The XBOX One

jpinard · 2013-07-04T18:04:36.000Z

Canuck:

Sounds like the new Xbox one is going to be just as bad for spamming ads as the current xbox is.
Xbox One built with advertising in mind, Kinect integral to next gen adverts

Gee great.

Nesrie · 2013-07-04T18:12:37.000Z

Jake Plane:

The DRM is no longer there. It’s not part of the system. It was announced yes, but then dropped. It’s on the cutting room floor. Think of it this way: when the PS3 launched it was backwards compatible with the PS2. Sony decided to kill that feature after it was announced AND after it shipped units. If you are buying a PS3 today, that is not a factor in your decision making.

But, to be clear, I get why you pointed that out. As I said in the rest of my post, that one decision left a bad taste in the mouths of gamers. I do think Microsoft needs to do more to show that they are committed to the gaming community.

I understand your point as well, except the infrastructure to do what they wanted to do is clearly there. They are ready for it. Just as Sony can change its mind, so can Microsoft. And yes, i think they need to show they are committed to the gaming community; the problem is, I am not sure they are. Sure, they want gamer money, they want the early adopters and to sell out launch units, give people their Halo fix, but it doesn’t seem like Microsoft wants to expand the gaming community so much as cater to everyone and hopefully not lose the gaming community in the process. That’s a different approach entirely. I don’t know how well it will work for them. There are cheape, smaller alternatives to get streaming services for example. They’re tactic with TV, well I am not sure if that is going to make up for not having a tuner to allow people to choose what ever service they want.

TimElhajj · 2013-07-04T18:32:15.000Z

Pogue Mahone:

That could lead to all kinds of awesome little screwing with you moments. Like they notice your eyes wandering and flash a half second picture of a girl in a bikini. You’d be all, hey, was that …? And they’d be all, ok we got him back. Roll the McDonald’s ad.

And then you’d be all, I’d hit that.

Juan_Rayo · 2013-07-04T18:54:13.000Z

Canuck:

Sounds like the new Xbox one is going to be just as bad for spamming ads as the current xbox is.
Xbox One built with advertising in mind, Kinect integral to next gen adverts

This is awesome.
I mean, it´s not like I needed another reason NOT to get an X1, but this just makes it even more easy. Why millions of people will pay a lot of money to get adds thrown in their face is beyond me, but I´ll sure as hell not be one of them. In any case, this just makes it clear that when I get my new console it´ll be the PS.

Jake_Plane · 2013-07-04T19:48:04.000Z

Juan Rayo:

This is awesome.
I mean, it´s not like I needed another reason NOT to get an X1, but this just makes it even more easy. Why millions of people will pay a lot of money to get adds thrown in their face is beyond me, but I´ll sure as hell not be one of them. In any case, this just makes it clear that when I get my new console it´ll be the PS.

Yeah, why would any one buy a system that has such plans?

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/ads-that-pause-gameplay-coming-to-ps3/096695

Okay, I agree with Juan that the ads on the PS3 XMB are far more minimal; they only appear as you hover over what’s new, so in that way, you are selecting to receive them. But that’s also because the XMB itself is more minimal.

And I agree I would rather not have any ads.

I disagree that the mere existence of ads is a reason not to buy a console. The reality is both the 360 and the PS3 have ads now. Both companies will have ads in the next generation of consoles. And both companies are exploring ways to bring in more revenue through ads.

Anyone who wants to say they won’t buy a console if it displays ads is welcomed to do so. I think your option for now is only the Wii U.

Rachel_Brown · 2013-07-04T20:59:27.000Z

Jake Plane:

The DRM is no longer there. It’s not part of the system. It was announced yes, but then dropped. It’s on the cutting room floor.

[B]NO, it’s there, waiting.

[/B] The Xbox One DRM is hardware-level built into the console. That’s one of the reasons why you will require setting up the Xbox One whilst connected to the Internet. One of the day1 patch commands will be to make dormant (not remove) the DRM module. It will stay there, in the console, until another update will re-enable it in a few years. It’s that simple. Ask Microsoft this. Will newly manufactured boxes remove the DRM module? Sure, we can “accept” that the ones already fabricated contain it. If they don’t intend to re-activate the DRM, they should, even to cut costs maybe, remove it from all newly created consoles. Will they? Ask them that.

Canuck · 2013-07-04T21:10:04.000Z

Jake Plane:

Yeah, why would any one buy a system that has such plans?

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/ads-that-pause-gameplay-coming-to-ps3/096695

I think we can all agree that filing a patent is not at all the same as planning to spam you with advertising. Perhaps Sony filed the patent because they knew they would be able to sue Microsoft when they inevitably tried to do this on the new Xbone?
As far as I know, Sony doesn’t do any advertising on the PS3. Or if they do it must be extremely unobtrusive as I’ve never noticed it before. Do they have ads for games on PSN and for their music service? Sure they do but those are ads for the service itself! I’m on PSN so I want to buy games so seeing advertisements for games doesn’t bother me in the least. I’m happy to see them because otherwise I might not know about the latest deal. On the 360 on the other hand, you’re presented with ads from McDonalds or Nike or some car company.

Starlight · 2013-07-04T21:24:30.000Z

Exactly - games ads on a games service? Well I never! Tailor em, even…quite happy for that to happen.

stusser · 2013-07-04T22:02:47.000Z

If xbox live was free, I would be OK with ads. It’s not, so I’m not.

Jake_Plane · 2013-07-04T22:11:34.000Z

Rachel Brown:

[B]NO, it’s there, waiting.

