Sources tell Polygon that the current version of the next-gen console includes a next-gen approach to video sharing, anti-piracy protection, social networking and a massive expansion of the Xbox 360's popular achievement system.
Like the recently announced PlayStation 4, the still-unnamed next Xbox will include the ability to capture video highlights of gameplay and then share them through networks like Facebook and Ustream.
Microsoft is also trying to come up with a system for video sharing though all of the details are still being locked down. According to our sources, currently the next Xbox will capture your gameplay as if it were a DVR, allowing you to go back and select highlights. That function can be turned on or off, or a player can set up the console to automatically capture a recording when certain in-game events occur, like a headshot or collecting a specific achievement. Auto capturing those "magic moments" will be a feature only available on next-gen games.
Those videos can then be uploaded directly from the console to social sites, like YouTube, for sharing.
Sources tell Polygon that the next Xbox will indeed have some form of an always-on requirement. That will be both to support the suite of non-gaming entertainment applications that will be launched alongside the console, like streaming video services, but also as a possible anti-piracy tool.
Under Microsoft's current guidelines, which may still be changed, the decision of whether a game will require an internet connection to work and if that is a one-time authentication or a constant connection, will be left up to individual publishers.
With the next Xbox, developers and publishers will be able to add more achievements to a game after launch, without the need to add DLC. This is designed specifically to allow developers to tweak player behavior, perhaps urging players to check out specific areas of a game or get past a difficult spot. Next-gen achievements can also be tied to broader events, like a weekend challenge or a communal goal, like contributing a set number of kills to the bigger goal of 10,000 kills over one weekend.
