Topic: New Xbox

[Pugnate]

The new Xbox launches in a few hours.

So excited. OK not really. Interested though.

[idolminds]

Should be interesting. I'm going to try follow the news and then make a post about it, unless someone beats me to it. Which is probable.

[idolminds]

Its called Xbox One.

[Quemaqua]

It's... ugly. I realize that's not a very constructive comment, and that what it looks like is pretty irrelevant in the grand scheme of things other than for marketing, but seriously... it looks like a VCR.

[Cobra951]

Reveal broadcast is on now.  I'm watching on the 360, but it's all over the web too.

[idolminds]

It looks like a VCR because based on that conference thats what it is.

Specs include 8 core CPU, 8GB RAM, 500GB HDD, bluray drive, USB3.0, wifi, blah blah. Controller has been redesigned with an improved dpad (lets hope for real this time) and force feedback on the triggers. Kinect in every box, though its supposed to be all super improved.

Lots of voice command and TV-based shit. "Xbox, HBO" and now you're watching HBO. There was a great troll where there was TV stuff, then "Oh hey Forza 5. Plus MS studio has 15 games in development including 8 new IP!"....oh shit, now they are talking about Halo! Halo! Now we'll see some actual game foota....Halo: The Television Series. No shit. Epic troll.

And then they did more sports crap with the NFL and ended showing a little Call of Duty Ghosts. Fin. It was pretty lame.

[idolminds]

Oh boy...

Microsoft has confirmed that all Xbox One games will require mandatory installation onto the system's hard drive and, to install the same disc onto another user's drive, a fee must be paid.

Individual games will be tied to Xbox Live accounts, Microsoft said, meaning that the software giant can detect whether a game has been sold to a retailer and repurchased, or handed from one friend to another. In such instances, the second user must pay a fee.

"On the new Xbox, all game discs are installed to the HDD to play," a Microsoft representative told Wired.

The company added that, once discs are installed on the hard drive, games can be played without a disc being in the tray.

Guess that explains why EA dropped their online pass program.

[Quemaqua]

Not that I would have gotten one anyway, but... Jesus, yeah, count me out.

[Cobra951]

I'm definitely out unless the basic fears are proven wrong over time, lots of time.  If I buy a console anywhere near the end of this year, it will have to be the PS4.  I'll more likely wait to see how that develops as well.  Late next year is a better time to decide.

Yes, that was shockingly lame.

[gpw11]

Yeah, that's probably a deal-breaker for me. I mean, I really don't play enough games for it to be a huge, crippling issue, but I also enjoy having the option of buying a three year old game used for $20 on the spot at a store without having to track down a new copy online or paying some retarded fee.   If I do get another console, I might as well stick with Sony.

It will certainly be interesting to see what Sony decides to do with this. On one hand, the free money represented by instituting a similar scheme is probably pretty tempting and won't really harm them, given that the competition is doing it.  On the other, they probably have potential market-share to grab from the people who buy games weekly or something and probably end up purchasing a lot of new ones.  

I'm also going to have to assume that the fee for installing a game on a second machine is probably pretty steep to prevent people from buying, installing, and returning or selling right away for maximum resale. That or they'd have to track the actual serial numbers and only allow it to be installed on one machine at a time.  Or have time-activated disk checks.

[idolminds]

I can't imagine the used reactivation fee is going to be any less than current MSRP of the game. Otherwise one person buys it and everyone else takes a discount by passing the disc around.

[Cobra951]

This scheme can't work without online registration and activation.  That alone is a deal breaker for me.  But it gets worse.  Apparently, devs are being encouraged to use a cloud service to do things like host a part of the game, like Diablo 3.  You don't even get all of the game you paid for in such cases.  Even if I soften my stance in the future to milder intrusions like activation, this I'll never accept.

[gpw11]

Yeah, that makes sense, but it seems like they designed a kind of compromise here where you could still get used games at a discount but the studios/MS would get a cut.   If they're going to charge the full MSRP they may as well have just not let it play used games at all. I'm thinking they must have some kind of check to see how many copies of any given disk is installed at a time and possibly scale the price based on that.   No other copies installed - much lower fee.  Any other copies installed - you're paying full price.

