Microsoft Respond To Concerns Over Xbox1

[Saint Connor]

Also not mentioned but still both a + and -, saying "Xbox off" over Live will not turn someone's Xbox off, but if someone in the physical room says it, it will.

Moms now have all the control! Lolz

 

[DangerousBacon]

This does not change the fact that spec sheets do not ensure better graphics. If you understood how the systems and games work on a lower level, you'd know why.

No amount of blowing hot air will change this fact -- it's been proven multiple times over. Your own logic is contradictory; think about it; if the PS4 is straightforward to program for, then with MS and Sony starting on equal footing, the PS4 games should look better. The fact that they don't just serves to further undermine everything you're saying.

Apparently all the Xbox one games were run on laptops. =/

 

[Onilordasmodeus]

@Saint Connor

I get your "grain of salt" comment, but the the thing is this is what MS's polices and actions have been saying all along. This is what myself and a few others in this thread have been saying all the while, though I realize that MS's PR has been running around with the heads up their a$$e$. This isn't fluff or PR speak, this is what they are doing. Whether you agree with their stance and/or methods is something else all together.

 

[Onilordasmodeus]

Something else to copy 'n paste:

"This is not a fanboy or troll thread, I don't even like Microsoft, I am abhorred by Windows 8 and have never owned a MS console. But this is blatantly obvious looking at market trends, assuming MS gets their messaging straight in the future.

I am seriously irked at how basically NO mainstream gamers see that the X1 is the console of the future, a true next gen console in the closing days of console gaming. Why? Because the future is on the cloud.

The question is, where will the PS4 be given about 5 years time? It will be an aging piece of hardware that is easily outperformed by the current generation of tech, while MS' XB1 will still offer a full multimedia experience with graphics that are partly future proof thanks to cloud streaming. You already see talk of it in this E3, that in the future the XB1 will just be rendering the foreground while the background will be streamed via the cloud.

The mainstream gaming community is just trashing on it for its very un-console like DRM policies, which aren't that unlike what Steam already does in the PC realm. Digital distribution and always-online policies are good for the publishers, especially single-player game publishers, AND the consumers since it allows company's to offer massive sales with little risk, similar to what is seen on Steam all the time. So of course the gaming community will love the PS4, it positions itself to dominate the console market in the short term, countering the X1's "brave new world" point by point by simply upgrading the industry status quo, and it also currently gives you amazing value for its price point. But the X1 is playing the long game.

See this chart outlining Microsoft's "Xbox 720" strategy, sorry if its a bit small. The chart ends on 2015, with the XB1 being able to stream its entire multimedia experience to all your devices, anywhere. This is the integration of multimedia devices that Apple has been trying to do with the Apple TV for years now, and suddenly the Windows Phone looks a lot more attractive. Suddenly MS' strategy of investing in video game consoles, which have a MUCH smaller profit margin than their software, makes sense. The XB1 is following market trends of everyone having one PC that does all the grunt work for all their "dumb" screens. The XB1 is the true console intermediate b/w generation 7 and the end of consoles, where people swap owning devices with powerful GPU/CPU's all together in favor of streaming their multimedia from the cloud, computed on some supercomputer.

Their messaging as so far has been outright horrid, and could prove to be their Achilles' heel. For instance their response to the "always online" thing was to tell people to go buy an Xbox 360. Though they are right that the VAST majority of people interested in the X1 will have internet access, especially in the upcoming few years, their response just sounds insensitive. MS themselves are partly to blame for all the negative press circulating around the X1 lately. As for myself, I plan on buying an Xbox One when the price drops significantly, atm its just a weaker PS4 that's a 100 dollars more expensive, though with a far more robust online network. This is probably due to the fact the X1 is bundled with the Kinect 2.

