Microsoft on Always Online Consoles: 'Deal With It'

Originally posted by VoidHawk
Stick to PC gaming, consoles are a CON.

Every serious gamer I've ever met uses a PC.

Just to add more to this story..
There were rumours about the consoles from ms being so powerful that using the TWO forward pointing cameras they (ms) can use software that can lip read, recognize faces, and count how many people are in the room, and record your conversations.
And now we learn they want the darn thing ALWAYS ON! No prizes for guessing why

"Serious gamer" is a laughable term.

I play what you might call serious games for fun. I choose to play on a console because I like the convenience and the ability to just switch it on and sit comfortably in front of my TV, amongst other reasons. I have a decent PC and have played many games on it, but I much prefer my Xbox. They're not a con, in fact considering the price and what it can do they're much better value than a PC as far as games are concerned. It's a matter of personal preference, and a "serious gamer"'s opinion isn't worth more than anyone else's. In fact I would be reluctant to take advice from someone that calls them self a serious gamer.

Originally posted by SpearMint

Originally posted by VoidHawk
Stick to PC gaming, consoles are a CON.

Every serious gamer I've ever met uses a PC.

Just to add more to this story..
There were rumours about the consoles from ms being so powerful that using the TWO forward pointing cameras they (ms) can use software that can lip read, recognize faces, and count how many people are in the room, and record your conversations.
And now we learn they want the darn thing ALWAYS ON! No prizes for guessing why

"Serious gamer" is a laughable term.

I play what you might call serious games for fun. I choose to play on a console because I like the convenience and the ability to just switch it on and sit comfortably in front of my TV, amongst other reasons. I have a decent PC and have played many games on it, but I much prefer my Xbox. They're not a con, it's a matter of personal preference, and a "serious gamer"'s opinion isn't worth more than anyone else's.

You can do the same thing with a PC all you need is a long hdmi cable and a wireless keyboard&mouse only thing is with a PC you don't have to wait years for an upgrade in fact if you don't upgrade it will kill your ability to play the best games. Ps if you have a stock PC and you call it decent most if not all PC gamers will laugh at you unless its a new alienware laptop and then thats only for gaming on the run or away from the house.

reply to post by Lysergic


I guess this guy forgets there's such a thing as an offline gamer. I, myself love to pvp online & never play offline but one of my friends only plays games offline, never online.

Xbox/Microsoft suck. FFS the Xbox still doesn't have an Internet browser! GG Microsoft dee dee dee

So yeah, leave these morons alone & come back to Playstation & Nintendo

reply to post by Lysergic


"Deal with it"?? Yeah... The Microshaft way. WE deem it to be so YOU will take it and like it. That was nearly what one exec said about the new tile stupidity with Windows 8 too...and why none of my machines HAVE Windows 8. Likely never will.

That attitude from Microsoft is precisely why, over the last few months, all but 1 machine I own is either Linux or Android based O/S and will *NEVER* run Microsoft again. At least, I'll say, until they have a sea change in corporate culture and attitudes, anyway. I still run one box with Win 7 because my CIS class requires Office in the real form with the true MS features to the last for things to go best. When this semester ends, so does the last machine I'll ever have their operating system on.

There are A LOT of game consoles on the market. They are just one of them. If they go ahead with this, their product won't grace our entertainment center, either. I can't stand the arrogance of "Deal with it" attitudes when I am a paying customer THEY need more than I need THEM.

Boycott Microsoft Products!
After 35 years in "information technology" I am thankfully Microsoft free.
Freedom is a good thing, regardless of what the TPTB sez.

ganjoa

I have a few comments regarding this.

1st of all the Creative Director of MS Studio's should be sacked for those comments but I think we are getting ahead of ourselves regarding the subject matter.

I personally don't think MS are going to do anything as drastic as what's being made out but I do think they will be targeting the 2nd hand and pirate market. Here's how i think it will play out.

The new console will be online only and you will have the option of downloading or streaming the game for people with unlimited and stable connections. Now what MS have done in the past regarding their digital downloads is given the option to send out media by post for an additional fee or you could download the iso's and burn them or put them on USB drive etc..

Now MS has always been about having proprietary hardware even back with Windows 3.0 where they bundled an excellent Windows mouse which had a proprietary interface card. They then did the same with their wireless technology in the Xbox 360 controllers. This means they license the hardware and only they can allow companies to manufacture for their console.
So I can see the new xbox having some sort of proprietary interface which will work like a USB device but which will allow them to send out games so that people have the option of playing offline. You will have to have purchased the game online so that you're DRM license is transferred internally.

