Xbox One (general info and news thread)

[Combo7]

Huge announcements today.

Microsoft addresses Xbox One Kinect privacy concerns

How game licensing works on the Xbox One (yes, it supports used games)

Xbox One requires online connection every 24 hours, at least

[Truth.]

it's now Sonys war to lose

[Combo7]

[Combo7]

http://kotaku.com/video-game-companies- ... -511789152

When Will Gamers Say Enough Is Enough?

I've seen some very similar responses to today's Xbox One news, whether it be the mandatory 24-hour "check-in" or the restrictions on game lending. It's a defensive sort of reply, brought up by somebody who doesn't see the news as downright terrible.

"But they're still letting us trade games!"

"We can still play games if we login once a day!"

All without a hint of irony.

It makes me so sad I can barely bring myself to talk about it.

Is this what the last decade of video gaming has conditioned us to becoming? A market that simply trudges from one restriction to the next, shuffling our way along a road that ends with video game publishers getting the absolute maximum amount of money from us for the absolute minimum of effort?

It's hard looking back over the years and seeing anything but.

Sure, we've always had some form of restriction with our games systems. Region locks have been with us since almost the dawn of time. But the rate at which things have escalated in the "online" era put things like plastic tabs on an N64 in the shade.

And yes, there are benefits to gaming's modern infrastructure. Instant downloads, fire sales, convenience, connectivity. But those benefits have also come with some hefty conditions.

It would have been absurd if your SNES cartridges only worked in your SNES. Or if Street Fighter II couldn't be played at an arcade if Capcom's phone lines weren't working. Or if Metroid's "true" ending had only been available as part of a $5 expansion.

Yet those are the kinds of situations we find ourselves in today. Beginning with CD keys, the launch of Steam and the first DLC for video games, and going on through online delivery services and online passes, we've gradually found ourselves gamers in a market that treats every sale as a rental, every purchase a privilege.

When did the consumer lose so much power? When did the market, the force that should be dictating how these companies behave by refusing to put up with anti-consumer measures and shaping policies with our wallets, roll over and say "have your way with me"?

The answer is we did it ten years ago. And five. And yesterday. And today. We love video games so much, this wonderful pastime, hobby and artform, that whenever a company that makes money off them places a load on our backs, we endure it, because we're willing to put up with it to get to the games we want to play.

As they drop each load, one by one, we barely protest, because each small weight on its own seems worth it. It's only when you look back, and see how much you're now carrying just to purchase and play a video game in 2013, that you realise, wow, that's kind of messed up.

I've often wondered whether we would ever actually break from the strain, and people would begin to say - en masse and with true intent - that enough was enough. I honestly never thought I would, I thought our tolerance would just continue to strengthen in order to carry the load, but the backlash surrounding the things like SimCity's launch and now Xbox One's policies has surprised me.

Maybe we are reaching a tipping point. The space where people draw the line and say, OK, I've put up with a lot of crap, but this is too much. I just want to buy a video game and play it, whenever and however I want, without you telling me how I can and can't use the expensive stuff I paid good money for. These roadblocks you keep putting in front of me aren't worth it, and no matter how good your games look, I'm not willing to put up with all these restrictions just to play them.

I hope so. We got to this point in time, with people conditioned to accept that publishers are doing us a favour by letting us buy their games, because many gamers forgot a very simple rule about being a consumer: if you don't like something, don't buy it.

It's been a tough stance to stick to in our case, though, because we're not talking about hand soap or instant coffee here. We're talking about video games, some of the best entertainment on the planet. Saying no to games is hard.

Yet video game publishers and platform holders aren't politicians. They don't respond to public perception, or complaints on forums, or angry messages on Twitter. They respond, as I've said before, to sales.

As such, it'll be interesting to see whether the rising anger over Microsoft's stance with the Xbox One - and against EA's SimCity disaster - really does start to impact companies at the register. If so, it'd be a first, albeit a very important one for the market.

And if it doesn't? Well, keep lugging that load. You're getting awfully good at it.

[Combo7]

it's now Sonys war to lose

It'd be shocking if Sony didn't follow Microsoft's lead regarding the used game policy.

[Truth.]

it's now Sonys war to lose

It'd be shocking if Sony didn't follow Microsoft's lead regarding the used game policy.

unfortunately they probably will but since now they are seeing the backlash Microsoft is getting from this they might be rethinking some stuff

[Combo7]

I think they'd risk alienating developers by not going along. You can afford to piss off consumers; they'll have no choice but to go along with it (and most of them probably will). You don't want to risk pissing off EA or Activision.