Some other articles on the topic:
http://wjminnovate.wordpress.com/2013/06/11/xbox-one-and-playstation-4-go-head-to-head/
http://www.respawnin5.com/2013/06/why-the-xbox-one-is-future-proof-2014-fortaleza-glasses-and-more/"

The copied thread is here: http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/why-i-think-the-xbox-one-will-win-the-final-console-war.453107427/

 

[Saint Connor]

@Saint Connor

I get your "grain of salt" comment, but the the thing is this is what MS's polices and actions have been saying all along. This is what myself and a few others in this thread have been saying all the while, though I realize that MS's PR has been running around with the heads up their a$$e$. This isn't fluff or PR speak, this is what they are doing. Whether you agree with their stance and/or methods is something else all together.

I wouldn't say "been saying all along" as the people that are supposed to be conveying this message have been doing a very shitty job of it. What Microsoft has put in place and what the PR has been have been conflicting. As I've said, *I* do not have problems with the new tech, but I can see how others do, and there are still some issues as this "engineer" has said. My major issue is the poor handling of the product information and the brazen "tough shit" attitude they've had toward their customer base during this reveal.

 

[xWEBSx]

I am seriously interested in the dynamic in threads like this, from a psychological point of view. It seems like the most active nay (doesn't like xbone) sayers are often rude, immature and very biased, while the polite, mature and objective nay sayers stay far away from the thread, not because they don't have an opinion, but because they also believe that other people are entitled to have their own conflicting opinions, even if they disagree with it. Then, on the other side, there seems to be more polite and objective people voicing their opinion, either as an xbox fan or as a neutral. I would actually go as far as saying that threads like these often strenghten the position of the neutral/opposite side, because of how they usually unfold. The polite and objective nay sayers left a comment on one of the first pages and feel like they have said what they wanted to say (Even though these arguments are forgotten a few pages later ofc.) while the avid haters keep spewing negativity and making fun of the people with a different view, so the more objective people with a neutral or opposite view of the discussion feels the need to keep defending their point of view. A little off topic, just an observation.

PS: I hope the people I refer to as immature nay sayers don't get too offended, as I my intention wasn't solely to jab at you guys, and also, it is my subjective opinion, so I am not claiming to speak the truth.

Here's a simpler way to put it: Fanboys are stupid. Xbox fanboys suck. Playstation fanboys suck. They are the blind and the brainless who root for a console like it's a fucking football/soccer team. They emotionally invest themselves because they truly believe they belong in the Playstation or Microsoft family. And hearing someone bash their console makes them react violently and feel irrational hatred towards other consoles/gamers.

Here we can see Playstation fanboys celebrating their victory against Microsoft:

"My country is better than yours. My race is better than yours. My religion is better than yours. The fucking shit I buy is better than the shit you buy."

Primitive mentalities that need to be eradicated from earth.

Having been a part of this thread in its latter stages I would like to speak on these two posts as the core of any post I have made on this thread..

I have no reserve down for either of the new systems.. My wallet is for grabs to who can wow me the most post-launch..here is the thing as a GAMER.. Not an overall fan of either of the next gen systems: and why my money would go to either.
Our hobby as we know it is in real danger and truly headed to a dead end.. Graphics can only get SO good, processors can only get SO fast.. We need to start thinking about evolution NOW, before major corporations deem it "not worth the financial loss to produce systems any longer"
This is how I base my next gen purchase and this is under what circumstance Microsoft or Sony get my money:

XB1: Are truly trying to bridge the gap and are envisioning a Steam atmosphere on consoles.. They are attempting to raise the bar on ALL levels of entertainment and technology and deliver a one stop shop entertainment hub to its customers...They seem to have a finger on the pulse of the industry and not just in gaming, in ALL technology based entertainment, they see the shares that IOS based gaming is taking, they see how successful innovations such as skype and smart tv's , PC Steam and Netflix affect us as a consumer and as a society.. so why not aim for the next level and package them all in one place- it is ultimate consumer/fanbase service.. Not the mention to see what digital media has done for things such as books, music, movies, an in Steams case.. games. IF successful, and if their vision comes to fruition it is in my belief that this will be the console model for the future.. If Microsoft can prove to be accurate with its promises, if Microsoft learned from the 360 and does not fall into the same production RRD debacle, if technology is strong enough in 2013 to properly usher in this vision- I am all in- they get my money.

