Round one is over! Sony kicked things off way back in February with its PlayStation 4 reveal. Like an old-school videogame featuring turn-based combat, Microsoft countered months later with its Xbox One press conference. Which company had the more impressive show? Kindly vote in today’s poll and sound off in the comments section!
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Sony fired first with its PlayStation 4 salvo and today Microsoft fired back with an Xbox One counterattack. Due to professional conflicts, I am not permitted to write about the performance of executives at the press conference. I’ll leave that to you. Thankfully, I am allowed to respond to any judgements you make about how Microsoft’s executive team did at the Xbox One reveal. For now, let’s do that thing where I make a bullet point and follow it up with rambling thoughts.
Xbox One Will Have an Eight-Core AMD Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) Clocked at 1.6GHz
The CPU and GPU are on the same die, while the system architecture is 64-bit x86. It’s nice to see Microsoft and Sony using x86 architecture. That should make things easier for developers. While there will obviously be differences creating games for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, it should be much easier than previous generations that featured drastically different consoles. One potential issue with x86 architecture is…
Xbox One Isn’t Backwards Compatible With Xbox 360
This counts for Xbox 360 disc games, as well as Xbox Live Arcade games for Xbox 360. I haven’t checked any forums or blogs yet, but I imagine that some gamers will rage about this “issue.” Microsoft could have added an additional chipset for backwards compatibility, but that would have made the console larger and more expensive.
Xbox One Looks Like an Old VCR
I’m digging the looks of the Xbox One. I like the sharp angles and dramatic vent cutouts. If Darth Vader had a bad-ass VCR, it would look like the Xbox One. The lines make it look like a modern version of the original Xbox. I’m guessing that I’m going to be in the minority on this one and that many fans will bag on the console’s looks because it doesn’t have the smooth aesthetics of Apple products. *shrug*
Cloud Computing Continues
Like the PlayStation 4, Xbox One will have several cloud-based features. You’ll be able to access your console’s gaming content, save files, videos, and more from “anywhere.” You’ll also be able to record gameplay clips, upload them to the cloud, and share them with your friends.
Kinect and Xbox One Control Your TV
The next-gen Kinect is a huge part of the new console, with deep integration than ever. One futuristic and potentially cool feature is how Kinect and Xbox One integrate with your television service. The console will feature a UI that beats the crap out of the one most cable boxes use. Kinect’s voice recognition allows you to control the TV. Saying, “Watch ESPN!” to watch ESPN is very Star Trek.
Xbox One Will Have a “Pre-Owned” Fee
RPadholic Smartguy posted a link in the RPad.TV Google Hangout that confirmed that the Xbox One will have built-in measures to combat the used-games market. Xbox One games will have an installation process that’s tied to individual Xbox Live accounts. An undisclosed fee will have to be paid if another Xbox Live user wants to install the game. Personally, I have no problems with this system, but understand that some people do…and am looking forward to the nerd rage over this “issue.”
[Update: The Xbox Support Twitter says that the report on pre-owned fees is incorrect. It’s a little confusing considering that Microsoft VP Phil Harrison was the first executive to mention the fee.]
Xbox One Has Blu-ray, USB 3.0, and WiFi Direct
The first two features are necessary in 2013. I haven’t used WiFi Direct for anything, but imagine it’s useful for quickly connecting peripherals.
The Xbox One Controller is…
The pictures make the controller look cheaper than the Xbox 360 controller, but that doesn’t mean much. I’m guessing it looks better in person. A few of my journalist friends said that they weren’t allowed to touch the controller. Feel is obviously the most important thing. The new controller allegedly features more than 40 improvements over its predecessor. Many gamers believe that the Xbox 360 controller is close to perfect, so I’m curious to see what the reaction will be to the new gamepad.
Halo…the Live-Action TV Show
Steven Spielberg will be the executive produce of Halo: The Television Series, a live-action program that will debut on Xbox Live. The kids will go nuts for this.
Microsoft and NFL Sitting in a Tree
In a move that will be huge in America and nowhere else in the world, Microsoft has the exclusive rights to create interactive experiences that complement NFL programming. Kinect and SmartGlass will be used to enhance the (American) football experience. I’m sure that many of you will love this.
Price, Release Date, SKUs
Those should be announced at E3 2013. You have to save something for later, right?