[ThaJim2]

Hahaha this is the funniest shit ever. Fucker shacking his arms is the most exercise he has ever had. He just hates the Kinect because well that means he might have to move his fat ass once in a while. To be honest I could not make it more then about 15 seconds in the video with all his wheezing.

Fuck him and the rest of "gamers". You are a bunch of fucking idiots that are not worth listening too.

Cry omg I have to be connected to the internet yet your 360 and PS3 have been hooked up to the internet for the last 5 years.

Cry about used games when they only place you trade them in in the first place is GameStop and you bitch about their prices.

Always with the threats of I am not buying another COD/EA/DLC and yet pre order COD every year. Bought Diablo 3 and Sim City and cry that a map pack is 2 weeks late.

Cry about privacy yet post their dream journals and fan fic on Tumblr. And cant wait to get Google Glasses.

[ThaJim2]

Huge announcements today.

Microsoft addresses Xbox One Kinect privacy concerns

How game licensing works on the Xbox One (yes, it supports used games)

Xbox One requires online connection every 24 hours, at least

Honestly how does this really effect anyone?

The games I buy on Day 0 tend to be games that I don't trade in for a year. COD or NCAA or FIFA those types where I am not making shit back anyways. The other games I buy like Uncharted I tend to buy on Black Friday or when they drop in price so they are under 30 dollars. Resell on these suck too. In other words even if they did not allow used games it really is marginal the effect it has on me.

Every system I have had since the Dreamcast has been hooked up to the internet.

Oh nos the Kinect is always watching me. Don't give a shit in all honesty when the benefit is I say xbox on and everything turns on. Some one tries to hack or otherwise watch the raw feed from Kinect your ISP will be calling you in days to find out why your upload shot up to max rate and never goes down.

[Combo7]

The fat nerdy guy is just a character in a recurring comedy sketch on that guy's YouTube channel.

The used game restrictions wipes out the entire secondhand market for games that exists on eBay, Amazon, craigslist, etc. It also gives retailers way too much power regarding what prices they'll pay for games that are traded in.

The always online requirement wouldn't matter too much for me or you but not everyone is fortunate enough to have a broadband connection at home. Having to check in once per hour while you're logged in on someone else's console seems incredibly restrictive as well.

[Sigma]

Having to check in once per hour while you're logged in on someone else's console seems incredibly restrictive as well.

That particular restriction makes sense because of the way the system works. Once the game is installed from the disc, the disc doesn't need to be in the drive any more. If I bring a game over to your house and install it on your console, if the check was every 24 hours that means we could both play the game at the same time for up to a day, which in some cases would be long enough to finish it.

Personally I don't care about the 24 hour online check. Since I've had an Internet connection - which is back in the dial up days - it's never been down for more than 24 hours. The fact that I don't need to fuck with discs at all once games are installed is a bigger positive than the 24 hour checks are negative.

But the other stuff - I'm not happy about that at all. I buy physical media precisely because I like to feel that I actually own something. That's why I still buy records and CDs (and the occasional tape). If all physical media for music disappeared tomorrow and all that was left was Spotify and the like, I'd be fucking pissed off. I'm a PC gamer, which does make me somewhat of a hypocrite as PC gamers have been shafted for years - ain't no trading in, selling, or lending with PC games - but at least PC games are cheaper, even outside sales. Also, I got back into PC gaming fairly recently because the current gen consoles are very long in the tooth and the graphics/performance on PC is literally a generation apart - I'm giving up my rights to gain better performance, but I'm paying less than console gamers do for games. That shit doesn't apply to the Xbox One. It's not going to outperform my PC. Games aren't going to be cheaper than they are now on the 360. I'd be giving up my rights for no benefit to me.

I think MS have fucked up here if Sony don't do a similar sort of thing. If the PS4 doesn't have these restrictions, it's going to sell more than it would have if MS weren't doing this, cos a lot of people who would have bought the Xbox One will go for the PS4 instead. The PS4 is going to sell well anyway, so it's not like publishers aren't going to release games on it just because it uses a more traditional method of distribution. So any gamer who ever lends/borrows, rents, or sells games is better off with a PS4 and that's ignoring any other differences that might make the PS4 more attractive (more powerful system, free online, for example).

[360]

With all of the current data available, I'm definitely going with a PS4 unless MS make some serious changes.

All of these restrictions are complete bullshit. I live in NY and, at least once, every year there is a huge storm that knocks out power for a day at least. Not to mention all of the other restrictions. They have no right to dictate what i do with a game that i fucking paid for. Making me "check in"? Fuck you. I spent my money and own the product, I don't have to do anything I don't want to.