PS4: Sony is a technological giant in its own right.. On the same scale as Apple, and Microsoft. They at one time came out of nowhere to stand and fight against the big 2 of the time (Sega and Nintendo). While I believe they see the same trends as Nintendo and Microsoft, they are catering to the "core" gamer by giving us a gaming system with bigger specs, better graphics, smoother games (as has always been in current gen to next gen format) (PS3 is better than PS2, Xbox360 is better than Xbox) even while seeing the threat of the IOS market place, even knowing the fact that they see users of ALL systems Sony AND Microsoft AND Nintendo sharing and coming together with casual non gamers in the IOS world, they still decided the best cause of action will be to remain static and produce the same model that has been followed since the invention of video games- BIGGER specs, BETTER graphics! if Microsoft fails to deliver in stages of scope and/or physical survivability (ie: the system breaks every two weeks) I know I have The PS4 to last me another close to 10 years to get my stress out in a constructive way, to game like I always have, in a format I am familiar with- Sony will get my money.

In closing- it is my personal belief that our livelihood as gamers is running close to the end of its life cycle and change is well needed.. The PS4 will be used as a great band aid in case the time for that change is not 2013-2023.. However my true hope is that I can continue to use games as my favorite form of entertainment until I am old and grey and am no longer capable to hold a controller... In the end, I believe in Microsofts vision.. And it will be the company that puts that vision into effect: be it Sony, Apple, Microsoft, Nintendo, or a surprise dark horse that leads us to the next evolution of gaming, that will save and extend the life of our hobby.

To all that post here, read here and anyone that shares our passion.. I wish you luck, happiness and many, many hours spent gaming gleefully, be it on a PS3, PS4, Xbox360, Xbox1, or PC.

 

[Saint Connor]

-snip

Umm...you do realize the PS4 will have a cloud system too that will also work across multiple platforms including the Vita and tablets...right? It seems whoever wrote that article completely ignored this fact.

Edit - correction. "thread" not "article"

 

[Big Pampering]

Actually if you look at it this way, any gamedeveloper who chooses their game to be an xbox exclusive is going to get more money off of their games because of this new system. If all the gamedevelopers choose to do this we will have to buy an xbox...

 

[Onilordasmodeus]

I wouldn't say "been saying all along" as the people that are supposed to be conveying this message have been doing a very shitty job of it. What Microsoft has put in place and what the PR has been have been conflicting. As I've said, *I* do not have problems with the new tech, but I can see how others do, and there are still some issues as this "engineer" has said. My major issue is the poor handling of the product information and the brazen "tough shit" attitude they've had toward their customer base during this reveal.

I agree. Everything you just said, I said.

 

[Saint Connor]

I agree. Everything you just said, I said.

Except you're still going with the One, and I'm not

 

[TheSpore]

Actually if you look at it this way, any gamedeveloper who chooses their game to be an xbox exclusive is going to get more money off of their games because of this new system. If all the gamedevelopers choose to do this we will have to buy an xbox...

YA see though that is why we cannot let XB1 become the one to rule them all, if competition is eliminated then innovation ceases, which in turn would trully lead to a game crash. COmpetition is useful, because then companies have tow rok harder to make the most. If we allow one to take over the whole thing then you have amonopoly, where one gets to set the rules, the standard, and dictate how when and where the consumer can do what. Competition makes companies continue to innovate and keep their pricing at a manageble level. If one took full conttrol then the pricing can either go down or it can go up.

 

[Spitfire Riggz]

Nope, but it amazes me that MS employees are automatically dismissed as liars, and the absolute worst is always thought of them, yet every Sony claim made about a console that isn't out yet is uncritically accepted.

You're acting like the consoles are already out, every policy is hammered in stone, and everything said about MS is completely 100% accurate, as long as that thing is negative. People on this thread are constantly claiming that Sony has bested MS in every single conceivable category and the console war is already over with an absolute decisive and humiliating obliteration of MS before a single piece of hardware has even entered a consumer's hands.... and then the same people who say this have the audacity to call other people "fanboys".

