How will you choose between MS & Sony's new consoles?

Azza

Amazon Germany and France have started taking pre-orders for the Xbox One at €599.

ShaneU

Azza wrote: »

Amazon Germany and France have started taking pre-orders for the Xbox One at €599.

Placeholder prices

super_furry

http://www.destructoid.com/ms-says-gamers-will-buy-everything-including-xbox-one-254678.phtml

Microsoft really are starting to sound like Sony around the time of the PS3 launch. From Sony telling people to get a second job if the want to buy a PS3 to Phil Harrison telling people that they'll buy an Xbox One no matter what - "We believe that if all you want is gaming, you'll still pick us, at the end of the day," Spencer dismissively told OXM.

ShadowHearth

super_furry wrote: »

http://www.destructoid.com/ms-says-gamers-will-buy-everything-including-xbox-one-254678.phtml

Microsoft really are starting to sound like Sony around the time of the PS3 launch. From selling telling people to get a second job if the want to buy a PS3 to Phil Harrison telling people that they'll buy an Xbox One no matter what - "We believe that if all you want is gaming, you'll still pick us, at the end of the day," Spencer dismissively told OXM.

What a dick...

Retr0gamer

I'm just disappointed that Consolevania still isn't arround for this whole farce:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9RGU_8x0sU

Pushtrak

super_furry wrote: »

http://www.destructoid.com/ms-says-gamers-will-buy-everything-including-xbox-one-254678.phtml

Microsoft really are starting to sound like Sony around the time of the PS3 launch. From Sony telling people to get a second job if the want to buy a PS3 to Phil Harrison telling people that they'll buy an Xbox One no matter what - "We believe that if all you want is gaming, you'll still pick us, at the end of the day," Spencer dismissively told OXM.

The only way that could be perceived as dismissive is if they were not doing gaming any more. A "oh, we're not doing gaming any more, but people will still buy it" whereas the reality is "We're still doing games, and people will buy it on the strength of that." I'm really not seeing what is dismissive about it. Or what about it makes him a dick.

ferike1

Best exclusives. For everything else I have my PC/Wii U.

gizmo

Pushtrak wrote: »

The only way that could be perceived as dismissive is if they were not doing gaming any more. A "oh, we're not doing gaming any more, but people will still buy it" whereas the reality is "We're still doing games, and people will buy it on the strength of that." I'm really not seeing what is dismissive about it. Or what about it makes him a dick.

There's nothing dismissive about it, it's just more bile-filled hyperbolic bull**** from Sterling.

"We believe that if all you want is gaming, you'll still pick us, at the end of the day. The super core guys, they will buy everything. They will buy all devices, but most people really only do buy one device, and if you're going to think about what that one device is, we believe an all-in-one system that does the best games and TV and entertainment will be something that's really unique."

Removing his addition to that quote and you're left with the above which states two things, they believe their games offering will be strong enough to still entice those only interested in games and that by offering the entertainment options on top of that, they'll appeal to those looking for a little bit more thus making their console the best option for those only interested in one device.

super_furry

Another thing that concerns me about the 'always on' camera in your living room - Microsoft can use it to police how many people are allowed to watch a film.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-11-06-kinect-could-police-who-watches-films-at-home

In 2011 they filed a patent for a media DRM based on monitoring users with cameras connected to a video game console.

Pushtrak

super_furry wrote: »

Another thing that concerns me about the 'always on' camera in your living room - Microsoft can use it to police how many people are allowed to watch a film.

I came across this recently: http://www.examiner.com/article/xbox-one-owners-will-be-able-to-turn-off-kinect-2-camera

ShadowHearth

super_furry wrote: »

Another thing that concerns me about the 'always on' camera in your living room - Microsoft can use it to police how many people are allowed to watch a film.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-11-06-kinect-could-police-who-watches-films-at-home

In 2011 they filed a patent for a media DRM based on monitoring users with cameras connected to a video game console.

So 5 lads gathered up to watch a game of footie. XBOX goes:

Sorry Johnny, I cannot let you do that. Paul over there is banned from Xbox TV privileges for flashing his junk at Weather Girl last night. As long as he is present in the room you wont be able to watch Match.

Yours SKYNET Xbox.

C14N

Harps wrote: »

One of the main things I've noticed so far is the lack of any real jump forward in these next gen games. There's always been a noticeable jump in graphics and gaming possibilities with previous releases but from the few game demos I've seen it just looks like more of the same with slightly shinier graphics. I really don't think another few years of corridor shooters and horribly cliqued storylines will hold my attention enough to justify all the expense for essentially the same experience.

