People are bitching way too much about the XBONE

[Austin Manning]

LoL and those things never happened on pc, i've no experience with them at all and I don't get that you're talking down to me... lol

Listen, go ahead and be pessimistic. Munch your popcorn and hope its terrible, but be prepared to be disappointed.

You do know that the Xbone is not a PC right? At least not in the general sense (keyboard, mouse, open OS, etc). In regards to used games and loaned games, what if you have more than 10 friends and one not in your family list wants to borrow a game? Now this is just me personally but I don't play all my games all the time. I might go weeks without playing a title and if someone asks to borrow one that I'm not currently playing, I have no problem lending them the disc.

Furthermore, just because some PC services (GOG doesn't) use DRM and you've gotten used to it doesn't mean anyone else can or wants to. Again, this is just me personally but just the idea of Hal "Kinnect" 9000 recording me whenever I sit down to play a game and then sending that information back to Big Brother Microsoft is enough to make my skin crawl.

EDIT: Also, what do fancy buzzwords like "living environments" and "persistent worlds" actually mean? Because they sound things we already have (and I don't just mean in MMOs).

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

It seems that wherever there is criticism or praise there are people happy to suggest that everyone's being biased and it's actually better/not as good as people generally claim. No. The Xbone has some shitty features, and while I don't think the lineup is particularly uninspired (well...maybe it does actually), there are plenty of actual features to ***** about justifiably. Although I think the PS+ would have been a much more salient issue were the Xbone just another console rather than the mess it is.

 

[TrevHead]

Even with all us lot ragging on the X1, but all us lot are secondary to the average FPS, Sports and Forza nut's who will probably still go out in droves to buy the damn machine. And that's my problem with MS they are too much geared towards "bro gamers"

While the 360 was almost as bad there still was some really fantastic oldschool Japanese games to level it out. Games from SEGA, Treasure and CAVE along with exclusives JRPGS and Multiplats like Bayonetta that run best on 360 to make the system attractive to a certain niche gamer. I doubt we will see a repeat with the X1 as the DRM and fact MS aren't pushing to break into Japan will put off alot of Japanese devs, and PS4 multiplats will probably be better than the X1 version.

 

[COMaestro]

OP is correct that the journalism we are seeing is really slanting things a lot, or at least not being objective at all. I will agree that Sony really did "win" E3, but that doesn't mean that Xbox should be targeted with headlines like "New console, Old games" or "Uninspired lineup," when as far as the games shown at E3, Sony could be accused of the same. But it sounds like the OP does not disagree that the console itself deserves all the negative press it has been receiving, just would like to see less rumormongering and sensationalism. I won't be touching the system with a ten foot pole, but I would prefer to read facts more than opinion pieces.

Jago1130 is correct in his belief that the loaning of a game on the Xbone will be very simple, for up to 10 people, which is probably more people than most of us would likely lend a game to. That being said, until more details are released, I wouldn't sing it's praises just yet. Maybe your console needs to be on in order for someone to use your shared library, maybe it doesn't. I'm going to assume you can kick off your family/friend in order to play your game, but MS hasn't confirmed anything. Maybe only one person can be using your shared library at a time period, not just one person per game.

I have been able to share any digital content I purchase with my brother-in-law (and vice versa) on the PS3 by having an account on his machine. You can install things on two consoles (was once 5), and both copies can be played at the same time. I hope the PS4 continues this policy, as it is great being able to play mulitplayer games with him without both of us needing to purchase a copy. Never owned a 360, so I don't know if it had similar functionality or not, but all I see in this feature is that the Xbone can do something that PS3 has been doing for years. Only difference is the greater numbers and the fact that all games will be digital for the Xbone, so all games will have this functionality. But they could always choose to cut down the number of family members you can do this with in the future, as Sony proved with the PS3.

 

[Ambitiousmould]

Whelp given that I've been gaming since Atari I think it's clear how accurate your assumptions are. As for who's been eating up the corporate line sorry I can't hear what your saying with your mouth full. Your banking on rumor and speculation like everyone else. The only difference is your assuming the axe murderer will play nice.

gasp, since Atari? welcome to the club then, youngblood!

No, I'm banking on official word from MS. You're banking on pessimistic estimation. I'm also banking on the fact that live has been the best of the console online experiences since its inception. That's unlikely to change.

A) How long people have been gaming is irrelevent here.

B) Official word from MS? Official word from MS is that DRM is happening big time, and you must (unnecassarily) log in every 24 hours. Official word from MS is that you can only share games with family, thus eradicating ownership. Official word from MS is that you pay a fee to play pre-owned games. Official word from MS is that Kinect, a terrible device, is mandatory, and is always watching and recording you, thus eradicating privacy. Official word from MS is that they are catering to the developer (except indie) and the publisher, not the consumer, resulting in the consumer being screwed over in a way seldom seen in any industry.

