New Consoles

[Pic0o]

I'll start off by saying I spent a lot of time this gen playing Xbox 360, shifted to PS3 as a main console, then I built a new gaming PC. My 360 is gone, my PS3 is mostly use for Netflix. I live mainly on PC, along with handhelds and old consoles.

 

Between Xbox Live and the gradual increase of advertisements, I straight up started to loathe the platform. As time moved forward and the rumors about the new consoles started bouncing around, more worst case scenario rumors about the new consoles started trickling out.

 

Microsoft’s next console will require an Internet connection in order to function, ruling out a second-hand game market for the platform. A new iteration of Xbox Live will be an integral part of Microsoft’s next console, while improved Kinect hardware will also ship alongside the unit.

 

Hardware sounds cool though.

Our source has also confirmed that the next Xbox’s recently rumoured specs are entirely accurate. That means an AMD eight-core x64 1.6GHz CPU, a D3D11.x 800MHz graphics solution and 8GB of DDR3 RAM. As of now, the console’s hard drive capacity is said to be undecided, but Microsoft’s extended commitment to online delivery suggests that it will be the largest unit it has put inside a console to date.

 

While that article doesn't specifically note the anti-used game thing, there have been quite a few references to both platforms embracing some hybrid RFID / anti-used game mechanism. Some of them rumor a cheaper buy-in for other consoles, similar to Mass Effect 2 and it's Cerebus network code BS.

Better rumor consolidation @ NeoGaf thread about article.

 

I can say that I will not be a day 1 console buyer, if even within year one. Between monetizing online multiplayer, that is hosted off your home internet connection; a horrific hardware failure rate; matchmaking servers being shut down over 1 - 2 years and some of the most anti-consumer ToS I have ever seen... I shall let others test those waters out.

 

As for the Wii U, I have also not picked one up. That launch was a pretty bad, considering the hard lock and software issues that thing launched with, and some people still suffer with.

 

PC Wise, if Steam ever gets the crack-smoking notion to monetize matchmaking like Xbox, I'll kick that platform to the curb as well. I refuse to let ANY company trample my rights to content ownership and subnetting me into a monthly fee to play (the few) online games I play anymore.

 

You are welcome to share any feedback or worries about the upcoming console gen. I've traditionally been a late adopter to consoles, short of handhelds. This next gen will be deliberately more cautious, and likely longer a wait than prior gens.

Edited February 14, 2013 by Pic0o

[Xerxes]

Im undecided on the new consoles, Wii-U is a definate no. I modded my Wii and still couldnt bring myself to play it :) Ps whatever, nope my PS3 is now my 1 year old sons to mess about with. I lack the need for a new PC, although the one I have is ~7 years old now, and really dont think I can go back to PC gaming. THe frustrating part of PC gaming is still there in my eyes and even though I have not used steam in many moons, I despised the software when i first tried it and it seems thats all thats left.

 

XBox wise, I will do a wait and see, I enjoy tangible products for my tangible money. I am also to the point that I avoid any EA game with multiplayer I am even semi interested in due to their wanting to run their own servers and then shutting them down. As long as I can get a tangible item I am happy, the used market here is a joke and I think it is genuinely sad the amount of people that want to essentially screw the devs to save $5 (price difference b/n new + used here). When I was younger I used to pirate everything and still have ~1000 CDs of old games sitting in my parents basement.

 

All that said if it goes to online only I am out, in the unlikely event my Internet drops I basically have a really expensive box? From what I can tell the kids like the digital distribution method b/c they can split the cost of games due to the way Microsoft does the licensing, I still like the idea of 20 years from now popping a disc in and playing some Halo with a friend. XBox live will have long dropped it but I can still play it.

 

Long winded I know to say maybe :D

[Pic0o]

Excellent feedback and not too wordy, actually. Grats on the wee one as well!

 

I'm pretty much a match to your opinions above. Actually spend most of last night resuming my Zelda: Oracle of Ages playthru, as I completed Oracle of Seasons last summer and entered the link code into Ages. Prime example of the playing a game 10+ years later and it still being available.

 

My Wii, is essentially my NES console. Emulation station with a few of the classically special Wii titles. Also my HD Gamecube device, because the GC component cables are stupid expensive.

 

I'm not going to lie about Steam, it's becoming more Xbox Live than I would really like. A core example is the new 'Couch Mode' or shall I say XBL for PC. Default Tab is fuckin Webpages, with no setting to make games THE DEFAULT start point. Hard coded load of this mode from the Xbox controller home button, that you cannot turn off.

 

I am very close to burning backup copies of all my steam games, so if the time comes, I can brute force away any DRM and reinstall them anytime in the future I please. The con here is CD media isn't too good, as some of my 5+ year burned discs have seen data degradation. More Hard Drives to babysit. :lol:

On the up side, Steam Sales show that not all forms of digital distribution are a rip off. That being said, I'd rather Amazon / Ebay a classic game, than purchase on Steam, if the price is the same or similar.

 

Looking at Xbox, honestly the 2 biggest games I miss that I cannot get on PC are, Techno Kitten Adventure and Culdcept Saga. Everything else is either on another platform, or largely a forgettable game.

