The Official Xbox One Thread (merged)

[Chino]

I just don't get all the emphasis on the controlling your tv aspect. I can't think of a scenario where I am constantly switching back and forth between media. I've had a PS3 since launch and haven't put a single song on it. I always have my remote next to me anyways because I need it for volume control and OCD display settings behavior. If you take away all the kinect stuff that is unrelated to gaming specifically, the X1 and PS4 are an extremely close matched.

[j]

https://www.gamespot.com/news/microsoft-if-youre-backwards-compatible-youre-really-backwards-6408741

Lol, good Christ.  Leaving aside my desire to know the origin of the quoted statistic, of course people don't play prior-gen games on their current-gen consoles: IT ISN'T A FUCKING OPTION.

This is up there with that Sony exec saying people didn't want their products to be less expensive (or whatever, I'm paraphrasing and possibly misrepresenting) within the past year or so.

-J

[yorost]

I'm one who doesn't like backwards compatibility. I just don't use it, plus it provides extra cost and bulk I don't want.

[Chino]

I've bought several titles in the PS store that I have the PS2 discs for...

[yorost]

...and?

[Chino]

It pisses me off that I had to buy the same game twice.

[yorost]

You made the choice to do something that pissed you off? Bad call, man.

[Dark Castle]

I hang on to all of my old consoles just so I can replay the games if I get the itch to.

[Ben_Jamin]

I hang on to all of my old consoles just so I can replay the games if I get the itch to.

I found my Sega Genesis and cables still intact. Went to amazon bought some games for cheap and am enjoying them.

So far the only game I bought was chrono trigger.

[Big Hath]

heh, I still have my Atari 2600

[XJDenton]

Dear god microsoft if terrible at Design. This things looks like a Beta Max and the controller is ugly AF too. That being said i'll still be buying one probably next year. I loved the xbox and xbox360 as gaming consoles.

I think the design is great personally. Its putting function before form for once. In fact I think its one of the few positives I have for the system overall.

Overall I can't see why I would buy this instead of building a much more functional Media PC for the same price, and without the inherent DRM and Privacy issues the XBone has.

[cramx3]

I hang on to all of my old consoles just so I can replay the games if I get the itch to.

Played Mario Party 2 with four people the other night. I sold my Xbox 360 and keep a PS2 and n64 on my TV.

As for these next gens.... nothing here has got me excited. My PC will likely still be a better gaming experience and can do pretty much all the extra stuff as well minus the kinect. I guess the only thing that could change my mind is the game play of the exclusive titles and the price of the system.

[Chino]

I hang on to all of my old consoles just so I can replay the games if I get the itch to.

I still have my Saturn. My PS2 finally died and my N64 ended up in a fire pit one night

[Fiery Winds]

I hang on to all of my old consoles just so I can replay the games if I get the itch to.

I still have my Saturn. My PS2 finally died and my N64 ended up in a fire pit one night

I've been trying to locate my Sega Genesis all week to no avail

Back to the XBOne, I think that Microsoft is taking a gamble by providing a solution without a problem (a la the original iPad) and hoping that people embrace a new approach to home entertainment that at first glance seems superfluous.  Yes, the UI showed during the presentation IS simpler and easier.  But customers don't always choose the best option, which history has proven repeatedly.  And for all that MS poked fun at Sony for not having a box to show, it's interesting that Sony had a lot more substance to show on Day 1.

MS also has a serious communication problem with features that are still in flux.  Whether the rumors or correct and MS is backpedaling an alternate solution for always-on or used games is irrelevant.  The fact is that gamers have ZERO information to go on, which negatively impacts public perception.  There are a LOT of legitimate questions that haven't been answered that go beyond "Which gaming system is better?".  A few are listed below, and we have absolutely no details on what are pretty serious issues:

• Always On Internet (Frequency, Purpose, Requirements, etc.)
• Always On Kinect (Huge privacy/advertising concern)
• Used Games (We're told they are supported, but no firm details beyond that)

If MS is smart, they'll clear up all this misinformation ahead of E3, so they can dedicate their presence to new information and games.  Also, given the recent (3-5 years) success of Indie titles, it'll be interesting to see if they focus on streamlining publishing for small studios as Sony has done. 