What I can see is them giving different pricing options for whatever service you require. For example, if you want to rent the game before deciding to buy they will charge you whatever the going rental price through lovefilm is and you can play straight away or download it and it will be time limited to 3 days or a week.
If you want to buy the game and are connected online and have unlimited internet then you can download it or stream it straight away for 3/4 of the full retail price and this will reduce over time so to compete with the 2nd hand market.
If you want to play offline completely then you will pay the full retail price and the proprietary interface will be sent out. It will be linked to your profile and you will probably have to verify it somehow, I can imagine they might go the same route that they do for offline activation in windows but once activated, that's it it's yours, either that or you will need to connect once to download the key for activation.

I actually would like to see that model as it's the one that works for everyone.
Only encrypted media is sent out and you must have a valid license on your account to play it, reducing piracy & game swapping thus keeping the software companies happy. You could give the dongle to someone else but they would still need to have a valid license to play it. It would also mean you could go round to your mates house with a dongle, sign in to your live account and away you go. Simple and easy.
People who genuinely download games to try before buy can get the full game for a short period before they decide to buy it and at a minimal cost.
People with unstable internet but are connected frequently could have the option to download it or be sent out a dongle for an additional fee. Thus not really affecting that customer base.
The 2nd hand market would be gone but we will still be able to get older games for a fraction of the price and you get all the online features which EA started charging you for if you bought 2nd hand. It also means less physical media in the world reducing costs and in turn better for the environment.
I know a lot of people won't agree with it but I think once it's out and works better than people expected they will jump onboard.

Originally posted by SpearMint

Originally posted by VoidHawk
Stick to PC gaming, consoles are a CON.

Every serious gamer I've ever met uses a PC.

Just to add more to this story..
There were rumours about the consoles from ms being so powerful that using the TWO forward pointing cameras they (ms) can use software that can lip read, recognize faces, and count how many people are in the room, and record your conversations.
And now we learn they want the darn thing ALWAYS ON! No prizes for guessing why

"Serious gamer" is a laughable term.

I play what you might call serious games for fun. I choose to play on a console because I like the convenience and the ability to just switch it on and sit comfortably in front of my TV, amongst other reasons. I have a decent PC and have played many games on it, but I much prefer my Xbox. They're not a con, in fact considering the price and what it can do they're much better value than a PC as far as games are concerned.

Um do you consider people making 6+ figures a year gaming not serious? People usually only make that money PC gaming. Starcraft, DOTA, etc.

You can hook your PC up to your TV, btw.

Oh, and saying you've played many games on your PC says absolutely nothing. There are so many PC games. that don't require much from a technical standpoint. What most people consider a "decent" PC is absolute crap.

I like consoles, don't get me wrong. I'm not some PC elitist. BUT I do recognize the PC is vastly superior to console gaming.


On a side note, many PC games are going DRM.

honestly, I think people do just need to deal with it. It's the 21st century. Not sure why people wouldn't be connected to the internet in the first place, if youre a gamer.

i can tell you, that comment orth made not only made his customers mad but they are going out of their way to bring him down. and rightfully so, always online is the worst thing to happen to gaming, plus throw in microtransactions and you turn your loyal customer base into your worst nightmare

reply to post by Lysergic


Good post. What a douche. I'm an avid gamer and if 360 doesn't do something about this guy in the future I might think about buying the PS4 a little harder.

Originally posted by mclarenmp4
I have a few comments regarding this.

1st of all the Creative Director of MS Studio's should be sacked for those comments but I think we are getting ahead of ourselves regarding the subject matter.

I personally don't think MS are going to do anything as drastic as what's being made out but I do think they will be targeting the 2nd hand and pirate market. Here's how i think it will play out.

The new console will be online only and you will have the option of downloading or streaming the game for people with unlimited and stable connections. Now what MS have done in the past regarding their digital downloads is given the option to send out media by post for an additional fee or you could download the iso's and burn them or put them on USB drive etc..
You will have to have purchased the game online so that you're DRM license is transferred internally.

The 2nd hand market would be gone but we will still be able to get older games for a fraction of the price and you get all the online features which EA started charging you for if you bought 2nd hand. It also means less physical media in the world reducing costs and in turn better for the environment.
I know a lot of people won't agree with it but I think once it's out and works better than people expected they will jump onboard.