Games are expensive; $65, with the advent of DL that always costs $20, that brings it up t $85. Not saying I always buy DLC, but still. MS is basically alienating a good chunk of their previos customer base.

[Sigma]

Here's some more info about the Xbox One. This is just bits and pieces I've picked up from reading articles, so it's not the complete picture by any means: -

Controller

Each controller has an infrared LED on the front of it. When you pick a controller up, Kinect will recognise you and sign you into your profile automatically. There is a setting you can turn on so that when you pick up a controller it will automatically sign you in and resume the game you were last playing from the exact point you left off - obviously, you can turn that off if you want to. If you and a friend are sitting on the sofa playing a game in split screen, it will know who is setting where and adjust the screen accordingly.

The triggers themselves now have haptic feedback in them. There's been a bunch of other design changes too, including what looks to be a really good D-pad (for the first time on an Xbox console).

Kinect

The camera can capture video at 1080p at 30 FPS, so you can do HD video chat via Skype.

They are using noise isolating "multi-microphone filters" so that your voice can be isolated from any background sounds in order for the voice control to work fine when you use natural language.

Kinect is now accurate enough to recognise emotions and even estimate your heart rate.

It will work in the dark and latency has been greatly improved as has the distance Kinect will work at, so no more needing a living room the size of an aircraft hangar to properly use it.

Xbox Live

You can choose to use your real name if you like and tie it in with your social networks, although if you want to, you can stick with a regular gamertag.

The friends list limit has been increased from 100 to 1,000.

Xbox Live Gold is no longer just a per-person thing, so if you have an Xbox One and Live Gold, someone else that lives in your house can play online games on your console with their own gamertag, but without paying for Gold.

You can customise which part of the dashboard you go to when the console is turned on, so if you use the console more for watching TV, you can have it go to the TV section if you like.

There is a new "trending" section that shows you what your friends are up to.

Achievements are now "live", in that pubs/devs can interact with them, add new ones, change existing ones on the fly.

You can record gameplay, then go into a simple to use editor, edit the recording down to the clip that you want, then upload it and share it with your friends.

You can stream gameplay live via Twitch and you have the ability to snap Twitch to one side of your screen and see the live chat room etc. as you're playing.

The Xbox One will remain always connected in a low power state even when it's turned off - kinda like you could do with the Wii - so it will download patches for games, the latest dashboard update etc. in the background so when you turn it on, everything is up to date and good to go. You can also buy games or choose to download demos remotely from your smartphone/tablet or from the PC you're using at work, then when you get home, the game/demo will be downloaded and ready to go.

Xbox Live is being expanded to 300,000 servers. Games will take advantage of cloud functionality. For example, when you play Forza 5, the way you drive is analysed and uploaded. When your friend plays Forza 5, even if they just play it in single player, one of the AI cars can be you - if you see what I mean, i.e. the AI car is driving based on your driving style. It will also allow game worlds to evolve and change and developers can put new things into the world, without you having to first download a patch.

SmartGlass will allow cross-device play (if developers decide to implement it), so for example, someone could jump into a game on a tablet where they are flying over the landscape in a helicopter and spotting enemies for you, while you're on the ground with your gun.

TV

The Xbox One has a HDMI in so that allows you to hook up a cable/satellite box. It will then work a bit like Google TV, in that it will have a customisable TV guide. This can be controlled via voice. You can switch back and forth between games and TV instantly. You can watch TV while you're waiting for a multiplayer lobby to fill up, then get a notification when the game is ready and switch right back to it. You can snap apps to the side of the TV show you're watching. You can search for shows or movies across all the TV channels and apps that you have.

Game purchasing and restrictions

Games will come on Blu-Ray discs, but unlike this gen, all games will be available to buy day 1 via digital downloads too, including the ability to pre-load. They are using a new "staged downloads" system, so you can start playing a game while it's still downloading, then the game will finish downloading in the background. If you buy a game on a disc, it must be installed in full before you can play it - although again, you can start playing it before the install is finished - but unlike the Xbox 360, once the game is installed you don't need to put the disc in again to play. Discs are therefore just a method of getting the bits on to your hard drive where the games actually play from.

You can sign into any Xbox One via Xbox Live and access/play any of your games because they are all stored in the cloud - including the ones you bought on disc. There is a license check done in the background once per hour to stop people from going to a friend's house, downloading a game, but then leaving and letting the friend keep the game.

Anyone playing on your Xbox One has unlimited access to all of your games, whether you are signed in or not, so if you buy, say, the latest COD game via a digital download and your son wants to play it, he doesn't have to sign in with your gamertag. He can just use his own.