And official word from MS is to 'Deal with it.'

Also, little tip: Especially here on the Escapist, a site for intelligent conversation, being snarky and toxic and using 'lol' and 'rofl' and the like - especially as often as you - makes people not take you very seriously. It is like talking to a primary school child.

 

[oliver.begg]

lol @ people justifying xbone's online check and used game policies.


for 3 decades we didnt have restrictive console drm or online checks for consoles. why change now?

if used game is killing the industry then why are we seeing new consoles?

used game isn't killing the industry. publishers like EA are when they say a game that sold 3 million copies is not enough.

lmao

the change is that games now cost up to 100 million USD (bioshock inf to name one). and as far as developers are concered, a used game sale is active piracy, where the "cracker" actively tries tp make people use the "cracked" copy so the dev's get no money from it.

not a big problem you say, or not as big as PC piracy? maybe, but this one has a 2 billion dollar Verified price tag for gamestop in the US alone

assuming the publisher takes 30% of sales, thats nearly 700 million they are lossing per year for sure

 

[Mr Companion]

True, but bitching about it is really fun. I mean how often do we get to see a total collapse of a company's flagship product before its even released?
...
Ok more often that you would expect I must admit but still. The last generation was so balanced its good fun to see a total PR wipeout like this.

 

[Wyvern65]

this one has a 2 billion dollar Verified price tag for gamestop in the US alone

assuming the publisher takes 30% of sales, thats nearly 700 million they are lossing per year for sure

Economics: you're doing it wrong.

If I sell you something I bought from someone else, how much has the person I bought it from 'lost'?

The correct answer is Zero Dollars.

If I sell a whole bunch of things other people sold me that they bought new somewhere else and I make money from that (see e-bay or craigslist for example,) how much have the original creators 'lost'?

The correct answer is Zero Dollars.

The game companies make their money, all the money they are entitled to make. Every game that is sold used was bought new at some point in time.

No other industry in existence believes that when something is sold 'used' they deserve a cut of the money: because they don't.

 

[Severian]

As a kid of the 80's it's pretty disgusting to see the direction MS is trying to take consoles. I think the Sony video on how to share games pretty much sums it up for me. I also don't like the price point MS threw out there. I also don't like the all seeing eye that comes with the machine but can be turned off yet still has to be purchased. I don't like the non removable HD in the Xbone. I watch TV sometimes. Don't need an Xbone for TV. Don't like paying a subscription to netflix or hulu and not being able to watch it on a device I own(in Xbones case, rented) without having to pay another subscription. I could literally go on for some time like this...

 

[runic knight]

I love it when people justify an always on requirement by listing a bunch of mmo's. The always on is an necessary part of the mechanics that make up those games otherwise it couldn't be massively multiplayer. Other games don't need the connection to function properly. Using them as examples for why people should be okay that all games should be unplayable offline is a really weak straw man argument. And as for the safeguard technology for when the servers go down one their obsession with the cloud will still make many games unplayable as part of thee game is not on your hard drive and two your putting an awful lot of faith into that system with no proof. Look I don't want to talk you out of getting an Xbone, you clearly deserve it, but someone had to correct that mess.

I guess it never occurred to you that many of the games on xbone are going to have the persistent world and living environments featured by MMO. (and thus requiring it as a necessary part of the mechanics). Also, I saw in an interview that Forza for example will be playable offline, I doubt it will be the ONLY example of such.

Your right though, I do deserve amazing, immersive games that I can easily share with my friends, good thing Xbone will give me that.

First off, who the hell uses terms like "Persistent worlds" unless they are at a press conference, selling a pitch to investors or are otherwise paid and given talking points? Seriously, your open hostility and contempt, your refusal to address actual concerns as concerns and your regurgitation of talking points instead of anything of meaning, on top of your new account scent reek of a hired troll to me. But lets assume you are just some butt hurt fan. Some butt hurt old man on a forum defending the practices of a company like, well, like they are paying you money to do so...

Persistent worlds are great for developers that plan to make a product that keeps making money. MMO with their monthly subscriptions or micro transactions are good for this, sure. Not a lot of other game genre fit this as well. We saw it with dead space 2 when they tried to shoe in micro transactions. We saw the failures that were Diablo 3 and Simcity. Furthermore, it is a console that REQUIRES online, rather then as an option. There is NO GOD DAMN REASON to always need an online connection (and yes, you do if you want to keep playing the games you bought). You can make those persistent worlds exactly the same with a device that allows online connection but doesn't require it. You know how I know this? Because my PC has been doing that shit since everquest and beyond. Hell, if it was only some games that were treated like MMO and required you connect to a server to play, no one would care. But it isn't, it is the entire damn system. Single player requires it, co op requires it, everything requires it for no good damn reason that can't be justified with merely the option.


