XBox One Reveal

T

The 1-2-3 Killam

Mid-Card Championship Winner
This morning Microsoft revealed their brand new next generation console, the XBox One! Here's a few quick notes from the press release, in order of my perceived importance:

1) Contrary to rumor and speculation, the XBox One does NOT need a constant internet connection to run. It is NOT an "always online" console. Obviously, it needs an internet connection to run all its fancy gadgets, but you can still play games without one.

2) Microsoft has finally scored a Blu-ray player for their system

3) Destiny, Battlefield 4, are confirmed for XB1, and they are going to have 15 exclusives within the first year.

4) It has 3 operating systems, 8GB of RAM, the aforementioned BR player, and all systems will come pre-packaged with a new Kinnect attachment (it's not part of the hardware).

5) Sony stock rapidly increased after the reveal. Apparently the market isn't terribly excited about these announcements.

6) They will have the console at E3, and will have tons of game info and demos playable.

The big appeal, apparently, is that the system is supposed to have an all-inclusive vibe to it. You can Netflix, pull up your Comcast digital cable, play your games, and mess around with stuff from your phone or tablet using Smart Glass. It has 3 always running OS to easily transition from whatever you want to be doing.

But the big frustration from a lot of people is, except for a few small details, they didn't announce anything that the XB1 could do, that the 360 couldn't also do. Right now it just seems liek it's going to be a more expensive (speculation) upgrade. Nothing really groundbreaking at the moment.

My thoughts: I don't really buy video game systems for all the ins and outs of the cable, TV, internet, etc. I love that it has a Blu-Ray player and may be the deciding factor between the Ps4 depending on their announcements. It all just comes down to a few things for me, because at the end of the day they are largely the same thing: 1) how does it look, 2) how is the IP library, and surprisingly 3) how does the controller feel. XBOX has the greatest controller on the planet, IMO, so it might sound weird, but that truly one of the most important things to me in a next gen system.​
 
Sony's going to trash them. Microsoft needs to realize that the Xbox is a gaming console above all else, not an all-around media hub, like they're trying to make the Xbox One into.
 
The Crock said:
Sony's going to trash them. Microsoft needs to realize that the Xbox is a gaming console above all else, not an all-around media hub, like they're trying to make the Xbox One into.
Click to expand...

But isn't that how it went this current gen? Sony was the more straightforward gaming console (though I will admit it's media server connectivity capabilities were far simpler than the 360) while the Xbox tried to incorporate all types of media, and look which sold more units.

I'm on the complete opposite side, a console needs to be a complete media hub nowadays. What better way to market yourself? Oh, don't worry about connecting multiple devices up to get your media such as movies, games, music, etc, we'll serve it up to you with one single box. Along with DVR capabilities, that can also remove the need for a set top box as well, provided it can access all the digital channels a provider offers. Consolidating all those features into one purchase with one box connected to my TV sounds excellent.
 
I'm with Ty on this one, and it's something both companies are striving to do. To take it one step further, you gotta think that Microsoft is a little better equipped for that type of endeavor with their history of various success and failures to help inform their development of that type of product.

I mean, how great would it be to have a couple wires running to your Xbox, and then just your HD cables connecting it to the TV? Goodbye having to fuss with your TV every time you want to use a different device; just turn on your TV, turn on your XBox, and you're good to go.
 
Ty Burna said:
But isn't that how it went this current gen? Sony was the more straightforward gaming console (though I will admit it's media server connectivity capabilities were far simpler than the 360) while the Xbox tried to incorporate all types of media, and look which sold more units.

I'm on the complete opposite side, a console needs to be a complete media hub nowadays. What better way to market yourself? Oh, don't worry about connecting multiple devices up to get your media such as movies, games, music, etc, we'll serve it up to you with one single box. Along with DVR capabilities, that can also remove the need for a set top box as well, provided it can access all the digital channels a provider offers. Consolidating all those features into one purchase with one box connected to my TV sounds excellent.
Click to expand...

Actually, Sony pushed the PS3 as more of a media console when it first started out and they didn't do all that well. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to try and incorporate all those features into the console -- Sony's doing similar things too -- but I think Microsoft should have focused more on the gaming aspect of it. They abandoned their bread and butter to try to "innovate" and alienated a large portion of the market, as a result. I was probably going to get a PS4 anyway, as I prefer Sony's consoles (not that there's a huge difference), but I think that the PS4 appeals much more directly to me as a gamer.
 
The Crock said:
Actually, Sony pushed the PS3 as more of a media console when it first started out and they didn't do all that well. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to try and incorporate all those features into the console -- Sony's doing similar things too -- but I think Microsoft should have focused more on the gaming aspect of it. They abandoned their bread and butter to try to "innovate" and alienated a large portion of the market, as a result. I was probably going to get a PS4 anyway, as I prefer Sony's consoles (not that there's a huge difference), but I think that the PS4 appeals much more directly to me as a gamer.
Click to expand...

That's because honestly, Sony didn't exactly do the media side of things all that well, and that partially comes with them giving the online gaming away for free whereas Microsoft charged per month which meant they had more in the bank to reinvest that money into the software, providing a far better infrastructure for media consumption. You fire up a PS3 and you get the same basic look that's been there since the get go while Microsoft completely redesigned the frontside of their system, making it easier to browse for media consumption and it's shiny (don't underestimate the shiny, if you took two casual consumers and put a PS3 on one side, and the 360 on the other, which dashboard is going to draw them in more? The shiny one that's displaying the media you could purchase compared to just a few icons and a list of worded options.)