Yes! Microsoft has come out and said that these policies will not change "in the short term" so as of now they are hammered in stone! I didn't say I listened to what other people said I like looking at the facts, like their official policy website.

Also this is a very good read about cloud computing http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-in-theory-can-xbox-one-cloud-transform-gaming

 

[JLG]

XBone will probably sell just fine. People keep talking about how Microsoft is committing gaming suicide, but their business strategy is to attract the families and individuals who are undecided at the moment but can be wowed by a new multi-media platform. Who cares if they lose one hardcore gamer like myself, if they can pull in three casuals. Besides, you think all those Halo fans are just going to up and leave? Maybe a few of them will, but it's like crack (they won't be able to help themselves).

Purely anecdotal, but I just talked to my two local Gamestops and they are not even taking reservations anymore. Yep, they have been SOLD OUT ON PREORDERS for a while now.

 

[Onilordasmodeus]

Umm...you do realize the PS4 will have a cloud system too that will also work across multiple platforms including the Vita and tablets...right? It seems whoever wrote that article completely ignored this fact.

Edit - correction. "thread" not "article"

Yes, I do realize the PS4 will have a cloud service coming to PS4, PS3, and PS Vita, sometime in 2014 rolling out first in the US.

Do you realize the MS has a cloud service now that you can access on you 360, PC, Phones and Tablets, and will be connected to every X1 that is shipped day one?

Please, please, please stop thinking I am trying to bash Sony; that I'm some MS fanboy; that I'm trying to sell X1's. The PS4 will be the best TRADITIONAL gaming console to ever come out because it follows the trends of the gaming console industry: better, better, better. I only want to highlight that while Sony is going for the "now" gamer, MS is/has always been thinking more long term.

 

[Killzone]

In order to change the policies of the xbone..

The only way ... THE OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONLY WAY Microsoft can do the best out of the entire story is to come up with a new statement like: "We've seen that gamers disagree with our vision of the future and therefore we've decided to offer them what they want."

They would then offer a new version of the X-Box for 100$ less. Without Kinect, without the DRM policy, without the extra TV and sports features, without the online BS yadda, yadda, yadda.
They would leave the 500$ console out there as well, for everyone who actually wants that bullshit.

But it doesn't look like they're going to do so, since they already said the DRM and the online requirement are there to say.
Sucks for them. But as I've already said it: I actually want the proponents of the X-Box One to stick to that console and never even think about the PS4. I want core gamers on the PS4. I want the people who actually think about their actions. No need for X-Bots.

 

[Saint Connor]

Yes, I do realize the PS4 will have a cloud service coming to PS4, PS3, and PS Vita, sometime in 2014 rolling out first in the US.

Do you realize the MS has a cloud service now that you can access on you 360, PC, Phones and Tablets, and will be connected to every X1 that is shipped day one?

Please, please, please stop thinking I am trying to bash Sony; that I'm some MS fanboy; that I'm trying to sell X1's. The PS4 will be the best TRADITIONAL gaming console to ever come out because it follows the trends of the gaming console industry: better, better, better. I only want to highlight that while Sony is going for the "now" gamer, MS is/has always been thinking more long term.

I wasn't pointing the finger at you, at least not intentionally, but that post just comes off as misinformed.

 

[deathblooms2k4]

Killzone please let me educate you for a moment (when you talk about hardware you sound like an imbecile even though you seem to be calling everyone else stupid). As an IT geek by profession (Systems Administrator for the last 5 years). I have an intimate understanding of server/desktop/workstation hardware and how it works. And also as a PC gamer whose custom built systems many times over the years I'm even more intimate in my understanding of graphics cards and computer hardware.

1st up- RAM. You will NEVER see a 50% increase in performance from the switch to DDR3 - DDR5 RAM your so called experts are full of shit go look at benchmarks at tomshardware.com if you want actual data. In simple terms RAM is simply used to hold commonly accessed information to be accessed at a later time, the performance increase from both RAM speed and CAS Latency's is minuscule compared to the many other factors used in processing graphical information. Likewise RAM quantity can also be arbitrary and while the XBox1 and PS4 both have 8 gigs it's still might be helpful for you to understand that if you are not reaching maximum capacity in RAM usage than the extra is simply wasted. A system that uses 512 MB of RAM and has 4 Gigs runs the same as a system that uses 512 MB of RAM and has 1 Gig. Also another factor to consider is which interface these systems are using, I've read nothing in regards to either system. If you know anything about memory you know there is more to it than type and quantity.