Hopefully storytelling might finally take off and big publishers take a few risks in innovation instead of churning out the same old stuff but at the moment I'm finding it hard to get excited about them. E3 should be interesting anyway

What a strange criticism. With any new generation the hardware improves and obviously there are huge technical upgrades. Apart from the jump from 2D to 3D though there has never been a total revolution in what games everyone was making. Considering the relatively low number of next generation games actually revelased so far, I can't think of what you're referring to as "years of corridor shooters and horribly cliqued storylines." The only game I know of that will be exclusive to the next generation is Knack on PS4 which certainly doesn't fit that description.

Azza wrote: »

Since the start of the last generation of consoles, there has been the Wii, Wii U, DS, 3DS, PS3, PSP, Vita, Xbox 360, Iphone/Ipad and the PC has kept going (with optional hardware and software upgrades). Shortly they will be joined by Xbox One and PS4.

I think affording all them and then being able to pay for all the good games on each of them be they multi platform or exclusive is a stretch for all but the very wealthy. That's not including any additional factors, such as accessories, subscriptions, or replacements for hardware failure.

Even if you could afford them all. There isn't enough time in the day to play all the great games you could get.

You make it sound worse than it is. 4 of those consoles are hand helds, two are things most people own anyway (a PC and a phone) and one of them is actually a next-generation console (Wii U). Owning all the main consoles in a generation isn't really THAT hard. I have 3 out of 4 from last gen, and it wasn't like it caused a huge amount of financial pain. Admittedly, its a few hundred Euro but it's over the course of 7 years. And almost nobody is going to even want to play all the "good" games on any one console because there are going to be some that they just aren't interested in.

Personally since getting a PS3, I haven't felt compelled to buy an Xbox 360 because 90% of the games seem to be the same and the exclusive games (Halo and Gears of War) don't appeal to me but if I was really into those then for the last few years I could easily pick up a 360 for under €200.

So while I'm sure all the consoles will once again start out quite expensive and it would cost over a grand to buy them all for Christmas, if you spread it out over another several years and factor in the inevitable large price drops, it's not really that unreasonable that someone would own them all again if they really wanted to.

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Right, in no offence to you. The phrase "Its not about platform, its about the games" is the biggest politically correct BULLSHIET in gaming world.

I don't really know what you're saying but they guy you were responding to never said that. Surely it is all about the games though, right? If the PS4 has more high-quality games than the Xbox One, then you'd probably buy that. And despite all of MS's ham-handedness, if they turn up at E3 with "8 new franchises" that all look great, most of us probably will end up going for their console. What's the problem?

Overheal

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I'm just disappointed that Consolevania still isn't arround for this whole farce:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9RGU_8x0sU

what the **** did you just make me watch

Retr0gamer

Overheal wrote: »

what the **** did you just make me watch

Genius.

ShooterSF

Just an idea but how many game stores are likely to be get Microsoft's approval to be a reseller of used games? Probably just Gamestop over here. And considering that the option will be to buy off Gamestop or off someone else and pay an activation fee, Microsoft are practically creating a monopoly for Gamestop (assuming the rumours we've read are true)

Pushtrak

ShooterSF wrote: »

Just an idea but how many game stores are likely to be get Microsoft's approval to be a reseller of used games? Probably just Gamestop over here. And considering that the option will be to buy off Gamestop or off someone else and pay an activation fee, Microsoft are practically creating a monopoly for Gamestop (assuming the rumours we've read are true)

C'mon, your post is basically assuming X happens, then X is happening.

CastorTroy

A good idea from MS would be to allow Gold Live subscribers to play used games without the fee or a heavily discounted fee.

Sierra Oscar

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Jeremy Parish just summed up the whole second hand games thing in one tweet:

Maybe it will be a wake up call for some! We hope anyways ...

ShooterSF

Pushtrak wrote: »

C'mon, your post is basically assuming X happens, then X is happening.

Sorry when I read the rumours first I thought they were just trying to kill the second hand market. I didnt think the idea that they are just circling it off for some "partners" was obvious

Pushtrak

Well, I wonder if who they'll partner up with could be in any way predicted. Is this something to give credence to for instance, I wonder.

F1ngers

Pushtrak wrote: »

Well, I wonder if who they'll partner up with could be in any way predicted. Is this something to give credence to for instance, I wonder.

Yes, they will all sell xbox ones.

Now, who do you predict Sony will partner up with?

My prediction would be the same.

