Today at Microsoft's presentation, the company announced the Xbox One. Don Mattrick called it an "all in one system," and a sizzle reel accented its cloud capabilities, a new Kinect, and a revised "precision" controller. It will be launching later this year.
During the presentation, we saw the Xbox turn on with a voice command, and immediately recognize the speaker. The home screen looked familiar, but Microsoft's Yusuf Mehdi pointed out a few differences. They confirmed it as a cable box, and Mehdi simply said "live TV" to switch to the television input. He also showed "Instant Switching," which let him swap between TV, games, and music with voice commands. Further highlighting the multiple functions, he continued with "Snap Mode," which lets one function continue while browsing others. Finally, Mehdi showed the box running Skype to perform group video calls.
Moving onto TV functionality specifically, Mehdi showed ESPN and then went to the guide, which appeared similar to local TV listings. It let him browse with voice commands, and then responded to natural questions like "What's on HBO?" A Favorites menu pinned content in one place, and a Trending menu shows what the Xbox Live community is watching.
The presentation then moved into hardware specs, including a 500GB HDD, 8GB of RAM, and an 8-core CPU. It will use Blu-ray discs, and 802.11n wireless, with USB 3.0 and HDMI in and out. It runs "three operating systems in one." One is the Xbox OS for access to the hardware, the second is a Windows OS for web applications. The third OS connects the two for "instant switching."
The new Kinect sensor is a 1080p HD RGB camera, with more than 2GBps data. It runs in 30 FPS, and Microsoft calls it "time of flight technology." A teaser video showed the more precision Kinect sensing, and promised that when you're moving it will be able to read your heartbeat. The Kinect sensor is called the "binding power" between it and the other two input devices, the controller and SmartGlass.
The new controller will have an integrated battery, impulse triggers, wi-fi directed radio share, and a newly redesigned D-pad. The presentation also claimed that SmartGlass will be more closely integrated with the hardware since it was designed to be that way from the start.
The new Xbox Live will use 300,000 servers, as opposed to 15,000 for the modern Xbox Live. Data will be stored in the cloud, and the console will work as a "dedicated game DVR" to share moments. You can also asynchronously search for matches while you play another game or watch a movie.
Other bits include: -Not backwards compatible with Xbox 360 games, due to different architecture. (Though your Gamerscore will carry over.) -Used games appear to be a no-go, as games will require mandatory installation tied to your account. Second-hand use will require a fee. -Call of Duty: Ghosts will receive DLC first. -Forza 5 has been announced. -Quantum Break (from the makers of Alan Wake) has been announced. -No price point announced yet, but a 2013 release window has been. -A Halo TV series is in development with Steven Spielberg at the helm.
A bit underwhelming, but that mandatory installation bit is a huge punch in the gut. Assuming Sony doesn't go in the same direction, I think I'll put my money on a PS4.
If the TV feature either controls my Cable box or gives me all the digital channels without need for my cable box, then I'm 100% getting on release day. Sure, sure games look nice, etc, but the integration has me excited, much more so than anything I've seen on PS4.
I really don't like a fee for playing used games on the system. Seeing as how I buy a good number of games when they are used and cheap, or grab a used copy of a new game from Gamestop and exploit the "7 day full refund on used games" the Xbox One is sounding like a huge turn-off.
Plus I read all that and I kept thinking "there sure is less focus on games and more on it being a all in one entertainment console". Ps4 and Wii U are like that too, but I think those two companies have gaming consoles that happen to have other forms of playing media, while Microsoft is going for ultimate cable box harddrive that happens to play video games. It's like home version of an Ipad.
I'm sticking with Sony now that they are working on Backwards compatibility. Nintendo is looking real good to me for the first time since the N64.
I'll pass. I already have an all-in-one gaming system, my high end PC. I doubt I'll get a PS4 either as I do 90% of my gaming on my PC (and I don't do that much anymore anyway).
You can't play the games, but they'll keep your achievements? Gee, thanks.
"Tattoos are the mullets of the aughts." - Mike Naimark
"Don't stop after beating the swords into ploughshares, don't stop! Go on beating and make musical instruments out of them. Whoever wants to make war again will have to turn them into ploughshares first" - Yehuda Amichai
That box looks so ugly. I recoiled the first time I saw it. I don't think it has much to do with how it's going to sell (there are a lot of other issues) and perhaps they sacrificed looks for reliability, but that is one ugly looking VCR box.
No backwards compatibility means no day-one purchase for me.