So, tell me old timer microsoft apologist. Tell me why the requirement for always online is s good thing for me, the consumer. Tell me how it is better to limit me on all games for something that may only apply to a handful.

 

[GAunderrated]

People are going to have to put up with DRM because there are too many greedy people in the world who won't pay for games, We should just be glad we aren't getting more DRM. When a company has a way to stop piracy they would be stupid not to do so. Yeah it isn't ideal but how would you feel about people stealing your stuff that you worked hard on time after time ? Would you let them continue or would you try and stop them ?

As for the used games I would love to see used games be banned all together and both consoles to use a steam style discount system. But I have never been a fan of used games.

Piracy as a major problem has been debunked about a million times.

You actually gain more sales from piracy then you lose. Because some of those pirates WILL buy the full game, others will show the game to their friends who may also buy it.

The "word of mouth" effect from downloading a pirated game and talking about is basically free ad space.

Indie devs understand this. Major publishers don't, mostly because they hire big important people in suits to tell them that piracy is the reason their "Triple A" title "only" sold 3 million copies, and its horseshit.

True it can be used and some might ( Big might) buy the game but most won't.

I guess I just don't see it as a big issue at all, My internet hasn't gone down for more than 24 hours in over 5 years and even if it did I could always just use my phone to get it too "call home". As an issue I feel it is so minor.

To me its less about how often it actually becomes an issue, and more about refusing to accept system limitations that are being imposed that serve me NO benefit.

It may NEVER become an issue for your use, thats possible, but there are tons of situations where its a problem.

What if you move? You gotta get your internet hooked up first right? Might take a few days. Those are days you are not allowed to game.
Go on a cruise? That cruise ship won't have an XBONE on it if it turns into a rainy day...because there is no internet on a boat.
XBONE servers go down? (and seriously, you think that shit isn't gonna get hacked day 1 by angry gamers/hackers??) You can't play.

Remember when PSN went down for 24 days? If that had been XBONE, that would be 23 days that you wouldn't even be able to play single player.

"My internet is great, so this doesn't bother me" is a standard fall back point, but there is more going on then just you and your ISP.

why would you take a gaming system on a cruise?

Rain?

I am glad I wasn't the only one who was thinking that. Where you get a decent sizes tv from ?

Look I will agree DRM sucks balls but is the massive game breaking issue everyone makes it out to be ? For me personally no, I will still spend hours playing with my friends and if my internet does drop for whatever reason I could always use my phone to connect it for verification

Yeah...it might not effect you in the long run. But when one choice is heavy DRM restriction and loss of product ownership and the other is...no DRM and owning your games.

Isn't the choice pretty damn obvious? Especially when both consoles will BOTH get most of the best games?

No, The Microsoft system is like the Steam system (Steam not having the same type of DRM of course) that too me is a good thing, I hate disc's I would love for them to never be needed again.

AI dislike the PS line up quite a bit as well, It does nothing for me and it never will, So I will go with the console I know has the games I like. Plus the ones I know my friends are getting.

A better way to say it is "its like the steam system without any benefits of steam" which basically means its crap.

The reason people put up with Steam's DRM is because they have a good service and very good sales. Heck today I got Witcher 2: EE for 6 bucks on steam while one look at amazon and its 5x the price for consoles (30 bucks).

If you still want to buy it for your reasons then by all means I have no problem with that. Just please don't try and use weak justifications by comparing it to steam.

 

[krazykidd]

snip
10-Killer Instinct

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Here, lemme help you with that.

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10: Generic Fighting game with characters we remember. Killer Instinct was never that deep of a fighter to begin with.
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10pt2: Free to play game with only one character unlocked and microtransactions out the butt put force not by the original developer but by a developer that makes shovel ware trash. I was actually happy with Killer instinct till I heard that.

F2P fighting game seems like a pretty good idea on paper . Think of it as a demo. You can :

A) play it and decide you don't like it.
B) play it and decide to buy the full game ( which will be available at 60$ with everything )
C) play it and decide you're only interested in a few characters and only buy those characters .

So say you aren't interested in the story, no need to buy the full game . Say you aren't interested in the full roster . No need to buy the full game .

As far as i know , the charcters you have , can play on every mode available for the game . So the idea seems pretty progressive . However , i can see this gettig exploited by publishers . But as long as that doesn't happen , it sounds like a good idea.

wouldn't mind the f2p if "B" is true but I've seen no indication that you can. If you can get the full game for $60 fine though the fact it's run by double helix which tends to release crap still makes me wary. Everything I've read on the subject has it that you can only buy characters individually for a yet to be determined price. If I'm wrong I'd love to see that but I've looked and there is no indication you get all release content for $60.

Well according to the developpers ( about 1 minute in ) there's going to be a full version , and they won't nickle and dime us.