Your Take
Now it’s your turn! What are your initial thoughts on Xbox One? How do you feel about the deeper Kinect integration? Are you digging the television features? Any opinions on backwards compatibility and the pre-owned games fee? Share your thoughts like a Care Bear in the comments section (please)!
Sorry for the late start today, guys and gals. On top of my busted heel, I’ve caught a cold. I’m going to blame it on the weather shifting from 70F to 90F in a week. Anyway, one of the latest rumors on Microsoft’s next console is that it will be called Xbox Infinity. A few of my sources said that the name is legit, while a few have said that it’s not. Let’s forget about that for now and judge the name Xbox Infinity. Do you love it or hate it?…more
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the joys of siphon-brewed coffee, the fascinating Silicon Knights shell game, or E3 2013 judges week, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Sorry for the late start today, guys and gals. On top of my busted heel, I’ve caught a cold. I’m going to blame it on the weather shifting from 70F to 90F in a week. Anyway, one of the latest rumors on Microsoft’s next console is that it will be called Xbox Infinity. A few of my sources said that the name is legit, while a few have said that it’s not. Let’s forget about that for now and judge the name Xbox Infinity. Do you love it or hate it?
On one hand, it’s a dynamic name that should make for some cool branding. There’s also that built-in Buzz Lightyear marketing. On the other hand, some tech pundits believe that Xbox Infinity is too close to Comcast’s Xfinity brand. Additionally, the name kind of boxes Microsoft in, no? Where does the company take it from here? Xbox Infinity + 1? Xbox Infinity and Beyond?
As a fan of the Scott Pilgrim books and movie, I immediately thought of the scene pictured above when I heard the name Xbox Infinity. It’s not that I think the name is bad (it does nothing for me either way), but rather I’m going enjoy reading about Sony fanboys going off on the name (should it pan out).
What do you think? Xbox Infinity — yay or nay?
One of the most controversial rumors on Microsoft’s Xbox was that it would require a persistant Internet connection to function. Many pundits and gamers thought this was outrageous. Some believed that no console company in their right mind would do this, while others felt that it was crazy enough to happen. Ars-Technica claims to have a Microsoft internal email that debunks the always-on Internet rumor. Here’s a quote from said email:
Durango is designed to deliver the future of entertainment while engineered to be tolerant of today’s Internet. There are a number of scenarios that our users expect to work without an Internet connection, and those should “just work” regardless of their current connection status. Those include, but are not limited to: playing a Blu-ray disc, watching live TV, and yes playing a single player game.
Naturally, the email has led to even more speculation (always one of the most entertaining nerd pastimes prior to a console announcement). Some writers have noticed that installing games could possibly require an Internet connection for authentication. Others feel that the fact that Microsoft sent out an email to refute the always-on Internet rumors means that such functionality was once considered. I don’t know about any of that, but I’d love to hear your take on the matter.
What do you think of Microsoft’s internal Xbox 720 rumor? Do you think it was a last-minute policy change? Do you think the machine will require an Internet connection for installing games? Or is that too inconvenient for gamers? Shout it out in the comments section (please!).
Microsoft has sent out invites for a press event on May 21, 2013 and is flooding social media with the tag #XboxReveal. The event is months after Sony’s PlayStation 4 reveal and weeks before the E3 2013 trade show.
Since all of you know what’s coming, let’s have some goofy fun with this one. I will playfully ask, “What do you think Microsoft will reveal at the #XboxReveal event?” You will kindly provide facetious answers. For example, “Obviously Microsoft is putting out a new toaster that requires an always-on Internet connection.” Let’s do this!
Nat Brown, one of the founders of Microsoft’s Xbox project, posted a long and excellent rant on the Xbox’s shortcomings. He believes that there are major issues with the system’s user experience and the company’s relationship with independent developers. He believes that these issues are why the Xbox is, “going to lose on in the living room battle with Android & iOS.” I highly recommend giving it a read. Here’s an excerpt:
So, because these two critical issues — user expereince and indie content — are not nearly in order and I see big investments in future interactive content happening, as well as idiotic moves to limit used games or put harder content protection into place than exists in mobile or tablets — i predict massive failure and losses here. And it makes me sad. Because it just doesn’t have to fail, even though it has been punted around poorly for 5 years. xBox just needs somebody with a brain and focus to get the product in order tactically before romping forward to continue the long-term strategic promise of an xBox in every living room, connected to every screen.
