All Things Videogame Related: EXTREME VS!!

[GU-11]

I've been sticking to Playstation consoles for three generations now, so I'll definitely be getting the PS4--though not until the initial bugs have been solved, and the price goes down a bit. I might even wait until a must-have game shows up.

X-Boxes have never interested me, despite the massive popularity of Halo and Gears of War.

[eugimon]

getting the one when it comes out. Will get a PS4 when my PS3 dies.

Edited May 22, 2013 by eugimon

[Chronocidal]

although now that I think about it, with no backwards compatibility I'll need to have working 360 well into into the next xbox's run in order to play all the older 360 games I haven't gotten around to playing yet. maybe I should get one now...

That's exactly where a lack of backwards compatibility fails miserably. Unless they keep making/repairing/selling the 360, people are gonne be screwed when their old hardware fails. Given the 360's history, I don't know what to expect there.

[dizman]

That's exactly where a lack of backwards compatibility fails miserably. Unless they keep making/repairing/selling the 360, people are gonne be screwed when their old hardware fails. Given the 360's history, I don't know what to expect there.

Fortunately there are small companies out there that repair broken consoles. The only thing to be worried about is when parts start to get scarce, but that shouldn't be an issue for a long time.

I probably wont pick up the PS4 or X1 for quite a while, I don't see any games on the horizon that would sell me on either console.

[mikeszekely]

The kernel isn't bad. Just the UI, which just doesn't fit people who are trying to do real work at their desk slaving away at a keyboard and mouse, with sticky fingers...You know, everyone who works in an office.

I had to do a lot of training on Windows 8 for my job. I kept telling myself that it's just the UI, and once you get used to it it's fine. Then I bought a Windows 8 laptop, and I realized I've been lying. I've had software issues, driver issues, insanely long (like half-hour plus) boot up times for "Configuring Windows" even when it hadn't downloaded any updates. After a week of struggles, I wound up doing a clean install of Windows 7 (which was an adventure in and of itself, but one I was able to resolve).

Personally I like 8's UI. of course I don't work in an office and I'm studying graphic/interaction design so novel, cool looking interfaces win me over easily.

I'm working on my Masters in Information Systems and Technology. Right now, I'm studying human interaction and usability design. From a graphic design standpoint, Metro might be pretty slick. Personally, I think it's too flat, but I'm not an artist, so what do I know? From a human interaction and usability point of view, though, it's at best unintuitive. For non-touchscreen users it fails on even basic principles of usability. I know Microsoft is feeling the heat from the iPad, but you cannot simply design a new touchscreen interface, then work backward to try to figure out how it works with a mouse and keyboard, especially when doing so requires you to unlearn 15+ years of training to even figure out how to turn the stupid thing off.

getting the one when it comes out. Will get a PS4 when my PS3 dies.

I don't see myself getting either this year. Sony may be able to sell me eventually on exclusive titles, or if the Vita streaming feature works pretty well. The free games that PS+ users get won't hurt either. But I didn't hear one thing from Microsoft today that made the Xbox One sound appealing, and several little things that aren't huge deals on their own, but add up to a pretty unappealing console. I hope that it does well. I hope that develops see it and the PS4 as an incentive to keep developing major games instead of smartphone time-killers. I just don't see me buying one. Edited May 22, 2013 by mikeszekely

[raptormesh]

I had to do a lot of training on Windows 8 for my job...[snip]

I'm working on my Masters in Information Systems and Technology. Right now, I'm studying human interaction and usability design. From a graphic design standpoint, Metro might be pretty slick. Personally, I think it's too flat, but I'm not an artist, so what do I know? From a human interaction and usability point of view, though, it's at best unintuitive. For non-touchscreen users it fails on even basic principles of usability. I know Microsoft is feeling the heat from the iPad, but you cannot simply design a new touchscreen interface, then work backward to try to figure out how it works with a mouse and keyboard, especially when doing so requires you to unlearn 15+ years of training to even figure out how to turn the stupid thing off.

HCI and UX is my field at the moment and I'm currently teaching postgrad students at the uni on these subjects(usability engineering and user interface design). You won't believe how much crap we UX engineers give metro...particularly love the fact that windows returned the start button in 8.1 and it connects to the....metro interface. Genius trolling.

[TheLoneWolf]

That's exactly where a lack of backwards compatibility fails miserably. Unless they keep making/repairing/selling the 360, people are gonne be screwed when their old hardware fails. Given the 360's history, I don't know what to expect there.