2nd- The API Microsoft uses is called DirectX it's the same on the xbox as it is on a Windows PC and as such if you develop for one it's simple to develop for the other it's also an API that's been used for years. You're correct in you assertion that the PS3 took a different route and it caused them to shoot themselves in the foot because programmers had to learn a different API to develop for it. That said I've seen no information by either manufacturer as to which API they would be using for the XBox1 and PS4, show me your source otherwise I'm just going to have to call BS.

If history is any indication, gaming performance is not a hard spec game. Spec wise the PS3 > Xbox and yet Injustice runs much better on Xbox. Likewise on the PC front you can have a powerhouse nvidia card but play a game optimized for AMD that runs better on AMD cards with lower specs. The large game developers are not going to reinvent the wheel to develop for another system if they can port it they will and most likely it will run better on the original system.

Gamers don't care if there system has supermegaram600000 or crappyhampsterwheelram1, they care how their games perform especially on a competitive level where you are trying to crank out every additional frame of performance that you can.

I hope you learned something today.

TL;DR stop spouting off about crap you are clearly ignorant about.

 

[TheSpore]

Killzone please let me educate you for a moment (when you talk about hardware you sound like an imbecile even though you seem to be calling everyone else stupid). As an IT geek by profession (Systems Administrator for the last 5 years). I have an intimate understanding of server/desktop/workstation hardware and how it works. And also as a PC gamer whose custom built systems many times over the years I'm even more intimate in my understanding of graphics cards and computer hardware.

1st up- RAM. You will NEVER see a 50% increase in performance from the switch to DDR3 - DDR5 RAM your so called experts are full of shit go look at benchmarks at tomshardware.com if you want actual data. In simple terms RAM is simply used to hold commonly accessed information to be accessed at a later time, the performance increase from both RAM speed and CAS Latency's is minuscule compared to the many other factors used in processing graphical information. Likewise RAM quantity can also be arbitrary and while the XBox1 and PS4 both have 8 gigs it's still might be helpful for you to understand that if you are not reaching maximum capacity in RAM usage than the extra is simply wasted. A system that uses 512 MB of RAM and has 4 Gigs runs the same as a system that uses 512 MB of RAM and has 1 Gig. Also another factor to consider is which interface these systems are using, I've read nothing in regards to either system. If you know anything about memory you know there is more to it than type and quantity.

2nd- The API Microsoft uses is called DirectX it's the same on the xbox as it is on a Windows PC and as such if you develop for one it's simple to develop for the other it's also an API that's been used for years. You're correct in you assertion that the PS3 took a different route and it caused them to shoot themselves in the foot because programmers had to learn a different API to develop for it. That said I've seen no information by either manufacturer as to which API they would be using for the XBox1 and PS4, show me your source otherwise I'm just going to have to call BS.

If history is any indication, gaming performance is not a hard spec game. Spec wise the PS3 > Xbox and yet Injustice runs much better on Xbox. Likewise on the PC front you can have a powerhouse nvidia card but play a game optimized for AMD that runs better on AMD cards with lower specs. The large game developers are not going to reinvent the wheel to develop for another system if they can port it they will and most likely it will run better on the original system.

Gamers don't care if there system has supermegaram600000 or crappyhampsterwheelram1, they care how their games perform especially on a competitive level where you are trying to crank out every additional frame of performance that you can.

I hope you learned something today.

TL;DR stop spouting off about crap you are clearly ignorant about.

Space between a blink and a tear deathblooms2k4

 

[Killzone]

That said I've seen no information by either manufacturer as to which API they would be using for the XBox1 and PS4, show me your source otherwise I'm just going to have to call BS.

There is this one interesting site. It's called Google. If you use that, you will be able to find information in a matter of seconds.
Try it out. The information you're looking for has been out for months.