I’d love to hear your take on Brown’s argument. While I agree that iOS offers a generally superior user experience than Xbox, I was surprised to see him stress the importance of indie content. While I love and appreciate indie games, so many people — both within the business and consumers in general — pay more attention to the Call of Duties, Maddens, etc. I’m thrilled when developers like Giant Sparrow (The Unfinished Swan) and thatgamecompany (Journey) succeed, but I’m also not sure how big a part companies like that play in determining the future of the industry. Sometimes I get the (sad) feeling that people that write about games care exponentially more about indie developers than Joe Gamer does.
Kindly share your thoughts on Nat Brown’s post when you have a chance.
Edge has a bunch of rumors on the next Microsoft Xbox. The juiciest of which is that it won’t play used games. Console manufacturers and videogame publishers have been happily working towards this, while retailers and consumers have been fearing and loathing these developments. Here’s a quote from the article:
Microsoft’s next console will require an Internet connection in order to function, ruling out a second-hand game market for the platform.
The article also covers the rumored innards of the next Xbox, which include, “an AMD eight-core x64 1.6GHz CPU, a D3D11.x 800MHz graphics solution and 8GB of DDR3 RAM.” To me, the blocking of used games is much more fascinating than the hardware specs, since it will have massive repercussions and result in record-breaking gamer rage. While I personally don’t care about the used-game issue, I’m totally ready to sit back, munch on some popcorn, and watch the mother of all flame wars ensue (should this come to pass).
How do you feel about the rumor of the next Xbox not playing used games? Do you think it’s bunk? Is it too soon for such a drastic measure? Or is this simple where the gaming business is going? Does a required Internet connection limit the console’s appeal? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!
The next generation of console wars is nearly here! Nintendo’s Wii U is already available. Sony is expected to announce the next PlayStation later this month. And Microsoft is expected to announce the next Xbox by E3 2013. In the past, hardware and exclusive games shaped the outcome of console wars. More recently, online serves like PlayStation Network and Xbox Live helped determined the outcome. With many people believing that the upcoming batch of hardware will be the end of traditional consoles as we know them, what do you think will…more
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, last night’s return of Linsanity, PETA going after Beyonce for her Super Bowl outfit, or missing Las Vegas during DICE time, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
The next generation of console wars is nearly here! Nintendo’s Wii U is already available. Sony is expected to announce the next PlayStation later this month. And Microsoft is expected to announce the next Xbox by E3 2013. In the past, hardware and exclusive games shaped the outcome of console wars. More recently, online services like PlayStation Network and Xbox Live helped determined the outcome. With many people believing that the upcoming batch of hardware will be the end of traditional consoles as we know them, what do you think will determine the next skirmish. More importantly, what features are most important to you?
Some people believe that games will be an afterthought, or at least exclusive games. They believe that all three platforms will have great games, so it’ll be a wash. I somewhat disagree with this stance. While exclusives aren’t as powerful as they used to be, I believe they still shape a console’s identity.
Most pundits agree that pure horsepower isn’t as relevant as it used to be. This is a trend that extends beyond consoles. Generally speaking, consumer electronics have become more about software and services than powerful hardware. One of the reasons that Xbox 360 was more successful than PlayStation 3 was that Xbox Live was much better than PlayStation Network for years. While Sony’s service has improved greatly, some feel that the improvements didn’t come fast enough.
Continuing on the services tip, the social, non-gaming, and premium features of consoles have become hugely important. Many gamers prefer Xbox 360 because that’s the system most of their friends use online. Playing games with friends is almost always more fun than playing with strangers. Some people spend more time using the non-gaming features of consoles more than playing games. Features like streaming video services and video chat are quite popular. Then there are the premium services. Some people feel that PlayStation Plus trounces Xbox Live Gold.
Some journalists are shouting about developer ease-of-use being paramount. That’s certainly an important issue, but some of the writers that are taking this stance have little idea what goes into making a game. Honestly, I’m not sure where this is coming from. It’s one thing for developers to say or write things like this, but journalists that don’t understand game production? Then again, there are a lot of journalists that write long diatribes about what Company X needs to do to turn things around while having no clue about running a business. Personally, I’m going to leave this issue on the table and let smarter people discuss it. Besides, I’m not sure that most gamers care.
So games, hardware power, and online services…. What else is there? What concerns you the most? What features and factors do you think will be most important in the next generation of console wars? Please shout it out in the comments section!