The 360 slim is built like a tank. I keep a dust cover on mine when it's not in use. But one day, my cat accidentally turned on the 360 while the dust cover was wrapped around it, trapping the system's heat. It stayed like this for over an hour until I noticed that my controller was turned on. When I threw off the dust cover, the system was as hot as a barbecue. I turned it off and let it cool off the rest of the night. Fast forward a couple months later, and the 360 has survived several marathon sessions since then without a hitch. M$ has finally learned how to build a console.

As for the fat 360's, if you've got one manufactured on or after the 4th quarter of 2009, then you'll be fine in the long run.

[Mommar]

Backwards compatibility? Hoping it doesn't have required Kinect? The show stopper is having to register your games online and having to connect once every 24 hours (FU servicemen and anybody in a rural area!) The coolest bit about the One is how impressive the new Kinect is in every way possible.

[mikeszekely]

Backwards compatibility? Hoping it doesn't have required Kinect? The show stopper is having to register your games online and having to connect once every 24 hours (FU servicemen and anybody in a rural area!) The coolest bit about the One is how impressive the new Kinect is in every way possible.

As a PC gamer, the online thing doesn't bother me as much the mandatory Kinect. What you think of as impressive, I think of as useless.

But yeah, mandatory online is still a complaint. Even Steam gives me an offline mode that let me play Civ V in Beijing for three weeks.

And sure, backwards compatibility, by itself, isn't a showstopper (although you think it'd at least play XBLA games). I'm not thrilled that I need to keep my Xbox 360 around for my largish Rock Band library.

Also as a PC gamer, I'm used to not being able to buy used games or loan games to my friends. I'm also used to really awesome Steam sales, and buying games digitally long after they disappear from store shelves. While I'm sure Microsoft will have a digital delivery system in place for the Xbox One, I've never been impressed with the prices of Xbox 360 games on Live.

And yes, the fact that it runs Windows 8's kernel, and will likely have some form of Metro interface, bugs me too.

As I said before, these are all a lot of little things. Each one would be easily overlooked if the Xbox One had some epic features or must-play games, but it doesn't. And the little things add up.

[Mommar]

As a PC gamer, the online thing doesn't bother me as much the mandatory Kinect. What you think of as impressive, I think of as useless.

But yeah, mandatory online is still a complaint. Even Steam gives me an offline mode that let me play Civ V in Beijing for three weeks.

And sure, backwards compatibility, by itself, isn't a showstopper (although you think it'd at least play XBLA games). I'm not thrilled that I need to keep my Xbox 360 around for my largish Rock Band library.

Also as a PC gamer, I'm used to not being able to buy used games or loan games to my friends. I'm also used to really awesome Steam sales, and buying games digitally long after they disappear from store shelves. While I'm sure Microsoft will have a digital delivery system in place for the Xbox One, I've never been impressed with the prices of Xbox 360 games on Live.

And yes, the fact that it runs Windows 8's kernel, and will likely have some form of Metro interface, bugs me too.

As I said before, these are all a lot of little things. Each one would be easily overlooked if the Xbox One had some epic features or must-play games, but it doesn't. And the little things add up.

But you're a PC gamer, why do you own a console?

[azrael]

I had to do a lot of training on Windows 8 for my job. I kept telling myself that it's just the UI, and once you get used to it it's fine. Then I bought a Windows 8 laptop, and I realized I've been lying. I've had software issues, driver issues, insanely long (like half-hour plus) boot up times for "Configuring Windows" even when it hadn't downloaded any updates. After a week of struggles, I wound up doing a clean install of Windows 7 (which was an adventure in and of itself, but one I was able to resolve)....

That I blame on MS and vendors for not writing proper drivers. But I'll carry that conversation over to the other thread.

Regarding Xbox One's 'net connectivity, you can be offline but it probably will try to phone home occasionally. I'm guessing this is part of MS' strategy to deal with the trades and used game sales. Yes, this could be a problem with people who can't be online 24/7 (Armed Forces or people working overseas, rural areas) but you do not need to be online do most things.

Regarding backwards compatibility, I don't think they wanted to invest in a solution like Sony is (cloud-based gaming for old and some new titles) and they probably hoping the other features will draw people in. In the end, it would probably be nice to have it but I don't think it would be a show stopper. We'll see how buyers react at release time.

[eugimon]

mandatory kinect 2.0? No problem, my kid and I enjoy playing kinect games
mandatory online access? No problem.
metro tiles? You mean like the 360 has right now and was the first MS product to implement?
second screen support: yeah, vita is more appealing, I don't care either way.
games: The era of exclusives is fast coming to a close but I care about halo more than killzone and game franchises that I care about (mass effect and dragon age) were played on the 360.