Spec wise the PS3 > Xbox and yet Injustice runs much better on Xbox.

Yes, because the ports are shit? You call yourself a geek and a PC gamer. You say you know your stuff, yet you ignore hard facts.
Did you ever play console to PC ports? No matter how powerful your system is, if the ports were bad, the game performs poorly.
That was the PS3's problem and it won't be the PS4 problem, because the games will most likely get developed on the PC and ported over to the PS4 and X-Box One, which are similar.

I hope you learned something today.

I have, but not from you.

 

[chessmaster]

Hopefully not already posted...

I'll play wii. Fuck xbox1.

 

[TheSpore]

I'll play wii. Fuck xbox1.

Yeah in that situation Wii would be freaking go

 

[Saint Connor]

>Google TV + PS4 + Minority report level gestures, that combined with a sick second screen experience (which is really hot for TV, I know I know.. tv tv tv tv tv... but it's fucking sick when you have it). Games will be the same, there are more exclusives to MS then PS atm, and Kinect 2 makes Kinect 1 look like a childs toy.

Quoting this because I think this points something out people aren't really looking at.

I think Sony could be flying under the radar once again. Microsoft has shown what they want to do in regards to the Kinect2 and interactive TV, but this line gives hints of how Sony could pounce into the same market.

Google TV was created and commercialized by Sony and already exists in several Sony products. Sony is also coming out with their own camera but is keeping very hush about it and showing minimal capabilities at best (http://www.theverge.com/2013/6/11/4420976/ps4-playroom-trailer-playstation-camera). Because of the uproar of the Xbox One and enforcement of the Kinect2, and the fact that PS4 is focusing on gaming currently, but still retaining the camera as an option, leaves me to believe that they in fact have the same idea in mind, but are leaning toward giving consumers a choice.

I'm in no way saying this is a fact, but the pieces seem to be there.

 

[Onilordasmodeus]

Quoting this because I think this points something out people aren't really looking at.

I think Sony could be flying under the radar once again. Microsoft has shown what they want to do in regards to the Kinect2 and interactive TV, but this line gives hints of how Sony could pounce into the same market.

Google TV was created and commercialized by Sony and already exists in several Sony products. Sony is also coming out with their own camera but is keeping very hush about it and showing minimal capabilities at best (http://www.theverge.com/2013/6/11/4420976/ps4-playroom-trailer-playstation-camera). Because of the uproar of the Xbox One and enforcement of the Kinect2, and the fact that PS4 is focusing on gaming currently, but still retaining the camera as an option, leaves me to believe that they in fact have the same idea in mind, but are leaning toward giving consumers a choice.

I'm in no way saying this is a fact, but the pieces seem to be there.

The biggest thing though is if MS gets a foot-hold, though Sony might be able to counter, as a Sony only buyer you'll have to spend extra to get that functionality. EVERYTHING that the X1 will be able to do with Cloud, Smartglass, and Kinect, it will be able to do from day one on every X1 console, and everyone will have the option to do it.

 

[Saint Connor]

The biggest thing though is if MS gets a foot-hold, though Sony might be able to counter, as a Sony only buyer you'll have to spend extra to get that functionality. EVERYTHING that the X1 will be able to do with Cloud, Smartglass, and Kinect, it will be able to do from day one on every X1 console, and everyone will have the option to do it.

I get that, and I'm not saying otherwise, I just think Sony may not be thinking just about the "now" as much as people may think.

 

[Onilordasmodeus]

I get that, and I'm not saying otherwise, I just think Sony may not be thinking just about the "now" as much as people may think.

No doubt. Sony is truly giving options for the future as you'll be about to buy eye-toy, and the cloud will come to the PS ecosystem, but they are keeping themselves tethered to the past through the use of disks.

Of course PS4 can shift over and start doing the things like the X1 is going to do given that they have that desire. They can/could make everything digital and make themselves more future proof...but then the consumer will be in the same boat as if they had an X! (basically) as you will need an Internet connection for one reason or another on top of having to spend the extra money on periferals.