Here is where you are wrong. Gamers do not like sudden changes like this mostly. Also do you know how many people buy used games instead of new ones? Stores would soon be out of business because greedy microsoft. It could be argued that Microsoft is a Monopoly and needs to be broken up because they are essentially strong arming the consumer and used game stores.
Here is another way that microsoft could actually make money on second hand games. First make games when you register them ONE time they ALSO ask for a IP address as part of registration. you only get to register it ONE TIME at that IP. This would allow a game to be sold numerous times and still register each time.

Next if you want to purchase new content or add ons after registering it you can pay a small fee and get them from microsoft or the game maker. This will allow microsoft to make cash,and the second hand stores to stay in buisness and bringing second hand games into line with microsoft and their precious bottom line.

Im a microsoft x box owner,and I will tell you that if they make it online only I will not buy it and start a petition of people online from around the world who agree that the games should not be online all the time. Its not right to force a choice on someone. EA is learning this VERY WELL with Sim city. Microsoft should learn by this example and it is prolly one of the reason the announcement has been pushed back.

reply to post by Lysergic


I am not buying a console. I don't even play my xbox 360 as it is. it just collects dust and at most I use it for netflix and i do't even use that anymore.

Originally posted by digital01anarchy

Originally posted by SpearMint

Originally posted by VoidHawk
Stick to PC gaming, consoles are a CON.

Every serious gamer I've ever met uses a PC.

Just to add more to this story..
There were rumours about the consoles from ms being so powerful that using the TWO forward pointing cameras they (ms) can use software that can lip read, recognize faces, and count how many people are in the room, and record your conversations.
And now we learn they want the darn thing ALWAYS ON! No prizes for guessing why

"Serious gamer" is a laughable term.

I play what you might call serious games for fun. I choose to play on a console because I like the convenience and the ability to just switch it on and sit comfortably in front of my TV, amongst other reasons. I have a decent PC and have played many games on it, but I much prefer my Xbox. They're not a con, it's a matter of personal preference, and a "serious gamer"'s opinion isn't worth more than anyone else's.

You can do the same thing with a PC all you need is a long hdmi cable and a wireless keyboard&mouse only thing is with a PC you don't have to wait years for an upgrade in fact if you don't upgrade it will kill your ability to play the best games. Ps if you have a stock PC and you call it decent most if not all PC gamers will laugh at you unless its a new alienware laptop and then thats only for gaming on the run or away from the house.

So? I much prefer my Xbox. I don't have a stock PC, I have a custom built PC. As if anyone would care if a PC gamer laughed at them.

Originally posted by SpearMint

Originally posted by digital01anarchy

Originally posted by SpearMint

Originally posted by VoidHawk
Stick to PC gaming, consoles are a CON.

Every serious gamer I've ever met uses a PC.

Just to add more to this story..
There were rumours about the consoles from ms being so powerful that using the TWO forward pointing cameras they (ms) can use software that can lip read, recognize faces, and count how many people are in the room, and record your conversations.
And now we learn they want the darn thing ALWAYS ON! No prizes for guessing why

"Serious gamer" is a laughable term.

I play what you might call serious games for fun. I choose to play on a console because I like the convenience and the ability to just switch it on and sit comfortably in front of my TV, amongst other reasons. I have a decent PC and have played many games on it, but I much prefer my Xbox. They're not a con, it's a matter of personal preference, and a "serious gamer"'s opinion isn't worth more than anyone else's.

You can do the same thing with a PC all you need is a long hdmi cable and a wireless keyboard&mouse only thing is with a PC you don't have to wait years for an upgrade in fact if you don't upgrade it will kill your ability to play the best games. Ps if you have a stock PC and you call it decent most if not all PC gamers will laugh at you unless its a new alienware laptop and then thats only for gaming on the run or away from the house.

So? I much prefer my Xbox. I don't have a stock PC, I have a custom built PC. As if anyone would care if a PC gamer laughed at them.

ok list your specs and hardware for your custom built PC! let me guess it liquid cooled and has a solid state hard drive have uses ddr4 memory and has two GPU's a Radeon HD 7970 and Asus' ROG Ares II lol

Originally posted by digital01anarchy

Originally posted by SpearMint

Originally posted by digital01anarchy

Originally posted by SpearMint

Originally posted by VoidHawk
Stick to PC gaming, consoles are a CON.