[Mommar]

That I blame on MS and vendors for not writing proper drivers. But I'll carry that conversation over to the other thread.

Regarding Xbox One's 'net connectivity, you can be offline but it probably will try to phone home occasionally. I'm guessing this is part of MS' strategy to deal with the trades and used game sales. Yes, this could be a problem with people who can't be online 24/7 (Armed Forces or people working overseas, rural areas) but you do not need to be online do most things.

Regarding backwards compatibility, I don't think they wanted to invest in a solution like Sony is (cloud-based gaming for old and some new titles) and they probably hoping the other features will draw people in. In the end, it would probably be nice to have it but I don't think it would be a show stopper. We'll see how buyers react at release time.

Consider this. A serviceman receives a new game in the mail. They can't get online to register it after installing so they can't play it. The game is rendered useless even with the occasional dial in requirement. This can easily be dialed back to any number of highly inconvenient cases for any of us who do have internet more often than not. Sure, this same issue exists with Steam users so it isn't much different, but a dedicated console has never locked you down in that fashion before.

[eugimon]

you do realize that internet is available in most if not all US military bases, right?

[Mommar]

you do realize that internet is available in most if not all US military bases, right?

Every single ship too?

[Archer]

I suggest all you guys give IGN's comments section regarding the reveal a good read. Lot of hate, lot of rage, and whole lot of fun

[eugimon]

Every single ship too?

LOL.

Other demographics that the XBOX and other consoles won't work for:

people driving cars

people flying in planes

people jumping out of planes

people with one hand

blind people

people who don't like games

people riding horses

people in the middle of a class

people sleeping

people jogging

the amish

people without HD televisions

people scuba diving

people doing research on a volcano

You're right, until microsoft can address the needs of all those demographics, they're denying people their constitutional right to play halo! SCREW YOU MICROSOFT!

[Shaorin]

i'm getting pretty desperate here for halfway enjoyable PS3 JRPGs;

finally gave in and picked up STAR OCEAN IV the other day for cheap, despite my long held impression of the game as merely a poor re-tread of SO III...

Edited May 22, 2013 by Shaorin

[mikeszekely]

But you're a PC gamer, why do you own a console?

I was a console gamer first. NES, SNES, the original PlayStation, N64, Dreamcast, PS2 (two, actually), Gamecube, Xbox, Xbox 360 (three), Wii, PS3 (two), and even a Wii U. I've owned a lot of handhelds, too. A quick count shows 62 Xbox 360 games currently sitting on my shelf. I didn't really start to get into PC gaming until after I was married. My wife would want to watch TV in the evening, and I either needed to hook my consoles up to another TV, play a handheld, or play on PC if I wanted to game while she was around. Over time, I came to prefer mouse and keyboard for some games and appreciate the convenience of services like Steam.

But your point's still valid. So I'm a PC gamer; I'll take a pass on the Xbox One.

[Benson13]

I guess I could address the military aspect. A lot of FOB's had some form of internet. However it was the worst thing since dial up on day one. I tried to update my Xbox on my last deployment (2008-2009) and get the new dashboard and it took several hours. Honestly video games are cool and I love to play but in the deployed environment you don't want to bring your new console because it's not rugged enough and will die. I really don't think it's a big deal.

[505thAirborne]

LOL.

Other demographics that the XBOX and other consoles won't work for:

people driving cars

people flying in planes

people jumping out of planes

people with one hand

blind people

people who don't like games

people riding horses

people in the middle of a class

people sleeping

people jogging

the amish

people without HD televisions

people scuba diving

people doing research on a volcano

You're right, until microsoft can address the needs of all those demographics, they're denying people their constitutional right to play halo! SCREW YOU MICROSOFT!

The Amish.... LMAO!!

[Einherjar]

Don't forget astronauts!

[Ghost Train]

...

people sleeping

...

You're right, until microsoft can address the needs of all those demographics, they're denying people their constitutional right to play halo! SCREW YOU MICROSOFT!

Totally waiting for a Kinect game involving sleeping or napping.

[GU-11]

The Amish.... LMAO!!

Might as well include the Hutterites, too.