I won't be buying in until there's a library of games I want. By Christmas, I should be almost a full generation behind, with no Wii U, no PS4, no Vita, and no Xbox One. There's too much life left in the current systems and I don't care a bit about Kinect or the Wii U tablet or any of that jive.
Originally posted by CruelAngel777there sure is less focus on games and more on it being a all in one entertainment console.
Agreed. First, I don't put much faith in the stability and durability of Microsoft's consoles. The less things that it does, the better. I buy a system to play games, not because I want to watch tv. I don't want to limit how I play those games; I want to be able to buy used games, I want to be able to borrow games from friends. I'm not always connected to the internet every day (this appears to be necessary for the system and mandatory connection times vary depending on the type of game being played). Kinect 2.0 is creepy. An audio and video recognition peripheral that has to always be connected (it's never really "off") to a system that requires a mandatory internet connection. I left my tin hat at home, but I don't feel comfortable with something like that. I know that, based on the current information, this system is not for me.
Engadget interviewed Albert Penello, senior director of product planning at Microsoft, and he revealed that the HD is NOT REMOVABLE and you have to use the USB 3.0 ports to increase your HD space.
I hope the HD doesn't fail, because I would assume you would have to send it back to MS to have it replaced.
I can only imagine what a tremendous pain in the ass it would be to tell your cable company that you don't want their box, you want service patched in through your xbox. I'm sure the actual technical process is no real problem, but dealing with the reps and explaining how you want your service managed and billed is not going to go smoothly.
It seems interesting enough to pick up as an all-in-one media device, but I'm not sure about the functionality being there right now. Maybe in a few years.
It seems like it's not going to be a *replacement* for your cablebox, just an addition. When it gets integrated, I'll consider it.
(edited by Mike Zeidler on 22.5.13 0821) "Tattoos are the mullets of the aughts." - Mike Naimark
"Don't stop after beating the swords into ploughshares, don't stop! Go on beating and make musical instruments out of them. Whoever wants to make war again will have to turn them into ploughshares first" - Yehuda Amichai
Originally posted by Tenken347I can only imagine what a tremendous pain in the ass it would be to tell your cable company that you don't want their box, you want service patched in through your xbox. I'm sure the actual technical process is no real problem, but dealing with the reps and explaining how you want your service managed and billed is not going to go smoothly.
Mike said some of this, but just to make it clear - you're on your own setting this up. This works as a middle device: if your cable box plugs into to your TV now, that cable box will now plug into Xbox One and that'll plug into the TV instead.
A replacement box would be much better, but would require all sort of deals with cable companies to support it (they're not going to want to give up the $10-15 they're charging people for cable boxes now, and it'd be a slow battle with companies holding out.)
Engadget interviewed Albert Penello, senior director of product planning at Microsoft, and he revealed that the HD is NOT REMOVABLE and you have to use the USB 3.0 ports to increase your HD space.
I hope the HD doesn't fail, because I would assume you would have to send it back to MS to have it replaced.
Game saves are all in the cloud, I presume. The hard drive is just temporary storage.
I'm gonna wait a while and see how actual use of Xbox One pans out for first adopters. I'm in no particular rush to live like Tom Cruise in Minority Report.
I really want to know how it's going to control your cable/satellite box. There's a massive lag with IR transmitters, and unless it's got a cablecard slot (it doesn't) It's all just a glittery, magical overlay for right now.
500GB is tiny when it comes to DVR functionality too. (My TiVos have 2TB drives and are still half full.)
(edited by Mike Zeidler on 22.5.13 1655) "Tattoos are the mullets of the aughts." - Mike Naimark
"Don't stop after beating the swords into ploughshares, don't stop! Go on beating and make musical instruments out of them. Whoever wants to make war again will have to turn them into ploughshares first" - Yehuda Amichai
So far I've not seen a single reason to get the XBox One. No used games? Constant internet connection required? Really?!
I'll stick with my 360, thank you very much.
And for godsakes, can the video game industry go back to using numbers the way they're supposed to be used? First it was naming the 2014 version of Madden, "Madden NFL 25" because of the 25th anniversary; now it's naming the third XBox system, XBox One. Huh. I thought the first XBox was XBox one.
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Pass. Now that I am going to the Hulu/Netflix plan, the TV portion is useless to me. There seems to be no benefit to getting this thing. More like giant pain in the ass hoops. I am sure it will sell well, PS4 may now have a real chance to overtake it due to MS wanting every piece of the pie.
(edited by lotjx on 23.5.13 0714) The Wee Baby Sheamus.Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
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