[Fuzzboy]

this feels like that whole New Coke thing, where to Coca-Cola it seemed like the best way to go, but no-one seems to be liking it. As of now, I haven't heard anyone say anything good about the Xbox One that can't also be said about the ps4.
I really wanted to buy the One over the PS4 but from the information we currently have, it ain't happening.

[Chino]

There isn't a single game that is an Xbox exclusive that I really would want. On the flip side, PS4 is going to have Killzone, Little Big Planet, and Gran Turismo.

[Dark Castle]

Microsoft haven't even shown their new IP's yet, I think it's a little fast to be saying that.

[Chino]

Microsoft haven't even shown their new IP's yet, I think it's a little fast to be saying that.

I'm talking about previous gens. From what I've seen, there are going to be 7 or 8 new franchises. I'm assuminwe will see them at E3

[JRundquist]

Bascially almost everything you need to know about the Xbox One wrapped around one of the most classic movies of the 90s:

[ariich]

I hang on to all of my old consoles just so I can replay the games if I get the itch to.

I still have my Saturn. My PS2 finally died and my N64 ended up in a fire pit one night

I've been trying to locate my Sega Genesis all week to no avail

Back to the XBOne, I think that Microsoft is taking a gamble by providing a solution without a problem (a la the original iPad) and hoping that people embrace a new approach to home entertainment that at first glance seems superfluous.  Yes, the UI showed during the presentation IS simpler and easier.  But customers don't always choose the best option, which history has proven repeatedly.  And for all that MS poked fun at Sony for not having a box to show, it's interesting that Sony had a lot more substance to show on Day 1.

MS also has a serious communication problem with features that are still in flux.  Whether the rumors or correct and MS is backpedaling an alternate solution for always-on or used games is irrelevant.  The fact is that gamers have ZERO information to go on, which negatively impacts public perception.  There are a LOT of legitimate questions that haven't been answered that go beyond "Which gaming system is better?".  A few are listed below, and we have absolutely no details on what are pretty serious issues:

• Always On Internet (Frequency, Purpose, Requirements, etc.)
• Always On Kinect (Huge privacy/advertising concern)
• Used Games (We're told they are supported, but no firm details beyond that)

If MS is smart, they'll clear up all this misinformation ahead of E3, so they can dedicate their presence to new information and games.  Also, given the recent (3-5 years) success of Indie titles, it'll be interesting to see if they focus on streamlining publishing for small studios as Sony has done. 

Indeed, reports so far say that:
- It won't require a permanent internet connection, but that it will need to log in every day. This seems related to:
- When you buy a game, you register it to your login, so anyone else who wants to play it (borrowed, second hand) has to pay a fee to register it to their account too.

Microsoft haven't confirmed these for definite, but these things have been announced as far as I can tell, and seem to relate to each other. If the second is true, then it requires an internet connection every day to ensure that you are logged in and still allowed to play the games you have.

[BlobVanDam]

The reason I favour consoles is because I don't have to mess around with registering, or internet connections, or installing games etc. I just put a disc in, and play a game. And I can buy an old game on eBay for almost nothing and play that too.

Not that I was planning on getting any new gen console, since I'm not much of a gamer now, but I am hoping the new consoles do well so I can pick one of the outgoing generation of consoles for dirt cheap and finally get those games.

[TL]

Yeah, many of the details they've released for the Xbox One so far run very counter to why I tend to play games on consoles over the PC. For me, the whole point of a console is that it's supposed to be simple to use. Not being able to lend games to friends or sell them to anyone but an authorized reseller without the buyer being hit by a fee seems pretty terrible. Also, the 'always online/online at least once per day' thing that goes with that is more than a bit irritating.

There's also the question of what happens down the road, when the XOne is an old console. Will MS keep the authentication servers up forever? Will they patch out the authentication process? Will XOne games just eventually be unplayable?

All of the extra functionality they've talked about so far is either covered by a device I already own, or something I don't want. Like, I can already switch seemlessly between a game and live TV. It's called the input button. It's TV functions all require an existing cable/satellite connection, so it seems a bit redundant, and honestly, I don't want TV to be 'more interactive'. If I want interactive, I'll use, you know, a game.

[El Barto]

Something to keep in mind is that Xbox has never been anything more than a means of getting M$ into people's living rooms. The first two models shipped at a huge loss, and I'm not sure 360 ever really turned the corner. Sony wants to sell profitable, cutting edge game systems. M$ wants to sell subscriptions to services, and create avenues for other revenue streams. This certainly seems to be an extension of that strategy.