 

In case it's not apparent, I do tend to use more controller than keyboard mouse / trackball. More because of seeing what games respond better to a gamepad than keyboard, with a mix of being a desk worker during the grind that makes the bills get paid.

 

As for the Online only shit, it's just that. I still Love to LAN with my friends and have 1st hand seen 360 DRM prevent me from playing Fallout DLC. This was because my Live account was still linked to a RROD'd console, before the automated device updater website was available. To Play DLC for Fallout, I HAD to grab an internet connection at my buddies place, who happens to have interwebs.

Not everyone I know can afford or wants to pay an ever-increasing bill for internet service. Lords Forbid I want to download a game off Steam and they have a bandwidth cap.

 

Bandwidth caps are another anti-consumer orgy. I don't know if CA is as screwed as most US residents are, in respect to speed, options, and pricing for online access. The notion of online access seemingly being 24/7, all the time, is absolutely delusional.

So new consoles?!?! What happens when your routing service is hosed and no one can login? Oh, probably something like the Diablo 3 launch.

Fuck that and Fuck You!

- Anyone who thinks online only is a good idea.

 

I got wordy as hell, quite sorry. :)

Edited February 15, 2013 by Pic0o

[Xerxes]

CA is hit an miss, but certainly getting worse. Once Netflix came to Canada what, 2 years ago? All the major ISP's were bitching about the increased bandwidth so much so that you have to tell Netflix to do HD (luckily only once). Otherwise it sits at SD to lower bandwidth.

 

I am in Winnipeg where we realistically have 2 ISP's, Shaw and MTS. For me the choice was easy, MTS. Why, ultimate TV which is great but Shaw has limitations for bandwidth while MTS does not. Sure I can get an extra MbPS for my money with Shaw but what do I care, start download come back later :)

 

This is not the top I have been, I have been free-leeching like a mofo to try to get some good ratios on a couple of sites, according to utorrent in the last 31 days I have transferred 640GB.

 

I have often thought about grabbing all the old discs and transferring them back to .iso. I kept buying hard drives when they went on sale and now my old desktop has 6 TB of storage :).

 

The MPAA/RIAA dont have much a foothold here....yet.

 

 

I am just amazed at how little concern people have with the move to digital especially with ANY kind of DRM. Sure I would love to buy this product you can take back from me at any time, where do I sign up....really?

[Pic0o]

End thesis is too good.

 

PS4 info from Sony looks to confirm PSN purchases will NOT migrate to PS4. If they have the balls to not respect licenses on a new console, I'm willing to bet Microsoft will eagerly expect people to re-buy marketplace games, they already own on the current console.

 

Good thing I have no real shortage of games to play. Also building my home console museum, potentially this weekend.

[Xerxes]

i found the release announcement odd....they appeared to try to do it with as little fanfare as possible.

[Pic0o]

Yeah, the actual 'info' they provided was pretty light too. 8GB of RAM is a nice start for the system. It should be interesting to see MS and Sony try to vague battle each other out.

 

All the luck to anyone who is gonna Day 1 these new consoles. Maybe by summertime, there will be moderate good info about each system available.

[nick]

Yeah... not anywhere near interested in the new consoles. I bought a PS3 for GT5 awhile back but I've never taken it out of the box because I heard GT5 is/was so bad afterwards. I don't think I could deal with the heartache if that's true.

 

The last console I did much of anything with was the PS2, and with my i5 jacked up to 4GHz I can emulate all that shit anyway. They bug out sometimes but oh well, so did the PS2.

 

The only thing I actually want is a Japanese PS Vita so I can play the ufotable remake of Fate/Stay Night and other VNs. God damn, what have I become?

[JeT]

Requiring internet to even use console seems kinda ridiculous..... maybe everyone will eventually get scared back to PC, and PC gaming communities will get all huge again, and the red faction days will be upon us once more! :musictang:

[Pic0o]

Xbox 360 showed me enough on the state of the console world, that pushed me full on back into PC land. Playing Fallout 3 and New Vegas assured those game will only be played on PC by me. Xbox live price increases took the convenience of playing with friends, and priced it right out of rationale.

 

What happens when XBL or PSN are down, as they have been in the past. Might I add, this has happened for both around major holidays... So that would leave you with a paperweight on these next-gen consoles. I already had enough medium issues with offline Xbox 360 and playing some games, so next gen would be a failure if network goes down and hardware is worthless.

 

Meanwhile, I'm sure reverse-engineering the new consoles would earn your a felony rating somewhere of a serial killer, in terms of charges, and time incarcerated.

[Pic0o]

So the current word is that Microsoft is "reversing" it's DRM stances. While that's fine and all, do still remember that your XBLA games and such are still bound to your 360 and will not be available (without repurchase) on Xbox One. Being fair, I honestly don't trust Sony or Microsoft to not implement some backend authentication and DRM. It's been pretty apparent that some legal word wrangling by a ToS update, can easily tear away what little consumer rights you may have previously had.

 

I'm interested to see how this DRM shakes out for both consoles as release time comes. I'm not giving Microsoft or Sony a free pass of trust here. That just seems foolish to me, especially due to how cryptic it was to find out about these systems in the first place.

 

Here is a http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=596671]GAF thread on this reversal[/url].