The Xbox One

[TX85]

So the launch neXbox console may be even more of a rush job than the 360 at launch!?..A damn shame!

The exclusive game sounds great..Except it's designed for MP and an online only game!

 

[Iceman]

http://www.oxm.co.uk/53361/metal-gear-solid-4-could-appear-on-xbox-720-says-kojima/

Metal Gear Solid 4 could appear on Xbox 720, says Kojima



Hope so!

 

[Donut]

More rumors

 

[TX85]

I'm so sick of rumors and mystery sources,Just a few weeks to go though for finally the reveal,Most of the rumors have bummed me out and so I'm nervous!!!

I'm only getting one console this new gen. and so I need to be careful which side I go to,I'm rooting&hoping MS blows me away in such a great way for reasons such as..

-I like MS&dig Windows 8

-I've been more into Xbox&360 than PS1-3 overall

-I enjoy exclusives like Halo&Gears of War more than any PS exclusive..except Uncharted games

-I really like the Xbox controller much more than the DS

-Xbox has much more content in their XBL Marketplace and apps than the PS

-I even like the Xbox name more than Playstation

IF the neXbox has Blu-ray discs&player and a disc drive like PS3's than a disc tray again then it'd be bonuses for me.

Blocking used games/always having to be online/rushed console and maybe weaker console specs&graphics compared to PS4 are things that can instantly ruin it all for me and make me go straight to PS4!

 

[Spider-Vader]

Almost every rumor says the new Xbox will be equal to the PS4's power. Hopefully that's true

 

[Grievous]

Hmm if both are on equal ground then it could really come down to which has the exclusives you prefer. The only Playstation exclusive I've gotten into is Killzone. Still prefer Halo and Gears over any other exclusive.

 

[SolarTiger]

Hmm if both are on equal ground then it could really come down to which has the exclusives you prefer. The only Playstation exclusive I've gotten into is Killzone. Still prefer Halo and Gears over any other exclusive.

Those might be the only Microsoft exclusives, judging by the last few years. Or more "timed" exclusives that go to Sony after a few months/years.

 

[Iceman]

Hmm if both are on equal ground then it could really come down to which has the exclusives you prefer. The only Playstation exclusive I've gotten into is Killzone. Still prefer Halo and Gears over any other exclusive.

I like most of the PS exclusives but Uncharted & God of War are the games that I absolutely must play. The main reason Gears & Halo have been so important as exclusives is because they have good multiplayer fanbases, Halo's being exceptionally large for a console exclusive game. It's not that they don't have great single player campaigns, but in this age of so many great multiplatform single player franchises, SPC's only really add much to the exclusive warchest when they are on the level of Uncharted 3. Even though Killzone and Resistance are enjoyable games for eg, there are too many other games like them and they don't stand out enough to be missed by non PS users.

 

[Fading]

Almost every rumor says the new Xbox will be equal to the PS4's power. Hopefully that's true

The way the rumors are shaping up, and given Sony's machine has double the amount ram the rumors were even saying it was going to have. I have a feeling the PS4 might have a slight leg up on the nextbox in power. Microsoft I think is looking hard at the Nintendo model of family friendly, cost efficient hardware. The same way Sony listened to developers, and tried to make the PS4 more developer friendly (from the rumors), while making it a bit more future proof with more RAM, which was a PS3 fault. Even then, i'm sure Sony tried to make the PS4 cost efficient as well to avoid what happened with the PS3, I can't see MS packing in more hardware than the PS4 while trying to make more profit. However, no matter which console is more powerful, it won't be enough that it will be far more advanced. It's not going to be like the PS3/360 vs the Wii.


I think developers like the current state of things for the most part. Being able to develop one game that can easily port to both consoles. If they have a situation where the Wii is weak on performance, the Xbox is a small step up, and the PS4 is far more advanced, I'd imagine it'd be a nightmare for developers. Game production costs continues to increase. They'd have to start making decisions on which console to release their title on, rather than letting it go to both the Xbox, and PS4 at the same time.