[TL]

It's true, MS has always wanted to have your hub for multimedia, at first with the PC, and now with a living room box (which, yes, was their intention with the Xbox line all along). So the Xbox One isn't really a shocker. However, they've had a good track record until now, especially with what the 360 has become, which they're at risk of losing with the One potentially.
Sony, on the other hand, shit the bed at the start of the last round, but has really made up ground since, and looks to be in a good position now, assuming they don't make the same mistakes MS is currently seemingly about to make.
Nintendo is doing a whole other thing entirely, and is their own worst enemy right now, having not differentiated the WiiU enough from the Wii for the mainstream crowd, who largely think the WiiU is an add-on to the Wii, rather than a new system.

I probably won't be buying any new system for a while anyway, and will weigh my options when I do. I don't really have a preference going forward. I'm going to get whichever at that point I feel will be the best option. Currently, I've never owned a Sony console, but I'm certainly starting to consider it.
I'll probably pick up a WiiU and some games on the cheap a few years from now, because there will be some good stuff to be had then.
The 360 is currently my main console, but if things keep up as they appear currently, the Xbox One will be my last console if I even buy it at all. Some of the features they're toying with now really could be deal breakers, even if they have some games I really want to play.

[BlobVanDam]

There's also the question of what happens down the road, when the XOne is an old console. Will MS keep the authentication servers up forever? Will they patch out the authentication process? Will XOne games just eventually be unplayable?

This is a problem for me too, especially if they're not maintaining backwards compatibility, although it's probably somewhat optimistic considering the relatively poor life of most disc based systems anyway. I guess they don't care, since once they stop selling it, and producing new games, they're not really profiting off it as much.

We still have an Atari 2600, a Master System, Mega Drive / Genesis, SNES, N64, Gamecube, and a PS2, and we have all of the Nintendo ones + the PS2 hooked up right now to play whatever we want. I don't need to worry about anything but sticking any old game in and playing it.
All of this PC-type stuff would be a deal breaker to me. If I was willing to put up with that, I'd game on my PC. And that's a reason I don't game on my PC. I wouldn't be surprised if other casual gamers feel the same way.

[ariich]

Microsoft predicts 1 billion Xbox One sales: https://www.digitalspy.co.uk/gaming/news/a484596/microsoft-predicts-1-billion-xbox-one-sales.html

What.

[robwebster]

"Xbox One to monitor TV viewing."

Hm.

"Microsoft's next-generation console has applied for a patent offering users Xbox 360-like achievements for watching specific content and adverts."

Ew.

"The console's Kinect 2 will also employ DRM measures to prevent more people than the license allows viewing the content at one go, as per another patent filed last year.

"If Kinect senses too many people in the room, it will prompt the users to upgrade the license."

Ewww.

They're just patents, might not be incorporated into the final console, but that someone's been working on this technology gives me the heebie jeebies. A TV that watches back.

[cramx3]

Wow that's some interesting patents. The achievements for TV don't sound terrible as long as you could turn the monitoring off. I don't want all my TV habits to be monitored. The kinect thing is crazy though. No one would buy it if it would limit you like that and be able to track what's happening in your living room. That's spooky to me.

[El Barto]

I'm not positive, but I think there was also a patent to allow the Kinnect to determine if people were enjoying what they see or were board with it, presumably to better target ads. Honestly, I thought the whole Kinnect thing was creepy to begin with, and from what we're seeing, it seems to be moving way beyond that now. Personally, I'd be real curious to see what happens if you duct tape over the sensors in the thing. Would your Xbox get pissy about it? I would think there would have to be some mechanism in place to disable the thing, somehow, just fore safety's sake.

There's also the question of what happens down the road, when the XOne is an old console. Will MS keep the authentication servers up forever? Will they patch out the authentication process? Will XOne games just eventually be unplayable?

There's no reason why they couldn't flash the consoles at that point to disable the server-side validation requirement. Similar to what Adobe did with CS2. You're not going to make money off of it any longer by disabling everybody's ability to use the thing, anyway, so there's no point in alienating them, as well.

Honestly, we still don't know a lot of the things we're speculating about, and I think a lot of the speculation is driven mostly by our beliefs that M$ is evil. The thing might not be anywhere near as insidious as we're making it out to be.

