Thats' right. Microsoft has to embrace Blu-Ray on the Xbox 720. There should be no more living in the past. Microsoft starts thinking into the future and how to continue to compete with Sony's consoles. Embracing Blu-Ray would, in one step, bring the Xbox brand into the next-gen.

To Be Small or Not to Be?

Consoles seem to have a past of being launched as big and gaudy and then as the years and technology allow it, the slim and sleek younger versions become available. This time, however, Microsoft needs to flip the switch.

Even with upgraded hardware to the 720, Microsoft will find a way for the Xbox 720 to be as small or a little bit smaller than the slim Xbox 360 available now. Will it be as big of a deal as laptops and netbooks/tablets? No, but it should offer a smaller model right out of the launching gate.

Completely Gesture Controlled?

Microsoft has made it clear that their focus on Kinect is far from over; it is actually just beginning, and it could be fun to watch the Kinect grow into a stand alone controller. With a few years in between Kinect's release and the Xbox 720, we foresee Microsoft  continuing to pursue and make the Kinect as much of a controller as the physical controller you've used for years. While constantly bettering the Kinect to work with gesture controls, once the Xbox 720 comes out, it will be an amazing experience and one where you won't need a physical controller to navigate Xbox Live, game menus and many stand alone games.

On the other hand, although the perfect integration with Kinect works well, it still doesn't replace the precision players have with a physical controller. So, the physical controller remains the default controller for the hardcore.

Bigger Hard Drives!!!

Of course, throughout the course of the Xbox 360's lifespan, the hard drives have gotten bigger and bigger. This time, however, we want to see the Xbox 720 go big or go home. Is it so far-fetched to want a 1TB hard drive on the next-gen console? We are going all out on this one.

Think about all the DLC and downloadable games you could have on a hard drive like that in your console. Not only that, but it'd be a smooth transition to streaming/downloadable games if Microsoft decided to do without discs.

Completely Revamped Xbox Live

Right out of the gate, Xbox Live is updated wholeheartedly with new menus, options and of course, even more Kinect integration. Now, not only will people be able to voice chat, video integration should be implemented. That way we can see exactly how our friends react when we sticky frag them right in the face in the next big Halo.

Get With The Times!

The Xbox 720 is rumored to have a six-core CPU and a dual GPU. To be next generation, it must have the best that technology has to offer at the time. Right now, this is some of the best technology and is a must have in the next-gen Xbox.

However, with this technology, it'd also be nice to see an amazing cooling system developed to offset the heat that the high-powered hardware will produce. As for the Xbox 360, it has been a recurring problem with the red rings of death and it'd be nice to sit back and relax and not have to worry about the Xbox 720 overheating and essentially dying on us time and time again.

What do you guys want to see out of the fabled next-generation Xbox?