Well if it succeeds then it'll set an awful precedent for gaming. We could end up with every console requiring an online connection.Primero Holodon said:
If it is 'always online', then it must fail for the good of the gaming.
Rumor: Next-Gen Xbox Will Cost $300-$500, Be Always-Online
- Thread starter Steven Bogos
- Start date
If it is 'always online', then it must fail for the good of the gaming.
If Microsoft does do this always online thing, and I sincerely hope it doesn't, I will not be getting the next Xbox, even though I do have a pretty good, reliable, internet connection. Because principle. Also, that means I won't be able to finish the new Halo trilogy, and that sucks. So, please, don't be dumb, Microsoft.
Didn't the exact same "Always online" rumor creep up about the PS4, mere weeks before Sony finally released solid info about the console?
I'm starting to see a pattern here. The companies are aware of how sensitive of a hot-topic this is that they "accidentally leak out" rumors about it being always-online, causing people to rant about it all over the interwebs. Then few weeks later the official word comes out, quelling down those fears; a brilliant marketing ploy, under the "no such thing as bad publicity" assumption.
Or, of course, it could turn out to an always-online console, meaning that decision heads behind it are dumber then dirt, and ended up dooming this console on day 1.
I'm starting to see a pattern here. The companies are aware of how sensitive of a hot-topic this is that they "accidentally leak out" rumors about it being always-online, causing people to rant about it all over the interwebs. Then few weeks later the official word comes out, quelling down those fears; a brilliant marketing ploy, under the "no such thing as bad publicity" assumption.
Or, of course, it could turn out to an always-online console, meaning that decision heads behind it are dumber then dirt, and ended up dooming this console on day 1.
I have a fairly decent internet connection at present, but even so, there have been a number of times when my 360 fails to connect, takes a long time, or drops the connection in the middle of a game session. At present, it doesn't cause any real problem for me, as it is just a pop up message or one more screen to click through on my way to a game, but if such an outage were to prevent me from accessing content that I paid for (and probably paid 60$-70$ for, since the main reason to go always-on is for DRM to ensure that the used games market dries up), then it would be a major issue.
I don't play multiplayer games. I don't concern myself with trying to climb leader boards. When I actually GET the time to play a game, I want to play the game. I don't want to compete with some kid who spends 24 hours a day on the damn thing. I play games for story and game play.
Now, if always on drm removes the threat of piracy (hint: it wont), that might be acceptable IF it means we get to pay less for the new games. (Not holding my breath, no offense.)
In any case, I'd rather see developers try to make games that were worth keeping, and not just because of dlc tricks, unless they actually contribute something meaningful to the game.
I adopted the XBOX after getting frustrated with a pair of hardware fails during my PS2 days. I stayed with 360 because I was more interested in western developed games that promised more interesting content instead of Eastern developed games that promised amazing visuals in their cut scenes.
If Microsoft continues to jerk its player base around (I loved the original desktop/theme for the 360. I hated that they jumped on the nintendo Mii bandwagon and revamped the whole interface around it) this generation might see me convert back to worshiping at the altar of Sony.
I don't play multiplayer games. I don't concern myself with trying to climb leader boards. When I actually GET the time to play a game, I want to play the game. I don't want to compete with some kid who spends 24 hours a day on the damn thing. I play games for story and game play.
Now, if always on drm removes the threat of piracy (hint: it wont), that might be acceptable IF it means we get to pay less for the new games. (Not holding my breath, no offense.)
In any case, I'd rather see developers try to make games that were worth keeping, and not just because of dlc tricks, unless they actually contribute something meaningful to the game.
I adopted the XBOX after getting frustrated with a pair of hardware fails during my PS2 days. I stayed with 360 because I was more interested in western developed games that promised more interesting content instead of Eastern developed games that promised amazing visuals in their cut scenes.
If Microsoft continues to jerk its player base around (I loved the original desktop/theme for the 360. I hated that they jumped on the nintendo Mii bandwagon and revamped the whole interface around it) this generation might see me convert back to worshiping at the altar of Sony.
30 minutes once a month? That's it?Ed130 said:
You're lucky to get away with that.
Anytime some fuckwad on my grid binges on Torrenting, *I* get throttled down to near-dialup speeds because the ISP is too fucking lazy to buck up its hardware.
An astute observation.Product Placement said:
But this "PR loading" could backfire.
Rumor: Always-Online, PR loads negatively (both cases)
i) Rumor was false. Negative hype dies down.
ii) Rumor was true. Negative hype multiplies.
At this point, I'm not ready to jump to any conclusions. I don't think an "always on" system would phase me much, but even the terminology right now is vague. It may be "always on" for some things but not all. I can't imagine they'd literally say "well, if you don't have an internet connection, don't even bother buying or playing this console or single player games".
I think when people read "always online" they are perhaps giving it more meaning than it deserves without knowing more about the console and how it will work first.
I'll likely buy it, though. My Xbox without internet would be crippled - I now consider it part of the experience.
I think when people read "always online" they are perhaps giving it more meaning than it deserves without knowing more about the console and how it will work first.
I'll likely buy it, though. My Xbox without internet would be crippled - I now consider it part of the experience.