[BlobVanDam]

Personally, I'd be real curious to see what happens if you duct tape over the sensors in the thing. Would your Xbox get pissy about it? I would think there would have to be some mechanism in place to disable the thing, somehow, just fore safety's sake.

The Kinect can sense depth, and can sense people. My guess is that it could detect that there's something over it at close range, and could stop you using it like that. And if you tried aiming it at a blank wall, it could probably detect that there aren't any people there, or that it's not the same wall as usual, and might get sus.
On day 1 someone would come up with an easy way to get around whatever methods they might eventually use anyway, no matter how strict it is.

What I don't like about the idea is trying to impose limits on how people watch something in the privacy of their own home. Is stuff like this really a big enough concern to have to impose such extreme measures? I would not use a device with a mandatory big brother sensor installed.
Some deal with all of the ideas floating around concerning limiting second hand games. If someone selling a used copy of a game is that much of an issue, I think you've got bigger problems to deal with.

[Jaq]

Neither console is appealing to me, because both companies are doing their level best to forget they make machines that play video games, but if forced to pick one, I'd go PS4. The Xbox One sounds like a series of really bad ideas colliding at once with the crowning glory being making the thing that is supposed to provide the sort of group party fun the Wii provided, the Kinect, into copyright protection. Maybe all of these stupid ideas are just conjecture, because otherwise it seems more like How To Shoot Yourself In The Foot 101.

[El Barto]

Personally, I'd be real curious to see what happens if you duct tape over the sensors in the thing. Would your Xbox get pissy about it? I would think there would have to be some mechanism in place to disable the thing, somehow, just fore safety's sake.

The Kinect can sense depth, and can sense people. My guess is that it could detect that there's something over it at close range, and could stop you using it like that. And if you tried aiming it at a blank wall, it could probably detect that there aren't any people there, or that it's not the same wall as usual, and might get sus.
On day 1 someone would come up with an easy way to get around whatever methods they might eventually use anyway, no matter how strict it is.

Oh, I know it could detect being obscured. I'm wondering if it'd really brick your box. Would it prevent you from watching Netflix if the Kinnect is facing a wall? Would M$ have their DHS goons crash down your door at two in the morning for subverting their EULA? Would you get a polite notification that you have 19 hours left to let it examine your living room before it shuts down the unit? Perhaps it just wouldn't let you use Kinnect supported content and leave it at that.

[BlobVanDam]

Personally, I'd be real curious to see what happens if you duct tape over the sensors in the thing. Would your Xbox get pissy about it? I would think there would have to be some mechanism in place to disable the thing, somehow, just fore safety's sake.

The Kinect can sense depth, and can sense people. My guess is that it could detect that there's something over it at close range, and could stop you using it like that. And if you tried aiming it at a blank wall, it could probably detect that there aren't any people there, or that it's not the same wall as usual, and might get sus.
On day 1 someone would come up with an easy way to get around whatever methods they might eventually use anyway, no matter how strict it is.

Oh, I know it could detect being obscured. I'm wondering if it'd really brick your box. Would it prevent you from watching Netflix if the Kinnect is facing a wall? Would M$ have their DHS goons crash down your door at two in the morning for subverting their EULA? Would you get a polite notification that you have 19 hours left to let it examine your living room before it shuts down the unit? Perhaps it just wouldn't let you use Kinnect supported content and leave it at that.

I honestly hadn't even considered a possibility beyond an error message on the screen telling you their is a problem with the Kinect sensor and to try again. But it's not too much of a stretch that they could keep tabs on such data considering the console demands periodic internet access.

[Fiery Winds]

Honestly, we still don't know a lot of the things we're speculating about, and I think a lot of the speculation is driven mostly by our beliefs that M$ is evil. The thing might not be anywhere near as insidious as we're making it out to be.

Exactly, with no one to blame but themselves for letting rumor and speculation get out of hand. Sony's gotta be loving this; they're getting free market research and all it takes is the right stance on used games and privacy issues, and they can welcome all the disaffected MS fans with open arms. They'd have all the momentum going into E3, which is why I think that even if Sony was originally planning on a similar system, there's no way they're not going to use this as a key differentiator, even if it's just a more lax version.

[XJDenton]

Problem is that the conference itself did nothing to communicate exactly how the console will perform in these areas. MS have not done well on alaying any fears gamers have, even if some of them come from hearsay.