Gaming One Step Closer (and I'm about to RROD): The Xbox One Discussion

Seeing as XB180 failed at being backwards compatible (yeah, I'll b**** about that whenever and wherever because, hey, why not?), I won't be ditching my 360 either. But none of those titles you mentioned are in my radar. Again, just like they did with the 360, M$ is launching their new toy without a killer exclusive app that gives you a compelling reason to get it the moment it's launched. In the meantime it'll run games that you'll be able to play on your 360. The only remaining exclusive thing they got going for them is Halo and the next game won't be out 'til at least next year.

 

I would pay a significant amount of money for a Lost simulator.

Anyway, Quantum Break actually annoys me a little bit. From what I gather, it's a Heavy Rain-esque game with a TV show that has altered scenes depending on your choices in the video game. The problem?

I don't want to watch your television show. I want to play a video game.

So can you get the full story with just the video game? If not, then the game is completely useless.

 

Shouldn't the jernalists be telling me what the games are? Quantum Break is annoying because it's all hype so far, IMO.

 

Do you bitch about the PS4 not being backwards compatible? Because that isn't either. The three games I list won't run on the 360, and they are games that make me want the X1, so you saying there isn't a 'killer exclusive app' is rubbish when what you really mean is 'there isn't an X1 exclusive that I'm interested in'. For me, Forza 5 alone makes it worth getting an X1. Yes, this is just my opinion, and I will happily state that this is just my opinion, but you seem to state your opinion as if it's fact. And, really, bitching about the X1 not being backwards compatible hasn't gotten old. Yes, we know you don't like that about it, you've bitched about it enough already, just give it a rest.

You might change your mind on the TV show bit once you start playing. I enjoy the Defiance show and the game. They add to each other but you don't know to watch the show to enjoy the game and you don't need to play the game to enjoy the show. They do tie together, so you'll get more out of it if you do both, and I'm hoping it'll be like that with Quantum Break.

 

But the lone Quantum Break "reveal" had two things - what appeared to be a TV show and a poorly-animated CGI boat smashing into a bridge. I'm frustrated by how little we're shown of things at the event where gaming companies are supposed to show us things.

And if someone is frustrated by the Xbone or PS4 or Wii U, that's their frustration to hold on to or let go of.

 

The reveal was light on info, other than that weird girl and the ship crashing. There was that trailer where time was frozen though, that looked good. I'm intrigued by the premise and that it's also going to agree with current theoretical physics. What I've seen so far has me intrigued, I'll say that much.

 

I'd argue that there isn't a premise, myself Though to be fair, I'm really frustrated with advertising and marketing for all media at this point. And to be fair to my frustration, there's more style over substance in the marketing.

I really think both console reveals would have benefitted from a greater deluge of information. We were teased with a lot of stuff and there was all too often the stance, "More on this later," so hopefully the PS5 and Xbox Two will learn from the mistakes here. We tune into these things because we want to learn more and get excited, but lately the stance has been "GET DAT HYPE" instead of "inform the consumer," and chances are that won't change, but I can dream.

 

The game looked terrible so I didn't try it, though I'm not a big fan of MMOs anyway. I watched the first two episodes of the show and it didn't interest me. It's no Battlestar Galactica.

The problem with having a TV show tied to it is I have a choice - I can play a game and it's associated show... or I can play two games. I'm always going to pick the second option.

 

Why are you making the assumption that Darth_Invidious is a champion of the PS4 because he was pointing out a flaw in the Xbone that would lead to him keeping his 360? Surely it's a valid criticism of Xbox that as a consumer of their product he can't play his Xbox games? He's not exactly going to expect Xbox 360 support from a PS4 now, is he?

You want an Xbone to play Forza on, that's fine. Though personally I don't understand how that's a "killer app" when to most people Sony have the near identical Drive Club and the inevitable Gran Turismo 7 to fill that hardcore racer niche. Dead Rising 3 is also a game that I wouldn't call a system seller, having alienated the fan base of the first two games with its radical shift in tone and content in an attempt to cash in on the Call of Duty fan base. As for Quantum Break, at this point I don't think anyone has any real idea what it is. I think most people would want more information on the IP before rushing to buy a £420 system to play it on.

Yes you may want these games, and I accept your opinion for what it is, your opinion. But in a discussion about what the gaming public at large are going to buy into none of them are what I can see as going to be major unit shifters. The biggest weapon Microsoft has at this point in time is Halo, and I wouldn't mind betting that the vast majority of the Day One buyers will be purchasing a unit exclusively for Halo.

 

While I agree it's not a system seller, and also on it's almost-genre shift, is the Call of Duty comparison really apt?

I played the second Dead Rising and enjoyed it. It wasn't a spectacular game, but it was some good fun. I'm also totally into what I saw of the third, apart from calling in an airstrike with your smartphone (WTF?). I'd say this was capitalizing on the success of The Walking Dead more than anything else - the show specifically, as Dead Rising 3 would have been in development before Telltale's game released.

It's not the first series to change completely in tone - look at Saints Row IV compared to the original.