Also, I don't get where they're abandoning their bread and butter, in many ways they are going to make it even easier for developers to create games. Instead of having some old kernel that nothing else but Xbox uses, they're now transitioning to a Windows based kernel and operating system. Developers are already using Windows for creating games, so now it's just that much more simpler for them instead of having to write the code to a special kernel like before. Combining the Windows and Xbox operating system is going to give Microsoft a huge advantage on the software side of things, which is what they had over Sony in this current gen as is. Sony is great as a game publisher, but their software has always been lackluster. Hardware wise the PS4 and Xbox One are going to be pretty much identical when it comes to specs, I'm basing it off the Xbox One having an equivalent GPU in it as well, but the Xbox is bringing more features to the table. If costs are the same, as of right now the Xbox One looks like the more appealing choice to me.
 
I stand corrected on the replacing a set box. Apparently there is no internal tuner in the Xbox One meaning that a digital tuner will still be needed, and the DVR is only for recording games.

So we can remove that idea from the equation.
 
Ty Burna said:
That's because honestly, Sony didn't exactly do the media side of things all that well, and that partially comes with them giving the online gaming away for free whereas Microsoft charged per month which meant they had more in the bank to reinvest that money into the software, providing a far better infrastructure for media consumption. You fire up a PS3 and you get the same basic look that's been there since the get go while Microsoft completely redesigned the frontside of their system, making it easier to browse for media consumption and it's shiny (don't underestimate the shiny, if you took two casual consumers and put a PS3 on one side, and the 360 on the other, which dashboard is going to draw them in more? The shiny one that's displaying the media you could purchase compared to just a few icons and a list of worded options.)

Also, I don't get where they're abandoning their bread and butter, in many ways they are going to make it even easier for developers to create games. Instead of having some old kernel that nothing else but Xbox uses, they're now transitioning to a Windows based kernel and operating system. Developers are already using Windows for creating games, so now it's just that much more simpler for them instead of having to write the code to a special kernel like before. Combining the Windows and Xbox operating system is going to give Microsoft a huge advantage on the software side of things, which is what they had over Sony in this current gen as is. Sony is great as a game publisher, but their software has always been lackluster. Hardware wise the PS4 and Xbox One are going to be pretty much identical when it comes to specs, I'm basing it off the Xbox One having an equivalent GPU in it as well, but the Xbox is bringing more features to the table. If costs are the same, as of right now the Xbox One looks like the more appealing choice to me.
Click to expand...

I say that they're abandoning their bread and butter because this entire presentation -- seriously, damn near the entire thing -- focused on all the "shiny" features and the games seemed like a throwaway (it took them half an hour before they mentioned any games and even then it was just the EA titles -- which we didn't get to see, as far as I'm aware -- and Call of Duty: Ghosts). If you're trying to market your console to me, how about you actually show me the gaming aspect of it, rather than all the snazzy new features (which I can use on all of my other gadgets anyway; Skype isn't getting me excited and I'm pretty sure you have to pay for TV, but don't quote me on that)? If I'm a gamer and I'm looking at what Sony and Microsoft have brought to the table, I'm leaning Sony because I've seen what their console can do -- through videos and screenshots of in-game action -- to go along with the media features like the share button, Netflix, and all that other stuff.

Moreover, I was just reading about this, but won't a lot of the apps that Xbox was pushing so heavily be region specific? So, basically, it looks to me as if it's all going to work very well if you're an American consumer, but you're going to get the shaft otherwise. Not a smart marketing strategy, if you're trying to beat Sony in a race for the top spot. I get what Microsoft is trying to do and I applaud their effort -- a media machine is an innovation and a natural next step to take with gaming consoles -- but I feel that this initial presentation hasn't gotten me very excited for what the gaming console is really all about: gaming. They push out more gameplay and let us see what the console really can do in the weeks/months to come, so I'll reserve judgment until then, ultimately. As of right now, though, I am thoroughly unimpressed.
 
As a person who sells video games and home entertainment, it's really a toss up. It all comes down to what's important to you. Are you going to use your console for entertainment or are you going to just be gaming with it. In my professional opinion (since I'm paid to sell this shit), It's the PS4.

Edit: And for your entertainment, Angry Joe Angry Rant

[YOUTUBE]9ekOtn7L1N0[/YOUTUBE]
 
Actually the console that was just for games last gen won out.

I'm not a big fan of the install use once game things, defeats the point of disks.

Really liking the changes to the pad, the thing with the trigger button would be great on a survival horror.
 
Wow the Sony stock jump was 9.3%. Nintendo went up 2.2%.
 
Reverend Doug Crashin. said:
Because the Xbox team pretty much said Fuck you to the hardcore gamers man.
Click to expand...

I see that being a problem when you consider what the brands represent.

Sony are the home entertainment brand. Reputable when it comes to tv, films, music.
Nintendo are pure games, family and inclusive.
Microsoft are the tech giants and for the hardcore gamers.

By not paying so much attention to their market and trying to gain some territory into Sony's established brand, they essentially lose their identity and main selling point. If the rumoured Xbox price comes in as high as I'm hearing, they could end up getting a kicking.
 
Name's horrible, design looks stupid, and just like the Sony reveal it refused to bring anything really good until E3. Thank god I wasn't waiting up for this.
 
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