Up to 10 of your "family members" (not exactly sure how that will be decided) have access to your game collection from any Xbox One. You (as the purchaser of the games) can always access your games, then up to 1 other person can also be playing the same game as you at the same time.

Because the Xbox One doesn't require you to put discs in to play, it uses online authentication instead. It will therefore "phone home" once every 24 hours in order to prevent people from just allowing other users to re-download their game library for free. If your console is unable to connect to Xbox Live for more than 24 hours, you will not be able to play any games until it's able to connect.

Games can be given away to friends, but only if that friend has been on your Xbox Live friends list for 30 days or more. Once a game has been given away to a friend, that's it - it can't be given away again.

While you can trade games in and sell them, they can only be traded in/sold to selected retailers.

Loaning/renting games will not be possible at launch, but is something MS are discussing with publishers.

[Balzac]

[Hayzoos]

Can't wait for this shit

[ChaMerZ]

moar

[Combo7]

ttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/19/xbox-one-80- ... -features/

Xbox One-80: Microsoft reverses Xbox One DRM features

Microsoft has announced an almost full reversal of the controversial digital rights management features built into the Xbox One. The console, launching later this year, will no longer require an online connection, or need to ping the Microsoft servers every 24 hours to hang on to life. It will also now play discs like any regular console and no longer place restrictions on trading games. There will also be no regional restrictions.

"The sharing of games will work as it does today, you will simply share the disc. Downloaded titles cannot be shared or resold," said Xbox division president Don Mattrick. "Also, similar to today, playing disc based games will require that the disc be in the tray."

Why the reversal? Um, if you payed attention to E3 last week, you observed one of the greatest pummelings in industry history. Sony's PlayStation 4 presented itself as the other side of the coin to Microsoft's restrictions and stole the show.

Now, can we get an off button on Kinect 2 or have it turn its head when we don't want it watching us?

Statement from Don Mattrick, President, Interactive Entertainment Business:

Last week at E3, the excitement, creativity and future of our industry was on display for a global audience.

For us, the future comes in the form of Xbox One, a system designed to be the best place to play games this year and for many years to come. As is our heritage with Xbox, we designed a system that could take full advantage of advances in technology in order to deliver a breakthrough in game play and entertainment. We imagined a new set of benefits such as easier roaming, family sharing, and new ways to try and buy games. We believe in the benefits of a connected, digital future.

Since unveiling our plans for Xbox One, my team and I have heard directly from many of you, read your comments and listened to your feedback. I would like to take the opportunity today to thank you for your assistance in helping us to reshape the future of Xbox One.

You told us how much you loved the flexibility you have today with games delivered on disc. The ability to lend, share, and resell these games at your discretion is of incredible importance to you. Also important to you is the freedom to play offline, for any length of time, anywhere in the world.

So, today I am announcing the following changes to Xbox One and how you can play, share, lend, and resell your games exactly as you do today on Xbox 360. Here is what that means:

An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games – After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again. There is no 24 hour connection requirement and you can take your Xbox One anywhere you want and play your games, just like on Xbox 360.

Trade-in, lend, resell, gift, and rent disc based games just like you do today – There will be no limitations to using and sharing games, it will work just as it does today on Xbox 360.

In addition to buying a disc from a retailer, you can also download games from Xbox Live on day of release. If you choose to download your games, you will be able to play them offline just like you do today. Xbox One games will be playable on any Xbox One console -- there will be no regional restrictions.

These changes will impact some of the scenarios we previously announced for Xbox One. The sharing of games will work as it does today, you will simply share the disc. Downloaded titles cannot be shared or resold. Also, similar to today, playing disc based games will require that the disc be in the tray.

We appreciate your passion, support and willingness to challenge the assumptions of digital licensing and connectivity. While we believe that the majority of people will play games online and access the cloud for both games and entertainment, we will give consumers the choice of both physical and digital content. We have listened and we have heard loud and clear from your feedback that you want the best of both worlds.

Thank you again for your candid feedback. Our team remains committed to listening, taking feedback and delivering a great product for you later this year.

[Combo7]

Xbox 180?

[ChaMerZ]

inb4 sigma and thajim2 rescind all their caping and pole jockeying. outb4 the xbox one hate continues

[Sigma]

inb4 sigma and thajim2 rescind all their caping and pole jockeying. outb4 the xbox one hate continues

I didn't have any major problems with the way the Xbox One was going to work once I found out about the game sharing thing. It's dopey twats who didn't even realise the implication of what MS were offering that were mad about the Xbox One, but had they had their heads screwed on tightly enough they'd have released that if they had 1 other friend with an Xbox One, they could have taken it in turns to buy games but still both played them at the same time, effectively halving the price and without having to put the disc in every time to play.