 

For the record, no, I'm not a PS4 champion nor a Sony fanboy. As much as I hate the term, I'm and Xbox fanboy since, despite the 4-5 RRODs I suffered. If at some point I said I'd rather buy a PS4 than an XB180, well, heat of the moment and all. At this stage of the game I don't feel like dipping into the Sony waters even if I never get to enjoy Kratos' or Nathan Drake's adventures.

I think Chewgumma expressed my point adequately enough: Forza, and Dead Rising are at best niche franchises that aren't necessarily console sellers. We know diddly about Quantum Break at this point to even ponder whether I should rush to buy an XB180 over this. Maybe this is MS' next Halo, but I rather doubt it. And that's something MS needs right now in light of all the missteps or, ahem, "misunderstandings" with the XB180: a new Halo. An intriguing, new and sexy looking IP that can wow the socks off of even the most jaded gamer and make him/her tell MS SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY. I don't think Halo alone is enough of a reason for anyone to pick up the new console. Sure, the franchise still has a decent fanbase but, IMO, I think it's also a tired franchise that has lost some goodwill ever since Reach, the Bungie/343 handoff and the simple prevalence of Call of Duty (which of course will last until the next hot shooter franchise dethrones it). The new Halo doesn't need to be a shooter, it can be any kind of game. The point is that it should be something unique that draws your potential customers away from the competition or, failing that, simply does the job of selling more units of your product and maximizes your profits. If M$ doesn't have or won't have that special something for the foreseeable future, then it's possible they may never regain the lead of the market they once had.

 

Well Capcom did say they attempting to tap into the Call of Duty crowd with Dead Rising 3...

Changing the tone is great for franchises as we can't play the same game over and over forever....but Capcom is.....Capcom. With Resident Evil as a example that has completely distanced itself from its roots and shouldn't even be called Resident Evil anymore IMO.

 

Let's not forget this is a market. The Wii U's poor sales are only shocking in comparison to Nintendo's money printer, the Wii. People keep talking about how this could be the end of Nintendo, not realizing this has happened before - anyone else remember the Virtual Boy?

So even if Microsoft has messed up here, the market is cyclical. Unless they truly paint themselves into a corner, there are always comeback opportunities.

 

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...lay-games-on-day-one-without-mandatory-update

Opps.

 

That's not entirely new info though. They did say that a one time online activation was required when they changed it from needing to connect every 24 hours to not needing a connection at all. But this? Yeah, it's a little extreme to say the least. Doesn't the PS4 need a day one update as well though?

 

First to-be-sold Xbox One currently guarded by live sharks

This is either really cool or proof that MS really is a villainous organization....

 

Or both.

 

So anyone did the midnight release event?

 

I'm surprised no one's been talking about the PS4, let alone the Xbox One. I'm waiting a few months before I even considering picking one up.

 

My copy of Assassin's Creed IV for PS4 came but the console doesn't come out here in the UK until next Friday. So I'm just staring longingly at this box with no way to play it.

 

Hope you're not in the 1% of systems with the Blue Light of Death!

I'm feeling more Xbox-y lately. The PS4 came out and it looks good, but I don't have a real urge or desire to buy it. It's nice, it's just not really jazzing me like the Xbone has lately, which is really odd considering I was ready to ditch Xbox earlier this year.

 

The Xbox has a better launch line-up, if only just. I definitely plan to pick one up in about a year when there's enough games exclusive to the console to warrant purchase.

It's little things that have made me get a PS4. Sony seems to focus on online & offline, whereas Microsoft want you to be online with everything you do. The fact that the PS4 can play games natively rather than through cloud processing.

But the Xbox One is not a bad console like many suspected pre-launch. Well worth picking up. Hopefully they'll keep competing against each other and continue to raise the quality of their games, and get some good exclusives each.

 

Oh they're totally both fine and solid consoles at launch - both have some expected bugs (X1 has the disc drive problems, PS4 has the blue pulse/light of death), but they're affecting a serious minority of owners. The PS4's UI looks odd to me, and there are some bugs with the X1's...so it basically comes down to games, and the X1 has more of what I'd want, but barely.

I do genuinely hope they both do well.

 

I am more interested in all of those great PS3 exclusives that people went crazy over, such as Killzone 2, Killzone 3, The Last of Us, and Heavy Rain, than anything this next generation has to offer so far. Between both Call of Duty and Battlefield being on both generations, when they are among the few things I am actually interested in, and the fact I haven't fully utilized the last generation with internet, so I am not motivated to move to the next generation anytime soon. I still stand by my statement that Halo is my only real vested interest in an Xbox console at this point, because everything else of interest to me is going to be on both consoles.

 

From what I've been reading, cross-platform games typically look better on the PS4, though they still look good on the X1 (just not as good). I'm probably still going to X1, as I'm enticed by it doubling as a multimedia hub for my living room. The reviews I've read have been pretty consistent with stating that the X1 "feels" more next-gen than the PS4 does, mostly due to its multimedia capabilities.

Of course, needing an Xbox Live Gold Membership for services like Netflix is still absurd.