If they built them to be backwards compatible it would cost more money. Aside from being a blu-ray player, the backwards compatibility in the early PS3 is what caused it to cost so much.TwistedEllipses said:
Erm... There is not a single thing in there that sounds good. Always online, relatively expensive, and not backwards compatible. I really don't know what Microsoft is thinking with this... Are they trying to rely on the specs to carry the console, or what? Because there aren't enough exclusives to make me get it at launch, and the Halo/Gears duo isn't going to be nearly enough to make me get the console ever. The last generation I got a 360 because it was less expensive, convenient, backwards compatible, and had games I liked. Now they're making it inconvenient, expensive, and with fewer games that I like, and I won't be able to play my 360 games on it... I'm seriously baffled how Microsoft's marketing department is getting away with any of this. They're usually halfway decent about these things.
See, I'm okay with that reasoning, It's more just that He's happy at the prospect of xbox failing not because of it being always-on but simply because he doesn't like xbox. I don't like the wii-u but that doesn't mean i think it deserves to fail.Genocidicles said:
Well, this sounds like a dumb idea. I get that this is Microsoft, but even they must see the idiocy in this.
Still, if we're to comment on a rumour; based on this, I'd say it will be current (or last, depending on how you're viewing all this) gen all over again, just reversed. Sony has the cheaper but perfectly capable console that will get better sales volume while Microsoft has the more expensive power house.
Still, as part of the master race, I honestly couldn't care less.
/pretentiousdoucheyness
Still, if we're to comment on a rumour; based on this, I'd say it will be current (or last, depending on how you're viewing all this) gen all over again, just reversed. Sony has the cheaper but perfectly capable console that will get better sales volume while Microsoft has the more expensive power house.
Still, as part of the master race, I honestly couldn't care less.
/pretentiousdoucheyness
720 rumors are old hat. The word on the street is that the 1080 will require a constant supply of blood and stool samples.
This may only apply to select games, though. I have a friend who is always playing Steam games offline - partly because he sometimes uses my account and freezes the client so that I can log back in and play my own stuff - and I have numerous games that have absolutely no problem running if I tell it to stay offline.Britisheagle said:
Maybe this is only an issue if you're playing games that don't require internet connections to begin with.
By the way, sites like GOG don't have clients or Always Online requirements, and they're starting to sell more modern games, so that's another route to go with. I typically use them for the old games they were famous for putting back up on the market. Never needed to go online to play King's Quest or Legacy of Kain!
ANYWAYS.. the idea of a console that must be online at all times disappoints me. But to be honest, the Xbox 360 ALREADY has this requirement if you want to collect achievements. I remember clearly the anger I felt at getting most of the achievements in Smackdown vs RAW 2010 while my internet was out for a while, only to discover that when I logged back in they all went away and I had to reobtain them.
Bit of a completionist, I'm afraid, so that kinda left a sour taste in my mouth. Now I don't touch the Xbox if I can't log into Xbox Live. I usually turn to my PS2, Wii or DS/3DS when that happens. Or, you know, watch TV, read a book, etc...
Escapist, if you are part of the press conference at E3, all I ask is that you ask this one question for me and all the gamers out there...
"How did you collect and review the research that made you decide that the new Xbox is always-online?"
Don't let them refuse to answer the question. Don't let them give a short answer, don't let them go on until this question is answered fully and thoroughly. Get the HOW, the WHO, the WHAT, and the WHERE of this research, and with that information let it pour out so that gamers can explain how the research that went into the new Xbox is the likely the most incomplete and biased piece of research that has ever went into a product.
Seriously - I think it's time to ask where the hell is the research that pushes forward business decisions like this. Either someone's not willing to put in an effort to get the full picture, or someone is fabricating the results so that their suggestions appear to be proven instead of the opposite.
"How did you collect and review the research that made you decide that the new Xbox is always-online?"
Don't let them refuse to answer the question. Don't let them give a short answer, don't let them go on until this question is answered fully and thoroughly. Get the HOW, the WHO, the WHAT, and the WHERE of this research, and with that information let it pour out so that gamers can explain how the research that went into the new Xbox is the likely the most incomplete and biased piece of research that has ever went into a product.
Seriously - I think it's time to ask where the hell is the research that pushes forward business decisions like this. Either someone's not willing to put in an effort to get the full picture, or someone is fabricating the results so that their suggestions appear to be proven instead of the opposite.
If I do buy a console this generation, It would probably be a Sony. I'm not too mad about the new Playstation, but with every leak about the new XBox, it looks better. Sony also have more titles I'm interested in at the moment, at least on the PS3, hopefully they will continue this with the PS4.
People keep dissing the wiiU as a failure out of the box, but what they fail to factor in is neither the PS4 nor the Nextbox has done anything yet but come out and piss people off before they even hit store shelves. I don't think Nintendo will be in the lead this gen, but they won't do as bad as people think... not when then their competition is too busy trying to look as unappealing as possible. People also don't factor in that the games for the wiiU aren't out yet; not the ones that are system sellers. When those come out THEN we can make actual measurements of the console's success or failure.Mr.Mattress said:
I agree with all this except for the part about the adverts "being pushed in our face". They are tiny moving boxes that don't even make noise unless you scroll over them. I don't even notice they are there 90% of the time.CriticalMiss said:
It doesn't fucking matter!
I leave my Xbox constantly connected nowadays too, but if I want to take it offline (or have to) then I should be able to! The only people benefiting from always online shit are the publishers. It's anti consumer practice. I don't care how they spin it, it's anti consumer.