C14N

ShooterSF wrote: »

Just an idea but how many game stores are likely to be get Microsoft's approval to be a reseller of used games? Probably just Gamestop over here. And considering that the option will be to buy off Gamestop or off someone else and pay an activation fee, Microsoft are practically creating a monopoly for Gamestop (assuming the rumours we've read are true)

Well Gamestop are pretty much the only major ones here doing second hand games now anyway, since Game and HMV both kicked the bucket. I would have to imagine that Smyths will be able to partner with them too if they want to keep attempting to sell second hand (I say "attempting" because I still doubt many people will want to buy second hand games next gen if MS does go ahead with fixing the price at 90% of RRP).

ShooterSF

C14N wrote: »

Well Gamestop are pretty much the only major ones here doing second hand games now anyway, since Game and HMV both kicked the bucket. I would have to imagine that Smyths will be able to partner with them too if they want to keep attempting to sell second hand (I say "attempting" because I still doubt many people will want to buy second hand games next gen if MS does go ahead with fixing the price at 90% of RRP).

Again assuming all the rumour is true:

Yeah but it's making sure that what second hand market exists is in the hands of big retailers and not adverts or me and a friend swapping games. Either bring your game in to a retailer for a few quid trade in or find someone willing to pay you and an activation fee for the game.

Ryuji_w

i can't see sony joking about with the DRM thing only to actually have it,
it would piss off so many people
nice to see them having fun with it and joking about it though.

C14N

Ryuji_w wrote: »

i can't see sony joking about with the DRM thing only to actually have it,
it would piss off so many people
nice to see them having fun with it and joking about it though.

That's true, you would think that Sony Computer Entertainment staff would be told to not mention this if it was actually coming. It would be a pretty awful PR move to go about publicly mocking MS for something they plan to do.

Sierra Oscar

super_furry wrote: »

Microsoft really are starting to sound like Sony around the time of the PS3 launch. From Sony telling people to get a second job if the want to buy a PS3 to Phil Harrison telling people that they'll buy an Xbox One no matter what - "We believe that if all you want is gaming, you'll still pick us, at the end of the day," Spencer dismissively told OXM.

I guess what they are trying to say is that you will always have a vocal minority who will actively oppose a move to introduce more DRM, but most people just don't care and are likely to buy it anyways.

It reminds me of some of the various boycott campaigns which were undertaken on the Steam Community. I think Nody summed it up well with that image of the "Boycott Modern Warfare 2" group with all its members playing the game. I have seen the statistics for the number of members of that group who actually bought Modern Warfare 2, and they are pretty staggering - and it is amusing to discover how quickly players cave in and buy a game once it is released despite their original intentions to boycott the game. The same story is replicated in the various boycott groups which have emerged on the Steam Community over the last couple of years. Most of the time the group members are amongst the quickest to buy the game they are supposedly boycotting once it is released.

So yeah, Microsoft are probably worried about the possibility of negative publicity in the run up to the launch of their new console - but deep down I doubt they are worried that sales will collapse because of this.

Pushtrak

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

I guess what they are trying to say is that you will always have a vocal minority who will actively oppose a move to introduce more DRM, but most people just don't care and are likely to buy it anyways.

While there is merit to this type of argument, I don't think it was what he was getting at. I find it bizarre that dismissively was even put in there. I'll quote the entire paragraph.

"We believe that if all you want is gaming, you'll still pick us, at the end of the day," Spencer dismissively told OXM. "The super core guys, they will buy everything. They will buy all devices, but most people really only do buy one device, and if you're going to think about what that one device is, we believe an all-in-one system that does the best games and TV and entertainment will be something that's really unique."

The link again to save you having to go back find it.

Sierra Oscar

Pushtrak wrote: »

While there is merit to this type of argument, I don't think it was what he was getting at. I find it bizarre that dismissively was even put in there. I'll quote the entire paragraph.

The link again to save you having to go back find it.

Yeah, it does seem that he recognises that it is an unpopular decision - but that the 'package' on offer as a whole makes up for it. Seems like a fairly reasonable argument to me.

Retr0gamer

That's a pretty rotten attitude by Phil Spencer. It's sickening that he is talking to his consumers that way. Probably more sickening is that he is probably right

gizmo

Retr0gamer wrote: »

That's a pretty rotten attitude by Phil Spencer. It's sickening that he is talking to his consumers that way. Probably more sickening is that he is probably right

Is it though? I'm curious, do you disagree with my assertion earlier in the thread here?

Note: I should probably point out that based on currently available info, I disagree with the first part of his statement on a personal level. As for the rest though, I can't really see any problem with it in terms of how he's talking to the (potential) audience.