If anything, I think next gen will be closer than this one, and we're going to see less inferior ports. The PS4 majorly upped it's ram, and seems to be more developer friendly. Even it it's slightly less powerful, if the Nextbox runs on Windows 8, it's going to be far easier to develop for than even now. The PS4 having a slight technological edge, and being easier to develop for than the PS3 would probably just put it on par with the Xbox being super simple to program for.

If one does have a noticeable leg up on the other, I think the difference will only be really telling in the middle of the next console cycle. When both have sold enough, and developing costs have normalized enough, that developers can justify going the extra mile to push one title, or the other to the consoles limits. In the meantime only games like Uncharted 4, or the next Halo will really show off what the consoles can do.

 

[TX85]

^Awesome post!

 

[Benstamania]

Anyone think Sony...Or Microsoft will try to one up the other on price? You KNOW it's a concern. It has to be... More so for Sony after the PS3 launch disaster. Sure Microsoft has the subscription based model (or rumored to) for 299...I have to wonder if Sony's just gonna be like "Yep..Here's our SUPER PS4...One SKU..299.99."

 

[Havok83]

I find it hard to believe that the PS4 launch at anything lower than $399. I really don't see $299 being a likely possibility at all. Just think if the launch price is $299, then the first price drop will likely be $250 and the next $199. That seems unreal. Besides I think they'd lose too much money at $299 and they'll want to minimize losses. I think $399 is a price that most would be likely to pay for it and they shouldn't need to lower that until sales slump

 

[Fading]

The PS3 isn't even sub $200 yet, Sony will only have so much wiggling room. Unless both Sony, and MS want to take huge hits, they'll have to be a little pricey at first. Sony probably is already going to take a hit with $300-399 models. I don't expect a price drop from them until a bit over a year from launch. Nnot this Christmas, but the one after, maybe.

MS, is more likely to be cheaper out of the gate. It depends on where their hardware stands though, because I doubt the Nextbox's hardware's going to be supercheap to produce either. More than likely we'll see more deals like the ones they have with the current 360. Cheaper up front, with a 1-2 year contract that costs the same in the long run. That way it appears to be $100+ cheaper than a PS4, but really comes out to about the same.

Given that a lot of ppl only think about the upfront cost though, it could help MS if they start off with deals like that. At least in the US. Given that Sony's not shooting it's own foot out the door with a $600 console again, I think Xbox is going to probably go extinct in Japan, and lose some of the ground it gained (and slowly lost over the generation) in Europe. It'll probably maintain it's lead in the US though. Though on Europe, release dates could play a factor again. If Sony decides to release the PS4 a year late again, plenty of ppl in Europe who might have planned on buying a Playstation might decide it's too long a wait, and get an Xbox first again. Taking Sony awhile to catch up on sales over there again. Plenty of ppl like having just one console, and stick with what they bought first, and have the most games for as their primary console. So when both consoles release could make all the difference.

 

[Fading]

Unrelated kinda, but wow, I finally got around to checking Wii-U sales reports...I knew it wouldn't sell as well as the Wii. I knew it'd have problems with branding as the name was far too similar. I just didn't expect it to head the way of the Gamecube so fast. I'm sure sales will pick up, but this is a real opening for Sony, and MS. Sony could take a few steps back towards it's PS2 spot, or MS take another step up in the console race, if things keep at this pace, and either console catches fire. I'm not sure I can see Nintendo being on top again this gen unless they really revamp their marketing, or mid through next gen all Wii owners who haven't bought another console suddenly decide to upgrade.

I came across this article on Kotaku http://kotaku.com/wii-owners-nintendo-really-wants-you-to-buy-a-wii-u-o-486178764. You know it's getting bad when you have to send out messages to all of your last gen consoles owners asking them to please upgrade. Let alone when you have to include, "It's not just an upgrade - It's an entirely new system", lol.

