Uh-Oh!! Is Microsoft setting up to answer Sony? - Page 3

Robert Maxwell · March 20 2013, 06:10 PM

Rincewiend wrote:

Hm, apparently all games will be installed on the hard drive. Play from optical disc will not be supported and "always on-line/connected to the internet"

http://www.vgleaks.com/durango-xdk/

So they really are just selling a small form factor desktop computer.

Jax · March 20 2013, 06:37 PM

If true then am going towards the PS4 and Microsoft will easily lose the next gen race. Not everyone has their console connected to the net (assuming they have the internet or a stable connection at least) and not everyone evens want to hook their console up to the net so they will lose those customers right away.

Robert Maxwell · March 20 2013, 07:48 PM

Jax wrote:

If true then am going towards the PS4 and Microsoft will easily lose the next gen race. Not everyone has their console connected to the net (assuming they have the internet or a stable connection at least) and not everyone evens want to hook their console up to the net so they will lose those customers right away.

About 3/4 of both PS3 and 360 owners have taken their consoles online at least once, so it doesn't sound like MS is worried about market penetration being limited by an "always online" feature.

Sheep · March 20 2013, 08:02 PM

I don't care about installs since I install every disc game I play anyway.

I'm waiting to see what "always on" entails. It could be completely innocuous, it could be some EA-type BS where even single player games require a server connection, or it could mean they're blocking used games. Given that Sony isn't planning to do either of the last two, I doubt Microsoft would try unless they want to drive people back to the PlayStation.

Kelthaz · March 20 2013, 08:10 PM

Sheep wrote:

It could be completely innocuous, it could be some EA-type BS where even single player games require a server connection, or it could mean they're blocking used games.

This does worry me, but I have a hard time believing that Microsoft could be that stupid.

Stephen! · March 20 2013, 08:52 PM

Kelthaz wrote:

This does worry me, but I have a hard time believing that Microsoft could be that stupid.

Unless Microsoft is starting to lose it a bit these days.

The problems with Windows Eight
Windows Phone having limited market share
ARM based Windows RT tablets confusing customers
Trying to tie Microsoft Office to a single computer
Possibly not allowing Xbox 720 to run second hand games
Lashing out at Google regarding privacy. The "Scroogle" thing
Their dependency on patents as a crutch to attack Android
Having to bribe Nokia to use Windows Phone

Jax · March 20 2013, 08:59 PM

Robert Maxwell wrote:

About 3/4 of both PS3 and 360 owners have taken their consoles online

Well thats what, 19 million XBox customers? who will be very unhappy. A pure online console is very dangerous at this moment in time and would affect sales IMO.

Robert Maxwell · March 21 2013, 01:04 AM

Jax wrote:

Robert Maxwell wrote:

About 3/4 of both PS3 and 360 owners have taken their consoles online

Well thats what, 19 million XBox customers? who will be very unhappy. A pure online console is very dangerous at this moment in time and would affect sales IMO.

Given the necessity of system updates, game patches, etc. in this day and age, I don't know how you could get away with not having the console online.

ATimson · March 21 2013, 02:05 AM

Robert Maxwell wrote:

Given the necessity of system updates, game patches, etc. in this day and age, I don't know how you could get away with not having the console online.

Game patches are less often necessary than you think (most of the time they're for MP anyways, and SP bugs get ignored). And I think they new system updates get carried on the disc like they did for Wii.

AlphaMan · March 21 2013, 02:28 AM

That would be a major deal-breaker for me. This EA/Sim City fiasco is all I needed to know that always online DRM is a major mistake and not for me.

Robert Maxwell · March 21 2013, 03:44 AM

AlphaMan wrote:

That would be a major deal-breaker for me. This EA/Sim City fiasco is all I needed to know that always online DRM is a major mistake and not for me.

Apples and oranges. This is akin to having your computer online all the time, not a specific game, as is the case with SimCity.

Kelthaz · March 21 2013, 05:23 AM

Robert Maxwell wrote:

AlphaMan wrote:

That would be a major deal-breaker for me. This EA/Sim City fiasco is all I needed to know that always online DRM is a major mistake and not for me.

Apples and oranges. This is akin to having your computer online all the time, not a specific game, as is the case with SimCity.

I'm not sure why you think that this is different from the Sim City fiasco. If the Durango is always online than that means you need to be connected to their servers to use the console. If the servers go down (or Microsoft cuts support for the console) then you're screwed. It's the exact same thing.

Although, I still think that this is a moot point. Microsoft isn't going to release an online only console or prevent used games. Without a monopoly on the industry (like the PS2 or NES) it would be suicide.

