Microsoft Setting Up To Answer Sony?

It's an evil piece of shit.

It won't even work unless you pay for an online service, you can't work it without the motion camera, and microphone, which in combination, means you can't use it without full-on Big Brother mode.

And you can't opt out of their obnoxious social media apps.

Assholes can bother you during games, or watching shows or movies.
That's not even a theory, it's actually in the fucking promo vids as a GOOD thing!

It's ominous evil shit, don't buy it.

Crash their fucking stock, make me believe in humanity again.

Stop taking this gradually magnifying maze of bullshit just to be a bunch of conformist consumerist sheep.
Wake the fuck up and realize you're living beings, and you can't live like this.

Microsoft appears to be waffling.

Sony has been saying that games will be able to be used on multiple systems just like previous gens. Even if Microsoft was planning to go with a no second hand games strategy I don't see it making it to launch, because if people can buy cheap secondhand games with the PS4 but not with the One then Sony will clean up.

Yeah, about that...Shuhei Yoshida, Sony's President of SCE Worldwide studios was asked if the PS4 will support used games at the PS4 reveal. He leaned over to a subordinate and asked him in Japanese and then responded affirmatively and that was the end of the question. Later, a European executive equivocated on the matter.

This to me seems to be a decision driven by games publishers. There is no way that EA is going to have Madden 25 locked down on the XB1 and used copies flying off the shelf for the PS4 version. If that's the case, why would I even support the PS4? At the least, I'd offer exclusive content on Xbox One to encourage adoption of that platform. If one of them do this, the other will too.

From the perspective of the console manufacturer, who frequently sells their new consoles at a loss in the hopes of making up the difference when you buy a few games from the royalties, do they even want customers who buy primarily used games? Think about it... If you get a device that cost them $600 to build for $500... they're out $100 hoping that you'd buy at least 5 new games over the life of the console. The way the used game market works, there was a huge Monkey Wrench in that plan from the start. Do they really want the business of the primarily used game buyer/game renter so early in the cycle? Any model that cuts game developers and publishers in on a piece of the used game market, well... I'm willing to withhold judgement until more details are clear. Especially when you hear news of great game developers closing thier doors for the final time after dissappointing sales meanwhile, millions of people have acheivements/trophies for having played the game.

Very interesting aerticle!!

So it seems that in the next gen, the console manufacturers and publishers look to take a piece of the outrageous profits that the used game market generates. If this helps to offset the cost of game development, then I;m willing to see where it goes.

Not enough actual details, too many rumors. Hate the internet sometimes. Not very impressed with either machine at the moment, sure they're a big step up in hardware but what else? Probably won't rush out to buy one like I did last generation. I will have to give it time, but who knows, one of them could really show some awesome capabilities over the next few months on our way to the holiday season. Not a fan of the "required internet connection" detail, but at least it doesn't require it to be "always online".

Will be a hard decision in the end most likely. Love my current XBox for most console gaming needs and the much better controller, but I had to buy a PS3 for J-RPG needs. Atlus needs to port more over to Microsoft.

The always on camera in your livingroom thing is kind of creepy. Things are always getting hacked or misused. Even if MS themselves don't abuse it, what about a rogue employee who wants to get videos of people.

What about xBoxes that are in children's rooms?

I'm as big of an xbox 360 fan as you'll ever find...but the "One" so far has a lot against and nothing that makes me say "OMG gotta get it!"

According to this guy:

"...the computing power of this cluster is equal to the world’s total computing power in 1994 or the world’s general-purpose computing power in 1996."

Any creepier than cell phone companies knowing where everyone is at all times? Smart phones are way creepier than the Xbone.

That's not the creepy part of cellphones. The creepy part is that they can turn the mic and camera on remotely and you'll never even know it. The old rotary phones had a physical disconnect, so when you hung up the phone, they couldn't monitor you if they wanted to. Now, with it all being software controlled, they can flip everything on without you knowing about it.

AT&T is watching you masturbate.

Who watches the watchers?

Heh. I'd considered one of those metal wallets as a way to safely carry a smart phone in my back pocket until realizing that whole "blocks RFID" feature would likely mean I couldn't receive incoming calls. Now I'm considering if I even *need* incoming calls. I could just use voicemail more.

Seems at least for now, Sony isn't putting 'always online' on their PS4. If sales tip in Sony's favor due to the online only thing, it could convince other companies to drop this bullshit.

I'm not a big console gamer either, so I can afford to take a stand. If a console is "online only", I won't be buying it.

Well xBox pretty much trounced on PS3 this generation, a guess it's PS4s turn next generation.

Based on what I've read about it so far, there is no way in hell I'll be buying the new XBox console.

Think I'll stick with my PC for now.

Edit: to Sentinel

^I don't know about that. The 360 had a few years lead on the PS3 which helped, but they seemed to both be dominated by the Wii.

Whats a gamer like me to do? The XBone in it's current form holds no appeal for me. Unless they change everything they have promoted for it (not bloody likely), It's gonna be a DRM monster that will always be watching me. Sony fucked up big time when they were hacked. "We're sorry our direct incompetence shut us down for a month and led to your debt card being stolen, here, have a bargain bin game you'll never play on us." The Wii U? HAH!

"But BK, there's always PC gaming." you say. Yeah, after I drop $3,000 plus on a dedicated gaming rig (plus around $1,000 every 3 years to upgrade graphics cards, ram and processor) that will require me not to sit on my comfy couch, but at my rigid desk chair using a keyboard and mouse (fixed to my desk, more rigidity) which I have never been the best at using, my brain just isn't wired for WASD and I've never gotten a game pad to translate the thumb sticks properly I'm stuck with games that are so heavily laden with DRM that I'm treated like a criminal or going the criminal route by pirating everything and probably getting digital herpaghonnasyphilAIDS from.

Nintendo targets a different demographic and is generally cheaper. It is by no means a better console.

Yeah, there's no doubt that the Wii is the inferior console based on tech specs alone, but it has been one of the most popular consoles of its generation. There have been close to 100 million Wiis sold worldwide, 75 million 360s, and 70 million PS3s. Gamers and non-gamers alike play the Wii, it has the broadest appeal across demographic groups. Its biggest flaw is its inability to play DVDs/BluRay and its lack of HD.

You can trash the Wii all you want. Yes, its technical specs were inferior to other gaming consoles. But its innovative approach to the controller/interaction forever changed console gaming. The Wii deserves and will ultimately earn a page of honour in video game history, unlike the Xbox and Playstation. Those consoles haven't pushed any envelopes, except for processing power and graphics.

I would say the Kinect wasn't more innovative than a wireless presentation mouse turned into a game controller.

Wii is targeted square at the casual market and relatively small children...and has the Nintendo name attached to it...so a lot of Nostalgia. It also helps both the Wii and PS3 that one of the biggest gaming markets...Japan is highly racist when it comes to purchasing products.

Yeah, I said it.

Microsoft didn't develop the Kinect, they bought the technology after Apple passed on it and had the Wii not had its Wiimote, its possible that MS might not have been so eager to buy Kinect.

OK, and? What is a gaming console if not an expensive toy? Nintendo still sold more consoles, what does it matter to them if some people don't play it as often? The Wii was far and away the most successful console of this last generation in terms of sales.

But they are crazy about Apple products apparently...