[Uxi]

I'm not going to do both next generation like I did this one. Hearing Sony take away BC had me thinking I was going to go X720 over PS4. Hearing the 720, put them back level. Hearing about the 24 hour/registration business just about took the X1 off the list. If PS4 pulls the same crap, I'll probably do nothing but stay with PS3 and get an X360S to hold me over (got rid of my 360 Xenon for some Wii U stuff at Gamestop: game, controller, etc) until at least the first price drop.

[GU-11]

I'm not going to do both next generation like I did this one. Hearing Sony take away BC had me thinking I was going to go X720 over PS4. Hearing the 720, put them back level. Hearing about the 24 hour/registration business just about took the X1 off the list. If PS4 pulls the same crap, I'll probably do nothing but stay with PS3 and get an X360S to hold me over (got rid of my 360 Xenon for some Wii U stuff at Gamestop: game, controller, etc) until at least the first price drop.

24 hour/registration? What's that? I've been reading up on some IGN PS4 articles, and supposedly, you don't need to connect to the internet at all unless you want to.

[Murphy]

24 hour/registration? What's that? I've been reading up on some IGN PS4 articles, and supposedly, you don't need to connect to the internet at all unless you want to.

Apparently what I heard/read that the xboxone will require a Internet connection to play your games, it needs to check your X1 once a day to confirm that you have permission to play that game. After it checksyour game then yea you can play it offline. But then you have to connected it again the next day to continue playing it if not connected to the Internet. Of course this is for people who don't plug their system to Internet all the time or dont have wifi in their house. If you leave it plugged in all the time it doesn't matter.

But for those who don't have great Internet service, when you get a new game you have to register that game with a key code online in order to even play it, that could piss off some lower income people.

Also the kinect always on is creepy, knowing that this machine is watching your gf get on her knees and well you get the pic....

Edit: stupid ipad auto correct

Edited May 23, 2013 by Murphy

[CoryHolmes]

I specifically bought a PS3 for DUST 514 and I'm loving every minute of it

I expected a Halo-esque shooter and not something as deep as what I got. I love that I can use all weapons with some skill but if I what more I have to put points into it. Reminds me of Mass Effect 1 and the joy I had in making my skills better )

[Einherjar]

Wow, so just owning a physical copy of a game or a digital download attributed to your account isn't enough; Microsoft has to confirm it for themselves on a day to day basis that you are allowed to play a game regardless of online features the game may or may not have? That's some next gen paranoia there.

Edited May 23, 2013 by Einherjar

[David Hingtgen]

That's some next gen paranoia there.

Goes great with the "always watching and listening" Kinect...

[Einherjar]

I specifically bought a PS3 for DUST 514 and I'm loving every minute of it

I expected a Halo-esque shooter and not something as deep as what I got. I love that I can use all weapons with some skill but if I what more I have to put points into it. Reminds me of Mass Effect 1 and the joy I had in making my skills better )

You should have played before the most recent update. Developing your skills was easier and characters were given a free specialization dropsuit of your choice. Now you really have to use ISK or real money to do anything, like in EVE Online. I was really bummed that they also took away my free Artificer dropsuit.

[Shadow]

Finished Bioshock Infinite last night and while this sounds cliche, it really was a great game and is definitely worth owning. One of those few games that made me sit back and really contemplate upon finishing it. It wasn't without some disappointments. After having watched some of the past trailers, I was saddened to see many notable scene's not end up in the final product.

Edited May 23, 2013 by Shadow

[Duke Togo]

Xbox fall down, go boom.

[GU-11]

Apparently what I heard/read that the xboxone will require a Internet connection to play your games, it needs to check your X1 once a day to confirm that you have permission to play that game. After it checksyour game then yea you can play it offline. But then you have to connected it again the next day to continue playing it if not connected to the Internet. Of course this is for people who don't plug their system to Internet all the time or dont have wifi in their house. If you leave it plugged in all the time it doesn't matter.

But for those who don't have great Internet service, when you get a new game you have to register that game with a key code online in order to even play it, that could piss off some lower income people.

Also the kinect always on is creepy, knowing that this machine is watching your gf get on her knees and well you get the pic....

Edit: stupid ipad auto correct

So it's basically just an Xbox One problem, right? Good thing I'm only planning to get the PS4. My broadband has a fair usage quota, so I can't afford to keep it online all day.

Kinect stays on all the time? Yeah, that's really creepy. I'm glad I was never a fan of Xboxes.

Edited May 23, 2013 by GU-11

[Murphy]

If article is true, I don't get MS marketing strategy.

http://www.p4rgaming.com/microsoft-to-increase-xbox-one-controller-price-due-to-higher-demand-for-controller-over-the-console/