AlphaMan · March 31 2013, 11:43 AM

Well...

I certainly expected Microsoft to have answered Sony at this point. The amount of buzz over the PS4 is overwhelming. News of the PS4 is dominating interest at IGN, Kotaku and Game Spot. GameStop reports significant interest in PS4 and 900,000 preorders already. All this and Microsoft only registered a domain as a response. I'm starting to wonder if Sony's little fake out in January (Sony was going to let Microsoft announce first) worked and Microsoft was caught totally off guard.

FPAlpha · March 31 2013, 02:27 PM

I doubt it.. they know the 720 (or whatever its name will be) will garner enough interest.

The videogame market is split in half and i guess it won't move much.. capabilities will be about the same and i don't believe MS will suffer any long lasting effects just because Sony went first in the announcement and that presentation was lukewarm at best, i.e. no real detail and merely a picture of the controller.

E3 will start the battle in earnest and i guess both companies will open up fully then. Until then everything that comes before are mere skirmishes.

Haggis and tatties · April 5 2013, 03:52 PM

Adam Orth, creative director Microsoft on tweeter and a little spat he had with a game dev form Bioware on the issue of always on connections.

Full story at neogaf..
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=52707141

March 20 2013, 06:37 PM	#32
Jax Admiral Location: The United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland	Re: Uh-Oh!! Is Microsoft setting up to answer Sony? If true then am going towards the PS4 and Microsoft will easily lose the next gen race. Not everyone has their console connected to the net (assuming they have the internet or a stable connection at least) and not everyone evens want to hook their console up to the net so they will lose those customers right away. __________________ Brave (B) Great & Powerful Oz (B-) Hunger Games (B-) American Reunion (B) Milk (B-) The Insider (B+) The Rainmaker (B-) God Bless America (B-) It's Kind of a Funny Story (B-) Iron Man 3 (B+) Star Trek Into Darkness (A-)

March 20 2013, 08:02 PM	#34
Sheep Vice Admiral Location: Chicago	Re: Uh-Oh!! Is Microsoft setting up to answer Sony? I don't care about installs since I install every disc game I play anyway. I'm waiting to see what "always on" entails. It could be completely innocuous, it could be some EA-type BS where even single player games require a server connection, or it could mean they're blocking used games. Given that Sony isn't planning to do either of the last two, I doubt Microsoft would try unless they want to drive people back to the PlayStation. __________________ Hating the anti-intellectual movement since before it was actually a movement.

March 21 2013, 02:28 AM	#40
AlphaMan Rear Admiral Location: Doom 2099	Re: Uh-Oh!! Is Microsoft setting up to answer Sony? That would be a major deal-breaker for me. This EA/Sim City fiasco is all I needed to know that always online DRM is a major mistake and not for me. __________________ http://gamercards.exophase.com/92764.png

March 31 2013, 11:43 AM	#43
AlphaMan Rear Admiral Location: Doom 2099	Re: Uh-Oh!! Is Microsoft setting up to answer Sony? Well... I certainly expected Microsoft to have answered Sony at this point. The amount of buzz over the PS4 is overwhelming. News of the PS4 is dominating interest at IGN, Kotaku and Game Spot. GameStop reports significant interest in PS4 and 900,000 preorders already. All this and Microsoft only registered a domain as a response. I'm starting to wonder if Sony's little fake out in January (Sony was going to let Microsoft announce first) worked and Microsoft was caught totally off guard. __________________ http://gamercards.exophase.com/92764.png

March 31 2013, 02:27 PM	#44
FPAlpha Rear Admiral Location: Mannheim, Germany	Re: Uh-Oh!! Is Microsoft setting up to answer Sony? I doubt it.. they know the 720 (or whatever its name will be) will garner enough interest. The videogame market is split in half and i guess it won't move much.. capabilities will be about the same and i don't believe MS will suffer any long lasting effects just because Sony went first in the announcement and that presentation was lukewarm at best, i.e. no real detail and merely a picture of the controller. E3 will start the battle in earnest and i guess both companies will open up fully then. Until then everything that comes before are mere skirmishes. __________________ "A control freak like you with something you can't control? No no.. that's gonna be more fun than shark week!" Det. Javier Esposito

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April 5 2013, 03:52 PM	#45
Haggis and tatties Rear Admiral Location: Glasgow	Re: Uh-Oh!! Is Microsoft setting up to answer Sony? Adam Orth, creative director Microsoft on tweeter and a little spat he had with a game dev form Bioware on the issue of always on connections. Full story at neogaf.. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=52707141 __________________ Last edited by Haggis and tatties; April 5 2013 at 04:04 PM.