Also, I had a hunch and checked the WiiU boards on Gamefaqs.  They're praising the heavens because the new Xbox "sucks" and it's going to save the WiiU.  You know...because it's big and looks like a VCR.

[Cobra951]

Nothing can save the WiiU at this point.  But the PS4 can gain a lot of traction by playing against this Microsoft power grab.  If they come out strongly in favor of the console freedoms we've had for decades, advertise the hell out of it, they could come out well on top worldwide, with a closer battle in the US.

[Quemaqua]

I really want to see Sony own on this. After the 360, I feel like Sony deserves my dollar more than MS, and feel they care more about their customers. I know that's relatively subjective, but my experience on PS3 was infinitely superior to 360, and I don't feel nearly as spat in the face from Sony as from MS, even though I've not traditionally been a fan of either company (and even rallied against Sony several times for various sub-par products in the past). Overall, I feel like Sony has exemplified consumer care far more than their competitor. My personal jury is still out on Nintendo, but at this point it doesn't matter because I can't afford to be fiddling around with next-gen consoles. I will probably invest in one due to the age of the others and my ongoing need for at least one console-based gaming system that also acts as a multimedia hub, but my guess right now is that this will most assuredly be the PS4 over any other. I can't see anything else meeting my standards, at this point. That could potentially change since we're still early in the game, but the WiiU and Xbox One have already alienated me completely.

[idolminds]

Kotaku: If I’m playing a single player game, do I have to be online at least once per hour or something like that? Or can I go weeks and weeks?

Harrison: I believe it’s 24 hours.

Kotaku: I’d have to connect online once every day.

Harrison: Correct.

[Cobra951]

They never once denied or hinted at denying this kind of DRM since the rumors started.  Is anyone surprised that they turned out to be true?  My mind is very clear on what it means for me.  It makes things easier, really.

[idolminds]

This is the best thing to come out of this event.

[Quemaqua]

Nice. I'd say /thread, but it could in theory get better from here.

[MysterD]

This is the best thing to come out of this event.

LOL @ this comment and meme a few posts down:

[idolminds]

[MysterD]

Destructoid asks if the NEW XBO Controller will work on the PC.

We spoke with Microsoft Studios' corporate vice president Phil Spencer today immediately after the Xbox One reveal presentation, and during our chat PC gaming came up. I took the opportunity to ask him if the lovely new Xbox One controller will work for PC gaming, as the current Xbox 360 controller has almost become the standard for PC controller options.

Spencer shot us down on a definite answer, saying that they're not talking about the connectivity to PC just yet. But he did give us some hope:

"We're completely wedded as a company to the success of PC," Spencer told us. "It's important to us at Microsoft. I think you can kind of fast forward on some things, and clearly, looking at what we did with [Xbox] 360 controllers..."

Spencer left it at that, but you can see where he's going with this. We're betting it'll make for a fine PC controller.

Don't kill me, mouse/keyboard loyals.

EDIT:
Shacknews -> Kinect for XBO also will come to the PC.

[gpw11]

Calling it - the dog dies.

[MysterD]

Is it me....or should XBox Won (One) should've been really called XBox Lost...? 

[idolminds]

Shacknews -> Kinect for XBO also will come to the PC.

I think if people have $200+ to blow on a PC accessory, from everything I've heard its going to be an Oculus Rift. Plus its a display and not input so building in support for it in a game would be far easier than a Kinect. Hope they can make the Kinect cheap.

And I hope they do bring that controller to PC. I hate those non-answers they give. They have to know the answers to these things by now, right?

[MysterD]

I think the PS4 vs. XBO console war is over...
 
Sony's CEO (parody) speaks:
https://twitter.com/KazHiraiCEO/status/336910138478837760
 

CEO Kaz Hirai
‏@KazHiraiCEO
The PS4 is clearly the better than the XBOX ONE as 4 is greater than 1. This graph will make it clearer: pic.twitter.com/HTBn7d5iSu

[gpw11]

Is it me....or should XBox Won (One) should've been really called XBox Lost...? 

