Originally posted by thecubsfanHaving cheaper games would be awesome, but when they can get already get away with pricing the games at $60, it's hard to believe they'd give that up.
I assume part of it is less lowering prices, but more delaying raising prices. Triple-A games are super expensive to make, and it's really hard to make your money back, but at the same time, consumers will likely balk if prices go up. That's why you see all sorts of deluxe editions, DLC (even "DLC" which is on the disc), etc. They have to make more money somehow. Or cut costs.
Originally posted by cubsfanNot being able to plan a game because something is wrong with the network will probably beat that.
Agreed. I don't have that many problems with my home internet connection, but between that PSN outage, the SimCity launch, my perpetual inability to download WWE CAWs, and any number of day-one server issues, this always-on thing is just not the best idea.
Originally posted by cubsIf I'm trading controllers with you, it's because one of us has no idea what they're doing and we need to get past something, not that I need or want my profiles traded.
It would work neat for Rock Band, where you've got a group of people changing roles. But that game's dead and I can't think of any other where you'd really want that.
Originally posted by cA lot of the Kinetic stuff they've promoted feels the same way. It's a great scientific achievement but they haven't made the case of why it's going to enhance my experience.
Yeah, it's neat stuff but like the profile trading, it's a solution looking for a problem. Make a game that I really want to play that I can't play today, or fix something that feels like a problem. I don't need to wave my hand at the TV when the remote works just fine.
So apparently Microsoft is walking back most of their policies regarding Used Games and the always online connection. I'm a little disappointed the ass-kicking doesn't get to go on longer, but it looks like now its going to come down to which system has better games (it was always going to come down to that) and how much people love/hate the Kinect.
The knockoff here is the benefit from Microsoft's originally proposed plan - that you could go to a family/friend's XBox One and play the game you own via stream - is going away too. It's total parity, for good and bad. I like status quo model better, but I also liked the the idea of a competing method for the positive effect it'd have on both models trying to catch up with each other's features (just as long it didn't hurt me!)
Obviously, Microsoft could've announced this new (/old) plan from the start if they're capable of doing it now. There's probably an interesting story coming out down the road - did was Microsoft caught off guard by the consumer reaction to their plan, or caught off guard by Sony not having a similar plan?
Microsoft's adjusted on this - maybe they'll find some way to adjust on price in the next six months? I'd be surprised if the Kinect became optional to lower the price, but they were obviously scared into making one big change already.
Originally posted by thecubsfanMicrosoft's adjusted on this - maybe they'll find some way to adjust on price in the next six months?
I'd agree with this except that is MS really wanted, they could just release the Xbox at $250 or so and basically give the box away so it winds up in everyone's living room. The hardware sets the price, and whatever profit margin they get at $499 is what they can afford to have. The only way the price will be 'adjusted' is if we see some of the two-year Xbox Live contract bundles, and even then, they are still cannibalizing their own revenue to move boxes.
People keep saying MS expected Sony to have a similar DRM scheme in place. If so, Sony handled the situation brilliantly by letting MS play the role of coal-mine canary and take all the heat. MS also trusting a rival would be one of the stupidest things they've done in this fiasco, which is a long list of stupid things.
I think back to the rumors that the then-Durango was supposed to not use discs. I think that MS saw some blowback from the leaks at the time and realized they needed to allow disc-based media, and their solution is what got presented at the first press conference. I also wish MS had stuck to their guns, if only to see how this changes the direction of consoles. Alas, we'll never know.
Well there went my plan to walk in and buy one on release day without waiting in lines. The early whining had lead me to believe it would be easy to get.
Went ahead and placed a preorder. Yeah, I'm a sucker.
Originally posted by EddieBurkettbut it looks like now its going to come down to which system has better games (it was always going to come down to that) and how much people love/hate the Kinect.
The manager at the Gamestop near me told me that he knew for a fact that Microsoft will be releasing an Xbox One without the Kinect, but not until sometime in 2014.
So I'm just gonna be patient and wait.
"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." - Winston Churchill
There have been some rumors that the cancellation of pre-orders for the Xbox One turned PS4 was pretty high, so that might have something to do with it. The fact that PS4 is still $100 is not going to help Xbox in anyway.
The Wee Baby Sheamus.Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
Thread ahead: PS Vita releases: week of June 24, 2013 Next thread: PS3 releases: week of June 17, 2013 Previous thread: 3DS releases: week of June 17, 2013