Every serious gamer I've ever met uses a PC.

Just to add more to this story..
There were rumours about the consoles from ms being so powerful that using the TWO forward pointing cameras they (ms) can use software that can lip read, recognize faces, and count how many people are in the room, and record your conversations.
And now we learn they want the darn thing ALWAYS ON! No prizes for guessing why

"Serious gamer" is a laughable term.

I play what you might call serious games for fun. I choose to play on a console because I like the convenience and the ability to just switch it on and sit comfortably in front of my TV, amongst other reasons. I have a decent PC and have played many games on it, but I much prefer my Xbox. They're not a con, it's a matter of personal preference, and a "serious gamer"'s opinion isn't worth more than anyone else's.

You can do the same thing with a PC all you need is a long hdmi cable and a wireless keyboard&mouse only thing is with a PC you don't have to wait years for an upgrade in fact if you don't upgrade it will kill your ability to play the best games. Ps if you have a stock PC and you call it decent most if not all PC gamers will laugh at you unless its a new alienware laptop and then thats only for gaming on the run or away from the house.

So? I much prefer my Xbox. I don't have a stock PC, I have a custom built PC. As if anyone would care if a PC gamer laughed at them.

ok list your specs and hardware for your custom built PC! let me guess it liquid cooled and has a solid state hard drive have uses ddr4 memory and has two GPU's a Radeon HD 7970 and Asus' ROG Ares II lol

I don't see why it matters, it's quite irrelevant. People that brag about their PC specs on the internet are often the same people that slag off consoles with no real argument. Consoles made the industry.

I've only had one Xbox, because they just like.. really suck.

MS should stick to business apps imo. Entertainment they are not.

Originally posted by ganjoa
Boycott Microsoft Products!
After 35 years in "information technology" I am thankfully Microsoft free.
Freedom is a good thing, regardless of what the TPTB sez.

ganjoa

Why? Microsoft said that the guy was not actually a Microsoft spokesperson, and that they don't have a full roadmap, and therefore its not definately going to be always-online.

I agree its good to be free, but Microsoft is currently the best OS available. If you don'y use any Microsoft product, you almost have to be using Linux, probably Ubuntu or some other popular distro (after Unity Ubuntu has become a bit annoying).

I dont know if any of you know of the "steambox" but I think that'll be a neat addition.

I'm a big user of steam, so I might be biased.

What am steambox lys? you might think to yourself...

Think of Valve's Steam Box as a PC. Its early prototypes might be squished into a small cuboid at the moment, they might be more at home under your television than your monitor, and - most shockingly - it might not be running Windows: but it is a PC.

The Steam Box is designed to play PC games. Specifically, it's designed to play Steam games: Steam being the developer behind Valve's proprietary game download service, blessed with a good chunk of the platform's best ever titles.

It's Valve spearheading the Steam Box concept, and Valve that showed the first mock-ups of what an eventual Steam Box would look like at CES 2013.

www.techradar.com...

'Deal with' millions of lost customers!

Originally posted by SpearMint

"Serious gamer" is a laughable term.

I play what you might call serious games for fun. I choose to play on a console because I like the convenience and the ability to just switch it on and sit comfortably in front of my TV, amongst other reasons. I have a decent PC and have played many games on it, but I much prefer my Xbox. They're not a con, in fact considering the price and what it can do they're much better value than a PC as far as games are concerned. It's a matter of personal preference, and a "serious gamer"'s opinion isn't worth more than anyone else's. In fact I would be reluctant to take advice from someone that calls them self a serious gamer.

edit on 6-4-2013 by SpearMint because: (no reason given)

Star for you cos I gotta agree with this. The whole "hardcore vs. casual" has just gotten ridiculous. Why would someone even care what "serious gamers" think anyway? Do you play games to impress other people? "Oh no I'd better buy a more expensive computer or my friends will make fun of me." Some people take their hobbies WAYYY too seriously nowadays.

Lets just be honest the gaming industry no longer caters to the hardcore gamer, you can see this in the dumbing down of most games more specifically RPGs. Casual gamer is a larger market, so saith the wise Alaundo.

These guys(big game companies) aren't in it for the hobby, they're in it for the profit(who dont like money right i know). Don't even get me started on how EA treats their programmers.