Honestly, aside from the registration, always online thing (don't get me wrong - this is a huge deal to me), I don't really see why this reveal was such a disappointment.  I could be totally wrong, but they actually revealed more info than Sony did at their conference, did they not? 

[MysterD]

I think if people have $200+ to blow on a PC accessory, from everything I've heard its going to be an Oculus Rift. Plus its a display and not input so building in support for it in a game would be far easier than a Kinect. Hope they can make the Kinect cheap.

So, if we use XBO Kinect on PC - would we have to say "PC Off?" Or "XBOX OFF?"

And I hope they do bring that controller to PC. I hate those non-answers they give. They have to know the answers to these things by now, right?

Great way to annoy PC gamers w/ this 1/2-assed answers, eh?

You'd think they'd just announce "XBO controller will work on both PC and XBO" - it would make gamers on BOTH platforms very happy. If a PC gamer, XBO gamer, or a gamer who does both wanted to dabble onto another platform w/ XBO controller, it wouldn't be a problem -win-win situation!

But, no - Microsoft has to screw that up, too...

[MysterD]

Honestly, aside from the registration, always online thing (don't get me wrong - this is a huge deal to me), I don't really see why this reveal was such a disappointment.  I could be totally wrong, but they actually revealed more info than Sony did at their conference, did they not? 

Why are we overlooking the "aside" things?
I think the "aside" things you mentioned (limited used game restrictions, once a day connection required, anything DRM related) are the BIGGEST problem w/ the M$ announcement.

Of course, do gamers really care about having more TV-stuff integrated into their console?
{Eyebrow raised}

[Cobra951]

Hahaha!  It took me a while to realize it might be something like this.

[MysterD]

Rev3 -> Discussion w/ Adam Sessler of Rev3; Spike TV's Geoff Keighley; and Kotaku's Stephen Totilo on XB1's always on, used games, etc:

&feature=youtu.be

[Xessive]

Is it 1983? Why does it look like an old VCR?

[iPPi]

I actually think it looks a lot like the NES.

[Xessive]

I actually think it looks a lot like the NES.

Haha yeah, it does! They went crazy retro with the look.

Aesthetics aside, we really don't know too much about from this event. Hopefully E3 will shed more light not just on the console itself but the titles we can expect. At this point though, the PS4 is still significantly more appealing, and we haven't even seen the console yet.

[Pugnate]

People are going apeshit over the reveal. Wasn't impressed by the online requirements, but they definitely showed more than Sony, so why the hate?

[Xessive]

People are going apeshit over the reveal. Wasn't impressed by the online requirements, but they definitely showed more than Sony, so why the hate?

I think what was revealed was so much more disappointing than the looming mystery of what we have yet to know about the PS4. I wasn't impressed by anything I saw but I was mildly intrigued by the Kinect facial recognition and heartrate but only because those ideas have been floating around for years. Everything else was nothing special or particularly new.

[Pugnate]

I don't think the PS4 has much else. Don't get me wrong, I will probably go for the PS4 but the internet seems to be overreacting a little.

[Xessive]

I don't think the PS4 has much else. Don't get me wrong, I will probably go for the PS4 but the internet seems to be overreacting a little.

Yeah, I mean it was really the same sort of features that were announced. More concerning is the Xbox One's potentially strict online requirements and the fact that most if not all of the features and services will only work for people in the North America or Europe, just as they do right now.

In the Middle East we can't watch TV on the Xbox 360 even with a US-region gamertag; these region-specific services are just not available to the worldwide community. It stands to reason we will opt for a console that caters to our wants, needs, and availability.

[TheOtherBelmont]

People are going apeshit over the reveal. Wasn't impressed by the online requirements, but they definitely showed more than Sony, so why the hate?

I can see where the hate is coming from.  Not everyone wants or gives a shit about an all in one multimedia box, some people just want to play games on it and this press event hardly showed anything concerning that.

[Pugnate]

Well, so far it shows that the Xbox has the same functionality of a PS4 with a lot of extra optional stuff.

Anyway, it all seems like a reversal this year.

Last time around it was the PS3 getting the flak for the multimedia stuff!