Lately I've been paying less attention to console news, so you guys probably already know all of this. It's just kinda shocking to see the Wii-U doing reported sub 50k sales after it's initial burst died down. That's PSP territory. Though I'm doing my best to steer clear of VG Chartz this generation. I still remember close to 2 years ago when they under cut the PS3's numbers by 2.5 million just for one year. Then went on to not correct it, and that was according to Nintendo, Sony, and pretty much everyone else's official numbers.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Almost every rumor says the new Xbox will be equal to the PS4's power. Hopefully that's true

I think that's expected. With third party publishers being the dominant players, it's pretty obvious that Microsoft and Sony know that their consoles need to be at parity when it comes to graphical power. Nintendo thinking that they can do whatever they want as opposed to conforming to the industry standard that the Xbox/PlayStation/PC platforms have is really biting them in the ass.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I like most of the PS exclusives but Uncharted & God of War are the games that I absolutely must play. The main reason Gears & Halo have been so important as exclusives is because they have good multiplayer fanbases, Halo's being exceptionally large for a console exclusive game. It's not that they don't have great single player campaigns, but in this age of so many great multiplatform single player franchises, SPC's only really add much to the exclusive warchest when they are on the level of Uncharted 3. Even though Killzone and Resistance are enjoyable games for eg, there are too many other games like them and they don't stand out enough to be missed by non PS users.

I would say that's a reason why Sony has decided to give up on the Resistance franchise in favor of focusing on the Killzone IP.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Unrelated kinda, but wow, I finally got around to checking Wii-U sales reports...I knew it wouldn't sell as well as the Wii. I knew it'd have problems with branding as the name was far too similar. I just didn't expect it to head the way of the Gamecube so fast. I'm sure sales will pick up, but this is a real opening for Sony, and MS. Sony could take a few steps back towards it's PS2 spot, or MS take another step up in the console race, if things keep at this pace, and either console catches fire. I'm not sure I can see Nintendo being on top again this gen unless they really revamp their marketing, or mid through next gen all Wii owners who haven't bought another console suddenly decide to upgrade.

I came across this article on Kotaku http://kotaku.com/wii-owners-nintendo-really-wants-you-to-buy-a-wii-u-o-486178764. You know it's getting bad when you have to send out messages to all of your last gen consoles owners asking them to please upgrade. Let alone when you have to include, "It's not just an upgrade - It's an entirely new system", lol.

Lately I've been paying less attention to console news, so you guys probably already know all of this. It's just kinda shocking to see the Wii-U doing reported sub 50k sales after it's initial burst died down. That's PSP territory. Though I'm doing my best to steer clear of VG Chartz this generation. I still remember close to 2 years ago when they under cut the PS3's numbers by 2.5 million just for one year. Then went on to not correct it, and that was according to Nintendo, Sony, and pretty much everyone else's official numbers.

Nintendo has a lot of major problems with the Wii U. Their marketing is extremely piss poor. It's on par with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 graphically however, it's competitive consoles offer far more games and far more services at better prices. And Nintendo fans just refuse to buy third party games for some reason leaving third party games to bomb, thus giving the publishers no incentive to make games for the system; and with no third party games to go along the average consumer isn't going to be interested.

 

[Iceman]

I would say that's a reason why Sony has decided to give up on the Resistance franchise in favor of focusing on the Killzone IP.

Oh I didn't even know they cancelled it. That's a shame but maybe for the best if it means Killzone gets elevated to premium exclusive status. I would have played any future Resistance games eventually, not within at least a year of launch though.

 

[Benstamania]

Nintendo doesn't really have to do much to bring back sales. Show Mario, Show Zelda, Show Metroid...People will come. I think they're in trouble though...They've GOT to do A LOT more than that... I have a WiiU and so far it's a 350 dollar SNES. Seriously. The games I have for the thing are VC SNES games.

