The Xbox One

[Nathan]

All this blocking of used games and charging a fee does, is that even less people will buy your games. Not everyone can afford to buy multiple $60 titles a year. And like Fading, some people sell their old games to afford new ones. If that isn't an option anymore, then you'll have tons of people who simply won't buy your new game anymore. The only option left for them, is to wait long enough till the price drops, to be affordable, and be really selective with their game purchases.

 

[GearGrinder]

I read that as, your cable box needs to be through a supported provider (comcast, etc...) and needs an HDMI out. I don't think there's an additional piece of hardware.

Yeah thats pretty much what I was thinking. For instance, right now with my box I have with AT&T, I'm assuming I would just run and HDMI from the Xbox to my cable box.

Why would you need to buy a separate piece of hardware? or to what some people are assuming...why would the Xbox One have built in tv with it? I dont see any way on how they could get away with that with cable companies.

 

[BeserkerHilf]

I do wonder if, like the 360, you need the disk to be in the console to play the installed game. If that's the case, find a few friends who want the same game and split the cost of the disc and used game fees. Six people want the same game, that's $60 + 5 $10 hypothetical used games fee costs. <$20/Person at $110 as opposed to $360 being spent.

 

[Matt]

I don't think it's fair to call it a gimmick. The Xbox One is genuinely connecting all of it into one seamless experience. A gimmick would have been something similar to Apple's iLife where everything looks the same and has a couple universal features amongst ONLY Apple Products that aren't even needed for anything truly functional.

The annoying thing was that the connectedness of the products took center stage and they BARELY looked at any gameplay, or specs. The specs were on screen for 3 seconds and they weren't even detailed. It's like they went "hmm... Sony released gameplay footage, and specs but no look at software or the console? Let's do the opposite so we don't look like we're trying to copy them."

And then all the stuff they KNEW they would get **** for they told reporters after the fact (like not being backwards compatible or the ******** with used games).

At least you don't need to always be online. The Kinnect always being connected and on isn't a big deal to me. Who the hell cares. You could just as easily stick to the controller.

Speaking of controller, that is a sexy redesign of the controller. Friggen gorgeous.

Call me narrow-minded, but IMO, anything that a gaming system does that isn't directly related to gaming is a gimmick.

 

[GearGrinder]

I do wonder if, like the 360, you need the disk to be in the console to play the installed game. If that's the case, find a few friends who want the same game and split the cost of the disc and used game fees. Six people want the same game, that's $60 + 5 $10 hypothetical used games fee costs. <$20/Person at $110 as opposed to $360 being spent.

I think they said once you install the disc you dont need it anymore (unless you delete it and need to re-install)

Which makes what you said very interesting. Unless the disc is encrypted or something to only allow a limited number of installs

 

[Iceman]

Call me narrow-minded, but IMO, anything that a gaming system does that isn't directly related to gaming is a gimmick.

It's not really been described as a gaming system by Microsoft since it was conceived. It's always been about an overall entertainment device. Is everything on the iphone apart from its making calls function a gimmick?

 

[BeserkerHilf]

If there's only a certain number of installs allowed, then the idea of a used game fee is even more flawed. What if you buy a used copy of the disc, take it home, and find out you can install it anymore. You take it back to Gamestop to try and tell them your sob story, they don't believe you, and you're just screwed.

 

[Matt]

It's not really been described as a gaming system by Microsoft since it was conceived. It's always been about an overall entertainment device. Is everything on the iphone apart from its making calls function a gimmick?

Yes.

I just have no desire for an entertainment device. Especially when such gimmicks affect the quality of the gaming experience. This PS4 wins in my book.

 

[JaD]

After that X1 conference and the direction they seem to be going in I wouldn't surprised if PS4 completely owns the upcoming E3 in the gaming department.

 

[GearGrinder]

If there's only a certain number of installs allowed, then the idea of a used game fee is even more flawed. What if you buy a used copy of the disc, take it home, and find out you can install it anymore. You take it back to Gamestop to try and tell them your sob story, they don't believe you, and you're just screwed.

Exactly!

This whole used game thing sucks, as I tend to rent from redbox or my rental store a lot still. The only games I buy are the ones I know will last me for months to come. If its single player and only 10hrs long, and I cant rent it, more than likely I will never play it.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

You know what's funny. The X1 is looking like the early PS3 (focusing more on entertainment and gimmicks than games) and the PS4 is looking like the early Xbox 360 (focusing on games over entertainment and gimmicks).

Almost a completely role reversal.

 

[Fading]

As for multimedia vs gaming, I liked the PS3 approach. Anymore, I think things have progressed too far to have a game console just play games. I like the ability to do other things, even if I have a PC for them. On the other hand, gaming easily comes first.