Another feature that is affected by this is the instant game switching, because it's not very instant if you have to get up and swap discs. It'll likely still work if you buy your games digitally, but now you can no longer share your digital library with friends or give your digital games away to a friend.

[ThaJim2]

I HATE GAMERS. Bye to all the cool features like not having to find the damn disk to change games or not having to worry about the disk at all until you are ready to trade it in. Or sharing games with friends without bringing the disk over, or well letting them have a copy of your game.

But, Steam is super duper rad.

[Combo7]

LOL good grief...

trollbutterfly 10 minutes ago
Still don't ever want an Xbone.

SpitefulToast 9 minutes ago
Too bad they lied to us and disrespect the consumer enough to have ever even tried this. It's now a viable system, but Microsoft still wanted to screw the consumer. Not a chance in hell that a One will ever enter my house.

dmoneybay 10 seconds ago
The sad part about this is that they didnt really even listen to the fans,they saw how much the PS4 is killing them in pre-orders then they decided to level the playing field. I guess money talks.

Max Madmax 27 seconds ago
it was part of their plan !!!
they knew it was bullshit, they're changing it so we'd be grateful...
not buying it anyway

SaiyanPup 30 seconds ago
awesome but now that's over about DRM BS, now next we target on the most evil of them all..Kinect..

[EMCEE DARTH MALEK]

cue christmas mayhem when moms try to buy the new xbox not the damn xbox one

[ThaJim2]

^exactly

Love the comments of people that are happy about this announcement but pissed that they lose the share games and have to have the disk in. What did these assholes expect? You get 1 or the other its too damn expansive to support both. The Entitlement is out of control.

[Tired & Broke]

Look @ M$ trying to get my money, if they make it where kinetic is optional then I'm sold.

[Sigma]

It's not possible to have both, cos if there's no Internet checks, there's no way they can control who is sharing games with who.

Who are all these people with Internet connections that are down every other day anyway? They should move to England. We have broadband here and everything.

[ThaJim2]

It's not possible to have both, cos if there's no Internet checks, there's no way they can control who is sharing games with who.

Who are all these people with Internet connections that are down every other day anyway? They should move to England. We have broadband here and everything.

Why Internet message boards where else.

[LameAim]

I didn't have any major problems with the way the Xbox One was going to work once I found out about the game sharing thing. It's dopey twats who didn't even realise the implication of what MS were offering that were mad about the Xbox One, but had they had their heads screwed on tightly enough they'd have released that if they had 1 other friend with an Xbox One, they could have taken it in turns to buy games but still both played them at the same time, effectively halving the price and without having to put the disc in every time to play.

Another feature that is affected by this is the instant game switching, because it's not very instant if you have to get up and swap discs. It'll likely still work if you buy your games digitally, but now you can no longer share your digital library with friends or give your digital games away to a friend.

I'll admit to being a bit shaky about the DRM implementation but the family game sharing would have most likely made it worthwhile.

The only thing I'm truly irked by is having to pay for a Kinect. I can't see myself using the thing and I haven't been sold on it yet. Not saying that it couldn't be cool, but I'd appreciate less telling and more demonstrations that aren't sports/dance/exercise related.

[ThaJim2]

The only thing I'm truly irked by is having to pay for a Kinect. I can't see myself using the thing and I haven't been sold on it yet. Not saying that it couldn't be cool, but I'd appreciate less telling and more demonstrations that aren't sports/dance/exercise related.

In defense of Kinect. I think MS plan is really to use Kinect to augment the controller going forward and not to replace it. The only way this works is by making everyone have it. Some games might only use some voice commands from the system like pause game, some games might have some voice commands while other games find a way to use either voice or minor motion to improve control.

Like in say an F1 game where you can talk to your race engineer to change strategy on the fly or tell them the car has oversteer and when you pit they make a wing adjustment to correct it. They can have some virtual knobs for brake bias that you quickly flick your hand at. This would all be some awesome stuff the Kinect could do without it being the primary function. This would instantly make F1 for Xbox with Kinect the most realistic driving game on a console.

Another example I can think of is in a FPS multiplayer where you can have as a perk that you can listen to the other teams voices. So when that happens you can use your arm to give the over hear sign or come this way motion and have it show up on the screen.

Its the little things like this that have me existed and happy they are including it with all the units. If it was optional no one would bother to think of things like this. Maybe it sucks in practice but I am looking forward to give it a try.

[LameAim]

Some of those would be kind of cool. Others sound irritating. I recognize potential but I don't see the value yet - guess we shall see where it goes. I'll most likely be sitting out until next year anyway.