They're running on, at this point, last gen tech...Sony and MS will blow them out of the water soon graphically and they have to know that.

Part of me wishes Nintendo would just create an HD handheld (Nintendo HDDS...?) that maybe could hook up to your TV via HDMI cables... The 3DS is an EXCELLENT system right now that originally had a slump too. Nintendo came out of that...Hopefully they can do the same with the WiiU.

 

[SolarTiger]

Nintendo missed a big opportunity with having such a big lead over Sony/Microsoft. What games really are out for the Wii U? The library has been largely garbage since launch, and that is not taking advantage of the extra year they did have. No 3D mario, no zelda, no SMB...

 

[Fading]

Nintendo has a lot of major problems with the Wii U. Their marketing is extremely piss poor. It's on par with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 graphically however, it's competitive consoles offer far more games and far more services at better prices. And Nintendo fans just refuse to buy third party games for some reason leaving third party games to bomb, thus giving the publishers no incentive to make games for the system; and with no third party games to go along the average consumer isn't going to be interested.

A Gameinformer monthly article "Good, and Bad" on Nintendo and third parties touched on the third party problem. The way the paragraph put it, it seemed to be a mix of several things. One developer said that they're willing to develop for it, but not until it starts to sell better. Which makes sense, why put out a triple A game for an audience sub 5 million (considering a lot of triple A's sell more than that, it would take the entire Wii-U audience buying a copy to = normal PS3, and 360 sales). Another said they could put their game out on the system, but just didn't see it as being a worthwhile venture worth the man power. Another said they wanted to, but Nintendo wasn't reaching out towards them.



I think Nintendo's just stuck in the past, relying on namebrand power (not just the console, but games like Mario, and Zelda). They still don't understand the importance of hard drive space, especially in conjunction to downloadable titles. Which is going to put them very far behind considering the PS4, and 720 are going to probably have 500GB minimum. That's going to lock Nintendo out of several big titles as is.

Then I think they underestimate the importance of online. They still haven't straightened out their friends system. MS has proven Live is a cash cow, and this generation in particular has shown that ppl like online gaming. Nintendo once said that ppl demanding online services are just geeks, and otaku's. I think that philosphy is biting them in the ass right now.

Then, as you said, the marketing is a disaster. Nintendo gets everyone used to a different name each console, or atleast makes it a clear indication that it's a new system. Then they go peripheral crazy with the Wii, and act surprised when ppl think the Wii-U is another add on. They are so profitable, yet failed on so many levels when it came to marketing their next money printing machine.

Not to mention that now they're competing for the casual crown against a growing mobile gaming market. That even if it's more functional, chances are a touchscreen isn't going to grab the attention of the mainstream casual gamers as much as motion controls did (considering every pad and phone has one now, and the PS3 can do it with a Vita, and PS4 has built in touchscreen, amongst other features as well). When you add all of this up, I just don't see the Wii-U pulling Wii numbers. I'm not saying it will be a Gamecube, but they do need to do some damage control quickly. With the PS4, and Nextbox getting a lot of buzz, this isn't a position they want to be in at this point in time.

 

[Benstamania]

IF Nintendo announces a 50-100 dollar price drop (they'll almost have to) plus a 3D Mario...They'll be on the right track. There just better be an ambassador program like their was with the 3DS. That was awesome.

 

[Matt Mortem]

IF Nintendo announces a 50-100 dollar price drop (they'll almost have to) plus a 3D Mario...They'll be on the right track. There just better be an ambassador program like their was with the 3DS. That was awesome.

I'd love an ambassador program. Sign me up!

 

[TX85]

What's an ambassador program?

 

[Soapy]

When the 3DS sales flopped right out of the gate, Nintendo did a pretty huge price drop which annoyed early adopters, so Nintendo introduced the "Ambassador Program" which basically meant if you bought a 3DS before the price drop they would give you 20 digital SNES and Game Boy games for free.