So gaming is the draw, it's not even a contest. The multimedia stuff is supplementary, and adds to the value, but is not as necessary.

I have my laptop, and PS3 hooked up to my HDTV in my living room. If I finish playing a game, and feel like surfing the net, and can do so easily without powering down my PS4, putting the controller up, grabbing my wireless mouse and keyboard, powering my laptop up, ect....then awesome. Things like that add value to the console. On the other hand, if multimedia takes up valuable resources, and hurts the game side, then it can be a negative.



Or in gaming terms. Uncharted 2. Uncharted fans were worried that the inclusion of mutliplayer would negatively impact the single player story, which is what brought most of us to love the series. Yet, it didn't. Naughty Dog balanced the game nicely, and gave a superior single player experience, while introducing a new component. If a console can do that, it's win-win. If they focus more on Kinect functionality, multimedia stuff, and leave the gaming side behind slowly, then it's obviously going to be a negative impact.

 

[Nathan]

I've only read about the X1 conference. I just now watched the trailer for the new Call of Duty. That's supposed to be Next-gen?

 

[Hotwire]

I keep coming back to the "Cloud Based" gaming. Even though the system will work without internet, Microsoft seems to be pushing developers to make their games require it. Now, if you live in an area with either no Internet service or and area where it sucks, you're screwed out of your games.

 

[Fading]

If there's only a certain number of installs allowed, then the idea of a used game fee is even more flawed. What if you buy a used copy of the disc, take it home, and find out you can install it anymore. You take it back to Gamestop to try and tell them your sob story, they don't believe you, and you're just screwed.

Things like this will definitely need to be explained, or we're going to have cases of WiiU like confusion. I doubt a game will have a limited number of installs, because of the fee. However if it did, that opens a massive can of worms. At that point the physical copies of the games will have the worth of the old AOL disks we used to always get in the mail, and end up as gamer's cupholders.

As for people saying they'd just get rid of the physical copy right after install. I wouldn't. We have yet to find out if after install, if you can download a digital copy for free of the same game. Let's say you have the 500GB version. Games end up taking 35GB's per install. If you buy games regularly (heck, even after selling games, I'm nearly at 40 still), you're going to fill up that hard drive. At some point you'll have to consider deleting older installed games to make room for new games. If you ever get the urge to play that game again, but don't have the disk, can you still install it?

 

[Balthus Dire]

I've only read about the X1 conference. I just now watched the trailer for the new Call of Duty. That's supposed to be Next-gen?

Looked pretty awesome graphics wise to me....

 

[GearGrinder]

Wasn't this conference suppose to be all about the hardware and what it could do? I thought all the game stuff was coming at E3. Why are so many people bashing them for this???

Kinda fig they just threw in a couple games to tease us with

 

[Fading]

I keep coming back to the "Cloud Based" gaming. Even though the system will work without internet, Microsoft seems to be pushing developers to make their games require it. Now, if you live in an area with either no Internet service or and area where it sucks, you're screwed out of your games.

Yeah, just because the system itself doesn't require always online, doesn't mean individual games won't. The rumor most likely had started grounded in some reality, which would be this line of thinking. My worry is if this crosses over to the PS4. Even if Sony themselves aren't pushing this. Let's say EA makes game X, which has an always online requirement for the X1. Why wouldn't they simply port the same requirement over to the PS4? That makes me uneasy, the X1's policies can easily transfer over to other systems.

 

[Nathan]

Am I wrong to think that you'll require an internet connection to install your game in the first place? Otherwise, how will Microsoft know that the disc has already been used? Even if games don't require an always on connection, you'd probably have to be online at least once, in order to register the game to your system. Meaning anyone who has no internet and for whatever the reason, refuses to get an internet connection, won't be able to play games at all.

 

[StrainedEyes]

Edit*

 

[GENERAL RAAM582]

You know what's funny. The X1 is looking like the early PS3 (focusing more on entertainment and gimmicks than games) and the PS4 is looking like the early Xbox 360 (focusing on games over entertainment and gimmicks).

Almost a completely role reversal.

Well the PS3 had games, but they pretty much all sucked except for R: FoM.

 

[StrainedEyes]

OXM is reporting that there will be an option to "deactivate" the first account's license and not pay a 'second-user' fee.

Xbox Support's twitter is also stating that the fee reports are inaccurate:

Spoiler

 

[Soapy]

Xbox Support's twitter is also stating that the fee reports are inaccurate.

Legit or backpedal mode I wonder?

 

[Spidey-Bat]

It's probably something like they won't charge fees if you have Xbox Live Gold.