[/B] The Xbox One DRM is hardware-level built into the console. That’s one of the reasons why you will require setting up the Xbox One whilst connected to the Internet. One of the day1 patch commands will be to make dormant (not remove) the DRM module. It will stay there, in the console, until another update will re-enable it in a few years. It’s that simple. Ask Microsoft this. Will newly manufactured boxes remove the DRM module? Sure, we can “accept” that the ones already fabricated contain it. If they don’t intend to re-activate the DRM, they should, even to cut costs maybe, remove it from all newly created consoles. Will they? Ask them that.

Yeah, I’m not asking them that. Nor is any credible games journalist. With all due respect, this is tinfoil hat territory. It is simply ludicrous to believe that Microsoft’s grand plan is to lie in wait and then suddenly pounce with DRM. They reversed course because of the outcry. They would kill the brand if they did this. If we are going to go down this road, we might as well ask Sony about their super secret plans to implement their DRM plans that started all of this.

Jake_Plane · 2013-07-05T07:10:47.000Z

Fortune has an interesting take on why the Xbox One will dominate next cycle:
http://money.cnn.com/gallery/technology/2013/07/05/xbox-will-win.fortune/index.html

Or why the PS4 will dominate next cycle:
http://money.cnn.com/gallery/technology/2013/07/05/playstation-will-win.fortune/index.html

One thing that emerges there is the different narratives these two consoles are telling. Sony’s story appears to be where are about “price, power and developers.” Microsoft is pushing we are about “features, innovation and integration.”

Canuck · 2013-07-05T07:21:46.000Z

Neither are particularly good lists in my opinion. Sony has a couple concrete advantages in regards to price and power. Xbox has a couple of advantages in regards to Smartglass and TV assuming they turn out to be so. I don’t see how Halo and Kinect will make Xbox dominate next gen when they didn’t make it dominate last gen when they had clear advantages over Sony in price and ease of programming and Titanfall is a console only exclusive at best and merely a timed exclusive at worst.

Murbella · 2013-07-05T07:56:02.000Z

I was interested in titanfall until I learned it was just another multilayer shooter, but now with mechs. After that… Not so much. I don’t have any interest in Cod, with or without mechs.

Jason_Becker · 2013-07-05T08:09:40.000Z

Canuck:

Neither are particularly good lists in my opinion. Sony has a couple concrete advantages in regards to price and power. Xbox has a couple of advantages in regards to Smartglass and TV assuming they turn out to be so. I don’t see how Halo and Kinect will make Xbox dominate next gen when they didn’t make it dominate last gen when they had clear advantages over Sony in price and ease of programming and Titanfall is a console only exclusive at best and merely a timed exclusive at worst.

I get so amused when the mainstream touts Halo as the be all end all console game. In shooters CoD blows it away in popularity. Its a legitimate franchise but not the mega juggernaut its constantly touted as. Hell as of the last Xbox Live activity list on Major Nelson its ranked 7th.

stusser · 2013-07-05T08:22:58.000Z

Halo is xbox exclusive, CoD is crossplatform. Exclusives sell systems.

Rock8man · 2013-07-05T08:27:24.000Z

Halo is definitely one of the reasons that I will absolutely own an Xbox One. Maybe not at launch, but eventually. Halo 4 really re-ignited my love for Halo.

RickH · 2013-07-05T08:40:46.000Z

Rock8man:

Halo is definitely one of the reasons that I will absolutely own an Xbox One. Maybe not at launch, but eventually. Halo 4 really re-ignited my love for Halo.

Maybe that’s why I fall short of being a true Xbox loyalist, Halo has always been a take-it-or-leave-it thing with me. I’ve played through 1 and 3 to completion, and spent a number of hours in Halo 3 MP (beta and final release), but I can’t honestly say that they were more memorable to me than shooters held in much lower general regard like Turning Point or TimeShift.

Rock8man · 2013-07-05T08:44:39.000Z

Well, it’s not really fair to compare it to TimeShift as if it’s some kind of lesser game. TimeShift was brilliant too. Definitely one of my favorite shooters of the last generation, right along with Halo 4.

That’s right RickH! Halo 4 was as good as TimeShift! That’s how good it was! Go get it and play it on Heroic. It’s brilliant.

EDIT: Oh yeah, Turning Point. I remember what you’re talking about now. That’s the one where the United States is being invaded using Zeppelins. I thought that was pretty neat. It didn’t hold my interest after a few missions though. I guess I didn’t really connect as deeply with the gameplay as I did with the premise. That’s the difference with Halo 4 and TimeShift: I LOOOOVE the moment-to-moment gameplay in both those games.

ChiTownBluesFan · 2013-07-05T08:56:31.000Z

I’m clearly one of Microsoft’s dream customers.

While I may or may not get XBox One on day one, I’ll get it first over the PS4 for one simple reason - controllers. The Xbox controllers are just that much more comfortable for me, and the PS3 ones are actually uncomfortable. Oh, I’ll have both eventually I’d guess. But I’ll get the XBone first. If they release an XBox-like controller for the PS4 - maybe I’d get one sooner.

All the rest - eh. Don’t really care. Want to play games. Don’t really care about the rest. Generally like XBox exclusives better.

Either way, I’m looking forward to moving the 360 into my office next to my desktop so I can play both in my office during the slower work days.

Ginger_Yellow · 2013-07-05T09:12:22.000Z

If they release an XBox-like controller for the PS4 - maybe I’d get one sooner

By all accounts the PS4 controller is vastly better than the PS3 one and basically on a par with the Xbox One’s, apart from the rumble-trigger thing. Though of course people haven’t had extended hands-on yet. I’ll just be happy if the rubber on the PS4 thumbsticks doesn’t gum up after a few months like my PS3 ones do.